Pyron just shrugs at Daud.
Gaius stows his sap, then awaits the drunkard's response, patience running thin.
The drunk's eyes widen as he suddenly seems to realize that there is a small group of children and three bound persons traveling with you. His eyes narrow shrewdly, spittle spraying from his lips as he points at Pyron. "What'sh goin on here? What'sh thish all about?"
He turns to Daud, looking hurt. "Neffi, you aren't up to...to...to bad doin, ish you?"
We are escorting these kidnapped children to my sergeant's office. These men are under arrest. Would you like to help me escort them to my sergeant's office? In fact, we are nearly there.
The man's eyes narrow further as he looks at Pyron. "You that freak Lashtro talksh about? I outrank you here, and I shay you're comin with me!" Sweat beads on the man's brow as his body slowly tries to process the copious amounts of alcohol it has been subjected to.
We cannot tarry here any longer and indulge this fool.
I realize that you outrank me, but you are not in my chain of command. Since I am following a direct command, only someone in my chain of command can authorize a change in my orders. If you have any other concerns, please direct them to my superior. Looking to Gaius, Stand down.
"Neffi, help!" The guard cries to Daud. He turns to Pyron, yelling, "Arresht thish man!" He of course indicates Gaius.
Distracted by herding the children, Tolenn only superficially noticed the drunkard approach. Her attention was sharpened by the sudden escalation of accusations and heated words.
Looking up she sees Gaius beginning to square off with the man. After casting her eyes heaven-ward, Tolenn steps forward "Enough! By Sarenae's grace, I bid you cease and desist!"
Diplomacy
The man relaxes his grip on the pommel of his sword, his face reddening with shame. His eyes cast downwards and he mumbles, "I have fallen far from your goddessh'sh grashe, my lady. Yet I do have my honor, buried deep as it ish. My apologiesh to you, guardshman. And you, Neffi. Come catch up with me later...I'll pash on the drink. I think it'sh time to end that..." He turns to wander off to Citadel Volshyenek, stumbling slowly along.
Gaius stands tall, only relaxing when the man finally takes his leave.
I have small tolerance for drunks as it is, and right now I have none. Any moment we waste on such as him is another chance to run into a patrol. Still, that was well-handled by you two. Shall we continue?
He stands by the prisoners, making his presence felt.
The rest of the trek takes a little over five minutes. You arrive at the small Watch Tower Pyron has been guiding you to.
Let's continue. Pyron leads the way.
Pyron leads them directly to the sergeant's office.
Sergeant Lastro looks to have aged 10 years since last Pyron saw him. If he has slept in the past 48 hours, it was very little, and his clothing and appearance suggest he has seen more than one fight in that time, as well. He looks up at Pyron and the group entering, an eyebrow arching in weary apprehension as he looks over reports.
"We come bearing gifts!"
We have completed the mission. First, this is Daud, Vuk, Tolenn, and Gaius. They helped with the mission. These men were Lamm's henchmen. These were the children that Lamm kidnapped. There were other children, but they have either escaped or have been killed. I attempted to arrest Lamm, but he failed to keep his pet gator under control, which turned on him, drowned him, and killed him.
Between whatever is said, Pyron keeps his promises and tells the honest truth about the whole ordeal.
Sergeant Lastro nods to a subordinate, who promptly escorts the prisoners off to the dungeon to be dealt with in a less hectic time. He absorbs Pyron's information, nodding wearily when he finishes.
"I would have liked to see the old buzzard hanged, but he got what was coming to him. No one will cry over his passing, I'm thinking. You've done well in this regard, Pyron."
He looks over the group, nodding at each of them, "Thank you, as well, my friends. Your assistance in this matter is much appreciated, as we are stretched thin due to recent events. However, I would ask another boon of you. Can you take the children to the Temple of Sarenrae? The Priestess there can find homes for the little one, after they are cared for."
