Lily: (small chuckle) "In a way. I do work as I travel - sometimes that is as simple as laundry, sometimes it is as simple as repelling a few ambitious bandits. Sometimes it is as complicated as convincing a few lonely ghosts to pass on the wheel."\n\nYou: "You communicate with spirits?"\n\nLily: "I do, indeed. Some consider it a curse, as it attracts much more attention than they would prefer. But I am no stranger to spirits or demons. It is my place in the world; to rail against it would be as futile as cursing the wind. So I walk with the wind, wherever it leads."\n\nYou: "I see. Surely it's no simple life?"\n\nLily: "I suppose not. But I wouldn't have made a very good farmhand anyway."\n\nYou: "Too much talking to ghosts?"\n\nLily: "Too much talking to the rice."\n\n[["Where were you before this?"]]\n[["What can you tell me about Silk Fox?"]]\n[[Go with Lily to meet Kai.]]\n

- You raise your weapon briefly to make it look as natural as possible, and the thief takes the bait. They kick your weapon away and spring to their feet, immediately climbing one of the market stalls behind them in an attempt to escape. -\n\nKai: (exasperated) "No!"\n\n- Lily moves to follow, but you hold up a hand. - \n\nYou: (almost whispering) "Not yet."\n\n- As the thief leaps onto a nearby rooftop and slips out of sight, you move to make chase. Kai and Lily follow you closely as you climb to the roof, somewhat less adept than the thief. -\n\nKai: "I can't believe she got away!" (to Lily) "And YOU -"\n\nYou: (reassuring) "Don't worry. She was scared; if she can, I think she'll go right back to her master. We can follow her there."\n\nLily: "Young and inexperienced; that makes sense to me."\n\nYou: "I told you not to come along, Lily."\n\nLily: "And I said the matter was personal to me. If I wasn't with you, you may not have been able to subdue her."\n\nKai: (pointing to the edge of the roof) "Enough, both of you! Here, a broken tile - we can follow the thief's path. Lily proved herself useful; I judge that she can work with us until the job is finished. I've got enough silver for the both of you. Are you satisfied?"\n\n- Lily nods. As you were before, you are hesitant, but it's out of your hands now. -\n\nYou: "Sure."\n\nLily: "Then let's get moving."\n\n- The three of you cross the rooftops of Imperial City, bathed in moonlight. Eventually, the thief's path leads you down to the harbour, where there is a carefully-cut hole in the roof of a fishing warehouse. - \n\nKai: "Of course. The guard thinks of these as two seperate districts; we didn't think of how easily these roofs connect the two. I should have widened my search for the thief's hideout.\n\nLily: "Don't worry; we've found it together."\n\nKai: (slightly bitter) "Yes, thank you. Now let's see if the snake's tail leads to its head."\n\nYou: "That's... an imprecise metaphor."\n\nKai: "Can we please continue now?"\n\n[[Follow the thief inside.]]

Lily: (bowing, earnest) "Thank you. We should see Constable Kai as soon as possible."\n\n- The two of you traverse the market, searching for Constable Kai. You find him, a man in a loose Imperial Guard's outfit and a meager sword across his back. He is speaking to a purveyor of fine art. -\n\nKai: "You didn't see her clearly."\n\nArt Merchant: "Only for a moment, sir. Like I said."\n\nKai: "So how can you be sure that it was Silk Fox? Anyone could be dressed in tight black garb that obscures their mouth."\n\nArt Merchant: "Because she told me, sir. Clear as day. I heard a rustling sound, came out to see - she had one of my finest pieces, met my eye, even in the dark, and said - 'tell them Silk Fox has returned'."\n\nLily: (to herself, perturbed) "It couldn't be her..."\n\nKai: (turning to You) "Yes? Is there some way I can help you?"\n\nYou: "I was about to ask you the same thing. We're looking to help you with Silk Fox."\n\nKai: "You? Civilians? What exactly would that entail?"\n\nYou: "Well, it seems a stakeout is in order. Besides that, I'm a trained fighter."\n\nKai: "Yes, I was planning the stakeout for tonight. What would you do if we defeated her?"\n\nLily: "Subdue her, of course."\n\n[["Yes, subdue her."]]\n[["She's an unrepetent thief. I could kill her for you."]]

- You spend the better part of an hour searching for that sunset-coloured garb in the crowd, but Lily eludes you. You see a flash out of the corner of your eye, but it disappears as quickly as it came. It seems Lily does not want to be found. - \n\n[[Meet with Kai.]]

True Face\nA Jade Empire Interactive\nBy Eliot Howard\n\nCharacters: \n\nYOU: A wandering mercenary for-hire. Perhaps charitible, perhaps dubious, perhaps selfish. \n\nWOLFGRIN WEI: A talkative merchant, chosen by the divine to bring trancendant soup to the masses. \n\nLILY: A young stranger with wise, wistful eyes. \n\nCONSTABLE KAI: A well-meaning, mostly competent local investigator. \n\nTHIEF: Clad in the infamous attire of a well-known outlaw. \n\nThe Imperial City. Your mind can hardly contain its wonders; bursting to the seams with curling architecture, exquisite stonework, exotic goods from every corner of the world. It the heart of the Jade Empire, pumping culture and trade through every connected road. You can find anything in the market district; tools, art, song, craft...\n\nAnd most importantly: food. \n\nWolfgrin Wei: (pleased) "You have to get the grease just right."\n\nYou: (distracted) "Mmmhmm."\n\nWolfgrin Wei: (rambling) "The key to a good soup is the grease. My father raised me right, he passed down our family grease-secrets, secrets of the grease, from his mother and her father before her. This shop has been here for centuries, from the birth of the empire itself, and for good reason! Just taste the grease!"\n\n[["Can I have some more?"]]\n[["It's just soup."]]\n[["Do you ever shut up?"]]

Lily: "I came in through the Great Southern Forest. A place of lonely spirits - I always wonder where they came from, what horrible tragedy befell them to cause them to linger."\n\nYou: "You seem to pity them."\n\nLily: "I do. One hopes that peace follows death, before the turning of the Wheel. To be stuck as a spirit - between lives - is to be stagnant. To resist progress. It must be a terrible burden to know what you need to do to move on -- and be unable to do it."\n\nYou: "That is not reserved for the dead. Many of us are aware of our barriers - some we build ourselves."\n\nLily: "And each turn of the wheel is an opportunity to overcome those barriers. I can only hope for the wisdom to see my own and the strength to persist in their unmaking."\n\nYou: "That's what life is for."\n\nLily: "Thank you, friend."\n\n[["Are you a mercenary?"]]\n[["What can you tell me about Silk Fox?"]]\n[[Go with Lily to meet Kai.]]\n\n

- Constable Kai darts in to tie the thief's hands, and the three of you haul her into one of the less-exposed alleys of the Imperial City. -\n\nKai: (as he settles her against the wall) "There we go. Now, tell us - are there more of you?"\n\nThief: "I am my master's only disciple. Her hands and eyes, her blade."\n\nKai: "I don't need an operatic monologue, thank you. I ask questions, you give answers. Do you understand?"\n\nLily: "Perhaps you're going too hard on the girl?" \n\nThief: (mocking) "Please. I am trained to withstand far more punishment than this uniformed tar-stain is capable of."\n\nKai: (to Lily) "With all due respect, lady, I don't know who you are. I'm grateful for your assistance out there, but this is Imperial Guard business."\n\nLily: "You know I'm capable. If she is any indication, you will need my help against her master."\n\nYou: "I don't know..."\n\nKai: "As long as you continue to prove yourself useful, I've got enough silver for both of you. But now... what should we do with this sack of tar?" \n\n- Kai gestures to the thief. -\n\n[[Intimidate the thief.]]\n[[Act compassionately towards the thief.]]\n[[Let Kai and Lily handle it.]]

