Slave to Fashion Accessories

"I'm going to forego my usual magical objects? I have no idea what you're talking about and skip right to the, this will cost you."

"And I thank you for not treating me like an idiot or some kind of spy sent here by the guard for I am neither and dislike being treated as such." The tone was acid very nicely worded acid, but acid all the same.

"I'm a reader of people."

"I'll let you keep believing that, what I want Mr. Lorentino is a collar, a slave collar to be precise cast in gold with runic inscriptions." It sounded an odd thing to have, a slave collar made of gold with runes on it, but it wasn't the oddest thing I'd ever heard of.

"Well I'm no jeweler but I'm sure I can find one who can make such a thing."

"No no, not make," She smiled and I could see how white and pointy her teeth were, "Its already been made, I just need you to get it for me." One of those I should have known.

"Let me guess you already know where it is even."

"But of course and I've booked you passage on a local ship that just happens to be going where its located, ship leaves in a couple hours it would probably be best if you get to packing."

"I see you've thought of everything already, and my fee?"

"Will be on delivery of the collar, don't worry Mr. Lorentino you'll be compensated, ta ta pack your things it'll be a long trip." Telrrax left with her man servant in tow.  I was left kind of wondering what had just happened (my normal), and then wondering how I'd keep my store open in my absence, which lead to a dreadful decision I still pay for to this day.  You know also my usual...

The Red Skinned Temptress

"Make sure to get the bag darling I'd hate for anything to scrape." Hate was used in a way here to imply if it did scrape the person failing to account for it would feel the wrath of the person saying not to do it.  I'd been at my shop for a couple days when she came wandering in, dressed more extravagantly than anyone who normally comes into my shop ever does. And her skin was red, it caught my eye more so than her acid laced comment to her muclely helped did.

"I'm not an inn lady." The hulk was carrying a rather large bag that appeared to be luggage and I didn't want them to think I was in the habit of taking in the down trodden recent history excluded of course.

"And I'm not looking for a room Mr. Lorentino but in the abscence of having one I'll have to carry my things until I find one now won't I?" Her accent was that of high society, and seeing as how the Guard didn't really have too much of that she'd obviously been a noble or a nobles wife prior to the Guard's recent governmental take over.

"Apologies my lady people have confused me for one in the past." She looked around at the assorted store shelves and I was suddenly caught aware of how dirty everything looked.

"I can see how that can happen," Sarcasm the weapon of choice for the upper class, "And no need to be so formal, Telrrax will do."

"Is that Lady Telrrax or?"

"Just Telrrax keep this informal." Her companion grunted and she showed a look of displeasure.  Her eyes were yellow, all in all red skin, yellow eyes? She was entirely a different looking person and unlike everyone else who had a weird look to them she was not hiding it.  Oh she also had an extremely weird hair style, spiked up from the center and shaved at the sides, and a piece of elaborate gold jewlery embedded in her lip. So not only was she not hiding she was so far from it, she was flaunting it.

"Well Telrrax what can I do for you today?" To say I was terrified of what she might request was to put things mildly.

"I'm looking for objects that are not legal Mr. Lorentino and I have been informed you are the person who can aquire said objects.  And yes as I feared the red skinned lady was trouble, naturally women always are.  Not to be all "Women are problems" men screw me just as often, but when a woman does it the wound tends to linger long past the injury if you catch my drift.

Emergence Day

There is nothing quite like emerging from a sewer reeking of shit and seeking a place to clean up.  Its like being set free from a prison you didn't know you were in till that point. Sure the shocked gasps from passersbye makes you feel a bit more of a spectacle than you would intend, but you are free from Sewananicus grasp and that is really the more important thing at that particular moment.

Now I should have been concerned with Mordere at this point, but I was not because I WAS FREE! I did manage to find a bathhouse and laundry (thankfully despite not bringing weapons I brought money, because I was in a city and money is the true weapon).  So I was able to get clean and my clothes also cleaned, which is extremely important at all times. Emerging from the laundry clothed and ready to face the trials of my life I returned to my store to find it not burnt to the ground nor surrounded by an angry mob of stupidity. Here is where instead of looking for Mordere I just decided to return to work and ignore that he was ever my problem to begin with.

Look I admitted it there that takes personal responsiblity off me entirely! That's how it works! Its all good in the end Mordere made his court date, I testified it was a valid shooting the judge (a real one not the made up kind the Red Hand used) agreed with the facts and he got his property and standing back (and thus the crowds kept far away).  All in all it was one of those episodes of my life that confirms I lead a really weird existence.

