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The people in the line immediately start talking as Raven starts threatening the product. The bouncer's eyes go wide as Thod works his magic. The guy talking up the product lets out a small eep before shooting an apologetic glance to the woman behind the counter before he books it out of there.
The woman behind the counter is "Lavender" herself, a young, sharp-faced woman who scowls fiercely as her shill flees.
Thod then goes to join Raven Six. The bouncer sighs miserably.
"HEY BOSS! THIS LADY WANTS TO TEST YOUR STUFF!"
"What? Well I'm sure we can come to an arrangement!"
Another bouncer mans the shop as she emerges, all smiles.
"Now now now, I understand the spirit of friendly competition but I won't have every two-bit alchemist down the street trying to steal my business. Please leave or I will be forced to alert the guards."
The bouncer tries to look tough but he clearly does not like the look of Thod. Meanwhile, a few people in the crowd are watching the discussion intently. Lavender seems very aware of this.
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Although Donnell knows nothing about this particular disease, he only knows that diseases spread when people are in close proximity. Picking up the disease off a body seems obvious enough - whether or not that's the case is another problem entirely.
The two of you make your way over to north point, stopping to chat with people. Where to find alchemists and herbalists is the talk of the entire city as people are desperate for any kinds of cures. The answer is the same - Summoner's Street, which happens to be on your way.
As you make your way there, you see a large crowd of people Donnell has spotted previously outside Lavender's perfumery. In this case, Raven Six and Thod appear to be in some kind of discussion with the store owner and the large slab of meat she calls a bouncer.
"Ok people, move along - there's nothing to see here. Sorry Miss Lavender, I'm sure no harm was meant."
Pulling the other two aside, Donnell hastily sketches the information they've gathered so far: wererats trying to declare war (but clear them out and we gain warehouse space), Bankers afflicted with disease, plague bearers dumping bodies in alleys, disease filling the cramped Old K.
Seeing that Raven Six and Thod are somewhat easily distracted, Donnell suggests they accompany himself and Sevenspawn to the Bank: "Just a quick trip to see what these Abadarians have gotten themselves into, then we can go smush some wererat faces. Sound ok?"
Thod simply stands by Raven Six, glowering at the bouncers.
When Donnell and Sevenspawn arrive, Thod nods, though raises his hand as Donnell suggests leaving.
"Hold on a moment, Donnell. Raven's got something she wants to do here."
Lavender clenches her fists and screeches.
The bouncer in the store groans and starts just passing out doses of the serum, ordering people in the line to clear off. He grabs a hand crossbow.
"Anyone who wishes to know for certain whether this .... liquid .... is genuine medicine or just hokum meant to exploit people suffering and afraid, feel free to join me," Raven Six calmly tells the customers while she packs up her equipment.
"Gentlemen, let us adjourn," she says to the other party members. "I may need an hour to analyze this muck, but it will be a benefit to the city and its people."
"Sorry, Raven6, I know that this is important to you, but frankly I don't think anyone cares. Everyone is desperate for some kind of cure and they don't care if it works or not - it's the promise of health that draws them. Sadly, your legitimate antitoxin will be competing against a hundred charlatans on every street corner. The only way you have a chance of success is with the backing of nobility, preferably the Queen."
Sevenspawn slowly lets out air out through his nose that he did not know he was holding in. He walks with the group, following from the rear.
”I fear Fox may be right. At the rate the plague has spread thus far, can we have the plan up working in time to save our people? I do not know. It feels like we have not done enough, despite our best efforts. And yet I do not know the alternative. There is the ship to be investigated, bodies to be studied... oh.” The priest realizes he has not told Thod and Raven Six about how the bodies are being dumped in alleys, or about the wererat who must be addressed. He fills them in, including the promise of a warehouse to create antiplague within if they are successful.
”After we deal with Devargo, we must decide if we can do more.”
Lavender breathes a sigh of relief, but watches the four of you with a very, very nasty glare as Raven Six takes off with her bottle of Lavender's Luxurious Liniment. It smells rather nice.
---
You return to Zellara's home, which isn't too far, in order to determine your next moves and give Raven Six time to examine the cure-all.
Raven Six manages to expertly break down the liniment into its three constituent parts:
- cheap perfume
- sugar
- river water with just a smack of fecal matter
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"That woman is literally selling s@!! to frightened and desperate people. This will not stand," Raven Six says in a horribly flat voice.
Sevenspawn lays his plans out for the others. He has felt a strong sense of urgency over the last few days, and it comes spilling out now as he speaks.
"I agree that it cannot stand." He looks to Raven Six, his disgust matching hers equally. "It is intolerable, and in Milani's name, I will see the place burned and the proprietor hung. So here is what I propose.
