"Taelreth, would you ask one of these fine citizens what it is they are in line for? I would go myself, but my appearance can be somewhat off putting for some."
"Certainly." Taelreth approaches one of the less nervous individuals. "Excuse me; what sort of business is done here that attracts so many people during this chaotic time?"
Diplomacy
Grent stands at Taelreth's shoulder, providing a little unspoken weight behind her presence. He looks disinterestedly at the storefront while he picks his brain for any information he may remember on it.
Akari, wanders over to the animal pens, casually leaning against the fence, scanning the pen and the rear doors for anything of interest. He keeps an eye on his companions.
A young girl, likely no more than seven years of age, turns toward Taelreth and smiles at her approach. Those around the child make a point to turn away, careful to avoiding meeting the bard's eyes with their own. "Momma says I need to come for meat, that the men will give me some to take home. She told me to mind my manners, and say I ap-ees-ate the food."
"Thank you dear. Stay safe." Taelreth returns to the others. "It seems they are open for business. Something strange is going on here...why would a traitor guard open a butcher shop?"
"I'm unsure how we should proceed. Waiting in line could be most expedient, though our weapons may draw unwanted attention from that guard at the door." She pauses for a moment, as if struck by an idea. "I could entrance the guard with my song-magic, though the crowd will likely object to us skipping the line. Still, it could at least get some of us inside."
"Could you ask the little dear exactly what it is she must give the men for the meat?"
Kazadarin aproaches the livstock pin and leans on the fence taking a good look at the up turned earth to determin if he can identify any tracks left in the soil.
Survival (Tracking):
Akari states quietly so Kaz can hear, "Doesn't look that unusual for a pen. Not unusual to see upturned earth in an animal pen."
"She doesn't seem to expect to have to give them anything...quite odd, and another sign that the situation is likely not as it seems."
As you speak amongst yourselves it is quickly becomes clear that your presence is causing those in line, other than the girl still staring entranced at Tael's elven features, to grow increasingly uncomfortable. Noting the distress beginning to appear amongst the shop's patrons, the guard takes a step forward to better see the crowd. His gaze settles on your party, and a he sets his face in a firm scowl. He turns, shoulders past those in line, and enters the shop's front door.
"It appears that we have been noticed. Let's move toward the front, shall we?"
Taelreth returns to the young girl. Bending to one knee, she says, "Young one, it might be best if you went home--it isn't safe here, and the men inside have done something very bad." As unobtrusively as possible, she pulls three gold pieces from her money pouch. Quietly, she adds, "Take these to your mother; use them to buy food somewhere else, somewhere better. Now go; and stay safe."
Standing, she then strides purposefully towards the door. Unbuckling her sword, she hands it to Crux. "I'm going to sneak in and see what's going on; the sword would only give me away." She then quietly sings a short tune to herself and vanishes. Using the brief period of invisibility, she'll push through the front door and find an unobtrusive location inside to see what's happening.
Tealreth is able to squeeze into the room, locating a suitable corner next to the display window to observe the space, just as her spell ends. The location is not ideal; Tael can be seen from outside the store, by anyone looking in from the street, and the meats on display have attracted a sizable swarm of flies. Despite this, she is sufficiently hidden from the shop counter by the number of people occupying the space.
The room is 25 by 20 feet in size, with much of its southern wall taken up by the shop counter itself. A closed door behind the counter leads further into the building. The room's northern face is dominated by the display window and front door. Most of those in the room wear dirty and tattered rags similar to those in line outside the shop.
The guard that was positioned outside the entrance has pushed his way to the room's southern, and leans in to speak with a second man working the counter in hushed tones. Pressing a wrapped package of meat into the waiting hands of a customer, the man at the counter nods, and the guard pushes his way outside once more. He retakes his position next to the door, on the side opposite the shop window; hidden by those in line, the guard does not notice Tael.
Quietly casting prestidigitation, Tael uses it to dirty her clothing, hoping to blend in. She'll try and work her way towards the counter, doing her best to act like the other customers, and keeping her ears open for any clues as to what's going on.
Bluff
Perception
Tael's disguise in place, she allows the press of those entering the room lead her to the counter. The shop's patrons remain quiet as they stand in line, slowly advancing one after the other to the counter. Each is told a few words, and handed a package before leaving.
