This tip seems a bit shakier than most but the party's networks of contacts and up pointing them to a mousy looking second-hand fishmonger with jaundiced eyes named Eries. People the party trust swear she is the expert on the sewers beneath the city and if there is trouble to be found there, she'd be the best person to contact.

Eries operates a pushcart in Old Korvosa. Every morning she goes down to the docks and picks up the fish the mongers there don't want to waste their time with and when her cart is full she wheels it through Old Korvosa selling the unwanted fish at steep discounts. Typically she converts most of the fish into stews or other simple recipes but she does have a small selection of cheap fish available as well.

When she sees the party approach she smiles tapping the pot of fish stew on her cart.

"I was wondering when you would come my way. The little mice have been telling me of a group of brave heroes that are trying to get to the source of the plague."

For someone who operates in the heart of the outbreak she doesn't seem very concerned by the disease.

"I think we can help one another, you and I. I know a bit about this plague nonsense that is going around, how people are pointing their fingers towards the sewers and the rats beneath them but I know that it isn't the rats that are the problem, at least in regards to the plague.

There is one rat who is a problem to me, however. You a couple days ago a wererat was caught and executed, the mob blaming him for the plague and outbreak. Normally that would be the end of it, wererats aren't known to be particularly brave or confrontational however there is a firebrand in their midsts. A rat named Girrigz Ripperclaws has taken this act as a declaration of war and is calling on the wererats of the sewers to band together and they are being whipped up into a frenzy. I am no stranger to sewers and those that live within but they will not listen to my calls for peace any longer. I fear that if Girrigz is allowed to continue he will unleash a small army and the citizens reprisals will be ten fold in return. There will be many innocents caught in the conflict on both sides and that is something I do not wish to see. Kill Girrigz and disband his nest and I will share with you everything I know about this plague."

Figus looks over the 'woman' carefully. By her own admission she is a were-rat, and not just a were-rat, but one with influence and power among them.

"You seek to diver attention from your people and claim they are not the source of this plague. How can we be sure that the information you give us is worth it? If all you tell us is that it arrived on plague ship, that now sits on the bottom of the channel ... for example. Then the information is not worth much."

The old woman laughs at Figus' skepticism.

"Everyone in the city is talking about the plague ship. Everyone in the city thinks they know what is going on. I am smart enough not to make that claim but I do have more to go on than most. My sources say you're attached to the guard and I'd wager a silver that you'd prefer tangible evidence rather than speculation. I can provide that. As for where it leads, who can say, but I have something that you seek and all I ask is help in keeping the sewers safe for everyone.

Keep in mind, my people are your people too. The beggars in the alleyways, the creatures in the sewers...many of them do more for this city than any high and mighty merchant man buying and wasting fortunes. Help me and what is mine is yours to use to help stop this unpleasantness. And if you break up a lycanthropic nest hellbent on making the streets run red with blood, so much the better, no?"

Kraw looks at the woman, saying "I'm just guessing here, but do you happen to have in your possession a coffer or chest of evil design?"

The old woman doesn't respond but a sly smile and a scratch of her nose seems to indicate that Kraw had guessed correctly.

Figus nods his head "That would be worth something. Of course it would still leave the ship out reach for now. How close can you get us to this place where Ripperclaws is hiding and how many ... men does he have with him?"

"Girrigz?" she asks incredulously, her tongue tripping over the unfamiliar pattern of consonants.

"Seems like even if this fine lady isn't sending us after him, The Field Marshall will be sooner or later. Might as well beat the rush, no?" she asked, shrugging massive shoulders.

"I'm getting a long bath after another tromp through the sewers though. Feh, and yet after the pile of rotting flesh in that alley, suddenly a sewer doesn't seem that bad. Did Kraw tell you two, first place we met was when an otyugh was trying to eat me out on the streets just after the riots started. Good times. Probably find some of it's brothers and sisters down there."

"You make it sound so attractive." Kyra comments on Ayeesha's words. She too is curious on what opposition they will be facing.

Kyra can prepare Air Bubble for tomorrow, 4 castings. Not ideal since they will only last 4 minutes, but it's the best she can do.

In reply to Ayeesha (msg # 8):

Kraw jokes "and that's when I decided that Ayeesha must be the epitome of Good Taste." He nods in agreement "yeah, I'm thinking there's likely another otyugh down there. They're so handy for garbage cleanup I'm surprised a few aren't on-hire for the City."