Wolfgrin Wei: (offended) "Just soup you say? I'll have you know this is my family's LEGACY - a testament to the indomitability of human will!"\n\n- A woman down the bar giggles at this. She is clad in sunrise-colours, unpatterned but of good quality. Her eyes betray a wistful wisdom. - \n\nWolfgrin Wei: (snapping) "Is something funny to you, miss?" \n\nLily: (stifling her laugh) "No offense meant, Wei. It's simply... you do tend to go on."\n\nWolfgrin Wei: (conceding) "The glory of the heavens shining through, I understand. Not all can bear its weight - if only I could turn that power upon that market thief."\n\nYou: (interested) "Thieves? In the market district?"\n\nWolfgrin Wei: "Just one! My wife's a merchant like me, you see - no children to call our own in the Imperial City - anyway, she makes these incredible little trinkets, and half her stock was stolen last week!"\n\nYou: "What do you know about it?"\n\nWolfgrin Wei: (disdain) "I know that Constable Kai's on the case, but that tar-stained bum won't do anything but tell us to hire mercenaries. He won't even take me seriously when I say I saw the thief in the act!"\n\nYou: "You did? Did you recognize them?"\n\nWolfgrin Wei: "Of course I did! After all this time, Silk Fox has returned!"\n\nLily: "Silk Fox? Are you sure?"\n\nWolfgrin Wei: (exasperated) "Of course I am! You think I wouldn't recognize the garb of that sultry vandal?! She terrorized our roofs for years, and now she's back to victimize me personally!"\n\n[["I'll take care of it, don't worry."]]

- You crouch down in front of where the thief is bound, pulling a simple knife from your belt. -\n\nYou: "You see this? This is my favourite knife. I got it from my grandfather. He was a Lotus Assassin; used to carve people's faces with it and hang them on the wall like trophies. I've kept up its use, of course, but it's been a while, and let me tell you; this little blade is hungry."\n\nThief: (quivering) "You don't scare -"\n\nYou: "Hungry for FACES. Will you be my next trophy, little one? Tell me where to find Silk Fox."\n\nThief: "All right! I'll tell you where she is, just... I knew that my failure would bring punishment... please, protect me from her wrath."\n\nKai: "Of course. You'll have the most secure cell we can find."\n\nLily: "And your cooperation may earn you a reduced punishment. Right, Constable?"\n\nKai: "Depends on the info she gives us."\n\nThief: "Follow the rooftops down to the harbour; there is a secret door in the top of one of the warehouses there. You'll find her, waiting for tonight's valuables."\n\nKai: "Thank you, very much. (to You) "We'll have to take her down to headquarters."\n\n- Your party steps aside from the thief for a moment. -\n\nKai: (shocked, whispering) "Was... was all that true, about your knife?"\n\nYou: (glib) "Nope; got it in the market and I use it to peel potatoes."\n\nLily: (sighing) "You are much too good at that."\n\n- After bringing the thief to her cell, your party crosses the rooftops of Imperial City, bathed in moonlight. Eventually, the thief's instructions lead you down to the harbour, where there is a carefully-cut hole in the roof of a fishing warehouse. - \n\nKai: "Of course. The guard thinks of these as two seperate districts; we didn't think of how easily these roofs connect the two. I should have widened my search for the thief's hideout."\n\nLily: "Don't worry; we've found it together."\n\nKai: (slightly bitter) "Yes, thank you. Now let's see if the snake's tail leads to its head."\n\nYou: "That's... an imprecise metaphor."\n\nKai: "Can we please continue now?"\n\n[[Pull open the secret door.]]

Kai: (disappointed) "You won't have a drink with us?"\n\nYou: "It's sunrise, my friend. No, no, I have other places to be. On to the next adventure."\n\n- Lily nods as if she understands exactly. Kai presses some silver into your palm as payment for a job well done. -\n\nKai: "Perhaps someday we'll meet back here, hmm? I'll save you a drink for that day."\n\nLily: "Safe travels, warm winds."\n\nYou: "Thank you. Good fortune to both of you."\n\n- You bow, and turn to head on your way. After a moment you melt into the early-morning crowds, your duty done for now. Another small story of the Imperial City righted, until next time. -

- Your team waits in the shadows of the Market. It is quiet at first, as you have no prior connection to lean on. Then Constable Kai breaks the silence. - \n\nKai: "So, Lily who Walks With Wind. Where does the name come from?"\n\nLily: "I am a wanderer. This is my first time visiting the Imperial City since I was a young girl... I am glad to see its splendor has survived the current of time." \n\nKai: "And the staff?"\n\nLily: "The staff is less important than the hand that wields it."\n\n- You open your mouth to comment, but Lily cuts you off. -\n\nLily: (determined) "Look."\n\n- A black silhouette is framed against the harvest moon where it overlooks the market district. It doesn't seem to notice you; within a moment it leaps down into the street and streaks toward an unguarded market stall. -\n\nKai: (whispering) "Spread out! We'll give her a chance to surrender."\n\n- The three of you move into a wide arch with you at the center. You approach the thief, weapons low; ready, but unthreatening. The woman, clad in black leather and cloth, turns to face you a little too late. She has no simple escape, and she knows it. - \n\nKai: (firmly, but unexperienced) "Hold there, by order of the Imperial Guard!"\n\n- The woman lashes out, her combative grunts high-pitched and full of anger. -\n\nLily: (as she strikes) "Stop this!"\n\nThief: "Sure, if you let me go!"\n\n- The melee is short but fierce. The thief fights admirably, but is clearly outnumbered. Near the end, Lily darts in and steals the thief's cloth mask from her mouth. This reveals her as nothing more than a girl no more than twenty, albeit one with fire in her eyes. You knock her to the ground, where she is at the mercy of your weapon. -\n\nLily: "I knew it. This is not Silk Fox."\n\nYou: (to the thief) "Who are you?!"\n\nThief: (grinning) "I am shadow. I am the lightning flash of a blade in the dark."\n\nKai: (exasperated) By all the heavens on the wheel, spare me the speech. You'll have to find a new hobby in the stockades, I'm afraid. \n\nLily: Wait. Who trained you?\n\nThief: (petulant) "Silk Fox, of course. How else could I have fended you off as long as I did? Another moment and I would have killed you."\n\nKai: "Uh-huh. Can I bring her in yet?"\n\nLily: (to the thief) "Did she know about this? This petty theft?"\n\nThief: "She ORDERED it. I am the heir to her legacy, and until I am ready I act as her instrument." \n\nLily: (demanding) "Where is she now?"\n\nThief: "How would I know? I come when I am called."\n\nKai: "This is a waste of time."\n\nYou: "I agree."\n\n[[Give the thief to Constable Kai for questioning.]]\n[[Kill the thief.]]\n[[Let the thief go and attempt to follow her to Silk Fox.]]\n

