"Honestly, nothing... This time..."  Raven says, a bit defensively as she pulls the letter from her father out of her pocket.  "Dad didn't want me to come, something going on in the fens it seems..." She hands the letter over, but then gives her mom a big hug.  "I haven't been able to find out what is going on out there yet." She explains as she holds her mom close.  'I am worried about him..."  It takes her a moment then, as her mom reads the letter, to remember to introduce the others.

"Mom..." She says eventually.  "These others are traveling with me." She nods to the group.  She introduces them then.

"Hello, lads, you can just call me Marita," says Raven's mom. She seems relieved that her daughter's choice of companions seem more respectable than the usual gang. She especially brightens at the sight of Dell, fiddle strapped to his back. "Another bard is always welcome here! Feel free to give us a tune, if the rest of this lot ever leaves enough silence to get a note in edgewise."

Turning back to Raven, she says, "I'm sure your father is fine.  He's been battling dark forces in the fens since before I ever met him. Though I have worried about him a bit since Galliloth died...I think it went to his head a bit."

Turning to the others, she explains.  "Galliloth was a lord of the Night Court of Fey--the Lord of Blight, he was called. Used to have armies of undead plants or suchlike. Amnarel Blackblade, Raven's father, swore an oath of vengeance on him, after those monsters wiped out his home village in the Fens. When the two of us met, Amnarel was completely obsessed with destroying him. But there was some sort of squabble in the Night Court, and Galliloth lost favor, and the Queen had him executed. Amnarel always seemed a little...unmoored after that.  Like he didn't quite know what to do with himself."

Elwin smiled out of politeness, barely hearing Raven's mother speak. His mind was still reeling from everything he'd encountered in the Free City, from the street performances and advertisements everywhere to the gazebo-plant-lift. Even if not as large (he couldn't quite tell,) it appeared that the Free City was as busy as Slate City.

Marita? That's right, that was her name. Elwin finally caught up as she was describing Raven's father's lost purpose.

"He is not without purpose."  Raven says, though it sounds like a reactionary thing, that she feels she needs to defend her father.  "He just isn't as driven as before, that's all..."

Quentin takes everything in as they walk throughout the city enjoying the lift a lot and the view it gives, you don’t get that just by teleporting. As they reach Raven’s mothers tavern Quentin makes sure to stand up a little straighter and put on his best smile. Giving her a polite nod as he is introduced. Taking the opportunity he smiles and says, “You have a lovely tavern. It is quite jovial. Sounds like the perfect place for us to stay while in the city.” 

((never mind about the mail, too expensive, I'm guessing Del would have known it's out of reach to the poor))

I'd love to play a tune, Mistress Marita, or sit in with someone, once we get settled. Your customers prefer their music lively? We'll see what we can do.

Mindartis looks around impressed, "You don't find many places like this in the Feywild," he comments, smiling slightly.

"Of course your new friends must stay here," says Marita. "You are all entirely welcome. I can see that you're adventurers, and we don't get too many of your sort in Willow. And with her usually perfect timing, my daughter has brought you here at lunchtime. Here, have a seat, and let me get you something."  Marita bustles away.

Ullethil the bard approaches the table as you sit.  "So, little bird, are you going off adventuring, now? Is there a quest?  Shall I start preparing the ballad now, or does your fiddler friend hold the option on your future heroics already?"

"Oh Ullethil, I am sure the tails of my deeds will take several bards to compose."  Raven says with a laugh.  "I am sure there will be more than enough work to go around."

"I shall start composing at once," Ullethil promises. "So what sort of adventures are you fellows looking for?  Or have adventures found you already?"

Elwin unconsciously relaxed a bit as he sat down. So, while her family might have a business, a bit of wealth, and even prestige, they weren't nobles--which was a relief to the former street urchin. He had suspected Raven was of noble birth, and more so than an actual title, the ambiguity of her status (in his mind at least) had made him wary.

Now though... the young man eagerly awaited whatever Marita was bringing, feeling more at-ease with the group than before. When Ullethil asked about their adventures, he happily spoke up.

"Oh, nothing too terrible yet," Elwin admitted, rubbing his stubbled chin as he considered. "That said, when you've got an academy of students calling us the 'mole wreckers of Beezger's field' as we leave, I guess we did leave something of an impression!" WIth that, he went on to describe their adventure with the megamole, although perhaps with a bit more enthusiasm than a more seasoned adventurer might have.

