One elderly lady, after you complement her flower garden, launches into a rant about how fate seems to be conspiring against her attempt to get some decent orchids into it. She was just on her way back from buying some when the explosion happened nearby. She tried to work her way through the gathering crowds to get home, when suddenly two men came away from the site in a hurry and bumped her, making her drop her flowers down the sewer drain! After she calms down and thanks you for listening, you're able to ask about those men, and she says they were wearing long dark coats and heading toward the west part of town (which you know to be the side of town with forges, smithies, leatherwork shops, etc).
You've only been at this for an hour when you have that conversation, so it's now about 5pm.
Garnult is looking for the dwarven section of town, if there is one.
You arrive at that part of town just a little before 4:30pm.
Warren walks through town looking for pigeon coops and landing spots. If he doesn't get any leads that way he'll try spending some time using diplomacy to see where that gets him.
If needed:
After about an hour of walking around and shopping (and noticing that there are plenty of random pigeons in the city), something catches your eye: about a block or so ahead of you, a pigeon flies up from behind/between a couple of buildings and heads northeast, in the direction of the North Gate. As it passes overhead, you can see something attached to its leg.
You're currently in the northwestern part of town, near some shopping/supply-type establishments. It's about 5pm.
Tolbert wanders around town, handing out business cards, looking for anyone who's gotten into trouble with the law and could use representation.
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Over the course of several interactions, you start to pick up that there's a general impression among the populace that the western side of town (where some smithies and leather crafting shops exist) has gone downhill a bit in the last year, feeling less safe and crossing paths with the law a bit more frequently.
It takes about 3 hours to glean this from the people, so it's now about 7pm.
Although you don't find anything suspicious, you do indeed find a couple of forges/smithies. One of them is run by a well-groomed dwarven man who says he doesn't bother with nonstandard metals in most cases, preferring instead to sell enchanted armor/weapons. The other is run by a human couple who smelt their own ore and tell you they'd love to help you but haven't gotten any adamantine ore in a while.
This takes about 40 minutes, so it's now nearing 6pm.
Um, it's 5pm and sunset is probably around 8-8:30. You're gonna hang around the shadows of that city block for like 3 hours? Or am I misunderstanding you?
You canvas the dwarves in the area for hours, acquiring your new shield from a well-groomed dwarven man. Although you're pleasant enough (at least around dwarves), and are even given a free drink upon visiting a small shrine to Torag, you don't manage to draw out any helpful information.
It's now almost 8:30pm, and the sun is beginning to set.
Garnult is gonna head back to wherever we are staying then.
None of your companions seem to be at the inn. How long would you like to wait?
Tolbert strides into the inn a little after 7, chest puffed out after his latest purchase, and he orders a fine dinner of meat, cheese, exotic vegetables, and those little pastries with the raisins.
At around 8:30pm, just as the sun is setting, Garnult joins the rest of you at the inn.
Tolbert walks in to find Cassidy and Warren chatting and drinking.
Good evening Tolbert. Did you have a successful shopping trip?
When Tolbert sits down and in a quieter voice I think we should leave details until a little more privacy is available, but did you find anything interesting?
Garnult, grab some food and drink and join us in my room for 20 questions.
Once we are all in Warren's room, Cassidy will relate her story.
"So I meet a lady who saw two cloaked men run from he impact sight in the direction of town where the forges and blacksmith shops are. I went over there to look around, didn't see anything suspicious. I did meet a couple who runs a forge that handles adamantine. They look like the only forge in town that does. The rock hasn't been sold to them yet, but I did ask them to contact me if the do get some adamantine, with the hope that it'll turn out to be the rock we're looking for."
Oh aye, killing the undead is hungry work indeed. Garnult orders up a roast chicken and heads up to Warren's quarters.
Once everyone is up stairs and Cassidy gives her report Warren looks at Garnult and Tolbert, So did you guys find out anything about the group we are looking for?
Garnult grunts and smacks his lips at the delicious chicken. Not me, but I did find a very nice dwarven made shield.
Tolbert wipes his mouth and pipes up. "I heard when asking around that the west side of town is the shady part, so any thieves' guild is likely to make its hideout there."
Well Tolbert, I think you might be right about that. I went out looking for pigeon coops and landing spots. While in the northwestern part of town I saw a pigeon fly out from between or behind two houses toward the gate, with a message attached. I think we found the communication center for them.
"Well, I guess we report this to the captain in the morning?"
You all rest for the night. The next morning, the four of you return to City Hall. The same elven man as before is at the front desk, and he ushers you into Captain Arriaga's office and closes the door.
The captain speaks: "I've got some news. Illealos, our top magical scholar, has finished his analysis of the stone you retrieved from the late mayor's manor. We know its aura is of the school of necromancy, and that it's staggeringly powerful. Even Illealos wasn't able to discern its intended purpose; all we know is that it's a powerful manipulator of negative energy. And when I say powerful, I mean there are few spellcasters in the world who could ever have produced such a potent object.".
