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Jarcal nods at Leon's words, "Indeed, if Lita is the kind hearted person she appears to be I cannot see that a person's heritage would mean much to her." "At any rate we should get moving. Lead on lord Tarkin, if you please."
Jarcal bows deeply, "It seems we are to be in your debt my lord, a face to face meeting with Lita would be exceedingly helpful.", The elf looks puzzled, "Exactly what would you be exempting me from, my lord? The strip search? But I would hate to so deprive the ladies of our group."
Jarcal mulls over Tarkin's information for a few moment before speaking, "The second attempt better explains the chamberlains stance, it would seem Lita is lucky to be alive. Still, I believe there more to this than we know...I think our next step must be to meet with Gurrham as soon as possible." Jarcal pauses for a moment and then seems startled as though just getting an idea, "Tell me Lord Tarkin, what happened to the second assassin? Were they killed during the attempt on Lita's life? What of the merchant that accompanied them?" Shadowborn: I'm fine with you developing my sister's personalities. I guess I didn't ever specify a number but it had always been two sisters in my head. That said, adding a third is fine by me. I trust you will make them interesting :)
Jarcal pauses for a moment, his expression softening, "It is I who owe you an apology Agatha. It's just that I have not seen my sisters in so long, and have heard very little about their fate since we escaped...I'm just glad that they are alright. I owe the you and the Elgians a great debt for sheltering them. You're entirely correct, they would not be content to simply sit by and watch the city crumble around them any more than I was. Hopefully I will get the chance to see them soon." He listens patiently as the others attempt to convince Lord Tarkin to step forward as leader of Torallas. He raises an eyebrow as Baguta speaks up, "I think you may be correct, all of our planning is well and good but for the moment it all hinges on speaking to Lita." Jarcal turns to Lord Tarkin, "Often the direct approach is the most effective, tell us, what do you know of the assassination attempt on Lita's life? Do you have any thoughts on who would take such measures to remove her, besides the merchant guild?"
Jarcal nods his thanks to Lord Tarkin, "I am eternally grateful for any assistance you did provide to my family. I'm certain there was nothing more you could have done to protect them." He then rounds on Agatha, "You mean to tell me that you have fought alongside my sisters and didn't think to mention that you know where they are? How long has it been since you last saw them? Who is this bloody Kafkahn and what dangers is he exposing them too?"
Jarcal nods and gestures down the street, "Alright then, Lord Tarkin lives about an hour from here. We should get moving so we still have a chance to make it to my estate before curfew if he isn't willing to extend us some hospitality."
Jarcal sighs, "To tell the truth I don't know Lord Tarkin very well personally. We have met several times and by all accounts he is a strong, honorable man. I can make no assurances as to what will happen should we go see him but I do know he is the kind of person who will do the right thing and at the moment I believe the answers he can provide are worth the risk. That said, I leave the final decision on whether we choose to trust him up to all of you."
Jarcal perks at Leon's mention of Lord Tarkin, "Tarkin? He's a good man, I'm confident he would tell me the truth about his meeting. I suggest we pay him a visit right away."
Jarcal chuckles at Baron and Vorannia's joke, "I think the merchant's guild is the way to go for the moment but we should definitely do some more digging into Lita's recent appearances. I'd like to find out where she is supposed to be staying and take a low profile wander past the guards to talk to her one on one. I think you'd probably be able to keep up if you want to come as well, Baguta?"
As they step outside the building, Jarcal grimaces, "That man is seriously infuriating. I'm starting to get the impression that he doesn't want us, or anyone to actually get to see Lita. I doubt the Chamberlain is the kind of man who would be content to follow anyone's direction, especially not someone as inexperienced as Lita. Anyone else get the feeling Lita might not actually be as responsible for the actions of her government as people believe?"
Jarcal stand resolute beside Jen and Leon but is content to let them take point for the time being.
Jarcal nods, "Sounds good, I'd like to make sure the damn Chamberlain is actually going to give us an audience before we try making arrangements with the merchants."
Jarcal shrugs, Well as I've said, I want to speak to both parties eventually...and I will admit that so far the Merchant's Guild has been more upfront with us. I'm fine with heading to meet with Gurrham first." He then turns to Jen, "That true my dear, but they will remember little more than an outspoken cleric of Erastil at the riot today and that's not who they will be meeting with. You're already wearing one disguise as it is, it should be easy enough to fashion you another."
Jarcal scoffs, "I highly doubt that Lita wishes to take everything the merchant's guild has. That said there is likely still some truth to the merchants words. Lita likely doesn't have the experience to know that such an aggressive tactic will never produce the stability she desires. I suggest we head back to the Chamberlain first though, we now know something of the Guild's motives but still too little of Lita's. Not to mention the fact that he might not even grant us an audience with her yet..." He pauses for a moment, before looking to Varannia again, "Now i must know something of your motives my lady. What sort of an advantage do you propose giving the merchant guild exactly?"
