-Stuff about Lamashtu
Garvid listens, his face turning into a mask of disgust. "Sounds like someone you'd love to come over for dinner.", he mentions sarcastically. "And yeah, we might want to see if there's a cult. If digging up in town doesn't pay off, we might want to track the magic item crafters, see what they know.", he shares.
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Garvid chuckles at Yazi. "Come on, there's no way you're older than me. At least you're not graying.", he grins, shoving a hand through his hair as he turns slightly red at the cheeks. Don't comment on the boniness!
He takes a long sip of mead, nodding at Jasan. "In Korvosa, times are... changing. Not for the best, too. And, yeah, as the third sister said, we'd gladly offer you escort. Hindquarters' complaints will be ignored."
Li puts her arm around Trinia and gives her a half hug. "This be Fran, Vesper's sister. An' she be pretty good wit horses."
The rogue becomes concerned along with the others as Jasan comments how the roads aren't very safe, even during the day. "We be wantin' yer cousins and ya ta get ta Harse safely. As Yaziyah said, if'n we be needin' ta go wit ya then we c'n."
For the rest of the evening, Li enjoyed her time at the inn. There was no politics to worry about, no one's safety to worry about, no work to do. As she relaxed she found herself missing Cal, thinking he could have provided them with a song or ten.
With this leg of Vesper and Fran's deliverance completed, Mouse visibly relaxes - at least they were among allies now. Friends, even. I ain't got nothin' goin' back 'ome - 'f we wanna see th' sisters all th' way there, I'm game.
The rest of the night passes in a blur of contentment. The place wasn't fancy - far from it. But it was warm and comfortable despite, and after the hassles of the road even boiled mutton and turnips seemed ambrosia. She even indulges a bit and tries a glass of the house's mead (though it's clear from her expression she finds the honeyed drink plenty strong already).
Mind floating comfortably on a cushion of fermented honey, she plunks down in a chair next to Li. C'mon, le's see if they got any dice t' spare 'ere - game o' Pig t' pass th' time, whaddaya say? Turning to wave down the halfling woman who'd greeted them, her glance falls on the fresh boards of the northern wall and the soot stains surrounding. When the halfling woman arrives, she cocks her head toward the new wall quizzically. What 'appened there? she asks kindly. Must've been a 'eck of a thing, t' burn 'way an entire wall like that.
Li gives Mouse a mischievous grin. "Sounds like fun. Ya sure ya be trustin' me ta be playin' a game of dice?"
Jasan nods gravely. "Yep. The ride'll carry us into a second day. We'll be campin' in the wilderness. With two young women to watch over, I wouldn't mind the additional escort. Of course, I got no money to pay you, other'n some good food and hospitality a the ranch. So I hope you’re self-sufficient..."
The next morning, at first light, Jasan gathers Fran, Vesper, and the rest of you. His horses are already bridled and his supplies packed for the road ahead. The road leading out from Trots is even less maintained than the woods in which you were attacked by the ogres. But the ride is easy enough. You’re blessed with warm weather, a mild breeze, and sunny skies. Jasan spends the time getting to know Vesper, Trinia, and the rest of you. He’s a warm and friendly man, with an amicable nature and a receptive ear that almost, but not quite, matches Trinia’s predilection for chatter. She doesn’t seem to notice, however, leaping from topic to topic like a honeybee in search of flowers. Vesper is quieter, waiting to be addressed before volunteering conversation of her own.
Several times you stop to rest, water, and feed the horses. Occasionally other travelers headed toward the city pass you buy, but on the whole you’re only company is the lush landscape of southeastern Varisia and its temperate coastal climate. Far to the east and north, the Mindspin Mountains rise like ancient claws grasping for the sky. Beyond them to the north, you know, towers the Storval Rise, the immense cliff that serves as gateway to the burning Cinderlands.
That night, however, things take a turn for the worse. Garvid, keeping watch and trying to ignore an aching back, hears suspicious noises from the woods. He wakes Mouse, and the two investigate, only to find themselves surrounded. The hulking ogre that fled from you before returns, and this time he has brought friends. Gnolls! There are four of them, and they all wear well-crafted armors branded with the symbol of Lamashtu. Their paws clutch sharp longswords and bows. One of them barks orders. They all cackle in their hyena tongue and advance! Back to back, halberd and bone shield raised, Mouse and Garvid feint and parry, managing to hold off the gnolls. But the lumbering ogre’s size gives him effective reach, and he strikes Mouse so hard her bone shield flies out of her hands!
Li, however, wakes immediately after you depart. She finds herself clutching the silver, serpentine dagger found weeks before in the butcher shop and filled with an strange sense of panic. . Gathering the others, they quickly follow the sounds of battle and emerge into the clearing. Yazi invokes the very moonlight to cage the ogre in a glowing prison while Pietro and Li fire an unrelenting salvo of bombs and bolts at the barking gnolls. Mouse head butts the gnoll standing between her and her shield, reclaiming it in an instant. She scales the back of the paralyzed ogre just as Garvid approaches from the ground. As he stabs upward with his halberd, Mouse brings the hard, bony edge of her shield down upon the ogre’s crown, killing it instantly .
Trinia, Vesper, and Jasan brave the darkness and arrive just in time to find you cleaning your weapons and looting the bodies.
Yaziyah examines the brands by the light of her ioun torch, her expression showing growing concern. Turning to the others, she explains. "More marks of Lamashtu. This is starting to seem like a very organized group. Look at the quality of their equipment, and the things they carry. I am afraid that someone is leading them, arming them. Just to rob travellers?" She shakes her head skeptically. "And how come news did not come to the city of these raids? Surely these big ogres couldn't have gone unnoticed for long... unless. Unless they've recently arrived in these parts." She continues in this fashion for a while, half talking to herself as she turns the matter on all sides. At length, she addresses the others. "Once we have delivered our charges safely, we must look into this. These creatures, organized and backed by an unknown player, represent a danger we cannot ignore."
Sharpening his halberd, Garvid seems to be rather quiet after the fight, except for dragging the bodies to a pile in the forest.
