"Yes please," the boy answers still nervous. "I am Sven," he finally answers the question about his name.

The party moves to the shops ( at 8 on the map) to find three very well off shops and two rather shabby looking shops. Sven gravitates to the shabbier looking shops. The three well to do shops all share the same surname attached to them, Bjǫrn's. The shops are a bakery,  green grocer, and dry goods. The other two shops, stalls really, are a tinker's shop which is attached to a general goods store. The boy is going towards the general goods which a half-elven man is busy sweeping steps and a human woman is churning butter. The man doesn't stop his work at first but the woman looks wearily up from her work then smiles at the party as they approach. The boy then runs from Ursal's side with the money out stretched to the woman whom gives him a bigger smile as she rises from the churning chair obviously pregnant and greets the party with a hello and another wider smile.

She small and fairly young with reddish frazzled hair and fair skin. She's pretty but you can tell she's had a hard life up until now. The half-elven man who still sweeps is tall, lanky, and dark haired.

"How can I help you," the young human woman calls out her tone hopeful as the party approaches behind the boy.

Then before another can speak a another man, dress well comes onto the porch of the dry goods shop for the Bjǫrn store.

"Rest yourself Mae these....fine people, " he seems to stumble to choose a compliment but wanting your money presses on, "need quality goods not your second hand trash," he adds loudly as he pats a large stomach.

This human man is fair too like the rest of the Stokkr folk. his big balding and very fat belly suggests to you he's never missed a meal is his life. As he finishes rebuking the human woman he called Mae, the half-elven man approaches behind her protectively the broom gripped tightly in his scared hand. Now on closer examination he's been burnt. His entire left sides looks licked by flames.

"Good afternoon," the half-elven man says politely looking the party over neither qualifying a compliment or a judgement.

Ursal flatly ignores the fat man and gives the traditional Norse greeting to the half-elf and extends his hand in greeting.

"My new young friend here, Sven, said you might be able to help us. We need several mirrors. I see that you are a tinkerer so that is even better." He points to his greataxe. "Would you be able to mount a small mirror on each side of the blades of my axe? Sven here says that a monster has been eating his sheep and we have encountered another moster on the Gunuulf farm, so I'd like to be prepared for anything that might happen. Can you help me?" He hands the greataxe to the half-elf (haft first) to inspect then turns to Mae.

He also extends a hand to greet Mae. "Mae, Sven here says he needs milk and bread. I can tell that you can help him when he needs it." Ursal winks to her and slips 2 gold pieces to Mae secretly with the hidden intent to keep him in bread and milk for a time. At least if he's robbed when we are not here, maybe he won't starve.

Sleight of Hand: 7

Viktor turns a withering look at the well-to-do shopkeeper's words of derision, before regaining control of himself. its been a long day and Viktor is finding it hard to keep himself under control.

Viktor walks over and browses' the tinkers wares and then the general goods wares, ignoring the well-to-do shop keeper completely.

Pyra admires the other woman for a second, taking out her notebook to make a few notes about humans before awkwardly scooting away from the large man that interrupted them. She'll move closer to stand next to Soren.

Ursal the woman takes your coin with a broad smile.

"Yes if course whatever you need," she answers as the half-elf only nods curly. "He...he doesn't speak," she explains as the half-elf smiles softly then nods again the woman then pockets the coin Ursal a d moves on with you and her husband. "He can hesr5and understand perfectly well," she adds as Bjǫrn makes a snorted laugh.

The half-elf ignores Bjǫrn and takes your axe Ursal. He then holds up three fingers before digging in his pocket and pointing to silver coins then looks to you to agree.

"We have mirrors as well," the woman speaks up moving towards the shop and going to a completely organized cupboard removing two mirror that will fasten nicely to the sides of your axe. "Three silver fair," she asks next as her husband nods looking at Ursal to confirm or haggle.

Bjǫrn looks curiously at the party ignoring him for what he feels as lesser wares.

"Looks like you are strangers here," Bjǫrn calls out coming off his porch out into the street. "I can show you the best wares in Stokkr and since you're new in town I'll even throw in a discount. I've got plenty of....monster hunting gear was it," he then calls out to Ursal but before Ursal answers he then wags his bushy eyebrows at Pyra and Soren.

