The Thief

Faber and the Thief introduce themselves to each other.

"So this is all that is left of another explorer of the Stairway?" Faber says, shocked. "I am glad that nothing like this happened to Faber!"

## Background

"Apparently the Thief was just a common street criminal from a place called Nneth, in another place." Faber relates.

"Like Sturmport, the basement world that the Stairway links to was once a functioning Iterum, some manner of infinite place of learning, apparently.

"Also like Sturmport, it used to hold gates to other worlds, acting as a kind of nexus."

"Sadly, there is not too much to learn about the Stairway directly - the Thief was trapped before the influx of unreality devoured the rest of the Iterum and turned it into its desolate state."

## On the streets of the Gossamer City

An antlered bunny creature, in appearance about the size and shape of a human but with a rabbit's head, wearing a luridly colored but otherwise well-tailored suit, is consuming luminous fluid from an aphid.

It turns and waves casually to the party.

"I have been gifted with the appellation of Thief. But I would not say I am of Nneth.

"I am Thief, of...Gossamer."

Thief spins a cane it has just pulled out of nowhere.

"I am been bidden by my new patron, the Lord Luminous, to return to Sturmport on its behalf. So accompany you on your return I shall.

"I suppose I am the one who also owes you a favor now too, aren't I?" Thief says...mysteriously?

"I can repay you in combat, information, or application of my talents. One delve, or one job.

"Arson. Sabotage. Espionage. Theft. Assassination. There are some targets I already know I am conceptually unable to target, like the so-called Stormlord of Sturmport. But there are many whose ruin I can wreak.

"I must do it alone. The operation will take time. Then when it is done, we are square."

Malephon approaches, leaning in and inspecting the Thief from many angles. He gets very close. If the Thief doesn't recoil he will grab its hand to check if it is furred or human-like.

Thief's hand (a normal human hand. Broad, hairy, long-fingered. Callused) rises to seize Malephon's hand instead as he brings it in.

"Uh-uh!" It chides, tilting its head. "Hands off the duds."

The eyes in its head are still blank glass. They show no emotion.

Malephon's hand is seized!

He looks into Thief's unreadable eyes in mild surprise at the quickness of its movement. If Thief still remembers the emotions in people's eyes, it might guess that Malephon is discomforted by the lack of returned eye contact.

The next moment he is hiding it. "Hmm. Three boons granted and three servants gained. It seems this Lord claims everything it touches," he comments glibly.

"A fair repayment, I judge." Thief replies.

"Agency, in exchange for a faraway master."

"Well! I am pleased to see you have found your confidence and a form that's to your liking, Thief."

His fox parts don't look particularly happy.

"I don't believe I have enemies of the sort your skills are needed against, for now. It might take a while for me to claim the favor."

"The reformation you professed was in a more literal sense, I take it?"
"May I have my hand back?"

"Oh, my apologies. Friend. My benefactor." Thief untilts its head and releases Malephon's hand. "Make your enemies then. You can be free of worry as you do so."

The rabbit brushes off its lapel.