[h3]Averine City Docks[/h3]
[h3]Ryker of the Barrows[/h3]
Luckily for Ryker, the bathhouse was mostly vacant, with only a couple of customers minding their own business leaving the tired mercenary with just enough peace and quiet to relax, wash and clean his gear. This particular bathhouse, one of only two in the city was smaller and cheaper than the other in the residential district and was considered just on the expensive side of affordable for the typical city dwelling citizen. The proprietor and an attendant were the only employees present, or at least the only employees who Ryker would occasionally see walking back and fourth with buckets of fresh, warm water which they would give to the two other customers.

The rain had dyed down slightly, no longer was it hammering down as if threatening to drown the city but instead had become a light, continual shower, gently falling upon Ryker's face and hair as he sat with his eyes closed. Despite the calm atmosphere in the garden of the bathhouse with only the sound of running water and the quiet conversation of the two other customers, Ryker could hear the streets outside of his little walled in sanctuary bustling. Though it felt far away, and the noise was thankfully drowned out, he could still hear merchants call out their wares, the ever present thumping and hammering of dock workers and the occasional ring of a ship's bell.

Once the attendant had brought two buckets of hot water for the other men the young boy, likely not even a teen approached Ryker. "Sorry to disturb you sir, but will you be needing anything?" He said faintly as to not rouse the mercenary in the event he had fallen asleep.

[h3]Madame Rose[/h3]
Without a doubt, the first thing noticed by those who do not live by the seafront is the smell. As Madame Rose approached the wharf her nostrils were filled with the scent of salty sea air, the reek of fish, decaying wood and the stink of waste in the streets. A far cry from the perfumes and flowery scents found not just in her Brothel 'the Garden', but all over the Delucian district. 

As she came down the main street and made for the quay, she could see one of the Imperial Flagships just coming into view of the port. The massive battleship was armed with ballistae, catapults and even four cannons and a pair of handguns, with room for many soldiers to boot, had white and red sails, and flew a black flag bearing the House Sauvage coat of arms. An impressive vessel to say the least, and its return meant that Sir Obirrin Cheem was finished with whatever he had left to do and was due to return to the city soon.

A second contrast of smells hit Madame Rose as she walked through the front door of Velta's shoppe, which was a well maintained building in a street hidden just behind the first row of houses on the wharf. The little bell hanging above the entrace rang as Rose pushed the door open, and the inside of the shop smelled of perfumes and flowers not unlike the ones in the Delucian district.

[hr]
[h3]Delucian District[/h3]
[h3]Sir Luca[/h3]
The fact that the screaming had finally stopped was both a terrifying prospect and a relief at the same time. As Sir Luca threw the door open and rushed in he could see the midwife facing him with arms covered in blood holding his softly mewling nerborn wrapped in a clean woollen blanket, in the background his wife lay with her eyes closed, unmoving and without breath. The complicated mass of juxtaposed emotions hit him all once like a warhammer to the gut as the shaky midwife handed the child over while avoiding eye contact.

"I..." She paused with her mouth open, shock evident in her features as she looks at Sir Luca's and hears his proposal, until she finally finds the words. "That's illegal, m'Lord, a heinous crime." She pauses again, looking around the room. "And the Mage-Hunters will be here soon... We'd both hang." The midwife backs away and fidgets nervously, smearing blood all over her hands and wrists.

[hr]
[h3]Residential District[/h3]
[h3]Tomas De'Sean of the Salt[/h3]
Earlier on his way into the city, Tomas had wandered past field after field of farmland until he came to the city gates, the steel portcullis and wooden city doors were already open as the wandering troubadour made his way across the huge drawbridge over the river Avel which ran down from the north-western mountains to the sea and formed a semi-circular moat around the entire east side of the city. Guards dressed in leather and chain-mail and armed with spears lazily watched him as he entered, but didn't attempt to address him or get in his way.

The marketplace surrounded by shops of all different sorts, houses, apartments but no inn had a rich feel to it, and was the first thing once came across when entering the city. Tomas had been here before, however, and knew that the residential district to the north would house what he was looking for. The area north of the market was one of rich, stately homes only occasionally broken up by a building less pompous than the rest which seemed to stick out like sore thumbs in such a wealthy part of the city. Against the eastern city wall he could see the massive spires and ornate stained glass windows of the Grand Library, and further north loomed Castle Sauvage.

Here in the middle of the residential district by the fountain in the square was where Tomas found one of the city's many inns. Though this one was more of a restaurant with a bar service, and was known to be far more expensive and, according to the city folk who lived here, was classier than the rest. As Tomas approaches and addresses the barkeep the large, muscular man who wore an undercut gave a friendly greeting. "This here is the Golden Gryphon, my man. What can we do you for?"