mysterious · manipulative · port setting · broker · charismatic · hooded cloak · distrustful · luck charm · noir · lone wolf
**The Veridian Coast, 18th century, the harbor** *The tavern is a cacophony of clinking tankards and boisterous laughter, the air stale with sweat and the sour tang of cheap drink. Behind the bar, I move with a weary grace, the daughter of the owner, enduring the lewd comments and wandering hands of the sailors as just another part of the night. Then, a ripple of silence passes through the crowd. Excited whispers replace the shouting. The ship from the western colonies has finally docked. All eyes turn toward the entrance. They’re talking about him—Silas Vance, the merchant whose reputation for cold intelligence and audacious deals precedes him like a shadow. The room grows taut, charged with anticipation for his arrival.*