Evil Epic 6 Eberron

[Darkadvice]

The Shards of Evil


Party Overview

{table=head]Player|Character|Race|Class|Current XP|XP to Next Level
Dixie Devil|Dix|Goblin|Rogue 3| 3000|6000|
Boldfont|Toox |Changeling|(Psion)Telepath 3|3500|6000|
Theoboldi|Henrich Krabat|Human|Dread Necromancer 3|3000|6000|
Golden Ladybug|Nox|Changeling|Rogue 3|3500|6000|
Nemesis|Kevros|Human|Factotum 1/ Wizard 2|3000|6000
Dunkoro|Malik Siher|Lesser Tiefling|Archivist 3| 3000|6000|
[/table]

As the sensation of weightlessness starts to fade from you, you look and see the color of rust is all around. Ancient metal structures of support and towering industrial stacks have been eaten away by sea breeze and time. The tower collapse has opened a new hole into the darkest reaches of the city: The Cogs. A series of industrial tunnels that most citizens don’t know exist and no Patrolman ever enters.
The first thing you notice is the impressive heat of the place. The metal tunnels are all jets of heat travel in a constant wind, making your lips dry before you even touch the hot floors. The light dropping down through the recent hole is becoming blocked by the ash cloud of dust rising. The darkness of the tunnels is hard to see through for those of normal vision, but the mechanical sounds in the distance of gears and metal objects clanging incessantly, machines long without oil screech.

Movement is noticed as from the corners of your vision many things scurry away into the half dozen tunnels on either side, too fast to notice what they were as you were adjusting to this new darkness. As you look straight ahead you notice the backs of a few humanoids walking, or stumbling, down this tunnel shaft away from you. Beyond them there are a pair of Ogres drunkenly falling out of a makeshift shed door. Above the “door” is a large etching into the large tunnel metal and a glowing graffiti illustrated sign “Shamukaar” depicting a group of goblins and bugbears eating a dragon corpse.

Welcome to the Cogs.

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Your characters are free to act, this center-tunnel hub is about 30 feet in diameter, with twelve tunnels, six on each side going to other locations. The Entrance to Shamukarr is about 60 feet from where your characters fall, and is the end of the tunnel. Behind you is the continuation of this large tunnel going off far into the distance.

[boldfont]

Toox brushes the dust from his shoulders, even as it continues to drift down on the party from the disaster above.

Khyber's Gate he thinks aloud.

He looks to the other fallen to make sure his friends are alright. Seeing his sister, he breathes easier. He quietly tosses aside Friar Aberrett's wooden holy symbol. Now he's just a man in a robe. His alter ego wouldn't survive long down here. Not that Toox would fare much better.

We don't belong here. Do any of you know the way out?

His voice is a little too fearful, just as Friar Aberrett's would have been. If he's going to survive ge needs to drop the act, or get a new one. But old habits die slowly. He spots the goblin. Too small, and there are too many witnesses.

We need to get out! he says in a voice far too near to a panic. In truth, Toox knew he belonged down here with the other skulking, slithering, dark and horrible things of the cogs. It was at least one reason why it was better to be someone else.
Please. Help us. You must know the way out. he begged the goblin. Anyone that knew Toox and his sister knew that they were perfectly capable of helping themselves. It was all lies.

[DixieDevil]

Dix stares at the robed human before him as if he were looking at some exotic beast. It takes a moment for his mind to register what's occurring.

Please, help us! He mimes back at the man. Give me a damned moment, will you?

He gives himself a quick inspection for injury and looks back to the stranger. The man looks normal enough, which makes the situation much more uncomfortable. Though Dix considered telling him to bug off, he surveyed the man, trying to spot a coin purse.

Now, what is it you want?

[Theoboldi]

Henrich slowly gets up, observing the situation around him. His dangly limbs slowly stretching out, he watches the old man desperatly pleading to the small goblinoid. He moves towards the pair, towering over them.
If anyone knew the layout of the Cogs, it would be a goblin, and this was the nearest one.

"You there, goblin! Tell me where the exit is! His voice sounds gruff and monotonous, but still somehow conveiles the meaning that what he just said is a much an order as it is a threat.

A quick glance to the side dismisses the bearded man, eyeing him like an annoying insect before the focus quickly returns to the goblin. Whoever he is, to Henrich he is unimportant as anyone else.

