Mavor shakes his head at Allyph's words. "I don't mind if you keep it, I don't think I need much of all that we've found anyway. I've got my axe and armour, might not need much else."
"I don't have any need of the items so go ahead."
He seems distracted for a moment while he is thinking.
"Where to next?"
"I believe this rapier to be more valuable than an equal share of the loot. I'll add some coin to the loot to even it out."
Allyph then replaces her rapier with the enhanced one, selling her old weapon for half money.
I didn't even have it that long, and I'm already replacing it.
When you're done shopping you head over to Citadel Volshyenek. It turns out Cressida's momentarily too occupied to see you, but it seems she expected your arrival.
"The Field Marshal told us to pass you a message if you'd show up," one of the guards tells you. "She won't be able to see you for an undecided period of time. She will contact you as soon as possible, and wants you to stand by at the Three Rings Tavern from tomorrow onward. This message has also been sent to Theandra, owner of the tavern."
When you arrive at the Three Rings Tavern, Theandra walks up to you and confirms the message.
"I'm not sure what's going on," Theandra tells you, "but it can't be good."
She then observes the newcomers. "Well hello, welcome! I'd like you to know that you can order all the food and drinks you want, and it'll all go on Citadel Volsyenek's tab."
"So try to fill that tab, okay?" Theandra adds with a wink.
Baer, when it is clear there will be no summons, returns to her safety school for a night of study and reflection. She will read and practice a bit with the quarterstaff.
She will return home and sleep. She will be up early for breaking of fast and whatever Cressida might need her for.
Quorthos introduces himself to Theandra, thanking her for the kind offer.
"So, I suppose I will see you all here bright and early tomorrow?" Quorthos asks. "Thank you, all of you, for coming for me today. I feel that we have set something in motion today, though I don't know where it will lead. Good night, friends, and sleep well. Tomorrow awaits!" He heads out the door, a spring in his step.
Allyph waves Quorthos goodbye. "See you tomorrow, Quorthos! Bye!"
"It's sleepy time for me. Goodnight, everyone!" Allyph heads to the bedroom she shares with Baer. It doesn't take long before she falls asleep.
Majenko goes out to hunt imps. When Baer returns from school and enters her bedroom, she sees Majenko's sleeping at the corner of her bed.
"Catch you guys later."
Denario visits his 'cardshop' before heading to his folks' to pay a visit.
"That was a very busy first day!"
He says as he heads up the stairs to his room.
"Glad to have met you. Saves me a lot of time searching for the source of the problems."
It has been two weeks since Eodred II’s death, and things are finally starting to get back to normal in Korvosa. Yet still the streets thrum with unrest and wild rumors. Crime seems to be on the rise, with pickpocketings, robberies, and assaults skyrocketing. Some still hiss “usurper” and “murdering harlot” at the mere utterance of Ileosa’s name, and more shockingly, rumors that the king’s death was not of natural causes are increasing. Most of the rumors purport that someone poisoned the king, and the queen herself has become the primary suspect in these rumor mills.
Another rumor then reaches your ears while you wait for Cressida to contact you. Apparently, a young artist named Trinia Sabor painted a portrait of the king not half a month before his death. Eodred’s chamberlain secured the girl’s services, hoping that regular visits from the artist would improve his health and spirits. Trinia spent hours in private audience with the monarch.
It doesn't take long before an official announcement is made, declaring that Trinia is the person who poisoned the king. There are eye-witness accounts of Trinia behaving oddly during her trips to the Castle. Eventually, a confession's made by one of the guards, who admits he was part of the young painter’s plot and saw her slipping a specially prepared poison powder into Eodred’s tea the night he took ill and her portrait of him was completed. This confession, repeated in the presence of Sabina and several Korvosan Guard officers, triggers a city-wide hunt for the young artist. Word of the confession spreads rapidly, and the guard’s suicide (a leap from one of the towers of Castle Korvosa) cements Korvosa’s anger.
