As you enter the Gilded Demon, the bell jingles and the Dragonborn bartender grunts at you, “Seat yerself.” The tavern is empty except for a man in a trench coat, drinking a small cup of tea and reading a book in another language.

"Nice... uh, tavern. Super cozy." Sheerow mutters to the barkeep. She goes over to an empty seat, and gets situated. "There only really seems to be two people we can ask, but since I don't think the barkeep is very friendly, why don't we ask him?" She gestures over to the man in the coat. 

Just a random question guys, what time zone are you in? Just so I know so I can check my notifications accordingly, or if I’m going to send background stuff for any future quests.

(ooc: I'm in mountain time. so right now it's like 7:30 in the morning lol. but i have school from 7:30 to around 5:30, maybe 6:00, so normally my posting hours will be there because im bored lol)

I’m in pacific time. I’m also in school right now (two weeks till finals) so I just post whenever I can. I’ll be a bit more consistent once the semester is over.

Akyan eyes the barkeep suspiciously then mutters, “The Gilded Demon ‘ay? Bit of an odd name for a tavern in a city that’s not supposed to have evil.” He straitens his dark brown trench coat and nods to Sheerow, “I agree, we’ll talk to him first and if he doesn’t know anything, we’ll find a different tavern. That barkeep doesn’t seem like the sort to give information for free, and I’m not about to pay for something we can get out of someone who just likes to talk.” 

(I have finals eventually next week too, and I don’t know how much I’ll be on tomorrow for AP testing?) “The city’s not as good as she seems,” the man says, putting down his book but not stop drinking the cup of tea. “The sentient towers don’t do much other than stop any carts that come into the city. Any smuggling on foot can’t be tracked. I can take you to one of those routes later, if you’d like.”

(I probably won’t be on a lot tomorrow either so that’s fine) 

Akyan snorts, “Doesn’t seem like a very efficient method. Most evil dealings are carried out by sticking to the shadows. Most bad people aren’t stupid enough to waltz through the front gate when there are plenty of alternative routes to take. If what you say is true, this problem as likely been going on since this city was built.” He crosses his arms, “So as I understand it, these towers don’t sense evil in the city. They can only sense evil that tries to enter through the gates?” 

“Correct,” the man sips his tea. “Any darkness that is in the city is, for the most part, contained.”

"Well," she adds, leaning over Akayan's shoulder, trying to get a better look at the man, "How do know all this? Right now, I'm assuming that you know cause you have some sort of affiliation with the people smuggling things into the city. How can we trust you, if that's the case, and if not, how can you prove you're someone we can trust?"

(ooc: good luck on the AP test!)

Akyan noticing Sheerow, quickly steps to the side giving her a better view,  nodding in agreement to what she says. Then he says to the man, "You seem to know a lot about this city and it's towers. Too much for a common citizen. Yet, I doubt you are someone in the city's leadership, if you were you should have alerted to whoever in charge here about the flaws of this city's defense system. So, as my companion says, it sounds like you’re a smuggler” He leans towards the man, "So, who are you?"

“True enough, I am an ex-smuggler. I used to do work for some of the… more noble factions, such as the council members that run the city. I never did any evil work. And to prove that I’m trustworthy, I will tell you my true name. Something many mages don’t do anymore. My name is Aaron Firehand.”

(Would either of our characters recognize this name?)

Akyan looks at Aaron with even more suspicion then before, "A mage you say?" He narrows his eyes, "How do we know that's you true name? How do we know your not lying?"

"Well you don't look like a mage. I'd imagine you'd have a pointy hat or something." She flies over to Aaron, sitting on the back's edge of the chair across from him. "Anyways, I'm Sheerow, and that's Akayan. While I still have my suspicions, thank you for trusting us with that information."

Akyan's eyes dart from Sheerow back to Aaron. He mutters something under his breath before taking a seat between them, still watching Aaron warily. "I suppose it doesn't matter whether we trust you or not... for now. What matters is if you can give us any useful information. Do you know what kind of evil or darkness has entered this city that has suddenly raised so many rumors?"

”There’s really no specific darkness in this city that one can name, but the most dangerous of which would have to be a crate that holds a… most powerful creature that can’t be defeated. I will help you find it, and remove it in the way that you wish.”

(Is this game still recruiting?)

"A creature that can't be defeated? What kind of creature? Where is it held, and is there anyone after it?" At the prospect of a new adventure, her red eyes shine with excitement, and she fidgets a little with the edge of her tunic. Any suspicion left in her is now replaced with pure exhilaration. She can't stop asking questions. "How do you know this? Did you smuggle the creature in? Is it genetically modified, or was it born that way? Oh, are there any mechanical modifications? If we were to 'remove it' like you say, then how would we do it, if it's undefeatable? And if there were modifications of any kind made, could I study them, or..." She just goes on and on.

Akyan raises a hand hoping to silence her, “I’m sure we’ll find out.” He looks back at Aaron, “I am curious though. How would you remove an undefeatable creature?”

“It is one I have dealt with many times before. It is an otherworldly creature known as a tressym. There was many of them where I came from.” Aaron looks at the ceiling of the tavern. “I know of a way to tame them, which I was trained 24 years ago when I first saw one. I know this because I saw it when I entered the Smugglers’ Path once. All tressyms are born the same. No, the tressym in question is not mechanically enhanced… or at leas the last time I saw it.”