Barris Isengrim walked his faithful mule Victor through the crowded streets of Ardent's Fall, the Dwarf Gunslinger being in a state of mental contrition. For while the sights, smells, and overall jubilation of the Festival of Broken Conquerors were great enough to merely begin to approach the average day of controlled chaos within The Charred Republic, he was in no immediate mood to partake in the Festivities or even take much notice of much since he'd passed the city gates.

For Barris was here on business, particular business that perplexed him greatly. He had previously been tailing a mark he'd been assigned to from a client, a fellow who'd ratted out on his fellow gangsters with the Constabulary in Redcliffe. Unfortunately for the mark, at least one of his former compatriots had escaped to the Charred Republic and had set about seeking a hunter who'd be willing to exact vengeance on him, Barris being available, and not being particularly picky on jobs, had taken the job as the client offered a a fairly tidy sum in a pouch of rubies as reward. 

It hadn't taken Barris long to find his target when he got to Redcliffe, though the city was vast, every active criminal knew where the mark was, what with the snitch having become a paranoid individual with city watchmen having a patrol guard his house and check all of his visitors. He waited for a week, in an inn down the street, watching his target's routines and tailing him when he could, and had thought of a few appropriate times to make his move. Unfortunately for Barris's plans, his mark threw a snag into them, as he overheard a conversation among watchmen entailing that they were to move the mark into protective custody, apparently someone had found out that he was a wanted man with hunters out to kill him.

Barris had no choice, he'd not wait however long the proceedings would go, or for the man's paranoia to finally break before getting the job done, and he wasn't going to drop a job and disgrace his name to his clients. So, he decided to be bold. A contingent of watchmen had come to escort the mark to their headquarters in Redcliffe, and Barris raced through the streets ahead of their route to cut them off, and stepping his way through the slightly crowded streets, waited for them to pass, his hand ready and guns loaded. The escort passed and within a moment faster than one could blink, a pistol cleared leather, a crack and flash like lightning and thunder, and with a smell of gunpowder filling the air, Barris shot between the guards, his shot catching his target in the chest, he didn't know if he even killed the man on the first shot but he didn't have time to check. Everyone on the street panicked, horses bucked riders off their mounts and general chaos ensued, but the trained and veteran Town Watch of Redcliffe moved with purpose, sounding the alarm and giving chase to the Dwarven hitman, who fired a couple more stray shots at the tailing Watch while bolting. 

In his rush to get Victor and his belongings, he ran back to inn where he had been staying, only to find Watchmen there. The innkeep must have tipped them off this morning and suspected the Dwarf was up to no good. They surrounded Barris, who surrendered himself and was taken into custody. His charges were murder of a civilian, the attempted murder causing injury of 2 watchmen, inciting mass panic causing minor property damage, and criminal conspiracy to commit murder being the most notable charges. Combined all of which carried a hefty sentence, he wasn't executed. Barris' luck had run out, his impatience and greed had led him to take a job he probably should have dropped and had led to him making stupid mistakes.

He was resigned to almost pleading guilty and accepting a slightly lighter sentence, or even worse, offering the watch his entire savings as a massive bribe, but then something very strange happened. The officers released him, and the charges were dropped, with his belongings all returned to him and a sealed letter bearing the Talon Company's emblem was with them. Barris knew of the company by name, but knew actual little of their business or their interests, merely that they had a great deal of power within the world to get what they wished. Which in his case was evidently true if they were able to leverage his charges into being dropped. He felt immense relief but also curiosity as to why the Talon Company would do this, Barris wasn't ungrateful, but he was suspicious as to who specifically he was indebted to.

Regardless, the letter's content proved his suspicions that this was not out of charity, the Talon Company wanted him for a job in Ardent's Fall, with all expenses being covered by them, and for him to arrive on the 18th of Summerhill of this year. Though for what this job entailed, the letter was incredibly vague, and only seemed to imply that there would be others working alongside him, and that they were asked to enjoy the Festival of Broken Conquerors. 

Knowing better than to cross people with the power to exert great influence over constabularies and Gods knew what else, Barris set out for Ardent's Fall as soon as he had been able. His client in The Charred Republic could wait, it would take too long for him to get to that underground paradise of libertines beneath High Mist from Redcliffe and get back to Ardent's Fall in time for the stated date. And he'd done the job anyway, if his client didn't have his payment ready for him or it had mysteriously vanished when he got back, he'd take it and more out of the bastard's cheating corpse, maybe his relatives too, that would depend on how pissed Barris was.

These were the thoughts going through Barris' head as he led Victor along the waterfront of Ardent's Fall to where they were supposed to meet and be staying: "The Wrangled Drunkard", a fairly impressive-looking inn by Barris's standards which looked to be fairly bustling within with all manner of drunkards, gamblers, and patrons of all kinds brought here by the port and Festival. His kind of place. Walking over to the stables adjoining the inn, he showed his letter to the stable-hand and asked that Vic be given a spot and looked after. The mule, loaded with luggage as he was, was led into the stables by the hands, while Barris walked through the front door of the inn, pulling back his hood and looking around at the liveliness of the place. Grinning beneath his red beard as he approached the bar and climbed up to a recently vacated stool. Not even interested in a drink yet so as getting off his feet from the long road.

He had no fucking clue as to what he was going to be asked to do, or who he was going to be working with but even he could admit that anything was better than his circumstances before this.