The group had piled into the building before Edwin's words could reach them, assuming that the rain hadn't already drowned them out. Letting his waving hand drop, and placing it into the pocket opposite of the other, he made his way into the parlour as well. He arrived just in time for the mayor to start her speech, while he found a spot in the back of the room. He listened intently to her words and those of the detective. When they both had finished he took to observing the people he would be working with.

He thought for a moment that there may have been something in the shadows. A faint shape, slight hints of movement, but he wrote it off as his mind playing tricks on him. His attention was next drawn to the goblin questioning his purpose in this expedition. Then to the kind elven girl, and the hound assisting her. She seemed to be a bit of an oddity among this group of theirs, but the one that really got his attention was the dog. It's behavior coupled with the rune on it's head implied the involvement of magic. An involvement made more than an implication when it began to speak. "Fascinating..." The word slipped out from under his breath. He would have to speak to the girl when the meeting was over. Then the man in the shadows proved himself real, moving from his position, stating the facts of their current subject. Next was the golem, another subject of interest for him, but again, something that would have to wait.

Then the well dressed man with the antlers, Mr. Ghurst apparently, proposed a plan to split into two teams, to which the detective agreed. Edwin closed his eyes, leaning back against the wall in thought. To search the depths for whatever mysteries they may hold, or to investigate the city and it's workings. It was a hard choice, but one that was made quickly. Removing himself from the wall he spoke "If I may, I would like to claim a spot on the subterranean expedition. I imagine it could lead to quite the adventure."

Haydrex - Another night, another run.

Haydrex took a vigorously deep breath of the crisp, damp night air and a quick glance of the bright, streaming lights of the nocturnal city below him to gather his bearing. It was early dusk once again and time for another job. Ebb was possibly one of the last places the young man could hardly ever think of end up given the unfortunate series of events which preludes to where he is now. Ebb, the city mainly filled with commoners and merchants, a place that ranged from struggling poverty to striving opportunists, business owners or inherently wealthy men and women.

It was a city filled with the scents of ambition and opportunity, all of which caught the noses of outside immigrant foreigners or criminals who sought this opportunity to further expedite their income and provide for themselves or their families a stable and/or a favorable living. There was truly no shame in what people did to provide themselves and their families a future, that of course depends on which side of the law you belong to. As for Haydrex, there was almost absolutely no reason for him to be categorized or affiliated with bands of unscrupulous criminals or misfits but there truly was no other way for him to suit a stable and favorable living for himself or his future. In no other profession could Haydrex be able to efficiently obligate himself to the things he loved doing or the things he was good at. As a hired gun, he needed to do what simply he needed to do for cash: Eliminate or steal.

Realistically in the eyes of Haydrex, it was really nothing more than bad guys killing bad guys, a battle which Haydrex had no care to question his morality when it came down to pulling the trigger. They chose this line of work, they knew just what they signed up for and so did he and Haydrex found almost no shame in what he did, yet no enjoyment either, only the joy and peace that he could one day find outside the city in hopefully what he might call a distant future: An above average house, a wife (preferably an average- looking one), children, become old and wise, etc. A life which almost any rationally normal person could ever truly ask for yet not many people can live or have dreams of lives of grand luxury which is why he specifically chose his profession.

"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The most important thing to do is work for the future you one day hope to have" his father always told him, a constant reminder and set of values Haydrex earnestly set himself before he leaving to live on his own at age 15. The long, tediously prelude of events which lead to him becoming who he is today. The things he could have done in the past, the regrets and painful memories of losing people he once connected with, the betrayals, the things he should have have done to secure his own future. A man who spends too much time in the past can hardly find what is beneficial for him in the future and it did not do well for someone like Haydrex to reminisce on things he could or should have done in the past, only learn from his past mistakes. Now, he was alone, taking a job as a professional con artist, thief or mercenary. Completely solitude.

In his youth, Haydrex once found isolation and solitude a painful experience but as he matured, he thought of it as a delightful moment. The streets of the garment district were painfully crowded as early model automobiles and pedestrians in the city below shoved and pushed each other in order get from work to home. He watched from the rooftops of buildings, trying to estimate an easy route to take him to his next objective and hopefully another job.

Marianne was startled when the gentleman hidden within the shadows revealed himself and began to speak. Following him with her eyes as he rounded the table where they gathered, she eyed the stack of papers he unceremoniously set in the table's center. Seeing the antlered Mr. Ghurst grab a few to review them, she felt inclined to do the same. Reaching across, she gathered the reports that remained and skimmed over its contents. Leafing through the papers, she quickly decided her next course of action.

Returning the shadowy gentleman's findings to the center of the table neatly, she thoughtfully listened to each of the other guests as they spoke. Occasionally, she found herself glancing at the dripping mercenary woman who had arrived late to the scene and the rather gruff looking man who was noisily consuming something with a horrid stench. Her gaze lingered on the bearded man for a moment before turning her focus to the other guests. Her short-attention span made it a little difficult to keep track of each and every guest. So many of them had different backgrounds and nearly all were of different race. Lost in her own mind, she found herself staring at the bronze Golem woman in awe before she realized that she was the only one present with Elven blood and was brought back to reality. Blinking, she shook her head slightly and raised her hand.

