You awake the next morning, well before dawn and make your way to the fishing docks at Wyrm's Crossing. As planned, the small rowboat is there along with a Fist soldier dressed all in black. She nods as you get aboard and then pushes off into the flow of the river. Using her paddle to only steer, she deftly guides the boat towards the city docks.

The few boats that are docked here seem abandoned, no crew are seen on watch and even the city itself seems far too quiet for such a bustling trade hub. Regardless, the mercenary moves the boat up towards the first sewer drain she sees and silently comes up alongside. As predicted, the drain is gated and chained shut with a large lock to insure it stays that way.

It is now up to you and you must do so before someone spots the boat.

Mouse shifts forward and starts working on the lock in the early morning light.

Action: Lockpicking - 15:27, Today: Mouse Squeak rolled 15 using 1d20+7 ((8)).

He clicks open easily beneath the skilled hands of the rogue. Quietly unwrapping the chain proves more difficult.

Opening the gate takes much too long as the rust from decades of disuse loudly protests every effort.

Just before everyone's nerves are frayed to release, the gate is finally opened to afford even Brer and Bricet's armored bulks.

Brer hoists himself up and into the fetid drain before offering his hand down to the rest of the party to help them up before whispering to the mercenary,“Thank you.  May your travel home be as silent as to here.”

As the rest make their way in he speaks again, “I don’t think anyone is checking these locks other than to see that they look right.  Mouse, do you think you can just drape it right so it looks closed and locked but isn’t?”

Mouse shrugs and says, "I can try." He waits for everyone to enter the drain before trying to close it and drape the chain and lock back into place without actually locking it.

The pipe goes away from the river deeper beneath the city. The darkness of the pre-dawn and that of the depths before you, prevents any sort of vision beyond those accustomed to such things.

Roscoe casts Light on a dagger and holds it aloft (roughly 3 and half feet above the ground).  "This should help.  Though I can only cast one of these at a time."

Head to the front, out of the light. Advance up the tunnel as quiet as possible listening for anything up the tunnel.

“I can do the same, but let’s try to limit our light.  Perhaps a cloth to dampen it.  I would hope that no one would trap the sewer but we should keep our eyes out as we travel.  Mouse, you and Jamiron in the vanguard the rest of us behind.”

You head down the tunnel, the water rushing through the pipe is about ankle deep, making silent progress very slow. Brer, Roscoe, and Bricet clustered in a column, with Mouse at their lead just inside the magical light. Jamrion is further out beyond the reach of the light, his elven heritage coming in to good use here.

You walk for what seems like hours when Jamrion becomes visible. He's stopped with his right hand raised, signaling to stop.

Mouse stops and crouches slightly to make a smaller target.

Motion flat hand down.

Jamrion appears to be listening for something.

Pass straight thru stop just past intersection, look straight down pipe

Stepping forward out of the light, Jamrion starts walking again without any word or indication of what's ahead.

The party follows and finds themselves passing through a 4-way intersection of the pipes. Above the center of the intersection is a grate, where water is dripping through.

Jamrion comes back into view as the light catches up with him. He is stopped on the other side of the intersection staring into the pipe directly ahead, the party is now stopped in the middle of the intersection.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:34, Sun 16 May 2021.

Turns back and Whisperskeep going straight?

“See if there is anything to see through that grate.  We need a clue as to where we might get out of here without too many eyes.”

You can see the silhouettes of the tops of buildings against the pre-dawn sky. The world neyond the grate is only slightly less dark than the sewers.

Whispersl will go but y'all have to back out of my way, Roscoe hide that light.

Go where? Hide the light from what?

go up to grate, hide light from anything above observing the grate

The grate is about seven feet above the bottom of the pipe. Looking it over a bit closer you don't think it's the type of grate that was made to be removed.

WhispersI am going to keep going straight unless somebody says different.

Brer shrugs,“Your guess is as good as mine.”

Unless you say otherwise I will assume that any intersection is functionally identical in any direction.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:20, Mon 17 May 2021.

Whispersmoving
Continues down the straight thru tunnel as quietly as possible in the wet tunnel

Not long after leaving the intersection, the water flowing towards reduces to a trickle and then to nothing. While not dry, water has stopped flowing through the pipe.

A bit further on you find a battleaxeblaying on the floor of the pipe, the hand and arm of the previous owner still grasping its haft.

In reply to GM (msg # 26):

Bricet bends down to inspect the arm and the battle axe.  He is looking to see if he can determine the race or age of the arm.

