"I almost killed Yazi last time that vampire took over my mind."
"I don't hold that against you, Doctor. You were trying to help. But if you feel that your talents are best employed in your clinic... well." Yaziyah extends a hand for the doctor to shake. "Us healers, it is difficult when we have to take a life. I understand. May the spirits guide you in your journey. You are a good man, Doctor."
She snorts as Li again lifts his dagger. "And of course, we will be seeing you at Cal's, yes?"
The hag barely lifts her head as she rises from unconsciousness. She whispers a few words, but they are too quiet to be properly understood. She seems to be barely cognizant of what is around her, slipping in and out of consciousness.
Finishing the deed they'd started hours ago with a grim, yet determinate expression, Garvid stands up from the corpse. "May the Lady of Graves absolve you of your sins.", he mumbles quietly, wiping the blade of his halberd on a piece of his cloak. "The less we talk about this, the better. Truth be told, the docks and the Jeggare are getting on my nerves." And I need a stiff drink., he reasons, pointing towards the Fordyce estate. "Frankly, ith the speaking dead, yet another monster goddess and the taste of that filthy river, if the town needs us today, it's going to have to ask real polite.", he begins his usual grumble. During most of the way to the manor, he remains quiet, occasionally sighing and remaining in thought. Whether wondering about the hag and the ship, or trying to see patterns in the city, it's hard to say.
With the unpleasantness behind them, Li almost says 'let's be goin' home' until she realizes that even though the Fordyce Estate feels like home, it really wasn't. Not that Cal would ever make them leave but she feels like she needs to keep things in perspective. Just in case it's all ripped away somehow.
"We all be needin' a good night's sleep, some food, an' use o' tha bathin' room back at Cal's. I be sure Korvosa c'n be survivin' one night without us." Then a wisp of smoke over Old Korvosa caught her eye and her stomach twisted with doubt even though she knew there was nothing they could do just now.
"So, tomorrow we be visitin' tha hospice? Or are we be startin' ta look fer this Lady Andaisin?"
Lord Talfryn looks aged by the events of the past hour. He made himself watch while Garvid executed the hag, and now, face gray with fatigue and shivering from the cold, he bundles his great coat over his shoulders and removes his monocle to give it a futile polish.
"I find myself looking forward to a good glass of brandy, a warm, crackling fire, and a good night's sleep, poor dreams permitting."
He replaces the monocle and looks to the others. "I believe I shall retire to my estate for the night. I shall call at Lord Cal's as soon as I rise, which, in my twilight years, I find grows ever earlier. As for our goal come the morn? While I would dearly love to ferret out this Lady Andaisin, I believe we need greater clues. We should share this information with the Marshall, assuredly, but I would be in favor of visiting the hospice."
Back at the Fordyce Estate, you all find Cal and the rest of the manor in a bit of an uproar. It seems that despite Cal's express commands, Ziggy and Toadie sneaked out at night and woke up this morning with a bad cough and a high fever.
Cal is beside himself with worries as he paces the foyer as you enter.
"I can't believe they would just ignore me like that, and now look at what's happened! You would think children who grew up on the streets would have more common sense than to risk contracting a deadly disease!"
Upon seeing Yaziyah, he rushes over to the shaman. "Please, please, Yaziyah, take a look at them. I've isolated them in the red guestroom."
He then looks at the rest of the group, and does a double-take.
"Where's Dr. Pietro? We could really use his help."
Yaziyah is as tired and soul-weary as the others, but at Cal's news she rushes to see to the children. The little scoundrels grew on you, didn't they just. And despite their rough life so far, they retained a measure of innocence that the shaman felt was very precious right now. She would not, could not allow any of them to come to harm.
And if her mundane healing skills are not enough, she will beseech the spirits for help, although she is too tired to perform the ritual more than once tonight.
Cal's news terrifies Mouse to her core - and so, though she aches with worry for Ziggy and Toadie, she rushes to her room and shuts the door, curling tight against herself. She wouldn't risk exposing the kids to something that could make them even sicker, and she wouldn't expose herself to the plague they could carry. She'd done enough putting herself in harm's way for five people...it was time for some rest. They'll go on an' do jus' fine wit'out me. Or, leastways, I ain't gon' be no help.
Li breaks the news of the doctor's departure to Cal. "Sadly, Dr. Pietro be feelin' his talents best be used healin' tha people o' Korvosa. He won't be comin' around much."
When Mouse rushes from the room, Li starts to follow but then thinks better of it. She decides to give her some time alone to rest. She then decides to get some rest herself - after a bath of course. Washing the smell of the Jeggare off her is the only way she'd be able to get to sleep tonight.
