- No one seems willing to play the troll. The creature laughs, teases and taunts nearby bystanders... To no result. He groands, insults the courage of the "small races", stands up and moves towards the bar.
- Three falconers continue playing, hoping to (re)gain some money. A fourth one gives up and focuses his energy on appreciating various types of liquor. All the while, their falcons remain calm and disciplined on their gloves or shoulder. The fifth falconer is the only whose bird seems to be agitated. He tries to calm down the animal to no avail. The man groans while offering snacks to the falcon, but doesn't let that stop him from checking various game tables and mingling with the other patrons.
- The human player is now evenly matched with the female halfling. The elf and the male halfling are doing their best just to stay in the game... Probably not for long.
- The tengu and the woman in tian clothes are still playing their match of Pai Gow, but they seem more interested in their lengthy discussion (fully spoken in tian) than in the actual game. Both of them move adn speak with unusual grace.
- It's soon quite noticeable that there are fewer waitresses circling the room. At least four of them have been called to the restricted area and haven't returned yet.
- The bald man hovers over to a nearby game of dice. He's closely followed by his little mechanical companion. The dealer sighs, clearly annoyed, but still invites the man to play. He refuses... But stays next to the tabl, observing the game (and in turn, being observed by at least 2 half-orc bouncers).
Unsurprisingly... Tai Leng loses his money.
"I guess it's your luck day, huh?" a nearby man jokes. Getting a modest laughter from himself and a couple other patron.
Tai shrugs and places more money on the table.
"The odds are the same for each space, correct? There seems to be no need to change my number."
As he half pays attention to the wheel spin, not particularly invested in the outcome, he tries to listen in on the Tien conversation.
"In theory, yes... But we all know the hands of fate are working here! The tricky part is being able to see them work!" comments the man.
The dealer smiles. "Our tables are completely fair and honest. Customers are always allowed and even encouraged to look for cheating devices."
---
After a moment, you realize Alvarez is nowhere to be seen. Last time any of you saw him, he was so immersed in the crowd that it's all but impossible to even guess which direction he went.
Huh...wonder where Alvarez went.
Brother Cyrus attempts to strike up a game with the Troll while keeping an eye on his prior bet and anyone matching the description Alvarez gave him.
"Hello there! Name's Cyrus, perchance I could entertain you with a game?"
The troll speaks with a loud, guttural voice.
"LOOK A'THAT! SEEMS ONE SMALLKIN STILL HAS GUTS!" he points at Brother Cyrus. "KNOW THE RULES?"
"You gotta find the number of fate, pal! Look at the ley lines of fate!" speaks a nearby dwarf.
"Oh, shut up, Grom! Not this crap again!"
- Of the five falconers, three remain entertained at the game tables, but visibly start hesitating to gamble more... The fourth one continues to appreciate different types of booze, his balance clearly altered... Even so, their birds remain obedient and quiet... Except for the fifth and last one of them, who screeches and flaps on the shoulder of the fifth falconer, who ceases mingling and gambling for a while to desperately try to calm the animal down.
- The elf and the male halfling finally fold once and for all. Incapable of keeping up with the other two players...
-
- In the last hand of the game, the human man just wins over! He cheers and celebrates. Then compliments his fellow players, specially the female halfling, who begrudgingly accepts her defeat.
- The tengu and the woman in tian clothes finish their games one they are joined by a young female half-elf who whispers something to the woman. She trades a few polite words in tian with the tengu before leaving.
"I'd be pleased, madam. How can I find you for a rematch?"
"Oh, I'm sure my loyal attendants can find you. There aren't many tengus around this city."
"True. I'll wait your contact, then."
- The bald man stays close to one of the gaming tables. Quietly observing the game. He's closely watched by two half-orc bouncers.
Tai scans the room as he picks a number at random again.
"17."
He takes special note of the Tien woman leaving so early in the evening.
What kind of business takes place so late? he wonders.
