[b]“Tis likely that they were rival gangs or mercenaries on opposite sides of a conflict.”[/b]

Leon nodded along, his mask hiding the grimace on his face. Recent conflict meant that even now the lines between factions were shifting. He prodded a body with his boot, checking it's wounds with his eyes to see how recently the man had died. Fortunately it seemed to have been at least a few days, the body swollen and broken. It had been picked clean of valuables, even a few rings removed along with the fingers that held them by his guess. Survivors. Looters. But ones that had moved along a long time ago.

"Throw good men and women into the pyre to save a place closer to hell than any decent person ought to experience," he said, irritated at the waste. What was here that could possibly be of such value? The rights to a burnt out city? 

"Rat's nest is generous," he added after Ibdur's comment, "I doubt even the rats choose to live here among the rot and the dead. Small wonder the Red Wizards have taken an interest..."

[b]“According to Breck this is the thieves’ guild territory. Where would you say we should start in this hellshole?”[/b]

Turning his mind back to the task at hand, Leon looked at the nearby buildings and tried to reach out for guidance for his god. Thieves' were always welcomed into the shadows, and in exchange for that protection the secrets of their passings could be made known to those who knew where to look and how to read them.

"Breck said the Guild was on the downslope of it's power, but has been in the city since before the plague. They'll have dug in deep, and probably exhausted all but the sturdiest and most hidden of the safehouses," Leon said, looking down the street, "but like all mortals, they'll need access to clean water, food, and an ability to traverse the streets if they are still actively pursuing guild activities."

"The buildings will have been searched and looted one by one years ago, and if they were holding on to any Breck would know about it from the surrounding factions laying siege," he continued, closing his eyes and reaching out to his god, "the good news is, we should start seeing guild marks when we get close if they still call themselves a guild, probably disguised as graffiti or gang markings. If I had to pick a place to start, I'd say we follow the one other living thing that seems to have survived this city falling into chaos and madness. Follow the rats and hope the smell doesn't stick too harshly to our boots."

As he spoke his face was turned towards a collapsed part of the street, the bricks having loosened from disrepair and collapsed into the sewers that ran beneath the city. 

"Of course the other option is we run around like tourists and eventually the Talons will find us. most likely to try to rob us... but a conversation is a conversation," he said, looking at Ibdur as though expecting this option would delight the dwarf far more than him or Iliskra, "I could attempt to use some of my gifts, but I suspect they will have warded their domain against such measures, especially with Shagarm on the prowl."