It’s very much a perpetual starry sky in the astral plane. Having spent much of the morning searching for clues, it’s more around midday to dusk time around now. You think...

So, with the day coming toward it’s close, and having exhausted yourselves finding (and fighting) one of the trio of assassins, you decide that the time has come for some dinner and information collection. Returning to Bridgeway’s, you all enjoy a complimentary meal with the rooms. Hearty meats, a warm soup, and some sweet breads are provided for the three of you. As the three of you are sitting at the table, you once again see the figure that had referred you to this inn chatting with Mr. Bridgeway over the bar. However, you realize that this figure is not actually a Goliath as you had thought before. The first hint toward this is the fact that in place of a humanoid head is the hulking head of a rhinoceros. He gives a wave of greeting to you all before returning to his conversation. What an eventful night indeed. Meanwhile, looking over a tourist map of the city. You can indeed map your trip to the governor’s manor. It is in the finer portion of the city, roughly the opposite direction of the Djinn and Tonic. It could be difficult to slip onto private property, but it is certainly possible.

Ashe will spend the evening practicing her disguise kit on Alijurn (if he accepts). She's using different techniques to see how she might disguise him as he is the one who most sticks out. 

She also wonders about ways to sneak into the manor. Her first thought, which she shares, is that they could try to stop some servants from going in and perhaps they could try disguises as servants. (Alter selves? Something?) On the otherhand, they could risk trying to pass off as some service crew come to fix the chandelier or something.

Alijurn lets Ashe experiment with his face for the time being, although a look of "I only do this because I kind of have to" decorates his face under the make-up and prosthetics during the whole event. "Any plans for the night, ladies? You are the most versed in this kind of endeavour, although none of us are. I almost blew it back there." An eyebrow is lifted when he refers to the others as ladies, although Alijurn might be humbled by the experience of almost-failure he still doesn't openly approve of his co-conspirators. 

Quote from LaRue >>

Ashe will spend the evening practicing her disguise kit on Alijurn (if he accepts). She's using different techniques to see how she might disguise him as he is the one who most sticks out. 

She also wonders about ways to sneak into the manor. Her first thought, which she shares, is that they could try to stop some servants from going in and perhaps they could try disguises as servants. (Alter selves? Something?) On the otherhand, they could risk trying to pass off as some service crew come to fix the chandelier or something.

 For the sake of it, as you are trying to take notes on his face and structure, roll me a Disguise Kit check with Intelligence.

Dahme'dre greet their mysterious horned friend and heads up to the room where she sits by the window examining her notebook. She is calm and her eyes are a pale blue. There's no rumbling earth, distant thunder, or billowing of cloaks. How unnerving. She thinks on the events of the day as she studdies her notes, seeking guidance. (Insight: (1)10)

"I imagine you are truly the most experienced detective among us Alijurn. My plan for the evening is to plan for tomorrow." She says, thinking on the pitfalls ahead. "I don't want to take the whole of our day to wait on a potentially unreliable pact. Waiting for Who knows What and Where... but neither do I want to abandon that thread in case they do pay off. I'd also rather not find that we've laid an intricate trap for ourselves." 

It’s around now that a gnome comes stumbling into the bar.

Mondra'Goran hangs from the eaves near the door, and notifies Dahme'dre Hey, listen!  "We have a guest." She goes into the hall near the common room and gestures to the bard. Looking for more trouble? She asks into his mind, as she disappears down the hall.

Ellywick does a double-take. Familiar as he is with magicks generally, this was his first brush with telepathy. It was... grating. Speech is meant to flow with the melody and prosody of the hearts that create it. He instantly decides that hearing a thought and bypassing all that music is just wrong.

Resisting an urge to spit (and thereby get the taste of the experience out of his mouth) he forces a lopsided grin onto his face and follows the mage down the hallway. He unshoulders his lute as he ambles after her, idly strumming the opening chords of "The Old Widow Creel". He assumes that she'll lead him to the rest of this motley crew of jailbirds.