As she steps forward the man at the counter, wearing a suit of chainmail too small for his frame beneath his butcher's apron, hands a wrapped packet to the disguised elf. "You're lucky today; we'd normally be out of meat and closed by now. Come earlier tomorrow if you want your handout." The man is clearly tired, his eyes heavy with fatigue. His words lack emotion, as if he's been reciting the same sentences for several hours. "Now off with you."
Tael nods wordlessly, then makes her way out of the shop, avoiding eye contact with any of the armed men. Once outside, she heads a ways down the street before turning down an alleyway; as she passes the others, she gestures slightly with her head, indicating that they should follow her.
Once the group is gathered in the alleyway, she'll describe the interior of the shop, and show them the package she received, unwrapping it.
Akari waits for a cole moments before moving down the street and entering the alley with Tael. He listens to her description of the shop, and thinks a moment before speaking. "Looked tired, huh? Seems kind of odd to look tired this early in the day. " he fingers the leather of the Harrow deck, absent-mindedly. "Perhaps we should watch the place tonight. There is signs of animals recently in the pen, but no animals. They may work during the evening, bringing in the animals and butchering them."
Inside the package are several cuts of fatty meat, apparently beef and pork. The meat appears fairly fresh, likely cut sometime that mornnig, but is warm as if it's been stored in the shopfront most of the day.
Grent grunts out of surprise. "Good meat, huh? At least these turncoats are taking their butchery seriously." He looks slightly bemused.
"They just gave this to you? No charge of any kind? Interesting... But no matter. We have a job to do. Let's return tonight and have a little talk with the deserters when there are no innocents to be hurt."
Akari looks at the meat. If he knew getting a meal was as easy as walking into a butcher shop, he would have wandered over to this place a long time ago. "Well, at the very least we have our evening meal."
"If I had to guess...I would say these men, deserters though they may be, are trying to do their part to help the city. We should keep that in mind as we confront them; if things are as they seem, no one needs to die tonight."
As you speak amongst yourselves, a commotion in the direction of the shop draws your attention. Peering out of the alley, you note several people that had been in line moments before slowly walking away from the shop, many of them hanging their heads in disappointment. The guard next to the door places a large "Closed" sign on the display window, then enters the shop and secures the door behind him.
"I agree that no one needs to die, but I doubt the deserters will come willingly to meet the justice they deserve. That they seem to be doing good by giving away food does not matter - and I doubt that all is as it seems -. What matters is they deserted their post and they need to answer for that. If they are allowed to live afterwards, they can return here and continue to do their part to help the city."
Akari listens to the others. "I agree. All we know is what Kroft told us. That the men deserted. We do not know why, nor do we know that they are doing anything wrong here. I would suggest that we do some investigation before confronting them. As both of you have said, things may not be what they seem. Until we know how things lay, it is best to watch."
"All we really need to do is get Vankaskerkin and the other deserters to go in and talk with Field Marshall Kroft. So why not just go and ask them nicely to turn themselves in. If they are really doing good works, they will want to clear this situation up, right? Right! So let's go." Crux begins to walk to the door. If not stopped, he'll knock once he makes it there.
GM Agent
Grent immediately moves out after Crux, kukri sheathed but his shield on his arm. "You'd better know what you're doing, Crux," he muttered out the side of his mouth to the wizard as he caught up with him.
Kazadarin shakes his head and moves to catch up with Crux and Grent.
Well, I did want to test out my new bow and armor. Looks like I will get the chance sooner than I thought.
"Careful Crux, we don't know if they are closing becuase of us yet, they maybe setting up to fight."
Taelreth takes her sword back from Crux, and rewraps the meat, storing it in her pack. No sense wasting good food in these times. She then hurries after Crux and the others, though she stays towards the rear of the group.
"All I'm going to do is try to talk to them. They are fugitives, however, and I don't exect that they'll come peacefully. We'll have to decide what to do about them once they refuse." When Crux makes it to the door, he knocks and waits for the obligatory 'we're closed, come back tomorrow' response. "We're not here for meat. We're here at the behest of Field Marshall Cressida Kroft. We want to talk to Verik Vankaskerkin."
You wait for several minutes, but Crux's attempts to gain the attention of those within the shop fail to produce results. Peering through the front window, no one appears to be within the shopfront, and the door leading into the rest of the building is closed. The front door itself is locked.
"Interesting. Kazadarin, could you get us inside please."