"I volunteer to be part of Mr. Ghurst's expedition. There are lives that could potentially be in immediate danger that I would rather focus my efforts upon. For all of our knowledge, the first expedition may very well still be alive." She paused, looking down for a brief moment. "I would like to hope so and believe that they are. At the very least we can do is retrieve their bodies if they have fallen and properly lay them to rest to honor them. That is my largest concern at this time, to learn the whereabouts of the first expedition and potentially rescue them." Lowering her hand, part of her wished that she demonstrated a lack of fear of the unknown in her decision. That, and the fact that she was never afraid to get a little adventurous and dirty. It sounded a little fun, even. What was a little wet and mud, anyways? She could always bathe herself and launder her clothing.

Ricard's ears and tail grew rigid as he huffed, incredulous at Marianne's sudden decision. Without even having consulted him first, too! He tilted his head and caught her gaze, "Dearest Princess!.." he exclaimed. He thought to reject her decision, but he had neither the will nor political power to do so. So many thoughts coursed through his mind. The dark and wet! The mud and grime! Not to even begin to mention the other strange guests that would be working alongside her! He wanted to protest. He wanted to say 'No', but he couldn't. Marianne eyes softened as she gave him a warm smile, reaching over to caress the top of his head. "Ricard...Trust me, it'll be fine." Ricard whined ever so slightly, but held his tongue and kept his words to himself. He just couldn't understand what was so important to her, to help these dirty foreigners in matters completely unrelated to their own. Whether it was her foolish bull-headed ways or her ever-compassionate heart that was the cause of her actions, he couldn't say. He would've much preferred the two of them remain above, chasing after whatever useless information was out there until she was pleased. The pair returning home after having done so. But no, she wanted to roll around in the muck. Meaning he would have to go with her. Oh, yes. That much was certain and automatically clear. He wouldn't allow let his dearest Princess to traipse about without him. He resigned himself and sighed.

Marianne took into account what the young lady with the kitten had said and stood to address the guests within the parlour. Placing her hand on her chest, she looked to each and every one of them as she spoke. "If it be of some help, though I may not look the part, I am adept at the blade and bow. I also know of some protective and healing magicks, though I am not as skilled in sorcery as I am in combat. If my skills are required elsewhere, I will gladly alter my decision. I merely wished to state my preference." Turning look at Ricard, she placed her hand on his nape. Ricard stood and begrudgingly spoke. "As for mine self, I am exceptionally skilled in close battle. My knowledge of sorceries is vast and the magicks I commonly use are powerful. Though, take heed vile cretins. I will not be parting from my dearest Princess. Take that into account." Ricard then sat, Marianne rolled her eyes and shook her head. Always with the offensive insults with him. Marianne returned to her seat as Ricard eyed a tall human with disheveled hair and beard. His ears perked when he heard the human utter something under his breath, which immediately triggered his rage.

"Didst thou utter something, rampallian!? Doth something interest thine eyes!?" He snarled. Ricard looked as though he was preparing to lunge across the table at the man. Marianne's hand shot forth to grab a fistful of Ricard's fur and hide, jerking him downward. "Ricard!" She sharply whispered at him. Ricard turned to look at Marianne. Under her breath, her words seething with hot anger, she commanded him to leave the parlour. "You have embarrassed me for the last time today!" A pointed finger aimed at the entrance, Ricard's large form seemed to shrink at the sight of it. "Leave." Ricard's ears flattened sadly, he thought to contest her command. Marianne's brow arched and she pointed at the door yet again. Ricard briefly looked at the other guests before mournfully padding toward the door. Turning his head to look back at her, he saw her mouth the word 'Outside'. Nudging the door open with his snout, he sat just outside of the entrance as the door closed on him. He huffed, he didn't do any wrong.

Marianne buried her face in her hands, her cheeks burning a hot pink. Lowering her hands to fold them in her lap, she attempted a smile and shook her head. "I apologize for my companion's behavior, I sincerely do. Sometimes I wonder if the only emotion he knows is anger." She laughed, her rosy cheeks eventually fading and returning to their pale complexion.

Riad just watched the whole goings on from his spot on the edge of the room, watching the, apparent, princess. His head was tilted slightly to the side like a curious house pet would do, and his hands gently drummed against his legs. His eyes and ears were for the girl only, at the moment at least, failing to notice anyone else besides the wolf. He vaguely remembered it yelling at him, but at the time had been distracted by its fur. Its fur would be a great ingredient for a spell, maybe. Its whole hide would be nicer but that might upset the white-dressed girl, so if Riad ever used any part of the beast, the fur would have to do.

Once it was announced that they should form groups, Riad made his way over by the wolf, standing just out of lunging range, but communicating he was with them. When many people entered, and the wolf was sent outside, however, he happily planted himself at the edge of arm's reach of the woman, before speaking, his voice fairly quiet. "I'm with this person." He indicated towards Marianne with his head. "I can stop any critter that'd make the mistake of attacking us with a touch, and make illusions." He made a little grin, and his eyes gleamed at the thought of sending creatures down the spiraling pits of pain and agony.

