Bubbling Bargain
2nd of Lamashan 4707 A.R. (Absalom Reckoning)
"Huh, someone's watching you?" the three foot fey-kin popped up. "You sure about that big fella? You don't look like you'd be easy to rob even on a dark night with the moon up the Old Goat's ass, much less in the middle of Fleet with these strapping kin of yours watching your back."
Normally Gorok would have asked how any beast could get the moon stuck in its backside, but he had learned enough of warm-bloods to know they would make the most outlandish comparisons just to be spared the bother of calling things by name. Sometimes he wondered if they were all half songbird, all the more so since the alchemist was all sorts of colors that would make a belted kingfisher proud.
"He was watching, blood in eye and hand to hilt," he simply proclaimed.
Looking unconvinced but curious, the shopkeeper stepped up to the window and looked to where the iruxi had tipped his head. "Huh... yeah that looks suspicious as all heck. Fisherman's boots see, eel-skin, but he ain't got a fisherman's hands, which might mean he's about to hit you with some bottled lightning, or that he got them off the last stiff he made... Or you know, he could have gotten them honest like, just like that big knife of his with a groove on the side for poison."
Mirindi Sense Motive: 1d20+14 = 26 (Success)
Mirindi Knowledge (Local): 1d20+17 = 35 (Success)
"Well?" Sirim-spirit hissed the word. "Where can we find the nearest guard post?"
"What, and report him for having the wrong kind of boots?" the gnome scoffed. "I don't know where you come from, though I
can make a good guess I can, but here in Adnoran it's the people who are in charge. As it so happens, the people don't like it when some fella with a tall hat and shinny buttons on their coat harass them over someone just claiming they're being followed. 'Till they pull that knife out on your scaled friend they've got as many rights as you do, more assuming they're locals, which is good bet they are."
"Then once malice has been appropriately proven, I assume that the guards would reimburse me for the wasted resources?"
True, Gorok did not know what one of those words meant, but he could guess enough to wave a hand for peace, scattering some of Sirim's mantle of smoke.
"Does no good to argue with her when it's not her that made the custom. Might as well argue about the sun in the sky," he advised. Truth be told the iruxi would have preferred to see a bit less of the sun if it meant Akorian was with them. Cursed to find trouble he might have been, but even better at talking his way out.
With a huff that was a line of frozen shadows in the air the serpent-magician stilled and contented himself to offering battle advice to S'irsk, Rasok, and Jirik who were far too sensible to interrupt, even if they weren't planning to follow it.
Putting the enemy outside out of his mind for now, Gorok took out the witch-bag and from it the six cave snail eggs. "Cave Slug eggs, how much?"
She tapped her chin and took out some kind of odd measuring tool. "Something tells me you're not going to find much in the way of a buyer if I turn these down, and who knows how long they'd be good for. Tells you what, I just brewed a batch of Unseen Vapors, invisibility as far as boring labels go. I'll sell you one of them for every two eggs..." she looked around, visibly counting tails. "Ah, what the Hells, the Rose smiles on the generous. I'll trade you
four potions for all six of the eggs, that way you can break contact and get back to your friends before trouble find you."
At that Gorok nodded in understanding, though not yet in agreement. He then asked if she knew of any smith who would be willing to make armour for a slurk.
"Yeah, I know an old coot of an elf who'd put barding on a manticore if it stood still long enough. Just stick him..." she motioned at Sirim. "In a bottle or something while you do it. I think old Zimi-Zim has a history, if you know what I mean." In the end the iruxi gathered that the elf in question was not actually named 'Zimi-Zim', that he was a smith of some repute, but quick to anger and slow to forgive. Elves, Gorok recalled, could live for many more years than man and iruxi both, a long time for skill and spite both to simmer.
What does Gorok do?
[] Take the Trade: Lose Slug Eggs, gain 4 Potions of Invisibility
-[] And use them (Sirim uses one of his spells on Warty so everyone is covered)
-[] And keep them, will continue on to the smith as though nothing had happened
[] Don't take the trade, you want gold: Lose Giant Slug Eggs, Gain 1,000 gp
[] Write in
Andoran Dictionary
The Old Goat - Name given to Asmodeus by agitators during the People's Revolt, popularized by a satiric play wherein the Lord of the Ninth is tricked by a farmer into eating celery for a whole year instead of the hearts of his family. Despite being denounced by the Church of Erastril of Iomedae and Abadar for making fun of a great evil, it remains in use in Andoran and Galt to this day as well as being a favored insult among the Cult of Milani.
OOC: I hope you guys don't mind the back to back interludes. 
