Searching for Information (Mod needed... possibly Dimitri?)

[Verus]

TS: Forth Cycle, Fifth Brightening of Junctior. Era XIII PF.

It had been a few brightenings now that the rhagrhnd had been in the city. His reason for being here was not going so well. He had been hanging out in the taverns, listening to snippits of drunken conversation, but so far he had failed to find anything of use out. This darkening, his tactic changed though.

Finding a small tavern, he walked to the bar and ordered an ale before finding himself a table. Sitting there, he eyed the room catiously. He didn't know how connected the man he was looking for was, so this was possibly going to be a risk he took.

Taking his purse from inside his shirt, Temujin fished out not coins, but a pair of nice ivory dice. Replacing his purse, he began to idelly roll the set of dice on the table top. Not really watching the numbers as the dice rolled and bounced to a stop, rather he simply scooped them up and let them drop to the table again.

In his time in this city he had found that there were numerous people that liked to wager on a roll of the dice. Personally, Temujin rarely gambled, but he used them now to draw attention. He wanted one of the other patrons to come over, sit down. Then the rhagrhnd could dig for the answers he was looking for.

[Dimitri Wladisyaw]

"Dice is funny things you know." A man stood above him, it had been strange it was as though he had just appeared he was of average height with a scraggly mop of black hair atop his head, he smiled and a distinct lack of teeth could catch the eye immediately, "Tis funny things indeed, they roll in strange ways in any direction, perhaps the ultimate...game of chance you think?" Saliva dripped from his mouth as he spoke and he mopped it up with a peice of grimy fabric. Gently he lowered himself into a chair and smiled as best he could.

He turned and raised a finger to a rather large barmaid and she soon came with Verus's drink and the drink of the stranger, "Names Gulliver, not much of a name I know but I always took what my mother did give me and never complained, and you gambler, what shall this city know you as?"

[Verus]

Scooping up his dice, the rhagrhnd stopped his idle rolling for a moment as he looked up with grey emotionless eyes to survey the man that was talking to him. It didn't take Temujin long before he knew this was the kind of man he needed. He saw a hunger in the man's eyes as he looked at the dice. The man was an adict, living for the game. Temujin had seen some of them in Nexus, there were two kinds. One that rolled for the crowns, and one that rolled for excitement. This man, Gulliver was addicted to the dice, not the crowns. The man didn't even know if Temujin had a silver piece on him.

Watching the man sit down, the rhagrhnd took his ale from the plump barmaid and fished out his purse. Taking a pair of crowns from it, he handed them over and took a swallow of ale. "Verus," he answered simply. It was his name, but if anyone were to look for a record of that name in the city, they would come up empty, and Temujin took solace in that knowledge.

For a moment, the rhagrhnd just sat there, taking the occasional drink from his mug then he rattled the dice around in a closed fist and let them drop to the table, revealing a four and five. "Interested in a couple rolls?" He wanted to ask about his target right now, but it wouldn't seem right... likely not even to this man. He'd have to get the man into conversation first.

[Dimitri Wladisyaw]

"The dice, often as not get confused in a place such as this." He smiled, "In Nexus they have the Arium spirit that much is true, they are tough, same in the desert, same in the south, same everywhere." He coughed holding that filthy rag to his mouth, "But they got nothing on Vortex, they try to kill us all each period or so, constant warfare and it makes us tough, it was said once that Vortex was a city with my corpses than the living, go down onto the third layer you might trust it my friend." He grinned, "Only when...you av seen your friends walk again....after...after they av been commited to th' earth, then you have seen everythin."

He took a sip of the beer, perhaps a Vortex sip because despite the slow nature of the drinking the last dregs vanished before the glass was set down. "Never leave anythin you own open to anyone else, want, take, have as always been my manta so to speak."

He eyed the dice, "the dice dont roll here, eerything is twisted, I dont bet in Vortex stranger, the gods take an undue intrest in this place, even now Haya or Jalat probably looks upon us as pawns." He shrank in his chair and looked around, "Come you need something, no-one comes to this city without needing something, you ave need of a Necromancer perhaps?"

[Verus]

Taking a swallow from his mug, Temujin wondered what the feth this Gulliver was talking about. Dice not rolling, more corpses then living, his Gods taking an undue interest in Vortex. Personally, the rhagrhnd did not believe in these God's that the people clung to so dearly. He believed in himself and that was all. The actions he chose to make had consequences and he lived with those consequences. There was no divine presense to blame hard times on, no God to thank for the good times. These times were brought about by oneself.

All in all, the man's speel was very confusing. The last part was all he focused on after dismissing the man's ramblings. He was indeed looking for something, well someone actually. But by what Viskyia had said, this Dimitri was a powerful man and Temujin did not want him learning that he was being hunted. Not yet anyways.

