Tables started to shift a little as Corvayne walked with Lady Blood Claw, thinking about mercenaries. He was pretty sure they had two picks, maybe three given Mister I was looking for one and Spears the other, with Bell and Grunt not interested.

Corvayne thought about their goals. Truth be told, He was fairly sure that any level 5 fight would be well in hand for the group. They were spending money to get information, and he thought there might be a way to capitalize on it. Could they identify strangers while they sifted through who to pick? It might help them figure out if they wanted to pursue a quest with someone, and if it was worth seeing a high tier in action for the price.

"Let's say we have three picks. For our first pick, I want to pay alot, a few black shards, for a system expert who can tell us about the people we see. We can even let them know if the others would put us at 13, they get paid to just drop before the boss."

Lady Blood Claw smiled, lemony yellow skin not prompting something that [[Unity]] gave away. "We can use that and see if there's evolutions for our classes, correct?"

"And maybe also see if I can get a better character sheet."

Corvayne focused on finding an Investigator.

Stepping up to the first table, it looked to be an elvish woman blonde hair wearing a green top and daisy dukes showing off creamy thighs, facing away from them reading a book. A blue rapier was at her side...

Hari turned around, saw Corvayne and clearly was embarrassed. "Corvayne?! Why are you looking for elf girls here?!?"

"That is not what I'm doing Hari."

[[Unity]] had traces of disbelief. Corvayne was ready to walk away, but Lady Blood Claw hooked his elbow with her hand. "Are you Mercing for money instead of watching Wick?"

"She's with Dawn and as safe as she can get so, I mean, what's wrong with making money? People pay a lot of money for [Investigate]!" She put her head down on the table in her arms. "You guys are looking at me like I'm some sort of lady of the night!"

Lady Blood Claw tapped her boot with hers. "You acted guilty. Also, I've never seen your underwear showing."

Hari put her hands over the bottom of her pants. Lady Blood Claw gave her a bored look. "I mean, I didn't think you wore underwear. You exposed yourself the couple of weeks we lived together enough that I think I have a pretty good grip on that."

Corvayne didn't think Hari really wandered around naked...

Sudden memories of the first loop where his elvish ex and him thought they were alone in the warehouse and how she egged him on to christen rooms flooded into his mind. He kept his poker face forward, not daring to look at Lady Blood Claw but felt sweat starting to form on his brow. He was almost certain if he looked at her, she'd be looking at him sideways. He mentally appologized. Sorry Lady. I really thought we were alone or everyone else was asleep!

"We won't bother your business any longer." Corvayne said stiffly, turning away to see if there was a hole to crawl into.

Hari grabbed his shirt. "Wait, are you guys looking for someone to [Investigate]?"

Corvayne's first instinct was to say no, but he stopped and considered it. She probably wouldn't charge them, but he also wanted an in depth look at himself. "We were going to try to find someone with a very high tier job and pay them to give us extra info on the people we were looking at. Also to maybe get us some info we can't get with specialists we have."

Hari started to stand then stopped, lowered herself into her seat, and frowned. "Would it be too painful to ask me?"

Corvayne did not look directly at her puppy dog eyes. "Sorry Hari."

"It's okay, I earned it... wait!" She took her book and started flipping through it. "Try to hire a 'Path Investigator'. They are a class that specializes in figuring out how something got to the state they are in."

Corvayne found he didn't have to force a smile. "You know what? That's EXACTLY what we need."

Lady Blood Claw was quiet as they waded deeper into the bar. They had to pass lots of tables that gave him Hari and very slight alternate versions of the elf that, after a second and third try, clearly had some sort of history with some Corvayne.

The first person they approached afterwards was also a female elf but with grey hair and glowing red eyes with faint glowing orange veins. It took Corvayne introductions and a discussion about what they were looking for before he realized that it was another Hari as well, but one that did not seem to recognize him. They spoke for a few moments, but she wasn't a Path Investigator and seemed to pick up some sort of reluctance on Corvayne's part.

"Did I offend you, sir?"

Lady Blood Claw held up a hand. "Alternate version of you dumped him."

Not-Hari frowned. "I would not be adverse to helping him work those feelings out for free if they involve lingering physical attachment." Definitely some form of Hari, Corvayne thought.

She continued, "Though after... THE INCIDENT people have told me the lack of strong emotions had made me rather undesirable."

