Episode 1: The Salvaged Job

The man's eyes frown. He does not yet nod, seemingly engrossed in parsing out the rules. However, realizing that he needs to supply an answer to something he doesn't quite understand, he begins to grow more panicked.

Finally, he vigorously nods.

The man's gaze continuously looks about for the source of the voice, despite knowing its general direction. "Um, supper," he says, slowly. He begins to turn his head to look behind him, when he feels the forearm upon his neck and freezes in place. "Beef stew," he croaks out.

The man says, "He is The Master. This is his palace."

The man swallows. "Um, he is The Master," he repeats nervously, instinctively flinching despite not seeing anything. "I serve him because he is my master, and I am his servant." His voice begins to rise in panic.

"To serve is to live," says the man, gulping against Maenor's arm. "If I don't obey, I will become The Master's next meal, or torn apart by his jackalweres!"

Suddenly, his eyes grow wide. "The food! Please, I can't let the stew burn. Let me go!" He strains against Maenor's grasp.

The man leaves Maenor's questions unanswered, and the room you are all in, hurrying back into the kitchen.

The man immediately heads to the fireplace and begins stirring the pot. He appears less frantic, now that he is in apparent control of the food.

He looks over his shoulder now, and seeing Maenor, gives the elf a once-over. He speaks quietly, "You don't look like a ghost."

"Only got what's in the stores," says the man, flinching a bit at the approaching elf. He seems concerned about Maenor's proximity, obviously not fully trusting the stranger just yet. "Um... Whoever you are, you best get out before you're captured. And if they find you here, it'll be the end for both of us."

Maenor does not hear anything else from beyond the kitchen.

The man turns, pausing only briefly to assess the fact that there are now two individuals in the kitchen. He lifts the pot out of the fireplace and walks it over to the island to set it upon some tile. "Your loss, then," he says, his voice low. "Whatever you're going to do, do it away from here. If you're lucky, they'll just kill you quick."