Sarris notes the three going upstairs but fights the urge to immediately follow.  Instead, he will continue his slow, ambling circuit of the downstairs area; paying attention to those that might be paying too much attention to who went upstairs.

Passive Perception:  15

Arkon carefully balances the massive tankard of ale in one hand as he follows Valeria up the stairs, the floor creaking slightly beneath his heavy frame. He takes a long drink. The brew is strong, and it earns a low grunt of approval. “Not bad,” he mutters to himself, savoring the bitter, hearty taste.

As Valeria leans in to whisper to Tarina, Arkon stands a few paces behind her, his presence quiet but impossible to ignore. He lets her handle the conversation, knowing this part of the mission isn’t his strong suit. Still, his sharp gray eyes stay locked on Tarina, watching her reaction curiously.

Insight on Tarina's reaction and answer: 5 -.-

"Wow, very subtle, the captain must be desperate if he's also wants to threaten me while asking. Coming right behind me with two armed men at your side then whispering. So discreet aren't you all?" Tarina tosses in her bet. 

"They bothering you, Tarina?" the half orc sets a hand on the table and rises up. But Tarina waves her hand, "Nah, they just asking for the latest gossip, you know. Rumors and the like go about and I'm always the first to know about it."

"Anyway, I'll tell you about what I know if you all do a favor for me. You see, I caught word of some my former friends docked at the city. And the reason as to why we're former friends is also the same reason why I want your lot around. I'm just a lone lass against all them, so I'd be grateful if you all help me out." 

Durak also stays on the first floor as he believes the trio that headed up has it handled. He is more curious about potential threats or friends of Tarina. He sits at a table just keeping an eye out for trouble 

Perception. 

12

Gorin, takes his drink and sits with Durak as Zim goes upstairs.

"See anything unusual?"

The young red-haired lady frowns and takes a small step to the side to give the contact a scrutinizing look. She wasn't sure what to make of this one. The girl claimed to need help but was quite arrogant about it. Also she didn't seem to believe in discretion so there seemed to be no point in any whispering. She would have thought that working for the Flaming Fists would be something you would want to keep a secret in a place like this but what did she really know about it.

"Apologies, I was not aware I was making any kind of threats, and I would have thought you were quite used to seeing armed men around here. If you expect us to do you a service for turning over the information Captain Zodge of the Flaming Fists sent us here to collect for him to return the favor you owe him it would be helpful if you explained what it is you expect us to do here." Valeria continues with a slightly strained smile. "Are you in fact expecting your former friends here soon? If that is the case I suggest you finish up your game and we will escort you somewhere more safe." She adds with a polite bow of her head.

"It's the lower city, everyone is bound to have a weapon on them. But when a group of people gather around you, then its either a mugging, kidnapping, or you're a hell of a news crier. I do owe Zodge, but it'll be hard to pay back if my former crew mates kill me. I was expecting him to send a squad to of his men, but you'll all do instead...and I am implying that I want you all to kill them." Tarina takes the dice and rolls them. "They should be making a beeline for here since I'm a regular. And I'll stay right here."

"12." Tarina states the dice's total and looks to the next player, the robed woman.

Valeria gives the contact an incredulous look. She shakes her head and steps away from the table, giving Arkon and Zim a tired look. The situation didn't quite make sense to her. The contact wanted protection but for some reason she refused to leave for a safer place. If Zodge was here himself he would likely just beat the information out of the girl and leave her at the mercy of her former crew mates, and this was still a very viable option for his Flaming Fist deputees it seemed. Holding back information about a murderous cult threatening the city would likely have a severe punishment. Valeria had certainly intended for this to run smoothly but there was nothing she could do now but leave to her armed companions to decide if they should simply play along with the girl. She knew the city could be rough but she hadn't expected a crew to turn up at the Elfsong tavern with murderous intent. Oh well, at least she would be able to watch her armed companions in action, although much sooner than she had anticipated. She wasn't sure exactly what authority the small copper badges gave them though, perhaps killing a crew in a tavern in broad daylight simply would be considered collateral damage...

Quote from Virst >>

"..it'll be hard to pay back if my former crew mates kill me...

...I am implying that I want you all to kill them."

Zim, now clutching another pint, suddenly chokes on his drink, “They want to kill you?”

Wiping the foam from his beard with the back of his hand, he leans in, eyes sharp. “So, you want us to take them out first?”

“Murder for hire isn’t quite my style, lass. Trading one blood-soaked deed for another, never ends well. I guess we could protect you from your former friends, but what if they never show up, you want us to escort you around the city?"

Arkon takes another long gulp from his tankard, his sharp eyes scanning the room as Tarina speaks. He catches Valeria’s tired glance and Zim’s incredulous reaction but says nothing, his stoic demeanor unchanged. This kind of situation—messy and unpredictable—wasn’t something he was particularly good at handling with words.

