Rex, Barbell, Joanie and Donnie find themselves being escorted by the Town’s Guard to Dell Cleffinger.   A visibly shaken Jacque Shakeel is with him recounting the harrowing events that took place in his studio apartment.  Dell glances up at you and your escorts as you approach.  He looks at his ledger.  It is evident to you all that he recalls your party registering earlier in the day and though he turns his attention back to Jacque, he casually puts a third “X” on Donnie’s bandana and asks Jacque if he would like to press charges.  “Of course I am going to press charges.  How can I work in harmony with the universe in all its fantastic array knowing savages who wish me harm are on the loose.  They might come back and oh I dread the thought...”  As Jacque’s speech declines into incoherent mumbles Dell Cleffinger says to the lead guard, “Korbin take these ruffians to prison until a time can be set for their trial and send out a faction of four to search for the remaining member of their party.  He can’t have gone too far.”  [ You are being charged with harassment, a charge that carries with it a maximum penalty of 1 year in prison.] “ 

Your weapons are confiscated.

Sleight of Hand Check

You are escorted by eight guards out of the public eye towards the prison adjacent to Calhoun’s.  Your weapons are taken to an undisclosed location.  One of the guards(Duncan) seems a bit different than the other guards.

Insight Check

To the highest roller Duncan whispers, “You gotta help me.”   He looks at you pleadingly.  “I hear things in the prison at night.  I’m not the only one.  The prisoners hear it too but are too afraid to speak up.  I  hear muffled scratching and clawing noises... noises beneath the stone floor in the prison so faint but... but persistent. “ Korbin barks, “Duncan!”

“Yessir!” comes the reply.

“Be quiet.”

Yessir.  Stay quiet. Stay quiet. Stay quiet.”

“Duncan! Shut up!”

“Yes sir.”  Duncan looks straight ahead wide-eyed, then cheats a glance back at you and says, “Persistent.”

Korbin unlocks a large wooden & iron door that leads to a hallway lined with 6 prison cells, three on the right and three on the left.  The floor beneath you is made up of large flat stones.

Insight Check

Inside the hallway a light breeze blowing in from the river port keeps the standard prison aromas from becoming too pungent.  The cells are empty.  Perhaps today was a light day for crime in Alexandria or perhaps most people know better than to tangle with the Alexandrian Guards.  Your party however, is led by the Guard to your home for the evening in one of several unoccupied cells.  There are a few large empty crates inside your cell, possibly there as chairs or to be positioned together for a makeshift bed.  Duncan drops a small folded piece of parchment by his foot, steps on it and slides it inside your cell as he closes the door. He informs you rather loudly, “Your trial will be tomorrow at 9 in the morning.” Then whispers, “Find out what’s beneath us and I’ll help you escape.”

Parchment: Inside the parchment is a key.  On the parchment a scribbled note:  2am, no guards for 30 min.

You have the next 8 hours to yourselves in your cell.  One guard sits at the end of the hallway.  After an hour, a new guard comes in to replace him.

At 2am a handful of guards head out to the docks.  The prison is empty except for your party.

Using the key to unlock your cell door...

Sleight of Hand Check

You make your way down the dark stairwell.  At the bottom of the stairs is an 8x8 landing and a wooden & iron door much like the door leading into the prison.  Using the key or [ SOH 17 to pick/STR 15 to break(those without weapons cannot attempt to break in], you unlock and push open the door.  It is even darker inside and you hear somewhere off in the distance some noises.  The noises are far enough away that you are not exactly sure, but loud enough that you suspect you’ve discovered the source of sound Duncan wants you to locate.   You make your way down a broad stone stairwell that opens into a large chamber.  In the middle of this underground chamber is a fighting ring.  Benches surround the ring.  Along the crude stone walls are huts that look like makeshift vendor spots.  Whatever might be used to store inventory or items are missing.  There is an earthy, mineral aroma that could possibly be enhanced by the smell of dried blood.  There is also the unmistakable smell of old ale.  In between the huts, are weapons cabinets with heavy duty locks.

[ SOH 17 to pick/STR 15 to break] Weapon Choices:

Investigation Check

The entire ring begins shifting and rotating slowly and consistently as if a counterweight is pulling into a new position.  As the ring slides the floor beneath it reveals a hidden spiral stairwell.  The breaking and clicking sounds you heard faintly before are still distant but not nearly as muffled.

