Phil makes a brief show of mock-insult before winking and settling out the required coinage from his ever-diminishing purse.
Braddon, Gristav, and Snake descend the rickety staircase from the alchemist's front door. As they head back toward the northwest, they hear a hoarse shout; then a wild-eyed man with stringy hair holding a crossbow dashes out of a nearby alley. "Filthy halfling down there stole my purse!" he gasps. "Help me get it back, and you'll be well-rewarded, I swear!"
Gristav glances about, summing distances, doing sums. He steps idly, obliquely to the path of any crossbow's bolt, inbound or out, and says, "We saw no halfling, and you're more likely to be herding us than to have a purse that might reward. Begone, or be the eighth man felled for folly since crashing waves soaked the city. And if you should be genuine: Again, we saw no halfling, so you ran past him, where he hid. Retrace your path."
"No, you idiot!" the man replies. "I mean -- sorry; but he stole my purse and ran into a door down the alley. Locked behind him; must have had some friend in there waiting to slam it. I'm looking for another way in!"
He hurries down the block, counting buildings, then runs up a short set of stairs and bangs on a boarded-up door. "" He shoots the three Gold Goblin employees a pleading look. ""
"I was going to see... a friend. But it looks like I might get to play with my new toy even sooner than I thought."
Braddon grins and follows the man up the stairs. He kicks the door a few times while looking for windows or other ways in.
Braddon's new boots rebound harmlessly from the door; it appears the boards nailed across the outside may be reinforced by a bar on the inside as well. He does, however, spy a shuttered window with only a single weathered-looking board crossing it. It's too high to access from street-level, but it's certainly reachable with a boost.
On the other side of town, Phillip waits alone after Samaritha goes through the door; after a few minutes, she returns, carefully carrying three vials. "Here you go. They're labeled; that's a service the Lodge provides so they don't get mixed up in your bag or so you can send someone to fetch one for you and be sure he'll get the right one," she smiles, pointing to labels in neat script pasted on the sides. "This one is vanish, this is touch of the sea, and this is a curative. I gave them a minty taste, but it will only last an hour." She gives him a wink.
Taking the potions and secreting them into his backpack, Phillip hefts his already unwieldy load and tests the weight to make sure he can manage it. Forsaking the bow he settles for a tip of his imaginary hat before offering "Many thanks Samaritha, I hope your new roost serves you well little bird." giving a wink and a smile before waddling through the doorway and back into the oppressive heat.
Phillip's thoughts are to relieve himself of the burden before he revisits with Hassan... so looks to make his way to the ferry and across to the Goblin.
Snake looks to the man with zero expression. A nutcase obviously. As he then watches Braddon attempt to bust his way in, A nutcase, obviously. Shaking his head, he walks over next to Braddon, keeping his voice low. "You sold on this guy, bub?" he asks, glancing over at the crossbow wielding maniac.
Long acclimated to being wrong, Gristav takes it in stride, and tries to draw Snake's eye as the half-elf magus points toward the shuttered window with his staff. His free hand braces on a potential of a tall man's shoulder, and his face is set in an open question...
"Alright." Snake cups his hands and gives Gristav a boost up to the window.
Braddon steps over to Gristav and also offers the required boost up to the window.
"Let me in and leave me some targets."
The man's eyes light up as Braddon and Snake boost Gristav up to the window. "The back door," he urges. "I'll make sure they don't get out that way, and you can unlock it for us from the inside." He takes off running back toward the alley.
Supported by the other two men, Gristav wrenches away the single board nailed across the window without too much effort and opens the shutters. His nose is assaulted by a powerful stench not unlike that of a particularly unkempt kennel. His watering eyes see a bare and filthy room with straw strewn across the floor. It appears to take up the front twenty feet or so of the building. Through an open doorway in the opposite wall, he can make out part of another room answering to the same general description. There are no visible furnishings or occupants. The only light is coming around him through the window.
Taking the potions and secreting them into his backpack, Phillip hefts his already unwieldy load and tests the weight to make sure he can manage it. Forsaking the bow he settles for a tip of his imaginary hat before offering "Many thanks Samaritha, I hope your new roost serves you well little bird." giving a wink and a smile before waddling through the doorway and back into the oppressive heat.
"I'll try and make it by the Gold Goblin tonight," she calls after him, "but if I don't make it, at least wish everyone well for me. Well, except for Thuvalia." She wrinkles her nose, laughs, and waves a farewell to the encumbered halfling.
While gravity is on his side going down the hill from Windward, reentering the airless heat and the miasma of the river is less pleasant. Phil is already uncomfortably warm when he passes the Publican House and wiping beads of sweat from his brow by the time he reaches the ferry dock. Hailing the other side, he wishes for a bench to get off his feet while he waits for the flatboat to cross the river to pick him up.