As Garvid reaches the manor, he sighs quietly, his fist tightening as he hears the news. Nodding as Yazi goes to check on the children, he crashes down in a couch and starts removing his armour. "So they went out in the town. Why?", he asks, placing his breastplate next to the couch. "Were they worried about someone, or just felt like going out?" Thumping his heavy gauntlets, he places them on the table as he stands up, stretching his back. "Because if it's the latter, I'd have expected they'd be smarter from all that time on the streets.", he grumbles, half in anger, half in disappointment.
Cal shakes his head at Garvid, obviously still livid and worried sick about the children. Before replying to the ex-guardsman, he takes a long breath to calm himself.
"I haven't been able to get much out of them, but get the feeling that they sneaked out because they were tired of being cooped up here all the time. You'd think that after living in hovels all of their lives, they'd be content with a mansion for a few weeks, even one needing repair desperately. I've tried to give them everything I had as a child, but still they disobey. I just don't understand it!"
He then storms off to the sitting room and pours himself a large brandy, inviting any of you to join him ... once you've washed the Jeggare off yourselves, that is.
----------------------
The supper that night is quite minimal: some thin chicken soup with a few loaves of bread and cheese. The cook apologies for the meager fare, stating that it is becoming harder and harder to find meat, and fresh fruits and vegetables as the plague continues. Very few farmers still make the dangerous trek into town to sell their wares, and those that do charge exorbitant prices.
"I don't even want to think about what the poor souls there in Old Korvosa are eating tonight," she mentions, ladling the soup into your bowls. "They must be down to whatever they can pull out of the river."
Garvid quietly tears into the food. "It's food.", he shrugs in between bites. "Better than no food." He sighs. "Getting the blood veil will teach them a good lesson about listening to whoever's in charge, though." Staring down into his soup, he continues eating quietly. As he finishes his meal, he sits down with a tankard of something strong-smelling. "So - Personally, Andaisin the Plaguebringer arriving crosses the line.", he takes a long drink, clearly indicating he's just starting. "Call me paranoid, but I'd much rather have a face to face with a doctor somewhere where they aren't calling the shots." Pointing the bottle at the rest, he offers them a drink. "We need to do it smart, though. As much as I'd love to show a Gray Maiden where she can put her helmet - I'd rather we don't break out an all out war with them, now that they and the Doctor are in cahoots."
Despite his exhaustion, Lord Talfryn lights a massive tallow candle by his desk and drags his old chair up so that he can peer at his spellbook. The hour is late. All dreams of an early night's rest died long ago, consumed by his fears, doubts, and inability to stop theorizing, trying to connect the disparate dots of politics, conspiracy, and treachery that seem to stretch across the city.
A plate of cold ham on stale bread is set to one side, barely touched. Fingers shaking, he turns the page, scanning the esoteric sigils, mouthing the phrases as he commits them to memory.
Old Korvosa is burning. Today he'd witnessed the execution of a sea hag plucked right from their harbor. Thousands were sick. A terrible follower of Urgothoa was apparently walking their streets.
Talfryn loosens his neck tie, feeling as if its choking. He feels as if the city outside his heavily curtained windows is rising up like some vast insect, intent on tearing him apart.
No.
All he need do is focus. One more day on the streets could see them turn the tide. Dislodge the first pebble that starts an avalanche of justice.
He turns the page, and sets to memorizing the next spell.
If only he believed that.
3rd (3 spells/day) - Gaseous Form, Haste, Slow
2nd (5 spells/day+Pearl) - Scorching Ray, Scorching Ray, Detect Thoughts, Mirror Image, Glitterdust
1st (6 spells/day) — Color Spray, Mage Armor, Grease, Enlarge Person, Charm Person, Charm Person
0 (at will)— Daze, Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Mage Hand
Li keeps glancing towards the door, hoping to see Mouse join them to eat. She digs into the food provided, not even noticing that most would consider it meager fare. After years scraping by on the street, regular food of any sort is still considered a luxury.
Li stuffs some cheese into her mouth. "Y'all should be givin' tha youngun's a break. It be hard ta be trustin' others, 'specially adults, when ya be growin' up on tha streets. Everybody be wantin' somethin' from ya or ta be usin' ya fer somethin'. It be completely possible that they be lookin' fer another place ta stay, thinkin' they goin' ta be kick'd out eventually. Or they coulda be thinkin' they be helpin' earn their keep by findin' food or somethin' else ta help. One thin' be certain, they be havin' a reason fer leavin' tha house."
Li switches gears as Garvid starts taking about their future plans."Are we be visitin' tha hospice by knockin' on tha door an hopin' they be lettin' us be lookin' around or do ya be wantin' me ta be findin' another way in or both?" She takes a bite of bread and chews thoughtfully. "Did ya be wantin' ta find a doctor ta be questionin' tomorrow? 'Cause then we got ta be gettin' one alone."