You slowly creep down the stone stairwell and hear more smashing sounds followed by cracking stone.  The clicking and scuffling noises also grow louder. Their cadence is rhythmic and seems purposeful.   As you continue beneath the city of Alexandria engineered walls transition into a rustic combination of hard stone and dirt.  You are leaving an area that has been carefully constructed and are on the edges of what still seems to be a work in progress.  Moving forward there is a sharp turn in the rough hallway.  There are several hewn wooden beams supporting the now organic tunnel system ensuring the world above does not cave in on the tunnels below.  Faint red light flickers off the wall and with each step forward the volume increases a little.  You imagine the sounds of a crew working must be lurking just around the corner.

As you turn the corner you immediately see 150 feet in the distance what looks to be a half man half hant centaurian type creature holding a staff filled with glowing red power.  He is an orchestra conductor rhythmically guiding an army of workers who seem possessed by his guiding spell.  Two massive Ankegs are forcing their massive mandible-like arms into fissures of rock and breaking boulders out of the earthen walls. You can hardly believe your eyes but in the distance is Digrok, the giant ogre Donny defeated and beheaded to win the World’s Wildest Warrior smashing the boulders into smaller chunks where roiling mounds of giant ants are scurry feverishly to remove the large stones from the tunnel.  Apparently Sidi is not the only one interested in an underground tunnel system.

+2

Ankheg   XP: 450

+2

Ankheg   XP: 450

AC

14

HP:49

AC

14

HP:49

STR

+3

Speed: 30ft. Burrow: 10ft.

STR

+3

Speed: 30ft. Burrow: 10ft.

DEX

Dark vision 60 ft. Tremorsense 60 ft.

DEX

Dark vision 60 ft. Tremorsense 60 ft.

CON

+1

Bite: Melee +5 Hit: 10 slashing+3 acid

CON

+1

Bite: Melee +5 Hit: 10 slashing+3 acid

INT

-5

IF target is large or smaller it is grappled (escape DC 13)  Ankheg can only bite grappled

INT

-5

IF target is large or smaller it is grappled (escape DC 13)  Ankheg can only bite grappled

WIS

+1

Acid Spray 30ft x 5ft DC13DEX  Dmg: 10

WIS

+1

Acid Spray 30ft x 5ft DC13DEX  Dmg: 10

CHA

-2

Loot 3d6 1-4 Crystals

1. Red

2. Orange

3. Yellow

4. Green

5. Blue

6. Purple

CHA

-2

Loot 3d6 1-4 Crystals

1. Red

2. Orange

3. Yellow

4. Green

5. Blue

6. Purple

22

22

+2

Swarm of Ants  XP: 450

+2

Ankheg   XP: 450

AC

14

HP:49

AC

14

HP:49

STR

+3

STR

+3

Speed: 30ft. Burrow: 10ft.

DEX

Dark vision 60 ft. Tremorsense 60 ft.

DEX

Dark vision 60 ft. Tremorsense 60 ft.

CON

+1

Bite: Melee +5 Hit: 10 slashing+3 acid

CON

+1

Bite: Melee +5 Hit: 10 slashing+3 acid

INT

-5

IF target is large or smaller it is grappled (escape DC 13)  Ankheg can only bite grappled

INT

-5

IF target is large or smaller it is grappled (escape DC 13)  Ankheg can only bite grappled

WIS

+1

Acid Spray 30ft x 5ft DC13DEX  Dmg: 10

WIS

+1

Acid Spray 30ft x 5ft DC13DEX  Dmg: 10

CHA

-2

Loot 1d6 1-4: Flint 1d4 / 5-6: Gems 1d4

CHA

-2

Loot 1d6 1-4: Flint 1d4 / 5-6: Gems 1d4

It is getting late in the day.  The once bustling crowd that filled the Marketplace is beginning to thin out. Although the crowded Marketplace was working to your advantage at remaining unnoticed, you certainly recognize within the next 10-15 minutes or so it will be rather difficult to blend in.  There are only about 30 minutes left until the Marketplace closes for the day and about 2 hours until all visitors will need to leave Alexandria.  There are certainly encampments outside of Alexandria for those that traveled a great distance to visit.  By city ordinance, these visitor encampments must be at least 2 miles from the nearest city wall.  The Alexandrian Guard has a roaming guard that travels roughly a mile to and from the city wall throughout the evening.  They work in pairs along each incoming road in six hour shifts.