Mavor says, getting up to stretch his legs and walk a bit.
"Well, we should be off, reconvene with the others at the Three Rings yeah? We've got enough info for one night, enough to warrant an investigation into 'deeper waters', sort to speak. I think the others would like to know as well as our commanding friend."
Baer returns to the Three Rings. She is tired and ready for bed. She is happy to discuss matters in the morning.
Tural follows Baer back to the tavern, dead tired after the long evening. He also heads to bed as soon as possible.
You head back to the Three Rings, where you see Allyph sit at one of the tables. She yawns as you enter, coincidentally all at the same time. "Pardon... it's the time..."
"I headed back here after the, uh, incident with the men at the Drunken Horse. Headed to the Roasted Boar first, but didn't see anyone else there. And investigating the brothel didn't seem like something I should do alone."
Allyph stands up from her seat and holds up two letters. "Anyway, two letters arrived for us while we were out. One's from Vencarlo Orisini, who invites us to come over to his fencing academy some time tomo... Hmm, that's turned into some time later today... The other letter's from that jerk priest. He asks us to come over to the Bank of Abadar tomorrow morning, because he'd like to talk about the things that were said at Tayce's home."
Another yawn escapes Allyph's mouth as she quickly moves her hand to conceal it. "Let's discuss these invitations and your findings in the morning?"
Allyph then heads to bed.
Baer nods at Allyph.
"That jerk priest is probably calling us over to apologize, that's my guess," Baer states keenly. "He's probably worried that I'm going to come find him if he doesn't heal that child. Well, let's hope he does come heal her. I'd hate to have to hurt him."
With that, Baer goes to bed...waiting for the discussion in the morning.
"Sounds like a good plan"
Tural says as he stifles a yawn. He heads to bed immediately and soon enters a deep sleep.
"It can indeed wait till the morning. We can discuss our finding at breakfast as well."
Denario passes on the zilch quality of info the innkeeper had shared.
"He'd only gotten drunks as patrons, no sick looking people.
While that's good, it's a bummer he couldn't provide a proper lead."
Quorthos nods in agreement. "I think I'll stay here for the night, rather than heading home... We can chat over breakfast. I wonder if that priest is apologetic, or if he found his courage once he was back in his ivory tower?"
Quorthos makes sure there's a room here for him, and heads to bed.
The next morning, Baer wakes early and heads down for breakfast, bringing her reading material with her. She lazily slurps on oatmeal while reading, waiting others to come down and discuss the day's plans.
Quorthos rises when the sounds of the town coming to life filters through the window. He spends his morning routine in solitude, and then heads down to meet the group, bringing his diary and writing materials in case he has to wait for the others to rise.
In the common room: "Morning, Baer. What's good for breakfast today?"
Baer barely looks up from her reading to see Quorthos.
"Food, Boy," Baer grunts, dribbling gruel to her mouth. "Try some. They add no spices so the flavor is bland. I love it."
Baer checks out the other morning breakfasters and goes back to her reading.
Denario came down, seeing Baer and Quorthos sitting already.
"Morning.."
He's having a bunch of sandwiches, some with cheese, some with jam.
"Bland porrige? A bit of sugar and a tiny block of butter is a fine extra, haven't you tried?"
Mavor comes down somewhat later as well, he has been out after the others went to bed, travelling to Blythe's house and put a little note under the door.
"A bit of sugar would be good in porridge, though Baer's choice of meals is her concern not mine. I'd like a hearty breakfast myself as well, old bread, runny eggs and bacon more likely. We might have a long day ahead of us. That said, we've found at least one other person who's infected, a barmaid named Betsy who came into contact with those beggars. Let's see what that cleric has to say, okay? Though first important things, like breakfast."
"Though first important things, like breakfast."
Baer nods in agreement. Breakfast is important.
She considers to slurp bland gruel and read, entirely contented.
