Duncan steps toward the door and enters as the rest of the party follows. The main room is furnished with several rotting wood tables and dilapidated chairs as well as a bar behind which stands a surly female dwarf. At the moment, there are really only two patrons who have already begun their drinking and sit slumped at the bar.

As you walk in, neither drunkard turns to acknowledge you, but the dwarven barkeep does silently stare with a grimace at each of you.

What would you like to do?

Kayassa will make her way to the bar and lean against it, laying a few gold pieces onto the counter. "Get me whatever your strongest drink is for me and my companions please."

Orro leaves the talking to the others for a moment and looks around the room for other entrances and exits, anything hidden, anyone else tucked in a corner, anything in the rafters.

The dwarven woman silently stares at Kayassa a moment later before snorting and turning to fill five grimy mugs with some sort of murky brown alcohol. She finishes purging and brings the glasses over to the group. “Here ye’ go,” she grunts. “Let me know if ye’ need sumthin’ else.”

What would you like to do?

Orro: Nothing out of place catches your attention. This seems to just be a ramshackle tavern on the bad side of town, and at least at the moment, there are no Redbrands.

Kayassa shrugs at the strange alcohol before she gently lifts the mug to her face and takes a swig of her drink.

Daphina walks to the bar after Kayassa. She takes off her hood and stares at her cup of drink. Daphina is clearly very disturbed by the mysterious drink. She quietly pushes the drink away from her and starts to look around the room.

As Kayassa lifts her glass, Duncan holds his up as well, as a sort of cheers, and says “I’m glad to have found you all just arriving in town here! And this work is quite fitting. I do hope we can find Gundren soon.” He takes a big swig of it. It’s pretty shit beer, but he’s thirsty after walking, and it still hits the spot. He then sits back in his seat, relaxing a bit, while he watches his new companions see if they can find anything of interest.

(Does Duncan say that loud enough to be heard by the barkeep?)

Orro watches the reactions of the two patrons and the dwarven barkeep. He gives his mug a sniff to ascertain its contents.

He slowly, seemingly aimlessly, wanders around the room, rolling two small lodestones in a circle in his palm. He absentmindedly touches a cracked table here, a sundered chair back there, even a ripped napkin, slowly mending them back to whole. It's an old habit of his, he barely realizes he's doing it.

If there is no reaction from the barkeep, he will consider saying a few words to her in their common language to try to ask about Gundren.

Indeed, the ale is horrid. It is incredibly bitter and burns the throat as you drink it. Even though one might not be surprised at the taste, it still causes you to cough and splutter.

Orro begins to walk around the small room mending the broken chairs and tables while the rest of the party sits at a newly fixed table. The barkeep does seem to notice you do this, watching you with no change in emotion. Then as you look at her, she quickly turns to begin cleaning a glass as if she was doing it the whole time, a small smile on her lips. 

It is as this time, maybe two or three minutes after you have sat down, that heavy footsteps can be heard walking up to the tap house. You hear muffled voices before the door is thrown open. Four burly ruffians barge into the Sleeping Giant, stains of food and beer cover their dirty clothes including a grimy red cloak.

”Grista! Drinks, you old bat!” One yells. The barkeep gives him a sullen nod before beginning to fill mugs of ale as the rest of the ruffians laugh and slap the other on the back. You can’t entirely tell if these are the same drunkards from last night, but they do wear similar garb. 

What would you like to do?

Seeing the group seem to, at least somewhat, recognize the thugs as they come in, Duncan leans forward on the table, this time keeping his voice down a bit and asks the group “Do you know them?”

“Last night we saw some of their type outside, but it might not be them.” Daphina returns in a whisper. She shifts in her seat, preparing for the worst. 

"Those guys are funny is all I know. Oh and if you don't want that then...." Kayassa reaches over and takes Daphina's drink for herself, downing it once she finished her own.

As the party look at this bombastic entry, the two other patrons would raise their heads and look up. One defeatedly slumps back over while the other leaves his glass and quickly tries to move past the ruffians. The patrons hurriedly makes his way to the door, but one of the thugs stops him. “Hold on now fella. Can’t leave with out givin’ your pals the Redbrands a present.” The thug gives the man a small shove who reaches into his pocket and pulls out a single gold piece. He looks hopefully toward the ruffians but gets a shake of the head in response. 

“C’mon, you know damn well that ain’t enough. What else you got?” Asks the thug as his friends look on with chuckles. 

The man shakes his head with a gulp. “That’s it. Promise.”

Tensions seem to be beginning to rise. Both the second patron and barkeep look on helplessly as the thugs advance on the man.

What would you like to do?

Vulmar bristles.  He has tempered his imperious fury for too long.  His fingers glide over the platinum sphere in one hand as the other waves over his face.  A few more words and he has cast Mage Armor

"See friends," he shouts to his party, more for the Redbrand's benefit than for theirs.  "I was told this town was home to the ugliest, stupidest curs your lands had to offer.  I see I was not misled."

Duncan stands up as the Redbrand’s clearly heard his companion, and moves in between the group and thugs as they walk over. With his glaive in his right hand, he gently, but firmly puts his left hand in the leading thug’s chest, holding him back, and says “My friend may be loud, but he’s probably not wrong. It looks to me that gentleman is just trying to go home. And he’s already given you what he owes you it seems. How about you let the fella go and have a seat eh?” ((intimidation 23))

Orro touches his chest, and the scales of his armor seem to interlock together, very subtly. (Blessings of the Forge, causing his armor to gain +1 AC.)

He steps forward just a bit, gives an apologetic smile to Grista, and says, "why does he owe you a present? Do we all owe you a present? Do you want a present from everyone?" Orro loosens his warhammer and shifts it to his shield hand. Radiant light doesn't begin to crackle down his other forearm, but it looks as though perhaps it wants to.

The thug harassing the man gives a laugh and snort. “Get lost ye’ pigs. You can have your turn next.” He then gives Duncan a half hearted push before turning back to the patron. “Stupid kid. Parlor tricks like that don’t scare me at all. Gonna knock him silly after this. Now, don’t make this come to blows, what else ya’ got?” 

At this display of confidence, the other ruffians who may have shown apprehension now have regained their attitude, no longer scared of you.

Grista watches this confrontation warily. “If we don’t give em stuff, they kill ye’. People have just learned to accept their fates y’know. I just wish they’d take their fights outside. Takes a toll on my tavern.” She says. 

What would you like to do?

Daphina gets up and walks over to the thugs. She pulls out her shortswords and stares up at the thugs. “Would you mind giving back that money? I’d love to buy myself another drink.” Daphina smirks up at them. 

Duncan attempts to grapple ((athletics 24)) the one who shoved him back, in an attempt to drag him outside, saying “Let’s at least take this outside friend. Don’t want to dirty the bar any more than it already is.”