The street outside the Mangy Dog Tavern was busy as it sat on a main road in the Dock Ward of Waterdeep. It didn't seem like much, hell it looked like it was held together by termite spit and prayers despite being four stories tall.

Well four and a half? The owner was advertising some attic space for rent to any aspiring businesspeople with enough coin. The guild had to start somewhere right? Money was tight but this would at least give a place for people to find them and hire them.

So it was our trio of adventurers stood on this particular street outside a tavern with a diseased poodle licking its own backside on its carved wooden sign....
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:54, Wed 24 Mar 2021.

In reply to An Uncaring Universe (msg # 1):

Cody turns to Kayleigh, "How much did this place cost, anyway?", expecting her to answer immediately, he asks again. When he gets no response, he turns away. Cody begins to fidget with his weapon's handle.

In reply to Cody Panther (msg # 2):

Kayleigh has been staring at the tavern in front of them, clearly unimpressed.  A frown purses her lips and her green eyes narrow in distaste. "Mangy Dog is right," she mutters to no one in particular.  As Cody speaks to her, however, she draws her attention from the horrific sight before her and turns to her companion.  As she opens her mouth to answer, the elf asks again, before immediately becoming distracted once more.

"Are we sure this is all we can afford?" she asks, ignoring the actual price point as she tries to recall the advertised price.  Besides, it is likely he'd negotiate, right?  Heck, he should be paying them for even considering it!  "This place doesn't exactly scream trustworthy and serious business..."

In reply to Kayleigh (msg # 3):

As the trio debates the merits of actually entering this tavern a few things occur. An actual mangy looking black poodle noses his way out of the establishments front door through a dog flap.



The dog barks once at a couple of provocatively dressed ladies who had been languidly chatting next to a street lamp. The ladies stop talking and half glare at the dog for his bark but instead of going back to their conversation they start to try and tempt passing sailors into the tavern for drinks and other vaguely insinuated activities.

Then the dog turns to rear up and put its front paws on the edge of a large trash bin beside the front door. It barks a couple more times into the can...which wobbles ominously in response. Then the dog turns away and goes back inside the tavern the same way it came out. A couple moments later a psychedelically colored mushroom seems to grow out of the top of the trash can. It is covered in garbage scraps and other much smaller mushrooms...and has root like arms...and two beady black eyes centered narrowly over an expressionless slit of a mouth.

It had to be some sort of fungus monster the size of a halfling as it clamoured out of the can and pushed its way inside the tavern!


This message was last edited by the GM at 07:16, Thu 25 Mar 2021.

"Let's be real, not very high. But mushroom man looks very interesting, might make a good potion ingredient." He says out loud, but quietly enough to not disturb those around him.

He then gestures toward the tavern and asks if they should go in. "Get started, shall we?" He says hopefully. He walks toward the tavern while still facing kayleigh and cody

In reply to An Uncaring Universe (msg # 4):

Cody walks passed Ged, and into the tavern. Cody is suddenly remembered of his childhood, all think pain and the anger. The thought of what might be inside, triggers a flashback, of his abusive father. He shakes his head, and realizes he hasn't even entered the tavern, yet. He was standing two feet from the door. His flashbacks are getting worse.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:42, Mon 29 Mar 2021.

In reply to Cody Panther (msg # 6):

Reaching into a pocket, Kayleigh pulls out her glasses and quickly wipes them with her skirt.  Satisfied, she places puts them on and adjusts them on her nose.  With a sigh of discontent, she follows the boys towards the tavern.  She gives Cody an odd look as he stops, recognizing the situation and giving him a moment to re-center.  Then she flashes him a smile before looping her arm through his as if to escort him.

"Ged, leave the mushroom alone.  Come on, let's go find the owner so we can get in and out as quickly as possible." She pushes the tavern door open and starts to drag Cody towards the bar, glancing over at Ged to make sure he's following.

In reply to Kayleigh (msg # 7):



The inside of the Tavern is actually rather packed with an assortment of beings who range from Seedy to downright Ominous. Lizard folk and Elves, Dwarves and Gnomes ranged across the tables and stools with drinks that looked like stuff out of mad alchemy labs.

Despite the jaunty music being played by a couple bard types in a corner and the dancer girls and cute waitresses scattered among the crowd there is a sense about the place that you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.

Behind the bar is a half orc man 'cleaning' a mug with a rag, tiny tusks jutting out from his lower lips and pale seafoam green skin. The mangy poodle from earlier is laying on a dog bed that pokes out from behind the bar at one end and the Mushroom being is in a corner with some obviously intoxicated and hallucinating halfling sailors. He is picking off some of the smaller shrooms from his body and laying them on a plate for the customers to eat.

In reply to An Uncaring Universe (msg # 8):

Cody goes straight to a table with a few elves and chats with them, for a few minutes, hoping to make friends. After, he goes back to Kayleigh and Ged to tell them everything they talked about.

In reply to Cody Panther (msg # 9):

The elves greet Cody cordially in elvish and welcome him to join the table and their discussion of recent news.

OOC: Make a Gather Information Check please!
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:38, Fri 02 Apr 2021.

"Eh, I guess the shroom guy can be picked up at a later date." He notices the pause in Cody's movement, but doesn't acknowledge it. He goes up to the bar and orders a water. "Who do I talk to to rent the bar upstairs?" He asks the bartender.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 02:53, Sun 04 Apr 2021.

