Abraxas is taking careful notes. He is also watching the adults in the room, including the children's parents. He hopes to gain insight into how they feel about this revelation about their children. 

Harmony watched and heard as Jove was talking with the children, surprised about the badge thing but realizing how good of an idea that was. She listened as Elzerina had done what the story said, Chernok and Brimtoe appearing and scaring her. She said that they could talk to Chernok back in her room later, having her with them so that Chernok may actually come out this time. "Do we want to go try talking to Chernok with Elzerina before we head for the City of the Dead?" Harmony then asked Jove and the others, thinking that is likely the only thing that they can do right now unless they want to head out.

(OCC: Sorry, completely forgot about this.)

 Jove says, "That's okay, Terenzio. You are corporal after all. They usually are the thinking type, not the talking type."

He removes the badge and puts it into his pocket, then salutes them both. "You have done a great service to us and Waterdeep. Thank you very much. Dismissed. I am sure your parents would be very proud of you. One more thing before we leave, could you describe what Brimtoe and Chernok look like for us, Elzerina? Then we will take you back to your mother. I will have her prescribe you and Terenzio a big batch of cookies for your help."

OOC: Do cookies exist in D&D? I was going to say ice cream, but changed it to cookies. Well, I prescribe a big batch of <sweet treats> for them.

Abraxas Insight: 4

For Abraxas:

Elzerina finishes her description of Brimtoe and Chernok for Jove. "They're both small like me, and red from head to tail, with wings, but they didn't use their wings because my room was too small. Brimtoe was gross and ugly, but Chernok likes to wear soldier's clothes and he's nicer," she says.

Captain Staget escorts the children back to Victoro and Ammalia, giving Jove an approving look on his way back. "I'm glad I found a group of adventurers that knows how to treat children during an investigation. What's our next step?" he asks.

OOC: Jove gains Inspiration for his creative interrogation of the children. Inspiration gives advantage to a roll, so remember to call it out in advance. Inspiration cannot be used to re-roll a bad roll.

Abraxas tries to draw the others together in a small group. "That was beautifully done, Jove," he says. "I noticed as well that the children's parents seemed more than typically worried for their son and daughter. They may fear for themselves as well." He swallows nervously. "Is the next step to interview Chernok?"

"From the descriptions, I think we can surmise that the imp that attacked was Brimtoe. I don't remember him smelling bad, but it is entirely possible. I am worried Chernok might not just pop up for us. We may have to coerce him. Does anyone here speak abyssal or infernal or whatever imps speak? Either way, being a mage, I can detect traces of magic ([spell[detect magic[/spell]), which could be useful if our newfound friend won't appear. If you guys are willing to wait a bit, I can start the ritual in about 10 minutes?" (I would obviously move to the kids' room before starting the ritual. If the others want, I think it could be beneficial to see where the magic is concentrated.)

Harmony listened as Elzerina described Chernok and Brimtoe before the children went back to their parents. She heard the captain and then Abraxas ask if they should interview Chernok, nodding back in agreement as she had suggested something like that too. Then she heard Jove as Brimtoe likely had been the one who attacked Aria earlier, thinking the same thing. He mentioned that Chernok might not want to come out for them, needing to coerce him and asking if anyone speaks their language like infernal or abyssal. "I speak Infernal, so I can talk to him. I could perform for him as well and maybe that will get him to open up to us more." Harmony had said back before he talked about how if they are willing to wait, he could start the ritual to detect any magic. "Yeah, that will be fine." she then said back to Jove as she nodded. She just wanted to be able to help Elzerina by figuring out what happened and having it so that this doesn't happen ever again.

"Yes," Abraxas says, "going to the child's room and detecting magic sounds like a good next step." He looked at the others. "Should we ask for some of the Captain's men to go with us?"

OOC: Ready to advance once an action is determined.

"I think Balin and Halsen could go toe to toe with some demons. We should be fine. To the celebrity children's room!" Jove says as he departs to the kids room.

The party exits the ballroom once more with Captain Staget, returning to the room of Elzerina and Terenzio. The room looks as it did when you first arrived, save for the white toy chest, which the party had removed all from it except for a dreidel, an egg-shaped box, and a 2-foot tall nutcracker in the shape of an imp clothed in a soldier's garb.

Harmony had heard as Jove said that Balin and Halsen should be fine going up against some demons before taking the lead back to the children's room. So she followed and looked around in the room before noticing the nutcracker, remembering how Elzerina had described Chernok. Small and red with wings that likes to wear soldier clothes? She went over and picked up the nutcracker, thinking that this must be the imp but disguised or transformed so that they wouldn't be found. "Are you Chernok? We just want to talk with you, that's all. We won't do anything to hurt you." Harmony then said to the nutcracker in Infernal, hoping that this works and that he won't try to attack them.

The nutcracker suddenly wriggles in Harmony's hands, waggles its tongue, and salutes. "I would certainly hope so, because Chernok am I!" he says in Common, and with a flap of his wings, flutters out of Harmony's hands and onto a post of one of the childrens' beds. "Took you long enough to see through my disguise."

Harmony felt as the nutcracker moved before speaking in Common and confirming that he is Chernok. He flew out of her hands and onto a post, commenting on how long it took them to see through his disguise. "Sorry, but your disguise was just so good that it took us a while to finally realize it. I'm Harmony, it's very nice to meet you Chernok. So how did you and Brimtoe came to be summoned here in this room? Is there a reason why you are still here?" she then said back to the imp in Common with a friendly smile while being so polite and sweet to him. Now they should hopefully get some answers if Chernok cooperates and is honest with what he says.

Jove would like to give his bell a little ring to welcome Chernok. Jove is also using this as an excuse to give Bardic Inspiration to Harmony fo forward her information gathering.

You can add 1d6 to any ability check, saving throw, or attack roll. It expires in the next 10 minutes, so use it fast!

"Elzerina summoned us! She started to build the circle with the marbles and barrettes, and a gate opened for us," Chernok says, waddling from one post of the bed to another. "Tell me, would you, of Brimtoe's fate? I tried to keep him calm when he arrived, but alas, shiny, radiant things are very tempting for us imps, and I'm afraid he doesn't seem to have the mental fortitude of I, Chernok," he asks.

"The gate opened accidentally? Seems unlikely," Abraxas says. "We have bad news about Brimtoe. He attacked a bard here while she was performing. Why would he do that?"

“Unless there is something off about the bard?”

Harmony had heard as Chernok said that Elzerina summoned them as when she started building the circle, a gate had opened for them before asking about Brimtoe's fate. Luckily for her, Abraxas had mentioned that Brimtoe attacked Aria. "That circle, do you know how the knowledge of it could have ended up here, especially in the hands of a child?" she then asked the imp, wondering how Elzerina came to even obtain the story with that summoning circle on the back of it.

"The bard? If you are referring to the source of that celestial light, then yes, that does not surprise me. I tried to get Brimtoe to see reason but celestial things can be very tempting to us imps, as I said," Chernok says, his tail twitching slightly as he speaks of Brimtoe.

"I do not know, but I am happy that she did! I am enjoying my little vacation out of the Nine Hells. Are you going to try to close it?" he answers and asks Harmony.