You are all standing together in a crowd of about one hundred people. It is a dreary day, with grey skies and a light rain. As you wait, the town mayor climbs onto a small platform and clears her throat. "Everyone listen, please. The town meeting is starting." The crowd goes silent, and all eyes turn towards the mayor of Broken Bank. "I am here to discuss the devils plaguing our town. The town wizard has no idea why they are here, and  the guard is struggling to keep up with the constant attacks. I am formally placing the town in a state of emergency. The curfew is from eight to eight. I strongly encourage everyone to move in groups, and for people with children to evacuate. There is a town to the east that hasn't been touched by these raids. Every week, a group of guards will provide escort. To everyone who stays, we will pay in gold for all citizens willing to create a militia, or for more experienced fighters, a smaller task force. If anyone is interested, please come find me in my office. Consider this meeting adjourned." 

The other town citizens look around at each other, concerned. You hear angry mutterings about the twelve hour curfew, but they are few and far between. What do you do?

Melinda will start heading to the mayors office humming a song to herself.

A half elf in leather armor follows behind Melinda, listening to the tune.  Instinctively and lovingly, he brings his constant companion, his viol, out as they are walking, fingers feeling out a rhythm and tune to match the song in accompaniment. 

“Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
But what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game”

He has a jaunt to his step and an easy smile, despite the gray day and the dark tidings.  “A nice little tune.  Maybe I could work on it a little more and make it into something.  Are you headed to sign up to help?  Beastly business, isn’t it?”  

‘‘Well howdy friend! Why yes, I am going to sign up. Your pretty good at the fiddle by the way.’’ she gives him a little wink ‘‘Are you also on your way to sign up?’’

With a smile and a brief nod, he sings back,

Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste

”Ah well.  Taste yes, wealth not so much.  I am on my way to sign up, because…” he pauses and puts his hand on his coin pouch at his waist, “this is not nearly heavy enough.  And it doesn’t make that nice clinky sound that I like to hear.  So I’m here to do my bit and help as I can, as long as I don’t have to fight Asmodeus himself, I hope I can fill this pouch if you take my meaning.  My name is Zinhorn by the way, but you can call me Zin.  And you are….?”

‘‘Pleasure to meet you Zin, I am Melinda Heavybloom. You can just call me Melinda. Are you a bard?’’ she asks in a sing songy tone.

Bellona standing in the back shadows listening to the mayor waits for the crowd to thin out before making her way to the office. Best for her to go unnoticed especially at a time like now.

She listens to the conversation of two others who seem to be heading to the office ahead of her as she makes her way inside.

Zin smiles at Melinda and says “I can play some songs that many folk like, yes, I guess that makes me a bard.  An entertainer.  A traveler.   A risk taker and adventurer, my lady.  And… I do have a certain way with ladies.  Let’s just say that …. I’m sought after.”  He turns and looks at you, giving you a wink.  A quiet odd laugh and he keeps walking toward the destination.

“New in town I take it? Tell me are you here for coin or fame? Both perhaps?”

‘‘You could say that, whats your name love?’’

Dareau is a scratching his nose, and weighing his chances as he overhears the others begin talking about joining up. He tilts his head in sudden thought and starts flipping through a notebook for a few pages before smiling to himself. 

He puts it away, then turns his face to an appropriately grim, and determined expression, crossing his arms across his chest. 

"Any devil that brings its evil here will find only a blade... Wait... Hold on..."

He looks at his notebook again, reads a few lines to himself and puts it away again. He then resumes his grim manner. 

"Any devil attempting evil here, will be met with evil ends."

Melinda chuckles a little at that statement. ‘‘Oh and who might you be’’ she asks with a smile.

"Dareau... The Daring... Dark... Dangerous. Dareau the Dangerer. No, wait... I mean, it's Dareau, but let me work on the rest. I'll have it in a bit. But I'd like to go with you all to talk to the mayor. I think I can help." He pulls on his leather shirt as it rubs him a bit uncomfortably, before readjusting a rapier on his hip. 

Melinda laughs ‘’Well alrighty then, lets go’’

As you all walk up to the mayor's office, she ushers you in. "Please have a seat. I must say, there's very few of you." Other than the mayor, the room is completely empty. "Well, if you accept my offer, I suppose you will be my militia. As the town militia you will be expected to aid the guard if and when any devils slip past them. You will also be expected to hunt the devils to their source and eliminate the threat. If you have a solid lead on where they are, you can borrow a few guard members. As for payment, you will each recieve fifteen gold for every pair of devil ears you can bring back to me. If you successfully stop the attacks  you will recieve a bonus of one hundred gold each. I'm afraid that is quite stretching my funds, so there isn't anything more I can offer you. Well? Thoughts, questions?

‘‘Well that sounds simple enough to me, what do the rest of yall think?’’

“Bellona”

She responds to Melinda before they enter the office. The gold would be nice but a chance to hunt the fiends that would be the real reward.

When gold is mentioned, you can see Zin become laser focused on the mayor, and a smile comes to his face.  “Questions?  I have many.  Why are these devils here?  What kind of devils are they?  Do you have any more information or leads about where they are coming from or where to start hunting them down?   I appreciate the offer of gold and that really helps, it does, but I want to be alive at the end of this to spend it you see?  Do you have anything else that could be of help to us, any potions that can heal us, or any other supplies? I need a short bow and some arrows if you have some lying around somewhere…”. He looks at the mayor and smiles at her ever so sweetly….

"I'm afraid supplies are delivered directly to the guard. We are short on supplies and the first line of defence is more important than you, to be completely honest. I'm afraid we know very little about the devils. They have been attacking only from the north, but we haven't had a chance to send an attack team that way to see what is happening. That would likely be your job."

‘‘Well that’s alright. Zin I can loan you my crossbow if you need? I’ll be just fine without it.’’ Melinda says with a smile.