The Conspiracy of Sewers

Who gets lost in a city sewer outside of me? Its not a rare occurence let me tell you, and its getting rather troublesome (sadly its a pattern that still continues to haunt me, as they get larger my ability to get lost in them increases exponentially). You know the funny thing is as lost as I have been in sewers I have never ever run across workers who build or maintain them? THEY DO NOT EXIST! I actually believe sewers are created by a god of getting lost and this belief they help drain water or whatever they do is entirely false. They are winding corridors made of madness and shit and getting lost in them is their end game.  They are specifically a trap to catch me Trezlan Lorentino, and I like a fool keep falling into them.

Sure you say thats madness Trezlan. Then I ask you this! Have you ever explored a sewer? HAVE YOU EVER SEEN WHO MADE IT?! EXACTLY! I know my conspiracy theory is mockworthy, I'll admit for the cowed masses who believe in sewer construction, or that their local city pays for this very thing its hard to accept the truth.  But I ask you kind reader to at least allow the possibility of Sewaninacus the sewer God to enter your mind as the real truth you lie to yourself to not admit to.

So the next time you see a storm grate or run off pipe know that Sewaninacus is there waiting, watching, and all he wants is for you to come down and get lost in his twisting mazes like I do.  I don't really have anything else for today's entry, I just wanted to speak to you of my subterreanean God and I how I unwittingly worship him.  Aren't you just the luckiest little journal reader.

Coincidental Killers

"Halt!" Guards say halt, people in the past say halt, killers in sewers tightly packed some of them standing in water filled with who knows what, should not say halt.  For our part both me and Mordere stopped though we had no reason to.  The killers (and with their dirty looks and assorted rusty weaponry could not be mistaken for anything else) numbered at least ten possibly fifteen (its been a while and you'll see why I don't rember exact numbers).

"Mordere just shoot these guys we're in a sewer its not like anyone will notice."

"Sure I'll shoot them with no pistol." I scowled at him and then realized he didn't actually carry any weapons with him.

"What happened to the pistols at my store?"

"They are at your store I'm not taking something I didn't pay for."

"Are you two finished we have you dead to rights Lorentino, and we mean to get even with you."

"Wait what? You're here for me not him? That's rich!" I was completely flabbergasted that not only were we escaping people wanting to kill Mordere and ran into people trying to kill me, but Mordere managed to find them in the sewers we were lost in! It was absurd.

"Well just give me your pistol and I'll kill them." I had to admire Mordere for completely ignoring people who were intending on killing me him someone?

"I didn't bring it." I want to say he sighed but he did not he just looked at me with a "That makes sense" because to him it did.  I mean we were running away and told specifically not to kill people, why would either of us bring weapons? A bullet wizzed by my head while I contemplated Mordere following Captain Therod's "don't kill anyone" stipulation a bit closer than I would assume anyone would ever follow let alone Mordere.

"LORENTINO YOU WILL PAY ATT Hruk ARARAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" You may be wondering why they stopped talking suddenly, because I set them on fire (I don't need a pistol to kill people is another reason I don't always bring one).  As always when I set things on fire underground in an area filled with waste (because sadly this has happened multiple times) Mordere and I had to immeadiately run because well gas explodes when ignited (which would have been a good reason to NOT set them on fire).  At least Mordere understood the rumbling and moved immeadiately.  Unfortunately this also meant we got seperated and I got lost even more, with the added bonus of the entire sewer smelling like burnt shit and bodies.  Let me tell you its a lovely cocktail of awful.

The Lost Sewers of Totally not Lost

"So I just want to have this straight, you had this tunnel built to your store."

"That's right."

"So you had them connect it to these sewer tunnels under the specific circumstance of moving illicit items from/to your store."

"Yep."

"And yet you have no idea which way leads to a way out of here." We were as you can assume lost.  See I couldn't remember if it was right or left from the start, I chose right, but after an hour underneath the city I was feeling left might have been the better option.  Mordere as you could assume was not exactly pleased with my pathfinding ability.

"If you believe you can find a way out then go ahead!" I meant that as a sarcastic comment and that he'd keep following me, but no he took off in another direction completely on his own! What a jerk, acting like he knew the way even though he did not.  So I ended up following him down some new passageways and past filth and digusting things. We were making good time in getting lost when we ran across a group of people who just happened to be looking for us. Yeah I know, how in the gods name do I wind up under the city with a murderer and just happen to run across people looking for us in the darkness? BECAUSE MY LIFE SUCKS THATS HOW!

At Least This Angry Mob Wasn't Mine

"Honest to gods they have torchs and pitchforks." They were gathered outside my shop (how they knew Mordere was staying with me well thats mobs for you, they have like a supernatural ability to know these things), Captain Therod and a few guard officers were doing their best to hold themb ack, but the mob was large and Therod probably didn't care that much if a Necromancer and an Assassin got killed by a mob.

