Gamon shakes his head with a smile on his face, I'm sorry my friend, I can't right now. Have you been home? You don't seem in as good a condition as normal.
Grau turns, quiet, despondent. If he weren't so drunk you'd swear he sobered up in an instant. "The king's death, the riots, that...woman." He blinks bleary eyes, and swings his head around. "In fact...She looks like you!" He points at Aloysia before moving his hand to the hilt of his longsword. "I'll prove I'm better than you, once and for all! Duel me, prove your worth."
"Tomorrow." Cecil says grumpily. "Can we do this tomorrow? Gods, I'll even buy you another drink to hold you over till then."
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Aloysia looks at the man cooly. "You don't want this old man. I'll have your sword hand before you can even draw it. Do you see what I'm covered in? Go home, sleep it off."
Knowing very little of Korvosa outside the Gray, Jolon throws up his hands defensively.
"Gamon, I don't know if I've met this friend of yours. You've certainly never told me about any goblins."
When Cecil and Aloysia insult the man, he glares a bit.
"Stop that, both of you! What this man needs is help, not another drink!"
He turns to Grau.
"I don't know who you are, but doing this now, when you're in the state you're in, won't prove anything to anyone, and it won't make you feel better. I see you're wearing the livery of the Guard, we were on our way back to Citadel Volshyenek right now! Why not come with us? I think we're all in need of some rest."
Grau shakes his head, "No...No! I have to do this! I will defeat her this time!" He backs up a pace pulling his sword from its sheathe, its blade gleaming with mithral, well cared for despite his shoddy appearance. His mind is clearly muddled by the alcohol, and he seems to be living sometime in his past.
Grau manages to make some space between you and brandishes his weapon in a sloppy salute. "En guard!"
As the fight begins, Jolon barks, "Whatever you do, don't kill him!"
Grau advances a few steps, light on his feet. Then he stumbles forward and thrusts with his entire body behind the blow, looking to win in one attack.
Aloysia nimbly sidesteps, waiting for an opportunity to use her dagger...
Cecil makes a calculated decision and does not take a defensive stance as the man lunges forward. If he can de-escalate this issue, perhaps something of this night can be salvaged.
"Listen to reason, man!" he shouts at Grau as he stumbles past Aloysia. "You're drunk! We don't want to fight you! This is not how a guard should do things! Please stop before you make a further embarrassment of your self!"
Gamon quickly steps forward with his axe in hand and attempts to knock the sword from his friend's grip.
Grau looks too shocked to even attempt pulling Gamon's axe from his hand, "You too Neffi? Fine! I'll defeat all comers and prove my worth!"
Aloysia reels back to stab the man, but hesitates a second, sighs, then flips her daggers around to the butt end
Jolon folds his hands and says a brief prayer, and in response a barrel's-worth of water forms over Grau's head and unceremoniously falls on him with a loud splash. Jolon hoped that maybe the soaking would sober him up a tad.
Aloysia's blades are turned aside by the heavy armor Grau is wearing. The man rears back with his sword and is dowsed in cold water. He shakes his head to clear water from his eyes, and lowers his blade incrementally. "Wha?" He's still drunk, but he seems more amenable to listening now that he's soaking wet.
Aloysia's blades are turned aside by the heavy armor Grau is wearing. The man rears back with his sword and is dowsed in cold water. He shakes his head to clear water from his eyes, and lowers his blade incrementally. "Wha?" He's still drunk, but he seems more amenable to listening now that he's soaking wet.
"Please, sir, there's no honor in fighting random civilians in the street. Won't you come back with us to Citadel Volshyenek? Sleep it off?" Jolon says gently.
Cecil lets out a sigh and gives Aloysia the wait gesture. "We can talk, figure out whats going on. I dont think she's who you think she is."
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Grau blinks around bleary eyes and looks at all of you harder. "Oh," is all he mutters before wiping off his blade and sheathing it. He stumbles to a nearby alley and evacuates his stomach in a very loud and violent way before heading back to you and nodding. The nod quickly turns into a stumble, then a trip, and finally a loud crashing fall. He pushes himself up and only barely makes it to his feet before looking askance of all of you, "May need sum help..." he manages to slur before following you.
Majenko, perched on a rooftop above shakes his head and lets out a low whistle. The fact that he has no lips makes this feat rather amazing, but he acts as though it is normal, "What a way to start the day." He takes off and flies above and ahead of you, watching the ground once more.
