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It is now late at night. Supposedly the caravan crew has repaired the broken wheel on their cart, and tomorrow the crew starts out early. You were hoping for some accolades on your phenomenal baking abilities, but aside from eating your bread they haven't really said much. You suspect that Melony maybe told the crew not to get too close to you? They're all sort of huddled around, having some sort of secretive conversation, presumably about you.

It's times like these you wish you had the traits of a more fantastic species. Cats have pretty good hearing, and if you were a dog then maybe you could smell their conversation. At least, you're pretty sure that's how it works. But as a meerkat? Basically you just have super Oh-Shit-It's-A-Predator senses. Kinda useful, but you can't help but feel you got somewhat shafted in the genetics department.

Still, life isn't all bad. At least you have your bread. You break into a fresh loaf, waiting for the plot to drive forward.

The caravan buys and sells illicit goods.

-Spaz

You are suddenly overcome with a terrible suspicion that something really isn't quite right. Their leader hates you, the fox in particular is super shady. But they're all... well, when you thought of a merchant's caravan, these weren't exactly the people who came to mind. In fact, you've just about made up your mind by now that they buy and sell illicit goods.

The fact that they actually had the raw materials required for bread was interesting, though. Granted, having the raw materials would be an interesting cover story for something far more sinister. Besides, now that you think about it, hiding something deep inside of a vat of flour would be a perfect cover! And they didn't let you actually see where the flour was coming from, they just brought it out to you!

Good work, detective! You're convinced that you're on to something now, and they're all just standing over there like a bunch of idiots who don't know that they've been figured out. You're overcome with a heavy sensation of dread, however. Does this mean that you just spent an entire evening feeding a nefarious caravan crew fresh bread? Does that make you an accomplice of some sort? You sit for a second and try to figure it out, all while hoping that things with the caravan work out. You really don't have anywhere else to go, and ruffians or not, you hope they decide to take you in.

The people in the caravan are undercover. They don't have anywhere near enough goods to pass as genuine merchants. What they're really up to is trying to economically collapse the kingdom.

-Kugari

Well that escalated quickly. You were only just considering whether or not the caravan sold illicit goods, and now you're convinced that they're trying to economically sabotage the entire economy of your home kingdom.

But now that you mention it, these guys do seem awfully shady. You just hadn't noticed it until now. Of course, the fox was always shady. But there's that raccoon, too. He's perfect for such a crime - the natural mask around his eyes is the only disguise he needs! And the crow seems pretty talkative, you bet he's their diplomatic in. Why, that crow could probably talk his way out of all sorts of trouble!

And it's all held together by the kingpin, Melony. The black cat manager extraordinaire. Why, if you were running an underground criminal ring, you'd probably be high strung too. It's all coming together, but then something new pops through your head.

The hero's dilemma: Does he seek revenge against the kingdom which shunned him, and join the caravan, or does he stay loyal and fight to save his kingdom?

-Kugari

You gasp as you take in the implications. The choice could be yours! You could save the entire kingdom!! But then you do a mental double take. Yes, you could stop this crew in their nefarious plans which you've just now imagined and are definitely true. Or you could join them in their crusade!

Why, you come from the capital itself! You know all about the kingdom's economic structure! They don't call you a baker for nothing!

The Craftsman Guild, the Merchants Guild. You know bread, in and out. You know where the rich people go to get bread, where the poor people go to get bread. The city practically runs on bread, as well as on a magnificent degree of other things, such as beans and pasta and stuff. But bread is what you know, dammit! And to collapse their kingdom, to wreak economic ruin, all you'd need to do it is-

Wait a minute, Melony is headed this way. Quick, put away your suspicion!

The leader, shortly after the bread is done, says "Kid, you're not so bad. Stick with us." But it's clear that she has her own motives.

-Suko Gryphon

"Alright, kid, you're not so bad." Melony begins. It's clear that she still doesn't trust you. She also still has her stern I'm-In-Charge voice, which is really going to start to get annoying. And although there does seem to be roughly a 10% genuinity to what she's saying, it still feels like there's something else going on. "You should stick with us."

Ah, there it is. A tough cat like her doesn't just do things from the kindness of her heart, and to you it's pretty clear that she has her own motives. Before you can start to get too carried away, though, she gives you a bit more of her reasoning.

"That's some of the finest bread I've ever tasted - and I've tasted some bread in my time." Uh-huh. Sure you have, Melony. Sure you have. "So here's my proposition. You keep on baking that bread and we'll sell it at a premium. We all get rich, and you get somewhere to stay. I mean, you are homeless, right? You look homeless. Well, not any more."

You aren't sure whether to be grateful or offended. The look she gave you definitely implied offense, that was for sure. Thing is, you wouldn't even have to be homeless to earn that look. The look didn't say "Oh God, you have no home," what it actually said was "Oh God, look at what you're wearing, you piece of shit meerkat I hope you die."