This story will make a sad little song by the end, he thinks as he strums. But he follows just the same.

 "It is a sad song already." Dahme'dre replies aloud as Ellywick rounds the corner before her door. "A good man is dead after all... You've come to make a greater name for yourself." She says appraisingly, "Well, it won't make you less useful. Come have a seat and you can be a part of this tale." 

Ellywick smiles at the mage. Slowly and deliberately, he starts to recite the most lewd, disgusting, horrible tavern stories he knows in graphic detail. 

But entirely in his mind.

Dahme'dre doesn't react, but a crash of thunder peels in the distance.

(Disguise Kit roll: 15)

For the briefest of moments when the bard first steps foot into the room, Ashe has a murderous expression complete with an eye twitch. However, it quickly calms itself into her usual smiling facade. "Ahuhu~ what's our friend doing here?" Ashe comments as she continues to try to contour Alijurn's face to look at least different somehow. "You know, he has a lovely voice. I remember how he called me and Alijurn out as if it was only a few moments ago..."

Ellywick takes in the scene, painted lizard and all. He takes a beat, then makes himself at home. Pack down, lutecase open, he takes a small springkey and begins restringing his instrument at a table in the corner. Not taking his eyes from his work, he speaks.

"You have no cause to trust me," he begins, "And truth be told, I'm not sold on your virtues yet either." He points at Alijurn, "Especially you, law man. I've seen your type before, and I can't say I'm thrilled to make your acquaintance." He pauses. "But we have shared business here. I believe that you're wrapped up in the same mess that I've been charged with cleaning, and I could use all the help I can get."

Strings replaced, he plays an experimental strum and begins tuning. "Now, we could play the 'distrustful allies' routine until one of us dies or proves our worth, but I have a better plan: I tell you everything I learned spying on that shapeshifting assassin and her friends tonight, and we all become thick as thieves."

Wick grins hugely, and he plays a sharp, cheerful little scale. "So what do you say? Partners?"

 "First, you've raised new questions. Why don't you start from the begining, and tell us what mess you were charged with cleaning, and at who's request." She snaps her fingers and her free hand slides a chair over as she sits. "And if you say, 'Who's request', well..." She shakes her head slowly.

"That I can do, but all in good time... Medra, was it? Which would make the... I'm guessing half-drow? That would make you Ashe and the dragonborn... Alice, right?" Wick says with a smile.

"Here's the deal cats and kittens: Piece of Intel number one is a goon the size of a vault door is going to be here soon. Goes by the name o' Where. He's What's and Who's father. They're planning to meet you shortly, here, and bribe you or kill you, whichever is fastest."

"I don't want to tell you how to live your lives, but I'm not confident that you'll have lives to live if this fellow catches you flat-footed." Wick stands. "I know people. I can help you get to a safer place, if that's what you want."

Smile gone, all business, now. "Just tell me the tune and I'll play it."

 "Excelent." Dahme'dre replies cheerfully with a growing glow in her eyes, "I feared that oath wouldn't pan out until we'd lost the whole day. So what's piece of Intel number 2? I'd like our decisions to be well informed." 

"Oath? No, no, friend. These secrets were prised loose by uncommon stealth and skill. At any rate, you'll learn the rest soon enough. So what do you say? Partners?"

Personally, I don't trust this man as far as we can throw him, but we have few leads. Ashe sends this message to both Dahme'dre and Alijurn. He's put himself in 'danger' by coming to us 'assassins,' so I am willing to buy that he has useful information at the very least.

 "As you said, Stumbleduck, we don't wish to be caught flat-footed. We won't wait to find out anything. Not from you or Where. We act on what we know, and that is that you claim to have useful information you don't intend to share it in a timely manner. That makes our relationship adversarial." Dahme'dre says as the candles in the room flare up around them. "I don't imagine you're in the business of making enemies, but that's the direction you're going. If you want to partner into this, it's time to buy in."