"Count me in friends. I know the dock wards and it's people well. Perhaps some who know me there might have some information for us." 

Crag will lead his companions towards the dock ward. If he knows anything that might be relevant about the Skewered Dragon or it's regular patrons, he will share it with the group while they walk.

I follow

As you all step out of the Yawning Portal and into the Castle Ward, you can see a few members of the Guild of Chandlers and Lamplighters moving down the street, lighting the street lanterns as the last of the days light is beginning to fade away. A lone member of the Dungsweepers' guild is finishing his daily rounds on the street as well. With the street lanterns placed at regular intervals there seems to be very little shadow here in the Castle Ward. You all spot a contingent of the City Watch as they turn down a street in the distance. 

Crag informs you all that he knows the area around the Skewered Dragon fairly well, a dive bar in the dock ward, it's patrons mostly dock workers, and other hard working folk. 

You all follow Crag as he leads you towards the Dock Ward, and after turning down a few streets  you turn a corner, and find yourselves on a street that has been cordoned off by the City Watch. Lying on the cobblestones are a half-dozen corpses, seemingly the victims of some terrible skirmish. Watch officers have disarmed and arrested three blood-drenched humans and are in the midst of questioning witnesses. One of the officers sees you. “Get on,” she says. “Nothing to see here.”

Anything anyone would like to do here. 

I want to try and persuade the officer to tell me what happened.

Walking up to the officer, skin casting an unearthly glow in the area, I say "May the sun bless and keep you, warden of the city. Prithee, could you tell me what happened here?"

Persuasion: 13

The officer looks you up and down in a speculative way form behind the bars of her helmet. her blue eyes are cold and fairly unkind. "They are getting more bold every day, the damn turf war, or whatever it is needs to stop. I've been a member of the watch for five years, and I've never seen either of these gangs result to open warfare in the streets. Now shove off. I don't need anymore trouble today." And with that she turns her back to the group and watches as a few other members of the Watch are questioning the survivors of the bloody conflict. Several other lower ranking members are interviewing witnesses off to one side.  

I will turn around and tell the team what she says, being very cool about the conversation from her lack of a sun blessing. 

"I wonder if we can listen in on the witness statements over there.... Does anyone see a good place to hide and eavesdrop?"

After listening to Ondrea's suggestion I'd like to take a look around to see if there's any way we could try and sneak in closer.

I'm guessing perception?

9 <-perception check

There is a perimeter of 4 guards blocking the street in front of you, including the officer who Ondrea had a brief encounter with, Aida you can see about 100 feet down the road the same set up blocking access to the street. Approximately half way in between is where "witnesses" are being interviewed by a few of the Watch. There is no way to move closer without without alerting the guards. But straining your ears you do manage to pull out a few phrases from the conversations. "Those three," and the person points over to the surviving combatants, "came out of nowhere..." Another person says "I heard cries off "for Xanathar." from the ones who are dead"

The conversations are cut short by the rumblings of carts behind you, and as you all turn towards the noise you see two carts coming onto the scene with a dozen more City Watch. The Carts roll past the perimeter guards into the centre of the crime scene. The two guard captains have a quick conversation and then very efficiently the three captives are loaded into a boxed cart with no windows and a heavy door on the back. When they are placed inside the door is shut and a heavy lock falls into place with a clang. The bodies and weapons are loaded on a flat catd with a covering of straw, and the carts are lead away by the Watch.   

I'll turn back to the group. "Well, looks like it's something related to the Xanathar guild again.They really are stirring up trouble aren't they? On the plus side, looks like we can get through to where we need to go now."

"Perhaps in the light of day, we should consider speaking with those who were taken prisoner by the city watch for their role in this conflict. They might be a valuable source of information in regards to the cause of this turf war."

Crag would like to try and see if any of the bodies are recognizable as anyone he might know, maybe someone unfavorable he has had a run in with before, or possibly someone he would have thought an innocent victim. 

