Ella woke up fully conscious and ready to action (drills were not in vain) with the first light. Though downstairs that readiness was covered with with a sleepy smile, when she sat by the halfling with her own mug of coffee. "Bad night?" She smiled both knowingly and sympathetically. Not that she hoped to learn something special, but one never knows.

(I think collective plan was to go back to the Zodor's office, no?)

[I'll wait to see if anyone wants to do anything else before moving onto the office. Don't want to go too fast on people.]

As Ella sits down next to him, the halfling lets out an unintelligible grunt that might have been an affirmation. "Always drink too much." He croaks out, nursing the mug of coffee after taking a sip. "M' scavenging group always drinks the night before a run, and almost every time I'm so thrashed I get left behind." He shakes his head, taking another sip from the mug. "They're probably already in the Gray by now. Sounding like a sweet gig too." After taking a moment to glance you over properly, he nods. "You plannin' on going out there today?"

Like Ivello, Madik would have probably used her bedroll on the floor too (if the description of the beds is accurate).

Getting up, she would wash ((if there’s a basin in the room, or a shared one down the hall)), then dress in her armour before spending some time with her prayer-book: contemplating the previous day; and in preparation of what challenges today might bring ((preparing her day’s spells)).

Downstairs, she’ll thank the staff for her breakfast, say a quiet prayer over it, before tucking in heartily.

To the Halfling, she’d enquire, “What’s your name friend? Where were your party headed today? You know what they’re after?”.

After some polite chat, and food, Madik is ready to head towards the office they broke into yesterday.

[edit] Oh, also: on the way, while they walk (and timed as best she can to finish when they arrive in the street near the office), she’ll spend 10 minutes to ritually cast detect magic.

"May be. Have some things  in the city to finish before we go. Were in the Grey a lot? you look like you know your way around that stuff." It was not true, but a complement never hurt anyone.

As another joins them at the table, the halfing sort of straightens up a bit. With the caffeine beginning to work its magic, color seems to return to his face a little. "Barkas, and yours?"

"Well. Last time we was doing a run we ran into some ruins..." He looks around, making sure there are no others in earshot. "Pretty sure it was an untouched Cannith lab, lots of goodies sure to be in there." He says in a low voice. "I can't exactly go tellin' you WHERE it is, you understand? I'm all for giving aid where it's due, but I can't just go outright helping the competition eh?" He says with a wink and a smile. "I've been in a fair bit. Enough to know that there's no amount of experience that can guarantee your safety. Never relax while you're in the Gray, it'll get you killed in a heartbeat."

"Remember that the next time you're heading out."

Ivello joins the other downstairs, forcing himself to power through the less than savory breakfast while listening to the others talk with the halfling. 

"Whenever you're all ready, I'm good to go."

Madik looks over to Ivello, “You’re right, we should go”. She looks back to the halfling, “Good talking with you Barkas. I’m Madik... ...You know what, maybe you can’t tell us where this site is... but you wanna take us? If you’re up for it, be here the same time tomorrow”. She gets up to leave but calls back with a kind chuckle, “And sober up!”.

((She’s ready to leave with the others))

As she goes to follow Madik, Maphira will chip, "That's right Barkas, if you want to take us we won't leave you behind!" 

((hm. One of you (maphira or madik) make a persuasion check w/advantage.))

@99bottles... you can :-)

Madik looks across at Maphira impressed, with a look like ‘ha! yes, nice line!’...

((oh man the pressure is real))

Persuasion: 23

((ha! yes, nice roll!...))

The halfling opens his mouth as if to quickly deny the offer, then closes it abruptly and thinks for a moment. "You know what? I'm willing to have a conversation tomorrow. Best of luck with your day now!"

With that, you all leave the tavern and exit onto the street. As Madik begins casting her spell, she draws a few bewildered glances, but no one cares enough to stop or question her. There are enough magic users in Salvation that seeing someone casting in the streets is only moderately uncommon. It's fairly early in the morning - around 9AM or so. As you come back to the street that Zodor's office is on, you find it a bit lively than last night. Quite a few broker's make their business here, and you can see dozens of people walking in and out of the various buildings.

There are two large human men outside the door to Zodor's office. Well muscled and mean-looking, they seem to be waiting by the door for something.

[[How would you all to proceed?]]

As the group leaves the tavern, once they’re on the street, Madik raises her palm to Maphira for a triumphant high-five...

Roll for high-five: 17

“Oh yes! Nice!... I like you”, she says to Maphira with a grin. 

Then, in a really bad Kalli impression (mostly to herself), “ ‘Maddie, you’ll never get jobs on your own like that... Maddie, what use is training to be a Cleric... blah blah’ ....ha! We’ll show her!”. She chuckles to herself.

And starts casting her ritual.

((How close are we to the office when we see the men would you say? And does Madik’s detect magic sense anything as she looks around?))

[[You've just turned the corner onto the street, and Zodor's office is about 100 feet from where you are now. You don't pick up any magical auras as you look around.]]

Skrípi looks at the others and raises a metaphorical eyebrow.

"How are we doing this?"

((Like a child who’s been given x-ray glasses and thinks they can see everyone’s underwear, Madik uses her detect magic to steal a glance at each of her companions, to see what magical items (if anything) they might be packing...(you don’t have to tell if you don’t want to, lol) ))

Madik will stay with the group, and when they get closer to the office, she’ll see what she can sense then.

Ella chuckled at quite recognizable impersonation of Kalli and answered to their mysterious companion: "We just walk in? Hopefully, we will convince him not to scream fast enough, otherwise those trolls he keeps for guards" (she did not mean literally) "can be a bit problematic."

"Right, unless those two stop us, I don't see why we couldn't just walk in. Better they're outside anyway."

Madik agrees, “Yes... It’s a normal business day. We’ve got normal business to do with Zodor. We’re salvagers, he’s a broker. What could be more normal?”.