"We head now to the Bank of Abadar to speak with Ishani and the compatriots and deal with that business, and then ready ourselves for Devargo in the time we have remaining. Then," he presses, "we head at first light to our friend the Field Marshal to inquire about the ship's final resting place and how and why it was destroyed. We then have a warehouse to earn to bring Raven Six's plan to an earlier conclusion - but along the way, we deal with this woman and her snake oil before diving into the wreck the day following."
He looks to the others hopefully, seeking agreement, before clasping a hand on Raven Six's shoulder in a brotherly fashion as she sits before her alchemist's rig. "Can you and Donnell make us potions to breathe under the Jeggare, Raven Six? To move freely, at that?"
With the group in agreement, you head off for the Bank of Abadar. As before, throngs of the sick and dying are pushing for the bank. This time, the guards recognize you and you are allowed entry into the opulent building which looks oddly depopulated on the inside. At the word of the guards, Ishani comes up to greet you. He looks haggard.
"Friend, it is good to see you this. THis is rapidly getting out of control - how can I help?"
Raven Six calmly hands over her calculations and the business plan she has set up.
"Here," she says, "my proposal. As you can see, the facility will not be immediately operational, but at the very least it can make a dent in the problem. If the disease is eventually cured, then the facility can be converted to other, more conventionally profitable enterprises."
Straightening importantly to his full height [ooc]somewhere around 3'1, Donnell catches Ishani's eye: "Ishani, we have a number of things that we need to discuss and, not to put too fine a point on it, we probably need to speak to someone in the Bank who can make decisions."
Raven Six passes over his business plan and Ishani looks it over curiously. He seems quite excited.
"I will have to confer with our leadership, but I believe this plan has merit. We can afford this and I have seen the antiplague work with mine own eyes. Grau even stopped by to say his niece is still doing well. I will see if I can secure an audience with the Archbanker for you so you can negotiate terms with him - if he is interested. I hope he is."
----
Donnell then begins his line of questioning and gets the following responses:
- Nobody knows why. Ishani thought it was a cold at first until he realized many of his order had the telltale blisters. From the rate of infection, it's clear they were infected before anyone else.
- The Church has been offering discounted services to plague bearers. Ishani admits that he has also just heard about the corpses being dumped, and apparently there is a massive pile in a place called Racker's Alley - which Sevenspawn recognizes as a dark and sinister part of Old Korvosa. He asks that you investigate and ensure that no scavengers like oytugh, or even undead have resulted from this horror.
- Ishani agrees that Old Korvosa has been hardest hit because of population density. The nobility are largely secluded and haven't been hit much at all for the same reason. That doesn't stop them from demanding expensive healing services, using up available spells.
- The Church has absolutely no idea what caused the plague, even with your combined information.
Sevenspawn goes rigid, a hard, loud wind suddenly racing through his ears. It sounds like an answer - but he has been wrong before. He tries to keep it in check, knowing his own paranoia has mislead him before.
"Excuse me," he chokes out, stepping backwards as he prepares to leave. "We must see the Field Marshal. Today." He looks to the others. "Now."
Bowing quickly, the priest turns on his heel and moves quickly in the direction of the Citadel.
"We shall return when opportunity allows," Raven Six says to Ishani.
As soon as she has caught up Sevenspawn, she asks: "What has disturbed you, specifically?"
He speaks with his hands as they walk, animated enough that he looks almost frightened.
"Gold," Sevenspawn blurts out. "I ask myself, 'Why is the Bank of Abadar so heavily affected? What do they have that others may not?' Gold. They have gold. Silver, copper. The ship could merely be a ruse of whoever spread this - or, if it was carrying monies somehow... curse-infused, perhaps...? it could have washed on to the shore, or been harvested already.
"This is why we must see the Marshal. If the ship went down closer to Old Korvosa, it would explain more on what caused this to grow there." He continues to walk hard, but looks to her with genuine worry.
"I see shadows and thieves everywhere, Raven Six. It is how I stayed alive before Milani found me... but I am wrong as often as I am right. I have never been so afraid that I am right as I am now."
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Raven Six inclines her head, her irises widening and contracting a few times, all without her missing a step. Finally, she purses her lips.
"Not impossible. But the implications are highly unpleasant. One: it implies the disease has the ability to go into a dormant state when there is no nutrition for it. Two: as the likelihood of infected coins reaching throughout the city in such a short space of time approaches zero, it would by necessity have developed an airborne vector.
In other words: death now rides on every breath of air taken within Korvosa."
Ishani bids you farewell and with Sevenspawn moving with incredible intensity, you make your way southeast towards Citadel Korvosa. The put-upon Field Marshall is in the yard, and as she sees you she waves you over.
