[OOC: Aeros should make the Survival check, but perhaps Eryn can give him Advantage by Helping; For the record, Eryn also has +3 with Survival.]

Survival Check (with advantage): 15

Eryn points out where the muddy tracks being just outside where the wall used to be and Aeros is able to determine that they continue a northward direction. Upon following the tracks, the party notices that they are heading steadily towards the north side of the city. In the course of their tracking, the party is able to ask a number of witnesses -some drunker than others- if they saw Zabriss and the kobolds head this way, and the witnesses more or less generally confirm that yes, they were headed to the north side of the city. However, eventually the tracks fade and the party is left standing in the middle of the street with no more answers than they began. 

There are people milling about on the streets now - the explosion was loud and people are nosey; many of them are drunk, but you suspect that might make some of them more inclined to talk to you. 

[OOC: This is a long shot, but there is no harm in trying.]

Remembering the stench that came off the kobolds (mentioned here). Eryn will close his eyes and breath in through his nose deeply in the hope that the party is downwind of their quarry.

Perception check (the second one is if either Advantage or Disadvantage is applicable): 12 Second roll: 18

Eryn breathes in deeply, searching for the scent from earlier, but finds nothing but the faint hint of magic, which makes him sneeze. 

(ooc: That was an excellent idea! The DC was just real high on that one.)

[Yes, definitely a long shot and I'm surprised that he detected anything interesting at all.]

"I smell magic," says Eryn, wiping his nose on the back of his hand. He looks in the direction of the prevailing breeze to see if there is any obvious source for what made him sneeze.

Perception check: 15

"I think this will lead us nowhere.", Arthasis said to the others after they had lost the tracks of the kobolds. "They are gone for good. If we want to catch Zabriss, we will have to find whatever hole they ran for."

He had noticed for a while, that more and more people frequented the streets by now. This night's festivities appeared to be in full swing and the prison break drew a little crowd of curious citizens.

"We should ask around.", he said to his new companions. "Maybe somebody knows something about the device Aeros found, or can provide us with other useful information."

Magic? Aeros thinks to himself as he sniffs the air.  Getting nothing unusual he'll also secretly sniff himself just to make sure but can only smell the faint smell of kobold on his jacket.  I'll have to wash this later he adds.  

Speaking out loud, "Yes let's try that next."  Aeros replies.  Looking around the general vicinity, he will look to see what's around him and where the largest crowd of people are gathered or headed.

Perception: 16

There's a large crowd just down the street from you all. They seem to be gathered in discussion, some figures gesturing wildly with pints of ale in their hands, others huddled together, looking serious. 

"That seems like a good bunch to start questioning.  Perhaps we should split up into two groups to question them simultaneously?  I can go speak with the more rowdy of the group if any some of you could go and speak with the others."  

(Assuming the party agrees to the decision)

Walking towards the more boisterous group, Aeros, putting on his most friendly face, asks "Hello and Happy Carpe Noctis!  How goes your evening so far?  Did you hear about that explosion in the prison?  Heard it might've been an escape attempt or something."

Persuasion (if necessary):18

"Yeah, sure.", Arthasis responded to Aeros proposal. He took a look around and approached the first group of people that looked aimable enough. He doned the usual smile and adressed them in a friendly tone, "Well, I am sure you all heard by now, that there has been a prison break. Me and my companions are investigating and would be grateful for any information you could provide."

He hated this. He was tried and playing nice with the locals had never been something he had enjoyed. It couldn't be helped though, if they wanted to collect the bounty on Zabriss' head. "Where would one find an expert for explosives, for example?" If it wasn't magic that blew the walls of the prison open, someone must have manufactured the stuff that did.

(Persuasion 15 if necessary) 

Still intrigued by where this scent of magic might be coming from, Eryn will follow the others but let them do the talking. Instead, he will keep sniffing the air trying to find the source of the magic.

Menodora follows Aeros to the more rowdy group. For the moment, she'll just wait to see their responses to his line of questioning before she'll jump in on the action.   