His mind then switched to food. That was something he needed more of. These people looked rich enough, but hadn't even brought up food yet. Maybe they all ate before they came. Maybe he should bring up the subject of food? And maybe some clothes. The short, bent man knew he looked like a street urchin, which he didn't like, but it was just all dirt and grime. Reaching up he rubbed at some of the scales on his neck, they felt cold, and it took Riad a moment to realize his entire body, in fact, felt fairly cold. He would have to fix that later, maybe pickpocket a few more individuals and buy a jacket or two.

Kadoodle had already been thinking about doing the above ground mission. He could probably be more useful there anyways. But once the elf had decided to go below ground, he finalized his decision. "I'll stay above ground and help investigate," said the goblin. This time he spoke evenly and with confidence. He was a good people person and perhaps he could avoid telling people about his true skills and just say that he was an investigator of sorts. He may as well make this long trip into Ebb worth it!

Gah, I'm lost! Aron said suddenly.

There was only so much he could do while listening to other people talk, and he was getting a little confused. Also, he began noticing that people were looking at him funny. It was probably because he smelled like the sea, but he shouldn't smell that bad. At least the sewer smell was gone. Though it was replaced by a fish smell, and eating an entire semi-live raw fish probably didn't help matters.

But Aron knew what he could do. He stood up and declared his thoughts.

"I don't know about any of this structural integrit' stuff or investigation, He said, pronouncing it slowly. But if you all need to do some sewer diving, I'm your man!"

He pointed to himself proudly, taking pride in his skills despite them being... somewhat removed from the social norms.

"I know the sewers like the back of my hand! Lived there most of my life!" He said, grinning.

Aron didn't really love the sewers, but the sewers had helped him survive. He knew where all the monsters were, the twists and turns, and where the safe spots were when the floods came. He took pride in his 'home'. It wasn't his first choice, but he knew it better than pretty much anyone.

"If there's nothing more to be said, I'll go outside to brush my teeth for a minute!" He said.

Aron stalked off out into the rain, which was thankfully thinning. It would stop raining soon. It also meant that the sewers would clear up in an hour or two, and there could be fish left in the passages. However, the the passages would be slippery for quite some time. It was fortunate for the expedition, however, that it wasn't the right season for storms. Despite all his knowledge of the sewers, it would be a struggle to survive in them during a storm. It was part of the reason why no one entered them; the sewers were one of the worst killers in Ebb.

Aron didn't care about that, of course. He knew about it, but would be hard pressed to explain it. Instead, he exited the mayor's house. He walked up to the beach front and pulled out his leather case. It was precious to him, as it was worth quite a bit and it was waterproof. From inside the case, he extracted his special toothbrush (it's a metal one) and his special toothpaste (metal cleaner). Aron sidled down to the water's edge while putting some of his toothpaste onto his toothbrush before beginning the brushing.

The metal-on-metal made a relatively harsh grating sound, but it was necessary. He would've loved to eat the brush, but it was the only thing preventing his teeth from smelling like rusty metal and fish guts. He scrubbed his teeth thoroughly before spitting out the metal polish taste. He wiped the tooth brush off and replaced it back into his case. In its stead, he took out a packet of heavy-duty breath mints, taking one and putting it in his mouth. He grinned as he used his finger to check his teeth.

"Good." Aron said, extracting his finger but still grinning. "Can't forget dental Hygiene."

Yes, he smelled bad, and yes, he was homeless, but being sick was something he absolutely couldn't afford. There was no one else to take care of him, and he didn't have the money to seek treatment. As he was on his own, he had to take care of himself. He managed well enough, though. He wanted to make money, not lose it.

Aron walked towards the mansion as the mint dissolved in his mouth.

-----------------------------------------

Ash still leaned back on the wall as the others expressed their respective interests in the two groups. A rough looking man left, and Ash ignored him. Ash didn't personally mind either group, really. His... work had taken him to many different locations before, and sewers were by no means the worst place he'd been in. He still gave that particular award to [deleted].

Ash didn't have any preferences, really. His curiosity was piqued about the sewer's underworks, and he didn't want to miss the chance to work with a high-elf and a Parili. But...

Ash shifted his head to an almost inaudible degree, shifting his gaze to a curiosity in the group. A large man in a white coat. No one could deny his presence, and perhaps what drew Ash was simply because like him, the man hid his face. But Ash couldn't get rid of the feeling that the man was more than met the eye.

Perhaps it was the way he carried himself. The way he shifted his hood ever so carefully. Ash knew that behaviour, it was that of a man with something to hide. The man had expressed his interest in joining the land group, few as they were. The man's behaviour changed slightly, and Ash noted a slight change in the man's voice, which Ash identified as a very light fear. More trepidation than phobia fear, but fear nonetheless. Ash wanted to know more of the man, he wanted to know what he hid. What should Ash do.

"I will go with the sewer group." Ash said finally.

There were many reasons to go with the surface group, but the reasons to go with the sewer group outweighed the surface group ones. Furthermore, he didn't feel like trusting the surface group just yet. The aformentioned white-robed man, as well as a spineless seeming goblin. There was also a seemingly unhinged man in the sewer group, but that man had shown interest in their snow-elf participant, so he was unlikely to bother others. There was always a possibility, but there were more people in the sewer group currently, so Ash could at least trust the numbers.

