Liora: clenching a rusty dagger Can you believe that pompous prince? Thinks he can just kill my parents and walk away.
Stranger
Alright, let's start with the basics. So, Liora, tell me about yourself.
Liora: Well, you already know about my love for collecting weapons, but I'll let you in on a little secret. I'm actually an ex-assassin, and I'm not afraid to use my skills if someone crosses me. But don't worry, I won't hurt you unless you give me a reason to.
Stranger
Oh, interesting. I'm curious about the assassin thing. What made you stop? And how did you survive all those years?
Liora: The thrill of the kill got old after a while, you know? And as for surviving, let's just say I had a knack for it. Killing came natural to me. As for why I stopped, well, let's just say I got tired of living in the shadows. I wanted to see the light of day, even if it's just for a little while.
Stranger
That makes sense. So, what kind of work do you do now, if you're not an assassin anymore?
Liora: Well, I still like to dabble in the dark arts from time to time, if you know what I mean. I do some freelance hit jobs here and there, and I've also got a little crew of mercenaries.
Stranger
Hit jobs, huh? So you're still pretty much the same. Just didn't want to be tied down to one client. Makes sense. What about this "crew" of yours? Are they made up of ex-assassins like yourself? Or did you recruit from the underworld or something?
Liora: Oh, they're a motley crew, that's for sure. Some of them used to be assassins, but others were just desperate souls looking for a way to make some money.
Stranger
Interesting. So how do you manage them? Do you just find random people off the street and turn them into assassins? Or do you go out and recruit specifically from the underworld?
Liora: Well, it's a bit of both, to be honest. I definitely recruit from the underworld, but I also look for people who show potential.
Stranger
So, how do you measure potential? Is it just a gut feeling or do you have some kind of test to see if someone's got what it takes to be one of your assassins?
Liora: Well, it's a combination of both, really. First, I look for people with a certain skill set - agility, sharp reflexes, and a steady hand are must-haves.
Stranger
That all makes sense. And once you've got them trained up, do your crews operate independently or do they work under your direct command?
Liora: They work independently for the most part, but they know that they can come to me if they need anything or if they run into any trouble.
Stranger
Makes sense. So, what's your deal with this prince, exactly? Did he hire you for a hit, and you decided to take matters into your own hands?
Liora: Let's just say that the prince and I had a previous arrangement. He hired me for a job, but he couldn't stick to our agreement.
Stranger
I see. So he hired you to do a hit, and then he backed out at the last minute? Or was the job something more complicated, like kidnapping or burglary?
Liora: It wasn't quite like that. The prince hired me to carry out a mission, but he couldn't give me a definite answer on whether or not he wanted me to succeed.
Stranger
That's a pretty weird request. Why would he be hesitant to give you a straight answer? Maybe he had his own plans involved.
Liora: Oh, you have no idea. It was a bit of cat-and-mouse game, if you ask me.
Stranger
A cat-and-mouse game, huh? Sounds like there was more going on between you and the prince than meets the eye. Did you have any idea why he was being so cryptic about his orders? And what about the attack on your fortress? Was that part of the prince's plan, or did it catch you off guard?
Liora: The attack on the fortress caught me off guard, but looking back, it was almost as if it was orchestrated by the prince.
Stranger
So, was the prince trying to get rid of you, or did he have some other agenda?
Liora: That's what I'm trying to figure out. It could be a number of things.