The door to the tavern opened, letting loose a large cloud of pipe-smoke and greasy air into the night. It didn’t do much to clear the smog of the tavern, but it was enough for Mandy to spot who she was looking for and drag Kylan over to a table that looked no different from any other. “What can I be getting’ for yeh?” drawled the fat barkeep. Mandy mused that it never seemed to matter where a barkeep plied his trade, he always seems to fit a certain same mold. She pulled out slightly more gold that was necessary, “Three Dwarven Fasthammers. Take the last over to him,” she jerked her thumb towards a far table. The barkeep nodded and shortly returned with the drinks. His establishment, the Lost Treasure, was a tavern with longstanding traditions. It was a bar where business was carried out that was considered fringe even by pirate standards and any bartender that wanted to own her for long learned to do as asked and carry a very large Dwarven blunderbuss under the counter. Just in case, of course. Mandy watched as he delivered the third drink to the figure in deep shadow. As predicted, he didn’t point out who had generously donated the drink and he didn’t call attention to himself. He’d probably live a long and fruitful life. Well… long by pirate standards at any rate. “Mandy, are we just going to sit here and drink?” Kylan’s naïve question intruded upon her thoughts and reminded her that he still had much to learn. She sighed. “Just wait. The specific drink we ordered is code to the man. He’ll meet us downstairs in about twenty minutes” She stirred her drink and time seemed to slow. She liked Kylan, but God he was green. The next twenty minutes would be a long wait. It passed in awkward silence and at the appointed time, she got up and motioned for Kylan to follow. Heading downstairs, she quickly ducked into a side room and motioned him to follow. He did so with a cluelessness that both attracted and exasperated her. “Keep it dark. We don’t need light for this.” Mandy hissed. Kylan ducked in and a silence settled over the room, thick as the dust that covered the floor. “Mandy. I saw you coming a mile off, true enough. Think I know what you want, as well” the voice rasped out of the darkness, with the same grace, style, and danger as a rapier leaving the sheath. “Thank you for coming, Raphin. Something is terribly wrong. The sorcerers—“ She felt his hand on her shoulder and almost had to bite her tongue to stop from yelping. She hadn’t even heard him move. “I said I knew what you came for. Don’t speak it unless you want to end up dead. Some secrets are too dark even for this town. Listen closely...”