Paige is right - the telltale sounds of a larger mob approaching can be heard. Whatever you decide, you should decide it quickly.
"As much as I'd like to get back to the Citadel," pipes Grau, helping to lift the semiconscious Sable Marine, "that might not be practical. I'm all for trying, though!"
"Sir, can we take him to the temple and then wait for things to die down before we try to bring him back to the citadel?" Anguela tries to look respectful but decisive.
Atticus pauses a moment and nods his head. "I will acquiesce to the judgement of the Captain."
"If need be, the temple will give us a place to make our stand somewhere much better protected than there," Paige offers. drawing a sharp, nervous breath as she listens to the sound of the mob. "And if they would be so far gone as to try and lay siege to a temple, then this city's problems would run far, far deeper than any of us are capable of dealing with." Looking out around her, Paige trembles with nerves, frustration, and sorrow. None of this is right at all. Korvosa was a city that needed help, a sick and troubled city, but this? It's not the mere dregs of the city rising up in opportunistic greed, but chaos on a level that seems almost too insane to believe.
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"Then the temple it is," Mackeson says as he hefts the marine's legs up to his burly dwarven shoulders and moves with him across the open Pantheon yard and into safety.
Once inside, the dwarf leaves the wounded man with an available healer and rushes right back to a vantage point near the main door, peering out to see what new ruckus is coming their way.
Grau agrees with the group that wants to head into the temple - "At least until we figure out what to do next," he says.
Unfortunately, the healers are all tied up doing other business elsewhere, but the group is able to find a bare spot of floor to lie down and rest upon. Meanwhile, a larger mob passes through, heading north. As the evening turns into night, their torches cast the city streets into a harsh red light. Their shouts echo poorly off of the city's mostly-wooden buildings, and their billboards are familiar. The crowd appears to be of at least 100 Korvosans, and after about an hour, passes by on its way to a different part of the city.
The Silver Ghost had remained largely silent during the discussion about what to do with the marine - once he was stabilized and the mob dealt with, he was one of the Guard's people, so she didn't feel like her opinion on the matter was necessary.
While the others rest at the Pantheon, she notices the healers are busy, so she offers her aid to them best she is able. She has no knowledge of the healing arts, true, but she is as able a hand as any when it comes to carrying the injured, or fetching water or clean cloths. In any case, she isn't the type to simply sit still and wait while people are hurt and in need.
As the sun sets, she finishes up a final task before moving over to Mackeson by the door. She stands by him and watches the mob move on, one hand on the hilt of her rapier and the corners of her mouth pulled downwards into a small frown. She felt people had the right to protest in groups, true - only tyrants would suggest otherwise - but this was quickly getting out of hand. What would have happened to that marine had they not been there? She doesn't let the thought dwell before resolving to do something about it.
"Mackeson," she says, repeating his name to help commit to memory. "Where that mob goes, trouble is sure to follow. I would like to head after them and keep an eye on things should it get unruly again...try to minimize the collateral damage." She squares her shoulders. "Would you like to come with? I don't know if I am enough, alone." she admits. Turning to Paige, she adds. "Paige. If your fellow priests don't need you here, I would appreciate your help as well... you're a terror with that blade.... and you also have a way with words, so either way you would be appreciated."
"It would not be wise to venture out into the city right now" says Atticus.
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That makes my mind up. Mackeson frowns at the semi-order from the semi-guardsman.
"Yep, I'd be happy to keep an eye on things with yuh, Ghost. I'm not the sneakiest of folk, nor the swiftest," he says, letting the unspoken second part of his phrase fall into awkward silence.
"Paige? Whatcher about?" The dwarf looks up at the Sarenrite.
It's a good night to die, Mackeson thinks, and chuckles to himself.
The Silver Ghost rolls her eyes at Atticus. "Notice that I didn't ask you. Unless you're planning on arresting me, I'm doing as I please."
She grins at Mackeson, and raises a fist for him to bump. "Great!" she says, then waits for Paige's answer.
"Besides the brawl earlier today, I have no cause to arrest you. I am merely suggesting that confronting a group of a hundred on your own, or in a trio for as it were, presents a great risk without any foreseeable benefit. I know you have already distanced yourself from the consequences of your gallivanting, but have you considered at least that your presence will only escalate the situation, possibly even becoming the catalyst for violence?"
