"I don't think so.  Just him and the kid. I ain't seen either for about a week now."

“Kid?” Quentin asks curiously. “What kid” 

She shrugs. "A couple of months ago, I saw him come home with a bloody little bundle of rags.  I didn't ask questions, 'cause...well, ogres. After that, now and then I saw him come home and a little thing run out to meet him. My guess is that he picked up some street urchin."

"Last time I saw the ogre was about a week ago. He came pounding on my door, not making much sense, but I think he was looking for the kid. Guess it run off. Wild things always return to the wild."

“Are you sure you have no idea what the kid looks like what so ever?” Quentin asks 

"Light is my worst allergy. I almost never look out the windows without a thick veil  on. And I don't visit with the neighbors much. I got my babies to keep me company." Quentin sees a cat-sized spider crawl up the side of the Drow's chair.  She pulls it onto her lap and strokes it. "I take care of the babies, and the babies take care of me.  Next time you buy a pair of silk stockings at some pricey boutique on Rosewood, remember that you've seen where they start."

Quentin realizes that the mistiness on the ceiling is spider webbing...

"I kind of think, though...." she adds, "that the kid maybe had a tail."

Quentin holds back on his comment about silk coming from silkworms for fear of being eaten by one of her babies. “That helps a lot actually. Thank you. I really appreciate it and I won’t take up anymore of your time.”

"Shut the door on your way out," the Drow says.

A moment or two after Quentin leaves, he hear all the locks and bolts being slid shut again.

As soon as Quentin is out he immediately starts making sure that there are no spider webs on him as he says, “I got information about the kid staying with your friend.” 

Elwin was still wide-eyed at Quentin having walked into the stranger's place alone. Sure, he had magic, he could protect himself... but between the physical risk, and the chance at getting dirtied, he'd have thought he would have been too worried to actually enter.

He eyed the elf. "What information, exactly?"

"What did you find out?" Raven asks as well as she walks over.

“He adopted a kid about a month ago. Went missing a week ago. He went after it. The kid stays all wrapped up and....well the neighbor is pretty sure they saw a tail on the little one.” Quentin says giving the short story. 

((OOC: In a world where spiders are huge and domesticated...is Quentin reeeeally sure what he's wearing? >:) https://www.wired.com/2009/09/spider-silk/ )

"Well. I suppose it makes sense..."

He crossed his arms, thinking. The situation actually wasn't looking good if the ogre had disappeared along with the child. But Elwin tried to not sound despondent. "On the plus side, we should now have a lead on the missing children. If we can track Huark, his trail should take us right to them."

Good find! I wonder if you would gain any insight, Lord Quentin, if you did Identify on the kid's toys? Childhood is a kind of magic

The trail is a week old, we need to uncover where the kid might go, and where Huark might think the kid might go, so probably still worth it to visit the Hickory Liftworks, as well as other houses down the branch

Del will keep a bit of the catkid hair, and try to find a piece of cloth or something the ogre touched, in case we find a means of using them

It was clever to check the neighbor, but I think I'd be happier if someone comes with me for the others?

If Del can get one or more to come along, he'll check the other occupied-looking houses, asking about Huark and the kid and if they saw anything a week back when we think the kid went missing ((maybe a help action if needed?))

Persuasion 16 and Insight 12 to find what the neighbors know

Second rolls with Raven's kind help ((below))

Persuasion 17 and Insight 20

"I'll come with you." Raven confirms, giving the help if needed.

The neighbors here seem unfriendly, paranoid, and not very willing to talk to strangers.  Still, with Del exercising all his bardic charm, and Raven keeping a keep eye on the branch dwellers, they do get some more info.

The kenku at Number 7 repeats a few recorded lines of dialog, apparently an argument, before shutting the door on you...a child shouting, "NO!  NO!  I'm never going back!  They're mean to me and they call me names and pull my tail!" and the gruff, deep tones of an ogre shouting back, "YOU GO SCHOOL! NOT BE STUPID LIKE HUARK!"

At Number 2, an angry-looking, greasy-haired half-elf slams his door open furiously at your knock... (perception roll...2 )

Seeing Del and Raven (and not noticing the rest of the party) he relaxes. "Hey," he says.  "Good to see some more halfies in the hood. So sick of the monsters and creeps and those smug, full- blood @$%$%  &&*&^%$# @><$%%s..."

After hearing your question, he shrugs and says, "Yeah, I saw the tabaxi kid.  Probably ran away.  Who wouldn't, living with an ogre? Looked like some piece of mangy street crud.  Probably went back to Pitchpine with the rest of the alley rats. Wanna come in?" He gives Raven a particularly oily smirk and a wink. "Could have some fun..."

Maintaining a neutral expression, Del says Thanks for your time and leaves ((unless Raven starts to punch him))

Telling the others An argument about school may have started the initial running-away, but doesn't explain their continued absence. the Pitchpine is suggested, but that may be common prejudice. So I'd suggest Huark's workplace next, and see if anyone knows where or how the two of them met.

"I agree; the workplace should be next."

Raven just shakes her head with a sigh and turns away.  She follows the others off and listens as they discuss the next step.  "Yes, let's head to Hickory and see what we can find out."  She starts heading in that direction when everyone is ready.

It's a relief to leave the spiny branches, dilapidated buildings, and suspicious atmosphere of Locust. Hickory is a bustling tree, mechanically-operated lifts running constantly to all branches, heavy freight lifts carrying raw materials from the ground to the workshops and manufactories, and finished products down to traders. After asking where to find the liftworks, you enter a passenger lift made of polished hardwood and cast iron, and push a floor lever to signal your destination as the topmost branch. You hear a bell ring in the distance, and relax as the chains, pulleys and elegantly crafted gears smoothly carry you up.

The entire top level is given over the the Liftworks. The moment you arrive, someone wearing a badge and a blue helmet hands each of you a safety helmet made from the half-shell of a giant hickory nut, and some sort of odd, lumpy down vest, and insists that you put them on. "You may not remain in the Liftworks without the proper safety equipment," the elf says. "Be careful and mind your hands and feet, you could lose one in the cog-race if you get clumsy."

A broad wooden deck circles the trunk. Huge chains radiate out from the trunk in sunken grooves, turning the five enormous wooden cogs that rest in deep sockets in the wood. Yellow-helmeted engineers posted at mechanical stations pull switches and levers, responding to signals from the lifts. All around you are the sounds of ringing bells, creaking wood, clattering chains...and loud singing.  Through a large open doorway, you can see inside the trunk, which holds more, vertical cogs, with teams of powerful, muscular workers in white hickory helmets (mostly elves, but some larger creatures) turning them with cranks, levers, and a great windlass in the center. It smells of sawdust, sweat and axle grease.  There is one elf in an orange helmet walking the floor, and another one on a platform overhead, sitting at a desk.  A  series of ironwork steps spiral along the wall of the inner trunk to the upper platform.