He shook Sera's hand happily. "You're very kind young knight. Thank you for the warm welcome."

"As in yarn, thank you for asking. Tell me Merkas, are you as young as you are energetic or is it my imagination?"

He raised his free hand. "I can fight, should it come to it. I would avoid it, would that I could. Dark clouds will soon swallow the sky, and not many will have the luxury to shelter from it."

Hastos, waiting his turn, reaches out a hand in welcome as well. “This seems like a good day for new friendships, master Sharn. I appreciate you speaking up for me with the guard.”

Sharn shook Hastos' hand as well.

"Please, Sharn is fine. I hope you understand his weariness." He laughed holding his stout dwarf belly. "It's hard to discern evil on the best of days. But I can see your eyes, I don't think I see evil there."

"Well I hope that hand is pretty powerful cause it's likely that the things we fight won't just be using hands, there was this scorpion out there one time and you'd think you only ever have to worry about the stinger poking out at you but the things feet got these strange clinging claws to, not to mention the pincers on the front legs, but it was easy enough to take it out cause all that danger is pointed forward, so if you can get around back and stay there it ain't so bad. Sorry Haz you had to take the brunt of that fight"

Still digging through his pack he pulls out an old worn letter, glances at it shaking his head as he slides it back in.

"So, young or old is all in how you feel right? Like if I only live 6 years but feel like 60 then I would be old, or if I was 90 but felt 19 then I would be young. Not really, the amount of years you live are your age for sure but then again if my hair was all grey and I had wrinkles all over but still jumped around and experienced new things with wonder then I would still be young. It's not just years."

Pulling out his tinderbox he gives it a shake and scrunches his nose, putting it back and pulling up the end of a crow bar.

"You were waiting for someone, Sharn? Like did you loose them?, Did they head off into the desert and not return? Was there a portal that appeared below them and they got transport across an ocean and now you two are trying to get back to each other? Or was there some sort of messenger that came here and told you to watch for some people that would be wearing a dragon armies armour, Solamnia sword and shield, with a handsome blue-skinned Kender?

Sharn laughed again, belly still in hand.

"A messenger? You could say so, in a sense yes."

Sharn looked around the room to check if all were ready.

"If we are all ready, should we excuse ourselves? If so, where would you want me to guide you?"

Merkas started talking—fast—launching into a whirlwind of philosophical musings about time, how it passed, and whether it even truly existed. Sera smiled and nodded along, pretending to follow his rapid-fire rambling. The little blue kender was as lively as ever, his hands waving in wild gestures as he spoke.

Leaning into Hastos, she whispered, "Did he eat a mushroom we didn’t notice…?"

She stifled a laugh as Merkas continued, his enthusiasm undeterred. It had to be the long journey getting to him, but she couldn't help but admire his boundless energy.

And then came the second part of his philosophical rant, his words tumbling over one another in rapid succession.

"You were waiting for someone, Sharn? Like, did you lose them? Did they head off into the desert and not return? Was there a portal that appeared below them, and they got transported across an ocean, and now you two are trying to get back to each other? Or was there some sort of messenger that came here and told you to watch for some people that would be wearing dragon army armor, Solamnic sword and shield, with a handsome blue-skinned kender?"

Sera blinked at him.

Then she grinned. "Merkas, I swear you must be a bard in disguise, because you just painted the most dramatic picture of fate I’ve ever heard." She gave him a playful nudge. "And as for that last part? If a messenger did come saying we should be looking for a handsome blue-skinned kender… well, I suppose you fit the bill."

She leaned in with a sly grin "You for sure have  the ‘handsome’ part, right."

Before Merkas could react, she turned back to Hastos, her voice dipping into a teasing lilt. "So… does my mule perfume impress? I hear it’s all the rage among adventurers." She smirked before adding, "If you’re lucky, I might even let you share a room." A pause. Then, with mock seriousness, she added, "As long as you don’t snore."

She leaned back, pretending to focus on Verhanna, but her eyes flicked sideways, waiting to see how Hastos would react.