In no time, Trinia’s name becomes a household word, and once again riots threaten to erupt in the streets. This time, however, the cries are not for the queen’s death, but the death of the king’s true murderer—Trinia Sabor. As word of Trinia’s supposed regicide spreads, you are contacted by a breathless Korvosan Guard bearing a message: Field Marshal Cressida needs to speak with you immediately, and should be arriving in a few moments.
The fact that the Field Marshal's coming to you, says it all: something big is afoot! When Cressida arrives, she quickly takes you into the closest available private room, stationing a few guards out front while she tells you what’s going on.
"You’ve doubtless heard the stories that the king’s killer has been named. Yet there’s something more going on here, I’m afraid. Queen Ileosa could have quietly had this Trinia Sabor arrested at any time, yet the way in which she revealed the information to the city seems to me like she wants the riots to come back. Certainly, with the mob and the Hellknights out on the street, the girl doesn’t stand a chance at a trial—they’ll lynch her the moment they find her. And even if she did kill the king, mob justice isn’t the way. Worse, if she’s innocent, the real killer can use this distraction to throw us off the trail forever."
"Before Trinia is executed, we need to be absolutely sure she did this thing. And that means we need to catch her before the mob. We know where she lives—a flat in Midland at 42 Moon Street—but soon, so will the mob. The Hellknights don’t seem to care as much about catching her as they do about containing the mob—something about the “order of law” makes it a greater priority for them to contain than a possible assassin. I can’t say I disagree completely, but the problem is, the Hellknights are only making it worse. The mob’s covering most of Midland now, and Trinia’s flat is near the middle of the mess. I’ve got all available guards at work keeping things from getting any worse—and if I were to send them into Midland, they’d trigger a riot."
"I’m sure you can see where this is going. I need you to get into Midland, find Trinia, and bring her back to me so we can deliver her, safe and sound, to somewhere where she can be interrogated—preferably with magic, so we can be absolutely sure about her role in Eodred’s death. Get in there, catch her, and get out without letting the mob get its hands on her. I’ll have agents and officers nearby. If you can get her to one of them, we’ll be in the clear. Any questions?"
Mavor had visited Blythe the day they got back, just to inform her of their order to stay put.
Passing the time playing cards with Denario, polishing and brandishing his axe, eating and drinking, Mavor gets a little uncomfortable doing almost nothing at all.
When Cressida comes in and tells them the story and their mission he leans in close to listen. When she's done he frowns and scracthes his bald head.
"That's quite something you're telling us there. Seems to me there are a lot of questions still unanswered, Trinia could provide us with some wouldn't you agree?"
Mavor chews on a small spike in his mouth and seems to put some things together as his eyes light up and he seems to want to ask a question. "Could it be that... Nah it can't be... Though one could suspect, regarding the information..."
He looks back at Cressida with a suddenly alarmed face and waves the thought away. "Never mind that rambling, fleeting thoughts and ideas. Could you tell us something more about Trinia Sabor? Is her residence at ground level or is it a few stories up like many a home in the Shingles? Do you suspect she knows of the accusations and if she does any idea as to why she hasn't run away yet?"
Tural looks thoughtful at the others as the story is explained to them.
"This sounds more like a one man job to me. If we go in with our whole group we might attract more attention then we want."
He looks back at the man and ask a question.
"How do we recognize on of you agents? Will they stand out to us or do we need some kind of password or something?"
Denario grew a bit bored as well. There was a little less to do with a job where being 'on hold' was just staying put. So the playing cards with Mavor was a nice distraction.
"If the queen indeed prefers sparking riots, there should be a motive behind it. Maybe she thrives on chaos for some reason? But for a ruler it's hardly something they would want by logic."
Hellknights wandering didn't quite suit him well.
"The hellknights....a nasty lot, keeping the peace is one thing, but i've seen them in action apprehanding people for, to us slightest, slipups."
Quorthos split his time over the past few days, spending almost all of his waking hours at the tavern, but heading home to spend evenings with his father and keep him updated. If the riots get worse, Quorthos helps his father board up the windows and try to prevent any damage.
