You have arrived near the city of Melvaunt, which sits upon the north-western shore of the Moonsea. Melvaunt has a reputation for being a place rife with danger and intrigue, and ripe with potential for adventure, wealth, and fame.

You carry with you the seal of Woarsten Nenther, patriarch of a powerful and influential noble family. The seal should gain your party access to the city, though in the distance the city guard appear to be active and thorough in their inspection of new arrivals.

Upon fully taking in the city, Rhaga takes a deep breath, letting both nostrils flare as they would. Apparently she didn't like what she smelled, for she shook her head and spat on the ground with a grimace fully in place on her features.

"Ene gazar chandarlakh gazar shig ünertej baina..." she grunted in her native Tuigan.

Absentmindedly, she stroked the neck of the striking snow leopard who had come up beside her to rub against her massively muscled leg. Between the mass of green thews, weaponry, and exotic beast from the Yehimal Mountains, this Orc was certainly never going to blend into the crowd. Which could often be a problem.

Turning to her companions, Rhaga cocked an eyebrow and indicated the guards.

"Don't suppose one of you could do the talking? I tend to make the law nervous. Better them think me silent and stupid muscle. It seems to make them feel better," she chuckled through a tusky grin.

In reply to Rhaga the Wolfhound (msg # 2):

"Who should speak? I'm not the most diplomatic either, though I am charismatic." he says as they approach the guards. He hold up his hands. "Greetings, we seek entrance for our group of adventurers, here are our bonafides." he says producing the seal.

Looking up at Rhaga from his much lower point of view Peir grinned cheerfully, "Shouldn't worry too much about that, if I stand next to you we should average out given how little concern I inspire. Just try not to spit in front of the gates of their city though, it upsets the sensitive sorts."

Shrugging at Biharu's question he answered, "I'm likely the least threatening but they don't look to be turning many away even if they are questioning people. Shouldn't be too difficult getting in." When they reached the gate with the mage heading forwards to present the seal to the guards he did not bother  to step forwards too, matching his earlier offer to stand by Rhaga. He idly rocked back and forth on his heels as they waited, seemingly unconcerned.

Penny had been her usual brooding and moody self, her eyes restlessly looking everywhere as if she were expecting an attack at every moment. Paranoid? Not if someone or something was actually after her. During the trip she mostly conversed with Birahu, talking about magic theory or playing chess.

When they eventually arrived, the tiefling had covered herself in her preferred form, a human blonde with a large backpack in the place of her real wings. This kept the usual stares to a minimum, stares that were unavoidable when people noticed her fiendish heritage. Cocking her head sideways she evaluated the situation and doubted that they would let her in without a more thorough search. Something that she positively wanted to avoid. "Alright, I don't like how this looks, I'll find myself a different way in." she told them, staying behind when 'the black' mage stepped forward to engage the guards.

Tamyir strode forward with his companions, the paladin of Mystra seemingly unperturbed by the local guard's extra scrutiny of traffic. His home of Silverymoon had similarly strict rules when it came to entrance to their city, though the Mythal did help to prevent evil from making headway into his home city.

"Well, the seal should help us gain entry at least, though after that we are going to have to find this Lord Nenthar after that. We may be able to ask the gate guards when we get there for directions, or perhaps not, they appear busy." He spoke, keeping his gaze even as Penny moves off from the group. He shrugged slightly, working a kink out of the shielded gauntlet on his left arm, before waiting with the others.

As your group approaches the guards, their gaze sweeps over your group briefly, before staring at the orc walking with you towards their station. With looks of disgust, they listen briefly to Birahu's statement, ignoring the orc huntress. "Aye, we heard Lord Nenthar had put out a call for adventurers, but there have been troubles of late here in Melvaunt. People disappearing, people of high rank, if ye get my drift. Yer seal is recognized, just don't cause any trouble while yer here, and mind you keep the beast on a tight leash." The guard spoke, the meaning is obvious not necessarily the leopard in the group, but Rhaga. Looking around, others in the area are uncomfortable near the orc huntress, or so it seems. The guards are waving you through to deal with the next people in line.
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:11, Mon 20 June 2022.

In reply to He Who Watches (msg # 7):

"Thank you good sir, just where do we go to find Lord Renthar?" He gives each guard 2 silver "for your trouble, to buy a beer later. If it is allowed?"

Smiling genially and idly stepping between the guard and Rhaga, not because he had any concerns about the orc herself but simply to cheapen any attempt at a stand off. It was hard to give anyone the stink eye when you were having to stare over another person's head to do so, even if said head was level with your stomach.

That said the guard's remark did earn a slight frown. Missing people of low rank was more or less par for the course for a city of this size. but if this was happening to more important sorts that was unusual. Addressing the guard who remark in a polite manner after they had dealt with Birahu's gesture, "If you don't mind me asking who's been going missing? I have to imagine there's a reason Lord Nenthar put out the call but if it's a more personal matter for them then that gets a bit more awkward." Especially if they accepted the job and found a dead heir on it. The average lord tended to get cranky about that sort of thing even if the adventurer could have done nothing to prevent it.

Rhaga was grateful that Peir had placed himself between her and the guards, so that she didn't have to engage them in conversation. Well, conversation would have been a nice way of putting it. In reality, she might have split a lip or two. Or at the very least roared at them in order to give them something real to be frightened at. But, she was here on business, and it wouldn't do to send gate guards to the local apothecary.

So Rhaga merely snorted in contempt at the guards and moved through the gate, folded her arms across her chest, and waited for the others to complete their inquiries.

The guards look at the silver proffered, then the one who spoke gestures toward the thoroughfare. "Take the main street to the center of town, look for the Crow's Nest, you should be able to get directions from there. Now move along!" He says briskly. There is more than a few people gathering behind you, along with a trader caravan which appears to be heavily guarded. Some people may be beyond a small bribe, some may need a higher price, and just some people...are jerks.

As you are ushered through by the other guards while the one guard deals with the next person in line, you see Penny walking towards you, having bypassed the gate. You can tell off the main thoroughfare, the streets are dark and ill kept, with waste populating the shadows. The smell is not the greatest, but humans tend not to think ahead or for the common good when it comes to their cities. From the people you can see, it is mostly a human town, though occasionally a dwarf or half elf can be seen going about their businesses

The tiefling could not help but notice the commotion at the gate when the guards accosted Rhaga, and was expecting an exchange of 'physical pleasantries', but fortunately the orc remembered there was no reward for teaching ill mannered guards to treat everyone fairly. Penny had experienced the same treatment and worse before acquiring the hat that was creating a less memorable image of herself than the red skin and fiendish wings that were her real self.

Meeting up with her companions she gave Birahu a friendly poke in the ribs, nodding to the silver in his hand "Don't worry, you can always buy my friendship if you like." she offered with a playful grin before turning to face the orc bounty hunter. Taking a deep breath she commented "Ahhh, there is nothing like the smell of opportunity in a densely populated city, isn't that right?"

In reply to Penny (msg # 12):

"You're not bought so cheap though my dear!" he grinned in reply, patting her bottom.

"That may be true, old man, but I could consider it a down payment." she laughed, deftly swatting away his hand. Any other guy would have lost his hand trying that, but there were not many people who had seen her true self and not been appalled by what they saw. Adding to that the mage was almost as smart as her, which made their intellectual sparring interesting.

In reply to Penny (msg # 14):

"Ha! Old man indeed! Who are you calling old little girl?" he said with a bigger grin.

"You, apparently, and everyone else older than you." she gave back, skillfully avoiding the icky stuff that dropped from a horse's rear so effortlessly. Penny briefly enjoyed the playful ribbing, knowing they would have to go back to their typical serious selves soon enough; the world always seemed to demand it.

"By the Three Thunders, will you two just get a room already?" Rhaga grumbled, turning a baleful eye on the two quipping friends.

"...but be sure to go easy on him, Penny. His dusty old heart probably can't take much," she finished, sly grin spreading over her face to let everyone know that she had been messing with them with the earlier remark.

"But you are right about the smell. Smells like unwashed bodies, offal, manure, and opportunity. Let's find this Crow's Nest, and move onto Lord Nenthar. Because I'd also like to smell the gold this lordling has to offer..." the Orc said, popping her neck and rolling her shoulders for the journey through the city to come.

