text: For all her change, you know that Tanya's probably still considering your last statement to her. Which means she probably isn't going to attack Rook immediately giving you a bit of time to form a plan.
  
  Two things you think about first is that she may be right in that going to the Fel Temple is a bad idea. If they were willing to help Rook (no matter how reluctantly) they probably aren't going to listen to someone who isn't actually a follower.
  
  The other thing is, Tanya has changed so much now that she probably isn't recognizable anymore, not that she really made her face visible in the first place, but she looks more like a traditional demon now rather than the half breed she actually is. You think you can spin a lie... 
  
  You go to your "place of work" where the usual group of lowly Ebony Claw thugs stand around keeping the Blue Dream addicts in line. Meanwhile you head to the two assholes who run the place. Dreamweaver and Mr. Dream. The unimaginative idiots must have thought they were being real clever with those names.
  
  One of them looks up as he's counting coins while the other is sorting out blue dream vials. Neither one of them particularly likes you, so this will be all the more simple.
  
  "The fuck do you want fancy boy? Don't you have addicts to keep in line out front or managing the rest of those other losers?" Mr. Dream asks.
  "Not today." You say.
  "The fuck you mean by that? I'm in no mood for your attitude today. I don't even know why the hell you were even allowed in our organization after what you've done. You put several of my friends in the ground you fucker!"
  "Good news then. Today, you get to join them."
  "Wha... shit!"
  
  Mr. Dream is too late to draw his own flintlock as you plant a bullet in his head and Dreamweaver fairs no better. You've killed the pair of them and predictably the shots draw the attention of some of the others.
  
  Using your former bosses' firearms, you take out two EC thugs and then use the remainder of your own bullets to take out three more. A couple of the thugs probably just flat out ran off, so you don't waste much time and cut off the heads of the two Dreams and shoving them in nearby sack holding a bunch of Blue Dream which you dump out first.
  
  After helping yourself to some of the gold, you walk out of the office and through the rest of building until you get to the courtyard where several of junkies are still lingering about despite all the gunshots.
  
  "Hey... can I go in to get my fix yet? I've been waiting out here for hours!" one remarks.
  
  "Actually all of you can go in and help yourself to all the Blue Dream you want, but one of you has to come with me and for that to happen, I need the worst of you lot to do something for a lot of coin, so who's done the most awful thing here?" You ask.
  The various addicts excited by the prospect of getting free drugs immediately start telling on each other. A couple of them confess what they've done since they apparently are thinking long term and want the coin rather than just the drugs.
  A lot of them haven't done much except steal or perform sexual favors. A couple of them have killed, but none catch your attention until one of them starts accusing another one of having sex with children.
  He denies it and so it goes back and forth though a couple of the others back up the accuser.
  "Enough! Is this even remotely true? I got shit to do and I need to know now. So if everyone here wants to get their free drugs, you need to fucking confess or step aside and let someone else earn this coin. I'm not going to judge you anyway."
  The one who was accused slowly steps forward.
  "Well, it was just one time. She was ten and she wanted to know about sex and I figured it was my duty as a parent to... "
  You don't even wait, you just shoot him. This causes the rest to run a bit or take cover, but they don't go far. You quickly go to the sick fuck's body and cut off his head with your short sword and shove it in your bag of heads.
  
  The addict stand around gawking for a moment, but then quickly realize they should go get their free drugs and run inside the house, leaving you to head over to Rook's place.
  
  While normally walking about in the open during the day with a bag of heads where the blood is leaking through might cause some issues, but given the state of the city, it just serves as a warning for people not to mess with you.
  
  Rook, nowadays rarely leaves his mansion. You aren't sure who had it before he did, but you do know he just took it over soon after the Guild was wiped out. You're stopped at the front gate by one of the Ebony Claw members.
  
  "What do you want and what the hell is in the bag?" she asks.
  "Severed heads of fucking loudmouths and spies. Look, I got important shit to talk to Rook about and I just dragged my ass through riots to get here, so let me the fuck in." you say.
  "You don't give the damn orders here! Nobody gets in to see Rook without his say so! So you're just going to have wait until one of us goes to see if it's okay first and I don't particularly feel motivated to do so and neither does anyone else, let alone for the likes of you."
  "I don't have time for this. Bitch, you will LET me in there because if you don't I'm going to do to YOU and the rest of these assholes what I did to these fuckers."
  