He turns back to Pyron, shaking his head. "Sad times, Pyron. So much change this past day. I'm not even sure I'll be the Watch Sergeant after noon, let alone next week or next year. From your past...actions, there are others who think poorly of you. And the new crop coming in will likely be worse." He handed Pyron rolled up parchments, tied with a bit of twine. "The first is your commendation, absolving you of any prior offenses. The second is your release from the Guards. It's for your own good. It's not safe in Korvosa."
Turning back to the group, eyebrow raising at the chests, he adds, "Is there anything else I can help you with?"
Leaning in towards the sergeant, quietly speaking, This hat box has the head of Zellara, who Lamm killed two weeks prior, yet she is the one who has appeared to us and helped us capture Lamm. He'll answer any questions he may have before moving onto the next box.
This small box contains stolen items. We wanted to return the items that people have been reported as stolen or missing. We were wondering if the items that are not reported and where we cannot find the original owners, could be used for two purposes: to pay the men for risking their lives even though they are not a part of the guard and to help give some money to the children, so they can have some money to help restart their lives. I did promise them some money. He'll show the box and respond to any questions.
We don't know what is in this third box. He waves his hand to have the box brought forward and opened for the sergeant.
Pyron also shows his appreciation for the commendation and release.
Lastro looks alarmed, then really, really confused. "But if she's been dead two weeks, how did she help you?" He sets the hatbox to the side behind his desk where the children can not see, grimacing as he gets a glimpse of the contents.
His eyes widen as you open the strong box. He makes a show of checking records and papers, but even an unobservant person can tell he is only putting on a show. He nods to you all, gesturing at the contents. "I can not find any records, so feel free to keep or disperse these items as you please. I'm sure the Church of Sarenrae will need help with clothing and feeding the little ones." He is about to dismiss the box, when an item catches his eye. He reaches in and pulls it out, fascinated. The brooch rests in his hand, sparkling in the sliver of daylight peeking through the window. Greed stretches his features, then he visibly shakes his head, putting the brooch back in the box.
"I don't know how you got that, but that is Queen Ileosa's brooch she has been looking for. She has offered a finder's fee of 1,200 gp! You should take it to Castle Korvosa at once."
The third box contains Zellara's blood spattered harrow deck. The sergeant wastes little time on this before handing it back with a shrug.
"She's dead, not mute." Daud simply muses at the Sergeant's confusion. Although he does give the man an appreciative nod before taking the entwined Succibi statuette and pocketing it.
Well, if she is offering that much, I think we will go ahead and bring it back to her. Could you write two official letters for us please? First, could we have an official letter that shows that we have the rights to the property? Second, could you write a letter that we are returning this brooch to the queen and are authorized to personally receive the finder's fee?
I'll bring this box, pointing to the hat box, to the temple for their blessing and for their help with handling it. We'll also bring the children to the Church.
"Pyron... She's the Crown Ruler of Korvosa... I don't think some papers by a guard are gonna matter much to her."
It is not for her. It is in case a new local sergeant stops me, searches me, and tries charge me with theft. It is for our protection until we get it to her.
"Well now that you've named that highly specific scenario aloud of course it's going to happen."
When the officer is about to take the prisoners away, Gaius steps up and points at Giggles, then Yargin.
That one likes to beat kids for fun. This one throws acid on him when they displease him. They may not be as bad as Lamm, but they're not much better. Please see to it they get what they deserve.
Then, after the other business.
The guards seem to be spread pretty thin, and you have your official commendation. That should be enough for any honest guardsman to take your word. Any dishonest ones, well, a piece of parchment won't mean anything to them.
That's reasonable Gaius. The decision is still up to the sergeant. Well, thank you again for the commendation and release. I hope everything goes well for you. Good luck. Oh, can you tell me what is going on and why some of the guards threw off their badge and were fighting the other guards?
As Gaius tells of the prisoners, Lastro's face hardens. The party can tell that the only mercy these three will likely receive at his hands is the mercy of a quick death, as opposed to slow starvation in the dungeons.
He shakes his head at Pyron's request. "I have much to do here, and I doubt any paper shield I provide you will be effective. Almost half the guards are just recently recruited and don't know me, and the Hell Knights will not respect anything I put on paper. Trust me, though, the Queen desperately wants her brooch back, and will likely not be inclined to ask questions."