Meanwhile, Merkas, entirely unfazed, was already onto another tangent, likely debating with himself whether portals across the ocean were more common than lost desert travelers.

Sera sighed dramatically. "Merkas, if you find a way to open one of those portals, let me know. I could use an express route to a proper bathhouse."

She shook her head, amused, as Verhanna cleared her throat, signaling that it was time to focus.

"Well if I ever find a way to open portals it's surely going to be ones that can traverse time, I would love to go back and be in more than one place at a time, so I can do different things while the other me is doing what I was before. As for the kender, I at least have the blue part in the bag"

He winks back and continues digging through his sack

Hastos smirks back at Sera “I don’t know about mushrooms, but I definitely think we should inspect that snuff box!”  He says with a chuckle.

“So… does my mule perfume impress? I hear it’s all the rage among adventurers."

Hastos leans over,  and exaggerates a sniff then clears his throat. “It’s …. Ahem… intoxicating.”

"If you’re lucky, I might even let you share a room."

Hastos eyebrows shoot up, his face became an odd mixture of confusion and surprise - both of which were undermining all his attempts at stoicism. If the lighting had been better, there might have been a hint of blush in his cheeks.

”Uhh, well… uhhh” is all Hastos could manage to utter.

"A'HEM... if we could all focus for a moment..." Verhannas glares at the party before she reaches back in to the lockbox, utters another phrase in Elvish, and pulls out another rolled up parchment. She returns to her desk and unrolls it to for you to read. Although her face has been mostly unreadable throughout this entire exchange, at this moment, she just seems tired and genuinely worried.

"A shipment was supposed to proceed you. It contained more than enough supplies to tend the wounded and sick, replenish vendor booths, and even start our agricultural project that the Hachakee have been working so hard on. But with this drought, and the lack of seeds, all they can do is farm moisture and fertilize the soil with dung. Without the farm, we can't tend the livestock, who are dying of famine. Between the cured meats, and moisture farming, I think we have enough supplies to last us a week or two. Ororana and Tekel have both put aside their usual missions to find out what happened to the caravan. The evidence they uncovered suggests that they were raided by kobolds. The merchants and guards were slaughtered, and the crates were taken into the mountain. So your mission is to recover those crates. There were 12 in all. I don't dare hope that all 12 are intact, but I will pay you 10 Steel per crate that is returned to use."

She sits back down and takes another deep breath. Even through her stoic visage, you can clearly see her concern for the people of the settlement. "Another caravan is arriving within a week, but they are moving fast and only carrying emergency provisions. We need the supplies those kobolds stole from us. You have until the emergency caravan arrives to complete your bounty. The terms clearly state that you are expected to return any found, in tact, crates directly to Rhyana, our Assayer, or directly to the Hachakee agriculturalists outside our walls. Once granted a note of completion, you may come to me for your bounty." She leans in for emphasis. "The terms also clearly state that you are not to pilfer any of the supplies found within the in-tact crates. Or return any of the supplies found within to any other entity aside from the ones listed here in this contract."

She stands back up and crosses her arms authoritatively. "This mission is of utmost importance, so you'll forgive me if I have to take some extra precaution. I'll be signing this with the Geas Ink to bind you to honor the terms of the contract. So make certain you are satisfied with the terms of the deal before I add your company's name to it."

She opens a drawer in her desk, and pulls out a special vial of purple ink and a fresh quill. The contract itself spells out details that you are to acquire as many intact crates of the stolen supplies as possible (up to 12) and bring them back to Santekh, via Rhyana or the Hachakee working in the agricultural district within one week. It also clarifies that you are not allowed to steal, use, or borrow any of the supplies in the crates you retrieve.

"I feel it's only fair to inform you. By signing your name, you accept the terms of the geas willingly. While under the effects of a geas spell, you risk psyching damage or even death if your actions are in direct contrast to the instructions on this bounty."

Verhanna got down to business, pulling out yet another stack of papers. Sera was certain the councilwoman had documents for every occasion tucked away in that safe of hers.

