"I was coming back from the school. I had some last minute business to attend there. The sword created a bit of a stir."

Quote from Guilliame >>

"I was coming back from the school. I had some last minute business to attend there. The sword created a bit of a stir."

[OOC: Guilliame would not say the above because it doesn't make geographical sense (see the rough map of Constantine here). Velma's home is at the western end of the northern island. He was walking east, moving in the direction of the School, when he met up with Guard Alice; Masterful Mixtures is also in the same general direction, as is the main northern road on which the guard station is located. The above might make a little bit of sense if Guilliame is trying to make Alice believe he lives somewhere close to where Velma lives.]

[OOC: To make locations somewhat easier to understand, take a look at the World Anvil site. On the home page you should see a map of Constantine on the right-hand side with a reference grid overlaid on the top (click on the map to make it bigger). Velma lives somewhere in area B9, the School and Masterful Mixtures is in area C11 and Guilliame met up with Alice in area C10 while Guilliame was heading back from Velma's house. Hopefully this explains better why Guilliame would not have said what you wanted him to say in your last move.]

OOC I forgot I dropped Velma off. How's about:

"I just escorting my girlfriend home and was heading to the guard station from there."

"Oh," says Alice with a casual tone. "Who is the lucky girl? I might know her."

[OOC: By this time, Guilliame and Alice would have entered area C11 and will soon reach the northern road. The guard post is in B12, so there is still a bit of a way to go.]

"Her name is Velma. She works at the School of Magic library."

"Velma... Velma Smit?" says Alice. "Yes, I know Velma Smit."

Alice says no more as she stops suddenly and looks down a side street the two are passing.

Guilliame's eyes follow her gaze but he can make out nothing in the gloom.

[OOC: You can make now make either an Insight check or a Perception check for Guilliame. Your choice.]

Insight check: 4

Quote from Guilliame >>

Insight check: 4

[OOC: That is a failure, please roll again for experience. As far as Guilliame is concerned, Alice's attention was grabbed by something she thought she saw up the side street.]

"There have been reports of a gang of young thieves in that street," says Alice. "Young kids pickpocketing and doing opportunistic thefts from houses who leave doors or windows unlocked."

However, she doesn't break her stride and the two continue on towards the lights of the northern road.

When the two do reach the northern road, they turn left and join the traffic on the busy thoroughfare. People on their way home mainly; most heading south from the light industrial area that lies to the north. There is some traffic heading north though, including the first of the carts that carry the city's non-perishable rubbish towards the Dump, which lies on the mainland the other side of the main tributary. Guilliame would be aware that these carts regularly use this road after dark on most nights.

There are enough lights in this part of the Ward so walking without a light source is possible, but Guilliame catches sight of two young men walking along with the aid of the Dancing Lights cantrip to illuminate their path. He also sees the gleam of a bronze student medallion on the front of one of the youths.

"Can you do something like that?" Alice asks, nodding at the two.

4

"I can but it takes some magick and I'd rather save up my reserves in case there is something that requires it more."

[OOC: I'm afraid that is another fail, so no experience. Note that I have changed the rules for gaining experience in this way: in the future, Guilliame will now get his level times 10 experience points for possible learning experiences like this.]

"Good to know," says Alice as they continue walking north along the northern road.

The two walk in silence for several minutes, leaving the area around the School of Occult Studies and entering an area devoted to storehouses and craft workshops. There is less traffic on the road here, with most of the people going home having already turned off to their residences before this. There are also fewer lights in this area, so the cobbled road becomes harder to negotiate without the occasional misstep into a pothole.

However, Guilliame doesn't need to resort to his magic because the pair of them soon come into view of the guard station from which is shining a brightly lit flame on the top of a pole. There appear to be quite a few guards at the guard station, more than Guilliame was expecting.

[OOC: Make an Insight check.]

23

Guilliame can see that there are more guards than the normal five assigned to a hand and, as he and Alice approach the guard station, he becomes the centre of attention of those waiting; clearly his presence is seen as something special and there is great curiosity amongst the guards.

"Hello, Master de Guilliame," says a female voice that Guilliame recognises.

The stout female handleader that Guilliame first met when he was given a tour of the guard station by the handleader he met at the Sheriff's Office steps out from the cluster of guards.

"We meet again," says Handleader Wallus, who Guilliame remembers has the same first name as Velma's mother: Dora. "I didn't realise at the time that my hand would be on night duty."

Handleader Wallus then formerly introduces Guilliame to the rest of her hand: Jack Cullen, a strong-looking Stemian man; Barrus Abella, a striking-looking young Sorian male; Luca Treefeller, a wiry-looking Stemian youth; and of course Alice Ackman, Guilliame's walking companion.

Handleader Wallus then introduces Guilliame to the handleader of the departing watch: a sturdy-looking Sorian veteran named Abdul Zahn.

"Do you really know how to use that pig sticker?" asks Handleader Zahn, eyeing the longsword at Guilliame's side. "I was told you were a magus."

Guilliame can't help but notice that everyone is curious about his answer.