The arm appears to have been cleanly severed and cauterized, the axe looks as if several small lightning bolts had struck the haft and blade, melting various sized holes through it.

Make an Intelligence Ability Check. If you are Proficient in Medicine, you can add your Proficiency Bonus.

In reply to GM (msg # 28):

Today: Bricet rolled 15 using 1d20 (+2 medicine)  = 17.   I am having an issue with my computer and Bricets character sheet.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:23, Tue 18 May 2021.

Bricet kneels down and examines the arm.

Gingerly step past arm and a few feet further to give the rest chance to inspect arm in the light.
Whispers
all yours I don't like battle-axes

Bricet takes the ax.  This arm is maybe a month old and human.  I am taking the ax.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:44, Thu 20 May 2021.

Brer looks at the Paladin expectingly,  “That’s it?  No idea why there is a burned severed hand in the tunnel?  I think we need to be extra aware.  What did this could still be here somewhere. Remember the vortex in that shop on our journey here?.”

The arm does not resist the taking of its melted battle battleaxe, though it's charred palm skin stays with the handle as Bricet peels it away.

Whispersready to keep moving?

Looks at Bricets with left eyebrow raised

In reply to Jamrion (msg # 35):

Let’s keep going.  We want to look at this axe more in better light.  Further examination in a sewer is not optimal.

Keep moving as quietly as I can.  Looking for any newish tracks and exits.

Whispers
moving

The party continues on, the tunnel becomes almost dry before they spot a pulsing blue glow coming from up ahead. Distance is difficult to make out without any sort of markers, but perhaps a city block or so away.

“Most likely something that wishes to destroy us...  maybe the thing that  severed that arm and burned it, but we’ve nothing else to go on, so we should probably check it out.”

In reply to Brer Vodraz (msg # 39):

Yes, but let's be very cautious about this.

You continue to move forward and the air gets drier as you near the glow. A sound like a straw broom being dragged lightly across stone fills the pipe. Eventually details can be made out as you a blue energy field blocking the pipe. On either side are a pair of brass and steel poles with a golden orb hovering over each one. Beyond the field can be seen vaguely humanoid shaped shadows milling about. Every so often a lightning bolt arcs from the orbs into the field.

There are footprints everywhere here. The mud at the bottom of the pipes must have dried rapidly to have kept the shape of the footprints. They go in all sorts of directions, likely from whoever erected the poles, but they don't seem to exit in the direction you have arrived from, it seems they went through the energy field or at least that direction, maybe before the field was erected.

Mouse raises his eyebrows and looks at the spellcasters at the party. "Huh," he whispers.

“I would offer to ask my god if this was magic, but I think that is a waste of effort.  It’s magic.  As for a course of action...  I’m unsure.”  He tries to stare through the field to make out what is on the other side.

OOC:  I doubt either history or religion would help here but would roll if it could.  Perhaps an arcana individual?

On the other hand, trying to make out details of the other side:

Perception: 05:59, Today: Brer Vodraz rolled 7 using 1d20+5 ((2)).


And I’m blind.

The figures are vaguely humanoid and human sized. They seem to be milling about, but any details are obscured by the energy field, like looking into the ocean with a bright light behind the figures.

If you are Trained in Arcana, you can make an Intelligence check with your Proficiency Bonus to try and get more information about the energy field or the odd poles.

"Hmmmmm....."


11:47, Today: Roscoe Porridgepot rolled 12 using 1d20+4.  Arcana check.

Roscoe does some studying.

"Well, it appears the energy field is part of a massive dimensional portal and the poles are somehow keeping it closed.   Not sure how to operate the poles to disable it.  Or even if that is possible."

“Wait, so this is a closed portal?   We’ve seen too much trouble with dimensions I think and this doesn’t seem to help our mission.  Perhaps we find a way around.” 

should we back track and see what else we can find

"We can try another way.  But my guess is, we have found out why no communication has come from the city.   This is just part of a massive energy field.   Most likely, every entrance to the city is similarly blocked."

so what do you think knock am orb off to open the gate, I could shoot it from a distance

"Wait, I thought you said it is a portal to another dimension? Do you think that something was going to happen here like back home but they had a... defense system set up for it?"

"Possibly?   And the orbs appear to be hovering over the poles.  Perhaps we should try a different direction before attempting to change anything here.  We can always come back later."

“We are in no real hurry other than to be out of this drink.  We should know more before we start smashing magical...  things.  Jamiron let’s head back to the last intersection and take a different direction.”

