Initiative: 10

Walt, turns quickly at the shouting voices and replies “This man needs help! I’m a trained healer and he appears to be in grave condition.”

Walt turns his attention to the man and performs a medicine check: 9.

(DM: If need be we can resolve the medicine check after dealing with the goons.)

Zartan Init: 30

The three well-dressed and well-armored goons (two men and a woman, all human) have longswords drawn. They also have crossbows strapped to their backs, and shortswords at their sides. Their attention is especially fixed upon Walt, who is leaning over and touching the body. They are about 20 feet distant, at the entrance to the alley.

"Step against that wall and do not move," commands one of them. "Identify yourselves. Who are you and what did you do to this man?"

Initiative:
Tuuli: 
Lucky: 
Zartan: 15
Walt: 10
Aranor: 5
Three goons: 3

Walt stands up and turns slowing trying to not to appear threatening in any manner. His hands open, palms up and arms stretched out showing that he is not armed. "We are travelers from the Radiant Citadel. We came here in search of Jeli wine and nothing else. We were just passing by, saw him in this state and attempted to help him."

Walt focuses in on the three goons and tries to discern who is in charge here. 

Insight check 25 (19+6) 

Tuuli’s initiative: 21

Lucky’s initiative: 5

Walt can see that their leader, a severe-looking woman in her fifties, is clearly looking for any excuse to slice you all to ribbons. 

Walt: Make a Persuasion check.

Aranor also raises his empty hands in a placating gesture. He tries to help Walt in persuading the goons to back down.

"Do you know a man by the name of Emran? We were just with him. He can verify that we did not harm this man," explains the moon elf.

(Help Walt w/ his Persuasion check so he can advantage.)

Tuuli turns to face the goons/guards, calmly. Meanwhile, Lucky patters over to the doors, sniffing first at the door on the left, then the door on the right.

Lucky's Perception (at Adv for sniffing, in game log):

Left door: 8
Right door: 10

Oof. Wait! Those weren’t at advantage! Again!

Left door: 17
Right door: 17

Zartan also plays it cool and does not make any sudden moves

Walt has a feeling that this can go bad at any second. While the rest of the party plays along and Aranor tries his hand and calming the goons down, Walt takes a deep breath and sighs. In that exhale, Walt whispers the incantation the spell guidance and finishes the casting with a flourish of his hands.

He focuses his gaze on the leader of this gang and says "I assure you, we are merely travelers passing through. We did not assault this dwarf. But we can help investigate this crime if you let us."

Persuasion check: 19 (15 + 4 from guidance)

"Emran?" The woman stifles a harsh laugh. "You associate with Emran?"

She relaxes her sword, and the two others follow suit. But any humor at Emran's mention is quickly dissipated as the seriousness of the situation becomes clear.

"We were charged with protecting Jacopo, but we lost sight of him during the celebrations. We failed. He's been missing less than ten minutes. Whoever did this worked quickly. If you are indeed innocent, then you need to help us."

Just then, a tall elf woman wearing a sumptuous gown appears at the mouth of the alley, shaking her head. “Jacopo, you fool, I hope your last March of Vice was worth it.”

Lucky examines the two doors. One clearly smells of fried food. The other looks and smells disused.

A smile touches her lips as she takes you all in. “These guards are members of the Silent Verse, protectors in my employ. Who are you?"

Tuuli shakes her head as the woman admits to having failed at her duty, but doesnt seem too put out about it. But Tuuli doesn’t say anything, instead going over to the disused door Lucky found, and giving it the once over. If nothing jumps out as strange, she will try the handle.

Perception (igl): 19

Walt relaxes and let's his guard down a bit. He steps forward along side Aranor and pats them on their shoulder. "We are from the Radiant Citadel. We accompanied our friend over there" says Walt as he looks back and points towards Tuuli. "She was in search of some Jeli wine. We met up with Emran on the ride here and he was acting as our guide. We found this dwarf in this state and tried to render aid before your...guards intervened. My name is Walter. Who might you be?" 

Aranor nods at Walt's explanation of the situation. "And I am Aranor Talandren. We are merely visitors here," he says.

"I am Madame Samira Arah," says the newcomer, an elvish woman wearing a formal red-and-yellow gown and elaborate costume mask. Her carefully braided hair reaches nearly to her feet. "I am head of the Jewelers’ Trade and a member of the Kings of Coin."

("Deal with Jacopo’s body quietly and alert the other Kings of Coin," she mutters quietly to the leader of the three goons who nearly engaged with you, but not so quietly that Walt's keen ears don't pick them up.)

"Clearly you're new in town, but I can see you are capable types. I can offer a job for the lot of you, if you're interested. I need some outside agents to help sort this mess out. Can I interest you all in a glass of wine in a fine local establishment, to start?"

Walt perks up when he overhears Madame Arah deliver the orders to the goons. He turns to Aranor and locks eyes with him, furrows his brow and nods towards Arah and her goons. He looks back towards Arah, clears his throat and says “Madame Arah, that sounds delightful. If you need help sorting out this mess, then we can start with inspecting the body. Walt turns and walks towards the body. “Tuuli, Zartan…what do you make of this? ”

Tuuli returns from her (I expect) fruitless examination of the doors at the end of the alley. Picking up Lucky, she huddles with the others, looking up once to look the elven woman over. “Well…” she says, her face serious… then she breaks into a smile. “Free wine? Of course I’m in. There’s a lot more going on here than we get, so far. She can fill us in, and then we can decide what we do.”

Tuuli finds both doors firmly locked. 

"Let's go then," replies Samira sharply, "My employs will clean this up." She turns and walks confidently back into the street, beckoning you to follow.

“If you don’t mind, I would like to investigate the bodies first while the evidence is fresh and not contaminated. Your guards could observe if you’d like. And maybe we can meet you somewhere for and to discuss the situation? “

Tuuli, glancing at Walt, will walk down the alley towards the exit, and "accidentally" get in the way of the goons as they come down to fetch the body. "Oh! Whoops, so sorry, um, oh, now you're there, ack, my bad, you guys, oh! Sorry! I didn't mean to!"

Acrobatics (like, using Acrobatics to do the opposite of dodge out of the way, igl): 9

And... she fails at failing. ;) Wait! She's Lucky! Using 1 Luck point.

Acrobatics (she's lucky, so even though she fails, she actually trips, and manages to do it anyway!, igl): 20 <-- !!!