As others of the group sold off items the group had found, and generally went about business in town, Mirri was effectively bed ridden. The diseases infecting her worsened before subsiding, while Ben-Ali regularly dressed her wounds and provided teas and poultices to expunge the maladies from her body. By the end of the second day, the halfling was sitting up in bed, with Ben-Ali and Say'ri regularly admonishing her to rest. But too stir-crazy by then to stay, Mirri snuck out in the evening of the second day, only a few scratches from the vile cats still visible as wounds. What the halfling did out in town was anyone's guess, but she returned to the house the next morning, smiling and relaxed. Hi folks, when we goin' on to our next job? Ooh, how 'bout some breakfast?
|
"Do you think we should be letting her wander off like this? She was really ill and I don't think..."
"Relax Say'ri. She's better now and you know just as well as I do that she'll go genuinely mad if we keep her in here much longer. Let her go and have some fun."
-----------------------------------
Say'ri smiles, whipping a plate of breakfast onto the table as Mirri pops up. "You're feeling better then." Watching as the halfling eats with fearsome appetite Say'ri smiles at her husband, quietly acknowledging that he had been right. Mirri was better after her night out. Ibrahim was up too, although he still seemed a little rough, fighting the lingering effects of the mummy cats.
"I think we have to report to the Grand Mausoleum. Once we record the House of Penthuru as being done then we'll get our next assignment. Ishia said that the markets are getting flooded with merchandise at the moment, perhaps we'd best hold off selling any more loot for a while until the influx calms down a bit. Is there anything else we need urgently or can we hold off for a while?"
Petra spends some time helping to tend to Mirri over the days of her illness, but in short order she becomes convinced that Say'ri's husband is doing everything that can be done in that regard. This suits her own purposes: she wishes to move about the town and keep her ears out for any word of Thurzen himself, of the Flickering Four, of a group returning from the 'Leopard's Eye'... and for Fergrim, even, for she would thank him and tell him that the holy water he gave her was potent and helped to save their lives.
Petra's efforts are met with little success, until the third day when she returns to the Inn. As she strides up to the bar, Farhaan holds a sealed letter out to her.
You know, I customarily charge a fee for delivery service. Letter delivery is the same price as an ale, and comes with a free ale. Good deal, right? Whaddya say? the man smiles, handing over the missive.
Inside is a hastily written note in Dwarven.
Petra, I hope this finds you well. I'm afraid things went smoothly for our mutual acquaintance, which doesn't bode well for his companions. He's decided to return to the Necropolis, but he doesn't care much for the church's rules. They're heading to a perfumery, one block east and three blocks south of the location on the map I provided. The building is on Acrid Street, so I fear for my friends' safety. Help them if you can, and may the gods protect you from the dead who roam there.
--Fergrim
|
|
After over a day of nursing Mirri, Say'ri is eventually forced to leave the house by her husband. She takes advantage of that fact to go with Ishia on one of the latter's many trips into the bazaars and markets. With Say'ri superior carrying power and Ishia's knowledge of the streets they manage to sell off a lot of the more bulky items recovered from the House of Penthuru, although the merchants are reluctant and it takes all of Ishia's persuasion ability to get good prices.
Later that night Say'ri invites Ishia and Petra to dinner and a team meeting, although it is held next to Ibrahim's bedside at Ben-Ali's insistence. Say'ri sets out the financial situation. "Thanks to Ishia we've been able to sell off most of the bulky loot. Unfortunately prices are down so we've kept all the gold for now - it should serve as money by itself if we need it and more importantly I think we should hold onto it until the price recovers. We still have all of Arriseti's things as well, I think they'd go well as a set if we can just finish getting the wedding dress restored, so until then I suggest we hold onto those items to. In terms of ready money we have nearly two and a half thousand gold pieces. I suggest we buy anything that we need as a group first, I agree with Petra that we need more holy water for our next adventure, and then split what remains evenly. So first of all what do we need as a team? I was wondering whether we could get a wand to hide us from the dead. The Watch uses such items occasionally and I can imagine it would come in handy."
Looking slightly dazed at the long-windedness of her own speech Say'ri leans back against the wall to await her friends opinions.
