Quorthos hands the wand of invisibility over to Imoya. "Good idea, Imoya. Here, inc ase you need to remain unseen, or get Tural out of a scrape." he says. "Just make sure you're alive to bring it back!"
When the pair leave, Quorthos sits down and relaxes. He'll chat with Vencarlo about his various Blackjack capers, trying to absorb all he can.
Tural smiles a warm smile and is very glad he isn't tinder yet.
"Greetings. I would like to talk to the person in charge here, if possible of course. My friends would like to join me as well, but since that would look like an all out attack I left them behind."
He looks at one of the men and notices that one of his armor straps is slightly torn. He walks over and casts mend on the strap, making it whole again.
Mavor stands aound a corner, hoping everything with Tural would go well.
"Oh, I hate letting others do the talking and not be there. I can spin a tale or two quite convincingly, but this uncertainty is killing me"
He whispers to some of the others standing next to him.
Imoya is placed, invisibly within hearing/visual range. Keeping out of obvious traffic routes to keep Tural (The the potential ash piles) in range.
One hand with his coat pocket, holding the wand. The other out, readying to unleash a fiery spell if things go sour or, if needed, to prevent sour from happening at all.
In the early morning Mavor saw time to sneak to the house of an old buddy named Sven, who quickly let him and told him something interesting. You already knew the late parents of the current Arkonas, who had been nearly broke before launching an expedition to the Mwangi Expanse, came back from their expedition with a load of gold. this gold enabled them to become a powerful noble house once again. Sven's father, who used to work as a servant for the Arkonas, did however notice something else after the Arkonas had returned. Apparently, the Arkonas behaved somewhat 'different' from before they left on their expedition. Though Sven's father was never able to figure out what exactly had changed the Arkonas, he was sure it wasn't the gold they had brought with them.
---------------------------------------------------
The guards look a bit confused. "You mean the guard captain?"
A negative answer from Tural makes them realize who he means. "Ah, I, uh... Well, we could ask if Sir Arkona would see you. He'd probably be delighted to meet one of the heroes of Korvosa, I imagine."
The guards whose strap Tural fixed nods vehemently. "Sure he would! Just tell your friends to come over, and we can relay who want to see him. He'll want to know."
Imoya sighs lightly to himself as he pockets his hand.
He'll wait for orders before making any outrageous actions.
Tural nods and smiles.
"Give me a moment."
He says as he walks out of the manor walls and calls for everyone. He seems to be shaking slightly, glad to have not been attacked.
"They will let us speak with Arkona. They actually seemed... excited to see me..."
After everyone has turned in he will lead them back to the guards.
The Ifrit hands Quorthos the wand he had lent him.
"Another time...Hopefully."
Imoya follows cautiously.
When the timing seems right, Baer will join Tural and the others in meeting the Arkonas.
"I am Baer," Baer grunts her full name and smiles politely.
"She is." Imoya nods
"The strength and battle mentality of one too."
Once everyone's gathered the guards nod and escort you through the manicured, immaculately landscaped palace grounds. Palace Arkona is perched at the highest point atop Endrin Isle in Old Korvosa. The palace is home to the family alone; servants and guards dwell nearby in one of two outbuildings. The grounds are decorated here and there with tiny copses of trees, exotic topiary animals (elephants, cobras, and tigers being the most common), beautiful flower gardens, and exquisite fountains. The palace is a breathtaking structure built in the Vudran style, with golden pillars, high windows that rise to tapered points, minarets, and domes decorated with slender spires.
You're led into the entry, whereupon the guards return to their patrol and you're greeted by a tall, pleasant man who wears an eyepatch. "Good day, lady and gentlemen. I am Carnochan, the palace majordomo. What is it I can do for you?"
The repeat the request for an audience with Glorio Arkona, after which the man responds, "Of course. Please follow me to the visitor's lounge."
