A Crossing of Paths

[Tell]

Lesh emits a low clicking sound of agreement, "ka, ka, ka...."

[hedgeknight]

Traveling back toward the neighborhood of Heapside, the foursome draw a lot of stares and more than a few comments...even if the words are whispered or murmured where the companions can't really hear them. The Blushing Mermaid is rowdy and raucous as they pass by. "The most famous tavern in the city!" Scalm the Tiefling proclaims. "We outta stop for a drink on the way back."
Another block closer to the wall surrounding the Upper City, the companions spy the Naked Nymph. The bathhouse is a one-story stuccoed building with stained-glass windows and clay roof tiles. Ten-foot-tall walls enclose a large courtyard outside the southeast corner of the building. The closed wooden doors to the courtyard are engraved with images of smiling nymphs dancing and frolicking in water.
A man walks ahead of you and easily pushes the wooden doors open and enters the courtyard beyond.

Following the man, you enter the L-shaped courtyard which features a trimmed lawn and nicely manicured shrubbery. The yard is decorated with white marble benches and stone fountains, each in the form of a smiling nymph tipping a jug that spills water into a circular stone basin.
The man enters the bathhouse, simply pushing open the double red doors, and disappears inside. No one else can be seen in the courtyard.
(You are at the red circle on the map. Please pretend you do not know the inside layout. )

Naked Nymph Bath House.png (1.87 MiB) Viewed 741 times

[Belkregos]

as he walks towards the double doors tommy takes a quick measure of the security of the place and says in a low voice to his companions
ok, just follow my lead, lets get as much intel as possible
he thinks for a few seconds and continues
we're exterminators come to take care of their vermin problem and trying to be discrete with the customers
just follow my lead, we'll be in and out no problem
he looks to his companions for agreement or if there is any other idea
if you want to try another tact just break off and play it off as a customer,
then looks to Scalm
we have a good shot at selling that repellant, you'll see

takes a deep breath and walks confidently pushing the double doors to enter the bathhouse, he looks for anyone who seems to work or run the place and walks directly towards them trying not to pay much attention to any distractions

[Spearmint]

Ambergris

"Well, we can stay in touch." he says inferring he can communicate via his telepathic 'awakened mind' gift.

So he walks in, goes to the reception and checks the facilities.

[Tell]

Lesh hangs back and to the side searching for the best view possible.....

Perception: [1d20+5]=19+5=24

[hedgeknight]

Walking through the double red doors, the companions enter a twenty-foot-high pillared chamber whose walls are adorned with frescoes of bathing royalty. Natural light streams through stained-glass windows, creating colorful patterns on the tiles of polished blue marble that cover the floor. Three shallow, sunken pools contain scintillating perfume-scented water. White marble benches bearing stacks of dry towels are situated near the pools, each of which comes equipped with a pair of brass faucets.
The man who entered before you is about to step into the farthest pool to your right; of course, he is stark naked.
The pool on your left is empty. The center pool near the back wall has a woman and a man huddled along one side of the pool nearest the faucets. They are sipping wine and whispering quietly; occasionally, the woman giggles and playfully splashes the man.

There are doors along the walls closest to the ends of the center pool. No one else is in the chamber.

[Belkregos]

Tommy nods to the group then to Scalm towards one the door closes to the empty pool, then starts to walks towards it staying close to the wall trying not to disturb the patrons, one there he looks inside looking for an attendant

[hedgeknight]

Which door? Left or right?

[Spearmint]

Ambergris

Is there a reception and locker room or do you just strip and walk in a pool of choice?

[Belkregos]

left, i thought the empty pool is the left one, the point is he is trying not to disturb the patrons so he goes along that path

[Tell]

As the others move into the room quietly Lesh hesitates and takes a few staggering steps away from them. He barely makes to the door before unleashing a thunderous sneeze. Well no one is looking at anything but him now....

[Spearmint]

Ambergris

Hobbles in leaning on his scrimshaw spear, the whalebone carved pole has the sharp iron head sheathed in a glove of leather.

"A fine establishment. Just grand for my sea weary bones and scurvy ridden skin."

not sure of the protocol here. I asked regarding a reception and changing facilities but if it just 'sling your pack in a locker in the corner and jump he in will.

He wanders, a fine figure if a man he thinks, posing in any mirrors and gurning a face. He walks, still leaning in his 'staff' to the middle of the pools and puts it within reach in the floor. "Is the warm warm?" he asks the couple, scratching his buttocks with his hook and walks in sitting in the middle.

[hedgeknight]

Tommy nods to the group then to Scalm towards one the door closes to the empty pool, then starts to walks towards it staying close to the wall trying not to disturb the patrons, one there he looks inside looking for an attendant

This does not make sense to me.

Ambergris wanders, a fine figure if a man he thinks, posing in any mirrors and gurning a face. He walks, still leaning in his 'staff' to the middle of the pools and puts it within reach in the floor. "Is the warm warm?" he asks the couple, scratching his buttocks with his hook and walks in sitting in the middle.

The amorous couple stares at the aging captain as he disrobes and wades into the warm water.
"It is warm," the woman purrs. "But it is getting warmer where we are sitting. Care to join us?"
Her partner is a grizzled fellow with a beard and a few scars. She is a lovely young thing, barely out of her teens, and Ambergris cannot miss the dark circles under her eyes and the reddish glow around her nostrils and lips...telltale signs of addiction.

Lesh and Scalm wait near the double entry doors, where the lizard man sneezes violently and the tiefling looks around nervously at the pools of water. "What say you, Lizard Man? You need a bath? You have the smell of the grave about you." she asks.