Atticus does not get up from where he is neatly seated near the temple door when he speaks. His voice remains the same even tone that it has been for the entirety of the day.
Darius stands his ground as the Silver Ghost's threat and the others backing her up drive off the small crowd that was threatening the marine. It was less than ideal letting them go, but there were no good answers in this situation. Law and order had already mostly broken down. The city guard just wasn't numerous enough to handle riots everywhere simultaneously. When the group discusses the best course of action, he finds himself forced to agree that the temple is the safest choice for now. He'd have preferred to head back to the guard HQ to try to determine where they were needed most, but the streets were just not safe enough.
He spends his time in the temple milling by the windows, pacing back and forth and keeping a close eye on the situation outside. He remains quiet until the Silver Ghost states her intention to head out after the large mob that had just left the area.
"Atticus is right," Darius says, "things have gone to s$@% out there, and you'll just be putting the three of you in harms way. We could barely convince the small mob we encountered to stop. If it'd been a hundred of them, we would have been overrun before we could talk some sense into them."
He looks out at the streets and the mob's stragglers heading off. "Look Silver, keeping order is important... But what are you going to do if that mob drags someone out onto the street and beats them to death? Rush in to die yourself? They can't be reasoned with, and we haven't got an army to put them down with."
The longer the riots go on, the more nervous Grau appears to be getting. As the group begins to argue about whether to go out or not, he heaves a huge sigh. "Listen, everything's going crazy out there... How about we just... stay here, and... keep these people safe?"
"I admit, the idea of sitting here and waiting for more bloodshed to occur does not sit well with me. These rioters can be tempted away; even those madmen and their planned attack of a Sable Marine were repelled. If we can even tempt some of them out of the mob, it will reduce their numbers." Paige has not been able to keep her eyes off of the outside since returning; there is nothing about this that sits well with her, and the danger only increases. "If nothing else, perhaps we can keep a distant eye and swiftly intervene if it came to such matters. I have a few alchemical items that could prove useful in distraction or obfuscation if we needed to pluck someone from danger. But I know that I cannot sit idly by here." She meets The Silver Ghost and Mackeson with a weary smile, knowing this is a bad situation bound only to get worse, but she cannot sit idly by.
Darius's words give her pause, though not for the reasons he may have intended. "That is a a good point; where exactly is any evidence of an army right now? The Sable Company flying overhead, you four standing here rather than under any sort of organized attempt to quell these riots and your colleagues all over... Not that I wish for martial law to be imposed upon the city, but I have not seen a single soldier all day. One would think by this late..." She leaves the matter to drift off, not sure exactly what it means or why such decisions were made, vaguely looking toward the guards as if wondering if they have some sort of insight, but it doesn't last before she sighs and straightens herself out.
"If you wish to stay, then stay. But I cannot abide by this madness. If that mob does drag someone out of the street to beat to death, I will not stand by and let them, no matter the cost."
The Silver Ghost nods, in full agreement with Paige. "Right. I mean someone has to try and help. In this chaos there's going to be criminals trying to do all they can to take advantage of the protests - looters, muggers, even worse. Meanwhile, I don't see any signs of the Ki- excuse me - Queen doing anything to try and quell these riots. So I know where I'm needed. Maybe I won't be able to help everyone. Maybe I'll die trying. Better than sitting here and wondering what if."
"Anyway, I guess I've got some gallivanting to go do," she says with a cheeky grin and a wink. She didn't have to prove herself to some uppity flower-guard. Much less one unwilling to help the people just because it was difficult or risky.
With that she takes her leave. Before exiting the Pantheon, she strides over to one of the children she saved - one she had spoken to and knew the name of from their conversation to the temple. She takes out a silver coin from her pouch and presses it into their hands. "Chin up, sweetheart," she says. "Stay safe, listen to the priests. Morning will be here before you know it."
Once she's done with that, she heads for the exit with Mackeson and Paige.
