“Hey, Ordrag! Is there a tavern around here where we can go and wait? Maybe have a drink and get to know each other better?” Polly ask the big greenisch man. “Maybe we can come up with a plan aswell?”

I like the way you think, Polly, says Ordrag, smiling and waving his finger. He looks around, removes his bandana and scratches his head, then says: Yeah, I seem to remember a couple around here. The Blushin Mermaid can't be more than a couple of blocks away, and I think the Splurgin Sturgeon was around these parts too.

Ordrag then leads the way, strolling casually down the street.

Choir wonders if she can handle two taverns in one day...

Two? Ordrag isn't the smartest, but he knows that the Elfsong plus these two will make three. Unless something happens at the Mermaid and we don't make it to the Sturgeon ...

Choir will hide behind Nibs at the taverns. And avoid tasting red, sparkly drinks.  (What, barhopping to both, then? :D )

(lol oh my!)

Fran would nod in agreement to Polly’s suggestion that waiting in an establishment and could actually be a good team building exercise.

Once there, Polly orders a light drink. The Dragons Breath was a fun experiment but she think she is going to stick to lighter beverages. “So how are we going to do this? Are we just going to knock on the door or are we coming up with a plan?” She ask as they have found a table. 

“Also, I’m a forest gnome from the high forest. I can’t tell you where my tribe is cause that is a s.e.c.r.e.t... I’m 27years old which is really young for gnome and I have studied at the mage academy at Neverwinter. I have been traveling for about half a year and I was forced to join Flaming Fist!”  

Fran would simply just order a water and sip it at the table listening to Polly. "Aye, I s'pose if we're gunna be working close together, I'll bite." She'd adjust herself in her seat so she's sitting up straight. "The temple priests figure mum's a hume and dad's a hearty dwarf." She'd shrug, telling the truth that she never knew her parents. Ruby would push up her left sleeve to show them her branding scar. "This and a set of jewelers tools all I have of em." She'd pause and take a drink of her water. "I'm 29. Raised by clerics. 'Home' schooled. Self taught tinkerer. Apprenticed jewelcrafter, after I left the nest." Fran would glance down at her water for a bit. "Traveled a tid bit afterward, and 'ere I am." She'd reach down and thumb through some of her tools on her belt. "Moving on teh the important things." She'd take a breath wanting to move away from her recent past and focus on the present. "I've got some tools that can assist us with unlocking doors, should we need it." You could hear some tinging sounds coming from Fran playing with her thieves tools.

Adray's mood slightly soured at the personal questions.  His thoughts back on what lead him to the city weighed heavily on his mind.  All the unknown regarding his family and friends and their possible death.  "I'll not say more than that I was from another band of mercenaries from Elturel.  The cities gone and now I'm here...  If anything we do can make any sense of what happened, then I'll be all for it.  As for the bathhouse.  I propose we do try and sneak in as best we can, quietly if able.  But we should expect that day or night, there are going to be people in the secret room."

Your group is still impressive enough to go in the taverns and out to the streets to pass undisturbed. The "bar hopping" goes without additional adventures - probably gods, if they are watching that city at all, considered you having enough fun for today.Blushing Mermaid commonly avoided by Flaming Fist but these are the best hours, people are busy and would not want to be the one starting the fight. Should you keep your badges on the open, you would be asked not to do so "for the sake of friendship", of course. Splurging Sturgeon did not mind even if you walk in marching as on parade, and felt in general more hospitable. But at any rate, you could continue your lovely conversation in any of the tavern - whether enjoin a few quiet hours or planning the next move. 

Hmmm, personal stories?  Choir repeated some significant remembered phrases from her past.

(Muffled) (The sound of a holy choir singing)"The egg!  It's hatching!" "Oh, Akadi, queen of the air and flight, we dedicate whatever marvelous bird hatches from this mysterious egg to your glory!"  (No longer muffled) "Oh, my....well, that was unexpected...."

"I will speak the prayers, and you will repeat them back at the proper interval, do you understand?"

"You, go upstairs and tell the priest we are running low on candles." "Take a message to grocer." "Tell the High Priestess that we are ready for the ritual."

