This time Fondo is not naked when Eries arrives. Last night's visitor left before dawn, and Fondo greets Eries with a flagon of stove-cooked kahve. He wears the laces of his doublet loose, chest open. "Please come in, Yellow Mother. May I offer you kahve? A harrow reading?"
"Quite impressive, Brother Sadon. Again, for your time and attention, I'll feel quite a bit more calmed the next time this sword is drawn." Barael shakes a little, from the surge of energy. If the church has this much power with Aroden visiting the Beyond, wonder what will happen when He returns.
"One more thing, before I depart. The house where I now reside, it has enough space for a small shrine, and I was hoping to make it proper to Aroden. Do you have a list of things that I should place in it to make sure I'm not offending? Thank you for seeing me today."
***
Barael finds Briar, and brings him up to speed on the power of Aroden. "Long-Lived, after Sadon blessed the blade, there was something in the course of events that energized me. They had a relic there, I think, a piece of Aroden's netting. Sadon thinks that it would have allowed me to breathe underwater for a small stretch of time. There was no need for casting the spell. It just happened."
***
Barael heads to the roof, early enough get a little exercise in, by jumping off the roof, then climbing the walls back to the top. When Eries approaches, Barael is resting. When he hears the knocking on the door, he drops down alongside her. "Good morning, Eries."
Nikolay puts a bookmark in the ongoing debate with his sword about which arcane energies to infuse him with during a battle. Nikolay argues for a modest approach of keen and flaming (1 arcane point) as the default while the sword thinks keen and vorpal (3 arcane points) should be the plan.
Nikolay heads downstairs to greet Eries.
"Good morning. New news from the vaults?"
As usual, Briar ignores the door knocking until it merits some attention.
I like my armor, but soaking it ever day is work. There should be magic for this.
Eries is a little taken aback by Barael 'dropping in' on her, but she recovers and enters the Harrow House with you. When everyone (or everyone who's coming) is assembled, she replies to Nikolay.
"The rumblings are that you've succeeded, but I do not know the details. How did you fare? Are you all OK? I don't see a few of you - surely…"
"We are well, Yellow Mother. Girrigz has past on to the Boneyards, and his followers have scattered. We are all of sound body thanks to Charlie and our elf friend."
Fondo pours her some kahve — seemingly made with three times the normal grounds. "What do you foresee for the ratfolk?"
Upon Eries' observation, Barael runs to retrieve those not already there.
Returning, Barael chirps in as well. "Girrigz was strong. It took us quite a bit to overcome his ferocity and guile, as he was aided by a potion that made it hard to see him clearly."
Barael shifts a little on his heels. "You did mention to avoid their bite. That was neigh an impossible thing to do. Both Fondo and I were bitten." Barael looks at Eries with a quiet intensity.
Eries is a little taken aback by Barael 'dropping in' on her, but she recovers and enters the Harrow House with you. When everyone (or everyone who's coming) is assembled, she replies to Nikolay.
"The rumblings are that you've succeeded, but I do not know the details. How did you fare? Are you all OK? I don't see a few of you - surely…"
"never fear, Ma'am. Some of us just take longer to wake than others." Dandi adds as she joins the others. One strand of her hair runs a comb over the rest before performing an intricate twist and turn to lock the comb in place to hold her hair from her eyes. It is more affectation than anything else at this point, but a comfort, a reminder that at least now, she can afford a comb.
"What now to help our friends that were bit?"
Eries sips her kahve and seems more at ease with the party than last time, though clearly she's still somewhat reserved and uneasy about something. Her ears prick a little at the mention of bites though.
"Make sure you get any, ah, diseases you may have acquired removed by a priest or the like. Simple healing will not be enough. A properly cast remove disease is in order and by a powerful caster to be sure."
She turns to Fondo, "I suspect the wererats will do as they've always done - hide and hide well. They don't, as a rule, have much interaction with the common folk of Korvosa anyway and they are few in number. I don't know what Girrigz was thinking really. He was a fool."
"Thank you all for dealing with Girrigz. I'm sorry he had to be put down, but I appreciate that you didn't kill any of the others. No need to let bloodshed spread more than it needs to."
Eries looks down and away…
"I have some information about the plague, and I don't know what to do with it. I suppose you could pass it along to the right authorities" She looks back to Charlie, "…couldn't you?" She clearly has no interest in dealing with those authorities herself. She seems to prefer dealing with the folk of the Vault and other subterranean creatures than the surface peoples.
She continues… "I was relaxing, the night that ship was sunk in the harbor a few days ago. I was near an entrance to the Vaults on the eastern shore of North Point. I got an excellent view of the ship and what happened, after."