[Dunkoro]

Malik looked around, he decided this place is certainly unpleasant, and that he must have a way out of here as quickly as it is possible, maybe using those who landed here with him as to quicker skim through the tunnels and maybe spring some traps so that he doesn't fall in any of them?

Well, well, well. What do we have here... I don't suppose any of you lads know of any simple way to an exit?
Not that I'd expect them to...

[boldfont]

Toox stares at Dix incredulously.

I want you to help us get back to the upper levels!

Toox is anxious to start off on the right foot and get out of here. He breaks character, just for a moment mind you, and his voice steadies into a single hypnotic command directed at Dix.

You will help us

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Suggestion Will save DC 15
I'm assuming there is some kind of skill check to recognize the suggestion as a psionic power. If not, oh well.

A short pause later Toox is back to being a helpless snivelling friar.
...won't you?
He eyes the goblin carefully. Has he obtained a new guide? Did anyone notice? Regret floods him. This was a very risky gamble. Hopefully it will pay off.

[Darkadvice]

Here's roll results for current moment.

Dix

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You feel the tinge in the depth of the word "will" reverberate in your head. The echoing bounces around for a second but is instantly rebuffed. You know something odd just happened but you're not sure what.

Rest of Party

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None of you noticed anything out of the ordinary so far in the surrounding environment.

This moment passes and the Ashcloud is making the area harder to breath in, you can hear the sounds of more scuffled feat dragging along one of the tunnels to the north west.

[Golden Ladybug]

Nox rushed between her Brother and the Goblin, pushing the two of them apart. She shot him a look; she knew him well enough to know what he'd just tried to do.

"Calm down, all of you!" "He" snarled. She wore the form of an Older Half-Orc, grey-green skin even paler in the dim light of the cogs. His face is scarred and nose irredeemably broken, and one eye has been gouged out. It was an intimidating form, one that spoke of a long life filled with violence, and it was one that Nox was quite proud of. She'd assumed it as soon as they'd begun to fall, leaving behind the form of the Elegant Half-Elf.

Grace and Beauty were not attributes she'd require down here in the Cogs. Strength, Brutality and Experience were.

"Now, am I the only one who sees the predicament we're in?" Nox asked, her voice gruff and gravelly, "Getting into a contest of Ego's does nothing to stop this choking cloud! It does nothing about us being done here!"

She pointed at each of the other five in turn, looking them each in the eyes "The priority now is to get out of here, get back into Sharn proper. We can't stay down here and wait to be found by... something"

That said, she reached into one of the pockets of the bulging coat that covered her skintight, but surprisingly elastic, belly-shirt and withdrew a small stone that was engulfed in a blazing corona of flame. The pebble had been enchanted with a Continual Flame spell, and it shed light constantly without producing heat, and (unlike a torch) it was very easy to carry and conceal in a pocket.

"We've all got to do everything we can to get everyone out of here, got that?" She asked, forcefully, staring into the corridors with her light-source held high. With her other hand, she carefully loosened her Eagle's Claw from its sheathe.

[Theoboldi]

"I don't have to do anything for you or anyone else, much less am I going to listen to the orders of some street-rat like you." He stares down at the orc, fingers slightly crackling with negative energy to scare him into submission. People usually backed down in face of life destroying energies.

"Still, you're right. We all need to get out of here, and I don't know my way around this area. Working together should hurry this whole affair up and let me get back to my studies." Henrich slightly backs off, observing the pitiful assembly of people around him. A sigh escapes his lips. All of them look like excellent subjects for his experiments, but for now he needs them.

[boldfont]

When Toox first saw his sister Nox in the tower he knew instantly that (i) it was her, and (ii) she was following him to baby sit him. The half-elf maiden was uncharacteristically beautiful. The waist was too perfect. The hair too volumous. The tits were too damn big. The dragonmark above the cleavage, drawing attention to those unnaturally large breasts was too much. Also that gaudy gown of hers was outrageously flamboyant. They had different tastes, that was certain.

He had promised her the friar was the last time. He was so eager to "wear" the friar at the time. He watched him for weeks. The friar was so giving and caring. He wanted the friar ever since he saw the man hand an orphan a loaf of bread. Everybody loved him for it.