"Gods, this is insane. The plague is moving faster than we can even think. How can I help you?"
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Thod looks back and fourth between Sevenspawn and Raven Six.
"Uhh... Gold is diseased, and wants food?"
"Uhh... Gold is diseased, and wants food?"
"Well, diseased anyway - I mean, it seems likely that someone made it so that whoever handled the gold would get sick"
Sevenspawn speaks quickly, stops, bows and mutters niceties, amd speaks again.
”We come to ask where the ship went down,” he starts, ”and if anyone has brought any wares up - or if anything might have washed ashore. Coins, in particular. Perhaps gold. Was it near Old Korvosa? If it was, perhaps it helpa explain why the Bank of Abadar is so affected.” He stops, breathes, and starts again. ”Let me explain...”
Sevenspawn talks his theory out.
Cressida frowns curiously as Sevenspawn talks out his theory. "Contaminated coins would make sense - the Bank is a perfect vector. Although how do you contaminate coins with a disease? I'll get Doctor Davaulus on it. As for the ship, after he brought it up I commissioned these."
She produces four bright blue vials. "These should let you breathe underwater for up to two hours. I was also warned that if you bring weapons, bring stabby ones. It's easier to use a spear or crossbow underwater than a sword or axe."
Cressida then produces a map of Korvosa, and points to a specific spot on the Jeggare river. "It was sunk here after it refused to yield to warnings as it approached North Bridge. I can commission a boat for you to get out there. Hopefully you find something that can combat the plague, or explain it on that ship."
Sevenspawn looks to the alchemists to take the vials, and checks the map. "The Bank of Abadar is in North Point. It is not far from where this ship went down."
He looks at the others. "We have... an event to attend to tonight," he says carefully, speaking with Cressida there. "The day is getting on. I suggest we share our theory with Ishani now - I apologize I didn't first, I was so flustered - and dive into the ship tomorrow."
"In the meantime, this is for you," Raven Six says, handing Cressida a copy of her business plan.
Greeting Ishani again at the Bank of Abadar, Donnell quickly outlines the group's suspicions about the infected coins, concluding: "Would you or one of your brethren be able to ask Abadar's favour to detect for disease or magic on the coins in your vaults?"
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Cressida's eyes widen a little as she reads over the plan. "Fascinating. I'll get this to Doctor Davaulus. To be frank, I don't think he expected much of you. This'll curl his hair." She grins, and you take your potions and go.
---
Back at the Bank, you meet up with Ishani who looks haggard and miserable. He looks at curiously as you propose that the coins themselves may be what's contaminated the bank. "Yes - those of us who are well enough to cast spells are effectively exhausted, but that is a blessing Abadar will grant me. What a fascinating idea. I will send a runner to speak with you on the morrow."
Realizing that several of his alchemical items will be ruined in the water, Donnell stuffs whatever can't be used underwater in his pack.
"Oh, here Thod - I forgot I picked this up for you"
"Everybody ready to go for a swim?"
When everyone is ready, Donnell will head to the nearest spot to the sunken ship where a rowboat can be rented.
You don't need to be a local expert on Korvosan geography to know where NOrth Bridge is, and where you can find boats. You travel to North Bridge, and a fisherman waves you over.
"Was told t'look fer a strange group'a folks with a dwarf carrying an armory on 'is back, a scrawny halfling, a lady covered in tattoos, and a normal-lookin bloke t'make the rest'a ye look weirder. I knowed where the ship got sunk. Even got these for ye in case something nasty is in the water."
He shows four basic spears. "Stow any gear ya need wit me, I gots a place, and let's get moving. I'll be anchored here, should be easy to find me."
You gird your loins appropriately, chug your little potions, and using the chain as a guide, plunge down into the river.
---
You plunge down alongside a knotted rope tied to an anchor, which allows for an easy way out of the river. The urge to hold your breath is overwhelming until you finally, cautiously, suck in a breath full of water and discover the potion does indeed work. The sensation of breathing is incredibly uncomfortable, and immediately chills you to the bone. Still, you can make your way around the bottom. Speaking to each other is strange and muffled, but sound still transmits.
The lack of light is another issue, which Sevenspawn quickly rectifies with a light spell. The pale white ball of light only penetrates so far, but you manage to get somewhat of a line of sight.
It's Thod who manages to point out the Direption. Although there are signs of other shipwrecks down here over the life of the city, the Direption is a fresh shipwreck and as such pretty easy to spot.
