Shiva watches intently  as the gnome's finger's fluidly move from string to string, forming new shapes along the fret's of the guitar's neck. The song sounds familiar to her, reminding her of the music performed by artists and travelers moving through Camwen from Beaufort. As she attempts to copy the shape of the chords performed by Arturo, her strums produce muted or improperly articulated notes. She moves to stand beside him to watch his fingers work, noticing the pressure that they exert on the strings that allow the notes to ring clear, and quickly applies this to her own playing.

Slowly, she begins to get a feel for how much force is needed to get the proper tones and begins to correctly produce the chord melody. But her finger placements are much slower than Arturo's, and she often misplaces one or two of her fingers to cause a dissonance within the chord structure that is distinctly unpleasant. But she smiles as she feels herself getting the hang of it, and nods happily to the shop keeper. "Danke sehr. How much for this?"

A lively debate springs up between Barnaby and Arturo following this question, until they finally agree on a price, which the halfling communicates to Shiva.

Shiva agrees to the amount and promptly hands it over to the shop owner. "Danke, habe einen guten tag, Herr Arturo."

Once back out onto the street with her guitar safely nestled in its equally ornate traveling case, she looks to Barnaby. "Thank you for your assistance, Barnaby. I don't want to overextend you, but would you happen to know of a place interested in novelty items in exchange for coin? I have some Sarameian equipment that I wanted to sell. Also, I'd be eternally grateful if you could direct me to a site of carnal pursuits whose denizens are closer to my size?"

After showing Alaris and Shiva around the merchant quarter, Barnaby directs the tiefling to a building by the river on the southern edge of town. The structure's proportions are unusually exaggerated compared to the rest of the city and the door reads Ravagers' Rest.

Once Shiva is able to get a decent amount of coin for the Sarameian gear, she shares some of it with Alaris before they head back to the temple to rest. Eager to continue practicing, she retires to her room and works on the chords shown to her, doing some experimenting with chord shapes and their placements as well. There's a subtle joy to the act of creating new chord structures and humming along to melodies that come to her as she goes. It's not too long before her fingertips ache from playing and she decides to give it up for the evening, but not before she's happy with a simple, slow, melancholy progression that she begins to put words to. "...She's calling my name, and I'm answering. Baby come, baby come to me...take my hand.."

Once the sun begins to set,  Shiva prepares and sets out for a night at the Ravagers' Rest.

The Ravagers' Rest is a long building that stands by the riverside with a curved wooden roof that looks like it's been constructed out of an upturned ship. The interior is dark and smoke hangs thick on the air. A burly, muscular man with an impressive beard and long scar over one ruined eye stands just inside the door. Though stoic in demeanour there is an element of surprise in his face when confronted the a cerulean tiefling woman built like an Amazon.

"An féidir liom cabhrú leat?" He asks in Littlun with a strangely melodic accent.

Meanwhile, Caio has been prowling the city listening for rumours of the witches in Overhill. It's a difficult task without speaking the local language, but he does pick up some talk in the merchant quarter. Vague whispers of folk abandoning their respectable and civilised ways in favour of hedonistic celebrations that are out of control even by halfling standards. Some slightly more active probing uncovers two members of the city watch who speak Taneman. They point the elf to a local bounty board outside their barracks. While most of it is unintelligible to Caio, the problem is clearly in Overhill with a significant bounty.

The imposing appearance of the building and the seeming lack of warmth and levity to its interior makes Shiva question exactly what lies in store for her. Facing the doorman, she smiles, but keeps her expression and body language from being overly friendly. "Taneman? I'm looking for beautiful company for this evening?"

The man furrows his heavy brow as he tries to make sense of the words, before offering his own suggestion.

"Breanne?"

Shiva perks up at the possible channel of communication. "Ouais! Vous parlez Breannian? I am looking to spend my evening in beautiful company."

The bouncer winces as he tries to make sense of Shiva's northern accent.

"You're here for a lass?"

Shiva's brow furrows in return at the crass nature of the man's response. "That's a way to put it, yes. Someone beautiful, avec une volonté de fer."

The bouncer straightens the fluffy collar of his hide vest and looks Shiva up and down.

"You break it, you buy it, okay? You got coin?"

Shiva is simply flabbergasted for a moment as she stares at the intimidating man, wondering just what kind of patronage this place normally gets. "...Alright. Yes, I have coin."

The man beckons, indicating for Shiva to show him what she's got.

Shiva smiles incredulously at the man before reaching down and hefting the full coin sack on her hip, jingling the contents. 

"Girls' prices are on the doors," he grunts in return, gesturing to the next door after the little lobby that he and Shiva are standing in.

Shiva is taken aback once more at the rough and detached manner of the Ravagers' Rest, and nods to the doorman before proceeding onward. 

A dim and dingy corridor with wooden walls runs the length of the longhouse. Several doors are spaced along each side at regular intervals. Each one has a sign and a small barred window with a shutter at head height.

The rooms are small: just big enough for a bed, a bedside table, a dresser, table and chair. Each contains a relatively bedraggled looking woman. Most are human, but here or there an elf can be spotted. However, there isn't a single halfling or gnome. Each girl is bound to the bed in one way or another, be it by the wrist, the ankle or a collar. Some of the ropes are longer and others shorter. Judging by the signs, the more attractive woman also cost more.

At one end of the corridor is a locked door with no sign or window.

Shiva walks slowly through the corridor, looking through the small windows to spy the women within. Each looks more haggard than the last, and a great chasm of sadness opens within her chest as she observes the nightmare that each of these women is likely living through. Her heart then begins to pound as anger heats her skin and a sonorous, inhuman growl resounds from her throat. Eventually, she comes to the locked room that has neither a price on it nor a window into the room. 

Her curiosity getting the better of her, she knocks cautiously. 

"Feis ort!" A gruff voice yells from the other side of the door in Littlun with the same lilting accent as the man on the front door.