While at the inn, Quorthos spends his time chatting with various patrons and trying to keep his finger on the pulse of the city. Are there factions of the mob that support the Queen, or is it basically the common people against her and the Hellknights supporting her (or at least, law and order)?
After hearing Cressida's briefing, Quorthos seems conflicted. "I suppose we should make haste to Trina's last known residence... although I can't believe she will still be there, given the public announcement of her guilt." He turns to Tural. "I don't think a lone person would fare very well against the mob, friend. Best we stick together for mutual support."
Quorthos grabs his bandoleer and gets ready to move.
Baer grunts, agreeing with almost everyone.
"I don't care if she did it or not, let's get the job done," Baer says. "Let's get to Midland. [b]"I bet I can find her place easily enough."
Baer gathers her stuff and is ready to go, leading the way.
Even after Blythe's former boss was no longer threatened by Beltias, he decided to close his own tavern. Blythe, who had already been offered a job at the Three Rings Tavern, had directly started her new job. In between shifts she spent time talking to Mavor, and sometimes she even played cards with the guys. She turned out to be awful at bluffing, and but an expert on telling if others were bluffing.
During the conversation with Cressida, Quorthos is able to recall something from a conversation he had with Theandra. The old tavern owner had mentioned the divide between the people who support the queen and those who are against her. It isn't clear which side has more people on it at the moment, but the amount of people who are after Trinia is huge. Blythe, who lives in the same neighborhood, had even mentioned she'd be stayed at the tavern this night.
"Trinia lives in a third-floor flat in the Shingles, and I'm pretty sure this is why the mob hasn't found her yet," Cressida replies to Mavor's question. "If you know the singles, you know it's hard to find some people there. I'm fairly sure she knows of the accusations, but she probably doesn't know how to flee with the mob around her house."
"Tural, wasn't it? My agents will be waiting for you in the alleys near Trinia's house. they'll be dressed like commoners, but will try to stay away from the mob. If you approach one by saying "Let's hunt imps," they'll reply by saying "They flew to the Citadel.""
It's obvious Cressida's both nervous and worried, and her attempt to crack a smile doesn't succeed that well. "If you have no more questions, I'll leave you to your mission, agents. Complete this mission and each of you will be rewarded with 1000 gold pieces."
Allyph sighs softly. "I never liked the shingles, it never feels safe to walk over those rickety walkways. But a job's a job... Let's get to it?"
"Some of my relatives live in that area. I like the place, it has plenty of nestling spots."
"I guess we need a plan to approach her. I assume if she's scared of a mob, she might be scared of us as well if we come knocking. Anyone of us good in convincing that we are the good guys here?"
Denario rather looks at Mavor directly.
"Oh, you're a decent bluffer aren't you? You had only a 7 and an 8 and got the guy yesterday to fold on it. Have a go at it."
"A decent bluff perhaps, but I'm not really the one to sugar-coat a wary woman that is possibly a murderer into coming with us. If she wa slike me, it would take a lot more to convince me that we don't intend to harm her."
"Let's hunt imps. Sounds good to me."
He turns to the discussion going on in the group on who to send up to the woman.
"I could try to convince her, but I think I am no better than you Mavor."
Tural looks at the others to see if they have a suggestion.
"Do we really need to convince her? Come with us if you want to live should be fairly effective, compared to the alternative... but if you are concerned, I can swing by my father's shop and see if he has anything that could help."
Baer snorts.
"I'll talk to her. And if she won't listen, maybe she will listen to my quarterstaff," Baer mentions. "I have no problem using force, especially if we are lawfully deigned to bring her back. We're not the judge or jury, it's not our job to see if she is right or wrong."
Baer tromps along to Midtown. When she gets to the flat, she will circle the building looking for back exits and other ways down to the street.
You set out to find Trinia and soon arrive in Midtown. A large mob is afoot, trying to find Trinia in order to lynch her. You're two streets removed from Trinia's apartment when part of the mob decides to turn around and head into your direction. A wall of people comes straight at you.
