Following the directions given leads the group of guards to a small butchers in a low-class part of town. Arriving around mid-afternoon the meat hanging in the dirty window already has a cloud of flies starting to form around it. It seems that the rush must happen early in the day because the interior looks to be pretty clean with only the sorriest or filthiest of cuts still available.

Once and awhile a desperate looking man or woman goes into the shop but quickly leaves without purchasing anything.

The shop itself is a two-story building with the main floor long and narrow, about 25' by 90'. Attached to the side is a large 50'x60' barn and pen where pigs and cattle wander around. They are poorly maintained and seem to be suffering from lack of food and proper care.

Out on the front step stands Malder looking bored as he eyes the people walking up and down the street and entering the shop. Presumably he is guarding the shop but he makes no movement to stop or search anyone. He is wearing chainmail that looks to be a size too big and has a sword strapped to his side but he is holding a long wooden club that he is using to lean on.

The storefront is a small room, just 20'x25' with a single large window to display the meats. Inside the shop behind the counter is a tall man that the guardsmen recognize as Baldrago. He looks likewise bored and is causally leaning against the counter. He is wearing a heavy apron that makes it hard to tell if he is armored and with the tall counter it is hard to see if he is armed.

The second floor is smaller than the first, only about 20'x35'. While the main floor doesn't have any windows besides the storefront display the second story does have several windows but they appear to have been boarded up with only a few cracks letting in light.


As night falls and the lanterns are lit and Malder goes inside, shutting the door behind him. On the second floor directly above the shop between the cracks of the boarded up windows the group can see that a light has been lit.

OOC: It is now probably about a half-hour past sunset. Let me know if you want to keep waiting or start making a plan.

On their way to the butchery Kyra wastes a bit of time on a detour to a nearby wine shop. Before entering she first hides her features with her shawl, in case Verik has a sudden attack of common sense and starts asking questions about who is sending him gifts. Then she buys a small barrel of strong wine, a bit more expensive, but a cut above the common stuff guards usually drink. On the barrel she writes "To our brave heroes!" and has it delivered to the butchery right away.

Leaving the shop, she admits that Figus has a point. Things are still tense in the city, and the wine might not get there in time, or at all. So she repeats the whole exercise at the next shop they come by, just in case. Then she joins the rest of the team casing the place. "Shall we wait another couple of hours? Give them time to relax and doze off?" With her shawl on, she appears as just a darker shadow. She tries to remember if she knows anything else about this place from her time spend on the streets, but comes up with nothing.

I love that damned shawl. Cheep, but so useful for any sneak. Kyra spends up to 20 gp on buying wine and having it delivered here. No idea if it will work or not.

10:15, Today: Kyra rolled 13 using 1d20+11 with rolls of 2.  Knowledge: Local.
10:16, Today: Kyra rolled 19 using 1d20 with rolls of 19.  Buying wine (8+) 1/2.
10:17, Today: Kyra rolled 7 using 1d20 with rolls of 7.  Buying wine (8+) 2/2.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:28, Fri 01 Mar 2019.

Kyra doesn't find out much more from asking around. The group of ex-guards showed up around the time of the riots and began handing out free meat to those in need. They call themselves the Cow Hammer Boy.

Presumably they are a butchers but the place is popular because it gives out some free cuts to the needy.

---

Around closing time a single large barrel of wine is dropped off and Malder doesn't ask any questions. He calls out to Baldrago and the two muscle it into the shop before closing up for the evening. That night while watching the group can easily hear drunken singing going on upstairs.

After hearing the drunken revelry, Figus shakes his head. "That ... went better than I expected. My hat's off to you Kyra."

On the subject of 'free cuts to the needy', Figus shudders as to where this meat could be coming from and offers up a silent prayer that the poor have not been treated to a helping of 'Long Pork'

Almost absent mindedly he rubs the head of his canine friend before speaking up

"I think is about the time we started. Do we want to begin at the top, or should we just go for the main door."

"Betting on Verik and our former squad mates being idiots seemed like safe enough bet. You were right about difficulties in getting the wine here, luckily at least one barrel made it. As for getting in there, we could try the front door, or through the barn and pens, there is bound to be another door there. The animals in there could cause a ruckus though."

Kyra shrugs, though the gesture is waste of time since nobody could notice it under her shadowy disguise.

"In any case, I'd be in favor of waiting for another hour. Give them time to get from singing-drunkenly to falling-under-the-table-drunkenly."