FFd6 - Group 1 Part 2

[Overcast]

He smiled, honestly smiled. Shaking his head a bit and rubbing his skull breathing just a little easier than before, he turned around and stretched his arms out letting that grin keep up to his current mish mash of companions up to that point before giving them a little shrug,

"Well that is all the reason I need to give up. I'm out fellows."

He made his way in the opposite direction of the city this time. About as fast as Keith had approached it. He didn't want this mission since he had figured out just what it meant to be associated with it. Being rudely disrespected by guards for a city he wouldn't have the wish to take a shit in? Having a reputation he was sure would give him grief the whole time he was there?

He didn't need so many reasons to give up. Though he was glad to have them, and he would walk through the wasteland alone if he had to just to get away from this.

[Teal Mage]

Stepping forward, Keith idly twisted a strand of his brown hair around his finger. While he should have been happy about what happened to Caspin, something about his leave taking made him feel a pang of regret. Professional sympathy, he told himself, schooling his features, nothing more-I don't even like him.

"No." Keith stated firmly, "Not beyond guild affiliations that is; we," he indicated Ziegmund, "are also part of the Adventurer's guild. However, our mission's almost complete." He smiled, "Our employer charged us with a relic-a staff in fact."

Mondiale's damaged bostaff was in his hand, held loosely. "We've just retrieved it you see, from..." Keith indicated the direction they'd came from, "...I'm sure you can imagine." He shook his head, "The trip's been difficult, and my associate's always desired to come to the Holy City of Cornelia." Keith smiled brightly, "As a practitioner of the arts of the Lifestream, I admit I'm interested as well."

Keith's smile turned tired, "Besides, it’s nearing sunset and I've heard Cornelia has an extensive supply of relics-the staff is distinctive enough, but there's still a chance we have the wrong one. We'd greatly appreciate the chance to enter, rest, and make use of the city's resources."

"Would you be able to help us?" Keith concluded, looking hopeful.

* * *

Negotiation check, and Acting if it’s needed.

[Truce]

"...is that so," the guard said, staring at the staff. Despite its condition, it's obvious he seems to be cautious of it. Even without the word, "Relic," putting him on guard, the fact that it had come from the wastes would be troublesome enough to worry about.

It was a story that would make sense, of course. If there was information on relic, even one that had been lost to the wastes, it might be possible to find it in the city records.

Still...

"Will you allow me to see that staff?" he asked, holding out his hand. "I'd like to examine it myself."

[Teal Mage]

A lopsided grin appeared on Keith's face, as if he knew something the guard didn't. Which, come to think of it, he did.

He shrugged, clearing his expression. "I really don't mind, provided you don't break it." Keith glanced down at it briefly, before returning his eyes to the guard, lofting a brow, "I'm sure you can tell, its seen better days."

"However," Keith grimaced, "I should warn you, its very likely that the staff is cursed." He turned his gaze to said staff, considering. Then, nodding to himself, "I'm not sure what'll happen if someone touches it - I'm using a kind of Geomancy to block it from..." Keith frowned, struggling to find the right word, "...tagging me, I suppose. If the staff's broken, the curse will seek out the last person who touched it."

"And to make matters worse, if it isn't the right staff," Keith extended the weapon to the guard, "I'm not sure what it'll do, or what kind of defenses it has." Then, he smiled brightly, "But, hey, you wanna take the risk? Its your-" Keith's eyes flickered meaningfully below the guard's belt, "body."

* * *

Negotiate and Acting checks.

[Truce]

"I'll take my chances," the guard said, not at all intimidated by anything Keith had said. "If your magic is capable of withstanding it, then so will mine."

With that, he snatched the staff away from Keith. Now being able to examine it closer, he held it up above his head. Then, he had a wicked sort of grin appear on his face.

"Well then - if you don't know what it does, I suppose the best thing to do is to test it out. There appears to be a spell hidden in here. The easiest way to identify it would be to call it out, wouldn't you think?

"In fact, I suppose I should do that right now."

[Teal Mage]

"Well then - if you don't know what it does, I suppose the best thing to do is to test it out. There appears to be a spell hidden in here. The easiest way to identify it would be to call it out, wouldn't you think?"

This was otherwise known as a diplomatic failure.

"In fact, I suppose I should do that right now."

Well, when all else fails...

"If I could have done that," Keith stated icily, shooting the guard an annoyed look, "I would have. So, please. Don't."

Keith sighed, forcing himself to be patient with the guard. They needed him more then he needed them, or something like that.

"Look, our employer told us the staff would shatter if we used the spell in it. It's a one time deal, so we can't just cast it to find out." Keith explained, before turning his gaze toward Cornelia, "Besides, we're too close to a populated area to play guessing games with a magic staff."

"I'm sure you've noticed the inscription on the staff," Keith continued, gesturing vaguely to the damaged weapon, "it apparently contains a spell of localized destruction. Or," he turned back to the guard, "the real staff does. But, do you really think any mage would be foolish enough to create a weapon like that, without some precaution? There are others, some of them with an equally dangerous spell, others with relatively harmless spells like targeted Mini."

Keith shook his head, "That aside, the only way we can determine what's in the staff safely is to try to find it in the archives." He smiled tiredly, "We're not looking for the real one."

...lie, lie, lie again.

