Lost Mine of Phandelver

'I agree with Van. The safety of the town outweighs the safety of a couple capable dwarves that may not even be in danger. There is something about this circus that is unnatural and I intend to find out what is." states Rigel. Rigel them directs Marcons attention to the poster on the Stonehill's wall.

Marcon turns squinting at the at the supposed poster(if there is one). But after a few moments staring at it, he shakes his head and looks back to the group in disbelief. ".... Ya'll serious? This ain't some guy showing up in the middle of the night calling himself somebody we know. Despite all clear evidence -- or so I hope was clear enough -- to 'im being anything but. I mean.. I might not have been right in my head on both occasions, but even then... ya'll literally saw that same trick get played back...." He trails off there, rubbing his forehead, before sighing in building frustration.

".... Someone is actively trying to do harm to Gundren and his brothers... they even had someone find us in the middle of the night, and out in bum **** nowhere fer the most part... and clearly, they ain't exactly out of resources... and..." At that point sighs, scratches his head furiously a moment, and then with defeated expression looks to Gundren directly to ask, "Gundren, I... I don't mean no offense by asking this, or ta drag things out as well, but are ya brothers fighters? Ex-soldiers even, maybe?"

Ronks frowns, watching a clown on a unicycle or a juggler or a mime in an invisible box or something and scratches his chin. "This is weird. Circuses are weird. Let's not pretend to be a circus again..." Ronk turns to Marcon. "We need to help but..." He points back at the circus. "That's too weird. And here. Now."

At that moment, the front door of the Stonehill Inn bursts open. Through it comes a hysterical female halfling, Qelline Alderleaf - the farmer who allowed Ronk to sleep in her hayloft on the party's first visit to Phandalin. "Carp! Me son Carp's gone missing! A creepy magician threw a silk veil over him and made him dissappear, but then he would not reappear! Please, you've got to find him! Please!"

"Bah, calm down lady," barks Gundren. "The lad probably just took this opportunity to escape yer hoverin' for a while. Have an ale and rest yer nerves, besides we got to be findin' me brothers first..."

The party then begins to realize that it is not early in the morning, but closer to noon by the time they began to wake...

Vanzaren curses under his breath and approaches the women. "Calm down, tell me more about the magician."

Rigel raises an eyebrow and listens intently. 

Marcon, who looked torn at Ronk's words, had yet still looked to Gundren hoping for some reassurance that Rigel had not been off the mark. Yet once Qelline burst in talking about creepy magician's and disappearing sons, the young man just sat down in the nearest chair, propped his hands up with elbows on the knees, and buried his face into his hands. At one point he even started digging his nails and grumbled incoherently under breath. But otherwise, Marcon, at least for the moment, refrained from engaging in the situation.

"He...he..." the worried halfling mother could barely get the word out in between sobs, "...I don't know he was colorfully dressed just like all the others out there! We got up this morning to come get some things from Barthen's we needed for our turnip garden this morning and all...THIS..." she said sweeping her arm out behind her towards the door "...was in full swing at 6am this morning! Carp begged and pleaded for me to let him play for a while. I said he could while I got the shopping done. When I came out of Barthen's, he had agreed to be part of some street magician's act and I saw his pull a bright pink silk cloth over my son and when he pulled it away..." her sobs hit a crescendo, "...he was gone! And then the magician dissappeared into a puff of pink smoke!"

As Marcon exerts his frustration at the un-ignorable distraction from their goal, Gundren rolls his eyes in similar exasperation. "Well can't ye Sister Garaele or Deren Edermath go an' look for him? We gots important stuff ta do today!"

"I would...but I don't know where they are..." says Qelline Alderleaf who collapses on the floor in a heap of sobs and tears.

"One moment Madame," Vanzaren turns around to see if the cat is still there.

Vanzaren sees the strange-looking cat (or rather just a pair of glowing eyes) hiding under a corner-shaped bench in the entryway of the Stonehill Inn. The creature seemed to be watching the wizard intently from afar. After Vanzaren had held the creature's gaze for a few moments, an uneasy purr-growl (the sort that cats make when they encounter a rival or threat) can be heard - only by Vanzaren - coming from under the wooden bench.

Rigel takes a knee next to the hysterical woman. Placing a comforting hand on her back he whispers to her, "Shhhhhh, now. Everything is going to be okay. We're all fond of Carp ourselves. We'll do what we can to find your boy. Shhhhh, now, don't fret." 

