(Oh goodness, charisma is NOT Mina's strength!)

Persuasion w/advantage 13

As they make their way to the tavern, Kerri shakes her head and Lancelin's gestures, a slight grin on her face.  She replies with making a few signs with her hands as well.  

Once they arrive at the Black Flagon, she pauses for a moment, making sure her halberd is properly stored.  She finally slips in as the crowd has been silenced by the Belkris and Doc's unusual appearance. After Lancelin offers to buy a round of drinks, she grabs some ale then tries to find an out-of-the-way place near one of the fireplaces to sit. She scans the crowd, randomly watching the patrons, trying to see if she can eavesdrop on any conversations by reading lips. 

Doc has become used to heads turning, and people silencing on his entrance, so his pace doesn't really change. He just moves forward into the bar, to one of the fires taking a chair; let's see if any patrons will walk upto him before he walks upto some of them.

Before entering the Black Flagon Lancelin steps aside, quickly moving his right hand in an intricate gesture before touching the Family heirloom silver ring on his other hand while uttering a few arcane words making his person radiate confidence and splendor, even more so than before.

Lancelin raises his eyebrows slightly as he sees the tab but pays up with a polite smile, putting up another 5 pieces of gold to make his point.
(Deducted 20 gp from character sheet)

He let's Mina do the talking at first while glancing over at Kerri, making sure she has found a good seat for herself and her drink.
"Well, as you are already aware we are here to investigate the disappearances." He starts, turning to the tiefling. "We would very much like to help Drynna and to keep you and your customers safe at night, but we would need your help in doing so." He continues with a polite smile, letting his silvertongue go to work. "We'd be interested to know for instance if you or anyone you heard of has been witnessess to any of the abductions. We'd also like to know if you are aware of any theories or suspicions on why this is happening, I assume it should be a lot of those in a place like this. Also, if you have any knowledge of the victims and their influence in Drynna." He finishes, listening attentively to any answers and trying to determine how truthful the tiefling is about them.

Once she spotted the other musicians, and felt a moment of sympathetic pity as they went out of tune, she would take off her cloak again, letting her radiant form display, and make her way right over to them and ask the group directly if they would mind her joining them for a bit. She did not take a drink that was paid for.

OOC: so fine bottles wine per 5e is 10 gp. I priced 2 decent bottles at 5 gp; and a pony keg of good ale for 5gp. I certainly think 15 gp is fair. 5 gp 'tip' was optional. 

Belkris comes onto the card game but after observing for a couple of minutes he realizes he's unfamiliar to the game.

"Deal you in, friend," a female dwarf asks. 

She has long brown braids and a shadow of a beard on an angular chin. She's wearing worn leathers and he doesn't see any visible weapons. Her three companions are dressed similarly but one has a hood up.

At the bar...

Balefire takes the coin off the counter smirking at Mina.

"Hold the compliments," Balefire replies as she fumbles nervously. "Sure, I hear things but people talk. I wouldn't be much of a barkeep if I talked about things shared with me over a pint," he explains tapping the pony keg Lancelin paid for and begin to fill tankards. 

Balefire then listening to Lancelin with a cocked eyebrow taking it in the flashy man's words as the barkeep works to supply the bar with ale and wine. A male human then appears from the back grabbing a trat of tankards and goblets to serve the lingering patrons. 

Lancelin give me a persuasion check with advantage. 

Near the fireplace....

Kerri give me a perception check.

Across from Kerri....

At a table where Doc sits he's barely comfortable when a group of four gnomes come over looking over him curiously whilst speaking to one another in gnomish before a fairly gender neutral halfling with crop silver hair but a childlike face joins them.

"We were at the town meeting.  Your group is...not from around here then? Well,  most of you. The sea elf at the bar said she had kin from nearby," they ask smiling at Doc.

Near the stage....

Nix goes to where Mae is with the musicians having paused by the bar to pick up a round of ale to share with them too.

