“I see. Congratulations on your marriage! That is wonderful news! Is your partner or their family  merchants here at the night market?”

(ooc: Walt may continue this line of questioning depending on his response.)

”By the way, I do thank you for feeling open to confiding in me. I enjoy helping people in times of need. If you could help clear up one question in regards to Kasem.”

”I find it curious that he seems to look down on the games here in the night market. He tried his best to convince us not to take part in the games, even though your family leads one of the main events! Why is that? Very curious indeed. What say you on this matter?”

"No, no," replies Vi to Walt. "She lives a long journey away. My life with the Night Market is coming to an end, I'm afraid." He sighs.

Responding to the questions about his brother, Ki replies, "Yeah, I don't know what that was all about. Kasem used to be a staunch supporter of the games. I think my news has upset him. These past few weeks he just hasn't been himself. I think he's just trying to figure it all out for himself. We've been doing this business together for so long..."

Meanwhile...
Harrow basks in the glow of the appreciative crowd.
Rycroft continues to eat yogurt and quench his burning mouth.
The rest of the party stands nearby.
...Except for Tuuli, who speaks with Kusa at the Xungoon market.

Where to, everyone? A last market game awaits, should you choose to participate, and a mystery to be solved!

Harrow stands with Rycroft for a few moments, chatting while they eat their yogurt. After taking a few moments to let his stomach settle and get his mouth to stop burning, he gives the kenku a pat on the back and says, "What would you like to do next, my young friend? I'd be happy to join you at the next game, if you should feel that you'd like to play, and if not, I'm happy to sleuth about." Seeing Walt talking to the Spice Brother in attendance, he continues thoughtfully, "And speaking of sleuthing, I must admit that you've instilled a craving in me for persimmons, and I should like to find one."

Approaching Walt and Vi, Harrow greets the two with a smile. "I apologize for interrupting, but I was hoping you might help me find a fruit stall, Mister Aroon. There's been talk of persimmons between my two companions here, and I've got something of a hankering as a result."

"No stalls in the night market currently sell persimmons, as far as I know," replies Vi. "I did see some peels by the Xungoon shop the other day. No idea how those wound up there."   

The last market challenge, you see, is held in the northern event tent, decorated in a nautical theme, heavy on rope decor and brass fixtures. A man wearing a yellow chef's outfit is outside, actively inviting up to four volunteers to participate in the event: "Battle Prawns: The Shrimpening" sponsored by Sid Squid’s Trusty Leek. This challenge, as far as you can tell from the hype, is to "test your inventiveness and versatility" in preparing their signature dish, a shrimp cake, as a sous-chef. Each contestant is paired with one of Sid's assistant chefs, and the ingredients must be prepared in under 36 seconds.

Walt listens in on Harrow and Vi talking and says “I do believe that is where Rycroft found the…mystery fruit.”

Walt continues “Pardon me, Vi, I do have to get going for the start of the next game. But I was wondering, do you know anything of the tension between the Xungoon and Tyenmo family’s? My friends and I got mixed up in it earlier and I’m trying to get a little background to understand the situation.”

"Oh, it's an old feud," replies Vi. "The Tyenmos and Xungoons are well-respected merchant families here in the valley. But they have had a complicated, multigenerational rivalry, going back to their grandparents' time, or even earlier. But Lamai and Kusa vowed to end it, several years ago. They even began to seek each other’s counsel. But in recent weeks, thefts and vandalism have rekindled the old fights, and the feud seems to have reignited all over again. They are both stubborn and intense families. One more aspect of Night Market life it'll be nice to leave behind, I guess."

Meanwhile, who wants in on the cooking challenge?

Harrow absorbs this information silently, a frown barely showing on his face, before giving Vi a sympathetic nod. "Stubborn and intense indeed. It's a shame that they were unable to set aside their rivalry completely, though I'm gathering that there have been some extenuating circumstances... Well. Congratulations on your marriage, and may you and your beloved find peace and prosperity in the years ahead." 

Then he'll stroll over to the front of the tent where the cooking challenge is taking place, and he'll wait there for his friends to see if they want to take part in it.

Walt bids farewell to Vi and follows Harrow over to the  cooking challenge. 

Standing beside Harrow, what makes a small talk while they wait for any other contestants.

“I really do enjoy shrimp. Back home, I lived along the Emerald Gulch, which was a renowned fishery. I often traded my hand crafted fishing rods for fresh fishX shrimp and shellfish from the locals.”

 Harrow smiles in response to Walt's comment. "That sounds like you!" He chuckles for a moment before saying, "I haven't had fish for a long time, shrimp in particular. My mother used to get shrimp for special occasions when I was young. I wonder if we'll be allowed to taste the fruits of our labors here." His expression takes on a contented expression as he contemplates the possibility of another tasty snack before his mind returns to the present moment. "What do you think about all of this, with the feuding merchants? Vi said that they'd set aside their quarrel for at least a few years before this began happening in recent weeks. But why? What is there to gain in reviving this conflict?"

