Zefla enjoys her drink and steaks, not really adding to the questions as she is finding it funny how many questions her friends have.  She does pay attention to the questions about the wolves and the lake though, trying to piece together what she can about where to head next.

As the half-elf grabs his bundle and heads out the door, Zefla doesn't want to let this opportunity pass her by.  She leans over towards her friends, "I gotta check this out, be right back!"

And she heads out the door after the guy, "Excuse me!  I couldn't help but notice you, I do love the outfit.  Where are you off to in such a hurry, it sounds like it is about to storm." she holds her hand out like she is trying to gauge if it is already raining yet or not and looks at the man with a smile, waiting for a reply.

Urwin brings out for Giles salt and a gravy made of wolf-grease, bone stock and flour. 

The half elf turns again as Zefla compliments his wardrobe.  He half-bows while backpedaling.  "Heavenly realms, such compliments.  My clothes would blush sweet lady, would that they could."

"A good friend lies hungry and waiting for the delicious meal Urwin has made.  I mustn't keep him waiting."

He continues on his way.

Soren, the ravens are gone.  Make a Perception check, please.

Burr Persuasion- 16

(Assuming Soren's previously cast Guidance in post 679 can apply):

Soren Perception plus Guidance:  10 + 2 = 12

Soren, you don't see any sign of the ravens, but you do notice something else.  As you are scanning the nearby trees and rooftops, something catches your attention: pair of tiny, beady eyes looking out from beneath the porch of an adjacent building.  A rat.  Soren, absent much experience in cities and towns, may or may not know how common these rodents are in settlements, living on the margins and crumbs left over by civilization.  What he does know, is that this tiny rodent is staring directly at him and Zefla.  When his eyes fall on it, it continues to hold its gaze for a heartbeat and then quickly retreats into the shadows under the porch.  

Before he can give much thought to what, if anything, this means, there is a flash from above as lightning splits the sky over Vallaki, followed immediately by a crashing peal of thunder.  The sky begins to rain, a curtain of large cold droplets that threaten to drench the half-elf and halfling.

Burr, the table of peasants closes ranks and eyes you warily.  One is looking at your weapons while the others shift uncomfortably in their seats.  One of them, perhaps remembering the importance of happiness, puts on a pained smile.  "Fair travels, stranger.  This is a private table.  We can't help you, but do enjoy your visit to our fair town.  All will be well."

[At their request, botting Giles a little...]

Thanks to the sack of gold from Ismark, gold is in greater supply than information.  So Father Giles graciously orders a round of drinks for Szoldar and Yevgeni.

Danika pours another cup of Purple Grapemash no. 3 for Szoldar.  For Yevgeni, you get a look at the preparation of the 'special recipe' he is drinking.  Danika steps into the kitchen and returns with a hot pot and pours some of the contents into Yevgeni's mug.  The steaming purple mixture smells faintly of honey and ginger.  Returning the pot to the kitchen, she then reaches under the bar and picks up a 2 gallon barrel, uncorks it, and pours some into the mug.  This has the overpowering aroma of strong alcohol.  The she hands the still steaming mug back to Yevgeni.  The round costs Giles another 1 sp, 5 cp.

Their cups filled, the hunters willingly share some basic information about the wilds near the town:

• They don't know much about Lake Zarovich.  There are fish, but most are caught on the other end of the lake and brought to Vallaki by barge.  The fishing on this end of the lake is said to be very poor.
• Wolves are common throughout the valley.  Both sides of the lake, in the mountains, etc.  
• Your question about dens seems to hit a nerve with Szoldar and he goes on a huntersplaining monologue about wolf dens.  According to Szoldar, the common conception of a 'wolf's den' is mythical and it aggravates him that the populace is so wrong headed about this.  A pack of wolves doesn't 'lair' in a den like bandits in a holdfast.  Wolf packs roam wide territories and sleep wherever they please.  Dens are only used for raising pups, often by just the mother, and are left as soon as the pups are old enough to join the pack.  And these dens are often no more than the hollow under some tree roots.  The tales of victims being dragged off to some huge mountain cave full of wolves... Szoldar stammers in frustration, flabbergasted at what he sees as the ignorance of that idea.

Burr does some glowering of his own and decides to leave the socialising to those better suited.  He nurses his drink of what he has decided is basically '' grape-scrumpy' and people watches...

16 Perception

"I have never met anyone like that before," Soren observes to Zefla about Rictavio the half-elf, "though perhaps that is just because I do not know cities well?  I sense there is much more to him than we know, but I do not feel we will make a friend of him by chasing after.  What do you think?"

He looks up at the thunderstorm, not really minding the rain and wild weather, but seeing no reason to become drenched.  "We should go back in.  We are being watched here.  By beasts as well as men.  First by the ravens who were on the roof and I suspect may be friends of a sort.  And just now by a rat from under the next building who was looking directly at both of us even after seeing me notice, before finally scurrying away."

Pausing at the door back into the Blue Water Inn, Soren takes one last long meditative (Silvanus' guidance) look at the thunderstorm, trying to judge from a lifetime of experience outdoors whether it seems natural and normal for such a climate, or perhaps something beyond the ordinary.

Soren Survival plus Guidance:  25 + 4 = 29 (one below absolute max).

Soren:

Burr:

Burr nods at the lads, its only smart for an innkeeper to keep themselves appraised of whats happening....he does his best to ignore his ' betters' as he is sure they are happy to ignore him.

