As this is a pastry shop, if there is any flour around, Neris would like to smudge some on her face and nose, and she puts her hair up into a messy bun. She rolls back the sleeves of her simple outfit. If there is a bakery apron, hat, or even a teacloth - she'd like to put them on. This will serve as a backup disguise to lend credibility to any deception if she is discovered. SHe looks at each of the others and puts her finger to her lips, silently asking everyone to keep quiet.

She then sneaks closer with a goal of hearing better what they say. Is the door open or closed? If it is closed, she would attempt to open it ever so carefully, and gingerly creep up the stairs.

Relevant rolls if required:

Neris, you improvise and find a sheet covering some crates that you turn into a makeshift apron. It's not great, but together with the flour it could just work. You slowly start moving up the stairs, when you hear a gruff male voice: "...orders of the Governor, all bakeries are to be checked. There was a resistance  cell attached to a nearby bakery, and we want to make sure we got them all. Now, show us the stores!" What follows are the sounds of a whimpering store clerk fumbling nervously for the right key to open up the cellar door.

At hearing this, Neris creeps back down the stairs to warn the others. She whispers, “They’re looking for resistance. They’re coming down.”

Does she have an idea of how many there are? If so, she relays this to the group.

You all heard footsteps from two or three people, but you could make out only one voice.

I may have missed it in the original description but are there any exits from this room? Terin stands and adopts a casual "holier than thou" stance and prepares in case there were no previously scouted exits or hideaways.

This is a storage room, with a similar room adjacent for barrels, but currently standing empty after all alcohol has been confiscated. As for exits, there is is the single staircase leading up to the shop floor. The cellar is pretty dark, but apart from a few crates and goods, largely empty.

Turning to his fellows he says in a commanding voice, "You there grab those barrels and do not be all day with it. You lot are lazier than sailors on shore leave now get back to work and let's get those supplies upstairs so we can start making something of this business." He gestures to the various boxes and/or barrels about.

Deception: 6

I’ll grab one of the indicated crates and wait to go upstairs with the others. 

Parker will do the same

As you move up the stairs, carrying a crate, you pass two guardsmen who press up against the wall to make way for you. One of them even apologises to you, Terin, for being in the way. Similarly the rest of you pass them all without much of note. You're all five of you standing in the shop now, with one guard who was left behind to keep an eye on the store clerk. He gives you a wide-eyed look, but remains silent otherwise.

Neris sets her barrel down in the corner and looks at the guard. “You all here to help get this place shipshape? Well you sure arrived late, we’ve done most of the heavy lifting without you fellas! But if you’re going to hang about here, make yourself useful and start scrubbing - or get out of the way, I don’t care.”

If Neris sees some cleaning supplies she is going to start gathering them up and handing them out to people - including the guard. If she does not see any, she will take out one of her papers and pen as if she was doing inventory.

(OOC: moving / starting new job so this may get tricky).

Uncle remains below. He sits on the ground in a corner and makes himself look as disheveled as possible. He takes out an empty flask.

Parker just moves quietly behind Neris acting as an assistant

Terin makes himself look important and sidles towards the line guard. "Have you heard about any particular activity that I and my loyal employees should be aware of?"

I will grab a rag and start wiping down a counter, concerned about not seeing Uncle, but making every effort to focus on cleaning the counter.

As most of you are upstairs folling the guards into thinking you belong to the establishment, you hear the unfriendly shouts of the two guards, who stumbled on a drunken vagrant. Dragging the dishevelled and reeking homeless veteran out of his hiding hole, they shoot an angry look at the store owner, and the sergeant in the team baks at him: "Lucky we's lookin' fo' sum fancy folk, but this ain't no time fo' charity, ye hear? Plenty o' resistance wi' the beggars, an' if they hear you let' em in, they'll all be 'ere. Next time we come, we's gon' take ye too." And with that, they push out of the shop, dragging the stupified vagrant with them. You almost don't recognize Uncle, but he gives you a wink as he's dragged past. Once outside of the baker's shop, the guards throw the homeless man in the gutter, and one of them spits at him, before all three turn and head on in their search.

You all wait about fifteen minutes to ensure that they are well and truly gone, before the shopkeeper, terrified for his life ushers you out of his shop.

"Well that was fun"

Parker goes to Uncle and helps him up

you alright?

“What the heck did you stay down there for? Did you discover anything useful from them?”

Uncle stands and dusts himself off. "I'm fine. It's better they find somethin' than nothin'. Nothin' means they keep looking. If they find somethin', like a squatter holin' up the basement, then maybe reports they got of secret meetings and weird activity were just a little exaggerated. It also works to give the mean ones somethin' to do. No roughin' up the owner or the shop."

"That makes sense I suppose. I'm glad you are alright. I can't speak for the others here, but you certainly gave me a bit of a fright." Pausing for a moment I take a few deep breaths before continuing in a whisper "So what's the next smart play for us?"