The guards close in at the edge of the broken pier, spears fixed on the soaked hermit. Zia keeps her grip on him, while black water slaps the timbers beneath their boots.
The Captain of the Guard
Enough. What is this chaos, and why do you hold that relic?
The hermit jerks once in Zia's grasp, eyes blazing toward the crowd above, but the guards shift and block his breath before he can shout.
Zia
He threatened the pier and the people on it. I stopped him. This thing was driving the damage, and I took it before he could bring the whole dock down.
The Captain of the Guard
Then hand it over, carefully. If it is cursed, I want it nowhere near the festival.
All eyes turn to Zia. The relic rests cold in her hand, while the hermit strains, ready to expose her if he gets a single clear breath.
✓ Quest Accepted
Persuade the guards to allow possession of the relic
“"It is indeed cursed, as am I for I have now touched it. I do not wish to curse you as well. I am a traveling cleric who is experienced with such things. If you would allow me I could remove it from your city and not endanger anyone else."”
SUCCESS (Superb Persuasion, rolled -2)
Zia
It is cursed, and I am marked by it now too. I do not want it bringing harm to your city. I can carry it away.
Zia lowers the relic just enough to show she is not reaching for a trick. The captain’s stare stays hard, but the guards ease a fraction, reading her control as care rather than theft.
The Captain of the Guard
You speak like a priest, and you handle yourself like one. If you truly take it beyond the harbor, you do so under my witness.
He extends a gauntleted hand. The hermit gives a muffled, furious twitch as two guards pin him more firmly against the slick boards.
The Captain of the Guard
But understand this, cleric, if your tale breaks faith with me, every bell in First Landing will know your face.
The relic leaves Zia’s hand at last. Its cold weight is gone, and with it the immediate threat of the crowd hearing the hermit’s words. The captain holds it wrapped in cloth, grim and watchful.
The Hermit
You let her take it... you fool...
Quest Complete
Persuade the guards to allow possession of the relic