As she sees no signs of her being wanted, Garra relaxes a little more.
[dice=Perception (Any trouble?)]1d20+5
There is no trouble present, as of yet.
The city watch building looks like any Karrnathi building. Made of wood and quite large. There are some barracks on the side.
I take a careful glance around, seeing if I can see the watchman I know was bribed - and if I can, if any of his friends seem to be about.
Custos begins to make his way into the Watch's office properly, following in Karola's footsteps and observing the men and women who are coming and going for their suspected guardsman. They were mere cadets, certainly, but they had earned their place within Rekkenmark Academy. Perhaps that would afford them some measure of authority or at least respect.
Custos, your sense motive check finds a certain watchman that looks like he's not fitting in. He's not clean cut, has a longer nose, and a moustache.
Could he be the one?
Garra tugs on one of Custos' fingers to get his attention.
"Why is nobody asking about the guard we saw," she asks quietly.
Kut stays at the back of the group. Waiting to see if someone else will talk to the guards.
Custos notices the man who doesn't look like the others, the oddities making him stand out. He wasn't following proper etiquette, the clean face and everything. He looks down at Garra as she tugs on his finger, the metal lips tilt up in what supposedly passed as a smile.
"We shall. I will go and ask now." Custos would begin to head over straight towards the man that stood out from the others. There wasn't any fear in the warforged's movements. "I have witnessed an act of bribery today with one of the guards. I wish to put in my report and am unsure of where to go. Where is it, sir?"
The warforged didn't really think it out as well as the others did, his skill in conversation was poor when it left the more metaphorical and philosophical topics. There was another reason as well. Custos was testing the man immediately and suddenly. Sometimes the best way to call a bluff was to go right into it, make the enemy stumble. He was watching the man very carefully, trying to catch a mistake and hopefully open things more for his allies.
Garra stays close to the warforged, wondering if it would have been better to keep her mouth shut.
Ilbryn, though well-versed in the art of smoothing things over, remained silent.
I want to see where this goes, he thought with no small amount of amusement.
[dice=perception]1d20+6
[dice=sense motive]1d20+2
Kut stays at the back of the group. Waiting to see if someone else will talk to the guards.
Kutishek notices the corrupt city watchman. A man who is full bearded and looking like he has a chip on his shoulder for something. The watchman's coat of arms is unrecognizable.
Custos notices the man who doesn't look like the others, the oddities making him stand out. He wasn't following proper etiquette, the clean face and everything. He looks down at Garra as she tugs on his finger, the metal lips tilt up in what supposedly passed as a smile.
"We shall. I will go and ask now." Custos would begin to head over straight towards the man that stood out from the others. There wasn't any fear in the warforged's movements. "I have witnessed an act of bribery today with one of the guards. I wish to put in my report and am unsure of where to go. Where is it, sir?"
The warforged didn't really think it out as well as the others did, his skill in conversation was poor when it left the more metaphorical and philosophical topics. There was another reason as well. Custos was testing the man immediately and suddenly. Sometimes the best way to call a bluff was to go right into it, make the enemy stumble. He was watching the man very carefully, trying to catch a mistake and hopefully open things more for his allies.
Custos, you are directed to the complaints desk. The desk is full of papers to file, with a little gnome from the Notary Guild sitting at the desk filing papers. You notice on his face he has the mark of Scribing.
Kut will nudge those near to him and indicate by moving his head where the corrupt guard is. He will then turn and start walking towards the door as if he is just moving around to keep busy.
Garra remains with Custos, using the big man as much for comfort as a way to remain somewhat hidden. After all, who's going to pay attention to the mousy girl when a warforged was right there to gather attention.
Custos, your sense motive check finds a certain watchman that looks like he's not fitting in. He's not clean cut, has a longer nose, and a moustache.
Could he be the one?
Custos notices the man who doesn't look like the others, the oddities making him stand out. He wasn't following proper etiquette, the clean face and everything. He looks down at Garra as she tugs on his finger, the metal lips tilt up in what supposedly passed as a smile.
"We shall. I will go and ask now." Custos would begin to head over straight towards the man that stood out from the others. There wasn't any fear in the warforged's movements. "I have witnessed an act of bribery today with one of the guards. I wish to put in my report and am unsure of where to go. Where is it, sir?"
The warforged didn't really think it out as well as the others did, his skill in conversation was poor when it left the more metaphorical and philosophical topics. There was another reason as well. Custos was testing the man immediately and suddenly. Sometimes the best way to call a bluff was to go right into it, make the enemy stumble. He was watching the man very carefully, trying to catch a mistake and hopefully open things more for his allies.
[dice=Sense Motive]1d20 + 5
Custos, your sense motive check finds a certain watchman that looks like he's not fitting in. He's not clean cut, has a longer nose, and a moustache.
