Garmen chuckles as Tabitha & Dejah introduce themselves. "So well-mannered, too. Quite a refreshing change of pace from some of the other customers here. So, what'll your pleasure be for this evening, then? A game of cards? Perhaps a throw of the dice? Or mayhap even the machines on the second floor?" He waves a hand at a set of pine-carved stairs leading up to the building's second story.
"As to where you can redeem the vouchers, yes." He turns to Kadosh and hitches a thumb over at the lady in the exchange office. "Just hand 'em off to Tamarie over there and she'll take care of the rest."
Well, in between ogling you and Tabitha, that is.
...while a pickpocket tries his luck at working the crowd.
You almost missed him, but a second look at the roulette table tells you all you need to know. A dark-haired young ruffian in leathers just seized an opportunity to relieve an ill-tempered gnome of his coin purse when he got into a heated argument with the dealer manning the roulette wheel.
Hmm. I wonder why he is so interested in us. He seems to be evaluating the party. I better make sure Tabitha does not get into any trouble. I don't like how he's leering at us. Not very gentlemanly at all.
Dejah's eyes strayed to the carved stairway leading up to the second floor and the gaming machines which could be found there. I'd rather we didn't split up, but we could cover more with two of us at different places. Once Garmen Ulreth was out of hearing range, Dejah would have a word to Jasper and the others.
Dejah looked to see if she could immediately spy any notable Torch citizens and/or any member of the "rich" families in town on the current floor.
Not seeing anyone on first glance of the room, Dejah turned her charm on the proprietor once more,
"I believe I will watch for a little while as this is my first foray into gambling and I am uncertain of the rules and etiquettes. The roulette table looks interesting and I believe I would like to start there. If it is alright with you, Mister Ulreth, that I simply watch for a time before I jump in? And to make sure, your generosity of hundred gold worth of credit to each person is a gift and does not have to be repaid by each of us?"
Dejah put on her prettiest smile. She awaited the answer and then with voucher in hand, she was ready to move on with the others toward the Half-Elf, Tamarie, as instructed.
"I'll not be sullying this money with your machines," Kadosh says, almost spitting the last word. He's about to head toward the pretty elf, when he hears Dejah's question and stops in her tracks.
Not very trusting, is she? Still, I have no desire to be in debt and free money may not be so free...
Garmen nods. "Definitely. Although depending on how lucky you lot are, you could end up repaying me either way."
"And so long as you DO give it a try at some point, I won't mind much if you watch. That's what the bar's for."
"Good. Good. I will try my hand at something as soon as I am familiar with the fundamentals. Thank you, Mister Ulreth."
And with a parting smile, Dejah led the others to the one named Tamarie, where she proceeded to hand over the credit voucher to the Half-Elf in exchange for the promised gold/credit.
As she walked Dejah quietly whispered to Tabitha behind her in Androffan,
"私のそばにとどまるか、常に男性の1 。あなたはあまりにもだまされやすいです。"
Once we are away from prying ears, I shall cast a spell and advise the others of what I noticed of Garmen Ulreth.
"Good eve, Mistress Tamarie. Here is our voucher. It covers the five of us, as you can see." Dejah put on a warm smile for the lady in the exchange office.
"Good eve, Mistress Tamarie. Here is our voucher. It covers the five of us, as you can see."
Tamarie looks up from her desk and brushes a lock of her long blonde hair aside. "Oh? Alrighty then. One moment please." She puts on her best smile and takes the credit voucher Dejah offers.
After ducking behind her desk, she emerges with fifty silverdisks. "Five hundred gold credit worth, right here." Her brown eyes twinkle in the torchlight. "Enjoy your stay!" She says, leaning forward.
Triax looks up at the string of Androffan, staring at Dejah for a moment. "That language is elegant. It seems familiar, somehow."
The android probes the others with its next question. "May I try a game? I am unfamiliar with such games, but the card games seem straightforward enough. besides, we can learn asI play."
"Not sure why you're using these instead of just good old gold, but our thanks," Kadosh says, oblivious to any underground discoveries that may or may not be linked the gambling establishment.
He looks around for a game to play, something with dice or cards and not an infernal machine.
Jasper mentions to Dejah what he saw about the pickpocket. Quietly he whispers in her ear I wonder if he works for the house...
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Tabitha looks at Dejah with a questionable look after she mentions that Tabitha was gullible. Huh? What! What does she mean by that? She thinks. She sighs and speaks quietly in Androffan to reply to her. "Τι εννοείς αφελείς?... Αλλά εντάξει, εγώ θα κολλήσει κοντά."
