The fellow that Kestrell catches the eye of mutters, "Aye, I suppose so. Drink and tabbac's the same. Still, there's been a worse stink 'bout the place lately... if'n ya know what I mean." The stout man then proceeds to exit the tavern with several other seemingly disgruntled fellows.

Looking through the door, A'ro see's a plain storage and food preperation room beyond. Besides a few tables, benches, implements and crates, the only things of interest are the door leading out back of the tavern and a slightly down-facing door that may lead into a subterainean area of the tavern.

The woman looks confused at first by Dekket's words, but after glancing down at the gold piece that the tiefling placed in her palm, she merely smirks and shrugs. Turning with an about-face to saunter off in the direction of the tavern door, she mutters saucily over her bare shoulder, "Fair enough, love. But I'll  warn ye fer free, that Nelson fellow, he was a bad apple he was... and he won't be forginvin' of ye for bein' run out of here now. Best ye be watchin' oer' yer shoulder fer him and his."

After a moment of scouring the backroom, Sergeant Sharn and her fellow Wardens secure both the back door of the tavern and the angled door that apparently lead downwards. The burly half-orc officer with the tomahawk looks at you and mutters.... "Well... out or down? Which is it to be?".

Getting lost in his own thoughts and in his own books, Virt somehow lost his way from his party. As he trudged his way back into town he saw a familiar sight of the tavern. That place. Again. Well, should go better than it did last time, less fighting, and he was already an officer on a ship docked here.  

Walking towards the tavern he eyes the men that just left the establishment."Good evening, fine gentlemen!" Virt will say out of pocket and out of character for him, but as an officer, he was one of the many faces of his ship. So might as well show civility wherever he goes now. *They sure look to be in a sour mood*, he'll think to himself as he passes the men. 

As he gets to the door of the tavern he takes in a deep breath. "Tonight will be a better night, tomorrow will be a brighter day!" And with that he walks into the tavern, hoping to see some friendly faces. 

Kestrell nods to Virt as Virt walks by.  "I'm staying out here to watch our backs.  Give a shout if you need me in there."

"Are backs need watching right now?" Virt says as he blows out a breath of held air. He looks out the door and says to Kestrell, "Would you like some company? I feel like it's been ages since you and I have had a conversation. And I really don't need any drinks, I'm just feeling social. It really would be no bother."

"They do indeed.  A'ro and Dekket are inside with the Wardens.  Things could go bad at any time, depending on how the criminals in there want to play it.  Stay alert!"

The departing men give the Shore Sharks tall ship's mage nods and grunts of acknowledgement, but barely slow their stride as they head home, or more likely off in search of more revelry.

The warm night air readily carries the noises of the boisterous port town. The lantern lit mast tops of the two large ships docked at the wharf are barely visible above the rooftops of the nearby pier-side homes and businesses. The shattered window of the rough and tumble tavern, which a large missile recently erupted from, permits some of the torchlight, smoke and noise from the Crate's taproom to escape out into the street where the two ship's officers stand.

"Did you ev'r wonder, Kestrell, what we will find out there? I've been on ships me whole life, I hav', but never stray too far from shore. Ye see, ne'er had no need fer it. Now, I look upon the horizon and all I want to do is see thee other side, what lays past starts and the waves?" Virt will hand a warm mug to his shipmate as he returns and starts a dialogue. Then takes a large swig of his. "I feel so parched like I haven' drank a drop in months."

Perception check, to just to see if there are anyone...or anything, looking to make trouble in our vicinity. 

24

((OOG WOOT!))

Quote from TheGmoat >>

"Did you ev'r wonder, Kestrell, what we will find out there? I've been on ships me whole life, I hav', but never stray too far from shore. Ye see, ne'er had no need fer it. Now, I look upon the horizon and all I want to do is see thee other side, what lays past starts and the waves?" Virt will hand a warm mug to his shipmate as he returns and starts a dialogue. Then takes a large swig of his. "I feel so parched like I haven' drank a drop in months."

Perception check, to just to see if there are anyone...or anything, looking to make trouble in our vicinity. 

