Blair, as you check over the items in Parker's living quarters on the second floor, you notice nothing even remotely confidential in his notes and the only thing that might have yielded some information, his ledger with all his client information, was encoded. You've also done your due diligence and opened the trunk, only to find a collection of old books on the finer details of Corphyrean Commercial Law inside. You're about to give up, when you realise that the trunk seems much larger than the books that were inside. 

You quickly start to take the books out, and then carefully sound the wooden panel at the bottom. At first, you don't notice anything, but as you inspect the trunk closely, you notice that the metal encasing the corners of the trunk seems newer in one corner. As you reach to inspect it, you suddenly hear a click, and the bottom of the trunk opens up, as a secret compartment is opened.

You're excited to have found his stash, when, disappointingly, you notice that he only kept some jewellery, coins, and a letter in here. Reading over the letter, it details a sordid little affair between the heiress of a patriar family and some common shoester, but upon close inspection, you realise that the handwriting is actually Parker's. Or better, his attempt at affecting somebody else's handwriting. While it looks different, the choice of words leaves little doubt.

The whole thing is frustrating... his instructions seemed so clear and urgent, but there was nothing here that could serve as an indication to his subversive actions. What where they missing?

Murph looks around the windows, in the backs of closets, deep in the cellar, out up on the roof before the sun rises, anywhere he might hide things if he were trying to keep them from others.

Investigation: 23

“I don’t think he was referring to you. He doesn’t, ... didn’t, ...” there’s a silence as I try to work out which word is correct in my mind before continuing. Mainly due to the fact that I’m unsure if we will ever see or hear from him again due to his sudden and hasty departure. “strike me as the kind of person to burn someone alive. I much rather feel we are looking for something. ... or several somethings perhaps.”

I stifle a giggle at the newcomers mention of going down the chimney. ‘Surely a window or back door would be easier to manage.’

“Perhaps you, and Blair could provide a distraction if needed. A heated argument perhaps over, ...” I flash a quick grin towards Blair should she happen to be present, “payment for services rendered.”

In addition to assisting Murph with his inspection of the places he would try and hide something. I will make sure to check the fireplace for any loose bricks. As well as any loose floorboards under the rug and perhaps in and around the crates.

(OOC not sure if Blair would share the discovery of the ledger. Is it possible for us to decode it. I figure it’s not thieves cant or we would understand it being rogues and all)

You thoroughly search the main floor of the office, knocking on the counter, searching through the boks, tapping on floorboards, and trying to sound out any hollow spaces. After searching for an hour, you're quite certain that whatever Parker was hiding, it's not in the public-facing part of the shop.

I curse silently under my breath, ‘What the hell are we supposed to burn. ... surely it wasn’t a metaphor.’ Letting out a sigh, I then think out loud, “Not like there’s any barrels of powder here.”

Making my way down to the cellar I look for any loose stones, hollow spaces in any containers, checking any drawers, barrels, crates, etc. Trying to find any sign or clues as to what he might have been up to that he wanted us to get rid of for him.

Perception: 20 

Dart, you thoroughly search all around the cellar. Again, you go about this very methodically, sounding the walls, trying to feel in hidden crooks and and checking any of the crates. 

Things down here look like they were placed here and then were forgotten about. Unlike the rest of the office, there seems to be little order to how things are arranged and on some of the things, you see a layer of dust almost half an inch thick. Looking around at the things not currently covered in dust, you see some sacks of coal off in a corner, a crate of root vegetables, and the front of one of the large wine or ale barrels stacked up against the side.

Murph helps Dart look inside the crate, feeling for a false bottom, picking up the crate to look underneath. He also feels around the front of the barrel to see if it's a false front for a hiding spot. He also tries to open it if it's openable. And failing all of that, he'll look under the sacks of coal, and then, reluctantly, inside them.

Investigation: 21

As you approach the barrel, you notice a small gap between the front of the barrel and the rest of it, partially hidden by the metal band around it. As you twist the tap, the whole front of the barrel swings open, like a door. Looking inside, you find a hole in the floor with a rough-hewn shaft and a ladder descending into the depths.

Murph looks up at Dart. "Is this what you were looking for?"

He peers down the shaft and listens for anything.

Perception: 20

"We don't even know what we're looking for." Blair would confess frankly as she'd stand behind them with her arms crossed, waiting to see what they discovered.

