Stig wakes up in a good mood. It is only somewhat oppressively humid in his small room, but it is a room that is bought and paid for for the next 13 months and so this morning it somehow seems a little grander and nicer. He makes his way downstairs and finds Ava toiling away prepping the roast she is going to be making this weekend for her weekly meal. Some small talk as other flat mates come in and out and the general consensus is that the rain that has plagued Sharn for several days in a row should let up today.   He spends his morning changing the strings on his lute, and making sure it is top-notch condition for the evening's rehearsal. Sure enough, when he steps out onto the steps in front of the Second Act Boarding House, he doesn't hear the dripping and splattering that has been the background soundtrack to his week thus far. He takes a deep breath, nods to Mr. Furley who is watering the small potted plant he keeps on his stoop, and then heads off down the street, almost skipping as his lute case swings in his hand.   Just under 15 minutes later he is standing in front of room 211 of The Blue Bonnet Inn and having a very confusing conversation with the woman who just opened the door,   "But I am looking for Charlie" he says, still trying to figure out what is happening. "Charlie Lewth? The bard? He lives here..."   "And I am telling you" says the now exacerbated woman, "now for the fourth time, that I don't know anyone named Charlie. I checked into the inn this morning and this is the room they gave me. You will have to take it up with the front desk." and with that she shuts the door in his face as he hears a man's voice in the room asking what that was all about.   He makes his way down to the front desk and asks about the bard in room 211.   "Oh yes, oh yes!" says the short, stooped old human woman who runs the morning shift. "And you must be Glenn, huh?" She doesn't wait for an answer as she bends down and starts shuffling under the front desk. A moment later she comes up with a folded piece of paper and hands it to Glenn. He opens it and reads,   "Glenn, I am lucky to have met you. Were it not for you this note likely would have preceded me jumping off of Mrelyne Tower. But you kept my head from exploding and for that I will be forever grateful. Truly, you will never know how much I will cherish our too-short friendship and the support and guidance you gave me at the darkest and lowest place of my life.   And I feel like somewhat that I am leaving you in the lurch...but I realized last night, based on your 'Life's too short' comment before you left, this is not worth it. At least not for me. You were right, the risk is just getting too much. It is foolish for me to imagine I can come out of this mess unscathed, much less with my throat in tact. There is no party worth it. There is no stupidly held grudge against 'The Man' that is worth it. Again, you are so right and I thank Olladra you were there - I was a fool to place my trust in SOL. And I am doing what you said, I am going to do what I can to make sure they don't hurt anyone else.   So, my brother - I am out! Haha! Out of here! Where? you ask! Who can say? Who can know? Where the wind takes me, where the Dragon Prophecy says I will be, there I will be!   Obviously, this is going to cause you some pain with the performance but I am trusting again in your words that you would never let me down and you would always get my back. Just understand that this is what needs to be done. And of course, the Show Must Go On! and when you are part of the crew that makes this weekend's entertainment a success after only having two days to work around a late line up change, your cache in this town is going to go up my friend!   And so I bid you farewell friend. Maybe not a long friend, but a good one none the less. If our paths join again, hopefully you will understand and we can get that drink while we laugh about those crazy democrats and their schemes!   Break a leg this weekend!   Your friend, Charlie   ps - I left you a gift. You are a great performer, but probably not the best poker player. I thought you might drool on her one of the times you came over!