You've barely changed and stepped into your beds when the door that separates the men's bedroom from the women's bedroom opens. When you turn to look who opened it, you see no one there. You blink once, and an attractive middle-aged Varisian woman with long dark hair stand in the door opening. Most of you instantly recognize her as Zellara.
"Good evening, friends," Zellara says. "I've been waiting for a good moment to contact you all day long, but there hasn't really been one."
"You never do rest, do you?" she jokingly adds.
Zellara looks at Tural. "We've met before, Cricket. I'm Zellara, the one who guided you to this tavern. Back then I could only speak to you telepathically, but I told you we'd meet in due time. Here I am."
She then turns to Quorthos. "I didn't have any strength left to contact you, Wanderer, but with my last strength I steered the others here toward you. You were meant to join them, and I was glad to see you did."
Zellara walks over to the couch in the ladies' bedroom, her footsteps not producing any sound. She sits down on the couch's arm, next to Majenko. "I don't think the others have informed you about me, Cricket and Wanderer, which is why I'll briefly explain to you who I am. My name's Zellara. I was murdered by Gaedren Lamm, but my ties to this world kept me from fully passing on and turned me into a ghost. I'm tied to the Harrow deck that I possessed while alive, which Denario carries with him."
"To take revenge on Lamm, who also killed my son, I sought out individuals that hated him as much as I did. However, ever since I became a spirit my divination skills with the Harrow deck have greatly improved. I soon sensed that most of the individuals I'd sought out were destined for more. Korvosa was, and still is, in grave danger. Now you're with six, and my Harrow deck tells me you're the ones that can change Korvosa's bleak future."
Zellara turns to Denario and holds her hand up. "Could you hand me my deck?"
When Denario hands Zellara's Harrow deck over to the ghost, Zellara starts shuffling the cards. "You met several people with red pocks on their faces. Tomorrow you'll meet more. Allow to me to perform a Harrowing for each of you. I won't be able to provide an abundance of details, as the future holds many paths that you could choose to walk, but I can give you some insight on what's to come."
Baer wakes up from her vivid waking dream, certain she was eating breakfast just a moment before.
"Porridge? I was eating bland and boring porridge in my dream!?" Baer grouses about her dream. "Some nights I can't even dream of good food."
Baer rubs the sleep out of her eyes, looking at Zellara.
"I would accept your reading, Zellara."
Quorthos snaps out of his drowse as Zellara appears at the door, a wand instinctively appearing in his hand. He listens to the woman's tale, since the others seem to recognize her. His face darkens as she mentions Gaedran Lamm, and he wears a scowl that doesn't easily leave his face for the rest of the night.
At the mention of a Harrow reading, Quorthos shows some interest. At Baer's acceptance, he nods slowly to the woman who he has only seen before now in distant dreams. "I will hear what you have to say, my lady."
"I'm all ears Zellara. I think we've got a taste of what's in store for us with that red pox, but you've just confirmed my suspicions and worries."
"Go ahead, things have been turbulent and interesting so far.
A little icing on the cake wouldn't make us more surprised, will it?"
Tural just puts his head on his pillow and sits right up at the appearance. He quickly pulls on a shirt and moves towards Zellera.
"Go ahead. Though we do need some sleep soon. Don't think you will hold out too long right?"
"Please do," Allyph tells Zellara, "I'm curious about our future."
Maybe we'll learn something about this weird disease!
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Zellara finishes shuffling her deck and lets each of you draw a single card. After you’ve taken a look at your cards and Zellara’s also seen them, she puts the cards back in her deck and shuffles it again.
Allyph’s card
Baer’s card
Denario’s card
Mavor’s card
Quorthos’s card
Tural’s card
”We’ll start with Allyph.” Zellara draws nine cards, which she places upside-down in a three by three square in the couch. She then flips them over.
