There was either something in the air about the group, or a sincerity in Bardigan's voice that carried throughout the room. A whispered reply comes back out from the darkness, "It wasn't our fault. She's been increasingly violent lately. We don't want any trouble."
Ganner listens. "Who's 'she'?"
There is a pregnant pause, before the voice deigns to answer once more, "Chough, our little sister, she killed Nan. Her temper gets out of control.... didn't... didn't she attack you? We thought we heard you fight her." The voice sounds confused, but there is a hint of guilty hopefulness in it.
"We did fight someone, yes, but we left them alive. If it's your sister, then she's in the other room, bound and a little banged up, but not overly worse for wear."
He pauses for a moment before continuing, "Is she not well? Maybe we can help with these violent spells she suffers from."
"Seems more likely they were playing a game of Towers; maybe someone didn't like losing." Aula looks around at the crates in the room. "Were we doing anything down here now that we've figured out what happened to Laria's friend? Perhaps we can question the bird-man, see how much he had lost."
There is an air of surprise in the response, "You mean... you didn't kill her? Is she.... is she awake?"
"Well, yes in that we didn't kill her, but no, she's not awake. My guess is she'll be out for a few hours yet. You sounds disappointed though." He pauses briefly, then pulls out a stool and sits down at the table. "Would you care to come out here and talk? We're neither angry nor going to hurt you. Please, tell us of your sister and when she started having these spells of anger."
Larenti didn't make any threatening moves, careful not to interrupt Bardigan's soothing talk.
There is a hushed whisper between the speaker and another voice before the original calls out in a normal tone, "Sisters, we will talk with them, I think it is safe to come out." Not long after her call, a figure moves to the edge of the light from between the two large western stacks of crates, one follows right behind her. Another one comes from around the corner of the southern stack, and a last one makes themselves seen from between the two stacks directly east.
All four of them are tengu, looking slightly different and adorned than the black feathered humanoid you fought recently. The one in the lead from the west speaks, and you recognize her as the original speaker. She looks nervously among her fellows, before looking down ashamed, "Would you? Kill her, that is?" She looks to each of her sisters again, and they each nod in reluctant yet hopeful agreement.
"What? Why would you ask such a thing?" Bardigan's tone is one of plain surprise at the baldness of the request. "That seems a rather extreme, and utterly final, solution doesn't it? Is she really so sick to warrant such steps?"
"She's not sick... she's not truly one of us. We had to flee Riddleport because of her, and now she has killed Nan, the man aiding our escape, and trapping us here. I no longer know how to deal with her rage." She wrings her hands nervously.
Ganner sighs. "She's not truly one of you? How did you come to be together?"
"Was she always angry, or do you think something has changed in her? Perhaps some magic or disease has changed her? If she can be cured, we might be able to do that before simply killing her. If not, we may be able to put her out of everyone's misery, as we certainly cannot turn her over to the guards here."
Dawnilea shakes her head, "If she is mad and dangerous, perhaps. But I won't just kill her while she's helpless on your say-so... These may be assassin's blades, but I'm am not one."
Seeing the reluctance and general concern of the group as a whole, the lead tengu draws closer. They are all very similar, but the speaker clearly seems to be deferred to as the voice of the group. "We found her as a hatchling, at a rough time in our lives, and thought she was of our kind. As she grew, we realized she is not tengu. Before too long, we noticed her violent nature started to become a problem. When she murdered someone in Cheliax, we had to escape to flee persecution. Nan helped us out of there, and brought us here." She wrings her feathered hands, "After.... After he told us that the new ruler here made it impossible to leave for a while... She strangled him in his sleep. I grounded her to that section of the basement, but I'm at a loss of what to do with her." She shrugs, a look of 'what else can I do?' apparent on her face.
Bardigan nods sadly, understanding their plight. If it weren't for Barzillai and his proclamations, these tengu wouldn't be homeless refugees and Nan would still be alive. He pushes the thoughts aside for the moment, focusing instead on the issue at hand. "She's not a tengu? What is she then?"
With her being closer, you can see there are a few differences between her and the one you fought, albeit mostly minor ones. She shrugs, a worried expression on her face, "I don't know, just that she isn't tengu."
Ganner looks forlorn. "I... I'm sorry. Normally I'd suggest turning her over to the law for a trial, but if she's that dangerous and the law is... well, terrible. Maybe we should grant her a quick death? If she cannot be helped, it may be best for everyone."
"Maybe she is somehow tainted like the tieflings? Ah don't know if that can happen to Tengu, but Ah agree about the quick death. No need for torture, there's probably nothing she can tell us anyway."
"Maybe there's a doctor or sage we can talk to before we just up and kill her?" Bardigan's tone is one of incredulity as he glances to his companions. "If our roles here were reversed and these people found you in here with me out there and crazed, I would hope you'd say the same!"
"Ah didn't say we kill her right now, just that if we decide that's what we're doing, we shouldn't revel in it. It may 'need' to be done, but Ah won't enjoy it." Aula looks to the tengu that has been doing most of the talking, "So you four, who else knows you're down here?"
She looks at Aula suspiciously for her question, "No one but Nan, and I think the alligator ate him after Chough killed him."
Bardigan sighs, "I was afraid that was him we found in the water."
Ganner looks torn. "I didn't say it was a good idea, but if the poor creature is a danger even to those it calls family, it's not any different than putting a rabid dog down. We do it quick and with mercy and we take no pleasure from it."
