Amy comes out of the hospital, heading over towards the fountain. It has been raining, but that weather seems to be tapering off, the rain slowing enough that she's not getting wet particularly. She stops to check the fountain, making sure all is as well as it usually is. There are others roaming about, taking advantage of the break in the rain.

Danielle comes walk aliong, reading which is no surprise "Well it's nice to know I'm not the only one who's confused around here

There's a whistling from up the block, not very melodic, though its an attempt at a tune even as it starts and stops. Mortimer emerges in a little hop, stuck behind a small crowd of elderly all window shopping along in their walk. The crowd keeps stopping and while Mortimer appears to be amused each time they stop, he's getting annoyed that no matter what he does there does not appear to be a way around them. The whistling picks up as he believes he's finally able to get around the group, then stops as an old man cuts him off again. "Look. Excuse me? ... Just... you can go that way? ... Oh fer..." He keeps trying. "Will you let me through!?"

The crowds can't be blamed for shopping; Thre are supplies of course, but the places to get them are few and far between. A squabble arises not far from Mortimer, related to some fruit that is /just/ shy of going bad.

Amy looks up at Danielle's words, blinking at her. "Hi Danielle, what do you mean, not the only one confused?" she asks, curiously. She's standing by the fountain, and it's not snowing. Nor is it raining, just at present.



An old man turns around to face Mortimer scolding him for daring to get past faster, then as the group // finally // steps off to their own direction and Mortimer is able to get past. It's only two steps to get to Danielle and Amethyst. Mortimer hangs his head as the group of elderly all snicker at him for trying to get nowhere fast.

The young man straightens his shoulders back and runs a hand through his locks of hair while nodding a little hello to both Dani and Amy. "Ladies. How are we doing today?"

Dorian is walking past the Fountain at a rather brisk pace. He has a look of mild annoyance mixed with some distast as he glances at the sky. Catching a flash of red, green, and brown out of the corner of the sky, he stops. His attention focusing on the women, he begins to head their way. "Good Morning Ladies, how do you fare?"

Danielle hms " I've been doing some research on spiders but ut's sparse and inconsist . Some say the spiders are the weavers of the world while some fellow called tergrift the mad says the spider sucked the blood out of the universe, which does sound a bit of, the universe having blood and all, but it could be a metaphor

Amy sort of stares as she listens to Danielle. She's distracted momentarily by the arrivals of Mortimer and Dorian. "Gentlemen," she greets with a smile. "Good day to you all." She turns back to Danielle then, somewhat bemused. "Tergrift the mad? I don't know if we should believe someone who willingly goes by that name. I mean - unless it's mad as in angry rather than loony. In that case maybe."

"Tergrift?" Mortimer might still be waking up as well, he was in a good mood, maybe? He looks at the sky for a moment shaking his head. "I'm slowly coming around to just whatever this place chooses to throw at us next, that must be the way it always was."

Dorian gives a nod of greeting to the fellow in the frock coat. "Hello." He says to no one in particular. "Well there is a race of giant spider type beings that used Gates of a type to travel and conquer Shadow." He fronws, "I mean there was. I can't recall the name though. I do no they had naught to do with the Pattern though."

"Hello back at you." Mortimer grins towards Dorian, a small nod and wave of his hand. "I'm Gin..." He clears his throat and looks nervously at Amy and Dani, "I'm Mortimer." Then his looking back up to the sky as the snow begins to hit his head, "What the... Seriously!?" Mortimer shouts at the sky and no one at all. "I ought... I'm going to snap my fingers! Just some lovely weather, that's all I ask for!"

