"So what do we do with Sister Xerlina?" Asked Brother Po. Xerlina was an exemplary student in many ways. She studied the tennants of Irori in earnest, and in the almost ten years she had been at the monestary had risen in skill and discipline, recently becoming one of the most promising teachers there. She was almost frightingly intuitive and very quick on her feet. But Brother Po was exasperated by the girl's continued stubborness. While it was true she had come a long way from the unruly street urchin they had taken in so long ago, she was also a long way from the picture of austerity and calm that the Brothers of Irori strived for. Even after beign promoted to honoured teacher, she continued to break curfew, sometimes disappearing for days at a time. She was becoming a disruptive influence to their younger members.

Senior Brother Ameo frowned. "Her current assignment may yet prove fruitful." Po suppressed a snort. Xer's "current assignment" was to go out into the slums of Magnimar and look for possible recruits to the Order from amongst the street kids and urchins of the city, much as she herself had been recruited. Both Po and Ameo knew the real reason for the assignment was to get her out of their hair for a few days, and both privately hoped she did not return with any recruits the same as her - no need to perpetuate the cycle after all. "And after that," Ameo continued, "I've got another matter I want her to look into."

"Oh?" Po asked

"We've been getting some disturbing reports from St Casperian's Mission in the south end. Muggings, beatings, that sort of thing. Quite shocking for a place that is supposed to offer respite to the poor." He produced a parchement letter from his sleeve and handed it to Po.

The younger man read it quickly. "Quite," agreed Po. "But surely that is a matter for the militia, or a church that, um, specializes in the downtodden." The Brothers of Irori believed in self perfection.

"Now Brother Po," Ameo chided. "Irori teaches that one can not truly improve one's own life until you learn to improve the lives of others. Besides, I am beginning to feel that Sister Xerlina's strongest contribution to this monestary can be made in the field. Don't you agree?"

"You are truly wise Brother Ameo." Po bowed and handed the letter back to Ameo. "Who will you send to deliver this new order to good Sister Xerlina?"

Just the the deep gong of the welcome chime sounded, and both men turned to see a foppish halfling saunter into the courtyard. The little fellow saunter right up to the two and gave an elaborate bow. "G'day gents!" he shouted amiably. "I am Poot the Prodigeous. Goblin Slayer extrodonaire and Hero of Sandpoint. Might there be a lass named Xerlina aroung here?"

Po and Ameo traded baffled looks, then recovering his composured Ameo replied. "uh, no Master Poot, Sister Xerlina is not here right now. But if you agree to deliver a letter to her for us, I will tell you where to find her..."

***

As far as seedy dives went, The Bandersnatch was a shining example. Xer had been using it as her home away from home for the past couple of days while looking for recruits. The search did not go well. For starters, most of the kids were paranoid mistrustful little criminals. For another, the gangs had their claws in deep around here, and most of the kids over the age of ten already sported tatoos pledging their allegiance to the Gargoyles or the Harpies. The one thing Xer did not want was to get the brotherhood involved in that kind of business. Finally, life in the Brotherhood was not easy, and deep in her heart she wasn't sure she would be doing these kids any favours - it would take a special kind of kid that could adapt to this kind of "intervention."

An "ahem" from below her line of sight startled Xer out of her reverie, and she looked down to see that she was being adressed by a tiny halfling - small by even the standards of their race. "Excuse me," he continued once he had her attention. "I am Poot the Prodigeous, Goblin Slayer extrodinaire ( and apparently messenger extrodinaire, he muttered as an aside). And you are Xerlina," The little man declared.

"How did you..."

"Ah, ah, that's not important. What is important is that I have travelled from afar to deliver an important message from an old comrade." With a flourish he handed over a well worn letter. "Oh, and this one's from your boss - bit of a rude knob if ye ask me."

Xer took the letters, curious. The first one was from her old friend Sasha. She and Sasha had run together back in the days before the monestary. But where Xer had gotten off the street, Sasha had fallen in with the Gargoyles. They had stayed in touch, getting together when Xer took "sabaticals" from the monestary, and last year she had convinced Sasha to get out from under the Gargoyles before it was too late. Sasha had always been more carefree than her friend, and had left town altogether.

Now here was this note, an invitation really, for Xer to come and join her in some little town called Sandpoint up the coast. She was sorely tempted. There was little left for her to learn from the Brothers. Their ways had become stifling even to her ordered mind, and in a way being beholden to them was the same as the Gargoyles' hold over Sasha. Mabye it was time for her to make her own escape.

Xer opened the second note from Brother Ameo. He wanted her to investigate a homeless mission in Underbridge. Apparently the very people who the mission was there to help were being extorted within the mission's walls. Xer snorted at her colleagues lack of knowledge. The mission in question had been taken over weeks ago by a cutthroat calling himself the Pauper King. It was no secret, but it was in Underbridge so nobody cared. She wondered exactly what her superiors expected her to do about it.

Xer pondered what to do next...