Without another word, she started off following the direction the guards had offered, confident that the others would follow.

Unsurprised the guards had ignored his question Peir kept pace with his fellows with a slight bit of hurry in his steps compared to them. The assorted complaints about the smell earned a roll of his eyes before he spoke up, "You think it's bad where you all are. I'm closer to it and have a better nose than most of you."

Moving nimbly along he continued, "On the bright side at least we've got fairly clear directions so we don't have to savour it overlong."

Birahu fell in with the others, he squeezes Pennies hand and let her loose if she wanted him to, or held lightly if she wanted. He ignored the smell as best he could, poor Peir. He gave a little growl at Rhaga, teasing her back, "You're just jealous Rhaga!" and he winked.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:39, Thu 23 June 2022.

Tamyir studied the guard while his group was there, keeping the man's features in mind for the future. He would have words with his superiors about his behavior, though how much change would come from them was hard to tell.

He was doubly glad to see that Penny had made it through to the other side, though. The Tiefling was resourceful and the playful banter between the Birahu and her spoke volumes about their true personalities and relationship.

"Agreed my friends, these streets leave much to be desired. To the crows' nest then." The paladin spoke, though he bent down briefly to speak with Peir. "My friend, if you do not mind riding on my shoulders, I can help with that, at least until we are further away from these streets." The paladin spoke kindly to the small Gnome, seeming earnest in his offer. Should it be accepted, he helps the Gnome up. Otherwise, the Paladin shrugs but remains respectful of the choice made.

Smiling genially up at Tamyir's request Peir answered, "Thank you but no need. I've always been this height or near enough to it and places like this have always had this aroma. I'm mostly just joining in the complaints to remind them they could have it far worse."

"Interesting that the guard would mention disappearances. It might be that's why we've been invited, anyone been hereabouts before and has a decent idea of what the normal situation is for the city?"

In reply to Peir Barrow (msg # 21):

"It's all new to me Peir my friend. Never been to Melvaunt."

As you traverse the main street, you eventually come across a building of odd design. The first two stories appear to be made of stone, but the next three are larger and made of newer wood. Obviously built in the shape of a ship's crow's nest, this is probably the building you are looking for. There appears to be a covered main entranceway, with a thick reinforced door for an entrance. There appears to be an alcove on each side of the door, occupied by burly figures.

Tamyir shrugs at the question. "I fear that I am new to this region as well, hailing from Silverymoon. From the way the guard mentioned the disappearances, it does not sound like a normal situation. Those who are missing must be at least of some rank to warrant such precautions." The paladin spoke, his eyes looking distant for a moment.

"Well, even the most cold-hearted bastard rulers don't want all their tax-payers to disappear. They could be important people, or there could be enough peasants missing to hurt someone's bottom line. Either way, mark my words, when we drill down to the bottom of this, the motivation is going to turn out to be money or power. Or both. It always is..." Rhaga rumbled cynically in reply to Tamyir's comment.

Unconsciously, she dropped a big calloused hand on Maral's head and gave the big cat a good scratching behind the ears, as if to assure herself there were at least a few creatures on the planet that weren't full greedy pricks.

"Oi! You two know the way to Lord Nenthar's place? We heard it was near the Nest here..." she called to the two burly men who were presumably bouncers.

Birahu smiled from where he was, Rhaga was blooming into a flower too, developing interpersonal skills with others, he felt good about that. They hadn't been together too long, but they were fast becoming good friends!

"The smell of gold, yeah - that trumps everything!" the blonde commented, nodding in agreement. Walking on it took a few steps for her to draw her mind away from the prospect of earning a lot of money before she realized Birahu had grabbed her hand and teased Rhaga about jealousy. For the fraction of a second she looked at their interlocked hands with what might have been considered horror, but then a devious look appeared on her features and Penny began swinging their arms in a rather childish way. "You're absolutely right, Blacki, she just wished she could have a piece of you. Probably she's fantasizing about your medium rare tenderloin with barbecue sauce and sweet potatoes." she said, grinning madly and giving the orc a conspiratorial wink.

The exchange distracted the tiefling long enough so she missed Peir's comments and Tamyir's good-hearted offer. However, she did catch the words on the missing persons and had to silently agree that it was probably some upperclass people, lest the guards were hardly going to bother. "Or it is personal." she added, not believing that a few missing peasants would significantly affect the number of gold coins paid as taxes. She remembered Tarshrek kidnapping family members of the rich and demanding a ransom. Practically all of them paid up, those who didn't were usually killed as their spouses hired Tarshrek and his men in retaliation for exposing their husband's stone-cold hearts. The widows inherited the fortunes and were only too happy to be rid of their men. Her former master called it 'poetic justice', though Penny didn't agree with that.

As Rhaga called out to the Crow's Nest employees, the mercenary cringed inwardly, immediately wishing the ground would swallow her up - or even better: it would open up to swallow the orc bounty hunter. Holding her free hand over her eyes, as if she did not want to be recognized, Penny walked on muttering something under her breath that sounded like a prayer to some deity for making herself disappear.

Birahu laughed out loud from the belly as Penny finished her kidding, "Not mashed potatoes and gravy? I KNOW I'd be delicious!"

The bouncer on the left rolls his eyes but stops when the one on the right gives him a stern look. He steps forward and speaks to the group before they enter, giving each of you an experienced search with his eyes. "Names Ongar. You lot look able to handle yerself well enough, but we ask that ye respect the establishment and let us deal with troublemakers. As fer your question about Lord Nenthar, the Crow is in the know about such things. Head in and let Myrmian know you would like to speak with him." He spoke. The human is in his late thirties, probably early forties, and bares many scars and sailing tattoos across his flesh.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:24, Mon 27 June 2022.

"Lead on Rhaga! Lead on, I like results!"

Rhaga cocked an eyebrow at the response of the bouncers. She had expected directions, with the Crow being a landmark to help them find the way. But apparently there was more going on that the guards had first implied.

"I...see. Thank you, Ongar. We'll be good. Don't we look like paragons of virtue?" she grunted with a slight nod respect, even as she slid of bit of sarcasm into her voice..

"Listen old man, just because you like looking at my backside doesn't mean I'll always be in the front," Rhaga rumbled over her shoulder, in a tone that wasn't clear if she was jesting or being completely serious.

Despite what she said, she did indeed take the lead and head fro the doors of the Crow. She was one of the more burly fighters in the group, so her place was often in the front during their skirmishes. In fact, not too long ago she had gone toe-to-toe with a Red Dragon as they battled the foul wyrm. True, it was a smaller example of those ancient creatures, but it was still impressive.

With Maral in her shadow, the Orc quickly approached the doors and pushed her way into the interior.

Unsurprised by the general confirmation of not having visited before but nodding agreement at Tamyir's suggestion that the disappearances would be people of note Peir turned to regard the door staff as Rhaga shouted her query, surprised when rather than returning directions or dismissals they instead directed the group inside. Then again those who entered the bar were more likely to spend coin that those who kept walking.

Rolling his eyes heavenwards at his fellow's banter he replied to what seemed to be the more authoritative of the two door staff, "Thanks Ognar. I promise they're less trouble than they look." Skirting between orc and leopard as they entered the gnome eyed the interior briefly before heading in for the bar. If they were asking for someone inside that was the most likely place to do so.

Before Penny could answer the Black's question, the group was addressed by the bouncers of the Crow's Nest. Keeping quiet for the moment, the tiefling let Rhaga and Peir handle the two, although Penny did have to bite back a comment, the gnome obviously didn't know her long enough to understand she was trouble with a capital 'T'.

With a shrug and nothing to add, the mercenary entered through the doors.

In reply to Penny (msg # 33):

"Hmmm, and such a fine ass too Rhaga!" Birahu replied as he entered and let go of Penny's hand. He enjoyed the banter of the two females, kept him young!

As the group banters past the bouncers, you enter the covered walkway and throw the door, leading to a smallish cloakroom to hang cloaks with a young boy keeping watch. Beyond this there is an opening into the main part of the tavern. The roughly half circle of the room is filled with various sailors and mercenaries, a wall of liquor along the back wall behind a three-foot-tall serving bar, in which a blonde half-elf woman in work clothes is rapidly serving beer, ale, and various concoctions while two human serving wenches dispense them to the customers around the room. Along the right side of the room, a stairway ascends around the room into the upper levels.

