Dave awoke with a start, his body aching from the hard stone floor. As he blinked away the remnants of sleep, he found himself face-to-face with the toothless dwarf he'd noticed the night before.

"First time in the pits, eh?" the dwarf asked, his breath a pungent mix of ale and something far less pleasant.

Dave nodded, wincing as he sat up. "That obvious, huh?"

The dwarf laughed heartily. "Aye, lad. You've got that 'fresh meat' look about ya, staring at all the things with wide eyes. Name's Grimble. Been calling these pits home for nigh on twenty years now. Do try to get out of the minus, the authorities and some people be treating the ones deep in the red with no respect."

The dwarf waved a grimy hand at the [-5 Co] on Dave's token.

As Grimble regaled Dave with tales of his adventures and misadventures of a life as a sewer cleaner, Dave's bladder made its urgent needs known. Grimble pointed him towards a questionable hole in the floor at the far end of the chamber.

"Mind your step," Grimble warned with a grin. "And don't look down too long, or you might see something you wish you hadn't."

After relieving himself, Dave followed the stream of other adventurers making their way upstairs. He emerged into the grand cathedral, the bustling heart of the Adventurers' Guild.

The cavernous interior was a sight to behold. There were no pews and altar. Instead, a sea of colorful tents filled the entirety of the wide open space framed by massive white columns, creating a labyrinthine marketplace.

Dave wandered through the maze of tents, his eyes wide with wonder.

The air was alive with the buzz of conversation, the clink of coins, and the occasional flash of magic. Salespeople of all races and species called out to passing adventurers, their voices a cacophony of enticement and bargaining.

At the center of it all stood the largest tent. Inside, Dave spotted a lively pub filled with a diverse crowd of patrons enjoying breakfast.

Dave cranked his Charisma to the max and managed to procure a discounted boar sandwich and a wooden cup of water from a kindly old witch vendor who'd taken pity on his bedraggled appearance and commented on his dashing ginger hair. As he chewed thoughtfully, he slowly meandered through the river of colorful tents, his ID token now featuring a [-8 Co] on it.

Dave found himself constantly distracted by the alien sights and sounds around him, nearly bumping into other patrons as he gawked at everything from glowing, bubbling potions to impossibly sharp swords.

Feeling inspired, he switched twenty two of his points to Foresight to see whether that would do anything at all for him here, as that was a magical category that he wanted to understand the inner workings of. Turning Phantom Sight on for a few seconds showed him that the cathedral was completely free of ghost-sparks, the entire market appearing dim and gray.

As he walked, a particularly eye-catching tent caught his attention. It was adorned with shimmering, iridescent fabric that seemed to ripple even in the absence of wind. Inside, he saw dozens of small, adorable creatures that looked like a cross between cats, snakes and gemstones occupying all sorts of buckets and glass containers.

Dave approached the Kitlix sales tent, where a cheerful silver-haired catgirl merchant in a white robe greeted him. "Welcome, welcome! I see the Kitlix have caught your eye."

Dave nodded, finishing the last bite of his sandwich. "They're certainly unique. What exactly are the Kitlix?"

The merchant's eyes lit up at the chance to peddle her wares. "Ah, it must be your first day in Shandria! The Kitlix are living magical critters, born from any old implement with a rune on it. As you can see, each one is entirely unique, with its own abilities and personality!"

As if on cue, a small, cyan-colored Kitlix peeked out from behind a display, its large, intelligent eyes fixed on Dave. The merchant reached out to scratch behind its ears. "This little Infix for example, is quite the smarty-pants, helps calculate change and taxes for transactions. Cyan Kitlix are associated with intelligence-related magic."

Dave's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Sooo... they have different colors for different abilities?"

"Indeed!" the merchant exclaimed. She proceeded to explain the color-coding system: red for strength related magical alignment, orange for agility, yellow for dexterity, green for vitality, blue for charisma, indigo for general magic, violet for foresight, cyan for intelligence, and magenta for wisdom.