"I do! But-" Cyrus' head snaps around as the winner of the table is declared and grins widely showing his teeth. "Just a moment good sir, I need to collect my cut of the bidding pool before we play.
Cyrus collects however much he made and makes his way back to the Troll for a game.
Brother Cyrus is given his 10 galleons back, plus an additional 10 galleons to boot.
- Despite the grace present in her gestures, the woman in tian dress seems to walk with some difficulty. She isn't limping as much as... Somewhat off-balance. Still, she maintains a dignified posture as she leaves the casino accompanied by the half-elf. You can sense some concern in her expression.
- There's an slight increase in the number of bouncers around... At least 2 more than when you entered the room. They seem anxious about something.
- The falconer who was having trouble with his falcon uses a faintly glowing wooden ring on his right hand to calm down the animal.
- The elf who lost the game of cards is suddenly distracted. He glances at the ceiling a few times, as if hearing or seeing (or trying to hear or see) something.
- Your hear the faint sound of leather being strained as a few of the bouncers grip the handle of their swords. One of them starts weakly tapping his foot impatiently.
"JUST PICK THE CARDS, HUMAN." growls the troll.
Having not noticed her presence thus far, Brother Cyrus (and a couple other patrons) is startled for a moment when a black-haired woman in an elegant blue dress speaks, addressing the man who just defeated the elf and the halfling duo in a game of cards.
She speaks the man almost in a whisper... Making it difficult, but not impossible, for others to discern her words.
"Good game, gentleman. Your skills and gaming etiquette have been noticed by the management. We'd like to invite you to our V.I.P area... Where your abilities can truly be tested."
Still somewhat shocked by her sudden appearance, the man lightly shakes his head, grins and thanks the woman. She gives him a small steel coin and a quick smile, then leaves... Her movements are subtle, but purposeful... And she quickly disappears from sight.
The woman remains in the room, although her silent steps and erratic movement makes her nearly impossible to track in the crowed. Even people who right next to her fail to notice her presence.
She makes a quick hand gesture to one of the bouncers, which causes immediately straighten his posture. After that, she sneaks her way towards other gaming tables... And hover around small crowds, always unnoticed by the vast majority of patrons.
- The man she talked to has a grin from ear to ear. And for a few moments, does nothing but stare at the enclosed fist holding the steel coin.
- The halfling girl seems particularly annoyed. Her male kin tries to comfort her, but has no success. The elf they played with stares at the ceiling for a few moments, then looks slightly down as if trying to hear something... After that, he just compliments the other players and leaves the casino with hasty steps.
Tai calmly walks away from the roulette wheel and tails the man that just got a coin.
Brother Cyrus plays Blackjack with the troll.
"Names' Cyrus. Whats your story sir? Cant say I see too many trolls in cities."
"A SMALLING OFFERED ME MEAT AND GOLD TO PROTECT HIM ON HIS GAMBLING NIGHTS. EVENTUALLY I LEARNED THE GAMES BETTER THAN HE DID. I REALIZED I'D MAKE MORE MONEY PLAYING CARDS THAN GUARDING SMALLINGS..." he grins a vicious smile and adds "SO I ATE HIM. TOOK THE GOLD AND TURNED PROFESSIONAL DEALER! GWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
You're not sure whether he's joking or not...
Tai Leng realizes it might be somewhat difficult to pickpocket the steel coin without finding a distraction first. The young man is obviously very excited about the coin, and doesn't waste time showing it off to all who care to hear (and some who don't).
The first man the woman contacted would probably be an easier mark, as he isn't nearly as vocal about the coin... And while he does keep placing his hand on his pocket to touch his steel coin every once in a while, he still has to give some of his attention to his lady friend and a few other people around him.
Tai sneaks up behind the first man and tries to finger his coin.
- - -
Tai Leng manages to hide in the crowd and pickpocket the steel coin while its owner is distracted by the gambling around him.
Tai pockets the coin, makes a short stop in the restroom, and goes back to the roulette table for a moment.
