From Bashiel, 60'. From the rest of you, let's call it 75'.
For some reason I'm picturing Me, Ilsa, and Quin, just watching like a group of cheerleaders. making faces and egging on people while not really doing anything. I feel like we are just going to let it work itself out. lol.
Kalem makes his way to the ringleader, eyeing anyone who gets to close to him. He trusted in both his size and earlier speech to keep anyone from trying to get in his way. If someone does he will stop to deal with the threat.
The ringleader and his still conscious accomplices flee into the morning's twilight, running down an alley and collapsing piles of trash and crates behind them. The sergeant of the guard comes forward, orders the unconscious rioters tended to, bound, and taken to the Citadel before he acknowledges the lot of you.
"My thanks for the help, citizens, but you should be making your way to your homes or other shelter. Scenes like this are breaking out all over the city."
Quinlan stays back a bit from the hostilities, but nods to the guard when he suggests they go home. "we were just on our way to safety when we saw your predicament. We'll just continue on our way then."
Kalem stood behind Ilsa and nodded at her question. He looked the sergeant in the eye, his body language showing that he was waiting for a response.
The sergeant shrugs and looks in the direction of Castle Korvosa. That part of the city seems brighter than it was just ten minutes ago. Could it be still more fires? "I don't... that is, we're not...."
"Sarge!" one of the guardmen hisses. The senior guard shakes his head, wipes the exhaustion from his eyes and looks at Ilsa a little more clearly, "I understand you want answers, miss, but now isn't the time. We've got wounded to tend to, businesses to protect, and now prisoners to process."
The guards are able to stabilize one of the wounded rioters but the second begins to convulse from the damage to his skull. The sergeant looks over at him grimly. "Or just one..."
Bashiel looks with concern at the badly injured rioter. "Varor, do you think you might be able to help him?"
His attention is drawn to the castle as he places his mace back into its loop on his belt. With a sigh, he nods when the senior guard denies the group answers.
Might as well be an admission that they don't know much more than us. Nor is it their job to. Just trying to keep the order together, somehow...
And I don't know what I was thinking in convincing these folks to come here in search of the Guard. Its hardly their job, to put their lives at risk for the sake of the city. They should be hiding somewhere safe and secure.
He shakes his head at his own foolishness and turns back to the rest of the group, saying "I think the rest of you were right, we're way out of our depth here. Might be best to make sure all of you get home and your families are saf-" He cuts off winces, giving an apologetic glance to Ilsa.
"Ilsa, we won't be able to search for Briget very well in the midst of this chaos. Maybe... its best to find shelter and rest... and come at it fresh tomorrow." Bashiel looks clearly uncomfortable with the suggestion.
"What do you all think?"
"I think that my little hovel is rickety enough to have probably collapsed by now. But if anyone here needs a place to crash, the looters probably have left it alone. Better places to loot than the slums, eh?"
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Ilsa's lip trembles a bit as despair begins to take hold of her.
"I don't want to go home by myself right now...we should stick together in case violence comes our way."
She looks at the guards, who seem to have no idea what is happening themselves.
"But I think you're right...going to the guard post isn't going to get us anywhere. Maybe we should find somewhere to stay, like Kalem's, and then try to gather some information about what is happening. I'm sure things will calm down soon, and then we can find Briget."
"We can go to my bakery, that can give us a place to eat. Plus we can wait and talk to others that might stop by." Brin looks at everyone hopefully. "Plus the owner is a member of the church if he comes to check up on the place we can ask him also."
"A place to eat? Why didn't you say so earlier. Let's go to this bakery of yours. If the food is as good as the candy you shared earlier, then I see nothing wrong with this idea."
"I'd feel more comfortable at Zellara's but the bakery will do. Staying together is more important I think than the destination... let's go."
"You know I've noticed that my role seems to have been delegated as the pessimistic one," Varor says with flat exhaustion, "But wouldn't a shop be one of the first places to get rated? And more importantly if the owner is a member of a church wouldn't they go to their church to see if they can help or bunker down in their own home?" He asks turning to Kalem and Ilsa, "Not that the idea of a meal or a safe-haven isn't appealing to me but the alley crawlers of the city will certainly be viewing this as a holiday and they're going to celebrate the only way they'll want to," He says rubbing his head and contemplation.
