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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Knightfall" data-source="post: 8601413" data-attributes="member: 2012">Both of the men balk under the Loremaster's commanding presence. The young Regular guard moves his hand away from his blade and remains seated. He has forgotten Custodio's threat towards him and now has his eyes locked on Akos. The Elite guard shudders under Akos' gaze and he moves to the corner of the room and sets himself up against the wall. He doesn't interrupt Akos again.[OOC]I'm assuming you mean to use the intimidate check against Nathaniel and not Custodio, or do you mean it for both of them? Custodio's reaction is based on him getting hit by 'friendly fire' based on the level check below. Heh.<a href="http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=258838" target="_blank">Custodio - Level Check (+2):</a><a href="http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=258838" target="_blank">1D20+12+2 = [1]+12+2 = 15</a> <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f923.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":ROFLMAO:" title="ROFL    :ROFLMAO:"  data-smilie="18"data-shortname=":ROFLMAO:" />[/OOC]Nathaniel keeps his focus on the Loremaster and listens to the man's words thoughtfully if begrudgingly. When Akos asks him about how Lord Cyrus would react to his betrayal of the city, there is some definite fear in his eyes. He shakes his head.[Spoiler=For Neurotic Only]Knowledge (Religion) CheckAkos has definitely heard of "Lord Cyrus," although he did not know before now that the man was a member of the Aceron Family. While Akos hasn't met the man, the Loremaster does know that Lord Cyrus is the head of a powerful temple dedicated to a collection of gods and goddesses known as the Frostward Fellowship. The Temple of Frost is devoted to studying the ancient history of Kulan, especially time periods in the past when much of northern Kanpur was covered in permanent ice and snow. Their knowledge of cold-based magic and the magics needed to protect against the cold is substantial.[/Spoiler]Nathaniel waits a few seconds before replying. "You've made your point." He takes the document off the table, folds it up, and stuffs in back into his pocket. He is clearly shaken by Akos' words if not by Custodio's threat of physical violence. He sighs. "Of course I'm not going to choose Phelix. The bribes might have been good, but it's not worth dying over." His eyes turn towards Custodio for a second before fixing back on Akos. "I choose my life, as it is, but I doubt I'll be allowed to stay anywhere near Bluffside once the truth comes out." He sighs again. "While my mother would let me stay at our country estate indefinitely, I would hate working in the fields for the rest of my life. No, I'd planned to tell you everything I know and then disappear in the middle of the night. I have distant cousins in Ambris, so I could go there easy enough, although I'd hate living there almost as much as living on our estate."The man's face scrunches up at the thought of living in the countryside or a backward city. His thin vain bravado is gone completely under the Loremaster's gaze. "I'll tell you whatever you want to know." He sighs and shakes his head. "Some of it might be important but you probably already know most of it. That's why I wanted your signatures on this writ," he pats his pocket. "I was worried that I don't know enough to be useful."Tuck watches as the young man's will is broken by the Loremaster. Custodio, too, is affected by Akos speech and subtle threats. Then the kobold ranger's mind wanders to the room and how he would trap it -- not that it matters now. Young Aceron isn't going anywhere and any thought of a fight breaking out has ended.Instead of guarding the door, Mutt lies in front of it while chewing on the bone leftover from his earlier meal. The dog doesn't react to Akos' speech. The big animal has gotten used to listening to the Loremaster's voice.Nathaniel seems unsure whether or not he should answer Big Tim's question without Akos' permission. Eventually, he relaxes enough to reply. "I don't doubt what you say." He pauses. "I don't know how it works on your world -- yes, I know about that -- but Bluffside's elite society is complex, sometimes way too complex. Words on documents are paramount in a city where the flow of adamantine from the mines is more important than a person's actions."He sighs again. "Getting something in writing is important in this city. The Five control almost everything when it comes to commerce. It is only the Wizard Council that has oversight over magical trade and wealth and even they tend to bow and scrape to The Five." He pauses. "So, why wouldn't those