"Look, you're right. But honestly, if you're sure the Queen can be trusted, I might advise heading to her first to see if we can get any sort of help," Eric states. "I don't know if you've noticed, but these guys hit like cargo ships, and I was busting my rear to try and keep you all up. This Pet Maker probable has a lot stronger security than Drakson-"
He looks back to try and spot his corpse, then frowns when he doesn't see it but doesn't comment.
"-And I'm not sure we're going to be able to take him as we are now. No offense, I would love to take down that scum and do it quickly. But I do think someone has to point out that it's really risky and that we might be a bit out of our depth."
.
The Menagerie in East shore is openly known as a source of exotic creatures for pets and other purposes. It is a repurposed warehouse with a large staff that can handle dangerous animals. That is also is used to hold children is not public knowledge.
Nethen returns to the others, wiping a rag across his knife to clean the blood from it. "I doubt Drakson will be bothering anyone anymore," he says, sliding his knife back into it's sheath at his belt.
"The Menagerie is full of dangerous and exotic animals, with staff that will know how to handle them. I agree with Eric, it will be well guarded by people used to dealing with dangerous things. If there's any help we can get from the Queen, we should do that first."
Ariadne arches an eyebrow for a moment as Nethen emerges, cleaning his blade, before nodding and joining as they walk.
"You both make sense, though a major reason that fight went the way it did was because I spent it trying NOT to hurt Drakson until after he talked." she says, considering the course of the battle. "But having back up, or at least some official authority could definitely be helpful. Better to be prepared when we co in, and have a better chance of walking out with your sister." she says looking to Vedika
"All of this is contingent now on whether word has gotten back to the Pet-Maker about our crusade," says Vedika. She folds her arms and her expression becomes fixed and hard. "We've been rattling the cages of the underworld, and if someone has snuck back to him and told him that a group of people are ass-kicking their way to him, he's going to flee with his wards and we'll probably never find him."
Eric's gaze softens slightly at Vedika's stance and he sighs. "I agree that it's risky, and believe me when I wish I could confidently state that we could do another frontal assault like this and pull it off. But, to be realistic... they downed you with a single blow. And I don't think I could have taken a hit like that either. Perhaps i was skilled, perhaps I was lucky, perhaps both. But I'm not eager to stretch that bit of luck against a supposedly much harder foe. Loathe as I am to trust nobles, we shoud probably go hear what the queen has to say."
"In that case, we should go meet with the queen as soon as possible then head straight for the menagerie, with or without the additional support." Ariadne replied.
Vedika hesitates, then nods.
"I have no faith in the nobility to do anything useful, but won't know for sure until we try."
With a nod, Ariadne considers the best next steps to presenting themselves for an audience with the queen, and seeking help dealing with the underground child trafficking ring.
Some of the queen’s history is relatively common knowledge; a PC who succeeds at a DC 12 Knowledge (nobility) or a DC 20 Diplomacy check to gather information recalls this lore.
Korvosa’s new queen was born Ileosa Arvanxi in the Chelish city of Westcrown in 4687ar. Most expected her to marry into a more powerful
Chelish line, yet she scandalized her family by abandoning Cheliax and sailing to the city of Korvosa.
As a politically savvy aristocrat, Ileosa learned much about Eodred II’s tastes and desires before she arrived. When she presented herself to him, she was able to coax him to fall in love immediately. The two were wed after a scandalously short courtship, and, perhaps the most shocking move of all, Eodred II spurned his numerous previous lovers in favor of his new queen.
Barely 17 years old when she took Eodred II’s side, Queen Ileosa has
managed a minor miracle in the past several years—she’s single-handedly shifted the citizens’ dislike and disapproval away from King Eodred II to herself with her open distaste for Korvosa (a city she’s been heard to call “a backwater colonial village” more than once).
You believe you should heal up and bath before presenting yourselves to the new Queen. You wouldn't be expected to dress up in finery though.
"Nor have I," Nethen replies to Vedika, "but I doubt we lose anything by trying."
"I've never met royalty, am I going to have to gussy myself up like a noble?" he asks everyone, unclear on how he's going to have to dress and behave at court.
"Not really, though getting ourselves patched up and a bath would be a good idea." Ariadne replies. "The Queen is a pretty savvy person, a lot sharper than most people take her for."
Ghil tightens up his appearance with his assumed form ability, immediately and instantly looking ready for an audience with the Queen. "I'm sure she doesn't expect us to be decked out in noble finery, but some sleeves of many garments would tighten up any of your looks, too!"
.
"We should find somewhere to unload any of this stuff we don't need, get cleaned up, maybe a change of clothes, and present ourselves for the queen's audience. Better to get it over with, and have the gratitude of the most powerful person in the city rather than offending her." Ariadne says, adjusting the gear she carries.
