Vancaskerkin wakes after two rounds anyway. He struggles briefly against his bonds, but soon gives up and slumps against the wall.
As Gyllan searches he comes up with the following items:
1) potion, swirly green in color
2) MW chainmail
3) MW Spear
4) MW composite longbow (with +2 draw strength)
5) 20 arrows
6) silver dagger, stuck in the table
Arianna nods toward Gyllan, acknowledging and appreciative of the man's comment.
"I'll let you gentlemen deal with our 'friend' while I have a look at what Gyllan found for us."
Durriken nods at Arianna, silently thanking her for the healing and putting Verik to sleep, then checks the drawers of the desk while Corso talks to the groggy man.
The potion turns out to be a potion of cure moderate wounds and the 20 arrows are all +1. The rest of the items are mundane.
Vancaskerkin just smirks at you. "Quittin' the guard tends to piss them off. Guess that's why they sent you after me. I was expecting a full scall invasion, not you lot."
This sounds good to me. I'm guessing that he'd be the local sergeant for the Ridgefield neighborhood of North Point (as this is where I mentioned I was thinking I'd live)? Do I know any of the local haunts he frequented? Has the unrest from the King's death been bad near my neighborhood? Do I have any knowledge of what might be troubling the man (e.g. debts, threats, domestic problems, etc.)? Do I know who he reports to?
After saluting the Field Marshal Ulgrim nods. "Yes mam. I'm ready to go whenever you need me. The clerics got me all healed up from last night. Do I know anyone on this field team? What will our mission be?"
"As for the new mission, it is sensitive. I will keep it secret a while longer yet and see if the group returns successfully from their first challenge. You will be briefed when the time comes. Now back to your training. Any questions." She nods, dismissing or opening it to you for any questions.
The unrest from the King's death has not been especially bad in North Point (partially due to the good police work in the past) but it has been widespread and hard to keep out of any place. Mumblings and rumors especially among the middle classes is at an all time high. The Queen's extravagant Chelish lifestyle and who will pay for it seems to be the biggest issue.
You have no knowledge of what might be troubling the man other than the general unrest in the city. There is a Captain of the Guard for each of the city's wards. This captain, Undermarch by name, offices out of a post near the Bank of Abadar. Folks say he is a hard, strong-disciplined officer.
Vancaskerkin sighs deeply. "It was all her idea. Get away from the Guard, she said. Start a front and the people will follow. The city is ready for a new leader, she said." He looks wistful and shakes his head. "I knew i could never lead the whole city, but she kept saying someone had to. Can't let the Queen stay in charge. I thought giving free food to the people'd make me popular, but them crazy lads downstairs, scar't most of the folks off. They are doin' some funny business on the side as well, but I ain't figured out what yet."
He seems resigned to his fate, almost stoic in the face of what might be considered treason or at the very least desertion. Both are capital crimes.
"No, mam. Call me when you need me," Ulgrim says, snapping off another salute before leaving the Field Marshal's office.
"Whose idea was it?" Gyllan asks Vancaskerkin suspiciously. "Who is this she you're talking about? The more you help us understand what's going on, the easier it's likely to go for you when we get back to Marshal Croft."
He takes a look at his companions and says, "I said somethin' was fishy when we first got here, told you what I was worried was happening. I think we should take a closer look at the meat they've been giving out here." Gyllan then turns abruptly back to Verik and says, "And you'll come along while we figure it out, so I can get a read on how much you really know about what your 'crazy lads' were up to."
!
Ten Crimes and Punishments
Punishments for violent crimes in Korvosa are harsh, but the general populace considers them fair. Non-violent crimes carry differing punishments depending on the disposition of the criminal: A member of the thieves’ guild (the only legal guild in the city) or a registered gang might receive a lighter sentence than does a freelancer, depending on the crime in question. The following selections of crimes and their punishments (listed in order they are applied) should not be construed as all-inclusive. Korvosa’s legal code fills multiple thick volumes.
Treason:Torture, death; no appeal
Murder: Torture, death; no appeal
Rape: Torture and castration, imprisonment (10–20 years), death; no appeal
Armed Robbery: Pay restitution or lose a hand, imprisonment (10–20 years)
Arson: Pay restitution or branding, imprisonment (10+ years); plus murder charge if fire kills
Unionizing: Branding, imprisonment (5–10 years); no appeal
Accidental Death: Pay restitution or torture, imprisonment (5–8 years)
Robbery: Pay restitution or lose a hand, imprisonment (2–10 years), pay restitution
Drug Use: Imprisonment (4–6 months pre-trial, plus 2–3 years if guilty)
Burglary: Pay restitution, imprisonment (1–2 years)
A member of the Cerulean Society (thieves’ guild) or a registered gang can expect to receive a lighter sentence of around half the common punishment for these crimes.
