Looking around, you notice three potential picks of transportation.
The first is a wagon drawn by two old horses, carrying hay. This appears to be going in the direction of the shield tower.
The second is a plate-mail wearing Shield dwarf riding a massive stallion and keeping an eye on the city. The horse is clearly large enough to carry two, even if one is Grellik.
The third, near The White-Winged Griffon hostel you see several horses tied up outside.
"These half-loyal bartenders? Hah!" Retargard says, and climbs over the remaining barricades (leaving one between you and him) for you to speak to him quietly.
"You idiot! What are you doing?" cries one of the bowmen.
Retargrad nods his head along with Cavell's story. "It is clear then, come. I'll escort you swiftly to the Waterbaron's aid. He hasn't been feeling well this morning, but I'm sure he'll see you. Hand the antidote here, I'll protect it with my life until I get it to the Waterbaron."
The bowmen seem to have issue with this. "What?! You're probably infected now, you can't just come back this way! Stay there or we'll shoot you all down!"
My dear Waterbaron,
Mission at Shield Tower successful.
Find me for more.
Much love,
AC, BS.
"No no, he's not sick any worse than usual. Lord Amberglow is just not well generally." Retargard says somberly.
"Don't ignore us, we'll fire I swear it! Don't be an idiot, Retargard, we can't let you back now!" one bowman cries. "Step over that barricade and we'll put arrows into you!" they are clearly afraid of potentially getting infected.
Retardgard waits for Cavell to finish scratching onto the vial, clearly worries that his pressure would be to much and the Waterbaron's sample broken. He takes it gently from the crooked bogshark, and places it within a belt pouch.
Grellik taps Trissae on the shoulder on gestures toward the horses with his thumb
Getting closer to The White-Winged Griffon, you can make more out about the building and the horses.
You can smell the building as you near, distinct from the horses outside. A subtle smell of rot and piss flavors the air around it. The building itself is a creaking, neglected mess. It looks like it should have blown down during the recent storm. The lawn is unmaintained and the door hangs, slanted on creaking hinges, unshut. Windows with broken panes of glass stand shuttered against the outside world in this squat, one floor building.
The horses outside are tethered to a rotting rail, but they are standing there patiently and occasionally drinking from a trough instead of breaking the rail and running to freedom. There are four horses, and like the building itself, most of them look to be rather cheap beasts. One clearly stands out from the others, a healthier, rust-colored mare that appears to be the only one capable of supporting Grellik's considerable size for any amount of time.
Grellik whispers to Triss, "Start untying them, I will double check the building;hopefully it is unoccupied as well as derelict, but somehow I am not so sure."
And unless Trissae objects, he will approach the building stealthily.
After Adrien scratches on the vial and Retargrad takes it, he turns to the group of archers. "You will all stand down! This is the best chance we have for making sure this disease is done for good! You fear it? Then let us pass so we can kill it!"
The group of archers seem nearly swayed by the man's diplomacy, but their bows stay steady. They are clearly still too scared to cave.
This White-Winged Griffon is a currently active hostel. Though frequented by more rats than people, you would expect these horses to belong to the patrons of this cheap but flea bitten place. It is run by two decrepit old brothers with nearly no sense left in them. It is a dirty, poorly maintained hole in the city that turns no one away.
With the bowmen still not giving in to let them pass, Ozz vents all of his frustration, built from the last week or so, at them in his loudest voice.
"Put your f#*&ing bows down, man-pups, or we'll tear you apart to accomplish our goals!" he bellows in a seething growl.
Ozz's rage-fueled shouts seem to do nothing more than reinforce their need to wield weapon against you. Their finger's continue to hold their drawn arrows, their points pointing at the group of you, though some shift their aim from person to person (none at Coin, however).
"Grell hun, I won't stop you from going in there but I'd suggest against it... you might catch something from the air. I can assure you it is quite.. ahem, occupied." She chuckles to herself and heads to the horses to try and get the sturdiest one untied for Grellik to use.
