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<blockquote>''"My life is a lark! My king is the sky!"''<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Court_of_the_Skylarks|The Court of the Skylarks|Sunless Skies}}</ref></blockquote>The Amiable Vagabond is the unofficial leader of a group of sky-travelers called the '''Skylarks.''' This gaggle of drunks and eccentrics<ref name=":0">{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Court_of_the_Skylarks|The Court of the Skylarks|Sunless Skies}} ''"The skylarks' coats are ragged, their hygiene is questionable, and many of them bear unsightly scars; but they seem to have found something to celebrate. Perhaps just that they've made it through the month.  They raise their flasks and bottles in a toast [...]"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Court_of_the_Skylarks|Trade rumours|Sunless Skies}} ''"And wilder rumours too, of course. A wild-eyed skylark claims that the devils at Carillon are replacing people with doppelgangers. One woman, shivering, insists that she saw a hundred-eyed monster the size of a continent swimming through the dark."''</ref> has been enthralled by the Vagabond's tales of the mythical Sugarspun Garden: a fabled paradise where the rivers flow with whisky and the mountains are made of marzipan, and a place where they can rest their heads and put down roots.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Court_of_the_Skylarks|Listen to stories around a campfire|Sunless Skies}} ''"He launches into a fanciful tale of somewhere, hidden in the furthest corner of the Reach, called the Sugarspun Garden.  The Sugarspun Garden is a mythical place where weary skylarks can settle down. He describes whisky rivers and marzipan mountains, in a land without laws."''</ref> The Vagabond has led them on this madcap quest across the sky for as long as any of them can remember,<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Amiable_Vagabond|Talk to Ratbite over dinner|Sunless Skies}} ''""Quivers was obsessed with fairy-tales," she tells you. "He said there were some skylark signs, scattered around the skies, that no one knew the meaning of. Not even the oldest skylarks. He believed they'd lead him right to the Sugarspun Garden if he could translate them.""''</ref> and he has the tall tales to prove it.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Ratbite%27s_Warning|Ask the Vagabond if he's hiding anything|Sunless Skies}} ''""Stories follow me like storms follow summer!" booms the Vagabond, puffing his chest. "Especially among skylarks. I am their king, I am their god, I am their monster. [...] I can only wish that half of their stories were true.""''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Vagabond%27s_Obligation|Help him to ensnare a crewman|Sunless Skies}} ''"You and the Vagabond spend hours with the crewman, discussing the lost paradise of the Sugarspun Garden, the significance of the mysterious skylark signs, the disappearance of a skylark named Ratbite."''</ref> In addition to the Vagabond's prowess in exploration and storytelling, he is also a talented fiddler.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Amiable_Vagabond|Ask him to play you a tune|Sunless Skies}} ''"The Vagabond's fiddle [...] looks like it's been broken several times, and pieced back together inexpertly. [...] And yet, the tune which he coaxes from it [...] reminds you of precious things you've nearly forgotten, and raw things you'd rather forget. By the time the Vagabond is finished, he has tears in his eyes, and so do half the crew."''</ref>
<blockquote>''"My life is a lark! My king is the sky!"''<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Court_of_the_Skylarks|The Court of the Skylarks|Sunless Skies}}</ref></blockquote>The Amiable Vagabond is the unofficial leader of a group of sky-travelers called the '''Skylarks.''' This gaggle of drunks and eccentrics<ref name=":0">{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Court_of_the_Skylarks|The Court of the Skylarks|Sunless Skies}} ''"The skylarks' coats are ragged, their hygiene is questionable, and many of them bear unsightly scars; but they seem to have found something to celebrate. Perhaps just that they've made it through the month.  They raise their flasks and bottles in a toast [...]"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Court_of_the_Skylarks|Trade rumours|Sunless Skies}} ''"And wilder rumours too, of course. A wild-eyed skylark claims that the devils at Carillon are replacing people with doppelgangers. One woman, shivering, insists that she saw a hundred-eyed monster the size of a continent swimming through the dark."''</ref> has been enthralled by the Vagabond's tales of the mythical Sugarspun Garden: a fabled paradise where the rivers flow with whisky and the mountains are made of marzipan, and a place where they can rest their heads and put down roots.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Court_of_the_Skylarks|Listen to stories around a campfire|Sunless Skies}} ''"He launches into a fanciful tale of somewhere, hidden in the furthest corner of the Reach, called the Sugarspun Garden.  The Sugarspun Garden is a mythical place where weary skylarks can settle down. He describes whisky rivers and marzipan mountains, in a land without laws."''</ref> The Vagabond has led them on this madcap quest across the sky for as long as any of them can remember,<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Amiable_Vagabond|Talk to Ratbite over dinner|Sunless Skies}} ''""Quivers was obsessed with fairy-tales," she tells you. "He said there were some skylark signs, scattered around the skies, that no one knew the meaning of. Not even the oldest skylarks. He believed they'd lead him right to the Sugarspun Garden if he could translate them.""''