Sabina shyly blushes and shakes her head.
"I...I have no statements against your act of woreship or indeed the harmless fun behind closed doors, but I am needed here for my Queen all day and night I am afraid being her bodyguard and hand maiden keeps me busy and at my beloved queen's side at all times. I am honoured by the offer though." she clears her throat and manages to compose herself once again.
"The Queen said, she wishes you to go there to help restore order to the city. Riots continue and the guard is spread too thin. We need heroes like you to fill the ranks and solve the problems. Do this and you will be rewarded just like you were here, not like you need a reward to motivate you to serve our wonderful queen, right?"
Krenn, you can tell the chest itself is worth 50 gold, this is real silver, good quality and each bar is worth 100gp. Definantly worth much more than the brooch itself.
Well, I suppose working for the queen is a step up from total poverty.. Curnach says with a wry smile and less of a stutter than usual. What do you say we go sell Lamm's ill-gotten gains and these ingots and split the total? We'll need better equipment if we plan to last long in this chaos, and i'm sure Tapestry has need of a more elaborate-looking and provocative whip...
Tapestry pouts at Curnach,
'What? I'm not provocative enough for you, young Master Curnach? Then I must re-double my efforts...'
She then shrugs and adds,
'... but as for selling loot and shopping... With the city in near riot that doesn't seem likely to be easy. Mayhap we should go with this escort to the Citadel and see what is required of us... and whether the Field Marshal will be willing to issue us any additional equipment we may need... provocative or not...' she winks at the young druid.
Tapestry pouts at Curnach,
'What? I'm not provocative enough for you, young Master Curnach? Then I must re-double my efforts...'
She then shrugs and adds,
'... but as for selling loot and shopping... With the city in near riot that doesn't seem likely to be easy. Mayhap we should go with this escort to the Citadel and see what is required of us... and whether the Field Marshal will be willing to issue us any additional equipment we may need... provocative or not...' she winks at the young druid.
Your plenty provocative... I've just never had the kind of life that left any time for those kind of thoughts, they seem to have been almost entirely repressed.
Order seems to have been restored now- no one is going to bother a large, well-armed group like ours Tapestry. Curnach reassures.
After a considerable wait at a small back-street shop which Tapestry delared was 'her favourite leather worker's' the tiefling finally emerges clad in her new outfit: a suit of metal-studded leather which seems to have been tailored to fit her like a second skin, enhancing rather than concealing the curves of her body and with a low-cut cleavage which hardly seems suitable for a protective garment. Posing and twirling for her new friends, she offers them all a sly smile,
'Didn't I tell you? It's not armour, it's a weapon of mass distraction...'
She's also sporting a new, finely crafted, whip which she snaps and caresses before looping and slipping onto her belt,
'... A girl's got to accesserize you know...' she comments, a smile beaming on her face.
Along with the darkwood shield, with Calistria's symbol carved into the face, which she purchased from an elven merchant earlier, Tapestry declares her shopping complete, for the moment, adding,
'Quick, drag me away before I start to browse the shoes!'
In contrast to Tapestry's spending and lavish armour, Curnach only has a simple club of wood to show for the day spent re-equipping.
Nature provides. he says simply, with a shy smile.
Nature provides.
'Sure honey,' Tapestry gently teases, 'but a haircut and some new clothes would do wonders for your chances with the ladies...' ;)
Hm... indeed, but I may simply go with not so much. I don´t need anything and after all. Body is my weapon. Might as well save it for later, if I happen to need shelter or food Avanti speaks and decides to buy two finely made Brass Knuckles
[2x Brass Knuckles masterwork 302gp]
After several hours, Althon returns to the group. Adorned in a steel breastblate, emblazoned with a cockatrice, and a masterfully crafted bastard sword on his back.
As you make your way the citadel is easy to see in the distance. Citadel Volshyenek is located in Midland, overlooking Jaggare Harbor where it serves as the base of operations for the Korvosan Guard. You find two nervous guards standing at the entrance to the yard. Seeing you they at first seem to tense up, but step aside, letting you all through as you introduce yourselves just like the Queen promised you're being told that you are being expected.
A guard leads you inside the large citadel towards the office of Cressida Kroft. You notice as you all make your way there that the citadel appears very empty with only the minimum amount of guards.
"I'm so glad the Queen sent us some extra men...err...help. Sorry Miss. Havn't been getting much sleep with the town all in a panic." he smiled to the group, though he wasn't that interested in the group.
He brings you to outside the office where Cressida Kroft is with a nameplate on the door calling her Field Marshell Cressida Kroft.
"I have to return to my post. She will be expecting you." he gives you all a salute before leaving and heading back to his duties.
... Body is my weapon...
'Mine too, darling,' Tapestry responds to the monk with a rather provocative pose, 'but maybe not quite in the same way...'
Admiring Althon's purchases Tapestry comments,
'Nice weapon big guy... very nice weapon...' curiously, she doesn't seem to be looking at his new sword... ;)
In the citadel...
Once the nervous guard leaves, Tapestry knocks on the Field Marshal's door, whispering as an aside to the others,
'I pray to the goddess that we're not to be stuck on guard duty... I'm not built for waiting, and I'm sure if Aventi has to stand still for more than five minutes he'll spontaneously combust or something...'
I sense that the city is too far out of balance for a group of skillful individuals to be stuck on guard duty. I also believe that the Queen would not have personally recommended us for mere guard duty.