Listening for a moment, one of the serving wenches addresses the half-elf woman behind the counter. "Myrmian, we need more dwarven ale for the evening, I hear that the twins are going to stop by! Best let the Crow know." She says, rushing to bring more beer to her customers. Myrmian sighs, nodding her head, before pulling a section of the wall back behind the bar and walking through out of sight. She is gone for a few moments before returning, closing the wall behind her. Noticing the group in the entranceway, she waves you forward. "Welcome to the Crow's Nest, friends. I'm Myrmian, hostess here, what can we get for you adventurers?" She asks jovially.

Tamyir bows slightly as they reach the counter. "Forgive us for intruding, but we were directed to speak with the Crow by Ongar about what is going on in town. I don't suppose you could let him know? Lord Nenthar put out a request for experienced adventurers, but we are new to this town and the gate guards pointed us here." The paladin spoke politely, leaning in just enough to show how earnest he was.

In reply to Tamyir Flameworthy (msg # 36):

Nice Birahu thought, let us all be comfortable engaging folks.

"Give me an ale while we wait." Penny said, giving the bartender a slight nod of respect before leaning against the counter casually. Expecting the others to have getting admitted to the boss well in hand, she looked around for anything that might look amiss, at the same time checking for exits and corners to hide in - just in case. Casting a glance over her shoulder to the woman serving the drinks she inquired "Anything interesting going on lately?"

ooc: 21:25, Today: Penny rolled 23 using 1d20+6.  Gather Info.

"A nice cold ale?" he requested at the bar beside Penny. He saw her checking the room and decided if things went sideways, to follow her.

As the group approaches and converses with the bar maid Myrmian. Those who request drinks are served promptly, Myrmian listening intently as Tamyir speaks. She smiles politely back at Tamyir. "Pluarty will be in a little bit, he is out back entertaining the children with pirate tales. He has his fingers on the pulse on the goins ons in the city. As for what is happening, I have heard that a few of the high born have gone missing and their families are right hopping mad about that, since they cannot accuse each other directly, there is a mort of skullduggery goin on." She spoke, filling orders with ease.

Paying the waitress for the drink, the tiefling strayed from the bar seemingly taking in the decorations, architecture or both. In truth she was collecting bits and pieces of information that would help form a better picture of what was going on in the city. After completing the circuit she came back to stand beside Birahu. Penny's eyebrow went up when the barkeep mentioned children in the back,  which was pretty unusual for a bar to have children, even though not in the taproom. But perhaps they were grooming the new generation of customers.

Her mind was putting the individual informations together and they would have to be especially careful to avoid stepping on any toes belonging to the merchant houses. Turning to the woman behind the bar she asked "Are there any rooms we could rent while we stay here? I have a hunch that our task will take a while to complete."

Nodding to the guards at the door once inside Peir blinked a couple of times to adjust to the light before accompanying the others to the bar. Unlike some of the rest he did not order a drink instead just listening. At the confirmation some of the local nobility had been going missing he let out a low whistle, shaking his head slightly.

"That'll make for an awkward situation. They all go missing at once or has it been in dribs and drabs?" he asked Myrmian
This message was last edited by the player at 19:02, Sat 02 July 2022.

"You'll never see finer. Actually, you'll just never see it, old man," the Orc bantered mildly as the entered.

Rhaga and Maral sniffed about the place for a few moments. Literally. Before deciding that there wasn't anything particularly dangerous or foul smelling in their immediate vicinity. Indeed, the snow leopard actually flopped down on the floor and curled around one of the stools like she was a regular house-cat.

"Does this place carries any kumis? Hm. Don't suppose they do, being this far northwest..." the burly warrior asked Myrmian, before grumbling to herself cynically.

In reply to Rhaga the Wolfhound (msg # 43):

"So sad, but I can't miss what I've never seen!" He grinned from ear to ear gently rubbing Penny's back (soothe the muscles a little.)

Myrmian looks up at the young womans question, smiling. "Of course, though it depends on what quality of room you are looking for. Two silver for the modest room, five silver for fine room, and one gold piece for the luxurious suite.

As for the missing scions...now that you mention it, they do seem to have all gone up and missing about the same time. At least, that is what it feels like when this mess started around the same time."

She looked confused at Rhaga's request. "I am sorry, I am not familiar with that drink. Perhaps an elven wine?" she suggests to the orc warrior.

"Pluarty should be in soon, he doesn't like keeping the children too late, their mothers might worry." Myrmian spoke, grabbing drinks and speaking around orders.

In reply to He Who Watches (msg # 45):

"When did the scions disappear exactly, how long ago, if you know?"

Myrmian shrugs slightly. "I think it was about a week ago or so, to be honest, I don't pay that much attention to non-customers." She spoke, shrugging slightly. Obviously not super concerned about it.

The "secret" door opens within a few moments, and a lithe, short brown haired individual squeezes in, dusting off his deep blue tunic and giving the room a smile. "Hello hello, what have we here, Myrmian my lovely? From the looks of them, adventurers, and if I know adventurers, and I do, you lot appear to be seeking something in particular. What can old, Pluarty Crow do for you?" He asks, his blue eyes appraising each of you, but never losing the warmth which is reflective of his voice.

In reply to He Who Watches (msg # 47):

"We are here at the request of Lord Nenthar for adventurers to fix a problem. We were told to speak to Crow first to get the lay of the land, then see the lord. Can you help us out sir?"

"A modest room will do." Penny told Myrmian and put half a dozen silvers on the countertop. She watched Pluarty enter the room and leaned against the counter, taking a sip from her ale. Looking at the newcomer, assessing the man she stated "What he said." the tiefling blurted out and pointed at the mage. "And how high is the reward?" she added, cutting to the chase directly.

Myrmian nods and hands over a room key, with the number 4 engraved into it to Penny.

Pluarty smiles at Birahu's statement, gesturing out the door. "Since you are here at the behest of Lord Nenthar, you need just take Forgedworn Way from High Street here, and you will find the residence of the Nenthar estate. Since you have been summoned by the Lord anyways, you shouldn't have much trouble gaining an audiance with him. I do not know how much he may be offering, but I have heard that the other Lords have been offering 100 gold pieces each for their scions, but this is of course rumor. And there are of course plenty of people walking the streets seeking them for those rewards." He spoke, resting idly upon his hand taking a moment to run his eyes over Penny, winking slightly.

Returning the newcomer's smile with an easy grin of his own while he was asked questions by his fellows Peir turned to Myrmian and slid 6 silver of his own onto the countertop, having to stretch slightly to do so easily, "Same for me please. From the sounds of things we'll be in town a while at least."

Looking at Pluarty as the man spoke about what he knew Peir rubbed his hands together absently, folding one into the other than reversing the motion, pondering that information slowly before asking, "Are the Lords typically on congenial terms or somewhat more...competitive? If they all disappeared at a similar time that would suggest a connection of some kind."

"Thanks." Penny told Myrmian and slid the key into her pocket, it felt good to know where to put your head after their time on the road. "You guys should get a room, too. she advised those who had not yet done so, convinced there were few better accommodations in town and none for a better price. "Finding the scions' trail can take a day or two I'd say." the beguiler added with a look around the inn.

The tiefling gave the Crow a fleeting smile in response, him not being bothered by what he saw was a positive thing. It also lead her to believe he knew not to judge a book by its cover, which was a rare reaction and meant he had probably dealt with her kin before. "Thank you." Penny said, glad things were progressing nicely, ready to move on to Nenther's residence, knowing the answer to Peir's question already.

In reply to Penny (msg # 52):

ooc - you're wearing a Hat of Disguise, he thinks you are a blond human, unless he has true sight.

"We sharing Penny?" he asks her seriously before spending extra coin on a room.

"Yeah, securing a place to rest before business isn't a bad idea. I'll grab a room too. And since you don't have the drink I want, I'll take a Shadowdark ale. And the cat will take a bowl of water with a splash of Dragon's Breath," Rhaga grunted, tapping twice on the bar out of old tradition after ordering a drink.

"And the old man will take whatever spare out-house or midden pile you have around here," she said slyly, attempting to take the piss out of Birahu, as always.