"Bashiel," Varor begins after Quinlan comment, "you're a guard so you need to do your job and the members of my church are all going to be either out and about trying to help get things under control or at the church offering safe-haven and aid to those who seek it. The guard post is also going to be fairly crowded, either by rioters trying to get rid of them or people searching for safety so I say we stick with our original plan," he finishes, turning to stare at the guards asking them to question his logic.
Though his exhaustion from the night and weariness from the scuffle with the rioters had made him blind to Bashiel's association with the guard, the sergeant blinks a little in surprised recognition when Varor refers to Bashiel as a 'guard'.
"You are? You are! Excellent, we need you to muster at the Citadel. Marshal Kroft is putting together a plan to restore order. And you sir," his gaze shifts back to Varor. "You're a priest? Can you heal? If so, we could put your skills to use at the Citadel. I can't promise much, but we could compensate you. For some reason, the Abadarans have not joined the muster so we're in need of healers."
He looks at the rest of you, then shrugs. "As for the rest of you, if you're with them and the guardsman vouches for you, we can give you a safe place to stay until this settles down."
"That works for me. I was looking forward to some bakery, but I think that the protection of the citadel will be of more use."
Quinlan shrugs. "I guess we're going to the citadel then..."
"Very well sir" Bashiel nods to the sergeant before turning back to the others. "The citadel will be the safest place, if not the most comfortable. Looks like your baked goods will have to wait Brin" He says that last part with heartfelt regret.
"If I may ask sir, do we know why the Abadarans have held off? It seems they'd have great incentive to help restore order, what with all the investments across the city that move through their hands."
Once he hears the response, Bashiel thanks the sergeant. He leads the group in towards the citadel and goes in search of Marshal Kroft or one of her deputies.
"Maybe because they haven't been promised payment for doing so?" Quinlan says with a disparaging tone... he's obviously not a big fan of Abadaran 'pay for play' policies.
He follows along to the citadel.
As your conversation with the sergeant winds up, he starts to direct his men to carry the prisoner and take care of the wounded guard when, from behind you, comes the slowly growing sound of a dull roar. Over it can be heard the sound of booted and mailed feet on stone pavers. The sergeanf's brow furrows in confusion as he looks past you then slowly changes to shock and then a hint of panic.
Turning, the first thing you see is Sergeant Fireforge and her contingent of guardsmen whom you'd last seen at the old fishery. One of them is limping and is behind half-supported by a second. Several of them are bloodied and all are covered in filth and grime. And they are all running.
The reason becomes obvious as rounding the corner behind them is a mob of easily two dozen rioters, most of them armed with little more than clubs and other makeshift weapons but a few with proper swords and daggers. Fireforge yells, "Run!!!"
The sergeant of the contingent you just encountered needs no convincing. Whether combined you could defeat the mob or not, it would involve too much blood. The Guard's mission is to protect, not to suppress. "Mooove!" he yells, and points towards the Citadel. His patrol rapidly complies and begins to run towards the Citadel. It is not quite a panic but clearly envigorated with a sense of the danger nipping at your heels.
Quinlan, not much for physical exertion, being a more scholarly sort, breaks into a run.
Kalem follows after, running away from the mob that he had no business fighting.
Bashiel breaks out into a dash, following Ilsa, Quin and Kalem. As he does, he cranes his neck back to check that neither Brin nor Varor are getting left behind.
If anyone stumbles, falls, or otherwise lags behind badly, Bashiel will return and get them to their feet before continuing.
Brin runs after the others.
The race to the Citadel may only be several hundred feet but with an angry mob at your heels it feels like forever. Gradually appearing over the rooftops before emerging into full view, Citadel Volshyenek is a massive crenellated edifice serving as both the headquarters and main garrison of the Korvosan Guard. Torches cast flickering light along the battlements while a massive gatehouse yawns down the avenue in the distance.
