Lyla |
Lyla sits at the riverside tavern and sulks over their fruitless investigation. She signals the baretender and tosses a gold piece on the counter. The man fills two tankards and brings them over quickly, palming the gold coin and leaving behind some change. Lyla pushed one one of the mugs towards Nalun and takes a sip from her own. "Ugh. That's awful", she complains putting the drink aside. The coins from the change lie on the counter before her; Lyla presses three of them with her fingers and slides them around the wooden surface, staring intently at them while thinking about the ship and the plague. "Tough luck, slim. Looks like a dead end..." She raises her head and studies the sailors eating and drinking around her, watching out for signs of the rash among them.
Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29
Dragoncat |
Lyla & Nalun
As you observe them, you feel Zellara's Harrow deck vibrating in your pocket.
Please take me back to the others. I need to perform a reading.
Old Man Hartleby |
Ortik
"I suspect it may have something to do with the quarantine ship that the Sable Company sank in the harbor a few days ago," Ortik says with a heavy sigh, stroking his beard with his thumb as he thinks. "Maybe the fish ate some of the diseased bodies, and then the people ate diseased fish. That's about all I can think might be at work - I'd warn the Folk away from fish, just to be safe until this pox passes."
He's silent for a moment as he collects his thoughts. "I'm sorry, friend. I prayed that the City would spare us this plague. I prayed that she would skip over our houses and spare our families and friends this pox. It never occurred to me that the most horrifying thing that could happen is that she would listen. Please...forgive me."
Hartleby pats you on the shoulder. "You have done nothing to apologize for, Ortik." His tone is trying to be reassuring, but there's a wavering in his voice. "But now that this sickness is here, we must all do our part in fighting it."
"I will tend to Ruck, and see if I can get him to say anything more about how he caught this disease. In the meantime, please take care of yourself--if the fish are truly the source of this blight, I will ensure that the Ffolk take all measures necessary to stay away from the fish..."
Nalun Elzrahar |
Nalun catches up to Lyla and fills her in on what he has learned. "Mediogalti, curious place that"
-Posted with Wayfinder
Lyla |
Knowledge (local): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17
"Isn't it? And the Jeggare want to establish a trade route there. Anyway, that doesn't help us right now." Her train of thought is suddenly interrupted by Zellara calling out to her. She sits up with a look of surprise on her face, and then swiftly hops off of the chair. "Let's go, slim. Zellara wants to talk to us right now. Let's meet the others at her place." She picks ups the change from the counter and stuffs the coins in her pocket before heading out the door.
Lyla |
"Well, Demitri and Karri are pretty much living at Zellara's, so they're probably already there. Ortik usually hangs with the Forgotten Folk, so maybe we should stop by and check if he's there before heading back." Nalun's reaction to the mention of the dead harrower reminds Lyla that he never had the chance to meet Zellara; with that in mind, she tries to explain the situation. "Alright, you don't know Madame Zellara. She's our—wait for it—ghost fortune teller." The girl lets the phrase hang in the air during a dramatic pause, letting the information sink in. "She's the one who got us together in the first place... you see, we were all screwed by Gaedren Lamm at some point, and so was she—the guy killed her son and, well, he killed her too. But her spirit lingers on inn her house and in here," she explains removing the harrow deck from one of her pockets. "She introduced us to each other—me, Karri, Demitri, Ortik and this other guy you don't know—wonder whatever happened to Jacob... guess he went back to his regular life after rescuing his sister...—anyway, that's Zellara, our very own Varisian fairy godmother, if you will. And she just told me that she needs to perform a reading for us."
-------------------------------
After clearing things up, Lyla leads the way to Old Hartleby's camp; walking side by side with Nalun, she spends time chatting casually and getting to know the man a little better. Not big on small talk herself, the halfling girl appreciates Nalun's straightforward demeanor.
Once they arrive at the Forgotten Folk camp, she asks around for Ortik, and is promptly forwarded to Hartleby's house. She looks at Nalun with a know-it-all grin on her face. "Told you he'd be here." The girl knocks on the door and cries out to her dwarf friend. "Hey, Ortik! We're going back to Zellara's, we need you to come with us! It's important... I think! Hey, are you in there?"
-------------------------------
Having recruited Ortik, she goes back to Zellara's to meet the rest of the group. After a quick greeting, she climbs one chair and puts the harrow deck on the table. "Guys, it looks like Z wants to have a word with us."
