"Excellent, we need to inform Field Marshall Croft of what's going on as well and possibly have her send a squat to find this Rolth guy. Also, there's definitely indications of some of the nobility involved so I'd be careful who to trust." Amira replies with a sigh of relief.
"They got their funding from somewhere." Cassandra points out. "This wasn't a cheap operation."
Once things are settled at the temple, Cass and Amira will continue on to find... FIELD MARSHALL CROFT (Croft... Croft... Croft...)
The hospice has taken its tall on all of them and Victor was glad to see that some of them were finally giving into their need to rest. While Wednesday's sleeping form looked awkward especially with him laying beside the scythe that at more than on occasion tonight almost bit into his flesh. Terri on the other hand looked exhausted to him like the burning vigor within her finally turned to ash, until the next morning at least where it would once more shine brightly like a phoenix reborn.
Victor worried that they'd grow cold with simply sleeping on the floor of the hospice, but he didn't dare use any of the blankets they found here, so instead he stepped out into a nearby market and quickly bought two blankets and walked back to the building he had hoped to see demolished sometime during his lifetime.
After placing the blankets on each of his slumbering companions Victor went to where the nurse had greeted them, grabbed a chair and sat down at first he remained still but then he motioned his fingers in a more or less instinctual motion and watched as his shadow extended and began walking along the walls that surrounded him.
Twitching awake as the unfamiliar weight enveloped him Wednesday reflexively gripped the scythe he was leaning against. Laxing somewhat as Victor came into focus the vagrant stopped short of lifting the blade up for a swing.
Looking about and fully waking up he let out an only slightly confused "Thanks," as he tucked the blanket under his arm. The plague doctor's coat was more than enough for him, he figured he'd give it back to the shadowcaster when he too finally fell asleep, or to Tolenn, if she'd ever let the victims be and get some sleep herself.
Citadel Volshyenek seems to be staffed by a skeleton garrison these days as there are only a few guards awake and active for a late evening. But when you near Field Marshall Croft's office, you hear plenty of activity in the form of raised voices.
"Damn it, Marcus! I need someone in the castle I can trust and that the people actually like. I don't have anybody else!"
"I can't leave the Sable Company now, Cress. With the Hellknights in town, we're the ones defending Korvosa from the outside. Smuggling's worse in Old Dock now that there's more money in it and there's something going on with the Shoanti. They're probing now more than raiding. And Neolandus..."
"Neolandus is gone, Marcus. I know what he meant to you, but he's gone. I need you to take his place, not throw yourself into your job because you don't want to face that fact!"
Kroft's office door bursts open and Marcus Endrin, Commandant of the Sable Company, stalks out without another word. The field marshall sighs in frustration as he does so.
Then she spots Amira and Cassandra. "Sorry about that. I wasn't expecting other visitors. Have you got something on Davaulus and his physicians?"
Tomayto,Tomatoe.
Amira tosses one of the plague masks onto the Marshall's desk. "They're all in on it. When we went to investigate, the plague doctors and Grey Maidens tried to kill us to keep what was going on there a secret. They're all dead now."
Taking a moment to let that sink in, she goes into full detail on the happenings at the Hospice up to this point, and the information they'd gathered, including the notes and ties to nobility and the mysterious Rolth
Terri stirs as Victor covers her with the blanket. Tired, green eyes open just enough to see, and for a moment, a small, thankful smile curls the corners of her lips before she falls back to sleep muttering a thank you to Victor.
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Cressida Kroft is clearly shocked at the full extent the cultists had gone to. "Rolth again?!? It seems that worm has gotten more ambitious." She gets up from her desk, grabs her sword belt off its peg on the wall, and buckles up. "Show me. I'll bring a detail of guards to secure the hostel. If the priests can't make it safe we will raze it. Whatever evidence you've got, keep it together. Keep it pristine. The arbiters are tough - they won't accept just hearsay, particularly against a noble family. We will have to do this carefully."