Rycroft stops along the way to plunge his still burning mouth into a fountain, and follows along to the shrimp event.

”ShElLfIsH nOt So SpIcY…”

Rycroft, Tuuli, Harrow, and Walt enter the Battle Prawn Challenge Arena, sponsored by Sid Squid’s Trusty Leek. One of Sid's assistants hands each of you a yellow apron.

Excited onlookers crowd the bleachers within this vast, open tent. One-half of the space is crowded with cooking tools: a pair of oversized woks and two long cutting stations containing bundles of foot-long green beans. The other side holds a pool-sized glass tank filled with water. The water churns as large, shadowy shapes move within.

Sid, in his flash yellow chef's outfit, explains the rules: Participants must rapidly prepare prawn meat and chop beans for the sous-chefs. If they perform these preparations fast enough, they might complete the recipe in record time. You will work as a team of four.

Sid directs you to take your places near the preparation tables at the center of the tent. He goes on to welcome the crowd: "Welcome to Battle Prawns: The Shrimpening! ...sponsored by Sid Squid’s Trusty Leek. The four adventurous cooks before you will prepare giant shrimp cakes—hopefully, in record time. There are two special ingredients to our award-winning cakes: delicious green tree beans and giant, jagged koi prawns. Can they do it?..."

As you gather near the preparation tables, which are covered with massive bundles of green tree beans, one of Sid’s assistants quietly explains what participants need to do in more detail: prepare a bundle of green tree beans and slay a jagged koi prawn. If the characters can perform both tasks in 6 rounds or fewer, they win the challenge. While Sid works the crowd, the assistants are prepared to answer any questions. The assistants direct participants not to move from the preparation tables until Sid gives the signal.

Any questions? When you're ready, roll initiative!

Tuuli, recently returned from a fruitless trip into the market, ties her voluminous hair back. "Okay, I might, *might* be able to lift on of the prawns out of the tank, but beyond that I'm just good for stabbing and cutting things. What have you all got?"

Initiative: 17 

OOC > She can cast Levitate, but the DC is just 10 on a Con save to resist the effect.

Harrow waves to Tuuli as she rejoins the group before tying his apron on, his gaze sliding over to the tank and the shadows within. In response to her question, he says, "My knife skills are... adequate. As for our brawny friends over there, I do know a spell or two that might be helpful." Pulling his spellbook out from his bag, he gives himself a cursory refresher before giving the group a nod, his expression a mix of anticipation, anxiety and enthusiasm. This is the most exciting day I've had in a long time, he reflects to himself before using prestidigitation to clean his hands and the surface of his spellbook, making himself ready to cook.

Initiative: 6

Upon hearing the word ‘slay’ and ‘jagged koi prawn’ Walt raises his hand with a question. 

“uh…‘scuse me. Quick question. About these prawns…how big are they and are they feisty little buggers?”

Initiative: 4

"Yes and yes," replies the assistant to Walt.

Sid’s sous-chefs begin to position themselves around the large woks, ready to transform the ingredients into the final dish.

Is Rycroft ready to cook? Is everyone else ready?

A couple of notes:
• Participants must chop or mash the beans with the various cooking knives at the table (treat them as daggers), your own tools, or other methods. Once a pile of beans is reduced to 0 hit points, the sous-chefs will add the prepared beans to the woks.
• The tank contains the koi prawns. Participants must slay one of the prawns using whatever means they prefer. Waiting sous-chefs will then fetch the prawn and bring it to a wok.

Rycroft grabs a cooking knife. “Once more unto the breach, dear friends.”

Initiative: 17

Sid leads the audience in counting down: “Three… two… one… start!”

(Remember your group's mission: mash both piles of beans on both tables, and dispatch one prawn in the tank, within six rounds.)

Initiative: (although the order here is actually moot - you may act in any order!)
Walt - 18
Tuuli - 17
Rycroft - 14
Harrow - 6

Tuuli spins and runs for the tank, taking the stairs three at a time. Peering into the tank, she concentrates and brings her hands up from her sides, the water begins to bubble and froth (but with no heat) as she tries to lift one of the prawns.

Move: to the tank
Action: cast Levitate on a prawn, Con Save vs DC 10 (le sigh) to resist.

Tuuli races to the bottom of the steps (she doesn't quite have the movement to climb them this turn.) Then she begins to focus her arcane attention on one of the large, shadowy shapes behind the glass wall of the tank.

The water in the tank roils as a massive shape emerges – an enormous, writhing, 8-foot-long, jagged koi prawn. It strains Tuuli's powers to the limit as the thrashing, 500-pound beast begins to appear. She can see that there is more than one in the tank.

Prawn CON: 20

It's too powerful. The struggling prawn sinks back under the surface.

Walt, Rycroft, and Harrow are up next!