All sorts of people come into the parlor while Isabela watches. There are many, perhaps fifty, so it's difficult to get a read on individuals while watching the crowd -- but there are several distinct types of people.
Dockworkers and other daytime heavy laborers come in to gamble away their day's earnings in hopes of doubling their pay. A few of the town's wealthier patrons -- merchants and the like -- know that you have an advantage if you come in with more money to lose than your opponents have to pay, so they bring cash wads. Young people, not all harsh physical laborers, come here to while away a fun evening with their sweethearts. A few skeezy-looking roguish types are here as well, with their deep pockets and their concealing cloaks and disarming smiles, here looking for an opportunity.
That's not all, of course. It's difficult to sum up a room full of people with just stereotypes. Some of the patrons are just drunks, here to sit at the bar and forget about their troubles.
She heads back to the others.
"Well is nice and full now, this is what I suggest, Li'Omrut, there are a few down on their luck drunks down there, once could be an ex-servant to ask around while you get a few cheap drinks. some con-persons."
She nods at the cat.
"Tiame, while you have a look at the grifters and out and out criminals down there. You will know them when you spot them. I suggest you try and get pally with some, let them think your easy meat, while they brag about what they know."
She puts her hands on her hips.
"As for me, more than a few away from the wives merchants and good-time young lords with more money than sense. I think I'm working tonight. And who knows one of them may know something. So I will be using the room for a few hours."
She heads for the door.
:Show time!"
And is gone back down the steps.
"Oh... uh - Probably duck or goose, if it's any good.", the woman responds, noting the attempt to change the subiect. "We don't have to talk about it now, but I would very much like to learn more about your plane of origin... at some point."
Li'Omrut downs the vampire's ale and heads down to the parlor after a mumble of thanks. His face lights up at the sight of all the drinking, carousing, gaming, and other acts of organized chaos.
He circles the room looking at the different types of games going on, and he gravitates towards any games that look to be more about chance and less about skill. He'll watch for a few minutes trying to learn the rules, and if there's a spot that opens up, he'll take a seat and buy in.
If the demon is winning, he'll start talking to the other players around him that are winning. If he loses, he'll do the same to the other players with no luck. Normal banter about how the night is going, but then he'll ask good-natured questions about what they do to earn the gold they're losing tonight.
Li'Omrut sits down at a game of roulette. The roulette table has a mixed audience of ages and genders, but all are fixed on the table. Buy-in at the table is ten gold, which Li'Omrut is able to slap down with no trouble in exchange for some chips. He finds that people are pretty tight-lipped about their private affairs here, although they are friendly about other things. Definitely as an underground establishment, people have to be careful about what they reveal. Nobody says anything to Li'Omrut about all the legal trouble that he's in, either. Even if they were to say something, after all, there was always the chance that he would beat them to death. Nobody wants to be beaten to death by a demon.
Taime sits down at the bar and orders a bottle of red wine. The bartender
(Rosalina, also the owner, a stout muscular lady) seems to scoff at the witch's idea of 'the best red', but then remembers something. She brings out a bottle marked with Thraben's coat of arms on it. "This one came from Thraben's vineyards a few years ago. I'm sure a sommelier wouldn't be too impressed, but it's probably the best we have. Other than this, I can bring a couple bottles just from the local vineyards." She gestures around at the general crowd of carousing and gambling drunks. "People don't exactly come here for the wine selection, you know," she adds. "Mostly we drink brandy and ale around these parts. And rum, when we can afford it." She puts down the bottle of wine for Taime, uncorks it, and brings a glass. "But here, go wild on this bottle."
He finds that people are pretty tight-lipped about their private affairs here, although they are friendly about other things.
She moves around the room, having the skills to ask a few things and the power to read the feelings of others as they respond.
Karthan spends the next day working out details with the barrister and then pushing those numbers, penalties and restrictions a bit higher. Negotiations were an endurance trial that the guild was no doubt versed in. But it would be a stain upon the Sternmason name of he could not give as good as he received and he doubted they were accustomed to dealing with a man who dealt in coin as easily as he dealt in blood. The most important part, the part all the rest qas meant to help cover and fatigue, was the point where the guild was as subject to the laws as any under their protection. That meant it would be one law for all and not two laws for two groups. Their might be room for flexibility here and there particularly where it concerned interguild affairs. But that was not something to mention out loud.
From there it was working out the actual logistics of a law enforcement group. This was done over supper between karthan and his second and wliana and a few of her men. This yoo was inflated a bit in order to make ground for the merchants to fight over. A starting point that sat ill with the order, but to the hardened men of Havengul was merely pragmatism laid bare.
The castle would need to be ignored for now. When man and firepower became available that would be a top priority. But, for the moment the ghouls would have to wait to meet the pyre. As to the invitation, Karthan pointedly ignored it. Such an outrageous meeting would be a prank in poor taste at best and a suicidal endeavour at worst. Karthan was not above marching into danger, but it was always with the confidence that such traps could be turned upon the trapper. And in this case with so few skilled men to rely upon he would be deeply remiss to ignore his first instincts.