The Eladrin raises his brow. "Well! I certainly wasn't expecting that response. I guess I don't have much choice..."

He sighs and draws his dagger from his belt, throwing it at the kenku still standing. He wasn't one for fighting, typically, but he'd make an exception since part of this is his fault. It's better than apologizing. At least, in his eyes it was.

[To hit: 23, Damage: 6]

[OoC: Should I have deleted my dagger, since it's not in Casz's possession anymore?]

Quote from BoldHand22 >>

 

[OoC: Should I have deleted my dagger, since it's not in Casz's possession anymore?]

[OOC: Sometimes I add a chest to my inventory that I name 'Lost items' and there I move all things like ammunition and stuff that I throw or use up. This way I don't forget so easily to recover stuff after combat, or to replenish it in a store.]

[OoC: Oh, I'm not going to forget. I just wanted to know if it was acceptable or required to erase it for the time being.]

(No need to delete it as you are going to pick it back up, I assume. As long as you don't try and keep throwing the same dagger without picking it up)

The last standing Kenku, having murdered one of its ex-allies, gets the favour returned by Casz, with a dagger in the neck, having been significantly injured by Wagner just before. You are now left with one currently unconscious Kenku, and initiative is over (assuming that you wake the Kenku up while they are pinned down and possibly in the process of being tied up, seeing as it is the sleep spell so you don't have time to do lots before it ends)

"Any one got a rope to tie him up and question him?  I can be the good cop, not so great at being the bad one."

Sterling, still a little irritated at the obstinate avian now lying dead, simply shook his head at the request. Frankly, he wasn't sure if any of them had shown or purchased any rope since they'd been working together. Just in case, he began searching the room for something suitable.

Sterling wants to look for rope, fishing line, old clothes, etc. If push comes to shove, he'll see if the clothing worn by the fallen can be ripped into suitable strips of cloth. Not sure which skill to use since we don't have a lot of time; I presume whichever is appropriate will apply.

Investigation Check: 6
Perception Check: 16

"That was unnecessary," complaints Oriace to Casz. "We could have taken him out without killing him. It's better to ask both and corroborate their stories." 

"I don't have anything, I think. No rope for sure. And the manacles with the guard disguise won't hold anyone for long," Oriace informs the rest, then he sighs and sits down to address his wound with a makeshift bandage.

Casz thinks for a moment. "Well, shot in the dark, but we are surrounded by corpses. As... unsavory as the suggestion is, perhaps someone else has a rope." He nods to the kenku. "Perhaps one of our would-be assailants?" He begins delicately picking through the nearest corpses. [Perception: 22]

There is a helpfully labeled box or rope against one of the walls 

"Thank goodness," sighed Sterling as he just spotted the box of rope (that he'd walked past three times.) Grabbing some, he hurried over to the still-sleeping avian to tie him up before the spell wore off.

That done, he turned to the others. "Well, Oriace, Casz? Either of you fancy playing the bad cop?"

Quote from RodTheBard >>

"Thank goodness," sighed Sterling as he just spotted the box of rope (that he'd walked past three times.) Grabbing some, he hurried over to the still-sleeping avian to tie him up before the spell wore off.

That done, he turned to the others. "Well, Oriace, Casz? Either of you fancy playing the bad cop?"

 Casz, pulling his dagger from the would-be assailant's corpse, merely tuts the troupe leader's suggestion. "I'm more of a charmer. Sorry."

Still addressing his injury, Oriace turns a moment to Sterling, "Bad cop? I'm a storyteller. Not any kind of cop." Shaking his head he adds, "In fact I'm beginning to think this idea of playing cops and robbers wasn't that great. The theme sounds much better in a song." If it wasn't obvious, he now points out his bandaged arm, "I mean, look! They shot at me! The songs never mention how much that hurts."

(Bonus action: Oriace awards a Bardic Inspiration dice (1d6) to whoever likes the song above for intimidating/charming answers out of the Kenku!)

The bard simply nodded, while cringing inside. He was going to be a merchant, not a... a thug. Still, if no one else wanted the role, it fell to him to play the part, he figured.

Crouching near the slumbering foe, he looked him over. Sterling guessed that maybe gathering all his irritation at how the job was turning out so far might be enough to fool him.

Furrowing his brow and putting on a frown, he reached back, then slapped the avian, hard. "Hey!" he said in his best attempt at an intimidating bark. "Wake up!"

(( Intimidation Check, using Oriace's inspiration: 17 ))

The bird wakes up and lets out a squawk. You thing it might sound a bit surprised or frightened. 

"You know why we're here," snarled Sterling in legitimate annoyance, deliberately being vague while glaring daggers. "Tell us what we want to know, and you might get to live. Your other option..."

He lowered his voice to a near-whisper and leaned in closer to the creature's face, being sure to stay out of pecking range. "...is to die slowly, horribly, screaming as you wished you were still able to answer."

Leaning back, the bard hoped that he'd not overplayed his hand in the performance. He then glanced at the others, then back to the avian, as he awaited a response---or an interruption, whichever came first.

"We could start by showing him how painful it is to have a bolt through your arm," says Oriace chiming in helpfully. For effect, he shows his bandage and produces the bolt that he removed from his wound, and begins to walk over. "Let's see. Where is the launcher for this beast," he adds while dramatically searching for the crossbow that was fired with at him. 

In a deep voice with an orcish accent: “Xanathar sends its regards.” In a thin, nasally voice: “Tie up the pretty boy in the back room! Follow the yellow signs in the sewers.” In a scratchy voice: “No time to loot the place. Just get him to the boss.”

[[Oh, thats the kenku talking!]]

"Sounds like they had Floon here and he got taken elsewhere. We should search the place and look for a sewer entrance."

Wagner will begin searching around.
Perception: 18
Investigation: 15

(( @DM: Can I make a check to see what, if anything, Sterling knows about Xanathar? ))

Sure, do a straight intelligence check.

From the search (currently covers downstairs only):

The door to the back room hangs loosely on broken hinges. The cramped chamber beyond smells strongly of sour fish and vinegar. It is filled with discarded ropes, canvas tarpaulins, and splintered wood from smashed barrels. You can hear ragged breathing coming from under a tarpaulin at the north end of the room.

You also spot a secret door along the north wall. As you open it, there is the sound of bells ringing from the balcony area (not continual, the same sort of ringing when you open the door of some shops irl). Inside is two sealed crates