Lady Blood Claw thought about it. "Did the system give you a quest to try to bring your feelings back?"

Corvayne was struck how LBC generally had a laser focus on their own goals and quest, so he couldn't see her angle in doing anything but standing up and finding someone who would give them exactly what they wanted. That wasn't entirely true. She did have a kind side.

The woman nodded. "I have been told that some people who are aware of quests get it. But I'm not very assertive about trying to get them back. Strong emotions are uncomfortable. I faintly miss the highs but do not miss the lows at all."

Lady Blood Claw looked at Not-Hari and Corvayne found himself convinced there was something going on under her placid gray poker face, even with the [[Unity]] door between them firmly closed on her side. It was a faint gleam in her eyes. Was it pity? Or perhaps self pity? [[Unity]] told him there was an edge or hole, and Lady was prickly when she felt her skin was giving herself away.

When she spoke, it was very measured. "If we meet again, perhaps we can help you."

They thanked Not-Hari for speaking with them, and she asked their names and told them her name was Haauri, which Corvayne mentally decided was close enough to Hari to keep thinking of her as Not-Hari.

Walking away, he felt a little crappy. "Is it buried feelings?"

Lady Blood Claw took a deep breath, and Corvayne waited. She was more talkative these days, but also would stop and think about what she wanted to say. He appreciated she was careful. "The first was because we have a connection, the next two were all you dwelling on Hari. I tried to get Hari but as stranger when I realized it could get different versions."

"Why?"

"I thought about a Hari that would get you to not focus on Hari anymore."

Corvayne thought about it. "It kind of worked? I think I found incident Hari... more mature. So Hari herself will get there, even if she might not."

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

"Right. Path Investigator with a high tier."

They turned the corner and Corvayne saw someone who looked VERY much like him, in a barett, and black clothes with an small red scarf smoking a cigarette. In lue of a spear, a baugette was slung over his back.

"Bonjour-"

Lady Blood Claw tugged his arm a few tables down. Once again, she was stained some deep color of blueberry. "LBC what was that?"

"Keep going."

"That looked like me-"

"Keep. GOING." She hissed through clenched teeth.

The tables became booths along a wall of indeterminate length. A few tables in they found an elf man with dark glasses smoking a cigarette, considering a small jewellery box. He had a five o'clock shadow, drab olive clothes that suggested to Corvayne an army. On the table was bottle of dark wine, an circular glass ashtray, a notebook with a pencil tucked into the wire spiral, a pack of cigarettes with 'Gaulish' written on it, and a small sign in a floursh filled script that said 'Path Confidant for hire'.

The man looked up at them and then back down at his task. He did not directly acknowlage them, but he did move the bottle and ashtray as Lady Blood Claw sat down. Corvayne could see the man had small knife pockets in his clothes, and some small things that did not match his attire. Probably also a caster, given what he knew of Hari. The man shifted to square up with LBC and Corvayne was secretly glad that he saw Lady lean away from the informant to meet Corvaynes eyes and communicate to be patient. When he sat she moved on the seat to put her legs and arms in contact with his, and he saw the man shrug.

LBC let up [[Unity]] to send him reassurance, and a hint of amusement and annoyance that he, if he didn't know better, would think she was saying with her feelings 'Silly boys'. He could not imagine her actually saying that.

"Leigue." The man stated, offering his hand more to Lady's side. She shook it. "Lady Blood Claw. This is Corvayne. We are looking to book your services."

Leigue nodded. He then placed the object he was examining away, then stood still smoking. With his glasses Corvayne couldn't follow his eyes to see if he was staring or looking up in thought or had them closed and had fallen asleep. All he could see is the slowly retreating line of orange around the man's cigarette, it's hazy smoke swirling around the light. He was struck that they had found either some naturally pure form of 'cool shady informant' who effortlessly embodied that he was at ease in the bar, smoking and drinking forever and jotting down some important information, or someone who knew exactly what sort of aura he wanted to put out and was meticulously and flawlessly presenting that image in an effort to find clients who wanted whatever exactly he was offering in it's perfect form.

Probably the second. [[Unity]] suggested he was more interested in seeing how Lady Blood Claw's shifting colors handled mucous membranes then money. His next words confirmed it. "You cannot afford me. I do not dabble in gold."

He touched his glasses to adjust them then folded his arms, leaning back and mirroring LBC's pose.

