"Nexus!!  Are you ok??" Kalhala bends down to her level and looks into her eyes, putting his big mitts on her slender shoulders.  "Dang it woman, you sure had me worried." once he sees that she's fine, just a little drained, he breathes a sigh of relief, "Man, you really had me going there, but look at you!" he stands back up to his full height, looking down at her with pride, "You had those sharks running!  Ha, I'd go into a fight with you any day Miss Nexus." and he finally notices she just want to rest and dry off and he finds a seat for her while the others chat with the drow.

Mornin was always told that people outside of his home were dangerous, and he’s no stranger to hostile environments, so he was inclined to believe that the sharks, while surprising in their sudden appearance, were probably just part of the game. The blue orc at least seemed nonplussed about their arrival. Mornin doesn’t blame her. He knows in a life or death situation, you can only focus on yourself.

When the panic spreads through the crowd, Mornin’s eyebrows raise in curiosity. After all, what’s the difference between these sharks and the horizonbacks that had so brutally bitten himself and Shayone?

Mornin ties to hide his mild confusion, not wanting to draw any more attention to how much of an outsider he is.

Nexus, coming down from the adrenaline rush that came from spontaneously being thrust into a fight, seems to shrink a little under all the attention sent her way. A sheepish smile cast upon the rest of the group while she spent a few moments using Prestidigitation to dry her clothes and hair, unraveling the knot she had made so it might flow back over her legs and hide her spellbook once more. "It wasn't anything special---I was just trying to help everyone get back to shore alright. Didn't expect sharks, since it hasn't happened before during the festival....And sorry I couldn't get the spear." 

When Kalhala places his hands upon her slim shoulders, bending to meet her gaze, she looks off to the side near immediately. The fretting of her longest friend when she didn't even get hurt, the pride in their gaze upon confirming for themselves she was alright and returning to his full height--his attention she didn't mind so much. "Really, I'd be happy to go into a brawl knowing you'd have my back, Mini. You always did look quite fetching in the armor you used to wear. But thank you nevertheless."

Clearing her throat, attention returning to the whole of the group in the same motion her hands clasped together. "Right! So, I've had a little more excitement than I was bargaining for in that one, uh---Ya'll mind handling the next event, or did we all wanna get some relaxation in?....And, uh, thanks for the concern....I hope I don't offend anyone by not, like, lingering on the topic when you're all being so nice. I'm just not really used to praise aside from my mother and this big lug."

“The maze is close,” Mornin notes, pointing out the event in question. “May be less deadly. Needs more thinking, less brute force.”

"I wouldn't mind doing the maze," Aldith offers. "I'm definitely more drawn to feats of cleverness than brawn."

Aldith decided not to dwell any more on the topic of Nexus' daring rescue. She felt the same way about praise. It made her feel awkward and ironically even a bit unsure of herself, as if she were an impostor. It didn't help that the only ones to ever praise her had been her father, and he was gone now. 

"Then let's try the maze then," Shayone agrees. "Sounds like a good change of pace."

”The maze sound like fun!” 

Leaving the Ifolon River behind, you head back into town to partake in more festivities. Near the entrance to the festival grounds, a maze has been constructed out of four-foot-tall walls of wooden planks lashed together with ropes and propped up between sandbags. Banners are hung over the openings to the maze, signifying the entrance and the exit. The passageways of the maze are five feet wide. Off to the side, a tan-feathered aarakocra sits on a chair thirty feet above the ground, giving him a vantage point where he can see the whole area.

A small crowd is cheering on and heckling the people inside. Suddenly, the aarakocra blows a whistle, swoops down into the maze, and picks up a duergar by the shoulders with their talons and drops them off back at the entrance. "You hit a dead end! Too bad! Try again for three silver!" Near the entrance, an ogre in leather armor is encouraging a reluctant goblin in a breastplate to give the maze a try.

"Dermot, I'm very confident I know how to get through in one shot. I've been studying it for almost an hour now, but I'm too big to fit in. You could do it!" The ogre says to the goblin, gesturing to the maze.

"I don't know, Maggie... Even with your directions, I'm not sure if I could make it!" The goblin replies reluctantly. He then looks over at your approaching group and spots some familiar faces. "Oh, hello Nexus! Hello Mister Kalhala! Are you here to test your skill on the One Shot Solution maze?"

Kalhala and Nexus recognize this goblin as Dermot Wurder, one of their fellow citizens of Jigow. 

"Oh hey Dermot!  You going to take part in this maze over here?  We just arrived, do you know the rules?  Seems a bit short to me, but I don't know?"  Kalhala gives the goblin a warm smile as he checks out the maze nearby, unsure of what exactly is going on.

Mornin looks at the maze, wondering if it will be any challenge since he can see over all the walls. He stays nearby to hear the goblin or someone else explain the rules.
In the meantime, he is going to mentally ask Eve to sneakily climb off of him and skitter into an alley, then fly high into the air, where no one is likely to see her but just close enough to keep in telepathic contact. He wants her to study the maze and help him get through on his first try. If she does, he promises one of those pies from earlier as thanks for helping here and with the turtles.

Nexus seemed happy to see a familiar face, striding up to the two alongside Kalhala to address them just as they had her. "I'm not taking part, no---I'm still a little winded from the plunge. But I think you should try it, Dermot! You were always a pretty smart cookie. Besides---nothin' to lose but a little silver you could make back easily enough." 