"You sure they are not here for you?" Mordere had a couple pistols out and loaded sitting on the counter, I would have complained he just made new guns used, but if he fired them I could sell them as special Assassin approved weaponry, think of the profits!

"Yeah mobs for me have more signs with badly spelled words." Tuesdays and Thursdays, no I'm just kidding here, maybe. It was bad enough there was a mob of people, but it was also raining, because thats how these kind of things go naturally.  Therod banged on the door and I opened it, she came inside shaking her soaked over coat all over me like an animal confirming a lot of thoughts I had about her.

"Its getting ugly out there."

"Getting ugly? Did you see those people when they showed up not a looker amongst the bunch." Therod gave me a sour look which caused me to bite back my other reply I was going to make.

"Let them come through the door, a few dead will dissuade the rest from this foolishness." Mordere was not joking, honestly with as much bullets as he had stacked on my counter he looked ready to kill everyone in the crowd should it come to that.

"No you are not shooting your way out of this." He shrugged.

"Ok so he can't shoot his way out of it, and your guards can't hold them back the entire time, what do you want us to do?" I knew the answer before she even said it.

"Get out of here, you have a way out I'm sure, especially one I'm not supposed to know about that you built after the workman finished." I did and she didn't, but now apparently she did? I don't know if someone just guesses that you have something without actually knowing you do, what exactly is that?

"They'll burn down my shop!"

"No one will burn down your shop, I'll tell them you snuck out the back, they'll rush in the back and spend the next few hours looking around like idiots, just stay out of sight."

"I don't understand why I can't kill a couple, no one will miss them and that worked last time this happened," Mordere thought about it for a second, "Actually it didn't I have to hide frequently in Ronerawth, nevermind." And so it went that Mordere and I left my shop huddled in cloaks and into the sewers underneath it (stupid Therod being totally right I had constructed an extra access into the shop from below). The shop did survive, which was good, though for Mordere and I, our journey was just smellyily beginning!

Worst Guest Ever

"Are you going to keep doing that?" I had been reading a book and tapping my fingers, Mordere was reading the Chronicles (the only book I ever saw him read) and looking like he was in a trance.  I guess my finger tapping was getting on his nerves.

"Sorry I didn't realize I was doing it."

"I figured which is why I asked if you were going to keep doing it."

"Does it bother you?"

"Would I be asking if you were going to keep doing it if it made me happy?" You may imply sarcasm, but he literally was asking this question like the answer was not apparent in the question.

"Point taken." This was one of several conversations in which a noted murderer critiqued my lifestyle decisions unfavorably. Outside of these things he was a lovely houseguest, fairly quiet didn't eat too much or smell poorly.  He just read his book and waited.  In a way it was unnerving how calm he was about everything.  Extremely so.

Until a large group of people showed up to murder him I thought it would just be a case of dealing with the worst house guest ever. You'd probably want to know more about that whole murder thing right? Well read the next entry already!

Mr. Mordere If You Please

Jails can be busy places.  I know its surprising to me when I open the door and instead of just seeing Captain Therod cooling her heels and waiting for me to enlighten her whole day, I see a bunch of assholes being moved from/to cells a bunch of people yelling at each other, and a bunch of Guard personell screaming over the yelling so they can be heard.  Its so off putting when I'm incovenciened by them actually having jobs to do. I actually had to wait in line! I was shocked! And then when I got to the head of the line instead of speaking directly with the captain I had to deal with some put upon underling in dark black glasses. Imagine my idignity!

"What do you want?" Basic customer service is a dying art form in government.

"I'm here to provide testimony that could release Valerind Mordere."

"Do we look like a court to you? Now you could post bail money for him, but he still has to have his day in court."

"How much is the bail?" I was incredulous, it was a legit shooting and here they were saying he'd have to be in court? Insult on insult, and I'd have to pay to get him out? Utterly ridiculous (thankfully I still had the kids money, in a way it made me chuckle he'd pay for the man who shot him to get out of jail).  The clerk told me the amount and I paid it.  I was lead back to a large cell area that held a group of people.  Mordere was all alone by a large margin in the community cell, I figured because even grungy criminals can tell the difference between one of their own dumb number and someone who kills people without second thought.

"He has to be in court in a couple days, if he missed the court date your money is forfeit and a bounty will be assigned against him and possibly you if you offered assistance."

"I'll make my day in court thank you very much." Mordere didn't chastise the clerk, just told him matter of factly he'd be where they told him to be. We left the overcrowded jail and Mordere turned to me as soon as were on the way back to my store.