Besides that, the sewers seemed relatively more dangerous and interesting, but he doubted his skills would be much needed on the surface. Even though the sewers were filled with water which naturally clashed with his affinity, he wanted to satisfy his curiosity. While tying up loose ends were his specialty, he was definitely curious about the snow-elf princess, the Parili, and the others.

Also, Ash was no longer an assassin, he was a mercenary. And he had a nagging feeling that the underground group might need his skills more than the above-ground group.

Helvetica was really unsure. What team should she join. Part of her wanted to go with the sewer group in order to heal if necessary. But the above ground team was smaller so if they were attacked they would have less people to fight it off with. Helvetica looked around hesitantly. She was probably going to join the above ground team. Helvetica rubbed her neck, sliding her fingers over the seed. An action that calmed Helvetica's nerves.

"Uh... I-I-I'll join the above ground team," Helvetica spoke up, holding Li close to her. Above ground having a kitten wouldn't be bad. Li wouldn't be in danger anyways, unless they all ran into danger. But then everyone was in danger. Her healing would be more useful in a smaller group. So no matter how much Helvetica wasted to be on both teams, she had to chose the smallest one. The sewer group would have to take care of themselves.

Edwin was taken aback by the great wolf's sudden outburst. Literally, as it had startled him, causing him to take an involuntary step back and into the wall, where he bumped his head. He took a hand out of one pocket and rubbed the back of his head, while the slither, also shaken by the event, readjusted itself. And with a puzzled expression he stared at the snarling beast, preparing a plan of escape in the event that Ricard took further action. Luckily, before anything too terribly bad could occur, the elven girl, Marriane, had pulled the beast away and ordered it outside.

Then she made her apologies to Edwin who was more confused over the situation than anything. Towards the end of the sentence he raised his hand as if to say “Stop,” and calmly, with a polite tone, he replied “Thank you for the kind words miss, but you really needn't apologize. You're not to blame for the actions of others, and while a tad startling, your companions actions have done nothing to harm or upset me,” he brushed the wet hair away from his face “If anything, I should be apologizing for the embarrassment this has caused you, as he seemed to be reacting to something I said.”

Marianne blinked when the scaled and strange man indicated that he would be part of the sewer expedition, his voice quiet and hard to discern. Curiously, she noticed that he had maintained a bit of distance from her. It seemed most people shyed themselves away from her for one reason or another. Was it due to Ricard forcefully pushing others away with his harsh tongue and lethal threats? Sighing softly, she couldn't help but feel that her noble Elven blood was perhaps the main cause. Not many wanted to associate themselves with an Elf, her kind giving themselves a sort of reputation for being cold and hateful. Sadly, this was not the case for Marianne. She was quite the opposite really, and wanted to demonstrate that not all Elven kind were so icy-hearted. Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden outburst by the bearded gentleman who reeked of the sea and its inhabitants.

Listening to him and observing his body language, Marianne couldn't help but smile. She raised her hand to her lips in a half-hearted and feeble attempt to hide her smile. The bearded gentleman was quite a character, and he seemed to be a very proud man. His voice was loud and clear, and his speech simple and to the point. She couldn't help but let out a soft giggle to herself, failing to stifle it. Some small part of her was glad she would be going on the expedition with the gentleman. Regardless of his rather rough appearance and questionable body odor, Marianne found herself delighted and charmed already.

Turning to the tall man swathed in flowing cloth, he thanked her for her words but mentioned no need for her apology. Frowning slightly at his following words, she shook her head. "While I may not be to blame for the actions of others, Ricard is still my companion and thusly I am still responsible. Ricard is very short-fused and his temper is erratic, sometimes unreasonably so." She shook her head. "No apology from yourself is required, what has been said is said. What's done is done." To that end, Marianne smiled brightly at the man, as if to thank him for his own kind words and consideration.

"Explosives..." Ghurst murmured, as he reached read through another section of the notes while the others talked. The ones in his hands at the moment concerned the under-works of the city with passing references to the stonework.

"We need explosives. Nothing fancy or cruel. But ones precise enough to shape the blasts. Something like this."

Turning one of the sheets over he traced out a pattern with a stick of coal. It also showed the shaped of the explosive forces and their direction.

"Anything more than this and we stand a good chance of either bringing more of the city down around us and less will barely do anything. While our breathing conduits wold be helpful, we should plan on making our own exit. Beneath the earth time is elusive and trusting our own sense of it could lead to disaster. This could also give us a more direct path should subsequent trips become necessary."

---

"Honestly, it was never a consideration on my part that I should go below," with the strange sewer pirate gone Eresa managed to feel a little more at ease. The fates certainly did want to make this trying for her though. While Ghurst's suggestion was sound, it meant that she would be shackled with all these others. Her usual methods of persuasion would only alarm or anger some of these righteous pawns. On the other hand it would give the morally ambiguous among them... "ideas."