"She's nobody, just my Vudruan lover, Vimanda. She comes to me here and whispers things. She helps me plan. She said food would be at premium during the chaos, and running this abandoned shop would bring the neighborhood round to our side of things. An' she was right. Half o' North Gate'll come running if I call em too now. It's not too late, you can join us. I'm sure she'll find the right job for you."
A smirk appears on his face as he thinks of the minor revolt he could lead if freed. You haul him downstairs as you being to poke around in the butchery. He seems disinterested and far away. You get the sense that he didn't have much to do with the day-to-day runnings of the meat packing; apparently, his mindw was involved in other things.
Iozif Vasile, doctor in training, left his apartment in a huff. The one respectable guard in this forsaken city leaves right in the middle of a batch of riots. Sighing in exasperation, he took a turn down a side street, heading towards the Three Rings Tavern in hope of finding Soldado drowning his sorrows there. Honestly, it's like the universe is conspiring against me and my studying. If he can't keep the peace, then how am I to become a doctor with the noisome plebs yelling and shouting about the Queen at all hours.
Although Iozif grumbled about his studying, he did care about the guard, Grau Soldado, and his sudden disappearance didn't bode well. Could the man have finally angered the local criminals enough for them to threaten him somehow? No... no... save the speculation and focus on the facts. With that final thought, he found himself in the street in front of the Three Rings Tavern. Shrugging in resignation, he entered, keeping a casual hand on his longspear and glancing around the room.
Frustrated that the man wasn't making his life easier, Iozif wanders over to the bar, casually glancing at the other patrons before asking the bartender in a raspy voice, "Any chance Sergeant Soldado has been through today? Blasted man seems to be having issues of late and I'd hate for North Point to start burning with riots just cause he's not around."
Arianna looks up from the gathered items to ask Vancaskerkin a simple question.
"What is it you hoped to gain by this revolt? Surely there was more to it than the request of a lover. What were reasons of this, Virmanda?"
Vancaskerkin just shrugs. He has said what he can about the minor revolt that you have stymied. "Are you taking me in? You know they'll kill me, right? You can just let me know and forget the whole thing. I'll skip town and head back to Riddleport where my dad is. You'll never hear from me again."
Durriken listens to the interrogation absently as he pokes around in the various rooms, looking for some clues as to what was really going on here.
"So he's not been through today then..." Iozif muses aloud, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Frustrating that I've little more to go on. I suppose I should see his captain... but first, can I learn anything more. Returning his attention to the barkeeper, he asks, "Any chance anyone here spoke more with him? Anyone who might know more about the girl problems that he mentioned?" After listening impatiently to the bartender's reply, he flips the man a silver piece and says, "Thanks for the help, master .... ah... well no matter."
After concluding his business at the Three Rings Tavern, Iozif begins making his way through the city towards the Bank of Abadar. Nearby, if his recollection was correct, would be the post where Soldado's captain could be found.
"You and your men didn't seem to have any qualms about killing others," Gyllan responds to Verik. "We'll take you in, you can talk to Marshal Croft, maybe you have something to offer that'll save your neck. But you'll have to tell her a bit more than you've told us, I'm guessing. Like what Virmanda was really after - and probably where she is.
He takes hold of one of Vancaskerkin's arms, where they're bound behind the man's back. "Let's get moving, you. We were sent here to bring you in, and unless you've got a better story to tell than what we've heard so far, that's where we're going."
He leads the man down the stairs. At the bottom, he asks Fingers to keep an eye on Verik, and joins Durriken in taking a careful look around, to try to figure out what the Cow Hammer Boys were really up to, and what kind of meat they were providing to Korvosa. He looks especially at the meat hanging on racks and takes a look around the pigpens, for any evidence of what the pigs might have been fed.
Looking through the meat locker (B3) you see a few carcasses remaining, but one looks pretty much like another.
In area B4, the killing floor, There is the grate area where the carcasses are gutted over, the vats of hot and cold water, and a cast off tub of old meat and bones in the SW corner.
If you approach the pig pen, you see the feral hogs are very aggressive and take an attack posture as you prepare to enter the pen.
Gyllan briefly looks over the carcasses hanging in the meat locker, but realizes he knows too little to be able to tell one from another, and moves on to the hog pen. Though he doesn't get very close, he can see that the pigs are not your docile farmyard variety, and that they won't go without a fight.
"What do you think about taking on these pigs, gang?" he asks his companions. "If we leave them here, they'll either starve or break out and hurt someone. But we could tell people nearby that there's some pork to be had, if they'll take the risk. I could go either way, but I'd lean a bit towards just gettin' our job done, and taking Verik back to the Marshal."