"Thank you for you assistance Mr. Lorentino."

"I don't think you'll get your weapons back until your day in court Mordere, you want to hang out at my store until then?" He had a lot of enemies and without weapons he'd kind of be, well still a murderous murderer, but slightly slowed down.

"Are you afraid I'll get killed?"

"Yeah I don't think I get my money back if you die before the trial."

"Enlightened self interest Mr. Lorentino, I'll take you up on your offer as they also confiscated my funds and I have no room in town. Also its Mr. Mordere if you please, Mordere sounds dreary the way you say it"

And so it came to pass a murderer stayed at my shop so I could try and prevent him from being murdered and get money back from the man he killed.  See how these things work?

Another Satisfied Customer

"I need a gun." Young impossibly young, and stupid, my favorite kind of customer.

"You want a rifle, a shotgun, or a pistol? We don't sell 'guns' here." Gun is another word for penis folks, no I'm not making that up.  If you don't know what a penis is because your some kind of weird asexual creature READ SOME BIOLOGY!

"Uhhhh a pistol!" Did I mention stupid? So stupid. He had blonde hair and couldn't have been much older than getting kicked out of the house age (so for me like fifteen, for real families eighteen).

"Which type of pistol?" I displayed the cheapest varieties I sold (because he looked like he had very little money to his name also a better quality pistol would have been a waste of money on him).

"That one!" He pointed at the only shiny looking one I had deposited on the counter, now I only sell Hanlon guns so they are all decentish, but I did know that particular brand of pistol was more for show than shooting so perfect for my moronic young man.

"I'm not required to ask this, but why are you buying a pistol?"

"Got to kill the man who killed my family!" He deposited a bunch of coins and gems on the counter, a less scrupulous proprieter would have cleaned this young man out, but I'm an honest guy.  You can trust me I mean I'm telling you I'm honest, thats how honest I am!

"Fair enough, just don't run around telling everyone you bought a pistol here ok, wouldn't want my secret getting out." Its not a secret I sell firearms, and its not a secret I sell firearms to idiots, I just didn't want this particular idiot saying he bought one from me when the person he wanted to kill killed him. Not everyone goes after the fire arm dealer, but you never know.

"Right right your secret is safe with me." He looked outside and started to shout, "THATS HIM THATS THE SUM BITCH WHO KILLED MY FAMILY!" I looked outside and saw Valerind Mordere, I hoped there was someone hiding behind him.

"Is he hiding behind the guy with the thin mustache and messed up eye?"

"No thats him I'd know him anywhere, give me bullets all the bullets I'm going to kill him." Never before has a prediction of mine come so true, like I figured this kid was dead, I didn't figure he'd do it before my very eyes.  But I was a merchant first and a person way way last (sue me) so I supplied him with bullets and he went outside.  I didn't hear the conversation, I didn't need to, the kid said something Mordere did an about face (as he had walked away to the point that the kid had his back) and put a bullet right between the kid's eyes.  Nearby people decended on the body immeadiately and I happened to notice the kid didn't pick up his money which was still on my counter (he was in such a hurry to get out and die). So despite not wanting to take him for all he was worth I managed to do so completely by accident (I have the luck of no one, I have horrible luck the universe owes me a lot more than some idiots pocket change YOU HEAR ME UNIVERSE!)  I was at least polite enough to set aside some of his money for a decent grave for the young man (because if no one pays your funeral cost you get tossed out for creatures of the wild to eat).

Mordere did get arrested, but for his part he didn't leave the sign of the shooting instead he waited for a member of the Guard and held his hands out for the arrest.  I sighed because I knew that meant I'd have to go on down to the jail and bail him out because I doubted anyone else saw the shooting or knew why it was and Mordere was the kind of guy to not explain his side nor care.  Stupid people expecting me to do the right thing all the time! Its damn exhausting!

And Now Your Not So Epic Conclusion

"Here's the money back plus interest." Travania was in front of me, wearing a rather striking purple coat floor length. I guess the best illusion is hiding in plain sight.

"One second let me get your ring." I had to uninscribe the runes and open the lock, I half expected Nidget to have stolen it in the mean time, but thankfully it was still right where I left it.

"Not going to count the money?"

"Should I? No the answer is no, you either paid the full amount or I'll find out later and kill you simple as that." I make this threat all the time, never had to carry it out, yet, never say never folks!

"I hear you've been asking about me, could have just asked me." I was moving the money into my safe when I turned back to Travania and smiled.

"That's the easy way, thats not my way."

