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At Calandra's words, the two men who remain standing, drop their improvised weapons, and start moving to wake their fellows, or at least drag them away....At Reth and Malik's interruption though, they turn and flee.
The man who was being attacked slowly stands from his crouch, obviously unsure if you are saviours, or just a greater threat in disguise....
Calandra gives the man a bright grin "Looks like it's your lucky day, I'd really suggest you get yourself home though.." She tells him as she watches him closely to ensure he's not injured.
Reth moves around and disarms the rest of the men before they recover carefully avoiding getting in the way of Calandra working her magic. As the man looks his way Reth points to his Sable Company insignia to try and put him at ease. "I am glad your on my side Malik. I can only imagine the headache these guys are goin to walk away with."
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Perception (r14+4s+2fe)=20 (if he's human, otherwise it's an 18)
"T-t-thanks" stammers the man, "Desna only knows what those men would have done to me if you hadn't arrived. My name is Amin, Amin Jelanto....I can only offer you this", he throws a leather pouch to Calandra, "it is all I have at the moment."
The leather pouch swiftly disappears inside the folds of Calandra's scarves and her smile broadens. Gently she takes both of the 'dandy's hands in her own and gives them a light squeeze. "It's a pleasure to meet you Amin, although these really aren't times for anyone to be walking around alone"
"Nor is it the time to be loitering here. We have work to do; let's go."
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With a nod to the group, Amin departs, heading towards Old Korvosa via the nearest alleyway, obviously taking more care now than he was beofre.
The rest of your trip to the Castle is uneventful, and you make it quite easily there by mid morning... guard stops you from atop a tower, his colleagues obviously having crossbows trained on you.
"Halt, Who goes there, and what is your business? Answer quickly or depart."
"I agree, waitin around here is just invitin more trouble. The ones that run off may get brave and come back with friends. I'm Rethvian Ardimai of the Sable Company. They (pointing at the downed men) refered to you as a queens man. We could escort you to the castle as that is the direction we are headed and probably safest place in all Korvosa." Reth keeps out his sword and shield and begins to continue in the direction of the castle with Atherton.
"I am Rethvian Ardimai of the Sable Company. My companions have recovered an item of personal value to the Queen and wish an audience. May we enter?"
diplomacy check please!
Diplomacy (r3+2cha)=5
Calandra shakes her head a little before smiling at the guard. "I know it sounds a little farfetched, but if you could tell someone inside that we have found the piece that her highness had sent out for repairs that would be most useful to us, to you and to the queen. I'm fairly certain that if she wanted it repaired that it has meaning to her." She announces, making sure to keep her voice low, as not to cause a scene.
In a very low voice that only the group can hear. "One of the guards just went inside. Probably to call reinforcements."
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"I know it sounds a little farfetched, but if you could tell someone inside that we have found the piece that her highness had sent out for repairs that would be most useful to us, to you and to the queen. I'm fairly certain that if she wanted it repaired that it has meaning to her."
"Well your funeral innit? Wait there."
A few minutes later, with a clunk and a clank and an over exaggerated creak, a small side door is opened for you to enter in. Three guards stand inside, including the one from above, and a moment later, a fourth stumbles through the door, panting and nods at his superior.
"Right oh, looks like you are allowed up after all. Seg here will escort you." he says, pointing out the still panting guardsman.
Seg walks you up the ram to the main doors, and with no explanation leaves you with the guards there. Another man comes to escort you, this one with a slightly neater uniform, and probably a little more rank. You are made to leave weapons at this point, none are allowed into the presence of the queen armed .
The process of being passed from pillar to post continues for what seems like, and indeed is, hours. You are taken to a room to wash, even fed a light meal, after all, the queen doesn't want to hear your rag tag stomach rumbling!
Eventually, you are handed of to a tall woman, with a scar on her cheek wearing full armour in gleaming red, in front of a large, grand entrance way.
Know:Local or Nobility DC 10
This is Sabina Merrin, the Queen's highest ranking body guard
DC 15
...And lover
DC20
And former pupil of one of Korvosa's renowned swardsmen, Vencarlo Orisini.