"We don't either." Lady Blood Claw did a little bit of slight of hand to pretend the black shard she had pulled from her ring had been hidden in the front of her jumpsuit. She tossed it on the table one would throw an ante, then put her thumb against her lips and leaned back. Corvayne felt something small enter his inventory from hers, which he didn't think worked except that [[Unity]] flared a little when she did, and he watched her pull a cigarette from her hair.

"A light please, Corvy." She said bored as she put it in her mouth, and Corvayne palmed the item she had given him and found it was a silver lighter. He flicked it, and she leaned over while holding her hair, then slid back to leaning back and took a drag from it. He secretly was impressed that LBC didn't start coughing because she sure as heck didn't smoke. More likely it was some Tower boss chest oddity reskinned potion.

The man saw the shard and froze a moment, then leaned in and picked it up, putting a hand on his glasses to lift them. His eyes were a vibrant gold and Corvayne watched as multiple irises moved and shifted while he examined it.

"You realize that I do not give change, and I will not go past floor 15. My goals down here are not glory or riches."

"But we all have to eat, don't we?" Lady Blood Claw gave him a little smile. Corvayne looked at what she was doing and thought about the movie where the cop, who on his off time was also a galactic smuggler and archeologist, was trying to murder all the short lived dopplegangers with a huge gun. Blade Gunner? Yeah. She was pretending to be the sex bot from Blade Gunner. Same half lidded expression, same poise.

"What exactly is this payment for then?"

"We are looking for connections. Long term prospects. I want a scout to make sure they didn't take incorrect paths. You need not lift a finger, and are free to leave after the boss or if our allies finds tally 13."

"That's it?"

"I need my companion's status looked at as a final favor. I want to see if he has the hidden stats I think he does."

"Unless it takes you three days to find the other mercs, all that is covered."

"And ID on our items.”

Leigue nodded. “No more then 100.”

“We are taking turns on picking. Look through Corvayne's things.”

Corvayne heard the man mutter “Rich kids.” under his breath, but Lady Blood Claw was already moving. The man briskly walked to catch up to Corvayne.

“Interesting woman.” He said.

He had probably ID'd them already, so Corvayne just nodded.

“There is a lack of passion in here that is refreshing at least from the other young masters I see. Or are you the master and she your helper?”

Corvayne changed his bearing to suggest quiet wisdom by just looking forward, straightening his back a little more, and wearing a faint smile.

“Hmm.”

The first person that Lady Blood Claw wanted to look at was a eight foot tall furry warrior, maces, swords, and daggers all over what looked like fishnet. Their pants had smaller maces, and Corvayne wasn't sure how they would use them aside from maybe holding them between his big furry fingers.

Leigue did a quick invocation and windows appeared before him and Lady Blood Claw.

Vosh Grosh the Bloodfist. Level 27 Blurred Armsmaster (5)/Level 16 Relentless tracker (3)

Cons: Yellow – Close to level and tier. Even match. Good synergies, poor equipment. Is self improving for more finesse and utility. Good luck little guy! Violent, but developed code of honor means doesn't generally kill people who were not (sort of) asking for it.

Self applied status message: Boss price: 150 Gold (Less than 5 minutes or your money back)

Warrior - > Strength Warrior → Man At Arms → Armsmaster → Blurred Armsmaster.

Core Traits: Weapon Proficiency, Multi-strike, Cross Skill, Hybridize Weapon Skill, Double Chain Weapon Skills.

Core Powers: Blood Taker, Brutal Recovery, Con+

Notes: 43 unspent stat points.

Notes: 43 unspent skill points.

High skills: Mace 35, Sword 32 (+3 Armsmaster), Dagger 25 (+10 Armsmaster), Dodge 25, Fortitude 30, Survival 15, Weapon Care 31.

Lady Blood Claw waved them on. Corvayne found the window wasn't fading.

“How long does the info stay up?”

“Until you choose to erase it or if you get hit with a dispel.” The high level investigator was smoking.

He tried to slide it over and found thinking about it could minimize it and bring it back up.

Moving on, they found a man who was also shirt-impaired. He seemed to have no hair aside from eyebrows, with a leather harness showing off a fit body and black leather pants. Scars covered him. He was pumping iron while sitting facing away from the table he was at. The main feature was a huge sword on his back, which gleamed almost chrome where bands of black like night didn't run up and down it.

