It is the usual raucous and fun evening at the Rusty Dragon Inn that you’ve come to know over the last few days. Ameiko Kaijutsu has a knack for warming up the crowd, and tonight you feast for free on the boar meat donated by Aldern Foxglove from his hunting trip with Ausk. Aldern himself departed earlier today to Magnimar, but with Kaye Tesarani and Pixie’s Kitten girls warming the crowd and Carpentry Guildmaster dwarf Aesrick Battlehorn buying drinks for anyone who will give an ear to his grievances with the Sandpoint Shipyard, there’s plenty of charisma and good cheer to keep the party going strong.

Until, that is, a surly visitor slams the tavern’s door open and bellows out a sharp-tongued command in a strange language. The room grows quiet with an interested ear as the middle-aged Tian man, looking older than his years, strides to the center of the room, angrily shouting the same foreign words a second time.

His eyes light upon you and his mouth twists in a snarl. “Oh, I see, here are the self-professed heroes whose ‘antics’ the other day probably put us all in danger from further goblin raids!”

This is greeted by a disapproving murmur from the crowd, many of whom saw you in action.

“Don’t you think yer being a bit hard on ’em, Lonjiku?” says Aesrick from the far end of the room.

You’ve heard the name… this is Ameiko’s wealthy father who runs the Glassworks across town. Lonjiku sweeps his hand to encompass you and your companions. “Just what we need – a filthy band of vagrants to attract even more trouble to town.”

The crowd murmurs again, but just before you can act Ameiko appears, a ladle dripping with soup in her hand. Her father barks something at her in Minkaian and she says something back in angry tones. The room holds quiet as the two shout at each other angrily. Enraged, Lonjiku suddenly tries to grab his daughter by the hair and she dodges, braining him with her soupy ladle, spattering fish stock and potatoes all over his hair and outfit. He sputters for a moment, finds his voice and utters, “You’re as dead to me as your mother!” before rushing out the door.

Ameiko looks like she is fighting back tears, but she bravely picks up her ladle, inspects it, pulls a hair out of the mess, and says, “I’ll need a well-cleaned ladle now, since jackass stew’s not on the menu.”

The resulting cheers and laughter from the patrons breaks the ice and the party resumes. Ameiko looks briefly across the room at all of you, mouths a quiet apology, and returns to the kitchen, allowing her halfling maid Bethana Corwin to take over the main room once again.