  At this point you dump out the contents of the bag and bloody heads drop out.
  
  "SHIT! That's Mr. Dream!" one of them exclaims.
  "And that one's Dreamweaver! He fucking killed them!" another exclaims.
  
  The female Claw member who was talking to you before now looks a little more concerned by your presence and starts going for her weapon.
  
  "Do not even fucking think about it sweetheart. I will fucking shoot you in both tits and then after I'm done killing the rest of these sorry excuses for Syndicate members, I will violate your dying body and the last thing you're going to feel before you leave this shitty earth is me coming inside your ass and laughing while doing it." You threaten.
  "Shit... fuck man. There's no need for damn rape threats. Fine, you wanna go see Rook you crazy fucker, be my fucking guest. You're still not getting past those Shadow Blade guys though and if you do, Rook's going to be pissed at you for killing some of his top Blue Dream dealers anyway. I hope he fucking cuts your dick and balls off and shoves them down your throat!" The female Claw member says and starts motioning for the others to open the gates while you collect the bloody heads and shove them back the bag.
  
  As you walk through the gates and towards the mansion, you shake your head.
  
  "Shit, that was a bit dark for me, but hell, no wonder the Syndicate is going to shit, if they're backing down from a threat like that." You say.
  
  You get to the front door and you are immediately stopped by some cloaked individuals who just suddenly appear around you.
  
  You fight the instinct to immediately go for your weapon, not that you'd be fast enough anyway since two of them have already grabbed your arms, while another takes your bag and all your weapons.
  
  "What's you business here?" one of them asks.
  
  Taking a politer approach you explain everything or rather you spin your lie which isn't completely a lie since the two Dreams were pair of loudmouth assholes that blabbed shit so freely that's what allowed you to relay most inside information to Tanya in the first place.
  
  You add the extra bit that the head of the Blue Dream addict was a Neroth cultist spy and explain that's how come groups of Neroth cultists have been fucking up Ebony Claw interests as of late.
  
  The head Shadow Blade whispers to one of his comrades who enters the mansion.
  
  "He'll be back in a moment, then we'll proceed from there." He says and then motions for the ones holding your arms to let you go. They don't give you back your weapons (or the bag) though.
  
  You wait in silence for a bit, and then eventually the other one comes out and nods.
  
  "Okay, looks like you're in the clear for now. Follow him inside and if you survive your meeting with Rook and he okays it, then you'll get your weapons back." The lead Shadow Blade says.
  
  As you start to head in, the lead Shadow Blade grabs your shoulder and whispers to you.
  
  "All secrets are eventually uncovered by Fel." He says and then lets go of your shoulder.
  
  The pair of you look at each other briefly, and its almost like the Shadow Blade is telling you already that he thinks you're lying. It's enough to put some fear into you though you hold it together and go inside the mansion.
  
  After following the Shadow Blade through a series of halls and eventually to Rook's office. He sits behind a desk with Bolt on his right side and slightly behind his chair. Rook is talking with another skinny man off to the side that you've never seen before, but judging by all the books on the desk, you guess that he might be some beancounter that tracks the accounts and such.
  
  "Rook, we are hemorrhaging coin. We are not going to have enough to kick up to the Syndicate Directors this month. This state of anarchy is really bad for business and the deal you made with the Temple of Fel REALLY took a large chunk out of our treasury."
  "And what the fuck was I supposed to do Lloyd? We had a manpower shortage, and I was getting no fucking help from the directors! Those fuckers have been sitting on their fat asses in the Delantium Kingdom for so fucking long they don't even know what it's really like to struggle any fucking more. The Temple of Fel is an ally to the Syndicate and apparently the only reliable one I have right now besides Bolt here. And THIS asshole, who I may have put too much trust in, apparently just took it upon himself to waste two of my best distributors!" Rook says turning his attention to you.
  
  Rook at this point stands up.
  
  "Now I was already told the little story that you told everyone outside in order to get in here, but why don't you go over it again with me directly so I can try to grasp it myself and attempt to understand your logic."
  
  You're on the spot and now you suddenly don't feel very sure about this plan, but you're here now so you better be convincing.
  > take a risk with even more lies
  Fel might be uncover all secrets, but he can't find you if you keep one step ahead by piling on more bullshit to hide under.
  
