Fifty silvers seemed like a pitiful haul for any job of the caliber he had just completed. Indeed, if one were to look at only his coin purse they would assume that Irenaeus had been scammed, swindled, and otherwise led astray. The cargo he had been charged with protecting was a shipment of [i]Fantasia di Maiale[/i], one of the most expensive imported wines on the continent. Those fifty coins he earned even included the bonus he had received for fighting off the goons of a rival company who had caught word of the shipment.

Those with very keen powers of observation might, however, notice the glass he carried in his left hand as he made his way down the streets of Vaald. Those who possess both those keen powers of observation, and were connoisseur of wine across the continent would note that the red liquid contained within was none other than [i]Fantasia di Maiale[/i]. Furthermore, those with the entire story of his previous job would be able to conclude that such liquid was the last glass of an entire bottle of the famed wine, valued at no less than one hundred gold disks. As such, though the Iath was poor compared to many of those around him, he and his tongue felt rich as kings.

He sipped the wine slowly as he walked, savoring every drop even though he knew that time was against him. The heat of the day would ruin the precious liquid before long, and if he dallied about the task of finishing it then he may as well spill on the ground. As such he quickened both the pace of his walking as his drinking as he let his nose guide him down those familiar streets to his favorite spot of relaxation: The Serene Pools. The smell of the plants was unmistakable, even several streets away as he was. The closeness to nature, the surrounding water, and the idle chatter of those who passed through all combined to fill him with the feeling of serenity that his years as a wanderer granted him. Today he planned to relax, and reflect amongst the pools on the fortunate times in his life. That is, at least, until the day's 'festivities' began.

Irenaeus lifted his head to meet the warmth of the sun's rays as the shadows of the city streets fell behind him. He made no effort to sort through the myriad of conversations taking place around him, instead choosing just to enjoy his arrival, and the sensations that accompanied it. Deciding to make his way over to his favorite spot, he began to raise the glass to his lips once more when his foot caught a crack in the ground below him. He tripped, without grace or ceremony, and the earth greeted him with both pain and the sound of shattering glass.

He laid there, motionless for several moments, his dead eyes blinking as if they too could not believe the sight in front of him. [i]Fantasia di Maiale[/i], spread upon the ground instead of in his stomach. In the short time he had known the liquid it had become one of his most prized possessions, a sign that his life was beginning to look up once more. Comfort, in the world of darkness he inhabited. He always knew he would outlive the drink, but even being robbed of those precious few minutes they had left together felt... heartbreaking. With a resigned sigh, he slowly picked himself off the ground and set about the task of forgetting his misfortune. Primarily, he accomplish this by involving himself in the problems of others, and began trying to sort out the conversations taking places around him.

"[color=FF1493]... the Scratch, in his delirium, is planning something malicious.[/color]"

His sword hand twitched in anticipation, but he ignored it. No way was he going to involve himself in that variety of trouble. He was a hundred years past being a fool, no reason to break that record now. Still, after the speaker's footsteps stopped in front of the temple of Gnara he couldn't help but hear the conversation that she, too, was listening in on. Again, he tried to ignore it. Waraz was a name that promised to bring much more trouble than good. He would rather avoid the possibility in getting caught up in that situation entirely.

He then caught a much more interesting conversation taking place. An... Iath? Ranting at the statues of Belme and Gnara. It didn't last for long though before she apparently joined another group who was discussing... absolutely nothing of importance. Gravity had already decided to ruin his plans for relaxation that day, and he was in no mood to involve himself with trouble involving Waraz. As such, his choice of what to do was a relatively easy one: Go bother the people least likely to lead him to trouble.

He contemplated approaching with his hood up, but could not think of an adequate excuse for it with the day's weather. That, and he had no plans to explain to another Iath why he wouldn't proudly display the traits of his race. Instead, he merely adjusted the smoked glasses in front of his eyes before moving towards the group. His left hand, now free, rested upon the pommel of the sword Arielle, clearly where it felt most comfortable. As he passed in front of the temple of Gnara he gave a small wave to the hidden speaker from earlier, unsure if she was even looking in his direction. He did know, however, that she had not yet moved from the spot. 

"[color=00ffbb]I've never had much luck getting answers from statues either, personally. Just a stony gaze and concerned looks from passerbys.[/color]"

Irenaeus scratched the back of his head, almost in apology for intruding on the conversation, offering a grin to the group. 

"[color=00ffbb]These ears of mine tend to pick up more than they should and I'm afraid my curiosity's gotten the better of me this time. It doesn't sound like too many of you are from Delad...[/color]"

He turned then, to look at the temple of Gnara. He had heard it was a sight to behold, naturally being part of the capital city, but he himself could only go by rumor on that assumption.

"[color=00ffbb]Is this some sort of pilgrimage to the temple? Or perhaps you've traveled to see the... affair that will take place later?[/color]"