"I hear that anyone can use these gates, seems like some lady has been trying to let them gifted give us ordinary people a chance at them. But ooh no they don't want people to have access to their special powers. What if we are all gifted but we don't know it, and they don't want us to have no special powers then. That makes sense don't it."
"Those bloody Chamatan's. They attacked my ship and ransacked the whole thing I tell you. What's the chance of a poor sailor getting' a drink then, you know on the house."
"Blood wash away these tears, blood wash away my fear. Blood is the beginning, blood is the end."
"M'avis you've been working this bar for a good twenty years now. Seems to me that you need a break my dear. Take some time off and go and see the gate down by the docks. Seems like some smart lad has set up a gift stall so that all the newly arrived gifted can be maps and tea and muffins. Right funny to watch their faces as they step out all mystic like and get offered a good deal on scarf with "my gifted friend went to New Taeorn and all I got was this lousy scarf" written on it."
"Right odd that little boy. Clutching his book like it meant something. Funny lad, he just kept on muttering about something Periwinkle or something."
"Damn them damned gifted. They played with my mind I tell you. I would never have lost that much money to some ordinary gambler. Damn them, damn them all to the seventh layer of the lowest hell and char their blackened bones to crisps."
"So, looks like New Taeorn is finally going to way the last one did. What with the corruption on the council and that new bloke looking like he ain't gonna be no good. Finally seems like the whole thang is going belly up."
"Them merchants are sure dropping like flies. What with old Thom dropping dead in his soup at old Bettie's and then I hear about Willie the Tinker fallin' down them stairs. Good job we got people like Talon left, given' out money don't seem to be high on most merchants lists these days. Seems like survival matters more than helping out the common folk. Well Tokol bless Talon for his good deeds, sponsoring my little M'asiy through school through that charity of 'is."
"Boils this big and sores to boot. I hear that things have gone right wrong over in Demar. Plague and rats everywhere, wonder if it is the God Emperor punishing the unbelievers."
"Things couldn't be better. I made a fortune yesterday selling some old junk to some old merchant. What with that nice Mr. Alexi in office maybe things are looking up for the little guy! Ok barkeep a round on me! "
"Wake up you fool. Wake up I say! I need a word. I need to know why the Papacy are planning to attack the Plainsmen. You claim to be the best source of information in this city so answer me."
"The sun is going to stop working soon. It's true! I was speaking to this guy who was a visiting philosophy from the City-States. He says that them Chamatan's are trying to build a catapult that can fire some ball of pitch to cover up the sun so they can attack the City-States under the cover of darkness. Right clever them philosophers I reckon we ought to worship them and make the gods because clearly they are the most interesting thing to walk this land. Why there should be more of them, perhaps a national philosophy holiday so people can think."