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Milo is going to talk to the concierge, to try and find out some information about the possibility of leaving the inn through a quiet exit, with the idea of saying he has a message to deliver at the castle that can't wait. He'll ask for a guide, and whether the local guards will stop him moving in the streets.

Milo exits the common room looking for the concierge, and finding him shortly afterwards.

"How can I help you?" he asks politely.

Upon hearing Milo's request, he looks puzzled. "Is there some reason you wish to avoid the front entrance?" he enquires politely. "We do have a rear exit" he says, "though at this time of night it is all locked up and would be the longer route to getting your message through to the Master's Hall - I assume that is where you mean by the castle."

"I'm not sure you would need a guide - the Master's Hall is straight up the street."

At the suggestion that the town guards might stop him, the Concierge laughs politely. "Sundarbar does not operate a curfew. It is not illegal to walk the streets at night, though the Stone Shields do tend to ask questions of those who act in a suspicious manner. Who is it at the Master's Hall that you need to deliver a message to, if I may be so bold to ask."

Milo smiled at the questions, and pulls the concierge aside, so the others can't see him talking. "It is a delicate matter, you understand. I have been comissioned to deliver something to a member of the Castle's staff. I cannot give a name, or anything other than that. I am expected to await an answer from him, so may be gone for an hour or so. I didn't wish to have my friends worry about me, and from what you say, this is a safe city to be so well protected. As for using the front door, I will gladly save you the trouble of opening up any other. If I can slip out without the others seeing, that would be appreciated."

"An hour or so. No problem sir. Simply ring the bell and I'll open up again for you" he says with only a hint of resignation at having his night disturbed and no hint of curiosity over Milo's secretive and evasive manner.

"I might add that you may find it difficult to obtain entry to the Master's Hall at this time of night however" he adds.

"That's alright," replies Milo. "I'm sure they know I'm here, I left a message at the gatehouse. I'm sure he'll be waiting. If necessary I'll call upon the Stone Shields to help me."

"Um, would you like me to tell your companions anything if they ask where you are sir?" he inquires delicately.

"Just tell them I'm either in my room, or if they ask in about 15 minutes, just tell them I'm in the bathhouse the last you saw of me. I doubt they'll be much bother to you. They will discuss things for a while, and then go to bed. I should be back before that." With that Milo moves to the door, and exits quietly, slipping a gold piece into the Concierge's hand as he left.

"Certainly sir. Goodnight sir." The Concierge palms the gold piece without looking at it and slips it into a pocket. "Thank you sir. See you soon sir."

He unlocks the front door again and opens it, allowing Milo to step out into the porch. As the door closes and Milo hears the sounds of it being barred and bolted again behind him, he looks around the pitch black porch at the grey street beyond. The sky has become overcast and it is now almost completely dark, though he can see enough to make out the streets and the silhouettes of the buildings against the slightly less dark sky.

Milo walks down the street away from the castle. The city is quiet - the only life he spots as he treads quietly down the cobbles is a cat that streaks across the road ahead of him, disappearing into the shadows on the hunt for a mouse perhaps.

After a few minutes, he sees flickering light ahead. Reaching the corner, he sees that the building on his left is a large fortress like building - at least as large as Baldiver's if not larger. On the front doors are clearly marked two symbols, lit by a pair of torches in sconces either side and protected from the elements by a sizeable porch. The temple, for that is what Milo assumes it must be, is clearly dedicated to Torm and Tyr. It looks closed up for the night.

Ahead of him, is what looks like a large gatehouse and the city walls. A small glow of light reveals one of the city guards, a Stone Shield, puffing on a pipe in the deep shadows at the base of the wall. He appears to be watching him.

At that moment, a sound catches his attention, a loud slightly slurred voice, shouting something unintelligible some way away down a street to his left. Another voice responds angrily and then they both reduce in volume so Milo can barely hear them.

Milo moves towards the gatehouse, his hand slipping into his inner pocket for the old pipe hidden there. Pulling it out and using his finger to tamp down the finings, and then adds a little more herbal as he moves in on the guard. "would you have a light?" he says as he moves to stand beside the man. "Looks like someones having a raucous night. Could you recommend somewhere still open. I'm staying in the Trumpet with colleagues, but I fancy a change of faces."

The guard gets more alert as Milo steps closer, relaxing a little when it seems that the larger man wanted only a light. He reaches into a pocket and pulls out a slender piece of tinder, puffs on his pipe for a moment to light it, then passes it across to Milo. "You've walked a fair way from the Trumpet" he comments.

He puffs on his pipe for a moment, the glow illuminating his face briefly. There is another incoherent but jovial yell from off down the street to the south. He snorts briefly in response. "Unshimbles kicking out" he says, as if that explained anything. "If you're used to the Trumpet, you wouldn't want to go there" he adds. He nods in the opposite direction. "Naa, I'd recommend the Maiden at Midnight, though you'd best be quick - they'll probably be closing within the hour as well... It'll take you about 10 minutes or so if you walk quickly. Take Fish Street - up there on the right" he says, pointing, "then a left into Mattacock Lane, all the way up past the brewery and then right into Antar street. You can't miss it."