"It was a black sailed craft and I could see nothing on the ship except for a single yellow light. However, when the trebuchet sank it, strange debris drifted from it's hull. I tracked down some of the flotsam and discovered a few small boxes filled with dead rats and a few pouches of silver coins bound to floating timbers."
"Something was clearly wrong with the rats - they exhibited all the signs of what we now know is the Blood Veil. The coins seemed a bit, off so I cast them back into the river and thought nothing of it at the time. Now though I think the ship was a plague ship and it brought the plague to our shores intentionally. I don't know who to tell though, and am not sure it would do any good now in any event. I do know where the ship sunk though if you wished to investigate it."
"Thank you for the info, Eries. I'd be happy to send it along. Our man Barael here is being modest. He is the one who took the biggest portion of Girrigz' ire."
"Here, I'd like you to have this." "It's my first batch. In the future these will have more of a kick. But for now it's just holy water. Here, I made enough for everyone to have one." "In the future as well as being a bit boozy, I'll have a bigger stock in my pack here to keep us safe from harm."
Fondo listens to the older woman's warnings about healing and nods to Barael. "Thanks for your concern, beebi. I trust Charlie's healing, and feel just fine. Wound's all healed up thanks to his mercies." He shrugs and smiles, attempting to charm while he dismisses (as usual).
He listens further as she describes the plague ship and coins. "Do you remember the make of the coins. Ustalavan, by chance?" He turns to his friends. "Sounds like the wreckage might have some clues. Can't say I'm a swimmer, but perhaps our friend the elf here has some magic for us. Ah, thanks kako."
"Ahh the mint, that would have been good to note, but I'm afraid I didn't handle them - I cast them off quickly. I only saw they were silver. I am sorry."
"Do not deal lightly with the bite of a lycanthrop. They carry many diseases, and not all can be healed, even with Charlies skills. Unless magic is used, some things may fester under the suface. But do as you will - I do not mean to cause undo worry in ones as strong as you. I merely seek to caution."
Fondos confident smile turns to a worried look. "Kako? Friend elf? Speaks our friend here true? Have you magics to detect whether the moon plague has taken root in us? No offense to rats, but I like myself just fine the way I am."
"Yeh, I forgot about the lycanthropy."
Barael takes the holy water with both hands. "Much obliged, Charlie. This will see good use, I promise." Barael tucks it away quickly.
Barael frets when he sees the look of worry pass across his brov's face. "Do we know any powerful healers, Charlie? I could inquire again with Brother Sadon if they have the means to perform the removal of disease as Eries advises. Otherwise, we'd maybe find counsel with Dhatri and his superiors." Barael paces a bit, with the intention of seeing someone regarding this more thorough treatment advised by the Vaults denizen.
"You spoke to Girrigz, Eries. He has very similar eyes to yours, now that I've looked closely into both sets. You have affection for the wererats, don't you? Are you one with them? Are you one of them?" Barael backs up a little. "Is that why you know so much about lycanthropes?"
"Thank you. I'll put it to good use, I promise."
"Lycanthropy? You mean they would become like... like *him*?"Dandi tries to keep the disgust from her voice, though it likely leaks in regardless.
"I mean, err, that is...Is that true, Eries?" Will I someday be tasked with easing them from a tortured existence? Would I even be strong enough to do so? Her eyes narrow as she looks at the woman that has brought such amongst them. Then remembers Charlie counts her friend, and is torn....
Fondo observes Eries' response to Barael's accusatory question.
Charlie - You would know that the spell Diagnose Disease will identify lycanthropy in afflicted were-creatures, but not natural ones.
Eries speaks, hesitatingly, but reassured by Charlie's presence she tells you what seems to be the truth. "Yes, I am a lycanthrop. We are not all as Girrigz. I would ask that you keep it to yourself though. I would lose my job if my employer knew. We are not treated well by the cities populace generally and have much hardship. Still, it has it's advantages." she smiles weakly and sips her drink again.
Barael keeps his hand from his new weapon. There's a trust she's shown, by admitting it. Made herself vulnerable to us. Didn't have to admit it, but did. Ok, then. She's not as evil as Girrigz then.
"We've never fought a tougher foe than Girrigz, in my book at least. He was tenacious in battle. Respect him for that, and that only." Barael steps closer to Eries. "Is that its advantage? Strength in combat? He could smell me too, he could. Couldn't sneak up on him while I was hard to see."
"What am I so curious about, anyways? We don't even know if the disease is coursing through our veins. How can we find that out, Charlie?" Barael wipes his palms on his pants. From anxiety or excitement, it would be difficult to say.
"In one form you are much, much tougher in battle - a useful trait in the Vaults at times. In another form you are like a large rat, though larger than the others - also useful in the Vaults and along with waterfront."
