"I am Tural. What are you doing here, if I may ask? We encounter you in a place of evil... Not the best circumstance to meet a person."
Tural says to the man in his friendly booming voice.
Baer listens, knowing that her input now might not be helpful.
"My friends wanted to meet you for themselves," Quorthos replies. "They feel that you have chosen the wrong allies, and are ... concerned for your safety. " Well, that's sort of true... we are concerned about how safe this guy is...
He indicates the room around him. "I believe that since this place will no longer be able to afford your services, your work here is at an end."
"I was hired to create a strand of blood veil no one's immune to," Ramoska replies, and briefly looks at the tied-up man on the table before addressing you again.
"Personally, I'm more interested in the reason some people were immune. You see, I'm trying to die. Not as an undead, though, because then I'll be damned for all eternity. I seek a way to become human again, and then die. That way my soul will find rest instead of damnation."
The old man puts the syringe he was holding down. "Maybe we can work something out?"
"You're looking for... a cure... for vampirism?" Quorthos lets out a low whistle. Theoretically possible...? "You are certainly working for the wrong people, then. Whoever is infecting Korvosa cares nothing for the city or her people. We mean to stamp them out, and frankly I would rather help you in your quest than have to treat you as an enemy."
Baer grunts, knowing that her input now might not be helpful.
Baer speaks her mind, but engages in no hostile actions.
Tural's eyes turn down as he thinks to himself.
"There is a way... How old are you? Resurrection could bring you back from being undead, if you are not too old."
He turns to the vampire.
"Why do you want to turn back? You have eternal life and have great powers..."
"The original blood veil doesn't affect some of the Varisians. They are immune, and I've discovered that it has to do with their bloodline," Ramoska starts explaining to Quorthos. "If I can let my body develop a similar immunity to my disease, I might become mortal again."
Ramoska smiles wryly at Tural. "I discovered that possibility too late. I'd need a very powerful cleric capable of casting true resurrection now, but there's no one that I trust with the task. What do I have but a promise if one tells me he'll use the spell on me after destroying me as I am now? If he doesn't keep his promise I'm damned for all eternity. I'd rather look for a cure myself."
"As for why I want to die; I've lived long enough with this old body. My disease isn't the strand of vampirism that's more common these days, which keeps your body young as time passes. It's very first version of the disease, and people who have it turn older as time passes. They call people like me nosferatu, not vampires."
"That sounds...troubling indeed. Can't imagine someone truly wanting to live forever, eventually you've done eveything there is right?"
Tural nods, glad the man is still talking.
"Are you close to the cure? If so, you could not only save yourself but also many people..."
Baer grunts, knowing that her input now might not be helpful.
Ramoska shakes his head. "I discovered how to change the strand into something that no one's immune to, which was what I was originally hired to do. So far I haven't found a way to utilize the Varisians' immunity in a cure for my own disease, which is what I've mainly been working on. I'm sure I could piece a cure to blood veil together, but that's not going to help me so I did not pursue that path."
There's a sudden glint in the nosferatu's eyes. "What about this? I can sell you my research notes. I'm sure you'd like to have them so you can create a cure to blood veil?"
"I was about to suggest something similar," replies Qorthos. "In return for you creating a cure for blood veil, we will support your research into the cure you seek for yourself. Clearly you can't expect to continue to work here, so you will need a new lab. I think we can help you with that. What say you?"
"We should also destroy the new version of blood veil before it gets into the wrong hands."
Baer nods.
The Boy has a point...and a good idea.
Tural waits for the response in silence, having nothing against Quorthos's idea.
Ramoska seems to ponder for a moment, then nods. "I'll device a cure for the right price. What can you offer me?"
He looks at the bound man on the table. "You are aware I will need to conduct experiments, aren't you? Though the right sum of money could make the process more... humane..."
"It is for the greater good. You will cure more than you will hurt."
Tural replies to Ramoska.