As the investigation starts, he nods, as Yazi shares her thoughts on the matter. "Seems the case... If nothing's heard in the city, I'm guessing that there might be someone making sure nobody hears about it... If we meet any more, it'd be smart to question them." He nods at the armours. "Heck, half the sergeants in the guard don't have armour that good. There's someone big funding and organising those things, you're right."
He scratches his chin. "I'm not that worried about monsters attacking the city, truth be told. We got those devil-summoning butchers up in the citadel, so an assault would need to be massive, bigger than anything that can be hidden. And I doubt it's them." He grunts. "Well, it'd be nice if we could track them somehow. Though, I doubt any of us know how to tell one tree from another, let alone follow tracks." He huffs and puff for a bit before standing up.
"We might want to get the birdbrains onto it. Most of them actually leave the town from time to time, and they got the benefit of seeing a lot further than us. Don't know how they're faring right now, though.", he grumbles, not looking forward to going back on his horse. "At any rate, we're on our own now. Carly,", he chuckles, "is going to be out of town. I say we go and hire a tracker. Yazi, think it might pay to head into the Cinderlands, ask someone from there?", he asks.
"Why the Cinderlands? There are perfectly good Shoanti hunters living in Skaldwood. We can find us a tracker there." Yaziyah looks thoughtful for a moment, tallying her acquaintances in the sacred grove.
Li startles awake and is shocked to see the dagger in her hand. She immediately drops it and makes a choked sound of surprise that wakes Yaziyah beside her. She scrambles away from the dagger. "How'd that be gettin' inta my hand. I haven't be seein' it since we first be findin' it when ya took it Yazi." Then her voice got smaller, "Ya didn't be puttin' it in me hand, right? "It be makin' me feel weird so I don't want ta be carryin' it. Can ya take it back?"
It was then that they could hear sounds of fighting. Quickly waking Pietro, Li grabs her crossbow and finds her way into the fray while making sure she leaves the dagger behind.
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Now that the fighting is over, Li realizes that she is still feeling rattled by finding that dagger in her hand. Hoping that focusing on their attackers would help her forget about it, she helps loot the bodies. When both Yazi and Garvid voice concerns, she can't help but agree with them.
Pietro silently checked his companions for injuries; it had become a good habit already.
He apologized to his friends hoping none of the caustic liquid from his bombs burned them.
He then nodded, "I also think we should take a closer look at these attackers. If they're as well armed as we think they are, it's only a matter of time before they strike. How will the ranch stand against a concerted attack?"
Mouse ambles back to camp, cleaning the mess off her shield and fists with some bundles of grass...and then her eyes fall on the dagger lying next to Li's things. At the sight of it, she goes as pale as her ruddy copper skin allows...and then, strangely, her cheeks flush red, and her eyes narrow into cold slits. Y'...y' been stealin' from me! she hisses out. I - I been keepin' that tucked in my boot, jus' in case we come 'cross somethin' fists wou'n't do for...an' y' nicked it! Nicked it an'...an'... She wheels around to face the fair-haired girl, some of her bluster fading. ...an' then ain't even used it? Why'd y' go t' th' trouble o' takin' it, an' then leave it?
Confusion shows on Li's face as Mouse verbally assaults her. Instinctively the rogue goes into a defensive position, ready to free her dagger from her wrist sheath if necessary. "I didn't be takin' anythin' from anyone. I be wakin' up an' someone be placin' that dagger in me hand. Last I be seein' it, Yazi be havin' it and not ya. I don't be stealin' from family. It be hurtin' ta know ya be thinkin' I would."
Pietro looked confused at the altercation, "Wait, Mouse. I don't think would have taken that and then showed it in plain sight. This must some sort of misunderstanding."
He waited for second to see if anyone had more information to clarify the situation, "Listen, we have enough people trying to kill us from outside so let's keep it together OK."
Yaziyah looks at Mouse, then at Li, a puzzled expression on her face. "I had wondered where that went. Now that I think about it, I haven't had nightmares for a few days now. But no, I didn't put it anywhere." She raises a hand, to forestall any further accusations of theft. "I have the feeling that this dagger goes where it pleases. One morning I found it embedded in the headboard, and I sure did not put it there. I don't know what it... what it wants of us. But be watchful." She gives the offending weapon a glare before striding forward and putting an arm around both Mouse's and Li's shoulders.
"Now, girls. Nobody stole anything. Or tried to play pranks on another. We are all tired and high strung on danger and battle. But we have to trust each other." She squeezes once for emphasis, then lets go.
B-but... Mouse stands flummoxed for several more moments, staring at the dagger on the ground, before she turns back to Li. It's only then that the full force of the strange possessiveness she'd felt crashes down on her. Sorry, she mumbles, eyes downcast. Di'n't really think y' would...I mean...'s jus' tha'... Suddenly, she bursts out in a short, nervous laugh. Magic...mucks things 'bout, don' it? Mean, it c'n be righ' useful too, but 't makes things...tricky...
"Mebbe we should be gettin' that dagger look'd inta when we get back ta Korvosa. I'm us'd ta other people thinkin' poor of me but I don't be likin' any of ya thinkin' tha same. If'n it be tha dagger that be muckin' with us all then we should be knowin'. Magic should be helpin' not harmin'."
Garvid sits down, then winces, and puts his back on the ground. "S#!~, do I envy elves my age...", he complains, then sits up. "You all got a fair point. I'd chuck that knife in the river, if I wasn't sure it'd appear again when we want it the least. possibly in someone's back. If it gives nightmares, that's even worse. If you want, I can carry it?", he suggests.
He shrugs. "I'm feeling we're long overdue a visit to one of the magical colleges. Damn wizards.", he mutters. "Can't really say all that much about magic, but mucking about is what happens a lot in this place." He stands up. "Come on, sooner we get on the horses, sooner we can get as far away from them. Smells like a damn barn in here. Can't say it's worse than city sewers, but that's something I'm used to.", he chuckles. "So, let's head to the Academy,", he suggests, not bothering with pronouncing the fancy name, "and see what they've got to say about the dagger and the sword."