Kai, itching now to get moving, resented Malte's question ever so slightly but resolved it into a silent thank you as the young man decided for himself. In truth, Kai knew not the answer to his question. The malodorous murk of the sewers promised to teem with threats, but Ebb itself hosted an entourage of hidden enemies, the barnacles clinging to its seldom-seen bottom, living and working just out of view. As for treasure, the ninja expected none. A new worry struck him as he awakened to the fact that numerous members of this group could very well be expecting a good, old-fashioned dungeon raid. They had better be prepared, Kai fretted. This job is shaping up to be anything but conventional. “Ebb side for Malte,” he echoed, making a mental list. “Subterranean for...Edwin, is that right? We'll find peril and perhaps fascination down there for sure, if that is what you mean by adventure. Mr. Ghurst, your continued advisory will be valuable.”

The next few minutes saw the addition of the Delacroixes, Riad, Ash, and Aron to the underground team, while Kadoodle, Helvetica, and Eresa volunteered to remain above. Udo Koro Kai harbored his doubts still about nearly half of the assembled people, be their flaws a visage that hinted at insanity, distrust-breeding demeanor, an overeager protectiveness, hygiene, or a corpselike countenance that could very well have belonged to an undead. It was rogues like this, he hoped, that would prevail where the previous 'squad of heroes', as he'd nicknamed them, failed. As he and lady Exeter were doling out rebreather and communication conduits, a couple of late arrivals appeared. One, a proud warrior calling himself Dane Joshin, whose every aspect portrayed him as a rugged hero, happily assuaged his misgivings about the Ebb underground by signing on to the above team. The other, a lively young lady clad in formerly pristine, now red-spattered desert-style clothes of cream color, was assigned to the sewer team. Finally, Levi, plagued by indecision, consigned herself to the above-ground team as well. With everything decided, all provided gear distributed, and not a moment to waste, the entire crew of sixteen left the Exeter house at a brisk pace.

Heading away from the waterfront and towering, monolithic seawall, the street dipped downward, leading gradually away from the stately hotels of the upper class. Before long, the road gave way to a walkway that overlooked one of Ebb's grand 'chasms'. What might have at first appeared to be an ordinary city peeled apart like an enormous apple, revealing a labyrinthine assortment of streets, bridges, canals, waterfalls, and towers that extended hundreds of feet down. While for now Ebb's true tide had almost receded fully, water gathered in places throughout the city, be they basins, rivers, aqueducts, or miniature lakes. A boat coming in from the port that the wealthy district bordered could travel a few hundred feet down a canal, enter an enormous basket of water, and descend a hundred feet by winch to a wharf nestled inside the city's mid-level. In fact, at about the mid-level there lay a huge basin called the City Lake, on which ships steamed and houses floated all day long regardless of the tide pouring in via huge pipes. Scattered throughout the City Lake were enormous pillars upon which rested a substantial amount of city directly overhead; seldom did the sunlight reach some parts of this ponderous pool. Ebb was very much in motion, alive despite the looming threat and dreadful red rain, and with a mission in mind the second investigation team was in motion too. Entering a dry lift all at once, the team was lowered past crammed apartments, the City Lake, and what appeared to be a sports stadium to the mid-low level of Ebb. From there, Kai led the way down flights of stairs, through steep streets, and onto a riverboat ride that brought the team close to the city's bottom.

Finally, just as the tide fully receded, the sixteen -with or without a stealthy but interested pursuer in the form of Haydrex- reached the bottom, a circular area of damp brown concrete eighty meters in diameter, cut in half by a sluggish, murky, cab-sized canal. On the opposite side of the yard from where they entered, a pair of rusty metal ladders led up to a slummy avenue on which Kai said the Depth Plumbers' headquarters resided. The water in the canal, only a few inches deep now, flowed into a yawning dark aperture into which the sewer team would be following it. “Here we part ways,” Kai said, stepping into the canal. His manner was grim, obvious even with his mask, for at this very place he had almost been drowned not so long ago. “Both teams have two communication conduits for redundancy, should one be lost. Report in at intervals. Team Ebb, after checking on the Depth Plumbers, call the mayor for future instruction.”

Mancer, silent so far but not recalcitrant when it came to looking at the intriguing oddities of the watery city during the trip, nodded. He took a few steps and leaped, white cloak flapping, over the canal to the other side, bound for the ladders. It took him a moment before he froze, realizing he was perhaps being preemptive. Looking back, he zeroed in on Eresa. She had every quality of a leader, from dress to bearing to a fancy name, so it seemed natural that she, though not officially appointed by Kai, would lead Team Ebb. “Um. We okay to go?”



For a indeterminate length of time after the second group left her parlour, Margaret Exeter sat very still, clinging the arms of her chair. While outwardly anxious, her breathing came easily and calmly, and for the first time in a few days a tentative ray of hope was peeking through the cloud cover. Sure, it was a team of misfits, with largely unknown backgrounds and skills, but she felt that if anyone they could get the job done. Even split in half, there would be more per team than the initial expedition could boast, and with a pair of communicators each there could be no mishap leading to a blackout.

Margeret reached for her cup of wine, grasped the glass, and paused. “No,” she decided, standing up and leaving the liquor behind. “This is the start of something good. If I can't face it sober, what good am I?”

