It is a dark day in Midreas, the floating city of the Midrean lake. Something evil is coming, and you adventurers have been gathered together by the Baron Illvan, the city sovereign to investigate the strange cults around the city and the recent disappearances. What are you doing?

Start!

Bel, being the excellent bard she is, is performing at the The Cage and The Rat, the local tavern to give the locals a small reprieve from the recent disasters that seem to be happening lately. It also gives Bel a chance to shake off the nerves that have come since she has accepted the job of helping rid the villagers of these cults, and a little money made on the side doesn't hurt. 

She is currently playing a song about the calm before the storm. [Performance 16]

After you finish your song, the appeased crowd hurls money at you. You gain 6 gp as well as 1 mushy tomatoes. 

Having only recently involved in Midreas in his search for ever-elusive information on the legend of the flying city, Gary was appalled to hear of the disappearances and other oddities that were happening around here, and was only too happy to assist the good Baron in any way he can. After all, it's hard to get information when the sources go away, and the increasing level of fear and tension means that people accomplish less in their day-to-day tasks, meaning less progress would be made. And Excecian is not pleased if progress is blocked by things.

After a few hours of fruitless asking locals for information, he stops at The Cage and the Rat for a drink and to unwind and relax a bit before continuing his search for clues. Besides, it may serve to be useful, as the locals he talked to were largely reluctant on giving out any information beyond what he already learned from the Baron. Spirits loosen tongues, or so they say, so he may learn something interesting by talking to the patrons.

As he walks into the tavern, he is greeted with the sounds of a bard he remembers seeing earlier that day also volunteering to help Illvan. "She's good at this," he thinks, as he finds a spot at the bar. He calls to the bartender, "a pint of your ale", and places down a handful of copper onto the bar in payment (choosing a Comfortable lifestyle this week, so 14gp). As he nurses his drink, he looks around for who else is in the tavern, to see if there is anyone he may be able to strike up a conversation with [Perception 19].

Bel smiles, takes a bow and uses Prestidigitation to make small poofs of sparks shoot up around her. Then goes to sit at the nearest table. She lets out a sigh and calls over a server.

"A pint of your best ale, please! Also do you have rooms here or know where I could rest for the night?"

After spending his whole life on the road, visiting forests and looking for work in small villages, Socarin has always avoided cities. Even though Socarin has floppy ears, being small has always meant he has been mistaken as a small child getting up to trouble when getting close to any cities. Socarin could not pass up the opportunity to test his abilities when he came across the parchment asking for adventurers to gather to help a Baron find some missing people. Once he entered the city his excitement was curbed with the high buildings and the rubbished filled streets.

After talking to small rats to get directions to The Cage and The Rat, as they were more forth coming with information then the surly people shuffling through the streets, Socarin managed to come to the place the rats described as the loud building with food a plenty. On entering the building Socarin was pleased to find a bard playing music and quietly found a seat at the back of the Tavern to watch the performance.

When the song comes to an end a server gives Socarin a look of concern. Trying to avoid the usual questions and explanations Socarin places a gold piece on the table and requests.

 "A drink of water and a bowl of soup if you please"   

Gary: Out of the corner of your eye, you spot the gnome who you met earlier volunteering to aid Illvan's cause.

Bel: The server nods happily. "We've got an upper story if you wish to stay. You can have a single room for 4 gp, a bigger room for 6, or a double room for 8. If you wish to share a bunk with someone, that will cost you only 2 gp. Breakfast is complementary with free flow beer."

While Sacorin waits for his soup and water he notices a patron at the bar looking at him. Sacorin recognizes him and the singer, now sitting at another table, as a few of the volunteers signing up for the search. 

Sacorin makes his way to the bar to talk to the fellow traveler and leaps up onto a stool  [Acrobatics 20 ]

Sacorin soars through the air in a brilliant display of acrobatic prowess, and the other people at the bar stare in awe. As he lands, he is showered with praise and some people toss him some coin. As you approach the man, he turns his gaze to you. You gain 3 gp.

Socarin pockets the gold with a quick glance around the room and turns to the fellow volunteer.

"Well that could of gone badly. I still don't get why the stools have to be so high."  

Socarin waves to a server coming out of the kitchen with a bowl and introduces himself to the man at the bar.

"Hello, my name is Sacorin. I guess we will be travelling together." 