"You're welcome for everything, and thank you for getting that monster off the street. The guards? Well...succession, in a nutshell. The old King dies suddenly, and the young new Queen is rising to take his place. Was it murder? What has happened to the castle Seneschal, who hasn't been seen since the King's death? Those are the reasons some guards are revolting. They refuse to follow the Queen."
The sergeant turns back to his work, the audience clearly at an end.
Pyron hands his badge over. I'll be right back; I just have to gather my belongings. Pyron leaves to.get his belongings and changes out of his uniform. When he returns, he gives the uniform to the sergeant. Afterwards, he waves to the door. Tolenn, please lead the way.
Tolenn leads the way to the Temple of Sarenrae, where the High Priestess is more than happy to take charge of the children, no questions asked. The children are wary, but consent to being led away to be scrubbed and dressed.
If Tolenn does not give an explanation, then Pyron will give a basic explanation about their past, so the High Priestess understands the trauma that the children went through. He also explains that he promised to give them some money to help them out. He explains that they are returning a stolen item for a known reward and will return with some money to help them out.
He also asks if they have any healers on staff for himself. He is still very weak and hurt from yesterday.
The high priestess glances at Pyron dubiously, raising an eyebrow. "The gifts of the gods are not free, my friend. There are those here who could give you that blessing, but we typically collect a 60 gp...donation for such a casting. And you might need more than 1, depending on your condition. Alternatively, a few days of rest ought to fix you right up."
We don't have a few days, I'm afraid. Why the queen is so concerned about a brooch when her husband just died, well, I can't say. But I don't want to be the one to keep her waiting.
Then I will have to just heal naturally. Also, I have the remains of someone who was brutally murdered about two weeks ago. Would you happen to be able to provide cremation or burial services for her? We do not believe she has any relatives. There is not much left of her body.
Pyron is holding the box with her head still I believe. He can show her the head if she asks. He will give it to her should she choose to take her remains.
She takes the box without peering inside, finding a cloth to cover the top. "We will dispose of the remains, certainly. And bless them, so hopefully this person can move on to the next life in peace."
"I've heard the Queen and her personal guards are quite attractive too."
You make your way through the streets of Korvosa, now heading towards the imposing structure of Castle Korvosa. As you weave your way through the streets, you round a corner to an interesting sight: A dozen working-class men and women have surrounded a well-dressed young man.
One man shouts at the young nobleman, "Death to the Whore Queen!"
Another one, a fat middle-aged man with greasy facial hair, says, "Bet'cha never worked an honest day's wage in your life, eh, Queen's Man? M'brother had his arm crushed by a barrel on the docks when he was younger than you. Never raised a mug of ale with that wrist again. Wanna know what it feels like?"
The fat man presses in towards the terrified man as the rest of the mob, emboldened by the aggressive nature of the instigator, starts to close in.
Pyron just shrugs.
Hey! Gaius yells, walking toward the crowd.
He's a nobody, just some passerby with fancy clothes. You have a problem with the Queen? I'm headed to see her now. Would you like to come with me? I hear she's very fond of criticism.
Daud let's out an internal chuckle at Gaius' comment. This is gonna be good.
At the temple, Tolenn was too distracted handing the children over to the priestesses to notice Pyron's interaction with the High Priestess.
When the others indicated their desire to return the brooch to the Queen, she merely nodded and said her thanks to her fellow followers of the Dawnflower.
She's about to step up when Gaius inserts himself into the argument, her lips involuntarily twitching in amusement. However, she does move quietly to stand conspicuously where the mob can see her and Sarenae's emblem on her tabard.
"Mind your business, man, or you might get a little of what's coming to this guy!" The fat bald man shouts at Gaius, before they continue towards the terrified nobleman. The crowd at initially stopped upon hearing a dissenting voice, but are gathering their courage again.
"Big talk from a group of Rabble picking on one lone guy." The amusement of the situation in Daud's mind begins to fade away to annoyance. He didn't feel one way or the other regarding a nobles but he detested mobs and bullies.