As it happened, next on her list of mayoral duties was dishes. No significant administrative duty, to be sure, but a politician wishing to preserve some semblance of self-providence (and therefore an appeal to the self-providing lower class) such as she could not forsake it. While the rain picked up, another hand poked out her window revealed it to be mercifully clear once more, and while this assisted to invigorate her spirit it did not shake her earlier premonition of dread. Lost in though, she allowed herself to split into autopilot, only interrupting the routine of soap, scrub, rinse, when a piece of china proved too dirty to be cleansed on the first wash. Gradually, however, Margaret discovered with annoyance that she had washed the same dish six times in a row, and still it came up streaked with grime. She looked at the water and jumped, finding it almost overflowing and unmanageably murky. Disgusted, she reached into the water and sought the plug, so as to allow the water to drain.

It took a few seconds for her to locate the drainpipe. When her fingers at last alighted on its surface, confusion spread across her features, for she could feel no drain stopping up the sink. Puzzled, she continued to grope around in the inky water, reaching down the pipe, until she stumbled upon something warm and fleshy. Before she could yank it out, the thing closed its fingers about her own hand and pulled. Margaret's scream was cut short by her impact with the murky water, and while she continued to struggle, no sound rang out but the persistent beat of rain and her panicked scuffling with her free had and legs, desperately trying to get free.

And then there was only the rain.

Edwin pocketed the communicator, and began studying the rebreather, mumbling his thoughts along the way. "I wonder..." His main consideration was methods of extending the conduit's time limit. "Hmm. Without knowing it's design I couldn't do much to improve the spell itself, but..." Maybe he could extend it's ability by compounding spells of a similar nature. He sighed. "The spell's design is still an issue. The effects of a compound enchantment would be unpredictable." He placed the rebreather within another one of his coat pockets. "It would probably be easier just to make one from scratch." Tinkering with the rebreather would have to wait. Right now he wouldn't have the time or the resources for it anyways.

A few minutes later another thought came to mind. If I were to work on it later, somebody with expertise in related affinities could be helpful. As the group came to a halt, about to split into two, Edwin spoke out towards them. "Is anyone here skilled in the use of the Aura or Aqua affinities?" And took the rebreather back out of his pocket, tossing it up and down in his hand. "There's something I could use your help with. After we're done with the expedition of course."

Eresa felt it, a rush of elation, as Mancer looked back to her to confirm their readiness. It was deference. Pure sweet deference and she loved it. That the skeletal man had immediately fallen into that mentality was even better. Once this was over she would simply have to find a way to keep him in her services. What a jewel of a... man she supposed.

"No, no, as you were," she spoke with a ready smile as she simply hopped across the canal and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "I'm certain that we're all more than ready to leave this fetid pit."

The climb was thankfully short. Were she not constrained by her dress or her heels, it would have taken her no time at all, but that would be unseemly. The view that greeted her was, as advertised, a slum.

Dwarves of all ages, though definitely weighted towards the elderly, milled about. Their eyes were on the strangers resting somewhere between notice and vacancy. One thing was uniform, however, here was no hope to be found here. None at all. And down this oppressive alleyway, at its terminus, rested the plain form of the Depth Plumbers' offices.

Riad had been bored during the walk, despite how interesting the city was. He had been around it several times, though mostly at night, and he couldn't get that damnable sun out of his face. Back on Spinel he had loved the eternal darkness that surrounded the continent he called home. It had allowed him to make many an easy escape, and he had adjusted to low-light over time, like anyone else would. When he had left his home, he was eternally annoyed by the brightness of everything. It made it hard to see and harder to disappear, so he had elected to be up and about during the day as little as possible, though he had far overslept which had resulted in him joining this crew. Where had the rain gone anyway? That had kept the bright orb in the sky at bay. Riad began to toy with the thought of creating a reverse-light spell to deal with it, but he decided that would require more time than he had at the moment. The rat-ways of this city where he staked his home were to dangerous to risk being undefended for any period of time.

When they arrived at their location of interest, Riad made sure he was one of the first down into the hole once it was said it was okay, more than happy to go into a dark, damp place, and out of the obnoxiously bright sunshine. What little of it made it to where he was anyway. Once he was down in the sewers, he seemed right at home, promptly inspecting everything in the immediate vicinity of about ten feet for anything mysterious. Finding nothing, he simply reported himself by the ladder in wait for any command indicating what to do next, he was smiling. "It's just like home down here, no bothersome sun and everyone looks horribly sad. I wonder what it'd sound like if someone screamed down here." He mused for several long moments before glancing around again.

"Oy, wait fer me!" Aron called out to the scaly parili.
Aron had been studying the breathing thing he'd been given, wondering what it was worth (a reasonable amount as it turns out) before the strange scaly guy ran down the sewers ahead of him. Aron quickly shoved the rebreather into his leather case. He'd figure out how to operate it later, or not bother. He did have experience, after all.

He hastened down the ladder into the sewers, and as he did, he was met with the smell of fresh rain after a storm. Not exactly a storm, but it smelled fresher than what most would expect. Of course, Aron already knew what it smelled like on any time of day.

With that said, the idea that the sewer always smelled bad was wrong. There were parts of it that dealt with sewage and parts that didn't. Sometimes, even the parts that did handle the sewage sometimes didn't, which could get very confusing. It was something Aron just dealt with due to his life experience. Run away from the stink, run away from the water, etc.