A half raised hand serves as Phillip's unspoken acknowledgement as he begins brightly before flagging as his steps lead towards the water. Sweating like a pig and with his back starting to ache, he slips his pack from his back while he waits for the ferry and allows what meager breeze there might be to work on the patch of sticky clothing newly uncovered.
The heat, and perhaps the aftermath of Starday night revels, seem to be telling on the ferryman, too. He grumbles a half-hearted welcome as Phil steps on board the flatboat, keeping his eyes shaded beneath a wide-brimmed hat pulled down low on his brow. He offers no conversation during the crossing unless Phil instigates it, accepting the proffered coin and dropping the halfling on the east bank.
Gristav reluctantly enters, brooming a bit at the straw before gesturing through the window to his companions, pointing first to the side, and then drawing a broad horizontal circle...
Gristav lets himself down gently onto the floor. Mixed in with the straw are bits of wilted leaves, some gnawed-on root vegetables, and innumerable fish bones, along with some sort of droppings; the smell is quite sickening. He sees and hears nothing in the immediate area, though there is the sound of movement and a murmur of voices from upstairs. No stairs are immediately visible from this position. The back room looks quite dark past the oblong of light cast through the doorway from the opened shutters.
Braddon half climbs over Snake to follow Gristav through the window.
"Thanks. Want a hand?"
He reaches down to help Snake in also.
Gristav momentarily obstructs Braddon's passage through the window, struggling to clear his nose and his mind, and hold his composure, and his breakfast.
"Some sort of kennel...", he gasps.
Phillip respects the stoic silence and merely offers a short nod as he deposits his prix de passage. Steeling himself for his own sweaty work, the halfling re-hoists his baggage and begins to stump towards the Gold Goblin, where he might at least get some kind of relief. Upon the walk though, he does keep an eye out for any vendor whose seeking to take advantage via the provision of iced beverages to passers by.
As Snake tries not to get his face stepped on by the ranger, he rolls his eyes before straightening himself up after Braddon finally makes it through the window. He then accepts the help and makes his way in also.
Braddon clambers up the witch, then dangles awkwardly, half-in and half-out of the window to give Snake a hand up in turn. Snake, pulling himself up, almost drags Braddon back out onto the street; but Gristav grabs the half-elf's legs and acts as ballast, and soon all three men are standing in the hot and fetid gloom.
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A street vendor setting up near the ferry dock is hawking cold citronades with his meat pies. If there was any ice in his keg when he set out, it has now melted, and the drink appears to be contain sugar and water than any fruit juice; it is colder than the day, however, and refreshing enough for Phil to cover the remaining distance to the Gold Goblin with a bit of a spring returned to his step.
The front doors of the casino are propped open when he arrives, and the building is already teeming with activity. The dancing surface has been laid out in the courtyard; inside, a team trying to put the game tables in place is being dressed down by Thuvalia for placing obstacles in her practice area. Saul is nowhere immediately to be seen.
If Thuvalia's eyes turn his way Phil offers a wink and a wave, but he doesn't go out of his way seeking it. He makes a beeline for his room, seeing his purchases safely stowed within before emerging and lingering a while in the casino common area - enjoying the shade and relative cool before he plunges back out into the peasoup.
Braddon clambers up the witch, then dangles awkwardly, half-in and half-out of the window to give Snake a hand up in turn. Snake, pulling himself up, almost drags Braddon back out onto the street; but Gristav grabs the half-elf's legs and acts as ballast, and soon all three men are standing in the hot and fetid gloom.
Braddon gags but shakes his head and seems fine.
"Why don't criminals hide out in rose gardens. I've been in ships that smell better than this place/"
He pulls out his swords and makes his way across the room.
---------------------------------
Thuvalia has little attention to spare on anything that doesn't directly affect her; Phil's passing elicits no notice from the featured performer. He arrives at the door to his room to find it locked: Ethel apparently hasn't returned from the others halflings' company.
Braddon opts for speed over stealth, striding towards the corner.
Making a small pile of the lesser valuables (scarves and candles) so as to lighten his load at least a mite... Phillip moves...
Braddon quickly crosses to where he can see into the next room. It's dim and shadowy, but he can see a door in the back wall and a staircase leading up. Glancing over his shoulder, he can see that the front door has been reinforced from the inside, as he suspected, several boards nailed into the doorframe across its lower half.
Snake follows after Braddon, having no desire to remain in the foul smelling room.
