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Mikail curses soundlessly as the man turns away to get his boss, then quickly whispers to the rest of his group while waiting. "I cast a charm spell and the doorman is our friend for a little while. I can try to hit the "boss" with another charm, but that may get risky.. What do you want to do here?"
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"Ok.. here goes.." Mikail sighs, then puts on his bestest and most innocent face for the boss when he returns. As soon as the man's face appears in the porthole, he tries his best.
"Please, Boss. I keep forgetting the password, and these guys.. well I overheard them talking about wanting to try that new stuff so I brought them straight over! You told me to keep an eye out for more business for you!"
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Zora cocks her head as they wait the return of the 'boss', but lying isn't her strong suit. Though some have said she can be quite compelling when she speaks with the weight of her faith behind her words, she doesn't think that listing the ways in which the grave goddess awaits the souls of these men to judge their actions is the best tactic to get them past the door. She lets Mikail spin a facile deception instead.
"It's true. We want... your most potent wares," she says in the beat of silence after Mikail's attempt. Lying isn't her strong suit... but she'll make the attempt. "I-- I have nightmares, sir. I need something... stronger than the usual."
It's possible that Zora's attempt to sound like a hopeless addict might be more convincing if she didn't fixedly stare out her blank white eyes at the man.
The spell doesn't seem to take, but the man's face softens slightly with your words. "I cannot allow you in without the password, neighbor. I have... obligations to others that I cannot betray. My name is Adnaan, Adnaan Sharoosh. You do not have the look of our usual clients. You are too clean and your eyes are too clear. What is your true purpose here?" He looks more curious than suspicious as he asks.
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Zora inclines her head at Adnaan, and decides to take something of a gamble; the truth always sits better with her anyway. "You are correct, Master Sharoosh. We are not your usual clients. Your eyes are sharp, do they perceive my symbol?" She holds up the plain wooden spiral.
"One of the 'usual clients' that you would not blink to see, we found in the grips of a monstrous, life devouring mist, a spawn not dissimilar to the undead. I presume that you wish to make money, not unleash things on this city that would kill off your clientele. Or even yourselves. Tampering with the forces of life, death, and the soul itself rarely goes so well for the tamperers as they seek.
"My advice to you would be to weigh your 'obligations' against the value of your own soul. Pharasma takes the long view of the actions of men. Perhaps those above you have promised you simple dealings in drugs, but their true methods are something darker. How will pleading your 'obligations' hold when you stand before the goddess at the end of your life, and she has you explain your actions? Perhaps you might wish, then, to be able to say you aided one of her servants."
The man's eyes harden. "Your moral superiority is noted, priest. But a man has to live before he dies and I have a business to run. So who is this 'client' you speak of?"
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Zora shrugs at the way Adnaan closes up. "Frell Tann. But I was speaking of the business you must run now, as well as what comes after: the man had powerful relatives. Do you wish to be the one held accountable, in this life, by the magistrates? If not, perhaps you had better help us find others upon whom retribution might fall.
"And again, if the powers unleashed with that mist start destroying all your clients, your business will not make you much profit in this or any life."
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Ferabras listens to the exchange between Zora and the keeper of the den of iniquity that lies beyond the door, truly impressed by her clarity of speech and strength of character. His fist tightens around the hilt of his blade a moment when Adnaan responds with so little concern, but Fera opts to wait and see if her suasion will carry the day.
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Mikail deflates a bit as his spell fails, but takes note of the mans eyes. As Zora takes over the conversation, he waits in the wings for an opportunity to chime in. Finding one, he says "Look sir, she's right. We are just trying to find out what happened to Tann, and it led us here to your place. It was HORRIBLE! You should have seen him! Things are bad in this world, and I can understand the need to escape.. after the way things have gone the last few months, I can really relate. Your head so full of stuff that you would rather just forget? The need to silence the demons and take away the sights? Sweet oblivion? I totally get it. But this was so much worse than just finding oblivion.. it was taking that oblivion and perverting it into abject terror and misery and using that to not only harm Tann, but to hurt others. Please.. If you won't let us in, at least talk to us or tell us where we can look for answers."
The man's eyes turn slightly sad as he takes in your words. "Tann visited here, true, but he had 'friends' once, and they reside in Fever Dream Alley. That's all I can say." He shakes his head. "As I said, I have to make a living."
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Mikail nods to the man's pleas. "We will investigate this lead of yours. We may be able to offer you a way out.. the winds of change are coming to this city, and it would be good to be on the right side of the fall out." Mikail pauses, head cocked towards the man in a moment of contemplation. "You have secrets.. everyone does. But if those secrets are part of whatever in the gods is going on around here, we will be back. And it won't be for a conversation. I can tell that you have some remorse for what happened.. think on that and on your choices. If you have a way out, why not take it?"
Mikail pauses for a moment, letting the question hang in the air before he turns away.
The man's eyes never quite meet Mikail's eyes as he looks around, nods tensely and moves back inside.
You head off to Fever Dream Alley, which only takes about five minutes of walking. The Shingles’ characteristic tangle of plank-and-rope bridges crisscross several stories above this narrow, trash-strewn alley. Shiver addicts—including those currently slumbering in the street—have transformed the alley into a makeshift flophouse, which terminates at a hovel sheltering a rusted potbelly stove. Three forms are around the stove, two men and one woman. One of the men is clearly asleep, his limbs twitching with dreams, while the remaining man and woman are sitting by the fire, looking dazed. They twitch a little as they sit there, starting at sounds and sights only they can perceive.
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Mikail looks to the others as they stand in the middle of the alley and fades silently from view. He creeps over to the couple that are obviously afflicted, hoping to be able to get some idea of where to go from here.