Danielle considers "The passage did not say the name was self ascribed he might have called himself Tergrift the absolutely brilliant for all I know. Besides you forget who I'm descended. I think I read somewhere much madness is divinest sense, but it's clear there wasn't consensus on the metaphysical role of spiders " She waves to the guys "morning, Dorian, Gin" this last with a smirk

Amy sort of shakes her head, bemused. She starts to say, "Have you two me- " and then stops, as Mortimer introduces himself. This definitely catches her attention and she arches a brow. "Gin?" she asks, amusedly. "Are you going into the gin bootlegging business with Filinia or some such?" Does it seem to bother the healer? Not so you'd notice. She grins at Danielle as the other woman also picks up on it. "Hard to say, given some of the things we've discovered. I'd like to learn more about this Sir Tommy fellow, maybe." And then a nod to Dorian. "And to answer your question, I am doing quite well, thank you. Today's spider check in the hospital showed only two of the little critters, which were shown the door. I think maybe we've finally finished off /that/ infestation. Hopefully."

Dorian focuses on Mortimer for a moment, raises an eyebrow and grins. "Is it bootlegging if there are no authorities to make or enforce the laws, or gather the taxes?" The smile fades as Dorian notices the snow. He shakes his head, "Damnable weather. Okay, grabby mist, spiders, giant crabs, and a Sir Tommy fellow I know nothing about. I have a mind to find a bottle, a dice game, and just forget about all of this until something just takes me out." He faces Danielle, "Spiders are creators, death , usually female, some occultists say it is the symbol for the totality of the the life cycle, everything about them tends toward the number eight in numerology...Yep, it's not too definitive."

Mortimer glances to Amy, "Not bootlegging, simply sampling the wares. And it was Danielle that called me gin-man... It just sort of stuck, depending on where I go."

Danielle smiles "it was indeed. When I reemerged from the fog after the spider incident, I couldn't remember his name right off, but I rembered his love for gin. A rainstorm of alcohol is not something one soon for gets i suppose "The smile slowly migrates into a frown "If i was able to emerge from the fog more or less unscathed we gotta assume the spider creature wearing my aunt fiona's head is out there somewhere

"Gin-man, I see. I can go with that," Amy says amicably to Mortimer. Seems to make sense after all. She just ignores the weather - it's not cold, the snow is definitely not staying on the ground, the flakes slowly melting. She laughs outright though, as the conversation continues. "I - don't know much about who you're descended from," she acknowledges. "I never spent any time in Amber, really." She looks over to Dorian, as he speaks up. "Not very definitive at all, you are correct," she agrees. And then she turns sharply to Danielle. "Well, we should at some point go back into the hospital's subbasement and see if the webs and spiders are back or not. They're not in the hospital itself, at least. Any more."

Dorian looks from Amy to Danielle to Mortimer and then back to Danielle. He looks slightly irritated for a moment and then sighs. He shrugs, and says, "Sounds as good a plan as any."

Mortimer brushes his coat down, an attempt to smooth the fabric out, then clasps his hands together. "Back the subbasement then!" He turns to Danielle, "You had said you wished to see how my magic worked down there, yes?"

Danielle hms" There was power down there too. I've a love-hate relationship with that place. it's definitely worth the trip back

Amy shrugs as well. "Alright then. The hospital is that way," she says, and she turns to head in that direction.

The Hospital, being in the lower city, isn't hard to get to, nor does it take long. Amy leads the way, heading inside. She waves to the nurses at hte reception desk, and heads to the back room, unlocks the door, and heads down to the basement. In the basement, she goes down again to the end, or one side, around all sorts of boxes and supplies, but no spider webs, to a locked door.

Dorian loosens the blades in the scabbards at his belt as he falls in behind Amy. He mutters to himself, "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

Mortimer wiggles his fingers towards those at the reception desk, stopping for a moment to say hello before realizing that everyone else has made for a beeline to the lower basement and dashes after to catch up. As he catches up, there's a glance to Dorian, "No, we haven't been there in ages. Or we are there... and this is all a dream?" He stops to click his heels together with his eyes shut tight. When nothing happens the dashes to catch up again.

Danielle doesn't seem to get this particular reference "Which one of us is toto" she assks following after

Dirk walks down towards the fountain .