The sergeant you just encountered begins yelling to catch the garrison's attention and it doesn't take long before you see activity. Crossbowmen begin to muster while the guards standing near the gatehouse drawn their weapons. Though you cannot make out the details, someone who seems to carry the authority of an officer begins yelling out orders and the path before you begins to unfold as the guards at the gate begin waving you through the shadowy passage and beneath the multiple portcullises and gates.
Above, you hear the officer's voice, now clear, "First Squad, warning shots, ready... fire!" THWACK!!!! The sound of a half-dozen crossbows being released sounds clearly and behind you, you hear their impact on the pavement. Several surprises yells and a stumbling of the mob behind you precedes your hustle through the gatehouse, following shortly by Fireforge and her own squad as the gates and portcullises begin to slam shut behind you.
The outer bailey of the Citadel is an intimidating affair, all the more so from the flickering torches and guards milling about, casting shadows into every corner of the yard. Flanked by a pair of guardsmen, an officer approaches, distinguishable by the billowing crimson cloak behind him. "Sergeant! What's going on?"
The breathless sergeant reports the scene that just unfolded followed by his dwarven colleague who explains she and her squad were finishing up at the fishery when the bells began to sound. What started with a few trouble makers grew into a near riot as more and more people gathered. When swords were drawn, violence quickly followed but Fireforge gave the order to retreat.
The officer has a dour look, not happy about this news, but accepts the decision. "I wonder if the initial circumstances could have been handled better, but once it got to that point... you were right to withdraw. Have your wounds seen to and report to the watch officer, you won't be resting long. Kroft is going to have us putting down these riots with the sunrise."
Finally, the officer turns to the lot of you. [b]"Guardsman Eland, citizens. My name is Lieutenant Maecom. Eland, I'm afraid there's no rest for you just yet. I can give you a few moments to square yourself with your friends and get some food in your belly, but then we're going to have to see about your assignment for the morning.
"Priest, if you've the ability to heal, we have some other citizens here who were burned when a fire was set to their home. Their wounds are non-life threatening but if you can give them some relief, it might ease their pain... and an end to the screaming might help settle the nerves of my men.
"The rest of you, I can give you a safe place to sit and close your eyes until order is restored. There's a canteen with food and you're welcome to crash anywhere that isn't restricted." He asks if there are any questions before he sees to the muster.
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Ilsa thanks the officer for his help and turns to the group. She seems to be improving in spirits in the safety of the citadel, as well as the light of day. She seems less fearful and even offers a smile.
"I used to hear all kinds of gossip in the shop. I'm going to ask around and see if I can find out what is going on," she says.
She begins introducing herself and asking pointed questions.
"Show me to the wounded. There is not much I can do but even their pain should be simple enough," Varor says gripping his silver symbol in hand.
Entering the room with the wounded he gathers them all as close together as he can and releases a burst of healing energy to help soothe everyone that he can.
Kalem will mix and mingle with whatever other citizens are around, and will chat up any guards who are shamming. When doing this, he will gather information about the current instability.
While he could have done a better job of it, he was, truth be told, tired. And with a safe place to eat and sleep, he ended up soon taking advantage of it.
Brin will start mingling around to see what he can find out also. going around the room offering pillows or blankets or carrying messages to people. Quickly Brin's demeanor and relentlessly optimistic attitude start to win people over.
Quinlan, not particularly either social or antisocial, will wander a bit and chat with folks... try to find out whatever he can about what's going on in various parts of the city, esp. old Korvosa where Vencarlo's school is
Eventually, he'll end up accompanying Brin and smiling and aiding his efforts.
Varor is able to find the makeshift hospital where some civilians are trying to rest from their wounds. Though the warmth of Sarenrae initially adds to their pain, some of their burned flesh sloughs off revealing fresh pink skin beneath. Within moments, the burn victims are asleep.
The rest of you hear a variety of rumors from the guards and civilian attendants of the Citadel:
"The king didn't die of old age--t'was murder! He was made sick, and by one he trusted. My money is on the castle seneschal, Neolandus. Why else would he have disappeared as the king dies?"