Once she makes it to the main garrison floor, a few shouted orders and a detail of 15 men is on hand with a couple of legal clerks. "Men, we've got a death cult active in a local warehouse converted to a sick hostel. Priests are on the way. Do not touch anything. We will secure the property and let the priests do their job."
Citadel Volshyenek is actually not far from the hostel so it takes a short time for the guards to arrive. They set up a security cordon and, once the priests arrive, are ready to move in.
Among the priests arriving are High Priestess Iolana Kerekes, Solara, and a body of 7 other clerics from the Temple of Sarenrae, The First Bank of Abadar sends a delegation of 5, including Ishani Dhatri, who helped treat Brienna Soldado, and Archbanker Darb Tuttle, the high priest of Abadar. And the Grand Cathedral of Pharasma sends another 8, including high priestess Bishop Keppira d'Bear. It's a mark of how serious the faiths take this that each delegation is led by the highest ranking priest of the organization in the city.
The sub-priests quickly get to work in preparing the sick to move out and to a better facility.
The leaders of each delegation are, of course, interested in seeing the deepest parts of the cult headquarters so that they may neutralize whatever evils they can from within. Kroft accompanies them with her legal clerks to catalogue what they find.
Solara seeks out Tolenn. "Oh, sister! The horrors you must have seen here. My skin fairly crawls and I haven't even been to the darkest part."
Tolenn had just stepped out into the sunshine, hands at the small of her back, bending backward in a great, long stretch, when Amira and Cassandra return with Kroft.
Her smile is genuine as she greets the official, "Marshall, it is good to see you."
She pats Amira and Cassandra on the shoulders, a little awkwardly, trying to show her appreciation for what they'd done, as the retinues of priesthood begin to arrive.
Her face lighting up as Solara calls out to her, Tolenn merely stands, humble but certain, "Horrors , indeed, Solara. But Saranae's Light and Sheyln's purity, and the steadfastness of my companion's intent , carried the day. Come, I will show you the way..."
She leads Solara and the other priests and priestesses down into the charnal pit, as she does so she explains, "If you see a sallow , studious fellow of unsavoury character , let him go. He has my word that he be allowed to leave the city unharmed. He gave us invalable assistance in determining the true nature of the disease."
Then, wordlessly, she leads the group all the way to the Temple of Urgathoa, where the twisted body of the Pallid priestess lay.
She leads Solara and the other priests and priestesses down into the charnal pit, as she does so she explains, "If you see a sallow , studious fellow of unsavoury character , let him go. He has my word that he be allowed to leave the city unharmed. He gave us invalable assistance in determining the true nature of the disease."
High Priestess Iolana says, "We will honor the agreement you made with him. Even the Dawnflower worked with Asmodeus when trapping the Rough Beast.
You have performed good work here, Tolenn, you and your companions. Your efforts shall not go unrewarded by the church. I shall see to that."Upon seeing the statue of Urgathoa in the deepest chamber, the Archbanker orders it pulled down. After several minutes of examination (to be sure it isn't trapped) and then demolition work, the representation of the Pallid Princes lies on the floor. But the breaking of the statue reveals a hiding place within the statue's base. It appears to be a storage spot for a few valuables of the cult. They find a pair of candelabra made of human hands and chased in silver - those are slated for destruction as well. But they also fish out a wand. A moment's examination reveals it to be a wand of cure serious wounds (with 37 charges).
Bishop Keppira d'Bear presents it to the adventurers. "Consider this a token of our debt to you. I feel that this boon will serve you in the role you are fated to play for I foresee many more struggles ahead of you."
Terri awakes when the guard and priests arrive. She helps however she can, though she is exhausted from the ordeal and the too short rest she has had. After the last of the sick and injured leave, she finds Victor and pulls up a chair by him.
"Did you have any stories you liked to hear growing up," she asks as she wraps the blanket around herself and leans against his shoulder, too tired to keep her head up any longer, or even her eyes open more than a sliver.