"Just keep an eye out incase one of the patrons heads this way." she says out of the corner of her mouth as she uses her dagger and hands to try and undo the knots.
"If you stand in the way of the Waterbaron, there will be no mercy for you disloyal cowards."
He looks genuinely eager to fight, and has a surprising grace and fluidity in his handling of the bow that was hidden in his noble-merchant guise.
Beyond the strong, rusty mare, there are three horses. Each of these other appear at first glance to be at about the same general health.
One is all black except for white socks. The next has an uneven, calico coat. The final is white, with a braided mane.
The knots are easy enough things untied. Consider it a couple of standard actions to undo the knots, a single one if you cut the reigns.
At Cavell's words, the youngest bowman flinches, his bow firing. A heartbeat later, the other two follow suit. Luckily for Cavell, none had been currently aiming at him.
Two arrows strike the tunnel walls near Ozz, missing entirely.
The final arrow shatters off of Retargrad's breastplate.
Cavell will take a shot at the bowman who hit Retargrad.
Ozz will draw his axe, and carefully move toward the archers, over the barricades.
Ozz climbs over the first barricade, squeezing past Adrien to do so.
Adrien launches his arrow at the most steadfast of the three, injuring him severely with an arrow to the shoulder.
Coin hustled down to the torch and grinds it against the stone floor, putting it out. The right side of the tunnel descends into darkness.
Retargrad yells "Don't kill them, they're scared fools, not traitors!" and then he speaks once more, and his voice resonates through the dark tunnel toward the illuminated archers with a commanding presence beyond mundane means.
he says while climbing over the next barricade.
The youngest archer, and the other uninjured one stand for a moment, compelled by commanding voice. The non-youth, however, breaks himself free from the enchantment, and he fires upon the man, injuring him slightly.
The injured archer turns and flees down the corridor, shouting for help, and disappears around the bend.
Ozz continues and climbs over the next barricade as well, and spitefully stays silent to Retargrad's request.
Cavell fires at the uninjured man, trying to avoid a lethal hit. (shoulder, arm, etc)
He lets Trissae get to work, keeping lookout
Trissae unties the big guy and one of the ones directly adjacent to it and begins to lead them over toward Grellik.
In a whispered tone she says "It's a den of lust." She stifles a chuckle as her words blend with the idea presented by Grell. she shakes her head to chase the image off, then holds the reigns of the big guy out to him.
"I hope that knight training prepared you for riding a horse." She says with a wink.
Grellik says as he mounts up, "I am no expert, but it is not the first time one of the poor beasts has been burdened with my weight."
Once Trissae is mounted on hers(or as soon as he is on his, if she is faster :D), he will ride hard to the tower.
As the two of them begin riding off she turns to Grellik. "So the plan is that I'm going to sneak back in to the Shield Tower, if need be, the other day we had a portable distraction dropped off and I need to see if it's still there." She clears her throat and looks ahead to make sure their way is unobstructed before continuing.
"The problem here is there's no time or way I can convincingly get you in there with me. However, if things turn sour I will likely need your help getting out. We'll have to stop early and find some place to momentarily hide for me to make my change so I can get in."
She glances over at him again. "I know you don't like the idea of sitting idly by while I leap back into the lion's den so I'm all ears if you have a better idea, but at the moment this is the best one I have." She says in a less-than confident tone.
The other archers take non-fatal injuries, and themselves run away, following the first.
Retargrad continues climbing over the barricades. "Thank you, for not killing any of them." he says as he does so. "We can take another side passage out nearer to the Waterbaron's Hall instead of going through the busier areas."
Taking the rust colored, and the white, braided-mane horses, you mount up and start on your way. You talk for a moment, making plans before you start riding hard so conversation could be had before the jarring, saddleless bouncing of a horse exerting itself.
After Trissae's last comment, you both hear something behind you.