After two more spins, he moves to seek out Cyrus and to tell him he has a way in.
Cyrus finishes his game with the troll and thanks him for his time.
"Good work Tai Leng! I made a bit of money in the meantime. After we're finished here, lets grab a few drinks."
"I always like to sample new drinks. But let's see where this gets us first." Tai goes back to the bouncers at the back room and shows his coin.
"BAH! I KNEW YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE GUTS TO FACE ME!" growls the troll.
- The young man who got the coin leaves the casino excitedly, accompanied by three friends.
- The older doesn't seem to have realized his coin is missing.
- The hovering bald man wins two games of roulette in a row. Prompting the dealer and two half-orc bouncers to pay extra attention to him and his familiar.
The group of falconers seem to be leaving the place, except for two of them...
- The first falconer is trying sampling different snacks and sharing them with his falcon. He seems really invested in learning the rules of one of the card tables.
- The second one still has his falcon mesmerized by whatever his ring did. He mingles with the crowd, specially the winning players... Often paying for other people's drinks.
The half-orc bouncer stares down at Tai Leng with a suspicious expression in his face. He lets out a low growl and tightens his grip on the handle of the sword in his belt...
...And shrugs his shoulder, takes a step to the side and opens the door he was previously blocking.
"Welcome. Behave yourself."
- - -
The door slowly opens, revealing a dim-lit room that is only slightly smaller than the casino's main room, but far less crowded. All in all, there must be fewer than 30 people in this area. Split between a bar's balcony and 4 gaming tables, three of which are hosting card games with 2~4 players. The last one is occupied by a group of four men in very fancy clothing smoking cigars and talking to each other in a weird language you can't quite identify...
There are multiple marble statues of beautiful half-naked women and muscular men spread all around the room. All of them in poses meant to emphasize their body shapes and contours.
On the bar's balcony you see a couple of dark-haired pale humanoids flirting and talking between themselves, as well as a black bald man counting a handful of gold and platinum coins, a young dark-haired woman observing the room and an elderly dwarf drinking a whole bottle of scotch by himself.
In the middle of the room a man stands so still it takes you a moment to realize he isn't one of the statues. He's tall enough to look down at Brother Cyrus. He has short light-brown hair and mustache, both clean and carefully stylized, but kept short enough to remain practical. He wears a gorgeous set of pearl-colored full-plate armor and carries a short sword on his belt. He stares at you for a moment, as if making a mental note of your faces, then goes back to observing the rest of the room like a hawk.
There are four doors in this room (aside from the one you just came from). Two lead to toilets, the third one apparently leads to the kitchen... And the last one, a beautiful door made of mahogany wood with a platinum-colored doorknob stands at the opposite side of the room. A gold plaque simply says "Management".
You barley have time to look at all of this before a waitress in a rather revealing golden dress greets you sweetly.
"Welcome, gentlemen!" she says with a heart-melting smile and little more than a whisper "How may I help you tonight?"
"Haha! We came to gamble yes. And maybe drink too! Isn't that right Tai Leng? Yes yes! It is a good night indeed!" Cyrus is immediately flustered and averts his gaze before marching off to go join a random gambling table.
HEALTH: 41/41
MANA: 7/9
FORCE POINTS: 4/4
UNDER THE EFFECT OF
Mage Armor [Boosted II]: +6 AC (21 AC)
---------------------------------------------
Having arrived on the island a few weeks ago, after eating her way through the butter rolls and apple fritters she stole from the Academy kitchen, Shae quickly realized she needs work, In her mad dash away from the Academy and the cities constables she forgot to grab some cash, How could she forget something to vital. STUPID STUPID! So after a day of knocking on people's door asking if they needed work she knocked on the door of one Lucio Alvarez, After a grand display of magic, and laying on a little bit of her natural charm. He offered her a job, Assisting a few people he employed in acquiring some sort of weapon, She didn't pay much attention, but his food was pretty good, and apparently there would be Hors d'oeuvre at this Casino. Score!