Unfortunately, the friar was also poor. Being the friar meant very little personal freedom and it was a life of oppressive austerity. He could never romance a woman, or be served king fish on a golden platter as the friar. Toox was getting sick of it.

But a promise was a promise. He went to the tower with the honest intention to observe. That's when he saw the goblin.

Whether it was because his sister interfered, or because the goblin's mind was uncommonly strong, the "suggestion" didn't take. It was probably for the best. He did so want to spend some time with the goblin though. It would have been perfect. Toox was imagining it now:

Under the influence of his psionic suggestion Dix would take Toox's hand and lead him up some hidden passage or other. They would talk and laugh the whole time through. Toox would listen gaily while his new little friend told him all about his life. Who was his family? Did they love him? What did he worship and why? They would have such a good time that they would agree to meet the next day. And the next! In no time at all they would be best friends for life. Toox would be known as Uncle to all the his goblin children. He could gently kiss them on the forehead before bed time.

Then again, maybe the goblin would resist his offer of friendship and love, and Toox would be forced to...

A coughing fit interrupted his thoughts. The air was getting thick with this toxic miasma. The shuffling of bodies was getting nearer. They could not afford to stand here quibbling.

Maybe we can take shelter in this “Shamukaar” place. It looks to be some sort commercial establishment. Perhaps we'll find some nice gentleman or lady that can direct us out of here.

Toox knew damn well that no gentleman or lady would help them without a significant price. Not in that infamous bar. And they certainly wouldn't be "nice". Yet, it was the safest place for them at the moment, and the air was getting unbearably hot and thick with ash.

Will one of you lead the way?

He eyed Nox specifically. She wasn't stupid. She would take the reigns if no one else did.

[DixieDevil]

A streak of anxiety ran through the tiny goblin. He didn't expect the night to go like this. His plan was simple enough, Just drops of wasp venom in the wine and slip out before any saw him. Easy, right? Instead, the damned place has to go and catch on fire! Now he was amongst his kinfolk, covered in ash and being harassed by a frantic group of chaat'oor.

Dix glanced between the members of the group before him. He didn't seem to have many options in this situation. He could merely run the opposite way, they'd never find him. . .

Come on! Dix yelled before dashing towards the tavern. Waves of guilt and self-loathing engulfed him as he thought of helping the enemy, but he'd have time to worry about that when it wasn't raining ash and smoke.

[Darkadvice]

The flame mingles in Nox's hand, provides a few feet of illumination for the group. You can now make some details of the floor below you. It's lined with ruble making the terrain rough and you are able to navigate it without falling.
As you move down toward the door to Shamukaar

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For Ease of access, the tunnels Dozen Tunnels are listed A-G on the left, H-L on the right.

Dix

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You are able to see into the tunnels on each side as you walk down the central tunnel. Three goblins hide on both sides in tunnel entrances across from each other, Tunnels D and K watching. They ware a distinctive cloth rag wrapped around their necks, you recognize it: They are the Quiet Folk gang. A relatively small group of young goblins, not the most dangerous in the Cogs. Just pickpockets, scavengers, and listeners. They can be bought to do any service for a few silver, and are only known to attack a fool who wanders alone in the dark.

Nox

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You notice that the two humanoids in-between you and the Ogres outside the entrance to Shamukaar are walking strangely. Their stagger is as if they were not used this skin yet. You also can detect a terrible smell coming from them, there clothes are rotted and covered in mud, yet underneath the grime, one of them has a glimmerweave coat, easily worth 200 gold in it's original condition.

Everyone:
You're moving toward Shamukaar and see the two ogres walking down the in your direction, one of them supporting the other. The sounds of the establishment are now able to be heard, loud, gruff and strangely merry. It's obvious someone in there is playing a wind instrument of some sort.

[Golden Ladybug]

Nox nodded, and waved on the others to follow the Goblin; the wreckage of the burning Lyrandar tower was going to make life in the Cogs a living hell for its inhabitants, but hopefully they'd be able to find cover before the noxious smog became too thick.

"You heard the goblin!" The 'Half-Orc' snarled, spit flying through the gap left by a missing tusk, "We need to get out of this Cloud!"

