Ben let's the man think sipping his tea and scratching Bimz.

He'll let Kay handle the "sniffing" discussion but will offer to let Eliander know Aubreck is going away for a while.

He'll take the key from Vertheg and say quietly to the big man,

"Send our regards to your contacts. It is always good to have a man like you nearby, Aubreck is very fortunate."

((Plan looks good, we can maybe split up for the skin, gem identification and finding transport since we want to get back same day?))

"Well... when you're my height, if someone starts producing a stink, you're usually one of the first to know about it!"

Korrik waves a hand in front of his nose in an exaggerated motion as the sound of someone passing wind reverberates through the room. 

"We may have a lead on some opportunities. We can discuss it further when you return!"

((@Spider, all the suggestions look good!))

Ben, Vertheg responds, something he rarely does. "Regards will send, yes. Thank you, yes." he grunts and then says "Interesting pet you have. Where did you get it?"

Bimz uncomfortably flaps his wings when Vertheg says "it". 

Vertheg asks "I pet it?"

Bimz would reluctantly allow a gentle stroking.

Korrik, Aubreck chuckles and responds "Well shite, you got such keen senses I imagine this place doesn't smell the greatest given I haven't left in a few days! Like I said as the days went by after Vertheg and I handled the weapon order, I thought for sure you were all done for."

He gets more serious "Anyhow, yes. We shall discuss these scents in more detail once I return. Seems I might be sticking around after all."

"Will have to get the place cleaned when I get back, too. By a proper maid no doubt!" and he smiles at Korrik. 

Damn. Can't do anymore right now - I will continue the game this morning!

Ben raises a brow at Vertheg's gregariousness but says,

"This is Bimz. Bimz and I met recently in the marshes and became fast friends. Can you say hello to Vertheg?"

Then,

"It is up to Bimz himself whether or not he would like that."

He will send calming thoughts to Bimz during this unexpected, but unaggressive petting.

Ben, Bimz reluctantly lets the half orc stroke him. He doesn't hate it.

Vertheg responds "Marshes? Huh. I should go there soon to get one too!" and he sends a toothy smile Ben's way. 

Aubreck was talking to Korrik during this and didn't really hear.

Prisoners returned + 16  /  08:30AM  /   Snapping Line Inn

It is a very busy morning and the inn staff are running around serving the breakfast specials for the overnight stays as well as all of the walk ins from the busy street on this fine day in Marshswamp.

"Ben!" Hanna says cheerfully as the party heads into the inn. "Seems like forever since I've seen all of you! I wish I could catch up, but as you can see the place is slammed as usual. You should all come back tonight, I've got a great performer booked!" 

She leaves kind of abruptly?

Ben please roll an insight check. 

You all get a great breakfast! There is a new server today and they don't know about your arrangement with the means at the inn. They ask you for 1sp for the breakfast since you didn't stay the night before.

Ess flips the server a gold coin instead. "Thank you, my bro!" and he makes an awkward gang sign at the server. (1gp removed. lol)

Prisoners returned + 16  /  09:30AM  /   Council Hall

-> More to come later this morning! (I hope!)

Ash is very happy with the plans. She can sort out the rocks when it gets to that.

She’d also suggest to the group, privately “You know, we could always hire a couple of cleaners for a day or two while he’s away if we really want him to stay. Might be a nice treat for when he gets back?”. She’s not stuck in the idea but it couldn’t be that expensive. Ash would be happy to supervise on one of their downtime days (if there are any).

And she’d take the time to THOROUGHLY check over the whole place for anything and everything. Not saying she’ll take anything, but just wants to see if there are any surprises or anything incriminating or embarrassing.

Aside from that she’s happy to go along with the plans as laid out.

((She would want something magical for the swimming battle to come, eventually, and to maybe find other magical things, but I think that’s further down the plan)).

Investigation check (w/adv.): 24 

((Maybe Ben could do a detect magic sweep??))

Ben smiles at Vertheg,

"I wouldn't recommend you go alone!"

---

Ben smiles at her and is about say it also has been too long but she is gone before he can.

Insight: 10

He strokes his goatee thoughtfully and gives himself an extra prestidigating in case the smell of vomit has soaked into his...well everything.

Ben watches Ess give the server a coin then apparently have an uncontrollable hand cramp.

"Are you dehydrated Ess? You seem to be having spasms. I believe I heard that was a symptom?"

---

To Ess about cleaning the house,

"Well if he doesn't come back to stay we could always take it over for him, and it definitely needs a cleaning. We can make inquiries at the inn."

