"We're on vacation," Kitaer answers the old man.  "Sightseeing and such..."  Kitaer then spends a few moments looking over the fruits and vegetables on offer trying to determine if they look right or not.  Disease shouldn't affect them... right?  ((Perception on the fruits on veggies for being safe: 11 total)). "How much?"

"Rigghhhtt... Well I can see why you chose the place... wonderful views and smells... the amenities are really quite nice as well!" He replies with a thick helping of sarcasm, giving you another quick look up and down. "I respect a man that wants to keep his secrets to himself... we all got secrets don't we?" he adds with a grin and a wink. "Anyway, my harvest here is all disease free! Straight from the dirt to your mouth..." He then scratches the white stubble on his chin. "Well actually from the dirt to the cart and then... probably a pot of some kind... and then maybe a plate? Then after that your mouth... but you get the idea!" He says with a smile. 

Vesna notices that ever since you all got close to the cart, he has been using one hand to help talk and display the goods while the other hand is resting on the handle of a hand axe positioned underneath his cart. He hasn't been doing anything with the hand and you don't believe he is planning to swing it... it is likley just a precaution. 

"Sounds like quite unpleasant characters." The young white-haired noble says grimly. "So, do you know where these Morbus Doctore are stationed around here, and do they have any military or magical might to back them up as far as you know?" Daryos contunues his inquiery with the brave plague survivor. "Also would you know anything about the one they call the Bone Collector and where we can find them?"

Vesna steals a glance at Kitaer, curios to see his reaction, when the old man asks him if he has killed anyone, but then looks back at the stranger. "Ummm... we were sent here to kill monsters in the rural areas..." she says with a small shrug. "But... oh well, we didn't expect there to be an epidemic of such. Aren't you worried you are going to get sick when you interact with your customers?" 

Noticing him reaching casually for the hand axe, she continues. "Do they bother you? The criminals, I mean? I don't mean to pry, of course, I am just curious."

Nesyax nods, "Yea, if you know anything about this Bone Collector we'd appreciate it."  After a pause she continues, "And what do you charge for your meat?" 

     Kitaer had let the question of whether he had ever killed anybody or not wash over him without much reaction at all, it was a question without meaning to him.  He lived to adulthood, born and raised in the wilds.  Killing was a part of living in the wilds but it was the civilized folk who invented murder.

     "Our employer was not entirely up front with us," Kitaer admits.  "What choice do we have but to make the best of it?  It's our intention to do what we can to make things better... While turning a profit, of course."

The half-orc looks in the direction of the young noble, as though trying to get a better look at him. "Hmm... well they gotta building built into the wall separating us from the rest of the city. They are allowed to travel between here and the city whenever they want on account of all the... help.. they are providing with the plague." The butcher let's out a small snarl when he mentions the word help. Just follow the wall north from the gate that's just down the street... you can't miss it. us locals call it the Crow's Nest". he says before turning to look at Nesyax. 

"2 silver per pound..." He says with a grin. "I could charge more but I ain't looking to rob folks. I use the coin to get the supplies I need to keep this place standing. I could probably pay off the guards to let me into the city.. my scars are proof enough that I ain't got the pox... but I don't wanna leave the place my wife and I worked so hard to build." 

ooc: forgot about the bone collector question.

At the mention of the bone collector, The butcher frowns. "I don't know a whole lot about him. I know his minions will sometimes steal the rats I catch before I can get to them. I heard that he doesn't actually live here in the city... that his minions sneak into here most nights looking for bones. i heard sometimes they'll take living folks if they can't find any easier pickings..."

outside...

The weathered old man gives a grin. "Most the sick arnt interested in raw vegetables or a few berries... at least at first... normally they go looking for somewhere safe to spend the night. then by the time they are hungry enough that i might be a target.. they're too weak to be much of a threat." The then leans over a bit closer. "... and if anyone gets too close, I just hit them with an axe." 

"As for criminals, they don't bother me at all... I enjoy talking to folks and the dead and dying aren't any fun to talk to! Always moaning and crying... it's real depressing." The old man scratches his patchy beard "plus... folks around here that arnt sick are normally itching to get out of here before they DO get sick... and willing to do or pay about anything to get out." He adds with a sly grin and a wink.

"It does seem a fair enough price," Nesyax says in response to the half-orc. She doesn't know, but it seems a good thing to say. "Not sure if want any right now. But might you consider a small discount if we were to set up a contract with you in the future? You know we agree to a regular purchase each week or some such?"  She shrugs. "Just curious really." 

"Think that's most of our questions though. Unless you have something more Daryos?  We buying anything?" 

Stasyn nods in response to Nesyax's question. This is good. We have a more or less reliable way of getting food in the future and learned a few more things about the Bone Collector. Sounds like we need to find one of these minions. Perhaps we can use some bones to lure them out. He then thought of a question and asks the Bucher "How much would it cost for some bones of the critters you have caught?"

OOC: I apologize if I forget to respond to any player questions, I don't want to leave anything unanswered or unacknowledged. Sometimes when I post I am kind of in a hurry and miss things. 

