Doing the right thing, for a price

You strolled the streets, looking through the various stores and stalls. If this is where you're going to settle down again, you need to see your competition. At first glance, there didn't seem to be anything to worry about; once you get your feet back under you, you'd have the market to yourself. Getting there though, could prove to be a problem. Without a product, you have no way to make money, and without any coin, you can't afford to make any a product to sell. In order to break that cycle, you need something else to sell...

You're willing to become a member of the oldest profession if it came to it, but it appeared that may not have been necessary. Passing through the streets, a loud commotion caught your ears and your attention. Turning curiously towards it, you saw an orc carrying some badly injured, with a small train of followers behind. An adventuring party, you surmised, with one of it's supposedly intrepid heroes being much worse for wear than when they began. You haven't come across many of these groups of Adventurers since joining the surface world, but you knew enough to suspect there'd be at least one party in a decent sized city, and that they typically carried a good deal of coin between them. You watched where they went and followed along at a distance, as they hurried into the public house. Entering behind them, the injured person was laid out on a table. A "high elf" cousin of yours, child of Varissa, likely a wizard by profession, judging by his robes, and with some deep cuts and bruises. You were indifferent to his fate, comfortable if you watched him die of his wounds, opportunity often comes at a price.

"You! Drow!" You heard called out in your direction from the halfling "Our friend is dying. Do you have a potion, or know anyone that can save him?"

"I have the knowledge but don't have a potion on hand. For the right price, I can make one that will save him."

"What's the right price?" The orc woman asked.

"Depends on how good of a friend he is" you replied cryptically. Cynically, you knew you had the power here and could exact almost any price. The orc growls in frustration, flexing her muscles in intimidation, but the human of the bunch threw a coinpurse in your direction. Feeling its weight, you smiled, knowing it will be sufficient to get you back in business.

"This will work." You replied as you open your jacket to retrieve a number of reagents; seeds of a milkwood tree, slices of the Hartsgrove mushroom, and some honey as a binding agent. Crushing the dried seeds and combining it to a thick paste.

"Open his mouth" you instructed. The orc women immediately obeyed, moving swifter and more forcefully than you anticipated, as you shoved a large amount of the concoction into the elf's mouth before the orc closed it down.

"This will increase the elf's resistance and aid in his recovery. It won't recuperate him immediately like a healing potion, but it will keep him from meeting with Dineth the Destroyer."

The elf had a brief choking fit, but returned to normal with slow, heavy breaths. Overwhelmed in emotion, the orc woman grabbed you and embraced you tightly, shoving your face into her body with her hug

"Thank you, strange elf!"

"You're welcome.." you tried to get out of her strong grip, preferring not to speak directly into her chest. You had to push against her to let her let go, spending a great effort to do so, lest she suffocated you in her chest or crushed your spine. The human and halfling likewise smile.

"As she said, thanks. I'm sure he'd thank you as well, if he were here to talk."

"Unlikely. I should leave, before he finds out who saved him."

"Oh, don't be like that." The halfling spoke up "I'm sure you could work together. In fact, we could use a highly capable and knowledgeable person like yourself. Think about it, you get to see the world, make new discoveries, and become rich."

You did not desire or foresee working with others when you left the Underdark, and these adventurers meant nothing to you. Still, the opportunity for knowledge and wealth was tempting, at least for a short time.