She dunks her bread in her soup, "We need ta be findin' out more about this plaguebring'r. Problem be there be too many paths ta follow ta try ta be figurin' out what be happenin'."
Cal wanders in during the dinner, having eaten something earlier in the evening. He's holding a large snifter of brandy, making it obvious that although the food stock may be getting low, the wine cellar will have enough supplies to last quite some time.
He listens carefully to Li's comments about the orphans, then take some time to think of a response.
"You are right, Li. I know so little about the horrors these young ones have seen in their short lives. Thank you for reminding me."
Some of you are awoken in the night by large groups of armed men moving through the streets of the city. You guess it might be the watch or the Gray Maidens, but it's hard to tell for sure.
The morning seems to come late, as the sun is shrouded in a thick bank of fog that comes off the bay, obscuring everything in a thick haze that smells of wood smoke.
Garvid wakes a bit later than usual, having slept poorly due to a hacking cough that seem to have come on during the night.
Talfryn awakens just before dawn, and lies for awhile in his dusty four poster bed, watching as the sky lightens through the six vertical windows of his master suite. He doesn't feel refreshed, but nor does he think he can sleep; the events of the previous days ran riot through his dreams, and the thought of what more he might witness today weighs on him like a leaden blanket.
Still, he climbs out of bed eventually with a groan, and sets to dressing himself, a laborious process that culminates in a quiet breakfast in the cavernous kitchen. Eventually he locks the front door, tugs his overcoat tightly about him, and sets out for Cal's mansion, raising his scarf so as to filter the worst of the smoke out.
Lord Blackoak sniffs the air, detecting the usual smell of coal and woodsmoke, along with the indeterminate odor of other, less common materials on fire throughout the city.
As he crests a nearby hill on his way to meet the others, the nobleman momentarily spies Old Korvosa as the mist parts. Although he cannot see any actively burning fires, a number of extinguished buildings continue to smolder, expelling large amounts of grey-black smoke. The mist closes soon thereafter, once again hiding Endrin Isle from view.
Entering the mansion with a grateful half bow to Lord Cal, Talfryn moves into the kitchen where the others have gathered. He does not sit, but rather removes his leather gloves, face cast into a scowl.
"It would seem that Endrin Isle saw a significant amount of activity last night. A score of buildings were set afire. These blazes have since been doused, but the consequent smoke covers the city."
Garvid's racking cough announces his appearance down the stairs, as the ex-guardsman's mood appears to be darker than the Korvosan sky. Sitting away from the others, he throws his coat on. "Probably those lunatics marching in the dead of night.", he comments, before quickly grabbing a couple of slices of bread from the table, biting into one, nodding at the door. "I'll b' 'nthe g'rd'n.", his muffled voice carries over, before pausing for another cough, which seems to anger him more than it inconveniences him. Swallowing with a frown, he turns around. "Let's move breakfast there. Don't feel like mingling in the house while I'm like this." All this household needs is me spreading the plague as well. If I see Andaisin..., his fist curls as the door slams behind him.
Yaziyah makes her appearance late, bleary-eyed from having kept watch over the children until late last night. She makes herself a cup of strong tea as she blinks the weariness out of her eyes.
"I've done all I could for now. We shall see today how their situation develops." Taking a sip from her mug, she continues. "For now, I would really to talk to the Marshall, if she's back from Old Korvosa. For once, she has information that we want and not the other way around. I need to know what's happening there."
She narrows her eyes at Garvid's coughing fits. "Let me take a look at you."
Li paces around the kitchen feeling somewhat useless because she couldn't help make anyone feel better. The others suggesting that they go and talk with the Field Marshall got a nod from her. "Gettin' out inta tha city be better than stayin' coop'd up in here." The rogue understood all too well why the kids had left the manor. "But tha smoke be bad fer Korvosa. Lots o' people be findin' it difficult ta breathe 'cause o' tha blood veil an' tha smoke just be makin' it all worse."
"Do we be knowin' how we want ta be lookin' inta tha hospice? We be goin' in tha front door or be watchin' tha comin's an' goin's from a distance?"
Talfryn follows Garvid out into the garden, pausing only to snag a small cup of tea as he goes, and then stands to one side, under a trailing arbor of vines, and listens intently to Li's street patois.
"That's a very good point, Miss Li. I wonder if the perpetrators behind the Blood Veil may also be behind these fires. It would be most appropriate to their cruel natures to seek to exacerbate the woes of the common people in any way they could."
He takes a slurpy sip of his tea.
"As for the hospice, I was hoping to lean on the good doctor Pietro's expertise, but perhaps we can risk taking Garvid and using his illness as a reason to poke around? We of course then run the risk of his forcibly being interred. I could also cast 'Detect Thoughts' on some key individuals, and see if I can glean any of their true intentions that way."