"So, you are here to return property of the queen? May I take your names in order to announce you?" With a look to the guards, "you, go now, I am sure I can handle things from here."
Reth disarms himself of evrything but his dagger because he doesn't think of it as a real weapon. He then grumbling leaves the dagger also when the guard blocks his way and points to it. He brings up the rear of the group so the others can make a better impression than he just did at the gate. Shifting a little uncomfortably he waits for Calandra to answer the woman while unconciously touching a similar scar on his own jawline.
Malik hands his sack, backpack, wands and weapons over at the designated point.
"Just a quick freshening. I will cast a little spell. Now. So I won't do that in the presence of Her Majesty."
Then he casts Prestigitation over his appearance to give himself a decent smell of lavender and roses before entering into the care of the bodyguard.
Calandra easily gives up the few weapons she does carry at the designated point. She gives a small smile at the Queen's bodyguard and nods at her words. "It would be frightfully rude not to return such a beautiful piece Ms. Merrin" She replies easily as she looks around her surroundings, taking a moment to decide whether to give her real name or not.
Eventually deciding it would be for the best if she didn't risk lying at this point in procedings she refocuses her attention on the other woman. "My name is Calandra Oriana"
"My name is Malik Ventovi."
"Names' Rethvian Ardimai"
When asked to abandon his weapon, Atherton almost tries to conceal his dagger but thinks better of it. 'No sense in making this any riskier.'.
In a more cheerful and friendly tone than normal he says "Atherton Dram" and bows slightly. "My friends and I would be remiss in our duty as citizens of Korvosa if we didn't return a possession of Her Majesty's."
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The woman nods. "Just a few things, I will announce you, please enter in the order I do use. Remember, the queen is still in morning, so the interview will be short."
With that, she sweeps open the huge double doors in front of you, and begins announcing you.
"Miss Calandra Oriana," she intones as she steps into the throne room.
The place is huge, with columns obviously helped by magic to support the roof.
"Mr Malik Ventovi,"
The room is dominated by the thrown, a huge gold embossed, affair on a dias in the open space in the middle of the room.
"Mr Atherton Dram,"
The rest of the room is open, and barely furnished, with space along the galleries for a large crowd of people to see judgements performed and other such things.
"and finally, Mr Rethvian Ardimai of the Sable Company."
Today though, the room is empty except for your selves, Sabina the guard, and the Queen. Ileosa sits upon the Crimson Throne. 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.
In a quiet, and most beautiful voice, she whispers "Come forward please and show me what it is you have found to return to me."
Slightly regretting having given her name first Calandra enters first as her name is announced, focusing solely and respectfully on the Queen and avoiding the temptation to look around too much. As Queen Ileosa speaks Cal steps forward and with a deep curtsey she offers the broken brooch up to the monarch with all due deference, her head bowed.
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The Queen takes the broach, turning it over in her hand and feling out the inscription.
“This brooch was stolen from me some time ago—I had not expected to see it again, truth be told. And yet, here at my darkest time, 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. “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 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," With a look to Reth, "and it shall keep you well away from those silly men on their flying kittens. For the better I should think. 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 that, she raises and leaves you, handing the coffer to Sabina with a small nod, she retires through a door at the rear of the room.
As the door closes, Sabina turns to you. "Which of you will take this? it is a fortune to people such as yourself I should think. Will you take the Queen up on her offer?"
Calandra holds out her hands to take the coffer from Sabina, a small smile on her face as she gets the impression that being sent on to the Guard may be a little difficult to weasel out of. "My family come first and foremost for me, I have no interest in being a hero, heroes die and my sisters have lost enough" She explains simply "I will however come with you to see what the field marshal has to say to us" '..especially whether or not being a 'hero' pays well'
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Calandra holds out her hands to take the coffer from Sabina, a small smile on her face as she gets the impression that being sent on to the Guard may be a little difficult to weasel out of. "My family come first and foremost for me, I have no interest in being a hero, heroes die and my sisters have lost enough" She explains simpl "I will however come with you to see what the field marshal has to say to us" '..especially whether or not being a 'hero' pays well'
"I am sure your efforts will be rewarded." Sabina says, obviously not impressed by your show of concern for Korvosa, or the Queen's words.
