The Last Gulp was a two story, wooden building. It sat just past the docks, and to Kel it certainly looked like the kind of rough and tumble establishment that would cater to sailors and mercenaries. Even as they approached, she could see a few of the patrons taking their drinks at the tables outside were eyeing the girls. They were probably regulars, taking note of a band of outsiders coming in if Kel had to guess.

“I come here all the time…” Niva said.

...or, Kel mused, they could have been people Niva had pissed off and who weren’t happy to see her coming back around.

“…and you just have to act like you belong,” she continued.

“What’s the plan?” Kel asked.

“Uhhh… go in and start asking about what the Tide Masters have been up to lately?” Niva said.

“You already admitted that it wasn’t them,” Jazathya objected.

“I admitted that I made up all the evidence,” Niva countered. “That doesn’t prove they aren’t guilty.” So saying, she swung the bar’s door open and walked in, leaving the others to follow her.

Jazathya sat the cuddlefish down just outside the door. “You be good and stay here, okay? I’ll be right back,” she said.

“Mip!” the cuddlefish replied as she entered the bar.

The bar’s interior was filled with tables. The atmosphere was raucous, with the room packed full of armed men and women in the middle of vigorous carousing. Laughter and cursing both filled the air, drowning out the bard singing on a stage set against the back wall. Two spiral staircases led up to a gallery that ran along the walls, leaving the middle of the second floor with an open view down to the floor below.

“Investigate them if you want, but be sure to ask about Kashin too,” Kel ordered. “And remember: be discrete.”

“Fine. You two can be discrete down here,” Niva said. “I’m going to go have a chat with some acquaintances of mine upstairs.” With that, she was off, leaving the other two behind.

“Let’s split up too,” Kel said, eliciting a nod from Jazathya. “Meet back up if you find out anything.”

Kel turned left and, deciding the closest table was as good a place to start as any, approached it. “Excuse me,” Kel said. “I’m looking for…” The people at the table ignored her. She approached another, but between the constant noise and the patrons’ apathy for outsiders, she went unheard.

Five more minutes of bouncing from table to table, nearly bumping into a poor barmaid carrying a tray of drinks and a roast duck in the process, and one man finally deigned to answer her.

“Whaddya want?” asked the gruff looking man in chain mail.

“I’m looking for a man named Kashin Qadullah. He’s a Diver in the Twilight Eye guild. Do you have any information on him?”

“Name might sound familiar,” the man said. “What’s it worth to ya?”

Kel sighed and fished five shelat out of her pouch, putting them in the man’s offered palm.

“Feels a mite bit light to me,” he said. Rolling her eyes, she added 10 more to the pile in his hand.

“Hmmm, you said you’re lookin’ for Kashin Qadullah, right?” the man asked.

“Yes.”

“’Fraid I ain’t never heard that name before in my life!” he said as he burst out into cruel laughter. He turned back to the group sitting at his table. “Next round’s on me, lads!” Kel rested her head in her palm, walking away in frustration.

She was approaching her twentieth table when she heard a voice behind her. “Are you looking for someone, ma’am?” Turning to the speaker, Kel beheld a tan man dressed in a poet shirt with black hair and a curled mustache.

“Yes, I…” Kel started.

“Excellent!” the man exclaimed, putting a hand on her shoulder and guiding her to a table in the corner. He pulled out a chair for her before seating himself. “You can call me Capernio. And you, madam?”

“I’m Dame Keloran Beriss.”

“A beautiful name for a beautiful lady,” he said with a wink. “I won’t pry into what a knight is doing in a bar for Divers and seamen. The discretion to know when not to ask questions: it’s professional courtesy, you see, when your profession is selling information. It also tends to help in keeping one’s head secured onto one’s shoulders.”

“And how do I know you actually have anything useful?” Kel asked.

“No charge unless I have something good for you,” he said. “So it can’t hurt to give me a chance. Now describe this man you’re looking for.”

“His name’s Kashin Qadullah, and I can do one better than a description,” she said as she pulled out the copy of Kashin’s file she’d been given by the Twilight Eye. The top of the paper was taken up by a thin sheet of frost, which contained the unmoving reflection of the face of a bronze skinned man with black hair and a long beard.

Capernio whistled in respect. “My, a frozen reflection! I suppose you aren’t just some jilted lover out looking for the man who abandoned her. Let me take a look-see…” he trailed off as he quickly scanned over the paper’s contents. “I’m not familiar with the name, and I had no idea he was part of the Twilight Eye, but the face I do recognize. He came in here several times over a period of a few weeks starting two months ago, using the alias ‘Abdohl.’ He was asking around for information about crazy old Jabod.”

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Jabod?” Kel inquired.

“That will cost extra,” he explained, to which Kel quickly nodded. “Jabod used to be a Diver guild master, but that was decades ago. The guild he led dissolved years ago. See, as he started getting older, he abandoned the guild. He married a siren he met down in the Depths and had a mansion built right here on this very island, where he lives as almost a hermit. They say he’s dumped his entire fortune into research on immortality.”

“What did Kashin want to know about him?”

“He was interested in what sort of things Jabod has been buying, what materials he’s posted bounties for with the Divers, whether he had any particular vices or debts, whether he was associated with any religious groups. Seemed to me that he was hoping to recruit Jabod for something or find leverage for negotiating a sell.”

“And what would Jabod be interested in buying?”