Inside Arkona Palace the walls are made of ebony and carved with depictions of elephants, tigers, monkeys, and peacocks, all with shimmering mother-of-pearl eyes. Doors are made of mahogany and carved with images of a six-armed, four-faced woman who rides a tiger with human hands for paws. All rooms are lit at night by everburning torches. Exotic plants in clay pots are in abundance, and each room is rich with their scent, mingled with that of sandalwood incense burning in brass censers that hang from the ceiling here and there. The rooms inside the palace are spacious and grand, with all the ceilings 20 feet high.
A black marble arch depicting dozens of elephants standing one atop the other frames a great ebony door in the south wall of this wide and airy entrance hall. Above the door, a single one-eyed elephant looks out over the hall, its eye a glittering bloodstone the size of an apple. Tall windows grant a commanding view of the palace grounds, and a rich red carpet, ten feet wide and luxuriously thick, provides a pathway between doors to the west and north, and around a corner to the east. Each of these doors, including a few smaller ones just west of the northern pair, are decorated with images of a six-armed, four-faced woman who rides a tiger with human hands for feet.
At the end of the entrance hall a fourteen-foot-tall marble statue of a six-armed woman with four faces on her head, one looking to each of the four cardinal directions, stands under a dome of colored glass. The statue wields numerous weapons in its six arms, and a small kneeler at its base gives a place to pay respects to whatever deity the statue represents. Each of the statue’s eight eyes is a sparkling bright green orb.
This comfortable room is warmed by a large fireplace, its marble sides and mantle carved into a parade of capering monkeys and tigers. A large sofa sits to the north, while a few comfortable looking chairs sit to the south.
"Please wait here," Carnochan says, and closes the door behind him as he leaves.
When Tural came to get the others, Vencarlo (now disguised as Blackjack) drank a potion that turned him invisible. As you approach the guards he whispers, "quorthos, I'll tap your shoulder once I'm inside with you. That'll be the sign I'll be off exploring."
Once you're inside the Palace Quorthos feels the tap on his shoulder, and Vencarlo/Blackjack is off.
Majenko lands on the couch in the visitor's lounge and makes himself comfortable.
"I have to say this place looks much better than that creepy cave we've been hiding in."
Mavor sheathes his axe as he enters the Arkona mansion, looking quite astounded by the many and extravagant decorations around the house. He lets out a low whistle when they walk around the Palace Entrance.
"I'm sure this must have cost a fortune. A burglar's dream if he ever could get in."
Mavor sits down comfortably in one of the chairs and lays back, staring at the ceiling.
"I'm wondering what the Arkonas will think of us and our reuqest for an audience."
Imoya remains uncomfortably silent.
Once he arrives in the visitors lounge, he relaxes lightly and sighs.
he places a hand against the entry side wall and smiles to himself after hearing Mavor.
He turns to place his back to the wall, folding his arms over his center in a relaxed state.
"No matter how much this mansion is worth, it can all be ash in the end. It's a comforting thought, for me at least."
"How much money can you throw against such things..."
Tural says in wonder, his eyes going from gem to gem. He sits in one of the chairs and his bottom sinks deep into the soft pillows.
"This is incredible! You should try these chairs! Never felt anything quite like it..."
Roughly 5 minutes pass before the door opens and a brown-haired, mustache wielding gentleman enters the room, flapping a fan to cool his face.
"Good day, guests. I am Glorio Arkona. And oh my, Carnochan, did you not offer our guests anything? Please do bring some wine and cheese for them."
Carnochan, who was standing directly behind Glorio, scurries off to rectify the faux pas while Glorio joins you on one of the couches. "How can I be of service, heroes?"
Baer smiles and tries not to tromp in too much street muck with her. She wipes her feet and enters last, nervous about hanging about 'fancy people'.
She doesn't deign to take a cushion, like Tural, but remains standing and nervous.
Maybe this is a bad idea. She looks around at all the wealth and shakes her head. She could never afford all this. She feels outclassed.