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Darius steps between the three and the door before they leave. "Typical," he says dismissively. "Same naive attitude that infects all sarenrites. If you just offer mercy to those who have committed wrongs, Sarenrae will see you through. Hate to break it to you, but that's not how the real world works."
"You head out there and deal with that mob, you will die. And not only will you have not saved that one person, but in your blind rush to adhere to the tenets of your faith, you will have allowed others who actually could have been saved to die by your absence. If you three are serious about saving people, walking out there and confronting a mob is the least effective means you could contrive."
"But please, if your idea of 'helping' people is to rush out and die, thereby leaving many more in the aftermath of these riots without aid, be my guest."
With that he steps out of the group's way and gestures towards the door.
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Mackeson smirks at Darius.
"You know I ain't no Sarenite, but someone's got to keep these two safe. Listen, if yuh get in trouble here at the temple, I'll be sure to come back and rescue you, too. Bottom's up!"
And the dwarf follows Paige and the masked vigilante out into the streets.
Oh, Shelyn's frilly underthings...this is going to be a mess.
Anguela shakes her head at Grau. "I'm surprised at you, sir," she says teasingly. Motioning to Atticus and Darius, she says, "Them, I understand, for they are only temporarily serving the Guard and have no lasting commitment to the command structure. But, sir, we are still on duty, aren't we? There are other guardsmen out there trying to keep the peace who may need our help. Surely our responsibility is to patrol the streets and keep some semblance of order? We are lucky enough to have others here who are willing to put aside their differences of opinion and assist us with our task. How can we ignore their generous offer?"
She grins at Darius. "No offense intended, my friend." She looks cheekily at Atticus and waggles her eyebrows.
"The marshals orders were to patrol our assigned area. Until we reconnect with the citadel we cannot assume her motives, nor those of the other guard. In the meantime the Captain is in command"
He pauses and adds: "I, for one, do not see the prudence in using bloodshed to disway bloodshed."
"I do not go out there to confront the mob head-on, I go out there to ensure they cannot hurt anyone. An important distinction. If you wish to stay and do nothing, then fine, but you should know that the 'real world works' through taking action and seeing it through, not through the worst assumptions of the embittered." Paige begins her walk out on that note, making sure that she has everything in place and all of her tools are at the ready, for whatever it is she's stepping out into. She slips her scimitar into its sheath and walks out with Mackeson and The Silver Ghost confident and sure of her path; it may not be the safest, but it is the right one.
Mackeson, Paige, and the Silver Ghost leave the Pantheon of Many behind. Heading back out onto the street looking for trouble, the group heads north. The group is able to get through the Pillar Wall when it seems South Shore has mostly emptied of rioters. Judging from the shouts, the riots have moved towards Midland and the Heights, around the castle.
Darius grumbles slightly as the group leaves. He turns to Anguela afterwards, "Same thing I said to them, Anguela. Patrolling now makes us a target for the mobs. What happens if we encounter a group of rioters too large to handle? And yet to help restore order we would need to be nearest to the riots. I just don't see it. Maintaining order is essential, but we don't have the tools or resources to tackle the root of the problem. If Grau orders us to move out, I'll go, but otherwise it just seems like throwing away more lives for nothing."
The Silver Ghost isn't surprised that the riots seem to be headed towards the Heights. That...was actually a logical place for them to go to air their grievances against the new regime. The violence, though, there was no excuse for that.
Her bravado vanishes as soon as she leaves the Pantheon, and she proceeds along mostly in silence. It physically hurt Portia to watch her city tear itself apart. It was senseless. It was cruel. And it didn't help when the people she felt were supposed to be protecting the people, were hiding away instead. If all the Guards felt that way, that would explain why she hadn't seen a single one so far. But she supposed that's why she wore the mask, why she risked her life doing this. Because she wasn't letting another person get hurt if she could possibly do something about it. Not again.
"I bet the Sable Company and the rest of the Korvosan Guard are already at the Heights. Protecting the wealthier parts of the city at the expense of the common people..." she theorizes aloud, with a frown. She looks around the mostly empty South Shore. "Ugh. In any case, thank you for coming with me. I truly appreciate your help."
