[Scene: “Devotional Happy Hour”]Location: Kareshka’s Favor, Common RoomTime: 8:01 PM – post-dinner, candles lit, warm buzz in the air?[Scene Begins]
The tavern is dim, lit by soft amber wall sconces and a scattering of Devotion Candles — fat wax pilrs arranged in a crescent pattern across the front bar.
Each candle flickers a different color based on its enchantment. Each one murmurs a faint phrase if listened to closely:? “You still love them.”? “You lied to feel stronger.”? “You didn’t say goodbye because you couldn’t.”
At the center of the curve, standing on an overturned crate like a radiant little sermon gremlin: Krummar Lindverg, Duergar Cleric of Sel?ne.
He’s wearing his ceremonial half-cloak and his “Nice Bracers,” both enchanted to shimmer slightly under candlelight. His tattoos glow faintly. His eyes are unreadable.
Krummar (loudly):“Welcome to Devotional Happy Hour! Confess your burdens. Whisper your regrets. Or lie about a small mistake and still get a discount. I am not your god — I am your emotionally avaible accountant.”
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The Setup:? Candle Bar: 12 enchanted candles. Each beled with a sin/emotion theme.? Drink Pairings:? Forgive-Me Whiskey? Lover’s Regret Red (half-off if you sigh while ordering)? Moonlit Mint Elixir (Mel’s blend — free if you cry and don’t expin why)? Krummar’s Ledger: Open. Quill at the ready. He writes nothing down while you speak — but somehow the names appear ter in his prayer tarp.
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[Mini Montage Begins]
Guest 1 – A nervous nobleman:
Nobleman (whispers into Candle 3):“I… still love her. Even though she married him.”
The candle flickers violet.
Krummar pours him a gss of Lover’s Regret and pats his shoulder once.
Krummar (softly):“You’re not weak. Just temporarily on fire.”
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Guest 2 – Local baker’s apprentice:
She tries to lie. She says she’s fine. The candle turns bck.
She gets Moonlit Mint from Mel, who slides it wordlessly across the bar.
Mel doesn’t make eye contact.But she pushes a tiny pressed flower across the counter too.A nonverbal offering.
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[Cue Daka]
The door sms open.
Daka swaggers in shirtless with a tray of glowing cocktails and a candle of his own.
It’s beled “Lusty Regrets” and it’s pulsing red-gold.
Daka:“Alright, you emotional soup cans, let’s spice this up! Anyone whisper something naughty, you get a cinnamon shot and I’ll wink at you until it’s uncomfortable.”
Krummar (ft):“You are the reason I enchanted wards around the candles.”
Daka (grinning):“You are the reason I enchanted my pants.”
A beat. Mel sips her tea slower. Melodia blushes so hard the room glows faintly violet.
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[Meanwhile: Melodia]
Melodia sits at the edge of the bar, sipping water and watching the candle beled “Too Soft For This World” flicker every time she breathes near it.
Melodia (to herself):“…Why does that one keep glowing?”
Krummar (from across the room):“Because it knows.”
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[Final Guest: Mel]
Mel, barefoot, dirt-smudged, walks over to the “I Should Have Said Something” candle. She doesn’t kneel. She doesn’t whisper.
She just sets a feather beside it.
Then leaves.
No drink. No words.
Codex Trigger: Emotional Imprint Zone Formed? Guests sitting near the candle for the next hour regain 1 Axis point (Comfort or Guilt).
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Scene End: Krummar Closes the Ledger
He packs up the candles with surgical reverence.
Melodia helps him without a word, touching each wick like she’s apologizing for what people said into them.
Daka accidentally blows one out with a burp.
Mel gres.
Lorin doesn’t stop him — but she does hand him a mop.
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Total Revenue from Devotional Happy Hour: First Trial Run
Setting: One-night event, modest attendance (about 32 patrons cycling through)Pricing Structure:? Standard drink: 5 sp? Devotional pairing drinks: 8 sp (discounted with confession)? Premium emotional blends (Moonlit Mint, Forgive-Me Whiskey, etc): 1 gp? Suggested donation box near candle station: “Pay what your guilt says”
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Breakdown:
Drinks & Pairings:? 24 drinks at 8 sp = 19 gp, 2 sp? 9 drinks at 1 gp = 9 gp? 6 confession-free drinks at regur price (no emotional engagement) = 3 gp
Subtotal (Drinks):31 gp, 2 sp
Donations at the Candle Station:? 3 patrons gave 5 cp (guilt-deniers)? 7 patrons gave 1 sp (mild remorse)? 5 patrons gave 5 sp (cleansing pain)? 1 flustered ex-padin gave 3 gp and wept into the ledger? 1 mysterious masked woman left a ptinum and a note: “He deserved it.”
