Goldman and Roulette: Part 1
Goldman and Roulette: Part 1
As the stranger arrived in Serrano they glanced around with a faint grin on their face.Their arrival wasn't particularly unusual, The frontier attracted all sorts of people from wandering merchants to scholars, to the occasional fool who mistook the desert for an easy place to make a living. Questions about the Nether were what drew this traveler to this wasteland of a redsands after a book was discovered in Calaveria.
Illias Hawthorn was passing through the town when the conversation caught his attention. A few words exchanged with a local, a mention of a peculiar book written by unknown authors, a book about a warning of something lurking beyond the boundaries of their world… The Nether.
Illias slowed his pace… Now that was interesting. He adjusted the cuffs of his coat, allowing himself a moment to consider the situation before casually walking toward the newcomer. "Now, that's not a subject you hear discussed every day around here." His voice came from beside the stranger, carrying the confidence of someone who had never been particularly concerned about how he was perceived. Before giving them much opportunity to react, Illias slipped an arm around their shoulders, drawing them close in a false kind of friendliness.
He tilted his head, studying the stranger from the corner of his eye. "A book from Calaveria… warnings about the Nether..." he hummed faintly "Fortunately, you've found someone with a rather unhealthy appreciation for unusual things."
Roulette had found the book before leaving Calaveria for good.
Illias gave the stranger's shoulder a light pat before finally withdrawing his arm "So, what exactly are you hoping to learn about this book? And more importantly, what do you intend to do with whatever answers you find?"
The stranger turned toward him and regarded him for a moment, seemingly deciding how much of himself to reveal. "I could ask you to simply answer my questions," he began, his voice carrying an almost amused tilt… "But I suspect a man like you would prefer something more... interesting…Information is rarely free. Especially information concerning a place most people are wise enough to avoid."
Roulette's gaze lingered on him. "Perhaps we could arrange an exchange. You help me with something I want, and I tell you what I know about the Nether."
Illias grinned a bit wider, watching Roulette's expression. The stranger's gaze was peculiar, almost unnervingly so, and there was something about the way he waited that suggested he was perfectly comfortable with the possibility of being refused. "Perhaps I can help with that."
He leaned closer, lowering his voice as though they were already sharing a secret. "You see, I'm a rather curious man. And you've managed to catch my attention." His eyes flickered briefly toward the book's mention, then returned to Roulette. “perhaps there's something you should see… Come with me. There's something I think you may find useful."