Could he be the one?
Custos notices the man who doesn't look like the others, the oddities making him stand out. He wasn't following proper etiquette, the clean face and everything. He looks down at Garra as she tugs on his finger, the metal lips tilt up in what supposedly passed as a smile.
"We shall. I will go and ask now." Custos would begin to head over straight towards the man that stood out from the others. There wasn't any fear in the warforged's movements. "I have witnessed an act of bribery today with one of the guards. I wish to put in my report and am unsure of where to go. Where is it, sir?"
The warforged didn't really think it out as well as the others did, his skill in conversation was poor when it left the more metaphorical and philosophical topics. There was another reason as well. Custos was testing the man immediately and suddenly. Sometimes the best way to call a bluff was to go right into it, make the enemy stumble. He was watching the man very carefully, trying to catch a mistake and hopefully open things more for his allies.
[dice=Sense Motive]1d20 + 5
Custos would be directed towards the complaints desk, a name that makes the warforged's face sour at the name of it. There was always a place like that and it was either ran by someone who was alright with the status quo and never had anything changed or was run by someone who, at this point, had grown to become terrible depressed and disappointed in his position. He was about to pull away from them when Kutishek nudged him and motioned to the man that was standing off to the side. With a frown, he leans back into Kutishek and nods.
"Thank you friend. I always have such difficulties telling the differences of humanity apart. No offense, Garra." Whether it was humor or not was hard to tell with the machine-like timbre of the metal man's voice. He would turn away from the man who kindly had given him directions and instead began to approach the man who had been confirmed as the guard who took the momentary bribe to look the other way. Like a charging bull, the warforged made his way there without subtlety but with sheer determination. The green eyes were focused on the man as Custos closed in and stood just a bit too close to the man.
"You." Custos seemed to growl, looking down at the man. "You are violation of the Rekkenmark Guard's Code of Ethics. You accepted a bribe from a common thief, who carried stolen goods from the great House Cannith. We have questions for you and you shall answer them, then we shall escort you for reprimandation. Understood?" It wasn't a true test of intimidation, Custos was poor at such a thing. It was simply a logical statement; he did something wrong, he had been caught and found, and there would now be a punishment after questioning. Seemed fair enough to Custos, it was how the world should work after all. Nice, simple, procedural.
"None taken," Garra said quietly as she followed in Custos' wake. She wasn't sure if the straightforward manner that the warforged had adopted was the best, but the results should be interesting at least.
Kut stays positioned to block the man escaping through the front door.
Seeing Kutishek's maneuver, Ilbryn looks to do the same for any other escape from this room.
"So what," he says. "Do you have proof I was bribed?" This one was not going to run. He was going to stay his ground. He wanted proof that he was bribed. And he wasn't going to back down. Still, there was a quivering in his voice, as if he knew he was found out.
"We have a large number of eye-witnesses, whose testimony will stand against any magical force compelling only truth. You'd do well to cooperate with us."
He freezes up with fear, looking around. He's visibly shaking. His clothes are a rattling and his eyes fill with fear. He clenches his teeth, and his face is trying to find a way out of this.
"What's this about one of my Watch taking a bribe?" asks the Captain of the Watch.
"Captain, my associates and I noticed a pickpocket lift an item off a woman. Your guard here noticed as well, apprehended the thief, but was paid off. We pursued the thief, an apparent member of The Shadow Thieves, and recovered the article. We returned the item, which belonged to a Cannith, and then made our way here to see justice through. We are not ones to take kind on behaviors that besmirch the honor of our nation or our people. We certainly don't want the Dragonmarked houses to think they are operating in an unsafe, backwards nation like Droaam. To that end, behavior of the representatives of this city should be above reproach."
"Is that so?" he asks. He then turns to the others in your party, even Garra. "Did you all see him do this thing?"
Garra rolls her eyes when he mentions the Dragonmarked houses.
Of course not! Who cares about those that are left to suffer and scrape by however they can? Not when pretty men with pretty words are here to muddle things.
"Is that so?" he asks. He then turns to the others in your party, even Garra. "Did you all see him do this thing?"
"Indeed Captain, it was hard to miss given that it was done brazenly in the middle of a street."
"Indeed Captain, it was hard to miss given that it was done brazenly in the middle of a street."
"Ah, I see. Gustav, you are charged with accepting a bribe, by the laws of our King, you will face a royal trial. Turn in your longsword."
The city watchman Gustav, knowing that he is in deep trouble, turns in his longsword. He then submits himself to his peers and is led away. Justice is done.
Now that the guard had been dealt with, Garra wanted nothing more than to leave and find some place that didn't make her jumpy as a cat.
"Can we leave? I'm starting to get really hungry," she says quietly to the others as Gustav is lead away.
"Sure, kid," Karola agrees. "Food sounds good."