Dirk might have seen Amy, Danielle, Mortimer and Dorian head into the hospital, amidst a small snowflurry, unseasonal though it is. Inside the hospital, the receoption folks point towards the currently open basement door. Down the stairs, the sound of voices can be heard. "We keep it locked, just in case, but the scurry of thousands of spiders leaving was - impressive," Amy says, as she unlocks that door. "This door was hidden behind a lot of boxes and crates and such, that were falling apart."

Dirk walks into the hospital and follows the voices. "Amy? Do you need me to kill stuff?"

Dorian glances at Danielle and smiles, "You know the imaginary dog at my side here. If spiders can weave Patterns, a Mortimer can make it rain gin, and fog can get all rapey, and grabby. I by the Unicorn can have an imaginary do...." He looks in the direction of Dirk's voice, "Well, things just keep getting more interesting."

"Dirk!" Mortimer turns as he hears a familiar voice, a quick glance to Dorian. "The raining of gin might have been a fluke, though I'll take the credit if its being handed out." He turns back to Amy and looks at the door. A little shudder runs over him as he recalls the last time the opened it. Waving his hand vaguely in the direction of the door. "Did all of the spi... crawling things get let out and brushed from the door?"

Amethyst takes a 50:50 chance. The result is: Pass

Dirk walks over to Mortimer and pats him on the back. "If anything comes out I will killbit." He readies his sword.

Dirk rolls with advantage 1 at difficulty 15, using combat, pattern initiate.
The result is a success.

Danielle tightens her posture. she has no weapon to take in hand, but her eyes have a look of battle ready intensity just the same as if she could bore through what lies ahead with her gaze

Danielle rolls with advantage 1 at difficulty 15, using occult,magic sense.
The result is a success.

Amy turns back, one hand on the door knob. "Hi Dirk, I don't know. At least not yet." She smiles reassuringly at Mortimer. "I think so." And then she opens the door, moving with it, so it's wide open, giving everyone a good view of what's beyond. Amy herself stands against the wall, out of the way of anyone about to attack. Or stream through the door. The petite blonde apparently does not want to get in the way.

Beyond the door, there's ... a corridor. Grey stone, leading ahead for a bit, and then a sharp turn. There are a few cobwebs, empty, dusty as though they've been there for a week or two untouched.

Dorian glances around at everyone. His hands go to his weapon hilts, as he notes Dirk's postion, the doorway, where Mortimer is. He adjusts his position to not be in their line of fire. A wolfish grin comes to his face.

Dirk says, "Does anyone want to go first?"

Amy looks at the hall, and then at her friends. "In we go," she says with a deep breath. And if one of the taller armed folks doesn't go first, she will.

"You can, Dirk," Amy adds. "Just be careful."

Amethyst takes a 50:50 chance. The result is: Fail

Dirk looks to everyone else. "Time to do some sketchy shit. If it attacks I'll just kill it." is his happy chant as he approaches the hallway to enter.

Mortimer might. // might // just step aside and let dirk step up first. He looks between the group, then yes, he steps aside. "After you Dirk. Go stab something! If you need a fire ball, let me know."

Dorian draws blades, and watches Amy move towards the door. "Who's this 'we'? Go ahead" He makes way for Dirk to follow the young Lady. "Be my guest, hero". He then checks once more to make sure he is out of Mortimer's line of fire.

Dirk bounces down the corridor with a tad bit too much joy at the idea of being able to kill stuff.

The path continues, going downhill. There used to be spider webs wall to wall here, creating a set of steps even, for people to walk down. There are still some webs, but they are decaying, fading, Grey rather than pure white. The path leads down and down, to a straight long corridor. And at the end of that corridor, a sharp curve again, into a large room. At the far end, there's a wall, with what used to be manacles bolted in about a third of the way up.