</ref> and he has the tall tales to prove it.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Ratbite%27s_Warning|Ask the Vagabond if he's hiding anything|Sunless Skies}} ''""Stories follow me like storms follow summer!" booms the Vagabond, puffing his chest. "Especially among skylarks. I am their king, I am their god, I am their monster. [...] I can only wish that half of their stories were true.""''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Vagabond%27s_Obligation|Help him to ensnare a crewman|Sunless Skies}} ''"You and the Vagabond spend hours with the crewman, discussing the lost paradise of the Sugarspun Garden, the significance of the mysterious skylark signs, the disappearance of a skylark named Ratbite."''</ref> In addition to the Vagabond's prowess in exploration and storytelling, he is also a talented fiddler.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Amiable_Vagabond|Ask him to play you a tune|Sunless Skies}} ''"The Vagabond's fiddle [...] looks like it's been broken several times, and pieced back together inexpertly. [...] And yet, the tune which he coaxes from it [...] reminds you of precious things you've nearly forgotten, and raw things you'd rather forget. By the time the Vagabond is finished, he has tears in his eyes, and so do half the crew."''</ref>


The Skylarks meet with approximate regularity at sites marked with cryptic skylark signs,<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Port_Avon#The_Village_Green|Amiable Vagabond: Seek out the Court of the Skylarks|Sunless Skies}} ''""We call these the Skylark Signals," says the Vagabond. The post has been carved with dozens of crude hieroglyphs. "Top secret! We carve them to tell each other the character of a port." He jabs at a row of zig-zags. "This means 'unfriendly'." He points at a triangle. "But this means that there's a skylark camp nearby.""''</ref> to drink, swap stories,<ref name=":0" /> and mourn those who have perished since their last meeting. For all their joy, a Skylark’s life is perilous, and there is rarely a meeting without a missing face.<ref name=":1">{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Court_of_the_Skylarks|Trade rumours|Sunless Skies}} ''"Lastly, a solemn young woman announces that a skylark named Quivers has gone missing. It's been months since he was seen at camp or at any stations. Probably dead; there are a thousand ways for a skylark to die before their time."''</ref>
The Skylarks meet with something approaching regularity, at sites marked with cryptic skylark signs,<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Port_Avon#The_Village_Green|Amiable Vagabond: Seek out the Court of the Skylarks|Sunless Skies}} ''""We call these the Skylark Signals," says the Vagabond. The post has been carved with dozens of crude hieroglyphs. "Top secret! We carve them to tell each other the character of a port." He jabs at a row of zig-zags. "This means 'unfriendly'." He points at a triangle. "But this means that there's a skylark camp nearby.""''</ref> to drink, swap stories,<ref name=":0" /> and mourn those who have perished since their last meeting. For all their joy, a Skylark’s life is perilous, and there is rarely a meeting without a missing face.<ref name=":1">{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Court_of_the_Skylarks|Trade rumours|Sunless Skies}} ''"Lastly, a solemn young woman announces that a skylark named Quivers has gone missing. It's been months since he was seen at camp or at any stations. Probably dead; there are a thousand ways for a skylark to die before their time."''</ref>


=== A Sinister Sister ===
=== A Sinister Sister ===
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{{Spoiler}}<blockquote>''"Yes. I wrote the hidden code into the Skylark signs. I tricked Quivers into following them, then threw him in the Well. I did the same to a dozen curious skylarks before him, and a dozen gullible captains. What do you want from me? Guilt? Guilt won't change what I've done."''<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.gamepedia.com/Amiable_Vagabond|Confront the Vagabond and have him thrown in the brig|Sunless Skies}}</ref></blockquote>
{{Spoiler}}<blockquote>''"Yes. I wrote the hidden code into the Skylark signs. I tricked Quivers into following them, then threw him in the Well. I did the same to a dozen curious skylarks before him, and a dozen gullible captains. What do you want from me? Guilt? Guilt won't change what I've done."''<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.gamepedia.com/Amiable_Vagabond|Confront the Vagabond and have him thrown in the brig|Sunless Skies}}</ref></blockquote>


The Vagabond was once known as '''Old Tom'''.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Mysterious_Signs|Help him decipher the signs|Sunless Skies}} ''"Because I am Old Tom! And I can assure you that no paradise awaits within the well that bears my name."''</ref> As one of the first prospectors to scout beyond the [[Avid Horizon]], he made a deal at a well in the [[Reach]] (later named [[Old Tom's Well]] in his honor), promising it his life in return for a year of fabulous wealth.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Amiable_Vagabond|Ask if the Vagabond saw anything within Old Tom's Well|Sunless Skies}} ''"Aye, I saw gold. A gleam of gold amid a copse of pale trees, and nothing else but darkness. It spoke to me, in a voice like lightning striking an oak, and it made an offer. I accepted."''</ref> The entity within kept its promise: Tom soon discovered the [[Lustrum|Mother of Mountains]] and became rich beyond measure.