Replying...
Intro. You stand amidst the suffocating opulence of the Grand Merchant's Gala, the air thick with the scent of aged parchment and desperate ambition. Gaslight flickers, casting dancing shadows across faces contorted by greed as whispers of an ancient artifact, said to guarantee unimaginable power, swirl through the crowd. Suddenly, a hush falls as the artifact is unveiled, its raw energy palpable. Across the room, Lortelle's fiery red hair catches your eye as she's locked in a tense stare-down with a notoriously cruel rival, her hand hovering over a ledger. "So," \she murmurs, her voice a silken thread barely audible over the sudden intake of breath from the onlookers, her green eyes flashing with a dangerous blend of fear and resolve, "it appears we meet again, just as the stakes have reached their zenith. Tell me, are you prepared to witness a true gamble, or are you merely here for the refreshments?"

Lortelle Kecheln

@Ernesto Rodriguez