"These prices are outrageous," Caine says to Sleet.

He approaches the shopkeeper and pulls out the three gold rings they found in the haunted house.

"Friend, it's good to be in a warm well kept shop like this one on a dark dreary night like this. He waves his hand around at the various items. You've a selection that would make even the finest establishments in Waterdeep envious." Caine says with a big smile. "Now, a question for you. It's clear you offer quality goods at fair prices, but do you buy the odd item as well?"

He shows the shopkeeper the three gold rings.

"What would you give us for these?" Caine says. "They're easily worth 100 gold each, but because you've been so welcoming, I'd let them go for 75 gold each."

Quote from Goliath7723 >>

 "Land's cursed. No one can get out of Barovia 'cept  the Vistani. Madame Eva's s'posed to be their leader. Now buy something or get out of my store, interlopers." The man growls. It's obvious he hates your guts.

Razi stands still as if stunned, broad smile still on his face, but his eyes looking about in bewilderment at the hostile reaction.  Eventually he gets out an "... Um... Yeah...  Ok."

Jim studies the emblem in his hand with wide eyes. He swears it was filthy only a moment before. And yet, the emblem was now looking sparkly clean. Had he somehow managed to clean it with magic? He had read about a spell that could clean things as well as make them dirty. Prestidigitation, yes, that was the name of the spell. He thought more about what the spell could do. He carefully places the emblem back down making sure that no one was paying attention to what he was doing.

Then, whilst Caine attempted to sell the gold rings, Jim decides to try and cause a distraction. His hand around and under his breath, he mutters, "Sparks."

Suddenly, there's a shower of sparks falling behind the short man. If the shower of sparks is enough to cause a distraction, Jim will try to steal a bag of caltrops.

(Sleight of hand: 16)

As sparks fly, Caine tries to haggle, Jim tries to steal, and the shopkeep calls for security, Razi looks around the scene... bewildered at the chaos unfolding.

"Hold on now... let's all keep our wits about us."

Upon being caught, Jim freezes in his tracks for a moment.

"Parriwimple? What kind of name is that?"

using my 2nd wind... 12

"This should be interesting..."

“We’re still teaching simple Jim how to act in public. He gets the order of things wrong sometimes. First you ask, then you touch and you pay the. It goes in your pocket. Not the reverse.”

Caine shrugs and gives a sheepish smile.

Deception/persuasion (has same modifier for both): 18  

Caine tosses the gold rings back in his pouch as he steps back outside.

"Probably best to keep them for barter anyway," Caine says. "That guy must be the only shop around and he knows it."

He looks around the intersection they appear to be at in the somewhat center of town, trying to find something resembling an inn. He spots the large building just to the north (E2) and then looks back at the others.

"Shall we?" he says pointing at the building once the others come outside. "Might be able to get that drink there and maybe a decent sleep."

Razi follows Jim outside, eager to be out of that place.  "What in the Realms was that all about?  I've never seen a merchant so hostile... and it wasn't as though he was awash in other customers.  Something indeed must be terribly wrong here."

"And did you notice he brought up that name again?  Strahd."

Jim shrugs his shoulders, "Anyway, I think something strange happened in that house. Other than what was apparent at the time. Or my studying has finally paid off. I now seem to be able to cast magic spells."

Caine smiles at Jim when he mentions the magic spells.

"Maybe try making a magic hand take what you want next time, or let me know what you're going to do so I can keep their attention elsewhere." Caine says good-naturedly.

He nods at the large building down the street (E2).

"Try that one?" he says as he walks towards it.

"Sounds like a plan, maybe One person in this town will help."

"Make a magic hand?" Jim repeats. "I think I read about a spell that does something like that. What was the spell called? Magic hand... No, mage hand. That was it. Now... how did that spell go again?"

As he follows along Jim holds out his hand gesturing in the air trying to get the spell to work.

"Hand!"

Suddenly a spectral, floating hand appears in the air in front of Jim. As he moves his hand the spectral hand seems to follow suit.

"Do you mean like this?" Jim asks without taking his eyes off the floating hand. "It's a shame that the hand isn't invisible though."

Then as Jim desired, the spectral hand turns invisible.

Caine pauses just before they get the next building when Jim makes the hand appear. He looks at it for a moment then at Jim.

"What happened to you in there?" Caine says. 

But he knows they were all affected. Caine didn't acquire any magic powers like Jim, but the experience itself has made him more confident and sure of himself. He feels like there's nothing he couldn't get away with if he really wanted to.

Caine looks up at the sign.

"What's with this place?" Caine says. "Bad enough it's all gloomy and covered in fog, but Blood on the Vine? I'm all for finding Madam Eva and finding our way back home."

Caine enters the tavern and takes a look around.

Jim stops the spell and shrugs his shoulders. He then enters the tavern behind Caine.