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Volshyenek Plaza outside the citadel, Midland District
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Kayleigh's failure to pick up the cheer hurts the team in crowd approval. A couple of the nearest people heard the doubt in her voice.
"Heeey, I don't like the sound of that 'looking into the matter' b$++~!!~!" One angry fellow yells. He steps forward with an accusing finger pointed at Kayleigh. "These things are true... newly announced this morning at places across the city, including University. Ileosa's martial law includes all these ugly things and more."
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Old Dock Neighborhood, Jeggare's Jug
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"I ain't never met him. Wouldn't ever want to. They call him the 'King of Spiders' cause I heard he can control spiders with his mind. And spiders scare the ever-loving hells out of me."
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Orisini Academy in Garrison Hill District
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"I don't want you to take it on lightly. You have your own mission involving this young woman. I would not trade the well-being of your friend for this information, I would find another way to get it."
He vaults out through double doors into the shared courtyard behind the house. The massive old city wall, fifty feet behind the Academy, frames the whole backdrop up to a height of 30 feet. The plaza between the house and the wall is dominated by a huge tree. There are courtyards of broken pavement. Crumbling benches and overgrown gardens. The swordplay continues.
"But if it doesn't place your objectives in danger, this agent, if you'll pardon the term, comes from Cheliax. He's a court sycophant from some minor house but his word on product quality and availability back to the empire can make or break our markets. He knows this of course. Such political appointments are rewards for some other deed he did to please House Thrune. He's here to squeeze the peach, and the peach is Korvosa."
"Up until recently his transparent plays were parried off by Eodred. But now I believe the agent enjoys the ear of our queen as well as that of Thrune. Maybe they know each other through their families back in Cheliax - I have to remember to chase that thread."
Now the fight swings through the area where the two gaffers tend the flowers. They take the cue and move on to a more remote part of the yard.
"I believe his play is to maximize his investment power in the city by hurting our markets. Then he'll come in with some big property buys and be a player in the Korvosa rather than a lickspittle in Egorian."
"To counter him I'd like some dirt, and I believe Devargo Barvasi has it. I would pay 1,000 crowns for information I could use to change that report back to Egorian. Craftsmen across the region would thank you if they knew they should." His smile is wry and sweaty.
"Well, we don't support ugly things, even if we don't know about them!" Nebbin assures the crowd. "We're trying to save someone, and need to get to the captain to talk to her. We can find out what's going on there, and make sure it doesn't happen if it's bad. But it's really important, because she could be in a lot of trouble!"
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Regeris laughs hoarsely as his bids the man farewell before he makes his way back to the temple, a lot on his mind.
So she's got a job waiting tables to make money for shiver. Easy enough, and I can buy her out of the contract. It'd be nothing to go in and just get her, but this is a team. If this poor sod has never met Devargo, then chances are we'll never have to deal with him.
Kayleigh fully expects the angry protester's "Heeey, I don't like the sound of that 'looking into the matter' b%%~@&&&!" to be followed in short order by a "Hey! You leave her alone!" and maybe a head-bashing from Nebbin, and she's thankful her big friend is still trying to reason with the mob. Now she has to say something that won't turn the situation ugly.
"Like my big friend said, we'll speak with Field Marshal Kroft, learn what she knows about this mess, and go from there."
"Listen, we literally joined the Guard a couple of days ago--we're in no position to just up and arrest the Queen. We'd end up in jail ourselves...assuming this security force you speak of doesn't just cut us to ribbons. We'll try to learn what we can and then maybe work out a plan to see justice done without destroying the city and half its people in the process."
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Midland District - Volshyenek Citadel
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The man who was dispatched to speak with you leans in to Kayleigh to be heard without yelling.
"The city IS its people. Without them all this can go to rot."
"Go have your conversation with your commander and tell her we mean what we say. The people of Korvosa do not want a Queen from Cheliax. She is a usurper and is further incriminated each day by her own actions. She undermines the strength of every one of our institutions, the guard included. The guard must stand up! Take council with the House of Abadar as you will, but act!"
He gives a hand signal to a wall of students who have formed around you and they make space to let you escape them.
Once clear of the students you find that a barrier of planks and barrels has been erected in front of the citadel gate to funnel traffic. The guards who stand picket along this fence have wide, frightened eyes. There's alot more than students here yelling at the citadel.
"Ar-rest the Queen! Ar-rest the Queen!" drones a steady refrain as the guards at the gate route you to a waiting room and then to an office. You cannot help wondering if Ileosa can hear their chanting way up on top of the Grand Mastaba, or if all she ever hears up there is the wind.
Once she, Nebbin, and Tassira are far enough past the chanting mob that she can be heard, Kayleigh fills her friends in on what the protester told her.