Ushering the others past, she clapped her hand on Toox's shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. She winked at him and mouthed "watch my back", and in just a blink of an eye, she'd returned to the wary frown so customary of this form and releasing her Brother and shouting the others on.

She, however, stayed at the back of the group under the unspoken pretence of making sure everyone else was moving. She waited until the others had gotten closer to the Shamukaar, before stalking over to the two humanoids awkwardly swaying as they walked away. Something was up, and their style of dress was far too wealthy; it was out of place here, in this dark and dreary place. And their gait was... wrong. They looked like they'd never practised walking in a different form!

I'm too damn curious for my own good She thought to herself.

Drawing her Eagle's Claw, but keeping it obscured behind her leg, she slowly advanced and tapped them the one wearing the Glimmerweave Coat lightly on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, but are you Shapeshifters or Bodysnatchers?" She asked, conversationally.

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I think it goes without saying that I'm going to ready an Action to make an attack against anything that makes a Hostile action towards me. So, if tapping these guys on the shoulder results in them sprouting tentacles and attempting to devour me, then I get to take a slash at them first

[Darkadvice]

"Get-tt han-nn-d away me-ee!" The creature says as it turns toward Nox and has its face stare at you. As you look at it's face you suddenly notice things only a Changeling would notice about it. When it turns, it's body is rigid in all the wrong places, it turns from the inside first, rather than with it's feet. Its skin is hanging loosely, no facial expression at all, and the eyes are like that off a doll, staying in balance and always looking forward. Its arms hang there limply, and you can tell this is not the work of some shifter or changeling.

"Too soon young one... Not yet." The other, wearing what looks to be a blacksmiths outfit says. "Leave us alone."

Ahead of Toox the rest of the party can hear the Ogres singing:
"One less tower of greed, one more bottle of mead, burn them down, drink em down, 99 towers to go."

[Theoboldi]

Henrich walked directly into the bar, not paying any real attention to the events behind him. Instead he concentrated on the annoying little goblin who had decided to guide the group into the bar. Whatever he and that self important half-blood were thinking, Henrich decided that he wouldn't let himself be ordered around by them for much longer.

"I hope for your own sake that you have some better advice than 'get into the bar', goblin. So far you haven't been of much help." He hissed the words rather than speaking them. The goblin would need to suffice as an outlet for his frustration, at least for now.

[Darkadvice]

Shamukaar

As you step into this establishment you are greeted by a dozen different odors. Spilled alcohol has covered the floor, some of the spills have burned holes into the floors, some have become the tile decoration pattern, and some have become fungus creating moss carpeting. The kitchen gives a smell of raw meat, honey steamed meat, and rat meat stew.

The bar itself has three different levels with different raised seats. One for shorter folk, six goblins playing a game of dice, two kobolds almost passed out on the bar stool, and a pair of halflings dressed like savages. The second for regular sized seats you’d see at any bar above ground, three shifters arguing, two orcs wearing sakkats, and a medusa. The last part of the bar has seats reserved for the large folks. A Gnoll and a Minotaur are arm-wrestling.

The barkeep is a fast moving Goblin, wearing grease and blood stained hemp overalls and a comically oversized chef-hat for his small goblin head, limping quickly up and down the steps behind the bar constantly handing out drinks and plates of food to all the patrons, he has a grumpy look on his face and yells in the back something in goblin:
“Gath’atcha kor poth zer’muot Rat shan roo gath’kal dor!”
Dix

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Translation:“Get me another damn barrel of ‘dwarf-piss’ you half-fingered fool and kill another ‘pig-rat?’ (Some kitchen slang you’re not familiar-with)”
You know this Bartender. His name is Sek, he's a former mercenary from the great war that got his leg wounded by a Karnnath undead. The infection has driven him quite mad some say, he's still a reliable peacekeeper for the goblin community in the Cogs. He talks a lot and pretends he knows every single thing that goes on in the Cogs, and sometimes his mad claims turn out to be true. He'll talk your ear off then serve it to you as lunch,

A Bugbear is playing a strange insturment you’ve never seen that billows out steam from one of the pipe holes and he blows into another. And a Strangely alluring woman is singing a song that you can’t make out any of the words to. Her eyes are pale amber, and her dress is fine silk. She has long green hair going down her back as she danced along to the song.

