The mouse in the corner quietly watched the patrons of the bar, bringing many whispers to the druid.  The bandits on the trade route were the talk of the town, as their raids had recently become far more aggressive.<br/><br/>"The bandits command a dragon!  I saw it with my own eyes!"<br/><br/>"The bodies of the people they killed WERE pretty burned..."<br/><br/>"That's absurd, dragons couldn't possibly migrate this far south!"<br/><br/>"There are dozens of them, and each of their crossbows fire a hundred bolts a minute!"<br/><br/>"The dragon swoops out of the sky, and if you don't run and abandon your cart, then it's all over."<br/><br/><br/>***<br/><br/><br/>Meanwhile,  at the bar, a man in a jaunty feathered cap emerged from the depths of the tavern, his exquisite but hopelessly gaudy turquoise robes marking him as a noble.  He sized up Sinathel, and stood close as another round of the knife game came to an end, taking off his cap with a flourish to give a bow to the elf.<b>"Noble Elven visitor; I, the Honorable Reginald Compton, Baronet of Velith, Vicar to the Count, Esquire, would like to challenge you to a contest of the arts, in any arena you choose, save the martial disciplines.  I desire to test my mettle against the vaunted accomplishments of the elves, and warn you that I am an accomplished singer, painter, hunter, composer, weaver, dancer, horseman, falconer, and expositer of natural philosophy." </b>The noble said with a distinct tone of condescension, apparently aiming to enhance his own status by proving he was better at his various hobbies than an elf.<br/><br/><br/>(OOC: Accepting the noble's challenge will be a defy danger roll, with the danger being shown up by a poncy human noble.  There aren't any particular consequences to refusing his offer, though he may show up later to make your life complicated.)<br/><br/>