Subtotal (Donations):6 gp, 2 sp, 1 pp
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Additional Revenue:? Daka’s side hustle (emotional arm-wrestling):2 gp in bets, 1 bottle of homemade brandy, and a paper with “I FORGIVE HER” written and signed by three strangers? Melodia sold 4 enchanted “Hope Candies” from her stash:4 gp (1 gp each, designed to taste like closure and vender)
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Total Tally:
Source AmountDrinks & pairings 31 gp, 2 spCandle donations 6 gp, 2 sp, 1 ppDaka’s side activity 2 gp + 1 bottleMelodia’s hope candy 4 gp
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Final Total: 43 gp, 4 sp, 1 pp + 1 bottle of “Liquid Apology”
Krummar’s Comment (Ledger Entry):
“Emotions remain our most undervalued currency. Must expand candle themes. Add ‘Daddy Issues’ and ‘Survivor’s Discount’ next week.”——-
[Kareshka’s Favor: Post-Happy Hour Profit Discussion]Time: The morning afterSetting: Private upstairs office — round table, tea service steaming, ledgers open, emotional hangovers active?
Total Pot:
43 gp, 4 sp, 1 pp? 1 bottle of “Liquid Apology” brandy (estimated value: 8 gp, emotionally votile)
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Party Vote: How to Use the Money
Lorin – The Anchor
Vote: Reinvest into the tavern + personal reserveReasoning:? “The candle stations need repcement wick stones. We’re out of scented oil. And Daka ate the donation box sign.”? Suggests 25 gp to tavern fund? 5 gp to emergency tea and linen restocking? Remaining split among party, weighted by effort
Codex Quirk Activated: Ledger now includes the line “Daka: Emotional fire hazard. Monitor sugar intake.”
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Krummar – The Devoted Math Gremlin
Vote: Fund a second event + custom sin candles + moonlight harpistReasoning:? “We are standing on the brink of a full-scale spiritual economy.”? Wants to pay Melodia 3 gp for custom “Hope Candies”? Offers 2 gp to Daka as “chaotic sermon tool allowance”? Sets aside 1 gp in a small pouch beled: ‘For Mel. No obligation.’
Adds line to his prayer tarp:
“Profit through kindness is not theft. It is divine delegation.”
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Mel – The Quiet Capitalist (When No One’s Looking)
Vote: Keep 5 gp in bird-skull jar. Rest goes to moss ntern upgradesReasoning:? “People cried near the candles. I want them to cry softer next time. Ambient light helps.”? She quietly pockets 1 ptinum, calls it “bance.” No one notices.? Donates 3 gp to Lorin’s towel fund with a tiny dried mint leaf attached
Codex Trigger: Guilt +1 → Emotional Imprint left on coin pouch (rested near her bed = 1 Axis point healed overnight)
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Melodia – The Strategic Softheart
Vote: Split 10 gp among staff, reinvest 5 gp into sensory enchantmentsReasoning:? “Some people… they came just to feel something. I want to make that feel gentler.”? Buys three more moon-charmed berets? Secretly requests 1 gp worth of notes from Krummar’s candle phrases to weave into her next performance? Donates 2 gp to the “Guest Who Lingered Too Long But Said Thank You” fund
Codex Trigger: Attraction +1 → Toward Krummar (for poetic ledger lines written in blue ink)
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Daka – The Problem
Vote: Liquor and a bigger hatReasoning:? “If we’re gonna profit off pain, I should at least look magnificent doing it.”? Cims the Liquid Apology bottle immediately? Demands 1 gp to start branding his own candle: “Lusty Regrets – Sponsored by Abs”
Codex Trigger: Obsession +1 (new: “make at least one candle moan when lit”)Presence: -1 (Lorin sighs so hard the candle fmes flicker)
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Final Gold Allocation (as voted & tolerated):
Member Direct Share Bonus UseLorin 5 gp 25 gp to tavern upkeepKrummar 3 gp 2 gp budget for candle toolsMel 5 gp 1 pp (hidden), moss nternsMelodia 4 gp 5 gp for enchanting ambianceDaka 3 gp 1 bottle + ego candles
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Remaining Tavern Reserve:
25 gp (upkeep fund), 4 sp, minor coin scatter in Mel’s pnt pots