'Curnach, my love,' pouts Tapestry, 'you have no sense of humour...'
'Curnach, my love,' pouts Tapestry, 'you have no sense of humour...'
Curnach stares back blankly in response, appears to concentrate very hard- and then tries a smile. It comes out more like a grimace sadly.
"Come in!" you hear a feminine voice calls out from the room, sounding groggy and tired.
As you enter you can see a dark haired, attractive and tired-looking woman rising from her desk to greet you all.
"My name is Field Marshal Cressida Kroft. The Queen sent word that you were on your way. Forgive my condition but ever since the death of the King I havn't slept, but luckily a priest of Abadar helps me with his spells to fight back fatigue. Well...I've introduced myself what are all your names?" she asks with a smile looking at everyone with curiosity in a attempt to learn more.
Curnach.
"Althon Skyven, at your service hotness" says Althon with a wink. He never could resist a woman of arms.
To Tapestry: Ahah, I can just imaging, oh my honored priestess and gives smirk to her[/b]
To Krenn: Ah, no fear for that Krenn. Currently, I still have over 20 shurikens, so I suppose those should be enough for me. In the end, I still believe more to my... fist than tools
Looking how others introduce themself, Avanti bows little bit Avanti D´Gaudon, A monk at your service
Tapestry does her cleavage-enhancing bow (the shameless hussy!) and introduces herself,
'Tapestry, Ma'am, a humble priestess of Calistria. My body's a temple... would you care to worship?'
Cressida nods to everyone, taking down their names, however both Althon and Tapestry get a strange look from her. She relaxs and sits back down in her chair. With a heavy sigh she begins.
I am glad Queen Ileosa sent heroes of your caliber to us. You are all exactly what we need." however as she says this she gives a almost regretful look at Tapestry and Althon. "You've been on the streets and you know better than me how bad things are out there. It's breaking my heart to see the city I love, Korvosa, tear herself apart like this. Every little bit of aid we can get from heroes as grand as you helps. If you're willing, I very much wish to retain your survices as agents of the Guard. I don't need to say, of course, that you'll be well compensated for helping out the city. If you choose to accept this task then I will brief you on the main problem that has been keeping me up all night. Do you all accept?" she looks around expectingly at everyone.
We didn't come this far only to accept or turn down a job before we know anything about it... Curnach mutters under his breath, clearly irritated by the woman asking if the group accepts a task she has not defined.
'Heroes?' Tapestry blinks, a little confused, then nudges Althon and whispers, 'I think she's talking to you... Must be the new armour...'
Hearing Curnach's muttering the tiefling woman smiles at Cressida,
'Don't mind our young Master Daveck,' she offers,'I think everything irritates him (if you ask me I think he needs a good, long, hard... but I digress...) however, he does make a valid point. I expect it's just the fatigue brought on by your unflinching and unrelenting service to the crown, but you did neglect to mention just what task you'd like us to do and, for that matter, what sort of "compensation" we may expect for said task.'
She sighs as the point Tapestry makes and puts up her arms.
"Fair enough. To start I of course mean you will be compensated in the same was as the Queen compensated you. Now...this task." she sighs again heavily and puts her head in her hands "Korvosa's Guard has enough troubles as it is without my own men going rogue on me. As much as this pains me to admit, though, this has happened several times already. They deserted their posts, more concerned about friends and family than the city which I can understand, yet not all of them have family. Many of them are using the riots as an excuse for personal gain. One such man is Verik Vancaskerkin who is not only a lone deserter, he's convinced a small group of fellow guards that Queen Ileosa is going to ruin the city. Wether she does or doesn't, that isn't the point-right now, we've got a city-wide crisis on our hands and I need all my guards working with me to see us through." he paused to rub her temples "A deserter is worse than a lost resource-it's an infection and I can't afford to pull any of my other patrols off duty to deal with Vancaskerkin and I'd rarther not expose any of them to him anyway, since I neither want Vancaskerkin to infect more guards with his talk of secession, nor do I want some overly patriotic guard killing him outright. I need impartial, skilled talent. Like you. If you accept you must bring him to me. Alive he's worth one thousand five hundred but dead he's only worth half of that. I would like to know exactly why he deserted which is why I need him alive, for interrorgation. If there is more to it than simple politics and if you find out I will need to know immediately. Vancaskerkin and his men have holed up in an abandoned butcher's shop up in Northgate called All the World's Meat." after saying this she stand up once again and puts out her hand "So, do we have a deal? You all get to be heroes and you will be well rewarded for it. Not to mention, I will put in a good word for you with Theandra Darklight. She owns the Three Rings Tavern in Five Corners. I'm willing to put up rooms here in the barracks for you and I've worked with adventuring groups before in and out of the city so I know you'll want your own personal reasons for...whatever reasons you wish." as she says this final part she looks over at Tapesty, seemingly recognising the symbol of Calistra on her shield.
'Well,' Tapestry shrugs, 'I'm sure we can convince this Verik Vancaskerkin to come along quietly... after all, if my charms don't work on him we have a psychotic monk and a dwarf itching to try out a new axe whom I'm positive he'll listen to...' she shakes the Field Marshal's profered hand, then glances at the rest of team neutral to ask, 'Boys?'
Korvosa is out of balance. We must do what we can to restore it.