As they return to the inn, Wagner laughs and says to Oriace, "1 dragon says they want you to kill a talking horse."

(( Whenever ready, Sterling will head out with Oriace to check out Starsong with him. ))

Those of you who enter the tavern, are greeted by Yagra (who some of you knew already, and even if you hadn't talked to her much, those of you who started the campaign would have seen her involved in the bar fight and she helped with the troll). She takes you to a table in the centre of the taproom where an elf is sat with a drink in hand, and a lute by his side. "I believe you may know Yagra already. I am Davil. Can I interest you in a drink?" Yagra goes and talks to Durnan, and then Bonnie brings you all a drink, whether or not you accepted. Over drinks, he talks to you, imparting the following information. (actually, he might not. If anyone who arrived is visibly displaying a Harper badge he will talk about wanting to start up a trading company and asking you if you can help invest, but will try and get Oriace alone, or at least, without any obvious Harpers. If that happens, he then will give the info below)

Oriace listens carefully as Davil shares his story, his expression neutral but attentive, careful not to reveal too much about their recent dealings. Once Davil finishes, Oriace leans forward slightly, speaking in a measured tone, "We've witnessed firsthand the chaos and violence that this war has brought to the streets. It’s reassuring to hear that there are those within the Zhentarim who wish to put an end to this senseless bloodshed. The idea of establishing a legitimate business, one that contributes to peace and prosperity, is something I can certainly respect." He pauses, glancing at his present companions before continuing, "We're interested in helping—both for the safety of the city and, of course, for adequate compensation. After all, we're also in the process of setting up our own ventures. I’m sure your organization is well aware of the challenges that come with that." 

"We do ask for discretion. I am sure you have heard of the Harper's. They don't seem to care that we have two completely different groups of Zhentarim here, and would just as happily get us arrested despite the fact that we are trying to help, just for the names association. I would like to offer membership to you Oriace. The others are welcome to join if they like, we do have an open recruitment policy. Particularly to anyone showing tenacity and loyalty who isn't afraid to break a few rules in order to help people who can't help themselves. And if you accept I do have a mission for you. I warn you, there is danger involved and even if you join alone, I would recommend that you do get all your companions to join. Even the ones who didn't come here tonight. Someone is killing elf and half-elf sailors in the Dock Ward — three dead so far, each one decapitated by a blade in the dead of night. Look into it, will you? Methinks the City Watch could use a little help. Your reward will vary depending on how well you do. Don't feel like you have to kill the murderer, Ziraj our Master of Assassination can arrange that if you can at least find enough information. Though if you do the job yourself, the reward will be doubled. Get caught and you get nothing, and you say nothing of this conversation. Agreed?"

(( The following presumes no one joins the meeting who is displaying a Harper badge; Sterling will speak after Oriace finishes, and before Starsong replies. ))

Sterling, with his Harper badge concealed, listened politely, but at the request for help simply raised his hand and shook his head while giving a friendly smile. "I won't stand in the way of my companions' ambitions. I might even assist with an innocuous task or two if asked. But I have straightforward business ambitions of my own, and for the sake of political neutrality if nothing else, I'd prefer to personally abstain from officially joining anything beyond the local guilds." He nodded at Oriace. "There's a slight chance that my friend here might persuade me at some point, but at the very least that'll require some time on my part to consider it. So for now, I apologize for that, and I suppose I'll allow you to continue your conversation with a bit more privacy."

As the bard stood to leave, he finished with a final reassurance, "No worries, I'm not the sort to relay personal conversations to others. Have a good night!"

He hadn't exactly lied. Unless there was imminent harm to someone, Sterling wasn't the squealing sort, and in this particular case, he didn't feel the need to share any of what he'd heard so far with the Harpers, or with anyone else. And considering his intended participation in the Harpers would be strictly on his own terms, he really was still attempting to maintain a significant degree of freedom and flexibility.

But if the Zhentarim were a criminal organization (and Sterling had no reason to disbelieve Toser,) then getting entangled with them wouldn't just be unscrupulous, it'd simply be bad for business, at least in the long term, as far as Sterling was concerned. He'd gotten a good look at Starsong, and had interacted with him, which was all he'd really wanted at the moment. Satisfied, the would-be jeweler made his way out of the tavern and back to the manor.

