"Oh of course, sorry, I'm called Ash," he says. "I'm sure your show is magical, but I'm on the lookout for magical items in particular, just to satisfy my own curiosity."

He still watches for deceit. Insight: 20 (nat 20)

"Ash! Like our dust!"

"For our act! Yes?"

"A magical dust that makes clouds!"

"For our act! Yes? Yes!"

They pull out a pouch and show you a pinch of the dust in the palm of Tine's hand.

"Fulfill your curiosity, Ash!"

You sense that they are entirely open beings, from their earlier disdain before you entertained them to their quick friendship with you when you proved yourself to be entertaining. They have little to hide beyond the secrets of their act, and yet here they share one such secret with you.

Ash looks at the dust in Tine's palm but doesn't touch it.

"Thanks, that's great. I hope your next show is a great success, but I'll leave you now. Thanks again for the friendly conversation!" He says the last sentence in thieves cant. He then returns to the party's original table.

When K and Badger return, he'll share that the triplets are harmless performers.

Ash: The triplets offer friendly farewells and continue their private conversation with frequent loud laughing shortly after you leave.

Badger approaches table 2 (rolled in your character sheet).

Two older human women dine together, but they seem to be spending more time looking around the room than chatting with each other. One fingers a large gem pendant she wears dangling from a simple chain.

"Greetings and salutations! May I join you?" Badger says with a toothy (and tusky) smile as he spins around a chair from their table and sits in it backwards without waiting for a response. "I hope I'm not interrupting, but I could see in your eyes that you are the two most interesting people in the tavern tonight, and I always seek out such people for conversation."

Persuasion: 9

The two ladies smile and giggle. One gestures for you to join them as you sit.

"Yes, of course, join us! We are just enjoying the atmosphere. People watching."

"I'm Esma. That's Eve. And you're joining our weekly dinner."

"But you're welcome, of course! We love to converse with strangers."

"We love to learn about other people. When no one joins us, we just watch the other diners and maybe do a little eavesdropping, hehe!"

The two giggle again but there is little gap in the conversation. You get the sense that these two will just keep talking.

They continue to talk about their dinners, how they met, what food they like, what food to avoid, what neighborhoods in Neverwinter to avoid, and did you hear about the wine transport the broke an axle and spilled wine in the streets? Esma's cousin's neighbor saw everything...

Badger nods and smiles and otherwise reacts with his face to indicate full interest in their conversation. He looks for an opportunity to break in, possibly interrupting after a few minutes if necessary. "Ladies, I am Clive Badger, a paladin in the service of Tyr, of law and order. I am on a quest to learn of various and powerful magical items. By chance do you know of any in this area, or even in this tavern tonight?"

Persuasion: 21

Esma says, "Ooh, magic. I've always been interested in magic too."

"Tell him about your necklace."

"I was going to, dear, haha. This necklace was a generous gift from a librarian, but it isn't so magical as you're probably looking for."

"Oh pish pash it's a marvel, Esma."

"Oh, haha, thank you, Eve. No, but all it does is keep itself clean and shiny. No need for me to polish it every moon or so."

"Which does save a lot of time and effort!"

Here there is a rare pause in conversation while Esma blushes at Eve's generous compliments.

Then Esma continues, "But surely some of the interesting people in this tavern have or know of more powerful magic items."

"Just next to us here," Eve gestures to table 1, "is Surruk."

"She's an interesting one."

"A wild elf alone in Neverwinter. And look at that magnificent bow!"

"It must be magic. Or else magical, with how beautifully created it is!"

"We overheard her tell Blaizette that she's been scouting the fey area of the Neverwinter Wood."

"The Quivering Thickets."

"How dangerous and marvelous the area must be!"

And they continue on about other unrelated dangers and marvels they've heard about or remember from their youth and did you know that many years ago it was safe to play on the edge of Neverwinter Wood at dusk...

Badger finds an opportunity to interrupt. "That is a beautiful necklace, Esma. And I will have to go meet this Surruk and ask her about her bow. Have you overheard—accidentally of course"—he winks—"about other diners with magic items?"

Eve says, "Oh you are too cute, Clive."

"I don't think Yanna there would have any magic items," Esma says, nodding to another table where an older human male dines with a dwarven woman. "He's just a merchant meeting that potential customer."

"Though maybe he's selling a magic item."

"Oh yes, I suppose that is possible. And Schuyler there," Esma nods to another table where a lone half-elf dines, "is a writer of some kind. Again I doubt he knows much about magic items. I think he writes about food."

"He's an interesting one, I'm sure. He might know some obscure magical food items or something."

"Oh yes, maybe, maybe."

And they continue to comment about interesting foods they've tried around Faerun and how you just have try this or that food...

Badger looks for another opportunity to interrupt. "I thank you again for the good conversation ladies. I was right when I said you were the two most interesting people in the tavern. But alas, I have run out of time. If you have no more information about magic items or other diners, I will have to leave you now. Good bye, Esma; goodbye, Eve!"

Badger returns to their table. He'll share that the two women are harmless, as well as the clues about the other diners, recommending that they talk to everyone, even if Esma and Eve didn't think they'd know about magic items.

Badger:

"That's all we know for now, Clive."

Eve pinches your left cheek; Esma pinches your right cheek.

"A fond farewell to you."

"Good luck on your quest."

"Meet us here any time; we're regulars."

And they continue to talk for a bit about departures and greetings and meetings, and they continue talking to each other as you pull yourself away.

Kristofferson:

You approach table 1 (rolled in your character sheet).

A wild elf dines alone at this table. She looks out of place in a nice establishment like this. She wears leather armor dirty with sweat, grime, and the stains of moving through vegetation. A fine-looking bow of strange, purple-hued wood is strung across her back.

Kristofferson approaches the table quietly and says softly, "May I join you?" He waits for a response before taking a seat.

The elf simply nods, keeping her head down, focused on eating her soup.

K sits and waits, observing. He looks at her and her bow, looking for signs of magic or nefarious intent.

Investigation: 8 (or 13 with adv)

You see no sigils that might indicate that the bow is magic, though that doesn't rule out the possibility. You also see no intent behind her actions or body language, other than that she is a quiet person who keeps to herself and wants to eat her soup in peace.

She senses you watching her and glances up, avoiding eye contact. She looks uncomfortable with your presence and moreso with the way you watch her. She adjusts her seat a bit and continues eating her soup with her head down.

"Pardon me for staring, I couldn't help but notice that beautiful bow you carry. I have my own quarterstaff I carry, but it isn't near as well-crafted as your bow. My name is Kristofferson, what's yours?"

She looks up at you, as if for the first time, seemingly measuring something about you. "I go by Surruk. Thank you—my bow is important to me."

She nods with a small, timid smile then goes back to her soup.

Does K know what she was thinking when she measured him?

Insight: 6 (guess not, haha)

"The purple is striking. Is it specially crafted?"

You can't infer anything about her intentions. You have gotten a good look at the bow by now, so please give me a nature check to see if you can determine information about that purple-hued wood.

Surruk responds, "Not specially crafted, no. Just unique material." Her tone has changed slightly, so please give me another insight check.