In reply to Rhaga the Wolfhound (msg # 54):

"You're just jealous Rhaga, I'm a virile 28 if you must know, not old by any means." he smiled at her.

"Orcs are considered adult at around a decade. And we don't usually live past forty winters. You are old. And I'm almost middle aged, to be honest..." Rhaga replied, her earlier humor vanishing as she considered her rapidly approaching end-of-life.

"Don't be cheap." the tiefling countered with a mischievous grin, then listened to the orc stepping in with her own teasing. Her grin disappeared when Rhaga shared that her remaining lifespan was considerably shorter than anyone else's present. Then again they might all not see the sun rise if the group ran into more trouble than they could handle.

Trying to shrug off the thought Penny addressed the mage again "You should shave off that beard of yours, Birahu. It will make you look 10 years younger and perhaps we'll stop calling you old man then." she told him with a Cheshire cat smile.

"Oye, you know you like my beard, it tickles! We'll talk about it. I can get my own room, or share the cost of yours. Perhaps I can help you out, perhaps, not sure." he says to Rhaga, thinking of his own extended life span, but she wasn't a wizard!

Myrmian hands Peir another room key, numbered 5, deftly removing the silver from the counter.

Pluarty laughs at Peirs question. "To say the noble families are competitive is like saying Zhents are a little over the top, my friend. Although, truth be told, I never heard of the younger ones who disappeared being too interested in family politics." He says, looking thoughtful for a moment. As the group talks and jokes amongst themselves, he smiles slightly.

Myrmian hands a mug over to Rhaga, and thinks a moment before adding the other drink to the water for the feline.

Rather than answering Birahu's comment, Penny listened to Pluarty sharing his thoughts about the nobles of Melvaunt. It got her thinking, trying to incorporate the new information into the puzzle that was the situation of the missing scions. If all of them had vanished at the same time, it must have been a coordinated effort. "How many scions are we talking about and moreover: Has there been a witness to them being taken, even if it was just one?" she asked. It all became most peculiar.

Pluarty begins to count off on his fingers. "Oreal Nanther, Argens Bruil, Kalman Leiyraghon, Elaint Marsk, and Kara Calaudra, all of them disappeared one night. No one has sent ransom messages, threatening notes, nothing. It is as if they turned into fog and faded into the mists of Thar." He spoke, seeming to be counting patrons for a moment before placing his attention back upon your group.

Penny fell silent for a moment, her mind running through various scenarios. Five youngsters disappearing at the same time, without anyone noticing could indicate mindcontrol or, however unlikely it seemed, they left voluntarily. No reported signs of struggle supported both scenarios and made her wonder what kind of power was required to manipulate five people in such a short time. She wondered how she would do it if she had been tasked with the capture of these young people. Likely promises of fame and fortune, though they came from rich families and money was probably not a sufficient motivator. Perhaps a promise of the romantic kind. This was tricky, she decided and played with a few more tangents in her mind, like the deaths of the diplomats in Mulmaster and the increased presence of orcs...

In reply to Penny (msg # 62):

"Perhaps they went off adventuring?" Birahu voiced a thought.

The tiefling considered the mage's suggestion for a breath or two before commenting "Hmm... five young people, pampered and spoiled by the riches of their parents. All five decide to go adventuring. On the same day. Possibly against the orcs that raid the country side..." she summarized her thoughts, pursing her lips. "Highly improbable, I'd say, yet not completely impossible. Although I would assume that they could have been mind controlled before they were abducted. There is a certain chance agents of Mulmaster got to them in order to use the scions as leverage while they try an attack from the waterfront. The recent deaths of two diplomats might be hinting at that." Penny said weighing the two possibilities against each other, not happy with either.

"I find competitive is a diplomatic choice of wording," Peir replied with a wry grin at Pluarty's assessment as he took the room key with a nod of thanks to Myrmian. He listened to the others talk quietly as he stowed the key about his person as they added ideas and notions to what Pluarty could tell them. To Penny's speculation he suggested, "There's also the possibility if they were abducted that whoever took them wants the leverage it offers over their families, hence no ransom demands. We might be speculating overly heavily though, perhaps we should speak to Lord Nenthar and confirm more before we get ourselves too far into speculation."

In reply to Peir Barrow (msg # 65):

"That is wise Peir, you must be a priest!" he says with a grin.

Penny agreed with Peir's assessment, speculation would not get them closer to solving the mystery, only moving on would. The tiefling emptied her drink with a big gulp and slammed the stein on the countertop in sort of a resolute way. "Ahhh... that was what I needed." she commented looking at the others "So, what's keeping us from seeing Nenthar?"

In reply to Penny (msg # 67):

Birahu drank his beer down and set his mug on the bar too, "Nothing dear, nothing, which way to Nenthar again, I wasn't paying enough attention, someone knows, right? Let's go."

Tamyir lays down the coin to cover the tab, and then some. Nodding his head to Pluarty in thanks, the Paladin turns to go towards the door. "I believe Master Crow spoke of the Forgedworn Way off main street. Perhaps Lord Nenthar will know more about the reason we were summoned. Many thanks Master Crow may the Lady smile upon thee." He spoke, bowing slightly to the master of the house. The holy warrior did not partake in any of the drinks but seemed more than willing to pay for his companion's drinks.

In reply to Tamyir Flameworthy (msg # 69):

"Yes, that's it, I remember now! You are correct, and thank you." Birahu sputtered out.

As you make your way out of the Crow's Nest, Pluarty nods his head, watching you for a moment before going to sit with what appear to be regular customers. Ongar waves at you as you leave, winking slightly at Peir as he passes. The air is growing colder as the sun begins to touch the horizon, dusk rapidly approaching. As you make your way down Forgeworn Way, you notice the street is kept relatively clean, the buildings in modest upkeep, and the clothing of the people being of modest to slightly well off, perhaps business owners.

At the end of the street, a massive walled estate with iron wrought gates stands at the end of the street, a pair of guards wearing breastplates and holding large shields and spears at the ready.

In reply to He Who Watches (msg # 71):

"Must be the place, introduce us folks, I'm distracted." he says to the others, he appears to be in thought.

"You're carrying the seal," Birahu quietly reminded the mage who had produced the identification at the city gates. Strolling towards the guards he nodded at them from a polite distance, "Evening. We were summoned by Lord Woarsten Nenther regarding the matter of a task he wishes us to undertake."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:14, Wed 20 July 2022.

In reply to Peir Barrow (msg # 73):

Birahu absently produces the seal, he had forgotten, He was bringing it back together. "Is he available for us?"

Once again, Rhaga was happy to let the other's take the lead. Orcs made people jumpy, and she didn't feel like getting poked with spears tonight. She'd just shared a drink with her cat, so she was in a relatively good mood at the moment.

Birahu yawns and waits patiently. "Rhaga, does your friend like to have her ears scratched, or does she prefer just you? I love big cats."

Tamyir was silent most of the way to the estate, keeping an eye out for possible dangers as they traversed the streets. He was more than willing to let Peir and the others take the front at the gate, as he did not have the Lord's seal.

Rhaga looked at Birahu, and then slowly lowered her eyes to the snow leopard at her side. When she glanced back up, she cocked her head and regarded mage with a curious eye.

"You can try petting Maral if you like. But don't you need those fingers to cast spells?" the burly Orc asked, voice all innocent.

Penny noted the guards at the entrance to the mansion and grimaced, she had made a number of bad experiences with guards mostly when citizens called for them to kill the demon. Chosing to stay quiet she moved behind the mage, pretending to look inconspicious. The others could handle entering the mansion...

In reply to Penny (msg # 79):

Birahu placed a hand behind himself to comfort Penny, he placed the other hand in front of Maral's muzzle so she could smell him then if all was fine scratcher her ears! He loved big cats, little cats too, he just loved cats! "It's alright Penny. Hello Maral, my you are so pretty!"

The gate guards examine the seal proffered, then look at each other and shrug. The guard on the left turns and opens the iron gates, gesturing for your entrance. "Lord Nenthar gave word of your expected arrival." He spoke.

As your group passes through the door, you catch site of relatively small grounds surrounding a massive compound, easily what could be described as a medium sized keep. The path forward is clear and without obstructions, leading to a set of massive wooden doors.

