Gnothing of Gnote. Gno, Really!

Arphaxad: Wonderful...a gnome...
A gnome steps up to Sonadora and waggles a finger in her face.
The gnome, whom you assume to be Gnorm, is dressed haphazardly in a hodgepodge of fabrics and colors. A leather apron, covered by a silk tabard with a silver image of an arm and anvil on it, hangs over a dirty white (yellow?) shirt. This is matched by a set of leather breeches that have seen better decades, steel-toed boots, and a jaunty orange hat complete with eye-protection. Underneath it all, you can make out a middle-age, dark-skinned gnome with a black goatee. At least, it's black right now - you're not sure what the original color might be.
Gnorm: That's right a gnome! You scoundrel!
Gnorm: Thief!
Ranja blinks.
Sonadora stares in shock.
Gnorm moves his waggling finger to Arphax.
Sonadora: Hello.
Gnorm waggles his finger at the crowd for good measure, just in case.
Arphaxad: Thief?
Geyer: Knowledge: Nobility [1d20+1 = 9]
Gnorm: That's right! You touched my cart! I saw it. Or rather... I detected it.
Arphaxad: And what, pray tell, have I stolen?
GM: No luck on the check.
Gnorm takes an appraising glance at the cart... though you wonder how he'd be able to tell.
Gnorm: Hmm... it all looks to be in place.
Gnorm: So...
Gnorm turns an inquisitive eye towards Arphax.
Gnorm: Customer?
Sonadora glances in wonder at the cart.
Sonadora: What is all this?
Gnorm: Gnorm's Gniceties and Gnick Gnacks, of course!
Geyer: Accusing us of theft is dangerously close ta insulting our honor, little gnome.
Gnorm tugs on a string attached to the cart, and you hear a soft explosion from inside.
Sonadora gasps!
Gnorm: That was...supposed to be... um. Fireworks.
Gnorm: Well! No matter.
Gnorm turns towards Geyer.
Sonadora: Don't worry. It sounded interesting!
Gnorm: Well, you did set off my Thief-Detector. And therefore, there was a high probability that you were in fact thieves.
Geyer stares down at the gnome.
Geyer: Intimidate [1d20+6 = 25]
Gnorm: That is... ah...
Gnorm backpedals.
Gnorm: I'm sure it has some bugs in it...
Geyer continues the staredown.
Gnorm: Maybe a bit of tinkering could... um...
Geyer: Aye. That's waht I thought.
Gnorm: Discount?
Sonadora: Ooh, on what?!
Gnorm: Anything, of course!
Gnorm reaches into the cart with one arm, and blindly gropes for something.
Sonadora searches the cart, curious.
Arphaxad attempts to feel for any magical item.
Arphaxad: [1d20 = 4]
Under Arphax's sight, the cart glows somewhere under the junk in several different locations, and with several different magics of different intensity. But a lot of it is also just junk.
Gnorm: Hey hey! Short-stuff - step away! No rifling through my treasures!
Sonadora: Do you have any rocks? Or leaves? Flowers?
Gnorm pulls out a boot.
Gnorm: I have this!
Sonadora frowns.
Gnorm looks at the boot in his hand.
Gnorm: The... um, oh, what is this...
Geyer: How 'bout weapons or armor there?
Sonadora: But....I already have a boot. Two in fact.
Gnorm: Oh! Three and a half league boot.
Gnorm: That's what this is.
Gnorm: The pair together's seven leagues. But the other one was eaten by a hungry dwarf.
-> Arphaxad: You note no magic comes from the boot.
Arphaxad: Magical items?
Gnorm: Yes! This boot... it traveled many leagues on its own.
Gnorm: 2, to be exact. It petered out before hitting three.
Arphaxad: I see, well, perhaps we should be going
Gnorm: Oh! No! Wait! What about...
Gnorm: Magic Item [d100 = 28]
Gnorm reaches into the wagon and whips out a silvery flask.
Gnorm: This was made from the blood of seven warriors from the Far West!
Arphaxad: ...and what is it good for?
-> Arphaxad: It does radiate magic. Enchantment, minor strength.
Gnorm: Its for coating weapons!
Geyer perks up.
Gnorm: Ah! I see you might be interested, oh large and imposing one?
Sonadora frowns and reaches out to poke the flask.
Gnorm: Hey hey!
Gnorm: What'd I say!
Geyer: Perhaps.
Gnorm: No touching!
Geyer: What is it, exactly?
Sonadora sighs.