Baer opens her mouth to answer Gloria, but then shuts it...afraid of what she might say.
Imoya waits, looking over the finery and eyeing the new arrival curiously.
The group he just joined must have some kind of pull, thus he felt it was wise to allow them to do the talking.
Tural stands and introduces himself.
"Tural Ardas, it seems we are fairly known here going by the guards' reaction."
He smiles warmly and introduces everyone in the party to the man.
"Now, we have come here for some delicate matters."
Once the man who left in a hurry comes back he accepts a glass of wine and sits back down.
"We..." He starts before falling silent for a moment, thinking on how to say it.
"If we are correct then you are not in line with the queen. We uncovered a few nasty details about going ons in the city, her doing. To say it bluntly, we need the senechal to fight her."
He waits a moment for his reaction before going on.
"This may be a lot we're asking of someone we never met, but it shows how desperate we are to get help. We want to stop the downward spiral this city is currently in and you could help us with that."
Diplomacy to aid
Baer picks her nose with her larger tusk. It's a good party trick that she feels can't do anything but impress the royalty.
Denario merely listens. For a walking tree-man, Tural sure has a way with words.
Mavor listens in uneasily as well, he tries to judge the man's reaction to Tural's question. He was better in seeing people's actions than expressions though.
Watches, ready to throw a fireball at Qurothos' command.
Glorio looks shocked when Tural speaks about the queen's evil. "Oh my! Surely you do not mean this? Quarantine really was the queen's only choice to stop the spread of this anarchy Korvosa's been facing! I sure do hope that she'll be able to lift it soon, which is why I've done what I can with me limited resources to keep Old Korvosa from falling into complete disarray."
While speaking about the queen you notice Glorio subtly shakes his head, conveying his true feelings about the queen through this motion: he doesn't quite like her.
"I've heard you've removed the Emperor from power? That's certainly a step in the right direction. I wonder what else we could do though...?"
"And I'm sorry, but did you mention the Seneschal? I recall hearing nobody's seen him for ages..."
Mavor notices Glorio knows more about the Seneschal, and that Glorio's not trying to hide this at all. In fact Glorio wants you to know that he knows more about the Seneschal.
"The quarantine was indeed well timed, the source of the sickness however..."
Tural starts feeling angry as the man is toying with him.
"I think you know full well what we could, and want to do next. We know that you have no love for the queen. And under normal circumstances we wouldn't come knocking on your door, since we were employed by the queen herself."
He looks to the group before heading on.
"The Seneschal is the easiest way to get the queen out of power. And seeing what she is planning it is only fitting."
He looks the man directly in the eyes.
"I want to know if you would help us. After that we might tell more of what we uncovered."
Baer nods, agreeing with Tural and continuing to let the tree lead the conversation.
You're doing great, Tural. Keep going.
Glorio nods slowly, his polite demeanor vanishing. "I see subtlety's lost on you. Very well then."
"Seneschal Neolandus is a guest of mine. It's possible for you to see him, but I fear the situation's a trifle more complicated than that. You see, he's currently inside the Vivified Labyrinth." A rueful smile parts Glorio's lips.
"I apologize for this complication, but I won't retrieve my dear guest from the Labyrinth. Though I can tell you how to access the Vivified Labyrinth and adjust its corridors, if you really wish to see the Seneschal."
"The Vivified Labyrinth? Never heard of it, but the way you say it makes me get a bad feeling about this... We do however want to speak to him."
He relaxes a bit.
"Thank you however, your help is appreciated. If you ever need our aid you may call on us, we are not always easy to find though."
"Vivified Labryrinth? That rings a bell somewhere, but that would have probably been a long time since I heard that."
Mavor remarks as Tural continues his conversation.
"Are there any more complications inside the Labryrinth besides adjusting corridors? I assume you may have some creatures lukring about?"
