Shortly after your client leaves, the five of you decide on a course of action.
Hildar
Hildar remains in the headquarters to check over the ledger. The document is rather dry, so Hildar has to struggle to interpret the strange phrasings.
OOC:
Let's say it's an Average (PP) Knowledge (Lore) check to decipher the merchant bookkeeping notation, with a boost since you have some context from the client. You can also try a Easy (P) Negotiation check if you'd prefer, still a boost with that roll.
Meanwhile, Nera follows Rathin Vintoloness to see what she is up to in Nornholt, under the pretense that the client forgot to turn over the baronial writ she promised. The lady walks at a brisk clip, and Nera has to work fast to stay unseen as she follows.
OOC:
Nera should make a Stealth check versus RR+black (for her speed). Add a boost since it's a fairly busy time of day.
Nekurr plans to consult with the clerics of Saint Durvin's Cathedral, both to check in on your former quarry, Vizeron Dribbage, and to ask whether they have had any outreach in Buzzards' Ford. When he arrives at the cathedral, he finds several monks going about their daily business and a priest preparing to lead a small ceremony for a few faithful, lined in pews.
Bruv[ +- ] Royal Library of Cailn: Interior
Bruv travels to the library in the Upper City to see what information may be available there. The library has a few other patrons at the moment, a wizened old Human male, and what appears to be a Gnome nanny with two children in tow. The librarian is a doughty-looking Elven woman.
OOC:
Here, Bruv can try to do the research himself, or he can ask the librarian for help. I'm trying out a new system for libraries and archives that treats information as if it has a Rarity (like goods), with the information repository modifying the Rarity based on its specialty. In this case, information about Buzzards' Ford is extremely rare (Rarity 10: Formidable Knowledge (Geography) check). But this library modifies that: Nornholt is an information hub for the baron (-1), a metropolitan area (-1), and it specializes in Cailn Barony information (-2). Rarity 10 becomes Rarity 6, or a Hard (PPP) check, with a boost since you have some context from the client. Bruv can make this himself, or he can try to use a social check on the librarian to let her dig up the information for you. The difficulty will depend on your approach (Charm, Coercion, Leadership, etc.).
Finally, Tronus tries to find a merchant who may have some knowledge of the area near the Blackwing Swamp. He considers a couple of ways to go about this: First, he could follow Nekurr up to the Upper City and consult the people in the Trade Guild Office. This approach is more straightforward, but many of the guild masters there have been fairly established in Nornholt for decades, meaning they don't travel much. Alternatively, he could canvas the marketplaces to see if he can find a merchant familiar with the area. It's a bit less sure, but he's more likely to find someone who travels the area between Nornholt and Tamalir (and by the swamp).
OOC:
Heading to the Trade Guild Office will let you use a social check like Charm or so on to chat up the folks there, but let's say that basically you get to use your social check to get them to roll their Knowledge (Geography) skill. Maybe your number of Successes determines how many ranks they have? Canvasing the merchants is a Negotiation check for some fairly rare information: Daunting (PPPP) with a boost for being in the same barony.
