Peril and Fame (IC)

[TheDarkDM]

Spoiler: Previously...

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Vai and Alessandra
Shrine of Sarenrae, Underbridge

Inside the church, Terisha and six other Tower Girls gather around. A small rug, a few pillows, sleeping rolls, backpacks, and a few weapons lay in a circle at the rear of the room. Broken pews and boards from shipping crates have been used to secure the windows and door from both sides.

As Terisha explains their plight, she offers a half empty bottle of wine to Vai and her friend. Unfortunately, they all speak in Varisian without consideration for Alessandra.

"We had a good thing going. The Blades were our eyes and ears, we were the hands. Naturally, we gave them a share of what we hit. But Carent got greedy and eventually pushed for fifty percent! Fifty percent, while we do the hard part of the job! But okay, fifty percent of a lot is still a lot, da? But then he gets it in his head that we're holding out on him -- keeping some of the gold tucked away for ourselves. He goes crazy! We get back one day two months ago and the son of a bitch has thrown out half our stuff! Tents, clothes, half of it on the street. I say half. Bastard kept the good stuff! I miss Sonya... eh, she's my whip."

"So here we are. This is only some of us. Ayala runs the other camp in a warehouse near here. But a lot of the girls left when Carent kicked us out of his camp. So we're looking for a new place. We have our eyes on the Crow piling, about half a mile off the beach. There's a little alcove, big enough for a rowboat at low tide. Adventurers have known about it for years, but it doesn't lead to anything. Or so everyone thought. Ayala? She has the best ears. She can hear an empty chamber not far through the rock, so... we dig."

Spoiler: Alessandra

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Alessandra suspects that the rug may be covering a trap door.

Vai and Alessandra
Shrine of Sarenrae, Underbridge

Vai took a draught from the wine bottle before passing it to Alessandra. She listened to the story of the Tower Girls' plight with a sympathetic ear, nodding at mention of the piling. When she responded, it was in Varisian as well.

"It seems a good plan, cousin. But where there are hidden chambers, there are most likely hidden doors. Alessandra..."

Vai paused, realizing that they'd been speaking Varisian the entire time and recognizing the retrained frustration in Alessandra's face. With a slight gasp, she switched to Common.

"Alessandra, forgive me. I forget you don't speak our tongue. Terisha was just telling me how what we've heard is true. That nenorocitule Donal Carent stabbed the Tower Girls in the back, stole from them, and called it an amicable parting. He has control of their old camp, while the Girls were forced to take shelter here and in a nearby warehouse. But Terisha tells me that one of their members, Ayala, thinks she's found a secret room in the Crow Piling. I was about to say," she turned her attention back to Terisha, "Alessandra's senses are incredibly keen. Between her awareness and my ability to sense the arcane, we might be able to find a way into the piling that doesn't require digging an obvious entrance."