In reply to Ged Poomjer (msg # 11):

Herding cats.  She'd have better luck herding cats than these two, she swears!  Well, Ged is moving onwards towards their goal, so there's that at least?  Letting Ged take point for the moment, while still keeping an eye on Cody, she uses a handkerchief to wipe a spot on the bar before resting a sleeved elbow on it.

In reply to Kayleigh (msg # 12):

The Half Orc doesn't stop wiping mugs as he replies in a tone that expresses some concern for Ged's mental well being, "You mean the attic space I advertised, little gnome? There is no bar up there. Just some empty space with low ceilings."

He then eyes the spot Ged cleaned off like it might have been a personal insult. Considering the Half orc is nearly three times the size of either of the two friends at the bar, personal insults might be contraindicated.

The dog barks and the bartender shrugs it off for now, "Anyways what did you want the space for? It will be two gold pieces a week and a 5% cut of any business conducted on the premises."
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:08, Thu 08 Apr 2021.

In reply to An Uncaring Universe (msg # 13):

Cody Panther returns to Kayleigh and Ged. "There is news of recent goblin attacks to the north, outside of the troll gate. The main target of these attacks is Greenfork. Greenfork is, evidently a village between the city and the foothills of the sword mountains. However, my fellow elves don't believe this, to be true."

In reply to Cody Panther (msg # 14):

A dusty road worn human man in dirty clothes a couple stools further down the sticky bar gulps the last of a mug of booze before slamming it on the countertop.

 He growls in response to Cody's announcement, "Oh it's true alright. I saw the attacks myself. Another one barman... I need to forget." He waves at the empty mug and the barman moves to fill it while he waits on the Gnome to answer the earlier question.

In reply to An Uncaring Universe (msg # 15):

With her hood up and hair down, Kayleigh's race isn't as readily identifiable as her companions.  Most likely some sort of elf or human, but many of the defining features are hidden.  What is visible, however, are emerald green eyes and fiery copper hair and a fair, pretty face.

Kayleigh does notice the look at the wiped spot she made, but offers no apologies.  She is smart enough, however, not to continue wiping down things and instead decides not to touch anything instead.  "We'd have to see the space first before we agree.  Planning to use it as an office space if it's acceptable."

As Cody returns and the stranger speaks, her attention shifts to study him. She frowns, absolutely certain she's going to regret her next action, but decides to speak nonetheless.  "Well, uhm... sir, if you could give us a moment of your time to learn a bit more before you proceed to forget, the next round will be on us."

Ged (with some trouble)climbs atop a barstool and sits down. "Are we even sure that we can trust this guy? He seems a tad bit intoxicated" Ged whispers, eyeing the man. "If you don't mind, we are going to be a bit, duties and all." He says to the bartender, hoping not to anger him as much as Kayleigh already has.

In reply to Ged Poomjer (msg # 17):

The dog barks again once and the half orc shrugs, "That is the price, you can check it out when your done conducting your business...but clearly this place will bring your group some."

The bartender smirks and subtly gestures at the ragged half drunk man as he gets up and moves closer to take Kayleigh up on that offer of a drink for more info.

"Well Miss, the goblins came down out of the foothills and set fire to parts of the town, took a bunch of stuff...and then stole my daughter Gwendlyn! I was trapped behind the burning pieces of my windmill and I saw the nasty beasts carrying her off over their heads!"

In reply to An Uncaring Universe (msg # 18):

Cody Panther walks up to the bar, giving the bartender money, asking for a pint of ale.

"Was there anything that you could have used to identify the leader?" Ged questions. He slides the bartender a coin, and asks for something non-alcoholic.

In reply to Ged Poomjer (msg # 20):

"One pint only," Kayleigh says pointedly to the elf in question.  It's very clear she's the mother hen of the group, and it takes everything in her not to wipe down the glasses before the bartending orc passes them off.  "Okay, so clearly you escaped, so why did you not go in search of your daughter immediately?  Instead, you're here..."  She doesn't mean it insultingly, but it is a good question, since his daughter is apparently, at best, being held by a bunch of evil goblins.

In reply to Kayleigh (msg # 21):

"I tried miss. I am a miller not a hunter. I lost their trail pretty quickly. most of the hunters that could have followed got hurt trying to fend off the beasties during the raid and the rest were needed to guard the town in case they came back. I came straight here looking for someone to hire but no one seems to think they keep her alive this long."

He chugs some more of his mug of ale, and then sets it down with a thunk, "But I know what I saw. That charred and scarred goblin in the lead was snapping at any of his ilk that tried to hurt her as they carried her off. I don't speak no goblin but I think they had plans...I worry what kind but i think they needed her alive."

he hangs his head, "I just need to know what happened to her one way or the other at this point. I got a small purse of gold here, and more in gold and trade goods back at the village if you folks would take the job?"

He sets a little bag on the table that could probably hold twenty or thirty pieces of gold in it.

In reply to An Uncaring Universe (msg # 22):

"Kayleigh," Cody says, "Why won't you let me get more than 1 pint? What if I want 2 pints?" Cody makes a "begging" face, at  her. Realizing there was no point in arguing he grabs his 1 pint of ale, and downs it, all at once.

"Where was this village again?" Ged asks. "And why didn't you try the village guards, instead of just drinking your mind away at this fine establishment?

In reply to Ged Poomjer (msg # 24):

"Because we've got work today, and that's done better sober."  She doesn't mention the questionability of any of the drinks, or the glasses, or... Okay, she doesn't need to continue the mental list.  It would take all day and certainly make her ill.

"Okay, say we take this job. We need as much information as you can give us, location, where they were headed, where your village is, what your daughter looks like, how many you saw, anything you can remember?"