24

 
Perhaps it's the presence of the Warden patrol somewhere inside, but looking through the broken window into the taproom, Virt sees no sign of trouble, at least not beyond the sort normally associated with such dives. A couple of burly porters are shouting in each other's faces as they arm wrestle and at the bar a man with a painted face slaps a grizzled, scarred woman who laughs uproariously.  The ships mage sees and hears no sign of A'ro or the Wardens themselves.

Turning back to speak to Kestrell, the sharp eyed artificer notices a somewhat familiar looking cat sitting at the mouth of an alley about thirty feet away, paying what seems to be unwavering degree of attention to the pair of ship's officers. Checking the street in both directions, Virt also spots a ragged face peering down the street at them from the corner of a side street in the opposite direction, about fifty feet away. The face quickly withdraws from view, but it looked human and male, with scraggly brown hair.

Now early in the morning, the noises of revelry coming from the two docked ships seem to be falling silent, and even the street traffic is starting to thin, as most folk head home or stagger to whatever berths they might have for the night.

[OOC] Hey, Gmoat. GREAT 1st roll back! :)

"Meow" says cat Vaken before jumping from his perch and walking into the bar. He finds the Wardens talking to A'ro and Dekket first and see them all staring at two doors. Vaken is more curious about the one that looks like it might be going down. He'd been in town for some time and was unaware there was a basement under this establishment. So, cat Vaken walks up to the angled door and scratches at it a few times before turning back to A'ro, Dekket, and the Wardens, "Meow"

"Down I guess. Let's see what do we find there" suggest Dekket.

Looking curiously at first the cat, then at Dekket and A'ro, Sharn nods and tries to pull open the door leading downwards, but finds it locked. A brief altercation takes place between the Sergeant and Barney Barney's lump of a son, Buck, wherein the barkeep protests, stating that his Pa lets the cellar out for private use of guests, seeing as the Crate doesn't have rooms for rent. According to Buck, his family doesn't go down there and has nothing to do with whatever Nelson and his pals might have been up to. Applying pressure on the clearly nervous man, Sharn finally secures a key and, crossbows raised, the squad of Wardens descend a short flight of steps into a cold, plank lined, dirt floored cellar.

A quick glance around the main cellar space with lanterns raised reveals haphazardly stacked crates and boxes, as well as a number of barrels. Two doors branch off from opposite sides of the main cellar.

A'ro tightens his grip on his staff looking at the Sharn, he then follows the wardens down into the basement looking around for any possible exits or markings of where the men might have gone if they were down here "This doesn't make sense. I hope they didn't go the other way."

OOC:

perception check: 8

A'ro had been on the Shark and the wharf to recognise that some of these boxes and crates almost certainly belonged to the ship. Others look to be generic store materials, though it's hard to say without opening any. None of the crates, boxes or barrels look light or easy to transport quickly. The Warden's wander amongst the containers and you overhear Sharn mutter, "Well... it looks like we might have found those stolen ship's stores, though it looks like anything very valuable or easy to transport has been moved elsewhere. Still, nice job, A'ro."

The two door to the left of the stair is slightly ajar, but the Master of Sail cannot make out what lies beyond from where he stands. The door to the right is at the end of a short passage and appears to have something scrawled across it's surface.

A'ro just nods as he moves towards the door on the right, "There is something over this way." he says as he moves  to see what the scrawled writing says.

"That cat looked familiar, but that other face not so much." Virt will say as he thinks long and hard about what he just saw. "Do you think we should go investigate that, I spotted a ragged face peering down the street at us from the corner of a side street in the opposite direction, about fifty feet away. They faded quickly from me view, but it looked human and male, with scraggly brown hair."

He'll point out the direction he saw the human male to Kestrell. 

((OOG Thanks, love me some Nat 20's lol))

Kestrell takes the offered drink, "Thanks Virt.  No, let's wait here with this Warden for the rest of the Wardens and our crew.  I want to make sure that they don't get blindsided by anyone coming in behind them."

"Good idea. We'll just keep our eyes stretched." Virt's eyes will stay in the location he saw the man.

As it is dark out, Virt will use two of his Artificer infusions,((OOG Only one if Kestrell denies it)) to make Goggles of Night

"These will help us a little, I do believe."

Virt will put his on. Darkvision, achieved. 

Kestrell looks at the offered goggles that Virt seemingly produced out of nowhere.  "What's this?  How did you do that?"