Ulgrim nods in response to the messenger. "At the marshal's pleasure, I'm ready to go."
Arianna follows her companions, glancing at the hanging carcasses, but not paying particularly close attention.
"Corso has the right of it. If they are to be put down, it would be far safer to do so from range. I suppose I could try to put them to sleep first, though they will not slumber long if they do."
"Those are both fine ideas," Gyllan responds. "Perhaps we finish one off with our bows first, and if it proves easy, we save your magics for the trip back across the city? Arrows are cheaper than spells."
"And this is where the difference in our births comes clear, Corso," Gyl responds with a smile and nod. "I haven't had the luxury of seeking the elegant approach most of my life, but I appreciate it now that you've pointed it out. Arianna, would you put the pigs to sleep, and Corso and I will put them down? Maybe Corso and I can stand near the rail and lure them close, so they fall asleep nearby and we can kill them with Verik's spear without Corso having to soil his boots?"
"Alright, be ready with the spear. Drawing them close enough shouldn't be much of a problem."
”I’d say we just offer everyone free meat, but they’ve beat us to it.” Gyllan ponders the dead hogs on the other side of the rail, then says, ”How about this – we load Verik onto the cart we saw in the yard , cover him up, and head out the gates. As we go out, we tell folks there’s two fresh-killed hogs and they’re welcome to ‘em. And we make our way out in the confusion. If we attract too much attention in the streets with the cart, we can ditch it once we’re away from this place.”
Sparing a glance the Bank of Abadar, Iozif grimaces in distaste as he calmly walks into the captain's post. He casts a brief look at the captain of the guard, taking note of his build and neat appearance. Formidable man and likely a lover of Korvosan law despite its shortcomings. Still, best not to make a row... With a respectful nod, he introduces himself, "Good day to you, Captain Undermarch. I'm Iozif Vasile, a citizen and medical student living here in North Point. I'm here as I'm concerned about the whereabouts of Guardsman Soldado. He seemed... troubled... on his rounds yesterday and he hasn't been around today."
Durriken shrugs at the carcasses and follows the others to the pig pen, taking on the task of keeping Verik moving.
Both the boars fall asleep at once when the lovely witch speaks to them. The first boar is pierced through the heart. He wakes with a jolt, screaming painfully, but soon collapses as his lifeblood spills out on the ground.
The second dies in much the same way, actually raking the wooden gate with its tusks fiercely before succumbing.
"Prepare your gear and get moving," the messenger says, clearly looking down his aquiline nose at you, a lower race. "Field Marshal says to find the missing group in North Point, she wrote down the address. Here..." he throws a note on a table and pivots on a heel with a sneer, leaving as quickly as he came.
The address is for a butcher's shop in North Point. Not a place you know well, but easy enough to find.
"Yes, well, Soldado is also AWOL from duty roster today. Whatever "problems" he's having better get solved or he'll find himself up on charges. Make sure you tell him that if you see him first!"
He dismisses you with a shake of some papers and, chewing on the waxed ends of his mustache, returns to work.
Once the boars are dispatched, Gyllan takes a look around their pen, to see if there's any sign of human bones, or other indications that his theory might be correct.
He then motions to Durriken, saying, "Let's load Verik up in the cart in the yard and see if my plan will work. Got anything to gag him with?" As they move through the building toward the yard, Gyllan looks around for a tarp or sheet that will serve to keep Verik covered up while they move him, and anything that will serve to keep him quiet under the cover.
With a growing frown as the captain speaks, Iozif huffs a bit at the brusque dismissal but turns on his tail and leaves without arguing. The cities in turmoil and he doesn't seem to care that his man is missing? If he's potentially dead in some gutter after being lynched by a mob or killed by criminals, he's dismissed as AWOL? Bloody ineffectual work as is usual... Still grumbling, Iozif walks a short distance from the post, glancing around and looking a nearby tavern. I'd best try to find Soldado lest an incompetent replaces him. He's probably well known around here so maybe someone knows roughly where he lives.
Entering the tavern, Iozif casts a glance around, looking for anyone who looks like a guardsman. Seeing such a person, Iozif approaches and asks, "Pardon Guardsman, I'm trying to locate Watch Sergeant Soldado. I live in the area he patrols and he seems to be missing today. Would you happen to know where I might find him?
Excellent! Nice work, team!
Would you believe these guys are worth 240xp per person? Maybe the toughest encounter of the story so far and you coup de grace them....I guess I'll award it to you for your creative solution in dealing with them. It puts you at 1557/3300xp or about 13% to level 3.