Doi dintre noi, sper să spun voi doi. Pot să aștept afară.
The streets Eodred’s Walk lead you to the Gold Market, the marketplace seems to have attracted a throng of disenfranchised workers. They seem to be marching, but as soon as a small groups starts off in one direction the mass stays put keeping the crowd in the marketplace. The Korvosan Guard are also assembling and small shouting matches and a few arrests occur, keeping the tensions high.
The crowds push you away from road leading straight to Castle Korvosa. As you avoid the agitators and patrols of Korovosan Guardsmen you windup wandering the side streets of Midland. It isn't long before you hear a commotion around up the block on a larger street. This doesn't seem to be the sounds of protesters, unless they are screaming in fear.
The city's gone crazy! I know the new queen isn't well-liked, but this is beyond protests. What is going on?
This can't be good, Ophelia will move faster towards the commotion to see what is going on.
Ophelia rushes out into the street ahead and turns to her left to see a group of guards about 60 feet away, and moving cautiously towards her. When they see her, they start waving with borad arms swings and making other hand motions.
Sense motive for Ophelia, and a Perception check for Trisane and Nik when they arrive
Trisane...you better see this!
Ophelia realizes the guards are trying to keep her quiet and to turn around.
Trisane is about to rush out into the street and looks to his right first, seeing the three arms and giant mouth of an otyugh ravaging a nearby food stall. You know the beasts are kept in pits in the city sewers, and on occasion break free. You also know that the Guard, Sable Company and even the Hellknights need teams to recapture the beasts.
You both realize, if it senses Ophelia, she is done for.
Nik can't really see out into the street yet.
I have a new map up for reference - remember to move yourselves as you act.
Ophelia keeps quiet and waits for Trisane to approach. When he's near, she'll whisper to him, What's this all about?
Why are these guards acting so oddly? Where'd the screams come from?
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Nik freezes as well when he sees the beast.
Rom and Trisane both concerned... This can't be good.
Nik whispers to Trisane.
Where in the city was that thing hiding?
Nik then lays his staff down and draws his crossbow as well. He gently touches the symbols beneath his shirt.
Dear Dreamer, your sleep must be unfit to unleash this here.
Ophelia will move back into the alley, next to Trisane. She'll look in the direction Nik and Trisane are looking at.
Trisane bumps into a barrel, causing it to thump like a drum and echo down the alleyway. Fortunately, the Otyugh is enjoying its meal and remains unaware of Ophelia's presence as she makes her way back to the alley. The guards continue to draw closer, though and they are not as quiet, yet the beast does not seem to be aware of them.
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As if the fires and panic in the streets weren't enough...
Trisane whispers to Nik and Ophelia.
That's an Otyugh. They usually inhabit just the sewers. I can only imagine this city's current state of unrest has got this one riled up. Best to let the Guard handle it. Just stay quiet and get ready to run if needed.
That's disgusting! Can the guards handle it? Trisane doesn't seem too confident. Better find a good escape route.
Ophelia nods to Trisane then looks around for the best way to escape.
The captain of the guard keeps his men back and a man wearing Academae robes advances and begins casting a spell. As he holds up what looks like a nail and chants, the Otyugh stops moving. With a shout the guardsmen advance with nets and ropes and a wagon appears. The creature is quickly loaded and hauled away, much to the releif of th local populace. Fortunately, the guard and wizard ignore you.
The street returns to what passes for normal in these times. Merchants begin to clear away the damage and filth left by the rampaging beast, and pack their wears away for the day. The sun is setting on the first day of the reign of Queen Ileosa Arabasti, a less than auspicious beginning.
I've never seen anything like that before, Nik.
I hope I never see anything like that again, too.
Ophelia follows along, but periodically looks behind to make sure no creatures follow them.
While Trisane explains the Otyugh, you continue on your journey towards Castle Korvosa. You move through the Heights District, noticing that the setting sun seems to have no affect upon the tensions of the citizens. The gates to estates are closed, as are the shutters of businesses, and doors to even the modest of houses here.
There are few people in the streets, but a staggering man dressed in Korvosan Guard uniform sees you and calls out Neffi!! Good to see you again! Come let us have a drink and you can tell me of your travels since Sandpoint! He approaches quickly, smiling a drunken smile. Once he is close, you see he is disheveled, and completely drunk.
Knowledge Local to identify the man.
Neffi? Who's Neffi?
Ophelia looks around to see if there's anyone else the man could be talking to.