"What did he mean by 'Take council with the House of Abadar'? Is the Church closely linked to the Guard in some way?"
Tassira ponders the question as they walk, silently grateful that the crowd was no longer harassing them.
It's somewhat easier for Emileva to follow Vencarlo through his very acrobatic and mobile style of swordsmanship than previously, though she still struggles to keep up. It is part of what she likes about coning to the academy, being pushed so hard.
Vencarlo's explanation of what he wants is beyond anything Emi had been expecting. It is no simple matter of neighborhood corruption or street crime. Reflexively Emi begins to unspool what the request might mean about Orisini. She had figured him for being well-connected of course, but this makes it seem he's more than an observant and knowledgable aristocrat.
Is is possible he is in someone's service? An agent of of faction within the city? This is closer to espionage. What does he have his fingers in? It doesn't cause her to distrust Orisini, but she does decide she needs to find out more about him somehow.
"Of course I won't lose sight of getting Carawyn back. That's our priority, and we hope it might be done today even. But, depending on how things unfold, it could be a foundation for further collaboration. Having dealt with us positively in the matter of Carawyn, perhaps he'll make receptive to other business."
"If there seems to be an opening to do so, I'll take your offer up with him afterward. Do you have any guess what 1000 crowns might mean to him? Is it an offer that will make him salivate, or a small sweetener when asking a favor?"
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Midland District - Citadel Volshyenek
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Kayleigh recalls hearing that the Church of Abadar nominates the Captain of the Guard and the Seneschal accepts a nomination, typically at the monarch's request. The current Field Marshall of the Korvosan guard can be formally censured and removed from office by either the Queen or the head priest of the Church of Abadar. One side cannot fire the Field Marshall over the objections of the other. And the Seneschal is missing and not yet replaced to your knowledge.
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Garrison Hill Neighborhood - Orisini Academy
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"That's exactly what I have in mind. I think 1,000 gold coins for information would be a very good price and suggest starting well below that mark and letting him talk you up. If things don't go well in trying to get Carawyn back. overpaying for the information I need might help things along."
"I leave that to your discretion."
Kayleigh thinks on the matter a while and recalls Garlan once explaining to her some of the inner working of the Korvosan political machine. She repeats what she remembers to Nebbin and Tassira.
"I don't like where this seems to be headed," she whispers to the others. "The Queen's originally from Cheliax. The Church of Abadar allegedly in a truce with the Temple of Asmodeus. The Sensechal missing. The Field Commander seems to be the only sane, trustworthy person left in the city's government. I hope she hasn't already been sacked!"
Kayleigh picks up her pace, eager to speak with Cressida as soon as possible.
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Midland District - Citadel Volshyenek
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You don't end up waiting very long. Cressida comes into the room trailing a scribe and an adviser. She drops into one of the seats and her retinue follow suit.
"Good Morning. Please forgive the reception but it seems the Queen has made some proclamations this morning that some of the citizenry find disappointing. She's making a habit of these surprising morning announcements."
She runs a hand through her hair, shakes off the frustration and moves on.
"What news from Old Korvosa? Have the Queen's words been read there yet? I've no word from captain Soldado yet this morning, but that's normal."
"Well, not to my knowledge. Although her new private security force has proven to be... well, 'overly enthusiastic' in their enforcement of her proclamations." Tassira wrinkles her nose. "Especially among the University set. They're protesting outside in the plaza, in case you missed it."
With his job scouting out Eel's End completed, Regeris heads back to the temple. If he does not find the others, he heads out into the city core to do a bit of shopping and pick up some silver weapons.
Nebbin nods.
"Yeah. Someone should tell her the new rules are upsetting everyone. Things would probably be better if everyone were happier," the big man says earnestly. "I think everyone's still a little scared because the king's dead. But there are also people missing, so that's bad too. Like the Sinister. I wonder where he went."
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Citadel Volshyenek, Midland District
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"Yes. They are hard to miss," she replies dryly. "They've had a rough morning of it. The guardsmen who were on duty at the castle say the queensguard, these 'Gray Maidens' as they call themselves, were uncommon quick to draw lethal steel. They seem to have stepped in where the Hellknights left over. And they enjoy the favor of the Queen, so I would... and will watch my step with them. I'm not certain how much goodwill a guard's badge will get you if you fall out with them."
"In fact, I have to leave very shortly to meet with the Queen and her council. This crowd is going to make travel to the castle difficult, and I cannot afford to be late. I need to hear for myself what these proclamations say, and what the Priests of Abadar have to say in reply."
"Was there something specific that brought you here?" she asks.
Kayleigh quickly relates the horrors found at All the World's Meat and then brings up the complicated situation concerning Carawyn and Devargo Barvasi and Eel's End.