"What do you mean gullible?... But alright, I'll stick close."
Tabitha sticks close to Dejah as she receives the disks from the woman in the exchange office. While that happens, Tabitha looks around, wondering about the layout of this place and the people within. She ponders; So many... So many people, I wish I knew who and what they are.
Dejah gratefully accepted the fifty silver disks from Tamarie and then handed ten disks to each person. She noted that the disks were engraved/stamped with Silverdisk Hall (probably to stop theft of them) before placing hers inside the belt pouch around her waist.
When they were away from Ulreth's main people, Dejah found a corner of the room and cast two Message Spells in succession to privately advise the group (two at a time) that Garmen Ulreth had been studying and evaluating them as a whole. She told them she did not know for what purpose but to be mindful around him and his people. She did this via discreet whispers via her spells.
She heard Jasper's warning of the pickpocket and then relayed the news to the others via the active Message spell. To Jasper, she replied via whisper, "Perhaps. Or he's simply hungry. Be on the look out."
When Tabitha returned with her query regarding being gullible, Dejah succinctly replied in low Androffan,
"Έχετε μια συνήθεια να πιστεύει ό, τι ακούτε . Είσαι πείθονται εύκολα και αυτό είναι επικίνδυνο . Κρατήστε τη φρουρά σας επάνω , αλλά να είναι διακριτική γι 'αυτό!"
Then speaking at normal volume to make it appear as everything is alright, Dejah happily stated, "I'm interested in the roulette wheel. That is where I'm headed. What about you?"
"May I try a game? I am unfamiliar with such games, but the card games seem straightforward enough. besides, we can learn as I play."
"That is fine, Triax. But don't stray too far from the rest of us, please."
Kadosh nods -- unaware if anyone is even looking -- as he gets Dejah's message and looks around for the pickpocket, to make sure he's nowhere near him.
He otherwise continues on to find a game of dice.
Triax moves next to one of the card table and observes for a period of time. The android catches the attention of someone nearby and inquires as to the nature of the game, the rules and betting methods. After grasping the basics, it will pull up a chair and test its wits as best it can - attempting a measure of inscrutability as it builds its hands.
Both men grab at the pickpocket and hold him down at the bar. Out of the corner of your eye, you can see a couple of bouncers heading over to investigate.
An altercation seems to be brewing at the bar. Two men are holding a dark-haired ruffian in leathers down and seem to be on the verge of braining him with their ale mugs.
The card table you chose has four other people around, the house dealer included. "Right. Now that we have a full table, it's time to begin." The dealer (a charming young brunette half-elf in a low-cut dress) says. "The game is Chelish Hold 'Em. Big blind is four disks, small blind is two. The house is always the dealer--no exceptions."
She slides a red disk to a surly-looking dwarf and a white disk to a jovial-looking half-orc. The halfling girl next to you wipes her brow with a sigh of relief as the dwarf puts in four silverdisks. The half-orc shrugs and chips in two before adding another two. The halfling puts in four, matching the dwarf's bet.
The hand goes quite well for you--the half-orc ends up folding early while the dwarf checks until the fourth card comes up, whereupon he folds as well. The halfling manages to keep up with both you and the dealer until the river, where she finally is forced to fold.
The dealer arches her brow in surprise when the two of you finally reveal your hands--you both have identical hands. "Well. That's a first for tonight. That means the pot is split equally between the house and the winner."
The other players at the table give you funny looks. The dwarf just grunts in disappointment.
The dice game you find is a large table overseen by four employees, all of whom are attractive young women in low-cut tops. One of them waves at you as you approach. "Come to give your luck a go, then?"
In low voice, she said to her companions, "It appears the pickpocket has been caught at the bar." And the altercation began to gain momentum as she watched.
"I am headed to the roulette table. Tabitha, you will come with me, please. Anyone else?"
And with that, Dejah began making her way over to a semi-full table where they were playing roulette. At first, she watched to learn the rules of the game.
Then she felt she would need to play a game or two so as to not displease their host, Garmen Ulreth. At all times, she watched and listened, hoping to learn something about Ulreth and his lot or other information not meant for her ears.
The roulette table is starting to clear out when the two of you arrive, but there's enough patrons there that the table hasn't closed up early.