The remainder of the journey into Harse proves uneventful, and neither ogres nor gnolls, nor even the mundane bandits show their faces. Still, every broken twig and errant bird call causes you to snap your heads around, expecting the worst.
You reach the outskirts of the city just before high noon. Soon the gnarled, dense woodlands break out into open pastures and rolling hills. The sounds of rushing water presage your view of the village itself, nestled within the confluence of the mighty Sarwin and Falcon rivers. Great water wheels line the edge of the waterway, smoke pouring from grist and paper mills. Men and women busy themselves along the roads and manage donkey-pulled wagons weighed down with wrought iron, ore, and coarse, unfinished fabrics. The town is positioned perfectly as a trade outpost, and it’s a wonder that it hasn’t grown larger than it has. The village, you know, is a favorite respite of dwarven merchants heading for Palin’s Cove and Veldraine, and serves as a gateway to Korvosa’s other inland holdings.
Rather than lead you into town, however, Jasan veers east, following the Falcon river for nearly four miles before cutting north across an enormous stone and cedar bridge with an attached water wheel. ”Tuttle’s Crossing,” he explains, ”Named on account ‘o Darb’s work in raising funds to build the thing. Also called Tuttle’s Erection by more than a few…’Scuse m’language, ladies...”
After several more miles, Jasan leads you off the main road and toward a gated dirt road. An aged, hand-painted sign hanging from it reads “Blackbird Ranch: Better’n Nothin’’ ”Gods almighty it’s good to see that again,” he mumbles as he opens the gate and leads you onto his land. Rolling green hills surround an enormous pond. Horses graze and gallop across the fields. Jasan leads you up to the “house,” a minor compound of several buildings and sheds. Several large farm dogs, dirty but well fed, come lumbering up toward the man, tails wagging. ”Shoo, ya mutts! ‘Fore these horses trample ya into the dirt!” His tone is hard, but he smiles good naturedly.
The remainder of the afternoon is spent settling the girls into their new home, meeting the few hands that Jasan to keep around, and taking a tour of the property as Jasan attends to the duties he’s neglected while away.
Li has barely gotten used to being around the horses by the time they reach the ranch. When the dogs come bounding up, she reflexively pulls her legs up on to the horse so that the dogs wouldn't be able to reach her if they decided to jump up. This was definitely not her environment.
It's with mixed feelings that Li helps Fran get settled on the farm. She was relieved that Trinia would be safe here in Harse but Li would miss her exuberant personality. Li adjusts the bracelet that Trinia had given her. "Ya be back in Korvosa before ya be knowin' it. 'Til then tha two of ya c'n be enjoyin' tha fresh country air."
Li tries her hardest to appear interested as they get a tour of the property. The more time they spend on the ranch the more she realizes that she is definitely a city girl. She never thought that she'd be using her natural lightness on her feet to avoid stepping in cow patties or gopher holes.
Pietro yielded his vote to the others. There really wasn't any hurry for him to get back to town. He was actually enjoying the fresh air.
He turned to Yazi, "Where do you think our path lies?"
The rooster’s crow comes too early. It is still very dark when the blasted bird’s raucous screeching pierces the air and rouses you from your beds.
”Damn bird’s gonna be supper one day soon…” Jasan mumbles as he groggily sets a kettle of water into the fire hearth.
Jasan’s coffee is strong, and tastes of tar. And acorns.
Not long after daybreak, the horses are loaded for the return trip to Korvosa. ”Ya’ll remember the way,” he says, a question posed as a statement. ”I’d tell ya to be careful, but gods know you’ns is good in a fight. Pity the soul who tries to mess with ya. The girls’ll be alright here. They’ll learn t’ ride, and repair horse shoes. We might make country gals of em yet.” He grins his charming, lopsided grin as he pours another cup of “coffee.”
”I meant what I said,” Trinia reminds Li. ”We’re like sisters now. I won’t be stayin’ here forever, ya know. I’ll make it back to the city one day, and check in on ya. And the rest of ya. Thank you for all you’ve done. Words aren’t enough at times such as these…”
”It’s true!” Vesper joins in. ”We’d be deader’n nails without your help!” Tearful embraces follow.
The journey back to Korvosa is largely uneventful. A supply wagon has overturned just south of Tuttle’s Erection, and Garvid and Mouse aid in pulling it free of river mud while Yazi and Pietro tend to one of the horses that sprained its ankle. Otherwise, you aren’t troubled. Whatever the source of the sinister Lamashtan cultists, it has settled. At least for now.
Trots passes in a blur, and before long the familiar Dwarfwalk Road meanders toward the coast as the familiar silhouette of Castle Korvosa claims the western horizon.
Traveling back through the markets, it’s an easy thing to find buyers for the gear you acquired, even marked as it is with symbols of dark worship.
Afterwards, you return the horses to the stablemaster, apologetic that you kept them several days too long.
Korvosa, despite your absence, has not been sleeping. A living, breathing thing, its tentacles and appendages have slithered and stirred in your absence, stirring up the mud and muck. Over the course of the next day, you pick up some interesting rumors:
Li is still somewhat upset after leaving Trinia in Harse. She can't help but think that there was something cursed about her. As soon as she found family, real or not, they quickly disappeared. First her mum in Sandpoint and now Trinia.
As she moves with the others through the stalls, her ability to remain unassuming allows her to overhear some of the rumors passing among the public. She takes a look at some crossbows and it's when she begins discussing price with the proprietor that he shares even more information with her. It seemed like many in Korvosa wanted to talk about what had happened and just needed someone to listen. After finalizing her purchase, she shared with the others what she'd learned.
"Lots be happenin' while we be gone. Everybody be talkin' about tha ship that be destroyed by tha guard." She lowers her voice, "I be told that tha ship be lookin' sinister an' be refusin' ta let tha guard search it so they be sinkin' it. Who be sailin' inta a city an' be ignorin' tha guard? It be makin' no sense."
"Lots be happenin' while we be gone. Everybody be talkin' about tha ship that be destroyed by tha guard." She lowers her voice, "I be told that tha ship be lookin' sinister an' be refusin' ta let tha guard search it so they be sinkin' it. Who be sailin' inta a city an' be ignorin' tha guard? It be makin' no sense."
