The early morning is dreary, the sound of rain trickling outside and the light breeze whistling against a sign that reads "Apples'a'plenty Inn".

Clay bricks and marble stones make up most of the building's outer structure. It's near impossible to see through the dusted, dingy windows in each of the adventurer's rooms. For the most part, only light shades of deep green and grey could be made out. The run-down inn reeks of the smell of alcohol, cider, and grime. It is the cheapest place to stay, after all. It's as dirty inside as it is on the outside, mud seeping into the floorboards in the main foyer and the sound of rats and insects skittering around the place. Wooden beams support the upper floor and the huge, dusty lamps attached to them. Despite the disgusting conditions, people who came here seemed to be happy, for the most part.

As of now, it's breakfast for most of the folks staying here for one night, two, three, maybe even a whole month. The light sounds of shuffling feet and whispers echo through the hallways of the upstairs area. It seems it would be the time to wake up.

Thella awakens at the first signs of light, and begins her usual morning exercises. Once complete, she washes her face and brushes her dark hair, arranging it in its usual ponytail. 

Time to figure out what I'm doing here, thought Thella as she left her room and went downstairs, seeking one's fortune is a little directionless...

Grubfingers would have been one of the first to be awake, but staied in his room till he heard enough people downstairs to hope to go unnoticed.  Before slipping out of his room and down the stairs he puts on his leather armor and his cloth over to hide it, then slips his dagger into his belt, closes his eyes for a moment, and says a quick prair, adjusts his belt, double checks for his dagger and coin purse and sneaks out his door, looks down the stairs and quickly scurry down the stairs in hope to not be noticed, but he does get the attention of the waitress to order some food to eat.

Grubfingers is just under 4 feet tall, his skin is green, and hair is a dark purple color, it is curly short on top with the sides being even shorter, the back of the hair is long.  His ears are pierced, the right ear on the bottom and the left is on the top of the ear.

Xilbella has been up for some time, having finished her nightly meditations some hours before. She remained in her room though. Those walking by may have heard several voices in that chamber, discussing topics that varied greatly over the last few hours. Most would have been quite surprised to find out that only one living person was inside the chamber though, the others being the ghostly entities that clung to Xilbella.

As the noises of other inn patrons started to rise outside of the room, Xilbella would bid her ghostly voices good bye, and head downstairs to be among the living for a while.

Xilbella is a slender elf, with long raven-black hair and emerald eyes. She carries a rapier, short bow, and has on leather armor. Under the armor she wears a below-the-knee tunic, belted at the waist. her hair is tied back in a simple pony this morning.

Ashe Hailston stirs from a heavy sleep and slowly rises. Afterwards he dons his chain mail armor and checks the condition of his greatsword. Finally satisfied, he grabs his pack and sheathes his great sword unto his back. He then comes downstairs for breakfast looking for a table where he can put his back against a wall. Ashe opens his meager coin pouch and sighs. I am gonna need to find some way to earn coin soon.

Ashe is a robust Earth Genasi. Slate colored hair and dark skinned as if carved from stone. Eyes that look like emerald jewels and faint golden flecks under his eyes

Even being among the last to wake up, Sha would be well disposed and ready to face the day by the time she's awake. The firbolg is very tall, as one would expect from a firbolg, and the tribal marks and clothes she's used to wearing are all still on her despite being in the middle of the city, quite far from her tribe.

Despite her size, she moves very quietly down to the dining area of the inn, as only the quarterstaff she carries and her feet hitting the floor as she walks would notify others of her presence.

The main dining hall is filled with empty space, only a few people waiting in the main room to be served breakfast. The identities of these people were shrouded by books and papers as they read the daily news on what was going on on the area. All except one, a human man wearing a fancy suit.

Across the room towards the bar, the bartender, an elderly tortle, coughs into his handkerchief as he continues pouring drinks. The tortle is wearing a long, brimmed hat with a feather protruding from the side. He turns from his work and greets the group of guests as he tips his hat to them.