"So I've heard." Which implied he checked up on me without asking me about it. I swears its what people do in this world.  Most arguments could be fixed if two people just talked to each other, but who wants to do that!

"Tell Mr. Pavarossi I said hello."

"I won't do that, guy's a time waster, he'll be lucky if I don't find him and murder him later."

"So you'll pass my message along then?" I hate when people imply that despite what I say I'll end up doing what they want.  Because its true and thats obnoxious.

"Is there anything else you want in the mean time? I have some lovely necklaces that I can assure you were crafted and not stolen."

"Tempting but some other time the money to pay you back was about all I had."

"I hope you didn't steal it."

"Would it matter if I did?"

"Not in the slightest." I'd like to say he smiled but all I could see was his eyes, so I'll think he implied he smiled.  I still didn't know exactly what he was other than scary strong and somehow magical, but that was enough for me (I put him in the category of avoid unless not possible, a list that includes EVERYONE!) Thankfully for me Travania is a man of mysterious means and so he came and went as he pleased, and how he pleased was not near me at all.

Unfortunately one of my other avoid at all costs (no not Nidget) showed up in his place, because thats how this stuff always tends to go.

Nidget Lord of Wasting my Time

"You can see why that ring is actually mine." It had been a couple hours for him to tell this story and I felt well bored for one, and then angry for another.

"So I asked you who Travania really is, and the best you can tell me is he's all scarred up and he may have been a slave to the Red Hand at one point maybe." I tried to keep my anger not like really shown on my face, but you know its really hard to do that WHEN YOU ARE SO ANGRY!

"Well I was mainly trying to establish why you should just give me that ring."

"NIDGET I'M SO ANGRY WITH YOU RIGHT NOW THIS IS MY REALLY ANGRY VOICE!"

"Well then get out!" He threw me out, well more pointed toward the door and in my rage I left. I should have known that Nidget would just waste my time. ITS WHAT HE DOES (well that and try and get my killed repeatedly). So I stormed out of the slum he lives in, went back to my shop and totally did not pout. There was not pouting.

Ok maybe some pouting, but damn it I earned some pouting. I realize I then inflicted his story on you poor journal for days at a time, but I SPREAD MISERY AROUND TO FEEL BETTER!  See thats my big secret.  Whew I feel better now, think I'll have a sandwhich and continue hating Nidget.

Final Finale of Finalness

"TRAVANIA!" The doors were opened for all of a second before the voice boomed from within.  He was the one who had laid a trap for Travania to begin with, some kind of magical muckety muck.  I could tell from how he was dressed he was a former Red Hand judge, which was not a smart way to dress when your side just lost a war, but thats how dumb people are. For his part Travania just opened fire, the bullets slammed into some kind of energy shield, but he didn't exactly want to talk this one out.

"Lucas you son of a bitch." Travania charged forward and the energy shield that had blocked his bullets blew him backwards into a wall. He crumpled upon crashing into a dresser, so I guess his charge in method of combat not the smartest move.

"And you my little one I'm to understand you're the reason Travania is freed? It makes no matter to me, I broke him once, I can break him again, you on the other hand are useless to me." Magical people always think they are the strongest people ever.  You guys think that you run the world and the rest of us are but insects to you.  So when Lucas the magical moron tried to electrocute me I just stepped out of the way.  His bolt of electricity handidly missed me, hit a mirror and electrocuted him instead. He hit the ground convulsing and I strolled up and slit his throat. Problem solved.

Travania came to about an hour later, we looted the place (the ring you got came from Lucas's dead hand) and left.  I made a decent profit off the proceeds, all in all it was a decent day's work. And so you can see...

I return to my regular entry tomorrow.  Yes technically today is not the actual finale. DEAL WITH IT!

House of the Soon to be Dead

"I hope you know what you're doing." I was standing on Travania's shoulders to get at his shackles, his sense of annoyance was easy to understand.

"You know for all the talks of the great magical canceling abilities of shackles," Click the lock was popped and I tumbled to the floor with grace, "They are some of the easiest locks to pick, I swear its like they assume magical people without magic are completetly lost."

Travania freed from the chains stretched a bit and the sound of bones cracking was pretty loud.  I did mention his body was scarred up before, but I failed to explain its not a little bit of scarring. The majority of his torso is covered in burns (with what appeared to be runes carved into the burned flesh) it was actually difficult to make out the normal features of a persons torso he was so marked.  His arms were also the same way, whatever had been done to him had made him stronger, but at a very large cost.