"Dows anyone else have any concerns, or shall I arrange that guard?"
After hearing Calandra's words Reth can be silent no longer and gives her a concerned look, "I am lookin very much forward to seein the Field Marshall and am honored by the request. Korvosa is strong but alot can still be done to speed along her recovery from the opportunists that try in vain to bring her low. The Queen has my complete support and her confidence will not be misplaced. If you can spare some guards without puttin her majesty at risk than I accept the company willingly as that coffer looks to be a temptin target."
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For War Dawn of the Skoan Quah:
It has been a tiring week. Your job was hard enough even before the King died, even before the mob violence, and riots started. Even before those who would have your task fail started using those riots to kill Shoanti.
Thousand Bones is a true leader, and he has taught you much. The wisdom of his years surpasses that of every noble man you have met, of every town leader, and merchant. It is difficult to see how these tshamek have held these sacred lands for a month, let alone the generations that they have.
No. That is not a conducive attitude. None of Thousand Bones' wisdom lies down that path.
There is an exception though, one you have met who shows the spark of Thousand Bones' wisdom, and sure as a spark flows to flames in the Cinder Lands, the spark in Field Marshal Cressida Kroft will flame fit for the Sklar-Quah flame runners.
Thousand Bones has sent you to help the Field Marshal many times in the last days, though most of the help you have done is to tend wounds, and haul water for the Korvosan Guard's medics. Not fitting work for a Shoanti in your eyes but the work Thousand Bones has put you to. That you can whisper in the ears of some of the wounded, and laugh with the medics helps your cause until this trouble passes. Many of these men now owe their lives, in part, to a Shoanti. That must mean something, even to tshamek.
That just changed though, now you are stood in the office of Field Marshal Cressida Kroft, awaitng adventurers with whom the Field Marshal thinks that you share skills. She has been tight lipped on what the task may be that she thinks you will be able to help these Korvosan's.
Now is a time to wait. To stand at Field Marshal Cressida Kroft's sholder, and wait.
"I'd be happy to see what I can do for Korvosa." Atherton says 'And more importantly, what it can do for me.'. He follows the rest of the group, consumed by curiosity as to what's in the coffer.
"We will try to bring order to the city."
I've heard about fast job opportunities, but this is really fast.
Reth's smile returns upon hearing Malik's and Athertons responses, "Now that is way of things!" Smacking both on the backs in camaraderie.
Calandra shakes her head a little at Rethvian and holds onto the coffer a little more tightly.
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Sabina nods, and takes you to a small anti-room to wait. After a number of minutes, she returns with a group of 6 guards, all quite high ranking, and well dressed.
She wastes no time in giving them her orders, and before long you have recovered your weapons and are on your way to Citadel Volshyenek. A group as large as this, armed and equipped sees no trouble.
On entering the Citadel, you are taken through progressively more elegant parts of the castle, until finally the guards leave you at the door to an office.
As you enter, you see a woman in the uniform of the guard sat behind a desk, a huge Shoanti stood at her shoulder. Cressenda Croft is obviously a very attractive woman, but the last days have been harsh to her, she obviously hasn't slept since the King's death, and the strain is starting to show.
“Ah yes—you are the ones sent by Queen Ileosa. Greetings— my name is Cressida, and heroes of your caliber are exactly what Korvosa needs now. You’ve been on the streets. You know better than me how bad things are but there. It’s breaking my heart to see Korvosa tear herself apart like this. Every little bit of aid we can get from upstanding citizens like you helps. If you’re willing, I’d very much like to retain your services as agents of the Guard. I don’t need to say, of course, that you’ll be well compensated for these services.”
"Malik Ventovi, mylady. Where and when can we start?"
You feel more than see Reth tense as he notices the Shoanti, saying low under his breath, "have we sunk this far?" He snaps into a salute in her presence, "Field Marshall Croft, Rethvian Ardimai, reportin as ordered and by the request of the Queen. Hero is a strong word just doin my duty like all the other soldiers. Korvosa is strong and will weather through with our perseverance as long as outside forces (glancing the Shoanti's way) don't see this as an opportunity for a raid. As Malik put it, we are eager and ready to see things righted."