Aldith examines the four-foot tall walls with skepticism. How was the maze to prove a challenge when she was taller than the walls themselves? Glancing at Mornin', she imagines he is thinking the same thing. But then she notices the ogre and the goblin and that Kalhala and Nexus seem to recognize the goblin at least.

"Hello," she says to the goblin. "I'm going to tackle the maze but like Kalhala said, it seems a little short for me too. What exactly are the rules?"

Kenar jumps in as well “ I’m down to traverse this one but ya it dose seem a bit on the short side for a maze.” 

"Oh, thanks Nexus, I appreciate the vote of confidence! Well, in essence, it's fairly simple... You have to make it through the maze without hitting a dead end. If you do hit a dead end, Sharpwatch the referee will whisk you away back to the entrance!" Dermot says, pointing to the aarakocra keeping a keen eye on the maze. "It costs three silver pieces per attempt. You could just head in and rely on dumb luck to make it through the maze, though most folks, like Maggie here, have been studying it from the outside to get an extra edge."

"Care to introduce me, Dermot?" The ogre, Maggie, asks.

"Oh, sorry! This is Kalhala and Nexus, they live here, and um... these are their companions, I'm guessing! This is Maggie Brighteyes. She's just joined Ayo's adventuring party!"

"Good to meet you Maggie!  And yes, these adventuring parties sure are a good time, though I'd avoid the river one.  Nexus here ran into sharks, but man, she had them a running!"  He beams at Nexus, but then looks back to Dermot, "Alrighty, I'm ready to try this maze, where do I go to pay my fee?  Do I give it to Sharpwatch?  hmm, interesting name."

"Yes, wonderful to meet you Maggie. Though really these are just some out of Towner's we found and asked if they'd like to join us for the festivities. Not sure where they're all from, to be frank--maybe after everything is said and done we can get a chance to, uh...."

Her voice trails off, trying to think of the way someone else might phrase it. "..Toss back some beers?"

It's when Kalhala shoots her another praise for the incident at the plunge that she huffs, glancing away once more. Obviously not miffed, but as she said, she doesn't get praise often. When he moves to take part, she stays behind and just idly rocks back and forth on her heels. Mentioning, eventually, "Ayo is fine, by the by. Knowing how diligent she is, probably told you all where she'd be. Won the swim and helped people out of the river. I got a little distracted fighting off the sharks myself."

"Yep, just bring the money to Sharpwatch and head on in!" Dermot says. "Good luck to you all!"

"Indeed, good luck," Maggie says. 

Once the others have gone to make their attempts, Dermot and Maggie listen to Nexus with rapt attention. "Oh, my! That sounds terrifying! I hope everyone was okay. Though that sounds just like Ayo, going for the win in such a scary situation like that," Dermot says. 

"Still, whether you won or not, I admire your tenacity, trying to fight off the beasts. Takes some guts, girly," Maggie adds, giving Nexus a friendly nod. 

"Yes, absolutely! There should have been a shark-fighting medal for you!" 

Meanwhile, the others investigate the maze. Mornin, with the surreptitious aid of his pseudodragon pet, heads right in and uses his connection to make his through, but it seems that Eve's advice is faulty; Mornin walks smack into a dead end, and Sharpwatch is carrying him out just a second later. However, after his second attempt, Eve comes through and guides him down the right path! Kalhala finds a path and focuses, using his minotaur instincts to navigate this humble labyrinth, and does so successfully! Kenar, the ever-perceptive elf, spots a path as well and navigates it successfully to the end. Shayone, however, cannot figure out a solid way through the maze; each route ends with a dead end. Despite this, she makes an attempt anyways, and by sheer luck makes it through in a single shot! Aldith finds a path but, unfortunately, loses her way - Sharpwatch swoops in and carries her off as soon as she hits a dead end.

The four winners are met by an orc festival official at the end of the maze. "Congratulations, all of you, for completing the One-Shot Solution! Wear these medals with pride!" She says as she hands each of you a wooden medal made of smooth driftwood with a labyrinth pattern emblazoned on it. You all rejoin your friends at the start of the maze, where Dermot and Maggie give their congratulations to all of you.

"Dermot, you should get in there in do it! If they all can make it through, you can too, right? I bet your friend Nexus agrees with me, right?" Maggie says.

After hearing such encouraging words from his friends, the meek Dermot bucks up a bit. "Well... alright, fine, I'll give it a shot! I pray to the Luxon this works..." He says. Dermot takes a deep breath and heads into the maze. After a few moments, Sharpwatch does not swoop down at all. Soon, Dermot comes running back with a medal around his neck.

"I did it! I made it through, Maggie, Nexus, look!" He calls hoisting his medal high.

"See?! I told you you could! Good job, Dermot!" 

Shayone inspects her medal as she sends a quick prayer of thanks to the Luxon. She'd almost panicked for a moment at the start of the maze when she realized her attempts at scouting ahead had led her astray, but at least she hadn't lost all her tracking and tactical skill -- though luck or the Luxon had definitely played a role as well. It's no military honor, but it feels good hung around her neck all the same.

She turns to Kenar. "Congratulations -- you're doing quite well today!"

Kenar inspects the pathways of the maze able to see the path to the end. Letting out a prayer to the Luxon to guide his memory he set out and in no time walks out to the orc official and thanks them readily. Once everyone has made it through he claps in exuberance. “Not bad everyone that was impressive that was not an easy maze” then to Shayone “Lucky I guess. Simply the Luxons light guiding the way”

Mornin wears his medal with pride, and when Eve returns to curl around his neck, Mornin holds her close to him in appreciation. “I’ll get that pie, promise.”