Jarcal raises an eyebrow, "Why would we need to speak to him first? What did you discuss with Soloman?"
Perception : Jarcal absently watches the guard leave until the others return. He looks to Vorannia, "I take it you have concluded your business my lady? Learn anything interesting?"
Jarcal grins, "Very true my dear, I wouldn't mind giving that damn Abadar bean counter a swift boot." He claps his hands together, "Well, now that this little disagreement is taken care of I suppose we should head back to that pompous chamberlain. They say you can judge a person by the company they keep, for Lita's sake I hope she is an exception to the rule." He looks around the square to where Vorannia is speaking with Soloman, "I suppose we should hold a moment to wait for the lady to conclude her discussion with the merchant on the quickest way to drain the life from a peasant..."
Jarcal wanders the square making sure that the crowd disperses without further incident before making his way back to Jen and Leon. The elf gives Jen a hard look at her words, "You should not take the power of those we oppose so lightly my dear. We may have all grown wiser and more skilled of late but I for one won't delude myself into thinking we are so far removed for that hellish dungeon we found ourselves in only days ago..."
Jarcal blends into the crowd and yells his support for Jen's arguments. Doing his best to rally the crowd in her favor. Disguise :
Jarcal bows and gestures for Vorannia to lead the way through the crowd. On the way he tries to pick out what the elderly merchant and the outspoken peasant are saying. Perception :
Jarcal considers the chamberlain's word for a few moments before responding with a small smile, "Very well my lord, it is our goal to return stability to Torallas so this seems as good a place to begin as any other. There is no beauty to be found in a riot and so whomever is responsible shall face punishment for such brutal tactics. Tell me, where would we find Soloman Barsh and his riot? Do him and his men lead it directly or are they elsewhere? What reason has he given the people to turn to such violent behavior?"
Jarcal quickly covers up a stare before stepping up beside the baron, "Please my lord, despite the fervor of our companion, we are here on a peaceful mission as representation of several faiths and simply wish an audience with governess for we feel we can offer her aid." Bluff :
Jarcal takes some time to digest Gayland's information before getting back to him as they are handling the equipment, "As much as I would like to make haste, I want to meet Lita and take her measure personally. Without endorsing her as a candidate to lead the city, she still commands a lot of resources and could make a very valuable ally. I say we part ways for the time being Gayland. We will catch up with you in Jorallas later tomorrow with any luck. I should be able to provide us with serviceable disguises to get us to Lita's undetected." He turns to the others, "Are we in agreement then? Agatha, will you be accompanying us to see Lita? I would treat your absence as a personal tragedy.", The elf throws her a quick wink.
Jarcal keeps an arrow trained on the door as Leon goes to answer it. Once his cousin is inside and the door is shut again, he lowers the bow and approaches to greet their new guest, "Greetings, I assume you are Leon's much expected cousin bringing news? Welcome to the Quean estate, I'm afraid I don't have much to offer by way of hospitality at present but know your making the trip here is much appreciated."
Jarcal gives her his most charming smile, "A lady of your caliber sleeps wherever she desires. My home may have lost much of it's hospitality but I'm sure I can find accomodations to your liking."
Jarcal sighs slightly before continueing his conversation with Jen, "I'm sure you would have no problem supporting a cleric from one of the faiths you are comfortable with. But what of the other deities who are well whorshipped throughout Borallas? Morality itself is a subjective term and many well known faiths share dramatically different interperetations. Can you honestly tell me you would be comfortable if the government's chosen representitive where a follower of Calistria like our new companion here? Or perhaps a member of Abadar's chosen, maybe Nethys? Each of which hold sway in this kingdom and have as much right as any other to be represented within the government. Would you deny them?" Jarcal falls silent for a moment, "I'm sorry, my point is that we must be careful to establish an impartial government." He then addresses everyone once more, "I think Leon may have the right of it. I think it is time to sleep, we've all had a very long day. Our previous watch works for me but we may want to find room for the lady Agatha in our order? Perhaps after myself or last in the moring?"
