Gargan roll insight.  Otherwise, what's the plan?

Dori simply continues walking ahead until someone decides to direct him one direction or another, "I hope so, Sizan, but patience isn't one of my strengths."

With Cloudfur's question, the goliath chuckles slightly, "It's close, furry friend." Pausing briefly, "My family is the hardiest of people. Confronting every challenge that comes their way and never giving up. Full of life and full of spirit. They look out for one another, but make sure each can grow on their own and learn from their mistakes. My family is constantly growing and always within an arms reach. 

(With it not being night yet? I think our best bet would be to talk to someone. Unless there's been no new snow and somehow there's a light dusting of scarecrow tracks... 🤔 

Unless stopped, Dori would head to a building with the lights on. )

Gargan

Insight:21

As Dori talks of home Gargan picks up a ball of snow and uses prestidigitation to give it a sweet taste before offering it to Cloudfur to nibble on.

Following his big friend he adds “Perhaps one of the patrons in these establishments will be able to point us in the right direction.”

It's probably around midday at this point.  Most buildings look active here.  The closest of the two taverns is the Bard & Bull.

Sizan Sidrosin

Sizan doesn't disapprove of the idea. Though as the group grow close enough for the Tavern, he stops before it for at least a moment just outside of it. "Bard & Bull...? I don't know whether they mean to say that the bards there talk a lot of bull, or a bard and bull together were connected to the birth of a Minotaur." He rubs his chin in genuine and deep thought over the title. If he belatedly notices the others step inside though, he quickly goes to follow them. 

You step inside the tavern.  it's fairly small with only 4 tables and seating for around 15 if it was packed, and it's about 3/4 full right now.  There is a small bar with a gnome working behind it, who seems to be both the bartender and server.  Hopefully he's not also the cook.  You're initially surprised to see it so busy but then realize that at this time of year most people in the village and surrounding farms will have little to do but get together and drink.

Silence falls pretty quickly over the room when you walk in as nearly everyone turns to stare at you.  Strangers walking in here in the middle of winter is NOT something that happens often.  You get the sense that if there was a local newspaper you probably would have made the front page today.

The gnome greets you but seems a little on edge.  "Hello .. friends?  Not used to seeing travellers this way in the winter time.  How'd you end up here?"

Dori steps inside and quickly makes his way to the gnome with coins already in hand as he asks for their largest drink before glancing about for any bar games that might be going on. (Arm wrestling, drinking game, poker, dwarf toss.) He doesn't answer the bartenders question, leaving the explanations to the others. If a drink isn't served without answers, the goliath would simply put more coins on the table. 

Gargan

Walking to the Gnome himself Gargan begins to take off his warm clothes as the heat of the fireplace greets him. He says to the Gnome “Greetings sir. ‘‘Tis quite the crisp afternoon. We have come from Waterdeep to look into the matter of the scarecrow attacks. We hear there is trouble and wish to lend aid. Are we in the right place good sir?”

Cloudfur

The tabaxi follows Dori inside and looks around at the patrons.  When he spots the gnome bartender he approaches him and greets him in his native language!

[gnomish] "Greetings my friend.  May the stones of your hearth never grow cold." [/gnomish] and then he'll continue in common "my friends and I would like to rest here for a spell for the walk from Waterdeep has been long and cold and my friends could use some warming up."

The gnome smiles and chimes "Well warming up is our specialty!  So are drinks!" (He says as he's filling two drinks for Dori at the same time).  "Have a seat, I'll bring some warm drinks and food if you like!  I'm sure while you wait some of the others can fill you in on the scarecrows - Matty and Tiriel over there each own farms close by, and know most of the others around here".  He points to two humans sitting together at one of the tables.

You grab a table and eventually take off your gear as you start to warm up.  The gnome brings you some warm mulled wine and some steaming hot stew with bread, which tastes amazing and helps warm you up significantly.  Dori empties a good 4 tankards of ale before slowing down.

After finishing his 4th, Dori rises from the table and heads to a corner of the bar. There'd probably be some worry he was going to start draining the ale from his system, but the goliath turns about and begins singing in giant. If he had a set of bagpipes, it'd help his performance, but it's not the easiest of instruments to carry

Performance 21 (it's only a +1)

Sizan Sidrosin

Sizan brushed off the looks, having both expected them and endured similar ones in the past. But he did use the opportunity to find a seat in scanning the crowd for interesting individuals before moving along with the rest. Aside from a small meal, Sizan doesn't request or do anything else except observe Dori play his song. At least not by his own volition. But when Gargan and Cloudfur go to talk, he'll observe from a distance.  

(@Eremis Because you are proficient in Bagpipes, you can add your prof. bonus to performances using them)

(I'm not carrying bagpipes 😭)

At first, everyone in the room had what could only be described as a look of shock and perhaps a little bit of fear when the goliath who had so recently shown up at their bar broke out into song, particularly since no one else in this place probably speaks giant.  However by the end of it there was clapping and cheering - and even a few tips.  You get the sense some actually liked it .. and some probably tipped him hoping we would stop before he got out of hand.  In either case this will almost certainly be a story they will all tell many times in the coming days...

(Dori has watched the opera and then conquered the opera. Retires)

Dori offered a light bow before returning to the table. "Did we learn anything?"

Gargan

Having tasted the stew and feeling much warmer just at a sip Gargan replies to the Gnome "Thank you sir, this is most excellent!" Handing the barkeep the money for the food and drink, plus a few extra silver as a tip he adds  "I shall speak with these two to find out more about the troubles, perhaps a round drinks for everyone here sir?" he finishes with a smile. As Dori returns after his signing Gargan fills him in on the two humans that he had been directed to talk with.

With that he takes his stew and mulled wine and indicates for Cloudfur to join him as he moves over to the table that Matty and Tiriel are sitting at and says to them "Greetings fellows, might we sit with you? I would like to talk with you about the scarecrow troubles, we have come to try to aid how we can."

"Well, yes if you think you can help - please sit."  The two men look a little hallowed but introduce themselves.  Tiriel continues:  "We each own farms just east of here.  I wouldn't call it attacks, but more harassment .. with a side of vandalism.  it started in the fall and has happened more and more often.  The first incidents were farther north and it seemed it slowly worked it's way down this way.  It's usually at night and mostly involves rattling doors and windows or tossing barns.  It's never gotten in a house or hurt anyone but it's a fairly frightening experience.  There's only one farm down here it hasn't been to yet - the Boldfoot farm just to the west.  If you were to camp out somewhere to wait for it, that's where I'd go.  It's been nearly every night the last tenday so I'd wager you won't have to wait long.

Cloudfur

"Hale and well met, may Chauntea bless your crops and your families.  You must be Matty and Tiriel? I am Cloudfur, druid of Silvanus and this is my friend Gargan of clan Jurnixus.  Is there someone at the Boldfoot farm we should speak to?"