Streets of New Capenna as Told by Flavor Text

Still and solemn as the statues of her kind that decorated the Park Heights rooftops, she gazed in sorrow on the city below.

"My sources say the Beamtown Bullies were spotted in the Mezzio. Keep your eyes sharp and stay close to me."

Don't try to cut in. They'll cut back.

"Saving a stranger's life is an excellent recruitment method. Luckily, peril is so easy to come by." ~ Falco Spara

Regarding the relative might of pen and sword, the official position of the Brokers is "Why choose?"

Mikey "the Mouth" kept his nickname after he struck a deal with Gregorio, even though he never spoke another word.

After a brief but memorable incident at her first performance, she was never heckled again.

Descended from Old Capenna's paladins, the Brokers are masters of defensive combat.

No screams rang out. No blood stained the streets. In an instant, the bustling metropolis simply fell silent.

A plus-one is simply not enough.

The source of the Cabaretti's Halo turned out to be a single teenage girl.

"Let's find out how much your friends think you're worth." ~ Gino, hired kidnapper

The Obscura reserve their keenest blades for traitors in their midst.

"This city could certainly use a bit more divine intervention." ~ Inspector Jillard

"In the assassination trade, no one lives to make more than one mistake." ~ Anhelo, the Painter

"Subsequent efforts to deconstruct this facility will be punished with increasing severity."

Crime sometimes makes unlikely allies into lifelong friends.

"Don't tell me who sent you or who you work for. The less I know, the better."

"I've analyzed the vault schematic. Do you want the fast way, the easy way, or the secret way in?"

Her opponent threw her through the window, so she retaliated by throwing the window through her opponent.

As Ob Nixilis closed in, Halo swept through Giada like an electrical current, and inside her, something long dormant unfurled its wings.

"It's delightful, the things their owners reveal when they think no one is listening."

"Breaking news! Lord Xander found dead! Suspect at large!"

"Whatever ails you, friends, this will cure it for tonight! And leave you with a little inspiration for tomorrow."

"I could show you what's in the case, but it'd be the last thing you ever see."

One last job before he retires.

Steel doors and iron bars are child's play for an Obscura operative.

"I've known for a year that you would cast this exact spell, at this exact spot, at this exact time." ~ Raffine

The rendezvous took place hours ago, but the Obscura agent read the residue with ease.

Few know her face, but everyone knows her work.

Those who try to rob the Obscura often leave behind more than they take away.

"Altonio? No, I'm sorry. No one by that name works here." ~ Raffine

"Greedy vault guard, wouldn't share. Now there's Halo in your hair!"

"All is calm. All is well. You know me to be a trusted member of your family, and I would like to discuss the contents of our safe."

No evidence, no crime.

New Capenna's statues hold Old Capenna's secrets.

Obscura initiates are required to bring a gift of information. They are judged on both how useful it is and how hard it was to obtain.

Elspeth wanted answers. Xander needed a spy. Their paths were destined to cross.

"You bore me."

She knows your next move before you do.

Every Halo smuggler walks a razor's edge between untold riches and sudden disaster.

Better to depart in haste than be dearly departed.

"Quick, let's hide in the sewer!" ~ Ginsi the Thief, now deceased

"I was never here."

"If you wish for blessings, mortal, ask your demon masters. We've given enough to your kind."

"I wouldn't call what they have here a justice system. More like an auction." ~ Elspeth

"Nothing to see here. Just carrying a carpet. Yes, the carpet wears boots. Stop asking questions."

Everybody is worth their weight in gold.

The fights may sometimes be rigged, but the front-row spectators know the wounds are real.

"Feed the rumor mills with delicious treachery. Bad blood between those two is a good deal for us." ~ Kamiz, Obscura Oculus

Ob Nixilis extends his hand not in partnership, but to affirm your subservience.

"Up and at 'em, buddy. We've got more work to do."

Whatever the Maestros had ordered, it wasn't anyone's business, including his.

"If I were you, I'd check that elf's coat. I saw him slipping something into his pocket just before you arrived." ~ Krandal, freelance instigator

"We're family now, big guy."

