Asmodai will search out Yarga and find out what's going on. 

Yagra Stonefist greets Asmodai with a fistbump. "What's up, dark man?"

When he explains that he wants to know what the posting on the tavern help board was about, she laughs. "Davil's got a job for you, and anyone you can rope into joining you."

After making sure nobody is listening, she elaborates. "Someone is killing elf and half-elf sailors in the Dock Ward - three dead so far, each one decapitated by a blade in the dead of night. Not the kind of thing we do, so somebody's encroaching on our turf. Look into it, will you? Methinks the City Watch could use a little help."

Asmodai regards this information with concern, "I will definitely check this out. Any tips you can give me on how to go about this?"

He then goes up to the Half-Elf, "Hey there, I can help you with your cat, if you want to help me find someone who's killing Elves and Half-Elves? I thought you might have a slight interest in ridding the world of this evil."

He then goes to Soar,  "Hey Soar, do you want to help rid the world of a great evil?"

Yagra shrugs. "Find a drunk elf sailor and tail him maybe, that's your best bet I think. Might have to do it for a few nights, but the killer will show up eventually I wager."

Soar's head is spinning - she really wants to put the barbarian ghosts to rest, because that is her profession. For the others, she's a little embarrassed to wonder about the payoff. Saving a kitten sounds easy and adorable though maybe not so profitable. Finding and stopping a murderer would be a good thing to do, and she asks abashedly if there is a reward. She also wonders aloud if it might be a drow who hates elves and works at night, or if that's what the killer WANTS you to think!

(Yagra let Asmodai know about the potential payoff: 50 gold per person if the party encounters the killer, saves the life of his intended victim, and successfully scares him away; a full 100 gold per person if the party manages to take the killer, dead or alive. Presumably he shared this information with Soar and Jal.)

Jal replies to Asmodai, "I will help you either way, if you wait. It would be nice if you could help me get this cat out, too. Let's go get that cat."

When Jal, Asmodai, and possibly Soar return to Timmothy, he has changed into street clothes; his lockets are tucked into his shirt, but you can tell he's still wearing them by their chains peeking out. "Thank you so so much, please follow me!"

Timmothy leads the trio (duo?) out of the Yawning Portal, down the street and around a corner to where there is a well in the middle of a public square. "Mitts and I were playing around here when he got spooked by a dog barking and fell into the well; the old well's mostly dry and cats always land on their feet so I'm sure he's okay, but he doesn't have a way out! Can you get him out, do you think?" He looks hopeful.

Jal throws one end of his 50 ft of rope down to see if it touches the bottom. If it does, he asks Asmodai to hold on the rope and lower him down, while setting up an anchor and tying the rope onto himself. 

The rope hits bottom.

If Asmodai is going to lower Jal into the well, he will need to make an Athletics check to do so gently.

Asmodai tells Jal, "We can definitely save your kitten first. My problem needs to be accomplished at night."  To Soar he says,  "If you want to check out the barrows first, you should have time to come and meet us in the Dock Ward."

Asmodai tells Jal, "Strength is not one of my strongest areas, would you prefer that I go down to get the kitten?'

Soar is happy to use her strength to lower Jal or Asmodai or both in sequenceinto the well: athletics rolls 18 13

Before she does this, she ties the other end of the rope to the middle of her javelin to provide a last resort brake in case it slips somehow.

"Don't worry little man! We'll find your kitty. What's it look like by the way, what color? Did you hear we're trying to raise money to open a cool new haunted restaurant? It's got a real ghost that'll make you a root beer!"

(OOC: Player rkmobius is very skeptical and distrusting of Timmothy. Soar thinks he's totally truthful and well-meaning and loves him. Also I did two separate athletics checks for both Jal and Asmodai if they're both going down -- if she's getting help from one of them staying up, then I guess that qualifies as a separated advantage roll?)

(Those athletics checks look good, either Asmodai or Jal, or both in sequence, can get down safely; just waiting on confirmation of who goes first.)

Jal proclaims, "I shall go first to make sure if the rope is bad, I shall take the fall. Literally."

A wandering cloaked fellow walks by and notices this group standing around the well with a rope. 

"Yall need some help with something there?" The stranger addresses the group in a low tone keeping his face hidden but with feathers peaking out behind him.

(Please welcome the mysterious stranger "Deadeye", our newest citizen of Waterdeep!)

- - -

Jal descends by the rope, slowly, steadily.

He reaches the base of the well; over raw stone meanders a cold underwater stream.

He looks around, his elven ancestry granting him vision even in the dim light.

In a corner of the cavern, Jal notices hanging on the tan sandstone wall...

(OOC - Love the kitten picture lol)

Janus over heard the conversation about the cat and the killer and decided to sit out rescuing the kitten. *In a absurdly deep voice that fits the Goliath's large size*  "I have overheard your request for help with the killer. Jal I believe you have the personnel that you will require to rescue the kitten from the well, however Asmodai I will join you in the hunt for the killer if you think that I could be of use in this quest."

Asmodai informs Janus, "Your help would be much appreciated. We will meet here at the Yawning Portal, then head over to the Dock Ward to 'keep an eye out' for this murderer".

Timmothy is getting anxious. "Hey Jal, do you see Mitts?" His voice echoes down the well. "Tug the rope if you have!"