[i]At the Adventurers' Guild...[/i]

The receptionist merely looked at the large lizardman with a blank, unplussed face. This wasn't the first time she'd had to deal with someone questioning policies or how the guild ran their operations - and it wouldn't be the last time either. Internally, she made a snide remark about the brutish-looking muscle-lizard making a comment about others' intellgience, but being the professional she was, that neither showed up in her eyes, on her face or in her voice when she eventually replied.

"You're welcome to file a complaint and ask to to see the Guild Master, but I doubt that'd accomplish much. Whether [i]you[/i] think your group is up to a task or not is, to be honest, completely irrelevant to the guild. We have rules and policies that everyone who joins has to follow, and they're there to make things run smoothly and fairly. If you don't find them to your liking..." She adjusted ehr glasses. "... Maybe you should find a less [i]restrictive[/i] vocation. I hear mercenaries get to do things as they please." The girl finished, before returning to her work.

Of course, the suggestion was a not so subtly veiled comment. Mercenaries, after all, were notably known for being unscrupulous and mongey-grubbing thugs who were barely better than bandits or highwaymen. Of course, there wasn't any doubt that someone like Big Red, with his prowess, skill and large bulk would be quite well-suited to such a job.

[i]At the latrine...[/i]

The druid listened to the archer's tale of woe. It was a rather unfortunate story, but not one that was uncommon. Many young adventurers assumed that, as far as quests go, crawling through the sewers and slaying rats and bugs was about as easy as it got... Failing to realize that they would be in an enclosed spae whrre their enemy had a vast home-field advantage, were mroe familiar with the enviroment and there being a lack of directions to choose from would put most unskilled or inexperienced would-be-adventurers at a massive disadvantage.

The tanned girl remembered her own, very first foray into the subterranean pits of Palisade Town. Luckily, she'd gone with two experienced adventurers at the time, along with one fresh noobie like herself, and managed to come out on top. Still, it had been an... Unpleasant... Experience, to say the least. Rats weren't a problem for her, but bugs... Bugs were hard to communicate with, even for a druid. They had a very fundamentally different view and thought-process when compared to mammals, birds or other such creatures. Not to mention trying to deal with a big swarm was just plain impossible.

Still, she felt that the poor nomad had gotten a really raw deal on her trip, so she offered a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry! I've been down there before, and remember that I can alwaysjust talk to the rats if we need." She stated, a bit boastful and thumping her plump chest while letting out a proud 'Ehe~!' as if to emphasize her abilities. 

With Big Red showing up and offering his sage advice, and a head-pat for Steppe Archer, the druid simply smiled.

"Yeah. We're all set to head down. Oh, and thanks for the stems, but I'll be fine." Druid Girl replied, before taking the plants that her Archer-friend had picked and stowed than in her pouch. She prefered not to have tickling straws stuck in her nostrils while trying to concentrate.

When all was finally said and done, and everyone was ready, the time acme to head on down. Inside the latrine, against one of the far-end walls, there was a large door. This sturdy piece of wood had an old, crusty iron ring on it, meant for pulling. Getting the creaky and heavy thing open would've been a small feat of endurance and strength for either of the girls, though Big Red likely would've found it little more than a minor nuisance to force open. Beyond the door, there was a straight stairway leading downwards into the dark, dank and quite pungent nether-recesses of the settlement.

Going down, they would find themselves stepping through a rusty iron-barred door, similar to one found in a prison or cell. the whine from the door resounded and ehcoed through the otherwise largely quiet underground, only muffled by the sound of running sewage and water. As one would expect, for those without pleasant-smelling-straws up their nose, the scent of feces, mold, amonia, wet masonry and other unpleasant aromas filled the air. Druid Girl's nose twitched and she made a disconent grimace before stepping onto one of the underground sidewalks. She looked around in the dim darkness and then turned to her allies.

"Last time I was down here, our group travelled south and west, I think. We took down a few rats and a bunch of bugs, but I imagine those've all reopulated by now. Still, we should avoid heading to any cisterns or places with narrow catwalks or lots of ... Liquid..." She stated. "Oh, and avoid shouting or making loud noises, like running or stomping. The more sound we make, the more likely we'll end up drawing a large group of insects... They, uh... They tend to identify sound with food..." She trailed off before shaking her head. "So, which way to go first?"

At their current location, there was actually any direction to choose from. A path going north, west, east and south were all present, so really, it all came down to whatever Big Red and Steppe Archer would be best. Or whatever that map Big Red got from the guild might suggest.