Serena that sounds an awful lot like inssssurrection. You may want to dissscuss that in safer climates. Too many eyes and ears here! Salazar starts from over by the wall. Mardi what can you tell uss about someone called Lord Wicker? THe good lady Smoke here has recommended we try to arrange a meeting with him but we do not know whom this lord is to make overturess to

(Sorry for (yet again) another delay!)

Mardi grins at Sereena's surprise. His evident satisfaction sours slightly at the rest of her response. 

"Fair enough." he grunts, eyeing his nearly empty glass. "The old man has been getting more religious these last few years. I'm sure you and he will get along splendidly... assuming you can prove your contact with him, of course. Then I can take you to him."

Salazar's comment seems to take him a moment to decipher. After a moment, he blinks. "Lord... Wicker? No, I can't say I know anyone by that name. And I'd say here is more or less safe enough - drow-kind aren't exactly welcome in any corner of the Lowlands anymore, let alone an underground fighting ring, which will probably take a short hiatus for the teams to do repairs and modifications. Gods know we'll be out of the running for a month, machining new mechs and letting our pilots recover. We might set up Ironclad to do some one-on-one games, but that's hardly up to me - I was only ever a backup pilot anyway. Speakin' of which..."

He turns and eyes Anansi. "You say you killed some drow, eh? Whaddya say to killin' a few more?"

A big grin spreads across Anansi's face. "Now that is an endevour I can get behind. Anyone specific or just some drow in general? Cause I'm down for either." 

"Whats the local law enforcement's take on the situation?" Gadus asks turning to Mardi. "I came here, originally, to meet up with a contact in the OSPIA. I'd rather not sour that relationship before I form it."

Mardi returns Anansi's enthused grin. "Oh, I've some few particulars in mind."

As Gadus turns, Mardi can hardly suppress a sneer. "OSPIA - those traitors. They were some of the first to bow to the drow. There isn't any law enforcement anymore, or at least not any that a loyal lowlander would consider lawful."

Sereena looks at Mardi and asks, “Will taking care of these ‘particulars’ help to the benefit of those unable to fend for themselves? Because if that is the case I may be interested in helping as well.”

Anansi's grin gets even bigger. "Well my dwarven friend, if you can provide some places to lay low I think we can have some fun together." He claps a hand down on Madri's shoulder. 

Any of these particulars take over a nobless estate in the last few days? One with a penchant for collecting items belonging to other culturess? Actually like a game of gnomish dominoes if we start with one we may end up with that one anyway. I’m in. Salazar turns to the others. I still think we should find and sspeak to this lord Wicker as well. They may be more amenable to help uss if we’ve already proved our competency by helping the Madri here though. What do you fellowsss think?

Sereena nods affirmation. “I do like the general idea of taking down evil tyrants, but I still am wish to see what Menhir has to say since, his last correspondence was so urgent, he is the reason I am here. Do you know when he will be arriving Madri?”

"Ah, that's unfortunate," Gadus responds to Mardi, a sardonic smirk beaming through. "Bureaucracy will be what it is. I guess I'll just have to thread that needle adroitly."

Looking at the rest of the party he continues, "If we have to cast votes, I'm more inclined to acquaint myself with the clan head. If the law enforcement here is more a 'status quo' enforcement, I've already lost what minuscule backing I had coming into Lowlands and will need to play the field. I'm more than open to meeting with both Lord Wicker and Clanhead Menhir, though the Lord is more of an unknown."

At this Bekate hops down from his master's shoulder to the table and dips his beak into a carafe taking a sip of whatever is left. "I will travel with the group though -- solo travel has left me want of companionship of a more humanoid kind," says Gadus as he gives the bird a mocking look.

A wisp of smoke comes wafting into the booth and curls around Salazar's head.

Salazar sniffs at the smoke and then looks around. 
Perception 13

"Is that something we should be concerned about?" Anansi points to the smoke.

Mardi sniffs. "Lady smoke, up to her tricks again, I guess. Look, I'll be straight with you. I can't promise that this will directly help 'the helpless', but you might help me spring a mate of mine who certainly couldn't help himself. The drow took prisoners when they first surfaced, and one of them was the best pilot we'd had in years. Also, incidentally, my brother. He also owes me six coppers."

He grins, though his eyes dart nervously towards the smoke. Salazar notes that it is of a rather odd hue - sort of a monochromatic grey, rather than a variance of blacks and grays one would expect 

"I know where they're keeping him, though - and it's not well defended. A quick strike in, and quick out, and there's not a soul the wiser. You do this for me, you get Immet free, and I'll take you to Menhir, and I'll have you well rewarded. We Redrickson's haven't often been, let's say, aggressively political in the past. I say that's about to change. Whaddaya say? Perhaps, 300 gold, and an audience? And a chance to bash a few drow in the meantime?"

"Let's roll the dice," Gadus says grinning.

Sereena is not happy that her meeting keeps getting postponed by things. “Is this ‘rescue’ what Menhir would want? I am without my peers, so I will go with this group that has proven themselves in battle already, if they choose to do this.”

If we do this it will help give us a foot in the door with the underground movers and shakerss for the Lowlands. Soundss like a reasonable deal to me Salazar muses our loud, surreptitiously nodding in Lady Smokes direction, assuming that the smoke is her way of getting the group to move in the right direction 

Anansi just nods and rubs his hands together excitedly.

Mardi nods and finishes his drink, his voice dropping low. "Good. Be ready two hours after the great bell chimes - that's when the surface patrols are at their weakest, and I definitely don't want to be seen up top. I'll find you wherever Barak stows you." With a few heavy steps, Mardi approaches Barak, exchanges a few words in dwarvish, and begins to descend. Barak turns back to you all, a surprised grin on his face. 

"We'll, you all certainly haven't waited to start getting connected here. An audience with Menhir... wooh. Time was, I once could swing that kind of clout, but not anymore. Now, I'm sure you all are rather tired - could I impose upon ye' for a moment longer, and show you to some unused rooms around t'other side of the arena?"

(Thank you all for your patience! As of this point, you have about 16 hours of 'free' time to take a long rest (or two, why not) and/or may explore, talk to those npc's you have met, meet new ones... Also, LEVEL UP!)

Sereena wants to look into a place to buy some health pots and rations. “I have some gold to burn, is there a place to spend it here?”