Welcome to Cove

The sound of clashing mugs of ale and the occasional bar bawl were filling the room when two petty thieves sat down at a table in the far corner of the tavern. As the sun slowly sank into the ocean more people came in and even though the average patron was generally a thief of a cutthroath, spirits in this place were high. The Buccaneer, named after the island town where this tavern was to be found was a haven for the weary criminal to get a mug of ale and relax for a while before heading out again. Two such criminals were Benny and Clyde, though small time, they were seasoned thieves and swindlers. As one of them went to the bar to fetch them some ale, the other turned around to another table and started a tale to those who were sitting there. New revellations in the local underworld it seemed and as the story went on, more and more unsavory types gathered around the story teller.

The story he told was as following...

"So, there we wos, right? Me an' Benny, jus' mindin' our own business, right? We won Cove, tha' backwater town nea' Vesper, right? Jus' wanderin' about, lookin' for some easy prey, alloyer knows what i's like, right?"

Clyde made wild and intense gestures, trying to emphasize his story, trying to make it seem like his was one of the greatest tales ever told.

"So, there we wos, dodgin' them Covian gua'ds, you knows, them wannabes lead by Baron Octavius. Well, them tries to seem organized an' all tha', but pfft... they be not a match when me and Benny be on ta job, right? So then we notices t's merchant guy, some yeller skin fella, looking like one of them samurai, but like... not, right? Well, when wes looked at 'im some mo', we notice tha' old geeza' be loaded wit' gems! So Benny goes up to 'im an goes "Ey old man!" and then I wen' outa hidin' as well an' snuck up on the guy, real assassin like, right?

After having finished this fourth mug of ale, he took a look around to see if he had raised enough attention to continue this "magnificent" tale. He motioned to the ones that were listening to come closer, then in a whispering voice he continued.

"So the old geeza tries to step past, right? An' Benny stopped him an' I wants ter sneak up to 'im like. So then Benny tries to grab ta guy right? And be he like woosh, an then he stood like BEHIND ME! With a knife on me troath!"

"Yeah, 'e moved like fast, but t'en 'eal casual like holdin' that skiv, 'aight? Like he be some e'o (hero) o' somethin'!", Benny then continued. Clyde gave Benny a foul look and then yelled "Look! Me's tellin' stories now right? Shadap!! ...and all the attention was directed at Clyde again.

"So then 'e spoke with this yeller accent, right? Like some posh noble, right? All polite an' like 'e was better than us! Can yer believe it right? Anyway, t'is be what he said..."

[FLASHBACK - the story flashes to a scene of oriental noble, standing calmly behind one of the criminals, with one arm extended, holding a finely crafted dagger to the throath of the one who tried to sneak up to him]

The old man fixed a cold look on Benny, who stood there, looking somewhat confused as if he still could not quite grasp what just happened. The old man then spoke in a cold but calm voice, as if perfectly at ease yet very confident that he was the one in control of the situation.

"Konnichiwa, watashi desu wa Kazuo Shinrai, gokinka no Octiovus-san. Or perhaps if you would perfer in your own language... I am Kazuo Shinrai, a merchant true to Baron Octiovus. However, there are many aspects as to being a merchant. One of the main ones being dealing with competition, mainly getting rid of their businesses without raising suspicion upon one self. Now please be gone before my bodyguards arrive, I shall call upon you when you can make yourself of use to me."

The old man then conceiled the dagger in his sleeve and calmly paced towards the bank of Cove to deposit a bag of gems he was carrying. The two had-been assailants were left looking like deer in headlights...

[FLASH FORWARD -Back to the table where the brigands were telling their tale]

"So ahh... it be lookin' like there be business ter do in Cove then, right? Per'aps see wha' kinda loot we can find there, right? Benny an' mehself be goin' back soon!"

For the rest of the evening, most lesser thugs we occupied with the thoughts of a possible penny to be made by a new emplpyer in Cove. If they proved theirselves worthy, surely they would reap the benefits!