Jarcal considers the Baron's words for a moment before responding, "I never claimed that only one side could survive this conflict. No kingdom the size of Borallas can run efficiently without a well managed merchant guild. That is why I have suggested that we try to avoid severing any of our collections. A truce is the most likely resolution to this conflict to begin with, the only question is how much blood will be spilled before one can be reached? For that matter I have in no way endorsed Lita as the best candidate for ruler of Borallas yet, none of us have even met the woman and even if she lives up to expectations, this is only one city, there are sure to be strong leaders who have filled positions of power throughout the kingdom and most likely many of them will have far more experience than she. At this stage we can do little until we have gathered more information." Turning to Jen, Jarcal gives her a quizzical look, "No one person is fit to rule a kingdom without support from strong advisors. However, I'm curious as to which church you would recruit this moral advisor from, if there is to be only one? Surely you cannot expect the entire kingdom to be represented by a member of the church of Erastil? There are many gods represented strongly within the kingdom. Any direct religious influence on the government would need to be made up of a religious council with representation of all faiths that are to be found within Borallas. Wouldn't you agree?"
Jarcal smirks, "You are correct of course, the meek cannot hope to rule, but a firm grasp of one's power need not come at the expense of those you represent, only those who seek to subvert you and abuse said power...
Jarcal gives Vorannia a sharp look, "That sounds much the same tactic as the Steward tried to use and it broke this kingdom into pieces." With a softer tone Jarcal continues, "We each wish to locate our families and despite our new duties I refuse to force any of us to abandon that search. Once we meet with the Baron's contact, we should continue outwards, to Jorallas and learn what we can about how the other cities are faring in these desperate times."
Jarcal steps into the conversation to lend more detail to Leon's explanation, "Lita is the daughter of the former governor here in Torallas. It would seem her father took ill and passed away recently...he was a good man. From the sounds of it, Lita is even more of a philanthropist than her father was. It sounds as though she has genuine interest in helping the people here. Currently she is the rightful governess of the region and still holds much of the power here but that power is being challenged by the merchant guild who rankle at the thought of her soft hearted ideals and seek to take full control of Torallas. To this end, they have hired every mercenary in the city to oppose Lita's rule and raised their prices so high that the only way any of the common folk can hope to survive is to pledge their support to the merchant guild in order to purchase goods at a reasonable price."
Jarcal raises an eyebrow, "Festivities? It's starting to feel like a last meal...", He gives the young woman a smile, "I have promised to make the attempt, I can give no guarantees of the outcome. That said, I like our chances much better with someone of your considerable talent at my side." The young elf sips his wine in silence for a moment before continuing, "I agree that working toward unification of the city should be our first step. We need to learn more about those currently in a position to eventually fill the throne. This Lita woman who holds regent of Torallas would be a good place to start. No offense Tars but from the sounds of things, she would be a far better influence on the city as a whole than your friend Hu and the merchant guild. Not that you should break your ties with them though, the last thing we afford to do at the moment is burn bridges. Perhaps tomorrow we should pay this Lita a visit?"
Jarcal is clearely taken aback by Agatha's pronouncement that him and his companions are destined to rescue the entire kingdom. As the others talk, the elf takes a heavy seat on the window sill and sits in stunned silence for several minutes. Agatha's question rouses the elf from his thoughts and he turns his attention back to the others. He stands and moves to address Agatha directly, "I can't speak for the others but Borallas is my home. I have spent the recent decades of my life learning to appreciate and care for the people of this realm. My efforts to stop this kingdom's slow decent had me exiled from my own house before any vision made me a target. I can hardly abandon Borallas to it's fate when things have become so desperate." The young elf trails off for a moment, a look of worry in his eyes, "...This is a burden that may well prove too heavy to bear. To tell the truth I'm not sure I believe I have the strength to bring Borallas back from the brink...but if others have risked their lives for my freedom, I owe them the attemt at least. Without the faith of you and your master, we would already be dead..." Jarcal looks to the others each in turn, his gaze full of newfound confidence, "There is nothing holding any of you here, but so far each of you has demonstrated that like me, you have something to fight for in the kingdom. We must each decide if that reason is worth the risk? Others have placed their faith is us but ultimately the decision is ours." He takes the glass of wine from the Baron with a nod and raises it to the others, "I choose to fight for Borallas' future, will any of you do the same?"
"We'll worry about their identity once you two are on your feet again." Jarcal takes the vials gingerly from Baguta and offers them to the young seer, "Please my lady, I fear poisons are well beyong my realm of expertise, can you do anything for them?"
Jarcal shakes his head with a grin as he sets the bundle of Katsumoto's gear down by the window, "I'm afraid this one is not for you Jen, this beautiful creature is both a seer and a powerful healer. The three of us owe her a great deal for her help with an unfortunant situation we ran into." He moves over to check on Vorannia and Baguta, "Furthermore, she has offered her assistance in saving these two? What in the abyss happened to the pair of you? It would seem you may have had an even rougher time than us this evening." Shanosuke: I'm a little curious as to your thoughts on how an archer would select a specific arrow from a collection of specialty ones? In the past I have been told that an Efficient Quiver is the only way to do it without either spreading the different arrows out somehow or spending an extra action selecting the proper arrow before firing it. What's your take? Also, how was Katsumoto carrying all these arrows? Having 4 quivers strapped to himself seems a little over the top from my perspective.
