Crimson Sands of Time

Having heard both Angus and Gravity, the nobles smile and laugh jovially.  "A wizard, eh?  Which boss was it sent ye, then? Theyresa or Larras?"

Laughing, Angus replies, "Ya know, I don't even know.  I was visitin' me Mum, ya know, and when I comes out, there's Istvan, he's the guy showin' me the ropes n' all, an' he says, 'Hey Gus', cause that's what they call me, 'Gus', 'Hey Gus,' he says, 'the boss wants you to take this wizard and his psycho friends to some meet-up on the other side o' town.'  And I says, 'really man, cause I ain't had lunch or nothin' yet, can't someone else do it?' and then he says, 'Quit yer bellyachin'.  Yer one o' the big boys now, start actin' like it.'  So, long story short here I am.  Say, you don't want to take them the rest o' the way, do ya?  They're all kinda annoying, especially that one, and gettin' on my nerves.  Do a pal a favor, willya?"

<@Brian_Avery are you in plain sight of these guys or lurking somewhere?  That's going to effect the DC here.  I'm using the roll from #129 above for deception>

The uncouth gents look to one another and mumble softly, deciding what they will do with you.  As they concluded one  straightens, clears his throat and spits to the gutter.  Walking toward yoi, shoulders squared, trying to look imposing, he pulls a switchblade and points it straight at Angus. In a hushed tone, he hurls gravelly prose: "I don't believe youbis who you says, mate.  Not for one bloody second.  Butcher's the thing: it don't much matter now, do it?  If you ain't working for eivah 'em, it's your funeral when you do get caught out.  'Is city ain't got nongovernmental for mages, but we know better than to cross paths with the Red Wizards." Lowering the weapon and stepping back, he addresses Chadderly, "I hope you'll remember the fairness with which we met you and your escort today, should there come a contract in the future concerning some Sharkteeth what's been lootin our warehouses of late."  With a bow, he offers passage, freely "A pleasant day to you, sir" the knife has disappeared from his hands deftly pocketed by a bit of prestidigitation.

<ill put the map here again.  So where to.. leaning boot ir any of the other inns or anywhere elwe you tell mez thars where youll go, even just a direction is adequate,  but I caution the map is oriented with North to the right. >

Here is a link to the map so you can zoom in a bit if you like

https://i.imgur.com/IViMpxE.jpeg

Angus shrugs, "Whatevah, youse guys sure is twitchy on this side o' town."  He then leads out in the general direction of the Leaning Boot, at least until they are out of sight of the Bulls.

Once they are in the clear he lets out a big sigh, and asks Chadderlay, "Should I take off the coat?  Am I more likely to attract trouble with it or without it?  You're the local here.  And where are we going?  Are we still headed to the tavern?

"My instructions were to lay low for a day (ha!) and that Morwena would find me tomorrow."

(I'm not seeing the Boot on the map..)

“I don’t want trouble- I’m inclined to go to the boot”. Tetrevess says. 

(The Leaning Boot was not marked on a map.  I just put a white 'X' there.  I hope you can see it.  It's above the orange line, which is the West Market)

As yiu skulking your way through the streets if the city, doing yiur best to avoid suspicion, Chadderly catches some disdainful looks from the locals, hearing them mutter when they think they're far enough "damned arcanists" and "it ain't natural".

Passing the parade route on your left, the decorstions end as you come to a street with a different aesthetician ad you cross from one side to the other.  Here in the City Center, lies a beatiful arrangement of mansions, each with three particular sides - one is entrance for the administration busy with clerks and overseers; one is a richly embasoned in messageboards with a gate leading to a small building where accountants and creditors meet clients who wish to take a debt from the noble house; and one that is for ceremonial visits from other nobility that attracts crowd from the less fortunate wishing to be blinded by the display of beauty, wealth and influence that Mulmaster has cultivated. It is almost king-worthy tradition that the nobility revels, but Selfaril dismisses as peacock rabble, and most Blades are too busy surviving to attend.

(Far down this street lies the Traveler's Cloak Inn.)

Farther south (the direction you were headed) you hear the sounds of a busy market.  (The orange line)

https://i.imgur.com/yMxAvZ8.jpeg

Cryptic Gravity

Gravity will sneak past the group of friendly adventurers and wander about the place all by herself. At first, she will follow the group of five men to closely inspect their actions. But, she will eventually find it as a tiresome activity and try to abandon the task. "Socket, do you hear the way people talk here? They have strange accent and stranger sense of fashion."

Stealth 26

If she manages to backtrack and finds herself lurking in the busy market, she will try to search for a shop that sells weapons and armors or a bookstore. Her intention is to buy a map of the place and locate a forge to work on her unfinished gears.