Other than that, it is a large room, seemingly naturally based,cobwebs falling everywhere, no longer sticky as such, just messy. There is only one problem - aside from about a 2 foot ledge around the room, there is no floor. Instead, there is a big deep hole, with jagged edges around that ledge. The hole drops at least twenty feet, into Deep Dark Roiling Fog. Around the walls, there are openings, reachable from the ledge.

So long as you don't fall in.

Amy definitely lets Dirk go first, the petite blonde not even having a weapon. She's a healer not a warrior, it seems. She follows, looking thoughtful.

Dirk says "Be careful there is a hole instead of a floor!"

Dorian glances at Mortimer, "Hey, Mort, I don't mind going ahead of you. But I don't need to be a victim of friendly fire. Are we clear?" He then falls in step behind Amy.

Mortimer pokes his head into the room without the floor. Looking to Dorian, "I don't wish for anyone that doesn't deserve it. and Really deserve it to be warmed by anything that my snap creates."

Dirk says "this feels like a sacrificial feeding pit. A giant something below that comes up to eat. Maybe a giant spider?"

Amy wrinkles her nose. "This is where the giant spider fell through into the Fog," she says. "We haven't seen it - her - since."

Dirk takes a small rock out of his pocket and drops it over the edge."

Dorian looks around the room curiously. He then turns his attention to the pit. He says, "About that giant spi..." His attention shifts to Dirk quickly, and then back to the pit. "Nevermind..."

The rock drops into the fog. There's no sound, certainly it doesn't seem like the rock hit anything?" The Fog eddies about where the rock impacted, and then forms up again, an impenetrable viewing barrier.

Dirk says "Its not letting me see anythung?"

Mortimer watches the stone disappear as he takes a step back towards the hallway. "I'm... I'm going to stay where I know the floor exists."

Dirk rolls with advantage 1 at difficulty 20, using combat, pattern initiate and spending will.
The result is a failure.

Amy shakes her head, looking around. "Is that a door over there?" she asks, glancing about halfway down the ledge, where the first of the openings are. "There was white spider web all over the floor here. We walked over it, without even knowing this was below."

Dirk concentrates on something and growls a little. "Let me get in front of you Amy."

. Dorian gestures with his sword, "Would everyone just hold on a minute? Please?" He begins to study the room anew. The pit, the walls, and finally the supposed door Amy mentioned."

Amethyst rolls with advantage 1 at difficulty 15, using occult, pattern initiate.
The result is a success.

Dorian rolls with advantage 1 at difficulty 15, using occult, pattern initiate.
The result is a success.

Amy pauses, steps back to let Dirk lead the way, with an arm sweep. "Be my guest," she says. She then turns to look at Dorian, and nods. "Certainly."

Dorian shakes his head, and looks really frustrated. "Well, I'm getting nothing. Nothing of Crowley-esque nature or, or...anything." He shrugs, "Carry on then. Dirk throw yourself in the pit if you want too. Or see if that really is a door Amy is seeing."

Dirk goes into the doorway.

Amy follows along behind Dirk, pausing at the door that Dirk goes in.

There's a tunnel there, that Dirk has found. It has lots of cross ways, openings all over, as it seems the tunnels catacomb all over beneath the hospital ... beneath the city. There are skittering sounds like small rodents occasionally, but there's nothing to be slain or to attack. Yet.

Dirk walks carefully. He looks to see if anything is painted on the walls

Dorian follows Amy with weapons drawn but held down. "Hmmm...a maze. Okay, where's the minotaur?"

Amy pauses, and then she says, "Maybe we should go back, tell Danielle and Mortimer, and come back when we're ready to handle a maze? You know with rope and paint and stuff so we don't get lost?"

Dorian smiles, and chuckles a bit. "Lady Ametyst. I figured you were the smart one of us. That sounds like an excellent idea."

Dirk says, "I am not stupid. either.""

Dorian gives Dirk a blank look, and says dryly, "No one said you were."

Dirk folds his arms and gets grumpy.

Amy turns on her heel to head back the way they came, back up to the hospital and the now clear weather.