"We undertake a small amount of weapons training at the school. I thought I would dust off the old sword to hopefully deter would be assailants."

Quote from Guilliame >>

"We undertake a small amount of weapons training at the school. I thought I would dust off the old sword to hopefully deter would be assailants."

[OOC: There is some ambiguity in what Guilliame is saying here as he did not receive his training in sword at the School of Occult Studies. If he is deliberately trying to make these guards believe he learnt his sword skills (and even possibly gained his weapon) at the School, then please make a Deception check for Guilliame. To deceive them, his roll will need to be above their Passive Insight (i.e., 8 + Wisdom bonus + any proficiency in Insight). If this was said in error, then you might like to have him say something different.

Also, for possible future reference, I have created a page on the World Anvil site that gives details about the guard station and guard equipment in Constantine (see here & here).]

How about:

"I learnt a small with the sword at the school of hard knocks. I thought I would dust off the old sword to hopefully deter would be assailants."

Quote from Guilliame >>

How about:

"I learnt a small with the sword at the school of hard knocks. I thought I would dust off the old sword to hopefully deter would be assailants."

[OOC: That's better. No roll is required now, but it does indicate that Guilliame has had an 'interesting' past. Fortunately, the ban against carrying major weapons only applies in Constantine, so he could have learnt to use a sword somewhere else in the the country. For future reference, Guilliame's father owned a sword (see here) and would have carried it for protection on his trips into the country to gather supplies for the shop. As to how and where Guilliame got his own sword and armour, you might like to think about that in case someone asks. The most common type of sword used in the Sorendenese Empire—and by extension, law enforcement in Constantine and the military—is the curved scimitar. Which is probably why Handleader Zahn referred to Guilliame's longsword as a pig sticker.

Anyway, I will assume Guilliame said the above but if you want to change it once again based on the last paragraph, let me know.]

There are a few nods from some of the other guards but Guilliame notices that the two handleaders do not seem to agree with the general consensus of the group.

Handleader Zahn then shrugs and Guilliame hears him mutter under his breath in Sorendenese: "May Aieda bless you and watch over you." He then turns to Handleader Wallus and, speaking once more in Stemian, says, "Well I am off, Dora. Have a good watch and I will see you in the morning."

Handleader Wallus says farewell to Zahn and the rest of his watch before turning and addressing her own hand. "Jack, I want you and Luca to take a turn around the stockyards as your first patrol and, while you are at it, drop in at Shepherd's. Handleader Zahn tells me that there has been some fights going on there recently and it might be nice to find out what, if anything, has been causing it."

[OOC: Please make a Scholar's Ward Area Knowledge check versus a DC of 10 for Guilliame.]

4

OOC Am I right in thinking that adherants of Aieda don't like straight weapons?

Quote from Guilliame >>

17

[OOC: Guilliame recognise's the name Shepherd as belonging to a tavern close to the stock yards called the Shepherd's Rest.]

OOC Am I right in thinking that adherants of Aieda don't like straight weapons?

[OOC: This is not correct. The reason why the Sorendenese prefer the scimitar is purely a mechanical one: it is a Finesse weapon (see here). Despite having a lower maximum damage, it is usable by more people than something like a longsword, which only gives bonuses due to Strength. FYI, Guilliame's bonus with a scimitar would be +2 because of his Dexterity rather than the single +1 he gets with his longsword for his Strength. This would mean his to-hit would be +2 with a scimitar as well as +2 to damage. With his longsword, his bonus is only +1. The only real advantage of the longsword is that it has a base damage range of 1d8 versus the scimitar's base damage of 1d6.]

Handleader Wallus continues speaking: "Alice, I want you and Barrus to go and see the Mabdens, there has apparently been someone poaching fish from their fish traps... I do not expect you to do anything, but we should show them that they are at least being listened to."

Then she turns to Guilliame and adds, "Meanwhile, Master de Guilliame and I are going to hold down the fort and have a bit of a chat."

The rest of the hand prepares to go about their assigned tasks and Guilliame notices that Alice and the guard named Luca both pick up crossbows and cases of crossbow bolts before they head off with the second of their individual parties carrying a lit lantern.

"Well Master de Guilliame," says Alice, once the others have left. "I am going to need to know just what you can do for me as a magus to know what best use I can make of you."

[OOC: Andrew, if you ever want me to add anything to the World Anvil site for possible future reference for Guilliame, don't hesitate to ask me to do so. It is pretty easy for me to do and is useful for myself. Also, if you think something needs to be added, then remind me about that too.

For example, there are now pages for Handleader Wallus and Handleader Zahn on the site. They should be visible to you under the 'Miscellaneous People' category but you can always use the Search field to help with finding things as well, though the results should only be limited to things you are allowed to see.

Note: the information visible on these articles depends on the browser's site access privileges. Currently, the two pages above are only visible to you and I and there is information on those pages only I can see. There is also information on some of the pages that only Guilliame knows (e.g., Guilliame knows Handleader Wallus' first name because he has overheard it being used).]