Intimidate
Baer snorts.
"We *should* bring him back to Cressida. She won't like what we did to her Gray Maiden, but there are truths here that needed to be uncovered, and she needs to know...unless she already does? "
Baer looks shaken.
"Does Cressida know? DOES SHE?"
"I haven't worked for her as long as you... I just don't know, Baer," Quorthos responds. "If she knows, we'd be dead going back to her. If she doesn't, she's about the only person who could help." He looks back at the doctor. "Maybe let's talk about it after we're done with this guy, though."
"We could also take him to Cressida. She may get more information out of him."
Tural offers as an alternative.
"Although he looks like someone who might scream out his lungs once we are out of here."
As Baer mentions bringing him back, Mavor quickly slaps the man unconscious again with his sap.
"Yes, yes indeed. It seems wise to me not to mention the name of our employer in front of our captive. Especially if said captive has friends higher up that can pull strings on our employer. Regardless about that, I don't think there is any love lost between the City Guard and the Gray Maidens with the Physicians. She would want to know, yes, but we should do it without this guy seeing or hearing who she is. If Cressida is on our side on this as I think she is, we don't want to get her into trouble."
The physician keeps his mouth shut for as long as he's still conscious. Mavor knocks him out just in time to prevent he hears Cressida's name.
"Good thinking, Mavor." Now I don't have to break my promise...
"The question is this: will Cressida believe us, enough to essentially turn against the Queen and start a revolution? There are other possibilities here. It could be an attempt to undermine the Queen by the Physicians. It could be a coup attempt by a third party. Having this one doctor tell us it's the Queen's doing isn't proof. If we tip our hand to Cressida now, she may come down hard on us. By remaining independant, we can gather more evidence before stating our case." He trails off, realizing he's not really making a decision simpler.
"If Cressida is on our side - on Korvosa's side - as we think, what would she tell us to do next?"
Baer saw no reason to avoid speaking in front of the man as she had assumed she was going to kill him anyway. She grunts in appreciation as Mavor hits the guy again.
"If Cressida is on our side, that's the rub. I don't think she is, but who really knows. Not sure how the Queen happened to find a slew of Urgathoan jerks on such short notice either. It's just weird. How are the priests themselves spreading the plague? They don't seem to be infected nor did I find any money on the priests."
Baer rub his feminine chin.
"Maybe these healing kits are for show only? Or maybe they are infected too? I dunno."
How are the priests themselves spreading the plague? They don't seem to be infected nor did I find any money on the priests
"That would be simple. They could have the plague in infected bandages or 'healing tonics'."
"The guy said their masks protect them," Quorthos reminds everyone. They also do wonders as a disguise...
"Maybe we need to lure this Devaulus guy out and interrogate him?"
"I wouldn't count on it being that simple Quorthos. Devaulus is the head of the group apparently, I reckon he wouldn't come out for a meeting with us. That said, anyone know what he is capable of? I might be able to ask around myself in the streets, but as of now we only know the guy's name."
"It would take planning. I think it would be hard to reach him. But if we stop him does everything stop? He is just one person."
Tural adds.
"Let's kill the man and report to Cressida."
He says after a pause. He turns to the man and addresses him.
"Any last words?"
"Devaulus would be able to tell us if it's really the Queen behind this, or someone trying to pin it on the Queen. To me, that's the important part - it tells us who we're fighting for, and against. But I agree, it may be hard to lure him out. We might need Cressida's help after all."
Seeing that the man is sound asleep Tural grabs his morningstar.
"Oke... Not used to this... He is evil though."
He says as he hovers above the man's head with his weapon.
"I think I'm more suited to heal... Or use magic..."
He lets the weapon fall to his side again.
"Baer? Would you do it? I think we need to report to Cressida, the sooner the better."
"I got this Baer, if it were up to these guys, my family were put to death just like that as well."
Denario takes his own morningstar, then strikes.
Baer inspects the healing kits and concludes the kits themselves are fine, but a small cloth's been added to each of them.
The physician continues to live after Denario's attempt at a coup, but a couple more whacks solve the issue.
"I think it would be prudent to lure Devaulus out where we can get to him, but I agree it may be difficult. If you think we can trust Cressida with this, fine... But perhaps we should not all waltz into her office together, just in case? Let's send a message to her, and ask her to meet us somewhere. If she shows up, great. If the Grey Maidens raid the place, we'll be watching from across the street and we'll know we're on our own."
Tural nods, agreeing with Quorthos.
"Sounds like a plan."
He glances at the others to see what they think.
"Sounds good to me.", Denario nods.
Baer agrees with Quorthos' plan.
"You have a sneaky mind, Boy. It works well with us, and maybe explains why the shopkeeper was so anxious to sell you," Baer compliments Quorthos. "Yes, let's send her a missive...however, if we do, we might want to avoid our current inn until we know where Cressida stands. Maybe we could return and sell this gear...then I'd like to find a bed. I don't want this plague to take me as well."
