"Hey, I saw you leaving the Jackel's shop, didn't I?"

The stranger blocked the way to the street. Argus had been walking down the fire escape from Zoya's office, which occupied the top floor of a five-story complex weaved together with steel and brick. The rest of the neighborhood was built on stepped levels down the side of the valley within which resided the town of Lastport. The sun blazed up ahead, radiating off the metal staircase.

Even less than a story from the street, this gave Argus a good look at the town that wrapped around the entirety of the valley. And although the locals did call it a "valley," it was more of a dome constructed by whether precursors inhabited the planet of Ironvale countless years ago. The dome gave way to the underground of a precursor vault, which now contained the town's lower levels.

Now, all of this was a fine sight, but it was detracted from by this stranger blocking the way.

<aside> 🎲 ORACLE: Character First Look: Armored, Plain Disposition: Suspicious Role: Pilot Goal (chosen): Maintain order Name: "Splinter" Gender: Female (she/her)

</aside>

The stranger appeared to be unremarkable; especially since she didn't look much older than him. Maybe she was around twenty-five? Asides from her spacer jumpsuit, she didn't have the swagger or gruff of the scavengers that usually dropped by Zoya's. What did stand out was that she wore a polymer armor chest piece over her jumpsuit top.

"Yeah," Argus said. "Are you looking for work? She can hook you up with some."

The stranger snorted and rolled up her eyes. "Do I look like some grub? No thanks."

Usually, Argus did not mind the flippant word most people used for scavengers, "grub." Except this stranger rubbed him the wrong way.

"Then I'll be on my way." Argus moved forward to walk pass her.

The stranger stretched her arm to block the way, and with her other hand, she drew a knife. Argus reeled back. The steel knife glinted in the sandy sunlight. "I don't believe we've met," she said. "Everyone calls me Splinter, and if my eyes don't deceive me, you're Anthem."

Argus backed up, readying his hands to draw his sword. "You're after me or something?"

<aside> 🎲 ASK THE ORACLE (50/50): Is Splinter after Argus in particular? ANSWER (43): No.

</aside>

"Don't flatter yourself. I just do my research." Splinter pulled back her knife but did not move out of the way. She rolled the knife around the handle. "You see, as much as it's Lastport business to dig up precursor trash, grub bosses like Jackel have been playing dangerously. I don't know what she's found from her last expedition, but rumor's gone around about her latest site, and I'm here to suggest that you...don't."

Argus did not know whether Splinter meant she knew the vault's nature, or that an expedition already went missing, but he gathered her suspicions. In fact, now he had time to look over her, he saw that on her shoulder was the icon of one of the Primordial sects. Some residents had it in their mind that one day, a scavenger would open the wrong vault and release the precursors' demons. Or something like that. Argus considered it bunk, but he should've considered that the cultists had become emboldened enough to begin intimidating scavengers.

With a vow on the line, his decision was already made.

Argus placed his hand on his sword's hilt. "And I'd turn down your suggestion. I won't be intimidated by some god-fearing spacer."

Splinter pulled a face. "Then maybe you should be afraid." She lunged with her knife.

<aside> 🎲 MOVE: Enter the Fray Combat vs. Splinter APPROACH: In the thick of it at close-quarters: Roll +iron (2) RESULT: 4 (2+2) vs. 1 & 8 Weak hit. I choose "You are in control."

</aside>

Argus drew his sword on time and intercepted Splinter's knife, knocking her to the side. As she stumbled, he adjusted his hand on his hilt. The sword glimmered within the jumble of sunlight and shadow.