Ben inquires at the inn, probably the server, about one would ask for something like that.

((Ben would on board for checking the house from top to bottom while Aubreck is gone.))

Ash, Ess responds about finding and hiring a cleaning service for Aubreck's mansion "damn my bae, that's a great idea!"

Ash, you manage to have a real good look around the entire mansion as you prepare the weapons and armor for loading. First, you would've confirmed that all of the order was fulfilled, and it definitely was. The goods are even laid out nicely (must've been Vertheg, lol).

The mansion itself is old and dirty, but not without promise. It seems the place was kept up quite well as it has many improvements and little additions to it that seem to be quite recent, but you assume over the past few months or so the place has just not been kept. It really confirmed again how down and out Aubreck was and the place was only in the state that it is in because of Vertheg's cleaning, likely. You notice that it's pretty empty for a mansion, basically the opposite of a Gellan mansion let's say. 

Regarding specifics, you don't find anything out of the ordinary, and there is not a lot of valuables in here at all. He wasn't lying about the mansion being basically the only thing he has (had!) left.

However, if you might be looking to potentially loot something, let me know and then we can get into specifics about what might potentially be available for the taking because you did notice some items of small value.

Remember, Ess and Ben are with you, and probably Korrik too. 

Ben's detect magic sweep would come up blank.

Ben, Hanna definitely wasn't herself. Seemed like she was avoiding you maybe? Or just super busy? But that's still not like her to leave like that. Hmmm.

Ben, Ess responds "sup bro? No no my homie, that's our sign. Here, lemme show you again!"

"Hey, I'm also thinking of getting a gold tooth, what do you think bro?"

Ben, the server would tell you about a cleaning service in town that they know about. They have a small office across the way. If you inquire about the cleaning, for a mansion that size it'd be 2gp. They won't lower their price (they're cleaners.)

Ok I will continue this in a new post because I have to leave for right now, and I wanted to get this funny stuff out for you now!

To be continued. (although feel free to respond again in the meantime)

Korrik attempts to match Ess's hand sign. 

SoH: 7

"Sure bro, that's easy enough to do."

Korrik nails it.

Ess says "Yeah my OG bro. You got it!"

"What was that, a B? And I think that was a K... Aww man, homey, you make up a gang sign with our initials?! The BEAK Crew? I love it bro!", Korrik says with a grin.

"Hear that Ben? We're the BEAK Crew, and you got first billing!"

He watches Ben's reaction carefully, grinning in expectation.

When the cleaners come, Ash pays them 2x gp (on the books) for the job and a further 10gp to share privately between whoever's physically there on the job, (a tip for the actual workers) and asks them to do the best job they can ((12gp debited from her own stash)).

She’s not looking for items of value (for once). She doesn’t need to loot the place. Her investigation is just to make 100% sure (as far as you can from someone’s house left in a hurry) that Aubreck is what he seems. If he’s clean he’s clean. No other agenda. As long as she doesn’t find bones in the cupboard or a summoning circle under a rug, etc.

She will be more interested in paperwork and correspondence than silver and gold. ((Grwobert doesn’t need to sit and paw over it, if she doesn’t find anything interesting or incriminating, but just so you know, she’s not after gold value at all it’s more intel gathering but only if there is something that says he’s not normal or on the level (with them).)).

((What?!?? 2 whole gold? We'll just do it ourselves at that price!))

---

Hanna's behavior is odd but Ben's got bigger fish. It does rankle that she said she had another act playing though. He'll hum his way through breakfast to cast a quick detect magic and give her and everyone else a quick perusal.

---

"Are you absolutely certain you aren't dehydrated... Bro? You seem to be slurring your words. More than usual."

Ben listens to Ess explain how he meant to make his hands have uncontrollable seizures then watches as Kay, inexplicably, does the same thing.

He looks between the two, and over to Ash before turning and putting on the best "it's show time face" he can muster.

Performance: 16

He takes a big drink of his breakfast tea and says with as much conviction as he can muster,

"That's really great. Homies."

((Ha! The dice knew! He'd probably still have eagle's splendor now that I think about it but I like this better.

Let's test anyhow, 26))

((Yes! Hahahaha))

Ash tries to mimic the gang sign too:

sleight of hand check: 20 

“What? It’s simple…”, she says to Ben. A solid nod to Ess.

((LOL, priceless!! Likely won't be able to post again until tomorrow))

Ben looks around furtively then closes him eyes and tries to replicate whatever that mess was.

Sleight of hand:9

((Giving him disadvantage...))

Wait what was the performance for?