Mirri responded to Say'ri's proposal regarding the accumulated valuables with a light-hearted smile. 'Kay, sounds good. More coppers back if we wait 'til later. With a frown she added, long as we can hide it all some place. Hmm.... The halfling was clearly not used to having a place to securely store much of anything of value.
Though she had little to add regarding the benefit of purchasing a wand or holy water, Mirri did perk up again when Say'ri said "next adventure". She did even wait for the human woman to finish her thought. OOOH! Next Adventure! Where we gonna go??
"Thank you," Petra says gravely to the man. "I will be happy to purchase you an ale, brother."
She reads the letter with her brows beetling, and does not stay overlong to socialize with the friendly dwarf, alas. (But she does buy him an ale!)
Back at the house, Petra kneels cross-legged on her bedromm in one corner of the modest home, facing the wall in the direction of sacred Erekrus. After some time with her own thoughts, she clears her throat and addresses the others.
"I discovered something of the one I seek today. Vile Thurzen and his group is exploring an old perfumery, on Acrid Street of the old city." Petra sucks on her lips behind the scarf's concealment, with trepidation, then adds, "The place is known for ghouls, the cursed devourers of the flesh of the dead. They have minds, unlike simple skeletons and the like. They are dangerous foes.
"I... wish to strike at Thurzen before he becomes stronger yet by the profits of his foul thefts. But Acrid Street may have much danger, because of the ghouls. I will abide by the wishes of us all, if the majority agree to concentrate on our own site for now."
Petra adds on, "My specific misgivings are that the foul carrion-eaters can both paralyze with their bites, and are bearers of disease... we have only just managed to break the afflictions of two of our number. So there is a certain danger."
|
|
"With preparation we can be ready for dealing with ghouls, especially if Thurzen and his 'team' go in first." Say'ri responds. "Since we have not yet submitted to the Grand Mausoleum we still have full access to reach the House of Penthuru. I suggest this is a good time to act, especially if your contact is requesting it. I suggest that we set out early, when the dead are likely to be less troublesome and try to set an ambush. Does anyone object?"
Nope, sounds good. Mirri's response to Say'ri's query came between bites of dinner. The halfling has had quite the appetite lately. S'long as we can get the rest of the stuff out o' that Penthuru place, why not? Mirri seemed to have completely forgotten about the diseases that literally plagued her not long ago, and if she held any fear whatsoever for ghouls and their abilities it did not show. 'Sides, it might jus' make Petra smile for once! The last was offered with a wide grin at the dwarf.
After the discussion, Mirri hopped down from her chair. Well, best get to bed. We got an early start tomorrow!
Ibrahim bristles at the mention of disease-bearing undead, but steels himself.
"I'm with you, Petra."
|
|
"I suggest we buy a few more antitoxins and other remedies before we begin. Ishia, can you take care of that? You know the people who can get it in a hurry. Last thing we want is someone getting paralyzed and torn apart - I've seen it happen before, nasty business." Say'ri seems unaware of how grisly her comments just were. "Let's get a good nights sleep and set out as early as we can."
Still here
The intrepid adventurers set out early in the morning to set a trap for the sadistic Thurzen and his adopted group. The Necropolis is eerily silent as you follow Fergrim's map. Acrid street is desolate, its buildings long since falling into disrepair. The air is strange, sickly sweet but with the hint of decay behind the overpowering smell of perfume.
Fergrim's location is a collection of small buildings adjacent to each other, with a single door on the eastern side and a set of double doors on the northern side. The few windows on the building are boarded up from the inside.
Once the center of Wati’s incense and perfume industry, this area takes its present name from the stench of the ravenous dead that now inhabit its streets—ghasts and ghouls. The ghouls have existed here since the Plague of Madness, and even the Pharasmin Voices of the Spire have thus far failed to eliminate them.
The cool, dry storage vaults, labyrinthine plumbing, and sturdy construction of the industrial perfumeries provide an ideal habitat for the ghouls, and the lingering smells of ambergris, myrrh, and essential oils confound any attempt to track the undead by their appalling stench.
Dozens of feral mobs of ghouls and festrogs make their homes across the necropolis.