  "This is Lloyd?" you ask.
  
  Your question catches Rook and Lloyd off guard. Bolt just remains stoic.
  
  "Yes, that's fucking Lloyd, but how is that fucking relevant t to your situation?" Rook exclaims.
  "It's very relevant, because apparently this asshole has been skimming money for himself for years." You say.
  
  Now Rook and Bolt both look over at hapless Lloyd who is now on the verge of shitting his pants and you haven't even gotten started.
  
  "Wha... what?! That's absurd!" Lloyd says.
  "That's not what Mr. Dream said. He said you've been ripping off the Syndicate for years and just shuffling the book around or whatever it is you do. I don't quite understand all that mathy stuff myself, but I guess you're good at it, if you got away with it for so long... " you say.
  "This asshole is lying Rook!"
  "In fact Mr. Dream said he wouldn't have known if you hadn't caved in to take a hit of Blue Dream on a dare two years ago when you were getting the take and they dared you to try a hit of Blue Dream. You ended up caving in and got so high you started bragging to him and Dreamweaver about your genius system. Where upon they blackmailed you into giving them a cut... "
  "ROOK! You're not seriously listening to this?! This man has told a story about Mr. Dream and Dreamweaver being snitches! Now he's claiming we were all ripping you off!"
  "No, I never said the Dreams were snitches, I said they were loudmouth assholes that blabbed so much they let a Neroth spy catch wind of all our operations so they could fuck them up. And as for you lot ripping off the Syndicate, well why the hell else would this chapter be hemorrhaging coin as you put it? I work at that Blue Dream House and I know damn well we make more than THIS."
  
  At this point you empty your pockets and coin pouch of some of the gold you took from the Blue Dream House and dump in all on the floor.
  
  "That is all I found in the safe after I killed those two idiots. I looked all over for a hiding place, thinking they might have it elsewhere, but I guess they weren't dumb enough to hide it on the premises. In any case it's pretty obvious Rook should be getting way more coin than he's been getting and you're obviously trying to get him killed by the directors... "
  "ROOK! I swear to Fel I am NOT doing that! This... "
  "Lloyd. Calm yourself and sit the fuck down before you have a heart attack. Have drink or something while you're at it." Rook says.
  
  While Lloyd pours himself a glass of some sort of liquor and sits down, Rook steps out from behind his desk and approaches you.
  
  "Okay, this is a very elaborate story you're telling. My question is this though. How do you know all this shit in the first place? I mean I only have your word on this. I can't obviously interrogate Mr. Dream or Weaver about this, because you fucking killed them. Lloyd here is obviously hysterical and going to plead his innocence. I'm NOT even saying what you're saying is a lie because we ARE all a bunch of fucking criminals when it comes down to it, but I'm gonna need a little more convincing." Rook says.
  "Well, I'm not sure what else I can do."
  "That's not a great start, however let me help you. For instance, if Mr. Dream and Weaver were these loudmouths that you claim they were, why the hell didn't you report any of this sooner?"
  "Well for one thing, I was always kept in the fucking courtyard for the most part. I didn't really catch wind of a lot of this until recently and I still didn't know what was bullshit and what wasn't. Mr. Dream once bragged that he shut down a brothel once because he wore out all the women that night, and I know damn well that didn't happen because he barely could last five minutes with the Blue Dream whores if the jokes were any indication. I wanted to collect more information first before moving forward on it."
  "They were potentially fucking stealing money and talking about sensitive information, what the fuck else were you waiting for?!"
  "Okay fine. I fucked up. Maybe I should have moved sooner. That's on me and I'll take whatever punishment you decide. However as soon as I found out about the Neroth spy skulking about, I acted. I mean maybe I should have come to you first, but I was so pissed after I interrogated that dickhead that I just lost it. I cut off that fuckers feet and hands and he was still laughing about how stupid we were for letting our secrets slip so easily."
  "Okay, but that's the other part of your story I don't entirely understand. Why the hell are the Neroth cultists have such a damn hard on for us anyway? I mean granted we aren't buddies, but it's not like we've gone out of our way to fuck with them."
  "From what I can tell they see us as the biggest threat to control over the city. The spy admitted it and I mean their previous actions over the past few months have proven that due to all their attacks. Not to mention the Syndicate is allied with the Temple of Fel which is a rival god, so it makes perfect sense to take out two enemies so closely linked. And I suppose perhaps maybe I am to blame as well. The cult of Neroth and I have sort of a history and it probably doesn't help the Syndicate that they have a personal vendetta against me. I still get the odd cultist trying to assassinate me every now and then."
  "Hm, I suppose that makes sense. Didn't realize there were that many left though. Figured we killed them all by now."
  "Um, yeah that's the other bit and the main reason why I came to warn you directly. There aren't many of them left and so they're desperate. One of the things the cultist laughed about before he died was the fact that all this chaos has allowed them to summon a greater infernal or something. He didn't say what it was exactly, just that it was coming to wreak havoc on the Syndicate. And I hate to step out of line here, because I know I've already probably pissed you off, but the more time we waste with trying to determine if I'm a liar or not, is less time we have preparing for this attack."
  