"We will have to let the owner know you are here, otherwise there may be problems in the future, possibly including food and drink for you, or a fight with the owner." She nods at Ganner, "Though it may be unpleasant, Ah think we all understand that sometimes cruel and vicious creatures, like Barzillai, must be put down."
Dawinlea says, "Do we have any way of figuring out what it is, if not a Tengu? That might make things easier."
Ganner spreads his hands. "I don't. I wish I could be of help."
Larenti also demurred to Dawnilea's question.
She sighs, "I guess I should know better than to expect easy."
"Ah don't think anything goes easy for us." Aula sighs, "But Ah think we can at least keep it unconscious for a few hours to see if we can find anything at the library. Besides, now that we know what's going on in the basement, we can return to the room upstairs or go look into the Sacred Order of Archivists, or Shensen and other missing worshippers of outlawed religions. The library is probably as good a place as any to start looking for the Archivists."
"Ah'll talk to Laria about these refugees; Ah think she'll be understanding, though unhappy about Nan's death." Aula turns and begins to walk toward the way back into the cafe.
Bardigan nods, then stands to leave. He pauses before turning away though and instead extends his hand in greeting. "I'm Bardigan Cain. Good to meet you. All of you." He adds this last with a nod toward the tengu who'd remained quiet through out the discussion.
The Tengu extends her bird-like hand to take Bardigans, "I'm Korva. This is Jay," she says as she indicates the one behind her, "That's Maggie, and the one over there is Treep." pointing to the other two further away. She grabs up the satchel sitting at the table, "This was Nan's, but I think he had the rest of his stuff on him when the alligator ate him."
Ganner bows to the tengu. "My name's Ganner Viir. I'm sorry about your sibling. And Nan. Hopefully we can help you stay safe."
Dawnilea bows her head, "Well met... And, yes, sorry for your loss.". She sighs, "Can we keep the thing bound and neutralized while you research it? Should one of us stay here?"
"Larenti, darlin'. Try to go straight upstairs without being seen and clean yourself up before you go back into the cafe proper. That dip in the water made a mess of you." Aula proceeds up and out the secret door, which she quietly closes behind her.
Once she is up top, she looks for Laria. "Laria, when you have a moment, Ah'd like to chat about the accomodations." Aula waits for Laria partway to the living space. When she arrives, Aula quietly whispers "[smaller]Ah just want to let you know what we found."
Larenti does his best to follow Aula's instructions.
Laria finishes a friendly chat with one of her customers before heading over to attend Aula's prompting. When she arrives to receive the news, she is clearly upset by what she hears. "Oh my! That's awful news! He was a dear and loyal friend, but I'm thankful to at least know the truth of what happened." She looks dismayed, before changing topic slightly. "Well, I thank you all for your aid, and as I said, will hand over the Wasp's Nest for you guys to use as you see fit. I have no plans to use it for the Bellflower Network while Kintargo is under martial law, after all, and I hate to see a good space go to waste."
She stares intently at Aula, before asking, "What do you intend to do about the tengu, and the 'not tengu'?"
"We're going to take a few hours to see if we can figure out what the 'not tengu' is by doing some research. Though Ah suspect it doesn't matter as it is violent--we'll probably need to put it down for everyone's good." Aula looks displeased, but continues, "As for the tengu, they're refugees here, and as you--and your friend--seem to be on the right side of things, Ah think we should try to protect them here until they can get out safely, though with the martial law, it won't be pleasant for them. They'll be cooped up down there for a long time. Ah expect the others agree with me on both points."
Laria just shrugs, "Hey, Sweetie, as long as you guys don't bring my coffeehouse crumbling down around me, the use of that space and those in it, are for 'the group' to decide. Heck, if those tengu are going to be stuck with you a while, why not find some work for them to do, maybe earn some keep?"
"Ah'll suggest that to the others when they come by. Thank you kindly."
As the group gathers discreetly to discuss their upcoming plans regarding the Wasp's Nest, Bardigan quietly offers, "You know, I can't get that Chough out of my mind. I really think we should try and see if we can find a doctor or sage who might be able to help her. It just seems like such an ignominious way to start our efforts: by ending a life because trying to help was too much trouble. We need to better than that. We may not be able to save everyone down the line, but we've the power to at least try with Chough."
Ganner nods. "But what if we cannot? We must be willing to take responsibility either way. We cannot take responsibility for her redemption and not her damnation."
"That's fine, Ganner. What isn't fine is not trying. If there is no means to help, then may there be mercy in granting her a swift and painless end. But if there is a means to help, the let us do what we can to find it!"
"What do you propose?"
Bardigan pauses, trying to swallow the hurt from having to repeat himself in the span of three breaths. "Perhaps there is a doctor or sage in the city who might know of Chough's condition. I could ask my aunt Jinx if she knows of someone. Do any of you have any ideas? Know any doctors or priests who might be willing to help?"
Ganner shakes his head. "I was taught to keep to myself. It lowered the odds of being identified or outed as an agent."
Dawnilea nods at Bardigan's suggestion, but then stops when he asks if she knows anyone, "I agree... as I said below, I'm not an assassin... I mean, yeah, if she's as sick as they say, there's nothing wrong with putting down a rabid animal.... But I'd feel better knowing what were dealing with before taking the sort of action we can't take back."
Larenti scoured his memory for someone who might be able to examine Chough's condition and remain discreet.