Thinking for a moment for how to respond to the man, he finally answered, "I'm here looking to make a few crowns. I heard there is easy work here if one doesn't mind getting their hands dirty." Part of it was true, he had been looking for employment around the city. The part about easy work and dirty hands, well, simply being in the city for the last cycle had told him this much. "You know of any well off people that might be interested in hiring another sword?"

[Dimitri Wladisyaw]

Gulliver nodded gently, "many many many many many....." he continued like this for a good minute repeating the word as though his mind had momentarily paused, suddenly his eye lit up and he looked at Verus as though he had only just noticed he had company, "hang on....yes I know, a sword, I was once..." He poused and smiled, "yes I was once a member of the army, the Imperial came I recall." He lifted up his shirt and a dark jagged scar ran across his stomach, "Imperial Paladin got me right here." He grinned, "Thought he had me too the fether, by Jalat's fire he bent over to close my eyes and I grabbed his throat, you should have heard the noise as the fething god arse licker gargled upon his blood and bile, a sweeter noise you will never hear." His mouth had twisted into a great grin and a throaty laugh escaped him.

"As for you, the army or the guard make sense to join. Corrupt to a man I tell you, Duke of this city leads them so I here, though we have had so many claim to be our Duke who can know, besides that the gangs in the South side of course, and in this dangerous city there are always private hirers." He nodded gently, "Be warned mind, this is a city of death and decay, you take up a sword here a hundred will come at you." He smiled, "Anything else youngblood?"

[Verus]

How much could Temujin trust the word of a man who looked to have lost some or all of his sanity some time ago? Preferrably not too much, but the only info he had to go on was what he might get from this man. So, it would have to due. Sipping at his ale as the man rambled on about the many people looking to hire a sword, he waited patiently for the conversaion to continue and heard about the army and guard.

Neither were his thing, he had been a Warden in Nexus for over an era and the restraints of obeying orders regardless of his own thoughts in the matter did not appeal to him. He needed to be free, and act how he saw fit. However, from what Viskyia had told him, this Dimitri he was looking for was a constable. Perhaps he might be able to find this man if he did go through the army or guard.

Pondering over what to do in his head, Temujin absentmindedly tucked his dice away in his purse unused. Hearing the man ask if that way all, he pondered for a moment. He wanted to be able to drag the man into a conversation where he could drop the name of the man he was looking for and see a reaction. But that could very well still be suspicious at this time. Out of curiousity and furthering the conversation, he absentmindedly asked, "And who is the man proclaiming to be the Duke this brightening?"

[Dimitri Wladisyaw]

"Duke this birghtening." He paused and scratched his chin, "Let me see, think this one was a Dimitri, Dimitri Wladisyaw that is right." He grinned, "See Duke often had two children with him at public events, his daughter latterly of course, who was his recognised child, but earlier and sometimes at the same time there was a boy also who used to clutch his fathers leg during events, I remember it well. And people have always wondered who that child was, I hear this one posesses the proper signet ring and Imperial Visa so he either is the correct boy, an amazing forger or killed the proper heir and assumed his place." The man grinned as though this were an everyday occurance, "Course you wont see him, keeps company with dark elves I hear, two chances you have I would say, either find Dorvold Hammerhelm his second, he is quite fair he may let you see his master and importantly he is likely not to kill you, however he will probably ask a favour of sorts, or you can go down into the undercity and go to the Raven club, he keeps a table there most nights, sort of his social interaction with the world." Gulliver grinned gently and ordered another ale, handing over a coin to the barmaid as he once again supped the entire thing in a long sip. "That is if you even want to see him, presume you want to ask him for a good job in his military or somesuch, I would not reccomend it, he is a bad man they say, dark elves, undead and all sorts travel with him not to mention his Minotaurs."

Gulliver grinned and leaned back in his chair mopping some loose spittle with his rag, "And you boy, where did you come from before you came to this city?"

[Miguel]

ooc: wrong account ><

[Verus]

There it was! The man he was searching for, this Dimitri Wladisyaw. Now they were getting somewheres. Trying not to let his interest show, Temujin listened intently to what the Vortexian was telling him about this Duke of the Brightening. The man was quite helpful, with the instructions given on how to find this man, Temujin finished his ale and set the empty mug on the table.

"Around," the rhagrnd answered simply when Gulliver asked his question. "I must go see this Hammerheld character," he said, almost absentmindedly, ending the conversation. He had what he wanted to know, he didn't feel the need or want to sit there and listen to the rambling of this half-crazed fool.

Lifting himself gracefully out of his chair, giving Gulliven a small nod of farewell before leaving the tavern himself. It was getting late in the darkening, he would go in search of this Raven club on the morrow. Finally, he was getting somewhere in this fething city.

[Verus]

ooc: wrong place... man I suck at this today ><