The rules, as Dejah learns, are surprisingly simple. The roulette wheel is made up of two sets of twenty numbers--one set in red, the other in black. Players put bets on what number the roulette ball will land on, and what colour it will be. Players can put bets on ranges & groups of numbers, but will receive a proportionately smaller payout if the ball lands on a number in that range.
There are five other players at the table with you. Some of them look like new arrivals, while others look more desperate than ever to win big at this table.
"So, when do you reckon the boss will actually tell us what we're supposed to be guarding?"
"Keep your damn voice down--you think that just because these people are drunk and gambling that they don't have ears?"
"Well, yeah. Don't forget all the hot women here. They'll be keeping their attention off of us too."
"It don't matter. Garmen doesn't pay you to blab your mouth. Shut up."
"But--"
"Look, if you REALLY want to know, take it up with the boss. Right now, it looks like our man's gotten himself into trouble."
"Wha--oh. Wow. What a shitty pickpocket."
"I know. Come on, let's kick his ass out before something goes down."
Did its eyes just move?
Dejah breathed in as she saw the eyes of the man in the portrait move. So, they're watching us? Or, are they watching the patrons? Interesting. There must be a secret passage behind the wall....
She feigned disinterest as she carefully took two silver disks from her belt pouch and inquired of the dealer at the table, "I would like to change these silver disks into markers, please?", handing over the two disks valued at 20gp.
Then looking thoughtfully across the wheel, noting numbers and colours, she put a 5gp marker on the square numbered 23 and a 5gp marker in the rectangle of the colour 'red'. The remainder of the markers she held firmly/safely in her hand.
She moved back a little from the board (away from the eager or desperate gamblers and two bouncers) and waited to see if luck was on her side this night. She turned to her right, face downward, linking arms with Jasper but ever so discreetly pointing at him and whispered very quietly to him, via the earlier, active Message spell, "The bouncers are guarding something for Ulreth, pickpocket is their cohort, and painting's eyes moved. Look when safe." She did not include Tabitha at this time because for all she knew the girl would simply blurt it out for all to hear. Once they were further from the table, she would inform Tabitha.
The dealer changes Dejah's silverdisks into markers and slides them into place. The other gamblers start putting their markers in as well.
Gambler 1: Black
Gambler 2: Black, 16
Gambler 3: 20, 19, 18
Gambler 4: Red, 9
Gambler 5: 00
Once all the markers are in place, the dealer spins the wheel, takes out a white roulette ball, and drops it in...
...and it lands on Red 31.
There's an uproar at the table as the ball settles into the slot. The dealer shrugs. "Well, bad luck for the rest of you." He gives Dejah & another gambler back one of their markers. "Fancy another go?"
Jasper laughs as if Dejah said something funny before whispering back I'll head after the pickpocket. You stay here with the others and keep up appearances. Laughing again he nods to Dejah and Tabitha and heads for the door, walking casually after the bouncers and the pickpocket.
Kadosh gives a grin as the woman approaches.
"Indeed. I have money, so let's see if I can get some more. How do I play?"
There's three other people at the table, not including the staff: A male elf with a mohawk, a dark-haired woman with tattoos of axes on her face, and a pink-haired gnome girl standing on a stool.
The staff member who approached you (a redheaded lady) leads you over to the table and waves her hand at it. "Rules are as follows: first, you bet on whether whoever's rolling the dice will either win or lose on his--or her--roll. If you bet right, you get double whatever you wagered."
The gnome rattles a pair of dice after the other players make their bets--the elf puts a marker down on "Don't Pass" and the dark-haired lady puts a marker on "Pass". The gnome's marker is on "Pass".
"If you roll a 7 or 11, your bet wins. If you roll a 2, 3, or 12, your bet loses."
The gnome rolls the dice against the back of the table...
...and the dice come up 5 and 3.
The redhead winces. "Ooh, that was almost seven out! Now, if you roll any other value, you continue rolling until you either repeat that result, or until you roll a 7. Repeating your first roll will net you a win--getting a 7 means you lose the bet."
One of the other staff members (a blonde lady) scoops up the dice and gives them back to the gnome, who rolls them again...
...and again...
...and again.
The gnome cheers as the dice finally come up eight total. The elf scowls as the gnome and the tattooed woman are given a payout of double their original wager.
"So, still interested in joining, sir?"
The dark-haired ruffian is being hauled away by the bouncers, with one of them offering apologies to the two men at the bar for "Such a blatant lapse in security." He's dragged across the casino floor and out the front double doors.