A servant seems ready to greet you as you approach, opening the doors for you before escorting you down modestly appointed hallways. There are quite a few doorways that you pass by, all closed, until you reach a set of well-crafted doors. As you enter, you fine a well-furnished reception room, easily the size of a small guild meeting hall, books lining the walls and a great fireplace at the far end of the room. Multiple comfortable chairs and worktables are spread throughout, though the servant guides you to one closer to the fireplace. "Lord Nenthar will be with you shortly, Saer's." He spoke, then picked up a bell and rings it. From various side entrances, more servants bring in trays of food, goblets of wine, and one fellow, after seeing the cat, leaves quickly and returns within short order with neatly cubed beef on a plate, laying it down before the cat. Almost as quickly as they arrived, they disperse, leaving you alone in the room with food and drink.

Maral gave Birahu a surprisingly expressive deadpan look, as if to say "of course I am pretty." And while she tolerated a few scratches, the big cat flashed her fangs to let the man know her tolerance was without limits. Rhaga cocked an eyebrow at that, for the snow leopard had taken other people's hands off in the past. Either she really liked Birahu, or Maral understood that Rhaga considered the man to be an ally. But she kept such comments to herself as she entered the gates.

Once they had been shown to the opulently furnished waiting room, the Orc showed no shame in immediately grabbing a goblet of wine and a roast leg of lamb. Free food was always better than paying for it. Rhaga nodded her thanks to the servant who was thoughtful enough to bring Maral a meal.

For the next few moments, all you could hear was the sound or Orc tusks and cat fangs tearing into meat. Not perhaps, the most refined sound. But they went about it with equal savage intensity.

Ignoring his fellow's brief improv act behind him, especially given Birahu had presented the seal when needed, Peir ducked his head politely to the guards, "Thank you kindly." Heading in the indicated direction he glanced back a few times to make sure no-one was ambling off on their personal escapades once they were inside the grounds he kept the same level of courtesy as they encountered other members of the staff.

Once they were seen to the waiting rooms and catered too he once again expressed polite appreciation to the servers and only when they relaxed did he turn his attention properly to the rest of the room. Taking a small bit of food as he seated himself at the table he regarded the various books lining the room with interest, chewing quietly in contrast to the carnivorous devouring Rhaga and Maral were managing.

Being invited into the mansion Penny felt relief, after the initial security was passed inside it would be more relaxed. With a curious mind the tiefling took in the interior design, the display of grandeur and the pompous waiting room. It all spoke of a rich family, yet all that money didn't bring back their child - at least not without the willingness of skillful people to do whatever necessary to bring them back. Rarely had she been welcomed by a potential employer in such a friendly way. Actually they had never welcomed her like this.

Politely the beguiler declined the offered food and drink, something felt off. Maybe it was her paranoia, but being paranoid didn't mean everything was alright. Penny fell back into her old behavior: Searching for escape routes, marking potential threats and so on. Patentiently she waited for Lord Nenthar to arrive.

After Maral let him know he had scratched enough, he followed the others in. He immediately began perusing the titles of the books and so on. He loved libraries as much as he loved cats! He ate a chicken leg and had a goblet of wine, noting Penny was being paranoid as usual, he let it slide, she had her reasons!

Tamyir follows the others, admiring the limited gaudiness of the household and appreciative of the library/business room they were ushered into. Politely taking a wine, he sips it appreciatively, but is modest in his consumption of both food and drink.

Having mapped the room and the escape route in her mind, Penny wondered what would keep the Lord of the mansion from greeting them. Didn't they want to see their child returned as soon as possible? Every minute passing unnecessarily was reducing the probability to return them alive, much less unharmed.

Turning to one of the servants she asked with a frown "So, when you say 'shortly' how shortly is that meant to be?"

An elderly gentleman, easily in his mid-fifties and dressed in simple, but fine merchant clothing, walks through the door as Penny speaks. What must be Lord Woarsten Nanther leans slightly on a gold tipped ivory cane with a handle shaped like an ibis head. He has the slightly disheveled appearance of a man who hasn't slept in a few days, although he is dressed and capable of feigning a smile.

"Long enough to hope that guests have partaken of wholesome food and drink and perhaps would be in a more receptive mood to an old man's pleas." He spoke, gesturing for you to take seats. "I am Lord Woarsten Nanther, patriarch of the Nanther family and the many titles and responsibilities thereof. Now, although I have summoned the best my agents could find, please, introduce yourselves so that I may know with whom I am dealing with and where your talents lay." He spoke, almost falling into a comfortable padded, well used, chair.

In reply to He Who Watches (msg # 88):

Birahu sits and nods his head, "I am Birahu, a lowly wizard of no repute. The others may speak for themselves."

Tamyir bows his head slightly at the entrance of Lord Nanther stand respectfully until he is given permission to sit in the man's presence.

"Peace and Well Met, Lord Nanther. I am Tamyir Flameworthy, Paladin of Mystra, in service to her mystic fire." He spoke, placing his non-gauntleted hand across his chest in respect.

Rhaga tore the last chunk from the bone and washed it down with the fine liquid. Tossing the bone down to her snow leopard, she wiped the grease on her furs and leathers, where it wouldn't show up. She might not understand that this wasn't exactly noble etiquette, she knew being seen as clean was important. She just might have a different definition of clean.

"I am Rhaga of Almorel. I am a Thief-Taker and Sellsword. I am called the Wolfhound by many. Under that name you may know of my deeds," the burly Orc grunted, giving their host a polite nod as she spoke.

When the elderly man entered the room, Penny's behavior didn't change much except for a certain tensing in her muscles - as if she was expecting to be attacked at any moment. She took the time the others used to introduce themselves to assess Nenther himself, before answering his inquery. "I am a scout and infiltrator." the tiefling told the nobleman. "And while Rhaga can find any target in the wilds, my specialty is to find my mark in the city." she added, looking at the orc bounty hunter. "So you can rest assured we shall find your offspring and that of your... competitors." Penny told the Lord confidently. She pushed off the wall and moved along the table, not touching food or drink, waiting for the Lord to grab something himself. "I understand that some people might call my words cocky, but if it is the truth it's called a promise." the woman said while she turned to rest her hands on a chair, fixating the man with her gaze. "The condition we find them in, however, is depending on you giving us all information you have, every little detail counts." the beguiler stressed, trusting the worry for his child would bring the man to spill whatever small bits he knew about.

Rising from his seat as the Lord entered Peir studied the man with interest as he made his way to a chair. From the look of him at least the one who had summoned was reacting like a parent would to the disappearance of their child, assuming it was not a performance of some kind. Like Tamyir he did not retake his seat though he showed no signs of disapproval for the actions of any of the others.

When the others were done with their introductions he lowered his own head briefly, "Peir Barrow, priest of Garl Glittergood and sometime entertainer." Looking Penny's way as she moved to the assumption they had reached following the information from the tavern Peir turned his attention back to the noble to gauge his reaction.

Lord Nanther nods to each of you in turn, looking thoughtful though haggard.

"Ah, a well-rounded group of professionals, I must remember to give my seneschal a bonus. To business then.

I wish to pay you 1,000 platinum pieces to find my son, Oreal. While he is a grown man I don't follow his activities on a daily basis, he hasn't been seen for five days -- far too long. Worse, rumors abound that other noble scions are missing, as you alluded to. I've exhaused all prudent avenues of investigation, but with the increased orc raiding of late and the heightened tension caused by the mission scions, I'm afraid I have little to show. I am certain that you, as neutral operatives, will have better fortune. I must warn you, as the lord of this great house, I have many enemies, both within the city and without. Some no doubt seek to take advantage of this distraction to undermine my authority. House Nanther's utter destruction is not beyond the pale. Such is the politics of this wretched city.

Please, bring my son back to me, forcibly, if need be, safely and soundly. If you find the other scions, please return them as well -- surely the other great houses will blame House Nanther for any death or harm inflicted upon their kin.

Just to be clear, however, the platinum I will be paying you is for Oreal's safe return alone." He spoke, earnestly, but clearly much of what he revealed was not comfortable to the Lord.

Penny pursed her lips in thought for a heartbeat then drew a deep breath "Well, that is... unfortunate." she commented on the lack of information that Lord Nenther had on his son. "So, you don't know if he frequented any specific parts of the town, like the temple, a specific inn or the red light district?" the tiefling asked, wondering if he actually cared about his son.