Lily: (approving) "I'll talk some sense into her."\n\nYou: "We have to beat her, first."\n\nKai: "I'm thankful for that merciful spirit, but I want you both to consider the possibility that Silk Fox won't let us take her alive. If she refuses to surrender, we may have to kill her."\n\nLily: (determined) "I won't let that happen."\n\nKai: "Regardless, our first steps are the same. It's... unconventional to allow two mercenaries on official Imperial business, but it will look more impressive if I seem to handle this on my own."\n\nYou: "Looking for that promotion?"\n\nKai: (nodding) "I'm willing to spend my own silver to help that along. Do we have an arrangement?"\n\n- You and Lily share a look and nod. - \n\nKai: "Excellent. Meet me here after sunset and we'll set a trap for the Fox."\n\n[[Go with Lily to meet Kai.]]\n[[Speak with Lily first.]]

Wolfgrin Wei: (surprised) "You will? Well, I'll say it would be a pleasant change to have someone make a difference around here! Constable Kai's just across the market, I'm sure doing another useless batch of interrogations. I hope he doesn't visit my poor wife again..."\n\n- You turn away from Wei's shop, and Lily pulls you in for an aside. - \n\nLily: "I'll go with you." \n\nYou: "What?"\n\nLily: (insistent) "Let me go with you - if Silk Fox has truly returned, this is a matter that concerns me personally."\n\nYou: "I don't even know your name. Can you handle a fight?"\n\nLily: (subtly confident) "I've seen a few battles in my life - and they call me Lily Who Walks with Wind."\n\n- You notice that she has a well-crafted Bo staff on her back. -\n\n[["What's your involvement?"]]\n[["Welcome aboard."]]\n[["I don't want you along."]]

Kai: "Hmm, that's true. Maybe I should consider a career-sw- Wait, what's that?."\n\n- The two of you look across the courtyard to see Lily who Walks With Wind prowling between the market stalls. - \n\nKai: "Could she be the thief?"\n\nYou: "I don't think so."\n\n- You approach her cautiously, and she wheels on you. - \n\nLily: "I told you I'd pursue it on my own."\n\n- You open your mouth to respond, but Lily cuts you off. -\n\nLily: (determined) "Look."\n\n- A black silhouette is framed against the harvest moon where it overlooks the market district. It doesn't seem to notice you; within a moment it leaps down into the street and streaks toward an unguarded market stall. -\n\nKai: (whispering) "Spread out! We'll give her a chance to surrender."\n\n- The three of you move into a wide arch with you at the center. \n\nKai: (whispering to Lily) "Not you!"\n\n- Lily disregards Kai's instruction and approaches the thief. You follow, weapon low; ready, but unthreatening. The woman, clad in black leather and cloth, turns to face you a little too late. She has no simple escape, and she knows it. - \n\nKai: (firmly, but unexperienced) "Hold there, by order of the Imperial Guard!"\n\n- The woman lashes out, her combative grunts high-pitched and full of anger. -\n\nLily: (as she strikes) "Stop this!"\n\nThief: "Sure, if you let me go!"\n\n- The melee is short but fierce. The thief fights admirably, but is clearly outnumbered. Near the end, Lily darts in and steals the thief's cloth mask from her mouth. This reveals her as nothing more than a girl no more than twenty, albeit one with fire in her eyes. You knock her to the ground, where she is at the mercy of your weapon. -\n\nLily: "I knew it. This is not Silk Fox."\n\nYou: (to the thief) "Who are you?!"\n\nThief: (grinning) "I am shadow. I am the lightning flash of a blade in the dark."\n\nKai: (exasperated) By all the heavens on the wheel, spare me the speech. You'll have to find a new hobby in the stockades, I'm afraid. \n\nLily: Wait. Who trained you?\n\nThief: (petulant) "Silk Fox, of course. How else could I have fended you off as long as I did? Another moment and I would have killed you."\n\nKai: "Uh-huh. Can I bring her in yet?"\n\nLily: (to the thief) "Did she know about this? This petty theft?"\n\nThief: "She ORDERED it. I am the heir to her legacy, and until I am ready I act as her instrument." \n\nLily: (demanding) "Where is she now?"\n\nThief: "How would I know? I come when I am called."\n\nKai: "This is a waste of time."\n\n[["Bring her in." Give the thief to Constable Kai for questioning.]]\n[["I agree." (Kill the thief.)]]\n[[Let the thief go and attempt to follow her to her master.]]

Lily: (constrained) "I have told you most of what I can. I would not share her secrets."\n\nYou: "So you know - or knew - her well."\n\nLily: "You see, I have already told you too much. I worked with her for some time, yes, many years ago. We worked for the sake of peace - why she would stoop to petty theft, I cannot understand. It must be a mistake, or perhaps someone trying to muddy her name."\n\nYou: "Did you care for her?"\n\nLily: (small chuckle) "A strange question. She was important to me, I suppose, but I don't think that is caring in the way you mean it."\n\n[["Are you a mercenary?"]]\n[["Where were you before this?"]]\n[[Go with Lily to meet Kai.]]\n

Kai: "It wouldn't be out of the question if she strikes out at us. If she refuses to surrender, it may be our only option. But I want you to keep in mind: we're not some local militia repelling bandits. We have a way of justice in this city."\n\nYou: "That IS my sense of justice."\n\nKai: "Regardless, our first steps are the same. It's... unconventional to allow two mercenaries on official Imperial business, but it will look more impressive if I seem to handle this on my own."\n\nYou: "Looking for that promotion?"\n\nKai: (nodding) "I'm willing to spend my own silver to help that along. Do we have an arrangement?"\n\n- You nod. - \n\nKai: "Excellent. Meet me here after sunset and we'll lay a trap for the Fox."\n\n[[Meet with Kai.]]\n[[Search for Lily.]]

