The Streets are Cold [5e INC]

[Anubis Dread]

She looks at Sana with a raised brow and pulls her hand away. "I prefer someone with a bit of power and position to one day get me out of this stagnant hole. It may be my hole, but I'd rather have an Inn on the main streets, or in the Hill District. Someday soon I'll have one. Anyhow, if you need any more drinks, coin first." She says the last bit looking straight at Grosh.

"Sounds like you;re talking about someone in particular. You seeing someone?" Grosh asks, putting a coin down on the counter. Trying to keep his tone casual and curious. He's been rejected, he can be gracious about it. Not that he actually wanted her in the first place considering... elf. Ew.

[Illven]

Sana's going to look around, and start casual conversation with the nearest patron.

[JNAProductions]

Silver, still not entirely comfortable with the situation, sits at the bar and nurses a drink, waiting to see if any allies need help (or people need help from her allies).

[Croverus]

The next hour passes, patrons coming and going, the people in the back still gambling, the two men with Kord's brand on them having left after several tense arm wrestling matches which brought a few bets. Karina spends the hour serving drinks, getting flirted with a good amount. She tries to overhear conversations, but hears little besides rumors about the current fights at the arena and general grumbling about the guards being useless. She stops at one table and serves them drinks while the men are arguing about a gambling debt. One starts flirting when she approaches and tries to grab her wrist to pull her onto his lap.

Spoiler: Karina

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You can go with it, or try making a save to break his hold on your wrist, or react in any other way you'd like.

Meanwhile, the drow inn keeper teases Grosh with a flippant response of, "Might me that. He's a man of power and wealth. I'm hoping he comes in later tonight, though he could at least try not clearing out the bar this time." She shrugs and busies herself with handling other patrons at the bar.

Sana approaches a gruff looking human nursing a mug of ale, he looks over to her and gives her a nod, commenting on how nice it is to see some more ladies in here. He offers to buy her a drink and asks what she's doing in a dive like this.

Spoiler: Sana

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You can PM what Sana says or post it openly, you are close enough to Grosh that if you don't whisper he'd hear you.

Silver sits at the far end of the bar, away from the rest of his group and not engaging with anyone, but he has a view on all his companions.

Spoiler: Silver

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You will spot Karina on the other end of the Inn. She looks like she's being harassed as far as you can tell.

Spoiler: Misera

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As the only member of the group outside, Misera looks like the picture of a street urchin begging for food. He goes mostly unnoticed besides the rare passer by that drops a single copper at his feet. While keeping his watch he notices 3 men with tattoos across the street in an alley, keeping an eye on the inn They've been there since silver arrived at least.

[JNAProductions]

Silver heads over to where Karina is, asking Is there a problem over here?

[Anubis Dread]

So not only was their target coming in tonight, they cleared the bar when they did so? Interesting... kidnapping the girl had a lot of potential complications. Kidnapping the target AND the girl and they were guaranteed to get what they wanted. And when the two were having their little tryst would be when they were the most vulnerable. Just charge in, slaughter the guards, then get them both with their pants down. Literally. Sounded like a plan to him.

Of course Grosh couldn't exactly explain this in a crowded tavern with the girl right there, so he just sipped his mug of grog and waited for their opportunity.

[Fishybugs]

Karina gracefully slides away from the patron just as he thought he was about to close his hand around her wrist. She swirls around to the other side of him and leans over, resting her elbow on the table and her chin on her hand. She gives him a wink and says, "You'll have to be a little quicker than that to catch me. Any more drinks for you gentlemen?"

Silver suddenly appears at the table and offers assistance. Karina considers for a moment, but definitely wants to avoid a scene in her first couple hours on the job. "I appreciate the gallantry, good sir. Lady Jaqueln does make sure we're not harassed....to much," she says with a flirtatious grin." She finishes the sentence will a little emphasis and looks directly at the first man with the last few words. Her eyes turn a little more serious as she looks the patron directly in the eye. "Of course if that isn't enough of a deterrence, my dagger's bite is deep, good sir."

[Illven]

Sana smiled at the man.

That would be lovely. She responded warmly to his offer of drink.

And the old bar where I was at. The scene was getting so boring. So forumlaic, I needed change.

[Gastronomie]

...It's about time they got something, eh? Misera, in his rags, points a finger at the walls of the inn (he's got some sort of blanket over himself, so chances are, any people around him wouldn't be able to realize any movement within).

I sure am lucky I can cast this spell today, Misera thinks to himself. Only today, given, but. My demonic blood isn't very predictable about what it gives me...

Spoiler: OOC

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Today, Misera has the "Message" cantrip - page 259 of PH, for those who want to check its effects - from his Abyssal Arcana ability. Which I admit was pretty damn lucky in this sort of campaign.

Misera tugs his rags over his mouth (in case anybody might be looking at his mouth), and whispers to his companions each -

"Hey, Grosh, what's up? Can't see what's happenin' in there, but you know, got any good info to share? As for me, I've found these bunch of guys - three to be exact - with some weird-ass tattoos, and they've been keeping their eyes on this inn for all this time. Either they have really nothing to do, or they have something really important to do. Probably the latter, might be worth noting. Especially if that Van'tra...whatever...is connected to that drow woman. You can reply to me in any whisper and I'll be the only one who hears it. I will tell the others any extra messages you want to send to the others, so we can always share the same information without getting realized we're a team. Yes, yes. I know. It's my... more like our... lucky day."

"Hello, Karina, do you hear me? Might have already told you, but today I can message you freely. I can message you without being realized, and same with you to me. If you've got any good information, please tell me right now. Right now I've found outside, these three tattooed men, and personally I think they seem as though..."