"Hey!" comes a gravely, croaking voice.
Looking back, you see someone carrying a red and black saddle and blanket. They're wearing a dark cloak, their face a shadow in their hood under the bright morning sun, and their physique is slender, almost feminine but without any shapely curves. You can see studded leather armor under the cloak, and a sword at the hip (something similar to Cavell's blade).
The figure it running to catch up with you, and is currently 80 feet away.
"What have you need of, stranger? We can brook little delay."
Trissae too stops her horse, on the far side of Grellik to the stranger, and awaits their response to Grell's hail.
With everyone over the barricades, Retargrad leads you down the tunnel, which eventually branches off several times. You quickly pass by an open door, where one of the three bowmen had retreated to. This room has a Shield of Yartar as well as a couple of other capable looking adventurer sorts (like the bowmen). They turn to face you as you pass, the frantic alarm the bowmen had been giving dying in his throat upon seeing you.
"Arrest him for obstructing the Waterbaron's orders." Retargrad says to the Shield inside. "I've got these three in my protective custody, the rest of you guard the tunnel." The group inside seem to take Retargrad's orders as you move on, and arrest the bowmen over his feeble protests.
These tunnels seem like they could act as a small maze if you weren't used to them, indeed Retargrad seems to lose his barrings once. He reorients himself and you pass near a tunnel that has the sounds of bubbling conversation, near where more doors are set into the tunnels. He takes a side passage away from the conversation and the babble of talk and laughter dies away.
He takes you down another tunnel similar to the one you found under the tool shed in the park and uses a torch to light the way. With no quarantine barricade in sight in this tunnel, you reach a ladder.
"Here we are." he says, and begins to climb the ladder.
Without any hesitation or remorse, the Bogsharks break quarantine out into the city streets knowing full well that there is the chance that they are allowing the disease to spread. You climb into an alley from an opening under a metal cover and behind some large crates, and after Retargrad helps you all up into the daylight of the city begins walking again. You do not currently recognize where in the city you are.
The hooded person runs up to about 30 feet away before slowing to a stop. They catch their breath for only a moment (they seem to be having difficulties breathing and speaking clearly) and then addresses the Drow herself while ignoring the large brute on the rusty horse with their creaking, sickly voice.
They speak only a couple of words (in what sounds like Elven) before coughing heavily. They then gesture with the saddle they are carrying as a point of emphasis.
In elven: "My horses."
Cavell follows down the tunnels quietly, saying nothing. When he sees the bowman being arrested, he chides, "Sorry lad, next time follow orders." He smirks behind Retargrad's back.
Once they emerge onto the street, Cavell says to Retargrad, "A moment please." He turns to Coin and Ozz. "Meet me at the original plan, I'll join you after."
He turns back to Retargrad. "Let's go."
Once they have walked for awhile and the Waterbaron's hall is in sight, Cavell will lag slightly behind Retargrad then attempt to slip away.
Trissae trots forward towards the person and offers her hand out.
"Hop on." She'll wait and gauge the person's reaction and reiterate the offer in elven if need be. The body language Triss is expressing is one of haste.
Ozz follows right on Adrien's heels as they go through the tunnel. He gives the injured bowman a baleful look as they move on.
He nods at Adrien, and makes himself scarce with Coin, disappearing from his sight.
Getting out into the city streets from the alley, you are able to get your bearings rather quickly from the sight of the one-person gallows on top of the wall; you are rather near the eastern gate. You can see only two guards standing near the gallows. It seems as if it has yet to be used, and people in this area aren't milling around waiting, at least not yet (there is a lot more area that can view the execution here, so reserving a good seat isn't a problem).
The people on this side of the quarantine seem agitated, but unlike the other side they still seem to be functioning, more or less, as normal. Shops are open, people are making a trade, and rumors abound about what is going on inside of the quarantine. Talk of the execution can be heard, but is a topic of less excitement then the plague afflicting nearly half of the city. You hear some complaining from people that the Waterbaron has temporarily shut down traffic in and out of the city, shutting the gates, just as a precaution.