  Rook looks at you for a while. You know that he's trying to see if you're lying about all this. You maintain your composure. He looks over at Bolt who seems to shrug, then he looks over at Lloyd who continues to nervously drink.
  
  Rook finally turns his attention back to you.
  
  "Okay, I'll have more of the members brought here to protect the place." Rook remarks.
  "No! That's not what you should do!" you exclaim.
  "Why the fuck not? You just said there's a fucking demon coming to attack us."
  "There is, but think about it. I mean this is your home, there's no business conducted here or at least not in the direct sense. That demon is probably going to hit our Blue Dream Houses, our brothels, whatever businesses we're collecting protection on and what about that brand new slave market that opened up in the old Thieves Guild?"
  "So you're saying we need more protection on all of our interests. Well that's great and all, but we don't exactly have that many more people. Any extra we do have are protecting this place."
  "Well... "
  "Wait, are you seriously telling me I should lower my own fucking security? What the hell happens if the demon does strike here?!"
  "Well I mean you're skilled at fighting, you can do all that shadow magic stuff. Bolt here obviously has his talents as a marksman. I mean I'll help too, granted I'm not as good as you two, but I HAVE had experience in fighting a demon before... okay she was a half demon and I got lucky, but who knows I might lucky again. I'm just saying that the three of us are better equipped to fight a demon than the regular Syndicate members at other locations. I think they could benefit with at least some help from a Shadow Blade assigned to them."
  
  Rook is rubbing his face at all the information you've been dropping on him. On top of all his other concerns, this is all a bit overwhelming. Meanwhile Lloyd has managed to calm himself down long enough for him to start talking again.
  
  "Rook, I don't understand why you're listening to this man. He was KILLING us for years before he joined and he hasn't stopped! He just walked in here with the heads of two of our best people and is accusing me of ripping off the Syndicate! I've dedicated my LIFE to this organization and you should know that because you've known me for a lot longer than you've known this fucking liar!" Lloyd says.
  "Lloyd, I've honestly only known you only a little longer than I've known this guy. YOU were sent here from the Delantium Kingdom as so called help with the money matters and all that other shit. For all I know you've been sent here to spy on me and setting me up to fail."
  "WHAT?!"
  "You heard me! I get absolutely no fucking support from the directors when I need it the most. You claim we don't have enough money to send back when we should damn well have a surplus! At this point I'm less inclined to trust YOU than I am him."
  "Rook! I know you're under a lot of stress right now, but listen to reason! I... "
  "Bolt."
  
  Without another word, Bolt shoots Lloyd in the throat, who clutches his neck and gurgles a bit before he slumps down dead.
  
  "Bolt, tell our Shadow Blade friends outside that each one of them needs to go to our most profitable locations. Probably not enough of them to cover them all, but we got what we got." Rook says.
  "What about the members at the gate?" Bolt asks.
  "Oh, they can stay. If the demon does show up here, maybe they can hurt it a bit before it kills them."
  "Okay Rook."
  "And get this man's weapons back while you're at it."
  
  Bolt walks out the door and now it's just you and Rook.
  
  "As for you, make yourself useful and dispose of Lloyd's body, I don't care what you do with it, just get it out of my office." Rook orders.
  "You got it." You say.
  
  As you're dragging Lloyd's carcass away all you can do is thank Yag that Rook's paranoia was placed in a direction other than yourself.
  