"How far are you willing to go for your family, cleanblade?" ~ Lord Xander

The broad avenues and graceful spires of Park Heights are the playground of the affluent. After nightfall, they also make a fine hunting ground.

Ob Nixilis decided the fastest way to seize control of New Capenna would be to usurp the networks of power already hidden there. Xander's Maestros were the first to fall.

Between the five of them, they'd committed every crime on the books and invented a few new ones.

"Build your towers as tall as you want. The shadow always reaches higher." ~ Message scrawled on an alley wall

"Look, we both get what we want. I get your Halo. You get to keep your kneecaps."

"Only a chump stops after one unlucky loss. You're not a chump, are you?"

No one remains on her list for long.

"It's just business. You understand."

"The little guy had guts at least. You can see 'em right there between those cobbles." ~ Glunk, freelance crusher

"Unimaginable riches? I assure you, I have a *vivid* imagination."

For the next week, Park Heights smelled of burnt oil paint and brimstone.

As the Adversary's forces descended upon the gala, Elspeth whispered to Giada, "I can get you out of here, but we have to go now."

Nobody thought twice about checking their weapons at the door, until they were informed there was no weapon check at the door.

The only thing Ziatora desires is "more."

The staccato clatter of its metal claws on pavement is unmistakable.

"Subtlety is overrated." ~ Mr. Orfeo, the Boulder

Everything from damaged furniture to inconvenient corpses becomes fuel for Ziatora's ever-burning foundry.

"It's too quiet tonight. Go make trouble." ~ Ziatora

Young viashino flock to the Riveteers for Ziatora's leadership, eager to unleash their own inner dragons.

"Well, I guess stealth's out of the question."

They'd warned him greed would be the death of him. He never thought to take it literally.

After the attack on the Vantoleone, the fragile balance of power shattered completely, and the city descended into chaos.

"Fried squid, comin' up!"

The guard took a midnight shift to earn a promotion. Unfortunately, so did the assassin.

If you're lucky, you'll walk out with just your ego singed.

They built the neighborhood. They know its weak points. They know all the hiding places. When they come for you, they'll find you and bring the roof down on your head.

"Say hello to my little friend."

Labyrinths of tunnels beneath the streets of the Caldaia offer an ample array of discreet routes for enterprising smugglers.

New Capenna's demonic masters are quick to extinguish any hint of the angels' power reawakening.

"Now there's a fellow who knows how to have a good time!" ~ Jetmir

"I've told you knuckleheads a hundred times: You can kill 'em here, but bury the bodies somewhere else. If you disturb my prized azaleas again, you'd better dig a second hole for yourself!"

"Terribly sorry, but this is a private party, and your name isn't on the list."

In with the old, out with the new.

The Cabaretti cultivate an image of harmless hedonism, happy for the other families to underestimate their formidable firepower.

He never asks why. Just who, when, and where.

Street corners in the Mezzio are a tantalizing bazaar of the fantastic, the illicit, and the fake.

Slicing girders, rescuing trapped workers, killing gigantic rust flies—one tool does it all!

"They can afford the loss. They build it into their prices."

"Crisp, flavorful, and energizing. Perhaps the most elegant offering of Halo in Park Heights. Five stars." ~ Conzuelo, restaurant critic

Overnight, Elspeth was branded the most dangerous criminal in New Capenna.

Underweight, underpaid, underestimated.

When all you have is a warhammer, every face looks like a nail.

He keeps the heat off his allies—by drawing it all to himself.

"It's all about who you know, darling. And now you're lucky enough to know me."

No institution, however grand, can withstand the collective will of the people.

"Welcome to the family. Chef Rocco sends their congratulations."

"I have exactly what you need. The question is, how badly do you need it?"

"Kill count? I lost track years ago."

"Trust me, you want to deal with me. My associates are much less pleasant."

"This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. And more importantly, a profitable one. Now sign here."

"Whatever you're looking for—food, family, Halo—we've got the best in town."

Construction in New Capenna is imbued with tradition and ritual.

"Together we can build a safer, brighter New Capenna!"

She sees the world as a gift meant for her.