Not sure if perception or investigation would be more appropriate for this
Perception: 15
Investigation: 2 higher than that ^^

Seeing the situation well under control with the city watch, once his companions are ready, Crag will walk first into the Skewered Dragon

Alec takes in the faces of the people involved as best he can as well as the bodies and weapons on the cart and looks for any particular markings or symbols they may be bearing.

8 <Investigation

Seeing Crag head off, Alec follows and steps into the Skewered Dragon behind him.

Alec, Crag as the prisoners are being loaded into the cart you spot a small tattoo of a snake on the hand of one of them, marking them as a member of the Zhentarim. The bodies being loaded onto the cart are two jumbled to see. 

It is still a fair ways to the Skewered Dragon, the trip takes about another 30 minutes on foot, and the switch from the Castle Ward to the Dock Ward is shocking for those who are newer to the city. Tall, densely packed tenements leave most of the neighborhood in shadow at ground level. Most of the streetlamps have had their glass smashed and their candles stolen, and the smells of salt air and excrement linger as you pass by rows of run-down buildings. One in every five or six lamps are actually lit, and darkness and shadow are everywhere. 

Crag leads you to your destination. The Skewered Dragon looks like a ruin. Both of its front-facing windows are smashed, and a ship’s anchor is lodged in the roof. Through the windows, you can see a group of haggard patrons drinking from huge tankards.

As you enter the Tavern there are about two dozen patrons, in various stated of inebriation among the six or seven tables. Most of them are dressed in rough spun clothes and are keeping to themselves. There is a a small bar in the back of the dive bar, where a barkeeper stands idly polishing a dirty tankard, with an even dirtier cloth. He appears in his mid to late 50's, balding, thin, tired and slightly bored. 

Ondrea walks in, red eyes glancing around suspiciously at all the patrons. She walks to the barkeep and asks for a drink before turning back around to monitor the patrons for any suspicious actions.

I'll cautiously follow behind Crag, absentmindedly fidgeting with my holy symbol. I give the air a sniff as we enter the bar, wrinkling my nose at the scent. "Light be with us" I mumble to myself quietly.

I'll also look at the windows on our way in, trying look for glass on the ground to determine if the windows were smashed recently.

19  <-Perception check if needed

Ondrea, as you approach the bar the man standing behind it pulls his cloth out of the mug, and readily pours you a mug of a brown, think, not amazing ale. When you place yourself at the bar and look over the patrons, you see very little of note. A few of the tables are full, there are approximately 12 people in the small dive bar. Mostly human, you do see a halfling man, as well as perhaps a half elf, hard to tell in the limited lighting. Everyone is dressed similarly in rough spun materials suitable for hard labour. There is one table in the corner where there are occasionally subdued celebrations from some sort of gambling. 

Aida, as you attempt to look around, other than the hard planked floor, and the fact that the building you are in has definitely seen better days, with paint peeling off the walls, and a layer of grime covering almost everything. There seem to be no indication of any struggles, like broken glass or bits of broken furniture. 

In a no nonsense way, Crag will approach any table of what he judges to be honest hardworking individuals (particularly any who might know him) and begin asking if anyone knows of, or has seen a man matching Floon's description. He will approach the gamblers to inquire as well as a last resort.

Crag you approach a table of three humans, each with a large tankard in their hands. As you approach you cathc the end of their conversation. They are discussing the troubles in the streets, and how they are concerned it may reach the docks soon and interrupt their work 

Make a persuasion check please, with advantage because of your local renown 

Seeing Crag make his way to that group of patrons, Alec will make his way over the group of gambling men, "Good evening gentlemen, might I partake?" And grab a seat. He will do a brief look to see if any of the people at the table are bearing any symbols marking them as Zhentarim or anything of interest.

17 <----Investigation

I will go to the corner of the room (sit down if empty table) look to see if there is another person alone that looks secretive

22 investigation  

"Good evening my good fellows."

Persuasion:  10 <-- WHAT!?!?!?!