Ted ushers everybody along, directing them towards the dark alleyway. “Yes,Yes all looks fine. Now come along, I’m getting rather thirsty.” Ted takes one last glance over toward the mending shop and sighs. Garron had spent quite a while in there, but going back to pick him up would inevitably result in someone else wandering off. ’At least the cake lady knows where we’re going’ He mutters to himself, thinking of both Erika and Garron as. He remembers how easily the group was drawn towards the cake stand.

From the outside, it looks nasty, cheerless, and ugly. Large and small stones and wooden planks make up most of the building's outer structure. It's impossible to see through the dirty and darkened windows, but the dire mood from within can be felt outside. As each of you enters the tavern through the huge, scarred wooden door, the party welcomed by watching eyes and the sound of murmurs as if each table has stopped their conversation to question your presence! The bartender is pouring a drink for a customer and makes no effort to acknowledge your presence. It's as dull inside as it is on the outside. Wooden pillars support the upper floor and rusted metal chandeliers with small, molten candles set alight giving off a dim glow. The walls are decorated with hunt trophies, though it looks like it hasn't been maintained or cleaned for years! The tavern itself is sparsely occupied but it's very distinctly 'frequented' you're sure by the characters dressed in all black, each one looks brooding if they show their faces at all! Most seem to be shrouded in a black hood! The patrons inside could be anybody really, but whoever they are, they all stare at the party giving each of you the distinct impression they think it's probably time you all leave! The party has not heard the rumors about this tavern, but it looks infamous for something as the fried cake seller pointed out to Ted which he did not share. Though judging by everything you've seen so far, you don't really care and you probably don't want to know what makes Duncan's the seedier bar in Timbergrove! One table remains free as the other six are occupied by groups of three or one hard looking character. There are elbow spaces at the bar but not enough for the party to stand together. It seems there's a baker's dozen spread through the cramped tavern. The table on offer is just too small for a party of six but the party could tuck in and sit together there if they take two chairs from another table. This empty table is near the kitchen door that keeps continuously being opened and closed by two halfling women who seem to run off their feet by the nearly silent patrons while the bartender continues to ignore the party.

"Sit there dears or shove in at the bar," the brown-haired halfling woman that looks jolly in comparison with everyone else offers. "I'll serve you in time but my man there won't give you the time of day I warn you now if you choose the bar," she adds gesturing towards the sour-faced human man that's rail-thin with a weasely looking face and a thin mustache.

"What are they," the fair-haired halfling woman asks the other woman. She looked decidedly younger with a soot smudge on her nose and a curious expression as she lugs a bucket of dirty tankards towards the kitchen to be washed...you hope.

<future times>

Erika can see the man is alone. Her disguise convinces her countrymen of her foreignness and he smiles at her.

“You would love my homeland if you like the song my lady,” he replies his speaking voice very near her own native accent.

The man stands outside of Duncan’s bar where the fried cake seller said Trixi and the others entered just moments before. The bard from her homeland makes her melancholy for home but it might be wise, by the looks of Duncan's, to hurry after her friends!

Erika, seeing the seediness of the bar itself, decides to prioritize despite wanting to hear more of home. "Perhaps we can speak of your homeland after, if you are still singing here. Uhm," she pauses, "is this place quite as dire as it looks? I was told my friends might be here."

"It's not a place I would venture my lady and I've been nearly all over this great land," the bard replies giving Erika a wary look as he glances at Duncan's down the alley in the bright flicker of many street lamps around the square she stands in looking down the alley where Duncan's is located. "I advise to keep a tight grip in your purse but I will be here in the square until the watch starts which tends to move us mere players on to keep the peace of the evening," he adds gesturing around at the street now lulling into mid-evening as people move less and less around Erika even notices some of the kiosks and carts are closing up along with several shops. 

OOC: Y'all got to town around 7 pm. It's now nearly 9:30 pm. Keep that in mind there's a mountain journey ahead tomorrow!

Ted tries to hide the disappointment in his face as he enters Duncans. “Um..... certainly! Friends, please take a seat, I’ll grab myself a chair.” He gestures toward the table before approaching one of the tables with a lone drinker. ”Excuse me sir, we wouldn’t be able to take one of these chairs per chance?” He keeps his eyes friendly whilst attempting to keep a stern, tough mouth. The fine balance between appearing friendly yet dangerous is an art that Ted has practised thoroughly with his pocket mirror.

The place did not look all that festive but Trixi did not complain, just looked around with curiosity, silently for a change.

"We'll just grab one drink, and see if we can leave after." Molle mumbles under her breath towards the rest. Molle makes sure her sword is clearly displayed as she walks towards the free table. She tries to put on a more hardened expression, a slight grimace and hard look around. A look she pulled off in the past, but hadn't used in some time. Mostly just to try and deter any of the other patrons from any unwanted advances.

((Willing to roll if you want me to))

Looking Ted dead in the face the man says nothing but doesn't seem to move to stop him either.

Molle give me a intimidation if you'd like with your perfection of RBF.

Once the party settles down at the table Erika enters the tavern getting the same reaction from the patrons as the party but in disguise the party has ZERO clue she's actually Erika...

Intimidation: 20

Molle throws a glance towards not-Erika as she enters, mostly taking note of her, before turning back to the rest of the group.

Ted tentatively takes the chair, and pulls it up to the table, sitting on it backwards as he slaps his thighs. “First drinks on me gang! Anything you want, I’ll get it for you, skies the limit!”