Waste not, want not: Jarcal bows deeply to mysterious woman, "It would seem the depths of your generosity are without end my lady. For the moment though, I dare say Tars is correct, we should take what advantages we can."
Jarcal assists the Baron in searching the fallen samurai's possessions, bundeling his weapons and slinging them accoss his back and checking the quality of Katsumoto's armor.
With the Samurai's possessions collected Jarcal looks to the others, "We should be discrete as possible, you two move this lug into the closet, I'll try to clean up this mess..." Provided the others agree, Jarcal then says a brief incantation and sets about doing his best to remove the spilled blood with his arcane talents. Once finished he takes a final wave of his hand to clean the blood from his clothes.
With a satisfied smile, he rubs his hands together, "Well then gentlemen, my lady, we had best be off. Our friends are in need."
Samurai are tougher than they look: Jarcal breathes deeply and clutches his wound, "Your fine sense of timing is much appreciated Leon. I'd hoped to keep this fool among the living but it would seem he was much too stubborn for that."
Hearing the Baron in the other room, Jarcal quickly returns to find him much recovered, with the mysterious woman at his side, "I assume I have you to thank for both my companions health, my lady? It appears we are much in your debt already but might I ask for one last favor?" He points to the bloody wound in his side with a weak smile, "With all the commotion I seem to have sprung a leak..."
A turn for the better: Seeing Leon on his feet once again fills Jarcal with confidence, a dark grin spreading across his face, "You were given you the chance to leave, remember that..."
Jarcal lets his bow drop beside him as he reaches for his rapier and in one smooth motion, draws the weapon and lunges for the samurai's heart. Rapier :
Don't you know? Minstrels cause indigestion...: Round 5 With Katsumoto distracted, Jarcal silently draws an arrow from his quiver. He sights his aim and lets his illusion drop as he looses the arrow at the unsuspecting mercenary. "You should have just walked away..." Stealth : Longbow :
The last minstrel: Three questions before Jarcal make his next move, is there anything in the room that would count as difficult terrain the Jarcal could move to place between himself and Katsu? Is there a door to the third room on the wall Jarcal is hiding against? If so, is the door closed?
Thanks for the stealth check, I forgot about that :)
Never fear, the bard is here!:
Round 3 Jarcal fires at Katsumoto , before moving to the doorway into the second room. Round 4 Seeing the Baron go down Jarcal curses and quickly bolts into the second room and out of sight of the Samurai. He moves against the side wall, and quickly casts a spell. His incantation creates an exact copy of the wall he is standing against, but 5 ft in front of the actual wall, hiding the bard.
** spoiler omitted ** Shanosuke, spoilered for convenience:
The crowd may have been too enthusiastic...: "So much for a peaceful resolution..." Round 3 Seeing the big man is weakening, Jarcal quickly knocks another arrow and lets loose on Kasumoto. Longbow :
Round 4 If Katsumoto still stands, Jarcal fires another arrow hoping to bring him down.
Jarcal and Co.: Jarcal sighs, "Katsumoto, must it really come to this? The bounty will do you no good in the afterlife and it will be extremely difficult to explain this to master Hu. Can't we work something out?" Initiative : Round 1 If Katsumoto's reply is negative, Jarcal immediately cast's a quick incantation at the warrior. The hilt of Katsumoto's katana suddenly becomes very slippery and hard to hold onto.
Jarcal then draws his bow and levels an arrow at the man, "Stand down, this is not a fight you can win!" Round 2 If Katsumoto is still a threat at this point, Jarcal will move to within 30ft of the man and loose an arrow. Longbow :
Shankosuke: Are the offers from the Drow women a new development? While hardly a regular, Jarcal would have been to the Red Lantern district several times to take in a different atmosphere from his usual life and perform in the local taverns.
Has much of what you describe changed since Jarcal was last here? What does he know of the area? I'll just make a couple rolls, use them for whichever knowledge(s) are most appropriate.
Leon, Jarcal and the Baron of the Red Lantern District in Torallas :P: Jarcal takes a second to adjust his gear before following in the Baron's wake. As they catch up he speaks to Leon, "While I hope it's a mute point, if we do run into trouble we can't talk our way out of, I hope you'll reconsider your stance on running? I have enough tricks we should be able to give them the slip even with such an imposing figure as yourself with us. I would hate to draw any further attention to ourselves by openly clashing with the guards." He offers Leon a smile and a quick wink.
Baron, Leon and Jarcal: Jarcal grins at the mention of the Baron's hidden stash, "That would be a treasure well worth the search. Do we have time to make it there and back before curfew? Or do we test our luck with the guards?"
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