Above, plus: Acrid Street hosts three
noteworthy ghoul packs.
The Lapis Dogs consider themselves the true inheritors of Wati. Descended from those who fell into cannibalism under the effects of the Plague of Madness, the Lapis Dogs prefer kidnapping live prey from the living side of Wati, either to slay and let ripen for later meals or to infect withghoul fever and swell their “native” ranks. Their leader,
Het Maht Re, claims to be the first victim of the Plague of Madness, and preaches that “foreign” flesh tastes bitter and breeds inferior ghouls.
Despite the group’s distaste for foreigners, the Lapis Dogs don’t hesitate to attack them.
By far the most ruthless ghoul pack is the Sunset in Red, a twisted army made up of unfortunates who have succumbed to mumia addiction. Unwanted in life, these bitter undead find solace in the mad, antiestablishment ramblings of Gahbek Seh.
They believe themselves the victims of a sick world and ache to escape the necropolis and visit the same unkindness upon the living of Wati.
More sophisticated are the eerily lifelike Walkers of Nemret, who claim to be pilgrims from a ghoul utopia buried deep beneath the dunes. Disciples of the charismatic Kesh Rakeen, the Walkers of Nemret nibble at the long-preserved dead of Wati and even work with mortal smugglers.
|
|
Say'ri holds a finger up to her lips and waves towards the eastern doorway. Taking the lead she grasps her flail with one hand and tries to ease the door open gently with the other, once Mirri has checked it. If the door resists she will step back to let the halfling deal with it.
"Let's get inside quickly, I'd prefer not to be caught in the open by ghouls... Prepare your most destructive skills and remember, try not to kill anyone except the orc."
Petra is wary as they go. "This area is rife with ghouls-- it was where they made perfume in better days, but now the only smell is that of the dead. Even the Pharasmin church has not managed to get rid of them all. The cellars and vaults beneath the streets provide a perfect home for the abominations. They roam the streets in gangs, like dogs.... Be wary."
She nods at Say'ri's words, and watches the streets around them as Mirri checks the door. Listening for any sound of claws on stone...
As usual keeping to the shadows thrown by the buildings to either side of Acrid street, Mirri kept an eye out for traps and gave the doors an additional check but nodding to Ibrahim and Say'ri that they were safe to open. The halfling also listened carefully to the human woman as she spoke, giving her a wink back in acknowledgement and then falling in behind the first person to go through the door.
The street is silent and there are no signs of danger on the door.
The eastern room appears to be a cluttered workstation. The tables contain various reagents and notes in a scribbled handwriting that appear to be perfume "recipes". There are holes in both the northern and western walls allowing access to the adjoining rooms. The air is musty and there is a strong smell of rot permeating the area.
Mirri had darted into the room behind Say'ri and vanished into the shadows of the room. However, seeing no immediate threats, the halfling began searching the room, moving to the two rooms visible through the holes in the walls to search those afterward. While searching Mirri, as usual, kept to the shadows. Somehow the dimmed light actually helped her investigations, she repeatedly claimed.
Ibrahim draws his sword and readies himself.
"Hopefully they've already been softened up a bit by some ghouls".
Mirri had darted into the room behind Say'ri and vanished into the shadows of the room. However, seeing no immediate threats, the halfling began searching the room, moving to the two rooms visible through the holes in the walls to search those afterward. While searching Mirri, as usual, kept to the shadows. Somehow the dimmed light actually helped her investigations, she repeatedly claimed.
Mirri searches the adjoining rooms, finding large quantities of various perfumes, some flowery, some stronger in the northern room.
The western room has racks of spices used for cooking--the smell of rot is stronger here, and seems to be coming from behind the curtain sectioning off the far western room. In the spice room Mirri hears far off animal sounds from both the west and below--screeches and low growls.
Petra warily moves in one Mirri signals no traps, her nose wrinkled at the smell of death in the whole area. She scans the room with a prayer to Anubis to sharpen her vision and looks squintily at the curtain. She gestures to the others, points at the curtain, and then raises her bow inquiringly.
Petra detects no auras in the room, or behind the drawn curtain.
Petra moves towards the curtain and uses the tip of her bow to nudge the curtain back and aside.