"I agree!" Ghil says, giving himself a mental once-over. This mithral shirt is nice and all, but these clothes... we've collected a lot of valuable loot in these couple of days; I could get something much nicer!
After selling the gear, getting a bath and outfitting themselves properly (Eric with a shiny pair of Sleeves of Many Garments and a hundred or so gold of jewelry to really pass for a noble), he looks down at his costume at the stairway heading to the Palace and sighs. "Please, pharasma. I only wish to do this once. And have her be trustworthy, if you can? I'd rather not say 'I told you so!' to my future self if she ends up screwing us over..."
Nethen enjoys the opportunity to get cleaned up, relaxing for as long as possible in a hot bath not being an experience he'd often had time or funds for. He slips on the magical sleeves that had been recommended to him by some of the others, transforming his clothes into a cleaner and less patched set, then pins his cloak closed with his new brooch - three silver daggers set into a circle of yellow enamel - and prepares himself for an audience with the most powerful woman in the city.
"How do we address the Queen?" he asks, a hint of trepidation in his voice. "Your Majesty, mi'lady, ma'am?"
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Vedika spends a little bit of money on some clothing, but purchasing premade pieces will never match up to having a custom fitted set of clothes tailored personally, something for which their is no time right now. It's for the best, though: Wouldn't want to show up wearing something that might compete with the nobles in attendance. Instead she focuses on bringing down her makeup to a smooth, even level that emphasizes her eyes and sharply delineates, rather than concealing, her nonhuman features, like the thin line of scales that follows her hairline.
The initial civil unrest and outbreaks of riots were quelled quickly, thanks to swift action by the Korvosan Guard, the Sable Company, and the Hellknights.
By the time you decide to approach Castle Korvosa to meet with the queen the streets are once again relatively safe to walk, but a thick tension remains in the air.
Castle Korvosa’s long shadow looms over the city as a terrifying testament to the power of whatever mighty overlord ruled this land thousands of years ago. A magnificent achievement of architecture, the castle walls and spires rise high into the sky above.
The entire structure looms even higher because of its ancient foundation—a Thassilonian monument in the shape of an immense flat-topped pyramid. Although one corner of this impressive foundation has fallen into ruin, the additions built onto the sides by eager and talented Korvosan masons have created one of the most recognizable landmarks in all of Varisia.
Normally, petitioners to the monarchy would approach from a broad ramp, wait in a public courtyard to speak to the Korvosan Guards on duty, and hope for a chance to be heard.
In these frantic times, the Castle has been locked tight and bristles with swords and crossbows. Guards demand to know your business as you approach.
What do you answer, and who is doing the talking?
Ariadne, takes advantage of the opportunity for a hot bath, clearing her mind of the chaos of the last few days, and preparing herself for the upcoming interaction with nobility. The thought of being before high commanding military always made her nervous, despite her experience, yet she knew this would be the right past for them to take.
Taking the time to clean and polish her armor, which she wears with a courtier's out fit selected to best compliment it, she attempts to cut the best possible profile of a warrior and soldier, hoping to draw attention away from her scars, something that was always part of anyone's first impression of her. With her new sword and cloak she braces herself for presentation before the most powerful woman in Korsova.
"How do we address the Queen?" he asks, a hint of trepidation in his voice. "Your Majesty, mi'lady, ma'am?"
"Your Majesty would probably be safest." She replies to Nethen's inquiry, considering what she knew of protocol for meeting with royalty.
"We'll go with that then," Nethen says as the group approaches the imposing edifice and the legions of armed guards protecting it. He steps to the side of the group as the guards brusquely demand to know their business, letting Ghil or Eric try to talk their way in.
Before they step onto the broad ramp leading into the castle, Ghil quickly casts a spell to brighten his manners. He steps forward when the guard challenges them, bowing slightly as he introduces himself. "We are here to see the Queen, actually. We performed a minor service yesterday that seems to have caught her attention, and we've heard that her Majesty is asking to meet with us." He motions to the others. "As you can see, we've gotten all dressed up and are anxious to meet her!" He finishes with a broad, friendly smile.
You hear some muffled conversation and the sound of running feet.
Before too long the runner returns, one of the guards nods at you and indicates that you should head up the stairs to the courtyard.
Weapons must be left with the guards at the base of the stairs—no obvious weapons are allowed in the queen’s company. Characters who refuse to part with their weapons are not allowed to see the queen.
Note it said obvious weapons. What are you doing?
Vedika conceals her punch-dagger and leaves her kukri and shuriken with the guards.