The place where you can go eat is a Gallandra hotel, serving the best Nightwood ale and bitter cheese. You also hear of a group of adventurers that defeated a number of hobgoblins and freed a few citizens.
Kut leads the group towards the hotel, "A good tale will improve the atmosphere and provide some entertainment."
The inn is as luxurious as the Old Skull Inn in the Forgotten Realms. It's actually called the Red Lady Inn and Bistro. The story of the Red Lady is long and actually had to do with humans, who control the business. Gallandra halflings just make sure that it's running well as a partnership between two humans and House Gallandra.
Garra, once again, does her best impression of someone being invisible as she enters the fancy restaurant with a sigh. She feels out of place, well more out of place, in the richness of the furnishings, and can't help but try to hide the frayed hems of her sleeves.
"Why did we have to come here," she asks quietly.
"Now this is the sort of place I can appreciate... though affording things here comes with difficulty at times. Let's get a table and hope we are not interrupted in the same manner as last time."
The place does look mighty swanky. The marble statue of the Red Lady is scantily clad in veils so it would make anyone blush. The stuff they serve here includes Nightwood ale. And it seems to be the place where you can get gossip of other adventurers.
Custos follows the others, pleased with himself that at least some measure of justice has been sorted. There is a sense of displeasure though, how can they be sure that the guard will actually be properly admonished and such illicit behavior curbed and prevented? It is with these thoughts that Custos is left towards pondering as they make their way for food and drink at an expensive and exquisite location known as the Gallandra Hotel. The food and wine is of little interest to the warforged and he stands beside Garra, looking just as awkward within the ritzy accomodations within. "I think this may be outside of my pay grade..." He mumbles softly, following them in. He studies the statue of the Red Lady for a moment with an appreciative look, the voluptous nature of her well accentuated within the marbel with expert precision. Yet it only holds his interest for a moment before he nods to the others.
"I will find us a table." He looks between them all with those glowing, green eyes before settling upon Garra.
"Garra." He says suddenly, just before he was about to turn away. "Come and help me find a table. I am not always good with local customs." It was a small ploy to get the uncomfortable woman away from the rich environment and perhaps somewhere more comfortable. More and more he had come to recognize the woman's apprehension in their activities and there was a curiosity that was brewing within the metal man.
Garra hesitates a moment before nodding and folloeing the warforged. As they get out of earshot of the others, the young archer pipes up.
"Custos, I'm from the slums. I'm afraid I'm not going to be much help in this place. They'll probably take on look at me and either kick me out of send me to have a bath and lend me some clothing or something," she tells him quietly.
Custos listens carefully as they move away from the group, the heavy steps of his being barely muffled by the fine carpets laid upon the ground. He looked back at her, smiling for a moment in that strange way.
"I figured so, Garra. Let them try to kick you out with me standing beside you." He whispered to her, looking around and finding a table with the best tactical setting. All doors within sight, out of the way, and with no door or window at their back. He would settle down into his seat, setting the worn greatsword against the table.
"Now...I am impressed. Rekkenmark Academy is a difficult place to enter and you have risen from your humble beginnings to be there. What drove you to do so?" It was clear that Custos was unaware of the woman's exact and trying circumstances that led her to being here but he did say it in a friendly, nonchalant manner. "My mentor had to pull strings to ensure that I would be welcomed within its prestigious halls."
Garra almost freezes when asked how she got into the Academy, and it takes her almost a full second to start moving again. She looks down and to the side as she sits.
"Yeah, I guess you could say the same happened for me," she mumbles.
"Karnath is a proud and ancient nobility. Our nation runs on patronage - it's no sin for us."
Garra freezes up for a moment and Custos's smile frowns for just a moment before returning. "Whatever the reason, I am sure you'll be fine. We're an odd group but a group nonetheless."
He looks back towards Karola, nodding at her words before leaning in towards the table. He looks around carefully, studying the dimly lit room and those within.
"If we have the free time from the Academy, we should look for work. Doing things like we did this morning will certainly help us stand out as well as teach valuable group tactics. A promotion would be in line for us."
"Yeah, maybe," Garra replies to Karola's statement about patronage.
Except I only got in because someone wanted a tool to use inside the academy. They haven't asked anything of me yet, but I'm sure they don't want me trying to fix everything wrong with the guards. If we keep this up, I'm probably just going to wind up like the rest of the gang, dead in a gutter somewhere.
"Unless we piss off the wrong person," Garra mutters under her breath when Custos mentions promotions for what they were and would be doing.
You are led to a table that has been cleaned and set for your use. The halfling that set it up was dressed in a red uniform and looked like he is your waiter.
Ilbryn gladly sits at the table prepared for the group's use and orders some dark ale, dark bread, and some sausages if they're on the menu.