The guardsman swings his head from side to side, causing him to wobble unsteadily. He raises a finger to his lips and stumbles forward a step,
Riiiiiigsh! and winks and nods knowingly. No Neffi here! he adds in an overly loud voice, slurring words. Sho my friend, who esh not Neffi, are you on the run from shome jealous hushband or angry mother? Hehe!
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We don't have time to mince words with inebriates. It's getting dark soon.
Trisane pulls out one of his filled waterskins and offers it to the drunken man while attempting to humor his somewhat skewed perception of the situation.
Hey listen, buddy. You seem like a smart fellow so I won't attempt to lie to you. We're actually on an important secret mission to the Castle to see the Queen. Why don't you have some of this sweet nectar and pretend like we were never here same as Neffi? Sound like a good plan to you?
Ophelia remains silent as she watches Trisane's interaction.
Just some drunk then, nothing to worry about, looks like the marine is handling it.
The guardsman takes the wineskin, hoists it upward, Long live the king! he toasts, then softly adds, May the queen not be so lucky.
With that he steps aside and allows you to pass without further delay.
It is nearly dark by the time you actually reach the castle. The gates are closed and guards stand watch, more intently than normal.
Castle Korvosa is closed. Stand fast and declare your business! a mans voice challenges from the dark ramparts above.
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I hope we're not too late.
Trisane whispers back to Nik uneasily.
No, Nik. I don't think this a good idea at all right now. Yet this might be our only chance to find out what's really going on in the city, so we have to try. Keep your eyes open.
Trisane then shouts up to the guard.
My name's Trisane Imphawke, Sable Company 3rd Wing. We've come to return something of great value to the Queen.
This is a bad idea. Hopefully we aren't "invited" inside.
Ophelia takes a deep breath as she remains silent and waits for the guard's response.
From the heart of the city, Castle Korvosa looms over every other structure and even rises above nearby Citadel Hill. Castle Korvosa has been subject to constant renovation and expansion in the 250 years since its main walls were first raised, creating a patchwork of wall, stairs, and towers. Nonetheless, it has managed to maintain a relatively constant neo-Chelaxian architecture, all done in the black marble shipped down from Janderhoff.It consists of two basic parts: the ancient Grand Mastaba and the great keep itself.
The Grand Mastaba, an immense four-sided pyramid, a set of human-scale stairs is cut into the center of the southwestern face, allowing access to the top. The southern corner of the structure appears to have collapsed, but in fact the damage was caused by centuries of scavenging by lazy stone masons, a practice now illegal.
Multiple towers rise from the roofed keep, including the Epochal Tower which keeps the city’s time and the frighteningly tall Seawatch Tower. Dozens of Korvosan Guards patrol the keep at all times, while the Sable Company marines maintain a hippogriff aerie in one of the towers. The Crimson Throne, the seat of royal power, stands on the second floor of the keep. It is the only chair on the entire floor. Only the reigning monarch, their immediate family, the seneschal of the castle, and their family may live within its walls.
Hold your position Marine. The guards voice shouts out of the darkness again. You are left to wait for what seems like an inordinately long time. Finally, a group of obviously nervous guards armed with heavy crossbows and swords approaches.
You must leave your weapons - all of them, with us. They will be returned upon your exit. And yes, even the Sable Company must surrender their weapons. Then we will escort you to the Castle. A short stocky guard tells you as he steps forward from the group. He looks you over, and awaits a response.
You are welcome to make any type of rolls that are appropriate; Perception, Sense Motive, or Knowledges.
Rom shifts uneasily on your shoulder.
Ophelia watches the nervous guards, then looks to Trisane to follow his lead.
Rom follows Nik's lead and scans the local area for any sign of problems.
Sense Motive:
You notice from the slightly elevated position that the city still burns, perhaps worse than before, and while certain streets are deserted, others are crowded with roving mobs.
The guards are clearly nervous and unsettled based on events, but as none of you have ever experienced anything like this, who knows what "normal" is now.
King Eodred Arabasti II has passed, and there are those in the city that would take this as an opportunity to sow dissension and chaos. The guard answers Nik, with a respectful tone as they climb upwards.
You climb up the stairway until your legs burn. As you reach the top of the pyramid and the wide stairs curling up to the castle’s third floor, where the Crimson Throne awaits, you are greeted by a beautiful woman dressed in magnificent full plate armor—the queen’s bodyguard. She nods curtly at you, then says, “Greetings. They tell me you’ve something that belongs to the queen. Is this correct?” As you show her the brooch, she smiles and steps aside, holding out a hand to welcome you to Castle Korvosa. As the guards make to follow, she steps in. “You may return to your posts. These heroes pose no threat to the queen.”