"A Kitlix at the Adventurers gate that scanned my words for honesty," Dave said. "What alignment is that?"

"Wisdom," the merchant pointed at a magenta-colored critter. "They can be further aligned to hosting truth-spells and then turn clear and flash from red to green expressing if they sense truth or lies!"

"What about a Kitlix that modifies Adventurer tokens?" Dave asked.

"Cyan and magenta," the merchant replied. "Moonwood resonance magic! These tokens are carved from Moonwood tree roots, which Burnix Kitlix can imprint magic into in specific, visible patterns."

"Could someone not modify this number with a Burnix Kitlix then?" Dave asked tapping his [-8].

"The Guild Kitlix would sense any such modifications," the catgirl shook her head. "They're all from the same family, aligned to each other. Messing with your token would get you collared on the spot, one hundred years labor sentence."

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"I see," Dave nodded. "How do you manage so many of them?"

"I'm a breeder," the girl replied with a smile. "They are bonded to me when they're born from runestones my family makes. I can however bond any of them to a client as a familiar."

As the merchant spoke, Dave found himself staring at a tiny, violet Kitlix that was playfully chasing its own tail. Its body sparkled like amethysts in the sunlight, and it seemed to emit a faint, pleasant humming sound.

The violet Kitlix suddenly stopped twirling and leaped onto Dave's shoulder, nuzzling against his neck. He couldn't help but laugh at its affectionate gesture.

"That one seems to like you," the catgirl said with a wink of silver-blue eyes. "Violet Kitlix are associated with luck aka Foresight. Perhaps she senses you could use some good fortune! Or perhaps she noticed that you have lots of Foresight to spare."

Dave gently stroked the Kitlix's sparkling crystals, marveling at how its body felt both soft and crystalline at the same time. The creature purred, a sound like tinkling wind chimes.

"Oh, and here's another fascinating tidbit - all Kitlix are female! They're quite the dependable little darlings, each one capable of hosting a particular spell or amplifying their Master's innate magic skill!"

"Really?" Dave asked.

The violet Kitlix on his shoulder let out a tiny, melodic chirp as if to confirm this fact.

The merchant nodded. "Yep. And they have the most adorable way of reproducing. When a Kitlix is well-fed and happy, she'll start to grow. Once she reaches a certain size, she can be split into two smaller Kitlix, each with their own unique personality and sometimes slightly different colors!"

Dave couldn't help but smile at the thought. "That's pretty neat. How big do they get and what do they eat exactly?"

"They don't get bigger than a mundane kitten. They are fed by their Master's mana and also mana crystals," the merchant replied, reaching into a pouch at her waist and pulling out a small, rainbow-colored, softly glowing crystal. "These shinies are their primary food source. The more mana crystals a Kitlix consumes, the more magically potent she becomes!"

The violet Kitlix on Dave's shoulder perked up at the sight of the crystal, her gem-like eyes sparkling with interest. Dave smiled, gently scratching under her chin. "I can see someone's getting hungry. Where do mana crystals come from?"

"Ah, now that's the adventure part! Mana crystals grow naturally in dungeons and other wild places outside the city. Many adventurers make a living collecting and selling them to the merchants and wizards. It's dangerous work, but quite profitable."

Dave nodded, imagining the perilous Quests one might undertake to gather these magical crystals. "And for those of us who aren't quite ready to face dungeon monsters?"

"For the less adventurous," the merchant said, "mana crystals can be purchased from any of the Arx Banks. They're not cheap, mind you - a small crystal like this one usually goes for about five silver."

Dave mulled over his current lack of funds. The violet Kitlix on his shoulder let out a small, sympathetic trill, as if understanding his predicament.

"Of course," the catgirl added, her voice taking on a conspiratorial tone, "there are always quests available for those looking to earn some extra coin. Who knows? You might find yourself with enough silver for a Kitlix and a pocketful of mana crystals before you know it! Just go talk to the Guild Secretary over there and she'll give you a job befitting your skills!"

