Griff jogs over. “It’s true sir, he was last seen leaving a rowdy pub and was being followed. He was friend of the famous Volo, I’m sure he’d be happy to reward anyone who helped in finding his friend.”

Briga also walks over to join Tyrus and Griff with the watchman.  "Yes, that's right.  I'm part of the group the celebrity author Volo has tasked with looking into his friend's disappearance. I'm a paid bounty hunter for the city of Waterdeep, also.  Working with the city guard is like, y'know, my bread and butter."  She crosses her arms over her chest, hiding the food stains or troll innards - the mystery remains - and tries to offer a professional smile.  "But this is serious business.  We need to find out if he's in there, like the witnesses report, and save him and stuff.  As the watchman on duty with authority in this borough, may we have your permission to investigate?" 

OOC: Briga's Help Action - either to Tyrus' prior Persuasion check, or to Griff's if it is a new Persuasion attempt, GM's choice, is essentially designed to make a small time beat cop feel more important than he really is.  She is performing the Help action for an ally, not making a check of her own, for clarity.

(OOC: That will give Tyrus advantage on the persuasion check.)

Arlon stops when they start talking about Volo. 

"Did he say where we should meet once all this is done ?"

He will wait for the guard to make his decision before asking the others . 

Briga briefly sidebars to respond to Arlon: "That's a good question, Arlon.  I don't suppose he's going to just stay in the Yawning Portal binge drinking to drown his worries."

She seems to ponder for a moment, then adds without any obvious judgment, "Then again, he met his friend in a different taven, the Skewered Dragon, so maybe he really does just spend all of his time in drinking establishments.  Maybe he is just waiting back at Durnan's place for us to report in, after all?"

[OOC: Tyrus's Second Persuasion Roll for advantage: 9 ]

[OOC: Apparently, I can't roll worth a damn so I'll have try to reason with the guard.]

After hearing Briga speak and feeling a little impressed himself, Tyrus turns back to the guard and says, "I be realising the Watch must be short staffed tonight because of this here gang war ye mentioned, but with ye along, we should be able get this sorted right quick, one way or tuther. Will ye come with us to keep this all above board and proper?"

He then answers Arlon's question by adding, "Master Volo be waiting anxiously back at the Yawning Portal to hear word of his friend."

Briga tries to maintain her poise, as she awaits the city watchman's response, but glances over her shoulder at the warehouse with its sinister snake sigil, nervously pondering that Floon's fate could hang in the balance somewhere within that building.  She shifts her balance from one foot to the other nervously.  

"I have to stay on patrol, but you can have a look.  The sarge took the watch off the place about a tenday ago," The guard says nonchalantly.  "If Staget, the sarge, gives you any problems - tell them Todd said it was OK" the guard adds.  "Watch out for yourselves though, these are difficult times these, good travels," he says, before turning on his heel to continue his patrol of the streets.

"Hmmm," muses Tyrus as the guard continues on his way, "that's not being the best of outcomes, but at least we tried. Still, it's probably for the best that we keep any property damage to a minimum, eh? Otherwise, young Todd there might conveniently forget all about our little talk."

He then knocks the side of his head and says, "And now I be wishing me tinkering tools weren't back in the stable at the Yawning Portal."

Then he turns and looks carefully at the warehouse door. "It be strange that there's no padlock on the outside of the main door... It's either open... or barred on the inside, which means there's either another entrance, or someone's in there... with the lights out, by the look of it."

"Did ye try the main door when ye knocked on it, Griffdar?" he asks hopefully, looking at the dragonborn. "Or have ye seen another entrance? Ye lot got here well before me."

“I didn’t actually. Let’s just give it a whirl. Todd’s within earshot if we need help.”

Griff will go to the door and attempt to open it. 

Tyrus looks at Briga and Arlon and then starts to follow after Griffdar. [OOC: Is Griffdar heading to the street entrance or the smaller of the two doors near the window in the yard? He knocked on the street entrance earlier, I believe.]

He doesn't get very far before he stops and turns to Arlon. "You be from around here, do ye recognise yon snakey symbol on the building?"

Tyrus would also like to see if there is anything about the building that has changed since he got his first look at it, which was before he went off up the street to talk to the guard [Perception Roll, if needed: 12 ].

OOC: Does Arlon knows anything about it. Roll ? 

(OOC: That would be an intelligence check to see if you recognize it)

Int Check: 10

"Could it have something to do with that gang war we was told about?" asks Tyrus, trying to help Arlon remember.

"Probably " Arlon turns to Tyrus, "but if it is, its strange they have pulled most of the Watch from this area." 

(OOC: After midnight here, so I'm off to bed. Will try to catch up in the morning before I head off to work.)

The building hasn't changed since Arlon and Tyrus return from speaking to the watchman.  The doors still locked, windows still blacked-out and you can't hear any noise inside the building.

"Should we go in ?"

"Absolutely!" Briga responds eagerly.  "Blacked out windows kinda helps us, we don't see in but if someone's in there then they don't see us either.  Maybe, like, I'll go for the window, one of you guys take the door, split into two groups and head in - sound good?"

14 - Perception

Quietly, she asks, "Can anyone hear anything inside?"

OOC: Does she hear anything inside, putting her ear close to the window?