[h2][center]A Real "Drowner"[/center][/h2]

"[color=996633] Drowners [/color]?" Keggar echoed, the short but stout hunter standing between the two long legs, burly arms crossed over his broad chest. "[color=996633] Drowner's are bitches.[/color]" 

He'd dealt with a few before, though they weren't exactly his forte'. Drowner's were usually Witcher's work. But it was still a hunt, and he'd be damned if he didn't get some work done in this town. He hadn't traversed the sea for the fresh air or the foreign women. Though he did enjoy both so far. 

He'd need to go get some oil. Not that fancy Witcher shite, but oil oil. Flame'd do well against those slimey bastards. Stay on your toes, don't get into deep water, it wouldn't be too hard. Hell, even without the fire, just figure out their attack pattern and gut 'em. Keep on the high ground. "[color=996633] Sounds easy enough.[/color]"
 
Kieran nodded, crossing his arms and saying, [color=gold] "Aye. Drowners are a nuisance, but not hard to kill, especially on their lonesome. It's packs where the danger lies. But I've had experience dealing with them. Three good swords is more than enough for this job." [/color] They both seemed to be quite capable, and Kieran noted that the dwarf's accent marked him as a foreigner while the swordsman had strange white hair. He didn't look like an albino, and he was quite young. Kieran's enhanced eyes showed him that the hue was natural, not a dye. Either he had some latent mutation or was touched by magic somehow. And both of them carried themselves professionally. Not men to be trifled with. He would have to keep a wary eye on them, in case either tried some trickery to increase their cut. 

As for the job itself, it troubled Kieran little. The young witcher had spent most of his career so far dealing with pests like drowners. Killing them was second nature by now. He couldn't use the Igni sign in front of these strangers or his silver sword in front of these strangers, but he would bring a torch, and he had the ingredients necessary to make necrophage oil; due to how ubiquitous necrophages were in his line of work. It wouldn't be the more sophisticated material his veteran comrades used, but it'd do the job. He could coat his steel sword in the oil and it'd work just as well. He'd just have to take care not to show off his mutant skills. Better to play the part of a trained sellsword. His main concern was finding the girl before it was too late. 

The incognito Witcher said, [color=gold] "These other drowner sightings, can you tell us more about them? Numbers of drowners sighted? Locations of sightings? Frequency? Is this girl the first to be abducted? When did they start?" [/color] The last and most important question, Kieran asked with a smile, [color=gold] "And no matter which way we slice it, we're not going to be able to split the coin equally three ways; so how should we do that?" [/color] To be perfectly honest, Kieran did not much appreciate two other sellswords tagging along and forcing him to handicap himself and take up the coin. But he couldn't do much about it that wouldn't draw even more attention to himself. Best to go along, get the job done, hopefully rescue the girl, and get paid.

[color=#00688B]"I wouldn't mind talking the smallest cut, seems like I'm the least seasoned in dealing with drowners in this particular trio."[/color] Niavak chimed in with a friendly half-smile, admitting his inexperience, [color=#00688B]"Not to say I haven't had the displeasure to have tussled with a few. Not much to brag about however."[/color] He eyed both the dwarf and the swordsman silently before continuing, [color=#00688B]"Well that, and I'm not too terribly pressed for crowns at the moment."[/color] He mentally noted the way they carried themselves make them seem more extraordinary than any hunter he's seen, and that's saying something. 

Kieran turned to the other two hunters, [color=gold] "Let's agree on this then. Each of us will keep the fee for the drowners we kill and the heads we bring back. Then we can divvy up the reward for finding the girl based on the division of labor and how succesful we are. Does that satisfy you?" [/color] Kieran didn't particularly want to share the reward, but if he was going to, then it wouldn't do to be overly stingy. He believed in fair wages for honest work. 