He didn't wait around in the dank basement, he moved with beastly speed and flat out kicked his way through the iron door that seperated the basement from the main house above it. The kick was of such force it threw the door into the man standing guard beyond it and splattered him against the stone wall he was standing next to (rough check out). Travania took the rifle the man left behind and made his way upstairs where he immediately opened fire (reckless to be sure they hadn't even fixed the door yet, thankfully the Guard isn't the best at actually policing things, even worse so back then). I was a bit slower than he was so all I got to see was the aftermath, lots of bodies, lots of blood, and Travania on the hunt for the man who had enslaved him.  It all lead up to a door inscribed with a bunch of nasty runes and a fairly complicated lock for once.

"Mr. Pavarosi if you would." I hesistated if only for a small moment, because frankly I didn't know what was beyond the door, or what Travania would do once I was done, but seeing as what he had just done, well it wasn't the hardest decision I ever made. The lock unfortunately was not as easy as the earlier ones and so it took me a great deal longer to open, during which I had to deal with Travania pacing behind me in a way that made opening the lock even harder. I had kind of hoped when I opened it the room would be empty alas that was not to be naturally.

What was inside? Well you'll have to wait till the next entry!

All Shackled Up

I should have just left.  I mean I didn't know Travania and the people who captured him had a lot of guns and their leader was some kind of magical dude. I didn't hear the conversation because I had to pretend I was just some passerby, but I did definitely see Travania get shocked by some kind of magical jolt and drop to the ground.  From there they had him locked up and drug into the basement, no one is every locked up in the attic, its always the basement.

Still he was my pay day and pay days locked up are not much for cashing out.  And so I scouted the building to find an entry and try and assist the monster that called itself Travania. There was of course a window inside with some bars that were easily displaced (people put those things in never remembering that time and weather ruin the holding thus negating them as useful).  A quick lock flip and I was inside.  The basement could have used a house keeper, and a new builder. There was standing water, looked like pest remains, oh and a fairly large scarred up guy in a mask chained to the wall with magical shackles.

"Mr. Pavarosi what kept you?"

"Had to wait for them leave to you be before I could get you, don't think you could get out the way I got in."

"Of course I'm not leaving, I plan on killing everyone up stairs, painfully."

"Well I guess that's one way out."

Not my preferred way of leaving mind you.  I much rather prefer just working my problems out by talking. You know unlike the huge pile of bodies I've left in my wake don't attest to.

Betray My Heart

"So what are you?" We had been walking at a sprint (well sprint for me, he just walked briskly such is the nature of you talls) I figured if I was working with a creature I'd want to know what kind.

"A man." I laughed, but I don't think Travania found it very funny.

"Right of course a man who's face is entirely obscured and you have red eyes, some man."

"I'm as much a man as you are Mr. Pavarosi." And what if I was a sprite? Than I bet he'd feel pretty stupid. We arrived at a large brick house, it had been constructed well before the war and looks to have survived it quite well. There weren't people walking around near it, and I noticed we had briskly walked to a completely empty part of the city.  I did notice the door a heavy iron type that would not budge easily.

"Time for you to show your skills Mr. Pavarosi." Picking a lock is like seducing a woman (so something you have no experience in at all in either aspect Trezlan). You have your introductory to the lock, you have to ply it with small advances and then when you think you've got it there is always a set back, but eventually with persistence you can break past its defenses and get to the treasure it keeps. This lock wasn't that difficult at all, in fact it seemed the door was mostly visually to keep people out, the lock behind it no more complicated than anyones front door, I had it open in under a minute.

"And that is why I'm the best."

"You certainly showed your worth Mr. Pavarosi now stand back." He knocked the door off its hinges with a solid stomp of his foot, thereby negating my impressive show.

"Well now I feel pointless." Travania didn't even notice my comment he was over the door and into the meeting room beyond it, where a large squad of men with guns awaited him.

"Travania its nice of you to stop by." On the one hand I hadn't come into the home so they didn't see me, on the other hand I was under the impresion Travania would pay me so I was looking to be without a meal ticket. A crap crappy part of any day.

Did Nidget live? Why were men waiting for Travania? Well you know the answer to the first question, as for the second... The next entry dear reader!

Call Me Travania

The following story will be presented in the first person as dictated by Nidget because thats kind of how Nidget told it to me and I feel its best to do that to keep the integrity to it.  Though absent will be my constant interruptions and questions about what really happened (what can I say, I listen poorly). Nidget's lines will be in red, because I've looked at earlier entries AND NOTICED HE WROTE IN MY DAMN JOURNAL IN RED YOU LITTLE BASTARD!  Ok got that out of my system, and onward.