A moment ago there was just one shadow of a living being projecting itself on to the walls of the hospice's entrance, now there were several. Guards and clerics alike entered the building without hesitation. Victor raised his eyebrow when they took notice of him but had nothing to say to the ones that did not address him personally. Though his lack of social interaction ended when he saw Marshal Kroft enter. At first the mage rolled his eyes, then followed with a mock salute of the Korvosan Guards.
"Did ya get my present of three Grey Maidens? It's not easy being an agent for the queen" He said in transparent mockery before going back to manipulating his shadow, only sparing the leader of the guards sparse bits of attention.
=========================================================================
He was going to ask her why she got up, why she didn't continue resting but then again who could rest with the sound of a thousand armored footsteps ringing through your ears. Still she was a welcome sight after the Marshal and the battalion of guards that stormed into this place and stole what little peace he was able to craft from this horrid place.
"Whichever ones I heard when I stole into the plays, stories were never anything I was picky about" Answered Victor in a voice that wasn't louder than a whisper. For some reason it was tough seeing her this way, so drained, and out her usual vigor.
"Let's take ya back to the haunted house ya call home, best if ya rested in yer own bed then on these bloody chairs" The sorcerer placed a hand on her shoulder hoping to get her attention.
"'Kay," Terri said to Victor's suggestion, standing, with a little help from Victor. As they make their way back to Zellara's, she leans on him, and he can see that her armor is still on.
"Which play was your favorite," she asked sleepily once they were about half-way to the home they had made their base.
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"Oh my GODS will you two just do it already?" Cassandra says as she walks along behind the sorcerer and the cleric. "You two are so sweet and shy my teeth are aching."
"Oh don't act like you and Trumpet don't cause cavities either. Let them go at a pace they're comfortable with."
Completely blindsided by Cassandra's outburst, Terri stumbles over her feet and falls to the cobbles with a yelp of surprise. She looks up at the wizard, her face starting to turn red.
"Hu-what," she asks in confusion, her eyes wide despite the dark circles under them.
The wizard's comment came at him like an ambush, and just when he was starting to formulate a reply he felt Terri slip through his hand and saw her tumbling down to the hard street "Bloody--" The shadow mage quickly knelt down and began helping the petite woman to her feet.
"At least it looks like yer armor took the brunt of it" He said as stood up with Terri's right arm held in his left, then kicked himself mentally for picking what could be the worst possible thing to say, his habit of letting his hand run wild through his hair returned with a vengeance as he thought on what to do next.
"And I am pretty far from sweet, been told by more than one person that I would grow to be a bitter old man and I think that out of all the predictions that were made for me that one is probably true" He said to Cassandra before returning his focus to Terri and helping her reach the house...hopefully unharmed by anymore unexpected comments.
"You were asking my favorite play, right? It was the Harpy's Curse, haven't seen it in a while though, doubt I remember much" He realized his answer was late but it would be better than silence she would probably find uncomfortable.
"Wouldn't be the first time I scuffed a knee. Just ask the rest of the temple. I'm a klutz." Terri manages to chuckle as her face slowly becomes less flushed.
"The Harpy's Curse is good. But I'm more for comedies than epics," she says as they continue on to Zellara's, "have you ever seen A Murder most Fowl?"
A moment ago there was just one shadow of a living being projecting itself on to the walls of the hospice's entrance, now there were several. Guards and clerics alike entered the building without hesitation. Victor raised his eyebrow when they took notice of him but had nothing to say to the ones that did not address him personally. Though his lack of social interaction ended when he saw Marshal Kroft enter. At first the mage rolled his eyes, then followed with a mock salute of the Korvosan Guards.
"Did ya get my present of three Grey Maidens? It's not easy being an agent for the queen" He said in transparent mockery before going back to manipulating his shadow, only sparing the leader of the guards sparse bits of attention.
