Swen you dont see too many things that are that exciting, there do seem to be several small pelts of some sort of racoon sized animal at one stall. The man selling them doesnt seem very talkitive. Its very dark fur but very soft. He has some other furs but it appears to be simple rabbit fur.
There is a few stalls down from him is a man with dark obsidian skin, brilliant white curled horns and the smallest hints of the smell of brimstone selling what appears to be little songbirds in cages. There are however 3 large crow like birds merely sitting on stands watching passerbys... one of them is a brilliant black, so dark that the gleam of the sun makes a slight rainbowlike glimmer on its feathers. When you approach it flaps its wings excitedly and whistles out almost a cat call.
The bird beside it, same size is a dark brown and it seems to shake its head at its darker companion making a kek kek kek noise almost as if its laughing at the others antics...the third is white as snow... except with the wing tips they are as dark as the first birds. It merely stares at you for the moment its head tilted slightly. It does appear to be studying you almost as if its trying to decide if you are worth the energy to do anything for.
Hanging back with the other women as the others head off to negotiate passage with a caravan, Thorn notes the whistle that draws Swen's attention, studying both the caged songbirds and the larger ones.
The obvious teifling smiled overly politely to you Swen. You almost felt oily after that.
"Theze birbs myf Dear are fitheach bribs, sometimes called Elven crows yah? Smart things they are trainable."
He began rubbing his hands together, you noticed he had 4 larger than normal fingers on each hand.
The teifling is lying but probably out of ignorance, They are 'elven' ravens not crows but close enough really. You know they are very intelligent animals and trainable, if they want to be. Some of known for very stubborn natures.
"You have a good eye myf Dear. This lovely Birb here would lookf good on your shoulder yah?"
He began reaching his hand over towards the rainbow blacked bird. It stood there for a moment and stared at the leather armband before stepping onto it.
You gentleman find out pretty easily there are at least a dozen caravans that make their way to your destination. Three of them will be leaving soon. None of them are 'hiring' extra guards at the moment, its a relatively safe journey. Two of them are very glad to have you folk travel along, even if you want to occasionally ride in one of the wagons, but you either pay for your food or bring your own. The third caravans owner is a bit more of an ass, making sure you either pay to travel with them for the extra security he will provide with his guards... you notice he wears a lot of white, including his gloves. No doubt one of the prophets of Kalistrade.
Examining the good being readied to leave the first caravan has bulk foodstuffs, like spices and things, along with casks of Ale, no doubt dwarven considering how close the five king mountains are.
The second caravan consists mostly of tools, again clearly of dwarven make, though two of the wagons are half filled with simple steel bars no doubt for trading with elven smiths to use.
The wagons of the Prophet is completely covered and he offers no hints of what is inside the wagons at all.
Lastly you do find a single fellow, a very pale gnome with a large wagon that seems heavily modified with extra cabinets, boxes and crates strapped on to the large open cart. A half dozen mules are standing in line waiting for the fellow, as he was waiting and watching several men carry heavy casks and load them onto the back of his cart.
All smiles for the moment the trader does indeed slowly reach his arm out torwards you and after several long awkward moments the bird finally decides to step over.
"They are very smart Birbs yes. Of course he can be trained to shut up."
Almost on cue all three birds started up with a kinda loud kek kek kek laughing sound. The black bird leaned forward entirely obscuring your view for a moment its brilliant yellow eye staring into yours for a long moment then it sat back up straight.
It wasnt that heavy, you would guess about 4 pounds but you could defitnitely feel the weight of the bird on your shoulder.
Amed greets and speaks with each of the caravan bosses. Despite the rude behavior from the Kalistrade, the magus enjoys speaking with someone from his homeland, if but for a little while.
Amed takes a quiet moment with the half-orc to discuss their options.
"So, Aurelain, what are your thoughts on our various paths north. The second caravan looks to be making the most direct line to Kyonin. Yet the bleached gnome appears to travel without guard. Maybe we should chat him up, and see if he could use some guards?"
"I'll think I might skip on it, although I always wanted a familiar, my bloodline is not one of those who gets the ability to form a bond with an animal in that way. And I've never had any particular skill in bonding with animals, they seem to avoid me like the can smell or feel I'm not quite right." Nicenzia responds to Swens question admiring the birds.
"They're very intelligent, and can be easily trained....if they feel like it. 'Elven' ravens can be very ornery." Thorn adds.
Amed greets and speaks with each of the caravan bosses. Despite the rude behavior from the Kalistrade, the magus enjoys speaking with someone from his homeland, if but for a little while.
Amed takes a quiet moment with the half-orc to discuss their options.