This was after the war, right around the time you were probably about to be executed or killed by a weird creature or whatever. I will admit I was a bit harder on my luck than I currently am and so I was trying hard to find work wherever I could, Andre was with the Followers during this period as they had reformation issues they were working through and he felt it best to be with them. Which was great for Andre, but left me up shit creek with regards to not having any back up on any of my plays. So I'll admit I relied on conning people out of some coin for a veteran of the war, which is easier than you'd expect it to be really.

It was during these cons I came across Travania.  He looks now like he did back then.  Full on face mask, crazy eyes, huge hooded cloak.  I approached him at first not noticing the face mask and thought he was just a regular rich guy who liked a big ole fancy cloak, when he lifted me up off the ground an looked at me with his crazy eyes I was suddenly horrifyingly aware I was in a dark alley with what looked like a beast in huma clothing.

"Shorty, they don't take your kind in the army." He always talked briskly, like he had somewhere else to go even when he did not.

"I was a drummer." I was struggling to find my feet, I had my hidden blade, but I really didn't want to try and piss off this beast man. I don't want to say he smiled, because I couldn't see it, but he visibly relaxed.

"They also didn't have drummers, but I understand a shorty has to do what he does to get by, right?" He set me down, I wanted to flee, but I was intrigued by him.

"You have the right of it."

"And what are you by trade when you aren't a conman little one?"

"A thief."

"So you know how to open a lock that doesn't want to open?" He seemed to be considering a proprosal, and I had nothing else at this point.

"Several."

"Well then I might have need for a veteran like yourself Mr.?"

"Pavarosi, and you are?"

"Call me Travania."

"Is that a Mr. Or..."

"Just Travania, come Mr. Pavarosi being alone in the street is a conspiracy we can not afford to be having." And with that I followed after the creepy beast creature that had previously lifted me off the ground. Honestly Travania despite his monstrous appeareance was one of the nice people I've ever dealt with. He's still a monster mind you, but he was a really nice one!

And that's where I'll leave Nidgets story for the day, on the fact that Travania is a monster, but a really nice one.  Because that makes sense.

Nidget the Explainer

"You tried everyone you knew and now you're finally coming to the one guy who had all the answers to begin with?"

"I hate you so much Nidget."

"I'll take that as a yes." I was at Nidget's hovel seated in one of his normal sized chairs (I assumed one of Andres). Nidget was seated across from me in a chair that looked like it was made for a child, he was sipping some form of tea part of some afternoon ritual.

"Just tell me who Travania is so I can stop worrying."

"And ruin all my fun."

"Do you want me to take it from you Nidget, because I can do that." My implied threat was kind of hollow, kind of, I did think about ripping his soul from his body on multiple occaisions, but that was just my usual.

"Ok ok, gods you always go the creepiest route with every thing."

"Its who I am, its how I've lived as long as I have."

"It's what makes you a dick, Ok ok so Travania..." And tomorrow I'll get into who the mysterious bearer of the ring was.  Yep dragging this out like everything else, because I'm nice like that.

Valrym's "Help"

"So you want me to tell you, what I know about this guy named Travania because you bought something from him and you are worried its something bad for you."  Valrym was putting away supplies from a cart, I was doing my best to avoid any menial labor.

"Yes." He laughed.

"Right because we have such a great working relationship." He continued putting boxes away, I figured it was part of his annoyance that I wasn't helping him.

"Look if this is about to explode in our faces I want to know!"

"Our faces? Last I heard the last mistake was purely you and Nidgets, I want no part of this one." How everyone seems to know about my mistakes is beyond me.  I tell you its like there is some kind Trezlan Newsletter that goes around giving updates on ways I messed up.

"So he is dangerous?"

"I didn't say, frankly never heard of the guy, and I don't want to, you're on your own with this one Trezlan, try not to kill everyone ok." He slammed the door shut behind him and I scowled.  It appeared Nidget was the only one who knew about Travania and I had to ask the little bastard what he knew.  I know you're asking yourself "Why not just ask the guy himself?" Because that would be successful and thats not what I do damn it.

Travania'd Around

"Captain Therod a moment of your time." She was in her office, a cramped little desk near a lot of currently unoccupied jail cells (the one thing the Guard seemed really good at was making sure there were enough jail cells).

"Mr. Lorentino, I know that you think I have nothing to do, but I'm very busy keeping my records up to date, so unless you are about to kill everyone in the district I really can't spare a lot of time." She had a ledger out and was going through it line by line, I hate paperwork, I can only imagine its worse for someone who has to manage criminals.

"I need to know about a guy named Travania."

"Did he do something?"

"I don't know, maybe? He sold me something and I want to know about him." She looked up when I said sold me something.

"You think it was stolen? Was it a set of Medical Journals I just had a report about those being stolen."