"Brother Hubert is down with a cold.  You've heard him sing, can you perform his part in the choir today?"  "Sister Melethan has a sore throat.  Can you fill in?" "Sadly, Sister Helga passed to the realm of air yesterday, and we have no soprano. I don't suppose you can sing her part in someone else's voice?  No? You're really no more than a recording device, are you?" "Half the choir is down with the fever.  Is there any chance you can perform more than one voice at a time?"

"Little kenku, your earnest prayers have been heard, and your service to my temple noted.  Your kind has been censured from the skies, and that is not a ban to lift lightly.  However, know this: if they become strong and wise enough, clerics who follow the path of Tempest may take flight at will. Be brave and adventurous, remain strong in your faith, and follow the storm, and one day, you will fly."

"You?  A kenku? Taking orders as a priestess of the Goddess of Flight? Sacrilege, if you ask me."

"Choir the Kenku, we welcome you to the service of Akadi! May you bring more glory to the Goddess!"

"Er...I know you're a full priestess now, but you are such a good messenger...would you please go to Berdusk and carry a message to Finea Edelwithe, about the broken stained glass window? The artist who originally created it ought to be the one to restore it."

"What the heck happened?  Elturel is just...gone!"

That was pretty much the story of Choir's life up till now. She looked at the drinks suspiciously, and sipped from her waterskin.

With her small figure Polly can’t reach to give Adray a comforting hand on his shoulder, so she conjure a spectral looking hand in the air and places there. “Adray, I’m sorry. I have a feeling we will come to know what happened to Elturel.” 

When Coir starts to speak Polly just look at her with interest. She think choirs gift is a wonder but can’t help to wonder if she has a voice of her own. “Choir, you can pretty much mimic any voice in the world right? I hope I don’t overstep here, but don’t you have a one that is unique for you?” 

Ordrag is impressed with the interesting tales of his companions, in comparison to his simple life. Me just been a sailor since me was old enough to take ship. Been with the Grinning Oyster the whole time. We seen a few things me suppose, but mostly open sea and docks and taverns. Got hit by pirates off Calimport once, that was wild. Our arms-master got killed so they gave me his job. Been doing that ever since.

He downs his last drink, adjusts his gear and says: So, who's turn to pay?

Choir thinks hard about Polly's question.

Does she have her own voice?  How could she possibly speak in her own voice if she's never heard it spoken? And how could she possibly hear her own voice without speaking it? And why would she even need one, when there are so many other voices to speak in already?

"I have absolutely no idea, whatsoever," she says in the voice of a young elf girl who once visited the temple.

That will also suffice for an answer to Ordrag's question.

“Maybe can try to find it together for you? Everyone should have their own voice!” Polly reply to Choir. “And I can take this round Nibs.” She answer Ordrag. 

Finding a voice...that could be an interesting search.  Choir wonders if that's how all these other people get voices of their own.  Perhaps little human and gnome and elf and dwarf babies bumble around until they happen to find one somewhere, the way they always seemed to find bugs on the floor to eat.

Maybe the voices were inside the bugs, and the bugs got stuck in their throats and spoke for the babies the rest of their lives.

That was just gross.

If she ever does have a voice of her very own, Choir wonders what it will sound like, and what it will say.

The tavern was getting more and more crowded. The jolly company of scholars - already drunk and merrily laughing - burst in and occupied the biggest table in the corner. At the opposite corner, table was more quiet and three figures there looked like they would not welcome anyone else there. The noise was getting louder by the minutes. "Twelve midnight and all is quiet!" - hear you a usual cry of a night watchman when the door opens once again, letting inn a couple merchants. "Not in here!" yelled back someone from scholars table and young men laughed again as if joke was killing them. 

Night continued....

Reluctant to leave the drinks while Polly was paying, Ordrag nonetheless felt it was time to get on with it.

Whadya reckon eh? Shall we head back and take a look at that pool place?

Adray turned his head to the side towards his shoulder one way then the other, the sound of joints popping could be heard.  He the put both hands on the table and with a sigh stood up (much like a father would) and nodded at Nibs.  "Let get on with it.  We'll do a slow walk over, give some time for any stragglers to leaves and then make our move."

"Aight." Fran would stand up from the table as well, ready to move on.