Kisep
"There was once a noble samurai, a warrior of great honor and skill. His name was Corvus San Itsume and he was a kenku, like I am," Kisep starts his tale with the same eastern accent he used before.
When only a few patrons appear to be listening, the bard loudly mimicks the sounds of two swords being unsheathed, one after another, and the sounds of battle erupt. This causes a great disturbance in the Inn, people looking for fighters to come bursting in, until it becomes clear the sounds are produced by a lone kenku, standing easily and non-threateningly near the bar. "The great and honorable samurai by the name of Corvus San Itsume was a master swordsman," Kisep continues, clearly enjoying the greater audience, "And he defeated many evil villains in the Eastern Lands. The people loved him, and so did the Emperor, who appointed him the head of his army and offered his daughter in marriage. However, the evil wu jen Yoringu, a powerful sorceror and advisor to the Emperor, had long coveted the hand of the princess, and had grown jealous of Corvus San Itsume."
"Tricking his rival, Yoringu lured the samurai to an ancient cave, filled with treasure and guarded by a foul monster called a naga. As Corvus San Itsume battled the fell beast, Yoringu cast a spell and collapsed the cave on top of them, nearly killing them." At this point, Kisep produces the sound of an earthquake or avalanche, and the noise fills the Inn. "Both Corvus and the naga were badly injured, but the monster was stuck under a fallen pillar. His honor demanding it, Corvus San Itsume pushed the pillar off the broken form of the naga and then the creature spoke, 'You have saved my life! In return, I will grant you one wish. What will it be?' Corvus, finding himself trapped in the collapsed cave, looked around. Far above, far beyond reach, a small gap between the rubble was visible, letting in the light of the distant stars. Remembering his bride-to-be, Corvus San Itsume turned to the naga and said, 'I wish for a way out of this cave.' "
Again, Kisep made a noise, but softer this time, mimicking the ethereal sounds that many who have not witnessed spellcasting, associate with magic; tiny little bell sounds and whisps of flute. "Behold, there was Corvus San Itsume, or rather, there were his armor and weapons, lying on the floor. From underneath, a raven stepped forth, cawing once and then taking flight, uneasily at first, but quickly learning, and out of the small gap in the ceiling flew Corvus San Itsume. He was too small to carry the gold or his gear, but he would return for them later. When he at last came to the Emperor and the princess, they did not recognize him and chased the bird from the castle with brooms. Heartbroken, Corvus fled to the location of the cave, only to find it vanished. Just one pebble remained, small and insignificant, and Corvus San Itsume took it with him in his beak. Having realized the truth of the evil Yoringu, the bird flew to the wu jen's house and knocked on the door, once, twice, thrice. Then he picked up the pebble and flew up towards the clouds, towards the moon and stars. When he was impossibly high up, Corvus looked down on the tiny figure of Yoringu, standing before his house, and let loose the small pebble."
There was silence in the Inn, as Kisep waited for the right moment. Then, unexpectedly, the raven familiar who had been quiet until now, cawed loudly from his shoulder, "Right on his head! Killing him dead!"