"Since Barvasi seems to operate freely without intervention from the Guard, we figured we'd ask if there is some sort of understanding--written or otherwise--in place, and if there is, are we allowed to break it in order to save a young teenaged girl who some lowlifes got hooked on shiver?"
As she awaits the Field Commander's reply, she turns toward Nebbin and mouths the word, "Sinister?" in his direction.
ADDENDUM:
"These Gray Maidens you mentioned.... They're the Queen's personal guard and...they're all women?"
As they finish up, Emileva thanks Orisini for his advice, as well as his his permission to use the money earmarked for buying information as part of a settlement to get Carawyn back. She promises to strike the best deal possible, if one is possible at all.
Afterward she returns to the temple to see what the others might have discovered.
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Garrison Hill Neighborhood - Orisini Academy
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"Darvane Gios Amprei is the name of the agent. Be careful, Emi, though I know you well enough to know that you will. The information I seek is not import enough to risk harm to you or your friends. Or your orphan. There will be other chances to counter Amprei."
He walks Emi back to his office and once there produces a key from a chain around his neck. He uses it to unlock a side bureau drawer. He pulls out several small bags and adds them all to a leather satchel that he hands to Emileva.
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Citadel Volshyenek, Midland District
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"He pays his vice taxes, which places his business in the 'tolerated illegal' category according to the city charter. He keeps his licenses based on the lack of trouble generally traced back to Eel's End and the one or two occasions where he's given up someone trying to use his business as a refuge from the law."
"I can't endorse you knocking the place over, if that's what you're asking. I would not pick that fight for the guard right now. Certainly not in Old Korvosa. Our handle on the streets is tenuous enough, being so short-staffed. The Queen may talk us back into riots soon enough. A gang war is the last thing we need there, and I fear a crack-down on Barvasi might provoke one."
She stands to go and her retinue stands with her.
"The Gray Maidens. That's what the Queen herself called them. They don't speak much. I don't know if they've taken some kind of silence vow, but you can't get much information from them. I tried myself a few days ago at the castle. I'm guessing by their name that they are all women... well, maidens. And they seem devoted exclusively to the Queen. Her personal guard, Sabina Merrin, seems to be their captain."
Nebbin's brow scrunches at Kayleigh.
"I don't have a sister," he whispers back.
He thinks for a moment after Cresida's words.
"Could we tell them Carawyn's off limits or something?"
Kayleigh shoots Nebbin a quick glare of annoyance at the 'sister' comment before again addressing Cressida.
"Please be careful in your dealings with the Queen," she says, rather reluctantly. "As I understand it, the Queen can only remove you from your position if she gets the backing of the Church of Abadar...but we've heard a disturbing rumor that the Church of Abadar is considering a temporary alliance with the Temple of Asmodeus, which is a major power in the Queen's homeland of Cheliax.... Is there somewhere we could reach if the worst does happen? You're one of the few people we've met since the madness started who truly seems to care for the city and its people."
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Citadel Volshyenek, Midland District
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Cressida smiles at Kayleigh's concern and praise. "Thank you, Kayleigh. I'll step carefully around the Queen and the church - you can be sure. And there's the crowd outside, and coming to terms with their charges." She shakes her head again, exasperated.
"You also be careful. Eel's End is a rough place."
---
Regeris is first to arrive back at the temple, so he ventures back out to find a market vendor. Reefclaw Run Market is the closest logical place to look, and Regeris is able to find what he seeks.
Emileva's return runs right through the market and by chance the two meet.
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The most difficult part of the return back from the citadel is working the way around the group of University protesters without being seen. Happily for Tassira, Nebbin and Kayleigh, Cressida's column emerges from the citadel headed for the castle, and there's a palpable surge of the crowd in their direction when they're sighted. All eyes turned the other way, the group is finally able to make their escape.
Once clear of the square travel gets easier. This holds until Northpoint, where you find the a repeat of the same scene in front of the Citadel, this time surrounding City Hall, the Longacre building and the Church of Abadar. This crowd makes getting to the Jeggare bridge hard. As the group pushes the last distance to the doors of the temple, all three note a disturbance across the street to their left.
The pitch of the crowd there is a couple degrees higher and over that din you hear the sound of swordplay and what can only be a death scream. There's a fairly serious fight going on in the street there.
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Emi and Regeris come upon the disturbance from the other side. The familiar sound of steel on steel brings their conversation to a quick close. There's an armed fight and a big crowd between Emi, Regeris and the temple.
Fulfilling his promise, Regeris sets to buying some silver weapons for himself and the group.
- 20 silver arrows
- alchemical silver longsword
- 2 alchemical silver maces
As Regeris finishes up with his purchases he flags down Emi, shouting a little loudly to get her attention. "I have some information on Carawyn. Reckon she's not hurt or in danger - yet - but we'll want to get her out soon. Waiting tables at the gambling den. I have what I need, let's get back to the temple."