Soren doesn't hesitate however to check the man.

"If I wanted to be cheated I'd go to Hagar," Soren retorts, "keep your tongue to yourself Bjǫrn. No one wants your wares today," she adds gruffly moving toward the human woman with a softer expression.

The woman leaves her husband side to help Sven and wraps up additional bread, cheese, and a tin pitcher if milk for Ursal.

Viktor you see plenty of recycled bits but nothing speaks to you per say as extremely valuable just practical to fix things which break. This collection of things however us vast and well organized.

"Come now you really should at least look," Bjǫrn exclaims, his jovial expression waning as he steps over towards Viktor.

"My friends have no interest in your offer lard bucket, do not embarrass yourself further by begging for custom you will not be receiving." Krayne positions himself between Viktor and Bjørn. "This is not my shop but feel free to leave before my very limited patience wears thin."   

Viktor whispers under his breath

"it is good to know not everyone in this town is like Bjǫrn"

Viktor watches as the 2 simple but kind shop keepers go about there business and smiles to himself.

Turning to Pyra, Viktor asks.

"Pyra, are you from this region? do you know anything of the history of this place? I cant shake the feeling that whatever is going on here is bigger than the current events."

"Ursal you seem to speak the local language, are you from around here?"

Viktor takes out his black book and starts searching through it.

"The insults aren't necessary sir,"  Bjorn exclaims at Kryane mumbling and returning to his shop where you hear the door slam shut.

Mae chuckles and moves over to see if Ursal and her husband have worked out their transaction.

"Not necessary, but certainly enjoyable." Krayne says to the departed Bjørn. "Now hopefully you still have at least one mirror I could buy unless Ursal has already got them all"  

Ursal confirms, "three silver is fair," as he takes the package of groceries from Mae and hands her three additional silver coins. 

"Thank you," Ursal says to both in their local tongue. 

While the half elf mounts the mirrors, Ursal wanders to the other stalls seeing what water wares they offer. 

"Oh no sir," Mae quickly goes to the well organized shelves and pulls out another mirror, it's smaller meant to fit in the hand. "Will it do," she asks hopefully.

The half-elf nods at Ursal and takes his axe and begins fastening the mirrors, as Ursal wanders he notices a distinct lack of aquatic fair...it's almost as if it's controlled elsewhere and not to be sold but from those houses of commerce!

"His name is Ulysses," Sven whispers to Ursal coming to his side with his package of groceries looking to the half-elf. "He was a solider once and a good one too until the dragon came," he adds next as you look at Ulysses again and his burns make more sense. "He came here with a pack on his back and no words but found Mae," he explains brightly looking at the young woman with a soft smile. "She makes the best butter in a hundred miles," he says happily cradling his grocery as if they were a precious to him as a baby!

Prya and Viktor are you looking around or....

Pyra shakes her head at Viktor's question.

"I'm afraid I'm not directly from this area Viktor, I- my family has never really been welcomed in cities for obvious reasons." She gestures to herself.

"My family's...'unique' blood has always shown itself very strongly throughout the generations. The stronghold is really all I've know for the past few months, and before that I've lived in the forest for much of my life, with little to no interaction with cities or towns. The only encounter I've had with such things was when my home was destroyed and I was forced to flee for my safety, but I barely remember the event."

Pyra turns to Mae.

"Excuse me Mae, I am just curious, but do you have any healing kits or perhaps a herbalism kit?"

"This will be fine, my thanks to you. How much do I owe you?" 

"Oh yes my good lady both," Mae exclaims. "Sir Ballen and the high priestess Aegir bless and protect her helped me..." she trails off looking to Baltus who's too far to hear her speak having joined Ursal in the shop watching Ulysses work. "I have both but I'm afraid they are rather costly since they were quiet time consuming to gather," she adds next moving towards a cabinet with a lock, the first lock you've seen in the place which she opens with a key from a ring in her apron pocket. "Which would you like," she asks next turning around and showing you two unique boxes that she places on a table. "The healer's kit is six gold piece while the herbalism kit is a meer three," she explains next.