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"Good, first, let me introduce War Dawn of the Skoan Quah. He has been helping the guard over the past days, but to be honest, his skills are being wasted. I hope that with you he can be of more immediate use.
Korvosa’s got enough troubles as it is without my own men losing their way and going rogue. As much as it pains me to admit, though, this has happened several times already. Many guards have deserted their posts, more concerned about friends and family than the city. I can understand this, yet not all of the deserters have family—some of them are simply using the riots as an excuse for personal gain. One such man is Verik
Vancaskerkin. Worse than a lone deserter, he’s convinced a small group of fellow guards that Queen Ileosa is going to ruin the city.
Whether she does or doesn’t isn’t the point—right now, we’ve got a city-wide crisis on our hands, and I need all of my guards working with me to see us through. A deserter is worse than a lost resource—it’s an infection. I can’t afford to pull any of my other patrols off duty to deal with Vancaskerkin, and I’d rather not expose any of them to him anyway, since I neither want Vancaskerkin to infect more guards with his talk of secession, nor do I want some overly patriotic guard killing Vancaskerkin outright. I need impartial, skilled talent. Like you. “Vancaskerkin and his men have holed up in an abandoned butcher’s shop up in Northgate—the place was called All the World’s Meat. I need you to check out the place. Try to avoid killing any of the deserters if you can, but if you must, they brought it upon themselves when they threw in their lot with Vancaskerkin. For him, I’d really prefer it if you could
capture him alive and return him to me for interrogation, but if he makes that impossible, I’ll accept his body as well. Finally, see if you can find out why Verik deserted—if there’s more to it than simple personal politics, I need to know immediately. Bring me Verik alive, and there’s another thousand gold in it for you. Dead, he’s only worth half that.”
"On top of that, I can make arrangements for a line of credit at the Three Rings Tavern in Five Corners if any of you need a place to stay, but it will be the barracks here for tonight I'm afraid."
Out of interest it is quite late evening by now, what with your wait in the castle, an getting over here.....
Perception to catch Reth's comment,
"Greetings, I hope by working together we can get this turmoil under control and remove any temptation from those who would see opportunities to cause trouble." Ward' smiles, "and please call me Ward."
To the Field Marshall, "From the way you describe the situation, it seems to be needin a bit of finesse. I doubt one of the barbarians will help make it much more than a bloodbath. Perhaps somethin like Otyugh hunting would be more appropriate. How will this Verik react to his presence as opposed to just tried and true Korvosan folk such as ourselves?"
To the Field Marshall, "From the way you describe the situation, it seems to be needin a bit of finesse. I doubt one of the barbarians will help make it much more than a bloodbath. Perhaps somethin like Otyugh hunting would be more appropriate. How will this Verik react to his presence as opposed to just tried and true Korvosan folk such as ourselves?"
"Field Marshall if I may?... I am no more likely to cause a bloodbath than yourself man of the Black Guard, it might interest yo to know that before I offered my services I was part of a diplomatic mission to your city to broker a truce between my tribe and the city and as such likely have more finesse as you call it than you have just shown with your blunt assertions." Ward' calmly states,
Reth's eyes narrow, "Just because you learned to speak civilized like doesn't change history. I understand now, this is a way of showin good faith then. Field Marshall you have my apologies, you'll have my full report upon our return on how well Shoanti diplomacy works."
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The field marshal sighs. "If you wish to help Korvosa, you will complete this mission. if you wish to complete this mission, you will accept 'Ward. I will have none of the schism that racks this city in the teams I oversee, it helps no one, and is throttling my beloved home. Now leave, all of you. Rooms will be provided for those who require, and the only report I need is Vancaskerkin in my cells, or his head on my desk."
With that she claps her hands, and two guards enter.
You are dismissed.
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He salutes and outside says, "It seems to me, as it is evening, that this may the best time to scout out this All The World's Meats place and see what it's about." Looking toward Calandra and Atherton.
Ok, it's early enough that you could wander down and ask around (which will require a diplomacy check, or wait a while and have a sneak around (Atherton's preferred method from past experience!) which requires a search check.
Assists are allowed in this.