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The Mournful Chorus

It has been a pleasantly warm day in the City of Ten Thousand Temples - mostly sunny, with the occasional short rain shower. Now the sun is dipping low, and throngs of free workers and slaves make their way home... or guide their steps towards Little Yu-Shan, the one district that certainly never sleeps. In the darkening alleys, between bars, teahouses, entertainment parlors, theaters, and brothels opening their doors, colorful lanterns guide visitors toward food stalls and street shops. Many of these vendors only come here between sundown and dawn. If one would be looking for the sort of goods that are not commonly dealt with in broad daylight, this would be the perfect place. Although it's certainly not easy to stand out among the population of Great Forks, one of tonight's patrons manages to draw more than a few looks from the crowd. Neither tall nor physically imposing, it must certainly be the way she carries herself - striding through the streets like she belongs here, like she owns this place. Or maybe it's her fine clothes, long flowing purple silk dress contrasting nicely with her strikingly green vest? Golden jewelry dangles from her ears, rings her wrists and ankles. There's also the matter of her peculiar cloak, which gleams with leathery iridescence in the lantern light. Both the woman and the silver-furred monkey perched on her shoulder scan the wares of all those myriad stalls as they pass them by. Are they looking for something in particular, or just browsing?