Eries wiggles her hand back and forth.

"Somewhere between half a dozen to a dozen wererats are following Girrigz <Geer-rigs>. I also know the layout of that section of the sewers and if you promise to deal with him I can make you map.

One last thing. If you can, try not to kill any of them besides Girrigz. He has to die, once you've crossed some lines you don't come back from them, but the rest are just young and reckless. They're not bad, just misguided. Without Girrigz pushing them to the extremes they should go right back to their holes and not bother anyone. If you can do that I might be able to help you out with your sunken ship problem as well."

"I can understand how this city and be extra hard for us ... special individuals" Figus looks down and moves his hand a bit to bring attention to his color "But, they do not know us and will have a hard time believing us. Is there anything you can give us, or a message that they recognize that it comes from you? To give our words some basis of authority to make them believe? It would save their lives."

Eries shakes her head, a bit apologetic she can't help further.

"If my word held any weight with them I wouldn't be looping in guards from the surface. I would say when you're fighting with them, maybe beat them across the head a few times and then make sure they have a clear avenue of escape. If cornered they might fight to the death seeing no other way out but I doubt any of them besides Girrigz have the conviction to fight to the death if they don't have to."

"Let's see that map then, with as much details as you can remember. Having it could help us avoid unnecessary bloodshed." Kyra offers the fishmonger a pen and a piece of parchment to draw on. She does no go as far as actually making any promises to her though.

Are we ready to move on?

Eries jots down a map providing the group with a round about way of getting to their destination. At times it seems almost needlessly convoluted until a peak down one side tunnel or another reveals that she is carefully routing them around other denizens of the sewers. Two goblin tribes, a small nest of otyughs, and a dark corridor that leads to a freezing area of absolute darkness that not even Figus can see through and the group finds themselves at the tunnel marked as the area inhabited by Girrigz and his followers.

Through the disgustingly visible haze of noxious sewer reek, the flow of unmentionable slop through the sewer tunnel’s filth-slick channel unexpectedly forks. Most continues on its expected path, but a small stream of ooze diverts off through a wide cleft in the moldy masonry wall. The man-sized crack cuts deep into the rock behind the wall, and wisps of thin white smoke issue forth.

OOC: Map is uploaded
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:13, Tue 15 Dec 2020.

"Lovely," she groused as the entered the warrens of the sewers.

"What lovely places we find ourselves in. Dead warrens, piles of dead bodies fed on by vampire spawn and now a little jaunt through the sewers. The highlights of Korvosa for certain! Go see the big city, Ayeesha, the girls in Shah Quah all said. Go see the sights, the sounds the glamour of it all! Come back and tell us what it's like. Yeesh."

She let Kraw lead the way and quieted down as they moved closer in through the sewers. But she was ready to step up and back him up if they got into trouble.

She pointed to the passage to the East that seemed to branch off the tunnel they were in, whispering to the others.

"That looks like the front door. Why don't we have a look around the corner first?" she motioned along the main tunnel a few yards further where it bent to the East as well.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:32, Tue 15 Dec 2020.

"What, not an admirer of the intricacies of the city's sanitation system? Yeah, me neither." Kyra admits while trying not to gag on the stench of the place. "Anyone wants to take a quick look at what's ahead before we blunder into it?"

Can I have Kyra cast a scroll of Mage Armor on herself just before getting here?

"Well, at least it gives us job security. I mean do you see any of the Hellkights or Sable company ... or Grey Maidens coming here? No sir, you won't find them here. Only the best jobs for the best people like us in the Guard."

Figus takes a look to see if he can spot any tracks heading towards the entrance, or specific places there things would appear to be unnaturally undisturbed, a sure sign of a trap.

12:44, Today: Figus Dva rolled 19 using 1d20+10 with rolls of 9.  Preception.
12:45, Today: Figus Dva rolled 12 using 1d20+8 with rolls of 4.  Survival.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:46, Tue 15 Dec 2020.

Kraw is as quiet as a light breeze as he eases himself around the corner to scout ahead. Amid the gloom his eyes pick out a secondary entry into the complex. He is alert for any sounds of movement.



09:12, Today: Kraw rolled 31 using 1d20+13 with rolls of 18.  Stealth .

09:12, Today: Kraw rolled 30 using 1d20+11 with rolls of 19.  Perception

OOC : I think it likely he can see the flickering of the campfire lighting up the main room, or at least the shadows it creates, right?