With the scents of the sea and the town accosting her nostrils, Avaria turns to her friends, "Was something magical going on in that Inn?  Sure seemed clean and smelled like a forest.  You guys have any idea?  I mean.. even if it was, don't suppose that's a bad thing... but I guess I don't like being in the middle of magic without knowing about it."

As they enter the harbourmaster's building, Avaria moves over to the side to let the smarter ones start the conversation.

Marrin's nose wrinkles at the smell of raw sewage after a night of pleasant smells.

"Yes, Jenny was definitely using some magic to keep things organized and clean. Don't know what exactly... It didn't seem like an illusion, or if it was one it was very big and very convincing! Maybe Ethel has more of an idea?"

On arriving at the harbormaster Marrin is momentarily distracted by how forcefully he is reading his book, so hard he's forced a finger through the cover! (( :P))

Recovering from her shock she gives a dip of her head, getting the impression that she should just get to the point,

"Good morning, sir. Jenny said we should come by and ask you about a man that may have come through recently?"

She quickly describes Hargreave the younger and says,

"He may have been traveling with a group of mercenaries? Would have arrived by ship three days before? ((Or would it have been four?))"

((AI decided he needed 7 fingers on that hand and 6 on the other))

Gorick Highhead, the habour master puts down his book and looks at Marrin over the rim of his glasses.

"And why would I goes and tell you who's here or ain't here no more?" Highhead asks. "I ain't no information center, whatever Jenny might say."

((Honestly,  I would like more fingers too. It would annoy me to not have a matching number on each hand though.))

Marrin meets his gaze and replies,

"Jenny said you kept your eyes open and suggested you might be willing to share what you saw."

She raise a brow and continues,

"But if you are needing an incentive, what might you be interested in?"

Highhead takes his glasses off and places them on the desk, blinking his eyes a few times as he adjusts his focus. He looks more carefully at the group now.

"Information and favours," Gorick Highhead finally says. "Tell me why youse wants to know and agrees to a small favour and I'll tells youse what I know."

Avaria wasn't sure what to think of this guy.  "Why we want to know?  Cause he is a bad dude and needs to be dealt with, that's why!"

She then narrows her eyes and asks, "What small favor?"

"I'm a bounty hunter, he was my contract, but gave me... us the slip. Consorts with pirates... don't think the bounty's still on him, but it's a bit of a professional sticking point, him still running about.",  Jan expands on Ava's "bad dude".

"He is also an ass."

Marrin adds to the chorus.

"We are leaving soon, so any favor would need to be a quick one."

"The man in question was traveling with an escort of lizardfolk when last we parted ways,"  Ethel adds.

"The suspect is also mage... a necromancer."

Highhead grunts at all the explanations of Godrick being a 'bad guy', wanted man, necromancer.

"Favour not takes long," Gorik Highhead says. "Just on the other side of the harbour."

He stands up and points out one of the windows at a similar stone building to the one you're standing in but instead of being out on the breakwater, it's near a row of warehouses on the other side of the docks.

"The head of the stevedores office," Gorik says as explanation. "They have somethings they won't return to me."

Gorik's green skin flushes.

"Big Vovia keeps it on her finger," Gorik says, showing the group his fingers, and pointing specifically to the ring finger on his right hand. "She said yes then changed mind and now won't give it back."

He pauses for a moment hoping not to have to say more.

Ethel plants a hand over her face in irritation.  When she looks back up, she is cool and level-eyed.  "Gorik, if we do this for you, it would be under the good faith belief you have some information to share with us, yes?  If we were to do you this favor, only to learn your answer to us is, 'Nope, never heard of the guy,' we would be left feeling that you had taken advantage of us."

"You aren't looking to take advantage of us, are you?"

"I imagine you'd prefer we talk it off her finger, rather than take off her finger...", Jan muses.

Avaria frowns when Jan reveals what Ava had been carefully planning...

Marrin adds, again to the chorus,

"Shouldn't be a problem. Along with my companion's question regarding Vovia keeping her finger, do you want to leave the hope of her changing her mind again? Or is this a burn the bridges behind ourselves situation?"

Gorik Highhead looks at Ethel and shakes his head.

"I am not a cheat," Highhead responds.

Then his eyes go wide at the suggestion of taking Vovia's finger off. He looks about to say something but then is caught off guard by Marrin.

"Could you make her changes her mind?" Highhead asks.

He nods, "That woulds be the bests. But if nots, thens just the ring."

Highhead indicates the stevedore's office again across the docks.

"Those two outs front. Theys wont let you in. Haves go get around them first."

Looking from here you can all make out two large guards.

Highhead then smiles.

"I'll be heres when youse done."

In addition to being able to see the guards from here, you can also see that the office sits on its own on the water side of where the warehouses are, with a roadway between it and the warehouses. Like the harbourmaster's office, there are plenty of windows to observe the docks. But it also appears that the office backs onto the water. That side of the office can' t be seen from where you are.

Jan contacts K'oshash.

<K, could you be a dear and go all invisible like and scout the outside of that place across the way with the two large gentlemen outside? Don't get too close to them, just see if you can get visual on anything useful inside.>

((Assuming this is well beyond her 100ft range to be able to see through his eyes, she'll want to pause and see what he's scouting once they get closer.))

"Big Vovia is the head of the stevedores? I know it is likely a sensitive subject, but did she give you any reason she changed her mind? If you'd like us to see if she's open to changing back, we'd rather need to know that."

Marrin wavers her hand a bit,

"Any change of heart I give her will be temporary and probably result in a worse situation than you started in. If the ring is the only thing that matters, it shouldn't be a problem. Volvia will even get to keep all her fingers."

She resists counting all 13 of his fingers again.

"But like my friend says, it'd be good to know if you'd like a chance of her maybe changing her own mind later."

As the others continue to talk to Highhead, Avaria continues to watch the guards at the other building, trying to get any kind of read on them.  If they are distractable or very keen on their business anything of that nature or anything else she might detect from watching them.

Insight  19

Highhead sighs.

"I would take Vovia backs in a seconds, and yes. She has to keeps her fingers." Highhead says. "But she says I too interested in hers sister. That's nots true. I not likes her sister. Her sisters just big and dumb and ugly."

Avaria doesn't notice anything special about the guards, just a couple of big armed humans. They watch the approach to the building but not particularly keenly but nor do they appear indifferent to their task.

K'oshash is not gone long before they're back and reporting to Jan. Light curtains cover the windows so K'oshash couldn't get a good look at anyone inside but they did see two large figures in the office. They also spotted a small deck off the back of the office that juts out over the water. A small table and a couple of chairs sit in the middle of the deck. And K'oshash also didn't notice anything special about the guards; muscular with long swords.

"I think we have enough to work with, and I will tell you what. I am a sucker for a love story, so I will see what I can do about her giving you an honest chance to profess your affection to her."

She does pause and turn to ask,

"Vovia's sister isn't her identical twin, right?"

Otherwise she'll join Ava in her staring at the guards. After a moment she'll say with menace,

"You drop the one on the right and I will gut the one on the left."

With a laugh she'll tug Ava along and wave for Jan and Ethel to follow so she can layout her plan,

"So, those two up front? I can freeze them in place our make them into my buddies, ladies' choice, but I like having more friends. Once in, I can suggest Vovia give up the ring willingly and then give Highhead a shot to explain himself, or both at once."

She looks to see how this plan lands with the others.

"No one gets hurt and Highhead will take any fallout."