“Ah... Martem...  I think our friend was trending to him. We'll certainly see what he had to say.  I appreciate your help Fala. I'm sure we'll be seeing you soon." 

With that Darien leaves the Corellon's Crown. Once outside, he turns to Jin.  “I don't suppose you talked to the boy?"

He doesn't really wait for a response as he heads towards the Bent Nail. "I say we try to find that cloaked man first. Then circle back to talk to witnesses."

(OOC - I'm assuming Jin joined Fizz and I.)

The man stares at Darien behind his mask for a few moments. Like. 'Really?' But he doesn't say that. Instead, he gestures onwards.

You walk towards the carpentry and woodworking shop known as the Bent Nail. Talis "Tally" Fellbranch, the half-elf owner of the Bent Nail and your neighbor, is designing a wooden sword themed for a play production as you all walk in. 

"Ah, my new neighbors! Welcome to the Bent Nail. Anything you fine fellows would need at the moment?"

Fizz looks toward Darien, "Why don't I circle back and check on the boy. I happen to have a way with children. The big guy here isn't one for conversation, no offense friend." He says, as he pats Jin on the leg. "I won't be long and I'll meet you straight away at the Burnt Nail, try not to let me miss any excitement..." With that Fizz skips off quickly toward the boy not exactly waiting for a response. 

As Fizz approaches the boy and notices him to be a bit upset and hurt he casts Minor Illusion conjuring a small horse that is gently galloping in his hand. "Martem, my young friend I am sorry you got hurt in all the chaos. My name is Fizzlebit Forton Thornberry the Fourth, but my friends call my Fizz and you should certainly call me Fizz. I am trying to find what happened here and help those who got hurt. Would happen to have seen anything? Absolutely anything you saw would be super helpful please don't leave out a single detail." He smiles broadly looking the boy directly in the eye.

Roll a Persuasion check with advantage.

Persuasion: 25

The boy smiles at the miniature horse.

"I admit, I couldn't see much from behind the barrel. I ducked behind it immediately after the explosion. Then I heard a 'plop' and found this in the barrel." 

Martem procures a necklace of fireballs. "I have a feeling this might be evidence, so you probably shouldn't hide it from the guard."

“Sounds good Fizz," Darien says as the gnome heads off.

"Great to meet you!" he says to "Tally". He then taps his hand to the intricately carved staff he carries at his back.  "I quite like the staff I have.  But if I ever need another I will definitely come here.  Anyhow, I was actually wondering if anyone came in here following the explosion.  A man wearing a cloak?"

Tally remembers instantly. "Yes, actually! A man wearing a dark black cloak wandered around the outside of my shop and started walking briskly in the direction of House Gralhund, the closest noble family to Trollskull Alley."

Fizz smiles, takes the necklace and places it carefully in his pocket. "I will make sure it is safe. Thank you. Don't suppose you saw who dropped it. I also heard someone took something from the poor gnome, you know the fella that kind of looks like me, did you happen to see what was taken?"

After the boy responds Fizz will pat the boy on the head and nimbly make his way through the crowd and off to the Rusty Nail to meet up with his friends. Today is turning out to be a very fine day Fizz thinks happily as he heads down the street.

“Well! Thanks!"  Darien replies at the quick recognition. "I'd really like to see if he knows anything about what happened. You didn't notice anything distinguishing about him? Something that would help me recognize him?"

He awaits the response,  but is clearly anxious to continue quickly on the trail of this man.

There is a moment of silence from Jin as he stands there. Frowning behind his mask. Contemplating. Being... generally oblivious to his surroundings again as he loses himself to thought. It takes several minutes. Then he snaps out of it.

He wordlessly lifts a hand, palm open. Fingers together. In this single motion, he tells his companions: Halt. Wait. While it doesn't look like he expects to be obeyed, he does stride off. To a quiet alley. Kneeling. Meditating...

Fizz: Martem says that something that looked like a skipping stone was taken from the gnome.

Darien: Tally recalls that half of his face was shrouded in a dark, blistered scar.

Jin: The Deva appears in front of you in your dream state, a six-winged humanoid with piercing white eyes. "What requires me so, Jin?" (OOC I know what in-game Devas look like, this is a slight variation on my part)

“That should certainly help! Thank you very much!" And with that, Darien continues on quickly to the location of House Gralhund.

As he travels, he tries to recall anything he might know about House Gralhund. (Especially given his Noble background.)

"Oldest of friends. Hello." Jin greets with a lackadaisical grin. And an equally lazy wave. All within his mindscape. "There was an explosion. Several innocent people died. We tracked the source of it to House Gralhund, a noble family in Waterdeep. I don't know what exactly their deal is, but I don't think they're going to exactly let us waltz in. Do you have any recommendations to get access there?" A beat. Then he sighs.

"You and I both know your first answer is going to be, 'Go to the guards! Law! Order!' You and I both also know that I'm going to completely tune that out. You and I both also know, that if you don't come up with something, I'm just going to wait for the dead of night, transform, and fly myself and my buddies in from the skies! Which is a bad idea, since we don't know where their hearts lay. So. Is there anything else?"

To his party members, and anyone else that observes him, it seems like this robed, hooded and masked figure is just... kneeling in an alley. Head bowed.

The Deva thinks in an eerie perpetual silence. About three minutes later it gives you a recommendation: "If you wish to kill the source in cold blood- especially if it is the Gralhunds themselves, god forbid- your mission may end with death sentences for your party by Last Sheaf. However, knocking out or sneaking past your enemies before discovering the truth and exposing them through more traditional means, whether or not that includes contacting the guard of course, may prove your greatest ally in this situation. Remember, your possible enemies are in a position with quite some power."

Darien, roll a history check with advantage given your Noble background

Fizz rounds into the street as Darien is exiting the building and see Jin kneeling in the alley. Confused he looks to Darien, "What did you do to Jin? He fall asleep? Should we wake him up?" He pulls the necklace out of his pocket and shows it to Darien, "It seems whoever started this mess dropped this in a bucket on the way out." He casually tosses the necklace into the air and catches it back into his pocket. "He also said our mystery man took some sort of rock or stone from the gnome... Seems a little drastic." 

History check: 22

House Gralhund is one of the more crafty noble families. They've never had an unearthed scandal while most of the city nobles have something they're not proud of the public learning about. Also on an unrelated note, Yalah Gralhund is the matriarch of the family, and is in charge of most public ventures while her passive husband Orond Gralhund complements her work extensively.