Bruil does not respond to Chlorys, just raises his eyebrow at Von.

Amadeus nods, trembling. "Three hundred and fifty gold. Three hundred and fifty gold sounds good. I'll go get that for you. Right away." If Camus does not stop him, he clambers slowly out of the chair and begins making his careful way around the desk.

"I'm glad we were able to come to an arrangement," the lich says.

If Amadeus is going to leave the room rather than going for a safe within the office, I will quickly cast Disguise Self to change my appearance to that of a still imposing being that is unlikely to attract too much attention so that I can keep him in my sight and make sure that he doesn't get any funny ideas once I'm no longer right in front of him. If he's going for a safe that is within the office, I will simply let him get my money while keeping him under my watchful eye... um... eye sockets.

Upon receiving my gold, I will take a few minutes to count it, before tucking the pouch of gold and the two skeletons away into Chlorys's bag and making my exit, casting Disguise Self (if I didn't do it already to keep an eye on the bar tender) on my way out to take on a ridiculously generic traveler's appearance. I'll briefly stop by the room I stayed at to grab any items that I left there, before dropping the room key and heading to the nearest market to pick up three new disguises that will not be immediately recognizable as belonging to the skeletal abomination that trashed the Floating Fighter. I'll opt to purchase three brown cloaks, gloves, simple gray shirts and trousers, large amounts of medical bandages, cheap boots, three sets of spectacles and cheap false eyes (assuming that I and the skeletons are able to see in spite of false eyes by whatever mystic forces allow the undead to see through empty sockets... if not, I'll just use the glasses). The plan is to disguise myself and the two skeletal minions as lepers... that should be enough to convince most people to give us a wide berth, thus avoiding close scrutiny.

“The odds do seem long, sir,” Von states to the Keymaster. “When I left my tribe I came here to park endear myself to powerful allies. I thought i had found such an ally with the elven royalty that performed around the local nightlife,” she says, motioning to Chlorys. “However it seems someone else may have recognized the elf and had their own plans. After all, two bar patrons seem hardly worth mind-controlling. But a high-born elf and her accompanying muscle? Those seem like targets of higher value, especially for a fiend who can see through disguises and into the mind.”

Chlorys' eyes light up momentarily at Von's sudden brilliant cover story. "As you can see, sir, I obviously need protection with me when I'm out traveling, even the bars arent a safe place to be, but I love music and wish to share it with one and all. So we made an arrangement, as with this town one surely needs a friend to look out for them."

(I use bardic inspiration to help Von with her story, am also using the Help action to give Von advantage on her roll...)

(Sorry for such a delayed response lately, I've got a whole bunch of stuff I need to get through before the next week, then hopefully I'll be more active)

Amadeus unlocks a lockbox located under his desk, and fills a pouch with platinum pieces. He hands it to Camus, then begins to mutter some sort of prayer to himself as the skeleton walks off. 

For shopping, here's the list of costs: "If you're seeking a good deal in Melvaunt, you're better off looking for a happy man in Thay!"

Clothes, Common - 1 gp each
Bandages(give advantage on stabilization check) - 2 gp for 10 uses
Spectacles - 75 gp each
False Eyes - 25 gp each

Bruil nods along with Von. "Makes sense. So, this... thing targeted you, did it? That's... concerning. But, I already have several companies of guards on the lookout for it. We'll catch it soon enough. In the meantime, I have you two to deal with. You understand how I find myself in a bit of a predicament, don't you? A Tharish orc and a foreign noble under my custody. The orc, clearly trouble. The noble, clearly a political disaster in the making. But where others see a problem, I see an opportunity.

"You," he says, pointing at Von, "are clearly here for a reason. You're seeking something." He turns to Chlorys. "You, on the other hand, are running from something. That means leverage. We're all a little stuck here, but I think that I can do something for you, if you do something for me." He stands, begins pacing. "Miss Blythe, I have a feeling that you are not inclined to return home anytime soon. If you cooperate, I can make sure your family will not find you. Orc, if you cooperate, I can assure you that whatever you seek will be yours. Within reason, of course. The internal squabbles of Thar are not a huge concern of Melvaunt, as long as they do not turn their attentions away from each other. Now, what constitutes 'cooperation?' Well, you have certainly proven yourselves to be... competent, in the efficiency with which you trashed the Floating Fighter. A certain issue has come up as of late, one which requires private resolution. Something that needs more than spies or assassins. I need some members of the loathsome class of dungeon-ravaging brutes: adventurers."

Bruil stops, turns to you two. "Of course, if you choose not to cooperate, you'll both rot. Of course, you'll have a fair trial first, with an impartial judge and jury. And then you'll be found guilty, and you'll rot."

(Good thing I 'convinced' Amadeus to hand over that tip).

I grumble when I see the cost of the spectacles and the false eyes. I consider for a while, then decide that the best course of action is to stick with keeping the two skeletons in the bag to save money, even if I would prefer to have them ready to fight at a moment's notice. I purchase a set of common clothing and 3 sets of 10 bandages, one set for my disguise and two sets on the off chance that I end up needing to stabilize a fleshy companion at some point. After some consideration, I decide to purchase one false eye and forego the spectacles; one-eyed beggars aren't exactly an uncommon sight, after all. So the total cost should come out to 32 gold. After I've done that, I'll go ahead and find somewhere to hole up and take a short rest to use Arcane Recovery and get back one of my third-level spell slots while I work on wrapping myself up and padding out bits of my body that might give me away (mostly my neck) with whatever's left of the gravecloths the two skeletons were buried in. If I can't find anywhere safe to hunker down I'll just hide the bag of holding in a shadowy alley way or something and climb inside it with the two skeletons... if someone comes by and steals the bag, they're in for a nasty surprise in about an hour lol

I think that making disguises falls under Intelligence, so I'll go ahead and roll an Intelligence check on that. 7 I'll also blow a use of Knowledge from a Past Life, as blurry ancient memories that I doubt are my own fill my mind to aid in this endeavor... who could it have been, I wonder absent-mindedly, whose memories are now coming to my aid? 4

Von raises a hopeful eyebrow at Chlorys. “A generous offer, of which I heartily accept, provided Miss Blythe does as well. We may need to stock up on equipment and hirelings first - (all out of pocket, of course) but we will no doubt show you how loathsome dungeon-ravaging is done!”