“I guess we’ll see”

Figuring there aren’t any sort of barriers to entry (traps), I’ll descend the ladder first and look around and observe my surroundings once I reach the bottom. 

Murph secures one end of a rope to either a stair railing or around the base of a very heavy barrel near the opening, and lowers the other end down into the hole. "Just in case that ladder's a surprise of some kind. I've learned to be cautious in my extracurricular activities. This hidden opening is well-constructed. We almost missed it. Anything else about your associate you might want to share before we explore much further?"

The gnome is still a bit wary around this group, but he's just running with the situation, as they seem focused on their own task, they seem relatively open to him helping, going along with the situation is preferable to fighting them, they seemed open to helping him with his task in exchange, and, well, he was on his own at this point.

Watching the two reveal the the secret entrance, Blair gets a memory jolt. "He mentioned a safe house in passing..." She'd blurt, eyes glancing to Dart.

“Well then hopefully this doesn’t end with me suffering a horrible painful death” I call back to Blair as I descend into the ‘safe house’ 

You descend the shaft. About twenty feet or so down, you hear gravel under your feet, and carefully testing the floor, everything appears to be normal, though with no light reaching down here, you're reliant on your hearing, touch, and sense of smell almost entirely. Smelling a waxy scent to your right, you reach out to feel a torch and a flint and steel nearby, and with a few sharp strikes, you manage to light the torch.

As you look up, you see a small chamber lined in shelves, with several crates stacked around the room. As you go to inspect them, you find that different compartments on the shelves are labelled with document types, and inside each, you find different reems of paper, sealing wax, and even seals. One of the newer compartments- judging by the sign underneath- is labelled "Flaming Fist Orders". Inside, you see a copy of the seal that Blair managed to secure for you all.

The crates meanwhile contain an assortment of equipment: from disassembled printing presses to start the production of leaflets and the mass production of forgeries of official documents, to stamping machines that would allow the creation of fake currency, even with a small stock of metals to start production with. 

Looking around further, you notice that one of the compartments is labelled "Notes". And looking around the room, you notice a small tunnel leading further into the underground. After following it for another twenty feet or so, you suddenly hear the splashing of water, and the smell of rot confirms that the passage leads to the canals underneath the city, giving this location access to an entire network underneath the city, potentially.

You all reach level 3!

Murph heads down behind Dart in the darkness, happily looking at things, and then squinting and covering his eyes once the torch is lit. He tries to casually examine the shelves, and begins to put together perhaps what the pair's friend was into some sublegal activities. He begins to feel more comfortable, and then eagerly, happily, begins to look at the equipment. "This is... this is very impressive. Certainly different than my style of tinkering, but, well, I can see the skill and the meticulousness used to select, sort, and plan to use these. It's almost a marvel! Very impressive. You said this was an acquaintance of yours, right? And you are to cleanse the place of such... evidence? Perhaps this could be relocated to another place. So many potential uses. Maybe there is a hiding spot in those tunnels." He stops, and blinks.

"It seems that, perhaps, we are on similar paths. I am suddenly out of work, and, to my surprise, eager to find safe places where the law cannot find me and my toys." He squares up his jaw, closes his eyes, and steels his body, working up the courage for something.

"People call me Murph," he says. "Do the words Orren or Magnus mean anything to you?"

“They do indeed...” my eyes narrow suspiciously as I turn to look at Murph. “What do they mean to you?” My free hand edges slowly towards my dagger, unsure of Murph’s intentions. 

Murph watches the hand go for a blade. He sighs, starting to resign himself that everyone in this town wants to kill him, even these two, who seem to be working outside the law. He's laid many of his cards on the table, and it's not helping. So it was time to lay another, since the rothe was already out of the pen. He takes a small step toward the entrance to the tunnels. And says:

"Right now, they remind me of a svirfneblin word for 'safe harbor' or 'last hope'. What about yourselves?"

“Those words sound about right. Have you ever met Magnus?” I ask in a steady even voice. Still postured like I expect trouble, mainly because I’m not sure what to expect from this relative stranger. Despite the fact he just helped us find this hidden stash of Parker’s. Maybe it’s all an elaborate setup to catch all three of us...

“No. But I have met Orren. I’m... new to this, but as of now, I’m, well, all in. I would not be taking the risk to talk so freely but I’ve lost a lot, suddenly. And yourselves?”