Kua

*A sound cuts through your conscience. It’s a small sound, a small commotion in the alleyway beside the guildhouse. But it’s noticeable, because it’s the sort of sound that someone makes when they don’t want to be heard.*

DC15 Investigation in the alley to find Klua. If not, then they’ll inevitably hear the sound later, at the guildhouse or elsewhere.

*You investigate the alleyway thoroughly, looking for the source of the sound. Your foot makes contact with a barrel that should be empty, which feels a lot heavier than it should. You hear something shifting inside the barrel*

*You throw open the lid, and inside are greeted with massive avian eyes, belonging to the smallest Aarakocra you’ve ever seen. Like a small, white version of Ravi, there’s a moment of silence as you stare at it, and it stares at you, when suddenly it lets out a shrieking coo, and jumps into the air above the barrel, half floating as it pumps its little wings as hard as it can*

*“Ravi!” it says, with a happy squawk, staring at the larger Owl, “Great hero Ravi!” It lands with both talons perched on the edge of the barrel.*

*Now you get a better look at the young Araacokra, you can see that it’s a little dirty, with ruffled feathers, and is wearing rags as clothes. But in one hand is a stick, with a string tied to both ends, clearly a child’s imitation of a longbow. In it’s belt are a number of sticks with sharpened points- arrows perhaps?*

*It flutters over to Ravi, and starts nuzzling against Ravi’s leg, cooing happily.*

Who are you?

*I am Klua!*

Where are your parents?

*Far away, not here.*

Where do you live?

*With mama Amit, and other birds, like great hero Ravi!*

Why were you in the Alleyway?

*He looks away bashfully. “I watch Great Hero Ravi, he is bird like me, but strong!”*

Why are you in Bal-Agra

*I came here with brother, to escape the bad man.*

Where is your brother?

*He left. Went to find food. Never came back.*

*As you follow the young bird, you move south through the bazaar, and you eventually come to the slums, with close packed building and an unplaceable smell. Klua leads you through the winding streets, down a back alley, the entrance to a non-descript looking building.*

*He beckons you from a doorway which is little more than a series of planks covering an opening.*

*You follow him, through a dilapidated old house, and through one more doorway, which opens up into a surprisingly large space. You are in what looks like the remains of an old church, or temple, which a high, domed ceiling, and plenty of space. Or rather, it would be plenty of space if every corner, shelf, and rafter was not occupied by a multitude of young aarakocra, of all shapes and varieties. Owls, Parrots, Falcons, all stare at you unblinkingly. None of them seem to be older than teen-aged. The raucous chorus that greeted your ears as you walked in falls silent.*

*A commotion from the back room. A figure runs out, yelling “I told you bastards if ever came back here I would… oh.” She stops, and you take her in. She is a young elf, dressed in Cleric robes, and by the symbol around her neck, she is in service of Agra-tet*.

*She glances at Klua. “Klua, we talked about running off unsupervised! Come here!” Klua flutters up to her arms, and she takes a moment to glance over the young bird, like a mother caring for a child. When satisfied, she places him on her shoulder, and looks at all of you. When her eyes land on Ravi, a look of happy surprise comes across her face.*

*“Well, you don't happen to be the Ravi I’ve heard so much about?”*

*“Klua here has been telling stories to the other children for months, about the “Great Ravi” armed with his deadly longbow, and his magical wind ring. Apparently you are nightly engaged in chases through the bazaar, fights with armies of WereJackals, and even once turned into a statue for a week.*

*Klua speaks, “Great Hero Ravi! He defeats all with magic ring! Coo!”*