Mjoll is used to people staring at her, she is a stunning Dragonborn Noblewoman, her copper scales shine brightly catching the light when she wants to be noticed. Apparently this is a rough area of Midreas, to her gaze it looks like any other 'civilised' town and certainly smells like one. 

When she steps into the Cage and Rat, things go quiet. Some faint musical notes sound out around her !!(Prestidigitation).

Ignoring the unwashed throng, she confidently strides to the table where she recognizes other volunteers.

Good day gentle folk, Forgive my intrusion, but I recognize you from a conference with the Baron. I am Mjoll, may I join you?

Addressing the nearby server

A tankard of ale, a good clean single room on account for Draksyr please and I expect a retainer discount as if the service is good and the bed comfortable then your Inn will be favorably listed (Persuasion 24)

Bel gives a bright smile to the server and puts down 6 gold pieces.

"I'll take a standard room, consider the rest a tip for all the the wonderful service. And before you say there's no need," She pushes the closer towards her. "I Insist!"

Seeing the wonderful display of Socarin's jumping abilities Bel moves over to the bar and sits down. 

"Well aren't you a lightfooted one. I recognize you two from the meeting with the baron earlier today don't I. Pleased to meet you, my name is Bel. You said your name was Socarin," Looks at Gary, "And you are?"

"Uhhh.... Okay?" The innkeeper looks hesitant but then he obliges on fear of developing a bad name. "You can have the double room for 4 gp or the bigger single one for 3gp."

Gary turns to face the gnome and elf who are now addressing him and says in a somewhat soft tone "Hi, my name is Gary. Pleased to meet you Socarin and Bel. If I recall correctly, you were volunteering to help the baron earlier today, no?" The noise from the other patrons nearly drowns him out, but his voice remains somewhat audible.

(at this time, Mjoll walks up and asks if she can join)

Gary turns to address Mjoll "Oh, uh, hello! I don't see why not. My name is Gary." He looks to the left and right, "The bar looks pretty crowded, perhaps we should grab a table, might be a bit easier to talk as well." Gary then picks up his mug and stands up, getting out of the way so that Mjoll can better access the counter for her order. 

"You remember correctly, pleasure to formally meet you all." 

Though it's pretty loud in the tavern, Bel is used to this sort of noise and projects enough that it isn't so hard to hear her. She gestures to the empty table she was previously sitting at.

"I got a table right over here should you all wish to join me!" She says with a smile on her face. "I'd love to get to know the people I'm working with! I'll even give you each a free song request should you be interested."

Moving through the crowd of people back to he table, Bel is given several compliments and requests and she responds to them in kind with thanks and appreciation. She sits at the table where her ale is waiting and begins to sip at it, waiting for those who might join her.

Socarin gets a shock not realizing that Bel was so close and may have heard his last comment.

"Yes lightsac... I mean Socarin, my name is Socarin. Hello Bel, Mjoll" 

Socarin turns to his soup and scoops a spoonful into his mouth to avoid looking at everyone standing at the bar. The soup is tasteless but you have to say it is plenty hot as Socarin burns his tongue. After sculling back his glass of water, Socarin turns around and climbing down the stool to follow Gary to a table nearby.

Gary heads over to Bel's table with Socarin in tow and finds a seat. "It's a bit quieter here, so that's nice; I was never a really loud talker. So, what brings all of you here to Midreas?"

Socarin holds up the parchment and with a large grin he says,

"I am assuming the same reason as both of you. Adventure" 

Bel takes a sip of her ale.

"Well to be honest, I've never done this sort of thing before. I was just passing through, I kind of wander around playing for whomever will listen. The townspeople here though seemed to be in a desperate situation and I know a few spells and my way around a rapier, thus i chose to lend a hand. How about you? You do this sort of thing much?"

Bel waits eagerly to hear what the others have to say. She also unconsciously starts to thumb with her necklace.

Gary replies "I'm a researcher by heart, and currently trying to investigate more about the flying city of legend, to see whether or not it really existed and find some information and relics from it if it did. I guess going on adventures goes part and parcel with that line of work, but when I came here to find out what I could, I saw the plight of the poor townsfolk here and couldn't just sit idly by as this situation develops. I know a couple of spells as well from my training as a cleric, but a couple of spells and my trusty hammer isn't going to help against an enemy I know nothing about. Working on the symptoms instead of the problem, as it were. What we need is information, but that's been hard to come by for me; I'm not all that good at talking to people."