The dwarven woman begins pacing slowly as she continues. "We also don't know why it fell out of the sky or why it's in the form of a lump of rock. And I guess we don't really know whether what fell in town is similar in nature or not, but we need to be prepared for the worst. If it is a comparable object, and someone figures that out and tries to sell it... well, let's just say that the kind of person who would buy that kind of thing is exactly the kind of person we don't want to get their hands on it."
She leans forward, hands on her desk. "It is absolutely imperative that we recover that stone as soon as possible. With that in mind, what were you four able to find out?"
Through our time spent shopping we have determined that the guild is likely in the northwest part of town. We also discovered that at the very least their communication hub is there. We spotted a pigeon with a message tube attached to it emerging from between two buildings. We didn't take a closer look as we didn't want to start trouble in town without letting you know first. Warren then points out where exactly in town the houses are located.
"What would you like us to do? I did meet a woman who saw cloaked men running from the impact sight in town. I imagine it's safe to assume the thieves guild has on the second piece."
Captain Arriaga listens closely to your reports, then sits in her chair and spends a few moments in pensive silence. Eventually, she speaks.
"The northwest, eh? I suppose that is a part of town where someone can look a bit uncouth without drawing too much attention. In that case, the next step is to figure out where their base of operations is. Could be an abandoned building, could be an active business that serves as a front, could even be a basement or sewer. How would the group of you feel about doing some scouting in the area, looking for a space that could be used as a headquarters for a thieves' guild? You would be further compensated, of course."
Garnult grunts in response And, whats in it fer us? We be riskin life and limb. I mean, not me so much.
Warren looks at the dwarf with a bit of an astounded look and wonders how much ale got in Garnult's ears.
Garnult, clean your ears out! She said we would be further compensated.
I can't speak for the others (though I'm sure your offer of compensation will appeal to the lawyer here) but I'll be happy to take a look. I just didn't want to start any trouble up there without the backing of the Guard. I think a great place to start is where the pigeon came from. I wonder if there is a way to intercept the pigeons as they leave?
Rebuked, the dwarf abashedly says Yeah, well musta misheard. Damn wizard rubbing off on me. Course I'll help. Would be the stand up thing to do, proper dwarven thing in fact.
Turning to Warren, Cassidy asks,"are you hoping one of messages the pigeons carry will help us to locate their base of operations? Or are you thinking that where the pigeons come from is their main base?"
Thinking hard and out loud on how to proceed Cassidy adds, "I have not had much experience capturing pigeons myself. And standing on a roof with a butterfly net would probably look to obvious...wonder if some type of freezing spell would work?"
"We could simply walk through the streets nearby with a bulging purse, and draw the thieves to us. I nominate Garnult for such a duty; it would be more believable for a dwarf to be so... trusting."
Smiling at Garnult, Warren says I knew the true dwarf Garnult was in there somewhere. You didn't get your ale this morning, right? and Warrens winks at him with a grin.
Looking to Cassidy I have hopes, and I have expectations. I hope where I saw the pigeon come from is there base, but I'm expecting it not to be but that it will lead us in the right direction. As for the pigeons, I'm hoping not to harm them, but we may have to. From them I am hoping to: 1) disrupt their communications and 2)to learn of their plans or accomplishments. I am all for just nosing around the place we found and see what trouble we can stir up. If it's too much, well we'll have to run back to the guards with our tails between our legs, metaphorically speaking, as he looks pointedly at Cassidy and Garnult, or not. as he looks at Tolbert.
Garnult gives the wizard a pair of narrowed eyes, but he isn't sure if he is being praised or made fun of.
"I hate to admit it but I like Beetle's plan. I also could see us infiltrating the communication spot Warren found. I'm not so sure about getting information from the pigeons. Though if that is what we decide to do, I'll help as best I can."
I say we go and check out where the pigeons are coming from. We'll have a snoop around back and then get inside and see what we find. We'll detain whoever we can and give them to the Captain for questioning and trial.
Heading to the area Warren indicates, you find an alleyway between two buildings. On the east side of the alley is a stable for horses, etc, while the building on the west appears to be a leatherworking shop.
You notice that—due to a lack of windows on the alley-facing sides of these buildings, the narrowness of the alley (only 5ft), and the arrangement of nearby buildings—that someone hiding in this alley could very easily go unseen unless someone just happened to look in as they passed by and was able to see you in the near-darkness.
Tolbert slips into the alley, scouring it laboriously for signs of clandestine activity.
Warren sneaks into the alleyway looking for where the pigeon could have come from, continuing all the way to the back of the buildings if seeing nothing and peeking behind.
Although you don't find the things you're looking for, you do notice that at the end of the alley is another building, causing the alley to form a "T" shape. You realize that neither branch is visible from the street, such that someone could arrive in this alley from the back and leave again without ever stepping onto or off of the part of the street you all entered from.
From what you recall of the layout of this part of the city, you realize that the arrangement of the buildings may in fact contain a series of connected alleyways by which someone could traverse several blocks without much chance of being seen from the street.
Garnult stomps around, looking appropriately dwarflike while his erstwhile allies skulk about, looking for clues.
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"I think this alleyway might be part of a network of alleys that interconnects the streets, an 'internet' you might call it, which would allow travel throughout this district without being seen. Such a thing would be a valuable resource for a thieves' guild. Anyone care to explore it with me?"