Pietro nodded, "I heard the same but my version said that they were pirates from Riddleport."
He added, "That makes sense as to why they didn't want to be boarded and inspected. Probably have contraband on board."
He asked, "Is there anyone who would know anything more about this?"
The ride back has Yaziyah mostly quiet, alternately musing on who knows what and paying close attention to their surroundings. She is almost disappointed when no more minions of Lamashtu waylay them - she had hoped to get to the root of this menace and eliminate it. She makes a small mental note to pass the information to the few Varisians she knows in the city. Likely as not they follow Desna, and the hatred of that goddess for Lamashtu is well-known, even outside her worship circle.
As they enter Korvosa, she pauses here and there to greet someone and haggle at armorers' stands, weaponsmiths' shops and stalls belonging to purveyors of more arcane items. In the end, she manages to unload all their spoils save for what the others had kept for themselves (and for that useful little healing stick, which she tucks into her belt together with the other useful sticks). Returning to the group, she catches the discussion about the ship.
"Mmm, pirates, that is what I have heard as well. And yes, they were foolish to try it, but greed makes people do many foolish things. But it's done now, and we have other things to worry about." She pauses, looking around as if for a stray thought. "I am heading to the Academy to ask them about... well, you know. I'm sure I'll be fine on my own, but if you want to come along I won't stop you." She looks a smidge uncomfortable; her kind of magic does not mix with what they do at the Academy.
Garvid grunts. "Yeah? Well, my old pal Giamano told me that they were hailed more than five times." He sits down heavily, then winces. "I so wish Erastil'd made damn horses softer. Like, I don't know, cats.", he grumbles. "Can't imagine anyone continuing to go after they've been warned that they'll open fire on them. Twice. Wonder if they'd investigated the wreck.", he ponders, pouring himself a tall glass. "He mentioned that nobody saw anyone on the... spinny bit. The wheel.", he grunts. "Just once, I wish that whenever there's something weird happening, someone appears and says, this guy did it, the evidence is there, and he'll happily comply."When orcs fly.
He nods at Yazi. "Good plan. Mind if I accompany you, miss?", he smiles, stretching.
"If'n no one be on board it be makin' sense they didn't be stoppin'. But why be sendin' an empty ship up tha river?"
Li then moves forward to join Garvid and Yazi. "That thing be causin' enough problems. I be wantin' ta come with ya ta see how it c'n be movin' on its own. If'n we be keepin' it then I want ta be knowin' what other kinds of problems it may be causin'."
Mouse watches and listens as discussion of Korvosa's rumors fly, concern etched into her eyes at Garvid's comments. What kind o' folk'd keep sailin' up a river even when firin' starts? Ain't no take worth dyin' over, an' from th' stories 's pirates what knows that best... Shaking off the disturbance in her features, she nods to Yazi. I c'n come 'long if y' think I'll be any use - ain't got much of a head f'r book learnin', but things 's only calmed down so much. Ain't smart t' go walkin' 'round alone.
Although it stands within Citadel Crest, the Acadamae doesn't bleong to a ward. Faculty and students of the college live within its imposing walls and outsiders may enter only when they come with a purpose, such as delivering food or performing maintenance, or during the Breaching Festival. The only people allowed to live within the Acadamae either teach at or attend the college. Instructors live in apartment suites within the walls for free, while the rent for students' tenement flats and studios are included in their already expensive tuition.
Prestigious and highly esteemed, the famed Acadamae attracts students from as far away as distant Geb, and even--to the annoyance of the far-more ancient colleges there--Cheliax. The Acadamae teaches all eight schools of magic, but its primary focus lies in conjuration. Regardless of an apprentice's specialization (the Acadamae only teaches specialists) every student at the college must pass a grueling exam on conjuration in order to graduate. Thus, the college does not allow its students to forsake learning of conjuration. Rumors speak of those attempting to quit the school becoming test subjects for students of necromancy, but to date no one has verified these stories.
Shrouded in secrecy, the campus's 30-foot-high walls only barely conceal the grand Hall of Summoning, itself one of the largest buildings in all of Varisia. Visitors and residents cannot hope to ignore the presence of the Acadamae, but since very few people unconnected with the college know what happens within it, the place births abundant rumors.
Unfortunately, the entry gate to the Acadamae is shut and barred. Since unrest has gripped the city, it has locked itself shut and the deans have announced it shall not reopen until the city returns to order.
While disappointed, and perhaps frustrated, your patience is soon rewarded, for Grau Soldado calls on the manor. Grau, former Guardsman-turned-street urchin rescued by the group, and childhood of Li's, looks crisp and clean in his uniform, though he's clearly distressed. He greets you nervously in the hall, clutching his cap between his hands. "Uh, hi everyone. Li! I, I could use your help..."
"A good friend of mine, her daughter is sick. I don't know what she has, and neither does anyone in Trail's End. She's broken out all over in red pocks and barely keeps down her food, or even the will that good-for-nothing herbalist gave her. Her mother's talking about going to the Bank of Abadar, but can't afford to pay the prices their clerics would demand. Then I remembered how you and your friends helped me, and handled yourselves during the riots, and I figured you could help? A, a bunch of resourceful folk like you, I'd bet if you don't alrady have a way to fix this, you must know who can. Surely you can't just sit by while a child suffers, can you?" He asks this last question with an impossibly desperate but hopeful expression.
"A good friend of mine, her daughter is sick. I don't know what she has, and neither does anyone in Trail's End. She's broken out all over in red pocks and barely keeps down her food, or even the will that good-for-nothing herbalist gave her. Her mother's talking about going to the Bank of Abadar, but can't afford to pay the prices their clerics would demand. Then I remembered how you and your friends helped me, and handled yourselves during the riots, and I figured you could help? A, a bunch of resourceful folk like you, I'd bet if you don't alrady have a way to fix this, you must know who can. Surely you can't just sit by while a child suffers, can you?" He asks this last question with an impossibly desperate but hopeful expression.
