No, no...I'm fine. Do not call for anyone, please. I just need to get cleaned up. Then I need to find my friend.

Auric, you stumble across the stairs to the upper level, while Valen finds a secret door set into the back wall.

"Looky here."  Valen says with a bit of surprise.  He pokes at the door, then shrugs and opens it.

Auric:

"Looks like there is an upstairs area as well," calls Auric.  "I will check out upstairs and see if our missing person is being held here."

Perception:  7

"Raenar. Any idea who these guys are? Your friend is Floon, right?"

Mal'thrae keeps one eye (and the point of his blade) pointed toward the kenku, but offers a waterskin and handkerchief to Raenar to clean himself off. It's not prestidigitation (I don't think any of us actually have it) but it's something.

Rayner: “Hmm... Not sure about these individual’s organization... But the questions that remains, why did they want to abduct Master Floon?”

Rayner looks to Rainer for insight to his doubts.

Raenar sighs. I do not believe they were after him... I am under the assumption that they mistook him for me. He was very inebriated when we left the tavern the other night, and I was afraid that he would be unable to find his way home, so I decided to escort him. I fear it is my fault the Xanathars have him now.

Valen sees two large wooden crates on the floor, one closed up and the other with large, leather wrapped squares in it.

Auric, you go upstairs to a balcony overlooking the warehouse. It doesn't look like there's anything of value here. There is a door off to your right.

Rayner: "Because of your father? Are they after your family's fortune or political advantages?"

Valen will take a look at the two crates, opening them if needed.

"Hey guys, I think I found something here..." He would call out to the others.

Auric:

Calling down to the others, Auric says, "Nothing up here yet.  I am going to check in a few rooms."  He will continue to investigate the upstairs rooms, looking for any more prisoners or hidden enemies.

Perception:  6

Well...The Zhentarim thinks that my father embezzled a large amount of gold while he was Open Lord, and that he hid the dragons somewhere in the city. They think they can find it by using an artifact called the Stone of Golorr, which was in the hands of the Xanathar Guild until recently. Apparently, someone stole it. The Zhents thought I knew something about all of this, but I don’t. My father and I haven’t spoken in years.

Valen, the leather wrapped items are 4 paintings the large cities in Faerun, Luskan, Neverwinter, Silverymoon, and Baldur's Gate. You're no expert, but you think you can get a solid chunk of gold for them, maybe 75 each. The other crate has 15 silver bars, about 10 lbs each. Even black with corrosion, you can easily get 50gp each.

Auric, the offices up here have seen little use, draped with dust and cobwebs. Rats skitter about, and there's nothing useful except in the last office where you find one Paper bird

"Ahh, gold. Corruptor of the best of us. And me, to an extent." Mal'thrae chuckles. He keeps an eye on the kenku, asking Raenar: "Any idea what'll happen to him if we turn him over to the watch?"

Raenar eyes the kenku scornfully. No idea, though I would imagine-

He's suddenly cut off as the door you came in crashes open and a large human in plate mail, a red cape, and a Waterdeep insigniaon his chest bursts through the door. He's followed by seven other humans, similarly clad though obviously of lesser rank. He eyes the scene, then turns his attention to the party. I am Captain Staget of the City Watch. I demand-Lord Neverember? What are you doing here?

I and my friend were taken off the street, Captain. These men rescued me, and subdued one of the attackers.

I see. He turns to Mal'thrae. Explain, please.

("Damn. That's a nice cape,") the half-drow thinks.

"Convenient timing, this. We were conducting an investigation for a friend of ours into the disappearance of one Mister Floon Blagmaar. That led us here. As we came in, we were attacked by four of these kenku here. Two of them died as we attempted to defend ourselves, one escaped, and this here is the last one." Mal'thrae turns the kenku (roughly) to face the guards.

"Member of the Xanathar Guild, him. Once we were safe, I got the bird here to tell us about why he was here. He admitted that he had tied Raenar up in the back."

Auric:

Tucking away the Paper Bird for later use, Auric is just taking one last look upstairs ( Perception:  6 ) before he headed back down the the guard burst in.  Moving carefully back down the steps, he calls to the others, “No more gang members or prisoners upstairs.”

Come on down here, and anyone else, if you will He calls out to the warehouse at large. Xanathar's, eh? You two, grab the bird. The rest of you take a look around the place. He motions his men, and they move out immediately and efficiently. Two grab the kenku and bind it, moving it back towards the door. He watches them for a moment, then turns back to the party when he seems satisfied. All right, now who was it you were looking for, and for whom?

"The famous author Volothamp Geddarn sent us to find his friend, Mr. Floon Blagmaar. About thirty, red-blonde hair."

Auric:

”Of course, officer,” says Auric, as he comes down the stairs and joins the others.

Rayner: "Captain, can have my rope back, if you please? And to answer to your question, we where looking for Floon Blagmaar, by orders of Master Volothamp Geddarm."