"Where should we ask her to meet us?" Allyph asks, "and how shall we give her the message?"
"This day's almost at an end, so we should really find a place to sleep some time soon."
"We could invite her at the Three Rings tavern. We know the place fairly good so it would be easier to set everything up. I'll be returning there this evening for a good nigh's rest first though."
Tural says in response to Allyph.
"Or we could go for a abandoned house. Might be a better plan. As for the delivery, does any of you know a summon spell? I would have to meditate on it to be able to use one."
Before everyone leaves off to go to their homes Tural does one more thing. He uses his new found knowledge on the whole group, linking their life forces to his.
Life Link (Su): The shaman creates a bond between herself and another creature within 30 feet. Each round at the start of the shaman's turn, if the bonded creature is wounded for 5 or more hit points below its maximum hit points it heals 5 hit points and the shaman takes 5 points of damage. The shaman can have one bond active per shaman level. The bond continues until the bonded creature dies, the shaman dies, the distance between her and the bonded creature exceeds 100 feet, or the shaman ends it as an immediate action. If the shaman has multiple bonds active, she can end as many as she wants with the same immediate action.
"We can't endanger our friends, Tural. I think an abandoned house would work best. One of you who have been working with her longer should write her a note, telling her that we have uncovered troubling evidence implicating the physicians... no mention of the Queen just yet, but maybe we should say that we suspect a traitor within the ranks so we need to speak directly with her, privately. We can hire a messenger to deliver it to Cressida, or I could call forth a messenger... But that means I'd need to be close to her place, and not at the meeting place. A couple of us can wait to meet her, with the rest hidden nearby in case of trouble. Either she comes alone as requested, and we can trust her... Or she comes to kill us."
"If we must rest, fine. But I don't think we should go back to the tavern... That Grey Maiden may have identified us, and may go to Cressida first."
Baer nods at Tural's addition and Quorthos' refinements.
"Tonight we rest, tomorrow Tural sends a note...we'll meet at the Harrower's house. I'm sure it will still be empty. Seems a fitting place as that is where I met most of you. Let's arrange to meet Cressida at 6pm, with a few of us standing watch outside from 4pm on," Baer confirms.
"Mavor and Tural, you meet with Cressida while the rest of us keep watch up and down the streets, right? Now, we go back. I need rest."
"The only spell I am able to use is a summon spell, lasting only part of a minute. I'll need to be really close to Cressida herself when I send the missive. Once I've sent it I'll join you while we wait for her to show up."
He nods to Baer, the plan forming.
"I'll need some paper, I have all the other writing supplies."
Later in the evening Tural inspects Baer and himself for the sickness.
"I am able to heal back some of the damage done."
"Seems a good idea to me, but maybe you don't have to summon anything Tural. Baer? You think Majenko would mind to carry a message for us to Cressida? I can't recall if she's ever seen him flying around you, but that way she knows it's from us. Also I would be quite reluctant to say anything in the letter about the Physicians directly, who knows who might get to read it besides Cressida herself. Comments about a traitor in our midst is as good an indication, the rest we can inform her about ourselves."
"Sure, I can bring the message," Majenko says. "She and I have exchanged some words during your meetings with her, she knows I'm with you."
The next morning Baer's feeling fine again. However, Tural's face is still covered with a red rash. The rash has even spread to his neck and throat.
Baer thanks Tural for his healings during the night, feeling much better. Her face, never a great concern for her, is improved as well, but she is still far across the tracks in Uglytown.
She is happy with Mavor's language/intents. As she is feeling better, she will spend the day selling the looted goods (unless someone wants any of that stuff) and then go to her training sessions until it is time to put the Harrower's house under surveillance.
Tural uses his lesser restoration spell on himself before going to bed.
"Baer, you want the damage healed also? It seems it is still lingering in you."
He asks before retreating to his rooms.
In anticipation of the meeting, Denario is playing a few hands in one of the inns, that are still open.
His mind was still slightly troubled, with the fact his speculation wasn't craziness. The queen deliberately killing the people....
....
"I'm done for the day, gents, good day."
He gets up, takes his money and leaves.
Quorthos retires early, his mind troubled. His dreams feature strange views of flying over Korvosa as it rots, as he watches powerless to help. In the morning, he finds additional writing in his spell book, new arcane writings and another note from the voice in his head.
Majenko departs with the message. About an hour or two later, he returns to you.
"She agreed to meet you around noon. Said she will come alone."
The next morning Tural gives the healing of his wounds another try.
Once Majenko has returned with the message Tural stands, ready to leave.
"I think we should proceed with the plan as we thought it up yesterday."
He seems in doubt for a moment before popping a question.
"What do we do if she is not on our side? For the moment I think Mavor and I should leave and rejoin the group. I can put up a cloud of mist for us to escape."