Pietro nodded, "I'll go, of course. I'm way overdue for a visit at Trail's End."
Already patting his brown, leather doctor's bag, he turned to Grau, "Will you come with us or provide directions to your friend's house. What is her name? I may know her."
Yaziyah frowns in frustration at the barred gates of the Acadamae. There was little chance that anyone else would know what to make of the dagger, but she plans on asking around anyway.
Back at the estate, she pays little mind to Grau until the guard starts speaking. The Shoanti woman freezes, then whirls towards him. "What... what did you say?" As Grau repeats his words, she fairly sways on her feet, her eyes glazed over. "The child. The child in the prophecy." She intones in a cavernous voice "...The gentle sobbing of a lonely child, one whose cries I can hear but can never see." Her eyes snap open. "And the mourning hymns in Shoanti! I have to warn my people. Something terrible is coming. But first, I will see this child."
"Her name is Tayce; do you know a Tayce?" Grau says with a bit of an edge to his voice. "Sorry.." he says, gentler, "Tayce...Soldado. She's my sister, and it's my niece's sick."
"Address, address... I'm not sure there is any addresses in Trail's End. And, uh, I don't know much about prophecies, but I'll gladly go with ya and show you where they're stayin'."
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"I didn't mention my sis," Grau explains to Li on the way, "Because we've had a strained relationship over the years. She left for Korvosa a while before I did, and pop got so mad he's disowned her. I did too, for a while. But only cause I was jealous she got out first. I don't see her or the kids's often as I should, and it just feels plain weird talkin' 'bout her. But she needs my help now, and Brienna and Charlo and Rello do too. Those are her kids. Brienna's the sick one."
He chatters on in explanation as you make your way toward Dwarfwalk Road (and Theumanexus College) and Trail's End beyond.
Garvid clenches his fist as he notices the Acadamae being closed. "Typical wizards. You know, all that s!!* you hear about them only helping when 'the stars are right' or 'the balance of magic must be maintained', I'm pretty sure every single one is because they literally can't be arsed to do anything helpful for anyone but themselves." He gives the door a weak kick. "Punts."
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At the crossroad, Garvid grunts. "Well, as much as they've got the reputation of being incompetent, I doubt Theumanexus are going to blow themselves up any time soon. Rather have a trail getting cold, rather than a kid.", he sums up, as he stops to wait for the other to catch up.
Yaziyah nods. "Indeed. We have more urgent things to do, the... well, it can wait." She turns to Grau. "Tell me more about Brienna and her family. Is your sister married? When did she return to Korvosa?"
She keeps Grau talking, partly to ease the man's nerves, partly to find out more about their patient. Illness was a complicated thing, in her experience. Same sickness could hit two people, one would recover in a week and carry on just like before, the other... sometimes the other would just slip beyond. The will of the spirits at work, she supposed, but also to do with what people ate, how they lived, what work they did, how strong their body was - or their will.
Li's face lights up when she sees Grau. Then she immediately feels guilty because she hadn't had time to seek him out to tell him about Sandpoint. "I be sorry I haven't been over ta seein' ya since I got back. Things been busy. It be really good seein' ya."
Her face turns more neutral when he mentions a friend whose child is sick. "Of course we be helpin' yer friend. No reason fer a child ta suffer, ever. Dr. Pietro and Yazi will get her right as rain soon 'nough."
Surprise registers on Li's face at the mention of his sister, mixed with what may be relief. "No need ta be apologizin'. We've only been chattin' a few times and there be only so much that c'n be said at once. Yer pa be really nice, by tha way. He wants ya ta be visitin' him when ya c'n. I be real sorry yer niece be sick. Family be important."
The serpentine-handled dagger was indeed a mystery...but one that could wait. Bad dreams and mysterious movements weren't life-and-death, but a sick child was another matter entirely. Lead th' way, Mouse nods to Grau. I ain't much good with physickin', but I'll help any way I c'n. Or...maybe we c'n split up? Ain't gon' do much good shovin' six or seven into a kid's bedroom, so why not git two things done at once?
”Yes, yes let’s hurry! Brienna’s in a bad way..” Grau ushers you north and toward the hovels of Trail’s End.
”Tell me more about Brienna and her family.”
”Tayce, she lives with her three kids, Brienna, Charlo, and Rello. She hit it off with some Varisian fellah years ago, but he went off and got himself killed by a highwayman. She’s well-known in Trail’s End, even in good with those Sczarni toughs wanderin’ ‘round the slums. She works as a washer woman for some locals and some families in North Point. Her kids work too, of course. Brienna’s a maid, and the boys are apprentices to a wheelright friend out that way. She’s a good mom. She’s devoted her life to bringin’ those kids up right. I’ve been tryin’ to visit more often lately, ‘bout once a week.”
The Soldado home is a squat, two-story wooden building in desperate need of repair. Overall, the building feels like the home of a family too busy living to bother with tedious chores.
In contrast to the neglected exterior, the inside of the house is remarkably clean and well kept, filled with worn furniture and decorated with the crafts and scribblings of children. A settee and a neat piling of blankets in the main room suggests the family sleeps here as well.
Two boys, presumably Charlo and Rello, are playing quietly in the living room. Despite being only half-blooded Varisian, the boys have distinctly Varisian features, with unruly black hair, brown eyes, and olive skin. A man dressed in Abadarian robes is in the “kitchen” area, tending a boiling kettle in the hearth.
Grau walks in without knocking, a frequent and welcome guest in the home. He gives a small wave to the priest and calls out for his sister. ”Tayce! You here? Brought friends!” A tired-looking woman in her late thirties rushes down the rickety stairs. She has dark circles under her eyes and her hair is a mess, though she possesses a simple beauty scarcely hidden by her disheveled appearance and wan features.
”Oh, hey! I mean w-welcome!” She gives a pitiful excuse for a curtsey and gestures to the room behind her as her eyes pass over you. Her eyes lock on Pietro’s medical bag hopefully. ”Thank you for coming, Sirs and Madams. This, this is Ishani Dhatri from the church of Abadar.”