\nYou: "I'm sorry, Lily. I work better alone, and I don't know you from the thief."\n\nLily: (mournful) "I understand your hesitance, but now that I've heard about this, I cannot turn away. I will pursue it with you, or I'll do it on my own."\n\n- Lily turns away and melts into the crowd. You have no choice but to traverse the market alone, searching for Constable Kai. You find him, a man in a loose Imperial Guard's outfit and a meager sword across his back. He is speaking to a purveyor of fine art. -\n\nKai: "You didn't see her clearly."\n\nArt Merchant: "Only for a moment, sir. Like I said."\n\nKai: "So how can you be sure that it was Silk Fox? Anyone could be dressed in tight black garb that obscures their mouth."\n\nArt Merchant: "Because she told me, sir. Clear as day. I heard a rustling sound, came out to see - she had one of my finest pieces, met my eye, even in the dark, and said - 'tell them Silk Fox has returned'."\n\nKai: (turning to You) "Yes? Is there some way I can help you?"\n\nYou: "I was about to ask you the same thing. We're looking to help you with Silk Fox."\n\nKai: "You? Civilians? What exactly would that entail?"\n\nYou: "Well, it seems a stakeout is in order. Besides that, I'm a trained fighter."\n\nKai: "Yes, I was planning the stakeout for tonight. What would you do if we defeated her?"\n\n[["I could subdue her."]]\n[["I could kill her for you."]]

- Constable Kai darts in to tie the thief's hands, and the three of you haul her into one of the less-exposed alleys of the Imperial City. -\n\nKai: (as he settles her against the wall) "There we go. Now, tell us - are there more of you?"\n\nThief: "I am my master's only disciple. Her hands and eyes, her blade."\n\nKai: "I don't need an operatic monologue, thank you. I ask questions, you give answers. Do you understand?"\n\nLily: "Perhaps you're going too hard on the girl?" \n\nThief: (mocking) "Please. I am trained to withstand far more punishment than this uniformed tar-stain is capable of."\n\nKai: (vaguely threatening) "Oh you are, are you?"\n\n[[Intimidate the thief.]]\n[[Act compassionately towards the thief.]]\n[[Let Kai and Lily handle it.]]

Lily: (considering) "It could be nice to have someone along. I've been traveling alone for a while."\n\nKai: "I would be honoured to join you, if you could train me. It would be nice to see my work make a difference."\n\nLily: "I warn you, it's not all glory. Sometimes it's sewing and cleaning. Whatever the town needs; and sometimes that's the best way to find out what troubles lay beneath the surface." \n\nKai: "I'm no stranger to cleaning! My mother used to say I'd make the best dish-washer in the Imperial City if only I put my mind to it."\n\nYou: "That's a strange thing to say."\n\nKai: "I'm very meticulous. It's what made me a good investigator... but I know I can do more good out there. Thank you, both of you. Will you join me for a drink? Might as well put that Guard's salary of silver to use while I still have it."\n\nLily: "It IS the morning - but after THAT night, I could use a peaceful bowl of rice wine. Lead the way."\n\n[["Let's go."]]\n[["You go on."]]

Wolfgrin Wei: (pleased) "Why of course! A few more silver and you'll have all the grease you can slurp!"\n\n- You and Wei move goods and currency across the counter in a vague shuffle of hands. - \n\nWolfgrin Wei: "Oh, thank you! Always a pleasure doing business with a fine grease-lover such as yourself. I'm even inclined to share some local gossip, how's that for hospitality!"\n\nYou: "I'd appreciate that. Always looking for work."\n\nWolfgrin Wei: "Well you could help out hauling fish for me if you'd like, but if you really wanted to be useful you could track down the wretch who's been stealing all the jewelry from the market district. My wife's a merchant like me, you see - no children to call our own in the Imperial City - anyway, she makes these incredible little trinkets, and half her stock was stolen last week!"\n\nYou: "What do you know about it?"\n\nWolfgrin Wei: (disdain) "I know that Constable Kai's on the case, but that tar-stained bum won't do anything but tell us to hire mercenaries. He won't even take me seriously when I say I saw the thief in the act!"\n\nYou: "You did? Did you recognize them?"\n\nWolfgrin Wei: "Of course I did! After all this time, Silk Fox has returned!"\n\n- This piques the interest of a woman down the bar. She is clad in sunrise-colours, unpatterned but of good quality. She moves to take a seat next to you and leans in to speak with Wei. -\n\nLily: "Silk Fox? Are you sure?"\n\nWolfgrin Wei: (exasperated) "Of course I am! You think I wouldn't recognize the garb of that sultry vandal?! She terrorized our roofs for years, and now she's back to victimize me personally!"\n\n[["I'll take care of it, don't worry."]]

Kai: "Sounds like a blessing. All I do is get berated at my desk or get berated in the street. And - wait, what's that?"\n\n- The two of you look across the courtyard to see Lily who Walks With Wind prowling between the market stalls. - \n\nKai: "Could she be the thief?"\n\nYou: "I don't think so."\n\n- You approach her cautiously, and she wheels on you. - \n\nLily: "I told you I'd pursue it on my own."\n\n- You open your mouth to respond, but Lily cuts you off. -\n\nLily: (determined) "Look."\n\n- A black silhouette is framed against the harvest moon where it overlooks the market district. It doesn't seem to notice you; within a moment it leaps down into the street and streaks toward an unguarded market stall. -\n\nKai: (whispering) "Spread out! We'll give her a chance to surrender."\n\n- The three of you move into a wide arch with you at the center. \n\nKai: (whispering to Lily) "Not you!"\n\n- Lily disregards Kai's instruction and approaches the thief. You follow, weapon low; ready, but unthreatening. The woman, clad in black leather and cloth, turns to face you a little too late. She has no simple escape, and she knows it. - \n\nKai: (firmly, but unexperienced) "Hold there, by order of the Imperial Guard!"\n\n- The woman lashes out, her combative grunts high-pitched and full of anger. -\n\nLily: (as she strikes) "Stop this!"\n\nThief: "Sure, if you let me go!"\n\n- The melee is short but fierce. The thief fights admirably, but is clearly outnumbered. Near the end, Lily darts in and steals the thief's cloth mask from her mouth. This reveals her as nothing more than a girl no more than twenty, albeit one with fire in her eyes. You knock her to the ground, where she is at the mercy of your weapon. -\n\nLily: "I knew it. This is not Silk Fox."\n\nYou: (to the thief) "Who are you?!"\n\nThief: (grinning) "I am shadow. I am the lightning flash of a blade in the dark."\n\nKai: (exasperated) By all the heavens on the wheel, spare me the speech. You'll have to find a new hobby in the stockades, I'm afraid. \n\nLily: Wait. Who trained you?\n\nThief: (petulant) "Silk Fox, of course. How else could I have fended you off as long as I did? Another moment and I would have killed you."\n\nKai: "Uh-huh. Can I bring her in yet?"\n\nLily: (to the thief) "Did she know about this? This petty theft?"\n\nThief: "She ORDERED it. I am the heir to her legacy, and until I am ready I act as her instrument." \n\nLily: (demanding) "Where is she now?"\n\nThief: "How would I know? I come when I am called."\n\nKai: "This is a waste of time."\n\nYou: "I agree."\n\n[[Give the thief to Constable Kai for questioning.]]\n[[Kill the thief.]]\n[[Let the thief go and attempt to follow her to Silk Fox.]]