Lyla |
Lyla raises an eyebrow. "Yeah, probably the plague. She seemed worried, she doesn't usually reach out like that... like, she specifically told me she wanted to perform a reading. Usually what I get from her are more like emotions and stuff, but not messages like that. Must be important." The girl stares at the deck restlessly fiddling her fingers. "Actually, I was expecting that she'd materialize as soon as I put the deck down, so this is kind of anticlimatic for me..."
Madame Zellara |
"Did you now?" Zellara's voice rings in Lyla's ear. The ghostly fortune-teller is leaning next to the halfling.
"At any rate, thank you for coming together here..." She waves her hand at her Harrow deck and beckons for the party to gather around.
With a snap of her fingers, the deck flies apart and cards whirl around the room, almost faster than the eye can see. It continues for a few short moments, then the cards reform into the deck. Nine cards float from the deck and lay face down on the table.
"Please, each of you choose one."
Madame Zellara |
Zellara flips the cards you chose over.
Nalun's card is The Tangled Briar.
"Mmm. The Tangled Briar is a card that is symbolic of ancient deeds. It indicates the significance of a person or object from long ago, and that said person or object will have great influence on this situation. It usually means the object or person will be lost or murdered in some fashion." Zellara purses her lips. "Not the best of starts, but there you go."
Demitri's card is The Trumpet.
"The Trumpet, Demitri, is a card that is a declaration of power. It is an archon, a powerful force for good that throws itself into the thick of the worst situations imaginable, and damns the consequences." Zellara smiles and says nothing more.
Karri's card is The Teamster.
"The Teamster is a card that is symbolic of a driving external force that keeps someone going, no matter what comes their way. It can come from a physical or mental source, and can be for good or evil purposes."
Lyla's card is The Waxworks.
Zellara's face turns grim. "The Waxworks... a card symbolic of helplessness. A man's mind may be willing, but his flesh is frozen in terror. It's a card of torture & imprisonment, signifying paralysis of a literal or metaphorical sort."
Ortik's card is The Mountain Man.
"Hmm... the Mountain Man signifies an encounter with a physical power beyond one's control. It could take the form of an army, an earthquake, or something similar. Acquiescing to it may be wise, but surviving it is always of paramount importance."
With that, she begins shuffling anew...
Card 2 Suit: 1d6 ⇒ 4 Books
Card 3 Suit: 1d6 ⇒ 4 Books
Card 4 Suit: 1d6 ⇒ 6 Crowns
Card 5 Suit: 1d6 ⇒ 4 Books
Card 6 Suit: 1d6 ⇒ 4 Books
Card 7 Suit: 1d6 ⇒ 6 Crowns
Card 8 Suit: 1d6 ⇒ 3 Shields
Card 9 Suit: 1d6 ⇒ 5 Stars
Card 1 Alignment: 1d9 ⇒ 9 CE
Card 2 Alignment: 1d9 ⇒ 5 N
Card 3 Alignment: 1d9 ⇒ 7 LE
Card 4 Alignment: 1d9 ⇒ 4 LN
Card 5 Alignment: 1d9 ⇒ 5 N
Card 5 Alignment Reroll: 1d9 ⇒ 6 CN
Card 6 Alignment: 1d9 ⇒ 9 CE
Card 7 Alignment: 1d9 ⇒ 2 NG
Card 8 Alignment: 1d9 ⇒ 6 CN
Card 9 Alignment: 1d9 ⇒ 1 LG
Madame Zellara |
The Cyclone (Opposite Match!)
The Foreign Trader (Partial Match)
The Rakshasa (True Match!)
----------------
Present Column
The Marriage
The Vision
The Snakebite (Partial Match)
----------------
Future Column
The Theatre (Partial Match)
The Mountain Man (Role Card True Match!)
The Winged Serpent (Opposite Match!)
When Zellara stops shuffling her deck, she looks down at it with glowing blue eyes. She raises a hand, and the top nine cards of the deck lift off and arrange themselves in a nine-by-nine grid.
"First, let us see what the past had to offer us..."
The top left card turns over.
"The Cyclone, is it? A card normally symbolic of a force that destroys all in its path. This normally doesn't stem from the natural order, but from the plots of other intelligent beings." The fortuneteller taps her finger against her cheek. "However, it is an opposite match--this means that you all underwent a period of renewal after a difficult trial. All the madness that happened in the wake of King Eodred's death would be a prime example of such a trial, wouldn't it?"
The middle left card turns over.
"The Foreign Trader. A card of spies and peddlers." Zellara folds her arms. "This card deals with anyone who trades information for services--a bargain made in accordance with this card always comes true, but sometimes it does so in ways neither party ever intended."
The bottom left card flips over.