Kraft gives Victor a quizzical look. Then, writing off his remark as an obscure joke, returns to her business. Her clerks buzz with activity, documenting the crimes of the Urgathoans, but she just seems to get increasingly frustrated as she looks over their notes.
Amira tries to stifle a giggle unsuccessfully, flashing Cassandra a grin as they walk back. "Want to go watch the moonrise from that spot on the Bank of Abadar's roof later?" she asks her partner quietly.
"What is it? You look like there's something that doesn't fit." Amira says to Croft, noting the woman's expression.
"If I did I've forgotten all about it, maybe I should go and see it...won't be as exciting seeing how I don't have to sneak in anymore, now that I have the money to pay for a ticket" Said the sorcerer, the later part in clear jest. He was glad that the road to Zellara's was peaceful, he doubt he could handle even a bunch of brats playing tricks on them, it was truly astounding how sleep has not claimed him yet but he doubted he would be able to drive it away for long once they finally arrived.
Their haunted abode was finally within sight. While Victor did not feel much discomfort on the night he spent there, he'd usually have qualms about sleeping in a house that was owned by a ghost, but after their time in the hospice he would not dare complain.
"Once we arrive don't wake me up till next week" He sighed as they continued onwards "Even if its the queen herself knocking on our door. Ya can tell her that her loyal agent is taking sometime to catch up on some much needed sleep"
"What is it? You look like there's something that doesn't fit." Amira says to Croft, noting the woman's expression.
Kroft sighs, "I've got enough to round up any doctors that may be about the city, assuming they haven't already gone into hiding. But there's nothing here I can take to the arbiters to get anyone higher than that. The Arkonas sold the warehouse they made into the hostel months ago and this is all new construction. And unless there are references in the research notes, I've nothing linking the cult's crimes to the queen. Davaulus had a royal appointment, but he seems to have kept a barrier of secrecy between the upper and lower chambers. Whether he did that to keep the queen distant from his crimes deliberately or not, it will effectively do so. This is all going to require a lot of care to deal with."
"In the meantime, we have this in hand here. You and your companions should get some rest. You have well earned it. I will send word of any further developments."
"Thanks, once we get some rest we'll keep at it. We can investigate in ways that you can;t so.....we'll keep you updated." Amira says tiredly.
Cassandra's smile blossoms.
"That sounds about right." she says to her partner. "I still have my web shelter spell so we'll have a place to sleep for the night."
Then she takes off running.
"Race you there!"
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"Oh, I dunno, we could always pay for the tickets and then sneak in," Terri teases.
===
Once the two of them are inside, Terri takes off the breastplate and the padding she wore underneath to help cushion the blows. Tiredly, she kicks off her boots and finds a blanket before finding Victor.
"Well, would the queen's agent mind a little company, as long as he behaves, at least," she asks with a tired, but genuine smile.
Tolenn watches the dismantling of the Pallid One's temple with satisfaction, before an enormous yawn overtakes her.
She nods at High Priestess Iolana's comment, "The outcome is it's own reward, High Priestess."
She takes the wand with a solemn bow, "It will be put to good use. Thank you."
Then, realizing just how tired she was, nonetheless brings Kroft and the other ranking priests together, "We have information that hopefully will facitiliate the brewing of a cure for the blood veil. Here are the notes..." she says, stifling another yawn.
Blinking her tired eyes, she begs forgiveness then makes her exit.
Coming to the ground floor, she's satisfied when she sees the poor people there being tended to.
Looking out she sees the others departing in the direction of Zellara's, she trots out into the sunshine and catches up...
Beaming, Amira turns to the others. "We'll see you guys in the morning at some point, back at the house. Get some rest."
Turning she takes off after Cassandra, halfway down the block dashing up the side of a building headed for the rooftops.
"Oh, I dunno, we could always pay for the tickets and then sneak in," Terri teases.
===
Once the two of them are inside, Terri takes off the breastplate and the padding she wore underneath to help cushion the blows. Tiredly, she kicks off her boots and finds a blanket before finding Victor.
