Narvil's wise counsel, vexing and tiresome as it may be sometimes, gives pause to the others, and they nod their collective heads in understanding. It's true - knocking on a door uninvited and offering to perform a job not yet publicly known could bring far worse than a dirty look, in some parts of town. Best to tread carefully in the beginning.

   The group makes its way across town, skirting the lower bazaar by a fair berth, seeing that the main road leading across the face of it is already too packed with pedestrians to squeeze through without inviting pickpockets [or worse] upon themselves.

   As they approach the section of town that contains the suspected 'closed' shop, the party is surprised to see, emerging from one of the busy storefronts ahead of them, a Thayan wizard. Red robes the color of bright, arterial blood swish around the legs of the man as he walks down the front steps, flanked by a trio of guards. He turns, makes a rude gesture at the storekeeper [who is now standing in the doorway of her shop with arms crossed over her chest], and then mounts his horse.
   "We'll see what your mayor has to say about that, witch!" he says loudly enough to be heard, before turning his group north and heading toward the mansion of the town leader.

   As there was no violence in the exchange, business quickly returns to normal in and around the street, and the shop owner goes back inside. Nobody pays any more mind to the brief delay in their individual business transactions, and soon the red wizard is forgotten, fallen into the background noise of the spirit of Theskan trade.

   The collector's shop is ahead and around the corner, according to Thac and Tal.

"Hm,"says Garik.  "That looks like someone who may definitely need help.  The shopkeep, I mean, not the Red Wizard.  Anyone who makes enemies of them may be a friend to us.  Shall we step over and see what we can find out?"  Garik is not overly fond of Red Wizards.  Their abuse of magical power makes too many people fear other honest wizards, and these little encroachments into other territories he's heard about don't sound like benign gestures to him.  There may be something to this altercation...

Lia grins.  "Let's do it." The blonde strides confidently forward, moving into the shop, hot on the man's heels.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:53, Fri 06 July 2007.

   The shop's interior is warm and inviting: several stands and tables line the walss and fill the corners, and no signs of a struggle or other disturbalnce seem to have occurred, despite the Thayan's harsh words outside. Homemade crafts seem to be the hallmark of this shop, from handwoven items to knicknacks to the odd assortment of jewelry and accoutrements.

   The female proprieter, a woman in her mid thirties, smiles at Garik and Lia - obviously recognizing them from the street scene outside. It would seem she is a very perceptive businesswoman.

   "And another fine pair of gentlefolk comes to peruse my wares...or should I say company?" She quickly amends her statement as the rest of the party follows their fellows inside [assuming the other three do].

Lia smiles back.  "Very nice establishment you have here." Her eyes linger over the pieces of jewellry before she gets back to business. "If you don't mind me asking, what's the story with the wizard?  He seems a strange sort to be in somewhere like this."

   "Oh, I don't mind...but there are others who would say that business is business, and this is none of yours. Though that would be others, as I said."
   She watches the others mill about the place for a few seconds, then returns her attention to Lia.

   "He thought to cheat me with an object he claimed to be from the frozen northlands of Icewind Dale. I used a spell to determine the truth of his claims, and in the process destroyed one of his precious items he was trying to sell. Now he seeks to be reimbursed for damages that do not exist...ah, the mayor will see to him. What can I do for *you* today?"

Tal follows the others inside the store, keeping quiet. He turns and with a wide eye stare and looks at all the nick nacks. He has never been in a store like this one before and was simply amazed. He was looking,prodding and willing to buy something. But then he frowns as he remembers he is low on cash. Maybe next time, Tal thiinks to himself.

He turns back towards Lia and listens intently, wondering to himself , Why did we come in here? He smiles at the lady and waits for Lia's answer to the womens question.

Narvil stopped at the front door as he saw the items sold in the shop. Jewelry was not the kind of goods he used to purchased. He finally entered into the shop to hear the woman's story.