She turns to you, How would you like to be introduced to the queen?
Deeper and deeper we go...I can feel my skin crawl. Now we are to see the queen? What have we gotten into. We should have just lost the brooch.
We are to see the queen? With everything going on today, I thought we were to just turn over the brooch, to you perhaps, not the queen herself. Ophelia smiles widely, before continuing, I am Ophelia Wintrish.
Presenting, Private Imphawke, 3rd Wing, Sable Company. Miss Ophelia Wintrish. Mr Besnik Fralliniz. the woman announces and steps aside to allow you to enter the throne room.
The throne room is pristine but strangely empty—an open area with a great vaulted ceiling, stained glass windows of past kings and queens looking down from the eastern wall, and crimson tapestries hanging along the others. An immense fireplace offers additional light and heat to the hall, and a silk carpet provides a gently arching path to the base of the Crimspon Throne where Queen Ileosa sits. She is a vision of celestial beauty despite the black mourning dress and veil she wears in honor of her husband’s death. A small silver coffer sits in her lap.
The bodyguard takes the brooch from the PCs, hands it over to her queen with a flourish, then takes up a position at the throne’s left side.
This brooch was stolen from me some time ago—I had not expected to see it again, truth be told. the Queen begins as she holds the brooch in one hand and traces its design with the other. And yet, here on my darkest day, you come before me with kindness. The return of this brooch is much more than an honorable deed. It is inspiration. It is hope. I love Korvosa, as my husband did before me. His death has shocked the city as it has me, but I will not see his legacy destroyed in death, and I shall not see my city torn apart. All Korvosa stands at the precipice of a disaster wrought by her citizens—these riots cannot continue. You have already done my heart a great service in returning this bauble to me on this dark day, and you shall be rewarded. Yet, perhaps you can serve your city more.The queen pauses here for a moment to let her words sink in, then continues, If you so choose, I shall have Sabina see to it that you have an escort of guards when you leave here—they can see to your safe journey back to Citadel Volshyenek. I shall send word ahead of you to Field Marshal Cressida Kroft to let her know you are on the way—the Korvosan Guard is stretched thin, and it can certainly use the aid of heroes such as yourself. I shall also send word to Commandant Endrin, notifying him of your reassignment to the crown. Now, I need to retire to my personal quarters—my grief has drained me. Again, I thank you for the kindness you have shown me, and I hope your days of serving the crown are only just beginning.
With this, the queen directs Sabina to hand over the reward for returning the brooch—the bodyguard swiftly does so, presenting you the small silver chest. At this point, Queen Ileosa takes her leave. With a whirl of the hem of her mourning dress, she is gone from sight. Sabina escorts the PCs back out of Castle Korvosa and, if they wish, assigns them an escort to the Citadel before bidding them farewell also.
Ophelia gestures* to Sabina, Thank you, ma'am. Please let the queen know we'll do our best to serve her and the city. Thank you for the escort as well.
We're alive, and now in service to the queen herself. I can get used to that.
Once Sabina leaves, Ophelia will turn to the others, Well, that went differently than I expected. I thought for sure that she'd accuse Nik and me of stealing the thing. Hopefully, the Citadel guards will understand our need to leave unexpectedly, as we had an important item to return to the queen.
That should give us a good excuse, in case the guards decide to bring up the issue. Hopefully, Trisane won't mind a little lie.
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Once outside, Trisane smiles at Nik and Ophelia.
See? It doesn't hurt to do the right thing every now and then. Nothing to worry about. The Queen didn't seem so bad. She and her bodyguard, Sabina, were quite lovely in fact. C'mon, let's see what the Guard has in store for us next. There's still lots of work to do no doubt.
You return to Citadel Volshyenek with a squad of Korvosan guardsmen. They take you along main streets, and here the affects of the riots is more evident. Broken windows, ransacked stores, fires still smoldering. Ahead of you looters disappear with the shadows as the flickering torches of the guard approach.
Upon your arrival at Citadel Volshyenek you are met by Field Marshal Cressida Kroft. She salutes the guardsmen and dismisses them.
Special assignment directly from her majesty, eh. Well, I can use all the help I can get honestly. Welcome to the Korvosa Guard.
She looks at Trisane, I know that the Sable Company answers to the Seneschal, not the Queen, but until the Seneschal says otherwise, You report to me. Marcus is going to have to fit, but I and he have bigger issues now. Do a good job, serve Korvosa, and stay alive. We will sort out command authority later.