Braddon heads for the door in the back wall, wondering if it leads to their new friend outside. He keeps an eye around the corner and on the stairs for anyone coming down.
Curiously silent, Gristav moves across the room at a mixed speed; haste to leave, caution to take none of it with him.
Braddon, followed by Gristav and Snake, crosses to the door and opens it to reveal a tiny anteroom. Another door is set in the far wall. Quiet voices and movement can be heard from upstairs, but there's no indication anyone is yet aware there are intruders in the house.
Shaking his head at his lack of foresight, Phillip heads off to find Saul and to ascertain where a spare key to his room might be found.
Braddon, followed by Gristav and Snake, crosses to the door and opens it to reveal a tiny anteroom. Another door is set in the far wall. Quiet voices and movement can be heard from upstairs, but there's no indication anyone is yet aware there are intruders in the house.
Braddon cocks his head at the noises upstairs and places a finger over his lips to the others, bringing his short sword dangerously close to his nose. He then creeps quietly towards the stairs to ascend them. He listens carefully and keeps his attention towards the top of the stairs as he climbs.
Phil passes through the kitchen and takes the stairs up to the owner's suite. His door is open, and Bojasc and Tendal are in the office with him.
"Yes?" Saul asks with a frown. "What is it? Something wrong?"
Phillip shakes his head with even voice "Not a jot... just locked out of my room. Is there a spare key anywhere I could borrow?" figuring that fewer words would draw fewer questions.
Braddon cautiously climbs the stairs, hoping that none of them creak.
You catch a glimpse of something hairy and halfling-sized on the other side of the staircase. Before you can react, it gives a sound like a bark and barrels down the stairs toward you, flinging itself at the your feet in an attempt to knock them out from under you. Instead, however, the creature rebounds fruitlessly off your legs and sprawls out itself at your feet at the top of the stairs.
Even in the dim light, you can see this is no halfling but some sort of monkey or ape of a similar size.
Gristav and Snake hear a sudden loud barking, followed by a scuffle on the staircase.
Phillip shakes his head with even voice "Not a jot... just locked out of my room. Is there a spare key anywhere I could borrow?" figuring that fewer words would draw fewer questions.
"Keys?" Saul replies impatiently. "Ask -- oh." A glum expression crosses his face as he recalls his partner's absence. "They'd be in Larur's office. Come down with me, and I'll get them for you."
"Coming with you, boss," Bojasc grins, as Saul starts to rise from his chair. "Strangers in the casino ... it's not safe."
"Oh," Saul responds a bit sullenly. "Suppose that's right. Never mind. Here," he removes a pair of keys from his ring and slides them across the desk to Phillip. "Larur's office key and the one to the key cupboard. It's on the wall; you can't miss it. You may have to stand on a chair to reach it, though." He offers a distracted grin.
Gristav rushes to Braddon's assistance, not even pausing as he points with his staff toward the back door, not even to see if Snake understands his intent.
Snake sees Gristav disappear up the stairs after Braddon.
Winking mischievously as he swallows the rising excitement of opportunity within his gut and retorts "I'll manage." taking the keys and excusing himself back out of the door. He moves with inky smoothness towards Larur's office to test the veracity of the keys.
Phil returns downstairs and past Thuvalia's skirmish with the furniture movers to the relative privacy of the queueing area in front of the cashiers' cage. He fits the larger of the two keys to the latch on Larur's office door and opens it. Inside, the spare little office presents its usual appearance, apart from the glaring lack of dwarf.
A narrow cupboard hangs in the corner behind the desk, high by Phil's standards but not overly so, as it was hung for the convenience of Larur and Saul rather than taller men. Lighting the lamp and repositioning the desk chair in the corner, Phil can easily climb up to unlock the cupboard with the smaller key. Inside, rows of hooks are labelled neatly in Taldane, with extra keys to each of the nine guest rooms, the three private sitting rooms off the floor, the upstairs spare room and the costume closet, and a fifteenth key intriguingly unlabeled.
Taking a few moments to firstly smooth out his mustache before running a hand through his hair Phillip is transfixed by the sight of the keys. The first action he takes is to pocket all of the keys specifically to his room. A pregnant pause ensues before he slightly shakes his head to leave the other spares where they stand. The thirteenth key though does not escape his curiosity. Firstly making sure the office door is closed, Phil retrieves his scriveners kit from his pack - placing it and the unknown key on the desk.
With a cautious hand he takes an outline of the key from multiple angles, describing the specific nodules and burrs upon it as best he can so that a keysmith might be able to form a reasonable facsimile. Once he's completed what work he can do he returns the thirteenth key and re-locks both the cabinet and the door on his way out... after having returned the room to it's austere original condition first.