With that the party heads back the way they came. The intersection of pipes is as they left it, the only decision now is left or right.

stick your right hand to the wall in a maze and never get lost
Cautious make right turn walking quietly

The tunnel continues for what seems like forever. Eventually you begin to hear the sound of rapidly flowing water coming from up ahead.

A cautious wait allows you to realize it is not flowing towards you. Being caught down here in a rainstorm could be very bad indeed.

Moving forward you find the source as you exit into another intersection, though this one is with a main tunnel. If we were to use cardinal directions to describe the tunnels, yours would be the east. The two tunnels to your right would be northeast and northwest, while the one to your left would be south.

The southern and northeast tunnels are main tunnels, easily twice as big as yours and with walkable ledges on either side of them. He tunnel to the northeast has a faint blow glow and the sounds people talking, though what is being said can't be made out.

WhispersI going to peek around corner

Looking, sneakily.

Pull back around corner and whisper

immediate area is clear, but if we can here talking they will hear us if we are noisy

Mouse nods and whispers, "Which way do we want to try next?"

He smiles at mouse, knowingly, “Towards the talking.  You and Jamiron only, listen in so that we can get some intelligence, but don’t make contact..”

Whispering I am game let's go mouse

Starts out slowly

Does Mouse have nightvision?

Mouse does not have night vision.

He will need a torch to see.

mouse stay behind I will go look light will give us away

Moves ahead quietly

A good deal of time passes before Jamrion finally returns.

alright, there is another barrier up ahead with six people looking at it studying it, seems like they can't make heads or tails of it either

" Should we introduce ourselves?   Or try another way?"

"I think we should intro-" Mouse pauses mid-word before continuing, "We should probably introduce ourselves and talk even if it is dangerous."

Brer nods, “Worst case we provide some worship.”

The party heads down the tunnel, it takes a bit of travel but the blue glow up ahead becomes larger and larger and soon the rough silhouettes of people can be seen milling about in front of it.

At some point they stop and one calls out to you, "Hello there. Who might you be?"

Bricet answers.  I am Bricet and these are my companions.  We come in peace.

There's a bit of a pause before another person speaks up, "Soooo, peacefully wandering the sewers of Baldur's Gate?"

"Peacefully trying to get out of the sewers of Baldur's Gate," Mouse replies.

In reply to GM (msg # 75):

Well, yes.  If we were looking for a fight, more people are in the city above than in the sewers.  Wouldn't you agree?

"Well, that does seem like a strange sort of logic." says one of them.

"Does it matter?" questions another, "We're not the Fist, we have other priorities right now."

"Yes, yes, I agree." responds the first, "Well, if you're looking for a way out, go back the way you came and follow the water flow to the docks, should be an gate you can open from there."

"Or they could just find our guide and she can lead them out?"

"Oh, yes, that could be possible. Did she say when she was coming back?"

"No, but when we dismissed her, I don't believe we asked her to."

"Right, well, nothing to be done there, might as well continue on with our studies."

With that, all of the robed figures turn back to their studies of the field and the poles. As the conversation was going on, you noticed that all of the figures are dressed in the robes of priests, each bearing the symbol of Gond or Oghma.

"Do you know what that portal goes to or why it's here?" Mouse asks, peering around the corner.

One of the Gondian priests responds, "According to the Mother, it is the last world the Demiurge nearly destroyed."

As an aside, there are no corners to peer around.

so how did you get down here?

"We followed our guide." answers one of the Oghmian priests. "We entered through a grate near the Hall of Wonder and she lead us here. Careful to avoid the thieve's guild and various creatures, I might add."

In reply to GM (msg # 82):

What creatures were you looking to avoid?

"Nothing specific, I imagine. Simply anything that lives down here and would eat us."

Another priest nods, "Quite right, as well as who knows what else may have come through this portal before the Brass Eye was able to halt it."

Brass Eye???

"Yes. She was the one that created the...well...fence that kept the Portal from expanding and closed passage through it."

A second priest continues, "It wasn't that long ago, surely you remember when this all happened."

"well yes but I was hoping you would expound on who that actually was, we were kind of busy at the time"
This message was last edited by the player at 00:06, Tue 08 June 2021.

"Well, as you know, she was the one to appear, simultaneously, in each of the temples. She stated that she is one of The Last and that her people work to save the worlds that the Demiurge breaks loose from the planes."

so Roscoe what do you think?

"I think it looks like these folks have things well in hand.  So we should just go back in to Baldur's Gate."

agreed

"Indeed. We have much to study. Safe travels." offers one of the priests before they all turn back to their work.