"Ach" He groans "There's tha' property concept again. You biggun's really know 'ow ta spoil a goo' time." Though clearly disappointed he moves over to the door and puts an ear to it listening closely.

The door is at the top of a stair case and as far as Yarr can tell it sounds like the typical noise of a tavern in these parts. Not super busy but not entirely empty. It seems like they're not quite at peak hours but not far away from it either. How long had the party been exploring the old ruins? It was hard to say given most of the time had been spent underground.

The only thing in their stomachs were hard rations and bits of flame charred monster meat. The smell of a stew gently wafting through the cracks of the door sends Yarr's stomach grumbling, even if he had been stuffing his face with random bits of meat during most of their adventure.

Nezaglomie keeps a good grip on Travya, who is sniffing with interest at the pig ears.  She looks at her companions (ignoring the disgusting goblin),  "What do you think?  Do we try to sneak our way out, hoping that this doesn't open straight into a busy kitchen, or do we just boldly walk out as if we own the place?  If we sneak, then it will be worse for us if someone sees us; they'll assume we are thieves.  On the other hand, they might assume that anyway, and sneaking might avoid some trouble.  For what it's worth, I would vote for just walking out as if we belong here, but I'll go along with the consensus."

Maerk finished off the jar of pig ears he'd selected, and belched with a look of satisfaction on his hairy face. The smells coming through the door made his stomach growl in harmony with Yarr's hungry belly. He shoved a jar in his pack for later and made his way to the door.

"Maerk is not afraid," he said, and opened the door as had been his habit in the Hellknight keep.

Here we go!

Without missing a stride the goblin walks through the doorway underneath the massive human's arm. His nose told him that there was food out there and his stomach said that was the next stop. Anything in between was likely to be an appetizer.

Za follows the big fighter, ready for whatever might arise, but hoping it was something that uses her diplomacy skills rather than her magic ones.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:38, Mon 12 Dec 2022.

"I guess that answers that." Yala said with a shrug, following Maerk and the others.

The party emerges from the basement into... a tavern. The group recognizes it as the Pickled Ear, one of the seedier taverns in what passes for the "run down" part of Breachill. Definitely not as nice as the place the group is staying but hardly a real danger either.

It is a pretty typical tavern layout. Along the western wall is the bar, north is the hallway the group emerged from with other entrances to other "employee only" places like other storerooms and kitchens.

There are 4 tables (three of them empty) and an unlit fireplace.

As they come out the bartender looks over at them and shouts.

"Hey! That's for employees only! Get outta there."

Otherwise nobody seems to really mind that the group just emerged as opposed to properly entering from the front entrance.

"Yeah, sorry," responds Nezaglomie.  "It was the goblin, but we've got him under control now."  She pulls out a gold piece and hands it to the man, "I'm afraid he got into one of your jars of pickled ears before we caught him.  Does this cover it?"  She looks to Yarr and wrinkles her nose.

08:58, Today: Nezaglomie rolled 29 using 1d20+11 with rolls of 18.  Diplomacy.

He gets a shocked look on his face and breaks his stride for just a moment as he is thrown under the cart for this. "Buh... but! But I!?" He sputters before picking his jaw up off the floor and carrying on. "It's the one thing that I didn't eat. This too shall be remembered." He says under his breath as he strides towards the tavern entry.

Maerk burbed loudly, smelling of pork-pickle brine. He glanced around the tavern with a glare at any who might get ideas of trying their luck against the group.

"Who's boss-man, you bring him yes?" Maerk asked the barkeep. He slapped a pair of worn coins on the bar. "Spring water for Maerk, something more stronger for Yarr." He gestured toward the goblin.

At the sound of coins hitting the table and Maerk ordering, he spins on his heel and hops up on a barstool. He wasn't going to miss out on a free drink. Even if Maerk did keep calling him by the wrong name, free was free!

The bartender nods and delivers the drinks before going back into the employees only area to fetch the owner.

The glasses set in front of the pair might have once been clean but those days had long since passed for the glasses and now it was hard to tell how many layers of dirt and grime were permanently caked onto them. There was an almost artistic flair to the grease and stains if one put their thoughts away from having to actually drink out of them.

The water was cloudy but the beer in front of Yarr had a thick foam on it that looked like it could last a century or two. Beer made strong enough you almost needed a knife and fork to consume it properly.

A short time later the bartender came back and behind him was the tavern owner, Roxie Denn. Roxie was a tall, tough looking woman who's past had many hard years and those years were stamped all over her grim, rugged face.

"Oh by Baalzebul's frozen balls what in the nine hells do you all want?"

Roxie had been in the room less than a second and had already fired off two resounding curses. For those that didn't know her it would be easy to assume she was just having a bad day but for those in the know the fact that she hadn't introduced herself by flinging something heavy at their skulls was a sign she was doing alright.

OOC: FYI anyone trying to improve her mood will need to Make an Impression by succeeding at a Diplomacy check vs. DC 18

Nez, I used your last diplo check  to help Maerk get the boss lady in the room so don't think I didn't see  that and yes, if you want it you need to roll it again.