Still in his crouched position, Akari points out, "There were doors in the back. They may be a bit less conspicuous to try and slip into in broad daylight."
"Crux, I agree with Akari. Lets try to enter by something other than the main entrance."
Crux smiles. "That is acceptable."
Kazadarin nods at Crux and heads towards the doors near the coral.
Stealth:
Disable Devie:
Akari watches the others move towards the back before nonchalantly standing and moving towards the back. As Kaz works on the lock, he leans against the fence, trying for all the world to look like he is doing nothing more interesting than leaning against a fence, and watches for the Hellknights or any sign of movement from the butchery. His time on the street has taught him that they don't look kindly on squatters, panhandlers, or loiterers.
As Kazadarin kneels down to begin picking the lock, he realizes this door has none. The right side of the double-door opens easily, swinging in to reveal a small barn. Two foul-smelling animal pens take up the majority of the space, each pen defined by a wooden fence set with a gate. Inside each is a long water trough and heaps of filthy hay. The floor here is hard-packed earth.
The northernmost pen holds two large pigs, both fairly lean, not like one would expect livestock prepared for slaughter. The southern pen is currently uninhabited. Another double-door is set into the room's southern wall.
Grent moves quickly across the floor, setting himself against the southern wall, shield at the ready.
Kazadarin moves to the door and checks it to see if it is locked.
Stealth:
Disable Device:
Akari takes one final look around outside before following the others inside.
Crux stands impassively at the back waiting for the door to be opened.
Like the door before it, this one is unlocked and opens easily. The floor of the adjoining chamber is strewn with blood-stained straw, and the reek of slaughter is almost overpowering. The room itself is a killing floor. A metal track affixed to the ceiling dangles meat hooks here and there, allowing the hooks and their gory loads to be moved easily from the northwest where a large hammer sits on the floor amid a permanent bloodstain. To the south, a bloodstained grill covers a wide hole in the floor. Just north of the grill sit two large vats of water; one boiling and one cold. Two large butcher blocks stand to the east next to barrels of salt, and in the southeast corner sits a reeking vat of cast-off meat and bones.
Four men stand together in the southeast corner of the room, apparently arguing amongst themselves. You recognize both the guard that had been positioned outside the shopfront, as well as the man that had been working the front counter. The two other men are wearing butcher's smocks over loose-fitting, stained armor. None of the men seem to take notice of Kazadarin's entrance.
Peering around the corner, Grent takes quick stock of the enemy, and indicates silence to those in the other room with him. If Kaz can see him, he motions that he should find someplace to hide.
Akari makes absolutely no move, awaiting a signal from Kaz or Grent, or the sound of discovery.
"I don't know who they were, but I think they were sniffing around/ We're drawing too much attention with this meat." The man that had been standing guard outside the shop front is arguing with his companion from the counter and a third man wearing a butcher's smock. "We should be focusing on the special cuts, not catering to the city's scum."
"And what makes you think they weren't here to ask about tonight's special cuts, Malder? Maybe you scared off our business. Did you think of that?" Malder begins to pout as the man from the counter berates him. "We're the cowhammer boys. No matter what they were here for, we could have handled it."
The fourth man stands by himself over a vat of boiling liquid, a warhammer belted to his waist and a long stirring rod in his hands. He begins to laugh as he stirs the contents of the vat. "One way or another, we would have shown them the special cuts!" He continues to laugh as the third man, the one standing alongside his companions from the store front, shifts his feet nervously.
Kazadarin sheaths his sword and steps forward."Aye, we are here about the special cuts. You did good to recognize our scout, I comend you, but, you closed down and turned all those people away. That raises questions. The one I have to ask now is, where is Vankaskerkin?"
Cowhammer Boys, thinks Akari. That's an interesting name for a butchery.. Akari ponders the name, trying to remember if he has heard it before.
The jittery man jumps as Kaz makes his presence known. After a few seconds pass one of his companions, the man formerly guarding the door, turns to face the ranger with a scowl. "I don't like folks creeping up on my. Especially after closing. shove off, or I'll show you the exit myself."
The man reaches for the sword at his belt, but stops when the fourth man cracks his stirring rod against the vat, shattering the implement into pieces. "Don't be so quick on the draw, Malder. I take pride in my work. The least we can do is hear the man out." He turns to Kaz, a sadistic leer on his face. "What do you want us to serve up tonight, then? I've a brand-new cleaver I've been wanting to try out."