After a moment of hesitation, Ariadne nods, unbuckling her sword, punching dagger and mace, and handing them over to the guards. If for some insane reason she needed a weapon in the throne-room, she'd have to take one from someone else.
Internally she makes a note to research spells that could conjure or summon a sword when needed.
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Ghil hands over a variety of daggers. He didn't think it likely he'd need a weapon in audience with the Queen, and his magic already conjured weapons for him if the unthinkable were to happen.
With some trepidation, but choosing to trust in his allies' judgment, Eric hands over his branched spear, silvered mace, and crossbow. He hesitates before reaching into his robe and adding his dagger, making him completely unarmed.
He figured that if the queen chose to turn on them, they'd be dead anyway.
A group of obviously nervous guards armed with heavy crossbows and swords escort you up to the castle.
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 stern-looking woman dressed in magnificent full plate armor—the queen’s handmaiden, bodyguard, and closest companion: Sabina Merri.
Sabina nods curtly at you as you approach, then says, “Greetings. They tell me you’re the ones who returned the queen's broach. If this is correct could you describe it?” it is easy for you to tell her of the broach you found in Gaedren Lamm's lair.
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.”
Sabina Merrin is not much for mincing words. She curtly asks the party how they’d like to be introduced to the queen?
Names, rank and occupations please. :)
Nethen spends a few moments handing over his weapons - his whip and morningstar from his belt, his shortbow from his back, the spiked gauntlet from his right hand, and a pair of knives from his left forearm and his left boot - eyeing the guards to make sure they take care of his things.
"Nethen Tesril, acolyte of Calistria," Nethen says to Sabina, straightening his cloak so that the sigil of the Savoured Sting is clearly visible on his chest.
"Ariadne Rithann." the magus says without aplomb, "Formerly of the Korvosan Guard."
Ghil finds it odd that the Queen's guard would be nervous escorting them, so takes a moment to examine their bearing and demeanor as they walk.
Proud to display his new finery in its natural environment, Ghil takes a brief half-step forward to introduce himself. "Iorghil Ionescue, ma'am. I think I'd have to call myself a freelance bon vivant, though I'm not sure if that title is worthy of a Queen's throne room! I trust that you know the custom; you're free to interpret that as you see fit."
"Eric, apprentice shaman of the Shadde-Quah. I am a bastard and have not yet passed to trial to claim my Shoanti name. As such just Eric is all I have, really," The half-elf states to Sabina, bowing politely yet not taking his eyes off her, after making sure his Rat Familar was safely tucked out of sight. It was probably best to not involve his biological family any more than necessary.
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Sabina has been leading you towards the throne room as you speak. As you round the corner, she announces your arrival with a loud, clear voice, then steps aside to allow you to enter the throne room.
Queen Ileosa sits upon the Crimson Throne. She is a vision of 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 throne room itself—an open area with a vaulted ceiling, stained-glass windows of past kings and queens looking down from the eastern wall, and crimson tapestries hanging along the others—is pristine but strangely empty.
An immense fireplace offers additional light and heat to the hall, and a silk carpet provides a gently arching path to the throne’s base. The Queen speaks to you in a clear, calm voice.
“This brooch was stolen from me some time ago—I had not expected to see it again, truth be told. 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 precious heirloom to me on this dark day, and you shall be rewarded."
"Yet perhaps you can serve your city more. The Korvosan Guard is stretched thin, and it could certainly use the aid of heroes such as you. 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. Now, I need to retire to my chambers—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, handing the small silver chest (itself worth 50 gp) to you. Inside the red-velvet-lined interior rest 12 gold ingots imprinted with the royal seal of Korvosa—each bar is worth 100 gp.
At this point, Queen Ileosa excuses herself. With a whirl of the hem of her mourning dress, Queen Ileosa is gone from sight. Sabina escorts you back out of Castle Korvosa and, if you wish, assigns them an escort to the Citadel before bidding them farewell also.
What are you doing now? Taking up her offer to help with the riots problems. Or heading off to do things yourself?
"So, gold and... a job?" Ghil confirms with Sabine. "I think it makes sense to at least pursue the job; we can talk to this Field Marshall Kroft about our present mission; perhaps she has intel, and maybe we'll find our two goals align."
"Didn't even get to ask for help. Though I guess with twelve hundred gold, we could technically hire quite a bit of it. Anyway, perhaps we could put our child slaver problem to this Cressida and see if she is open to such a request in return for our service..."
"That frankly went better than I expected."
"That frankly went better than I expected."
The half-elf smirks and glances sideways as Ghil stayed behind with Sabine, no doubt already charming his second victim in as many days. He was a ballsy fellow, that one, going straight for the guard captain right out of a royal audience. But perhaps that was to be expected, with everyone dressed and jeweled up nicely. If there ever was an opportunity it was probably now.