* * *

Negotiation, Acting and Awareness checks. The last on the guard.

[Truce]

"Either your training is incomplete, or you knew exactly what this staff is," the guard said, lowering the staff. "Either way, it's obvious that you were lying about the curse before.

"Any paladin could tell that there's dangerous black mage in here. Unfortunately for you, you tried to sneak something like this into the City of Dreams. Though it's hard to believe it with my own eyes, something like this..."

The guard shook his head. There was no need to pointlessly panic the other people here.

"I'm confiscating this," he declared loudly, as the archers made their appearance. Four in total standing on top of the wall, they each carried a longbow. "As for you - all of you, I would suggest that you drop your weapons and come along quietly."

[krogothwolf]

Ziegmund hadn't really been paying much attention to the discussion, just looking around at the walls when he heard the guard go along the lines of arresting the group. He couldn't really understand that so he stepped forward, carefuly taking of his sheathed sword and presenting it hilt first to the guard.

"Excuse me my good man, but you must excuse my friend there. I'm sort of ashamed that he tried to lie to you about all this stuff." He shock his head as he looked over at Keith. "But his head hasn't exactly been the same since he came out of the tavern with that staff. It's not really his you see, but it was given to us as compensation for this mission. Not sure how it helps us, but it was a gift for the mission. I myself did not find out about it till we were walking towards here. I was content to let them talk to you about the reason we were entering your fair and noble city. I had faith that my friends would not try to lie to you to enter but obviously that was misguided."

He looked around and took note of the archers.

"You see, we are on the task assigned to us to go in an get the money for our client. Truth is I hate the idea of being a bookies thug but near as I could think of it is I couldn't really say no because the poor Moogle would be beaten down, or worse, by some of the more unscrupulous members of the guild. So it was best if we came in and talked to the poor fellow. If possible assist him in a dungeon run if he needed the money. I myself could not really stomach handing him over to the man asking us to get him because who knows what would happen to him then. I have also always wanted to make the trek to this place for it is a wondrous and amazing city. You can feel the Holy radiating from it as you walk the path. It is clearly the place one such as myself could come to feel content and at peace. And I wished that I could enter the city so I could do that."

Ziegmund then knelt on one knee while still presenting his sword to the guard.

"Please my good sir, would you forgive my foolish companion for being so blind as to lie to you. As I said, his head has not been right since he was given that cursed staff. The fact that it contains the Ultima Spell filled me with dread and obviously filled him with fear as to what might happen to him and the type of man who gave it to us." He bowed his head trying to show as much respect to the man as he could.

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Negotiation roll I would guess.

[Menarker]

Ark gave no apparent emotion on his face as he slowly detached his scabbard from his person, and strapping his shield onto his back. The baby dragon hopped about in a slightly frantic pace, sunlight dully shining from its scale, crystals slowly developing from natural growth.

"Chuuuer!?" The dragon bumped its head against the paladin in an encouraging gesture puzzled by his behavior, somewhat innocent and oblivious to the critical social circumstance as compared to the obvious danger and fear of the mission before. Ark then spoke, his speech slightly different than we he spoke in logical theory and facts, but still carrying his halting and monotone voice.

“The mission is accompanied with circumstances which we do not firmly grasp.”
“My allies felt that despite these unknowns, or perhaps because of these unknowns, there was a need to accept the charge. I support it.”

Ark then glanced at the tiny dragon and the paladin and after a brief silence, he amended his statement with a bit of uncertainty.

“The only request… I have is not to be separated from this infant. Jugan… is a close companion I have taken charge to watch over.”

The infant’s attention perked as if being given a name altered his perception of his master, bouncing back to the dragoon with a sort of excitement as Ark complied with surrendering his weapon.
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Basically complying with the arrest but also trying to lightly add to the negotiation. Dunno if that requires a roll or just as a modifier to Krogoth’s roll in this case.

[Truce]

The guard was patient enough to allow Zieg to explain his situation. For some reason, he seemed willing to listen to the paladin more than the other members of your party. However...

"Unfortunately, even if you have decided to finally tell the truth," he said with a long, tired sigh. "Your group is far too suspicious. One of you even ran away," he said - pointing towards Caspin, who could still be seen in the distance.

"We'll still have to take you in. However, if you're telling the truth - and I pray for your sake that you are - you'll have to answer a lot questions for us."

With that, the second guard moved forward, taking your weapons. One of the archers came down from his post, to help carry them away. The short guard, on the other hand, kept his distance, clutching the staff tightly, while the others led you in.

The staff, it seemed, would absolutely not be following you into the city.

Monks came forward, escorting your group. Ark's wyvern was allowed to stay with him, though only as long as it remained perched on his shoulders. With that, you entered the city of dreams. Though the circumstances could've been better, it was not a sight most people wouldn't be given a chance to see.

Flattened fields make the first part of the city, growing crops that helped it remained self sufficient. After walking some distance, however, you reached the buildings themselves. Nearly half the streets here are composed of stairs, with everything winding up the mountain, though the path you're taking doesn't seem to lead to the peak.

Eventually, you're brought to a prison. It's small and old, something that could be easily broken by Ark if he wanted to escape. However, the monks stand outside your cell after letting you in - and if you try to break out through such a reckless method they won't hesitate to take you down.