A series of weak, ragged coughs issue from somewhere upstairs.
Although he glances uncertainly toward the stairs, he priest smiles warmly and steps away from the hearth, extending his hand to each of you. ”How do you do? I’m pleased to make your acquaintance, even if under such regrettable circumstances.” His speech carries the slightest exotic flare of a native Vudran speaker.
”You’re here to see to Brienna, then? Thank the go...Abadar.” Tayce says meekly. ”She’s been sick for days now. I called the herbalist down the lane, but nothing worked, so now we’ve turned to the church.”
Li is surprised to see someone else at Tayce's home. Grau seems to know the man but never mentioned that he'd be present. He had mentioned Tayce going to clerics of Abadar but it seemed like there was a more personal reason for Ishani to be there.
The rogue returns Ishani's greeting and stands awkwardly for a few moments as everyone sorts themselves out. Li knows the upstairs will be crowded enough and she can't help so she makes no move to follow Pietro or Yazi. Instead she plops herself down besides the boys. "Ya must be Charlo and Rello. I bein' a friend of yer uncle's. Me name's Li. Mebbe I c'n play wit' ya while me friends help yer sis."
tag boys
Yaziyah nods at the Abadar priest as he is introduced, but does not waste much time with pleasantries before making her way to the patient's side. Pausing only to utter a brief prayer of protection to the spirits, she heads up on the stairs. She kneels next to the girl, smiling. "Hi, Brienna. My name is Yazi, I'm a friend of your uncle's. I'm a medicine woman and I'm here to try and help you. How do you feel today?"
While she speaks, she gently examines the girl, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead, cheeks, the side of her neck.
She looks around the room, searching for any potential clues as to the source of the illness, then turning to Pietro with an eyebrow raised. "What do you think, doctor?"
She looks around the room, searching for any potential clues as to the source of the illness, then turning to Pietro with an eyebrow raised. "What do you think, doctor?"
The doctor nodded warmly to Ms Tayce and followed Yazi upstairs. He smiled and spoke to Brienne for some time as he diagnosed whatever illness she had. He noted the labored breathing and asked the girl where she had been for the past day or so.
"So when did you first noticed something was odd? Have you done anything out of the ordinary?"
-----------
"Are you a doc?" Charlo asks with a thick urban accent. "Ma say docs's comin' what'ta make Brienna feel bettah." Rello says nothing, shyly staring down at his crude, sawdust-stuffed teddy bear with his tongue poking through his lips. After a moment he offers it to Li. "Teddy," he says simply.
”Tayce, I’ll be speakin’ to ya outside.” Grau says seriously, giving a short glance toward Ishani before stepping purposefully out the door. ”Er, go on up, if it please ye. Brienna’s expectin’ visitors…And, thank you for comin’.” She grabs Pietro’s arm and looks at him gratefully. She slips through you like a whisper, then begins a heated discussion with Grau.
Tayce: ”...my daughter...gettin’ worse...figure out a way...”
Ishani sighs apologetically and extends a hand, offering to lead you upstairs. He keeps his hands folded reverently at his waist and looks down toward them as he softly speaks. ”My concern here isn’t that the girl is ill, but that I can’t discern the exact combination of her symptoms. It is, I fear, the harbinger of a new disease. If I had been sent for earlier, perhaps I could have treated this. But I’m afraid my duties at the Golden One’s Vault required me to entreat him for similar miracles already this day."
”Even if I could heal her, though, the tenets of my church force me to request a donation for Abadar’s power, which I suspect these simple folk could scarcely afford.”
The rickety staircase is hung with the optimistic scribblings of children and leads up to a small loft area, the only proper bedroom in the home. A young girl lies in one of the beds, her slight frame dwarfed by the bed’s size and the pile of pillows, afghans, and quilts surrounding her. Unlike the darker complexion of her brothers, Brienna Soldado has a paler complexion, with light hair and freckles. But splotches of angry red rash cover her face and arms, appearing in irregular shapes and sizes.
Suddenly, her restlessness is interrupted by a violent fit of hacking coughs that jerk her entire frame, lifting her well off her pillows. The spasm passes after a moment, dropping her back to the bed, but seemingly having done little to ease her breathing.
”The mother, Tayce, claims she knows nothing of how this poor thing became so ill. The child has drifted in and out of consciousness since she fell ill three days ago... A, a potion of remove disease could do it,” he says gently. He takes a deep breath, obviously uncomfortable. ”Or if the family could procure the, the appropriate donation, I could return in the morning myself.”
Li laughs warmly at Charlo's question. "Thank ya but no, I ain't bein' no doc but me friends are." When Rello introduces his bear to Li, she shakes its paw and says, "I be very pleased ta be meetin' ya Teddy. Me name be Li. Who is bein' yer friend?" Li asks with the hopes that Rello may speak to her if Teddy introduced him to her. "So c'n ya tell me when yer sis be gettin' sick? Did she be doin' anythin' different that day? How about ya both? Ya be feelin' ok?"
Li sees Grau and Tayce speaking heatedly but chooses to focus on the two boys instead of them. She waits expectantly to see if the boys would trust her enough to answer some of her questions.
Mouse stands awkwardly a few steps up, her attention divided between the hushed conversation at the bedside and Li's talk with the still-well children. But 'ow long's they gon' stay well, shut up in so small an 'ouse wit' th' other one like tha'? An' where's it she got somethin' like tha' from? 'Ow many others is gon' catch it? Her worries run rampant - especially with little in the way of knowledge or experience to check or counter them. While she notices the two heading outside, her attention is too devoted to the conversation upstairs to catch much of it.
What she does catch, though, is the Abadaran priest's refusal to help the child. A few moments' listening, and she can take no more - she stomps the rest of the way up the stairs, facing down the cleric with fear in her eyes. But Mr. - Y'r... Lost for the appropriate honorific, she plows on ahead. She ain't gon' be th' start o' some kind o' epi-...epi-... She ain't gon' spread it round t' a bunch o' other folk, is she? I- She takes in a sharp but soft breath. I seen a outbreak o' th' measles once...seemed like near th' 'ole neighbor'ood was down. But nothin' like tha's gon' 'appen 'ere, righ'?