"Greetings," Nix says to the musicians nodding as she offers the ale. The troop gladly take the free ale as they break in their performance.

Nix then looks at Mae to proceed.

Mae gets advantage on a persuasion check for answes to her questions. 

Doc tries to hear what the Gnomes say (as he knows gnomish due to his makers) before the halfling steps in.

"Good evening, yes that is correct. I come from a city in the north. You live here?"

Lancelin persuasion: 22

(Persuasion: 18 used character sheet so you can see the roll in the campaign log)

Mae walks over with the group and Nix, standing near them as they take up their drinks, waiting for them to start drinking before asking them anything. "Good evening, my fellow entertainers, I'm Mae! I hear there are some strange happenings 'round these parts lately. Got any good stories to share? Seen anything strange yourselves? It would be most helpful to me and Ms Nix here!" Mae would try to meet the eyes of each musician if possible.

(Kerri Perception: 18)

Mina shrugs at Balefires response and takes a look around.  Hoping to find a group of elves or some others a bit more like her, she leaves the bar to go and see if she can stir up some conversation elsewhere.

"We're traveling through, originally from Stillben just south. We fix things, all manner of things, as well as...constructs like yourself, " the halfling answers Doc. "You're...you're unlike any constructs we've ever seen, " they add.

At the bar...

Lancelin notices Balefire seems conflicted as he waits for his server to leave the bar with yet another tray of Lancelin's paid for offerings before he leans in.

"Plenty of folk to point fingers at if I'm honest. Some think the councilors have no right to power, " Balefire begins.  "High councilor Yoxall's family is the only one that has gone untouched," he adds looking at where Nix is standing at the stage with Mae. "Plenty of regular folks have gone missing before the councilors family members did but they didn't lift a finger until one of their Wardens went missing," he explains with a bitter tone.  "You and your companions have come at the right time I think," the tiefling adds smirking. 

At the stage...

"Plenty of rumors, " the lute player begins sipping her tankard. "Fog is cleaning up the city," she adds as another of her troop snorts at her statement. 

"First was the ferrymen," the drummer begins. "Sure, he was  cheat...but the new ferrymen isn't much better, " he adds shrugging. 

"Then the blacksmith's wife at the waters edge. People say she was meeting her lover, " the lure player offers next. "I wouldn't call the missing upstanding, " she adds as Nix frowns.

"Anders....was a good man," Nix exclaims clenching fists by her side. "He...none of us are without flaws," she adds gesturing at everyone.

As Mina searches the bar she finds no other sea elves but knowing how closed her people's community is she's not surprised by this fact. She does spot a table of half-elves in the center of the room drinking the wine Lancelin bought them and discussing something in low voices watching the other patrons as well.

Across from Doc....

Kerri finds little in the conversations she's observing.  The lake is not yeilding fish sincethe fog, a missing boat thought to be sunk, and other mutterings about hard scrabble on the docks with no shipments coming in is all she reads.

Belkris joins the card playing group "Sure, but can you explain the card game your playing, its unfamiliar to me"

Mina, after being a bit admonished by the tiefling approaches the half-elf table with a little trepidation.  “Um, excuse me?  Would you mind if I joined you a bit?  Trying to get a feel for the area, and well I hope you don’t mind?  Myself and my friends here, we’re just trying to help out.”

Mae looks at the other musicians as they talk, searching them to ascertain if what they spoke had any personal slant on it, or maybe whether it was just the drinks talking. She nodded though, "What do you mean, cleaning up the town? And what's wrong with the new ferryman? We might be going out that way so anything you could tell me would be greatly appreciated. Then how 'bout we do a set together, hmm?" She looked at Nix and put a hand on the side of her arm and smiled gently. "Of course Nix, I'm sure they knew."

Kerri remains seated by herself, just drinking her ale.  Her eyes drift about to the others - Doc speaking to the gnomes, Mae and Nix with the musicians, Lancelin speaking to the tiefling at the bar, and Mina approaching a table of half-elves.  Which brings her back to her drink, which she downs quickly, then keeps an eye out to sese if anything catches her eye. 