In the tables the bar is backed with another eleven patrons. four warforged sit at a table playing some kind of game. 5 shifters are at booth with a bugbear waiter(only Dix can tell it’s a female) with a three foot tower glass with a tap at the bottom, each of them filling up their pints. A solitary man, human, is tinkering with some sort of metalic instrument. The last patron is a strange half-elf with a bulky robe sees the group filter into the Bar and gets out of his seat and starts walking toward you.

“It’s rare to see someone walk into this bar that isn’t a familiar face. No one comes here that isn’t forced to, or coming off work at the Cannith Forge. I suppose you’ve heard the commotion going on?
He points to a large piece of glowing arcane marking on the wall over the bar. It’s one of those Sharn Inquisitor mass message devices, receiving the headlines of news.
“Breaking news: Lyrandar Tower Collapses, Deneith Sentinel Marshals and Jorasco Healers dispatched to handle the situation. 6 Zor 998.”

“With this kind of chaos all the vultures are out looking to pick up the scraps that fell. I’m going to take a wild guess and say you’re here to find something of value that you just lost? You'll need some of my wares to get around here safely, or at least not end up roach food.”

[DixieDevil]

Dix rolled his eyes as he passed by the half-elf. He didn't have time for such nonsense. This was his turf, damn it, and he wasn't going to allow this motley group of outsiders to make him look bad. He located one of the smaller chairs at the bar and took a seat, motioning for Henrich.

Look, human, I never offered any form of assistance. If you're lookin' for sympathy, you're lookin' in the wrong place, The goblin growled. I'm not sure what you or your little friends back there want from me, but you're not going about asking the right way.

With that, he waved for Sek. He needed a drink.

[Theoboldi]

"Pehaps you haven't noticed, but we fell down into what looks like the worst hellhole of sharn. Now I don't know about you, but I have better things to do than argue and getting drunk. There is some very delicate work waiting for me at home, and I can't afford to wait for some stupid, hard-headed goblin that can't cooperate even when it's in his best interest."

With a sigh, Henrich steps a bit closer to the half-elf, still keeping away an arms length as to prevent any attempts of pick-pocketry. "Finally, someone with some common sense around here. Either that, or you want to rip us off. I don't care either way. If you have a map of the surrounding area, I'll pay you a good amount of gold for it. Otherwise, scram."

[boldfont]

Toox plants himself next to the Goblin. This place is amazing! he thinks to himself. All these facinating characters. He wonders what song that beautiful woman is singing. And look at that medusa! Well, don't actually look at the medusa, but be aware that there is a medusa and that's pretty exciting. These exotic smells are intoxicating! This! This is living. The friar would never venture down here by himself.

His current form suddenly felt so... boring. Toox stares at the goblin. He regrets not being able to shrink himself. But he and the goblin could still be friends. He wanted to know more about the little fellow. Much more.

Realizing that he is staring, Toox straightens up and does his best to act natural. He needed an "in", a hook.


What if I paid you to help me? What would it cost me to have you as a frien- er... guide? A friendly guide. He was getting desperate in his attempts to socialize. He was finding it harder and harder to play the friar. The friar was dead, and Toox was remembering that now. He could remember the blood frothing from his mouth and the awkward twitching. With the wooden holy symbol tossed aside, who was he now? A man in a robe. Nobody.

[Golden Ladybug]

"Okay, sorry pal" Nox replied quickly, retracting her hand quickly after looking upon the disfigured visage of the creature.

What the hell is that thing She thought to herself, her mouth going slack as she backed away from the pair. No way was her curiosity enough to get her to contend with those things for no reason. Nervously, she turned on her heels and sprinted back towards the entrance to the tavern, trying to put as much distance between herself and those creatures as possible. That wasn't a shapeshifter, or at least, not one that had any degree of competence.

Nervously, she entered the tavern and searched for Toox's current form. The friar was sitting at the bar, eagerly looking at the Goblin who we'd fallen into the Cogs with. Oh no...

She overheard the Half-Elf's proposition to the tall, decrepit man with the glowing hands, and sidled over to them rather than Toox (it wasn't like he was going to try anything in the crowded bar).

"Don't be so hasty; what wares are these, sir?" She asked gruffly, placing a calming hand on the exceptionally Tall Man's shoulder.

