Briny will get close to Hex and quietly say to her "Perhaps we would have more luck if we could find some street folk who might have been around that night to see the thief making off with the book."

OOC: Awaiting confirmation of an action before I can advance. If there's nothing else to do here at Agin Lamarck's office, I might suggest investigating another lead, since we seem to have slowed quite a bit here.

((I would like to purchase a scroll/map case and 5 sheets of paper before we leave, for 2 gp total))

Hex nods to Briny. "That sounds like a good idea. If no one has any more questions, I think we should leave Agin be for now. Thanks for your cooperation and.. well, try to get a better security system, yeah?"

Sylyra is glad to leave.

"Thank you for looking into the matter. I'm sure it will not all be for naught," Agin replies dryly as you depart his office, stepping back into the late night streets of Phlan.

OOC: We don't need to RP the shopping. There are enough shops nearby that Briny can find what she's looking for. Those items have been added to Briny's inventory.

Where to next?

Briny steps out of the door of the shop and walks a bit to the side so she doesn't block the others as they exit. She takes a look around the street to see if she can spot anyone who looks like they might be unhoused or regularly spends the night out in the open in this area.

"Did we ask about the size of the first book?" Sylyra asks, still amazed at the description of the most recent.

"No, I don't think we did. Maybe we can ask Marten about it after we question Aya Glenmiir."

Hex looks up at the sky as Briny searches the street. (How late at night is it currently?)

Briny does not spot anybody in the streets who stands out. From what she can gauge, the townsfolk wandering through the street here are simply passing by while moving from one place in the plaza to another, or heading home for the evening.

OOC: It is nearing midnight at this point in the evening.

Sylyra tosses back his hair and sighs. "I'm all for staying out late, but unless I have a glass of wine in my hand, it just isn't worth it. Let's get some sleep and pick this back up in the morning."

"Hm, I was hoping we could speak with all three victims tonight but I agree. I doubt Aya Glenmiir would appreciate us knocking on her door at this hour."

Briny sighs. "Agreed. I don't see anyone out here that might be useful to talk to either, should we head back to the inn where we first met up? Or do you have somewhere else in mind?"

"The inn sounds good. Do you have a room to stay in, Briny? If not, you can bunk with me."

Having gleaned the details of two of the three reported thefts, the party returns to the Cracked Crown (or another inn of your choosing) for a night's rest. The streets are emptying quickly by the time you reach the inn and procure rooms, and the night passes peacefully by. The morning brings a cooler air, with a light mist lingering in the streets.

OOC: Characters have gained the benefits of a long rest. Removed 1 gp from each character's inventory for living expenses. Feel free to have any conversation the party wishes to have as they wind down for the night or in the morning before continuing the investigation. Once an action is confirmed, I will advance!

After spending four hours in his restful trance, Sylyra heads down to the common room to wait for Imizael or Fat Mar. When one of them appears in the morning, he asks, "Is Olisara Lightsong home?" If he receives an affirmative answer, he'll knock on her door, no matter the time, tell her what he knows about the current "case" and ask if she has any information on the books or perhaps their whereabouts. If he receives a negative answer, he'll remain in the common room to wait for the others.

In the morning before Hex leaves the room Briny will talk with her a little bit. "I've been thinking, or had a dream thought or something, and I wonder if you might have any seedier contacts inside or outside of the Zhentarim? I could ask Chaab if he has heard any rumors of people wanting those books, but you've been around longer than I and might know a better person to ask about this sort of stuff."

"No, I haven't managed to make any contacts with the "seedier" side of the town yet. Have you heard of the Welcomers? They're the people you're talking about and, well, we haven't given them a particularly good impression of us. Neither did they give us a good impression of them..." A look of disdain crosses Hex's face for a moment before dropping into a more relaxed expression. "But I'm working on getting on their good side right now. If you want to ask Chaab, go ahead. I think that's a good idea."

OOC: Assuming Sylyra is returning to the Laughing Goblin (rather than the Cracked Crown) to have those interactions. Won't have an effect on anything but RP as far as the morning is concerned.

At the Laughing Goblin, Sylyra is informed that Olisara Lightsong is currently away from Phlan. In the morning, the party regroups outside the Cracked Crown in Podol Plaza. The Plaza is not as busy in the early hours as it was the previous evening, but there are still dozens of citizens tending to affairs at various buildings.

Briny looks ready to tackle the day when she meets up with the others. "Well what's the plan for the day? I did have a thought to ask someone if they've heard any rumors about the missing books, maybe I should go do that and then meet up with you somewhere?"