Bedu quickly moves to Jaku, when he re-appears. "Well?" he listens to their story then prepares to meet the chef.

--
"Ask around the room? I shall speak with the chef, he and I share a common love of the table and its happy contents."

Bedu moves into the kitchen.

Is there an obvious exit from the back room or kitchen?

For everyone, if you think a roll might be needed (Perception, aka Spot, checks for example), go ahead and make the roll and post the results to save time. That way, if you need it, it's there; if not, I can ignore it.

In the back room, Indo & Jaku quickly relate their story to Bedu & Skittle. Skittle runs out of the tavern, while Bedu moves towards the kitchen. Jaku moves around the back room, carefully scanning the people and walls. There are no other obvious exits from the back room, except to the main room and kitchen.
Jaku (and anyone else who wants to): make a Perception check.

Bedu

Pindara

"Who, that guy just then? What was wrong with him?" Pindara asks in an innocent manner. "He seemed kind of surly."

Deception (1d20+9=22)

Bedu quickly appraises the situation, keeping both hands wrapped around his healthy belly.

Perception check (1d20+2=17)

Indo divides his attention between Jaku and Bedu, making their safety his priority.

Perception (1d20=10)

My bad. That's a 14 for Listen or Spot.

My bad. That's a 14 for Listen or Spot.

Those who haven't converted their characters to Alpha yet (Billzabub and ancientsensei), there are some specific notes about it on the discussion thread.

perception roll for scanning the room(1d20+6=21)

In the back room
None of you notice anything out of place or strange in the back room. It appears to be a normal basement tavern. None of the patrons sitting here seem special in any way either, although some of them do give you funny looks as you search the room.

Bedu

Pindara

Skittle

Bedu quickly waves to Indo from the doorway then walks straight through the kitchen to the door. He effects a look of a man on important business.

Bluff check 14+6=20, but if anyone bothers him

Pindara comforts the girl, "Hey, it's ok, it's ok... don't worry, I won't tell anyone. And... I'll have a word with this guy to make sure he doesn't either. Did you see where he went?"

Bedu

Pindara

Skittle

Uh...should I read that spoiler or not?

You finally reach the back of the building, and see a short stairway leading down to a cellar door. In the alleyway at the top of the steps are piles of rubbish, and a stray dog is nosing through the piles, as well as more than a few rats.

1d20=12+4=16 perception check

Liet knocks at the door, "Pindara, you ok in there?"

Pindara reassures the girl and goes out to meet Liet.

Glaring at him she says in a steely undertone, "Good going, priest. Next time tell them where I live. First rule; don't use my name." her whole attitude seems different to when they were at dinner. As if that persona were a front, or maybe this one is.

When they get somewhere safe, she tells the others what she discovered from the girl, "He used to be shacked up with her; he has a lair in the catacombs somewhere."

Sorry she's being a b!tch, Rad! :(

Uh...should I read that spoiler or not?

The barber continues out the door.

Indo looks over at Jaku and shrugs. He points to the kitchen and mouths the words I'll go with Bedu.

Taking a last look around the room, he steps back into the kitchen and looks for his charge. He smiles sheepishly at the impatient looks offered by the kitchen's staff.

Skittle puts his ear to the door, just in time for it to be opened by Bedu, with Indo close behind. Jaku can be seen waiting by the interior kitchen door.

Liet and Pindara notice that their friends have all left the common room, but can hear a commotion coming from the back room and kitchen.

We can assume you all get back together and hear Pindara's tale, unless anyone wants to do something else.

"Crap," Skittle exclaims as he almost falls over when Bedu opens the door. Straightening up, he sheaths his kukri, and after a moment, when he realizes what has happened, he raises his hands and tells the others to stop. He turns around and climbs back up the short staircase, looking for any signs of recent passing.

track attempt (1d20=10+4=14)

"What did you find out, other than the man escaped this way, Pindara?" asks Bedu when everyone gathers. He watches Skittle search the ground as he talks.

"Girl claimed they were in love, and that he has a place down in the catacombs. She didn't know where though. They always met here or at an inn. He sometimes works at Barge End." she relays.

Pindara reassures the girl and goes out to meet Liet.

Glaring at him she says in a steely undertone, "Good going, priest. Next time tell them where I live. First rule; don't use my name." her whole attitude seems different to when they were at dinner. As if that persona were a front, or maybe this one is.

When they get somewhere safe, she tells the others what she discovered from the girl, "He used to be shacked up with her; he has a lair in the catacombs somewhere."

Sorry she's being a b!tch, Rad! :(

Skittle studies the ground for tracks of the man, but the cobblestone street makes it difficult to discern any tracks. Added to that is the fact the street is apparently well traveled enough to mask his footprints among those of tens, if not hundreds, of others who have passed this way.

If indeed he exited through the kitchen's back door, it is anyone's guess as to where he might have gone from here.

A lair in the caracombs? whispers Indo. If we believe he is still moving, we should go. The panther is quiet when he stalks, but quieter when he sleeps.

Bedu makes a guess that there are extensive catacombs and more than one entrance? DM is that a fair assumption?

"Pindara may I have a moment of your help? I shall be back shortly. Excuse me but it would take too long to explain."

Bedu heads back inside the tavern through the main entrance, with or without Pindara.

Pindara/DM

"Bedu, I won't get to talk to her again; the barman was quite adamant that we'd talked long enough. The only way would be to wait for her to get off work, or for me to take the barman up on his job offer. Which isn't going to happen." Pindara says, all pretence of being a shy potter dropped.