- Your party makes its way up-down, dropping briefly by the guard-station to make sure the Thief is handled with care. From there, you walk to a simple teahouse not too far away that affords you an excellent view of the sunrise. You drink, you laugh, and soon after you take a well-deserved rest. - \n\n- Another small story of the Imperial City righted, until next time. - \n\n

- You and Kai wait in the shadows of the Market later that evening. It is quiet at first, as you have no prior connection to lean on. Then Constable Kai breaks the silence. - \n\nKai: "So, what lead you to become a mercenary?"\n\n[["I live for the adventure. New places, new wonders."]]\n[["It pays the bills."]]\n[["You do what you love, you never have to work."]]

- You crouch down in front of where the thief is bound, your face softening. -\n\nYou: "Listen, friend - you may not think it, but I AM your friend. I'm the only thing standing between you and THIS lunatic."\n\n- Kai brandishes his blade, intimidating. -\n\nYou: "And you don't want to know what horrors are lurking behind that sweet face."\n\n- Lily seems innocent enough, but there is a masterfully-tinged hint of malice in her expression. She holds the thief's gaze a little too long. -\n\nYou: "You haven't done that much. Stolen a couple trinkets, struggled a little when we caught you. You were poor, starving, out of your mind. We can frame it that way - or we can say you snuck out into the dead of night, robbed innocent merchants of their livelihood, and attempted to kill an Imperial Guard. The choice is yours; tell us where to find Silk Fox, and we use the first story. Refuse and we'll go with the second."\n\nThief: "All right! I'll tell you where she is, just... I knew that my failure would bring punishment... please, protect me from her wrath."\n\nKai: "Of course. You'll have the most secure cell we can find."\n\nLily: "And your cooperation may earn you a reduced punishment. Right, Constable?"\n\nKai: "Depends on the info she gives us."\n\nThief: "Follow the rooftops down to the harbour; there is a secret door in the top of one of the warehouses there. You'll find her, waiting for tonight's valuables."\n\nKai: "Thank you, very much. (to You) "We'll have to take her down to headquarters."\n\n- Your party steps aside from the thief for a moment. -\n\nKai: "Well done! I love it when we can talk them into confession."\n\nLily: "To confess is the sensible thing. I'm glad you could make her see that."\n\n- After bringing the thief to her cell, your party crosses the rooftops of Imperial City, bathed in moonlight. Eventually, the thief's instructions lead you down to the harbour, where there is a carefully-cut hole in the roof of a fishing warehouse. - \n\nKai: "Of course. The guard thinks of these as two seperate districts; we didn't think of how easily these roofs connect the two. I should have widened my search for the thief's hideout."\n\nLily: "Don't worry; we've found it together."\n\nKai: (slightly bitter) "Yes, thank you. Now let's see if the snake's tail leads to its head."\n\nYou: "That's... an imprecise metaphor."\n\nKai: "Can we please continue now?"\n\n[[Pull open the secret door.]]

Lily: "It's true. This system is all we have; you cannot simply turn away from that corruption, or it will spread."\n\nKai: "You're right. I have to strive to serve with integrity, and perhaps in a few years I can become a Captain and make a real difference in this city. Thank you, both of you. Will you join me for a drink? Might as well put that Guard's salary of silver to use while I still have it."\n\nLily: "It IS the morning - but after THAT night, I could use a peaceful bowl of rice wine. Lead the way."\n\n[["Let's go."]]\n[["You go on."]]

Wolfgrin Wei: (flustered, livid) "Why, I - how DARE you. Ma always said my passion would drive some away, and to that I say 'go on, turn tail!' If you cannot withstand the glare of divine purpose, then you are not welcome in my shop."\n\nYou: (wisecracking) "You mean to say that grease is your divine purpose?"\n\n- A woman down the bar giggles at this. She is clad in sunrise-colours, unpatterned but of good quality. Her eyes betray a wistful wisdom. - \n\nWolfgrin Wei: (snapping) "Is something funny to you, miss?" \n\nLily: (stifling her laugh) "No offense meant, Wei. It's simply... you do tend to go on."\n\nWolfgrin Wei: (conceding) "The glory of the heavens shining through, I understand. Not all can bear its weight - if only I could turn that power upon that market thief."\n\nYou: (interested) "Thieves? In the market district?"\n\nWolfgrin Wei: "Just one! My wife's a merchant like me, you see - no children to call our own in the Imperial City - anyway, she makes these incredible little trinkets, and half her stock was stolen last week!"\n\nYou: "What do you know about it?"\n\nWolfgrin Wei: (disdain) "I know that Constable Kai's on the case, but that tar-stained bum won't do anything but tell us to hire mercenaries. He won't even take me seriously when I say I saw the thief in the act!"\n\nYou: "You did? Did you recognize them?"\n\nWolfgrin Wei: "Of course I did! After all this time, Silk Fox has returned!"\n\nLily: "Silk Fox? Are you sure?"\n\nWolfgrin Wei: (exasperated) "Of course I am! You think I wouldn't recognize the garb of that sultry vandal?! She terrorized our roofs for years, and now she's back to victimize me personally!"\n\n[["I'll take care of it, don't worry."]]

- You hesitate for a moment, knowing that Lily would disapprove. That moment of hesitation is all the thief needs; she knocks your primary weapon out of the way and springs to her feet. As she moves to run, however, you pull a short knife from your belt and strike it through her heart. -\n\nLily: "No!"\n\n- The thief falls to the ground, lifeless. -\n\nLily: (turning on you) "She may not have been Silk Fox, but she was still simply misguided. Just a young fool; you had no need to kill her."\n\nKai: (kneeling down, searching the thief's body) "Well, this young fool committed crimes great enough to earn her death. Any common thief would have surrendered at the sight of the imperial guard if caught red-handed; SHE intended to harm us, Lily. It's no different than if we had struck her down in battle."\n\nYou: "I'm sorry, Lily. It had to be done."\n\nLily: "How will we find her master?"\n\nKai: (holding up an object taken from the thief) "This may help. It seems to be a lense of some kind."\n\nYou: "May I see that?"\n\n- Kai hands you the lense to inspect. - \n\nYou: "It looks as if it was made to refract the sun. The symbols here seem to indicate the horizon, and tell you how to hold it. Shall we test it out?"\n\n- You set off towards the nearest rooftop. -\n\nKai: "We'll have to wait for dawn. Anybody hungry?"\n\n- Time passes slowly, the air thick with tension between you and Lily. Eventually, the sun crests over the horizon, flooding the morning with pink and orange. You hold the lense up to the sun, and to your suprise it seems to dilute the light enough for you to see clearly. The light from the lense flashes over the Imperial City, and after a moment you see a response in a flash of blueish light. -\n\nKai: "It must have been a signal of some kind, perhaps of a meeting place. We should follow it right away!"\n\nLily: (cold) "Lead the way."\n\n- Your trace of the signal leads you down to the docks, a little fishing warehouse. You saw the response signal come from the roof, where there is a carefully-cut hole.\n\nKai: "Of course. The guard thinks of these as two seperate districts; we didn't think of how easily these roofs connect the two. I should have widened my search for the thief's hideout."\n\nLily: "Don't worry; we've found it together."\n\nKai: (slightly bitter) "Yes, thank you. Now let's see if the snake's tail leads to its head."\n\nYou: "That's... an imprecise metaphor."\n\nKai: "Can we please continue now?"\n\n[[Pull open the secret door.]]\n\n