nobles, sick of them controlling everything, choose to turn a blind eye towards the machinations of one renegade sorcerer.""Until he started terrorizing Old City, I bet," Vinny says.Nathaniel nods. "Yes, that's the reason I want to leave Bluffside... I was going to warn mother," he adds sheepishly. "Phelix has plans for the city that will go badly for everyone. I don't know everything but I do know he is using the city as a testing ground for his plans for overthrowing his family in Sharn. He might have designs on ruling that city and all the other Dragonmarked Cities." He glances at Falen. "That's why he's working with The Dusk. He's made promises to their leaders about helping them consolidate power over all the illegal trade in all the coastal cities from Bluffside to Sharn.""How do you know this?" Falen asks."Geoffrey Suggitt," Nathaniel replies. "He and Finnola Jardine are both in league with Phelix. He ran off to tell Sabela Abreu about your investigation into the creature in the Gardens right after you first appeared at the tower. Sabela is allied with Phelix and the Brelish Guild -- that's the name of the thieves guild that's been operating in Old City out of the Crossed Candles.""We knew about the guild," Falen says. "Who is this Sabela person?""Sabela Abreu is the owner of the Delicate Delight Eatery," Nathaniel replies. "The food there is amazing an-... not important. I don't know why she's helping the renegade. It could be a simple as money.""Is there anyone in this city who isn't corrupt?" Custodio says quietly to himself in his corner."Anyone else we should be worried about?" Vinny asks."That's a lot to go into here," Nathaniel replies to the Sectarian while keeping his eyes locked on Akos. "I'm not sure what else I can tell you that probably don't already know. You know about Phelix's enclave. You know about the portal keys and how to get in and out. You say you know about the Brelish guild, The Dusk, and their street war against the local guilds, so I don't know how much more I can tell you that you don't already know. I will say this... don't underestimate Captain Wildore and his lackeys among the Regulars.""Names?" Custodio asks."I don't know them all. You should definitely be suspicious about most of the gate guards in Old City, especially if they are sons or daughters from noble families that out of favor. Most of them are corrupt and take bribes, especially the captains and sergeants. Most of the rank and file are too green to be on the take. There is a really corrupt Regulars sergeant who is stationed at Red Arch. What is his name again?" Nathaniel muses a few moments. "I think his name is... Sampson? Geoffrey hasn't said if he's in the renegade's pocket. Regardless, he's often drunk on duty. He's infamous for that.""We met him," Custodio says. "Sergeant Dragon.""I can't think of anyone else, right now," Nathaniel says. He is holding his head with elbows on the table. "I have a headache. Water? Please?"[OOC]Finnola Jardine is one of the guards who was stationed at the estate known as Wyndlasmere House that was converted years ago to become a major Regulars guard post. It sits against the district's outer wall near the Old Growers' Tower that Phelix had been using for his portal experiments (before the PCs arrived there to explore it). Finnola wasn't present when the PCs encountered Guardian Mareike Alserda and the kindred dwarf Towermaster (and Custodio's old friend), Commander Alel Monderand.Finnola later attacked Lady Émilienne out on the road in between Old City and the Wizard District along with several members of Phelix's Loyalists. They lost and, the last the PCs heard, Finnola's still in the Dungeon in New City. (None of the Exemplars have ever met her).Sergeant Sampson Lichefield is the second-in-commander of the guard post at Red Arch. The PCs met him after they defeated Mani and were looking for a place to lock the doppelganger up. Sergeant Lichefield was very rude to them, and almost came to blows when Mani pretended to be an old woman. The sergeant was soon eating crow and helped lock Mani away. Big Tim nicknamed the man "Sergeant Dragon." When the PCs came back to get Mani, Sampson had been sent home for being drunk on duty by his captain, Adalind Flaskforge.[/OOC]Custodio sighs and shakes his head. "I had no intention of actually hurting him. I was just trying to under his skin... try to break his will." He looks at the door leading back into the room. "I should have just left it to Akos. It seems I have a lot to learn when it comes to interrogating suspects.""Beltramino. I don't know that name. A Voltaran, huh? Voltara is a long way from here, but the city gets visitors from all over. Why do you ask?"</blockquote>

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