"This is likely to get Floon killed. But just charging in will get us killed. There is no choice, especially without that Paladin." Aran sighs.

Olaerys turns over in his sleep, dreams about the troll and its big, ugly, surprised face as it went over the edge and down the shaft.  He wakes up briefly in a sweat, "Hhhheeaaah!"  Looks around, "Oh yeah.  He's gone.  Whew!  Where the hell is everyone else?  I hope they are not running off and doing something foolish.  You can get killed in this town if you are not careful."  He fluffs his pillow and drifts back off to slumber land, this time hoping to dream of a bar with endless mugs of beer lined up, a bright cheery town and him as ... Mayor?  Could it be?  Foes vanquished, stacks of gold lined up for the counting, throngs of fans shouting his name, and women with large ..tracts of land.

Aran uses the same passageways to get everyone back to the Yawning Portal.

Aran leads the group to an alleyway right before the Yawning Portal. It's here. He halts. His attention settling upon Creach. There's a few moments of silence. Of him just standing there, before he finally addresses the young man. "You and that Paladin both, are... liabilities." He raises a finger. "But," Aran letting that but sink in. "you two have potential. Think with your heads, and not your blades, learn to control that first instinct to draw your blades... and you two will go far." That said... he seemingly disappears into the rain. (Mask of the Wild)

Stealth Check: 22

Meanwhile... at the Yawning Portal, a horned figure approaches one of the rooms. Knocking. Knocking repeatedly. Knocking in a cheerful and frequent beat. "Hi, hello." Says a scratchy voice, coming from the figure. "I heard you all were looking for a Floon. And what a co-winky dink! I am, too. He's one of the faithful at the Temple of Tymora. And we're worried about him."

Zimm rises with the dawn, his head pounding a bit but otherwise no worse for wear.  He had opened his spellbook and rearranged his memorized spells, and he took a moment to think about... why?  He played over the events of the previous evening. 

Fool.  Charging a troll?  What are you, some mindless barbarian?  Lucky that paladin knew what he was doing, or you'd be a nothing more than a stain on the Yawning Portal's floor this morning.

Hearing a knock at the door, Zimm cracks it open.  He stoops down to look at the figure eye to eye - but his eyes must still be bloodshot, because all he can make out of the mysterious figure is that it wears horns.  Tymora?  Floon?  What in the 9 Hells?  And then he remembers...

"Floon.  Yes.  Volo's man.  Tell you what, I think the others may still be asleep."  Didn't some leave without us to search?  Ugh... I need some coffee.  "Why don't you head downstairs and grab a table.  I'm sure we'll all be down... eventually."  He starts to shut his door... "Hold up... what did you say your name was?"

The figure's horns are slightly curved. He's red-skinned and has completely golden eyes. A tiefling! "My name is Erek." Says the man, before he beams a bright smile. "Sure! I'll head on down." And that he does.

While he waits, the young supposed priest of Tymora pulls out an alms box, marked with the symbol of Tymora. His amulet and shield both have them as well. Erek sets down the box on the table.

Caix returns a couple hours after midnight with the others and heads up to rest, planning to meet the others in the early morning.  Washing in a water basin, scrubbing off the previous days grime, then settling in for the night.  She sits to meditate over the days events and clear her mind for the next day.  At dawn, if the evening passes without further disturbance, she rises, dresses and sorts her hair again into braids missing the soaps and perfumes her previous master made her use.  She will have time to buy those later.  

She gathers up all of her gear again and heads down to meet with the others for a morning meal.  Stopping by the bar she greets whomever is there, "Good morning! Thank you for the room last night.  Might I trouble you for some fruit and bread, maybe some cider if you have it?  Paying what is asked.  Also, might I trouble you to ask if there are any about that would run to the trader's for me for a few coin if its safe to do so around here?  I'm in need of a couple of things, but don't want to step away as my friends will be down shortly."

Spotting Caix, the excitable priest waves her over. Rapidly. Beaming another smile for her. "Hi! You guys were talking with Volo about Floon! I'm looking for him, too!" Calls Erek. 

Caix glances over, seeing the horned priest at the table already having taken out several religious items, waving at her and approaches.  "Hello, good morning!  Yes, Floon.  Any information would be helpful to us.  Could you join us in our search?"

"I actually don't have any information! He was friends with Volo, that's uh... Bout it." He chuckles, before nodding repeatedly. "sure, I'll join you! If we find him, I can get us free healing at the Temple of Tymora as well!"