Misera will repeat about the same thing to Silver and Sana as well. This way, the five can share information without being suspected.

[Anubis Dread]

A communication spell? That was a spot of good luck. Grosh never bothered with anything like that himself. Him preparing spells that were no good for anything but spying and talking would be a shame to Gruumsh.

"The girl thinks our target may be here later tonight. Apparently when he gets here he tends to clear out the bar to make things private. If we wait until the two go up to a room to knock boots we can storm in, take out the guards and kidnap both of them," Grosh whispered.

[Gastronomie]

"Great," Misera smirks as he messages to Grosh, his expression hidden by his rags. "Quite lucky we are. I suppose not everyone in there knows it? I should message that info to the others too, right?"

Misera will distribute that information among all of the party members via Message.

[Illven]

That's when we should strike then. Sana whispered back.

[Croverus]

The thug doesn't seem impressed by the threats, but does glance over to Ms Firebrand at her mention. He and the others at his table pay their tab then get up and leave. Thirty minutes passes as more patrons start to go. The man talking with Sana, having bought her a drink, is flirting with her and tries to convince her to come with him to another bar that he swears they'll have a great time. He buys her one more drink for the road, passing it to her.

Spoiler: Sana!!!

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Make a perception check.

Firebrand looks at Grosh. "Alright buddy, I'm winding things down. Best you get going soon. Maybe you can talk with me when you've got more coin to your name. What was your name again?"

Spoiler: Outside

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The tattooed thugs have grown in number to include the original three, two more another alley down, and another two hanging out just down the road under a gas lamp. They've been chatting in plain sight for a good 10 miuntes. Anyone passing through might think nothing of it, but Misera can tell they're staking the place out. Their attention is on the Inn though, none of them seem concerned about the street urchin camped out front. (Also, you've accumulated about 6 copper with your 'begging'.)

[Gastronomie]

Misera tries his best to stay calm, crouched up in his blanket, biting his lips under concealment of the rags. It isn't easy for him - he's not very used to staying still, and apart from that, the tattoed thugs, increasing in number at the minute, are staring at him. Perhaps they actually don't mean to stare at Misera - more at the inn behind him - but either way, it's still very disturbing.

Back when Misera was together with his brother, they would run whenever they were surrounded by adults they didn't know. But now, it wasn't an option to run. It was his job to be on alert. Stay calm... and tell what's happening to the companions inside the inn.

"...Do you hear me? It's me, Misera," Misera whispers as he points a finger at the wall, again tucked inside his blanket so the thugs will not notice. "The tattoed men are...gathering. They're increasing in number. I said at first there's only three, but now there's five...six...seven. I count seven. And there could be more, in some places I can't see from here - I can't tell right now. Either way, there's something wrong going on here. If these are hired guards or something... this drow woman here... the information about her being connected to Van'tra - whatever, the tax guy - is probably correct. Either that, or some other patron."

Misera sends the information to everyone in the group, so that they all now know of the fact that the tattoed thugs are gradually increasing.

[Anubis Dread]

Grosh was about to just put some more coin on the counter when he got the message. A whole mess of people outside eh? Either the security was more than they thought or this was something unrelated. If it was unrelated it was best to just wipe them out to avoid them messing up things when they started the real plan. If they were guards then it'd be best if he was outside to block the door in and cut them all down before they could get into the inn and interfere with the people they already had inside of it. Either way, it was time to leave.

Grosh downed the last of his grog before nodding, getting to his feet and heading out the door. Now he just needed to get into a position that wasn't suspicious... slumping down as though he were drunk far enough from the door to not be suspicious but close enough to rush there if needed was the best idea.

[Fishybugs]

As Karina cleans the table vacated by the group of patrons, she looks down and whispers under her breath to Masera, "I'm not sure all here is as it seems. We may not have been given a true story by our little patron. Tell the others to be ready, but be cautious."

[Illven]

Oh crap, do we have to get going? Sana asks her new beau for the night.

[Croverus]

The patrons gradually clear out. The man Sana is drinking with stands, encouraging she finish her drink. "Yea, but no worries. I know a place just down the road that opens up at dusk."

Spoiler: Sana

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When Sana drinks, make me a Fortitude save

Ms Firebrand approaches 'Carlee' And smiles. "You did a good job tonight lass. Once you finish cleaning up the tables just head in back and finish the dishes. I have a special friend coming over and he and I have some business to take care of in my office. His guards should mind the door, don't let them scare you. Just keep to your chores and there won't be an issues."

Grosh heads outside, doing a decent job of stumbling about. He notices two tough individuals with tattoos like Misera described about 30 ft up the road under a street lamp, they pause their conversation to look his way then chuckle seeing him stumble about, assuming he is drunk and returning to their conversation.

Spoiler: Misera and Grosh

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Perception checks

[Fishybugs]

Carlee (Karina) bobs a curtsy and a quick "Thank you, milady" to Ms. Firebrand and continues to clean the table. She wonders at Sana's behavior with the other patron, and attempts to flash her a quick warning look when nobody else is around.

She leans to clean another table, looking down as she works and whispers to Masera, "We may have a problem. Grosh just walked out. If Sana leaves here with a man, have him stop them." She approaches Sana and the patron and asks, "Anything else we can do for you? You look like you could use a rest before walking home, milady."

[Illven]

Sana's eye's lidded nods towards the man.

That sounds fun. She agrees sleeply. But... She says with a seductive stretching yawn.

You may have to lead the way.