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Old_Tom's_Well|Old Tom's Well|Sunless Skies}} ''"Old Tom was a prospector during the Promised Days that followed London's arrival in the heavens. [...] Luckless and impoverished, he made a wish here, at the well. The next month, he discovered the Mother of Mountains and the rich hour-veins that riddled her flanks."''</ref> As the day of his death drew near, however, Tom opted to cheat the bargain. Using his newfound wealth, he drew upon his more sinister connections and eventually discovered a ritual that would allow him to exchange another’s life for his own.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Lank_Minister|Ask her about the Amiable Vagabond|Sunless Skies}} ''"Every year, he befriends a wanderer he thinks is similar to him in some way. He binds them to him in a ritual, and throws them into the Well in his stead. You're probably his next victim."''</ref><ref name=":2">{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Old_Tom_and_the_Well|Ask the Lank Minister what happened to Quivers|Sunless Skies}} ''"The Vagabond answers for her. [...] "I offered some sinister folk a lot of money, and they helped me ferret out a ritual that would create a scapegoat. Ever since, I have been paying my debt with the lives of the less interesting.""''</ref>
The Vagabond was once known as '''Old Tom'''.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Mysterious_Signs|Help him decipher the signs|Sunless Skies}} ''"Because I am Old Tom! And I can assure you that no paradise awaits within the well that bears my name."''</ref> As one of the first prospectors to scout beyond the [[Avid Horizon]], he made a deal at a well in the [[Reach]] (now called [[Old Tom's Well]] after him), promising it his life in return for a year of fabulous wealth.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Amiable_Vagabond|Ask if the Vagabond saw anything within Old Tom's Well|Sunless Skies}} ''"Aye, I saw gold. A gleam of gold amid a copse of pale trees, and nothing else but darkness. It spoke to me, in a voice like lightning striking an oak, and it made an offer. I accepted."''</ref> The entity within kept its promise: Tom soon discovered the [[Lustrum|Mother of Mountains]] and became rich beyond measure.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Old_Tom's_Well|Old Tom's Well|Sunless Skies}} ''"Old Tom was a prospector during the Promised Days that followed London's arrival in the heavens. [...] Luckless and impoverished, he made a wish here, at the well. The next month, he discovered the Mother of Mountains and the rich hour-veins that riddled her flanks."''</ref> As the day of his death drew near, however, Tom opted to cheat the bargain. Using his newfound wealth, he drew upon his more sinister connections and eventually discovered a ritual that would allow him to exchange another’s life for his own.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Lank_Minister|Ask her about the Amiable Vagabond|Sunless Skies}} ''"Every year, he befriends a wanderer he thinks is similar to him in some way. He binds them to him in a ritual, and throws them into the Well in his stead. You're probably his next victim."''</ref><ref name=":2">{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Old_Tom_and_the_Well|Ask the Lank Minister what happened to Quivers|Sunless Skies}} ''"The Vagabond answers for her. [...] "I offered some sinister folk a lot of money, and they helped me ferret out a ritual that would create a scapegoat. Ever since, I have been paying my debt with the lives of the less interesting.""''</ref>


And so Old Tom became the Amiable Vagabond, and his murderous odyssey began. He led his enthralled Skylarks on a perpetual journey, occasionally singling one out and sacrificing them to the dead [[sun]] within Old Tom's Well.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Old_Tom_and_the_Well|Tell the Vagabond that you know why he's brought you here|Sunless Skies}} ''""I admit it [...] many years ago, I made up the Sugarspun Garden and wrote the hidden code into the skylark signs, knowing it would lure curious folk to seek me out. After all, don't I know more about the signs than anybody? And weren't there rumours that I was Old Tom himself [...]? So people came to me seeking answers. Or I'd befriend them first, and steer them toward the questions. Either way, the same outcome [...] I led them on a merry dance until they found themselves... here." "''</ref> Nobody remarks on the disappearance of a Skylark; after all, a thousand perfectly plausible deaths await travelers in the heavens.<ref name=":1" />
And so Old Tom became the Amiable Vagabond, and his murderous odyssey began. He led his enthralled Skylarks on a perpetual journey, occasionally singling one out and sacrificing them to the dead [[sun]] within Old Tom's Well.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/Old_Tom_and_the_Well|Tell the Vagabond that you know why he's brought you here|Sunless Skies}} ''""I admit it [...] many years ago, I made up the Sugarspun Garden and wrote the hidden code into the skylark signs, knowing it would lure curious folk to seek me out. After all, don't I know more about the signs than anybody? And weren't there rumours that I was Old Tom himself [...]? So people came to me seeking answers. Or I'd befriend them first, and steer them toward the questions. Either way, the same outcome [...] I led them on a merry dance until they found themselves... here." "''</ref> Nobody remarks on the disappearance of a Skylark; after all, a thousand perfectly plausible deaths await travelers in the heavens.<ref name=":1" />
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