Oriace feels a flush rise in his cheeks at the mention of the Harpers, but he quickly composes himself, hoping Davil doesn’t notice. He listens carefully to the offer, considering the situation. “That sounds like a serious matter,” he replies, nodding thoughtfully. “We’ve seen how violence can spread like wildfire in this city. If there’s a way to stop this killer, I’m willing to help. But I do have a few questions. First, about the payment—I'd prefer to have a clear understanding of what’s on the table. No one likes surprises, after all.” Oriace leans in slightly, lowering his voice. “And regarding the murders, are there any more specifics you can share? Anything beyond the victims’ elvish ancestry and occupation that might help us track down the killer?” He pauses, his tone firm but respectful. “As for discretion, you can count on that. The City Watch has its hands full, and if we can help quietly, I see no reason to draw unnecessary attention.” He deliberately avoids any mention of the Harpers, focusing instead on the task at hand.

((Please, if someone else is present let us know. It seems only Sterling joined and supposedly hid that he joined the Harpers, too. I would say that Oriace's first order loyalty is towards the Harpers but he genuinely sees no harm in helping to solve a murder. And he also believes that there might be more and less violent Zhentarim sections and he isn't opposed to support the more peaceful ones - as long as their tasks don't bend the law too much.))

(the current mission is only breaking the law in terms of attacking and possibly killing someone. But they are breaking the law itself. Hence the morally grey I mentioned in the private thread. I will wait for others to confirm if they are present or not before continuing)

For those of you who went back to the manor, there is no sign of any strange occurrences while you were gone.... Mostly. There is a few empty bottles of wine on top of the run down bar. Not recently emptied, looks like they were just never thrown away before 

Toser steps in the manor after leaving Oriace and Sterling who decided to go to the Yawning Portal.  He looked around for signs of any changes, sure whatever ghost, poltergeist, or meddling spirit it is that is causing problems is sure it has done something.  He see the bottle and takes a close look.  Someone didn't break in and drink, these were old bottles.

"Guess this could have been worse." he says to anyone else who returned with them, out loud to himself if no one did.  "We are trying to clean the place up and get it open again, makes it hard if we got to cleanup new stuff also."

He cleans the bottles up and puts them below the bar to be cleaned up further the next day.

"Its late, I'm headed to bed.  Even if that is just a bedroll on the floor of my room at this point." he heads upstairs to get some rest.  He doesn't wait up for the others to return from the Yawning Portal.

No one else confirmed so I will assume no one else but Sterling and Oriace are present. "I am afraid all we know is the victims being of elvish blood, and all decapitated in the dock ward. It is why we have tied them together under one murderer. Being elvish myself, I am particularly invested into finding the killer, as I am sure you understand. The killer only strikes at night time, so if you have no other plans tonight, you might be able to find him now, and maybe save another life." 

Just checking in, Wagner returned to the manner, carefully got dressed in his own clothes to return the fine ones, and went to bed early.

Mana stayed up late, waiting to get a report on the clandestine meeting, before calling it a night.

Sterling arrived back to the manor to find Mana still up. "Oh? You weren't waiting on us, were you?"

Oriace nods at Davil, understanding the urgency in his voice. “I appreciate the information, Davil. I’ll do what I can to gather my companions and look into this tonight, but I can’t make any promises. This isn’t something I’d want to face with just Sterling by my side; we’ll need more hands if we’re to have any chance of stopping this killer.”

(Was there any information about the payment? I mean how much exactly would be paid? I asked but I'm not sure if you just forgot or deliberately didn't respond. In case of the latter, Oriace would have pressed that.)

He offers a polite bow before leaving the Yawning Portal, exchanging a glance with Sterling as they head back to the manor.

Upon arrival, Oriace finds Mana still awake. “You were waiting up for us, weren’t you?” he says with a small smile, appreciating the concern. “Listen, we’ve got a situation. There have been a series of killings near the harbor—elf and half-elf sailors, all decapitated. Davil mentioned that there might be another one tonight if we don’t act quickly.”