"Good morning, friends. You're all in luck. Apple cakes with breakfast this morning!" He said with a raspy, calm voice.

And with that, the fresh smell of pastries overpower the smell of dust inside of the establishment.

Ashe licks his lips at the smell of apple cakes. He walks up to the elderly tortle and asks for apple cakes. He then returns to his table. Taking the time to relish each bite of his breakfast. At times he turns a curious eye towards the group surrounded by books and papers. Taking note of the man in the fancy suit. Hmm... you don't usually see his type in this run down inn.

Grubfingers smells the pastries, and he starts to miss home.  This smell, why is it polluting his noise?  He wishes for the smell of his old musty and moldy smelling cave, roted meat and the fish.  What was wrong with the other races?  Why do they enjoy such foul smelling things!  With his shallow gravelly voice he asks, "Any fish?"

Xilbella smiles and orders some of the apple cakes, then settles in with an order of eggs and bacon as well. She sits at a table with whomever has space and contents herself with eating her food and keeping to herself.

Thella takes a place at an empty table and orders a simple meal of porridge, while still accepting an apple cake.

"Yes, we do serve fish." The tortle would nod as he rang a small bell labelled fish on the wooden wall of the bar. A few halflings would come out of the kitchen while passing around orders

The food would be passed around after a few minutes of sizzling pans and whistling kettles. The man in the suit seemed to stare directly at Jhimas after he spoke to Xilbella. His eyes pierced through the triton's skull as the man's face contorted into a small glare. He would seem to mutter something under his breath as he stood up and left. In his hands, he carried a small paper bag that had a small bunge from the underside. Nothing could really be made clear, but something was dripping from the underside of it.

"Ah, that man. I heard ye talkin' about him. He comes 'ere every mornin'!" Another gruff voice would chime in. This time, it was a dwarf in a simple chef's outfit. He looked very stereotypical of a dwarf, with a stout frame and a long ginger beard. "Me name's Marsyl, I'm the head chef of this 'ere establishment."

Xilbella smiled at Jhimas as she settles in. She glances over as the man gets up and stalks from the inn. "Seems like he heard you." She informs Jhimas with a slight curl up of one side of her mouth. She settles in, contending herself with her food for a bit.
As Marsyl walks up, and begins to speak, Xilbella will look up, her mouth full of a big bite she just took. She chews, looking a bit uncomfortable, then takes a big swallow of water to wash it down. "Sorry, you caught me with my mouth full." She says, though that was likely fairly obvious. "What did he have in that bag he was carrying? Do you know?"

Grubfingers watches the man leave then returns to his fish.

DM question would we all need to be sitting at the same table or would there be open tables making it so some of us might be alone?

"Well met then Jhimas." Xilbella says with a friendly smile. "I am Xilbella." She leaves it at that, taking another bite of her breakfast.

Ashe noticed the man in the fancy suit leave but makes no move. He then heads towards Marsyl with his chain mail clinking as he moves. "Thank you for the delicious apple cakes. Would you know of any jobs nearby? I am in need of replenishing my coin pouch." Ashe bares a dead set expression as he talks to Marsyl.

Xilbella looks up as Jhimas gets up from the table. She listens in as they talk about a job.

Thella's ears perk up at talk of a job.

Marsyl would nod as he heard the genasi's request about jobs. He would stroke his long, red beard as he looks up at Ashe with a slightly concerned look on his face. "Aye, there is one lit'l job ye could do fer us. There's been talks of a killer on the loose around this little town. His name is... ermh.." He would sigh as he tried to recall the person'as name, but nothing came to mind.

The tortle would sigh as his chef stumbled over his words. "Nobody knows his name. Or if it's even a 'him'. Listen to me closely, this killer got rid of my son, and only left his hand behind." He sighed, continuing to wash a glass as he coughed into his shoulder. "It makes me sick thinking about it."

Grubfingers hears about only a hand being left and it makes him sick to his stomac, more so than the smell of the sweat treats.  He then approches the tortle.

"What else can you tell me, I will do anything I can to get you the rest of the body for you."