With Ozz and Coin leaving him, Adrien follows Retargrad for a short time until you can see the Waterbaron's Hall (A large, three story, stone structure that is formidable looking, yet also with a sense of noble elegance) and he makes himself scarce. Retargrad's voice, who had been talking to Adrien, continues on unaware of getting ditched.
"Ah, not long now. Once I take you to the Lord Amberglow, I wouldn't be surprised if you had to wait for a moment for him to be roused, but worry not, he is still entirely lucid and capable. I'll make sure to take this vial to the waterbaron first thing so that..."
You both pick up that while the stranger doesn't seem especially keen on undercommon, the gesture is understood. They give a hesitating glance toward the white, braided-mane horse, but then shrugs and take's Trissae's hand, mounting the horse behind her. They put but the saddle between themselves and Triss, but then holds tight around her.
As you near the figure and help them up, you are able to pierce the shadow of their hood. It is a human woman, a bit ambiguously featured, and haggard of some ill-health. Her face is drawn and pale, and upon the side of her jaw are four, bluish scars in parallel, claw-like lines. She is strangely light for even her slender figure. You imagine that she hasn't been eating, and her physique would be even more diminished when not concealed by armor and cloak.
You recognize her, or at least her description. Her real name is not know, but she commonly goes by Sapphire. She is known as a crafty assassin that hung out with a mercenary party called "The 6 Shepherds", or simply The Shepherds. They work around the savage frontier and had several holy-men of different gods amongst them. Her affiliation with the mercenaries is past tense, as it was assumed The Shepherds were all dead or retired as of several months ago, her included. One of their corpses, a Paladin of Amaunator, was discovered in Yartar around then, partially incinerated.
Did he notice any of the figures features as they hopped on the horse?
Cavell walks towards the gallows, scanning the layout of the streets, and looking for the likely route up to the gallows that the condemned 'Shark would be brought. Into a tower and up a spiral staircase to reach the walltop? Up a regular outdoor staircase along the wall? He also keeps an eye out for Coin and Ozz.
Grellik, all you are able to see is a flash inside of the hood (capable only because of your dark vision) as they climb onto Trissae's horse. It is a sickly human woman.
With the mysterious woman mounted securely(ish) behind Trissae (Unless she has changed her mind?), the reorient yourself to your purpose.
Near the shut and guarded eastern gate is a smallish building built into the wall, and made out of the same stone. You recognize this to not only be the entry way up onto the wall at this point, but also as a small garrison for the Shields to fortify the wall with archers if the need were to arise. A Shield stands outside of it.
While keeping an eye out for Ozz, you notice him lurking casually (but tensely) nearby, about 150 feet away up the road, looking as if he were trying to spot you amidst the moving people. Coin is not with him.
You also hear, and then quickly see, Retargrad pushing his way frantically past people, looking around with an expression of pale horror and panic. "Make way, make way!" he cries, as he looks first in one direction, and then another, clearly trying to find something. He lingers on the street and apparently misses both you and Ozz before moving on down a side road and out of sight.
Trissae pats the woman's hands to indicate to hold firm before rallying the horse to haste, giving Grell little more than a glance as if to say "follow me".
She pushes the horse forward until the Shield Tower is in view, then she ducks the horse away out of view just north of it. She slows the horse to a trot before stopping it near some foliage and dismounts.
Turning to the woman she bows her head. "My lady, if only I had the time I would have such questions... Please allow me.." She holds her hand to take the woman's:
Either way Triss will then wait for a response from the woman (or Grell).
A quick, 5 minute ride was all it took to get to your location near the tower. The woman's hands nearly faltered around Trissae once or twice, but the woman always managed to redouble her efforts and hang on.