"To tell the truth, we were just intrigued by the attitude of the Red Wizard of Thesk and wondered what was the matter. Their dark arts are source of many dangers and problems ... However, in this case he will probably gain reimbursment from you as you destroyed his good and nothing might prove that it was not what he claims. "

Narvil paused to examine the woman intensively.

   The shopkeep regards Narvil with a critical eye. "One would expect that if the scrimshaw item he claimed to bear was *truly* made from the bones of a knucklehead trout it would be somewhat more resistant to cold, being from that region, wouldn't one? In any case, the deed is done, and I'll abide by the good Lady's decision." She does not seem terribly worried that the mayor will decide against her, should it come to 'trial'.

Lia smiles at the merchant.  "I am sure Lady Luck will smile on you.  After all, your intentions were only to ensure you were not swindled." She looks in Narvil's direction, a twinkle in her green eyes, before turning back to the merchant.  "Have you been involved at all with the merchant that has just taken up premises around the corner?  Folk tell us that he is very mysterious, and is not actually selling anything."

   "Involved?" The woman's demeanor changes slightly...cools a bit, though her smile only fades just a bit. "No, I can't say that I have. Can't say that anyone has, really." She glances at one of the other party members who seems interested in something on one of her shelves, but dismisses it as simple curiosity.
   "That place used to sell music and instruments some time ago. Not much call for that in this town, or from passers-by, so it packed up and moved on. Whoever this new merchant is, they haven't opened up yet, nor have they decided to make the acquaintance of the rest of their neighbors, at least not formally." She shrugs, not knowing what else to say on the matter.

   "This would look lovely against your skin" she says, switching the subject smoothly as she steps over to a rack of earrings and picks one out for Lia.

Lia looks in Garik's direction and grins, before looking back at the merchant.  "I know of someone who probably should buy me something from here, so I might bring him back later.  For now, thank you for your time.  I meant no offense when I asked of the other merchant, please forgive me if I caused any."

" It is sad indeed when a red wizard would attempt to fool an honest person trying to make a living. I cannot imagine someone doing that..why not just make money the legal way." Tal shrugged and looked at the others wondering if they could learn anything else from the shopkeeper. HE was still a bit confused as to what they were goign to do next. Good thing for him the others seemed to know exactly what to do.

" So the other store is not even open? Hmmm interesting.. Talrylil looks at the shopkeeper and smiles and simply waits patiently again.

Lia bids the merchant farewell and leads the group out of the shop.  She then turns the corner and goes looking for the closed shop.

While leaving the shop Tal asks a simple question," I may have forgotten but what exactly are we going to tell the shop owner? Are we just checking it out ?  What is our play here, if you will? Tal looks about while walking down the street making sure he was not over heard.

Lia shrugs her slender shoulders.  "To be honest I am not sure.  I was planning to ask Narvil to check the place out for sinister people, and if that failed, I was then going to knock on the door."

Tal chuckles and then follows along, "Well I guess that is as good a plan as any. But ummmm I mean what if he does not answer? If he does answer then what are we goign to say? And then what if he is evil or Narvil feels some evil intent? And then what if there is no evil intent but they answer? And then what if they answer and we ask about getting a job and he asks about how do we know? And then.... Tal pauses a bit as he realizes he was starting to act a bit paranoid. He chuckles at himself and smiles sheepishly. Quiet to hear some answers or a plan from the others.

Sorry...a bit excited as you can tell.

   Tal's energetic stream of questions serves at least one purpose: it shortens the conscious amount of time it takes for the party to exit the curio shoppe, walk down the avenue, and go around the corner to where this merchant's shop is supposed to be located.

   People mill about in the street, chatting with one another, showing goods just purchased in a nearby shop or discussing which one to enter next. One nearby patron makes a point of exclaiming how much more pricey the goods are here as opposed to the upper bazaar...and is quickly driven off by one of the shopkeepers! It seems that false advertising by 'seeding the crowd' has a firm root in Phent on market days!

   The distraction passed, the group finds itself standing before the closed and shuttered frontage of their target building. It is a rather narrow shop, not much more than twenty or thirty feet across, and has no awning or signage to speak of to display the possible wares within.

