Paprika nods politely. “Pleased to meet you, Drakor. I was hoping to kearn more about what exactly I’m getting myself into. Is there anything you could share?”
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“Anything I could share? No.” Drakor said. “But I can offer you a trade. I’ll answer one of your questions if you answer one of mine.”
“I’m happy to do so. You may go first,” Paprika says with a smile.
Asking a question itself provides information: best to know Drakor’s interests before I determine mine.
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“How long have you lived here?” Drakor asked.
(If you want to lie for any of these lmk and we can roll bluff v sense motive)
(Otherwise im going to assume truth and you can do the same)
“For the entirety of my life. Why do you ask?”
The question seemed much more like small talk than Paprika was expecting.
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Drakor tilted his head. “Considering you wanted to join us, I thought getting to know more about you would be relevant.”
*He chuckled briefly. “What drives you?”
“That’s a second question.” Paprika scrunched up her face a little in indignation. “I’ll answer. I’m just curious.”
“Now it’s my turn. Why did the magistrate sentence Camilla to a penitentiary instead of death after such a short trial, even though her crime was so severe? Was there foul play involved?”
Paprika glanced at Drakor’s face, but failed to get much out of the mask.
“If you don’t know, or you don’t want to answer, you can instead tell me more about that nervous girl’s role in your group.”
“And you asked yours,” Drakor noted. “I suppose it hardly seems sporting, but I did tell you the terms of our exchange.”
He looked contemplative. “And now for your question. There is someone backing our investigation, as you may well have already gathered. We were offered our choice of payment.”
His eyes flicked to the rest of the group, then back to Rika. “One of my companions - a far kinder one than I - asked for mercy.”
“It is up to you whether consider that foul play.” He shrugged languidly, seeming far more at ease here than he had been outside.
“You mentioned a deep curiosity. Is that paired with the desire to share what you have learned?”
Paprika was not owned. She wore an appropriate facial expression for somebody who was not owned.
“It depends. Sometimes I do. Sometimes it’s not worth it. I’m not much of a gossip for its own sake. The only people who deserve answers are those who work for them, after all.”
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Drakor nodded, apparently satisfied. A hidden test? “Your turn.”
What? More questions?
“I repeat my earlier question regarding the girl who travels with you.”
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“We are still figuring out the different roles each of us has to play,” Drakor said candidly. “But she is quite capable in many things - tracking, for instance - and her variety of talents helped us greatly during the murder investigation.”
He yawned. “What is your preferred weapon?”
He seems fairly forthcoming. I don’t think I’ll get much more out of him on the girl.
Paprika paused for a moment and flicked her eyes back and forth as if weighing two options.
“I keep a sickle for self-defense.”
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Drakor raised an eyebrow. “Is the wheat here particularly vicious?”
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He frowned as something occurred to him “Ah, my apologies. That was out of turn. You do not have to answer that if you do not want to.”
“It’s what I have on hand. I’ve never had reason to bother buying a proper dagger. Most petty thieves will run upon seeing any blade at all. And those who don’t…” Paprika made an expression of slight irritation. “…are going to be more work regardless.”
Drakor noted the tenses and her expression. “You have experience.”
It was a statement, not a question.
“I can hold my own. Only as much as anybody who’s been traveling alone for years.” Paprika did not especially intend this as genuine humility.
What do I ask him next?
“Why do you travel with Wanderer?”
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“Our interests align. Same mission, same goal.” Drakor shrugged. “You said you travel alone, though this is your hometown. Where have you gone?”