Sgt. Drakus |
Unsettled by his bad dream, Sgt. Drakus stops to look up at the citadel of the Marshal, just to make sure it was still there.
Shaking his head at the foolishness, he marches off to the meeting.
Gregor Ward |
I had to read it a few times, but by the fact that it's italicized makes me think that we all dreamt of the meeting ending in so many dead. I think we just woke up the day of the meeting, having dreamed the deaths.
Save vs 1st Negative level 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21
Save vs 2nd Negative level 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19
Even with the disturbing images that plagued his rest, Gregor is able to recover well from the effect that the vampire had used to weaken him so badly. He wakes early, performs his exercises, shines his boots, and spends a little time trying to steam his tabard. Once he is recovered and dressed accordingly, he grabs some bread and fruit, and makes his way to where he will meet with the others. He only hopes that these dreams were not premonitory. He worries that there could be too many lives at stake in his rush to issue orders during times of trouble.
DM X |
You slept, had the dreams. Then you met with the Ratcatchers, who told you of the encounter, that there's no need for you to go see the wererats, since they're dead or fled.
Sorry for the confusion, looks like I was more tired than I thought I was when I wrote that message.
Gregor Ward |
I thought we told them to lead us to the ratmen. We didn't want them to go get them, or bring them to us. They weren't supposed to go until they took us with them this morning.
DM X |
I thought we told them to lead us to the ratmen. We didn't want them to go get them, or bring them to us. They weren't supposed to go until they took us with them this morning.
There had been a second group already in the sewers, these ones were celebrating, but there were the others already inside.
DM X |
This is just one of the side stories, so it turning out this way is minor, but there will be noticeable effects from all your actions, or in actions. Since I'm out of the contest, I'm not having to worry about designing for that now. Though I do have games to run at GamerCon in San Diego on the 9th/10th. After that I'm good for around a month, so I should be able to really catch up then.
DM X |
As you sit pondering the situation with the wererats, you hear a loud banging on the door.
Well met my friends, I hope the day finds you in good spirits, I've heard of your exploits at Racker's Alley, good show. On to the reason I write this letter. I have heard a woman named Vendra has discovered a cure for Blood Veil, if so we need this cure. The Church is offering 1000gold to your team to investigate this cure.
Ishani
Sgt. Drakus |
Sgt. Drakus looks around, but since no one else seemed to be going to open the door, he gets up with a grunt picks up his tankard and goes to open it.
A plainly dressed messenger stands at the door, "I have a message for Sergeant Drakus" The messenger says with a well-educated accent.[/b] He's holding out a leather scroll-tube with Abadaran seals on either end.
Drakus blinks a little before saying; "Yeah, that's me."
Taking the scroll tube, he goes back the table to open it.
The letter bears a golden wax seal of The Church of Abadar. Opening the letter you readWell met my friends, I hope the day finds you in good spirits, I've heard of your exploits at Racker's Alley, good show. On to the reason I write this letter. I have heard a woman named Vendra has discovered a cure for Blood Veil, if so we need this cure. The Church is offering 1000gold to your team to investigate this cure.
Ishani
Drakus grinne broadly; "Hey that's good news. We got a lead on a cure!" He takes a swig.
Sgt. Drakus |
Drakus' face clouds over as he takes another drink. He flips the scroll to see if there is more on the back.
"Just a name though. Going door to door asking after a particular woman is gonna take time."
DM X |
Actually finding out about Vendra is pretty easy, you spend about an hour talking to people, You hear that the woman has a cure, that the line is 2 blocks long outside of "Lavender"...While Nik'o runs into someone who knows a guy who knows a guy...
nice roll...you find out lots:
Lavender, one of the better-known and noted perfume boutiques in Korvosa, stands amid a row of tightly packed shops just off of Summoning Street. Owned by an opportunistic Chelaxian woman named Vendra Loaggri, the perfumery has always had a reputation for avant garde creations and brazen promotions—infamous memories of the “Free Imp with Every Purchase” stunt still linger among residents of the Heights.
The Cure:
Lavender’s Luxuriant Liniment is the everyday elixir of the common Korvosan. It wakes you up in the morning and calms you down at night. It soothes aching joints, tired feet, sore hands, and throbbing heads. It takes the pain out of cuts, burns, bruises, and blemishes. It smells
like chastity, confidence, and respectability, and tastes like honeyed dewdrops over snow clouds. Most miraculously, though, Lavender’s Luxuriant Liniment dispels blisters, minimizes swelling, calms the complexion, and erases all symptoms of the common blood veil complaint.
You guys thought I was busy before? I'm glad I didn't make Top32, or I would have missed out writing the Equipment chapter for Interface Zero 2.0 that's coming out...bad thing is that it's 30k words in 5 weeks!!! (that's been several 2AM night already, but the line developer is pretty awesome.) Good news is...I'll be an official RPG freelancer. Woot.
Nik'o |
Nik'o smiles at them when she comes back, making a grand entrance as she recites the lines she'd been fed:
"Lavender’s Luxuriant Liniment
is the everyday elixir of the common Korvosan.
