The man looks at Ada with an incredulous look, shifting his gaze back and forth between Ada and Kel. He then points shakily to the “hostage” in the chair. “That be Billy there,” he says, stammering while slowly reaching into his pouch and pulling out a similar drawing. “We all got one. It’s in case we need it to sell the con.” He looks to where Smiley lies dead. “Dave drew them,” he gulps. 

After seeing the “body”, Barkas comes over and stands beside Ada, helping her interrogate the thug.  “Tell us what you know if you want to make it out of this room.”

"She's right, you know? I mean, I of all people can't judge, but really all you're doing is making a bad living space shittier," Agata drops the fake head and stands once more, placing a hand on Ada's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. "Did it not occur to you all that someone might turn around one day and fight back?"

She nods along with Barkas question, ears flicking in distaste at the situation.

The man panics a bit. "Literally, that's all I know," he begins to whimper. "Look, things have been tough. Dave lost his job with the guard over that, um, drinking incident. Bob and Frank haven't worked in months as the caravans to the west have begun employing outsiders," he pauses giving you all a harsh look. "Now, we've had to do what we can do to get a few coin. No one's ever gotten hurt before...well, there was that lady who landed on her face, but that was her own fault for trying to do...and I quote...'dope monk shit.'" He sighs. "Look, you adventuring type make the perfect marks. You're not from here. You tend to carry a bunch of coin. And, when you get robbed, you don't tend to go crying to guard about it because, well, you don't want to be embarrassed." He shrugs. "It's all we got."

Kel listens as the man's story spills out, his expression impassive until the man finishes. Scrubbing his face with his hand, his aggravation is clear in his body language. "So you add misfortune to the world to offset your own and now it's caught up with you."  He states, shaking his head.  "Perhaps you can start toward your redemption by helping us.  Answer the lady"...nodding at Ada..."what do you know of the lizard people that are attacking folks around here?"

"Despicable" she mumbles, "Absolutely despicable" Ada moves in a bit closer to him and her eyes narrow a bit looking directly at the thug "So... you know nothing of any lizard creatures in this area?" she says in somewhat of a low growl.

"I've heard the rumors," the man says. "I've not seen such beasts myself, but bad things are always happening in the Ward." He shifts his position a bit, absent-mindedly picking at the vines around him. "I'd heard Dave telling Frank about Bertha's boy the other day. He'd said some monsters chased him through the street, smacking him with a stick and leaving him ugly. You ask me, that boy was hit with the ugly stick at birth, but Dave said the marm was pretty upset," he says. "He'd advised us to sleep here tonight and not walk the streets."

"Can you tell us where exactly that happened? Any information you have would be most helpful to us AND to your own cause!"

The man shrugs, saying, "I think the boy slipped out at night to meet some friends. Ran into these 'monsters' and was attacked." His eyes stray over and lock onto Smiley's prone body. "Dave probably knew more about it."

"Damnit!" she mutters as she backs off a bit and scratches her head.  She turns towards to the others "Anyone else have any questions for 'skippy' here?  Might be best to just turn him over to the authorities here." she remarks as she gives one last glare at the thug.  "Maybe this Dave had something on him that will give us more of a clue" she mutters as she goes to Smiley's lifeless body.  As she approaches the body she notices the handless arm and gives a shudder "Uhg, that's just gross." she says quietly to herself.  She gets down on one knee next to the body and starts searching it to see if there's any additional info she can find.

Investigation: 22

Daetris moves over to the thug she'd shot, yanking out her arrows with a bit of force. She wipes them off on the thug's clothes before examining them and sticking them back into her quiver. "We're turning him over to the authorities?" she asks, looking over her shoulder with a frown. "Is that smart after we killed the rest of his buddies here? What's to say they wouldn't come after us, too?"

Ada pauses as she's riffling through Smiley's pockets... she looks back to Daetris "Honestly, I could care less what's done with him... he's part of the whole problem in this ward area!" She laughs a bit as she continues "I was just making a simple suggestion."  She turns back to Smiley and continues her search.

Misha was tempted to go for the head Endgame style, but waited to see what the consensus was. Back home, letting an enemy live or avoiding punishment was against the Code. Here, on another world, the rules were different, but she was still an Acheronian. She didn't like the idea of a cowardly fool like this one getting away, much less being allowed to live. Her programming was specifically designed to cause her actions to focus on the lawful evil side of all situations. Ideals of courage, power, loyalty, honor, glory, and definitely the subjugation of the weak and cowardly. She towered over the man, arms crossed, patiently waiting for the others to decide while they talked and investigated.

On Smiley, Ada finds 6 gold and 22 silver pieces. Also, there is a similar drawing as seen on the others. The thug whimpers at the talk, looking up at Misha nervously. "Hey, whoa there, I'm a convert. You win. No more banditry for me. I'm walking the path of the straight and narrow from here on." 

He submits. Very well. Another foe conquered. However, she grabbed him by the front of his shirt, pulled him close effortlessly.

"Eef we see you again, or hear about something bad you hef done to anyone...Misha weel be bek for you. Personally."

She tossed him aside, then gestured to the door with her sharp jawline.

"Be gone, leetle man."

Ada will will grab the gold and silver "We can split this later" she mentions.  "Hey, check those other two for anything of significance on them... hoping one of them has a clue on them."  She gets back up and walks back over to Misha and the others that were right there interrogating the thug.  "What should we do with the bodies?  Throw 'em in the pit?"  She moves in a bit closer to Misha and almost whispers "You sure letting him go was the right idea?  I had a right mind to relieve his shoulders of that useless head he has on him... just didn't want to offend anyone here."

She looks at Misha "Oh, here... you forgot this when you climbed out of the pit" Ada tosses her the Junior Mint that she had found while they were down there.

"You sure letting him go was the right idea?  I had a right mind to relieve his shoulders of that useless head he has on him... just didn't want to offend anyone here."
"Of course not. Bek home, Meesha would hef snapped hees neck like leetle twig een autumn, frail and withered like the coward he ees. But, Meesha ees weeth new friends, so wanted to hef a leetle retraint for first time, ya? Not many understand the ways of my people. Sometimes takes time to understand Meesha."

She looks at Misha "Oh, here... you forgot this when you climbed out of the pit" Ada tosses her the Junior Mint that she had found while they were down there.
"Ah. Misha thank you." and she popped it into her mouth.

But, Meesha ees weeth new friends, so wanted to hef a leetle retraint for first time, ya? Not many understand the ways of my people. Sometimes takes time to understand Meesha."

"I completely understand... which is why I didn't stick my staff to his head and remove it with some magic..."

"Ah. Misha thank you." 

"You are very welcome."

"I completely understand... which is why I didn't stick my staff to his head and remove it with some magic..."
"Yes. Would hef been nice explosion."

Barkas checks the body of the other two thugs.  "I suppose it was the right thing, letting him go.  If I hear of him doing a stunt like this again, I will call forth flame and burn his ass to the ground."  Barkas bends down and searches, "Hmm, what have we here?  Let's see what you were carrying..."  

After checking the remaining bodies, Barkas starts to examine the rest of the hideout and escape route.