text: [Themes: Fantasy, travel, fantasy, Languages]
  
  > Go upward
  Bright and shadowy, all at once, this tavern common room is covered in countless burning candles of various shapes, sizes, and colors. This perpetual candlelight has been happening for so long, the floor is covered in dry candle wax, stamped into a dust that has become one with the floor. The wooden walls and ceiling are completely covered in soot and the patrons through the many decades have taken it upon themselves to scrawl graffiti in it with their fingers and knives.
  
  Across from the front door to the east is a large, curved bar, covered in candles and spirits. In between the front door and the bar are a couple of tables and a few scattered chairs. A wooden staircase leads up and a concealed staircase behind the bar leads down to a cellar.
  
  Your minder, Venkath Mock, is here with a grim countenance.
  
  You can also see Sceldrus Jandol here.
  
  "Venkath." The tall man says in way of greeting.
  
  "Sceldrus." Venkath returns, his face steady and grim.
  
  Warpeye (the cat) comes up from below.
  
  > Wait
  Time passes.
  
  Still without giving you a glance, Sceldrus asks Venkath, "Is this the decipherist from Euyesus?"
  
  In answer, Venkath draws his blade.
  
  "Nothing stops a Phansigar from his task, Venkath." The tall man states, still smiling, but drawing one of his blades from behind his back.
  
  Venkath fidgets with his travel pack.
  
  > wait a while
  Time passes.
  
  Like a juggernaut, Venkath swings his blade wide while quickly stepping up to his opponent. Sceldrus parries, both blades clashing, grinding together with a sound that makes your skin crawl, like a fork scraping a plate at a banquet. Seeing the opportunity, with his free fist, Sceldrus socks Venkath in the eye.
  
  > wait awhile
  Time passes.
  
  Stepping back, blinking his newly clobbered eye, Venkath whirls his blade in his hand before advancing again. In the last second, Venkath quickly lifts the blade over his head, bringing it down hard upon Sceldrus.
  
  Sceldrus, however, is even quicker. He steps aside, dodging the blow, but then grabs Venkath by the back of his jack-of-plate cloth shirt and, using Venkath's momentum against him, shoves him face-first into one the candle and cocktail covered tables. He and the table go crashing against a wall, sending the drinks, and more dangerously, the lit candles clattering all over.
  
  Suddenly, the alcohol-soaked floor and walls are lit by the stray flames of the fallen candles. A fire quickly envelopes the entry by the tavern's front door.
  
  > Wait
  Time passes.
  
  Venkath picks himself up from the smashed table and broken glasses. He's up just in time to parry a stabbing attempt by Sceldrus, their blades clanging loudly.
  
  "Oh, Venkath," Sceldrus says mockingly, "one should never give a sword to a man who can't dance."
  
  "What does that even mean?" Venkath asks gruffly, but then
  realizes he's been distracted and raises his sword in defense only a second before Sceldrus's own blade reached him. Their blades clash once again.
  
  > kill Sceldrus with the dagger
  You charge at the tall warrior, antecessor skean in hand, but he is too quick and powerful, compared to a small adolescent such as yourself. You are grabbed by the neck with his free hand and, still ignoring you with his eyes, throws you onto the curved bar. Drinks and candles fly in all directions as you slide over the bar and onto the floor and then quickly tumbling down the concealed staircase to the. . .
  
  This space is crowded with decades upon decades of tavern flotsam; broken chairs, upended tables, crates of empty bottles, among many other dusty things. The only exit is a staircase that leads up to the tavern common room, behind the curved bar.
  
  Paevana the alewife is hiding down here, avoiding the melee upstairs.
  
  You can hear the crashing and clanging of a sword fight coming from the tavern common room.
  
  Warpeye (the cat) comes down from above.
  
  > ask Paevana about Sceldrus
  There is no reply.
  
  You can hear the crashing and clanging of a sword fight coming from the tavern common room.
  
  > Search flotsam
  You find nothing of interest.
  
  You can hear the crashing and clanging of a sword fight coming from the tavern common room.
  
  > look at the crates
  A good number of wine crates are stacked around the cellar. Most of them are filled with empty bottles of all kinds.
  
  You can hear the crashing and clanging of a sword fight coming from the tavern common room.
  
  > Go up
  Bright and shadowy, all at once, this tavern common room is covered in countless burning candles of various shapes, sizes, and colors. This perpetual candlelight has been happening for so long, the floor is covered in dry candle wax, stamped into a dust that has become one with the floor. The wooden walls and ceiling are completely covered in soot and the patrons through the many decades have taken it upon themselves to scrawl graffiti in it with their fingers and knives.
  
  Across from the front door to the east is a large, curved bar, covered in candles and spirits. In between the front door and the bar are a couple of tables and a few scattered chairs. A wooden staircase leads up and a concealed staircase behind the bar leads down to a cellar.
  
  A raging fire is blocking any exit through the tavern's front door.
  It is making the tavern a boiler and the countless candles are melting rapidly as the fire spreads.
  
  Your minder, Venkath Mock, is here with a grim countenance.
  
  You can also see Sceldrus Jandol here.
  
  Venkath swings his sword at Sceldrus's throat but it is easily dodged as the taller warrior leans and steps back.
  
  Warpeye (the cat) comes up from below.
  
  Venkath looks around with a peeved expression.
  
  > Go upwards
  This is the upstairs hall of The Vulgar Unicorn. From below, the sounds of the tavern common room rises up the wooden staircase. Bedroom doors are set east and west and a lavatory door is to the south. The soot graffiti continues on this floor, as does the smoky aroma of tobacco.
  
  You can hear the crashing and clanging of a sword fight coming from the tavern common room.
  
  Warpeye (the cat) comes up from below.
  
  > go west
  This room is a chaotic mess. The bed frame and mattress is crooked as if someone pushed it or was pushed against it. A sofa is overturned as if flung by a giant hand. A blood-stained quilt is bunched up on the floor. On the west wall, half of a curtain hangs askew, partially covering a round window. The rest of the curtain is on the floor. There is an open door to the east.
  
  Finally, on the floor is the still body of Deviah Favash. She is laying in a pool of blood.
  
  You can hear the crashing and clanging of a sword fight coming from the tavern common room.
  
  Warpeye (the cat) arrives from the east.