This time, Verhanna explained how a supply caravan had been raided by kobolds, resulting in twelve missing crates. She stressed the urgency of the situation, though Sera hardly needed convincing—the desperation on the faces around her already spoke volumes.

A straightforward retrieval mission, then. Recover the stolen goods.

But as Verhanna continued, she produced a small vial of shimmering ink—magical ink—and explained that it would bind them, ensuring the crates were not tampered with or stolen once recovered. Then came the real weight of her words—if they failed to follow the command, the spell would not just punish them. It could kill them.

Sera’s fingers tensed on the table as she processed that revelation.

She exhaled slowly, then looked Verhanna in the eye. "With all due respect, Lady Verhanna," she said, her voice even and composed, "this is not just a precaution—this is sending soldiers to the front lines with a spear at their backs."

Her hand hovered over the quill as she carefully chose her next words.

"I do not question your need for security, nor your duty to protect Santekh. But loyalty forged under the threat of death is not loyalty at all—it is fear. And fear does not build trust. If you wish to ensure our commitment, there are better ways than binding us with a magic that punishes not only failure but circumstance that might be beyond our control."

She let the words settle for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then, with a quiet sigh, she reached for the quill once more.

"But I will take the first step," she said, dipping it into the ink. "I will trust you, even if you cannot yet trust me." She signed her name in elegant strokes, setting the quill down. "But remember, Lady Verhanna—lasting loyalty is not something that can be forced into place. It must be earned."

Her gaze remained steady, respectful but firm. "We will retrieve the supplies. You have my word. Not because of magic, but because it is the right thing to do."

She inclined her head slightly, a gesture of courtesy, before glancing toward the others. Putting the quill down and stepping aside. 

Setting aside his pack again, Merkas steps up to the desk, dips a quill in the ink to sign the document.

 "Some of this seems specific to me, cause for some reason some people think my kind can't keep their hands to themselves" The kender smiles and winks to Haz as he says this "But if Sera is willing to sign so am I, just to show you how untrue those thoughts are about me and my people"

Hastos watches as the others sign. This situation is unsettling. Sera has made a good point, but something about this just doesn’t sit well.

“I have concerns with this agreement. While I understand the necessity of getting as much of your supplies back as possible, this agreement creates a situation where life saving actions could result in the injury or death of myself and/or one or more of my friends.“

Hastos clasps his hands behind his back.

“I’m afraid I cannot accept the terms of this agreement. I do not need the recompense, and would be willing to do it for half the price should you be willing to proceed without the curse. The refugees we brought trusted us with their lives without the need for magical assurances. Perhaps that holds some weight.” 

Verhannas listens quietly as Sera and Hastos present their arguments. She's heard it before, and understands the hesitation, but her resolve remains firm.

"The spell does not force you to succeed or die. Rather, it prevents you from doing anything that directly counters the language of the contract. If, for instance, you sold the supplies to a third vendor for a higher price, or kept the valuables contained within for yourselves. Failing the mission will not result in psychic damage. Nor will returning empty-handed because you were unable to succeed. I'd like to remind you that there is a potential payout of 120 Steel for this mission. High risks come with high rewards, and this mission is of the utmost importance. If we had the strength to accomplish it on our own, we wouldn't be relying on outsiders to complete the mission, so the council decided that extra precautions needed to be taken, and I'm under no obligation to put all my faith in mercenaries that I've only known for a few minutes. Of course, I will not force you to sign. But payment will only be provided to those who sign the contract."

Verhannas's gaze remains stern and unfazed, locked on Hastos. She fails to notice that the quills have been swapped, as she waits to see what final decision Hastos makes. She waits a few moments, and whether Hastos and Sharn sign it or not, she pulls an empty book off the shelf and places the contract inside it. "You have one week to complete this assignment. Glynnis, owner of The Laughing Dwarf Dance Hall, has a horse drawn cart to carry you through the desert. This will expedite your travel, and give you storage enough to carry up to twelve crates with you. I suggest you meet with her next. As stated in your previous contract, Santekh will cover your expenses for the night to stay in her rooms. Otherwise you're welcome to explore our settlement. We don't have much to offer... yet. But we have a holy ground for those who wish to pray for guidance or remember the fallen, an agricultural district, a library where you can research lore on the region, and a few shops that remain open in the merchant district. If you wish to purchase one of the empty buildings for your guild, now is as good a time as any to start shopping for one. You'll need approval from the council to make the purchase, but at least you can select a good location for your guild. Now, is there any further business you wish to discuss?"