"My sense of smell is greatly improved over that of other humanoids..." she smiles wryly, "though that is not a great help in some areas of the Vaults. I have an empathy with rats and can learn much from them, though I have some help in that regard - I cannot naturally speak with animals."
"All in all though I'd say it's a difference in perspective that I cherish most. In my different forms, I see the world in different ways. It helps me to better understand my fellow humanoids and makes me a better companion among the varied peoples of the Vaults. It also makes me more empathetic in general I think."
"But to many it is a curse. To those who are not open to the experience it can be quite painful. Still, an 'acquired' can always be given a second chance with wolfsbane. Enough wolfsbane over a long enough period and even the weakest will overcome lycanthropy if they wish it."
"Personally I would not give it up for the world!" She catches herself and her excited tone relaxes a bit.
"But with the power of wolfsbane it is a lifestyle choice. I can get you some wolfsbane if you wish. I cultivate a small garden of it just in case..." Her mind drifts off a bit before she refocuses on the party.
Briar stands and listens, saying little.
These Varisians are so cute.
Fondo wrinkles his nose but then smiles extravagantly. "I've nothing against a good willed vermin. It seems such exist, if you're evidence. Better than high born folk who treat small folk like vermin." He wrinkles his nose again. "But such is not for me. The needy lambs of Korvosa require me to remain as I am." Shepherd of their desires.
about salvaging rights
"I wonder if we shouldn't just check it out ourselves. Of course I don't know anything about such things. It couldn't be as simple as magically breathing water and walking could it?"
Dandi listens to the woman's words, her arms wrapped tightly about herself. My gut says abomination, but is she so different than me? If I could see as Wraith does, would I ever give it up? A shudder runs through her as she tries to sort revulsion from desire. If only it were not rats.
"That's funny you should say that Nik, cause I just had an experience over at the Church that the Brother said bestowed upon me the ability to breathe underwater. Although, Sadon thought it wouldn't last very long, without a more durable spell cast to that end. That's... funny, that is. Just had that... you know, at the... Huh."
"We had to worry about an alligator along the banks of the Jeggare. Never fought beneath the waters before. We'd be fighting creatures that be at ease under the surface. Not the kind of disadvantage I'd want to shoulder, going under like that." Barael looks at Nik, hoping to see a change of heart. At least Black Tooth won't rust if exposed to the brine.
I've been hanging around these and have been paid well to do it. Now again, an offer comes. If I want more magics, I should help out.
Briar nods and says little.
Breathe water? Easy...of course, that can also be done with alchemicals. Or, there are other ways.
Barael gnaws on what Eries has to say. "Doesn't sound half bad the way you describe it. It would ease my mind a bit if I knew that it was a possibility we'd have to consider, Fondo and I." Barael looks to Charlie and the others. "Any way you could tell us true, Charlie? If Girrigz laced us with more than that Filth?"
[dice=knowledge local]1d20+12 about salvaging rights
"I wonder if we shouldn't just check it out ourselves. Of course I don't know anything about such things. It couldn't be as simple as magically breathing water and walking could it?"
"In fact, I have the spell here in the spell book we recovered earlier in our adventures. Unfortunately, I have not been able to master it yet. I suspect it will still take me some time, too."
"Eries, do you know if Girrigz was a natural or afflicted wererat? Unless you two are interested in joining the Lycanthrope family I think we might want to assume you have it. This is just a bad time to seek out remove disease spells. Wait, don't we still have a cure disease token or two from our first encounter with whatshisname the priest? I think we should go there and ask to be diagnosed and then cured if needed."
"I think we should go there and ask to be diagnosed and then cured if needed."
Briar finally speaks up.
"Yes, if only there was some way to Diagnose the Disease, Halfblood," Briar reminds, placing some emphasis.
"This is just a bad time to seek out remove disease spells."
"Well, that's just it, isn't it? We're running with wolves, where some of us get scratched, while others get slaughtered. The Blood Veil has taken priority here, and the time it takes for a high priest to minister to this possible disease of ours is time lost to helping someone on the verge of dying." Barael looks at Eries, and back at Charlie.
"I think I've come to grips, in a way. With Eries and her wolfsbane, if the time comes when I've endured enough and can't no longer, knowing that there is a way of coming back from it is all the reassurance I need right now." Barael scratches the back of his neck, and claps Fondo on the shoulder.
"There's always a chance it missed, right, brov? Are you fixing to get fixed, then?"
***
"How long you figure we need to be able to breathe, Eries, should we go down to meet our answers on the deck of a submerged plague vessel?"
"Girrigz was natural born." Eries says lightly.
