It was much like any other moment in the city of lanterns, that some call Balefire. But for one young girl, it was a living nightmare. She had been traveling for many days, and had lost her bearings. As unsavory as the place appeared, she had little choice, for she was not adept in woodcraft. Forced to find shelter, she scurried from street to street; sometimes running, if one of the denizens were to cast a glare at her. She finally found a building that looked halfway-inviting, which turned out to be the Purple Lantern Tavern.

Sitting at the bar, she waited until the barmaid came, and then tossed a few coins on the surface.

"Anything you have that's hot.", she requested.

With a mischievous smile, the barmaid laughed, and brought her a foaming mug of some yellow-brown color.

"This'll warm your insides good enough, lass."

Taking a gulp, Sol sputtered and coughed, for it burned not only in temperature, but elsewhere. It was her first time consuming alcohol, so alas, the poor girl knew no better. She was halfway finished when a stranger that caught her eye entered.

Badr had just finished a shift standing guard over a crate of stolen goods. They couldn't be fenced until the next day, and they were too valuable to be abandoned. Of course, Badr didn't care about the danger: he was paid well, and no one ever noticed if a few pocketfuls went missing.

Entering the tavern, he noticed a girl sitting at the bar who stood out from the other unsavory characters like a sore thumb. Sitting next to her, he tossed a stolen gold ring on the bar, and asked for a "nightwind gale". He was answered with a cold glass of some pitch-black substance.

He turned to the young woman, and asked her cordially,

"First time in Balefire? You don't exactly look like the regulars."