Lancelin listens to the tiefling and nods, glancing over at Kerri as he finishes, making a few signs, nodding in her direction, then turning back to the tiefling, leaning in a bit himself and speaking in a lowered voice. "I'm sorry to hear the council didn't react when they should have Balefire." He starts with a sympathetic smile. "So, have you  heard of anyone that has been witness to any of the abductions? And do you know anyone to turn to for more information on the goings on in your town? And could you expand a bit on what you said about people thinking the councilors have no right of power?"

Kerri manages to catch Lancelin's glance and raises a brow at him.  She picks up her now empty mug of ale, raising it, then sets it back on the table.  She makes a brief hand sign in return to him, giving him a grin.  She then leans back in her chair, returning to looking about at the others in the tavern. 

"It's called the Gambit of Ord," the dwarf explains. "It's a 2 silver piece to join and it goes in the pot," Belkris can see out of the group there's eight silver pieces in the middle already. "Whoever has the highest collective cards at the end wins the pot," she gestures around the table then to the pile if silverin the centerof the table. 

Rules: It's like cards but at the table, players place their bets and are dealt a card. After two rounds of raising the bet and being dealt additional cards, players reveal their cards and add their values together. The player with the highest total wins the pot.

Gameplay: Players roll a d8 and keep the results hidden. Players then choose to raise the bet, call the bet, or fold. This continues until all bets are even. They then roll a d6, keep it hidden, and have another round to raise, call, or fold. The remaining players roll a d4. They then reveal the rolls and add them together. Whoever has the highest result wins.

At the table of half-elves, Mina gets a nod to join. A black-haired half-elven man looks to Mina with a perked eyebrow. 

"Admirable task but this isn't the place to come if you're recruiting," the mae half-elf replies smirking at Mina. "Hey, aren't you from the commune out by Rootgarden Marsh on the Lucidian side," he asks her as his companions now focus their attention on Mina.

At the stage...

Nix stands with her arms crossed over her chest but remains there to back up Mae.

"Plenty of problems for folk with no ties to the council that go unheard," the male half-orc pipes up.

"As for the the ferryman his a cheat! In a long line of cheats," the woman interupts. "He makes up a fee based on who you are or who you know more like...it's never the same," she explains as Nix snorts.

"Are you sure you're taking Keller's ferry and not just a ride from whatever boatman pulls up to the dock," Nix asks her tone annoyed.

"Like you've ever paid for a ride in your life council's daughter," the woman fires back.

"I pay my way just like everyone else," Nix replies. "How come I have never heard the ferryman was a cheat," she adds looking at the group of musicians.

"Maybe your ears aren't able to hear the cries of those not protected by the council," the woman explains as Nix's expression becomes hard.

"I hear just anyone who needs genuine help just fine," Nix retorts. "You have a grievance let's go, now," she adds quickly. "I know my aunt would love to hear it," she adds as the three musicians all look at one another their expression surprised as well as slightly dubious.

"We're trying to make coin here," the woman lute player retorts. "Let's play a jig with you friend here and then I'll go tattle on the Kellers if you like," she adds as Nix looks to Mae giving her an exasperated sigh.

Where Kerri and Doc sit across from she has a great vantage of the bar but reading lips has failed. Does she want to offer another skill to help the party?

At the bar....

Lancilen puts his new questions to Balefire who sighs.

"Plenty of things go on outside the councils notice," Balefire says, "but I'm just that's true for any other place and it's government. Yoxall has been head of the council for two years since her husband died in the seat. She just assumed the seat," he adds. "No election from us just unanimously voted in by the council," he explains. Lancelin then sees Balefire look over his shoulder and become slightly distracted. "Well, as much as I want to chat with you friend I've got a bar to run," the tiefling adds not waiting for Lancilen's reply leaving him at the bar to speak to another patron who's just come in.

Lancelin frowns and then tries to get the tieflings attention again.