In the poorer sections of the city, the buildings still scaled up skyward, but the conditions of those buildings were, at best, precarious. The buildings seemed to build layer on layer on each other, and while the engineer guild, inspectors and city planning tried to keep a tight control on quality, out here, it was not always easy with the ever expanding population and the very finite space.

Which is why on the lowest levels, underground, sometimes entire floors started to sink... or even pancake.

That's essentially what had happened, with a five story building becoming a 4 story building as the crowded basement had finally given way. Those who lived there may not have even been legal citizens. Theoretically, you needed some kind of support structure to remain in the city, but some people were simply born here, or had been here for decades, and hadn't encountered the cities impressive bureacracy. Rather than be kicked out into shanty town or marketville, these people simply found cheap out of the way places and worked off the books labor, little jobs that hadn't been throughly placed under the control of the guilds and families.

The problem with remaining out of sight was that sometimes that resulted in you getting stepped on. The basement collapse had ruined the ground floor: Visso used concrete, and the floor had collapsed inwards, pancaking the bottom level into the foundation and bedrock that the city rested on. This would happen more often if it wasn't for the rocky crest the city itself rested.

The entire building had been condemmed. The landlord of the place had provided temporary occupation. The place had been abandoned quickly, and the possessions removed by the endless parade of guttersnipes and orphans ready to risk havnig the entire building collapse on them for a small fee. Soon, construction crews would shore the building's supports to prevent it falling over, and then begin the arduous task of re-building the thing from scratch without ruining the adjacent buildings.

This was not an easy job, and the area quite poor, so it would take a little time before the engineering guild got to it. Until then, the place stood abandoned, except for a few utterly desperate who would be otherwise homeless. Those who did not have a place after dark risked expulsion from the city or vagrancy charges, so there were a few desperate here.

A old, retired guard missing his left hand informed Visati the Infinite that the place's structure was unstable, and that he could not guarentee his safety. These sorts of jobs were offered as courtesy to those injured on jobsites, retirement not really being in the books for them, and a one handed guard who couldn't handle a weapon wasn't too intimidating. The old guard did not interfere with Vasati though. Perhaps it was his fine clothes, perhaps he knew the man was a representative of the thieves guild. Perhaps he simply did not care. Either way, Vasati found himself inside the ramshackle building.

The central floor had collapsed, dumping tons of rock down into the basement and pancaking the entire structure. There were literally tons of concrete covering the basement around 15 feet down. Vasati would not find it difficult to climb down there, though all that appeared visible was a giant pile of stone and wood: there had been efforts to recover people (halfhearted efforts, of course) but those efforts had finished. It had been 16 days since the collapse.

There was a light smell of sewage: it was possible that casual water erosion from the city's water or sewer system had contributed to the first floor failing entirely.

A set of wooden stairs lead upwards to the 2nd to 4th floor. Despite the fact that the place was abandoned, there were signs of movement above from the desperate who were squatting here until the place was rebuilt. The mad fools.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:59, Sun 21 June 2020.

Vasati took a moment to ensure that he was alone.  If it took hours, so be it. He was a patient man, when he had a need of it.  It was a skill set often in high demand, for those of his chosen profession.  More than six hundred years of imprisonment in a constantly shifting maze changes a man, and had he not developed the patience of a Saint, he would surely have gone mad.  Only when he was assured that there were no prying eyes did he sit down upon the rubble within a shadowed alcove and begin unwrapping his scrolls.  One by one, they emerged from his satchel, to be placed on the dusty ground.  He also withdrew a pot of ink, and a long feathered pen.  With quill in hand, he made the necessary changes to each scroll, letting the ink dry fully before resealing the scroll, replacing the caps, and putting each back in its proper place. He took his time, though he didn't need to, forming each intention perfectly before it rejoined his bounty. And when he was done?  Twenty four newly formed souls stood before him among the rubble of Shantytown.