He stands directly behind the two, invisible. Carefully he leans over the lady's shoulder and whispers in her ear in a ghostly haunted tone. "Shiver.. Where? I need.. Where can it be found??"
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Fera is pleased that Mikail makes such an effort to sway Adnaan away from the life he's chosen, especially after the dark turn the little kitsune's nature took during the fight against the cultists of Lamashtu.
The paladin is less pleased, however, at the devilish trick Mika pulls on the Shiver addicts in Fever Dream Alley. He steps into the alley and speaks gently to the dazed man and woman, "Hello, I understand you may have known Frell Tann. He has met a sad end, and I'm hoping you can answer some questions to prevent more such losses."
The woman shrieks and leaps nearly to the second story. She spins around and grabs a dagger from her belt and stabs at Mikail, but her aim is terrible and she shakes uncontrollably as she begins to sob.
The man, startled by the sudden action, stands up and edges to the alley wall.
"I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU ANYTHING!" he shrieks and points, clearly terrified. "I DON'T KNOW WHO THE HELL YOU ARE!"
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Mikail takes a safe step back from the woman and her quick dagger and then fades slowly into sight. He holds his hands up in a placating manner, fighting to keep a straight face.. he may or may not be failing miserably.
"I'm sorry!" he says. "I was just having a bit of fun. Please.. calm down. We won't hurt you!! I was just having a bit of fun!" he pleads with the woman.
As she begins to sob, the laughter finally fades from his eyes and his shoulders droop. "I really am sorry.. I was just trying to have a joke.. Please forgive me.." his voice trails off plaintively.
The woman continues to sob, as the man stares hard at all of you, trying to figure out just what is real and what is hallucination.
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Fera raises a placating hand towards the man, realizing too late that it may look like some clawed menace rather than a gesture of peace. Nevertheless, he attempts to make amends after Mika's mischief, "I too am sorry that my friend frightened you. He carries nothing but good in his heart, though he manages to hide it at times. I know it must be strange to have him appear out of nowhere, but that is another trick of his. I assure you, we are all real - if a bit odd to look at, some of us. Even the little dragon is real. And none of us mean you any harm. Will you speak with us?"
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Unaware of whatever Garret and Riddywhipple see, Zora merely sighs, and studies the two speakers with a medicinal eye. Ferabras seems to have the talking well in hand; she considers whether they are too ravaged by their addiction to say or remember anything useful.. and if her arts as a healer can help.
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Kharnia felt content with letting the others speak up, both to the Vudrani man and now to the Shiver users, lying in their half-formed waking dreamland. Although maybe you should try and speak more, dragul. Especially if...
Riddywhipple's words send a shiver down her spine, one that turns into a flintlock draw.
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Mikail's head whips up at mention of the spiders and boils by Riddywhipple. Now that his attention has been called to it, he jumps between the crying and defenseless woman and puts himself between the woman and the.. thing lying on the ground.
"Fera, I think we found what we are looking for!!" he calls out, ripping his rapier from its sheathe.
Garret grabs at the spider, but his hands pass right through as the boil erupt and WEBS fill the alleyway! The webs fill the alley way and are teeming with millions of tiny crawling spiders!
The male addict stands there, staring unbelievingly at the alley, while the female shrieks and screams and gags as the spiders swarm her!
Riddywhipple looks high, low and in between, but can see nothing causing the odd event!
Mikail too begins screaming about the spiders! Suddenly the sleeping addict on the ground gives a lurch as his body spasms and he vomits forth a swarm of spiders before twitching once and going still!
Round 1:
Mikail
Spiders
Karnhia, Garret, Ferabras, Zora
Shocked by the sudden vomiting, Mikail hesitates. The spider swarm moves to cover Ferabras and Riddywhipple (who I assume is flying, so he's safe; if not, act appropriately.) The swarm bites and deals damage, plus poison and distraction! (DC 11 Fort or strength damage, plus DC 11 Fort or nauseated!)
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Karnhia thinks quickly and begins chanting as the gun itself begins to glow with pulsing blue light. "Chemăm spiritul flăcării, Kartensh arderea totdeauna, arde, arde, arde mizeria!" She looks back up and winces. "I am sorry Ferabras dragul meu."
A cone of flames erupts from Kharnia's flintlock, missing the drug addicts by little and engulfing Ferabras!
And as the whoosh of flames catches the creatures on fire, Karnhia steps on quickly behind Mikail. "Do what you must, but step behind me vulpe. I have another trick up my sleeve. But it is a bad one, so outdo me."
The blast of fire burns away the spider swarm, and it seems to diminish the phantasmal webs, even though Karhnia knows they are illusory. However, a few seconds later Garret and Mikail double over and each vomit forth another swarm!
The swarms deal damage, plus poison and distraction! (DC 11 Fort or strength damage, plus DC 11 Fort or nauseated!)
Heroes are up!
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Mikail really regrets his choice of actions as he stands in front of the screaming woman swatting himself and puking into the gutter.
As the first burns away under Karnhia's magic, he is momentarily relieved, until he vomits the next round of spiders. He dances back from this newest batch, cursing the makers of this shiver roundly. He looks up to his friends, gagging as he says "This.. we.. this needs to end.. "
He steps back from out of the spiders, pulling a vial from his pack and tossing it next to the spot he just vacated.
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"Try to resist the image of the webs. They are only illusory. The spiders, however, seem real," Zora remarks with her brows knit slightly together as she considers the problem.
Zora is seemingly unfazed by the spiders. She nudges past Ferabras, steps over the body, walks out of the swarms, and starts to gesture. "Hold onto anything small you do not wish to lose," she advises her companions.... before chanting as well as gesturing.