"A map to the exit would, of course, also be very welcome"

[DixieDevil]

Dix glared at Henrich. Who did this human think he was? Look, you may have better things to do than "argue and get drunk", but honestly I don't. What you're not understandin' is if I lead y'all back to wherever it is you're goin', all I'm going to do is come back here. So I really don't see how cooperating is in my best interest.

There. He told that human off and, damn it, it felt good. Why should these guys be allowed to just come down here and boss him around? Was it because he's a goblin? No sir, things aren't going to fly like that . . . and that's when Toox sat down. Toox's offer of payment changed things. It wasn't betraying his people if he got payed . . . Was it?

It didn't matter at this point. He had nothing better to do, and if he didn't do, they'd pay someone else to do it and then where would he be? Dix turned to Toox, and extended a tiny green hand. The name's Dix, he said with a phoney grin.

[Nemesis67]

Waving off the smoke with a gauntleted hand, Kevros d'Cannith stumbles his way into Shamukaar. Not that his heritage was evident. He had pocketed his arcane signet ring and pulled down his glamerweave cloak to cover the dragonmark sprawled along his upper arm, but even so, he was clearly not one of the typical clientele of this establishment.

Scanning the room, he recalls having seen a few of them (Dix, Henrich, and the "Friar") in the tower, and shifts himself over to the human and half orc. At the least, the humans were as out of place as himself, and hopefully he could find someone to follow back to the upper city. Stopping a few paces short of the pair talking to the Half-Elf, he says, "I would also be interested in a map if you have one available. Or going along with the two of you," He nods towards Henrich and the half orc. "If that would be possible." He ends with a smile.

[boldfont]

It didn't matter at this point. He had nothing better to do, and if he didn't do, they'd pay someone else to do it and then where would he be? Dix turned to Toox, and extended a tiny green hand. The name's Dix, he said with a phoney grin.

Toox just about stood up with excitement. He had said something right! And now he was fast on his way to making a new friend.

My name is...

Could he still be the friar? No. The friar was dead, and every moment down in that fascinating place was a reminder that there were better things out there. But who was he? Surely not himself. Toox loathed to be Toox. He liked this curio critter, but not enough to be... naked in front of him.

Bob! My name is Bob. Bob is my name.

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Bluff check (1d20+11)[24]

and I will pay you handsomely if you stay with me. He said the same thing to a prostitute once.

And him! The Half-Orc. You must help both of us. How much money do you want for each day?

Toox swallowed dryly. He was coming on strong and he knew it. Oh how he wished he could play the small ones. Or wear their skin like the oddities he saw on the way in.

Tell me, do you like living down here? It must be exciting. Can I buy you a drink? There was an awkward pause as Toox looked down at the full drink already in Dix's hand. This was not going well.

[Darkadvice]

Merchant Conversation:
The half-elf merchant looks at you incredulously. "Shifters and Goblins have a ban on map-making down here. Falls into the wrong hands and a guard all of sudden knows his way to the temple....

All of sudden his face starts to sweat, and wipes his hand across his face
Malik

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You see his skin move a little when he wipes his hand across his face, a color of gray is shown on his forehead.

Here though, you must try these, and he pulls out a series of viles, each of them has enough cooling to keep you from sweating to death down here, but you must NEVER drink them. Only put a few drops on your skin and you'll be chill for hours. If you're going to wander around the tunnels down here looking for a tunnel way out, then you'll need them. Only a mere 50 GP a bottle.
He takes out another series of viles, one a thick red substance, one black as olives, one light blue and transparent almost like water, and one a kind of liquid metallic gold, "These on the other hand are perfect for drinking. If you're ever in a pinch theses will be save your lives more often then a Noxious smoke stick or a sword any day of the week.
This one, points to the blue, "Will empower you for a short time, allowing you to use the innate magick in anyone's blood. The black will give you a slow effect of healing that will continue throughout a fight, healing a slash wound while still swinging your sword. Also the black is the only way to prevent yourself from being eaten from the inside out from a Roach, careful where you sleep down here. Humans, elves, and orcs are just the right size for the little buggers to grow in, and once they start eating you from the inside out it's over unless you have a cleric or one of these on hand.