Gnorm: For the minor fee of... lets say... 75 gold, this could be yours!
Gnorm: I told you! Blood of seven warriors.
Gnorm: Very manly, this oil.
Arphaxad: Indeed, if you do come across anything of value for a sorceror, please do return and let me know.
Geyer: Aye. But my blade has tasted the blood of many for far less than 75 gold.
Geyer: Why is this blood so valuable?
Sonadora pokes Ranja.
Sonadora: (to Ranja) I bet he has books!
Gnorm: Why, this is good for sorcery, too! Can coat any weapon, you know!
Ranja jumps, startled out of a daydream.
Gnorm: It grants it better balance, a sharper edge... the whole 10 yards!
Gnorm: Extra yard is included free!
Sonadora: You stare at the sky a lot.
Sonadora peers quizzically at Ranja.
Gnorm: 60 gold.
Arphaxad: I use no sword, and rarely unsheath my dagger.
Gnorm: Best offer I can make!
Ranja is busy peering into the wagon.
Arphaxad: If you have a spellbook of value, perhaps we may speak
Gnorm: A spellbook... maybe!
Geyer: What say ye, wizard? Is the blood ensorcelled?
Arphaxad: A magical item with a powerful aura.
Arphaxad: Indeed it is.
Gnorm: Magic Item [d100 = 23]
Arphaxad: It will increase the strength of your weapon if the enchantment succeeds.
Gnorm reaches into the wagon and draws out an origami lantern that is kinda smushed.
Gnorm: A-ha!
Gnorm: For 200 gold, you can have this paper lantern AND the blood!
Sonadora: Why is the latern worth more than the blood?
Gnorm: It's a very special lantern! That's why!
Arphaxad: Indeed?
Arphaxad: and it's speciality?
Sonadora: What does it do?
Arphaxad: Does it light itself?
-> Arphaxad: You detect a minor aura of Transmutation from the lantern.
Gnorm: Oh! Such crazy people in this town... if you light paper, it just burns!
Gnorm: You're supposed to *read* paper.
Gnorm nods emphatically.
Sonadora squints at the lantern.
Sonadora: What does it say?
Arphaxad rolls his eyes.
Gnorm unfolds the lantern and you notice the language of magic written all over its surface.
Arphaxad: What, does the lantern change?
Sonadora: It looks pretty, but I can't read that.
Gnorm sighs!
Sonadora shrugs and tries to reach for something else on the wagon.
Gnorm: Simpleton! Dunce! Um... Neanderthal!
Gnorm coughs abashedly!
Gnorm: Neither can I.
Sonadora: Maybe Ranja would like it!
Arphaxad: May I see it?
Gnorm shows it to Arphaxad, but doesn't let him hold it.
Sonadora tries to stick her head inside the place the gnome popped out of.
Arphaxad looks intently at the lantern to read the words.
-> Sonadora: You try to get your head in, but it looks like it has no way in while the spring-board is sticking out.
Geyer: What is the symbol on yer tabard, gnome?
Arphaxad: Spellcraft [1d20+8 = 20]
Arphaxad casts a spell to allow him to read magic.
Sonadora goes to the other side to look around.
Gnorm: That? Oh! It's a symbol of Gond of course!
Geyer: And who is Gond, sir gnome?
Gnorm: Gond! GOND! The god of ingenuity and creating! He of the silver arm.
Gnorm: And a good looker, or so I'm told.
-> Arphaxad: Darkvision a level 2 arcane spell.
Arphaxad: Hmmm...
Arphaxad: This lantern is worth what to you?
Gnorm: 175 on its own.
Arphaxad: May i take a look at the papers?
Sonadora knocks into something and bumps her head. Frowning, she rubs it and walks back to the others.
Sonadora: There aren't any flowers.
Geyer: Nor swords.
Gnorm rolls his eyes.
Gnorm: 200 gold for the two of these! Or 60 and 175 separate.
Sonadora: But I have boots!
Gnorm: I have important experiments going on inside! I can't just stand out here and jabber all day.
Sonadora shows the Gnome her boots.
Geyer: 12 for the blood, gnome.
Gnorm throws up his arms in dismay!
Arphaxad: So do you only sell gnome, or do you trade?
Gnorm: I could make trades... What you got?
Sonadora: And we don't read in the forest. The Goddess Sheela tells me everything I need to know.
Gnorm: Don't read!
Gnorm: That's preposterous!
Geyer: You seem a gnome of excellent taste...a man who enjoys the finer things in life.