"Well, would the queen's agent mind a little company, as long as he behaves, at least," she asks with a tired, but genuine smile.
Once they were inside Victor took off his boots and placed them against a near by wall, then followed his leather vest which he folded and placed one of the chairs. He never thought to be this glad upon entering a home he'd only spent one night in but he was, he welcomed the chance to rest and would be glad not to hear from Kroft for a very, very long time.
"Queen would have me flogged if I misbehaved, I represent her even in my own personal time" Said Victor, his voice only slightly similar in tone to the fabricated one he used to pull a veil of lies over a number of individuals in the hospice.
Terri settles in, her petite form snuggling close to Victor for warmth.
"Good," she says sleepily as her fatigue gets the better of her. She is quiet for a moment before she whispers tiredly to Victor, "I always wondered if I would be lucky enough to find that someone, y'know? Maybe I have."
With that, Terri falls asleep next to Victor.
The streets are quiet around Zellara's flat, a godsend for recovery from weariness. But then, the city seems quite subdued in the local neighborhood with people hustling from place to place about their business rather than lingering and chatting like they had done in the days before the plague outbreak.
Silence claimed everything but the muffled sounds of the streets of Korvosa and Terri's breathing, and Victor doubted he would hear the later if he wasn't so close to her now.
Her words made him smile to himself as he had thought the same thing at several points during his life, and to say that he expected for someone like Terri to show any interest in him would be a lie even he wouldn't be capable of selling. Another lie would be saying that he didn't see her in a different light after tonight.
Victor turned his face towards her briefly Maybe we both have The sorcerer closed his eyes and without noticing fell into the grasp of sleep, letting his tired body finally get the chance to shed off the hardships they've went through on this day.
"We met not far from here." Cassandra says as she relaxes, leaning back into Amira's arms while they watch the sky above. "A few rooftops over. You chased me for, gods, thirty blocks before I finally let you catch me. It took hours to convince you I just liked running up here and I wasn't a thief."
"What was I to think? You were so damned good at it." Amira replies with a chuckle. It was also the most fun I'd had in a long time......not that I'd have admitted it at the time." she says with a grin. Leaning forward slightly she rests her chin on Cassandra's shoulder. "Wait you me catch you?" she asks with a tone of both amusement and intrigue.
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"Do you know what I'd be doing right now if I hadn't shown an aptitude for magic?" Cassandra doesn't answer the question right away. "I'd probably be in exile like the rest of my family. But even without the wicked queen, I'd be miserable. I'd be balancing accounts and making trade deals and ugh."
Cassandra sighs with pleasure as she closes her eyes.
"That night, for the first time in my entire life, there was someone who understood me. Who knew what it was to be free and who knew the thrill of the run. I probably could have escaped but I wanted to be trapped by you."
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"Well then, I'm very lucky that you didn't escape."Amira says quietly. "And that night, you caught me every bit as much as I got you. Nobody else gets the way I feel when I'm out in the city the way you do. You get me when I eel the most alive, and I can't tell you what that means to be able to share that."
Holding Cassanda closer she gives her a gentle kiss, expressing what she lacks the words to.
In the next couple of days, as you sell recovered equipment and obtain any new supplies or gear, rumors abound. You hear tales of guards arresting plague physicians, whole tenement buildings being quarantined, and ranks of new Gray Maidens drilling on the castle grounds. The plague still grips the city in its grasp and it's hard to tell since it is intangible, but it seems like the virulence it initially had is somewhat muted. Most people would probably not know why - but you all do since you had a hand in putting an end to any magic directly fueling it. It still remains quite dangerous, however, and will be so until a cure is discovered and put into effect.
Representatives of the three faiths involved drop by to report on their efforts. Even with the notes, they expect it will be days before they fully understand the research and can produce a cure.