Licking her lips while she thought about another avenue how to get at least some clues she set her priorities straight. "First we need to determine if your son left of his own volition or if he was abducted. We need to talk to your servants and see if anyone of them has made observations that can help us in that way. Perhaps they know if he left his bed untouched, what gear has gone missing, if his favorite horse is still around etc." she detailed the reason for her next request. "Sir, we need you to summon your employees so we can question them."

Rhaga looked around at the others after Lord Nanther informed them of the job, and the offered payment. If initial reactions were anything to go by, the man had just made a generous one. But she was from the Hordelands, so perhaps she was a bit out of her element. Or maybe this was just a cultural thing.

"Excuse me, what in the Nine Hells is a...plat-in-um?" the Wolfhound asked, hoping to be filled in on the meaning.

With all of the bounties she'd worked, the only denominations she was familiar with, beyond trade, were copper, silver, and gold.

"I understand you want your son found, and any other noble welps if we can manage it, but that part needs to be made clear to me," she followed up quickly, not wanting to look the brainless Orc.

In reply to Rhaga the Wolfhound (msg # 96):

"That's 10,000gp dear Rhaga, a kingly sum. Sorry to say this, but what is the reward if we bring him home to bury. He may be dead already, though I doubt it. Worth too much alive."

Leaning forwards with similar interest as Penny after she was done with her questions Peir added, "If there's been any recent changes in his habits too that might offer some insight. New associates, an interest in certain matters or even just a tendency to visit particular areas of the city or beyond. Anything like that at all you or others in the building noticed will be helpful to know." Which might just leave them with even more leads to chase down but hopefully something would get them moving in the right direction.

Nodding absently in Birahu's direction as he clarified the amount for Rhaga's benefit Peir did not comment on his clarification or additional commentary.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:23, Tue 02 Aug 2022.

Lord Nanther waves off Penny's questions. "I have already questioned the servants, and they could provide me little information I did not already know. Nothing is missing, nothing is disturbed in his room. It is as clean as the day he disappeared. He has been known to disappear for a few days at a time, but not this long, and not with other scions of noble houses missing.

Oreal has some ranger training, but he is known to be carefree, spoiled, and reckless. The boy is naive enough to believe that peace between the great houses is possible, amongst the younger generations. I strictly forbade him from pursuing any liaisons that would undermine House Nanther's security or position within the city.

My greatest enemies are Lord Dornig Leiyraghon, the foul git and his infamous temper, and the Lord of Keys, Halmuth Bruil. Neither of whom will meet with me to discuss our missing children, though Lord Bruil says he is conducting an investigation. Be that as it may, Bruil and the lesser houses of Melvaunt wouldn't dare raise a finger against my house, leaving it unlikely that they are involved.

Assassins from Zhentil Keep or Mulmaster are always a possibility, but such acts would have come with a clear message and outcome.

Orc raids on the infrequent caravans to the northern settlement of Glister and on outlying farms have become more pronounced as of late, still, the city is safe from the creatures' depredations and no orc would dare attack a noble family."

At Birahu's question, a pained expression passes over his face, for a moment, the weight of years shadowing his features and aging him. "If my son is dead, I want concrete proof of his death, his body returned to me in as good a condition as you can so that he can be interned in our family mausoleum. I will pay the same, Kelemvor help me, for my child's return, but I pray that you will be able to bring me more joyous news than that."

He ponders Peirs questions, shaking his head. "Oreal did not like to be followed by my agents, though he was known to frequent many houses of ill repute within the city, no place did he prefer over another. I wish I could provide you more information, but I have told you all that I know and all that is known to my household." He spoke, depleted.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 12:07, Wed 03 Aug 2022.

"We will endeavor to bring him back alive m'lord, he should be safe. Well good company, shall we undertake this rescue mission? I vote yes!" He looks to each in turn.

The tiefling listened carefully to Lord Nanther's elaborations, annoyed he insisted not knowing anything of use. Yet, it was the details that would make the difference between failure and success. "Sir, " she began, sharply addressing the father of their target. "In these few sentences you have told us more details helping determining the reason for your son's disappearance. - Let me say that you asked us to find your son because our skills are better suited to finding Oreal than your own or those of your staff. Let us do our job, even if that means asking what you consider redundant questions." Penny appealed to the wisdom of an elder leader of a family. "The other houses have hired thugs to look for their kids and they have not been successful, most likely because they are not asking the right questions and overlook certain details. We will not make the same mistake."

Penny rubbed her temples in order to calm herself down, it was not the smart thing to aggravate your employer. "Do you have any likeness of your son or a very detailed description that will help us to identify Oreal when we ask for him?"

Smiling thinly at Biharu's enthusiasm Peir nevertheless nodded his head in sharp agreement, "Same. I was already inclined that way but the additional information helps confirm my choice."

With Penny seemingly opting to not provide even a veneer of civility in her demands Peir added after her remarks in a mildly more mollifying tone, "My associate here is eager that we not miss anything no matter how minor. As you mentioned earlier you trusted your seneschal to find people like us, hopefully you will provide that same faith to us in our efforts." Given Penny's questions so far concluding with the most essential bit of information needed, details of who they were looking for in a more clear manner than simply a name, hopefully that would not be an overly demanding request.

"If you or any of your staff have details of some of the places he might have frequented we would appreciate that, it provides more avenues where we might be able to reconstruct Oreal's path before." Given Lord Nanther already confirmed that he knew of some of the seedier places that was information he definitely had. Considering the other bits of information Peir focused on the matter of the other Lords first, continuing, "Their offspring would be Kalman and Argens correct? From your description of Lord Leiyraghon I would expect that he would not be willing to deal with us at all, is it likely the Lord of Keys will be similar if he is aware we are working for you? I doubt either would be especially willing to see a bunch of random sorts anyway but it's possible if Lord Bruil's own efforts have had no success they might be willing to confirm details we find about his own offspring's disappearance."

"Are there any items of Oreal's that might have been taken with him beyond the norm for a matter in the city itself? A favoured steed, particular possessions he would not normally carry or the like that have not been found since his absence?"

Looking to the other members of his group, particularly Rhaga given her experience he added, "I am also thinking that it might be worthwhile finding who was on the gates on the day he disappeared. It's possible someone noticed something but now does not want to speak up for fear of the consequences for not saying anything sooner."

In reply to Penny (msg # 101):

"Excellent idea Penny, that way we can find him if we know who we're looking for and it might jiggle a memory when we start looking, Rhaga? What say you?" he then looks to the others that have not answered yet.

The Orc stroked her chin for a moment, thinking. The others had asked most of the questions that she would have asked, in her capacity as bounty hunter. This was essentially the same thing, only this bounty was encouraged to come back alive, which was not normally the case. However, she did have one inquiry that the others probably wouldn't think of.

"Do you have anything of his. Preferably something he wore often, or that wasn't regularly laundered? The more unspoiled the scent, the better..." Rhaga asked, turning towards their host.

Lord Nenthar nods, pulling a very well-done small portrait of his son from his jacket pocket, handing it to you. "I have little else, for that I am sorry. You are free to question any under my employ, but I doubt you shall uncover more than I. I am afraid my staff is very good at their duties, and nothing stained or worn would have been left uncleaned. Now that you mention it though, he has not kept his training equipment here for quite some time according to the maids, months and months in fact...perhaps old Dorn would know. I have never employed his services before, but Dorn Crownshield is a famous dwarven ranger in these parts, if anyone had taught someone to be a ranger, Oreal may have sought him out for the training. Most dwarves like to hang about the Frothy Beard, a socializing tavern for dwarves who work here in Melvaunt." He spoke, before ringing for a servant. At the young man's arrival, Lord Nenthar speaks quickly. "Gather the servants and have them brought here to answer the questions of these fine adventurers, you go and check Oreals' room for any clothing or equipment that may not have been laundered recently, and if you find it, bring it here." He spoke, booking no argument.

Penny listened to Peir smoothing the waves that her direct approach might have caused and bit her lip, realizing her mistake. It was something she needed to work on if she wanted to improve her spiel. Fortunately Lord Nanther seemed mollified by the cleric's words. "My apologies for my lack of etiquette or tact and thank you for allowing us to have this picture." she told the old man, taking the painting and committed the details to memory.