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Regeris' elated mood falls very quickly as he realizes there's some sort of melee going on. He shoots a glance to Emi.
"Dive in or try and make for the temple? Bet we can get through unnoticed."
Kayleigh, commendably or naively, immediately moves toward the fight clad in her Guard cape. "Step aside, please!" she tells those on the outer fringes of the disturbance while moving forward. "What's going on here?" she demands as she reaches the heart of the conflict.
Tassira swallows, tightens her jaw and follows Kayleigh in. Her palms begin to itch with the familiar tingle of magic.
"Step aside! Let the Guard through!" She calls out.
Nebbin follows along, looking alarmed.
"Look out, everyone!" he bellows, trying to look and sound Guard-y ... with almost no success.
Emi returns Regeris's greeting.
"That is good to know. Thank you. Hopefully we can get her back before the end of the day. I learned a little more about the proprietor Devargo. The sum of it is that he's dangerous and well-informed. There's more, but it's best left until we're all together again in private."
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Wading into a street brawl is the last thing Emileva is anxious to do at the moment, but it sounds like things have gone well beyond a scuffle. She frowns and says "It's tempting to go around, but we should probably take a look."
She starts shouldering her way through the onlookers toward the center.
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Old Dock Neighborhood, Old Korvosa District
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The crowd immediately in front of Tassira parts at her command, revealing a chaotic scene. There's a fight going on in the center of the plaza, five-on-two. The two-person side of the fight is a pair of shoanti tribesmen. They wield broad, heavy short swords and stand back-to-back. One bleeds from a cut on his temple, threatening to close an eye. The other side is made of nondescript street thugs. The thugs are armed with an assortment of simple hand weapons - clubs, handaxes, daggers, even a sickle.
On the east end of the plaza two other guardsmen are trying to push their way past three more ruffians who are obstructing them. Two of these thugs are apparently unarmed while the last has a club that he's yet to swing. The guardsmen, likewise have not drawn their blades.
A sharp eye also picks out a scuffle in the northwest corner of the plaza where another shoanti has been separated and cornered by a pair of thugs.
Directly across the square, Emi pushes her way to the front of the onlookers.
"Hey! What's going on here? Stop it everyone!" the big man hollers as he wades in to try to break up the fight.
Kayleigh decides she'll be heard better from higher ground, so she attempts to climb up onto the pedestal to her west . "Cease this violence immediately! Do so and I'll heal up your wounds and we can talk out your disagreement like adults!" she calls out to everyone swinging weapons.
for
for
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Regeris stalks forward, and quickly looks over the scene. Two Shoanti, several ruffians, and then five guardsmen. Knowing full well the treatment Shoanti receive in the city, he has a fairly good idea of who the underdogs in the fight are.
"ENOUGH!" he calls out. "Drop your weapons and withdraw immediately or receive an arrow in the eye."
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Old Dock Neighborhood, Old Korvosa District
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Regeris may as well be talking to himself. The combatants are trying to murder one another and they're not going to be easily drawn off. Nebbin tries to peal one of the ruffians out of the combat but he eludes the big man and lands a blow against the his shoanti opponent. The whole plaza echoes with the ring of blade on blade and angry shouting.
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Old Dock Neighborhood, Old Korvosa District
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Emi can see that nothing the others have done is persuading anyone to stand down. She isn't wearing a guards uniform anyway. Instead of yelling she comes up behind one of the thugs closer to her and tries to grab him then pull him out of the fight.
Emi achieves a throttling hold on her target, removing one of the combatants from the main fray.
One of the guards breaks free of the obstructors and throws himself on another of the attackers (ruffian 4), binding back his arms and struggling the man toward the ground.
"Stop attacking me!" the man growls at the guard, "It's them Horsers you should be arrestin! They're thieves and rapists and we'm caught em!"
Kayleigh gains the pedestal step with no problems.
[dice=Diplomacy (aka "Hey! You people listen to Kayleigh!")]1d20+6[/dice]
Tassira groans in disappointment when her words go unheard, and starts hustling over to the nearest group of miscreants--the one the Korvosan Guardsman is trying to pacify.
She feels a familiar incantation forming on her lips, and with a flick of her wrist so subtle that it wouldn't be noticed as a gesture before it was too late, the mageling offers a more expedient solution to the guardsman's woes.
"IMBRE COLORIS!"
The three men are then engulfed by a spray of eye-searing pigments.
Two of Tassira's targets drop in their tracks, instantly unconscious. The third was shielded by chance from the full effect of the spell.
"I warned you. You're not the law here," says Regeris evenly. His bow bursts into white flame before he looses an arrow at the nearest baddie.
"I said, stop it!" Nebbin shouts, grabbing the thug in front of him . "You can't just attack someone in the street!"