So now she was at the Silent roll, With a slightly over-sized dress robe she nabbed from...Some shop somewhere, She needed to get into the VIP room, And there where two types of people that got into the VIP room. High Rollers, and the people hanging off the arm of the high rollers. And she was flat broke, So after scoping out the main floor she spotted someone who was clearly big and important, A Big ebony man with a shiny head who looked pretty loaded, So using a little bit of that Shea Charm, She spent the first hour swooning over him, hanging off his arm when he entered the VIP room. When Cyrus and Tai finally did arrive she was up on the balcony, discreetly stuffing her face with finger foods off silvery plates held by waiters and scoping over the room, sneaking glances at the piece of cloth she had been given, on it was a brief description of her co-conspirators and the description of this dagger or whatever she needed to acquire.
She Kept her eyes on the two waiting to see what they would do, planning on acting on that. Taking a bite of her 14th mini sausage-on-a-toothpick of the night.
"Give me one of whatever your strongest drink is."
The waitress giggles at Brother Cyrus' reaction, then answer's Tai Leng's request.
"We have several potent drinks here. Have one of these... It's one my personal favorites!"
She handles a crystal cup to Tai Leng, then grabs the small bronze jar on her tray and whispers a short incantation. The jar glows faintly for a moment and changes its color to a dark metallic blue.
"It's made out of blueberries. Perfect for cool nights like this."
- - -
At closer inspection, Brother Cyrus and Tai Leng realize they actually know two of the faces in the crowd... One of them is Jenny, a waitress from the Mad Shark tavern. The other is the always popular Ayren.
Jenny seems to be winning a game of poker against three other players. Ayren is enthusiastically participating in a lively conversations with three obviously wealthy gentlemen. You have never seen half as well dressed as he is now.
The stern-looking man in armor strides quietly along the room, never taking part in any game, conversation or any other social activity. However, he does occasionally stop to briefly inspect the statues.
When you first exhale after a sip, a puff of light-bluish mist forms in front of your mouth, but quickly fades away.
"See? Isn't it great?" the waitress says with a cheery smile.
Tai's initial disappointment that this drink isn't on fire turns to delight as he exhales the colorful mist and goes back for another sip, this time further savored.
"Wonderful! Thank you miss. What do you call this one? It's clearly some kind of blueberry mead, but the effects are quite interesting."
Cyrus goes to the table Jenny is playing at. He waves at her as he sits down.
"Fancy meeting you here!"
"Ah, we call it Bonfire Blues." says the waitress. "I've seen it sold in other places, but the ones made by Misses Jalana makes are still the best. And we buy it directly from her. She has a very exclusive list of clients."
"You'll have to be more creative than that, sir." says Jenny with a joking tone. "I've heard better passes from teenagers! At least offer me a drink!" she lets out a quick friendly laughter.
The black man you accompanied into the room basically lost his interest on you (as well as on anyone and anything else) after losing four straight games. He now counts his coins again and again, as if refusing to believe whatever number he got.
Is not too interested in him either, She's here now so he can do what he wants, She's more interested in eating her finger food and watching the drama unfold. Watching these schlubs at work was like a bad romance novel.
Tai sighs as Cyrus greets Jenny, leaving the only polite thing for him to do being to inflict Ayren upon himself.
"Ah, fancy meeting you here, Ayren. I had not expected to see anyone I know, truth be told."
"Oh? My most sincere apologies then. Thank Desna for my luck has truly been blessed this night in coin and seeing your fair beauty once more. One drink for the lady please!" Cyrus hands some coin for a drink to a waitress and turns his attention back to Jenny.
"I don't frequently have women wanting a pass from me often so forgive myself for the plain greeting. How have you been? Anything interesting happening tonight?" Cyrus speaks with a friendly smile.
A bartender calmly approaches Shea.
