[OOC: What's the smell like? If people have been interfering with the dung collectors, but the streets are clean, then where is all the dung? Step back one: are there horses in evidence?]

When receiving her knighthood from the Order of the Gauntlet, Briga provides them an update on the Black Viper investigation (I believe they were the ones who put us on that trail originally), and inquires whether members of the order are customarily provided  magical weapons or access to an armory. 

On reaching the docks with the others, Briga tries to scout out a good position from which she can observe the dung sweepers and anyone approaching while remaining unseen herself. 

Stealth: 5

OOC: Wow.  Natural 1 on Stealth.  I guess Briga "hides" in plain sight.  

Griff stands next to Briga who doesn't seem to be hiding at all so neither does he. He does however, start looking around the are for anything that might pique his interest.

Perception: 13

Briga also stays alert, looking for sign of trouble, and coordinating to try to cover areas that Griff and the others are not already monitoring to avoid any potential blind spots.

Perception: 9

Tyrus is on the lookout for horses. Has he seen any since entering the Dock Area?

Briga is told that access to such things comes when dedication to the cause has been demonstrated, and therefore weapons and armoury information is held for higher ranking members of the order.  Once you've done some more work for them, then those things become accessible.  Until then, the information provided on the Black Viper is enough to keep them satisified for now, however they do assign a higher ranking member to take the investigation further.  "We'll have more work for you soon," Savra says to you as you take your leave.

Heading to the Dock Ward, you can smell canvas, tar and salt water filling the air.  There are a few Drays around but not as many than in the Market Ward, where most of them go to from the different wards of the city.  A lot of the alleyways and streets are too narrow for a cart, but when you get to the docks there are more horse-pulled carts around transporting goods from ships to warehouses where they are stored for transport.  You pass by Candle Lane, where you found the Zhentarim hideout before, and see another group of dungsweepers sweeping the streets, being guarded by another group of fresh-faced, young, guards each bearing the symbol of the Lords Alliance - probably also recently initiated.

Your group isn't expecting you tomorrow so the previous assigned team is still currently watching over them.  There are a total of three people looking over the group - Two human males and a dwarven woman who seems to be the only sober one in the group.  They all look bored out of their mind, however, including the sober one.

Tyrus will approach the dwarven woman. 

"Good morning," he says respectfully. "I be Tyrus Mountson of the Sunset Mountains. Do ye mind telling me about the job? What it is and what the dangers be?" He looks around and then adds, "I be wondering why ye be needed at all... It's not like there's anything much worth stealing involved."

"Mostly making sure the sweepers aren't caught in the crossfire between the Zhents and the Xanathar Guild, but they usually don't bother the dungsweepers guild, just the area is known to be littered with the gangs," the dwarf responds.  "Nothing to do with keeping their gear safe, but keeping them alive.  I'll tell ya, it's a boring tenday shift," she adds.

Tyrus thanks the dwarf and leads the group away so they can talk in private.

"There be something going on here that I need explaining," he begins. "Why are someone as important as you two," as this point he nods at Arlon and Griffdar, "guarding the lowest of the low?" He finishes speaking by looking in the direction of the dungsweepers.

"Surely there be any number of sell-swords around who could be paid to do the job," he says, scratching his bald pate in confusion. "Shouldn't the likes of ye be trying to stop the gang war directly? From what that woman told me, nothing is happening here."

"You hear things, that's why," one of the men responds, wearing a symbol of the Lords Alliance.  "Never underestimate the power of word on the streets," he says, specifically to Griffdar with a look of understanding.  "Keep your eyes and ears open, learn things - and make sure the dungsweepers are kept safe," he says.

Tyrus mutters to himself—in dwarvish—about humans with good hearing and then smiles at the Lord's Alliance man.

"Yes sir." Griff scratches his chin trying to wrap his head around this city. "So much... subterfuge in this town. I've never been to a place quite like it."

"I would have assumed it's some kind of hazing, y'know, make the new guy do the s*** work to establish humility and junk," Briga says.  "But maybe it is really about getting a vibe on the street level gossip.  That makes more sense.  Griff's got nothing to prove.  The city's lucky to have him on its side."  

Apart from the dungsweepers, and the occasional fight breaking out a few blocks behind you, nothing of interest happens.  As your wondering, within the entire ward you see about two city watchmen, sharing a patrol.  It's obvious that this area isn't as cared about as somewhere like the castle ward, and is mostly alleyways.  You hear the smashing of glass as you then see another lamp shattered as you turn a corner, the culprit already out of site in the maze that is the dock ward.

[OOC: Question for the ref: Are there many residences here, or is it mainly a business area? Also, of the people we see, are they mainly humans, or is there a higher percentage of races with darkvision?]

Briga stays close and continues to monitor the dungsweepers, briefly noting, "Much as I'd love to stretch my legs, I don't think we should chase whoever smashed the glass, it's a distraction, maybe even intentional."
 

Looking around, the area is almost all warehouses, apart from one or two buildings that might act as residential properties.  There is still a large number of humans wondering around, however of the human race there are many different ethnicities, and most of them look like fishermen or sailors, or rather bulky dockworkers.  Everybody here has a life of physical labour, being so close to the harbour.

"Why break the street lamp?" mutters Tyrus. "It be daytime. Why did they even be thinking about it? Maybe they be planning something for tonight?"

[OOC: Tyrus looks around for other street lamps. Have others been broken, or is it just one particular one?]

"Could just be rowdy kids, Tyrus," Briga suggests. "Or some scheme by a glassblower guild member to get more work, if that's a thing.  Who knows, with Waterdeep."  

Looking around, 95% of the street lamps have been smashed.  "Welcome to the Dock Ward - where the lamplighters have given up," one of the current guards says as you discuss it. "This is probably the roughest official part of the city, it's not the FIeld Ward, but it's not much better," the dwarven woman says.