Addressing Gundren, Rigel says, "I understand your concern. Even though you owe us your life for getting you out of Cragmaw you should go find your brothers. I've seen the map so I don't need you to guide us to the cave. Go ahead of us and seek them out. When we finish here we'll be along shortly." 

Rigel turns back to Qelline and continues to comfort her by rubbing her back softly while whispering "Shhhhh, now its okay, "

Van's gaze switches to the bench, and he approaches slowly.

Marcon began clinching his jaw the more he heard of the story. But, it's the missing Sister Gareaele and Eldermath that has him look up sharply and regard the woman in surprise. And not knowing of the previous days events, the exhausted ex-farmhand started to speak -- tried to, but frustratingly couldn't find the words to even start questioning on the subject before Rigel starts making suggestions.

"Ya want'im to... but...." Marcon starts to say, only to trail off rubbing his head again in frustration. Then, there's finally a heavy sigh in defeat, followed by the man rising to his feet, dusting his pants off. ".... I'm... gonna head over to coaster. See if she's got warhammers in stock.." He said, before turning to address Gundren. Yet as he opens his mouth to speak, he again cannot find the right words. So instead, he addresses the others, "Maybe she'd seen somethin' as well... I dunno. I'll be right back. Come if ya want if ya'll worried 'bout any other sheninigans. But,  I ain't waste'n anymore precious daylight with this much malarkey to deal with at once. Not if we're to still make good time in getting to that mine a little later." He said frankly, before taking his leave of the inn.

"I I g..go with y..you M..Marcon" And fallows barbarian looking around for possible missing boy

As Marcon and Garet exit the Stonehill Inn, they are assaulted (not literally) by the swath of colored tents, sparkling effects, blinking lights and raucous thoroughfare vendors and street performers. It takes Marcon a moment to get his bearings, but he believes the Lionshield Coster is roughly southwest of the inn. He passes by a row of smaller tents and though he may be trying to avoid eye contact with any of the carnival people a few things catch his eye:

An old crone is selling seashell necklaces that she claims will remove painful memories from the wearer. In the booth nest to hers, a small fast-moving fey creature is selling an assortment of bladed weapons that look to be enchanted. Another stall over, a cheerful satyr offers 1000 gold to anyone who can drink him under the table...Garet and Marcon both hope Gundren and Sildar don't see this booth...

When he gets close enough he drops down to his knees to see whats under the table.

Rigel looks up from his consoling when he hears Marcon and Garet leave to see Van approaching the "cat". Not sure what to expect next he rises and unslings Hew asking, "What's on your mind Van?"

 Marcon made no conscious efforts pay any mind to the performers. That is, at least anything more than absolutely necessary to avoid stumbling into their acts, or into the booths of vendors along the way.. And though by all rights he should've been more actively keep an eye out given the recent disappearances, it isn't long into the journey that Garet at least would see him straining at times just to keep to a brisk pace.

But the eyes do wonder eventually in the process of trying to keep his bearings. Yet, for all the interesting things glimpsed by happenstance, any glimmer of interest dies almost as quickly as it's born. ".... Hey, uh... Garet?" He said, glancing over wearily up at the mini-giant. "I.... I'm Sorry..... if I've been a bit, uh... prickly of late. Ain't no real offense meant by it... It's just...I lotta things been happening, and, uh... it's hard to explain." Marcon expressed, if though awkwardly at points. Both from having to maneuver around the new step up, and clearly from some nervousness in the impromptu apology. "I don't expect ya to accept it, too.The uhm... apology. Nor do I want ya to, if'n I were honest, 'cause I don't... frankly deserve it But... well...  I just needed to get that off my chest."  

Not wanting to go out into the circus, Ronk hangs back in the In with Rigel and Van. As he sees Van advancing on... Something. He grabs his spear and starts slowly moving in with Rigel, whispering, "Is it something else weird?"

The "cat" issues a loud hiss as Van approaches and gets down on his knees for a closer look at the animal. It back as far as it can into the corner under the L-shaped wooden bench.

 VANZAREN
Intelligence (Arcana): 19 vs. DC 13

Meanwhile, when Marcon stops to talk to Garet as they seek out the Lionshield Coster, they are approached by a toy vendor pushing a wheeled cart full of handmade toys that look as though they are assembled with the various parts of older, handmade toys. Some are stuffed, others are wind-ups and the rest are an assortment of action figures with posable limbs.

GARET
Passive Perception: 14 - Garet notices something peculiar about several of the toys