Kai: "I'm thankful for that merciful spirit, but I want you to consider the possibility that Silk Fox won't let us take her alive. If she refuses to surrender, we may have to kill her."\n\nYou: "I understand. I'll avoid it if I can."\n\nKai: "Regardless, our first steps are the same. It's... unconventional to allow two mercenaries on official Imperial business, but it will look more impressive if I seem to handle this on my own."\n\nYou: "Looking for that promotion?"\n\nKai: (nodding) "I'm willing to spend my own silver to help that along. Do we have an arrangement?"\n\n- You nod. - \n\nKai: "Excellent. Meet me here after sunset and we'll set a trap for the Fox."\n\n[[Meet with Kai.]]\n[[Search for Lily.]]

- Your party creeps into the rafters of the warehouse, undetected by the two figures speaking below. They are lit by a column of pink-orange from the newly-rising sun outside. The Thief is kneeling before an woman dressed in similar black garb, but the older woman's facemask is removed. -\n\nLily: (quietly shocked) "That's her."\n\nSilk Fox: "Tell me, child. What happened?"\n\nThief: "I'm sorry, master."\n\n- Silk Fox slaps the thief, who is laid out into a sprawl on the warehouse floor. -\n\nSilk Fox: "I did not ask for an apology. Tell me how you failed."\n\nThief: (slowly righting herself) "Three... three warriors. Only one true Guard among them, the others were mercenaries, but skilled."\n\nSilk Fox: "And they prevented you from what we seek?"\n\nThief: "Nearly. I have one, but not the other."\n\n- The thief produces a small lense and holds it up to Silk Fox, who snatches it in one sharp motion and holds it up to her eye. -\n\nSilk Fox: "It is almost complete."\n\n- Silk Fox walks over to the back of the room, where you see a strange silhouette nestled between two boxes. Kai looks to you. -\n\nKai: "Now, while her back is turned!"\n\nLily: "Wait, Constable!"\n\n- Kai leaps down from the rafters, followed closely by Lily. Kai subdues the surprised thief quickly, while Lily steps between him and Silk Fox with her palms outstretched. You land on the floor just as Silk Fox wheels on Lily, Fox's face frozen in a cold rage. -\n\nLily: (rising fear as Fox approaches) "It's me, my friend. Look into my eyes - Wild Flower! We used to to speak. You would braid my hair! Don't you recognize -"\n\n- Silk Fox lashes out and forces Lily to parry the blow with her staff. Lily leaps away. -\n\nLily: (resolved) "Kill her! Quickly!"\n\n- You, Kai, and Lily leap into action against Silk Fox. She is more adept than her protege, and fends you off handily, though you are able to land a strike here and there. Eventually, you unleash a solid kick to her stomach and she staggers backwards. - \n\nSilk Fox: (voice distorted, in pain) "Aagh!"\n\nLily: (striking with an open palm) "Reveal yourself, spirit!"\n\n- Silk Fox screams again as her human form is torn away to reveal lustrous fur. It is black with streaks of white, and as the fox-faced spirit stands tall - taller than you - you see a dark glint of intelligence in her eyes. -\n\nKai: "A fox spirit? They're tricksters - they're not supposed to be cruel!"\n\nImposter Spirit: "The young thief asked for power - I showed her the price."\n\n- The strange silhouette in the back of the room shifts. From here you can see it properly; beneath a pile of gold and petty trinkets, the bulbous form of a toad demon reveals itself. Eight feet tall, with elongated, powerful arms, its hoard tumbles from its scaly back as it steps forward. -\n\nImposter Spirit: "...And we all have masters."\n\nKai: (shocked, trembling) "H-how do we fight that?!"\n\nLily: (calm) "Put your weapon away and follow my lead. Fists, feet, and chi. Now, strike!"\n\n- Your party launches into battle. The toad demon is straightforward, but powerful. You dispatch it first. The fox spirit is dextrous and elusive, and when it senses defeat it darts for the exit on all fours. Lily anticipated this, however, and lays a powerful blow to the spirit that knocks it flat. -\n\nLily: "This is for impersonating my friend. You never even knew her."\n\n- Lily banishes the spirit with a complex string of hand-gestures. Kai stares openly for a moment, but then remembers his duty. He hauls the shocked young thief to her feet and prepares her for the journey back to Guard Headquarters. -\n\nKai: "Let's get you back. Come on, it's over."\n\nThief: "I... I had no idea. She appeared in a form I idolized. Of course."\n\nLily: "It happens to all of us. We must be wary of our obsessions; spirits thrive on such imbalance."\n\n- The four of you make your way outside. Here in the harbour you have an incredible view of the rising sun. -\n\nKai: (to Lily) "That was amazing. You do this for a living?"\n\nLily: "I help people, yes. Sometimes it's just one or two, but it makes a difference."\n\nKai: (mournful) "Sometimes I wish my job was similar."\n\nLily: (encouraging) "You help more people than you know; your presence as a guard makes the city feel safer."\n\nKai: "Or makes them feel afraid. To some I'm nothing more than a bully."\n\n[["We need good people like you on the Guard."]]\n[["Perhaps you should join Lily?"]]

Lily: (considering whether to be honest) "I... knew Silk Fox some time ago. She is not a petty thief. I would ask that you leave it at that for now."\n\nYou: "You can't give me anything else?"\n\nLily: "I will say this: she is a capable fighter, and will strike with closed fist if necessary. If we see her, we should not threaten her." \n\nYou: "All right."\n\n[["Welcome aboard."]]\n[["I don't want you along."]]