The Gold vile is the most powerful healing potion this side of Sharn, one step away from death to being able to swim against the current. Won't stop you from being roach food though, those suckers will just leach it right out of you. The Red, that one is special, this will make you feel like a god, have the magic course through your veins to do anything, make any magics you might possess a thousand times better. A lamplighter could burn down a tower with one dose. "

If you want to know the way out of here, I suggest you buy some of my wares, a map is illegal but directions are not. Three of you want directions? Three objects must be bought. Or we could work out a trade of some sort, you want to leave here, I need a shipment delivered.

Prices

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"Chilling" vial, 50 GP
Blue magic empowering vile: 200 GP
Black regeneration vile: 500 GP
Gold vile: 750 GP
Red vile: 1200 GP.

Bar conversation:
Sek looks at Dix "Thought you forgot about little old Sek and started seeing that tramp of a lizard licker Zesha's bar in the Dura. Fool a' girl thinks Goblins got a place up there already, Darguun ain't got more an' shipyard and fools like you n' 'er think we can just walk into the sun like the taller races. I'll get' ya' favorite dw'rf piss right away, the only one we got 'hahaha (tilts back his head and laughs like a maniac).
Most of your old buddies were in here not' n' hour ago, the sound of ta tower made em think there was something of value to be found down here. If anything of value fell, you can be sure that a collection agent will be down here quicker than a gargoyle dump falls, and kill any of our kind that might a' seen it. That's why I here tha' Darguun is sending the spear and steel brothers down here soon, they gunna make all the otha folk realize you don't cut down a goblin.
Speaking of which, I 'ear that Quiet Folk (Goblin Gang of Pickpockets) got emslev's a real ghaat'Ihesh (Doesn't translate well, strong warlord/corpse maker is close) runnen em now. They knocked off a few shifters so they (pointing to the shifters at the table) are waiting around here day and night looking for any of them fools to walk in here. They keep buying food and drink, so I got no problem. No one fights in Shamukaar, not unless they want deal with those two. (He leans his head over to the Girl singing and her instrument player.)

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Sek will continue talking forever if you don't shut him up, so feel free to ask him something specific, or tell him to shut up otherwise he'll just keep rambling.

In the rest of the bar you see that the Warforged are playing their game quietly still, the Minotaur has won the Arm wrestling competition, the Medussa is putting on some kind of powdery substance on her face, the melodic song is starting to shift tunes. It's becoming more and more upbeat, a quicker pace instead of being entrancing it's now exhilarating. The singer is starting to mouth her words faster and you're realizing that this language is somehow familiar, you just don't know where you've heard it before.

[Dunkoro]

After a moment of thought Malik turned to the merchant.
I'll take a "chiling" vial of yours, I can take care of my healing processes just fine and I don't lack very much in power, so the others are more or less useless for me. Do I have to wait for them to buy something too? I'd like it more if you simply told me the directions without them hearing...

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Sorry for the long absence.

[DixieDevil]

Dix took a long gulp of the dwarf piss, and gave Bob a smile. I guess ya could call it excitin'. It's a bit more comfortable up top, but this is where I belong . . . He hesitated. There was something off about this guy. Why he so determined for Dix to help him? He had essentially told the man to get lost, and there were many other folks around that would help him . . . Ha! What a thought! They'd be dead before sunrise . . . and he was offering payment.

What's the worst that could happen? If it becomes too much trouble, he could merely sneak off and leave them. They'd never find their way out. We can talk about payment some other time. I'll help ya if I can, but I'm not sure what good I can do for ya. He said to Bob before turning his attention to Sek. Yeah, He said, I seen some of them Quiet Folks outside. Ya don't think they're up to anythin' sketchier than normal, do ya?

[Darkadvice]

After a moment of thought Malik turned to the merchant.
I'll take a "chiling" vial of yours, I can take care of my healing processes just fine and I don't lack very much in power, so the others are more or less useless for me. Do I have to wait for them to buy something too? I'd like it more if you simply told me the directions without them hearing...

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Sorry for the long absence.

Going Alone? Ha-ha. Hell I'll give you a discount if you go alone as long as you promise to not put the Alchemist Frost near your kidneys.

