11 Persuasion

Landrae looks at the goods that Patti has put out, "Call that a quiver? It is a slight tremble at best. These arrows look like the fletching is still attached to the bird it came from. Though, if Gundren thought you a sound merchant I guess we can come to some accommodation. How does 78 silver sound?"

Responding to Marva's inquiry about tents, Ruanathi shakes his head slightly and says, "Such a thing would keep me from seeing the stars above."

Having more gold in his pocket than he expected, Ruanathi looks about the place for a dagger...

Marva, places her the purchases on the counter. She looks at the ring but doesn't see any acrane runes or inscribtions with a glance. Patti begins to flick the beads on his abacus, "That will come to... 4gp 9sp 7cp." 

(Roll a Charisma Check (Deception, Persuasion, or Intimidation) if you want to haggle.)

Ruanathi, begins to look around the store for a dagger, but suddenly begins to feel a pulse in his mind. He is drawn to a pile of farming tools and lifts a sickle with a trembling hand.

(Nat 20) This is a Moon Sickle+1. This silver-bladed sickle glimmers softly with moonlight with a handle made from the antler of white stag.

Marva leans on the counter and speaks quietly to Patti, “Listen, we are here to pick up a sizable order for Gundren, for which he has paid significant coin. I would love to report back to him that you were extremely helpful and took care of his employees by giving us a good deal. It seems to me that this would help strengthen your relationship and lead him to bring you more business in the future.” (Persuasion 18 )

She continues, "Perhaps 4 gold would suffice for my purchases. Also, may I take a look at those rings?" (She wants to spend some time examining them.)

Landrea, Patti lets out a howling laughter that echos throughout the shop. "Good one about the quiver, but what is far funnier is that you want to pay me seven times its worth!" (78sp = 7gp, 8sp) He lets out another burst of laughter, "Ah. Tell ya what, I'll knock a little over 20% off the price. 1gp. Any lower and I'll be taking a loss." 

Mio and Patti haggle for a while and come to a final pricing amount. "Alright, for the Net, 20x Arrows, and the cat's eye ring... lowest I can go is 13gp 6sp.

Marva, Patti slides the ring case over for Marva to get a better look. "Any of them tickle ya fancy?", he says with a wide grin. (Any type of ring your looking for?) "As far as your other purchases, 4g is fair."

Ruanathi, (?)

Marva is going to give up on the rings. She was hoping to be able to handle them long enough to tell if there was anything special about any of them, but she decides Patti probably doesn't want people touching the merchandise and it's too much trouble. "Actually, I think I'll pass on the rings. Thank you for your very reasonable prices. We'll be sure to let Gundren know how helpful you were." She turns to Mio, "Do you still have those two platinum pieces that we were going to exchange for gold and split up?"

Mio says, "Yeah I have them." She hands over the two Platinum Pieces that was for exchange. She wasn't quite happy with the final pricing but she thought the ring would make an excellent gift. She did not want to pass it up. A bit annoyed, she pays the 13 GP and 6 SP. She'll just have to work extra hard to make up for the purchase.

Ruanathi momentarily feels like child-like sense of excitement rush over him as he grasps the sickle. How did this blade find itself among a collection of farming tools? he asks himself.

Not accustomed to bargaining, Ruanathi does his best to hide his hope of buying the magical sickle. "I'm thinking this old thing might have some use to it, Patti. I don't currently have any sort of blade on me; so, what price would you put upon it?"

Deception (to play it off as if he's not overly interested in the sickle): 18

Ruanathi, Patti raises an eyebrow and gives a confused look. "Price? If you're looking to sell that sickle, find one of the stalls out in the bazaar.", he waves his hand dismissively. "I've no need for such a primitive item in my shop." He motions to the blades on the wall behind him. "I'm not running a weapon shop, however, I've got a few blades for you to choose from."

The wall has a rack of five daggers, two short swords, and one longsword. All the blades are used but in good condition. 

Landrae sheepishly hands over the gold piece, "Anything to get the crowd laughing, always brings a lighter air to the room. So, shall we add Gundren's thing to our little haul, load up the wagon and be on our way to the next stop?"

Marva hands over her 4 gp and says, "I'm ready to help load up and move on."

(If Ruanathi is done shopping.)

Patti: "Thank you for your purchases.", he says with a smile and locks his coin in a chest under the counter. "Gundren's supplies are in the storehouse out-back; behind the me shop." begins explaining as moves from around the counter. "Let me close up shop for lunch and I'll show ya the way."