"Well, my expectations were low. But I agree, maybe the rumors concerning the queen are overblown. Maybe," he muses to Vedika in the meantime. "At least we got back the money spent on these portable tailor retirement funds." He motions over the High Court fashion they were now wearing in the middle of the streets of a city still plagued by riots. "Speaking off, we should probably change out of these as soon as possible..."
"Well I am still champing at the bit to find my sister," says Vedika, "though I don't blame anyone who wants to get some rest. I'm beat."
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Citadel Volshyenek is located in Midland, overlooking Jeggare Harbor, where it serves as the base of operations for the Korvosan Guard.
The Citadel currently operates on a skeleton crew, as almost all available guards are hard at work in the city, desperately trying to keep order. Two
nervous guards stand at the entrance to the yard, but as the queen promised, you are expected.
The guards wave the party through, and one escorts you into the central keep, where a harried and tired-looking woman rises from her desk to greet the PCs—this is Field Marshal Cressida Kroft, an attractive, dark-haired human woman dressed in red armor.
She introduces herself and asks for your names as she bids you to sit. Since Eodred II’s death, Cressida hasn’t slept, yet she bears her exhaustion well, in no small part due to regular visits from a priest of
Abadar who casts lesser restoration on her to help in fighting back fatigue.
She sighs deeply as she speaks to you, “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 out there. It’s breaking my heart to see Korvosa tear itself 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. You will, of course, be well compensated for these services.”
Your responses?
More than a little surprised at how their audience with the Queen turned out, Ariadne listens to her companions'consideration of their options. "I think we should take the opportunity, and the escort through the city to Citadel Volshyenek, and meet with the Field Marshal. Given her mandate to keep the city safe, I'm pretty sure that a secret child trafficking ring under her nose will rank pretty high on her list of things she wants handled as soon as possible."
"I think we're all interested," Ghil confirms with a glance at the others. "But we're currently in the middle of our own investigation. In investigating the disappearance of Vedika's sister, we think we've uncovered a child-trafficking ring right here in the city! If we were to sign up with the guard, would be still be able to pursue this... and might you have any knowledge or other resources that might aid this investigation?"
Cressida Croft listens carefully to your words Iorghil and sighs. "I can assure you we will aid you with your quest. Child traffickers need to be put down permanently! But Korvosa’s got enough troubles as it is right now without my own guards losing their way."
"Many 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 don’t 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. Talent like you."
“Vancaskerkin and his followers have holed up in an abandoned butcher’s shop up in Northgate—a place once called ‘All the World’s Meat.’ I need you there. 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. I’d really prefer it if you could capture Vancaskerkin 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 a five hundred gold in it for you. Dead, he’s worth only half that.”
.
Cressida offers you a spot in the Citadel barracks if you need somewhere to stay the night or to rest. This gives you not only a place to sleep and eat while you're in the service of the Guard, but also a place to retreat to for safety between adventures.
What now?
"How many has Vancaskerkin swayed to his cause?" Nethen asks, impressed by the Field Marshal's forthrightness and willingness to address the problem proportionately rather than just bashing heads and handing out executions.
"I think we'll be able to bring him in alive," he says with confidence, "but we need to know more about who he's working with and what they're capable of."
Ariadne nods.
"If they're too far gone, bringing them in without doing too much harm will be tougher, but not something we can't handle." the battlemage adds. "Hopefully with him stopped the others will see reason. We can use as much help as possible to take down the child traffickers afterward....and a narrow window before they're moved to somewhere else." she says with a quick glance at Vedika.
Cressida smiles tiredly. "He took four of the Guards with him and set up in an abandoned butchery called "All the worlds meat" in Northgate. 22 Stirge street to be exact. I've heard they're calling themselves the Cow hammer boys now." She adds with with a contemptuous expression.
"With the riots causing traders and merchants to avoid Korvosa food is getting scarce. Somehow this bunch has got their hands on a supply of fresh meat and are handing it out to gather support."
"As I said, I very much want to have a long conversation with Vancaskerkin. The others I'd prefer learn their lesson and get back to work keeping order."
Anything else? You can rest up in the barracks to regain spells before setting out.
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"I never thought I'd be doing jobs for the Guard, but fine. If that's what it takes to get movement on getting my sister back from a literal child trafficker, then I'll help," says Vedika, sounding and looking quite tired.
"If we get the support of the city guard it's going to be much easier to take out the Pet Maker and get your sister back," Nethen says, empathising with Vedika's torment. "We need to rest up and then hit these guys hard, perhaps early in the morning."