Father Giles gathers what he can from the hunters, but seems to have tapped a dead end and touched on a hot button topic.  “Oh, I really didn’t know that… that is interesting!”  he says when he hears about the packs and lack of lair behavior by the wolves.  “Well thank you, do enjoy your drinks tonight, and I hope that your hunting excursions are productive and useful as before.  Thank you!”    Clearly yet politely ending the conversation with the hunters, leaving them to their wolf steak and drinks.

He then turns to focus on the strange half elf and follows Soren, trying to learn what he has uncovered, and to see if he can be of any help in his investigation.  

Soren has let Rictavio depart into the storm to take food to his friend, sensing that the mysterious and flamboyantly-dressed half-elf, while polite, was pointedly not interested in being questioned or delayed.  As Giles exits the Blue Water Inn, Soren is standing by the doorstep, gazing at the roiling sky.

He turns to the cleric of Tymora.  After describing to his and Zefla's interaction with Rictavio, Soren pauses addressing both the human and the halfling.

"Every fiber of my being tells me this violent storm is not natural.  It is the raging of a powerful being, perhaps a god.  But such anger and lashing out thoughtlessly in futility is not the way of my deity, nor yours, I think.  Perhaps Talos in the Sword Coast.  But here in Barovia, are the land and sky one with the darklord?  Is it his wrath we now witness above us?  Why so angry?  Could it be that Saint Andral's Cathedral is indeed beyond the darklord's power as Father Lucian claims?  I wonder if the rage is due to a mate he covets being out of his grasp for now.  Ireena Kolyana."

If no one suggests venturing out into the storm, Soren watches a moment longer, then turns to re-enter the Blue Water Inn.

Soren's theories notwithstanding, the storm continues to intensify.  A few roof tiles are blown off of neighboring buildings and skitter down an alleyway, and nearby untied shutters hammer away against the wind.

You have secured lodging for the night but the night is still young.  You have some options in front of, including but not limited to:

• Venturing out into the storm, either to try and follow that half-elf, or for other purposes of your own
• Stay and continue to chat up bar patrons
• Go to bed
• ???

The half-elf did say he was staying here, so it is likely he will return some time later tonight.

(Assuming he was told about their brief conversation)  Giles says to Soren, “It is a question that I must answer.  Who is he going to feed?  Is there something … unnatural… that is about to strike?  I must know.  I, for one, feel that we must follow him.”  He starts to head out, into the rain.  “Soren, can you gather the others, I feel like there is something afoot, call it a hunch, I would rather have all of you at my side than alone, but I will press forward to keep an eye on him… come, quickly!”  Giles heads into the rain, trying to keep an eye on the half elf and not lose him.  

Burr looks to Soren as Giles heads out into the storm....he really doesn't want to head out there, no one sane would....

" So.....why are religious folks so weird?", he queried with a raised eyebrow.

" Are we really going out in that?"

( If Soren goes he'll go....but he really obviously doesn't want to...)

(So sorry for the long silence - dealing with a lot, but should be back to normal, I hope)

Zefla looks up at Soren, "A beast was watching us like that?  That's unusual.." she trails off as she tries to find what Soren was talking about to no avail.

She follows Soren back in to the Inn, and starts wringing the water out of her hair and her eyebrows go up as Giles declares he wants to follow the half-elf, "But they are staying here!  They are coming back!" she yells after him, but he does not heed.  So she shrugs her shoulders and follows after him in the storm.

After his long look after the departing half-elf, noticing the watching rat and the absence of ravens, and gazing at the god-tantrum of a storm beginning to lash the sky, Soren is on the verge of turning back inside to the warmth of the Inn when his jaw drops at Giles' insistence.

It is not that Soren fears to be outside during foul weather.  He has a lifetime of experience with it in Neverwinter Wood.  But this is different.

"Truly, Not-father?  The strangely-garbed half-elf Rictavio seems a guest here at the Blue Water Inn.  Can you not ask him with whom he wishes to share his hunt on his return as Zefla says?  Rictavio pointedly did not wish to be accompanied.  And I tell you, this storm is the rage of a powerful being, likely the darklord himself.  Furious at our delivering Ireena out of his reach at Saint Andral's Cathedral is my guess.  Yet you wish to face the full brunt of his wrath from the skies?  Only foolish cubs fight the flow of nature.  I know this, having been one myself.  Does Lady Fortune truly guide you so?"

(By Lady Fortune, Soren is referring to Tymora).

And yet, despite Soren's every instinct warning him against it, if Giles insists on setting out into the teeth of the storm after Rictavio, he follows.

A pack hunts together.

At the cleric's insistence, the party is drawn forth out of the warm glow of the inn and into the dark, stormy streets of Vallaki at night.  

The rain continues to intensify.  At times it falls straight down in cold curtains, while at other time strong gusts of wind blow it almost sideways.  Soon the cobblestone streets are full of tiny rivers of rainwater, making them slick and soaking your footwear.  Overhead, lightning flashes, again and again and again... a great, arcing blue light.  And does it vaguely resemble a skeletal arm and hand, reaching down toward the town?  No... that must be Soren's theories playing tricks with your minds.

[Make Perception checks at disadvantage from the darkness, wind and the rain.  I'll take the first two checks that are posted.]

Zefla perception w/dis  8

Soren Perception at disadvantage:  12