I suppose Society might also work for the skill check above.
Grau is still a bit muddled, and doesn't pursue any further questions to Sable's curiosity. He finishes the last of his meal, stretches and stands, still quite unsteadily. "I am sure your goddess is correct, friend. Now, I am quite weary, and the Guard still has much to do. I must depart for the barracks, and get cleaned up for duty. Thank you for finding Sabina, if you can."
The rest of you finish up and make ready to leave with Grau for the Citadel. It is dark now, and the city streets are mostly quiet in this part of town. You can see a fire burning northwards towards Old Korvosa. You can still see squadrons of Sable Marines flying over the city in two's and three's.
Most homes are dark, and few citizens walk the streets
Citadel Volshyenek is indicated on the Korvosa Map on the eastern side adjacent to the Jeggare River. It is the home of the Korvosan Guard..
Grau looks at your curiously and shrugs. "Sabina is not a painter, but she is an artist, I would say. Not in the sense you mean, I gather, but she is one of the most skilled persons with a blade I have ever seen. When we were together at the Orsini Academy, she got the better of me, more often than not. But is she a painter, no, not while knew her at least. Why do you ask?"
Grau looks at Sable for a long moment considering. Then speaks with the hint of a smile crossing his unkempt features for the first time. "Her name is Sabina. Sabina Merrin. She has long dark hair and pale white skin, but with a scar on her check here." He indicates a place below the left eye, crossing across to near the left ear. "I'd rather not talk about how that got there..." He looks glum again.
"I heard she is Queen Ileosa's bodyguard and handmaiden. I don't know if you can get inside the Castle to see her, but if so, please pass along my love. My undying love...Talindra knows what I mean."
The meal is almost done, and while Grau is somewhat sobered up, it still might be good to escort him to the Guard's fortress at Citadel Volshyenek along the city's eastern edge.
Any more info from Grau or ready to depart the Five Rings?
Grau listens, tears streaming down his own cheeks as he does so. "Your lady friend was taken from you by the Lady of Graves before her time? That's tragic indeed. I commend you for the telling, and wish you an ease to your heart, that will likely never come."
He sighs loudly and drinks from his water mug, grimacing. "My own story is less tragic but more foolish. I was a fool and lost my lady love to another, and now she will not speak or see me. But, like you, she was my whole world. Now she serves the Queen, and I try to carry on as best I can without her."
Grau joins you at the table, and the barmaid indicates the food is on the house as a thank you for helping the guard sergeant out.
"Tell me of your heartbreak, friend, and I will tell you of mine. If you can, that is. You may want another drink for the telling, eh?"
Grau eats heartily, and seems to have sobered up a bit. He seems to be pleasant and has a kind smile but his eyes are still very sad, and the look of unkemptness has not left him.
Not a coffee nerd, and did not know about no caffeine, so just shows my ignorance. Thought it was just for "flavor". Thx for playing along.
Grau sips the water, still quite out of his wits. "Have I told you 'bout her, Neffi! Even af'er all tha', I shtill love ;er, mate. Wha' I wouldn give ta have her back, you know Neffi? It hurts man, really hurts."
He slides the water cup away, and motions for another drink from the barman, but that worthy fellow is studiously ignoring Sergeant Grau, not looking in his direction at all. Grau starts to get a bit heated.
"Hey, you t're, doan make me run you in! I am watch sejent, lissen when I call ya!" He slams a powerful hand on the flat of the bar in growing frustration. About the same time, Billi pipes up, and Grau turns to him, looking him up and down. "Have you met, my mate Neffi here? He's a sholid fella. An' jush who are you, dwarf?"
Grau smiles drunkenly and claps Talindra on the back. "Dontcha know Neffi. I am t' sharg'nt now. I give you a pash mate. Let's have a drink, hey, like the old daysh. B'fore thihs city shank inta a ceshpool an' they murder'd ole King Eodr'd. Damn shame tha ish."
Your group is sitting down to dinner in your usual private dining room and discussing the stories flying around Korvosa when a harried-looking Sergeant Soldado appears, wrinkles of worry creasing his face.
"Pardon my interruption, friends, but I just heard you were back in the city and unfortunately, I could use your help. I would not ask you if the circumstances were not urgent. Your crew has a reputation for getting things done, and of all the people I know in Korvosa, I think only you can assist me."
He shuts the door and, if offered, sits ready to relate his tale. You are pleased to see Grau looks much better than he did when you first saw him. He is shaved, bathed, and sobered up. He wears his uniform with pride, and while his distress is evident, it, so far at least, has apparently not lead to a return to the bottle.
Will give you a moment to catch up, read, and react before moving on with Grau's story.
Soldado looks weary and strained, but smiles and greets you warmly. "Hail friends, been away, eh? A few days in the country? Things have gone to hell in a handbasket while you've been away. This sickness, blood veil, they are calling it, has broken out all over the city." He waves a wagon full of a families belongings through to the bridge and then turns back to you.
"Have a message for you, so I am glad to bump into you. That cleric Vaultkeeper Dhatri wants to meet with you at the Grand Vault of Abadar. Seemed like a decent fellow. Said you worked together on Brienne's case earlier. YOu think this disease is what she had?"
