Cillian had risen to his feet as he spoke, and as the unusual pair turned to look at him, he took a tentative step closer to their table, the well-rehearsed smile never leaving his face. If nothing else, his introduction seemed to distract the pair from squabbling over the fat coin purse, and that was as good a start as any. 

	The pause in bickering was only short-lived, and Cillian quickly got the impression that the elf and the gnome were old friends, arguing back and forth, each looking to gain the upper hand. Cillian's smile didn't falter, but behind the pale blue eyes, his mind was racing to keep up with the overlapping intricacies of the conversation. He had the distinct feeling that he was being played, the pair perhaps sniffing out the oppurtunity that a fumbling newcomer might present. He had names now at least, but even those set him ill at ease. The elf was Saskia, and the gnome Calvin, but it had been the gnome's reaction that had surprised Cillian. Was it simply being introduced as a sidekick that had taken him by surprise, or was it the name itself? Before Cillian could ponder too long on the thought, his mind caught up with his ears, and he realised that the pair were looking at him expectantly. 

	Ever the showman, Cillian grinned widely again as he spread his arms wide. Perhaps the pair were looking to swindle him, or perhaps it was simply idle curiosity, but whatever the reason, they had agreed to be his audience, and Cillian had never been one to walk away from a willing audience. Taverns had been his stage countless times in the past, and despite the unfamiliarity of the city beyond the building's walls, the bard was in his element, the fire behind his eyes slowly flickering into a blaze as he spoke. 

	[b]"I have many tales to tell, if you only have the time, but it is a tale that I cannot yet tell that has brought me to this fair city. Ever since I was a boy, clinging to my mother's skirts, I was haunted by dreams of darkness. But this was not the darkness that plagues all children, the darkness of shadows and things that go bump in the night, this darkness was deep, and it called my name. It was only as I grew older, and heard the tales and legends of the world, that I learned the name of that darkness. The Blackwood. Ever since that day, the darkness has continued to call to me, and although my path has been long and winding, I always knew that it would eventually lead me here. The inky darkness waits on the other side of the raging waters, and I know that my fate lies within it. I am a man of legends and grand tales, and the Blackwood will grant me my greatest stories, I need only for someone to strike the first match. Friends, the two of you strike me as seasoned travellers, familiar with these parts. I wonder then, if your paths have ever led you beyond the water, and into the darkness beyond..."[/b]

	Cillian allowed himself to tail off, the sound of his own heart pounding in his ears, a single pale eyebrow raised towards the pair. He hoped that his hunch was correct, that the unusual pair would not be lingering in Greybridge without having travelled into the Blackwood, or at least know the tales of those that had. Perhaps this was a dead end, perhaps it would simply an oppurtunity to waste away some time, but Cillian could not shake the clinging sense that there was something else here, something more. 

	[hider=Getting To Know The Locals]
Attempt to charm the unlikely pair, in hopes that it might loosen lips (Charm) = [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/rolls/20628]3[/url] + 1 = 4
[/hider]