"Here, let me help you," Jolon says as he offers Grau a shoulder to lean on.
Cecil glares back a Cecil, but puts her daggers away. She keeps her fingers on the spring mechanism and walks behind him the rest of the way, though.
Luckily there are no more issues on the rest of your journey to the Citadel. Majenko leads the way and allows you to enter ahead of him, finding a perch on a pole bearing the pennant of the Guard. Grau stumbles his way towards the barracks mumbling his thanks. You are shown to Cressida's office where she is, still, working on paperwork. She stops and smiles in your direction, "I've heard Eel's End is looking for new management?"
"Word travels fast," Jolon comments.
"As fast as the drakes fly." Cecil muses.
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Cressida snorts quietly and leans in, "That little stunt you pulled had every informant the Guard has on retainer running here to inform us that the King of Spiders is dead. Now I can't legally reward you monetarily for something I'd rather not admit knowing about but..." She clears her throat and straightens up, calling a clerk in. "For acts of bravery going above and beyond in Korvosa's service you are each being given the Drake's Mark."
The clerk lifts up a box and opens the lid, revealing four polished medals of a house drake curled around the Korvosan Crest. Cressida reaches in and hands each medal out to one of you, "These medals symbolize that you are champions of Korvosa, wear them with pride."
Cressida folds her hands in front of her after taking her seat once more. "I do hope you were able to retrieve the letters I asked you about before Devargo's untimely demise."
Aloysia takes her medal and smiles wide, "Ah, yes, such pride!" She then lays the papers on the desk. "Asked for and delivered."
Jolon's eyes widen and he makes a small bow to Cressida.
"I'm honored, Cressida. Thank you for your trust in us."
He takes his medal and places it upon his breast. He looks to the others, frowning a bit, before turning back to Cressida.
"Though, the fight wasn't intentional. We had bribed Barvasi when...what I can only say is possession happened. A spirit took hold of me and angrily challenged Barvasi, and he was slain in the ensuing fight. While I won't say I'll miss the King of Spiders...I dragged my friends into a fight they didn't want, using some sort of power I apparently don't have control over."
The Field Marshal frowns in worry, "That is certainly not good. Have you talked with someone about it? I may know someone to bring in if this keeps up." She gives the group a once-over and looks worriedly specifically at Cecil. "Either way you all look exhausted. You're dismissed for the day, take some time to relax."
She scoops up the letters you acquired and glances at them, blushing furiously before handing them off to the clerk nearby and coughing uncomfortably.
Gamon nods, Thank you for the honor, I will wear it proudly. He looks protectively at Jolon as Cressida suggests she may have a solution to whatever happened with Barvasi, but wearily leaves once dismissed to catch up on some much-needed sleep.
The Field Marshal frowns in worry, "That is certainly not good. Have you talked with someone about it? I may know someone to bring in if this keeps up." She gives the group a once-over and looks worriedly specifically at Cecil. "Either way you all look exhausted. You're dismissed for the day, take some time to relax."
She scoops up the letters you acquired and glances at them, blushing furiously before handing them off to the clerk nearby and coughing uncomfortably.
"Thank you, Field Marshal Croft. If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to return to the Grand Cathedral for the evening. I would consult with the Bishop about what happened."
Aloysia sees Gamon head towards sleeping quarters and begins to head that way as well. "Ah, time for some beauty rest after a hard days work. Maybe even a bath first. Ta all!"
Jolon lifts his cowl up over his head and begins making his way back to the Gray.
Cecil will return home for some food and much needed sleep. If the house drake follows him, he will invite him in and offer him food too.
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Jolon looks up at Majenko as they leave.
"If you'd like to come with me to the Cathedral, we'd definitely welcome you."
He hands his head a bit and pulls his cloak around him.
Majenko shrugs his tiny shoulders, "I think I'll head out to my friends and family, let them know I'm out of the clutches of the King of Spiders. I'll look for everyone once I'm done."
One man catches your attention as you head past with the name "Captain Neles". Pausing briefly you hear exactly what he's talking about. "It's a good thing Orisini left before the captain came back off duty."
The other man responds with a sage nod, "Yeah, Captain Neles has been hounding him for some time now. No one's quiet sure what for, but the Captain always leaves those meetings lookin' upset and Orisini just looks sad."
Many greet you by name as you search for Bishop d'Bear, each friendly in the taciturn way that is true for most Pharasmans. You finally locate the Bishop in a courtyard with a large mural of Pharasma's spiral set in the ground. She appears to be meditating, but calls as you draw near, "How can I help you Jolon?"