You meld seamlessly into the shadows of the Silverdisk Hall as you trail the bouncers. The pickpocket has a look on his face that can be described as being both spooked and surprisingly cocky.
The bouncers drag the pickpocket to the side of the building and shove him against the wall. One bouncer stands in front of him and wraps a length of rope around his knuckles while the other stands off to the side, looking around for any witnesses.
"Oof--thanks for getting me outta there, guys. I think that would've turned ugly if you hadn't--" The pickpocket gets cut off by the bouncer suddenly punching him in the stomach. "--OOF!"
"Shut up. We shouldn't have gotten involved in the first place, you dumb f~$*. You had one. Damn. Job." The bouncer pulls his arm back, his rope-wrapped fist balled up for another punch.
"But I--" The pickpocket starts to protest, but the bouncer slugs him in the gut again. "--UGH!"
"How stupid ARE you? How could you f+$# up so badly that even a pair of drunken twats could catch you red-handed?" The bouncer beating him doesn't seem inclined to listen. "If you want in with the boss, you don't get caught. Who knows how many people know your face now?"
The pickpocket opens his mouth again, only to cry out in pain when the bouncer punches him hard in the mouth.
"There's your punishment, dumbass." The bouncer drops the pickpocket and takes a coin purse off his belt. "And more. Now pick up your teeth and get the f$+% outta here."
With Dejah's turn passing, a couple of the other gamblers keep placing bets and letting the roulette ball decide their fortunes. The ball twitches a bit when the dealer rolls it the opposite way the wheel is spinning... then it rolls into the Black 32 slot.
The roulette ball itself is a simple, spherical object made of iron.
Going over the motions the ball made as it was rolled along, you start to wonder if there's some sort of magnet under the table. Why else would the iron ball twitch as it rolled?
"Well, bad luck for the rest of you." He gives Dejah & another gambler back one of their markers. "Fancy another go?"
Dejah was momentarily elated, having won on her chosen colour. However, she collected herself and remembered why they were in the Hall. She smiled and accepted the new marker from the dealer.
Well I lost one and I gained one. So, I've broken even.
"Aye, I shall try, again."
She left her original marker on the 'red' and placed the new marker on the 'black' box.
Jasper had whispered that he would move to follow the bouncers and the pickpocket and she laughed softly to keep up the appearance that he had said something amusing to her in turn. Dejah did not like him going off on his own but he seemed skilled enough as a fighter. She would stay at the table for a little while and occasionally looked at the portrait of the Kellid to see if the eyes moved, again.
Tabitha smiles gently. "It's alright. The next one should be better."
Dejah heard Tabitha and nodded. In low tones, she replied, "As long as I make something and do not lose the lot too quickly. Are you not going to try to play?"
The roulette dealer spins the wheel and lets the ball go!
It lands on Red 37.
Dejah once again breaks even. "Not much of a high roller, are ya, miss?" The dealer wryly asks, arching an eyebrow at her.
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Raising a eyebrow, Tabitha notices that the roulette table seems odd. She leans over to Dejah. In Androffan, she whispers. "Είμαι βέβαιος ότι δεν είμαι ενδιαφέρονται για το παιχνίδι αυτό το παιχνίδι. Φαίνεται απίστευτα εύκολο να εξέδρα. Έχετε δει την μπάλα σιδήρου, έτσι δεν είναι; Αν υπάρχει ένας μαγνήτης κάτω από αυτό, πιθανότατα θα επηρεαστούν από αυτήν."
She shakes her head. "No, I am fine just watching for now. It sure looks interesting though." She gives Dejah a smile.
"Well, I guess I've got nothing to lose," Kadosh says, with a shrug. "Let's see what happens.
"Whose turn is it? I'll bet on 'em to lose."
He holds out two silverdiscs.
The other gamblers each chip in two silverdisks as the tattooed woman picks up the dice. "My turn."
The tattooed lady winds up and rolls the dice off the back of the table...
There's a collective "Ooh!" from the other gamblers as the dice come up with a result of ten. The dice are retrieved and rolled again!
And again!
And the tattooed lady chuckles as the dice some up seven. "Well, that's a loss for me. Or a win, really."
The gnome just shrugs as the mohawked elf's hands clench tightly enough to crush coal into diamonds. The redheaded staffer bends over to retrieve the dice, inadvertently giving everyone present a full view of her cleavage before retrieving several silverdisks. "And the payout for the winners!"