The professor will rise and stagger out to the common area. He looks around bleary eyed until he sees Caix and heads towards that table. He sits down roughly and holds his head in his hands rubbing his face. “Good god what a late night. Where can someone get someone coffee around here?”

It’s only after he sits for a few moments and collects his thoughts that he notices the new person at the table. He takes in the alms box and then his eyes travel up to the face and horns. “Hello, who is this?” He extends a hand and works up the energy to smile faintly “Professor Thaddeus Holis and your service.”

Thinking of the troll from last night, "That might be useful.  The others should be down soon.  Tell me about Tymora while we wait."  (not expected details, just something to speak about)

"I am Erek! A humble servant of Tymora! With nails that look like black claws, the priest extends his hand and gives it a good shake with Thaddeus'. "One of our flock is missing." Erek repeats the same thing he has been saying all night.

"His name is Floon and we're worried about him."

In the meantime, he looks for any kind NPCs that are faithful to Tymora, hoping that they may give some alms. His head swiveling one way then another.

Threestrings is there at the tavern this morning, the bard tosses a few nibs (8 copper coins) he collected from last night's performance into the alm's box. "Lady's Luck on you," he says with a smile, before heading off to get a breakfast of fried quipper, hash browns and Chultan orange juice.

Olaerys comes wobbling down the stairs bleary eyed.  He comes over and sits at the table, doesn’t talk until one cup of coffee is in.  He listens and observes the new cleric sitting at our table.  “Erek is it?  Olaerys, glad to meet you.  Do you have favor with Tymora, Lady Luck?  Perhaps you can help me when I play my next hand of three dragon ante - and maybe you are a good luck charm for our group!  Welcome aboard!  (He uses divine sense and looks around the room, at the rest of the group and particularly at Erek.  After that he seems satisfied and relaxes.). He looks over at the Professor, Zimm, Caix and Creach and says “Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey!”  

The Yawning Portal is a very cosmopolitan place; even at this early hours Olaerys detects a few celestial, fiendish, and intelligent undead beings enjoying an early breakfast. That said, there isn't much to worry about; they know better than to start something in Durnan's tavern, something the Xanathar Guild gangsters didn't seem to understand.

Zimm plods down the stairs.  He is wearing the same robes as last night - luckily he didn't spill any troll on himself.  His hair is wet and slicked back from a quick morning scrub in the wash bucket.  He had been starting to feel a bit better, though the rush of smells from the tavern room - spilled ale, perspiration... blood? - turns his stomach a bit.  

He spies Caix and their new red-skinned ally across the room.  First he saunters to the bar counter.  While he is craving a greasy breakfast, after all that drinking he thinks better of it.  "Could I get a plate of fruit or a pastry?  And do you have coffee, or tea?  If so, please bring the whole pot or kettle."  He will pay for breakfast and ask it be brought to the table where the other two are talking.

Zimm then approaches the table, getting his first good look at Erek.  "A priest of Tymora?  Makes sense... already we seem touched by luck.  So was this Floon another priest?  That wasn't brought to our attention, at least as I can recall.  Or was he simply a wealthy member of the parish?"  As he shifts his weight onto a bench at the table, he remembers his manners.  "I am Zimm Trollmimm, aspiring wielder of powers arcane and sublime."  His brows furrow as he looks at the wood elf.  "And it was... Caix... correct?  My apologies.  It was a rough night." 

(OOC Must have taken a long time to type that.  I missed a half dozen intervening messages)

The first thing he addresses is Zimm's last question, the red skinned tiefling rapidly shaking his head. "No, no. He's just one of the faithful. Worships Tymora but isn't part of the priesthood." Then his attention settles upon Caix- after calling to the fleeing bard- "A copper to the Lady returns tenfold in gold!" To Caix, he explains. "Tymora is the Goddess of Good Fortune, Our Smiling Lady and of course, Lady Luck! Her foul sister," his hand shakes at the air repeatedly, "is the Goddess of Misfortune. And Lady Tymora does all she can to counteract Beshaba's evil deeds."

A beat of awkward silence, and he admits sheepishly. "I'm just a priest in training, however. If you want to learn more, there's a Temple in the city! My home, in fact. We're uh..." A hand waves about as he finds the words.

"excited! Not obligated! Excited, to help the daring. We will provide minor magic items to those who roll the dice of fate! So maybe it would be a good idea to stop by there before we go traipsing about the city."