Instead, he steps back slightly, positioning himself where he can see the staircase and the entrance. His massive frame looms in the background, a silent warning to anyone who might think of starting trouble. Resting one hand casually on the hilt of his flail, he keeps his other on his tankard.

He focuses on scanning the upper floor for anyone suspicious. If Tarina’s former crew mates show up, Arkon will be ready to act, his focus locked on the simple part of the mission he understands best: protect his allies and eliminate the threat.

Perception: 23

"They ain't smart. Rather than try to sneak around and stab me, they'd rather make a show of it. Besides, they're pissed off enough to be asking around about me since they docked and that's how I came to know about them. It'll just be a while before they show, I guess. I mean, I don't know any of you all and you found me just as easy." 

"15" the robed woman says as the half orc takes his turn.

As the party waits, a strangely eerie crescendo begins to flow throughout the tavern. As the song rises, the patrons settle down and quiet themselves. Then an ethereal voice begins to sing.

(For Sarris and Zim, since they understand elvish.)

(Would Gorin, being from Elturel, know this song?)

Finding a more discreet position at the room's corner, the young red-haired lady summons up some well-needed patience to wait for that soon to be slain crew, casually taking a sip of her red wine as she scans the room for threats. As the singing starts she recalls the rumours she had heard about this place and how it got it's name. The song sounds sad but is quite beautiful. She hoped that the arriving crew would have the good manners to not interrupt the performance.

Arkon lingers near Valeria, the idea of blending in clearly lost on someone of his size. Instead, he plants himself beside her with quiet resolve, his gaze shifting between the entrance and the rest of the room, scanning for any sign of trouble. “Nice song,” he rumbles softly, his voice quieter than usual as if not to disturb the performance. He glances down at Valeria and adds, “Don’t know the words, but…feels sad. Like the mountains after a storm.” He lets the song wash over him, content to wait for the inevitable arrival of Tarina’s crew, knowing that soon enough, the quiet moment will shatter.

"Like the mountains after a storm. A bit of a poet are we?" The young red-haired lady says softly, glancing up at the stoic goliath beside her as her hand plays with a lock of her long curly hair. "Perhaps you are a true descendant of the great giant skalds of the glorious past?" She adds with a curious smile. "But yes, the song, it is quite pretty, and sad, isn't it. Like a requiem dedicated to that unfortunate crew." She adds with a hint of sadness to her eyes. "I should tell you I am not used to violence. I know what I signed up for but...well...I might not wade into the coming fight like you Arkon." She explains quietly with an apologetic look. "I still have some tricks that might be helpful though so I hope I won't be hopelessly useless to you from now on."

Arkon shifts slightly, his rugged face showing a hint of surprise at Valeria's playful remark. “Just saying what I feel. Mountains speak, in their own way. Maybe some of that rubbed off on me,” he replies, his deep voice quieter now to match the somber tone of the song.

He listens as she explains her unease with violence, his gray eyes meeting hers with a reassuring look. “Tricks are good too. Clever ones can turn the tide when things get...well, tricky.”

"Never really seen a mountain..." The red-haired lady quietly says with a dreamy look in the distance. "Maybe we will one day find ourselves on an adventure away from the confines of this city and onto a tall mountain where you can see all of Faerûn below." She says with a small smile, briefly glancing up at the goliath. 

"Thanks Arkon, not sure I'm that clever though, not clever enough to steer us away from unnecessary bloodshed, but here we are, about to kill a ship's crew that is coming here to find a former friend," She says quietly, the whole situation bothering her. Would the Captain have agreed to kill that crew to get the location of the cultists secret lair? Perhaps it was better not to dwell on these things, putting an end to the evil of the Dead Three was definitely the greater good. 

Quote from Virst >>

(For Sarris and Zim, since they understand elvish.)

The song's sorrowful tones stir memories long buried. Zim thinks of the caverns of The Vast, the glint of gold-veined stone under torchlight, the steadfast faces of his kin holding the line against the darkness. He remembers the weight of his armor, the reverberating clang of hammer on shield, the deep silence of the earth broken only by the sounds of battle. He remembers the loss, not just of clansmen, but of a homeland swallowed by chaos. A wave of grief washes over him, bittersweet and heavy. The words of the Elfsong reminds him of all that was taken, of a world that exists now only in memory. The song fades, but its echoes linger, weaving the past into the present. Zim's eyes glisten with tears, but only for a moment. As the final notes of the song fade, he draws a steady breath and regains his composure.

Quote from Secretfool >>

(Would Gorin, being from Elturel, know this song?)

 (Nothing stirs your memory of it, like a song heard during passing, melodic but the meaning is unknown to you.)