Session 0

B is the most honest
1 the Rouge
(2 would be Cleric)

B, 1, Bard.

B 1 Rouge (the Bat)

Meanwhile, back at the tavern, you pull yourself out of the mug of water you jumped in.  As you shake out the water, the drunkeness and hangover are all gone.  Better!

It's nice to be very small sometimes.  And it's nice to be a monk, a lot!  Not a lot of pixies are monks.  You don't really blame them.  It's hard sometimes.  To stay focused on doing meditation and practicing the same forms again and again and again.  Also fighting people way bigger than you.  Fortunately you had a really good teacher!  He did all sorts of stuff to help keep training fun.  Except for the times he made you wear a special vest that restrained your wings.  That wasn't so fun.  But he said it was important training, in case you ever needed to fight without them.  You got really good at punching ankles.  And falling off of stuff without just trying to fly!  But most pixies can't do this stuff.  They like doing other things and rely on their magic and sometimes bows.  You don't really like bows.  Or maybe you just wanted to be a really special pixie!  But that doesn't really matter right now.

You flap your wings a few times and make sure all the water's gone, then take off.  You go to check on your drow friend first.  He's really quiet.  And mean sometimes.  He doesn't really like being mean, but he knows it's easy sometimes.  The others tell you to go wait outside a lot.  Right now he's reading his favorite book, a really flowery thingy.  He doesn't let you read it, but sometimes you try to get a look at it.  Like right now!  As always, he snaps it shut as soon as he notices you perching on his shoulder.

"Are the others ready to go?" he asks quietly.

"I dunno!  I'll go check," you volunteer.

You dart outside and look around a bit, knowing almost by instinct to look in the alley beside you.  Yep!  The big guy and the really little but not as little as you girl.  She sings really good, and he likes screaming and swinging his axe.  They're really not very good people, though.  They like fighting and drinking and gambling and sex and adventure.  They also steal stuff sometimes, and it looks like that's what they've been doing this morning.  The only good thing about them sometimes is that they really like fighting people who are a lot worse than they are.  People that like murder and other worse stuff.  And the four of you are really good at that when you work together! At the fighting bad guys part, not the murder part. Actually it's the same thing a lot of the time.

But you still get really mad at them sometimes.  At least the rogue is quiet and meditative.  Hopefully he'll be on your side when the others finally do something so bad you're honorbound to kill them!  Um.  If.  Not when.  Maybe they'll learn.  Maybe.

"Did you pull it off?" the barbarian asks, leaning up against a barrel.  He's not watching the streets.

"It's me.  Of course I did," the bard boasts as she puts her hat and cape and stuff back on behind the barrel.  You dunno why she didn't just go back to her room.  She has some problems.  "I liked those boots and the gloves were my favorite, but he didn't keep the hat or my cape so they were a small price to pay to make him think I didn't give a shit.  He didn't even question when I let him keep the ring.  Maybe he thought I forgot...?  Nah, he split 'our winnings' pretty even."

"You really think it'll pay off?" he asks.

"Maybe.  If their group's really in with the cult, it'll lead us right to them," she answers.  Yep, they're scheming again.  She spots you and seems to notice you're judging her, because she immediately goes from serious to smiley and trots over.  "Heeeeey, cutie, almost ready.  What do you think, heels or flats?"

"Neither," you say.

"Heels," the barbarian says.

"Gods above and below you're both predictable," she says, producing a pair of sandals from her bag instead. She was just asking to be nice. She does that a lot.  She also carries at least 10 different outfits in there.  "We can go shopping after we bring in the bounty."

"Um...  Bounty!" you say.  "Right.  For the... cult.  Of, um...  Selune, the Moon!"

"Hey, you remembered!" she praises you.  "Anyway, they'll probably meet up tonight, considering what happened last night.  And when they do, we'll be ready to strike... if our hunch about them having a member in the tavern is right."

"50-50 chance," the barbarian says.

The bard finishes getting dressed, makes a few little adjustments, and smirks.  "If we're wrong this time, we know it was that other group.  The one with that cute undine...  Their merchant pal isn't half-bad, either."

"Focus," you say.  A pixie shouldn't be the one keeping things on track all the time...

"Anyway, we should go poke around for the morning, grab a nap this afternoon, and meet back up at dinner ready for some hunting," she says.

The barbarian punches his palm.  "The fun part."

"The fun part," she agrees.  "But, gotta put in the legwork, and gods know you won't do it.  I think I'll head to the market, maybe strum a few bars, see what I can overhear."

"Hrrrmph.  I can get information," the barbarian says.  "I'll...  Er..."

"Ye-e-e-e-e-es?" she asks.

"Check down by the docks," the drow says from behind you.  You'd jump, if you weren't hovering.  "You won't stand out so bad, and you can watch for anyone slipping in or out of town through the river.  They say there's something up in the sewer, you can watch those main pipes, too.  As for me, I'm going to see if I can sneak into the scene of the crime, then head over to watch the main gate."

"Sounds good," she says.

You...

(A) "I'll go check the adventuring guild!"
(B) "Um, maybe I should check... the market with you?"
(C) "I like docks!  Boats are neat."
(D) "I'm gonna follow you and see the scene!  I'm very sneaky."
(E) "If we're looking for a cult, maybe the church could give me some information?"
(F) "Libraries are bo-o-o-o-oring, but I'll go and look up the Moon Lady!"
(G) "What if I try flying really, really high and looking around?"
(H) "I'm just gonna follow one of the others!" (Strix, Merchant, Fighter, Psion, Cleric, or Wizard)
(I) "I'm gonna go chase butterflies and see if I can find any that know anything!" You're a monk, but you can't turn it all off all the time.