Know (Local)
Baer shrugs, not having heard of it. However, she is confused.
"Why...why can't you go get the Seneschal? Isn't this your place? And why do you have a place that you can't go?"
Denario was not at all in the loop of local affairs.
"Yes. What is down there, that has you spooked so much?"
"You won't retrieve him, or you can't?" Quorthos asks pointedly. "Though I suppose it doesn't matter either way. I had hoped to find you more helpful, given your reputation."
Quorthos crosses his arms and waits for Tural to continue with his discussions. The tree guy has definitely gotten better at this.
The only answer Glorio gives to your questions is a knowing smile.
"There's an elephant statue in the garden," Glorio continues to Tural. "The stone platform on which it stands is a trap door that can be opened by pressing a hidden 6-inch-diameter pressure plate at the center. Before you do that I advice you to say the passphrase 'Chamidu is blind.' Else you'll have to fight my precious elephant and the water elemental inside the fountain, and I'd like to keep both undamaged."
"The Vivified Labyrinth itself consists of four sections. You'll come across some key levers down there. The Labyrinth can be adjusted by pulling said levers, which will cause the four sections to rotate."
"The Seneschal is worth an eccentric's maze?" Imoya asked, looking to Quorthos and Tural.
Seeing that Glorio isn't going to get the man out himself he nods.
"And what is to be expected in the labyrinth? Any special creeps we should know about? Don't want to run into something bad without knowing if you could have told us."
He tries to keep calm and friendly but the situation has him agitated, causing a slight undertone to creep into what he said.
Carnochan returns with the wine and cheese, presenting it on the table. The servant then nods at Glorio, who grins in response.
"Your masked friend's beaten you to the Labyrinth's entrance," Glorio says as he picks up a piece of cheese. "Don't ask me how, but he obtained the passphrase and is already inside."
The nobleman puts the cheese in his mouth and leans back in his seat, still grinning as he watches you.
"I know stonework is hard, but I'm sure I can melt away the area until the location is uncovered." Imoya offered stoically looking around.
Baer remains neutral on this. She thinks this is all ridiculous, but will go along with it if others are fine with it.
Baer grunts, torn between questions unasked and actions to be taken.
Denario won't object if Tural goes 'I CURSE YOU' on the guy.
Mavor twiddles his thumbs, mulling over the conversation, before getting up and saying.
"Well seems we've got our work cut out for us, getting in there and surviving that labyrinth. Well thank you kindly for aiding us so far, hopefully when we can pay you back the favour, things will not as be so convoluted."
"Well guys, seems we've got some maze runing to do."
Mavor looks like he's ready to go chop up some things in the Labyrinth.
"Our masked friend?" Quorthos responds innocently. Dammit, Vencarlo, you need to learn to trust your teammates!
At Tural's remarks, Quorthos joins in. "Yes, it certainly would be unfortunate were we to have trouble that our new friends could have warned us about. We'll be back either way, but I'd like to coem back without any issues to settle."
Baer grumps and realizes the party now needs to go into the labrynth.
She stomps to the maze and readies to go in (saying passwords and phrases and little dances as necessary).
Once they are out of earshot of any Arkonas, Baer will grunt and grump up a fury.
"Piddlespot, piddlespot, piddlespot. I don't like this at all. And I don't trust them Arkonas. They might not be on the Queen's side, but they definitely aren't on our side. This isn't right," Baer grouses, preparing.
Tural grows more angry and points at the man, casting bestow curse on him.
"You keep dodging our questions, I want answers!"
Tural feels his spell's resisted with such incredible force that he knows for sure he'd have to train a bit more before he'd be able to put a curse on this man.
Glorio frowns at Tural. "Do not do that again, tiny tree. I do not wish for you to regret the decision."
Tural frowns and shivers. Looking at Glorio he nods.
"We will leave at once."
He follows Baer out of the building.
"I don't know who that was, but that was no commoner..."