It wakes you up in the morning
and calms you down at night.
It soothes aching joints, tired feet,
sore hands, and throbbing heads.
It takes the pain out of cuts, burns,
bruises, and blemishes.
It smells like chastity, confidence, and respectability,
and tastes like honeyed dewdrops over snow clouds.
Most miraculously, though,
Lavender’s Luxuriant Liniment dispels blisters,
minimizes swelling,
calms the complexion,
and. erases. all. symptoms. of. the. common. blood. veil. complaint..."
She lets a moment highlight the last line: "Or so she claims. Vendra is the owner of Lavender, one of the better-known and noted perfume boutiques in Korvosa. It's just off Summoning Street. Don't you remember the infamous “Free Imp with Every Purchase” stunt they pulled a while back? My grand mother was always very fond of that boutique. I can still remember the smell..."
Sgt. Drakus |
Sgt. Drakus turns to the others and arches his eyebrow.
"Y'know, we COULD just walk up and order her to accompany us to the Temple. We got the authority." He said, flashing his Legio XV insignia.
Gregor Ward |
Sorry, one of my classes is busy.
Gregor takes the word of everyone in stride, not at all surprised by the crude methods suggested by the non-humans. "It would be ill-advised to rush in and brute our way either onto the premises or through the crowds. If she has a cure, the citizens would fight us to keep others from getting it before them. If it is a fraud, the last thing we want is to openly declare so, or they may mob the place and try to enforce mob justice."
He thinks for a bit, deciding on what he considers to be a decent suggestion. "I think we could enter under the false pretense of the city footing the bill for the medicine, convincing the woman that the city will buy directly from her. This will get the people and the owner to almost invite us in."
DM X |
As you get near the Perfumery, it becomes apparent that you will not need directions, the line stretches nearly 4 blocks, you keep your distance being wary of the sick...and the Grey Maiden decked out in her full-plate, with 3 plague doctors, gathering the sickest from the line and shoving them into a black covered wagon.
A woman in the crowd shouts at them to stop, "We're getting the cure from the Perfumery, noooo" as she rushes the wagon, the Grey Maiden snatches the woman by the hair and pulls her to the ground, smashing her face with a gauntletted fist as she stands and pulls her long sword, the crowd shrieks and pulls back...
Nik'o |
Nik'o bites her lip, but she knows better than to give them trouble... directly that is. Retreating to hide behind her companions, she moves her hands in a rapid gesture, forming words as though her fingers were lips.
From a store behind the Grey Maiden, voices rise in fear and emergency: "Fire! Fire! Everybody out! Quick! Please! Please help!"
Ghost Sound. Hoping to distract her... Will save DC 14.
Gregor Ward |
Gregor looks to each of his teammates in confusion, except for a gracious look of relief for Nik'o at least trying to take action, "Hey let's all stand and stare while a citizen faces certain death." He spits sarcastically at the rest of them.
He walks toward the commotion, calling out "Hold there, Gray Maiden is it? I'm Sergeant Ward of the Korvosan Guard. I couldn't hep but notice this rabble trying to interfere with your duties. Please, don't waste your blade nor good reputation on this rabble. Allow me and my squad to see that this woman receives the justice she deserves. Something so simple is more a task for those of us at our skill level, as I'm certain you have much more work to do assisting the good physicians in their responsibilities." He approaches as he speaks, hands up in a calming gesture, playing into the typical sense of self-importance he recognizes in most Hellknights. These Grey Maidens don't seem far removed to him, taking the severity of their duties over the general well-being of the citizens they are expected to defend.
Diplomacy 2d10 + 12 ⇒ (6, 3) + 12 = 21
At the first sign the the woman will carry through with the attack, he will attempt to use his Bardic Performance to Fascinate the Grey Maiden and the threatened woman (he wants them both occupied) DC 16
DM X |
Hmmm...good reactions thus far...
The Grey Maiden puts the blade to the woman's throat, and in a hollow voice, says"Stand back Sergeant! The woman was interfering in the Queen's Business, her son is infected, he must be removed...Interference with our business is death, you're not interfering yourself I assume?"as her voice becomes taunting, as she draws a line of blood along the woman's throat, her eyes slightly glazed as she stares into Gregor's eyes.
Donagar |
"Bah! Thas easy enough tah fix she loves her son, I am willin tah cast remove disease upon her son an then they ken both return tah thar lives unharmed. I will gladly take both off yer hands an let yah get on wit yer important business."
Diplomacy 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Roll matches the sarcasm!
Gregor Ward |
Gregor shakes his head, "No ma'am, no interference intended. Actually, I was trying to help. I was willing to take this street rabble off your hands so that you could continue on to your greater duty with the utmost haste. If you need to leave to help find the cure, far be it from us to stop you, instead let us deal with the bothersome woman, and you can hasten your steps."
Diplomacy 2d10 + 12 ⇒ (3, 8) + 12 = 23
EDIT: Ninja'd by Donager
Gregor winces as the dwarf offers to cure the two people, almost like the stone-headed drunkard was trying to get mobbed. The town is beset by plague, and he openly offers amongst a crowd to cure someone.