Garvid nods respectfully to the lady of the house. "It's our pleasure, Mrs. Soldado.", he replies. He turns towards the cleric. "Pleased to meet you too, Ishani Dhatri.", he replies, giving in response the Abadarian sign.
As the two leave, he stops for a moment, clearly listening. Well, that's just textbook s+!+ty situation., he shakes his head with a sigh, as he turns towards the priest. "A new disease? That's... convinient...", he mentions, as he pauses once more, connecting dots in his head. With that... cult popping in, that might have something to do with it.
He takes a long look at the coughing kid, frowning. "Hm. You know, as a follower of Abadar myself, I've been pondering some tenets recently.", he sends a smile. "I can suggest something. What if you, in your right as a citizen of Korvosa, make a deal with you, the representative of Abadar to help the kid, for the good of the community. Can help you draft the contract, if you want.", he smiles. "Poor and rich are part of the city, His Domain. And you know better than me, the poor will be hit by any plague harder than the rich. It's the truth." He shrugs. "Sounds like a deal?"
As soon as the cleric gives his answer, Garvid continues. "Right. There's another thing I've been meaning to go to the church for. We were recently outside of town." He leans in closer, trying to keep the information away from the kids' ears. "We found some evidence that might suggest a big, organised cult of Lamashtu. If you got people who... poke around magical evidence, it might be worth to check that out. A normal plague will be bad enough, but I don't have a clue what a magical one might do."
Rello laughs when Li shakes Teddy’s paw, as though it’s the most ludicrous thing in the world. His grin reveals a row of crooked, yellow teeth, but at least they’re all accounted for. ”I’m Rello,” he replies with more courage. ”So your friends’ll give Brienna medicine? Ma says she’s real sick.”
”We dun’ know what happened to her,” Charlo chimes in. ”She came home lookin’ all red and she was coughin’, then Ma put her int’ bed and she’s been like that for days now. I wish she’d get up, I miss sleepin’ in a bed.” He glances toward the pile of blankets on the settee. ”Say, d’ya want to play Blackjack’n’bandits? We’ll be the bandits and you can be the hero?”
Upstairs, Pietro and Yazi spend several minutes tending to the child. Yazi lifts her limp body from the pillows, supporting her head in her arms and placing her palm on the child’s brow. She is burning up. Pietro checks her pulse and breathing rate, then scrapes the bottom of her feet to ensure her nervous system hasn’t been compromised. A rash and a mask of blisters cover her face and arms, her lymph glands have swollen into painful-looking buboes, and a ragged, wet cough bursts through her lips every minute or so. Her eyes remain shut, the girl apparently trapped in a delirious sleep. This is likely for the best, to spare her the torment of the symptoms. Still, holding her upright has a noticeable, positive effect on her breathing, and so they stack some pillows under her head to keep her elevated.
Still, the combination of symptoms is unfamiliar to you, even considering your sizeable experience working with diseases. Could Ishani’s fears be true? Is this a new strain of disease?
Mouse and Garvid corner the priest in the hall, peppering him with questions and compromises. Ishani looks almost like a lost child when he’s confronted with Mouse’s honest assessment of what an epidemic might mean. ”I honestly cannot say. It isn’t for me t--””
Quid pro quo
Ishani fidgets with his golden key pendant nervously, eyes cast down, clearly weighing something heavy in his mind. Finally he sighs heavily and looks you in the eyes. ”Alright. You’re right. I’m sure the church won’t mind. I will be able to explain... I shall return first thing on the morrow with healing rites prepared.”
cult of Lamashtu
Ishani’s dark eyes grow big as saucers at the notion. ”Surely not!” he whispers. ”Such worship has been barred from Korvosa since at least 4706. Even the Pantheon of the Many does not recognize her dominion.” He clutches his key protectively . ”But I will pass along this news to my superiors, this very afternoon. Or perhaps you should tell them what you have seen with your own eyes? In truth…” He lowers his voice, glancing around, ”In truth, my fears of an epidemic are not based solely on young Brienna. I have seen similar signs of sickness elsewhere this day, and I worry we are on the verge of a full-on outbreak. A connection with the likes of Lamashtu would only serve to deepen the severity of the situation. Will you come, join me at the Grand Vault?”
At the priest's promise, Mouse lets out the breath she didn't realize she was holding with a sigh of relief. But the priests' words afterward do little to assuage her fears - Brienna would get better, but what about the others? What if this was the start of a magic-fed plague? 'F...'f there's anythin' I c'n do, I'm game, she answers soberly. I ain't known much 'bout no Lamashu...but I know those what we saw outside o' town ain't meant nothin' but bad.
Li cocks her head to the side, studying the two boys. Ya don't be wantin' ta be tha heroes? Besides," she gives them a wink and produces a coin seemingly out of nowhere, "I be makin' a pretty good bandit."
"Alright. You’re right. I’m sure the church won’t mind. I will be able to explain... I shall return first thing on the morrow with healing rites prepared.”
Yaziyah shakes her head. "No. I will not this child suffer a moment longer than needed. Send another of your temple, today. Whatever the cost, we will cover it."
”But I will pass along this news to my superiors, this very afternoon. Or perhaps you should tell them what you have seen with your own eyes? Will you come, join me at the Grand Vault?”
In response, Yaziyah gathers her things and rises, a last lingering look at Brienna. "I will come with you. There is nothing more I can do for her." She takes a deep breath. " If this is spreading, it must be contained. If agents of Lamashtu are at work here, they must be stopped."
The god of cities is stern but rewards those who work hard and whose actions benefit others as well as themselves, though he is morally ambiguous enough to recognize that not every person can benefit from every decision. Misusing slaves or beasts of burden is a waste of resources and detrimental to the profitability of a farm and civilization as a whole, and using cheaply-paid laborers rather than slaves is a better option, but Abadar understands that the world changes in small increments and the most advantageous option for society is not always the most workable in the present. He respects cautious thought and rejects impulsiveness, seeing it as a base and destructive whim. He teaches that discipline, keen judgment, and following the law eventually leads to wealth, comfort, and happiness. He does not believe in free handouts, and because of this his temples sell potions and healing spells or scrolls rather than giving them to those in need. Any who protest are pointed at the temple of Sarenrae.