“There’s quite a list, actually,” Capernio said. “But I have the impression you want to know whether he’d be a potential buyer for a very specific item.”

Kel glanced around the room briefly. Then she quietly said, “Would he be interested in something that could increase the potency of magical ingredients or potions?”

“Oh yes,” Capernio said. “Jabod is quite the alchemist, and many of his experiments are said to involve potions. If whatever it is that Kashin stole was related to alchemy, Jabod would be a wealthy, safe, and discrete buyer.” Kel narrowed her eyes at him. “Please, don’t insult me by thinking I couldn’t read between the lines about what’s happening here. Kashin’s clearly crossed the Twilight Eye by running off with an alchemy related magical item of some type.”

“You haven’t heard that the Twilight Eye had a cauldron stolen from them?” Kel asked.

“Not until just now,” Capernio said, leaning forward. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to tell me about it in exchange for a discount.”

“I’m sorry, but no,” Kel firmly replied. “How much?”

“45,” he said, and Kel counted out the coins for him. “Pleasure doing business with you. If you ever need to know anything else, come right back down to your old pal Capernio, you hear? I’ll be waiting.”

He waved goodbye as she got up and walked away. She weaved through the crowd until she found Jazathya. “Any luck?” Kel asked.

“Not as such,” Jazathya said. “I didn’t get a lead, but I did hear about someone else we could go to for help tracking the cauldron.”

“Who?”

“A freelance diviner,” Jazathya said. “Divination is rare enough as it is, but apparently here in Darazzo most diviners wind up strong-armed into joining a guild. It helps them maintain a monopoly on information about where to search the Depths for the best treasures.”

“Perfect,” Kel said. “Who are they?”

“A witch in Reeftown,” Jazathya said.

Kel put her hands on her hips. “I am not going to a cultist or the spirits she worships for help.”

“Our heads are on the line!” Jazathya objected. “You dragged me into this. I’m not dying just because you’re too proud to ask for help from a heretic.”

“The Church…”

“Is the Church going to send a prophet of Augustinos to track down this stupid stolen bowl for us? No? Then the priests have no right to complain.”

“But this is…”

“But nothing!” Jazathya growled. “If you don’t want to come, Niva and I will go alone.”

“Why are we even arguing over this? We don’t need help. I got a real lead.”

“Why didn’t you say so earlier? What did you find?” Jazathya asked.

“There’s a wealthy alchemist named Jabod who lives on this island. Kashin was planning a meeting with him.”

Jazathya smiled. “Perfect!” She craned her neck, looking around the room. “Now where’s Niva so we can get out of this damn hellhole and track him down?”

A scream rang out from the second story, and two bodies toppled over the gallery railing, crashing down onto and breaking a table not far from where Kel and Jazathya stood. The two rushed over as quickly as possible and saw Niva on the ground, brawling with a tall, thin elf man with long blond hair.

The elf currently held the advantage, as he was on top of Niva, pummeling her with both fists as she tried to block with her forearms. As soon as she reached the edge of the crowd which had gathered in a circle around them, Kel dashed forward, summoning her shield and jumping straight at the elf. He didn’t have time to react as the shield, backed by the momentum of Kel’s entire body, crashed into him. He was knocked straight off Niva, his body sprawling onto the floor.

Kel herself was back on her feet before him. “What the hell is going on?” she asked as Niva and the elf both recovered from the shock and stood up.

“This lying bitch accused my guild of theft,” the elf spat.

“I was just asking a few questions!” Niva shot back. “You seem a little sensitive about anybody mentioning stolen property and the Tide Masters in the same breath. What’s the matter, guilty conscience?”

“’Asking questions?’ Bullshit!” he screamed. “No real man could sit back and listen to the slander you were spewing.”

“Sounds like exactly what a thief would say when cornered,” Niva said.

“And a kelp-addict like you is the great detective who found me out, huh? Getting so out of control that you’re hallucinating conspiracies of thieves now, Niva?”

Kel stepped in between the two. “Sir, I apologize for my companion’s behavior. I think it’s best if we left.” With that, she walked towards the door, Niva and Jazathya quickly following as the crowd parted before her.

“Think you can just run away?” the elf called after them. “Fine! Run! I’m going to be seeing all three of you soon, along with a few friends of my own! We’ll see if you can’t learn some manners then!”

As soon as they were out of earshot of the bar, Kel turned to Niva. “What in the hell was that about?”

“I was just asking around to see if anybody had seen the Tide Masters do anything suspicious lately,” Niva said. “Then, out of nowhere that thin-dicked maniac runs up and starts telling me I’m insulting his stupid guild or something. I won’t stand for the kinds of things he was saying about me, so punches start flying.”

“’Punches start flying’?” Kel asked. “Interesting how you don’t mention who started it.”

“Ugh, okay, the punches started when I tried to smash his stupid smug face, happy?”

“No, I’m not happy!” Kel said with an exasperated sigh. “But it’s over for now. Let’s just ask around for the way to Jabod’s place.”

“The bird-fucker?” Niva asked. “Why are we talking to him?”

“Apparently, he had contact with Kashin before he went missing,” Jazathya explained.

“Well count me out,” Niva said. “I’ve had enough bullshit for one day without having to traipse through the jungle and back. I’ll head back up to the city, see if I can find out anything more about those Tide Masters bastards out there.”