"I see. I shall wait unless there is a better way of finding out where the man has entered the catacombs?" Bedu sighs. "Thank you, Pindara."

Indo narrows his eyes and looks down the alley at the passersby. He murmurs.

Please do not mistake me for a rude man, but I believe if you think of the poor in your city as indigents, perhaps we can assume they know their way around the jungle?

He waits for his meaning to sink in, hoping his accent does not compromise his conveyance. Even their catacombs?

Bedu makes a guess that there are extensive catacombs and more than one entrance? DM is that a fair assumption?

Muiu Thral is an old city, perhaps the oldest settlement in Iskandria after Lost Yaduu. Its buildings reflect millennia of architectural styles, and newer constructions are often built right on top of crumbling older structures. Obviously, the upper classes tend to reside in the upper levels of the city, leaving the decaying undercity to the poor and the dispossessed. The city’s subterranean catacombs are ancient beyond belief, and folk warn against delving too far into their forgotten depths, lest one encounter the fell beasts and vile things said to make their homes there now, and are best left undisturbed.

Residents of Muiu Thral (Bedu, Pindara, and Jaku) may make Knowledge (local) checks.

Knowledge (local) DC 15

Also, for everyone, keep in mind that it is now night, which might inform what you want to do next.

Please check the discussion thread for comments on your character conversions to PF Alpha.

So what's the next step, true believers? I'd love to move this forward, but I need to know what you want to do.

I don't have Know (local) so I can't get DC 15 knowledge :(

Pindara snaps, "Well, the docks then?"

I should have made this clear earlier: A untrained Knowledge check is just an Intelligence check. So with a DC of 15, anyone can attempt it. Not that there's any big secret behind that spoiler tag... :)

Finding Bedu, "Ah Bedu, there you are. Know of a place where I can stay the night?"

I should have made this clear earlier: A untrained Knowledge check is just an Intelligence check. So with a DC of 15, anyone can attempt it. Not that there's any big secret behind that spoiler tag... :)

"There is plenty of space in the barber's shop otherwise there are common rooms in several taverns nearby. Perhaps Pindara could help you if she is willing?"

Bedu tries to return to his former lightness of spirit.

"For myself I shall return to the shop with Indo the Most Welcome and meet you there in the morning."

Knowledge(local) check (1d20 6=17)

Jaku has been mostly quiet, understanding, as he does, that he is no detective. Finding out things is not really his skill, so he looks around a bit and then waits until someone else finds something.
Once the conversation turns to the city and its catacombs, he perks right up.
"I have lived in this city my entire life, and as a child learned of many places where one could go and avoid... authority. I can get us into the catacombs."
He stifles a yawn, ready to go and yet also ready to sleep.

I realise that untrained Knowledge is an Intelligence check but I thought the limit was DC10 information.

The Knowledge (local) spoiler tab above should be DC10, meaning anyone can make an untrained Intelligence check to look at it.

Everyone decides to pack it in for the night, either returning to their lodgings or taking up Bedu's offer to stay at the barber shop. The following morning, you all meet back at the barber shop. The hunt for Samir Kharsus is on! The question is, will it start in the tangled jumble of Barge End, or in the dark and twisting tunnels of the catacombs?

Bedu finishes his morning prayers and meal.

Once everyone has gathered, he asks,"Jaku, you have the wisdom and knowledge of the catacombs that I do not possess. Tell us of them and their dangers. Are we searching of a rich camel in the eye of a stack of corn? Or something such as that. Please."

"What little I know of Barge End is that it is unsavory and best entered by day. Night all manner of trouble is on the prowl."

"I might be crazy," Skittle says, looking from one to another of his colleagues, before his eyes go wide and he looks up toward the ceiling and continues, "Crazy! Do you hear that Erastil! Ha!" Then he looks down and around, and continues, "I might be crazy, but it sounds like a place called the catacombs might be a difficult place to find someone. Barge End, on the other hand, for all it's charm, might be an easier challenge. Pindara also said the girl mentioned something about an inn, so that narrows our search even further. But hey, that's just me," he finishes with a shrug." After a brief pause, his stomach growls. Looking up, again, he adds, "Not to mention, I could use a little breakfast."

Liet concurs, "Going to Barge's End seems to be the more attractive option, Bedu."

Bedu smiles and nods at Liet. he surreptiously wipes the last crumbs of bread from his shabby tunic.

"I too could use a little sustenance. Breakfast seems a long time ago and I would be pleased to keep you company while you eat. Let us go to Barge End and see what we can see."

"Lead on, Bedu."

You work your way through the city’s twisted streets, slowly making your way south until Muiu Thral comes to an abrupt end down by the Emerald River in a tumble of shacks, docks, and a few warehouses. Barge End lies upstream of the city’s main harbor, and many riverboats stop here, either to avoid the high docking fees of the regular port, or to exchange smuggled cargoes away from the prying eyes (and greedy fingers) of the official harbormasters.

Up ahead, the wide bank of the Emerald River is so crowded with boats, from dugout jungle canoes to simple fishing vessels to wide halfling river barges, that it is nearly impossible to see the water at all, unless one looks well away from shore. The shouts of fishmongers and stevedores, the creaking of wagons, and the cacophony of shrieking gulls are everpresent here. Clearly, Barge End is a tangled mess.

"Bedu, do you know anyone who lives in this place?" Liet pulls out a perfumed hanky and waves it over his nose.

Pindara rolls her eyes at the effete priest's behaviour.

Liet pulls another hanky and offers it to Pindara, "It prevents the stench from becoming too unbearable."