17 <- perception

"Why would she... if we both fail? Not sure what you're getting at, but I suppose that if both of our shops were closed, it'd fall to the other food vendors to take up the slack, but I'm not sure they'd be able to manage, ours are the two most popular shops here, though ours is better of course. I think it's much more likely that she's trying to nudge us out of the market so she can take over and get even bigger."

Tandor shakes his head, "You know her better'n I do, of course, but I don't think so. You made peace, you said, were playmates. Did anything happen around the time things changed?" he lowers his voice. "Maybe she's behind it but if so, maybe there's something behind her. It just doesn't make sense. And she's saying the same thing about you. To me, sounds like someone else wants you two fighting."

@Mialee - nothing here at the moment, but even with the clandestine nature of the marks, they are often out of direct sight of the general populace.

The kobold frowns in consideration. "We were playmates as children, years ago now. I'd thought we were finding out way to a common ground, but then three weeks ago things started going wrong... spice containers swapped or lids loosened, fish tainted, water put in our oil jugs so when we heated it up to fry, it spat hot oil all over! I knew it must be her when I saw her giving me a dirty look while I was out getting some supplies! Something must have changed her mind... but if you really think it's someone else, the deal still stands if you can rustle up evidence of who's behind it, whether it's Lamai or not."

"I'm even more inclined to get to the bottom of this. feud or no feud, it annoys me when people play shadow games with the lives of others." Liber, having finished his food, stands up. "if we bring evidence of any sort to you implicating an outside agent, what will you do with regards to your acquaintance?"

 Tandor looks around for a place where Gilbert could watch the place unobserved.  Gilbert, let's see if we can find a place, maybe some spot up high, where you could watch this place without anyone seeing you.

ooc: What skill should I roll for Tandor?

((Just Stealth for Gilbert.))

i see a spot Gilbert sends. Give me some of that divine aid you're always tossing about.  Tandor does so and the cat slinks off.

Stealth 8

Gilbert makes his way to the top of a stall, moving along behind some colorful banners before readying himself to leap to another stall.

He kind of biffs it, and there's a bit of yowling and scrabbling before he makes it to the top, settling in and licking his paws and running them over his face as if it was exactly what he intended all along.

Graceful, Gilbert, real graceful Tandor sends with a laugh.

All part of the deception, Priest of Pelor. After all, who would suspect such an ungainly cat of being here for any other purpose, the familiar replies with a lofty hauteur.

Tandor chuckles softly to himself then says softly to Mialee and Liber, "I've got Gilbert watching this place.  Let's go to the gnomes."

Quote from Spiderwrangler >>

Gilbert makes his way to the top of a stall, moving along behind some colorful banners before readying himself to leap to another stall.

He kind of biffs it, and there's a bit of yowling and scrabbling before he makes it to the top, settling in and licking his paws and running them over his face as if it was exactly what he intended all along.

 ROFL!

pfft

Dain and Alston spot a shop selling finely made gears and nuts, and make some excuses about 'pursuing another line of inquiry' and 'seeing what other vendors know about this rivalry', they duck off, promising to meet up with you later.

A few of the nearby vendors give you sidelong glances as you depart from Xungoon Family Seafood, and you soon cross the wide thoroughfare that extends east to west through the middle of the market, interrupted only by the sunken plaza in the center that has three enormous tents erected there.

As you cross into the shops on the other side, vendors call out to your party as you pass through.

"Portraits drawn while you wait! Exaggerated features! Great fun to show off to friends!"

"Fresh squeezed juice! Chilled for your enjoyment!"

"Oi! You there, you look like you need a monkey!", a vender with more cages of small monkeys than he has teeth pushes one at Liber. "Special today, only ten gold!"

((Liber, give me a check as this guy shoves a caged monkey at you. Athletics Acrobatics, or Intimidation come to mind, but feel free to deal with it with whichever check you think is most appropriate for Liber, and we'll go from there.))

acrobatics to avoid the poor monkey: 9

athletics and intimidation to get the guy to back off, given that dodging didn't work. 

ath: 16

Intimidate: 15

Perception in case the *******'s trying to palm shit off of me: 18

((That was intended to be a 'pick one', not 'sample them all'. :D ))

Liber, in attempting to avoid the monkey man's offer, steps backwards onto a passerby's foot, which is quickly pulled out from under him with a yelp, throwing him off balance to where he stumbles and nearly careens into another nearby stall when he's caught by the elbow and pulled back vertical.

Liber's savior turns out to be a human man in a flashy green shirt with gold threaded hot peppers along the collar. He shakes his head and chuckles as he helps Liber get sorted.

"Benji, they don't want your monkeys.", he says chidingly.

The monkey vendor gives him a sour look, but turns and starts accosting other with his offer of monkeys for ten gold.

"I'm Kasem Aroon, my brother Vi and I run "Spicy Brothers" here at the Market.," he says, smiling.  "You're the same ones that got in the the middle of the Tyenmo/Xungoon tussle earlier, aren't you? First time at the market, I take it?"

His smile fades as he shakes his head with a wry frown, "It's too bad the two of them can't put a lid on the trouble between them, it's a bad look for the whole Night Market! Please, don't let that color your opinion of us! It'd be a shame if you weren't able to enjoy your time at the Market because they dragged you down with politics... My brother just took over at our stall, I could give you a tour of the Market, if you'd like?"

Tandor looks at the man, trying to determine if he is on the level. He mutters softly to himself as he studies the merchant.

Insight 13

Tandor Insight 19

Mialee tries to remember if she saw this man or someone who looked like a relation of his back at the fish shop.

(idk what to roll sry, lmk if i can)

It would seem that he is indeed Kasem Aroon, or at least believes himself to be, and that he and his brother do have a stall here. He seems like he would be happy to provide you with a tour to give you a better impression than the Night Market might have otherwise imparted you with the squabbling feud.

((Mialee can give me an Intelligence (Perception) check. So INT roll, add prof if you're prof in Perception.))

9