Tural grabs his money purse and sifts through it.
"I can give you a 1000 gold, right here and now. That is only me, mind you. That, and we can find you a place to conduct your research."
Baer continues to listen and keep her fat gob shut. She relaxes a bit, but is still ready for trouble.
Denario does pretty much the same as Baer.
He has 1 scorching ray left, and will use it if push comes to shove.
The old nosferatu immediately shakes his head. "I was thinking of asking 2000 gold pieces if you'd peacefully let me relocate all I have here. If you want me to create a cure for blood veil, then I want 1000 more gold pieces on top of that."
"I don't need you to find me a place to conduct my research, I will find you when it's done. Those are my terms. You have my word I will honor this agreement."
"Take the deal I'd say. What is money when we can save our friends and relatives from certain doom as well as our city."
Baer shrugs, happy to take the deal and happy to pay with the loot they'd recovered from this raid.
"We are not making a habit of being easy to find right now, as you might imagine," Quorthos replies. "I suggest we each be able to contact the other, for mutual security. And I was going to suggest that we will provide you with the test subjects you require. There are several volunteers still alive in this building, I'll wager, and the priests of Urgathoa are well known for their civic-mindedness when it comes to volunteering for this sort of thing."
Baer grunts, willing to go along with whatever Quorthos arranges.
"Let's toss some of this literal blood treasure at him and get out of here. If I didn't worry that fire would burn most of the city down as well, I'd suggest torching this place to rid the taint. As it stands, I'd like some fresh air and to make sure we're done here."
"Still a couple of rooms to check," Quorthos replies. After the negotiation finishes, he'll follow Baer out the door and leave Ramoska to pack.
Tural nods, not wanting to aggravate the man.
"3000 it is. Let us know if you've found a cure for vampirism, I would greatly like to study the results."
"Lead on...i've still a burn spell to spend today, and i'd be happy to oblige sending it into another plague doctor."
Baer offers Quorthos the Robe of Bones and 600gp from Rolth's looting as a measure to pay the 'man'. When that is done, Baer follows to the east (or south) door.
"I don't want those items, I want gold," Ramoska says when he's offered the robe. He then collects 3000 gp from you and starts packing.
The nosferatu grins as Quorthos mentions how the party's not making a habit of being easy to find. He picks up a dagger and walks over to Quorthos. Ramoska then grabs a loose thread hanging from Quorthos's cloak and cuts it off. "As long as you don't dispose of this particular cloak I will be able to find you."
"As for test subjects, I require only this man for my personal research. I will stabilize some of the physicians and priests you've downed, and who haven't bled out yet, to test the blood veil cure on. You don't mind if those accidentally die, do you?"
"And yes, I advice you proceed to the back of the temple. Lady Andaisin's probably waiting for you. You don't want to leave now and have her come after you."
You leave Ramoska's room and head to one of the eastern doors, which you open. The reek of burning wax wafts through the morbid chamber beyond, with several tall, misshapen candles being the apparent source. Workspaces strewn with tall beakers of foul-colored liquids, parchments covered in insidious symbols, and cages of whimpering rodents fill large alcoves in both the northern and southern walls. A pair of huge stone doors hang ajar to the east, revealing a long hallway leading further into the dark. At the room’s center stand four large, cylindrical glass vats, each filled with a bubbling emerald fluid that tints the chamber’s light a noxious green. Within each suspension floats a malformed abomination — something part man, part angel, and part horse — things of half-formed muscle with dead, fleshless equine skulls. Three of the forms are motionless and still, but the fourth twitches now and then with life.
Quorthos shudders at the abominations in the vats. "We should destroy these things... before they ripen and are used against Korvosa." he mutters aloud. You're not really in shape for another fight, though, are you, Quorthos?
He pauses. "What do you think?"
Baer looks at the vats and things within and shakes her head.