The looks on everyones faces says it all to Ted, but he tries to keep morale up with a wide grin. “It’s a bit early, these places may look rustic, but they really get lively later at night.” Hearing the door, he turns his head to see a blonde half elf walk in to the tavern. “See, the revellers are rolling in!” He rubs his hands together in anticipation.

Elfrika hurries over to the table with her friends, placing her hands on the table top and leaning forward to address them all. "Well, aren't y'all a sight for sore eyes. I had heard that this is where the party was, but was quite surprised to see you looking like a bunch of sheep penned by wolves."

Shifting down and whispering with her normal accent, "This is not the kind of revelry I expected. More staring knives then tipping jugs of wine. Unless you intend a brawl? "

Ted jumps as the Elf talks with Erikas voice, “My my, your make up skills are amazing, You’ve completely transformed yourself! I’m not easy to impress, but you’ve got me with that disguise, you’ll have to teach me.”

Looking around the table, Ted shrugs “Hey, I tried.... look, I’m sorry. We’ve just been stuck in that institute so long, I thought it would be good to let our hair down, and get to know how you feel all feel about the whole thing, without anyone listening in on us. To be honest, I’ve never left the city, and I know how it works there - this..... this is a little out of my comfort zone.”

Once again Erika's powers of illusion mesmerized Trixi for the whole minute of silence but then she laughed "By the Great Squid this is amazing! Ok, I need to learn that trick too, seems like a handy one." She drummed her fingers on the table, clapped once and exclaimed: "Well, let's go with the party. No worries, Ted, we understand more than you think. A tleast I think we do. If this is the wrong place - let's go check another one. Was not that the point? To see them all here? And if this si the only one - why not get what we need and go outside - an night under the stars in a good company - nothing can be better!" (And added a whisper to Areon "we can navigate them closer to the Inn, to save the distance.")

"Alright," the brown-haired halfling woman announces to the party finally coming over. "Pints all around eh? I can't recommend anything else. I also recommend you drink your pints quickly and leave," she adds under the breath but still smiling at everyone. "This...isn't the place for you lot I can tell by how you look and smell," she explained further still as jolly as ever!

"Now...now they can stay Lizzie! Don't rush them off just yet! What do we have here then? An adventuring party if I ever saw one," a male gray-skinned dwarf, wearing in black matte half-plate with a gnarly looking greataxe on his back, asks coming up behind the halfling woman drinking from a tankard. He gulps down the liquid and it dibbles down out of his mouth from his scarred face into his ornately decorated white bread. Just the sound of his raspy voice, as he grins at the party with pointed teeth, seems to make the jovial brunette he'd called Lizzie visibly cringe but she remains standing by the party's table. "Came in all this way for a drink eh? Passed all the other fine places in town for this one? What's a city sort like you doing in Duncan's then eh? I bet my friend's eye just there," he points to a hooded figure who removes his hood to reveal a gaunt elven man with blue-toned skin, a moon elf, and black beady eyes that dart around the party as if sizing each of you up before looking at his dwarven companion. This elven man is wearing similar in color matte black armor but in studded leathers and carries a positivity deadly-looking short bow made of some sort of antler while six throwing daggers across his chest on a belt their hilt glinting white bone! "I say they've come for treasure over the mountains...and they even have some treasure already on them am I right lads," he says but it's not a question. "Newcomers to Duncan's pay a toll to drink here with us," he starts again. "Lizzie here would have forgotten it. She's new but we haven't. Have we lads," he adds in a bellow of manic laughter as others follow suit.

You can see in his face he is certain without so much as a hint of jest that you all have coin and treasure on you. The dwarf had eyed the party since you entered from a perch near the bar but moved in on your party when yet another person showed up. Now standing in front of you he's made his intentions clear, pay the toll or face the consequences. A murmur of curiosity filters over the tavern as other chairs begin to scrape across the dirty floor as patrons from nearly every table find their feet and begin to move towards the party to flank the dwarf and elven man. So far it's only five who approach the table but the whole tavern is looking at the party still with interest as to how this will play out. There are seven visible patrons however that seem to be just looking on unmoved from their seats or places of rest. The bartender now leers in the party's direction finally acknowledging your presence!

Ted was was going to interject with a “Well actually.....” as the dwarf approaches.

Ted gulps as the figure towers behind him, before turning with an amiable smile. “Yes, indeed, we did skip over the other places. Seemed a bit of a travellers vibe in there and we wanted to meet the fine people of Timbergrove, such as yourselves. You know how it is, you have to support small local businesses or the big fancy places take over” He stands up offering a handshake, “Duncan I presume? We’re more than happy to pay your toll, and a round of drinks for all of your friends too! Unfortunately though, we are not in the treasure hunting business , so we have fairly little to spare. All of our armour and weapons are merely cheap replicas for you see..... the truth is we do have a treasure, and one we are more than happy to share with you.... the treasure.... of ENTERTAINMENT!” Ted strikes a dramatic pose, keeping firm eye contact with the dwarf and perhaps for the first time..... praying to the changebringer that his allies are playing along.

OOC: Well that was A LOT. So, we've got deception and performance? Yeah, those. Anyone else who would like to chime into THAT might give Ted aid but it better be GOOD or you'll give him a disadvantage.

Roll: Deception and performance. 

Erika speaks, returning to the unassuming voice of the short half-elf she'd adopted. "Why, yes! You lads seem to be desperate for entertainment, but I'll wager you aren't the singing type. You seem people of action!"

"What say you to a wrestling match, dwarf? I'll bet you ten gold I can pin you, best two out of three. No blades, no armor. Just the two of us. I'm sure your bartender could run a betting ring real quickly. Everyone wins! And once we've provided entertainment, we all have a pleasant night and go on our way." She gives a small smile.