Sonadora sits down on a rock and smiles.
Arphaxad: Well, I have a small brass horn, can contact ghosts you know.
Arphaxad: And a helmet from a long lost miner in the local mines around here.
Geyer: A purveyor of rare delicacies, perhaps?
Gnorm: Hmm... those sound okay... what kinda delicacies do you got?
Geyer: Only tha best, good gnome. Made from tha finest specimen available.
Sonadora: I have leaves! They were gifts from the trees. And pebbles?
Gnorm crosses his arms and glares at Sonadora.
Geyer: Perserved with local herbs and spices.
Gnorm: Yes yes, big fella! But what is it?
Geyer: I give you....Darkmantle Jerky.
Geyer: Diplomacy [1d20+7 = 11]
Gnorm: Ooooh.
Gnorm: Alright.
Gnorm: Gimme the lot of the stuff, and I'll give you this scroll.
Gnorm pokes at the unfolded lantern-scroll in his hand.
Geyer: Seems a fair trade.
Arphaxad: Done.
Gnorm: Just toss that stuff in the wagon!
Sonadora: You don't want the boot?
Sonadora scratches her head.
Arphaxad tosses the horn, helmet, and axe into the wagon.
Geyer hands over the mouldering filet of darkmantles and gets the lantern from the gnome.
Gnorm: And the steak looks delicious!
Gnorm hands the paper over to Arphax.
Gnorm: And on that note! Back to my experiments... and some brunch.
Gnorm forces back the spring-loaded contraption and leaps in after it with a quick jiggle of a device in his hand.
Arphaxad: Well then, on to Micahel's?
Sonadora gasps in surprise and tries to figure out how the gnome made it work.
Arphaxad: Careful get to close, and the contraption may grab you!
As you travel, you notice a group of kids off to the side of the street. They're fighting against imaginary opponents with a varied assortment of weapons made up primarily of different sized sticks. At a glance, it looks like one has a sword and shield, two have staves, and one appears to be carrying a book in addition to a small mace. The two with staffs are also flinging small rocks and balls of mud, and a small puppy circles around them yapping.
Sonadora giggles.
Arphaxad: Oh look, they made the ugly one a knight.
Arphaxad chuckles to himself.
Geyer: And the pale, sicky one the wizard....
Arphaxad laughs aloud!
Sonadora giggles again.
Arphaxad pats the knight on the shoulder and continues walking.
Geyer chuckles.
You continue to walk through the north gate talking amongst yourselves as you traverse the forest paths towards the Ruhlin's farm.
Arphaxad: I wonder who could have been looking for us, and for what purpose.
Arphaxad: A lot of stange happening in this town lately.
Geyer: So what did my squid jerky buy ya, wizard?
Arphaxad: Ah, yes, thanks for that, but if ever we find ourselves in darkness we will be able to see our enemies better than they can see us.
You finally arrive at the Ruhlin's farm, a brisk wind blowing from the south.
From the hill west of town, where the Ruhlin's farm rests, you can see clear across the town to the low wooden wall on the eastern side of town. The farm itself is fairly simple and nothing in particular stands out about it. There's a single-story building made of wood where the Ruhlins themselves live - you can make out some movement inside through the windows. There's also a large barn where the livestock reside, as well as any food stores they might have, and a small shed - probably for tools and the like. The fields around the farm are currently fallow and you can see some hoarfrost coating the dirt.
Geyer: Glad ta have found a use for it...even with Markham's cooking skills it tweren't quite tha same as the sea squid from tha Coast.
Arphaxad: Your sacrafice for me is well noted, knight.
Arphaxad walks towards the door of the small home.
Arphaxad: Perhaps you will find it paid back one dark night.
Sonadora knocks on the door.
Arphaxad: Listen [1d20+1 = 15]
Ranja: Listen [1d20+3 = 22]
Geyer: Listen [1d20 = 9]
Sonadora: Listen [1d20+5 = 11]
(To Arphaxad and Ranja) You make out the sound of someone cutting wood behind the house.
Arphaxad: I hear someone chopping something.
Arphaxad walks around the house.
Ranja follows.
Sure enough, Michael Ruhlin is swinging an axe down just as you turn the corner. His sure strokes split the wood right down the center, and he turns while wiping some sweat from his brow as he notices you approach.
Sonadora waves to Michael.
Michael Ruhlin: Hello you four!
Michael Ruhlin: How are you doing?
Michael Ruhlin: Here to see Aaron?