"Let's take this alley for a moment, mobs aren't known for reason."
Denario points at an alley without a dead end.
Mavor moves immediately to the side of the street and lets the mob pass, while he looks menacingly at anyone that looks that way at him.
He motions for the others to do the same.
Tural follows the others into the alley.
"Maybe we can take another street through this alley? No need to wait till they have passed us."
He offers whilst looking for another way out of the alley.
Mavor thinks of any shortcuts they can take if the mob blocks their access even further.
Quorthos sticks with the group, ensuring that the less martial members are not near the edge f the group where they could be separated by the mob if it approaches us.
Baer grumps at the rioters. If they come to close to the party and threaten, Baer will warn them off.
Intimidate
When the crowd clears, she will circle the building looking for back exits and other ways down to the street.
While Baer's glare keeps the mob at a distance, and the other party members wisely move out of the mob's way in case things go wrong, Mavor thinks of a better way to approach Trinia's flat. It doesn't take him very long to guide the others to it.
Another mob approaches as you stand in front of the flat, but it passes by. A window of the apartment below Trinia's home opens and a man pokes his head out. He casts a concerned look in the mob's direction.
"Hey you, are they all still searching for that Trinia girl?"
"Most likely. I can think of no reason they would be not."
Tural says as he walks up to the man.
"Why do you ask? Have they been at it for that long?"
"Unfortunately they are, mob justice isn't justice, right sir? Though there is no real proof that she did it, so it's even worse if they get her."
Mavor chips in on the conversation.
"I'll leave determining her guilt to the judges. I hear there are magics that can divine truth. They will find who did it," Baer grouses.
"They've been searching the neighborhood for quite some time," the man replies to Tural, and gives a few nods as the others speak. "Uhu."
"What brought you lot here, you don't look to be a part of the mob? You look well armed, but this is not a very safe place to walk around."
"Yeah we are armed, but we don't intend to use it, just keeps the mob away from us, I'd reckon you would understand sir? Though standing out here in the open talking about that might draw some wrong crowd to us. If you don't mind we'd rather not talk about our business in this way. Be assured though, we intend no harm unless against those who would raise arms against us, we're not like those mobs running around the Streets calling for blood. That's just wrong."
Sense Motive
"I don't want to be rude but if we are to continue this conversation it might best be done inside. I'd rather not get overrun by one of those mobs."
Tural says to the man with a warm smile.
The bullsh1t detector went off smoothly.
He's not trusting us, given we are also looking for her but still. So what's the other reason to speak to 'us' in particular?
"I second that motion, less prying eyes and all."
Quorthos waits impatiently as the others chat with this random man who doesn't seem to have any useful information, keeping his eyes open for the woman or any threatening mob-sters.
"No, that's fine," the man says when Tural suggest continuing the conversation inside. "You look like fine people. I was just checking that out."
The man waves as he closes his window. "Bye!"
Allyph frowns as the man suddenly ends the conversation. "That was random..."
Mavor moves the group along and walks close to Allyph.
"Not so random as you might think. I think he keeps an eye out for Trinia, after all he's living in the same building as she does. He might just be a good friend to her."
Baer continues her surveillance of the building, checking for alternate exits.
"Do you want me to wait down here? Or do one of you want to wait?" Baer asks, then looks at Majenko as an idea comes to her.
@Majenko: Hey Maj, I don't want you to get into combat, but can you scout from above in case she climbs down a wall? Or let us know where you see her?
"I'd rather not wait outside. Who will go with me inside?"
He asks the group, ready to go.
"I might be able to talk her over to leave with us."
He adds with a smile.
"I'll go with you, perhaps the two of us together can make her believe we're here to help her." Mavor says while he lowers his axe.
"Best not to use this openly, else I might spook her."
"I will wait down here, if we think it is wise," replies Quorthos. "I would hate to have her escape and run into the mob."