Quorthos nods. "I think that only two of us should "meet" her openly - the others should be nearby, ready to intervene if necessary and to watch for trouble. We should also pick up some magic that can help us determine if she's telling the truth or not... if she's smart and arrives without us all there, she'd be smart to just play along until she can get us all at once."
Quorthos will go shopping to dispose of whatever loot we need to, and will also go to pick up a couple of items with his share.
Baer rearranges her schedule to allow to keep watch on the area from 8am on. She isn't intending to meet with Cressida personally, but to keep watch on the house long before and during the appointed meeting time.
Baer lets others decide on the details.
Quorthos suggests Mavor and Denario meet with Cressida, while the rest of us stake out the place from nearby.
No objection here, i can disappear if things go sour.
I could even turn Mavor invisible if need be.
In the morning you head out to sell your loot and make purchases. When it's nearly noon, Mavor and Denario wait inside Zellara's house and the others spread out in the surrounding area.
After you've waited nearly half an hour, those outside see a lone, cloaked figure head toward the house.
The cloaked figure stops in front of Zellara's house, takes a look around, and knocks on the door.
Baer keeps watch on his side of the street, preparing to mentally send to Majenko should anything go wrong. She trusts Mavor & Denario to handle things in the house, keeping her focus on watching for trouble.
Quorthos returns from his shopping trip and hands a small vial to Denario. "This is a potion that will force the drinker to tell the truth," he explains.
"When Cressida arrives, I will read her mind and see if she has any hostile intentions. I will then follow her invisibly, and remain hidden while Mavor and Denario meet with her. Baer, Tural and Allyph, you stay outside and watch for anyone following her, or any guards or Hellknights or what have you. But stay within earshot." He passes out a thunderstone to Baer and Tural. "Use this if the worst happens and Cressida has betrayed us. Anyone hears a thunderstone, we all scatter and meet in the sewers where Eries took us."
"When Cressida arrives, assuming she doesn't bring the guards down on us, tell her you have found something but can't reveal it until you know you can trust her. Get her to drink the potion, and then ask her if she intends to arrest us or kill us or anything. If all that is clear, tell her about what the Physician told us." Quorthos looks around. "If she won't drink the potion... go ahead and tell her anyway, and then get her to drink it and ask her afterwards. No reason she should trust us before we trust her."
"Either she is already against us, or we have a chance to convince her. I hope it's the latter."
Denario takes the vial from Quorthos, while he tells him what it does.
"Interrogation potions...where'd you get these?
Nevermind, that'll be for another time."
------------The moment Cressida is at the door-------------
Denario peeks outside via a small crack in a window.
"Mavor, Cressida's here. I don't see any other people out there, we can let her in for the interview."
Denario closes the door after Mavor lets her in.
"Hello Cressida, have a seat.
We've discovered some worrisome things, but with the entirety of it, we feel we can quite share it, until you can't reassure us by having some of this.", (holds up truth serum)
Tural nods to Quorthos and pockets the stone.
"We will keep an eye out."
-----When the lone cloaked figure comes-----
"It's Cressida, she seems to be alone."
He says as the figure passes the spot most of the party is waiting.
"Now all we have to do is wait."
Cressida looks at the potion and shakes her head. "Before I start drinking potions and you start to determine if you can trust me, I need to know if I can still trust you."
"Now I've taken a risk by coming out here all alone, which those who stayed outside of this building can confirm I did, Denario. Why don't you tell me whatever it is you want to tell me, and what the potion's actually for, before I decide if I still trust you enough to drink it?"
"I guess we're overly cautious now Cressida, as we've uncovered something very dangerous."
Mavor glances sideways to Denario, then he nods to the potion Denario is holding up.
"The potion he holds is so we know you're speaking the truth if you say you know nothing about it. As it is, we know not who we can trust inside the city, besides ourselves and a precious few others, especially when they're involved with protecting the city."
Mavor crosses his arms, his greataxe leaning on his right leg.
"Now you know how we can trust you, will you trust us, or do we have to prove it more?"
As Cressida passes, Quorthos watches from an alleyway. After she goes in, he scans the streets, looking for trouble.
If the coast is clear, Quorthos will cast invisibility on himself and move to the house, standing near the door or an open window to listen in for trouble.
Baer scratches her ass, then sniffs her fingers when no one is looking. She doesn't seem too offended by what she sniffs. Then she goes back to keeping watch while others speak, certain that things are going fine.
"Mavor's right. This is big, way big.
----------------
Prove it more, what're you thinking of?"
Cressida nods in response. "I understand. Then I presume it's reasonable if I first listen to your story, then drink the potion, and then give you my reaction? The potion's to check my reaction anyway, isn't it?"
Meanwhile Quorthos spots nothing noteworthy out on the street and he's able to follow everything inside Zellara's house.