Zellara's eyes widen and her face pales. "The Rakshasa… again? How many times has this card come up now? As always, it's symbolic of slavery in a mental or physical form… and this is the third time I've seen this card arrive in the spread. This is the first time, however, I've seen it as a True Match… it means that someone powerful is under the control of an external force."
She turns to the middle column. "Now, as for the p-present…" She takes a breath and snaps her fingers.
The top centre card flips over.
Zellara breathes a sigh of relief. "The Marriage? This is a card that symbolizes the union of people, ideas, kingdoms and the like. See the child of the water weird & the salamander there?" She points out the baby in the diving helmet. "It symbolizes the possibility of new power coming forth from the union… for better or for worse. This is a card of permanent change, and considering it's in the Positive Present portion of the spread, the union is for the better." She gives the party another look. "I wonder if it pertains to your friendships…"
She turns back to the spread, and the central card flips over.
"Ah--The Vision is a card of arcane knowledge. Normally, it's symbolic of an encounter with madness or cryptic words. Odds are, an encounter with a genius or a madman is in your future."
The bottom centre card turns over.
Zellara winces. "The Snakebite… a symbol of poison in any form. The poison on the blade there represents the death of ideas and freedom, and turning friendships into bitter hatreds. I fear that with this sickness in the city, very drastic measures will be taken to contain it… keep your personal freedoms close, and never give them up."
"Now, what does the far future hold?" Zellara asks, turning over the top right card.
"Well, some good news at last." The fortuneteller scratches her head. "A card of prophecy, and in this case, a good one. The puppets act out a scene, and the prophet watches everything unfold. I believe this means everything will work out for the better in the end."
The middle right card turns over.
Zellara gives Ortik a knowing look. "It appears that you'll cross paths with a power beyond your control, Ortik. Whether it'll work out for the better or not isn't certain yet, but I have faith that you'll be able to survive it."
The bottom right card turns over.
"Oh… The Winged Serpent?" Zellara leans forward, interested. "A powerful being that bridges the gap between Knowledge & Wisdom. Unfortunately, it's an opposite match--meaning that a moment will come when someone will seize a moment in time to act, trying to effect change for the better. Suffice to say, it'll end very poorly for them."
She purses her lips and waves her hand. The cards return to the deck. A feeling of destiny settles on the party. It feels like the ghostly fortuneteller has pulled a few strings on Fate's harp to give you an edge.
Each PC gains 2 Harrow Points! I've put up what you can do with them in the Campaign Info tab.
Karri Chouk |
Rakshasa? You are powerful. Is this petty spook agreeing that I control you? Is she saying this is all your fault?
Karri shakes her head and Kasdaye goes silent. "Does this mean this plague was planned, that our little union here will fight it, but we will fail for lack of knowledge and wisdom?" She goes a little pale at the last bit, and her eyes go distant. [I]If that is true, it will be you that failed; I offer so much wise counsel.[/I
Madame Zellara |
"I do not know." Zellara sighs. "But I fear it will come to pass as such. Unless any of you can find out more about what is causing this plague to spread, I'm certain it will consume this place entirely." She gives Nadia a worried look, causing the girl to shrink away.
"Do not act in haste--if you do, many more lives may be put in danger. Be prepared to have your personal freedoms put in jeopardy, and never lose sight of your goals. The cards claim things will work out for the better."
She looks back at her deck, and draws the Rakshasa card from it again. "Why is this card coming up so often?" She asks, more to herself than anyone else.
Nalun Elzrahar |
Nalun also doesn't know what is going on, but he is sure at least *one* of these people is completely insane. He fears it might be himself....for sticking around with them.
Nalun cannot help but wonder if his card is tied to Trinia...he thought he sent her to safety, but where is safe? He'd have to check on his contacts in Absalom, make absolutely certain she was ok.
Karri Chouk |
Karri doesn't make eye contact with anyone in the room, she says, "Legion is the thing that I am. It's the power that I wield." She chokes up, not able to find the right words to explain to Lyla (and Nalun, guessing by the look on his face) what Legion is.
Hahahahaha!!!
Lyla |
"Like, your magic comes from voices in your head, then?" Lyla asks smiling sideways. It takes a moment for her to grasp the severity of the subject, and as she becomes aware that her joke could be mistaken for mockery, the girl's face turns red while she sinks in her chair. "Oh. Sorry." She thinks of the card Zellara drew for her, The Waxworks, and its meaning. Torture and imprisonment. Lyla raises her eyes to meet Karri's. "What does it tell you, this Legion?"
