Luthien
Luthien's nose wiggled at the devious poking finger. She shook her head and fluttered her ears in discomfort. "If it's not a problem, why bring it up..." Luthien complained. "But please, I'd be um, honored, to know the ways of your people!"
So she followed him inside, utterly and completely unprepared for the warzone she would find inside. She could barely follow the movements, even with her enhanced senses, and she had absolutely no idea what he was doing or how he was doing it!
Luthien grabbed all four of the tomes with her shadow and opened them all up at the same time, scanning through each book individually at the same time.
The Great RiverwaysThe great divide was once a greater mass of water, cutting across the entire city with no hope of crossing it. Legends say that the former 'Devil of all Seas', Megicula, still lies dormant within the depths of the gash. With her curses, she caused men, women and children around nearby villages to swell-up like balloons and twist inside out, until beasts of water emerged to drown out the lands. Some even gained a mind of their own, and kept themselves hidden. Others bid their time and reemerged over the years as powerful sea beasts, causing disasters and mutations to those unfortunate enough to be touched by their poisonous waters. Even now, some claim to follow the fallen demon's will.
But that can't be so. Even one of the four would never reemerge once drawing out the true ire of the Chief of all Chiefs. The legendary battle was of such scale, it twisted and warped the great divide itself. Now, another scar runs across the Nexus. A line drawn from a single punch.
A punchline.
Noble FamiliesSince the Nobles are surrounded by such extravagant wealth in every concievable form, money itself has almost entirely lost value as a means of transaction between them. All that matters are the percieved prestige you posses and the exchange of favours. Favours can be almost anything from the smallest of things to lifedebts and most of them can be traded freely within this domain
Naturally down in the Valley things are a lot different. Regular old capitalism rules the day, although the gang activity is fairly high here. Some believe the gangs are merely pawns of the nobles above, that they influence them and pit them against each other for their amusement. Such thoughts however are better not spoken in public as the eyes and ears of the Nobility reach far and wide.
There are many different families, each ancient and prosperous in its own right.
Many portraits were circled over and marked. Whoever originally owned the book had done a hell of a lot of homework. Unfortunately, it made that book the hardest to parse.
Fixers and OfficesIn essence, think of Fixer work as specialized, almost in the same vein as a spec ops group. The job of a Fixer is seen as an escape from a boring and dull lifestyle, since you get the chance to make a name for yourself and earn a large profit. Still, the life of a Fixer is filled with plenty of dangers. Not only do you run the risk of dying, but even large offices deal with syndicates and illicit organizations regularly, and strife between fixer offices isn't unheard of when dealing with interests of opposing parties.
Fixers are mostly a demand in the Backstreets, due to the high mortality rate and crime, but they appear in the Gardens and wealthier districts as well. Fixers often work as security for Corps, intel-gatherers, and hit men. The number of tasks and services providable are all-encompassing, but they mostly settle on similar hiring processes for consistency's sake.
Fixers work by signing contracts with their clients, this is proof of the deed done so that Associations or Offices can confirm that you did the work. Otherwise you won't get paid for it, completed contracts means more recognition for a Fixer's career, which will rise them through the ranks.
Due to the nature of Fixer work, social bonding isn't typically common. Seeing a dead colleague who was once your friend ends up messing up your focus and drags you through depression. As a result, veteran Fixers often focus on the task at hand, pushing away any sentimental thoughts. But while it's generally looked upon, it isn't unheard of for love to bloom on the battlefield. Who knows, if you join our office - you might just find the one! Bwahahaha!
...As a Fixer, you're bound to the Office or Association you work for, few if any have the chance to perform free-lance work, as every machination is tightly bound by contracts to offices and corporations, involving some that deal exclusively with forming said contracts - and the citadel, who uses its mysterious sorceries in order to tighten their grip in exchange for commissions with the higher grade offices.
To become a Fixer, one must obtain a "Fixer License" from the Association. To get the license, you'll have to meet the physical and mental requirements. After that, you should join one of the Offices. You can also strike out and take jobs on your own, but your very unlikely to make headway, as having the reputation of an Office boosts your chances for jobs considerably.
As Luthien flipped through the book's pages and scanned the intel diligently, something suddenly fell from one of the mercenary guide's pages. It was a photograph, however old, it didn't show its age at all. 12 people were crammed in one picture, some grinning and goofing around, others looked more stern, a few were panicking and trying to keep everything in order.
Surprisingly, Marc was something around the middle/right of the picture, kneeling while a tall blonde lady pinned him down in a painful-looking hammerlock, laughing while the poor man tried to keep it together. The picture was even signed with a buncha names and small notes. A large one scrawled over the photo too, witht he same golden ink the book was signed with.
Welcome to the club kiddo.
"Hm? Page turners, aren't they?" Marc's voice suddenly mused, riiiight behind Luthien.