"The king always did have a weakness for young women. Even after he married Ileosa, he continued to pursue idle dalliances with artists, performers, and debutantes who visited the castle."
"The Key Lock Killer? No, they ne'er did catch him. He just vanished after killing nine people in their own locked homes back in 4797. They say that seven of the nine had ties to nobles who opposed the arbiters and that the killer was on the arbiters payroll. They only got it half-right. As I hear it, the Killer was one of the arbiters themselves, and I say he's still alive, serving as a judge to this very day! It's a conspiracy, I tells ya!"
"Old Korvosa? Hmm. Ain't got a bird from them since the bells started their ringing. Not as many flames that way though."
Bashiel staggers to attention in front of Lieutenant Maecom and only a small wince betrays his dismay upon hearing that there will be no chance for rest. Upon receiving his orders he asks "Sir, I've heard and seen signs of the Sable Company already out in the skies above the city. But... they've fighting imps and house drakes! What the heck is happening out there? Do we have any idea who has been instigating all this madness?"
After the lieutenant's response Bashiel salutes "Sir. I'm at your disposal."
He begins to head off in search of food, when he stops and turns back to the party "I'll see you all again once this starts dying down. If you learn anything else from Zellara in the mean time, send me a message if you can."
After a quick bite to eat, a short meditation to focus his weary mind, and a brief but calming practice routine with his longsword, Bashiel reports back for the morning's orders.
No rest for the weary, eh? He directs the thought towards his ancestors and receives a chorus of affirmations and laughter in response.
~Do not forget the soul of that witch. All this may help the living, but our eternal task is to deal with the dead. Do not allow her to linger any longer than you must.~
Soon, exhaustion takes much of you and you manage to find some sleep. Bashiel is tasked with guarding the ramparts. Some of you may be asleep when Field Marshal Kroft steps onto a balcony and speaks to the assembled guard:
"Through the winds we've heard from the Abadarans. The Holy Bank is under siege as rioters blame them for letting the king die. All the while rioters loot our fair city and the Queen demands we restore order. We shall do our duty! But remember...those in the streets bleed Korvosan blood! The morne the loss of King Eodred and flail for leadership! They are our brothers, our sisters, our sons and daughters! Bring order to the city, block by block, but where you cannot disperse, then corral. That which you cannot corral, funnel. That which you cannot funnel, contain. If you cannot contain, then minimize the damage and protect yourselves. It shall not be on the head of the guard that civil war came to Korvosa!"
With that, patrols and squads range out through the city to restore order. The next day, the news is far from bright but it is not entirely dark, either. You hear from one of the sergeants: "The city is lawless--anarchy--but the open riots and burning have subsided. Just take care and watch your step, but shops have started to open again."
Edit: Ack, Bashiel. We just cross posted. I'll respond in a moment.
Maecom shakes his wolf-like visage. "It's pure madness. Some call it the Curse of Korvosa, of the Crimson Throne. No royal dies without tragedy. But the sane man would say the imps and the drakes, they just at what they're always at, yet stirred up worse by all the bells and smoke. Don't make more of it than what it is. We 'erd the king is dead, that much is true, but don't be ascribing no magic when some daft bat gets loose in the belfry."
A DC 20 Appraise check determines the value of a common item. If you succeed by 5 or more, you also determine if the item has magic properties, although this success does not grant knowledge of the magic item’s abilities. If you fail the check by less than 5, you determine the price of that item to within 20% of its actual value. If you fail this check by 5 or more, the price is wildly inaccurate, subject to GM discretion.
For the dagger, your various checks come up with a range from 650 to 900.
For the brooch, you're thinking it may be worth around 2,500 gold.|
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Ilsa considers their options. Though things still seemed dangerous in town, at least it would be easier to move about.
My employer doesn't even know I've left...but I don't care...I need to find Briget.
"If any of you will continue to help me find my niece," Ilsa says to the others, "I will be eternally in your debt. We could also find out what is happening in the city. Maybe we can get more information outside. I would like to investigate Lamm's son. There must be some leads somewhere. First, it would be nice to upgrade some of this second-hand equipment I borrowed. Might we sell some of this that we found and make some purchases?"