"I don't think your friend will be able to offer you another drink, madam. You might want to end the night before his coins become too few for him to pay his tab." you can't tell if he's tone is that of a friendly advice or a threat.
Ah! Hello! Didn't expect to see you here!" exclaims Ayren excitedly. "Huh... I didn't peg you for a high-stakes player... Who knew, huh?"
"Is this one of your friends, Ayren?" asks a tall, red-headed man in very fine clothes.
"Oh... Where are my manners?! answers Tai Leng with his ever-present cheerful smile. "This Tai Leng. He's new to the city, but don't mistake him for just another 'ginner. This man has swift feet, an iron stomach and a mean right hook! And apparently, he's good at cards and dice as well!" The half-elf continues speaking before anyone has a chance to interrupt. He indicates man next to him, a wealthy-looking red-headed man in his late 30's. He wears the finest clothes in the room, and has a platinum-framed monocle on his face. "Tai Leng, this is Lord Karl Hallows. Merchant extraordinaire. His guile and finesse are only surpassed by his bad luck in games!" the man lightly tips his hat as if to acknowledge your presence. Ayren keeps talking. "Next to him is Lord Gion Geneve. The finest tailor in all of Blue Shell!" - "And Inner Sea!"Quickly adds the bald slender man in silver clothing and spectacles as he twists his mustache. "Last but definitely not least, we have-" Ayren is interrupted by the last man hitting his palm on the table. He speaks before Ayren can say anything else. "You are the one who used the Wavebraver name, aren't you?"
Jenny laughs. "Now... That's much better! I'd have actually given you a chance if only you were... My type.". She then stares at the men in her table. "You all could learn a thing or two from the lad!"
"Didn't he just get rejected anyway?" says one of the guys, but the man on the opposite side of the table quickly replies. "Well... Yeah! But that's Jenny he's talking to! What's your excuse, Cal? Is that flowery girl in the market actually Jenny in disguise!"
"Oh, shut up!" the first guy answers as the whole table laughs.
Jenny then answers Brother Cyrus question. "Nothing different tonight... I'm just beating these suckers as usual."
"I still have my cards and quite a heavy purse!" one of the man says.
"The night is young..." Jenny adds.
- - -
As your conversations take place, a few people enter the room...
- First, you see one of the falconers. The one who was mingling with many different groups of people in the main room. His falcon rests quietly on his shoulder. His claws clearly bothering the man... Who pushes the barely conscious bird back to the top of the man's long thick leather glove, where his claws no longer seem to cause any discomfort. The falconer looks around, then heads to the bar.
- A few minutes later, you notice the arrival of the young man who defeated the elf and the halflings in the game of cards. He's wearing a different set of clothes than the last time you saw him. These are considerably finer and better-fitting than his previous ones, but still quite modest compared to the rest of the room. He takes only a couple steps from the door before stopping to scan the room with an ambitious grin in his face.
Cyrus sits back in his chair and drinks in the conversation.
"It's quite alright, I don't think you're exactly my type either. No offense meant of course. I don't think Joel would want me getting involved with any of his employees."
"Have any of you seen a man with one hand carrying a bronze dagger with a bone hilt? I need to have a conversation with that man."
"You flatter me, Ayren." Tai demurs, and nods his head politely to each man he's introduced to in turn.
At the last man's outburst, he turns to him.
"Yes, I am. Why do you ask?"
Is pretty zoned in on the people she can see, so much so that when approached by the bartender she just sort of snubs him.
"Fine, Just like talk to him about it."
She said, sort of waving him towards the man, turning back to focus on the gaggle of new characters arriving on the scene. First watching the falconer
"Who brings their pet to a casino? what a showoff."
and then to the other guy who she has no previous knowledge of...Also there was some unremarkable woman, She Yawned.
"Well at least she's not a showoff, What's the point of showing off if it's not magic?"