"Ah, Signori and Signore!  You are all most welcome to the Vincio Alla Sabia!"

He clapped his hands together in delight, and the pulled out his silver cigarillo case.

"Smoke?"

He offered, and most of those gathered there accepted.  The whole process took several minutes, with a great deal of chatter between the assembled personages.  Eventually, all those who wished held a lit cigarillo, and the evening's business could begin.

"You are all here at an exciting time, a wonderful time.  For in five days, the first Endless Market will take place!  Twelve of you have been gifted the skills of talented artisans, each with a specialty in a particularly useful field to those of my own honored profession.   Matteo here does wonderful work with hidden pockets in cloaks and jackets, while Lorenzo is more than familiar with the fashioning of lockpicks of all shapes and sizes.  Of course, while you all have your tools, you don't have much inventory, and without start up funds you will be hard pressed to fashion it in just five days.  Have no fear, you will see that a number of your companions wear a silver ring around their right pinky.  Eleven of them, in fact.  Get to know these Whispers, for you will find that they are talented errand runners.  I will provide a modest sum to the Whispers, it is your responsibility to ensure that each of them has a list of what they might acquire for you.  You will find work shops ready for you outside of the main hall here.  Your inventories do not need to be grand, simply enough that should the Guild fail in their recruitment efforts, the Endless Market is still a valuable resource for any thief or trouble maker who finds their way to it.  Get to know one another, confer among yourselves what you will require, and when you have consensus send the Whispers out into the world.  We have five days, and oh so much to do!  Let us get started!"

While the citizens of Vincio Alla Sabia conferred among themselves, he passed a letter of marque to one of his new Whispers, and then turned to the only among them whom he had not addressed.  A strapping man in his forties, with streaks of silver in his raven black hair, and flashing eyes of silver under dark brows.

"And you, Vasati the Infinite, you must have questions.  I will answer any and all that you might have, but for now know that I am not yet sure which path I may take, and I am very pleased to have such an esteemed companion as you up my sleeve."

There is some movement from above, and some of the poor and desperate citizens in the floors above can't help but keep an eye on Visati as he works, hiding in the shadows, just out of range.

What madness WAS this, anyway?

The summoned citizens are initially compliant, memories of their former lives literally and figuratively buried by a death most unpleasant. The people they were, families, their personalities.. these would come back only with time spent among the living, in little snips, before they had any idea of who they were before.

But for now, they were very happy, enthusiastic even, to be serving Vasati, both because of the conditions of his gift and simply because they were now breathing, neither trapped under tons of rubble or bound directly to hell within a few weeks as their souls were dragged downwards.

Vasati had, of course, already arranged the tools he'd need, even the little basic things they'd have to carry, and even small bribes to keep them from being kicked out of the city. With such knowledge, and a little currency, what were 25 among the hundred thousand who lived in Vincio Alla Sabia?

[OOC - Yep, this should work. You'll gain a bit of fame for this, though the squatters won't be beleived as a super reliable source, obviously.]

"Whispers!"

He said at last, drawing them to him.

"You too have been provided with the skills necessary to fulfill your intended roles.  Once you have assisted the Merchants of the Endless Market in securing their wares and supplies, you will have a need to find customers for them as well!  Take what coin remains and descend to the inns and bars of this fine city.  Make sure that rumors and stories of the Endless Market are on many lips.  Walk the city's streets, and find those who might wish participate in such.  On the night of the Market, the eleven of you will be the ones tending the doors.  For you, this is the most sacred task.  For the price of admission to the Endless Market is a secret of Vincio Alla Sabia.  It can be any secret, so long as it is about this dear, dear city.  The curation and collection of these secrets is your divine charge.  The value of each should be equal to the means of the one giving it.  Those rich in wealth and power should render a dear secret, while a beggar need reveal only something small.  All secrets are the key, for all should be able to access the Endless Market, provided their need is fierce enough.  Do this, and we will see the city prosper and grow."