A satyr has been sitting at the bar since you opened for the evening six hours ago. Being a satyr, he has a high alcohol tolerance, so his sobriety or lack therof isn't the problem. He's scaring away your other patrons because no one wants to sit next to someone who smells like goat. You are beginning to run low on both mead and patience.
[[Just kick him out. What is he gonna do, headbutt you with his horns like a real goat?]]
[[Light a scented candle and keep the drinks coming for as long as he's paying for them.]]
[[Have a chat with him! Maybe he'll leave on his own if you convince him there's a better party elsewhere.]]Yes, actually. Thankfully you aren't injured, but you knocked over a glass when he bashed you, so you'll have to clean that up. From the scowl he gave you as he stormed out, he won't be coming back any time soon, if at all.
[[continue|bottleneck 2]]The candle smells like roses and passionfruit. It'll mask the scent, but it might take a while for the goat smell to air out completely. In the meantime, you keep serving goblets of mead, gradually watered down more and more as your supply is depleted; he doesn't seem to notice. Once he's tipsy enough, he pulls a pan flute from somewhere and begins a merry little jig that gets the livelier customers dancing.
[[continue|bottleneck 2]]His evening is going great, thanks for asking. Do you have any more of the mead with the raspberries? No? Oh, okay. You find a way to work the bacchanalian revelry happening down the block into the conversation and watch his ears prick up. He's out the door once you mention that the fairy queen herself is lipsyncing tonight. A pixie leaves with him, but that's fine--you weren't making much money charging them for thimbles of beer and individual cherries.
[[continue|bottleneck 2]]As you pass by the bulletin board on your way to serve some hungry orcs, something catches your eye. There's the usual events and bounties and pictures of lost dogs, but there's also something else: a help wanted flyer with few details, just a request for adventurers to discretely assist with "a job." This might be something shady, or even downright sinister.
[[Leave the poster up. People can decide for themselves if they want to take on that kind of risk.]]
[[Take it down. You couldn't handle the weight on your conscience if it ended up being a scam or something worse.]]
[[Ask the regulars nearby if they saw who put the poster up.]]A few days pass. You notice that the group that normally sits by the fireplace looks worse for wear, and that they're short of a member. After you bring them each a mug of hot cider, one of them explains that they just got finished with a job that didn't go very well. No casualties, but their halfling friend is at the clinic with some bad injuries.
[[continue|bottleneck 3]]Weeks later, you read about it in the papers. There have been more monsters in the woods than usual. The city guard has been trying to keep it under wraps, quietly recruiting adventurers to help combat the issue. In your defense, the posters they made do look suspicious. Hopefully no one noticed you taking it down.
[[continue|bottleneck 3]]Gumgug the single-tusked says she certainly did see them. The gap in her teeth whistle as she explains that it was an unfamiliar man with red hair and very shiny armor. You don't know anyone by that description either.
[[Do you leave the poster where it is?]]You stare at the help wanted poster.
[[Leave the poster up. People can decide for themselves if they want to take on that kind of risk.]]
[[Take it down. You couldn't handle the weight on your conscience if it ended up being a scam or something worse.]] A hooded figure enters the tavern, shaking the rain from their cloak at the door. They take a seat at the bar and flag you down to ask for an ale. You cannot see their face, but the hands they wrap around the mug are clean and well manicured with long black talons. They stay long after the rest of the patrons have left for the evening, nursing the same drink. There seems to be something on their mind.
[[Ignore them. If they wanted conversation they would have struck one up on their own, or even gone somewhere more suitable for that.]]
[[Politely tell them that you'll be closing soon.]]
[[Ask them if they'd like to talk.]]
You go through the motions of closing up for the night, putting up the chairs and wiping down the counter around your silent customer. As you grab your coat and begin turning out the lights, they rise from their seat. They've left a pile of gold coins next to their empty mug, and when you turn to tell them they paid too much, they're already gone.
(Thank you for playing this microscopic demo!)They apologize frantically and rush out the door, their cloak whirling behind them. They forgot to pay their tab.
(Thank you for playing this microscopic demo!)Their voice is a little rough and their accent is lilting in a way you can't quite place. They hesitate often, trying to filter out names and use the most vague of terms to tell their story. Essentially, through a series of misunderstandings, they have been pushed into a situation they feel ill prepared for by well meaning peers. They're uncertain that they're suited for the position that they've been given.
[[Try to give them advice! It's what you would do for any of your friends.]]
[[Who are you to try to advise anyone? They're likely older than you are, and have certainly seen more of the world than you. Just tell them that sounds rough and move on.]]They nod sadly, agreeing that it is indeed rough. They thank you for listening so attentively and tip you on their way out.
(Thank you for playing this microscopic demo!)You assure them that few people feel truly prepared for big changes in their lives, and that many just fake it 'til they make it. Your new acquaintance is not familiar with that concept, but they repeat it softly to themselves as they sip their drink. They thank you for the advice and tip you generously before leaving.
(Thank you for playing this microscopic demo!)