Whispers:

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The Quickest way that will have the least gang trouble is through Merrix's forge. He keeps a lift in there to make it easier for his precioused warforged workers to go topside, of course topside into a Cannith Enclave. That's back through Tunnel A, follow the sounds of warforged screwing and you'll find it alright.

The closest way is through a hole a dump bunch like you lot made yesterday yelling something about the Lord Of Blades and Creation pattern and some such. Goblin's and Shifters fighting over that hole, in the tunnel D, half way through. Some 'adventures' pried open a hatch that we couldn't see was there through the rust. Few dead Shifters were found up there, Goblin work so it's said.

The last way, the long way, is the way I recommend. Leave here and take the first tunnel on your right. You'll go across my shop, The Wounded Dragon. If you want some cash I'll pay you to take a package from there, up the goblin stairs behind these two "houses" down the tunnel from my shop. The stairs go straight up to Dura, and the toll is only a few silver pieces.

Bar
Sek looks a bit befuddled, the I walked in here for something moment,
"Right right, how did you get here? Figured you came here by it. Quiets got themselves a new tunnel opening down there, goes straight to Morgrave University. Shifters claimed it first, Quiets didn't like that. Thankfully the bar runs up tunnel from that little warzone, can't tell you how annoying it is to clean shifter fur and goblin blood. One time Shifter fur and goblin blood got mixed with Kobold piss and that's how Alchemist's Fire was invented. Another time....."

Sek starts off on his rambling again.

[Theoboldi]

Henrich sneers at the fiendish man next to him, laughing slightly under his breath. "Moron. Listen up, half-elf. I don't have enough money to waste on any of your stuff. So how about a trade? I have potion with me that can turn you invisible, unseen to the eyes of anything that might want to eat you down here. It only lasts a short time, but in my experience it is more than enough to escape from whatever is chasing you. It should be worth at least as much as one of your magic empowering things. Not to mention, since you'd only have the one you could sell it above market value as a special offer to the next unlucky sap that you make business with. What about it? I'd hand it to you for three or two of those chilling vials and the directions."

[boldfont]

Toox beamed with satisfaction. He looked at his new friend and then at the bartender. The stupid, annoying bartender. Yap yap yap yap yap! Toox could tell that Dix was getting annoyed. This bartender - this tender of bars and killer of quiet conversation - he could never have what Dix and Toox would have. He smiled.

I'd like a drink. Toox said to the bartender. It doesn't matter what, as long as it won't kill a man.

He then looked to the con artist taking his sky fallen companions for a ride and devised a plan. It was a trick he had used in the past, and it almost always worked. He left a full gold piece on the counter, knowing it was far more money than anything is this garbage pit would cost. He did it to show affluence and to pique Dix's interest. He could be clever if he focused and didn't let his excitement get the best of him.

I'm going to get us some supplies, said Tooxs, unless you know some reason that I shouldn't.

He watched the man selling his trinkets intensely, and moved into earshot. He was obvious and made no attempt to hide his curiousity. What was this guy's game?

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Sense Motive +11. Assuming you would like to roll in private. The hope is not only to figure out if his wares are genuine, but also to gleen what kind of man this is. Specifically, how strong is his mind?

[Darkadvice]

I'm a dealer, and I can make that kind of potion, not much need for invisibility against those noses, Merchant motions over to the shifters. Still from time to time, who knows? I'll trade you this, hands you the weakest of the empowering potions, the blue and a frost vial for one. The directions, for someone as tall as yourself, just follow the Warforged here when they leave for the next shift. They work at the Forge, sure a human could just walk straight through up Merrix's old lift.

Toox

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You recall acutely that he never gave his name, but you've got the impression this is a man trying to sell off his wares to the only people who might have any money down here. Without making any kind of direct probe, you are getting the impression this is some desperate merchant with too-high quality goods, and unable to push them off on anyone.

The music in the bar stops and the bards go into the back room, what looked to be a bathroom door is actually some sort of passageway to another room or possibly out back. With no real light coming from the outside, it's hard to tell what's indoors or outdoors down here. You notice for the first time that the music was charming and droning out the constant mechanical rhythm and vibrations of the Cogs. The room seems less alive, less vibrant somehow. It feels like a metal coffin, and all of you at the same time notice yourselves tapping your feet/humming, and don't realize what exact part of the melody it is that's stuck in your head.