>>5609482Aside from the prize money, Sira also receives a small souvenir — a wooden crow painted back with a steel beak. Engraved on it are the signature of Steel Beaks gambling house and a longsword.
Xam also receives the wooden carving, although this one isn’t colored. He also receives a small amount of money for coming in second.
As promised, Tharn gives him the second half of the money once the tournament was done.
Sira could stick around longer, answer a few questions, or talk to Tharn, but the money he currently holds is quite a large amount. Rather than going out in one of the entrances, he finds a balcony without people and fades.
After reappearing on the Nectar Droplet, he deposits the money and places the cute crow carving on this desk.
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Heh. Steel beaks.
It reminds him of the reason why he and his colleagues call themselves crows in the first place.
According to the scriptures, large crows armed with steel beaks are animals that can be found in one of the sectors of hell. The 'Black Lines' — an area filled with trees that produce razor sharp lines that can be barely seen, strong enough to sever limbs. It is inhabited by wardens and their crows, who torture sinners. Only on Uposatha days do they rest, and the black lines dissipate.
While great bandits may call themselves 'Tigers' to instill a sense of strength and power, Sira choose the [steel beaked] 'crows' due to their intelligence and role as punishers of sinners. His stature and dark clothing also helps cement that connection.
Him and his crew were essentially wardens, after all. The slave auditors are supposed to make sure the slaves are operating efficiently and safely, but most of the time, they overlook abuses to ensure businesses run smoothly.
Their status as slave auditors’ security means they can also get away with influencing the slave auditors and doing underhanded things. Threats, beatings, and monetary incentives were good enough for most masters to keep treating the slaves fairly.