"No its not medical journals, I don't think it was stolen, but I'm just leery."

"After the last thing you bought almost killed us all? I can't imagine why." Her sarcam stung, stung so badly.

"Look do you know about this Travania guy or not?"

"Yes I do know of him, no I do not know him to be a thief or peddler of cursed objects, there satisfied willing to go bother someone else?"

"Not satisfied but I can clearly see you are not able to help me, some Captain of the Guard you are!"

"I'll make sure to fully respect an ousted traitor to the Ronerawth government next time you swing in Lorentino." I didn't stay to protest how she labeled me a traitor (I'm a patriot damn it!) or how she even knew about that.  Cursed rumor mongering! I had another stop to make though I doubted Valrym liked me anymore than Therod, at least he sort of kind of owed me a little bit, somewhat.  I just want to repeat that I think Therod is a jerk and I hope that she doesn't expect my vote for Guard Captain should the position go up for a vote!

The Lost Art of Subtlety

"So I hear you have something very interesting for sale." Nidget hadn't even waited a damn day from when I'd gotten the ring from Travania before he was already implying he'd steal it from me.  I tell you its almost like Nidget isn't even my real friend.

"Several things, including this bone," I presented the bone it was human, I thought didn't know for sure, "I've heard this can ward off evil spirits, yet you are here so it must not be that good."

"Not some stupid bone Trezlan, the ring."

"Ring? I've got several, even got an engagement ring recently jilted lover very sad story, but a pretty ring, could cut you a deal." I was playing dumb, because tell you the truth was a little creeped out Nidget already knew I had it.

"Travania's ring Trezlan, how much?"

"It's not for sale and I'm really put off by how you know that I have it, its not cursed is it?" Everything is cursed, I've even seen an cursed outhouse, though that was probably just the result of bad cooking.

"No its not cursed, and I know he must have sold that ring because I know he's on hard times and he saw you, the ring is the only thing you would have bought from him, so how much you want for it?" Nidget seemed a little obsessed about getting what just looked like a shiny moderately expensive bauble.

"Nothing, at least not yet the Ring is in pawn he's got a month to pay it off."

"You know I was with him when he got that, so part of it is mine, so maybe you should..."

"Leave my store before you find out what burning alive feels like." I was forceful with Nidget, like a bad animal you have to be.  He looked at me with a squint and made his way out of the store.  I was now more interested in the ring since Nidget was, and also this Travania fellow.  I knew exactly zero about him, but I did know someone who would know more, unfortunately the good Captain and I weren't on great terms and of course she still held a grudge from the last time I almost killed everyone in the city.  I tell you some people!

Abnormally Weird

"You'll want to buy this." He was of course a weird looking guy, but even for me he was weird looking (which is saying something). He was cloaked, and masked, I could barely see his eyes but they were scary looking as well.

"I have a bad history with buying objects as of late." It looked like a normal ring, well normal except for the gigantic stone set in the middle of it, but nothing really weird inscribed on it, didn't have the feeling of hidden power or anything, just seemed like someones really pretty jewelery.  I was immeadiately suspicious (and not just because the guy trying to sell it looked like he came directly out of someones nightmare).

"I can cut you a good deal this ring is not stolen, I just fell on some hard times, in fact you don't even have to fully buy it, I can pawn it to you if you'd like." I don't like doing pawns, because well most of the time the stuff I have is stolen (I'm just being honest) and when the actual owners comes in and sees me selling something they had stolen, well I know I'm not getting my money back.  Much easier to flat out buy things and then sell them on the downlow as opposed to them being out in the open.

"Ok against my better judgement I'll take this pawn, you have a month to come back with my money plus interest or..."

"I know the deal thank you Mr. Lorentino I'll be back with your money."

"Whew."

"What?"

"I thought you were going to say you'd be back with what I'm owed and that would have scared me." He chuckled, but again he was seriously weird looking guy could have been any number of horrible nightmares.

"What will you do with the ring?"

"It'll go into a lockbox when you don't pay out, it hits the shelves, no mercy Mr. ?"

"Travania."

"You'll have to spell that." Now you know how I knew how it was spelled.

"I'll see you in a month Mr. Lorentino." He left, I felt a chill leave my store with him, though that could have just been an open window or a crack in something (look the construction of my store left a lot be desired). I looked at the ring briefly and then put it in my lock box and urged some magic into the runes guarding it (there is nothing I take for granted in this world, least of all actual money) and then forgot about it.  That's what it means to be a shop owner in my world, prepare for the worst, expect worse than that.  Wait thats what it means to be me in this world, I always get those two confused.