The halfling grabs a step-latter and moves it by the door and flips down a wooden CLOSED sign and locks the door.

"This way.", he waves his hand for the party to follow. He makes his way through the back and out the backdoor to into the alley. The alley is connected to the shop, a storehouse about 40ft away to the right, and back to the bazaar to the left.

He leads the party to the storehouse and stops about 20ft from the door with a padlocked . Pulls out an iron key and hands it out to the party. "R-r-right over there.", he stutters, "I-in the middle of the storehouse, can't miss it!", he squeaks out then clears his throat.

Marva stashes away her smaller items and puts her new tent in the wagon. Then she follows Patti around the back. When the halfling begins to stutter, she studies his face carefully and asks, "Everything okay?" (Insight: 19 )

((Wait Mio would have exchanged the 2 platinum she was holding for 20 gold which she will then split among the party giving 5 GP each))

Marva, Patti is wiping the sweat from his brow as he stammers a reponds. "Y-YES!", he squeaks then clears his throat again, "Yes. Everything is-is fine." 

(Mio's Insight 18 - , Landrae's Insight 21 -  Ruanathi's Insight - 6) (Rolling for everyone else if you wanted to roll also.)

He is lying. Marva, and Mio can sense the fear in his voice. Landrae's notices he is afraid of the storehouse and ready to bolt at a moment's notice. Ruanathi is in awe of his new sickle and is unaware of the conversation.

Marva looks at the storehouse and looks back at Patti. She kneels down to look him in the face. “Listen, you are clearly not okay. Shovels and picks and lanterns do not typically inspire a shaky voice and sweaty brow. If there is a problem, we may be able to help you with it. But we would do a better job of that if we knew what the problem was. Help us help you and tell us what is in that storehouse. Please.” (Persuasion 11 )

Mio looks at the store house. She pulls out her bow and takes an arrow, holding it against the bowstring. Eyes still locked on the shed, she says, "I'm guessing there's something inside the store house over there. Maybe a Giant Rat, Giant Spider, Something dangerous probably."

Entirely unconvinced Landrae eyes the storekeep with a great deal more suspicion that she had a moment earlier and immediately moves around to flank Patti and prevent potential escape. Listening to Marva's re-assuring words, Landrae speaks before the halfing has chance to answer "We can help you, if you drop this abysmal charade..." and she points her finger straight at Patti's heart. Her lips move slightly but nothing anyone can make out before speaking in a flat tone and delivering the ultimatum, "It's you choice Patti." and Landrae drop her hand to her side, her fingers close to the hilt of her dagger.

@DM

Patti flushes red with anger and embarrassment, "Are-are you calling me a coward!?", he huffs at Marva. He begins to backpedal, "I'm not a-afraid of-". His words catch in his throat as Mio aims her bow at storehouse and questions Patti. "Look it just-", he begins to say as he takes another step back and bumps into Landrae. Shock, spreads across his face as Landrae raises a finger and points at him. Patti suddenly jumps away from her while swatting away some invisible gnats.

"Stop that!", he shouts at Landrae, "Don't you know it's rude to read other people's minds!", He looks around at the others, then lets out a long sigh.

Patti: "Alright, alright.", he says with defeat. "I've got a small problem (Lie). Okay, a regular problem. (Half-Truth). ALRIGHT! I GOT A HUGE PROBLEM! (Truth.)"

"It started a few weeks ago, I noticed someone left a sack of grain in the storehouse, I mostly just keep tools and such in there, but anyway, rats found their way to it. Next thing I know they're all over the place! A whole colony of rats!", he throws up his hands in irritation. "I tried taking care of it meself, but after I mashed one with a mallet, I... well... kinda barf-up me lunch. So, I figure I'll just lock'm up, plaster up the holes so they could get out, and starve them out!"

"After I waited a couple of weeks, I opened the doors and-", he trialed off.

"There were two colonies this time."

"They must be breeding and eating each other!", Patti begins to slump as he recounts his traumatic event. "Then! They came after me! More than I could count! I nearly lost me lil'-piggies!", he lifts his sandle foot and wiggles his hairy toes.

"I didn't know what I was going to do, but then Gundren came by wanting to buy supplies. I had them in the storehouse, and before I could explain he said some adventures where going to come by and pick them up." Patti shrugged his shoulders. "You know," he says sheepishly, "it's like the start of all those bad adventure tales. The ones about killing rats. I figure, adventures enjoy killing rats."

Landrae (21)