As they make the rest of the way to the tavern Quentin spends the entire time rubbing the bridge of his nose before a headache forms. Thinking to himself, What is wrong with these satyrs? When the group finally arrives to the tavern he says aloud, "Hopefully they'll just talk instead of attempting to kidnap random people." Before he opens the door and enters the tavern, assuming this will just be a simple matter to handle. 

Raven has gone quiet as they enter the tavern, her idea of some fun, and potential information gathering, a dim memory as she glances around.  She moves to an empty table and takes a seat, waiting for a serving person to come by.

Whoa please y'all! Before we decide to take sides do we know enough? Seems like we are going from fighting these folk to risking our lives for them awful quick. Before we go accusing - do we even know if they gave you bad beer deliberately? Was it bad when they gave it or go bad once you got it? Is there a third party souring the beer - either before or after it leaves the Niacas? What do we say - we were attacked by crazy satyrs on account of your cheating? Expect that to go well do we?

How about a nice bit of food and drink, and some observing, before we commit to the goatboy cause.

The human shrugged. "Sure. It's not like we need to start off accusing anyone. As our "feylord" friend suggested, we're just here to talk." Elwin couldn't help but chuckle at how the Eladrin had been made into a lord just due to his place of origin.

 "In fact, we might just be able to find what we need by doing more asking than talking."

"Not that that's been my particular strong point," he added quietly to himself.

As you enter the tavern, an elf girl hastily stands and smiles at you, stealthily putting the book she was reading behind her back. She looks from Quentin's fine clothing to...the rest of you. Looking slightly uncertain, she asks, "Common room or lounge?"

A sign hangs on the wall behind her.  It says: "Shortages have affected our selection and prices. We regret the inconvenience. Please direct all complaints to the gnoll raiding parties in the southern lands."

To the right, you see an average tavern common room.  At this time in the afternoon, there is not much business, but a few elves who look like agricultural workers sit around at the tables. To the left, a short set of stairs curves up to a raised area.  you can only see a railing from here.

The tavern looks and feels very old and somewhat shabby, as if it has not been kept up quite as well as it could have been.

"Neither," Mindartis says, "We're here to talk to Amryl Naica."

"Common room."  Raven says, stepping away from the group and heading in that direction.

"Though the lounge would be preferred as we wait. And you can tell her that Lord Quentin Adiyodi of the Ellantar Court would love a chat." Quentin says to the barmaid.  

Del will join Raven in the common room, telling M & Q with a show of deference (for the benefit of the audience) We shall wait in the commons, my Lords? 

When asked he'll order some late lunch and a beer - purely for comparison of course - keeping his fiddle out for plucking 

Um, sister Raven, should we be worried that those two - not our most persuasive - are off to accost the management?

"Um, okay," the girl says, putting the book down on her chair "The common room is that way, for those who want it. If you would follow me to the lounge?" She heads up the stairs, and anyone going with her can follow.

Raven and Del step into the common room and take a seat at the rustic table.  An elf boy approaches. "Hello, what can I get you today? We have a savory rabbit stew and fresh-baked bread for 5 coppers, or bread and cheese for two coppers.  The house wine is two silvers per glass, and we have some common beer for four coppers.  It's not the Naica Premium, sadly," he says. "Though that is still available for one gold piece per glass."

(Naica Premium is the beer of choice throughout the kingdom, Raven knows, but it normally sells for one silver.)

Those going to the lounge follow the girl up the stairs.  An elevated platform leads to a room with elegant tables and carved chairs, with some cushioned sofas and chairs around the edges.  Paintings hang from the walls, and one wall is covered with windows, giving patrons a view of the vineyard. Two bored-looking Goliaths in armor stand beside a heavy carved door, and two sets of stairs lead up.  A group of nobles is playing cards around a table, their fine clothing looking like it was once expensive, but is now rather worn--like the tavern itself.