Dave nodded, absently petting the Kitlix as he considered his options. The little creature's purring intensified. He couldn't deny the appeal of having such a charming, useful companion in this strange new world.

"So, uh, how much is this little violet one?" Dave asked. "And does she have a name?"

The silver-haired catgirl merchant smiled warmly, her tail swishing behind her. "This particular Kitlix is priced at 220 silver," she replied. "As for a name, well, she doesn't have one yet. Kitlix are typically named by their owners, allowing for a special bond to form between them."

Dave's eyebrows shot up at the price. "I see," he said. "And what exactly does she do? You mentioned something about luck earlier?"

The catgirl waved her hands dramatically, her silver hair catching the light streaming through the massive stained glass windows behind her. "Luck magic is more complex and powerful than most people realize. It's not just about finding a coin on the street or winning at cards. Luck magic often correlates with precognitive abilities. Owners of Foresight-aligned Kitlix have reported experiencing prophetic dreams, particularly about potential dangers or death. Some have even developed the ability to glimpse very brief visions of possible futures."

Dave's eyes widened. The violet Kitlix tilted its head, seeming to study him with increasing intensity, definitely sensing the 22 points he has slotted into Foresight.

"These visions," the merchant continued, "while not always clear can be incredibly invaluable for adventurers. Imagine being able to foresee a trap in a dungeon or a betrayal by a supposed ally. Of course, the future isn't set in stone, but having a glimpse of potential outcomes can be a powerful tool for a Seer!"

"So it's like a personal crystal ball?" Dave commented.

"Better!" The merchant nodded. "She's cuter and will always return to your side, unlike a crystal ball which can be stolen. Violet Kitlix are born from old crystal balls."

"So could I just buy an old crystal ball and hatch a Kitlix myself?" Dave asked.

"You could," the merchant shrugged. "But unless you used the the crystal ball yourself for many decades the manifested Kitlix will just vanish overnight, run away to one of the breeding farms which have tons of mana crystals for them to munch on. Without the familiar binding spell which I provide, breeding your own Kitlix is a game of chance where you simply lose the Kitlix ninety nine percent of the time."

The violet Kitlix chirped softly. It then proceeded to do a small somersault off Dave's shoulder, landing gracefully onto the counter and looking quite pleased with itself. Dave couldn't help but smile at the display.

"Felix Kitlix also have an uncanny ability to lead their owners to fortunate discoveries," the catgirl added. "Lost treasures, hidden passages, rare ingredients - the Felix seem to have a sixth sense for finding valuable, lost, or useful things their owner might need in the future!"

Dave nodded, his mind racing with the possibilities. A companion that could potentially warn him of danger and guide him to valuable resources sounded incredibly useful. However, the price tag was a rather significant obstacle.

"How exactly do people communicate with them?" Dave asked.

"Depends on the person," the catgirl shrugged. "Kitlix are sort of like... personal living implements. Some people talk to 'em, some just think orders at them. A mage with lots of points in Foresight would be able to cast a potent luck spell through a Felix Kitlix!"

"A luck spell such as?" Dave asked.

"Let's say you're a Foresight-aligned mage who lost your house keys," the catgirl wiggled her ears. "Simply push Foresight aligned mana into the Felix Kitlix, tell her what you want and she'd find the keys for you!"

"That's... certainly handy," Dave said, reaching out to gently scratch the Kitlix behind its ears. The creature leaned into his touch, emitting a soft, melodious purr. "I wish I could afford her right now."

The merchant beamed at him. "Just go make some cash, grab a few Guild jobs. And who knows? Maybe this little violet charmer will still be here waiting for you when you return. The Kitlix choose their owners based on alignment and skill level!"

As if to emphasize the point, the violet Kitlix nuzzled Dave's hand one last time before gracefully vanishing amidst a hundred of its kin populating the glass jars.

Dave sighed wistfully, thanked the merchant for the info and headed towards the jobs dispensing desk.