(This story is about a character I play in a Spire Campaign. If you want to know more about the setting, please google the TTRPG Spire. When creating him, I also took more freedoms than were intended by the rules, with the approval of my fellow players and GM of cause.)

The bar was fuller than usual. People bustling around, drinking, playing games, having fun. Unusual for a bar in Red Row, but not unheard of in the Glamour bar. Everyone knew that causing any trouble in there would be the last thing they would do. And not even the guards dared to come in and confront anyone. They stayed clear of this bar, which helped it be popular among all the Drow. 

The reason for this is Azriel. He was sitting at a table in the back. The tables around him were empty and yet the sides of his table were protected by curtains. The table was open towards the bar though. Azriel had every single person who was visiting this establishment in his view. And among them were many that worked for him, feeding him any piece of potentially interesting information they got from the visitors. 

Azriel himself didn‘t look like much of a threat. He was relatively young and had a bit of a frail look to him. He was thin, as if not eating enough, and his gray skin looked lighter than that of most Drow, but in a sickly way, not like the skin of the Aelfir. But most would not know this, for he was fully covered in the blue formal cloths with golden accents, typical for followers of Azure who are known merchants and traders, despite Azriel probably being the least religious person in all of Spire. 

His face was covered by a mask that looked like an interesting mix between the typical Drow masks and Aelfir masks. Only the trained eye would be able to identify this. Most people saw the kind of mask they expected to see in it.

Next to the table stood a big, bulky man. The kind you don‘t want to get into trouble with. He was wearing all-black clothing that accented his muscular body. The mask he wore was simple, neutral in a way. On his side, he openly wore a gun and knife, though those were not the only weapons he was carrying.

Despite the bar being filled to the brim with people, and no table having an empty seat, the tables surrounding Azriel were empty. No one dared to come closer than a few meters to him if they didn‘t have to.

The door opened and a new person stepped in. The bar fell into a silence and all eyes were on the newcomer. His clothes and mask made it obvious that he was an Aelfir, even though he was attempting to hide his identity with a hood pulled deep into his face. His kind rarely was to be seen in Red Row, because accidents tend to happen a lot. The few Aelfir that came down either had a lot of protection with them or knew how to keep a low profile. The power they held over all of Spire is almost meaningless down here. 

The Aelfir was alone and clearly in a distressed state. He walked unsteadily and looked around a lot. He was scanning the room and almost on purpose ignoring the empty space in the middle of which Azriel sat. As if hoping there was another place for him to go to. 

The attention of the room moved away from him after it was clear what he came in for and the general noise of many people enjoying themselves started up again. It took the Aelfir a few minutes of standing in the door before he slowly approached Azriels table.

Azriel greeted him with an obvious smile in his voice as soon as the Aelfir was in earshot: ‚Welcome mister Branches-Bent-By-Storm! I am so happy you could make it. Please excuse all the dirt outside. I had to establish a base here for some business reasons and was too busy to come up into the cleaner sections. Please sit down. Do you want a drink? Hal, please get the man a drink.‘

The big man moved to the bar to get a cup that already has been prepared by the barkeeper as soon as the Aelfir stepped in. The Aelfir looked around nervously before sitting down across from the merchant Drow. He didn‘t say anything in response to the greeting, instead, he was still looking around, avoiding looking at Azriel directly.

‚I hope you had no trouble finding my humble establishment?‘

The Drow looked directly at his visitor, waiting patiently for a reply. Hal came back and sat down the drink without a word before going back to his prior position. Branches-Bent-By-Storm looked down at the drink, then up to Hal, then finally to Azriel.

It took him a while to decide to play the game and answer ‚Thanks to your clear instructions I found it with ease. I highly appreciate your invitation.‘

‚Glad to hear it. We also offer food, the ingredients are sourced from the best farmers inside Spire and even some from the outside. You must be hungry from the travel?‘

‚A generous offer I sadly must decline. I just ate, not wanting to overextend my welcome.‘

‚Very noble. But I must assure you that you can feel free to use my humble hospitality to its fullest extent.‘

None of the words had any meaning. All of them were just an exchange of empty pleasantries. Azriel seemed to enjoy it. He liked playing with his targets, especially the juicy ones. The Aelfir on the other hand only humored him because he was not the one in control and knew it. With every word he visibly got more and more nervous, his hands seemingly unable to not fumble with the scarf he was wearing and his body on the edge of the seat, ready to jump up any second.

If Azriel had any capacity for empathy he might have come to the point faster, but as it was he kept up the small talk until his victim was just about to lose his control. Then he decided that it was time for the main part by asking ‚And how is your lovely daughter doing? Still studying?‘

The Aelfir audibly ground his teeth and answered ‚I believe you know better than I do how my daughter is.‘

If a stare could kill, Azriel would have been ripped to shreds, but as it was all the Aelfir could do was clench his fists.

‚I am afraid that I don‘t. I know that this is what I made you believe to get you to come here, and I am terribly sorry to have deceived you. Of course, my question was about her before she vanished!‘ There was amusement in Azriels voice.

‚If you don‘t know where she is, why did you say you did? Why make me come here? If I came just so you can play your little games with me, then rest assured that you will regret it!‘

The Aelfir's voice was dripping with pure vile, the polite farce now completely dropped.

Azriel didn’t react to the threat and instead pulled up a bag from under his seat and slid it across the table without saying a word.

Branches-Bent-By-Storm looked at the bag, then Azriel as if expecting an explanation. When the Drow didn‘t offer it he slowly lifted the bag to peer inside. ‚Where did you find this?!‘

‚That is the question, isn‘t it?‘

The Aelfir pulled out the object in the bag. It was a mask, beautifully crafted with artistry even under the Aelfirs few could afford. 

‚Where did you get my daughter's mask…‘ The anger has been replaced by desperation, his words more a plea than a question.

‚I imagine the answer to this question is worth quite a lot to you, isn‘t it?‘

The Aelfir is gently stroking the mask, moving his fingers along the decorative lines, holding the mask in his arm as if it were a baby.

‚I‘ll do anything to get my daughter back.‘ 

‚Anything? That sounds perfect. I believe with this we‘ll be able to come to an agreement. Maybe I’ll even be so kind and let you keep the mask.‘ 

This transaction was going exactly to Azriels plan.