”The Desert shows me that you went through trials you wouldn’t have been able to overcome without the aid of your allies,” Zellara says as she point out the card. Her hand then moves from the Desert to the two cards below, which she taps with her finger. ”These two are both true matches. The Forge confirms that dangerous events, requiring many sources of strength to overcome, occurred in your past. It’s no surprise we find this card here, because you and your allies had to overcome many trials in the past few weeks. The Tangled Briar indicates that a person in your past has greatly influenced why you ended up where you’re now. That person is now dead. Or to be more precise, murdered. I can say with quite some certainty this was Gaedren Lamm…”
Zellara moves her hand to the top card of the middle column. ”The Waxworks, misaligned. In this position it means you currently hold an abundance of energy, which you can use to change all at a crucial moment. The card below it is the Empty Throne. It shows that this energy comes from a person in your past, one who will always watch over you when you need it. However… the Publican, the card at the bottom of this column is misaligned. It shows me you’ve found refuge in untruth, though I cannot tell what untruth that would be.”[b]
[b]”We now move to your future,” Zellara says as she moves her hand to the last column. ”It’s the Twin, a troubling card. You will face indecision as you waver between tough choices. The Juggler shows me that fate will play with the lives of those around you, but you will achieve your goals if you can keep up with the play. Finally, the Foreign Trader shows me that you’ll be drawn to the path of the shadows. Though it doesn’t necessarily mean these shadows are of a bad nature.”
”Baer, you’re next.” Zellara shuffles her deck again and places nine new cards on the couch, which she flips over.
”The first card that’s revealed, the Rakshasa, is misaligned. It shows me that you were able to escape a force that would’ve controlled you otherwise. Though it’s unclear to me which force exactly, the Juggler shows me that you were toyed with at some point. The Keep confirms this, because its misaligned position reveals you almost fell in the face of a force greater than you. As I cannot see what force the cards speak of, I advise you to be wary of its return…”
Zellara point at the top card of the middle column. ”Yet another misaligned card, the Lost indicates clarity of mind. In combination with the Rabbit Prince, a card that indicates bravery and skill, I can see you’re at the top of your game both physically and mentally. Be careful though, as the Rabbit Prince’s broken sword shows that even the best can fall.” Zellara laughs softly. ”I could say the Forge then means that you should invest in better equipment, but that’s not what it actually symbolizes. Instead it shows me that you’re only at your peak due to the strengths of your allies, who compliment your own strengths.”
”the first card in your future, the Tangled Briar, is an opposite match,” Zellara says as she points the card out. ”Here I see something from your past will try to influence you again, and it’s tied to death. Now I see this card I wonder if it has to do with visiting the necromancer’s hide-out a while ago… However, the position of this card tells me that hope will accompany pain. The combination of the Peacock and the Sickness shows me that you’ll encounter something you’ll like, but should try to avoid it. Interaction with it could lead to widespread disease.”
Zellara picks her cards up again and shuffles her deck. ”Denario, your turn,” she says as she places nine cards on the couch and flips them over.
Zellara points at the top left card. ” The first card I see in the column about your past, the Waxworks, is an opposite match. I shows me that you were able to find your strength when it truly mattered. In the face of the Mountain Man, who symbolizes a strong force you and your allies had to survive, you found what was needed to shine. The Locksmith symbolizes the ‘keys’ you found to survive… Hmm, I think I know which situation’s portrayed here… I suspect it’s a reference to the fight in the necromancer’s hide-out, where Bear temporarily went down. And I’ll add that I agree it was a shame that your Baer missed your great moment…”
”When we move to the present, I see that the Beating is misaligned. It’s another reference to the strength you’ve found. You may have felt like you weren’t able to contribute much in the past, but that’s different now. The Survivor shows me that you’ve gained experience. However, the Lost shows that you’ve been tossed into a world that you don’t really comprehend just yet.”
”Your future shows promising when I look at just the first card,” Zellara says as she points at the top right card. ”The Unicorn is in its strongest position, a true match. It reveals that you’ll try to find something of great importance, and will indeed manage to find it. It all takes a turn for the worst when I look at the second card, the Rakshasa… You will face an enemy that will try to control you, make you its servant. The last card… Oh dear… It’s another true match, but this one’s not good. The Liar is a treacherous card. It usually refers to obsession or doomed love, and how those things will cause one to leap to his own death. Be careful with the things you choose to pursue. If the Liar and the Unicorn are connected, the thing you’ll search and will surely find can become your own doom…”
Zellara moves a bit uncomfortably when she finishes Denario’s Harrow reading, clearly not happy with the bleak future the cards predicted for him. She silently shuffles her cards again and lies nine new cards out for Mavor.