Oh, and I think I'll actually pick up a set of traveler's cloths as well (2 GP)

(Make that 4 gp. Because Melvaunt.)

Bruil nods approvingly, and turns his attentions towards Chlorys.

(I would say 'fair enough' but I think Camus knows he's being ripped off. He's not going to protest though; he's got plenty of gold and the clock is ticking on that Disguise Self spell)

"As long as I may be accompanied by my friend, I'll agree to your terms." Chlorys says, a slight frown spreading across her face.

(What's Camus' next step?)

"Excellent. Now, as for your assignment. Lately, caravans passing in between Melvaunt and Glister have been going missing. This is nothing new, as Glister is located in Thar. Still, trade is necessary, since their gold mines are unparalleled, so it is a necessary, if unfortunate, risk. However, the rate has been picking up, as late, which is concerning. There is a particular shipment that is scheduled to depart from Melvaunt to Glister very soon. Today, in fact. Ordinarily, I would hire some everyday adventurers to protect it, but this is a situation where I cannot trust just anyone. The items being shipped are of utmost secrecy, and thus I must have guards who know that, if they do not follow orders, they will suffer dire consequences. Enter the two of you." 

Bruil rustles around in his pocket, and pulls out a small pouch. From the pouch he produces four rings. They are dull in color, but seem to have spikes set on the inside, angled in such away to all the ring to be put on... but not taken off. "These are rings of sympathy. They allow the wearer of one ring to experience all the pain and suffering that the wearer of the other experiences, and vice versa, without ever leaving a mark. Made right here in Melvaunt, with assistance from the priests of the House of Whips and Chains. You are each going to put on one half of these two sets here. The other half will remain with me. If I so much as suspect that you have tampered with the shipment when all of this is said and done, I will place the other rings on a prisoner due for the gallows." Bruil leans in, placing his hand through the bar with two of the rings in it. "Have you ever thought about what it would feel like to die? Complete your mission, and you won't find out. If I receive word that everything has gone as expected, I will have the enchantment removed from the rings on my end, which will leave your rings useless."

He wiggles his hand a little, beckoning you to take the rings and seal the deal. "Put those on, and you're free. After you complete my task, I don't need you anymore."

Camus, now rested up and disguised as a lowly, diseased beggar, will position himself in an alley somewhere relatively close to the jail so he can see when Von and Chlorys exit (he assumes that they probably will be released soon since they were "under magical compulsion.") He'll be listening in on passers-by and chatting with fellow beggars to see if there's any interesting gossip on the events at the Fighter to indicate what happened to the two who were caught and determine if he needs to mount an actual rescue. If it's okay, I'll just use my Passive Investigation score of 14 to represent my time listening to what is probably a pretty big story at the moment.

If I see the ladies leaving the jail, I'll approach them pretending to be a normal beggar, but make myself known by making Chlorys's bag conspicuously visible to her.

(Oh, you poor soul, thinking that Melvaunt would ever free somebody because they were under duress from a lich. If this wasn't a ridiculously plot-convenient encounter that I did not expect, but am delighted about regardless, y'all would be rotting :P)

Camus hears all sorts of stories. They say that a great flaming skull reached up from the depths and dragged the Floating Fighter into the depths, a story which is swiftly disproved when it comes out that the Floating Fighter is, in fact, still floating. They say that a devil-worshiper came in with a band of Tharish orcs, and they led a fiendish dance, which the patrons were magically compelled to join. They say that everyone who saw what happened that night has red eyes, and nothing they say should be trusted. They say it was just a bunch of teenagers in masks. One of the beggars turns to Camus. "Hey, mate, you heard anything about what happened down by the docks?"

(Also, I don't think that Chlorys' bag is particularly conspicuous... it's just kind of a bag.)

(Got it, I just figure Chlorys would recognize her bag when she sees it).

"Yes, such a strange incident indeed," Camus says, doing his best to sound like a man of low class and little education. "I heard it said that their leader... that the man weren't no man at all, but that he was long dead and rotted to bone. But that sounds like so much hogwash to me. So, any idea what became o' the brutes involved? 'Ave they been taken off the streets? I 'erd the boss got away, but barely a peep 'bout the others."

"I thinks they gutted them, right then and there, what with all the devil-dealing and such. Seems like the most logically sound conclusion to me."

"Yes, a very good idea inded," Camus replies, a sinking feeling forming in the pit of his empty ribcage. But that would make little sense; at very least the guards would want to question the two women before 'gutting' them.

(If Von an Chlorys don't emerge by nightfall, I'll start working on a rescue plan).

“A ring that causes pain and suffering? Sounds like a marriage to me! Do you think as a wedding present we could get our stuff back, plus enough dowry for rations and pointy objects to keep us alive long enough for the honeymoon?”

"Basic needs will be provided for, but I think you've proven that you have more than enough pointy objects already. Anything more will have to come out of your own pocket."