Shortly thereafter, a messenger comes knocking on the door. "Masters and mistresses, Cressida Kroft invites you to her office at the citadel for a meeting at your earliest convenience. What answer should I return to the Field Marshall?"
Grumbling as always upon waking up, Wednesday stomps down to the frequently knocked door. Once there and greeted by the message he knew was coming he just roll his eyes and shakes his head.
"That we'll be on our way? Like we have a choice."
Terri had spent the past few days recovering from the fight in the temple and helping those in need. It wasn't much, but very little bit she could do could help ease someone's pain.
She'd just gotten back to sleep after a long night and the previous visit when the messenger's arrival woke her once more. She stumbles down the stairs in a shirt and pants that swallowed her whole. as Wednesday answers the door.
"Wuz goin' on," she asks, still half-asleep.
"Croft has another job for us. You can go back to sleep for right now." Wednesday says over his shoulder to Terri.
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On the way back to Zellara's Tolenn smiled as Cassandra and Amira spirited away on the rooftops.
She stopped and watched Victor and Terri, asleep together, companions yes, but perhaps something more. Her heart soared that , despite the horrors her friend had experienced, they had room in thier own hearts for love or the possibility thereof.
Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Wednesay stomping upstairs to his room, shoulders slouched as if the world lay upon them. Would that she had the license to reach out and comfort him as Cassandra and Amira and now Victor and Terri could each other.
Her Vows , however, and devotion to Saranae precluded such thoughts.
Her face gentle with compasssion ,she watched as Wednesday gained the 2nd floor landing and disappeared.
With a sigh, she retired to her own room, kneeling on the floor and gently reciting a holy psalm, proceeded to clean her weapons and armor.
She recieved the news from the holy orders with a nod, understanding their task to be a difficult one.
At the knock on the door, Tolenn arrives to hear Wednesday's comment to Terri, "Terr, Wednesay, good morning. What did the messenger have to say?"
"Good morning Tolenn, Kroft just wants to see us as soon she can." he responds to the Paladin.
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"I know we're..." Cassandra rests her forehead against Amira's, "... relaxed about our relationship but I can't imagine my life without you in it."
Cassandra trudges down the stairs. She doesn't sleep in the building proper. Instead, she casts one of her shelter spells on the rooftop every night and sleeps inside. She does, however, use the bathing facilities. Which explains why her hair's wet and she's wearing nothing but towels.
"About time we got some action..."
When Victor said to the group that he'd sleep for days to come, it seemed nothing but a jest but in the upcoming days when the sorcerer wasn't out in the streets of Korvosa he was asleep in the haunted house he also called home.
His outings mostly involved making sure that no one interfered with the help the victims of the hospice were getting. The sorcerer especially kept an eye out for any gang activity in the area around the hospice. Today though he simply went out to walk the streets. As depressing as they were, they still were a welcome sight to him after that nightmare of a hospice, it was good to see people going about their lives, they were better off not knowing about what lay in the shadows of their city, for Victor knew that a number of them could not take it. He'd seen men break from fear before...some of them were because of his own illusions, it is a sight that's hard to forget and despite how it varied from person to person, one could always draw a similarity or two; fear was strange and undiscriminating like that.
As the shadow mage stepped out of his thoughts for a few moments he noticed that he had returned to Zellara's. He closed the distance between himself and the door at a casual pace all the while wondering if his companions were still in the merciful embrace of sleep.
Victor placed his hand on the handle and opened the door, still feeling a bit awkward about entering a house without having to ask for permission. His grey eyes took notice of Friday, Tolenn and Terri...who curiously was wearing clothes that were clearly a number of sizes above her own.
"Any news this morning? Besides Terri needing to see a tailor"
Amira makes her way halfway down the stairs also wrapped in a towel, clearly having just come out of the bath herself. "Croft?" she asks grinning at Cassandra's enthusiasm.
Terri makes no reaction to the news, just standing there almost as still as one of her statues.
It wasn't hard to figure out why, though. She'd fallen asleep on her feet.