Sharn shrugged and signed his name right after Merkas.

"Seems like a lot of trouble to go through for a contract, but alright. I know how much we need those supplies. Do we have an idea of how far away the supplies were taken?

If it was more than a couple of days away, this will just be a fools errand."

Verhanna smiles at Sharn, a rare display of affection. "It will be a tight schedule, to be sure. The raid occurred along the merchant path from Sardica, about the point where the caravan hooks north towards Santekh. It would be about a three day march by foot, but by horse, you could make it in half that time. Kobolds like to hide in their caves. I would search along the path you took coming here to find it. If you wish to study maps of the region, see Buckeran in the building next to mine. If you wish to hire a guide, there are no better trackers in Santekh than the Hachakee. I can procure one for you to meet you in the morning, at your expense, of course."

A smirk briefly appears on Hastos’ face. 
“Very well. if not signing only prevents me from getting paid, I accept the terms and refuse payment for retrieving the supplies.”

Hastos rummages around in his bag and retrieves a small brown, worn leather pouch. He loosens the drawstring and produces a small translucent dark green stone with black mottling and golden flecks and places it on her desk. 

“Insurance for the curse to be lifted. If we abscond with the supplies you will have that plus the sum of our bounties, and you’ll be better off than you are currently. But if we return with the supplies, I would like the stone returned.” 

Verhanna takes the stone with a shrug, putting it in a pouch and adding a note referring to it being collateral for the carts. "Wealth, we have. It's the supplies that wealth purchases that we need. But I have enough signatures to appease the council, I believe." 

Those of you who signed the document feel a slight tingling sensation as the magical effect of the gaes takes over. Once it sets in, the effect is no longer noticeable. "You'll be aware of the amount of time you have left to complete your mission. If you feel you are unable to complete the mission at any point, return to me to have the enchantment dispelled. Of course, we prefer you to complete this very important task. But we're not unreasonable."

Considering her business concluded with you, she puts the pouch inside the lockbox and returns to her seat. "You may leave. I have other business to attend before I close for the afternoon. Thank you." Her eyes drift toward a drawer in her desk, which she opens, pulling out a few files to review. "And next time, please wash up before coming to my office, thank you."

"I'm afraid there been a misunderstanding." Hastos says abruptly.

"My offer was intended to allow *all* of us to operate without the curse on it, not just me. If this is not an acceptable compromise, I would appreciate the stone returned."

Verhanna looks at Hastos, perturbed. "There will be no negotiation on the deal. You could present a thousand such stones to me, and unless this town can eat it, I am not interested. For all legal standing, you aren't even on this mission, and therefore you and I have no further business to discuss."

She turns to the lockbox, retrieves the pouch, and plops it on the table, causing a loud knocking sound against the wood, like a judges gavel being dropped. "Please. Leave." Her tone suggests she's losing what little patience she has. She fiddles with her ring, spinning it around her finger.

"Oh, Haz I understand you are worried for our safety but if the Lady Verhanna needs us to do it this way then we do it this way. Think of it as a right of passage, a hazing, Bootcamp, an indoctrination, an induction, a trial run, onboarding, orientation, test of resolve"
The Kenders voice getting more grandiose as he rattles off various terms for the given task, before stopping at the entrance and looking back

"Um, M'lady, I deeply apologize if I made you uncomfortable with my advances, I had not realized you were committed to another, nothing in me would ever want to come between or in the middle of anothers committed relationship. My fealty remains the same as I have made my vow I will honour it.

With this said he takes a bow, his large pack nearly toppling him forward as the weight shifted and turns with a flourish to exit her premises