Eries continues, "I don't know - I'm a good swimmer, but I don't wear much armor as a rule or carry a lot of gear. The Jeggare river is slow and not too deep here. If you had water breathing, I would say it would not be difficult. Certainly the depth will pose no trouble. But it is harder to move around down there of course."
Fondo looks at Barael somewhat incredulously, then sobers. Well you're half way there anyway, poor fellow. He gives a sympathetic pat and look back.
"No offense met, Eries, but I had heard the curse twists the soul, turning a man away from the common good. You do not seem so, but... In any case, Aina Ata— er, Brother Elf, I'd be grateful if you or Charlie might tell us our fortune, so to speak."
Erires blanches somewhat at Fondos' statement.
Alas even here there is prejudice and fear...
"Don't misunderstand, my good woman. Tis what I'd heard, but there are many truths and untruths've reached mine ears. I welcome new tales." His winning smile is designed to disguise his disgust with the idea of his dashing features marred by lycanthropy, not an actual hatred of its progeny. It's possible she picks up both of those truths, not just the one he's offering.
Barael watches the exchange between Fondo and Eries. "Twists the soul? Is there any truth to what Fondo's heard? You seem to be the very opposite of Girrigz on that matter." Barael recognizes the offense. He's seen on his mum's face enough times.
***
"The Church of Aroden, then? I'm sure that Brother Sadon would allow us to visit with him once again in the sacristy, where we might all receive a small boon of breathing water, at least for a small duration. He still said it would be better with a prepared spell, and all, but I didn't have to do anything, and was granted that energy. I don't know enough about its duration, and didn't know to ask Sadon before leaving, unfortunately."
"NO, emphatically no. No more than being a half elf twists the soul."
"Keying off what Charlie said then, Eries, if I'm afflicted, I'm not harm in hurting or afflicting others, right?" Barael wrings his hands a bit for the right answer. "Don't want to worry about nicking friends and them having to chew on wolfsbane at my expense."
"No, there's no danger of accidental affliction. The bite, when in hybrid or rat form only, is what transferres lycanthropy."
"NO, emphatically no. No more than being a half elf twists the soul."
Dandi gasps as if struck. She's heard such too many times and sees the mirror of such thoughts in Briar's face nearly every day, but damned if she'll sit and listen to it from the likes of Charlie's wretched pet.
Her eyes go ice cold and her hair twitches like a living thing, "Last time I checked, no one ever infected a loved one with half-elfism, nor torn them apart because of it. Can you say the same?"
"No, there's no danger of accidental affliction. The bite, when in hybrid or rat form only, is what transferres lycanthropy."
"So tis only spread on PURPOSE???"Her eyes sweep over the woman, disgust clear in her eyes.
Turning to leave, she stops at the door, one last remark cast over her shoulder, "You do what you want, Barael. But mark my words, Cressida isn't likely to welcome a rat to her rooms anymore than I would."
We are nothing alike! NOTHING!
Eries watches Dandilion storm out of the room, and has the wisdom to say nothing to her.
After a short while though, she gets up. "I must leave. I have to get to work. There are fewer of us there now since the plague began. I hope you can learn something from the ship. I wish you luck, and good health!"
She walks quietly to the door and lets herself out.
Barael turns to Fondo. "So... she's saying there's a chance?" Barael watches Dandi leave, and knows that the gaining distance between Dandi and Eries is a good thing.
Briar watches the Waif storm out.
Bitten and infected with half-elvenism? Pfft. The gods like me enough to never allow more of them to taint our elven legacy.
"So...what's next?"
"We need to breathe water to gain the deck of that ship, Long-Lived. How do you suggest we do that?" Barael's eyes still linger on the door frame through which the bomb thrower passed. You can almost feel the heat subside.
"All I know is that Nik says he learn something from one of the books, and that we might get the ability all of us if we stood close by a piece of Aroden's Netting. Though, I'm not sure how long it'd last."
"Does your Nethys allow you to make us all gillied?"
Funny, I'd thought my other friend the elf made me part elven when he, ahem, bit me... Best not to talk about such things in front of Bitter Briar though...
"A chance? That you or I'll become a dog-sized rat with the new moon? Not if I've any say in my fate, brov. I've no love of massacring rats, but nor do I wish to live among them. Let's let our elf friend or Charlie here check us for trouble, and then we'll feast on monkshood, if need be."
"No, I mean a chance with Cressida? You think I've got a chance? I've already seen Dandi's rooms, so if it's just as likely that I'll see Cressida's, then that means, you know, that she's showing me the rooms for more than just... aw, never mind." Barael turns an apple's shade of red.
Fondo's lips become stiff and straight. Uh... Hm... "I'll warrant you can do even better than Cressida, hero that you are. But yellow eyes bespeak plague. No lass loves vermin."