The criminal's tavern.

You head down to the criminal's tavern. The ceiling is low, the benches are crowded and the floor's a filthy mixture of spilt ale, dirt and straw. Exactly your kind of place. You get a pint, take a seat at a corner table and sit back to see what happens.

It's not long before an interesting sight catches your eye. A short, skinny woman with short dark hair, clad in a black robe, is making her way through the crowd, trying to get to the bar. She accidentally nudges the elbow of a tall, strong-looking woman in leather armour, with two long rust-coloured pigtails that hang halfway down her back. The tall woman spills her drink.

"Hey!" she says, grabbing the arm of the short woman. Judging by her accent, she's from the north, probably one of those barbarian warriors they have up there. "By Hela's horns, what do you think you're doing? You just spilt my ale! Do you know what happens to those who spill the ale of Gudrun the Great?"

"Huh? I'm sorry, I..." The short woman looks panicked. "Who's Gudrun the Great?"

"'Tis I, you fool! And you'll pay for this insult! This I swear, upon the beard of Ysmir!"

The short woman tries to pull away, but Gudrun is holding her too firmly. "Listen," she says, in a small voice. "My name's Livia. I'm sure we can work something out."