His primary worshipers are judges, merchants, lawyers, and aristocrats, all of whom benefit from established laws and commerce. Those who are poor or who have been wronged also worship him, praying he might help reverse their ill fortune, for most mortals seek wealth and the happiness it brings. He expects his followers to abide by local laws (though not foolish, contradictory, toothless, or purposeless laws) and work to promote order and peace. He has no tolerance for gambling or excessive drinking. Abadar’s personal intervention in the mortal world is usually in the form of hints or opportunities rather than direct gifts. Worshipers who lose Abadar’s favor might find themselves short on money at a crucial time, tongue-tied in the middle of an important deal, or stymied in their craft or art. When he is pleased, deals are more profitable than expected, projects are completed early, and journeys to or within a city take less time than normal. His intervention is subtle, for he expects worshipers to do their own work.
Abadar is depicted as a handsome man with black hair dressed in fine garments, often with a gold cloak over a golden breastplate and bearing many keys. Humans, dwarves, and gnomes show him with a beard, whereas elves show him beardless and with long braids tied with golden thread. His voice is pleasant and even, his words firm but not harsh. Abadar is lawful neutral and his portfolio is cities, wealth, merchants, and law. His domains are Earth, Law, Nobility, Protection, and Travel, and his favored weapon is the crossbow. His holy symbol is a golden key, often with a city image on the head. Most of his clergy are clerics, with a small number of paladins. Due to the emphasis on cities and civilization, he has no adepts—even the most remote settlements paying homage to Abadar are watched over by a cleric or paladin. He is called the Master of the First Vault, Judge of the Gods, and the Gold-Fisted.
Ishani nods respectfully. ”As you wish.” He casts a glance back toward Brienna’s room before stepping lightly down the stairs to deliver the news to Tayce.
”Oh thank you!” she screams, tearing into the house and leaping up the stairs, embracing each and every one of you in turn. No one can escape her hugs. ”You got no idear! We’ve been so scared...the boys...she’s so young…She gets a chance!” She crawls onto the bed beside her daughter, tears freely flowing as she rocks the sleeping girl. ”She gets a chance, You’re givin’ her a chance! Th-thank you...”
Ishani reappears and reassures her that he will personally return with another priest this very day, then subtly motions that it is time to leave. Making quick goodbyes to Rello and Charlo, you step back into the open air of Trail’s End.
As you begin the walk toward North Point, Ishani tells you a bit about himself. ”My mother brought me and my sister Vavana to Korvosa over twenty years ago. We fled sickness then, too--an outbreak of scarlet leprosy in Vudra.”
”Alms for tha poor, sir?” rasps a woman in rags as she clutches Ishani’s sleeve. His fine clerical dress easily draws much attention. He gently removes her hand. ”Abadar preserve you and guide you to prayers. Therein shall you find salvation,” he says gently. The woman coughs and shoos him off, looking for another opportunity.
”It is what killed my father. We were desperate. We took the first ship we could find and found ourselves on a return journey of an Arkona ship. When we arrived, my mother had to pay for our passage: thirteen years of indentured service to that family.”
A small boy races down the street, pushing his way through you as if you were tall blades of grass. He wheezes heavily, probably due to the physical exertion of his sprinting, but does not stop.
”But she, too, died, and only four months after our arrival. Vavana and I were orphans. My sister, though, secured an enrollment for herself in the Acadamae. She cut ties with me, and I was alone.”
A finely dressed woman in pink and green silks floats across the cobblestones, her intricately embroidered handkerchief flashing in the afternoon light as she gently sneezes into it.
”I was scared and overwhelmed by the sheer size of this city, but I found help and support in the church of Abadar. And I’ve spent my life here seeking to help the sick ever since.”
_____________________
In a city as steeped in political scheming, decisive justice, and trade as Korvosa, it shouldn’t be a surprise that its largest and most influential faith is the congregation of Abadar. Presided over by Archbanker Darb Tuttle, the Bank of Abadar is one of the more potent moderating factors in the city, ever eager to remind the government and nobility of their responsibilities to their citizens. Yet while its acts might sometimes seem charitable, the church of Abadar is more concerned with the just enactment of the law and the continued flow of trade.
The Grand Vault of Abadar, a meticulously well-kept structure of white marble and gleaming bronze friezes, stands in the North Point district of Korvosa. While the first floor holds a few small side shrines and counseling chambers, the majority of its airy halls are given over to the business of banking, with acolytes of Abadar eager to serve any who have coin they would entrust to the temple’s care, while armored clerics keep watch for ne’er-do-wells. The priests are so trusted and respected that for decades these lower levels have also housed the presses that mint Korvosan coins.
Towering over the surrounding buildings, the Grand Vault of Abadar offers a radiant vision of divine luxuriance amid a sea of mortal troubles. As its gray-veined white marble reflects the midday sun, there’s little question that this place is the house of a god.
Yet for a deity of law, the steep stairs and ramps leading up to the temple’s great bronze doors offer a strangely discordant scene. Dozens of citizens—mostly of the working class, although the silks of a few merchants show through the crowd—throng the entry, scarcely being held back by a group of gold-armored Abadaran clerics. All seem intent on gaining entry to the temple, but the clerics turn away nearly all comers. The clerics’ reasoning becomes clear as one desperate believer is turned away, his pitiful countenance mottled with violent red sores.
The temple guards are turning away all comers who show such signs of sickness. Others who have less urgent business fight through the disease-ridden crowd to undergo the guards’ brief questioning as to their purpose--twin gauntlets that few healthy visitors are daring to run. While the crowd remains relatively orderly in its pleading, the temple’s protectors and a few Korvosan Guards gathered nearby eye the situation with unease.
”Judge of Gods!” Ishani gasps, reaching again for his key as he eyes the desperate crowd. ”Things are only becoming worse. We must get inside. Will you still come?”