Enter the sewer.

There's always a sewer level.

The tunnels beneath the city, while you head isn't touching the ceiling, aren't all that big. You feel a little claustrophobic as you continue to follow the mouse's small but swift footfalls along the stone, beside a stream of flowing water. It's certainly not the most glamorous place you've been, though it's better than you expected. If a lot of the criminal underworld uses these tunnels for transportation, it makes sense that they don't appear completely untouched. It's completely silent, other than the flow of water, the reverberating sound of everybody's footsteps and breathing, and the occasional drip.

You turn your head down one of the intersections, as you swear you heard something skitter. Though there's nothing here. Thankfully, there isn't much more walking. Mina soon stops at an old wooden door build into the wall. There she drums her knuckles, and in a rhythmic pattern of which you take a mental note.

It creeps open.

As if by magic, the dreary silence is replaced by the sounds of laughter and conversation. Your group walks inside, and the door shuts behind you, once again sealing the area off with some sort of seal. The interior, however, isn't at all what you expected. It's still made from damp, mossy stone, though the expansive area has been intricately furnished into a lively tavern filled with all sorts of different people.

"This is called The Abyss," Mina explains as you watch straight past a hulking, green-skinned man guarding the doorway.

There are a few open seats at the counter ahead. "I see." You gaze around at all the various patrons. While you initial worried about sticking out, you're likely the most ordinary looking one here. After reaching the other side, you pull up a stool and sit down.

Lynx joins you on the right, Mina on the left, while Vivi stands behind you with her arms crossed.

A dwarven man with a short brown beard and a head so bald that the lights which dangle from the ceiling shimmer off his scalp peeks up from below the counter. He hoists himself up onto his seat, bringing him up past your height, and he slaps his worn knuckles down against the counter top. "This ain't the kinda place for a bunch of students you know," he says with a snort.

You readjust your glasses. "The disguises are that good, huh?"

He stares you down for a moment, than his cheeks turn rosy. "Shit. I'm losing my touch," he grumbles and turns his head away. "All right. You got me, lad. Of course they're disguises."

"You didn't even notice me?" Mina asks with a frown.

"Ah, Mina! You're just a bit on the wee size. How's Rose doing?"

"I haven't been in the city for awhile myself. We're actually here for information."

"Guess it all depends on what kinda information that is."

"We need to know everything we can learn about King Thadius and the previous queen."

The dwarf leans forward. "Hah! Well, I can tell you what I know about the Hero King I suppose."

"Hero King?" you ask.

"That's what some call him. Apparently before he took the crown, he was a famous adventurer in Varat. Some aren't super pleased our king has ties to the northern kingdom, but there's no doubting his heroic deeds. They say he came to take the queen's place when she fell ill."

"We're operating on the theory that the story is bullshit. Nobody knows what happened to Catherine, and we wanna find her. Do you think she'd still be in the castle?"

He shrugs. "I don't know, I'm afraid. But I reckon someone does. I can't say the information will come cheap, but everything that happens in this city is known by someone, especially here. People from all sorts of different gangs congregate in The Abyss."

"What do you think you're staring at?" Vivi suddenly says.

You turn your head to see the witch facing a second white-haired woman. She has long, pointed ears and blue eyes--though the right is covered by a patch. You've seen her before, and while her hair has grown a bit since the last time, it's still braided back, though a silken blue bow is tied around said braid. Her top is completely black and made from leather which tightly binds her curves via three belts around her stomach. Around her forearms are smaller belts, clearly acting as decoration, and one final belt hangs from her hips, which holds a number of blades. Light fabric flutters down between her legs, both in the front and back like a large loin cloth, and beneath that are tall boots covered in buckles. As she looks your group over, she tugs on one of her gloves.

Lynx turns next. "Stilet?" she immediately speaks up. "What are you doing here?"