>>5166>Lionshield Coster is just over there Nya!>Let's buy a cloak for Alice and a shield for Ashley Nya!Ashley sees how much coin everyone has and scratches her head, "I still feel jipped somehow, but ok. One shield please?"
A woman is in back stocking some things you remember giving to Hobby. She turns to Ashley with a glance and stands. She's a tall, elegant woman, fair skin, dark hair, and a stern expression, "I have to apologize that my prices are so high, aren't you the traders who came into town last night?"
"Yeah, that's us, not that I can afford what I need anyway. We didn't make much on this trip that wasn't Gundren's, he just hired us goons to escort the shipment and we couldn't even do that right. Now we have to go save him from whatever fate he and Sildar's gotten themselves into, not to mention the other Rockseekers' are up to, running off to rescue their brother. One big mess after another and what's up with the frost? Isn't this supposed to be 'never winter' down here?"
She was taken aback by Ashley's ramblings, "I don't have all the information, I heard something about Gundren being stuck, his brothers Tharden and Nundro came through here this morning right after I opened looking for supplies for cave mapping. I did find it odd they looked so worried. Gundren brings in a lot of what I need to run this shop, what are you missing that you need?"
Ashley looked toward her with the most desperate puppy-dog expression she could muster, "Thieves' tools and a shield. First I gotta stay alive long enough to get to him, then, if he's chained up, bashing his wrists with a great sword probably won't be a good idea. He'll be free but no hands."
Ashley pulled her hands into her sleeves and gave a sad face as if her hands were chopped off by a Tabaxi Barbarian to free her from Goblin chains. [PERFORMANCE 1d20+4=11 vs DC10] [HIDDEN ROLL(S)]She looked pained, not necessarily in an empathetic way, but it did affect her, "Okay, tell you what, you can have the shield and thieves' tool kit and I'll have Gundren owe it to me by coming back here alive and well. What do you say?"
Ashley was a little surprised that she got that for free, "Uhhhh, throw in a child-sized cloak and you got yourself a deal!"
Ashley then smiled innocently and held it long enough for it to turn creepy. [PERSUASION 1d20+4=17] "Just rescue those loveable dwarven fools that keep this town afloat and we're even, otherwise you'll owe me 150 for the shield, 375 for the tool kit and 15 for the wool cloak, now who's the cloak for?"
Ashley looked around and pointed to Alice, "Slimeball in a blanket thing there, she's also a girl... thing sometimes, about 4 and a half tall?"
Ashley ran over to the ball o' blanket and pulled Alice up out of it like a nearly drown puppy, the girlish doll-shape slowly congealed into a shivering humanoid figure."Ew."
"Hey, this is my friend... ish and she has feelings... probably, so don't judge her for being a slime ball, monster, porcelain rubber doll... thing."
Ashley shook the form of her friend-ish companion and the legs popped down and filled in like a dog's rubber chew squeaky toy."Okay, um, I'll have to do some quick tailoring, which I'd charge you for but again, only if Gundren isn't rescued."
In a few minutes she came back with the cloak and delicately placed it around Alice, "Good?"
[Optional Response #1]Ashley gave her two thumbs up, "Now we just need a muzzle... just kidding!"
"About the cold, rumor is there's an anomaly to the Southeast in the mountains. Several weeks ago something fell from the sky in that region and not too long after there was snow seen in the local mountains, but who knows what's going on. I suppose if it grows big enough to effect Neverwinter then maybe someone will do something about it. Maybe we'll be 3 feet under snow by then."
[Optional Response #2]