Ullethil is highly entertained by your tale. "I imagine that, as soon as classes are out, all the Bardic Magic students from the Thamasaille will rush here to sing us their new ballads of your adventure.  It's so rare that they have a chance to beat the local apprentices to a heroic story! I'm almost tempted to compose a ballad before they get here, just to shore up the home team." He plucks a few notes on his lute, eyes twinkling. "But no, we must not spoil the youngsters' fun."

Marita brings out some plates of roasted meat, bread and turnips, and joins you at the table.

Quentin chuckles and says, “We will try our best to make sure you know first so you may sing about our exploits. Though we really don’t have a direction going forward and I doubt another adventure like Megamole will just fall into our laps.” 

 The moment Quentin says this, something falls onto the table with a terrible, solid thump.

It's a dead goblin. Clutching a harp.

The music comes to a crashing halt, people gasp or scream, and everyone jumps to their feet, staring in horror at the little green corpse.

After a minute of shocked silence, the goblin sits up, and starts shaking the mashed turnips out of its ears.  Not dead after all.

"Eggric, isn't it?" Ullethil says after a moment, and the dislike is plain in his voice. "What in the nine hells..."

"Eggric looking for tree rats in rafters," mutters the goblin, avoiding his gaze. "Inn food too tender. Hunting. Not spying on bards. Not looking for people to rob. Not looking for Crow Girl to tell her boss wants to talk to her. Just looking for lousy, nut-grabbing squirrels.  And one pushed me."

I agree Master Ullethil - I think they will have more fun with it, and I do not intend to have a go until it fits into some grander narrative arc. But when the students come here, you should favor in the judging the versions with the best comedic value. Yes there was danger, but moles grown from a crop experiment gone awry, and moonshiners discovered because a fleeing elephantine more smashed the wall of their warren?  The song should be hilarious.

Did you study at the Thamasaille? What education I have I got at the library attached to the Abbey to ((some goddess)), just over the border into the Kalveraks.

Del stopped before too much history, not telling or asking this stranger about his mother

edit 

and then the goblin falls Crow Girl? Sister Raven, do you have a boss that does not employ goblins to not send you messages?

Ullethil wipes spattered turnip off his doublet, and with a last, disgusted look at the goblin, turns to Del. "Indeed it seems a good comedic subject! As for me, no, I did not study at the Thamasaille. They place too much emphasis on the power of ones spells, and not the power of the performance.  I studied with the College of Valor here in Willow, and with my master, the great bard Arallas."

Quote from skuk >>

and then the goblin falls Crow Girl? Sister Raven, do you have a boss that does not employ goblins to not send you messages?

 "My boss, not her," says the goblin, wiping turnip off the back of his head and licking it off his fingers. "He also didn't say to bring back-up with you, but Eggric don't know who you could bring 'cause Tattoo Face on the lam, and Knives in jail, and Smoochy-Lips think Crow Girl away for summer so he dating bar floozy from Piper's Curse. But maybe this your new squeeze?" He looks closely at Del. "That okay, then, guess you broke up and Smoochy-Lips not being sneaky on the side."

Marita looks like she is developing a sudden headache. "Raven, please tell me you're not getting involved with those people again--Eggric, fingers out of the gravy!  Use a spoon!-- and just when I thought you might start some honest adventuring."

"Smoochy-Lips wishes he were hooked up with me!" Raven says with a chuckle. "Now get off my mom's table and stop... well everything you are currently doing." She then glances to her mother. "You know I have stopped hanging with those guys, but it is not like I could break all contact. They were my friends when I needed them." Then she turns to the group. "Seems like I might have some fun for us to do together, if you are interested..."

As soon as the goblin hit the table, and was alive, Quentin has been using prestidigitation to clean everything around him. It’s probably become obvious to the group that Quentin absolutely hates things being dirty around him. Listening to the words Quentin is confused about just everything the goblin is saying answering Raven with, “I understood virtually zero of the words that left that goblins lips just moments ago. But I’m down once I test something.” Clearing his throat Quentin looks up and says, “It’s not like a spellbook filled with unknown Arcane Arts is just going to fall into our laps.” 

Crickets chirp in the rafters...