As the black-haired swordsman spoke, Monroe's curiousity became arroused. Those were a set of very specific questions he seemed to be asking, and given that the man claimed he'd dealt with them, Monroe could not help but wonder what his background was. He certainly wished that his own men were so inquisitive - maybe then they'd actually get more results. Monroe lightly tapped his boots on the table as he tried to recall the requested information, his metal greaves chinking each time. [color=lightslategray]"Been a couple of different sightings, but nothing really substantiated until now. Started a few weeks back. Had some sightings over on the north side of the port, nearer to the hanging prison - but given the amount of guards and mercs in the area, I would have thought there'd be some fighting."[/color] Monroe shifted slightly before continuing, [color=lightslategray]"There's also been a good few rumours of monsters roaming in the sewers beneath Hightown. Thieves and the like sometimes use the sewers to get around unnoticed or to have secret meetings. But word on the street is that a few wrong'uns have gone missing and now a lot of gangs are sticking to the surface instead. Could just be a rumour to stop us sniffing around though. No idea if anyone else has actually gone missing or how many drowners have been sighted."[/color] and with that he gave an exasperated shrug. 

Kieran absorbed all of Monroe's answers in silence, his mind working. He had studied a map of the City of Telchar extensively as Fridolf and him traveled to the city. And due to his training, his memory was quite robust. He didn't have nearly the same kind of intimate knowledge of the city a local would; but he knew enough to get a general layout of Telchar. As Monroe spoke about the possible drowner sightings, he plotted them on his mental map. Hightown and the ports near the Hanging Prison. Both in the northeastern half of the city, both close to the water. Kieran frowned and said, [color=gold] "If those rumors are true, then this infestation has spread in a substantial area through the city. We'll have to find out more information to narrow down the search. Tell me, this workshop, where is it? The craft's district or the central district?" [/color] 

The monster killer then said, [color=gold] "The best thing to do is to investigate the scene of the attack. I can gather more clues there, and it'll be a better use of time than mucking around in the sewers without any leads. I have a torch, but each of you better bring one as well. We'll need the light and fire is almost as good as a blade when dealing with drowners. If you have schematics for the sewer system, that'd be a big help as well. That way we can formulate a proper search and not get lost down there. A guide who knows the sewers would be even better." [/color] 

[color=lightslategray]"The Workshop is down on Agard Street, which is in the Crafts District. If you want a guide you'll have to find one of the masons or engineers that do work down there, but I couldn't tell you who to speak to for that. You won't find any maps here either, cause they're kept in the keep - and even those aren't complete from what I've heard."[/color] The guard captain replied, feeling less than helpful due to his own lack of knowledge. 

"Maps? Guides?" Keggar snorted, and then he laughed. He laughed a lot. In fact it was so uproarious that most people in the room would probably get very uncomfortable. 

Then he farted. 

"[color=996633]I can track a hawk in flight on a cloudy day.[/color]" The Dwarf claimed, pointing his thumb at his face. "[color=996633]Just stick with me if you want to find this cunt. But first, tell me where this Crafts District is. Might need a few materials somewhere if my own stock starts to get lacking. Not that I'm bad off now, don't ye fret.[/color]" The Dwarf grabbed his belt, self confident and ready to get to work. These human lads seemed meticulious, which was good he had to admit. But all the preperation in the world didn't outdo raw experience. 

Despite himself, Kieran smiled. He had grown up around Dwarves and it seemed that even from across the sea they were much the same. Loud, bearded, cocky, and not very gential. But that was all just fine to the young Witcher. He just wished, not for the first time, that his nose wasn't so keen. He could tell everything the dwarf had had to eat recently and it did not exactly make a pleasant aroma. 

Kieran didn't doubt that the dwarf was a fine tracker, but neither of the sellswords could match his senses or his training when it came to tracking. The mercenary just needed to be good in a brawl and from the look of the dwarf, he was exactly that. Kieran replied, "I should be able to lead us all to the Crafts District just fine, I studied the city maps. You can stock up on material and I can investigate the scene of the abduction. I believe that'd be a good place to start the search as well." 

Kieran stepped forward and pulled off his glove, holding out his hand for a firm handshake, "My name's Devan. What do they call you?" Kieran didn't want to give out his real name, to further conceal his true identity as a Witcher, but he was no Fridolf. No elaborate backstory here. Just a travelling sellsword named Devan, one of hundreds just like him drifting through the countryside. 

Niavak silently contemplated what was discussed here. Wiping away thoughts of his inexperience with drowners aside, he figured it was best follow the leads of the dwarf, and the young lad. One of his more reliable traits is his memory, being able to mentally keep track of his posessions was pretty important for sellswords. He had enough oil and had a few torches handy on his person. He continued listening wordlessly to the two's conversation as it went on.