"I'll check the church!" you say.  "They might know stuff about a cult!"

The bard smiles.  "Oh, good idea.  But which church?"

You think for a moment.  "Um...  The sunny one!"

"Maybe try the multi-denominational church on the eastern side of town instead, hm?  Just below the noble district, pointy red roof, can't miss it."

The drow nods.  "She's right."

"OK!"  The conversation, as far as you are concerned, is now finished.  You drop down onto the ground and take off running.  As you easily dart around between people faster than most large people can run, you occasionally jump into the air to fly over a fence or building and oh there's a big red pointy roof in the east.  It doesn't take long to make your way to the building.

You jump one last building, land, and start to head in when you get distracted by all the very, very pretty flowerbeds right outside.  As you fly over and start examining them, you remember why you're here and head inside instead.  Oh, it's your dartsfriend from this morning.  He's in a group of dwarves, all listening to a sermon around a big marble statue in the shape of a... rock?  A really nice rock, but you still don't see anything but a rock carved into the most shiny, polished, rock-shaped rock you've ever seen.  Well they do worship the god of mining and smithing and stuff, so that's probably fine.

You look around for a bit to see if there's anyone that doesn't look too busy to annoy.  Soon a man in a white-and-red robe comes over.  "Hello, Miss.  Can I help you with anything?"

"Oh!  Hi!  Do you work here?"

"Yes, I'm one of the servants that tend the grounds.  We swear no oaths to any gods in particular, b-"

"Wow!  Are you the one that takes care of the flowers?"

"The... flowers?" he thinks for a moment.  "Ah.  No, I am not.  No one tends to the flowers, and let them grow as the gods will."

"Huh."  That sounds like bullshit.  Those flowers are way too organized.  And you've never heard of a god that does bushes like that.  But he seems sincere, so maybe someone's doing it secretly.  Right.  Focus.  "I'm looking for information about... Selune?"

"...Why?" he asks.

"Because."

He examines you for a moment.  "I can't speak for Fey such as yourself, but few mortals worship the goddess of moon, loss, and darkness."

"Moon and darkness... make sense.  Why loss?"

"Because just as the moon grows, it inevitably shrinks once more, destined to forever lose whatever it has gained.  For-"

"So is it... illegal to worship Selune or anything?"

He studies you even more intently.  You don't flinch.  "Not... officially..." he says hesitantly.  "But it is extremely rare for someone to openly admit to it, at least in polite company.  The ones who do worship him tend to be... if not on the wrong side of the law, then in more grey professions.  Those who work in the dark, as they say."

"Like prostitutes!" you suggest, loudly enough to draw a few glances.

"Y-yes."

He's getting more than a bit uncomfortable now.  He'd very much like to end this conversation.  Just like you hoped.  "So who can tell me more about her?" you ask, hoping he'll be desperate enough to escape that he'll blurt out the first thing to come to mind.

"Well, the thief's gui-" he stops himself.  "Um, no.  There's a small shrine in one of the back corners you can use to pray, but we lack any officiant who could assist you."

"No, that's OK!  I have other things to do now," you say.  "Thanks for the help!"

"Er...  Of course."  He nods, and turns to assist another visitor.

(A) Actually, let's check that shrine anyway.
(B) Bother the dwarf, bother the dwarf!
(C) Investigate the flowers more closely
(D) Report to your bard friend, and she can tell the others... probably
(E) If I were a thief's guild, I'd be in the sewers!  Investigate the sewers.
(F) Start asking random passerby if they know where you can find the thief's guild
(G) Try one of those other places you thought about before.  Or the butterflies!
(H) Go find somewhere to watch for any pickpockets and try following one

B

OK, that's enough for now.  You wave at the dwarf, then you're gone while he's just starting to wave back.

You make your way to the main marketplace and start looking around.  There's a half-dozen different bards standing around in different places making music, doing speeches and poems, collecting some coins, singing, even one painting.  It's easy to find your bard.  She's the second best one here.  With a sizable crowd.  And plenty of coins.  Shiny!

When she spots you hovering above the others and waving, she gives you a small wink and then goes back to her lute-work.  When she finishes her song, she does a fancy bow, then backflips away and springs into the air.  Why does she always do this?  You catch her ankle and struggle to fly her up onto a nearby rooftop as she smiles and waves at the shocked crowd, a trail of animated coins flying up behind you.  Someday you're just going to let her fall.  No you won't.  That would be mean.

"So, what's the good news?" she asks.

"Um, I found out that a lot of the local thieves and stuff worship Selune, so some priest suggested we try the thieves' guild?"

"Oh-ho?  I hadn't thought of that," she says.  You have no idea whether she's telling the truth or mocking you.  It's annoying.  You can usually tell really easy with most people.  "But I don't know where to look.  It wouldn't be a very good thieves' guild if it were that easy, right?"

"Oh.  Well.  Yeah.  But we can find it, right?"

"Do your best!" she tells you.  "I'll leave it to you while I keep working the crowds around here and let our sneaky friend finish up his investigation.  But I'll call the muscle and let him know to meet you to help out.  Where are you starting?"

(A) "I'll meet the rogue once he's done with the crime scene!"
(B) "I'm gonna go look for pickpockets!"
(C) "If we're looking for thieves, wouldn't the jail be a good place to start?"
(D) "Um...  The docks!"
(E) "It's probably in the sewers somewhere, so I'll go fly around down there?"
(F) "Gonna ask some random people!"
(G) "Maybe some of the merchants around here would know...?"
(H) "Nobles are the biggest thieves of all!  I'll go shake some down."