Arphaxad: Very well friend, and yea, how is Aaron?
Sonadora: Is he better? I brought him a stone!
Michael Ruhlin: He's awake more often than not, these last couple of days.
Arphaxad: I see, and how have you been?
Michael Ruhlin: I'm sure he would appreciate visitors.
Michael Ruhlin: I... well, it's been difficult.
Arphaxad: I can only imagine.
Arphaxad: I hear you were at the pavilion earlier this morning.
Michael Ruhlin: Sure was - went to grab a bite to eat.
Michael Ruhlin: Why do you ask?
Geyer: We heard someone was looking for us.
Arphaxad: Curious as to who it may be.
Michael Ruhlin: Hmm... I didn't talk to anyone in particular... I did see Ana Dross up there, though. She talked to the halfling behind the bar and then ran off.
Arphaxad: Where does she live?
Michael Ruhlin: She lives a bit further west, on the next hill, with her husband Randall.
Sonadora: Thank you Michael! I'm going to say hi to Aaron if he's awake.
Geyer glances up at the sun to mark the time.
Michael Ruhlin: Should be! Beth's in there getting ready for lunch.
Arphaxad: Well, we will go greet him as well, then be on our way
Arphaxad: It was good to hear from ya.
Michael Ruhlin: Sounds good! I'll get back to chopping then.
Geyer: We should meet up with Sintilya and Daisy, soon, too.
The inside of the house is as simple as the outside. Wooden seats surround a small table where the family eats, and where a small bowl of dried corn sits. A small kitchen juts off the side of the house, with counters that are clean and well-kept, and two bedrooms also lead out from the main room - one for the kids and one for Michael and Beth.
Arphaxad: Hello there Mrs. Ruhlin, it's good to see you.
Beth Ruhlin: Oh! Hello. A pleasure to see you again.
Beth Ruhlin: Found a use for our gift yet?
Sonadora: Not yet, Beth.
Beth Ruhlin: I'm sure it'll come in handy eventually! I was just hoping you'd tried it against those monsters from the fire I heard about.
Beth Ruhlin: Oh! But here I am chatting away, and you're probably here to visit Aaron. He's over in his room.
Geyer: They were kind of made of fire themselves.
Geyer: Not so much ta hit.
Beth Ruhlin: Ooh, creatures made of fire you say?
Arphaxad: They were strange creatures, no doubt, almost seemed to be made of lightning even.
Geyer: Aye, strange magics afoot with those.
Beth Ruhlin: I bet Aaron'd be thrilled to hear more about them, too!
Sonadora: Can we go see him?
Arphaxad: Well, we would be glad to tell him, is he awake?
Beth Ruhlin: Let's go in and see him, maybe you can... cheer him up a bit.
The room is small and currently quiet. The bed on the far wall from where you entered is the only one currently occupied. Aaron is looking sallow and rather pale, but he is awake and alive. On the table by his side, you note a small carving knife and a somewhat crude approximation of a centipede. There's also a book about stars lying open and face-down on the bed.
Sonadora gives Aaron a hug and pulls out a rock and some leaves for him.
Ranja smiles and waves at Aaron.
Aaron: Oh. Hey everyone!
Aaron gives a wan smile.
Geyer: How ya feeling, lad?
Aaron: Good. Great.
Sonadora: These are from the forest. They want you to know you don't have to fear them.
Aaron: Oh! Thanks for the rocks, 'dora.
Sonadora beams!
Aaron rubs the rock a few times, polishing it slightly with his sleeve.
Arphaxad: It's good to see you doing so much better Aaron.
Aaron: I guess so... I'm not sure I feel THAT much better...
Aaron: No chores I guess...
Beth Ruhlin gives a sharp intake of breath, which she makes an effort to conceal. You notice her wipe away tears as she looks away.
Geyer looks at the bandaged stump of Aaron's leg and looks thoughtful.
Sonadora: Once Sintiyla finds more of the antidote you'll feel much better. I know it.
Arphaxad thinks to himself how he would respond to losing his leg, and soon after forces the thought from his head.
Geyer: No promises here, lad...but I think there might be someone else that can give ya some help.
Sonadora: And even if you only have one leg, you still have life and I'll make you a staff like mine that will have you up and about in no time!
Aaron perks up slightly, but you see he doesn't really have much energy for it.
Geyer: I'll be back in a little bit...I've got to check something out. Take care, lad. You too, Beth.
Sonadora beams at Geyer!
Sonadora: I'll come too! If it's what I think it is...