"High society seems to have a literal meaning in this city. Looks like you need wings to enter the more refined quarters," Zothan remarks as the group approaches the city.
At the entrance, he heads toward the ysoki merchant, flashing a bright smile.
"Hello there, good fellow! I'd like to see your wares. And perhaps you can share a bit of scuttlebutt about this fair city with a group of weary travelers."
When Zothan approaches he sees a sign next to the makeshift stall.
" Famous Acquisitions and Curiosities." The gap is in the place where someone's name should be, but there is nothing there at all.
There are two cave lizards, each the size of a mastiff, that are used to hold most of his wares.
The ysoki seems to be someone dejected, often stumbling over his words. "Oh, hello good travelers. I apologize for my limited wares, but I hope that you find something that you can use."
"You need to be careful in this city." he says, in reply to Zothan."The fey are tricky. I once had a store in the city. A satyr, his name is Garphinollo, offered me a wondrous gift for my good reputation. I thought that he was showing me courtesy for years of being an honest businessman."
"That was not the case. Instead, he now has my name, and my reputation. My customers have forgotten me. I don't even know my name. He won't even speak to me. But, he doesn't know you! Perhaps, you good travelers can speak to him, and get him to return what is mine. If you can, I will give you what he gave me, a magical fiddle."
"... Wait, if he stole your name, wouldn't that mean your name is Garphinollo then?" Jaxi piped up from around Zothan's back, looking over the assortment of items that he had. Humming and hawing as she inspected everything. Her mind had already gone back to how dangerous that previous fight was, and how quickly it could have gone downhill...
"A cold iron blanche and some elixir of life would be good. I shouldn't carry the elixir, though, someone else should as an emergency in case I get knocked out. How much are you charging for those, if you have them?" Jaxi gave the ysoki the best smile she could manage.
"We'll, of course, look into getting your name back as well."
"No. He stole my name and reputation in exchange for the fiddle. He did not trade it for his." explains the ysoki.
He shakes his head at Jaxi's first request. "I don't carry those. Sorry.". However, he does have the Elixirs of Life.
”What a dastardly deed. We shall certainly keep our wits about us when dealing with the fae, snd if we encouter Garphinollo, we’ll do what we can to get your name back.”
"To lose your name? That's horrific. YEs, we'll do what we can to help." He asks "I do not know the ways of Fae, or this town, are there temples here?"
"No. There are no temples." the nameless Ysoki tells Dyrm.
Dyrm nods and frowns then looks to the others "This is all very strange to me. Anyone have a preference on how we go from here?"
"Well, at the moment, our best bet for finding the information we're looking for would be to help our friend here. Shopkeep like yourself must know a lot, so we'll do a trade for a trade. We get you back your name and you can tell us what you know about the Cult of the Worm!" Clapping her hands and acting like he had already agreed to the deal, she'd turned to march off into the city proper. She had no idea where she was going but she figured they'd find it easily enough once they were in there.
Jaxi leads the way to the guardhouse that is by the bridge that leads into the city.
Torches glowing with violet flame cast cool light from the walls of this small stalactite-mounted fortress. A rope bridge leads from the ledge to the main door, which is flanked by identical statues of a regal nymph. Rickety wooden gates block the various doors and perches that emerge from the stalactite at various levels.
The rickety bridge connects two halves of a stone bridge that the middle part of is missing.
The guard post is occupied, in and out, by about a dozen redcaps.
Some look at you, some are laughing about how "Interhoff lost his patrol, and more importantly his hat!"
One looks you over and says "10 gold each to enter the city."
You can pay, or you can try to talk them into a lower or no payment, which in this case would be with an Influence event.