“I’ve been pressganged into cart security via magic ring that will kill me otherwise,” she explains, brandishing her newfound jewelry. “I’m also fine with keeping a few skeletons in my bag. Wouldn’t be the first time.” 

“But enough of that. I understand we all have our secrets, but I’m still coming to terms with the fact that you’re an elven royal and you’re a living skeleton.” Von motions to Chlorys and Camus respectively as eyebrows try to achieve orbit. For the first time she seems genuinely anxious. “At the time I figured it was safest to go along with things until I could ask questions later. But are there any other secrets I should be concerned about?”

"Well it's not something I exactly want to advertise," Chlorys laughs nervously, she paces the area, looking around. Though they have left Bruil behind for the time being, Chlorys has no doubts that he'd be smart to send someone after to them, to make sure they complied, ring or not. 

(I roll for a perception check 21

(If we find anyone Chlorys stops talking and will tell Von in Orcish that they have been followed, if no one is found she will continue with the conversation at hand)

Chlorys sees no one tailing the group.

Camus considers Von's question for a moment.

"Chlorys is royalty?" Camus echoes. "That's news to me... as for other things you should know, I can't think of any off the top of my head. Though they probably exist... I wasn't lying earlier when I said I don't remember much. All I know for sure is that the ones who brought me back died in the attempt. I don't know what they were trying to accomplish, and I don't know if all involved perished or if there were others who shared their goals. Everything before that is a blur... I can only occasionally get bits and pieces of what came before that."

Camus proceeds to pull the two skeletons out of Chlorys's bag and transfer them to Von's, shaking a bit of grave dirt out before returning the elf's bag to her. He carefully counts out 100 gold for each of the ladies.

"I think we should return them to their rest once we've completed this mission," Camus says in reference to the skeletons. "But before that, it would probably be a good idea to try and disguise them as low-budget living mercenaries so that we don't scare anyone else in the caravan. We can probably get away with using padded armor, cheap helmets, and a some gloves to hide their appearance as long as no one looks at them too closely."

(Feel free to buy all you'd like from the market, though everything is twice the price marked in the PHB if you're just taking the asking price. Metal goods are only 1.5 times the price, however, due to Melvaunt's abundance of local blacksmiths. Some other items might be more or less expensive, but I can't think of them off the top of my head now.)

I would like to check the local blacksmiths for any of that plate armor I saw the guards wearing. 

I would actually like to roll Arcana to figure out if Remove Curse or Dispell Magic would nullify the effects of Von's ring, maybe using Chlorys' ring to get a better idea of what we're dealing with since she isn't wearing it and I can freely study it.

Roll away.

Arcana: 12

Camus can tell that a dispelling effect would not work on these rings, as they do not have a spell cast on them, they are built like this. Remove curse would also not function, considering that the object is actually built with the intent of functioning like this, rather than cursed with an additional, unsavory effect. For all intents and purposes, the rings are ordinary magic items functioning as intended. Their function is just not particularly useful or good. 

Meanwhile, Von can find an armoury easily enough. Only problem is, plate is going for over two thousand gold: far outside her price range.

"The magic on those stupid rings can't be dispelled by anything we have access to...." Camus tells his teammates. "...Which makes the claim that they'll dis-enchant them once the mission is complete feel rather dubious."

"Yea, yea," she mumbles grabbing her bag, making a face as the skeletons are removed. "My full title is Lady Chloryssa, "Muse of the Second Sun" Blythe. Not sure how much you've heard of them or me but long story short, buttttt my father IS looking for me and most likely has sent my brother and some other people to find me for......reasons.... nothing bad, I assure you..... Anyway," she cheekily flashes her hand out in front of her companions, "Dim lighting helped but I'm free of that man's control. My deal is null and void. I expect to not stay in the city for much longer, lest this Master of Keys find out." Her outstretched, wiggling fingers only showed her own ring now free of its illusion, a smirk on her face. 

"Now onto business, I suppose." She flips a piece of hair over her shoulder, turning her golden eyes over towards Von, " I imagine if I don't show up with you, you'll be... hurt....and when he realizes I can't be.... sent into absolute agony I'm sure this man will do something...  alert my father, brother... or whoever about my location. I don't plan on finding out, so I have to keep moving. Regardless of what you two do."

"I also feel the need to move on from this place," Camus says. "Primarily because the guards are now on high-alert for an animated skeleton. But also... I don't know that I can really explain it, but I have a feeling... I sense that there is a place where I need to go if I wish to find out who I really am and why I was brought back."

(Does the party have any more purchases they'd like to make, or are they heading directly to the caravan?)

I think I'll grab an extra set of common clothing for each skeleton, and a set of cheap gloves + hoods of some kind and dark veils to hide their faces (I will also use one application of my bandages on each skeleton to obscure their facial features a bit more). If there are any cheap weapons I can arm them with that they would be proficient to use, I guess I could buy one for each skeleton as well (maybe a spear for each one?).

(A skeleton is proficient is simple weapons, so anything of that sort would work. If a weapon is mostly metal, it'll cost 1.5x, otherwise 2x. I'll say that you can find the common clothes you need as well as the additional accessories for 12 sp per skeleton.)

(Might not necessarily be a purchase but is there like..... messenger pigeons/ravens/somethings that can be sent out to send messages? Would also like to visit an animal trader if there's something like that in town) 

(okay, so 1 GP = 10 SP... so to disguise both the skeletons will cost 2.4 GP; baseline spears cost 1 GP each, which becomes 2GP each because this place is trying to rob us blind lol. So looks like costuming and arming them will cost 6 GP and 4 SP. I'll go ahead and do that).

Once we all meet back up and get the skeletons dressed, I'm ready to start the mission if everyone else is.

Same. Von drools over some armor and then stocks up on 3 days rations and water (42sp) and a tent (4gp). Then heads to where the caravan will be starting. 

(So sorry! I haven't been getting notifications from this thread for some reason.)

You all find the caravan easily enough, just outside the city gate. People are milling all about here, as the caravan gets ready to depart. Oxen are being fed, carts are being loaded, weapons are being sharpened, the whole gamut. You can find your assigned cart easily enough: second in the caravan, and the only one with the top covered by a heavy canvas sheet, tied to it at the edges. No one pays you much attention, as everyone focuses on their jobs. You can see several other groups like your own, positioned around their own carts. Adventurers. The scent of tragic backstories fills the air. As you look over the scene, one man approaches, carrying a quill in one hand, and precariously balancing a long list and an inkwell in the other.

He looks up at all of you, looks down at his list, and frowns. "I don't have you marked down for the second cart. In fact, I don't have anyone marked down for the second cart. Odd. Do you need me to find you the right place?"