Tee Zaksaa the Ceaseless Level 41 Focused Armsmaster (5)/Level 21 Aesthetic(2)

Cons: Orange – Challenging. Higher level and tier. Overperforms compared to similar class/levels. Careful disposition may be holding them back. They miss their hometown and the sweetheart they left behind, but are afraid to go back and face that they've outlived most of the people they knew.

Self Appointed Message: 250 Green Crystals – Solo Clear Chest Guard 5 ++++. 500 Green Crystals, next five floors Solo Clear Chest Guard 10 +++. Same price ++++ 10 for skilled groups. Looking for: Floor 15-20 20 person+ High Danger Zones.

No sex offers, no harem offers. Romance – Okay. Be nice to Dungeon people or else.

Soldier → Swordsman → Blade Master → Armsmaster → Focused Armsmaster.

Core Traits: Sword Mastery, Improved Sword Attacks, Weapon Defense, Cross Focus: Swords, Sword Skill Efficency.

Core Powers: Improved Critical, Improved Reach, Second Wind

Artifacts: 1/3 Milk Blood. 3/3 Terminal Mercury Blade

Notes: 62 unspent stat points.

Notes: 62 unspent skill points.

High Skills: Sword 85, Dodge 43, Fortitude 56, Smithing 33, Awarness 31

Lady Blood Claw sat down and asked what he was looking for in skilled parties. He glanced at her and Corvayne and then spoke very eloquently for someone who looked like they spent a few years getting chewed on by bears.

“You look like you would fit the bill. Both yellow green, with the elf there a solid yellow. I'd have to see your support.”

“Thanks. We might be back.” Lady Blood Claw bowed and left him to weight lifting.

She didn't waste time, moving across tables to one with a woman in a gold dress, gold earrings, a gold tiara, Silver tattoos of what looked like lines running up and down her arms, gold blonde hair, and silver eyes. She didn't have an obvious weapon, but Corvayne suspected it would be colored gold. Looking carefully, the gold was something rolling over her skin.

Buh'Bo Truegold - Level 20 Arms Caller(5) (+5 from 25 Armsmaster)/Level 10 Summoner (2)/// Spoiled Princess (1)

Cons: Deep Green – Higher Tier but fights under their expected efficiency. System rates use of extremely powerful advantages, survival rate, and likely hood of finding a mate that meets their standards all very low. Might be interesting to try to fix?

Self applied status message: Submit to my will and assist me in recovering my kingdom, and you will be rewarded as my loyal vassal.

Caller → Summoner → Imbuer → Weapon Summoner → Arms Caller

Core Traits: Enhanced Summoning, Caller's Bond, Summoning: Animate Weapons Focus, Shared Skill: Summoned weapons, Weapon Pact.

Core Powers: Status Resistance+, Bloodline: Auric form, Second Chance (Spent)

Artifacts: Blood Line: Ribbon 3/3. Blood Line: Gold Mail 3/3. Blood Line: Neutronium Blade 0/3.

Notes: 45 unspent stat points.

Notes: 45 unspent skill points.

High Skills: Diplomacy 24, Intrigue 20, Summoning 17, Rapier 10, Parry 7.

Lady Blood Claw curved away from the glaring woman. “Is it known who writes their summary?”

Leigue shook his head, but went from looking bored between spell casts to suddenly using his hands to speak at them. “Hmm? You see them too? A few people see it at my Tier of investigate, most do not. You would think the System either knows it's synergies 100 percent or would have no comment, so one theory is that there's an observer who is like the Inn Keeper, or The Assassin, where there's some role that just gets fed highlights and summarizes them.”

Corvayne knew it was another tangent, but he had already figured out what Lady Blood Claw had done with her first three examples and could tell her such. “Is the unspent stat and skill points a trade secret? It looked like all of them had close to their levels untouched.”

Leigue pulled his glasses up. “Unspent what?”

Lady Blood Claw nearly knocked Corvayne over putting her hand over his mouth. “It seems you are not privy to this particular secret.”

“I can pull up Stats. It's just a longer ritual. What do you see on a window?”

Lady Blood Claw smiled and Corvayne suspected no acting was present to make it look shark-like. “If you can help us get what I want, Mister Leigue, we will give you a secret worth far more then a pitiful shard of black essence.”