"So, Aurelain, what are your thoughts on our various paths north. The second caravan looks to be making the most direct line to Kyonin. Yet the bleached gnome appears to travel without guard. Maybe we should chat him up, and see if he could use some guards?"
I too feel drawn to this gnome. He would be interesting to travel with. I am sure he knows much from his long life. And even though the way is rumored to be safe it seems we could do a small amount of good to travel with him, no? At the very least our group could distract him from the bleaching for a time.
Amed nods in agreement with Aurelain. The suli, with the half-orc I imagine, walk up and introduce themselves to the bleached gnome.
"Greetings, gentle sir. Are you pray tell traveling up into Kyonin territory? If so, myself, my companion here", Amed alludes to the human-looking half-orc, "and my companions are seeking travel into those elven lands. We members of Team Grey would offer security and amity during the journey, if taken on." The magus finishes with a friendly bow.
"Well, if you guys don't want one, guess I'll just get one for myself! How much for the ornery bird, mister?"
"1 gold, 5 silver... and I will throw in the sleeping cage for free."
The man offered his voice oily smooth.
Amed nods in agreement with Aurelain. The suli, with the half-orc I imagine, walk up and introduce themselves to the bleached gnome.
"Greetings, gentle sir. Are you pray tell traveling up into Kyonin territory? If so, myself, my companion here", Amed alludes to the human-looking half-orc, "and my companions are seeking travel into those elven lands. We members of Team Grey would offer security and amity during the journey, if taken on." The magus finishes with a friendly bow.
[dice=Diplomacy (with Practiced Impression)]1d20 + 12 + 2
The gnome jumped as you approached and spoke, although you could have sworn he glanced torwards you as you approached you appeared to take him by surprise.
"Te..te...team gre...grey?"
He began scratching a finger into his the edge of the cap covering his hair while his lips pursed into a slight frown as it was clear he was thinking.
"Oh ye..yes Kyonin. I've ive family that way in Omesta. Er... yeah... Omesta."
He frown grew larger for a moment but he shook his head.
"Traveling companions would be nice. Its a lonely trip on the road. Where are you headed?"
He asked still keeping half an eye on the men loading his cart with barrels.
"Traveling companions would be nice. Its a lonely trip on the road. Where are you headed?"
"Well, our ultimate destination is a city on the edge of the Tanglebriar." Amed keeps his answers vague for he knows their are many ears around. "If you can get us close wonderful; if not, we will make ourselves the rest of the way. Also we have one standard size chest to transport, will that be acceptable?"
"Excellent," exclaims Swen as she drops the appropriate amount of coin in the tieflings palm.
Proudly, she turns to Thorn and Nicenzia, the bird on her shoulder "Anything you ladies wish to procure while we're in town?"
Nicenzia looks to Swen with her new bird on her shoulder "I'm fine thank you, I would love to get away from the sun though and relax my arms, it kinda hurts a little holding the umbrella up for long periodes at time without rest." she says smiling at Swen. "You kinda have the look of a pirate around you with that bird on your shoulder. Not in a bad way, it looks good, just saying some might get the idea you are one."
"Eehlf eehlf"
The bird chittered from your shoulder its head bobbing up and down as if it were nodding.
"Nothing that o can think of." Thorn says, smiling as she watches the other two women effortlessly flirt with each other.
"You would certainly make a good looking elf. The only thing I can think off that might tell everyone you are not an elf, is if you can't speak elven with the other elves. But you could fool me I won't understand you." Nicenzia says smiling.
"Rwy'n ei siarad yn rhugl mewn gwirionedd" Thorn says with a grin, speaking in the flowing tones of elvish.
After a moment she translates, with a smile "I speak it fluently actually,"
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"It is a beatiful language, much better than that danmed infernal I grew up listening to. In regards to the boys either they are fine and have secured travel to Kyonin by now, or Amed got into trouble and Aurelain have to pull his ass out of the fire." Nicenzia responds with a laugh.
The little gnome frowned and fretted at the offer of guards for his wagon. Extra folk would be useful.
"Well gentlemen Im not flush with coin at the moment, but I can certainly pay you some, more if we actually run into trouble. You have something to transport you say? an old chest, should be easy enough plenty of space... Just uh.. I wouldnt recomend touching the good have loaded.. senstive...yes its sensitive. You mentioned others?"
He asked looking about seeing only you two.
There are all sorts of wares for sale. If you want to make either a dc 13 appraise check or a dc 13 local check you might be able to find some goods to carry that possible could see better in the elven lands... if you are looking to supplement your income.