The girl leads you to a table and says, "I will inform Lady Naica that you are here, Lord Quentin. Please make yourself comfortable." She goes up the stairs as a waiter approaches.

"Good day," he bows. "Today's special is a tender venison steak stuffed with fine white bread, mushrooms and spices, with fresh spring greens. We regret that our usual dessert selection is not available, but we do offer a variety of fine cheeses and druid-grown fresh fruits."  He hands you a menu and wine list. The meal prices start at 5 gold, the wine prices start at 2 gold per glass up to 20.

Elwin scratched his head as he watched the two groups go off. It only took him a moment to decide to head with Raven and Del... let the lords have their fancy foods with tiny portions. After that fight, he was famished.

Stew and the common beer would be welcome, thank you.

"Just some fruit and cheese please to snack on, and if you can inform me how long until Lady Nacia can see me I'd be delighted." Quentin replies as he takes a closer look at the Lords playing cards and their clothes.

Investigation: 18

OOC: Weird hunch but I'm specifically looking to see if their clothes are out dated fashion. Like, noticeably outdated. 

"I'll take that stew and bread," began Elwin, starting to relax a bit in the tavern environment. "And, I'll give that Naica Premium a try, too." He watched the waiter as he added, "Let's see just how good the stuff is."

"Just some bread and cheese for me."  Raven speaks up.  "I'll take the common beer as well too I guess."

Once the serving person leaves she will turn to the others.  "I have no intention of doing anything other than eating, and maybe seeing what I can find out about what is going on in my father's lands." She says with a glance around.  "If those who went up stairs cause much trouble, I am sure they will find out how bad of an idea that was.  The management of this place deals quite harshly with such things."

 The stew portions are reasonably generous, and it tastes fine--nothing special.  The Naica Premium is indeed excellent beer, though not so amazing to make that price seem fair.

Quentin is served a small, artistically arranged plate of out-of-season berries, sliced pears, and artisan cheeses. (3gp) When the two assure the smiling waiter that they will not be ordering wine, he brings a pair of glasses and a caraffe of clear water. "From our own spring," the waiter assures him. It tastes fresh and pure.

The fashions in the Westwoods are about ten years behind those of the Primordial Forest.  And Lomalos, a small kingdom on the outskirts, is a few years behind that. So the clothing of the nobles does not look outrageously out of fashion.  But, expert as he is in the field of fine clothing, Quentin notices that the clothes they wear bear tiny signs of having been altered...possibly re-tailored to fit changing fashions...possibly more than once. There are three men and two women at the table, and several of them have a noticeable family resemblance to each other. They keep the volume of their conversation tastefully low, but you can hear that they are discussing a matter of children going missing in the Free City.

"In my father's lands?!" repeated Elwin to himself. "What the...? No, she couldn't be...."

He managed to hide his surprise however, and instead simply shrugged and grunted. "Fair enough. It's not like any of us have an obligation to jump into this business between the satyrs and this Naica family."

However, the situation the others had put themselves into nagged at Elwin, all the more with Raven's warning. He rubbed his chin as he wondered how quickly he could make it up the stairs if a ruckus started.

 He ordered another common beer after finishing the Premium--which was actually the best beer the former street urchin had ever tasted--and took gulps between wolfing down his stew and bread. He was restrained, and not clumsy or rude... but it was clear his table manners weren't exactly finely honed.

"Excuse me." Quentin says to the other nobles in the lounge. "Please forgive me I couldn't help but overhear a little bit of what you were talking about. I'm afraid I'm new to the area and well, embarrassingly not caught up all the happenings of the land. What is this about missing children?" 

"I'll take your special," Mindartis says, looking to Quentin. "And you're 2 gold wine."

Once the food is brought he looks to Quentin, "So, you're nobility then?"

"Technically. I'm part of one of the elven courts that help rule the land. Though truthfully I'm more of a trophy because of my understanding of the arcane arts. They don't let you make big decisions at only 116." Quentin quietly says to Mindartis before turning back to the other nobles for their answer.