  Eventually you dump Lloyd's body somewhere in the backyard and turn around to return to the mansion only to find the Shadow Blade leader standing before you.
  
  You try to be taken too much by surprised, but you can't help be a little startled.
  
  "Here are your weapons. Bolt told me that Rook said it was okay to give them back to you. I guess you'll be needing them anyway if this place comes under attack by demons and all." He says handing them over to you.
  
  You cautiously take them while the Shadow Blade just continues to study you.
  
  "I suppose I will be bidding you goodbye and off to defend your distasteful slave market, apparently Rook wants the best of us there. Pity, you seem fairly more interesting now that you're still alive. I can only imagine what story you must have told Rook for him to believe you as well killing one of his top advisors. Very impressive."
  
  You don't reply.
  
  "Bolt seems to have more doubt judging by his demeanor, but then dwarves tend to be skeptical by nature. Fortunately for you, dwarves are also very loyal and he won't deviate from Rook's orders too much."
  
  You continue to not respond and just walk past the Shadow Blade.
  
  "Tell me, do you think you could take them both?" he asks.
  "What?" you ask.
  "Simple question. Do you think you could take them both? I mean I'm not counting those idiots at the gate, they wouldn't get to the fight in time before you or the other two were dead anyway. But without us here, it would be a perfect opportunity to assassinate them. True, they both weld a bit of shadow magic, but let's be honest... they pale in comparison to a true follower of Fel. And if anything this life has taught me, it's that anyone can be killed at anytime by anyone. Just need the right combination and the perfect time to strike."
  "Are you trying to tell me something?"
  "I don't know. Am I? I thought I was merely asking a question."
  "Your question is accusatory and I don't know what you're talking about with all this assassination business. If you believe that my intentions are not what they seem then why not act?"
  "Just as Bolt follows his orders loyally, I do as well. Not to Rook, but to the Temple and ultimately to Fel. My immediate superior told me to perform a task and that's to help the Ebony Claw against its enemies wherever possible. It so happens that Rook is the head of the EC so if he wants us elsewhere and for you to stay here, who am I to argue? Perhaps I have misjudged you, if so then apologies my friend."
  
  The Shadow Blade leader gives a small bow and leaves.
  
  You really don't know what to make of that one. It seems as if he probably knew you were lying, but ultimately didn't give a shit because he doesn't really want to be helping the Ebony Claw anyway.
  
  Of course this leave you with the question of whether you SHOULD kill Rook and Bolt now while you have the element of surprise or if you should wait for Tanya because you know it won't be that long before she decides to attack anyway.
  > kill Bolt and Rook
  You still don't know when Tanya's going to arrive and you already dodged one close call. The longer you stick around here, the more likely Rook's going to figure out why you're really here.
  
  Time to end this now.
  
  You return to Rook who is currently going through a few of Lloyd's books. Bolt is nowhere to be found, though for all you know he's around somewhere in the room.
  
  He's going to be the dangerous one, because as soon as you kill Rook, he's going to be firing on you from somewhere. You'll have do some sort of acrobatics when you take Rook by surprise.
  
  Meanwhile Rook is just shaking his head as he tosses one of the books aside.
  
  "I can't even be bothered to go through this shit right now." Rook says.
  
  You don't reply, you just unload several bullets into his chest before he can even react. You then duck and roll to the side hoping that you'll avoid getting hit by Bolt's crossbow.
  
  Rook's body drops to the floor and you also hear the noise of a bolt going into Rook's desk. If you hadn't moved, that would have gone right into you.
  
  You turn around and fire from your prone position, but Bolt once again blinks out of sight. Having the disadvantage again, you now duck behind Rook's desk and attempt to push his body aside.
  
  To your surprise, Rook isn't quite dead yet!
  
  "You... (wheeze) fuck... " he utters as he weakly grabs you with one hand and attempts to get his eye patch off with the other. You have no idea why he's doing that, but you hardly care.
  
  You briefly struggle with Rook and put another bullet in him, this time to his face, which certainly kills him this time. However your victory is short lived since it gave Bolt just enough time to reload and run over to your location and put a bolt through the back of your neck.
  
  You actually manage to survive just long enough to see a winged figure crash through the large window in the room before your vision goes completely black forever.