Setting the boxes down before you Prya even Soren takes a set forward to look at them. One is made of wood and carved with druidic runes for health and banishment of evil. When MAe opens it Pyra you can tell is an herbalism kits right away. The second is in a leather bound satchel like box that latches closed with a buckle. Once it is opened you notice as variety of bandages, tinctures, and salves all mean to heal wounds. It will work with a healer's feat as well as a DC vs. medicine check in game.

Mae's look eager to sell and seems open to haggle but as you can tell every copper, silver, and gold to come to them counts a great deal!

Viktor looks a little surprised by Pyra's words

"oh, I'm sorry, I did not know. it would seem you have had it much harder than myself."

"can I ask, what has brought you out of the wilds to begin interacting with civilization again?"

(OOC: Viktor is not interested in purchasing anything, just waiting for the others to finish their transactions)

Pyra looks over the two kits before deciding.

"I'll take the herbalism kit, please. It will be most useful in returning to my studies." She says before handing over the gold for the kit.

"Thank you Mae. And its fine Viktor. I didn't mind growing up in the forest, I had my father, our dogs and some cats, as well as the rest of the animals in the forest to keep me company. As for how I ended up here. I was attacked. I don't exactly remember by what, my memories of the event are a bit fuzzy, but the attack destroyed my home and everything within as well. I would have rebuilt it but I could hear more creatures coming, I only had time to take what had survived the attack and flee."

Krayne waits until Mae has finished with the others and then asks her "I know you don't know us but we have come to help defeat the monsters that have been plaguing the farms around the village. We are finding many here reluctant to talk, even hostile to us and we are concerned something is deeply wrong here. Do you know of anything that could help us rid the farms of this menace? "

"I am sorry for the hardships you have endured Pyra, I hope we don't bring more hardships your way."

turning to Mae, Viktor adds to Kaeyne's inquiries

"do you know anything about the attacks? or perhaps someone else who knows something?"

indicating the mirrors and herbalism kit.

"we are trying to gather any information, and to prepare for our next encounter, as best we can."

"That would be 10 coppers. It has some damage," Mae explains showing you its a smoothed shard of a bigger mirror. "As for the creatures Ulysses fought a similar scourge in a port town near Hagar nearly 15 years ago now when he first joined the gaurd. He doesn't speak of it often his adventures that left him scarred," Mae explains as this in s whisper as Ulysses continues to work ignoring Mae and attaching the mirrors to the axe. "I wouldn't know anyone else besides my uncle Andres at the Fair Winds who might help regardless of the others here," she explains. "He was never a friend of Dagmar or his short lived madness,' she adds still in hushed tones. Mae then looks around a bit paranoid before smibg nervously. "You're not wrong about the people. Those who remain aren't too keen on the new cheiftess and those who were loyal to the old chief fled or were killed during Dagmar's rise to power," she adds. "We stayed because if my shop and my family," she adds slightly forlorn but after the birth I think we'll finally move on," she adds running her belly now. 

Ulysses brings the axe back to Ursal now and hands it over. 

"Good work my love," Mae exclaims, "almost a shame we charged so little," she adds next as if pressing her luck at Ursal. "Good journey. I hope you're able to find your quarry," she adds never once mentioning the monsters in front of Ulysses.

"Thank you," Ursal says, taking the axe and examining it. 

He leans in closely to Mae and whispers out of ear shot, "I too am scarred from a monster. I don't show it outwardly in public but a were bear infected me when I was younger. It killed my entire family and left me infected with its curse. I can control it and even learned how to use it to my advantage when hunting monsters. I pledged to devote my life to make sure that such monsters don't wreak the same havoc on people and villages. I have some gold and you are welcome to it if Ulysses would agree to meet me with you as interpreter to seek his counsel on his experience with monsters. I hope that my own scars will bridge the divide with Ulysses. Will you ask for me?" To sweeten the deal Ursal hands her 7 more silver and uses his hybrid transformation to show her a glimpse of his own scars. 

OOC: may I roll persuasion at advantage?