A broad grin split his face as he looked at the beer. He licked his lips as his eyes grew wide. Then he grabbed it with both hands and tucked into with zeal!

Maerk looked the woman over, nodded approvingly and grunted, "Boss-man".

"Maerk's company finds tunnel big for very large rats in cellar. You know this yes? You know who makes use?"

The huge warrior glanced at Nezaglomie. His Taldane was quite broken and Maerk was pretty sure the large woman didn't speak Skald, the Ulfen tongue.

Nezaglomie sees the big man struggling to make himself understood, and jumps in to help out.  She speaks softly, to be discreet, "The council had hired us to clear out the trouble in the old tower, and we found the tunnel that leads to your cellars.  We don't think that anything dangerous is left to come up that way -- we cleared out most of it -- but we were just wondering who has been using it."  She realizes that this is saying a bit more than she had intended, which makes her a bit uncomfortable, but Maerk had already broached the subject, so she plunges forward.

15:26, Today: Nezaglomie rolled 16 using 1d20+11 with rolls of 5.  Diplomacy.

Roxie's face skews up into a sour look as she glares at the group around the table.

"That tales stinks worse than a dwarf's fart. There ain't not tunnel underneath the Pickeled Ear. By Pharsma's frozen nipples I had better not find that you lot have been helping yourself to my stores. I swear to you, council or no, I will tan your hides and turn you into new shoes for my wait staff."

If anyone would like to attempt to aid another, it is a DC 18 diplomacy check but if you pass you can help nudge Nezaglomie past the finish line.

Setting his mug down he gives Roxie his most disarming innocent smile which is tainted somewhat by the sharp teeth and beer foam dripping from his upper lip.

OOC: 13:12, Today: Dreki the Barbarian rolled 16 using 1d20+7 with rolls of 9.  diplomatic Aid.
Never rely on the Barbarian for diplomacy

"Roxie, when have you ever known me to lie? Or bring liar's to you?" She said softly as she looked the other woman over, putting a compassionate hand on Za's shoulder.

21:05, Today: Yalandlara Vallindel rolled 25 using 1d20+6 with rolls of 19.  Diplomacy Aid Za.

Nezaglomie was prepared to be offended, and to prove to the woman with a flourish that she had spoken the truth.  However, with Yalandlara's gentle words, Za sees that the tavernkeeper's mood is softening, so she takes a less confrontational tone.  "Before you make footwear of us, please confirm with your bartender that I paid for the pickled pigs ears that some of our less restrained members gobbled down."  She looks pointedly at the goblin as she says this.

"And while I have no experience with dwarven flatulence, thank the gods, I assure you that there IS a tunnel down there.  It's easy enough to check, let's go take a look.  Though if it is news to you, then I'm sure you have no information about who might have been using it.  It seems old, possibly no one has used it in years, or even decades."

As the smaller and fairer folk made nice, Maerk glanced around at the patrons to see who might be paying particular attention to the ongoing conversation and the news that there was a tunnel beneath the tavern...

His tongue snakes out an licks the foam off his lip while maintaining eye contact with Nezag.
He didn't correct her implication even though he hadn't touched the pigs ears. In his mind Maerk had eaten them and Maerk was part of the family so the family had eaten the pigs ears. She kept saying things and looking at him though. It was very confusing. Is this what the big folk called flirting?

Maerk could not suppress another belch... nor would he have had he realized the social implications. This place didn't really seem like the kind of place where such things were even noticed.

Especially if others had been eating pickled pigs' ears too...

Roxie looks at Yala with a raised eyebrow and then hearing that money had changed hands she dials her fury back a little bit.

"Well...I guess if it's like you say it is it'll be easy enough to check. Come on now. March. Show me this tunnel or whatever..."

---

30 seconds later...

Roxie gives a sigh as the group lifts the tunnel and explains where it leads to. Despite her earlier bluster Roxie seems a lot less surprised and in denial about the existence of a trap door in her own establishment.

"Alright listen, no use trying to keep it a secret now. You see awhile back Voz, you know, that pointy eared...er...half-elven I guess..."

She glances a bit shamefully at Solarius.

"Well she paid me good amount of coin to explore that tunnel and to keep quiet about it. Now I know she's a bit odd and she's working some creepy magic, you know I swear I saw her carrying a skull or something, but good coin is good coin and I never would have figured that she was up to the raising the dead or raiding Hellknight Hill."

She pauses and glances at the trap door again and the next time she speaks it is with a lot of the iron in her voice melted away.

"Listen, sorry again about earlier but I promised to keep quiet about it and I do what I says I'm gonna do. I keep my word, that's what I do and all. I didn't know nothing about what she was up to, I swear by all the gods above and below. If you want her, she'll be at that shop of hers, doubles as her home and all. Listen...uh...maybe if you end up talking to the council you can maybe just forget that I knew anything, you know? Just...if it comes up just tell them I was surprised and didn't know nothing. It's hard enough keeping a place with this kind of reputation going on the best of times, last thing I need is the council sticking their nasty little noses into my business, you know?"