   It is difficult to say from who or where the feeling of being watched comes, because at one point or another, nearly everyone is glancing at the group: some as they move past, some as they stop to look with them, and others as they stand in or near the nearby shops' doorways. No one makes eye contact with the group for more than a second at most, and likewise, none offer words or conversation, either.

   Still, if they wished to be known as adventurers, they couldn't let a simple closed door stop their progress every time, or they wouldn't get much accomplished, now would they?

Lia is used to being watched, mostly in taverns, but she finds the quick glances rather unnerving.  When they arrive, she turns to Narvil.   "Well, can you detect anything unsavoury?"

Narvil glared at the building as much concentrated as possible. He then looked at the poeple gathered around he begun to move around the corner, trying to seem uninterested by the building but in reality, still examinating it with attention.

OOC : Narvil is of course using his detect evil ability

   The knight of justice moves forward slowly, methodically, concentrating on his divine power to discern the auras of his enemies. He is at first somewhat distracted by the negativity of the small groups of people passing by; hucksters with selfish intentions against their marks, several orcish mercenaries on leave from their garrison duties to the east, and even the lingering residue of what he presumes is the passing of the Red Wizard some sixty paces to his rear, at the intersection they crossed.
   His movement around the front of the building helps him narrow his focus, though, and at first he is surprised - and to some small extent, relieved - to detect only one aura of darkness within the building. Pursing his lips, he recalls hearing that it was a small group that entered the city gates, which gives him cause for thought: where are the others?

   As his concentration continues to draw focus, he becomes aware that the subject of his scrutiny is moving...toward the front of the building!

   Narvil barely has time to react, much less warn his fellows, when suddenly the front door of the place opens up, and a man, a human male, is framed in the doorway. Dressed in simple commoner's garb, the figure looks out and down from the top step, glaring for a few seconds at the party members milling about the front of the unopened shop.
   "Hrrmph" he snorts through his nose derisively at the nearest one, then walks down the steps and past them all, out into the street.

   Behind him, someone comes to the door which has been left open a crack. An eye peers outward into the street, then closes the door behind the exiting man. A bolt can be heard sliding into place.

Thac looks around for the others.  Crap!! I was daydreaming. Thac sees them exit a small shop and start walking toward the unopened one.  Thac starts after them.  However, he only manages to catch up with them as a figure steps out and past the group.

"Good day sir, can I perhaps bring some elven wine over later.  It's from the age of old."  Thac says in rush just like an auctioneer at auction.

[Private to DM Lobo: Attempting to act like a wine merchant.  (Just trying to stop him for a mintue.)07:49, Today: Thac Morne rolled 9 using 1d20+3. bluff (wine merchant).]
This message was last edited by the player at 03:52, Mon 16 July 2007.

   The man's steps barely skip a beat as he brushes past the quick-witted Thac and continues on his way without a backwards glance. It seems he is not in the market for wines or spirits today.

Tal looked around the building with a sour expression. He looked at the locked up establishment and knew that they were out in the open. The looks given by others passing by are a testament to that. He knew they were known by the people inside. What were the others expecting? He shook his head in disgust and asked in a harsh whisper< " Hmmm I really suggest we go and at least have some sort of plan...no? Tal did not like standing out here in the open. He looked back to the others, Should we not at least go somewhere we can talk?"

Tal noticed that Thac had ran to follow the other guy, he figurd he had a good idea. IF it worked or not was not the point, right now he wanted to get away and not seem so conspicious. He turned without waiting for an answer from the others and followed Thac, " Hey wait a sec Thac...."

Narvil came back to the others and urged them to react.

I sensed only a single darkened aura, and it comes from the man Thac just talked to. And he is the only link with the building and their inhabitants we have. Someone should follow him to see what's going on. The occasion might never happen again before days. It's not time to lose his trail !
This message was last edited by the player at 14:45, Wed 18 July 2007.