Milo puffs on the pipe a little, enjoying the flavours of his own little filling. With the light and the likely good place to get a simple drink and some information. He taps the pipe to his head and says, "Thanks for the light. And the tip. I'll try there. How would I get back to trumpet from there?"

He was tempted to try the Unshimbles, but knew he'd follow the directions a slightly quieter place. Setting off, and trying to remember how to find his way back to this gate and the temple. So far he'd learnt little, but at least he'd found something of use.

Milo leaves armed with the directions, along with some additional directions on how to return to the Trumpet which essentially were via the central Circle and the road toward the gate they had entered town by.

A short while later and he finds himself passing the brewery, and then peering at road signs to spot Antar street. As he rounds the final corner, he spots the light from a hooded lantern, casting a red glow onto a painted sign bearing the picture of a woman under a moon. The sign, along with the lantern above, protrude from an an otherwise grim looking building. All is quiet as he approaches, until the door opens and a figure steps out onto the street, at which point muffled music and laughter can be heard. The man that had exited, glances once at Milo, nods a gruff "'night" and moves off down the street in the opposite direction.

Milo makes his way through the door, following the sound of music down a set of stairs towards a pair of double doors. In an alcove at the bottom of the stairs before the door is a man perched on a tall stool, who looks up at him. "Not much time left, I'll not bother charging entry" he grins at the big man. "Go on in." He pushes one of the doors slightly, and Milo can feel the warmth and noise coming out.

Stepping through the doors, he finds himself in a large room with alcoves around the edges, formed from the supporting arches that rise up to the ceiling. He reckons from the depth of the stairs to being forty to fifty feet down. A band are playing music off on a small stage protruding from the right hand side, and at the far end of the room there is a bigger stage partially masked by curtains hanging down. In the middle of the room, various small tables have a fair number of patrons sat, mostly, but not entirely men, though he does spot one dwarf as well. There is no visible bar, but he can see several women walking around with trays.

One of them approaches him, asking him if he wants a drink and showing him to a table. Milo orders a beer - the local brew from the Orcs Blood Brewery is recommended - an ale he'd seen in taverns in Waterdeep, but had never had the courage or coin to purchase - as it was more expensive than most (although of course it had a long way to travel from Sundabar to Neverwinter, so that wasn't surprising!).

Milo enjoys the strong beer and listening to the music, as well as listening into conversations around him, eventually managing to get himself engaged in a discussion with some of the other patrons.

Talking to a group of young men who seemed to be celebrating some occasion (a birthday), Milo discovers that they are members of the Carpenter's guild, and were bitching about a recent regulation that had come down from Master's Hall meaning they would have to pay an additional tithe on their trade goods to the government to help cover the defence budget - the latter said with some contempt. "Sundabar is the rock that shatters orc skulls and dragon jaws alike" rattles off one of them almost like a mantra. Certainly from the defences Milo had seen, it is a very defendable fortress city. Happy to have an outsider to share their petty gripes with, they buy Milo another large flagon of the Orc's Blood beer, claiming it to be the "best beer in the north!" and continue to tell him all about what they viewed as the tyranny of the local government - all based in the Master's Hall. Milo discovers that offices of many different boards, guilds, and councils crowd the Master's Hall and that there seems to be a confusing scheme of customs, regulations, and duties that come out of the government. Apparently Helm Dwarf-friend has been trying, with some minor success, to simplify the legislation, but has been hindered by the hundreds of scheming guildsfolk who hope to legislate some small advantage for their craft or trade through his offices. Milo did get confirmation that there was little crime however, and certainly stories of people going missing/murders etc were not common knowledge to these drinkers.

Finally breaking away from the relatively inebriated, though well informed group, Milo finds himself talking instead to a voluptuous single woman who he thought he had seen serving drinks earlier. It looked like she had perhaps finished her duty - even though another girl was still serving the dwindling numbers of customers. The band were still playing, though it was now just one guy with a stringed instrument rather than the full ensemble and he looked like he was playing more for himself than an audience.

When asking her casually if any 'bad things' had been happening in the city, she shrugs. "The Stones can be a pain, this place used to be packed this time of night until Helm took over. His paranoia has the whole town paranoid and the night life has really gone down hill!" She glances to either side, and leans towards him, as if to tell him a secret, going as far as to put her hand to his cheek to pull his head slightly closer. He feels her lips against his neck, and smells her perfume as she whispers. "I feel safe with a big man like you though... fancy a quick one before the evening finally dies?" she asks. "Just five crowns..."

Milo smiles widely, and pulls the girl in closer. "My dear, that would be lovely. Unfortunately my wife would have something to say about it, and as she would harpoon me from 50 paces, I'll have to decline your kind offer. I perhaps could bring a more accomodating friend for you tomorrow. When do you open, and what do they charge to get in?"

With that information, Milo makes his goodbyes, and decides to walk up towards the castle and the Masters Hall to get the lay of the land, before finding his way back to the Trumpet and what he assumes is going to be a somewhat hot reception.