She nodded in affirmation as the Lord's orders made sure all their demands were met. That was a good start. Her brow furrowed as she considered the news that Oreal was keeping his gear elsewhere, that reeked of keeping secrets since he would have to clean the items himself, rather than having his servants maintaining weapons and armor. The tiefling had the feeling they were onto something. "I have a hunch we will go to have a drink at a certain dwarven tavern later today." she told her companions in hushed tones, making sure none of the employees would overhear. "My approach would be to have one of you ask the questions, while I read their minds to see if they tell us the truth. Might lead to flushing out another house's spy in the process, wouldn't that be a nice bonus?" she explained with a devious smile in the same low voice.

Nodding thanks for the portrait as Penny took it Peir shifted slightly on his feet at the additional information the Lord confirmed. Unsurprised by the confirmation of the lack of anything unwashed he was nevertheless quite enthused by the additional information provided.

Once the Lord's attention was turned to summoning the household staff and Penny made her remarks he replied in a similarly hushed tone, "Fine bit of questioning, we're far further along than before. I would say that spell is a fine idea but there is a risk since any who resist it will feel traces of something being used on them." Looking to the others he added, "I'd also suggest we standardise the questions we ask as much as possible, it'll help catch inconsistencies."

In reply to Peir Barrow (msg # 107):

"Excellent idea Peir. I will listen while someone else questions for sure, unless I think of something important no one else does. Not likely."

Penny leaned in to hear what Peir had to share and nodded largely in agreement. His remark about people noticing her listening in on their thoughts only had her shrug in response "Depending on how they react, it might tell us to intensify the questioning since they appear to be hiding something and since the spell won't last forever, using the same questions on everyone will speed up the interrogation, too." she answered, apparently not worried about anyone realizing their thoughts were invaded.

The servants are brought to the room in short order, lined up and given to you for questioning. As Penny casts her spell, she begins to feel the surface motives of the servants. Although some are slightly selfish, overall, the staff answer the questions as truthfully as they can. No new information is gathered, only collaborations of the information provided to you by Lord Nenthar.

Penny scrutinized every servant mentally always expecting deception or even worse. Curiously she was disappointed when there was no ill will towards their employer, perhaps there were actually a few good people out there. Not that she would ever say that out loud.

After the interrogations, the tiefling informed Lord Nenthar or his Seneshal, if the former was kept busy, that the good news was they had no spy in the ranks of their servants and that the group would now follow the next natural step. "We will keep you posted, sir." she finished and turned to her companions to see if they had to add anything. Perhaps her words needed more soothing?

ooc: I can amend my post if anyone has something to add or wants to do it differently. Just thought we could get to the 'Frothy Beard' sooner rather than later. :)

"Right, on to the Frothy Beard, check it out and sample the beer."

Assisting the others in asking questions while Penny handled the magical verification side of things once the questioning was concluded and Penny confirmed nothing had registered as more amiss than the enquiries already provided Peir nodded at agreement with Bhiaru's suggestion.

"Unless anyone else thinks we might have a better lead to follow I think trying to find this dwarven fellow might be best." Looking at his fellows he added, "It might be best if we suggest any messages from Lord Nenthar for us be sent to the Crow's Nest, since I imagine we'll be most likely to be found there as anywhere else?"

Provided there are no other questions, the group pays their respects to their employer, and make their way out of the estate of Lord Nenthar. Making their way through the streets, you move towards the more trade-oriented areas, perhaps one of the locals would know where the "Frothy Beard" might be located.

In reply to He Who Watches (msg # 114):

"Ask a dwarf, they'll know where the frothy beard is I'm sure." He follows the others into the trade district of the city.

With no indication that any of the others were eager to start the enquiries Peir followed along to the trade district before casting his eyes over the possibilities present for those to engage in conversation. Given the mention of what the favoured audience was for for the establishment he kept an eye out for any dwarves amongst the various merchants displaying their wares given the increased chance of them likely knowing the bar in question.

Tamyir follows with the group, uncertain of what seems to be a well-planned or concealed departure by this son. No simple clues, scents or trail to track down leaving him a bit adrift. Shrugging, he follows the group the tavern in question, happy to at least be making some progress. "This could prove a worthy task, indeed. The prize is large, but the challenge is high. Mystra's blessed locks, I do hope we find this man hale and happy."

(OOC)
Good %greeting_time%! New controller of the Pally-Mage on task!

Penny walked along the group, wondering how to go about finding Dorn Crownshield without getting caught and executed by a lynch mob. "Dwarves are usually a distrustful lot and quite resistant to magic. If one of them penetrates my disguise they will stay silent. Better Tamyir or Peir talk to them." she told them before she went to go fish for the location of the 'Frothy Beard'...

ooc: 22:26, Today: Penny rolled 8 using 1d20.  Gather Info 'Frothy Beard'.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:43, Thu 25 Aug 2022.

Peir points out a wandering dwarf tradesman, obviously done for the day. Penny approaches, asking a question. The dwarf looks reserved for a brief moment, before gesturing ahead, and to the right. "Aye lass, the Beard be down tha way, of to yer right. Look fer a large stein of ale, overflowing with head, and ye found the Frothy Beard." He spoke, before nodding and continuing on his way.

"Excellent, thank you." she replied to the directions and turned to her companions. "See, that wasn't that hard." the tiefling commented and grinned, taking the lead to get the group to the inn in question.

"You just need more confidence in yourself Penny! Good going!"

Tamyir looks over his gear, ensuring it's spotless condition as they head to the inn, knowing that first impressions are the only impressions that matter socially. A light buff with a chamois over his mithral shirt ensures the shine is complete, and he heads with the group, head high and imposing. "Mystra's gaze give us success, so we can make haste on this trail."

"The gods help those that help themselves..." Rhaga grunted as she followed the path to the Frothy Beard.

Which was about as deep into philosophy or religion as the Orc woman had ever gotten in the party's presence.

"I think this day is trying to make us sluggish with food and drink. This will be the third place where both are available in but a handful of hours," she said gruffly, absentmindedly petting Maral behind the ears as she did so.

As you make your way into the Frothy Beard, you notice that the majority of people within are dwarves, almost overwhelmingly male, and give you all a stare before continuing to their drinking and games. An older woman walks up to you, speaking quickly. "Good eve to ye, travelers! What can we do fer ye? Cain't saw we see such a group like ye in an age here in these walls." She spoke, eyeing Rhaga with some unease, but not bringing up the orc or cat in the room. More than one or two of the dwarves are deliberately looking away from her, least they do something...rude.

Nodding agreement with his various fellows at their assessment of matters Peir remained quiet as they headed to the bar in question. Once inside and subject to the pointed stares from the crowd within, all the more pointed as they fell on Rhaga before moving away, he forced a smile on his face swiftly that remained steady as the woman approached them.

Addressing her in a relaxed manner he ducked his head briefly, "Peir Barrow ma'am. We're here looking for someone actually, a fellow by the name of Dorn Crownshield? We've heard he's a range of some repute and he is to be found here at times, we were hoping to either speak to the man himself or possibly someone who might know where he's to be found?"

Rhaga set her yellow against any stunted Dwarf that gave her the stink eye. Even though she had not been raised in an Orc clan, she knew well the racial enmity of their peoples. And she was not about to feel fear in this den of rock-biters and beard-dandies. And while they eventually went back to their business, the bounty hunter thought it best to let the others talk to the Dwarves. Didn't want to start another barroom brawl by accident. That wouldn't help them, or get them any closer to their target.

Tamyir backs up Peir with his presence and if that presence is perhaps enhanced slightly by a touch of his Lady's blessing, all to the good of their quest. Looking around at those staring, he smiles and nods politely.

Penny had intentionally stayed towards the back of the group, letting everyone else take the attention of the inn's patrons. She did check the room, hoping to spot anyone who seemed to have something to hide or an open blade destined for the orc's arteries. She also took special note of potential escape routes, just in case before leaning against the counter and asking for an ale.

ooc: 16:22, Today: Penny rolled 11 using 1d20+8.  Spot check.