Obvious scars from fire and trebuchet strikes mar he ship’s hull, which lies on its side in two pieces amid the splinters of its masts. The ship’s hull split into these two halves over a rock outcropping, its bow fallen to one side and a larger section of the stern on the other. Two
relatively intact interior decks lie within both halves of the ship, along with the captain’s quarters situated at the stern. While the bow sunk in a way that allows explorers easy access to any of its levels, the stern cleaved to the rocks it fell upon, limiting entrance to its lower decks.
This is a Nidalese merchant ship, hailing from the sinister, shadowy country of Nidal directly south of Korvosa.
"Oh, here Thod - I forgot I picked this up for you"
"Huh? What's this do?"
=====
Thod was warned beforehand, and left much of his more delicate alchemical gear and larger weapons in one of Donnell's boltholes. On the boat, he shucks off his gear as they prepare to go for a dive, dropping most of his weaponry as well as his numerous flasks and canteens.
Thod keeps his halberd with him along with a backup dagger, and a crowbar.
Thod taps his breastplate with his fist, apparently confused as to if he should keep it on while swimming. He debates for a moment, apparently settling on dealing with the restricted movement.
In what may be a surprise to the gathered group, after Thod chugs his potion, he deliberately falls off the side of the boat with a surprising degree of competence, using his large, meaty hands to push his way through the water.
He dives down ahead of the group, and is able to point out the wreckage.
"Ubbupppurr? Looohhhwweerr?" He attempts to communicate underwater.
"Huh? What's this do?"
"Oh! Uhh... It's to help with your anger-control issues. I mean... hmm... Ok, remember when you had that wrestling match in the Spider King's lair? You got kinda ... amped up? This will help you stay that way a bit longer."
Fully expecting to see a look of confusion: "It helps you fight better."
"Ubbupppurr? Looohhhwweerr?" He attempts to communicate underwater.
Trying unsuccessfully force air through his throat, Donnell gives up and simply points to the stern and mouths "Captain's quarters"
Sevenspawn, not especially a fan of large bodies of water, finds some grit and descends down the anchor chain slowly, forcing himself early on to try breathing in the water. Lighting up the spear provided, he arrives on the bottom and looks about, feeling like he has entered an entirely alien landscape.
Keeping the spear aloft as a beacon as much as a source of light, he moves forward into the wreckage, following Donnell's instructions on where the Captain's quarters may be.
Raven Six calmly snaps the bayonet onto her crossbow before she dips into the ocean. Once underwater, she pulls herself down along the anchor chain, skirts briefly belling out behind her. Oddly enough, the Alchemist shows no discomfort about the encroaching darkness at all, and seems to be staring into the murky depths well beyond the circle of light provided by Sevenspawn.
"Suggest we stay alert, gentlemen," she says, her voice echoing oddly underwater. "Sunken ships often become the home of opportunistic wildlife."
"Curious," Sevenspawn says aloud to Raven Six, testing his ability to speak underwater as much as to communicate at all. "A curious experience, this. It is a shame the potion does not protect against the cold of the depths." He pulls his cloak around him absently, and uselessly.
"Have you potions for seeing in the dark?" His gaze falls on ship, and his question seems more idle than probing as he does. "I should like to invest in some, if you do."
"No," Raven Six replies, shaking her head at Sevenspawn. "I'm afraid I don't - at this time. I come by my ability to see in the dark ... naturally."
Sevenspawn nods in understanding, though he does not. Now is not the time, if there is ever one to pry. He leads the way forward with the light.
Above, on the surface, something stirs the cloud cover over North Bridge. It drops down to the surface where the fisherman can't see, folding its wings, and scuttles to the edge of the water. Golden, luminous eyes regard the water impassively.
And then the childlike figure simply jumps into the water.
The target is nigh.
Down in the water, Raven Six ... convulses.
Eyes wide and staring, the Alchemist's body contorts and shakes uncontrollably. Her pupils widen and contract, widen and contract.
"In-incompatib," she burbles, small bubbles of milky fluid leaking from the corners of her eyes, her ears, her nostrils, her mouth.
"Over-overwrite protoc, protoc, protoc," and a great belch of air leaves her throat.
More convulsions, eyes now seemingly all pupil, huge, dark and alien.
"Neg-neg-negate systems overwrite in process core memory protection wall in effect peripheral data loss in progress," she hisses. "Access secundary data core backup in process overwrite completed reestablish"
Trembling, convulsing, Raven Six falls into the muck that has gathered on the bottom of the river over who knows how many years.
"Reestablish .... reestablish core. Checking. Mutative data: lost. Concussive data: lost.
Lost.
Lost..."
And the paroxysms pass.
"Something," the Alchemist whispers, "something is coming."
Seeing Raven Six in obvious distress, Donnell swims to her side: "Raven?! What is it? What's happened? Raven!"
Looking to Sevenspawn and Thod: "We need to get her out of here - I can't lift her by myself"