Melony doesn't care about your bread. You'd bank your life that she has an ulterior motive, you just don't know what it is. But you're willing to bet that she expects you to just go along with it blindly. She thinks you're just a stupid commoner, so you know what, that's exactly what you're going to do. The time has come to Pander and Please - life on the bottom of the bakery chain has prepared you for this moment!

"Melony," you say, adding grovel to your voice. "I would be honored to bake bread for you and your crew. I won't let you down!" You stop yourself from adding a cursory mistress, thinking that that might be a little heavy handed. On the contrary, though, it looks like maybe you didn't push the situation quite hard enough. The mistress is unimpressed, apparently she was looking for more gratitude for her generous offer. Fuck this chick.

"Mistress," you add through gritted teeth, taking a wild guess that that's what she was waiting for. The tall cat perks up instantly, apparently now fully sated from her brief exchange with you.

"Excellent, meerkat. I knew you would see things my way." Melony then instructs you on where you will be sleeping, and where the spare bread you baked for the night (you made a lot) will be kept. Apparently she actually was keen on selling it, which surprises you, but you're still convinced that there's more going on. In particular she makes one fatal mistake. She points out the tent where you will be sleeping (which was generously supplied, she reminds you), then the points out the supply caravan that you're allowed to touch. And then she points to the wagon that you are never, ever, ever to go near. Liam the Baker does not go near that wagon. Are we perfectly clear?

Oh yes, Melony. Crystal.

You know where you're headed first. It's just a matter of getting alone long enough to take a peek at what's going on in that secret wagon. It is late, though, and you can't call too much attention to yourself on the first night, so it might be best to lay low. Might as well go get set up in your tent.

Now we get to know the fox. He's a double agent working against the caravan, but we don't know that yet. Mainly for now he just takes an interest in us and wants to be our friend, but we don't know why.

-Ora Streak

_ The fox's name is Ridinger _ -Luprand

You step into the tent where Melony directed you and look pleased at the accommodations. This is actually pretty dang spacious. You didn't think Melony had it in her to-

"Howdy neighbor."

You whirl around, cursing at your meerkat instincts for not picking up the potential threat. It's the fox who had been eying you all night. You knew you got a bad vibe from this guy, you just knew it. And great, he's holding a bedroll. No wonder the tent is spacious - it's meant for two.

"You don't mind, do you?" He steps on in like he owns the joint (well, maybe he does) and throws down his set of things. He points to the pile crudely, a single, unkempt claw outstretched. "That's for you." Then he stalks over to the nicely made bed-set you had just been eying. He takes off his shirt nonchalantly and sits on the mat, facing you. His legs are pulled up close, and he's wearing pants so you can't make out all of his markings - but you just hope his legs aren't as cut up as his chest is.

You don't know what this fox has been through, but it hasn't been good. Sections of fur are missing entirely, and in its place are swaths of scars, where entire chunks of flesh were seemingly removed. You have half a mind to consider the fox diseased just because of his chest's patched nature.

The fox is perfectly aware of your stare but doesn't seem to care. He stretches his arms high up into the air, as though preparing to lie down for the night. In doing so he bares his midriff to you, where you can see clearly a scar left from what must have been a massive gash to his side. He stretches to expose that side further, still acting oblivious to your gaze. The wound has since healed, but the gash which caused such a scar surely would have killed a lesser creature.

You can't help but imagine that such a wound would have surely killed you.

Your gulp must have been audible to the fox just a few feet away, but he still seems not to notice you. He instead reclines simply against his arms which are placed behind him, gently propping him up to look at you.

"So, then," the fox says, as though his patchwork chest and middle were the most ordinary things in the world. "You're a baker."

You give another audible gulp, although you truly don't mean to. You just hope this guy doesn't slit your throat or something.

"Erm, uhm, yes. Sir. Yes I am."

If you had a shirt collar you'd be tugging at it nervously. And if you were a feral meerkat you'd have frozen in fear and intimidation by this point, hoping not to draw notice of the thing that was clearly going to kill you at any point. The fox doesn't care that you're nervous, he just shifts a little to free an arm then waves at you in dismissal.

"Don't call me sir. Melony could sniff out mutiny from within ten miles, and even if you don't take it as a trade of power between me and her, she certainly would. Call me Ridinger."

The fox then extends his paw in greeting, and in spite of yourself you hesitate to take it. This man has the intimidation factor down, but then, with those scars he sort of just... emanated intimidation. You do take his paw, though, your own seeming slender and weak in comparison. Is it just you or is even his handshake intimidating?

You just joined a shady caravan crew. This fox seems to want something from you, but you don't know what it is. What happens next? What does the fox say, what does he do? Do you just roll over and get a decent night's sleep? Or something else entirely? It's all up to you

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