"ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOOOOOO!" Truly, one must wonder at how such a small creature could emit such powerful sneezes.  It was likely to bowl him over, and, in fact, very nearly did.  It was powerful enough to send him reeling off-balance, so that he sat down hard on his rump.<br/><br/>"Ughh..." he wiped his nose with his arm.  "I don't know what came over me, it seems that I am allergic to something in this cave."  He blinked, bleary-eyed, up at the sorceress, who towered over him.  "Are you an elf?  You don't have pointy ears like an elf. "  He stood up, slowly, carefully, lest he set off his sneezing fit again.   "Nice to meet you, Laura Descia, my name is Lucky Hipweed, son of Borger Hipweed, son of Horace Hipweed before him."  He bowed politely, as he was taught.<br/><br/>The sorceress had barely time to proffer the gemstone before the kender was darting forward, his eyes sparkling almost as bright as the gem.  "Ooooh!  What is that?  It's pretty!  Can I see it?  Is it magic?"  The kender's inquisitive nature instantly got the better of him, and he practically snatched it out of her hands so he could inspect it more closely.  "What kind of gem is it, do you know?  Is it a ruby?  A sapphire?  Cubic zirconia?"  He turned it over and over in his hands, marveling at how each fact glittered and shone.  "Oooh, it seems there are a few imperfections here, and here.  Do you see that?  It looks like it has been chipped. Still pretty though."   The gem was stuffed into the pouch along with all of the kender's other items.<br/><br/>"A cursed dagger, you say?  That is fascinating."  He scurried over to inspect the dagger, although he did not pick it up.  "It seems such a shame to leave it behind, maybe it will come in handy."  Carefully, using his cloak to pick it up, being careful not to touch it, Lucky dropped the dagger into his pouch as well.<br/><br/>(Verasaille--does Lucky suffer the dagger's curse?)