Karri Chouk |
"Thank you." Karri tries to smile, but her heart is clearly not in it. "They showed me in dreams that this was coming. They hint that it is my doing. I doubt that, mostly, but I don't doubt that Zellara brought us here to help, and as long as I control my body, I will help Korvosa..." She stops abruptly, her eyes flashing glowing green for a moment. "...and I still do - you would do well to remember that!" A sheen of sweat breaks out across her brow. As if the outburst had never happened, Karri continues, "...help Korvosa to get passed even a plague. I have made promises." She nods to Madame Zellara, then to Demitri.
Dragoncat |
Moving along.
Zellara fades away, her deck glowing briefly before returning to normal.
If anyone else has other conversations or such to add, please put them in spoilers for yesterday.
-------------------------
Starday, 4th of Pharast, 4711 AR
The morning is heralded by bouts of coughing and cries of pain from outdoors. A loud rapping can be heard from one of the windows of Zellara's home--a very worried Majenko has a scroll in his mouth.
Ortik Gutterrat |
"Wait, Karri - Legion is showing you these visions of plague?", Ortik says, concerned. "My mentor, Hartleby, has also been receiving visions warning of ill tidings. The city has often whispered to him, but never so often, and never so strongly as it has in the last month. The two might be connected. His vision was that of a hippogriff dying of festering wounds. What was yours?"
Karri Chouk |
Karri frowns in what could be construed as condescension. "No, Legion and the city are not the same thing. My nightmare" dream "was of the harbor filled with corpses." Not going to tell him how excited you are about all these fleshlings capering to their rewards while you live on, strong as you are? "We have to find a way to help, but I don't think just curing the sick will be enough. I don't have any good ideas for how to help." She holds up her hands, showing how helpless she feels in the face of such a degree of death.
Lyla |
After Zellara's reading, Lyla excuses herself and heads to her family's newly rented house. Once there, she explains to them the situation concerning the plague and gives instructions to keep everyone safe. Leaving enough supplies for the next days, she bids them good night and goes back to Althea's to spend the night. She finds the old lady working late, brewing ointments and remedies; she, too has tended to some of the sick, and the two spend a little time talking about their day before Lyla heads to bed, exhausted. Unlike her regular mornings, when the girl has a lot of trouble gathering the strength to stave off the sleepiness and get up, she springs out of bed as soon as the sun enters her room, restless about the whole situation. She prepares her gear and goes back to Zellara's, where the group should be making plans for the day.
She enters Zellara's living room to find Demitri, Karri, and Majenko watching Nalun unroll a scroll. "What's new?"
Ortik Gutterrat |
"Never suggested they were, Karri," Ortik says, bristling at the sorceress' ice. "But they're both giving vague whispers of a bad future, and we'd all be fools to ignore such portents. As for curing the sick, that's neither of our specialties. That's in more capable, and smaller, hands than ours."
Lyla |
"A note? Is this it?", she asks, snatching the scroll from Nalun's hands. She reads the message with growing concern. "Uh-oh. It's Soldado's niece." She raises her head and looks at the group. "She's getting worse. I'll go check on her again. If you wanna come, this is a good opportunity to see what we're up against."
Dragoncat |
Once preparations have been made, Lyla (and anyone else who wishes to go with her) sets out for the Soldado home.
The streets leading there look even worse off than they were yesterday. Poor men and women shuffle about, keeping to the sides of the street, coughing into their dirty sleeves and scratching at the sores on their necks. The sickness afflicting them seems to have spread to their other extremities--the rash that once was visible on their necks has spread to their arms and legs in red, angry blotches. The other people on the street who are still healthy are giving the coughing, rash-ridden ones as wide a berth as possible. Some of them are muttering prayers under their breath as they go.
When Lyla & company reach the Soldado home, the first thing they notice is a heated argument between the good sergeant and a familiar priest of Abadar on the house's front doorstep. Sergeant Soldado is looking even more harried than when Lyla last saw him, and Acolyte Dhatri looks even more torn. The priest is trying his best to calm the man down...
"I can't believe you, Ishani. I thought we were friends--"
"Grau, please, I understand how difficult this is, but--"
"No, you clearly don't. If you did, you'd actually HELP me instead of trying to bleed my sister's wallet dry for a f@~#ing stupid reason."
"Grau, this isn't as simple as healing a cut or a bruise--curing a disease this bad requires more of the Golden One's favour than that. And the tenets of His faith dictate--"
"Ishani, she's a child!"
Suffice to say, he's not doing a good job of it.
Demitri Severin |
"I believe everyone should stay calm." Demitri says to the pair though he doesn't think he would be calm if it was Nadia. He was just glad she was spending time with Majenko. The pseudodragon deserved a raise or just pay in general. He will have to get something for the little creature.