- Lily kneels down in front of where the thief is tied, her face calm and compassionate. -\n\n\nLily: "All you have to do is tell us where Silk Fox is, and we can find you some food, a little water. There is no need to steal anymore, little fox. And your cooperation may earn you a reduced punishment. Right, Constable?"\n\nKai: "Depends on the info she gives us."\n\nThief: "I won't tell you anything. No punishment could be worse than the disapproval of my master. The guard doesn't scare me."\n\nLily: (crescendoing malice) "Sweet flower, I have battled lost spirits and malevolent demons. After all I've been through, the years of insanity and pain - to the spirit world and back - I fear no master swordsman, no demon nor god. They look into my eyes and they fear ME."\n\n- Kai deftly picks up the change in roles. His face softens as Lily's goes hard. -\n\nKai: "Whatever you're afraid of, I promise you... the guard can protect you. We'll find your master and we'll bring her in, but no matter how skilled she is, or what resources she has, we can protect you."\n\nThief: "All right! I'll tell you where she is, just... I knew that my failure would bring punishment... please, protect me from her wrath."\n\nKai: "Of course. You'll have the most secure cell we can find."\n\nThief: "Follow the rooftops down to the harbour; there is a secret door in the top of one of the warehouses there. You'll find her, waiting for tonight's valuables."\n\nKai: "Thank you, very much. (to You) "We'll have to take her down to headquarters."\n\n- Your party steps aside from the thief for a moment. -\n\nKai: (shocked, whispering to Lily) "Was... was all that true, about the gods and demons?"\n\nLily: (mysterious) "Some of it."\n\nYou: "Well done, both of you."\n\n- After bringing the thief to her cell, your party crosses the rooftops of Imperial City, bathed in moonlight. Eventually, the thief's instructions lead you down to the harbour, where there is a carefully-cut hole in the roof of a fishing warehouse. - \n\nKai: "Of course. The guard thinks of these as two seperate districts; we didn't think of how easily these roofs connect the two. I should have widened my search for the thief's hideout."\n\nLily: "Don't worry; we've found it together."\n\nKai: (slightly bitter) "Yes, thank you. Now let's see if the snake's tail leads to its head."\n\nYou: "That's... an imprecise metaphor."\n\nKai: "Can we please continue now?"\n\n[[Pull open the secret door.]]

-The two of you have a seat by the market canal. Lily seems reserved, as if there is something she cannot tell you, and yet she is excited to have someone to talk to. -\n\nYou: "So, Lily. I'm curious."\n\nLily: "Oh yes?"\n\n[["Are you a mercenary?"]]\n[["Where were you before this?"]]\n[["What can you tell me about Silk Fox?"]]\n\n

- You raise your weapon briefly to make it look as natural as possible, and the thief takes the bait. They kick your weapon away and spring to their feet, immediately climbing one of the market stalls behind them in an attempt to escape. -\n\nKai: (exasperated) "No!"\n\n- Lily moves to follow, but you hold up a hand. - \n\nYou: (almost whispering) "Not yet."\n\n- As the thief leaps onto a nearby rooftop and slips out of sight, you move to make chase. Kai and Lily follow you closely as you climb to the roof, somewhat less adept than the thief. -\n\nKai: "I can't believe she got away!"\n\nYou: "Don't worry. She was scared; if she can, I think she'll go right back to her master. We can follow her there."\n\nLily: "Young and inexperienced; that makes sense to me."\n\nKai: (pointing to the edge of the roof) "Here, a broken tile! We can follow her path. These roofs aren't meant to be walked upon.\n\n- The three of you cross the rooftops of Imperial City, bathed in moonlight. Eventually, the thief's path leads you down to the harbour, where there is a carefully-cut hole in the roof of a fishing warehouse. - \n\nKai: "Of course. The guard thinks of these as two seperate districts; we didn't think of how easily these roofs connect the two. I should have widened my search for the thief's hideout."\n\nLily: "Don't worry; we've found it together."\n\nKai: (slightly bitter) "Yes, thank you. Now let's see if the snake's tail leads to its head."\n\nYou: "That's... an imprecise metaphor."\n\nKai: "Can we please continue now?"\n\n[[Follow the thief inside.]]

- Your party creeps into the rafters of the warehouse, undetected by the figure speaking below. She is lit by a column of pink-orange from the newly-rising sun outside. She is a woman dressed in black garb like the thief's, but the her facemask is removed. She appears to be addressing a strange silhouette in the corner. -\n\nLily: (quietly shocked) "That's her."\n\nSilk Fox: "I believe that our young protege has been waylaid by the Guard. A shame. We'll have to find another recruit; I cannot risk going out on my own anymore."\n\n- Silk Fox paces back and forth, Kai looks to you. -\n\nKai: "Now, while her back is turned!"\n\nLily: "Wait, Constable!"\n\n- Kai leaps down from the rafters, followed closely by you and Lily. Silk Fox wheels around, her face even. -\n\nSilk Fox: "Ah, and you must be the guard... Come, then. Let us see "\n\n- Lily steps between you and Silk Fox with her palms outstretched. -\n\nLily: (rising fear as Fox approaches) "It's me, my friend. Look into my eyes - Wild Flower! We used to to speak. You would braid my hair! Don't you recognize -"\n\n- Silk Fox lashes out and forces Lily to parry the blow with her staff. Lily leaps away. -\n\nLily: (resolved) "Kill her! Quickly!"\n\n- You, Kai, and Lily leap into action against Silk Fox. She is more adept than her protege, and fends you off handily, though you are able to land a strike here and there. Eventually, you unleash a solid kick to her stomach and she staggers backwards. - \n\nSilk Fox: (voice distorted, in pain) "Aagh!"\n\nLily: (striking with an open palm) "Reveal yourself, spirit!"\n\n- Silk Fox screams again as her human form is torn away to reveal lustrous fur. It is black with streaks of white, and as the fox-faced spirit stands tall - taller than you - you see a dark glint of intelligence in her eyes. -\n\nKai: "A fox spirit? They're tricksters - they're not supposed to be cruel!"\n\nImposter Spirit: "The young thief asked for power - I showed her the price."\n\n- The strange silhouette in the back of the room shifts. From here you can see it properly; beneath a pile of gold and petty trinkets, the bulbous form of a toad demon reveals itself. Eight feet tall, with elongated, powerful arms, its hoard tumbles from its scaly back as it steps forward. -\n\nImposter Spirit: "...And we all have masters."\n\nKai: (shocked, trembling) "H-how do we fight that?!"\n\nLily: (calm) "Put your weapon away and follow my lead. Fists, feet, and chi. Now, strike!"\n\n- Your party launches into battle. The toad demon is straightforward, but powerful. You dispatch it first. The fox spirit is dextrous and elusive, and when it senses defeat it darts for the exit on all fours. Lily anticipated this, however, and lays a powerful blow to the spirit that knocks it flat. -\n\nLily: "This is for impersonating my friend. You never even knew her."\n\n- Lily banishes the spirit with a complex string of hand-gestures. Kai is slack-jawed. The four of you make your way outside. Here in the harbour you have an incredible view of the rising sun. -\n\nKai: (to Lily) "That was amazing. You do this for a living?"\n\nLily: "I help people, yes. Sometimes it's just one or two, but it makes a difference."\n\nKai: (mournful) "Sometimes I wish my job was similar."\n\nLily: (encouraging) "You help more people than you know; your presence as a guard makes the city feel safer."\n\nKai: "Or makes them feel afraid. To some I'm nothing more than a bully."\n\n[["We need good people like you on the Guard."]]\n[["Perhaps you should join Lily?"]]