Soldado sighs, still not looking, "By order of the Queen, everyone leaving Korvosa needs..." he stops when he looks up and sees his old friend Crux standing in front of him. "Oh, well. If you don't have papers, I am sure we can make it work. Where are you headed?"
He is already waving you through the last checkpoint. "Appreciate what you and your mates did for Tayce and her family. I couldn't have helped them the way you did. So, if you don't have the papers don't worry."
Soldado stops the group as they exit. "All must present papers of identificiation. None may pass without." He does all this without really looking at the group, instead his eyes focused down the long line of people he still has to work.
"I need a favor," Grau says, his eyes not looking up at you. "But you've already done so much for me, I hate to ask." He finally looks up a bit sheepishly at first. "It's nothing to do with my love life, or my drinking, this time. It's...well, it my niece."
He pauses a bit, sips a coffee placed in front of him by the waitress, and then continues. "You see, she's sick. I don't know what she has and neither does anyone else in Trail's End. She's broken out all over in red pocks and can barely keep down food, or even the swill that good-for-nothing herbalist gave her. Her mother's talking about going to the Bank of Abadar, but her family can't afford to pay the prices those clerics would demand. I am forced to work double duty with the king-slayer still on the loose and can't make the trip over to Trails End to check into it much myself."
"Then I remembered you and how you handled yourselves in the riots and that episode with Blackjack, and figured you could help me out. A bunch or resourceful folk like you, I'd bet that if you don't already know a way to fix this you must know who can. Surely, you won't sit idly by while a child suffers, can you?"
Grau shakes his head in wonder at the concept of Blackjack actually standing up to the Queen. His eyes grow sadder as he says, "You were there, right? Did you see Sabina there also? How was she? I suppose that scoundrel Vencarlo Orsini was present as well, defending the Queen, I suppose?" The contempt in his voice for his former sword master is quite evident.
Pleased by the outcome of the morning's events, but a bit frustrated to not be in the know about them, the group retires back to their lodging point at the Three Rings Tavern in North Shore.
As you approach the inn, the smiling face of Sgt Grau Soldado greets you warmly on the walk outside the place. "STrange days, eh friends? Heard about the excitement at the Castle, and the escape of the suspected regicide with Blackjack? Of all the crazy things, Blackjack is just an old codger's story. He ain't real, right?"
Feel free to discuss and debrief about the first book of the AP. You have a bit of downtime also to interact with the city as you see fit - that may include selling items, buying items, crafting, or other RP as you see fit. The start of the second book will come soon.
The earrings and beryl have a combined value of 800gp. Quite a bit of a haul in truth. Loot Tracker updated.
Grau is more sober by the minute, his piercing green eyes losing their glazed quality, and turning more of a bloodshot red. The looseness of his muscle tone replaced with hard packets of leanness.
"In truth I was a student of the great master. I learned much from him, not that I get much chance to display it. But I was nothing compared to her. Sabina Merren, the finest woman a man could meet. We both fell in love with her, I think and that led to the fight that sent me to the guard."
"Sabina and Orsini carried on for a bit, but she denied him as well. Those injuries you talk about, they were from her, not I. Sabina went to be the Queen's bodyguard. Now with the King's death, she has great power and influence over the Queen, both in the throne room and in the bedchamber, if you believe the stories. No offense, sir." he says bowing to Corso. "But that story has the ring of truth to it."
Embarrassed, he says:" I am afraid I have acted the fool and let me emotions get away from me. I will return to duty tomorrow and face my punishment. The City needs strong guardians, not drunkards and cry-babies. Thank you, friends, for calling me out. You have a friend in the Guard should you need it."
He gets up and walks out, as steady as you've seen him all day. Perhaps headed down the right path.
Starting to sober up a bit, Grau looks at you morosely. "The King is dead, man. The King...dead....And now the Queen is ruling the City. That b~*$% of a Queen. Bad enough that, but SHE's there also. She's right there with the Queen, man, right there. Every day and every night, you can bet on that!"
A tear trickles out of his eye, streams down his cheek and plops on the table.
"After Orsini and I had that fight, I thought she'd come around, but who knew she'd end up in Castle Korvosa. Who in the Nine Hells could've seen that coming?"
So perhaps, he's more lucid, but still isn't making a helluva a lot of sense.
While we have a little downtime, check out the items in Loot Tracker, and see what you want to sell vs keep, and who claims it. I'd like to get it settled before we go into next adventure section.
Reeking of stale sweat and ale, his uniform stained and wrinkled, Soldado takes the tongue lashing from Ulgrim without blinking. He nods to Iozif, but doesn't seem to recognize him.
"You all go on ahe'd. Think I'll jesh stay here in the street fer a while. Doan wanna go to the Citad'l. Shabina'sh not there ish she? What about Orshini, that bashterd? If he'sh there, I'll go."
It doesn't take much of sense motive check to see that Soldado is indeed drunk. His skill with sword masked his stumbling drunk condition, and as the fight ends, he staggers around, reaching for a pocket flask.
When called out by Ulgrim, he peers at the dwarf soldier foggily. "Wha' diff'nce duz it make, mate? Th' King's dead, an' she's gone, an' I'm here. No reashun not ta take a lil ole drink, it makes me feel s'much better."
He slaps Ulgrim on the back good-naturedly, and offers him a hit of the bottle. From his look and smell, it's a bender that has lasted a few days.
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