[hider=OOC Note]This post has been adjusted slightly for BC and Coake to finish their collab.[/hider]

Walking into the VIP area, a glorious sight unveiled itself before Salvius. Never in his wildest nightmares could Salvius have dreamed of this. This room just [i]reeked[/i] of death, ambition, and above all: powerful knowledge to be gained. Salvius could already deduce that apparently his own source of power was not the only one after all. The VIP area was clearly divided in four parts, suggesting there might be as much as four "gods" to curry favour from. Naturally, this did not quite suggest their actual existence yet, but the large mobs of fervent followers implied they did. Gormog was the counterpoint to that argument however: Salvius had never seen any sign that the big brute connected to some higher being or power. He just liked to punch and shoot repeatedly people until they stopped being fun.

Speaking of punching, it seemed Gormog had already found some creatures and people to apply his fists to. He even seemed to fit right in with some of the other spectators and contesters. After talking with a young fellow, who didn't exactly fit in, Gormog indicated he was going to have some fun and jumped into one of the fighting pits. Salvius' suspected he might just befriend the giant orc he was facing now: They tended to be impressed by brute strength. On the other hand, the orc might also be dead soon. Placing a sizeable bet on Gormog's victory, and, incidentally, future victories, Salvius headed for the bar. With a final glance back, Salvius sent: [i]Don't die Gormog. I'd hate to lose my money.[/i]

Walking towards the bar, another spectacle was to be found. A man of similar size to Gormog, but considerably less... brutish. He seemed to be engaged with two others at the bar. One, a chem user in the process of leaving, intending to follow the second: a hunchbacked figure. Weaving through the crowd, Salvius only saw snap shots of what transpired. From one moment to another, the big man is standing behind the hunchback. Elbowing someone aside, the next thing Salvius saw was the hunchback's impression of an owl: his head was turning at some odd angles. Losing sight once more, Salvius only saw the hunchback leave shortly after: His imitation of an eagle's graceful flight could use some improvement. All this had taken only seconds. Arriving at the bar, Salvius confirmed his suspicions with a brief glimpse of the big man's presence in the warp. Oddly shaped, the soul seemed to simply flatline where others would have fear. Only a little had Salvius learned of Space Marines, but three things stood out: They were huge, possessed incredible fighting prowess and were fearless.

As the Space Marine sat back down Salvius quickly looked away. he sat himself down at the bar and ordered a fresh mint tea, never having liked the intoxicating effects of alcohol. Receiving the drink after a few moments, Salvius enjoyed a few sips. It was definitely mint tea, but it had a peculiar quality to it. It seemed to sharpen his senses more than usual and to excite his mind, perceiving clearer, deducing faster. While drinking, Salvius kept an eye on the odd pair to the left of him. They seemed to be engaged in conversation over some book which the Marine was currently perusing. It reminded Salvius of why he was here.

Looking at the barman over the rim of his cup, Salvius said: "Dear barman, I am in need of some directions I fear. I'm looking for someone knowledgeable about books of a certain kind and..." Salvius now caught a glimpse of the book as it was being handed back to the chem user by the Marine. An eight pointed star was inscribed on it. As he was looking, Salvius' black bird skull talisman began to rattle against his chest, seemingly being pulled in the book's direction. Salvius quickly grabbed his trinket before it pulled itself out from under his clothing, dropping his tea cup in the process. It shattered on the ground with what seemed to Salvius an earsplitting noise. "Looking for... uhh.. for uhh... nevermind."

With an apologetic glance at the barman, Salvius stood. Sliding over a few chairs, Salvius caught the last few words of the conversation. Something about a search for knowledge concerning the star. Now this was an excellent opportunity. Making eye contact with both in turn, Salvius intruded using every ounce of charismatic charm he could muster: "Good afternoon gentlemen, care for some company? I couldn't help but hear something about you looking for some information, and I happen to be something of a scholar. Perhaps I could be of some use to you? My name would be Ersus. Ersus Tulfon. A pleasure."

[@Lord Coake] [@BCTheEntity] [@Jbcool]