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Thorn smiles at Swen's taunt, taking in the caravan they'd likely be joining.
Nicenzia looks at the different stalls they pass on the way back to the boys, but she doesn't see anything that she wanted to buy. "To bad I didn't find anything good to buy, hope we can find something good once we get to Kyonin, they have to have some good magical items to browse over." she says as she tries to both watch the stalls and follow Swen and Thorn.
When they return to the rest of the party. "So did the two of you find us travels to get us closer to Kyonin?"
She walks up to Aurelain and Amed with her new pet bird on her shoulder, "Hey boys, look what I got. Jealous?"
When they return to the rest of the party. "So did the two of you find us travels to get us closer to Kyonin?"
With a tone of irritation, Amed observes Swen's new feathered friend and sighs. "Typical. The men do all the work, while the ladies shop."
Turning to Nicenzia, the magus continues. "Why yes, we have." Gesturing to the bleached gnome, Amed makes introductions."This distinguished gentleman has agreed to our company and cargo up to Omesta, and perhaps more. He has warned us about the sensitivity of his cargo, and wishes us to not touch it." The suli goes around the group introducing everyone.
"I'm sorry, sir", bowed Amed to the gnome. "I don't think we've had the pleasure. What is your name?"
"Of course we go and shop, I'm pretty certain you would be disappointed, if we ladies didn't have time to buy our stuff so we can look our best all the time. And I for one thinks the raven fits Swen perfecly well." She responds to Amed with a teasing smile, before he starts interducing everyone.
"Greetings all, you shall hear nothing from me about your sensitive cargo, all I'd like to ask is, if it's possible to get a ride in the shade, if the sun gets to bright on our travels?" Nicenzia asks the leader of the caravan while looking over the different wagons. "I won't touch anything, I just need to sometimes get our of the sun if it's too strong. Most of the time my umbrella here should do the trick." she says showing the shade her umbrella provides her.
The gnome drew in a deep breath and pratically stood up on his toes.
"I am good sirs and mams Zipzazzle Von Kikkanen Derothse ...the third. Inventor and sage extraordinaire."
He paused for a moment and looked torwards the wagon as a man thumped a small cask on it too roughly for the gnome's liking.
"Egads! You Brutes! I said carefully carefully! Thats grade five black powder in that cask. DO you want to blow us all into the Dwarven mountains?"
He began wildly shaking his fist at the man who wasnt being as careful as the gnome would like.
The suli turns to his teammates with a surprised grin on his face. "Okay. Nothing to worry too much about. It's only a little gunpowder. But the price is nice and we could earn some coin on the way. Everything will be fine."
Nicenzia is curious "Uh I've never seen grade five black powder before, is it really that unstable that a it can do that much without a fire?" she asks Zipzazzle.
She notices Swen looks like she wanted to check the cargo, and hopes she leaves this one alone.
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Swen’s fingers cease their twitching and she spins away from the wagon, walking ahead of the wagon. She waves her hand in a circle above her head, “Ok then, let’s hit the road!”
Once on the road, at some point she’ll ask the gnome, “So, Zippy, what’re you planning to do with all that explosive, anyway?”
"Fizzbangers Sparkblowers and Skyflowers of course!"
The gnome said excitedly his hand and fingers animatedly moving and wiggling about. It was clear that whatever he was talking about seemed really exciting.
"I use the powders in different alchemical recipe's to make visual entertainment of the pyrotechnic kind miss."
He said somewhat more calmly. Once everything was loaded He moved to the drivers seat of the wagon. He wasnt very large so it certainly had space for anyone to ride along with.
"Load up what you need to folks, daylight's burning."
He said with a sort of chuckle.
"We'll guess we might as well get ourselves situated." Thorn suggests, hefting her pack.
Swen is ready to hit the road. She walks up to Aurelain and Amed with her new pet bird on her shoulder, "Hey boys, look what I got. Jealous?"
Oh, what a beautiful bird. What does it eat? I hope you bought food for it. Aurelain adds, genuinely trying to be helpful.
Aurelain jogs to catch up with Svin. Mind if I take point with you and your new bird friend? And have you named him, let, or did he come with a name?
Well, is it a boy or a girl? Aurelain asks Swen before asking the bird directly. Hello pretty bird. Do you have a name?
"Mind if I weigh in on the name? It is an elven bird and we are on our way to Kyonin so perhaps call it Koyo or Kyo, not sure if the names matter in regards to the birds gender, but it would allow you to always remember on which adventure you encountered and bought this fine bird." Nicenzia says joining in on the naming of Swen's bird.
I like it. Aurelain says with a smile.