<em>1 Mirtul<br/>Evening<br/>Eye of the Beholder dressing room</em><br/><hr/><div class="floatright">(https://i.imgur.com/qSm7Wip.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/qSm7Wip.jpg)</div>What once was a plain and functional room, is now an enchanting garden. Vases and baskets of flowers of every color adorn every flat surface. Red and white roses bloom in abundance, as do lilies, and snapdragons, and camellia. The combined scents are dizzying.<br/><br/>Someone has thoughtfully delivered fresh beverages to your dressing room: hot tea for those who find the night cool, and iced brandy punch for those who require refreshment after their act.<br/><br/>No sooner have you arrived than a stagehand knocks on the door. “For you,” he says, passing you a letter. It is sealed with plain wax. It reads:<br/><br/><em>To the Six New Performers at the Eye,<br/><br/>Well met, artists! Congratulations on the success of your debut. I write to you to inform you of a wonderful opportunity. Several of us, Lliira’s faithful, will be consecrating a shrine to her tomorrow, 2 Mirtul. A Lliiran ceremony cannot proceed without dancers and other artists, and we find ourselves in great need of performers like you. You see, we applied for all the necessary permits to dedicate a shrine, only to become ensnared in bureaucracy. We have had to delay the consecration several times, and now many of the performers who had previously offered their services cannot attend. Even worse, some of our permits are due to expire. Tomorrow is the last opportunity to consecrate the shrine, and if we cannot do it, we’ll have to start all over again. We cannot offer much in the way of compensation, but surely the blessings of Lliira could prove worthwhile to your troupe?<br/><br/>If you are available the ceremony will take place at highsun tomorrow at 141 Pixie Street in Bloomridge. We’d be delighted if you could attend.<br/><br/>Sincerely,<br/><br/>Poppy Joybringer</em><br/><br/>Shortly thereafter, a servant in livery arrives bearing a silver tray. He proffers it to you with great dignity. The letter upon it is sealed with wax bearing the seal of the Hlath patriar family.<br/><br/>The letter reads:<br/><br/><em>To the Acclaimed Rookies of the Eye,<br/><br/>I offer you my congratulations on your outstanding debut. I was particularly enamoured by the spectacle of Tuesday Knight’s stage show. I will get right to the point and say I will be hosting a function at my ancestral home on the evening of 5 Mirtul. Should you be available, I would like to engage your services for the evening. Kindly send a reply via courier if this offer meets your approval. I will arrange for a tour of my estate so you may plan your acts. Perhaps the afternoon of 3 Mirtul?<br/><br/>Sincerely,<br/><br/>Lord Stanley Hlath</em><br/><br/>And not long after that, the same stagehand knocks on the door. “This says, to Five Eyes?” He has a bouquet of flowers in his arms, which he hands to Sharell. The bouquet consists of a dozen red roses wrapped in white paper, tied with a neat red ribbon. At the center of the roses is a thirteenth rose, a black rose. It is completely black, a color not found in nature. There is no card to indicate whom it is from.