The Silver Ghost keeps to the sides of the streets, with her hood drawn up around her face to avoid too much attention. She walks with her weapons sheathed so that she appears unthreatening. As she walks, she keeps an eye out for whatever damage the mob has left in their wake.
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The dwarf clanks noisily alongside the Sarenrite and the largely-silent vigilante, his kukri in hand.
"I git the idea of throwin' off yer shackles and all," Mackeson mentions in huffs and puffs as he surveys the wanton destruction, "but denyin' yer fellow citizens their rights to safety and property ain't the answer. Stupid buggers."
Anguela watches the others depart with a look of regret that she can't join them. To Grau, she says, "Perhaps, Captain, we should return to the citadel for new orders? The injured should be safe here, now that the temple clerics are seeing to them. We could also inform the Marines where they can find their man."
"I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case at all, and I would be furious. This city will only get worse playing games with peoples' lives and wellbeing like that. These are the most vulnerable people, and look at what has been done to them." The more she takes in the sight of the city and what has been done, the heavier it weighs on her, but she does her best to shoulder that burden quietly and keep herself moving, wanting to remain composed and capable alongside The Silver Ghost and Mackeson. "All of this over someone taking the throne. Hurting their neighbors to spite the crown... How could they ever think this was the right way to go about anything?"
Grau nods to Anguela. "That's a good idea, as long as we're not looking for trouble. You all said it, right? It'd be suicide to pick a fight with a mob."
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Traipsing down the city streets, you're getting close to the Castle when you suddenly hear a horse scream and then a man shout, "Hey, no! Leave me alone!" It sounds like it's one street down.
The Silver Ghost stops suddenly. She glances at the other two and raises a finger to her lips. She then draws her bow and seeks out cover. Sticking to the shadows (which wasn't too hard, as it's evening now) she creeps closer until she can see what's going on.
Paige nods, her posture shifting down quickly, head keeping low as she slips her scimitar slowly into its sheath and draws her shortbow, keeping the gleam of her sowrd from betraying her if need be. "Mackeson?" she asks barely above a whisper, trying to stay within range of him while also slipping in toward shadowy cover, not sure what the priest will do but not wanting to just leave him alone without consulting him.
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A good night to die.
The dwarf smirks as he sees his companions slip into the shadows. Stepping slightly into the shadows himself, Mackeson winks at the concern from Paige when she whispers his name.
The dwarf raises his voice and bellows. "Long live Queen Ileosa! Long live the Queen!"
He waits, grip tight on his kukri.
The group heads around a corner and down a side street and comes upon a frightening scene. A man - rich, evident from his clothes and well-grooming - is being assaulted by a mob of nearly twenty commoners. Though the richer man has a horse, he is swiftly dismounted by the angry commoners. His frustrated shouts quickly become screams of panic, and the horse abandons him quickly. Apparently he was riding down this street when he came upon the mob as it was passing by, and they seized upon the opportunity and attacked him.
Only some of the mob members are armed, mostly with makeshift clubs. At Mackeson's shout, many of them turn. "You, dwarf!" shouts one of them, a big barrel-chested dockworker holding a length of pipe. "You'd better take that back! That Queen won't sit on the throne long!" That provokes a cry of approval from the crowd, and another, smaller man pipes up, "Long live Korvosa! Korvosa should be ruled by the Korvosans!"
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Mackeson swiftly looks around to find his escape route.
Cayden keep me, the dwarf thinks.
”She’ll sit on the throne as long as your mama sat on me,” Mackeson says, making a rude gesture with his hips, ”long enough!”
The dwarf braces himself for what’s coming, hoping his colleagues will be able to help the unhorsed sot.
With a frustrated cry, the angry mob surges forward, pipes and fists at the ready. In short order it envelops and surrounds Mackeson, bashing and battering at him. A mad rage has taken over the mob as it attacks him... although it's left the bruised nobleman behind in its haste.
The Silver Ghost grimaces as Mackeson challenges the entire mob. That wasn't how she expected things to go... but as they chase him out into the street, it has the desired effect. They've forgotten the fallen noble for the moment, but not for long.
She turns to Paige and whispers, "Paige. You mentioned you had something to help conceal us. Think you can throw it over next to him so we can grab that guy and get out of here?"