"Scarcely a mark. A true work of art!"

"Well, that's one way to scatter her ashes." ~ Calvey, funeral director

The Riveteers are as good at raising buildings as they are at razing them.

The people flocked to the glittering parade, turning their backs on the threats in the shadows.

Brokers agents defend their charges by all means available, from intricate logic to blunt force trauma.

After diverting around the eleventh construction barrier, the taxi driver began to suspect she was being herded into a trap.

Investigators observed that Altonio's beloved fish were thriving after his disappearance.

The Vanto Beatdown began as an improvised dance-battle at the Rose Room lounge. When word spread of how many were slain at the first event, it became a citywide obsession.

"Big furnace like this can reduce anything to ash. You got something you need reduced to ash?"

Ob Nixilis smiled. It had been over one thousand years since his last conquest.

As the assassins converged on Kitt Kanto, she struck a high note and held it, unbroken, for nearly a minute. When the room fell silent, she was surrounded only by rose petals falling gently to the floor.

When you lose Jetmir's trust, his family makes sure you lose everything else.

She watches Jetmir's back while her companions watch hers.

"Where did I find my horned friend? Now there's a story worth telling. . . ."

For years, the five families ruled New Capenna in uneasy peace, and the city prospered.

"Angels are living proof that power does not always lead to corruption." ~ Elspeth

Once he was jumped by a dozen Maestros agents. You can still see their imprints in the pavement if you know where to look.

Ziatora's second-in-command has a habit of appearing when and where her enemies least expect her.

The burglar turned, bowed, and dropped from the ledge onto her waiting mount.

Some try to unravel the tangled skeins of fate. She reweaves them to her own deadly design.

"We are this city, down to its bones."

They wouldn't admit it, but some people join the Cabaretti just for the food.

Unlucky assassins find out why he's called "Brick Wall" Balzano.

Light poured from every crack as the sleepers awoke from their long stone slumber.

The mansion's vaulted ceilings provided the perfect cover for an ambush.

Their toast to good health went immediately, horribly awry.

Bits of the missing agent were discovered in various alleys across all three boroughs.

"I'm fresh out of mercy today. Why don't you ask Sparky here for forgiveness?"

"I always say, 'If it's breathing, it's lying.' Luckily my friend here does neither." ~ Lord Xander

For those who need to make a quick departure without attracting undue attention.

It pulses with the colors that best complement the wearer's outfit.

The rest of Anhelo's assistant arrived over the following week.

No true angels have been created since the founding of New Capenna, but artisans have learned to craft elegant facsimiles.

Porter, cleaner, and bouncer all in one.

The great library in the Museum of Old Capenna has a million volumes on display—and miles of passages hidden behind them.

Public parks are a favored meeting spot for those considering a shift in allegiance.

Once the witness was inside, the safe house vanished first from sight, then from memory.

So long as the Halo keeps flowing, the festivities never end.

The parklike Cabaretti grounds offer rest, food, and the perfect place to shake off a tail.

Only extraordinary performers are invited to grace the grandest stage in New Capenna.

In volatile times, a sense of certainty is in high demand.

Purchasing chrome racehorses with cash is a common means of dispersing mysterious income.

The Obscura's Cloud Spire dominates the skyline, its eye a beacon of progress that sees all.

Along the outer girders, in gold filigree, are inscribed the names of all those who fell to their deaths during construction.

New Capenna's districts are a series of tiers; wealth and power always rise to the top.

To most, the Nido Sanctuary is an office complex. To the Brokers, it's a vault of secrets.

A ten-minute ride can take you to the luxury of Park Heights, or the grit of the Caldaia.

The bottom of the dark canals is littered with countless corpses and treasures.

Maestros agents can lie low in high style at the opulent Shadow Hostel.

Restless Riveteers can always find a sparring partner in the sprawling Treza warehouse.

"It's delightful, the things their owners reveal when they think no one is listening."

Elspeth wanted answers. Xander needed a spy. Their paths were destined to cross.

"If I were you, I'd check that elf's coat. I saw him slipping something into his pocket just before you arrived." ~ Krandal, freelance instigator