The woman seems a bit less than lucid after dismounting, but doesn't stop Trissae from doing her gesture. Upon receiving the bag of gold, she looks down at the drow with a look of such confusion.
"... That... That music... What..?" she says, creakily, before passing out.
She falls in the alley you are in, her hood falling in the process.
She has shortly cut, probably recently shaven, hair, and four bluish, parallel, claw-like lines on one side of her jaw. Besides that, she is tough looking, but very thin, possibly emaciated with some sickness.
Quickly Trissae responds to the fainting woman by catching her, slowly lowering her into her own lap and cradling her head with her hand. She glances over at Grellik with a mixed look of awe and confusion.
"She's an assassin of some renown. When I offered her the ride it was only because it was the only path I saw where she would understand we don't intend to keep the beasts indefinitely while also continuing to move forward."
Her gaze turns back toward the woman, the expression changing to concern.
"Realizing who she is, and the last thing she said... We could not have run into her by chance. I'm sure this is a sign from the goddess."
Looking again to Grell, then toward the direction of the tower.
"Grell, can you scout out ahead and see if the barrel containing the rotten booze is still near at hand? I can't spare too much time, but I must try to revive her and get some answers." She then begins rifling through her bag to pull free the waterskin if it is still there. She will then try to gingerly awaken the woman either by coaxing her with the liquid at her lips or gently rocking her and calling out quietly "Sapphire... Sapphire wake up!"
Grellik ducks out of the alley toward the tower, scanning for the poisoned boozehol.
"Where's Coin?"
Ozz gives a small, worried grin upon seeing Cavell approach him. He looks back in the direction of the gate, and it's clear that he had been sizing it up as well. "He said he's meeting up with the rest of his gang at a place by the pickle shop."
His face frowns slightly with distaste. "No idea where that is... Thatish way, at least." Ozz gestures south west.
Dannath’s Pickles, Nuts, & Foods, spot (3) on the Yartar map.
As Grellik runs off to check out the backup distraction at the Tower, you start your attempts to rouse Sapphire.
It takes a short moment to do so, and the water seemed to be the trick that did it. Her eyes fly open, and her arms wrap around you as you are in turn wrapped around her to rock her. Her grasp is firm, but not threatening. She uses your weight to pull herself up enough to croak into your ear, her voice faltering to the point where you aren't sure if she has long left to live. You think these might very well be her final words.
"..t.trayed... b.trayed... Hired to... to recov.rr an art.ffct." she creaks out. The smell of her is potent from long months of living rough, but the will behind her quiet words keeps you fixated to each croaking syllable.
"Man... limping man... Said name... N.med Br.n... Brun..." she coughs and tries again. "Brundon... l.mping man... Deep p.ckets... Vera..."
Veratalis is another woman, an elf and one of the shepherds who died many years ago, and was replaced afterward with another divine mercenary type. She uses this name as if she thinks this is who she is currently speaking to.
"... 'm sorry... I knew some..ng was wrong. Stayed back when we gave him .he ar.fac... He use it on them... Coul.n. save them... been trying to av... avenge... Limping man... couldn.. find... In Yar.. Yartar... As sure as Mask will let me... be..."
She pants to catch her breath, and pulls back from your ear, looking you in the eye. She looks very weak, and not very lucid.
You can tell she is breathing her final breaths. Something has been slowing killing her, something that you have no magics strong enough to fix. Some sort of wasting thing. You think she probably has enough time left to answer maybe a couple of questions, but expect that doing so will take the last of her strength.
Remembering the stories of the others, you know that the wagon with the large barrel of bad booze is inside the walls of the Shield Tower.
Approaching the tower, you notice something strange. No men are standing at the outer gate, and stranger still, no guard is manning the balcony. You have a clear approach to either the Tower's front door, or better yet, to the gate bars through which you might be able to spot your goal within the yard.
You also spot a nearby two-floored building that might give you enough of a view over the wall to see the yard if you were to check from either the upper windows or even the roof.