Atticus gets up from his chair and approaches the arguing group. He quietly produces a potion of cure light wounds from his belt and hands it to the cleric before returning to his post by the door.
The mob pursues Mackeson, hitting him in the back and the neck as he tries to flee. Mackeson's short little dwarven legs don't serve him very well as he tries to run, and the mainly human mob is easily able to keep pace with him and continue battering him. However, their rage over Mackeson's crude affirmations of the Queen allows Paige and the Silver Ghost to run to the dismounted nobleman (who is conscious and fine, but has a broken ankle from being pulled off of his horse) and help him up and away from the scene. Where do they go?
Seeing Atticus head off the problem right away, Darius nods at him. It was absurd that people were fighting over healing in this situation, and normally he'd have been for just adjudicating the decision to quiet them, but in this case giving healing to both simplified matters greatly.
"Were we heading out to the citadel then?" Darius asks Grau, Anguela and Atticus. It had seemed for a moment as if they had come to an agreement, but nothing much happened afterwards. It still wasn't high on his list of things to do, but reporting in on the situation would no doubt come in useful to Cress and the guard in terms of determining where to send their resources.
The Silver Ghost rolls her eyes when she realizes who it is she's rescuing. Amin, of course he'd be one to get himself into trouble in the middle of some gods damned riots. Wordlessly, she offers a shoulder to help support him, assuming Paige would take the other side. She guides him out of the main roads and down an alley, just as she sees Mackeson run out of sight, chased by an angry mob.
Once they've found relative safety, she nods at Amin courteously. "Greetings. I'm the Silver Ghost. Local hero and gallavanter extraordinaire. It wasn't a good idea to go horseback riding today, was it?" she tuts in a low whisper. She glances back at Paige, back to business. "We can't just leave Mackeson to die to that mob... but I'm worried that we won't be able to talk them down after what he said to them. Is there anything you can do?"
From above, he can hear a few members of the mob shouting vile epithets at him and spitting, but after a short time the sounds retreat.
Grau nods. "It seems that's best. Staying here won't do anything for us. Let's move out. I suggest that we go quick and quiet, and stick to the side streets. Enforcing the law is all well and good, but getting killed before we arrive is no good at all."
He waves towards the door. "Let's head out."
"If you could escort me home, I'd greatly appreciate it. I'm sure my family could spare some reward for my safe return."
Paige returns from a quick look down the alleyway. "I can't see Mackeson," she says. "I certainly hope he's alright, but... It might be best if we moved on. He might have just escaped."
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Mackeson breathes heavily within the sewer chute, his heart racing.
Thank the Drunken God, the dwarf manages.
Mackeson takes a moment to figure out where to go next in order to catch up with Paige and the Silver Ghost.
Can't stay here all night, Mackeson thinks, concentrating in order to determine if any stragglers from the mob remain up on the street.
Convinced that he hears nothing, the dwarf scrambles out of the sewer, wet and soiled. He makes his way in the shadows as much as he can back the way he came.
Mackeson tries to climb up the sewer tunnel, but it is too steep and too slippery for him, especially with his armor weighing him down.
With orders finally, Darius doesn't hesitate heading out. There was little left to do in the temple besides babysit people who were nominally safe anyway, and it was likely they would be of more use to Cress if they got back to the HQ and received new orders. Moving immediately to the backstreets as Grau suggested, Darius hardly even bothers with stealth given his armor. Instead he keeps his shield ready and one hand on the hilt if his blade just in case.
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Mackeson curses and takes off his armour after sliding back down the sewer tunnel. He takes his rope out of his pack and ties up his armour and shield in a bundle. He then takes his time to climb up and out of the sewer, using all the time that he needs. Once up to the street, he pulls his armour up via the rope and then dons it again.
The Silver Ghost furrows her brow. "You're right. We can't linger and risk that mob come looking for this fop."
She sighs, glancing at Amin. "Jalento family, right?" she says, figuring he'd be flattered she recognized him. Most nobles felt the whole world revolved around them, after all. "Look, it's chaos up there. The Pantheon of the Many in Southshore is safe, and there are people taking shelter there. Why don't I take you there, and you stay there, just for the night, until things settle down?"