"Sir... You NEVER say or even imply to a lady that she isn't attractive." Jenny jokingly scolds Brother Cyrus. "Unless you... Oh... I see. Nevermind." she hand-waves away her thoughts and answers Cyrus' question.
"That's... Uh... Very specific. Most people don't unsheathe their weapons so I can't tell what metal they use for their blades, but the weapons those two are carrying have bone hilts... They are a bit too long to call them 'daggers', though..."
She points at the two pale humanoids by the bar. Next to them is
"I have no interest in getting acquainted with those who disrespect the name of a grand family and the honor of our city." the man puts off his cigar on a nearby ashtray and stands up.
"Commander, I'm sure th-"
You should pick your friends more carefully, Ayren. the man says as he glares at the half-elf. "I trust you'll deliver the product at the promised time."
"Oh... Uh... Of course!" Ayren stutters for a moment. "I wouldn't dream of breaking my word."
"Good." the man replies before marching away. He leaves the room without any other words.
A moment of awkward silence befalls the table... But it's soon gone, as the Lord Geneve speaks up:
"Ahem... Don't take it personally. Our friend can take his duties too seriously at times."
"You'd think he wouldn't mind anyone having a grievance with the Wavebravers..." adds Lord Hallows.
"Oh, don't be too harsh on him." Ayren intervenes. "He can be overzealous sometimes, but that's what makes Sir Ikos such a reliable officer." He then turns to you. "But let's talk about you, sir. I never thought I'd see you around here. Have you been taking gambling lessons from Miss Jenny?"
"Look, lady... I'm trying to be helpful here. If you boyfriend can't pay his bill, it won't end up well for you two."
- - -
- You just barely notice that the falconer by the bar is whispering something to himself, although you can't make out the words.
- The woman in blue dress appears as if from thin air. She moves directly to the armored man inspecting the statues and stares at his face for a moment, while subtly moving her lips but never actually pronouncing any words. The man nods at her with certain deference, then straightens up his back before she moves away. You almost lose sight of her as she moves through the room and enters the door with the "Management" plaque on it. The armored man scans the room one more time. Keeping his eyes on each and every one of the patrons for a moment before moving on to the next one.
- The young man who had just entered the room pulls a chair on a table where two men play a game of cards. They look at him with incredulity when he asks to join their game, but quickly accept his offer once he pulls a golden pocket watch and a silver bracelet from a relatively small, but still heavy messenger bag.
- Somehow, you realize the falcon at the man's arm isn't just a well-behaved bird. It's actually under effect of some sort of charm. It's quite unusual for a dedicated animal tamer to use such magic on companion animals, as it can hurt their long-term relationship.
- You can also tell that while the two pale humanoids never look directly at the falconer, they do sometimes react very subtly to his words... The female one even lightly scratches the bar's balcony at one point. You can tell they aren't pleased. The falconer doesn't seem surprised or bothered at all by them. In fact, he subtly smirks a few times.
- The young man who joined the game acts and speaks with great confidence. Rolling his steel coin on his knuckles again and again as one of the other players shuffles the deck.
A few moments later, a loud "THUD" is heard coming from the ceiling. Everyone in the room looks up for a brief moment... Except for the armored man, who doesn't react at all to the sound, but does take a glance at the ceiling once he sees the general reaction. Since everyone mostly just shrugs and goes on with whatever they are doing, he just scratches his chin and goes on with his vigil.
Turns her focus back to the barkeep.
"Oh well, you're mistaken I don't even know that man, Sorry. I'm just waiting for a friend."
She said, turning back to look at the crowd.
"Actually! Perhaps you can help me, My eyes are god awful"
She said with a motion towards her glasses.
Have you seen my friend? you would recognize their weapon. They carry a bronze dagger with a bone hilt, It's pretty wicked. I was supposed to meet him here but I haven't seen him, I would really appreciate it.
"Thanks Jenny. How should I go about discreetly losing to you as thanks?" Cyrus jokes back, but plays a regular round with them before reporting to Tai Leng what he has learned.
