(OOC: is it normal for there to not many people wandering about? If Trimyrai wouldn't know that kind of information you don't have to answer.)

Quote from EmperorKarino >>

(OOC: is it normal for there to not many people wandering about? If Trimyrai wouldn't know that kind of information you don't have to answer.)

(It is the slums, so not unusual. Think about the seedier parts of older US cities, with urban decay when people move out of a neighborhood. Except in this case, not many people moved into this area in the first place.)

Isk walks up to the counter smiling and saying, "Good day!  I am Jorin, from the far east, and I've heard take you carry a variety of spices from my homeland."

Reverie walks up to Morty along with Isk, says nothing for a moment, and yet nods at him. She has to think about what kind of name would be an excellent cover-up for her if someone would ask her a name.

Mortimer's voice is one part smooth used-car salesman, one part squeaky Jabba the Hutt. "Yes, I am Mortimer, a humble seller of the finest selection of spices and other goods from around the world, including the old nations of the East. All reasonably priced. Please browse."

The shelves are only lightly stocked. The prices for the items you recognize are outrageous. The notes describing the goods are outlandish, giving common items an extravagant history. (Think of a souvenir ship in an airport or a train station.) Between the poverty of the neighborhood and the prices, it is not surprising that there is a lot of dust on the goods.

Mort yells over to the 2 peasants on the east side. "You better be looking to buy something. A warm fire isn't free." The peasants increase their act of looking over items, but they are still circling near the fire.

Mort says in a quiet voice, "So, Jorin and his colleague, you are members of the Iron Gate? Sent here to save me?" (Mort has not noticed that Froskan is with you two.)

Froskan continues browsing the items on the shelves, occasionally picking one up to examine it closer, and being sure to read (or at least appear to) the descriptions.

Reverie silences herself for a moment before she could open her lips to answer his quiet tone. "We were informed about your situation," she murmurs, "would you be able to tell us when they would come today or tonight?"

"They only said they would come today for their money. (slight sneer) Their secretary didn't contact mine to make an appointment."

(Reverie and Iskander can continue making conversation.

Froskan can do an Investigation check. He might find items on the shelves that would be useful in a non-lethal brawl.

Jack and Trimyrai should roll Perception checks, for watching the streets for activity.)

Investigation: 6

Froskan is in the section with jars of ordinary salt (labeled "sanctified rock salt from the Salt Wastes"), bottles of water ("purified from Still Lake"), and pouches of flour ("golden wheat imported from the old nations"). He gets a little too caught up in deciding if any of the items were made outside the city walls.

Perception: 8

edit: (OOC: wow, guess i don't see much)

Trimyrai tries to pay attention to the surroundings, but his mind is racing and turbulent. He will finally see people he used to know from his village, for the first time in a year.

Perception: 15

(Hmm...) A pair of urchin kids are standing out in the open right next to Jack and Trimyrai, staring at them trying to be inconspicuous. It takes some effort to shoo them away without drawing more attention, but it is a distraction.

(Do "Jorin" (Iskander) or "Yet-to-be-named" (Reverie) have anything else they want to say to Mortimer?)

Isk leans in a quietly says, "Not with the gate, per se, but they are helping us find people.  We believe the people harassing you are people we are looking for." He gestures to Jack and Trim, "Those two over there are with us and we have a few more outside."

He leans back out and adds in a regular voice, "How did you come across such fine and exotic spices?"

(Jack and Trim are across the street, so they would be part of "a few more outside". Post 3534 map, the white areas are outdoors.)

"Oh, just good fortune for a poor merchant like myself to know traders from far and wide. And knowing the city well enough to get the goods though the gates more easily to where they need to go."

Reverie the "yet-to-be-named" hums in amusement at this sudden regular conversation after learning what is happening to them. "I am quite happy to see some goods and spices that are familiar to me. They make me miss my hometown," she mutters in a natural tone as she looks around if she could see the outside for a brief moment (to check if she could see anything strange at the peasants).

Investigation - 17 (if possilbe)

(Edit: I guess dices hate us D:)

Quote from Elliethedream >>

Investigation - 5 (if possilbe)

(Edit: I guess dices hate us D:)

In this case, there is nothing to find. :)

Reverie is puzzled to find a garish cloak labeled as coming from near her homeland. That area is not "fabled for their weavers" despite what it says on the description card, and those people use muted colors instead of this rainbow nightmare. She wonders where this cloak actually came from.

Reverie sighs a little before she points out at this garish cloak. "Is that also from our homeland also? I've never seen such a beautiful cloak like this."

With Reverie disguised with dirty and old rags, Mort does not recognize that she is from nobility. He talks to her like she is a peasant unaware of high fashion, trying to convince her to buy the cloak that would be worn by "only the rich & famous of the old East".

Outside, Jack and Trimyrai shoo away the kids, realizing almost too late that a suspicious-looking group of 8 had arrived and were entering the shop. (They will be seen by Iskander, Reverie, and Froskan as they go through the front doors.)

• At the back of the group are a trio of figures wearing black robes with the symbol of the hand of Bane in bright colors on their backs.
  • One has her head and face covered with a cowl. She is using a grey staff as a walking stick, although she marches with strength. All you can see of her is the skin on her hands, which are a bright blue-white.
  • The second is a middle-aged man, not yet elderly, with salt-and-pepper beard and a partially balding head. While past his prime, you can tell was a warrior in his youth. He matches the description of Warton Tallstag, the village elder of Trimyrai's former village. He glares quietly at his surroundings and the shop.
  • The third man has red hair that is greying, almost 40 in age. Impressive in height and athletic build, enough that he might have Goliath blood in his family history. He is licking his lips, laughing without humor, and almost dancing around the other two. He is carrying a great sword and a heavy crossbow. He matches the description of Darvin Emberwater, the previous athletics/hunting champion of Trimyrai's former village (before Trim became champion).
• The woman is holding chains that connect to the collars of the 2 men in the middle. They are massively muscled, covered with thick body hair, which you can tell because they are only wearing loincloths (despite the snow and winter temperatures). They seem almost feral, beating their chests, grunting and snarling, straining occasionally at the chains (but never threatening the trio behind them).
• In the front are a trio of peasants, 2 middle-aged women and an elderly man, dressed similar to the people you passed on the way to Mort's shop. They act scared of the people behind them (especially the 2 collared wild men), and are being herded into the shop.

That group enters the shop. The 3 peasants are shoved to the floor. The 2 wild men strike at a shelf, scattering those goods. Darvin speaks loudly and dramatically: "Mort the Wart, we are here to collect the money, for the protection of Bane!"

(OOC: I wanted to check what you had in mind, if the group wanted to act now, do some preparations, or continue watching to see what happens next.

Remember, the situation is like a police stakeout of a store, with possible armed robbers just entering. You have a few helpless civilians to worry about.)