Oriace glances around, making sure they’re not overheard. “We need to wake the others and see if they’re willing to help. This isn’t something Sterling and I can handle alone. If we move quickly, we might be able to prevent another death tonight.”

“Yes. Yes I was. I’ve been just puttering around humming some of the songs we heard earlier. Yersinia has dozed off a couple of times and Wagner has already gone upstairs, but I wanted to see how your meeting went. Any offers that a group of troubadours can accomplish?

Mana gets excited and a bit concerned at traversing some of the streets at night, especially near the harbor. He softly taps Yersinia on the snout and encourages her to stay awake and remain mindful of unnatural noises and movements until he returns.

Mana had changed back into his “adventuring” clothes while the others were away.

“I can lead us pretty quickly down to the Dock Ward. Do you have any idea how close to the piers the gruesome murders are occurring?”

(( OOC: Just a reminder... Sterling was NOT present at the tail end of the meeting with Davil. He left partway through, declining to officially get involved. Just in case it comes up later. ))

"Well, I'm not sure I'm entirely comfortable with this, Oriace. I don't want people dying on the streets, but putting my own life on the line is another thing. Hmm.

"I'll tell you what; since I do NOT know what this is all about--" At this point he looked directly at his companion. "--then I'll help you stay safe. But this is just a personal favor; I have no intention of collecting payment or anything for it."

The bard stood and adjusted his scabbard before continuing. "We need to decide quickly whether to get the others up. I... suspect Toser may not want to join us."

(he did not put an exact figure on the payment. Only generic terms. But provided you aren't caught by the law, you would be paid handsomely) 

Oriace listens carefully to Mana’s and Sterling's concerns before responding with a calm, reassuring tone. “I understand your hesitation, Mana, and Sterling. Investigating a series of murders sounds grim, but I don’t see any harm in looking into it. If we manage to gather information without the guard even noticing, there shouldn’t be any issue. And if anyone questions us, we can simply say we’ve been hired to investigate the killings. It’s not as if we’re out to cause harm.”

He adjusts his cloak, considering his next words carefully. “Look, if we stumble upon anything that clearly violates our ethics or feels wrong, we can always stop. Just because we were asked to do this doesn’t mean we’re obligated to follow through if it crosses a line. But at least for now, the task seems straightforward—find out who’s responsible for these murders, and potentially save a life. That doesn’t sit wrong with me.”

Oriace pauses for a moment before continuing. “As for the Zhentarim… they’re not all the same. Just like any group, they have a range of people. The ones who contacted us, they’re trying to go legitimate, start a real business. They’re not the villains everyone makes them out to be, but the association with the darker side of their faction makes things harder for them. I don’t think it’s fair to judge everyone by the worst elements in their group.”

He leans in slightly, his voice quieter but firm. “Even the Harpers, who we think of as a force for good, aren’t all lawful or always bound by the strictest codes of conduct. They sometimes work in grey areas to accomplish their goals. It’s no different for any group, really. The point is, we should evaluate people and situations based on their actions, not hearsay or assumptions tied to their affiliations. If we do that, we’ll make better, more informed choices.”

With a final nod, Oriace concludes, “Let’s wake the others and give them the choice. We’re not forcing anyone to come along, but it’s worth taking a closer look at this. If it feels wrong, we can always back out.”

(I veritably missed Sterling's backing out of the conversation and, for the life of me, I can't explain how. Anyway, IC Oriace would even check it out alone if he had to, but for the sake of not doing a single player game, he would back out of the quest if no-one wants to join (or, in fact, everyone joins, because I would feel bad if we left someone out of the game for possibly a few weeks). If you really don't want to do this night adventure - for whatever reason, IC or OoC - we can just skip forward to the next day.)

(Just to clarify, there is no requirement to carry out the mission this night. You are allowed to wait. Just the longer you take, the more potential deaths, and the less you might be paid. One thing he would have said with regards to payment is if there are no more elven deaths, you would get paid in the hundreds.)