"How is this all possible, Boy? Who does these kinds of things? And thinks its okay?" Baer grumbles, moving in. "Yes, we should smash it all and burn this place to the ground. This is just...wrong."
Baer considers ways to destroy things without putting herself or others in danger.
Intelligence -
Baer looks back over her shoulder.
"Mavor, what do you think? You see any way to...oh wait..nevermind." Baer turns her attention to Denario.
"Denario? Any ideas?"
Denario turns around his head slowly from left to right.
"So many caged.....
...what the hell, is this?", he looks with a worried surprise on his face.
"That's like a man crossed with a horse...that's sick."
He half hears Baer's comments about destroying the place.
"..myeah...destroying this place would be a great improvement.
If they succeeded in a live one, over here...they might have reached some sort of breakthrough in whatever experiment they're doing."
Denario? Any ideas?
"Destroy it, this place is unnatural and disgusting. The live one shouldn't even be, i opt for its death.
Mavor, could you see if you can break the vat, so we can rid the thing of its misery, and the city of the prospect of these things running around."
"Judging by the sound of your voices, I think I'm glad to have no sight at this point. And no Baer, I've got no clue. Usually we smash anything if it's not anything good, but if there's one thing alive in there we might just make it angry as it is freed."
Mavor thinks to himself for a moment as he tries to get a clear picture in his mind's eye about the vats in question.
"Perhaps cutting off anything going in or out of those things. If that doesn't kill anything in it, putting in a small dent in the glass and let any fluid seep out. Might make the thing starve and die off."
"Okay then, come over to me. Just a few feet to your right and...stop.
It's in front of you. Be our guest."
Denario steps aside for Mavor to hack into the vat.
"I didn't say anything about hacking into the vat Denario. Just shutting it off first. Also, perhaps someone who can actually see might do a better job and not release the captive by dumb luck."
Baer thinks the best way to destroy the vats is to walk up to them and hit them as hard as possible until the glass breaks.
You see nothing, like maybe tubes, connected to the vats.
"The glass the vats are made of will probably shatter if you hit it hard, but one of you might be able to just crack the glass if some restraint is used when hitting it. There's no telling how the abomination that's already stirring will react, though."
Tural says, his intelligence showing its good side.
"The thing inside that vat is alive and most likely aggressive. Maybe if we tie a rope around the glass, crack it but don't shatter it, and then with a team effort pull the rope tight. This should break the glass and trap the creature?"
"That could work, but this 'thing' shouldn't be surviving.
I reckon i can safely assume these are test types for a monster, likely to be let loose upon the city."
"Hmm... Yes, the moving one may be more of a problem. I like Tural's ide for the moving one, but I think we should deal with the others first. I expect they're fueled by whatever magical liquid is in there... If we can spill that, we should be able to prevent any more growth...?"
Quorthos will help aim Mavor at one of the vats containing non-twitching creatures, and then stand ready to aid him if the monster does somehow animate.
"Oh yeah, sure, let's do that. Here let me...*grunt*...and do...*oof*...THAT'S MY TOE!!!...*grunt*...stick it in there, don't worry about the...*grunt*...get the rope...and yes..." Baer will help Tural with this rope plan, then step back a ways to help pull on the rope when others are ready.
"Mavor, you ready? Let's do this..."
Str check
Str check
Tural nods and steps back to join Denario at the rope. He barely manages to lift the rope and nearly falls back when trying to.
Quorthos stands ready to stab the thing if it gets exposed. Doesn't matter if it moves or not.
With some directional aid Mavor shatters the glass of three of the vats, causing the liquid within to spill out and the motionless creatures within to drop to the floor.
You then repeat the same process with the last vat, which contains the stirring creature. The glass breaks, and the creature lets out a high-pitched scream when the rope closes around it.
Round 1:
Tural
Creature
Allyph
Baer
Quorthos
Denario
Mavor
Tural's eyes widen as the creature breaks free. He immediately casts Shadow trap on the creature.