”The Queen Mother symbolizes the need to become part of a society. In this case, that would be the group you’ve formed. The Locksmith is a true match, and the ‘keys’ you required to unlock your destiny could very well be another reference to your allies. The Rakshasa also shows up in your reading, and is in its strongest position. It shows that you’ve barely avoided an outside force from controlling you.”
Zellara moves her hand to the cards in the middle column. ”The Brass Dwarf symbolizes your strength. You’re a force to be reckoned with, as you’ve proven many times. The Idiot does however reveal that there’s something you’ve recently overlooked, and you still don’t realize it. There’s good news though. The Owl shows me that you have all the information you need to piece things together.”
”When looking at the cards in your future, I see the Bear. This card symbolizes great strength, but it doesn’t reveal if the strength will be yours or will come from someone or something else. The card below it, the Keep, also symbolizes a strength. One that cannot be shaken by any kind of force. It’s unclear to me if these cards hint toward the same source of strength or don’t. But then there’s the Lost… It’s a card of emptiness, and shows me that you’ll soon face a world filled with insanity.”
”Two more to go,” Zellara says as she shuffles her Harrow deck and places nine new cards for Quorthos’s reading. ”I really hope to see a couple more positive futures.”
”Quorthos, for you the Liar is an opposite match. It shows that you started a new kind of relationship, and probably refers to you joining the others. The Bear, in combination with the Rabbit Prince, shows me that you’ve found both strength and bravery in the recent past.”
Zellara taps the top card of the middle column. ”The Inquisitor reveals you’re currently in search of the truth of something. Judging by the Joke you still have some trials to overcome before you’ll find what you seek, but the Unicorn reveals that you have what it takes to complete your search.”
A smile appears on Zellara’s lips. ”Your future looks very positive. I’m glad it does. The Locksmith shows me that you’ll indeed acquire the ‘keys’ you’ll need to find what you seek, and the Foreign Trader reveals that these keys come in the shape of information. This information will have to be acquired with a trade, but I cannot see what kind of trade. Oh… hmm… There’s one potentially bad thing in your future. The Big Sky usually symbolizes a powerful change for the good, but it’s misaligned. This may mean the change that’ll occur will replace one evil with a worse evil.”
Tural:
The Desert
The Courtesan The Carnival The Bear
The Queen Mother The Rakshasa The Fiend
The Beating The Crows The Unicorn
”Now, the last one.” Zellara once more shuffles her Harrow deck and places nine cards on the couch.
”Hmm… The Courtesan shows past involvement with political intrigue, which could refer to witnessing queen Ileosa’s attempt to behead Trinia. The Queen Mother is a true match. As with Quorthos, this card likely refers to how you became part of a ‘society’. This society being the group of people who have gathered here. The Beating shows me that you’ve been through some trials to end up where you’re now.”
Zellara points at the top card of the middle column. ”This card is the Carnival. You’re not the only one, as you’ve heard, but there’s something you’ve completely overlooked and you’re not aware of it. It pains me to see the Rakshasa in your reading as well, but the most troubling thing is that it’s in the present column. An exterior force is trying to, or plotting to, control you at this very moment. The Rakshasa is most likely tied to the Crows, a card that symbolizes the violent taking of something important or loved.”
”In your future I see the Bear, a card that symbolizes strength. As with Mavor, I cannot tell if this strength is yours or belongs to another force. There’s a chance you and Mavor will obtain or encounter this same strength or force." Zellara sighs deeply as she takes a better look at the other cards in the future column. "More bad things... Like this one, the Fiend. It's a dreadful card… It shows me that you’ll face great calamity and the death of thousands. Then there’s the Unicorn, which is misaligned. In this position it reveals you’ll have to deal with some kind of betrayal or poisoning in the near future.”