As the freshly swept sewer-smell washed over him, Aron was reminded of the days he spent in the sewers as a child. There were a lot more people down there a while back. As the sewers got bigger, however, the people became farther apart. There was always the occasional fellow homeless guy, but he didn't see them so much any more. What he did see more of recently were beasts. Big rats and the other sewer creatures became more common some time ago. Aron didn't really notice it, though, he adapted around it.

He jumped off the last few rungs and landed with a thump.

"Home sweet home." Aron said, grinning.

Good old nostalgia, alright.

"Hey, I said I can take you anywhere, but is there anywhere you really need to go, or are we just going to walk everywhere?" Aron called out above.

---

Ash, as per his habits, was behind the rest of the group, fiddling with the rebreather. He wanted to know that it wouldn't fail him in a critical moment. He had checked it when he'd gotten it first, but there was no harm in being safe. He checked the breathing mask, tubing, and the magical parts (and the other ones if I missed any). They all seemed to be in order.

He put it into his coat pocket and sat back, watching the others. It would probably reflect poorly on his character, but he wanted to be the last person in. There were a few reasons for this. The first was that he hadn't yet built a level of trust with his team. It wasn't a very good reason as most of the squad seemed fairly trustworthy, barring a few members. But the second reason was to cover the back. It was likely that the mission had some potentially harmful risks, and amongst those risks, there was a chance that pursuers with less wholesome goals were tailing the group.

While the expedition's presence had practically been proclaimed all over town, it was still a relatively sensitive mission. Considering it was a mission given to a group of misfits by the mayor's daughter, it had good public support. If it failed, public opinion of the mayor's daughter would sink, giving her political opponents an advantage.

Ash knew all this and stood back, vigilant. It was a job with a lot of potentially harmful unknown variables, and it had been his job to root out as many as he could.

Marianne had found time since the start of the expedition to change out of her elegant formal dress and into her battle/combat attire. Bow slung, quiver of arrows tight against her lower back, buckler on her left forearm, and rapier on her left hip; she was ready for anything that may come her way. Ornate, engraved plate armor snug against her vital areas and joints. With each of her steps, her armor clinked musically. As she strutted through the sewers with Ricard at her side, she hardly looked the part of a capable warrior being adorned in silver and white, though properly equipped. She looked rather pleased with herself with her everlasting smile, shockingly out of place when compared to her environs. The dark, wet, and grime didn't seem to bother her as she happily walked alongside her comrades of the underground expeditionary team.

Ricard, however, couldn't be more aggravated and irritated. After having embarrassed his dearest Princess and sent outside into the blood-red rain, he had been in an even more sour mood than he had been. But, he held his tongue and kept his thoughts to himself. Lest he be banished from the expedition entirely by an irate Marianne. Though he held moderate political power, Marianne's command was directly below her elder siblings and the Royal Elven King and Queen themselves. If she decided Ricard was done, she could easily strip him of his position and rank. Not that she ever would or consider it, no amount of protest could repeal a Royal's order. He sighed as he padded in the muck with her, keeping his eyes and ears on alert. On his back, he had a smaller brown leather pack that held a number of provisions for the Princess and her...Well, Ricard didn't even know what to consider them. Liabilities? Potential adversaries? He resigned himself to call them her 'acquaintances'. As the masked Uro Koro Kai told them that they would be parting, Ricard sniffed at the murky waters of the canal that cut through the concrete platform. Raising his head, he turned to Marianne.

"Dearest Princess, mind thou st-"
Paying no mind to his words, Marianne gracefully leapt across the canal to follow after the others that had already made their way toward the tunnels. The heels of her boots clacking when she landed, her flowing black hair settled against her upper back like a luxurious curtain. Truly, she looked too out of place amidst the filth. Marianne looked over her shoulder and waved once back at Ricard, distance increasing between the two. "Come Ricard, keep up! You'll fall behind if you dilly-dally!"

Ricard sighed, a bit loudly. Leaping over the canal, he quickly trotted to Marianne's side, his claws clicking against the ground. He would've really preferred the two of them to be part of the above-ground expedition. Though still not the most optimal course of action, it was surely more 'proper' for them. He had no qualms with getting dirty, but he had his dearest Princess to consider. Looking ahead, other members of the expedition had already begun disappear into the darkness of the tunnel. Turning behind him, a few others were straggling behind. Ricard would've preferred for him to go first and have Marianne follow second, but she lacked a sense of urgency. Who was the one dilly-dallying here? Ricard grunted. His eyes quickly adjusted the depressing dark, but he worried that Marianne's eyes weren't as keen as his. Unfortunately, neither of them really knew any Lux spells. To have Marianne use her Potentia spells just for light would be impractical, not to mention dangerous.

Halting in his tracks, he sat and turned over his shoulder to remove his pack. Rustling through it, he bit and pulled out the given communication device and began to attempt to use it. Hilariously, he was having some troubles. His lack of dexterity and thumbs made it hard for him to operate the device. Though he was curious as to its invention and creation, he was more concerned with just trying to use the damned thing in the first place. Marianne realized that her furry friend wasn't at his usual spot by her side and stopped to see what he was doing. Seeing him fumble with the infernal contraption, Marianna laughed and walked over to him.