[Belkregos]

Tommy nods to the group then to Scalm towards one the door closes to the empty pool, then starts to walks towards it staying close to the wall trying not to disturb the patrons, one there he looks inside looking for an attendant

This does not make sense to me.

he just goes to one of the doors and goes in, it doesn't really matter which door, was just trying not to disturb the patrons

[hedgeknight]

Tommy skirts the back pool on the right side, goes to the door and opens it.
Inside the room is a massage table draped in clean towels. Natural light, which has nearly faded, enters through a stained-glass window set into the south wall. Sweeping the floor is a man in a clean white tunic and wearing sandals. He looks up at the tabaxi standing in the doorway, opens his mouth, closes it, and then says, "We're about to close. Can I help you? My name is Jabaz."

[Spearmint]

Ambergris

Enters the pool. He sits but away from them, soaking in the water and let out an enormous flatulent bubble.

"Ah. Better out then in." He ducks his head under and shakes the water off like a dog drying his fur. "I do miss the cold briny and the ebb of waves. She is a tempestuous woman, the sea calls and bids many a man to sail their souls upon her murky waters."

He reminisces of life on the ocean wave. "You have a pretty mermaid there Sir. She will tempt you away with her song and sweet touch." he comments to the man and compliments the woman on her lustful beauty.

"Perhaps she will massage my shoulders. They do hurt so from from hauling in the tethers."

He farts another odious stream of bubbles again. "Just weighing anchor."

[Belkregos]

Tommy skirts the back pool on the right side, goes to the door and opens it.
Inside the room is a massage table draped in clean towels. Natural light, which has nearly faded, enters through a stained-glass window set into the south wall. Sweeping the floor is a man in a clean white tunic and wearing sandals. He looks up at the tabaxi standing in the doorway, opens his mouth, closes it, and then says, "We're about to close. Can I help you? My name is Jabaz."

tommy nods and says in lowered tones
yes, Jabaz, i didn't want to disturb or alarm the patrons, but i wanted to offer help with the recent uprise of vermin, several business around the area have had issues with rodents and reptiles creeping up from the sewers and such, i'm sure you probably haven't seen much activity but the populations tend to move around and more as a preventative measure i could give you a consultation free of charge before you see any signs, i understand a situation like that could have a very detrimental effect in this type of business and so as i said at the start i didn't want to disturb or alarm the patrosif you could quietly show me any basements and where the connections to the sewers are....
he looks for another door or any in the room and if there are none he starts to walk quietly to the other room nodding Jabaz to show him the way or follow
OOC: he is trying to explore the premises   

[Tell]

Lesh and Scalm wait near the double entry doors, where the lizard man sneezes violently and the tiefling looks around nervously at the pools of water. "What say you, Lizard Man? You need a bath? You have the smell of the grave about you." she asks.

Lesh watches as Tommy skirts the pools and enters a door while Ambergris joins a couple in one of the pools. Very much out of his element he turns to Scalm and motions her to lead the way....

[hedgeknight]

"I do miss the cold briny and the ebb of waves. She is a tempestuous woman, the sea calls and bids many a man to sail their souls upon her murky waters." Ambergris reminisces.
The woman glances over her shoulder at the aging captain. "Are you a poet, sir?"
She holds his gaze a moment longer, then turns back to her partner; her hands are 'busy' under the water.
Her companion lies back against the rim of the pool, mouth open, eyes closed, grunting slightly.

"You have a pretty mermaid there Sir. She will tempt you away with her song and sweet touch." Ambergris comments to the man and compliments the woman on her lustful beauty. "Perhaps she will massage my shoulders. They do hurt so from from hauling in the tethers."
The man groans a bit louder and then seems to collapse against the pool wall. The woman turns and dives under the water, coming up a few feet from Ambergris. Frowning at the gaseous smell in the air, she moves around behind Ambergris and begins kneading his shoulders. "Do you have any coin, captain?" she asks, wrapping her legs around his waist. She whispers in one of his hairy ears. "For a few silvers, I'll take you on a ride you won't forget."

In low tones, Tommy asks Jabaz about the recent reports of vermin "...rodents and reptiles creeping up from the sewers and such. I'm sure you probably haven't seen much activity but the populations tend to move around and more as a preventative measure I could give you a consultation free of charge before you see any signs, i understand a situation like that could have a very detrimental effect in this type of business and so as i said at the start i didn't want to disturb or alarm the patrons if you could quietly show me any basements and where the connections to the sewers are....[/dialog]
There is not another door in the room, but Jabaz glances to his left and then to his right before saying, "Mortlock keeps a tight grip on business here. Don't know of any, erm, rats or other crawlies around. Where did you get your information, sir Cat?

When Tell motions for Scalm to lead the way, she just shakes her head a bit and shrugs. "I don't know what to do in a place like this. Do I take off my clothes and jump in a pool, or just wander around? What exactly are we looking for?"

[Spearmint]

Ambergris

"Silvers for 'Long John'? I am sure you are worth gold not petty coins. Proper gems not a string of a pimp's pearl necklaces should decorate your neck.

You might hold a man tightly in your embrace but I perceive you are gripped more firm in a demon's vice. I know the fears and hunger of the cruel desire. I can help you be free if you would assist me.

We could both have 'happy endings' this night though I do not suggest what you think. For the briefest of pleasures it is cheaper to do it myself. I speak of breaking free from bondages. Both physical and emotional.

Speak with me."

He alludes to her obvious drug addiction and from her casual approach assumes that she is one of the Nymph escorts so might reasonably be able to share some intimate secrets, beyond just sexual pleasures.