As the conversation takes place inside the butcher's shop; Stasyn, Daryos, and Nesyax all notice that the half-ork keeps glancing towards the Verdan. The way burly butcher looks at him, you can see that he is slightly confused as he looks Stasyn up and down. "Well... I normally keep the meat on some of the biggest bones... but I do have some in the back. You can have'em for free I suppose. Honestly I've kind of made a habit of piling up my bones out back... seems like so long as I leave my left over bones out for the bone collector... They don't mess with stealing my rats as much." He says while turning to look Stasyn up and down. "You're... a goblin right? A tall goblin? Maybe an elf of some kind?" he then leans in real close... looking him up and down. "I mean ya no offense... but... van you tilt yer head? .. like... tilt it upsidown if you can... for me?"

     Kitaer passes some chit chat with the vegetable seller and agrees to buy some of what he has.  A good enough amount to make stew to feed 8 for a day or two, counting the others back at base.  “You around daily?  We do plan on setting up shop so we could be repeat customers…”

The Butcher struck a sore spot for Stasyn as indeed he can trace his lineage to detestable goblins. He stands straight and with his hands clasped behind his back to seem more imperious. Stasyn frowns and uses a more business-like tone. "No, I am not a goblin or an elf. I am a Verdan a rare race to be sure. I will also not be tilting my head as I am in no mood for such antics. I thank you for the bones and of sharing of what you know." 

The young white-haired noble nods in agreement with Nesyax and Stasyn, returning later to purchase any meat they need sounded like a good idea but he would leave that decision to the hoardsperson. "Yes, thank you for your most valuable help, you can be sure we will be good customers in the days to come." He says, giving the Half-Orc a polite nod as he leaves.

Stepping outside he would let Kitaer and Vesna finish up their business with the weathered old man before addressing the whole team. "Alright, let us see what information we can find on the Bone Collector and the Morbus Doctore over by the tavern." He says, motioning for Kitaer to take the lead again, on their way sharing with Kitaer and Vesna what the Half-Orc had told them.

     "Hey!" Sam calls across to the others as they exit the Butcher's.  "Hope you bought something suitable for stew!  We got the veggies here..."

Nesyax had ignored the call about vegetables as they headed out.

Once headed to the bar, she points out, "Sounds like we can just look for bone collector folks to come to the back of the butcher shop. No need to collect anything ourselves."

As they walk, she keeps a careful eye on the terrain, any landmarks or other features, so she can update her map when back at the headquarters.

Vesna can't help but raise an eyebrow at the final words of the old man. She shoots a glance at Kitaer's direction to check if he heard the same, before smiling politely back at the old seller. "Of course! That makes sense. Thank you for indulging our curiosity."

It seems that just then the rest of the group comes back from the butcher shop and Vesna says her goodbyes before stepping away to regroup again, listening to what they have to share about their chat with the butcher and making notes of the things she'd have to add to the whisper jar later.

"Do you guys think we should check back on that girl and her dog?" the cleric would ask eventually as they walk towards their next destination.

"Oh yeah! I'm here every day." The weathered old man says with a grin. "See me if you need more vegetables... I've been here a while so let me know if you need anything else. I know lots of people." He adds before laughing to himself. He then collects a few large handfuls of vegetables from his cart and loads them into a questionable looking burlap sack. "That'll be umm.. 1 gold." He says with a grin. "I promise you won't find fresh goods like this anywhere else this side of the wall..." 

When Stasyn thanks him for the bones and information, the half orc actually stands up a little straighter. "Look fella, I apologize... I didn't mean nothing by it. Before I lost most my sight, I seen plenty of goblins and plenty of elves... I never seen or heard of a Verdan... The reason why I was askin you to move your head is that... Well I did catch sight of one of them creatures stealing my bones out back one night. Of course I didn't get a good look at it..." He points to his cloudy eyes... "but it kinds looked like you... except its head looked a little... tilted." He adds before following the group to the door and locking it behind them.

     "1 gold seems a bit steep for some vegetables," Kitaer grumbles but pays the guy.  "But alright.  For now.  Expect me to barter more if we become regular customers though..."

     Seeing Vesna's eyebrow raise Kitaer gives her a questioning look but then rethinks things.  He thinks maybe he does catch her drift after a moment.  Perhaps the vegetable seller will be a more valuable contact than just edibles...  Kitaer offers his and Vesna's name (If we didn't yet exchange names.  Honestly do not remember) and promises he will be back for more soon.

     "I'd certainly like to make sure she was getting on ok," Kitaer answers later in regards to the Weasel.  "We gave her a key to her room but also invited others in. Seems least we can do is make sure she is safe..."

"No, we thought we'd come back later for some meat..." Daryos says to the Minotaur. "...but you can go ahead and buy as much meat you think would be needed for those vegetables if you want, using the team's funds of course." He continues with a polite smile, ready to wait for the hoardsperson if meat was to be bought now instead of later.

The young white-haired noble nods in agreement with Nesyax about the possibilty to just wait for the Bone Collector's head-tilted minions coming behind the butcher shop and follow them back to their lair.

"Alright, let's pay a visit to Ms. Goldweaver before heading over to the tavern." Daryos agrees and motions for Kitaer to lead the team to the Wet Weasel.