"Confound this damned...thing!"
Ricard growled, barking softly at it.
Marianne kneeled down and picked up the device from off the ground.
"Ricard, what are you doing?"
Ricard huffed, "I thought it prudent to inform Mayor Margaret of our location. To inform her that the two teams have split."
Marianne smiled widely and nodded her head, it made sense.
"Well, alright then. Let me do it for you."
Ricard lowered his head, his ears flattening. "My apologies, dearest Princess."
Marianne waved her hand and shook head, "Nonsense, Ricard. I understand. How do you operate this?"
She looked it over, turning it in her hands.
Ricard raised his head and brought his nose closer to nudge at a switch on the device. "I am to understand that thou must hold down a switch to speak into it. To release it when done to hear others."
Marianne nodded and clicked the switch on the device that Ricard had nudged with his snout. Unsure of exactly what to say, she hesitated. "H-...hello? Mayor Margaret?" Releasing the switch, she heard nothing but a soft crackle of static. She frowned, staring at Ricard in silence. Clicking the switch yet again, she tried again. "Hello? Mayor Margaret? This is Marianne Delacroix of the Sewer Expedition. The two teams have parted ways. Hello? Is anyone there?" No response.

Ricard tilted his head curiously. Looking around, he offered a plausible cause for the lack of signal. "Perhaps it is due to our current location? The magic may not be powerful enough to reach the other communicators." Marianne, still frowning, looked at the quiet device in her hands. "Maybe so, but it is still troubling." She stood, turning to catch up with the rest of the group. Ricard bit the strap of his pack and slung it over onto his back, quickly catching up to Marianne. She was still looking at the device in her hands,"Ricard, do you think something may have happened? Do you think we should tell the others and try and reach them?" The two paused, both looking at the device.

Ricard huffed and resumed walking, "I am sure it is nothing, dearest Princess. The invention is unfamiliar to me, but I would wager it a safe assumption that the device may not be fully functional. Other mortals have a tendency to create such faulty, useless contraptions." Marianne wasn't exactly comforted by his words. Opening a pouch on Ricard's pack, she put the device away safely. A worried expression on her face, she was starting to have her doubts. Her heels quietly clicking in tune to Ricard's claws.

Malte took the two copper wrist bands that hummed with a slight hum, and put one of them on his wrist, and desperately searched for another spot on his body for the other one, he could put it on his leg, but it would get wet and It would be hard to use, he could put it on his arm higher up, but it might not be a good idea. In the end he ended putting it on his neck, hoping that it would get good transmissions if he had to talk with it. On the downside he now looked like a ideot…. Nothing too new.

Apparently his group had to go investigate some plumbers…please let there be some combat. Information might be a bit harder to obtain if the personnel holding the information is dead but on the other OH LOOK! It’s one of those cool moving things. He really needs to figure out what they are called, but the group was moving on a bit farther without him, he sprinted at full speed, probably causing a lot of looks from the nearby dwarfs. He ran up to the little goblin. ” hey do you know what those moving things are by any chance?”

"Good question!" replied Kadoodle. "Honestly, I'm not from around here. I've spent most of my life in Jade. I've never seen anything like them, but I would like to know. He studied them intently, but still he couldn't remember the name for them... hmmm...

Kadoodle kind of liked the parili. Sure, Malte was extremely energetic, but he at least would talk to poor Kadoodle. Kadoodle suddenly remembered something. The cookies! He had to give those out now or else they would go stale. He reached into his pack and pulled out a small tin full of sugar cookies. "Cookies anyone?" asked Kadoodle to the other members of his party. Plus, it couldn't hurt to boost morale.

Helvetica pulled a hair clip out of her pocket and clipped her bangs away from her face. Her hair was too short for a ponytail, but for an adventure such as this one it would be hazardous if her hair blocked her face. So clips were really the best thing for Helvetica. Helvetica scooped up Li and tucked her into one of her jacket's large pockets. Li was small and so she easily fit inside, her blue eyes shining out from the depths of Helvetica's pocket.

Helvetica sped up when Kadoodle offered cookies. She grabbed one, smiling and took a bit. It was good. This small goblin, made great cookies.
"Uhh, are you all okay. I mean... I'm a healer. So if any of you have any wounds, or anything like that. I could probably heal them..." Helvetica trailed off, looking down. She wasn't great with people. It was hard to talk with people and not mess up or stutter, or make a fool of herself.

Mr. Ghurst entered the tunnel behind the elf and her guardian. Though he would have loved to take point, Riad and Aron saw fit to rush ahead in their madness. Ghurst could have warned them to touch nothing, but the advice probably would have fallen on deaf ears. With Edwin's talk of modifying the communicators and Marianne and Richards's nonsense, he had to wonder if any besides Kai, Ash, and himself were taking this seriously. Instead he forced his focus on their surroundings. The evidence of what head befallen the other team was here, he just had to notice it or its absence.

In the meantime Ghusrt took the opportunity to light one of their lanterns and draw his rollvolver. The shadows instantly sharped as they were pushed back and the spare bottles of oil tied to his belt clinked softly with the motion. It reminded him of another annoyance. They hadn't had the time to procure the types of explosives he'd wanted. They had some, but Ghurst had his doubts that he could rig them properly in an emergency. All he could do was hope that Ash, who seemed to possess some sort of fire magic, could possibly turn it to some explosive ends if the need arose.