Auditions commence as the bardic party, thrust together by circumstance, realize they are now being put to their first test. Some decide to face the music on their own, relying on their individual skills. One pair, however, discovers the benefits of relying on a companion to spark success. Before the results are announced, the group elects to visit the college town for a moment of reprieve. They encounter new foods, some nearly unidentifiable, and meet new companions including a nomadic tattoo artist, Nessie. Will they succeed at their auditions? Can they pass the initial audition on their own? Or is it only together that they will succeed?