The rowdy group of drunk gnomes turn to Aeros, lifting -and spilling- a flagon of ale at him. "Aye, we 'eard 'bout it," one of the slurs, twisting to look towards the prison. "'course 'round 'ere, there's always somethin' explodin'!" he laughs heartily, knocking tankards with a grease-covered gnome next to him. "S'why we come out, see if anybody's shop exploded. Then th' Watch says all's well," he snorts, shrugging. "Why, you know somethin' different?" 

The group Arthasis approaches is a little mild-mannered than the group of drunk workers. They appear to be checking over their shop, making sure all is well. "Oh! Hello there," one of them says in response, appearing a little startled. She turns to stare up at Arthasis from large round glasses, making her eyes appear much larger than normal. "Well," she starts doubtfully, looking around, "I'm sure I don't know anythin' about a prison break! We just heard there was an explosion! The Watch all said things were good, now, though." She carefully hangs a metal tool of some kind on the wall, sighing. "But if it's information about explosives you're after, there's really only one place to look!" She turns and points towards the south. "The Firemark Facility is the only place sanctioned for that stuff!" 

Menodora does her best to restrain a laugh at the sight of the rowdy group. She is doubtful they're going to be as helpful as they could be, but it seems fun nonetheless. 

"Well, we heard rumor someone escaped. And a girl has to earn her ale somehow," she tells them with a coy smirk, "We were wondering if in all the excitement  if you might have noticed anyone wandering through?"

Persuasion (if needed): 26  

"The Firemark Facility?", Arthasis repeated to make sure he understood correctly. "Well, that's useful information. Thank you, my friends." He pondered on it for a second before continuing, "If you say it's the only place sanctioned to manufacture explosives, would someone still be able to buy them? A private person?"

The drunk gnome turns to peer bleerily up at Menodora. "Ey, I know you! Was playin' in th' tavern a couple'a days ago," he exclaims, then toasts her happily, rousing cheers from his drunk friends. "Nah, there's always people wanderin' about," he manages, gesturing with his tankard at both Aeros and Menodora. "You lot outta know," he slurs, "you're wanderin' about, too!" He takes another drink, the ale spilling down his beard. "If you got somethin' specific to ask, I'll do me best to answer," he shrugs, "but if not, then I think me 'n the mates are headin' back to the party up town."

(ooc: Whoops, didn't see that you'd posted first.)

"'Fraid I don't know, though I'd suspect not! It's mostly used for the war effort you know," she answers with a frown, looking Arthasis up and down a touch suspiciously. "You askin' for yourself, or for your investigation?" 

"Any chance you noticed someone particularly tall come through here?  They'd be least a few inches taller than me."  Aeros asks the gnomes as he straightens himself out to show his own notably tall stature as reference point.

"Wouldn't know why that's any of your business.", he chuckled and remembered a certain merchant ship he had sunk with a similar, albeit larger, explosive device. Even though he hadn't seen it going up in flames, he had always conjured up images of the ship as it blew to pieces. "But don't worry, I have no need of such gimmickry. I thank you for your cooperation.", he sighed. "I wish you all a pleasent evening."

As they hadn't heard about the prison break yet, he was rather certain that he wouldn't pry any more useful information from them. Arthasis wasn't sure if it was turly useful though. If it was true that nobody but the military could obtain those explosives, this lead would get them nowhere. 'Unless it was some kind of inside job.', he suddenly thought. 'Was such a thing even possible? For what purpose?', he couldn't answer any of these questions. Dwendalian politics were still foreign to him.

He joined the others and hoped his companions had  gathered a little more information that could help them on their bounty hunt.

Eryn approaches one of the less-rowdy gnomes who looks like they belong to the working class; preferably one that looks like they might be management rather than manual labourer. He introduces himself and then, after showing them the badge he has been given to hopefully capture the gnome's full attention, he pulls out the sample of the crimson mud he took earlier and uses his Dancing Lights cantrip to produce a small white light so that the colour of the mud can be clearly seen. 

Trying to sound both respectful and official at the same time, he asks, "Can you tell me where in the local area I might find mud of this colour? Any assistance would be appreciated. We have been given this task by the Watchmaster himself."

Persuasion check, if needed: 15