"The guards said the shops were reopening, perhaps we should take a stroll then? I'd certainly like to check up on my cousin and sister as well, make sure they are safe, but there is no rush on that... if they are safe, all well and good. if they are not, at this point there might be little I can do about it. I do worry though."
I wanted to spend the evening because you said we rested up. relearning my spells and also poisoning another piece of candy.. (per poison steep)
before joining anyone out and about.
" Sure its almost morning. so we should get something to eat while we are out. "
Bashiel's stint on the ramparts is long and stressful. The chaos of the city stands evident before him while he can do nothing about it, only point out the movement of mobs and riots to the messengers as they happen. The pointlessness of it all wears at him, not at all aided by the lack of rest.
When his shift is finally over, he deeply considers simply heading to the barracks to sleep, but instead seeks out his new allies. He arrives in time to hear Ilsa's suggestion, interrupting with a yawn and a "I'm with you Ilsa, we'll find your niece. Its true that we could use some better equipment though. And I did want to take another look at that ornate brooch..." Bashiel scrounges it up from wherever the group stashed it.
"There is a lot going on out there" He stifles another yawn "I was on the ramparts the rest of the night. Fires have mostly died down, but its still a mess." He balls a fist as he pauses and remembers the chaos out in the city "We have a lot of options after we get some food and refresh our equipment." He holds up a gauntleted hand and counts off.
"We need someone to decode those ledgers Lamm encrypted, we should investigate Lamm's son, there are loved ones to check on, and we need more information about where is safe and not. I've heard that the Holy Bank of Abadar needs help too. Its a little overwhelming..." Another yawn escapes him. "But if we wait too long things will happen without us."
"I say we ask around for a decoder for the ledger while we're selling things. Then gather what information we can to help Ilsa, and go find our families. We can talk after that about how to proceed."
His thoughts delivered, Bashiel settles in to meditate and draw in one of his ancestors. His call is answered by Samir, his grandfather.
~WHATS THAT BASHI? A BROOCH? WHAT ARE YOU DOING DIRTYING SOMETHING THAT FINE WITH YUR GRUBBY LITTLE FINGERS? PLAN TO GIVE IT TO A NICE LADY? HAH! DON'T GET TOO FULL O YERSELF!~
"Well as much as I would love to help the rest of you out I need to get back to my own church. I'm sure that it's already pretty packed as it is and it's going to need all the help they can get. If you get any solid leads on Briget, and feel I can help, come find me." Varor says before turning to make his long trek back to the temple of Sarenrae.
Bashiel holds his head for a moment while Samir goes on an angry tirade, and then mentions "Also... Don't ask me how I know, but that brooch we recovered from Gaedren is quite a serious bauble. Seems that its rightful owner is none other than the queen herself. It was stolen from a jeweler who was repairing it some time ago."
"And there's a reward to return it to her... I can only imagine that its a hefty one." He gives a wry smile as he contemplates the excesses of the upper classes.
As Varor turns to leave, Bashiel calls out "Be careful out there Varor, and if it proves dangerous, come back to join us. We'll be able to make our way to the temple of Sarenrae as a group. Much safer that way."
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Ilsa listens to Bashiel with some interest.
"How did you know that?" she asks. "Though it's not quite the lead I was hoping for, maybe getting that back to the queen could earn us a favor, and maybe she could help me find my niece," she contemplates, not sure if the queen is kind or would condescend to help in such a matter.
"I'd like to buy some new equipment, and then let's go see if we can turn it over to her."
"Well then, Varor is heading off to his temple, and Bashiel, I assume you have duties today... or perhaps you have today off to sleep since you most likely worked most of the night? and I'm sure Brin needs to check on shop. I think I'll slip out and check on my sister and my cousin today. But I will be back later, and we can decide what we want to do next. I know we need to try to find Ilsa's niece and perhaps that takes some precedence, but returning the brooch might come first, as the reward might give us the wherewithall to aid us in our task, and it shouldn't take too long to do so. Maybe we could all discuss it over dinner? Anyway, I'm off... see you all later!"