The west market runs from Southroad Keep to the docks, is the only typical market that anyone can visit on three days a week. It is considered neutral ground among Blades, as they are all grudgingly invested in its success. For most of the year, the Market is robust and vibrant. Plenty of visitors take advantage of some of the lowest prices for goods and services across roughly half of Sword Coast. 

Non-human races do relatively well on the West Market. Most of them are wise enough to only get a writ for a day, make their profit and leave the city gates before dark. A few dwarves have owned independent businesses, and a certain half-elf is known to copy the nobility fashion trends for the common people. Even half-orcs, males with cut-off ears or females with malnourished faces, are grudgingly welcomed. They lean by the walls or scour among the stalls, carrying, cleaning and disposing of spoiled goods. Every human in Mulmaster exploits half-orc labor for carrying their goods to their home. The Blade of Racial Affairs have tried to turn that into a legal business and raise prices, unsuccessfully.

Gravity locates a touristy kiosk at an intersection selling "Mulmaster" mugs, maps and fur-lined gloves of poor quality, (but better than nothing). 

(The maps are cheap, 2gp, and represent what you see above)

<space in the city is pretty compact, but there are many forges.  That sort if thing js the city's chief export, qhich actually makes shops selling the finer bits pretty rare.  You won't find a forge on the high street, though.  That's most on Ironhold Street (area with locations 6 and 10 on the map)   you can find wxoensive and exquisite tools and xlothes here, though.>

Two men lurk in a speace bwtween merchant tents set up in the street. Pale and wiry, with hollow faces, raven black unkept beards and wrinkled brooding eyes, wearing clothes that feature wolf pelts.  They might be identical twins except for the unique pattern of scars that adorns their faces. They hide from view if all except Angus, in whose line if sight they seem to be deliberately positioned.  As if they wish for he alone to see them.

(You're all still in the west market- I should clarify the orange line is where rhe market starts, it goes all the way to the city wall - its kind if a big deal.  I understand you're still headed to the leaning boot, this is just all on the way.  Travel tie. Through the dense streets is roughly an hour as yiu sneak through a zigzag of alleys and wait for the right moment to cross the broader avenues, looking always over your shoulder. )

Noticing the outlanders, Angus will say, "Carry on towards the tavern, I must stop for a moment, I will catch up shortly."   He will then stroll towards a vendor's booth near the twins, and pretend to peruse the goods for sale.

Speaking in alternate turns every three words or so, the pair inquire: "Do you think it will be sunny today or windy?"

Cryptic Gravity

Gravity will buy a map of Mulmaster and immediately mark some of the locations as already seen. She picks up a pair of cheap fur-lined gloves and puts them on, sniffing at the items to determine if these are second-hand. "How much do I need to pay for it? Do you have hooded cloaks fit for female anatomy? I'd like to buy one which is compatible for adults with frequent growth spurts."

(Oh great, thinks Angus.  This damned coat is going in the trash at the first opportunity...)

"Definitely sunny, friends, things are looking up."

"The gloves are 5 gold, and hand made.  I don't sell Cloaks myself, too much overhead to wear house them, you know.  But there are some fine shops all along the market that sell fadhiond from here and abroad." The merchant informs Gravity.  (She can look in the immediate vicinity and find a variety of these items.  In fact, one might notice that few of the customers in the west market seem to be local.  Those who wear the local fashion seem to have recently acquired these pieces ad rhey look brand new, many others are obvious tourists, shivering in their thin traveler's clothes as they shop for a fair price on warmer outerwear, but find none - fair prices that is, outerwear is plentiful.

<Either style of hooded cloak (local or exotic) will cost Gravity 120gp (she can pick any style she pleases)>

If she asks for a better price, she will be told "I can't just give these away, my writ won't pay for itself.  Perhaps if you return during GoldenMonth, late under Leaffall, there may be deals had."

<You mentioned secondhand gloves. There are actually a fair number of pawn shops in the city, and indeed youll fi d some even here in the West Market.  After all, folks might not have much to keep them warm and might in turn find the terms of an exchange more favorable with the promise of a warm coat.  Let me know if you'd like to visit one.>

Quote from rob88scps2 >>

(Oh great, thinks Angus.  This damned coat is going in the trash at the first opportunity...)

"Definitely sunny, friends, things are looking up."

"Pity," says the pale man, "it agrees not with my fair complexion." His twin continues: "Perhaps I'll see you again in the evening."  At this they take a step back and seem to fade into the shadows, and they are gone.

So, on to the Boot, stopping by a pawn shop or headed some place else?