Kai: "Surely there are tasks less dangerous! That's why I joined the guard - a little bit of adventure, but a lot of securit- wait, what's that?" \n\n- The two of you look across the courtyard to see Lily who Walks With Wind prowling between the market stalls. - \n\nKai: "Could she be the thief?"\n\nYou: "I don't think so."\n\n- You approach her cautiously, and she wheels on you. - \n\nLily: "I told you I'd pursue it on my own."\n\n- You open your mouth to respond, but Lily cuts you off. -\n\nLily: (determined) "Look."\n\n- A black silhouette is framed against the harvest moon where it overlooks the market district. It doesn't seem to notice you; within a moment it leaps down into the street and streaks toward an unguarded market stall. -\n\nKai: (whispering) "Spread out! We'll give her a chance to surrender."\n\n- The three of you move into a wide arch with you at the center. \n\nKai: (whispering to Lily) "Not you!"\n\n- Lily disregards Kai's instruction and approaches the thief. You follow, weapon low; ready, but unthreatening. The woman, clad in black leather and cloth, turns to face you a little too late. She has no simple escape, and she knows it. - \n\nKai: (firmly, but unexperienced) "Hold there, by order of the Imperial Guard!"\n\n- The woman lashes out, her combative grunts high-pitched and full of anger. -\n\nLily: (as she strikes) "Stop this!"\n\nThief: "Sure, if you let me go!"\n\n- The melee is short but fierce. The thief fights admirably, but is clearly outnumbered. Near the end, Lily darts in and steals the thief's cloth mask from her mouth. This reveals her as nothing more than a girl no more than twenty, albeit one with fire in her eyes. You knock her to the ground, where she is at the mercy of your weapon. -\n\nLily: "I knew it. This is not Silk Fox."\n\nYou: (to the thief) "Who are you?!"\n\nThief: (grinning) "I am shadow. I am the lightning flash of a blade in the dark."\n\nKai: (exasperated) By all the heavens on the wheel, spare me the speech. You'll have to find a new hobby in the stockades, I'm afraid. \n\nLily: Wait. Who trained you?\n\nThief: (petulant) "Silk Fox, of course. How else could I have fended you off as long as I did? Another moment and I would have killed you."\n\nKai: "Uh-huh. Can I bring her in yet?"\n\nLily: (to the thief) "Did she know about this? This petty theft?"\n\nThief: "She ORDERED it. I am the heir to her legacy, and until I am ready I act as her instrument." \n\nLily: (demanding) "Where is she now?"\n\nThief: "How would I know? I come when I am called."\n\nKai: "This is a waste of time."\n\nYou: "I agree."\n\n[[Give the thief to Constable Kai for questioning.]]\n[[Kill the thief.]]\n[[Let the thief go and attempt to follow her to Silk Fox.]]

- You hesitate for a moment, knowing that Lily would disapprove. That moment of hesitation is all the thief needs; she knocks your primary weapon out of the way and springs to her feet. As she moves to run, however, you pull a short knife from your belt and strike it through her heart. -\n\nLily: "No!"\n\n- The thief falls to the ground, lifeless. -\n\nLily: (turning on you) "She may not have been Silk Fox, but she was still simply misguided. Just a young fool; you had no need to kill her."\n\nKai: (kneeling down, searching the thief's body) "Well, this young fool committed crimes great enough to earn her death. Any common thief would have surrendered at the sight of the imperial guard if caught red-handed; SHE intended to harm us, Lily. It's no different than if we had struck her down in battle."\n\nYou: "You weren't supposed to be here anyway, Lily. This is why. You said you were personally involved; I was worried you wouldn't have the stomach for this."\n\nLily: (coldly) "How will we find her master?"\n\nKai: (holding up an object taken from the thief) "This may help. It seems to be a lense of some kind."\n\nYou: "May I see that?"\n\n- Kai hands you the lense to inspect. - \n\nYou: "It looks as if it was made to refract the sun. The symbols here seem to indicate the horizon, and tell you how to hold it. Shall we test it out?"\n\nLily: "I'm coming with you, no excuses. I have the stomach for death, I simply... I do not support senseless violence."\n\nYou: "Was my use of violence senseless?"\n\nLily: (reluctantly) "...No."\n\nYou: "Then if you would follow us anyway, you may come along."\n\nKai: "Well, as long as you continue to prove yourself useful, I've got enough silver for both of you."\n\n- Lily bows impersonally. You set off towards the nearest rooftop. -\n\nKai: "We'll have to wait for dawn. Anybody hungry?"\n\n- Time passes slowly, the air thick with tension between you and Lily. Eventually, the sun crests over the horizon, flooding the morning with pink and orange. You hold the lense up to the sun, and to your suprise it seems to dilute the light enough for you to see clearly. The light from the lense flashes over the Imperial City, and after a moment you see a response in a flash of blueish light. -\n\nKai: "It must have been a signal of some kind, perhaps of a meeting place. We should follow it right away!"\n\nLily: (cold) "Lead the way."\n\n- Your trace of the signal leads you down to the docks, a little fishing warehouse. You saw the response signal come from the roof, where there is a carefully-cut hole.\n\nKai: "Of course. The guard thinks of these as two seperate districts; we didn't think of how easily these roofs connect the two. I should have widened my search for the thief's hideout."\n\nLily: "Don't worry; we've found it together."\n\nKai: (slightly bitter) "Yes, thank you. Now let's see if the snake's tail leads to its head."\n\nYou: "That's... an imprecise metaphor."\n\nKai: "Can we please continue now?"\n\n[[Pull open the secret door.]]\n

Lily: (apalled) "What? No! Where's your sense of justice?"\n\nYou: "That IS my sense of justice."\n\nKai: "It wouldn't be out of the question, miss, if she strikes out at us. If she refuses to surrender, it may be our only option."\n\nLily: (determined) "I won't let that happen."\n\nKai: "Regardless, our first steps are the same. It's... unconventional to allow two mercenaries on official Imperial business, but it will look more impressive if I seem to handle this on my own."\n\nYou: "Looking for that promotion?"\n\nKai: (nodding) "I'm willing to spend my own silver to help that along. Do we have an arrangement?"\n\n- You and Lily share a look and nod. Lily seems reserved, slightly turned away. - \n\nKai: "Excellent. Meet me here after sunset and we'll set a trap for the Fox."\n\n[[Go with Lily to meet Kai.]]\n[[Speak with Lily first.]]