After explaining what happened at Eel's End and the trouble it caused for your friends and yourself Keppira hums to herself. "That is certainly not good. Perhaps you'll find your answers in your heritage, and with one more knowledgeable than I. Look to Pharasma for guidance and I will ask her for direction as well in these troubled times."
Entering your home you find Celise waiting for in a chair, a stack of mail and a small pouch sitting on the table nearby. "Papa," she says, "we need to talk." She is quiet for a minute, gathering her thoughts or courage you couldn't say which. Looking over the mail as you wait you see you've received more royalties from one of your novels .
Celise starts again, "Papa, I think you should know that I wasn't kidnapped...I ran away from home." Tears spring to her eyes as she explains how hard the divorce has been on her, how she resented you for choosing work over spending time with her, how happy she was when she saw you in that ratty hideout of Lamm's. Drying her eyes somewhat she tries again, "Papa, I want to learn magic. I want to be able to defend myself in case I need it, I hate feeling helpless, like I hated you and mom breaking up. Teach me magic!" Her plea is heartfelt but her conviction is strong, as you can see from the steel in her green and blue eyes. A warmth runs from the Harrow deck in your belongings, letting you know Zellara's opinion on the matter.
Your ears do perk a bit as you hear someone talk about the schools in the area shutting down due to the riots and the Martial Law being in effect. One woman says to another beside her, "My kid sister can't learn anything when the schools are shut down, and times are rough enough as they are that I don't want her joining the guard too. It's a right shame, I'll tell ya, she didn't even get to observe her first dissection, the entire medical theater being closed as it is."
She goes on to talk about how the school might be shut down if the Martial Law isn't cancelled soon and her sister would have to find work somewhere to keep occupied.
Cecil looks into her eyes, the back of his mind cataloging his aches and pains from today's battle, the fatigue from expending all his magical resources, and the soreness of having spent so long walking.
None of those things mattered anymore. The face of his daughter had wiped them all away. He knelt down and smiled as he looked her in the eyes, a tear welling up at the corner of his eye.
"Celise, my love. I am sorry that your papa and mama's fight had hurt you so badly; I should have paid more attention to how that made you feel, but papa was a fool and thought only of himself."
He takes a deep breath and takes Celise's hands in his. "As for teaching you magic..." he examines his daughter's hands, making sure her time under Lamm's clutches hadn't done any permanent disfiguring or damage. "Papa will teach you what he can."
Cecil stands, releasing her hands and looking around the house. "But not tonight. Magic isn't something to be taught with fuzzy minds and tired bodies. Magic should be learned when one's mind is well-rested and sharp." he gives her a smile. "Go get ready for bed. Your papa will start your lessons in the morning."
-----------------------
As Celise snored softly in the childs bed he had pulled out from under his own, Cecil took the stepstair back down to the main library of the house. He unstrapped the spiked gauntlet and tossed it on the table, alongside his other bits of adventuring gear.
My side still aches from where the spider king stabbed me. he realizes, fingering the bloodied hole in his shirt. Still, Celise could have ended up waiting for a father who would never have come home...
He sits in his work chair, putting his feet up on his desk as he contemplates recent events. Lamm was dead. His daughter returned, and she wanted to learn from him. He could just stay home, teach her, and write a few more books... That would be the safe thing to do. These adventures have a way of getting one killed.
Cecil scowled. But, the city needed him. He had been fortunate and capable enough to be in the right place at the right time to be able to actually help. He never felt like it was a duty to come to the city's aid, but these troubled times will see many more children like his daughter suffering. He couldn't live with that; him living in happiness while a hundred tragedies just like his went on right outside his windows.
He stood, his chair skittering across the floor as he strode with purpose to the shelves on his small personal library. Picking through them, he withdraws a red leather tome, three smaller thin black books, and a blank slate of chalkboard and some chalk.
Principles of Magic, 3rd edition. Arcane Treatises 1-3. He set the books on the desk, and made a note to go pick up some stacks of parchment and more quills for Celise to write with.
Finishing that, he sighs, finishes up his work downstairs, and heads back up to get some sleep too. After all, his mind needed to be sharp to teach her, too.
I will figure out how to make this work. But if I can teach Celise something about magic, that will help give her the confidence she needs to survive when I'm gone.
