Night's Embrace: Part 1--A Touch of Darkness

[Rystil Arden]

*Kel heads over to the registrar's office. The registrar takes a glance at him and then says:*

"Hmph, must be for the night class then. Well, we are preventing Sorcerers from roaming the streets, I guess. Do you have the necessary funds then? I assume you have proof of citisenship and are expecting a subsidy?"

 

[Boddynock]

"Wha... what? Proof of citizenship?"

Here Kel takes a deep breath, his mind racing through the possibilities of forged documents, then, regretfully, returning to his already stated objection to claiming a citizenship he doesn't have.

"What's happening to me? There's a time when that wouldn't have worried me in the least."

Shaking his head at his stray thoughts, he says, "Uh, no - I'm a visitor, not a citizen, so I guess there's no subsidy for me ..." He can't help injecting a wistful tone in the last few words.

"How much?"

 

[Rystil Arden]

"500 gold."

(OOC: Isn't he? Thresk is part of the kingdom, and I thought he came from there. Not that he'd have a birth certificate or any other record as proof, of course, and they wouldn't just take his word, but... )

 

[Boddynock]

OOC: Oh, I thought you meant citizen of the city.

Kel pauses at a stray comment the Registrar makes and says, "Oh, wait. You mean a citizen of the kingdom! I thought you meant of the city. Yes, I'm a citizen. I was born in Thresk, lived there all my life. But, uh, I don't have any papers. I wouldn't even know how to come by them. What do you need?"

 

[Rystil Arden]

(OOC: Usually it's citisen for a country and resident for a city)

"Anyone can say that. Do you have any official documents to prove it? If not, your birth certificate will also do."

 

[Boddynock]

"Birth certificate?" Kel laughs scornfully.

"You think my mother stopped to collect a birth certificate before dumping me in the street, newborn, wailing for food and warmth and love? You think my 'stepfather'," - and here the young man's voice drips with acid - "bothered to ask for a birth certificate before enslaving a three year old, making him the butt of cruel jokes and even crueller blows?"

Kel stops, shaking with anger at the memories that the simple question had brought to the surface, then says, "Forgive me. I have no birth certificate, and no way of producing one, here. Is there some other means of demonstrating my nationality. I can tell you all about Thresk - or, at any rate, the poorer parts of it - and I can give you a potted life history, but I'm afraid that would make tedious listening for you."

"Do you not have some way, in this magical Academy, to verify that my claim is the truth?"

 

[Rystil Arden]

"While your sob story is regrettable, it just makes me think that you either don't have enough to pay the subsidised price, or if you do, you stole it," the registrar says calmly, "Now then, we don't provide the subsidy for people who aren't official citisens of this nation, even including those who live here and honestly believe they are. Based on your story, your parents may well have birthed you in a foreign land, moved here, and never registered."

"Now do you have either proof off citisenship or the 500 gold? And if the 500, I am going to have to ask where you came across that kind of money."

 

[Legildur]

Blunt speaks up. "The money was a reward for services rendered," he says. "I know this, as we were all part of it."

 

[Rystil Arden]

(OOC: Blunt's at the library researching Also, anyone wanting to use that excuse can try a Bluff check. It's not that unreasonable, though a bit odd of an excuse, though close to the truth.)

 

[Boddynock]

OOC: Kel has no ranks in Bluff, just a straight +1 Cha bonus. Given his past attempts, he'd be happy for someone else to answer. If not, he'll paraphrase Blunt's reply.