He did not like what he saw.
None among those he surveyed stood out as having merit--at least, no observable merit by Jürgen's lights. And what did he expect at a ball hosted by
vampires, other than hedonism and vain self-indulgence? If there was anyone here who lived not in the ceaseless pursuit of these two things but rather by higher ideals, then Jürgen had yet to spot them.
Look at them all. Look at the two
women dancing together. Degenerate. And yet such displays as that were not only accepted in
vampire "society" (how loosely Jürgen used that word), but openly embraced. He had met eyes with a tall albino vampire, who nodded in invitation toward him, but the two salacious vampire women approached him by the table with the wine and the albino engaged with them. And Jürgen would rather not suffer being in the mere presence of those two.
A vampire elf passed by Jürgen. And he paid the elf no mind.
Jürgen resolved simply to go and confer with Sofia and Lucius. He strode around the edge of the ballroom, avoiding the dance floor. A few curious, hungry, or wonderstruck glances at
the Bloodstone came from some of the vampires, surreptitious or otherwise. He stood beside Lucius, who was dutifully sentinel by the sitting Sofia's side, she with her clawed hands placed primly in her lap.
"What do you make of all this, Lucius?"
Sofia spoke up, saying serenely, "I believe it all to be quite lovely." She was roundly ignored.
Lucius glanced over to the King he served, both in life and in undeath. Said, "May I be frank, Sire?"
"Please."
"'Tis a godawful waste of our time, Sire. The manner in which we secured the aid of the Mistweaver House was far more preferable."
"I agree," Jürgen said. "But the diplomacy of decapitation has its limits."
"Are you thinking that we should perhaps approach this more in the manner of our affair in the Kinniger Duchy?"
"That may well do." Jürgen's eyes trailed over the dance floor. Over those dancing and past them to the other side of the ballroom. "Or there may yet be useful individuals to sway to our cause, despite initial appearances. At the very least, information and leads on vampiric artifacts may be had."
"Shall I inquire?"
Jürgen gave a small wave of his left hand. "Not just yet. I've yet to wade into these murky waters myself to see if there lies indeed a jewel worthy of the effort. Sofia."
"Yes, my light," Sofia responded dutifully, looking up with a bright smile.
"Do for me a kindness and engage with that man there," Jürgen pointed out a vampire lord, an orc--rare as it was--conversing with a few others at the more northern end of the ballroom. "I believe that the Slaughterns have made contact with his house in the past. See what you can do."
"Of course, my light," Sofia said. She stood, carefully ran her palms across her gown to straighten it, then started toward the orcish noble.
"And what would you have me do, Sire?" Lucius asked.
"Attend me," Jürgen said.
And Jürgen, followed closely by his Lord Commander, started around the edge of the dance floor. Despite his cold first impressions of the ball's participants, he had nonetheless earmarked a few potentials with whom to speak.
The albino was one.