The older dwarven woman smiles at the name, then her eyes begin to look troubled. "Aye, I daren say that everyone here knows Dorn Crownshield." She spoke, though at the mention of Dorn, no few dwarves raise their mugs, cheering and giving respect to the name. Many say "Dorn!", "Crownshield!", "Orcbane!" as they do.

The older woman sighs before speaking again. "I fear that Dorn has been gone from the city narey a week now. He was boasting about taking out his younglins on a real Tharran adventure, showing them orcs not to mess around with this area." She said, nodding to the bartender to serve ale to the young woman.

"Kack! That isn't good. Hmmm, Penny, Rhaga, anybody? Ideas now?"

Penny sighed in disappointment, it seemed the dwarf had taken the missing scions to fight against the orcs that came closer to the city. Probably getting them captured or killed, or captured, tortured and killed - or they would have returned to the city victorious already. Which meant they were out of the city and out of her field of expertise. But she wouldn't have been a cunning tiefling if she let it go at this point.

Slamming her hand on the counter twice she grabbed the attention of the patrons "A Tharran adventure! - Ha, that sounds so much like Dorn." she sort of went with the flow. "Free drinks so we can toast to Crownshield!" she called out, figuring that dwarves liked to drink and most of them did not like to part with their gold, hence free drinks seemed a good guess to win them over.

Once everyone had their drinks and they had once more raised their mugs in appreciation of the 'orcbane', Penny addressed the dwarves again. "Does anyone know where exactly he wanted to go, or at least which gate he left through?" she asked "I'd really like to be able to boast with the fact I fought alongside THE Dorn Crownshield." It did occur to her, that they were traveling with an orc and that Rhaga might feel conflicted - perhaps even offended - but at this point it was a sacrifice necessary for the mission to succeed. At least she told herself that.

"I need the princeling's scent. See if you can get us into the Dwarf's room..." Rhaga rumbled under her breath to her companions.

She was clearly on edge in this room of drunken Stunties. The fact that the big Orc layed a hand on the back of her snow leopard's neck to calm her as well showed that the big cat shared her friend's sentiment.

"How can we access his rooms Penny? Rhaga needs the scent." he says in her ear.

While Penny turned her attention to working the room Peir kept his attention on the woman who had approached them, lowering his voice slightly even as his heart sank at the description of what had caused the dwarf's absence, "I see. That's rather helpful to know, there are some other questions we would like to ask but would we cause less disturbance if we seated at a table to talk out of the way?"

She appears to be briefly annoyed as Penny interrupts the flow of business, even though it would be a boon to her, it was greeted loudly by the patrons of the bar. Sighing, she rushes to fullfill the orders, and takes one for herself as Penny toasts Dorn and his accomplishments. Penny hears various comments that he went through each of the gates last, but no one is sure. As Peir asks about further questions, she shakes her head no. "Sorry lad, I fear you won't get much from this lot. Dorn was a private dwarf, prefered his solitude. The gate guards may be yer best bet to figure out which direction Dorn went out." She spoke, seeming like she was sorry, but the business was starting to pick up.

"Hmmm, I guess it's time to feel out the different gates, find out the last time he went through, my guess is we won't have much luck my dears. How many guards are there, who was on when he left, what time did they leave and where were they heading. Rhaga needs his scent, she is the best at tracking!"

Tamyir nods, "Dorn is obviosuly well known enough, and certainly him with a tag-along pack of younglings would be remarkable. Let's ask around the guard posts and find out which way he went and follow." To Rhaga, he speaks a lot lower and says "Would it be helpful for your speed to be enhanced, so you can get the scent you need to aid us on this?"

Unsurprised by the dwarven woman's eagerness to see them move on, both for the desire to get them out of the way as business grew and not to talk overmuch about the doings of one as well-regarded as Dorn, Peir nevertheless was optimistic there might be one more bit of information yet to leave with. As the others confirmed their readiness to move on to the gate guard he nodded agreement then asked her, "Just one last question, if I may. I don't suppose you know the identities of these younglings of Dorn's? Or if not if say they'd all happen to be human youths of a similar age?" The last at least gave her a degree of ignorance still to plead if she did know but did not want to admit outright that the missing nobles were with Dorn, something that could go ill for the dwarf in question down the line.

Penny was somewhat disappointed, her efforts did not seem to yield results that were aiding in their efforts to find Crownshield. Speaking with a few patrons she tried at least to secure information on where the dwarf lived when in town...

ooc: Sorry, pressed for time. Trying to gather the info where Dorn has his accomodations.

22:59, Today: Penny rolled 15 using 1d20+6.  Gather Info.

The matron shook her head no to Peir's question, looking not apprehensive at answering his questions, but the busyness of the tavern. "I'm sorry lad, Dorn never mentioned if his younglings were of the wealthy noble class, though that would make sense. He trained Lord Nanthers' child a few years back, I remember that. Perhaps you can inquire with each of the missing scions houses? Lord Nanther's home isn't that far away. They might have a better idea what happened to their younglings."

Penny's questioning to find where Dorn Crownshield called home doesn't gain much in return. He was a well-known dwarf of the wilderness, so if he did stay in town, he probably rented rooms for a time before leaving, possibly not staying in one inn overly long.
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 01:47, Fri 23 Sept 2022.

"I think we have nothing else to gain here. Perhaps we can call it a day and just have a drink at the inn, discuss what else we can do to find Dorn." she told her companions, thinking the innkeepers of the Crow's Nest might know more...

Relieved that at least it did not seem to be an immediate confirmation of what was looking like an awfully inevitable conclusion Peir nodded appreciatively, "Thank you for the suggestions. And your time of course." Letting her get back to work he looked to Penny at her remark as she re-joined the group, considering it for a moment.

"Perhaps. Or given we have a rough timeframe for the disappearances we could instead try the current batch of guards and if none of them were on maybe find out who was on then and where they like to drink?"

Talking to Peir, "That's probably a good path to follow. The longer this takes to find which way to go, the further away they get. Should we ask at the gates, now?"

"Well, the day is not young anymore and I believe it makes more sense to follow after Crownshield first light tomorrow, rather than leaving the city now." Penny answered. "So, yes let's go and ask the guards if they saw the dwarf leave with a number of scions in tow. But don't come back complaining nobody saw." the tiefling added with emphasis. "I'm positive the search of the missing scions would have brought forth any guard who might have seen them on the day they were seen last." Penny finished with the confident note that she was right.

"Of course, you can go ahead and ask around, I think I'll have a drink at the Crow's Nest before I turn in."

ooc: My take is: Since Dorn seems to have left with the scions to go on an adventure, the guards would have at least recognized one of the youths. And as nobody seemed to have seen them leave through the gate, asking the guards is most likely a waste of time. Penny is going to ask around the (decent/better) inns if Crownshield rented a room there, beginning with the Crow's Nest.
11:26, Today: Penny rolled 8 using 1d20+6.  Gather Info.

Looking slightly confused by Penny's suggestion Peir answered, "I suspect one of the guards would already have said if the scions had been obvious. My thoughts were it's possible the guards might remember Dorn leaving."

Shrugging he added, "As for complaining if I don't find any information that's unlikely. It's a possibility to run down but if it's unsuccessful then so be it. I'm certain we'll have more."

"Okay," Tamyir agrees, "First light we'll pick our path. Let's get home and rest up for a long trek tomorrow." Still obviously bothered by not having a clear direction to go yet, none the less he sees no better option, either.

"Great! - Let's go then." the tiefling agreed.

Birahu woke in the morning with feathers from a wing tickling his face, it made him sneeze and he woke. After rising he prepared for the day ahead, packing for the trip and getting ready to go to breakfast, he playfully slapped Penny on the bottom and told her it was time to rise, wisely done before he was ready to leave so as not to anger her.

Only when his hand did not connect with the targeted bottom, but passed through it effortlessly, did the magus realize that he had been fooled by one more of his fiendish friend's manipulations of the mind. He should have known that when he felt feathers instead of the leathery membranes that Penny actually possessed. A chuckle originated from the open window and the beguiler came out of hiding, seating herself on the window sill. "Still believing I was that easy a catch, I see." she mocked him with a smirk.

In reply to Penny (msg # 149):

Tamyir rises the next morning, alert and refreshed. After spending an hour in fervent prayer, he gathers his gear and goes to meet the rest of the troupe. "Alright! Where do we head to, now?"