It was in the confines of the tavern known as the Bloodthirsty Pelican that this story begins. The Bloodthirsty Pelican certainly lived up to its name -- it was the roughest and rowdiest tavern in the Azure District. The entire tavern was drenched from top to bottom seemingly in spilt ale, or perhaps it was blood stained into the rotten, creaking wooden floorboards that threatened to collapse under the weight of so many patrons at one time.
This seedy, dimly light cesspool of debauchery was notable for its illegal underground gambling den and the opium den that was situated next to it. It was a place that the morally decadent and the corrupt could while away their ill-gotten gains. At this moment in time, the air was thick with the smell of tobacco smoke, and it was pierced with the sound of a scream as a thick, heavyset man stubbed out his cigar on the palm of a small, weedy fellow that had annoyed him. In here were the seedy, the fallen, the pirates and the ne'er do-wells within the Azure District.
And Garem Vursk.
Right now in fact, the ruggedly handsome fellow was steaming drunk, having spent most of his day drinking himself into insensibility with the cheap, disgusting pig-swill that the bartender said passed for ale in this hellhole. Standing next to Garem, another fellow with a slightly posh upper class demeanour ordered a bottle of wine, something that amused Garem no end. Holding his hand in the air, he clapped the posh fellow hard on the back as he draped his arm drunkenly over the other man's shoulders.
"A bottle of the house finest? You obviously haven't tasted the pig-shit that passes for wine in this place. Finest my ass, hahahahahahahhaha ughhhhh *hic*"
Garem staggered, swaying drunkenly as he placed his hand on the bar, steadying himself on it before he regained his balance. Waving a mug of ale around with his other hand, he took his hand off the bar to wipe his mouth as he groaned, "I don't think that last one went down too well, uggggghhhhhhhh *hic*."
The door opened and a gust of cool air came in to cool down the hot, sweaty atmosphere in the place. Garem looked around to see a wizened looking, older lady with gray hair and a wrinkled face standing next to him. In her hand she clutched a note, holding it out to Garem, who shook his head.
"Well, hello there.....ugghhh what's that you got *hic*?"
Swaying to both sides, he took the note and opened it. Garem’s eyes squinted as he started to read the finely-written, beautiful flowing script. What the note actually read was as follows:
Greetings, and I trust this missive finds you in good health!
My name is Vanessa Laveine, and I humbly request your attendance at dinner at my estate on Festival Street and Blue Skink Lane tomorrow evening. I think that I can present you with an opportunity uniquely situated to your skills. Please inform the carrier of this letter of your response to this invitation, and hope to be speaking with you soon.
Yours truly,
Vanessa Laveine
However, what Garem saw was a series of squiggly lines that, when he squinted, just turned into a blurry mass of strangeness. He sighed, screwing the note up in a ball as he shrugged, tossing it over his shoulder.
"I can't read."
Then an idea came to him. His eyes brightened as he held his finger up in the air, proclaiming, "AH-HAH!" He reached into his tunic pocket, withdrawing a pair of six-sided dice as he looked back to the woman. "Do you play dice by any chance?"
--Time Passes--
At the designated meeting spot and time, Garem stood outside the large, very fine-looking manor that served as Vanessa Laveine's Manor. The seven-foot-high stone wall that surrounded the estate was impossible to miss, as was the towering, gothic three-story house that dominated the grounds within. Leering gargoyle's and capering nymphs festooned the manor roof. The front gate was open, inviting him to step within.
Garem looked at the gothic architecture and the decorations on the manor, and he smirked to himself as he remarked, "Nice, lady. Real nice. Like crazed serial-killer nice."
Dressed in his finest clothes, a fine black tunic with ruffled white shirt, and fine black breeches and boots, Garem Vursk certainly looked the part. What was different about him than before though was the beautiful golden jewellery that he now bedecked himself in.........
@Angstyrainbow
This seedy, dimly light cesspool of debauchery was notable for its illegal underground gambling den and the opium den that was situated next to it. It was a place that the morally decadent and the corrupt could while away their ill-gotten gains. At this moment in time, the air was thick with the smell of tobacco smoke, and it was pierced with the sound of a scream as a thick, heavyset man stubbed out his cigar on the palm of a small, weedy fellow that had annoyed him. In here were the seedy, the fallen, the pirates and the ne'er do-wells within the Azure District.
And Garem Vursk.
Right now in fact, the ruggedly handsome fellow was steaming drunk, having spent most of his day drinking himself into insensibility with the cheap, disgusting pig-swill that the bartender said passed for ale in this hellhole. Standing next to Garem, another fellow with a slightly posh upper class demeanour ordered a bottle of wine, something that amused Garem no end. Holding his hand in the air, he clapped the posh fellow hard on the back as he draped his arm drunkenly over the other man's shoulders.
"A bottle of the house finest? You obviously haven't tasted the pig-shit that passes for wine in this place. Finest my ass, hahahahahahahhaha ughhhhh *hic*"
Garem staggered, swaying drunkenly as he placed his hand on the bar, steadying himself on it before he regained his balance. Waving a mug of ale around with his other hand, he took his hand off the bar to wipe his mouth as he groaned, "I don't think that last one went down too well, uggggghhhhhhhh *hic*."
The door opened and a gust of cool air came in to cool down the hot, sweaty atmosphere in the place. Garem looked around to see a wizened looking, older lady with gray hair and a wrinkled face standing next to him. In her hand she clutched a note, holding it out to Garem, who shook his head.
"Well, hello there.....ugghhh what's that you got *hic*?"
Swaying to both sides, he took the note and opened it. Garem’s eyes squinted as he started to read the finely-written, beautiful flowing script. What the note actually read was as follows:
Greetings, and I trust this missive finds you in good health!
My name is Vanessa Laveine, and I humbly request your attendance at dinner at my estate on Festival Street and Blue Skink Lane tomorrow evening. I think that I can present you with an opportunity uniquely situated to your skills. Please inform the carrier of this letter of your response to this invitation, and hope to be speaking with you soon.
Yours truly,
Vanessa Laveine
However, what Garem saw was a series of squiggly lines that, when he squinted, just turned into a blurry mass of strangeness. He sighed, screwing the note up in a ball as he shrugged, tossing it over his shoulder.
"I can't read."
Then an idea came to him. His eyes brightened as he held his finger up in the air, proclaiming, "AH-HAH!" He reached into his tunic pocket, withdrawing a pair of six-sided dice as he looked back to the woman. "Do you play dice by any chance?"
--Time Passes--
At the designated meeting spot and time, Garem stood outside the large, very fine-looking manor that served as Vanessa Laveine's Manor. The seven-foot-high stone wall that surrounded the estate was impossible to miss, as was the towering, gothic three-story house that dominated the grounds within. Leering gargoyle's and capering nymphs festooned the manor roof. The front gate was open, inviting him to step within.
Garem looked at the gothic architecture and the decorations on the manor, and he smirked to himself as he remarked, "Nice, lady. Real nice. Like crazed serial-killer nice."
Dressed in his finest clothes, a fine black tunic with ruffled white shirt, and fine black breeches and boots, Garem Vursk certainly looked the part. What was different about him than before though was the beautiful golden jewellery that he now bedecked himself in.........
@Angstyrainbow
