"Selvin? Tarrov? Izzick? What say you?"

"It seems our best course of action at the moment," the half-orc said with a nod.

Selvin gave a nod. "Sounds fine, but we'd better hurry if we're to stop him, yes?" He hesitated and then frowned, "Should I summon my friend? I don't think we're going into combat..."

"Can you summon him later if you need him?"

Selvin gave a half-nod. "I can but it takes a full minute."

Dhatri looks at the boy. "This Gorgot...what does he look like? And you said something about a necklace..."

The boy scratches his chin. "Gor's got a big wart onna side of his nose. And he's missin' a chunk a' his ear...here..." The boy touches his left earlobe. "...from that time tha big rat got at 'im. His girl was talkin' about this necklace she saw with green glass beads at tha little market just inside tha Gate Square. I don' know who was sellin' it. Don't think Gorgot knew either. But he was gonna find it..."

You passed this market on the way here. A collection of sidewalk hawkers and produce carts that gathers in the square just inside the city gates.

"We should start there and quickly. Thank you."

The guards at the city gate had let you out of the city with a bored indifference. But when you join the queue to go back in, they seem much more attentive. They are questioning everyone. Poking into sacks and in a few cases pulling people out of line to search their persons. Fortunately, the guards seem to recognize you as Kroft's personal gofers and let you pass without much trouble. As you walk through the gates, you see the reason for their sudden passion for discipline. Two of those female soldiers you saw during the execution are hovering around. They seem to be speaking to the captain on duty. Though with those expressionless, full face plates it is hard to tell. One of them watches you pass. Her face plate is cold and almost featureless. She says nothing to you. Just simply watches.

The square just past the gate is thronged with peddlars and their customers. You see all sorts of vendors, some with a few cheap goods set out on blankets. Others with elaborate carts that showcase everything from fresh vegetables to mended pots. The scene appears chaotic but there is a method in all the madness. Those selling produce and other foodstuffs line the south end of the square. Those offering services take the western end. The north as the junk merchants. Those selling trinkets and cooking utensils and cheap shoes. If the boy...this Gorgot...was looking for a necklace of green beads, he should be searching the northern portion of the square.

We head for the north then.

22:57, Today: Vaddis Sonaden rolled 11 using 1d20. Perception.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:57, Mon 01 Sept 2014.

There are several youngsters who, at a distance, might be him. You all stop a few but seeing no wart and seeing an earlobe where it should be, let them pass.

Vaddis, you turn from where Izzick is questioning a peddler. Tarrov and Selvin are questioning a couple of hawkers right across the narrow lane formed by the various peddlar's displays. Suddenly a young man with a wart and missing earlobe strolls between the four of you. He is holding a necklace of green glass bads aloft, examing uow the sunlight looks when it passes through the bead. He stops looking around in a panic when one of you calls out his name.

On the back of the hand holding the necklace, you can all see the skin is red and dry, as if a rash were forming.

"We only wish to talk, nothing more. What's your is yours."

07:19, Today: Vaddis Sonaden rolled 25 using 1d20+10. Diplomacy.

Selvin casually sidled around to the side, impressed by the way in which Vaddis spoke. Usually the man was so forthright and direct. Well, he supposed that they had been in several situations that warranted that. And really Selvin wasn't in a position to point fingers.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:16, Wed 03 Sept 2014.

In reply to Selvin Larst (msg # 42):

Indeed. Nicely handled, even without the roll.

Gorgot visibly relaxes as he eyes the lot of you. "I...I know you guys? What's up? "

---

---

Tarrov nodded appreciatively at Vaddis, then turned to Gorgot.  "We've been told about the box you found earlier today.  Unfortunately, it might be linked to an illness, and we're attempting to investigate it.  We don't wish to take the box from you, but we are concerned about it.  Would you happen to still have it on you?  If so, would you mind allowing us to inspect it?  If not, do you know to where it might have gotten off to?"

The silver-haired man looked pointedly at the back of Gorgot's hand.  "And how long have you had that rash?"

---

---

As Vaddis caught up with the young man, Izzick pulled away from his conversation with the merchant who clearly seemed inclined to leak information once he bought something. A half dozen "No"s later and he managed to get away to join the others. As soon as he'd arrived however, things were looking down - the rash had started on the boy. Their lead was right, but Izzick was hoping they hadn't been too slow.

"Where is the merchant you sold the box to? Please show us the way."


09:12, Today: Vaddis Sonaden rolled 16 using 1d20+10. Diplomacy.

Selvin let the others handle it as they were doing a great job so far. He stayed ready in case the boy rabbited.

Gorgot looks at his hand and then around at each of you. He seems a little stunned. But he points to the end of the line of peddlars. "Him. Down there. Tha guy with all tha beads."

The man in question is seated on a blanket. Large baskets of glass beads in various hues surrond him and he is threading them onto leather strings in order to make neckalaces. He glances up at all of you and sighs. "Look...if you're here to ask for 'rent' coin I already paid Big Olfis. " His eyes narrow when you mention the box. He shrugs and reaches into a sack pulling it out.

It is perhaps mahagony. Though it's stained a deeper shade of black. Small fogures are carved onto the top and sides. Nonsense patterns designed to appeal to the eye.

"When I saw the boy had one a' these boxes, I traded him for it. These are fetching a nice price I hear. Too bad he cleaned out tha coin in it," the merchant laughs. "Then ot woulda been a really noce trade... "

Taking the box from him?

---

---

Tarrov looked at the box skeptically.  He did not move to take it, instead mumbling some words as he waved his hand over it, attempting to determine any magical properties it might have.

OOC:  Tarrov casts Detect Magic

---

---

Izzick looked uncertain, his forehead wrinkled as he brought up, "This may be a bigger problem than we thought. If those are catching on, there's no telling how many people have one at this point." Exactly how they could get all the boxes back before this spread was a new question entirely - or were they already too late for that. Perhaps with their connections with Kroft, they could get some sort of decree, but she seemed a busy woman with too few resources already. Stopping this wouldn't be as simple as they'd thought, it seemed.

Selvin shook his head and let out a deep sigh. "This is bad. Very bad." He looked to Tarrov to see what the man saw. This seemed to be a magical plague possibly. Could finding the source stop it from spreading or cure it? "I think we need to go check out that ship."

Vaddis gives the boy a good gold coin for his help.

"How much to purchase the box from you?" Vaddis asks the merchant, "it is infected with disease and can not be sold into the public except at great risk. Do you know where there are others of these?"

Tarrov, the box whiffs of necromancy. Necromantic magic always has the odor of burnt curry so it's hard to miss. The whiff isn't strong though. It seems to be coming from the inside of the box as opposed to the outside.

The merchant looks surprised. "Disease? Can't be. I feel fine..." He shrugs. "A few a' these boxes been washin' up on shore around here. The folks that find 'em pocket tha coin inside and then sell tha boxes. Usually we can sell 'em on to some Chelish merchant or such. Them Chelish like anything that looks all spooky ya know." He shakes his head. "I don' know if anyone has one now. I know Carla who sells shoes got one a couple days ago. Saw her earlier. So she's around somewhere."

Vaddis opens the box and looks inside. "Perhaps it wasn't the box afterall, perhaps it was the coins!"

Selvin grimly nodded at Vaddis' words. "That's just what I was thinking, but you beat me to it. We need to go get the boxes and stop more from coming in."