"I have not spoken with my people since...since my mother's death. Would they even recognize me? Would they even welcome a man who wears the mark of a city that despises them?"
The next day brings the anarchy and chaos from just before the King's death. Majenko flies fast and hard, first to the Gray to get Jolon and direct him to Citadel Volshyenek, saying only, "Field Marshal needs your group, quick! I'm going ahead to get Cecil too, the others are already at the Citadel!" before winging off once more.
The tiny dragon finds Cecil's house thanks to a relative flying nearby and zooms in an open window, interrupting some initial training with Celise. "Cecil! The Field Marshal needs you, the rest of your group is at the Citadel or heading there now!" Celise, a bit stunned by the house drake actually being in the house is understanding with how urgent Majenko is.
The Citadel itself is abuzz with all of the guards rushing to positions around the city. Rumors have started up once more, this time saying the King's death was caused by the local artist he hired. She painted the King not a month and some before his untimely death. The rumors say one of the king's guards confessed to being a part of the plot in front of the queen and a large number of her guards last night. The artist's name: Trinia Sabor.
Cressida drags everyone into her office away from the prying ears of her other officers. “You’ve doubtless heard the stories that the king’s killer has been named. Yet there’s something more going on here, I’m afraid. Queen Ileosa could have quietly had this Trinia Sabor arrested at any time, yet the way in which she revealed the information to the city seems to me like she wants the riots to come back. With the city the way it is, the girl doesn’t stand a chance of a fair trial. They’ll lynch her the moment they catch her. Even if she did kill the king, mob justice isn’t the way. Worse, if she’s innocent, the real killer—if indeed the king was murdered at all in the first place—can use this distraction to throw us off the trail forever.
“Before Trinia is captured and executed, I need to be absolutely sure she’s guilty. And that means we need to catch her before someone else does. I’ve managed to determine her last known address—a flat in Midland at 42 Moon Street—but soon, so will the rest of the Guard, and the mob itself, for that matter. These rumors have riled up the locals something fierce, and there’s even bands of Hellknights of the Order of the Nail patrolling the streets looking for her. On top of all this, word is that Queen Ileosa’s not satisfied with what the Korvosan Guard’s been doing to address the situation, and that she’s preparing to disband the Sable Company and reveal a newly founded order of specialized guards to help bring order to the city. For now, I’ve still got a fair number of Korvosan Guards who are loyal to me, but the problem is that I’ve got them at work keeping things from getting any worse—and if I were to send them into Midland, they’d trigger a riot.
“I’m sure you can see where this is going. I need you to get into Midland, find Trinia, and bring her back to me so we can deliver her, safe and sound, to somewhere she can be interrogated—preferably with magic, so we can be absolutely sure about her role in Eodred II’s death. Get in there, catch her, and get out without letting the mob or the Hellknights or the queen’s guards get their hands on her. I’ll have loyal agents and officers nearby to take her into custody. If you can get her to one of them, we’ll be in the clear. Any questions?”
Cecil will give Celise a few books and some homework, and walk her home to her mothers so he could feel she was safe while he was out. He gives her a copy of a simple cantrip for her to try to figure out. It's a thing he expects to take her several weeks, but it should get easier as her lessons continue.
After arriving at the Citadel, he listens carefully nods. "I have a plan, but I need either a few spell scrolls or some funding to procure them." he says.
Aloysia responds in a deadpan voice, "Of course there are questions, as always, the fee for the job..."
Cressida digs around her desk a bit before answering Aloysia's question, "I can give you a thousand gold if you can deliver Trinia safe and sound to a member of the Korvosan Guard. Cecil I'll open up some emergency scrolls for you, can't promise they'll be what you need. If we don't act quickly the mob in Midland is going to grow and find her or riot in the streets."
"I don't normally do escort work, but the price is right. Done."
"Then I am ready." he says, checking his scrollcase and nodding to himself. "I should have the option to make this work with little danger... If we can get to Trinia first."
Cressida calls an aid and grabs a handful of scrolls from them, handing the the scrolls over to Cecil and looks at you again, "Any more questions?"
Looking over the scrolls Cecil has gotten four, animate rope, mindlink, create pit, and peacebond
Jolon rushes to the Citadel as soon as Majenko alerts him. He listens patiently to Field Marshall Croft's description of the situation with a grim look on his face.
"This may be difficult. I can use my life link to keep Sabor alive in case we're ambushed, but if I do that I won't be able to use it with one of you, leaving that person vulnerable."