"Lessons? No, I've found I can lose money quite easily without anyone else' help." Tai says as he snatches another drink from a passing tray and downs it.
At the sound coming from above he frowns and asks "Is there another floor above this, or did something just land on the roof?"
"Oh... My mistake, then. Make sure to make that clear if any bouncers come talk to him." (...) "Huh... Haven't seen any of those. Truth be told, I generally try to not think about the customers' weapons. If the owner wasn't such an aficionado, I doubt they'd be allowed here... Or at least no so prevalent!"
The game proceeds smoothly, with jests and bets all around. Jenny is definitely on a different level compared to the table, but the other guys do not give up.
"Well... They always say it's better to be lucky than skilled. So maybe there's hope for you!" jokes Lord Geneve.
Ayren answers your question. "Ah, yes. That's the management floor. I went there a few times myself. Very classy... Although the hundreds of weapons mounted on the walls and the smell of grease and gunpowder are a bit of an acquired taste."
"Maybe someone dropped one of those fancy armor sets." wonders Lord Hallows.
"Ooph... I wouldn't want to be that man!" replies Lord Geneve with a pained look. "Can you imagine having to explain that to Dorian?"
You a very brief white flash of light through the gap between the floor and the door leading to the upper level.
The two pale humanoids by the bar stand up with displeased looks on their faces. They stare angrily at the falconer for a moment, but when the man smirks and straightens his back, becoming just as tall as the standing couple. When he whispers something, they grunt and march away, leaving the room and apparently the casino as well. The falconer starts fiddling around the contents of a coin pouch attached to his belt.
The young confident man loses two rounds of the game he joined. The other players joke and tease him, but he only smiles and laughs at their words. Once they take the items he had bet, he places an ivory-made pistol on the table. The men smile and place their own piles of golden and silver on the pile. Another round begins...
The armored man takes a quick glance at the door with the "Management" plaque on it. He seems to consider moving towards it, but then just groans and stays where he is.
A few specks of dust fall from the ceiling. Few people seem to notice. Even fewer seem to care.
"I'll do that...Hey, speaking of weapons, Check out that gun!"
Shea blurts out, a perfect excuse to get away from this nosey chump. she strolled over to the table. Coming up to it to watch the game, stepping to the table as they played. Looking over the weapon with interest, Clearly and very noticeably intrigued by it. Guns where cool, but they still weren't magic, actually was it? She glanced over the well crafted firearm, seeing if she could discern the signs of magical enchantments.
"I do not believe there has been a mere accident. I will investigate further." Tai says, before walking up to the management door himself and knocking.
As Cyrus lacks the know-how on navigating wretched hives of scum and villainy, he defers to Tai Leng and follows him.
As you approach the door, the armored man grabs your shoulders. When you turn, he doesn't say a single word. Simply nods negatively and points at a small plaque by the door. It reads "No unauthorized entry".
You just barely detect a very faint smell of smoke... But it smells more like alchemical smoke, rather than something burning.
Quite a few of the customers in the room now have their attention on Tai Leng and Brother Cyrus.
"I don't know, seems like something is going on in there."
"I don't wish to alarm you, but there is the distinct scent of an alchemical explosion coming from that room. You'd do well to investigate." Tai tells the guard.
Shea sighed, "Looks pretty, but it's nothing special." abandons any consideration of the weapon, Deciding to turn her focus back on the two men that where here on the same mission as her, Watching as Tai walks up to a guard. Making her way towards them so she could perhaps catch what the are talking about.
The armored man stares silently at Tai Leng for half a minute... He grunts, looking at the door... For some reason he seems torn on what to do next.
A moment later, he turns around and leaves, obviously pretending not to see any of you. He then goes back to observing the rest of the room as if nothing had happened.
You can almost taste the curiosity and suspicion emanating from the other patrons in the room...
The falconer, the young gambling man and the black man by the bar seem particularly interested in your behavior... You even detect a hint of hostility.