"Sounds... Grim..."
Tural says as he glances at the others.
"Yeah, I'd hoped we'd hear more positive things, just like Zellara herself hoped to show us. But then we've found a new disease and who knows what's to come of it when it spreads."
Mavor agress gruffly.
"I am rather intrigued by what we've apparently missed that might be just under our noses. It sounds like something almost obvious..."
"That which i look for and find, becomes my potential death?
That doesn't sound like a hand in my favor.
I'll keep it in mind and we'll deal with it when the time comes, thanks."
Baer sits quietly as Zellara rocks the Harrow deck, her face grim and impassive.
"That is...that is something that I'm not sure I understand, but I have heard it and appreciate hearing it," Baer utters. "What...what...does it all mean, though? What danger comes?"
Baer looks at Mavor. "These are ill and confusing portents."
Clearly saddened by the messages from the Harrow readings she gave you, Zellara absentmindedly starts shuffling her deck while staring at the wall. "I wish I could've given you prophecies of a kinder nature..."
Zellara stops shuffling her deck and stares at it. She then quietly hands it back to Denario. "The Harrow sometimes shows the path you're most likely to end up on, but you're the ones to decide which path you walk in life. I've seen you work miracles before, and I'm sure you can do it again. Be careful though, as trying to avoid a specific path may be the very reason you'll reach it."
Allyph lets out a sigh. "Just when I thought it wouldn't take too much effort to deal with the things we're facing..."
Majenko starts snoring softly.
"Zzz..."
Allyph snickers while looking at the tiny dragon. "Did he just sleep through all that?"
"Maybe he got bored, not getting a reading of his own."
"Hmm... Maybe I'll include one next time, provided I have enough energy to do so."
Zellara holds up one of her hands, which has become transparent. "Performing six Harrow readings in succession has already drained me. I feel I cannot keep this image up much longer. It's probably for the best that I make it fade now, to preserve what little strength I've left."
Zellara's barely stopped speaking when her entire body becomes transparent. She smiles at you as she completely fades.
"I'll be with you if you truly need me, but I'll have to enter a passive slumber to refill my magic pool and ensure I can manifest again in the future. Good luck, my friends."
Baer bids her good night, certain that uncertainty will cloud her dreams.
"That was interesting. I am trying not to get too angry about what we were told, but that seems difficult at this time. It might make more sense in the morning," Baer looks at the open door between the two sleeping quarters and rises to close it.
Wren sleeps. In the morning, she will order flavored piddlespotting gruel while she reads her book.
When Baer goes downstairs to order her food, she notices that Theandra's nowhere to be seen. Blythe's the only one around, and the young woman looks a bit stressed.
"Theandra's ill," Blythe tells Baer while placing the flavored piddlespotting gruel in front of Baer. "Red pox everywhere and coughing like crazy. You and Tural know some healing spells, don't you? Could you maybe take a look at her?"
"You and Tural know some healing spells, don't you? Could you maybe take a look at her?"
Baer snorts at the idea that *she* might know healing spells. She does, of course, that of the devil's blood, but that hardly counts in her mind.
"Tell me, does Blythe drink whiskey?" Baer asks while taking her piddlespotting gruel. "I don't have much magics that might help her. Tural might. The ol' plant knows more than I about such things."
Baer tastes her gruel.
"You might think about leaving the city, human. I believe there is disease going around and it won't be pretty. In fact, getting out while you can might be smart."
She reads and waits for the others to come down.
Blythe looks incredibly confused. "I don't drink whiskey... And if you meant Theandra, I... don't think so...? What does that have to do with anything anyway...?"
"I have a good immune system," Blythe tells Baer, "and I always get better fast when I catch a flu. I have no other place to go anyway, Korvosa's my home."
After a good nights rest Tural heads downstairs. He finds Baer and Blythe talking about Theandra being sick.