The redhead then holds the dice out for you. "You want to shoot 'em next?"
Who is that spying on us or the room? Dejah bit down on her curiosity to know the identity of the watcher. Mayhap Jasper will find out, soon.
"Not much of a high roller, are ya, miss?" The dealer wryly asks, arching an eyebrow at her.
Was he mocking her or goading her into playing more disks and losing to the House?
It was then she heard Tabitha's whispered words/warning in Androffan. A magnet? To cheat the patrons? It wasn't implausible...Mayhap they wanted to make her believe she could win, so she would bet more...and lose it all in short time. Were all the games of chance here rigged? No wonder the Silverdisk Hall was doing so well, financially.
Putting on a shy albeit warm smile to the dealer, she merely replied, "I am a beginner and learning as I go, sir. I believe I will try another game. Thank you for the experience."
She collected the two markers sitting atop the black box drawn on the felt and inclined her head to the man. To her fellow gamblers at the table, she left them with a "May luck and wisdom be ever on your side." Dejah did not want to cause a scene or draw undue attention to herself so she did not call out the dealer or the proprietor, Garmen Ulreth. Not this time.
She linked arms with Tabitha, to mask any suspicion, and said gaily, "Where to now, Tabitha? So many exciting games to experience, don't you think?"
When they were a fair distance away from the roulette wheel and the portrait with the moving eyes, Dejah discreetly pointed her finger at Tabitha and via the active Message spell relayed some whispered observations in Androffan, "Μέσα από τα μάτια του πορτρέτου του Kellid κάποιος μας ή την αίθουσα βλέποντας . δεν φαίνονται και δεν είναι προφανής . Ενεργούν σαν να μιλάμε ευχάριστες θέματα . Αλλά μην κρατήσει φωνή σας σταθερή και χαμηλή . Jasper είναι μετά τις μπράβους και την κατέλαβε πορτοφολά . Ας μας μεταφέρει σε Kadosh και να κρατήσει τα μάτια και τα αυτιά μας ανοιχτά ."
"Through the Kellid portrait's eyes someone is watching us or the Hall. Don't look and don't be obvious. Act as if we're speaking of pleasant matters. But do keep your voice steady and low. Jasper is following the bouncers and the captured pickpocket. Let's us move to Kadosh and keep our eyes and ears open."
Dejah's eyes moved about searching for Kadosh. He said he was interested in dice games.
The dealer shrugs. "Your loss." The other gamblers merely shrug and wave you goodbye as you leave the table.
You notice Kadosh at the south end of the room, engaged in a game of dice with a motley-looking bunch of gamblers. The staff manning that table are all attractive women wearing low-cut tops. One of them is sitting across from the other gamblers with a large box in front of her, two blondes are overseeing the table and keeping an eye on the dice, and a redheaded lady is holding a pair of dice out to Kadosh.
"Sounds good," Kadosh agrees, enjoying the show as he scoops up the dice.
He holds them out to the tattooed lady -- "A little luck?" -- and then sends them spinning across the table.
He shrugs as his first roll results in a 10 -- and eventually lets out a booming laugh and his next handful of rolls produce neither wins nor losses.
"We may be here all night, ladies (and gentlemen), but I can't imagine better company to spend it with."
After another long set of rolls, he lets out a long sigh. "I think my wrist is getting tired..."
Finally, though, the pips come up with a seven. "Well, that was a lot of work for not a lot of pay."
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Tabitha nods in agreement. "Alright, maybe we can check out the dice table." As she finishes she takes a breath and then coughs slightly, covering her mouth. She whispers back to Dejah in Androffan. "Ουάου. Φαίνονται απαίσια παρανοϊκός, ή είναι πολύ άπληστοι...
She coughs once again, and continues to whisper to Dejah through the spell. "Όλη αυτή η θέση φαίνεται ... Λάθος. Και πορτοφολάδες πάρα πολύ. Φαίνονται να είναι στην επιχείρηση για αντιγραφή από τους προστάτες τους." Tabitha sighs as she regains her breath. "Maybe something to drink might be nice as well? I think I swallowed a bug or something."
She keeps her eyes open as she follows Dejah.
Jasper waits quietly until the bouncers head back before following the pickpocket. When he finds him Jasper will say to him Ouch man. That looked rough. You alright there friend?
The pickpocket shakily stands up from the ground, leaning against the wall of the Silverdisk Hall and breathing heavily. "...I'm fine. Really."
