"Maybe I can hang out in the bars looking for other bards, and see if they've been hearing any gossip," Lyrika offers. "Other than that, I have no idea where to start investigating."

“ well you are probably right Ara, you usually are! Without you I’d probably would be in jail now.” He say with a smile and put an arm around him. “But we should have a name if anyone ask who we are.” 

At Lyrika suggestion Edgar perk up. “That sounds like a lovely idea. But I don’t thing there are many bars opened at this hour though..” 

At Edgar's suggestion Lyrika looks around through the early afternoon light and spots no less than 5 open bars.

“we’ll forget what I said kitty cat, lead the way!” 

Aramae follows Lyrika while she looks around for places to perform.

"Even if we do not find any new information, I will welcome another opportunity to watch your talents."

The thought of spending a day in the taverns waiting for the right person to happen past seemed like a waste to Fenro. He felt a need for action, and he still felt a little discomfort simply being in the city. Still, if this was going to lead somewhere it would e worth it. "I am not too familiar with the intricacies of cities such as this. Do you think that whoever organised the attack is still here looking for another opportunity? Or are they more likely to have left to regroup? Also, how do we know which tavern to go to? There seemed to be some level of influence with the people involved, so I would be more inclined to go to some of the nicer bars, maybe where the officers meet, or close to the keep. I could change my appearance before entering so as not to stand out so much while I listened for stories."

"Well, I say again, if there is a captured culprit to gain information from, we should start there. If not, then I am unsure. I am not any more familiar with this city than you are, Fenro. We could ask around if anyone saw people with these bright blue armbands during the day before the attack. How we would go about doing that is up for discussion, if we chose to do that at all. My thought process is: those men we saw in the tent were merely sellswords without a moral compass, who were hired by someone with coin to burn, a reason to want the Aethling killed, and with enough influence to rouse a small army of hobgoblins to attack a fully developed city. Does anyone have any thoughts on how to obtain information on such a person?"

Anyone who would like, please make a perception check

Perception: 8 (Nope :P )

Perception : 22

Fenro, looking around the city something catches your eye. On the tall spire in the western side of the city you see a thin blue band painted on it, the same colour as the strips of cloth that Edgar showed you.

Perception: 17

"Here's what I think we should do. Until sundown, we try and get information on the bars. Then, we head to meet your shady contact by the third bridge, see what that's about. If we still haven't gathered enough to point definitively in any clear direction, we try to see whether Rollo and the guards kept any prisoners of the attack to potentially interrogate. If that's still a wash, we can try and find the remnants of the hobgoblin tribe. Even if they trekked for a while to get here, we are sure to find villagers on the way that can tell us if a full warband passed their farm within the last week or so. And once we find the young and the old ones left behind, we might find out who paid the ones that went of to die."

Oryxis shared Fenro's discomfort with the city, but wanted to make sure they went about this as efficiently as possible. As all their ideas had merit, it made sense to go about them in the timed manner that made the most sense.

"I agree with Oryxis's plan. With the little leads and information we currently have, I cannot see a more viable option."

"Sweet, let's go hang out in bars, then." Lyrika says. "Oh, and try to get information."  Lyrika makes a beeline for the nearest open tavern, and begins looking for bards to talk shop with, and try to get useful gossip out of.

(Perception for the earlier offer: 19  Investigation if necessary to find bards or other people who might know something useful 23  Persuasion if a roll is necessary to get info out of them 21.)

You find one very grumpy bard sitting in the back corner of a nearby tavern. "Stupid people, having to go and ruin a great set of performances. I was enjoying my time on the streets. Made better cash than I have in months. As fer anything suspicious? I don't know. Saw a couple of guys in brown robes hanging out around the tent area while it was being set up. Had some sort of blue armband on it think, wasn't paying too much attention." 

As they wander around the city toward the bars, Fenro notices an unusual painted stripe on one of the distant buildings. "Do any of you know what is in that part of the city?" He says, pointing out the spire to the west to the rest of the group? "If we have a few hours before meeting at the bridge, it might be worth checking out.

"I am afraid I do not. I wish I had."

Aramae walks up to Lyrika as the unhappy bard finishes speaking.

"Blue armbands, you say? Have you seen anyone wearing such things before yesterday? Or heard of such a thing from various gossip?"

He looks at you like you have two heads. "Gossip? It's not gossip really. It's that crazy new church, Above the World or something like that." 

"Ah, that new religion trying to force it's way into the pantheon. 'God Above All's, or some such. I honestly never paid it much mind either, as my faith is placed elsewhere."

Aramae casts Message to Lyrika.

'We have our suspect, it seems. Blue armbands, blue streak across this tower. Far too coincidental.'

Aramae bids the unhappy bard a good day and rejoins Fenro, Edgar and Oryxis, repeating what he just learned to them.

"I am happy to go and talk to them if needed,” Fenro mentioned in response to the information about the church above all. “My own quest had brought me here seeking information from the temples after all. It will give me a reason to visit and initiate conversations.”