I don't necessarily approve of the villain angle, but maybe it'll grow on me.

Goal: Minion Practice; Shape and Refine. Pirates: The three E's. Amber is small and incapable, so she needs someone to do her dirty work for her. I want to turn these three into our quirky little miniboss squad; they're well-balanced enough, and they'd all be useful. The old fighter-mage-thief triangle.

As for specifics, I'm not too picky. Rufus should be agile and preferably still good with a sword; Kled should have brute strength; Simon... should stay out of the way and be smart, but not entirely incapable, so maybe something small. I also want their forms to go together somehow, so our quirky little miniboss squad doesn't seem like it was thrown together from odds and ends.

This might depend on if they actually want the power offered, but:

Karma: Fitting. If we do want to somewhat recruit these people, lets make sure we know what we're starting with.

As for to TF them, if they seem to seek it for bad reasons then Debilitate. Otherwise play with, and if they are wise enough to see that a shrine won't necessarily solve everything, lets do the E for them

I recall there being a saying, something about every villain being the hero of their own story? Well, while there may certainly be exceptions, this is from Amber's side of things. So, let's do this!

Goal: Should we go the route of Minion Practice, I would be worried to try the catch and release route of things so quickly. Somebody could scamper off and get help from bigger pirates! So, Shape and Refine miiight be a safer option, to get someone to help out, whether as a fighter, a tank, etc.

I more tempted by Karma practice however. Even if we don't have any solid minions yet, it would be better than potentially letting them loose to get reinforcements. Still not completely sure what the pirates outside of this place are like either. Besides, these guys don't seem like they're vandalizing the place, they're just a tad bit aimless perhaps.

Fitting changes for everybody, maybe. Bring out all of that potential.

So, of course some more directions might help out! While a small part of me was tempted to say that someone could fill the roll of the pet cat of the evil mastermind, I feel that can wait until later.

Rufus TF: While I'd be worried, should he decide to use any added strengths for purposes that hinder or hurt us, I vote for Empowering Rufus. He doesn't seem to necessarily want to be guarding things here at the temple. If he wishes to fight, perhaps he can come with us? Rufus keeps bringing up thoughts of being the name given to a canine, however I'm not sure how well that would actually fit.

Simon TF: Embolden. While they might be a pacifist, that doesn't mean they're useless. Perhaps more of a long range, spell casting sort? Or, maybe Simon could end up as a scout, what with that ability to know where to go, someone that can fly or climb and travel. If they're still feeling shy, perhaps a form that can hide as well, go all chameleon-y or cephalopod-y?

Kled TF: Both Enhance and Play With seem like they might work for him, and I get the vibe he might actually be happy either way. If he was the only one being changed, he might be a good lab rat/lab assistant! For now though, either bring out the strength and/or wisdom of Kled, or whatever else might lie within, should Amber just mess around with transformative shenanigans.

Outside of that, good luck with the job situation!

Fitting Karma Practice, I think. Tempting to Embolden Simon or Debilitate Rufus, but I think take an even-handed approach and Play With all three.

I think karma practice (vindictive) with debilitate Rufus and play with the other two would make for a good start to Amber's villainous career

Fitting Karmic transformations and the three E's.