You can tell that his mouth is bleeding in the dim light of the alley.
The tattooed woman smirks and leans against the table. "Well, some of us got paid at least." She glances over at the mohawked elf, who is gleefully scooping up a bunch of silverdisks. "Poor sod over there hasn't been lucky at all."
Jasper moves over and helps him Can I buy you a drink? You look like you need it. Why were those guys beating on you anyway?
Triax pockets the silverdisks. It looks about and spies the two women engaging in conspiratorial conversation, and notes that Jasper disappeared. Wishing to take advantage of the cover and isolatino, it moves surreptitiously over to the bouncers, striking up a conversation.
"It is a well run operation you have here, and no lack of opportunity for the 'motivated'." The android shifts, taking pains to display its blade and armor to its the bouncers "A good swordsman could enjoy working in an environment like this. Certainly its better than the sort of work that mad city council want; going down into Torch Hill to relight the torch is just suicide.". It leans over, conspiratorially. "Does Ulreth pay you well for your troubles?"
The tattooed woman chuckles again. "Name's Lareth--of the Bloody Axes. This normally isn't my sort of place, but it's good for killing time between exploring old places."
The pink-haired gnome scoops up the dice and rattles them in her hands. "I, sir, am Rosabelle Mayweather Pennyfarthing the Third, Esquire. Formerly of Korvosa. Most gentlemen simply call me 'Rosie'."
She launches the dice...
...and winces as they come up 8.
"...names Carras." The mohawked elf says, not looking up at you from the table. "Seemed like a good place to lie low for a bit."
Rosie rolls again...
...and titters when her dice come up with the same result as before. One of the staffers gives the gnome a dubious look.
The bouncers shrug. "He pays us well enough, he does. Some nights we go home with bloodied knuckles and a few bruises from idiot customers not knowing when they aren't welcome anymore, but it's an honest living."
One of them motions to the bartending dwarves for a mug of ale. "'Course, that's not the only thing we do for him."
"And you don't want to buy a drink here, trust me." The pickpocket's face screws up in disgust. "It's all watered-down shit."
"I wanted to join the Ropefists, and the bouncer told me that if I could do a good job working the crowd here, he'd put in a good word for me with the boss." The thief holds his hands up. "That's all, I swear."
"That being said, I did overhear something of theirs that I bet they didn't want anyone else to know about..."
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"One of the mouthier ones complained about having to guard some busted-up old warehouse on the north side of town. Well, before he got smacked upside the head for talking. Didn't hear much else before I decided to try my luck at the bar." His eyes light up. "He didn't sound too grateful to be pulled from that duty either--that guy sounds like such a whiner."
Once back at the Casino, Jasper meanders around for a bit before making his way to Dejah and Tabitha. Once there he whispers in their ears what he learned. He will make his way around to his other companions as well and give them the same information.
Triax studies the bouncer closely, trying to read the hidden meaning in his words - no mean task for an android
The android feigns a look of interest. "Ah, good. Bloodying knuckles isn't proper work for someone who knows the business end of a sword. If I was looking for new work, say with someone like your boss, what sort of trouble could a sellsword like me expect to get into?"
The bouncer shrugs. "Sometimes the boss would need a strong arm to keep something of his safe. Sometimes he'll ask us to find some moron who won't pay up his tab, or his gambling debts, and--*ahem*--convince them to cough up the cash."
"You, though, would probably be--"
"--would probably be what, now?" Garmen appears next to Triax, seemingly out of nowhere. The bouncers immediately turn pale.
"Uh--nothing, nothing boss. Really." The bouncer points a shaking finger at Triax. "This fella said he was lookin' for work."
"And that he'd like to speak with me about it, yes." Garmen turns to the android with an arched eyebrow. "So, you look like the sort of man who's most at home with a sword in his hand. I doubt you'd fit in well with my bouncers--they're paid to rough up deadbeats and keep undesirables out of my establishment, not kill them."
The android fakes another msile. "No, I had no intention of riding herd on the villeins here. I am here for bigger game. And killing? I enjoy my peace and quiet when I get it, but I know my trade well and I hate my skills getting rusty. It is obvious fortune favors Mr. Ulreth right now, and I like to associate with lucky - and smart - men."
Garmen's expression doesn't change. "I have no doubt you would--as well as a bunch of other people. But here's the thing--see, I value... subtlety in an employee."
He nods at the stairs and starts walking over to them. "You want to continue this conversation? Step up to my office."