A fresh start

[Breila]

(OOC: The next double new moon will take place in about two week's time)

Before the group can discuss further, there is a commotion in the common room, and when Gunter comes back, he is accompanied by a whole group of children, who look like they are between 5 and 10 years old. They're very excited.

"Gerry!" "Miss Petersson!" they clamour together, surrounding her. After a stern look from Geraldine shuts them down, the oldest one speaks up. "Miss Petersson, I believe Gina here has discovered something important, so we came here to find and tell you."
Gina, a girl who might be five or six, with blonde ponytails, nods forcefully and begins to tell her story.
"See, Gerry, we were playing hide and seek over at the Adams's. I wanted to hide in the old shed they have on the field over there. I opened the door, but the shed was not empty! There were strange-looking men in there. They had fur everywhere where there were no clothes, and faces like mean, mean dogs! Luckily they were asleep, so I closed the door quietly and ran away!"
The oldest boy nods. "Yes, and when I saw her running, I asked her what was up, and she told me. I didn't believe her at first, so I looked for myself. Then we came straight here to find you. The big warrior told us you were here."

All the children are surrounding Geraldine now, eager to hear what she has to say.

"Furry men, with faces like mean dogs?" She asks, incredulously. "Are you sure?"

[The_Muffin_Man]

Searos nods at Gunter as he ambles off to get the ale. Nothing like some day drinking to get started. He turns to Brax, "Well, Bright Eyes, when you go for dinner at his place, keep an eye out for any incriminating evidence. See if he's got any loose ledgers lying about or if he has one of these wolf-headed gold coins." Searos flips said coin to Brax. "I doubt anything would be placed out in the open but he might be careless given the fact that this town had no idea what was going on and was completely unprepared to deal with the problem. I still want to know what someone might smuggle through here. Those silks and other goodies we found were just the chaff to hide their illicit products." Searos gets a thought and slaps one of the coins on the table. "Hey sheriff, have you ever seen a coin like this one before?" He asks as he looks at Gerraldine. "whup..." As the children come in he palms the coin again. Children are basically just little thieves...

[Robbo]

Gunter sets the mugs down and sighs. To no-one in particular he says, "Never a dull moment, right? Think this is something we should check out?"

[JadedDM]

Amon gets to his feet, packing the almanac back into his bag. "Sounds like gnolls...like the ones working for the smugglers. Yes, I think we should definitely check this out, Master Gunter."

[The_Muffin_Man]

Searos grumbles, takes a sip of his mug and heads up to his room to put on his armor and belt his sword. "Yeah, lets go figure out whats going on here. And once the gnolls are taken care of we might want to have a talk with this 'Adams' family. Something creepy and kooky is happening over there."

[Jenara]

Brax simply nods in agreement to the assorted questions, and motions to Vee. "Coming my dear?" she asks with a smile.

[Robbo]

The mention of gnolls gets the ranger's blood pumping. Perhaps it was time to finish what he started. He drains his mug with one gulp and stands up.

"Give me a minute to get my armor on."

With that, he dashes up the steps to his room.

[Stik]

"Would that be gnolls with a 'G' or knolls with a 'K'? Because either type can be dangerous, after all." Martin says, pleasantly.
“Now, acoustics being what they are, I missed most of that, which is a shame, because I might have been of some assistance in the negotiations.
“It sounds to me like you good folk are risking your lives for the folk of this burgh and getting rooked out of twenty-five percent of the profits in the process. The council is getting you to risk your lives without giving you much of anything in return, and in exchange for this privilege you are giving them your money.
“What do you do for an encore? Give them your shoes?”

[Breila]

"Excuse me" Geraldine answers to the man in glaring patches. "Both I and my friend Thomas will be joining the party to help out. That makes us two in a party of ten - if you're joining -, so the group's share would be four fifths. Also, the town is supplying a boat and all necessary equipment, with the risk of losing it. So, three quarters instead of four fifth doesn't seem such a bad deal, or does it? And everybody is free to look for a citizen willing to accept a guest. I will be taking in Miss Vee here, for instance."

[The_Muffin_Man]

Searos mulls over Drake's words and decides there might be hope for this little relationship yet. "It occurs to me that if the dog men are working for the smugglers, we could probably figure out where they are if we stake out the shed and follow them to where ever they are going."

Searos finishes buckling on his armor and sword and looks around. "Thoughts?"

[Robbo]

"That sounds like a good plan to me. While we're here, that reminds me. That axe you found in the basement of the funhouse...do you have any need for it?"

While saying this, Gunter flexes his muscles, just for effect.

[Breila]

"So, who is coming?" Geraldine asks. "I know where the Adams's shed is, so you'll need me. No, you kids aren't coming" she tells the children who are clamouring to be taken along. "You were very lucky the dog men were asleep, they are quite dangerous." She looks around for volunteers among the adventurers.

[The_Muffin_Man]

Searos pauses for a moment, goes back up to his room, gets the axe and hands it over to Gunter. "My use for it is having you use it and keep me alive."

[LittleLuna]

"So, there are Gnolls wich can bring us to the smugglers. wWhy are we still here? Or is anybody here who don't want to teach them a lesson?"

[Robbo]

Gunter accepts the axe and looks it over approvingly.

Smiling, he looks up at Searos.

"Deal. Now let's do this."