"I could take a look at her. I have some knowledge in healing."
Mavor comes down, slightly after Baer, having not slept as much.
"I've already warned her Baer, but glad to hear you've got a good immune systme Blythe. That does much to ease my mind. I hope Theandra gets well soon, she's been kind to us ever since we got here, though that could also be our tab speaking."
Mavor looks to Blythe with a slighlty less concerned look, then aks for some old bread and a soft-boiled egg if it's there. When Blythe gets back with his breakfast he holds up his hand to receive the plate.
"Thank you so much Blythe, I'll bet it tastes great."
Blythe laughs when Mavor mentions the tab. "She likes her tab a whole lot, but I assure you she likes running the tavern more than the profit she makes."
Blythe doesn't seem to notice anything as she hands Mavor his plate. "It'd be bad if I'd ruin a simple egg," she says bemused.
"Tural, you'll find Theandra in her bedroom. Same floor as your room, last door in the hallway."
When Tural arrives at Theandra's door he hears her coughing on the other side. The door opens to a room that's slightly larger and more luxurious than the other rooms on this floor of the tavern. A large, locked chest is placed against the east wall. A comfortable couch and a side table are places against the south wall, west of the door. A closet, desk and four-poster bed are placed against the north wall. Theandra lies inside the bed, on the side closest to the desk. Her face is covered with the same red rash you saw on Brienna's face.
"Hey," Theandra musters weakly when her coughing fit ends. "You may want to keep some distance. I don't want to infect my customers, it's bad for business."
Baer declines to go up and risk infection from Theandra, instead sticking with her flavored gruel and reading.
"Let me know if you need anything, Tural. I'm not sure there is much I could do to help."
Quorthos comes down late (again), having slept fitfully for the first time in a while. The Harrow reading seems to have given him a positive outlook... at least until events prove it wrong.
Passing Tural on the stairs, he catches up on the conversation and hands him one of he antitoxins he purchased. "Here, use this, it will help her overcome whatever is ailing her."
Coming downstairs, he greets the rest of the group cheerily. "Morning, all! Ready to take on whatever the day brings?" Catching the eye of the waitress, Quorthos orders breakfast and sits down with the others.
Tural holds the flask he got from Quorthos to Theandra's mouth.
"Drink. You will be up and running within no time at all."
Afterwards he will join the others downstairs again.
"Thanks. Saves us a lot of effort. Might this problem be because of the coins? She handles most of the coin that comes through the inn."
"Thank you," Theandra says, and drinks the antitoxin. "Yuck... tastes horrible."
"I wonder how many infected coins there are," Allyph says as she joins you at the table. "That beggar found one bag, but what if there were, like, ten bags? Or more?"
Baer shakes her head, still thinking that chasing money wasn't the right plan. They still didn't have proof that it's the money rather than the alcohol causing the problems. She continues to read and prep her mind and waits to go visit the JerkPriest.
"Thank you," Theandra says, and drinks the antitoxin. "Yuck... tastes horrible."
"Hmm, delicious," Theandra says, and drinks the antiplague. "I like how they added strawberry flavor to it."
You head out of the tavern and notice several people with the red rash and coughing loudly. As you head toward the Bank of Abadar the number of people with the rash increases. Most of them appear to be heading in the same direction as you.
Towering over the surrounding buildings, the Grand Vault of Abadar offers a vision of divine luxuriance amid a sea of mortal troubles. Radiant, as its gray-veined white marble reflects the midday sun, there's little question that this place is the house of a god.
Yet, for a deity of law, the steep stairs and ramps leading up to the temple's great bronze doors offer a strangely discordant scene. Dozens of citizens—mostly of the working class, although the silks of a few merchants show through the crowd—throng the entry, scarcely being held back by a group of gold-armored Abadarian clerics. All seem intent on gaining entry to the temple, but the clerics turn away nearly all comers. The clerics' reasoning becomes clear as one desperate believer is turned away, his pitiful countenance mottled with violent red sores.