He trails off, deep in thought. "Perhaps the Marshall can further illuminate the matter."
Upon Yazi's prompts, Garvid grumbles. "I'm fine...", he reluctantly replies, before shuffling over to get checked. "There's other things to do, you know." As his check is interrupted by infrequent coughing, he nods. "You got that right. And if they're thinking of putting me in manacles, well...", he grins. "I know seven party tricks with table legs."
Pondering on the fires, he stretches, his back cracking as he does. "The fires... We'd need to see what's going on there, too. So let's finish up and get moving." A bit more irate than usual, Garvid's stormy mood lessens as he gets ready to leave. I guess now I can also cough on them, I suppose.
This morning the streets seem eerily empty as the group makes its way through the fog and lingering smoke to Citadel Volshyenek. Upon your arrival there, you find that the Field Marshal has been called away to the Palace, and is not available. A young guard who is unfamiliar to you ushers you into a small side room with a desk covered in papers, and tells you that he will call the Field Marshal's new adjutant to take your report.
A short wait turns into 10 minutes, then 15, and you wonder if you've been forgotten entirely.
As you are about to leave to find out what the hold-up is, the door opens and a familiar face enters the room: Grau Soldado, wearing a new officers uniform. He is carrying a bundle of files and his face immediately brightens as he recognizes you. He immediately rushes over to the desk and throws the papers he has been carrying down, then walks over to shake each of your hands.
"Oh hello there! I didn't know it was going to be you. You're a few members down, I see. I hope everyone is well. Nothing has happened to Ms. Mouse, has it?"
Tha Palace? That either be good fer tha Marshall or very bad. We need ta be checkin' in later ta make sure she be ok.
Li has no idea what an adjutant is so she tries her best to wait with the others. She doesn't like being in a smaller room for so long and soon finds herself pacing as she gets more and more unnerved by the wait. Could this be a trap of some sort?
The rogue's frayed nerves immediately calm when she sees Grau. A smile lights up her face. "You be movin' up in tha world ag'in. I be likin' tha new uniform. It be suitin' you."
She feels a momentary flash of...something she can't quite place as Grau asks after Mouse, something that isn't pleasant. Whatever it is, Li instantly pushes it aside. "Mouse be, will be, fine. We be havin' a run-in with a hag who be doin' somethin' ta Mouse but Yazi be sayin' she will be ok. She just be restin' back at Cal's. Tha doctor be goin' back ta seein' patients while tha blood veil be ragin'."
"Speakin' o' blood veil, anythin' new ya c'n tell us? What be happenin' in Old Korvosa?"
Grau's face immediately falls at the mention of Old Korvosa.
"Old Korvosa is still on lockdown per the Queen's command. The Field Marshal is talking to her right now, trying to convince her to let her enter Endrin Isle to quell the fires and restore some order."
He sighs and looks out the window toward the north.
"But even if she did convince the Queen to let the Guard in, our numbers have been so depleted by the plague, the chaos, and guards fleeing the city to save themselves and their families that I'm not sure we could do much to help."
He then turns back to Li and continues. "Yes, I had heard about your mission to the wreck of the Direption. You said you found a hag? That is a bad omen, as their kind brings nothing but misery. Did you discover anything else?"
Li digs out the book that she liberated from the shipwreck footlocker. "We be findin' this book. We be plannin' ta take it ta tha Bank o' Abadar but haven't be goin' there yet. But it be mentionin' a woman nam'd Andaisin who be link'd ta causin' a plague elsewhere. There be rumors she be here in Korvosa - if ya c'n be believin' a talkin' corpse."
Lord Talfryn links his hands behind his back, causing the fabric over his shoulders to strain. He listens with that faintly grim air that's universal to all professors, mouth pulled into a faint frown.
"Master Grau, have you by chance heard what the provenance of those fires were?"
Grau's eyes go wide when he sees the book.
"I've only heard rumors of this terrible tome, but if you found it in the city, then things could easily get worse before they get better. Nothing good comes from the followers of Lady Despair."
He shakes his head at Lord Blackoak's question, "I'm not sure. We're guessing rioters, but that's just a guess."
Yaziyah frowns when she hears that the Marshal hadn't been able to get into Old Korvosa and that the district was still on lockdown. Although she was aching to get home and help her people, there was nothing to be done for it right at this moment. She sighs.
"Could be. Old Korvosa will have to fend for itself. We're planning on paying a visit to the hospice and see the good work of the Queen's physicians for ourselves. Or does the Marshal have another task for us, Master Grau?"
Grau shakes his head at Yaziyah's question. "She did not leave any messages for your behind, I'm afraid. I would advise you to tread lightly when it comes to the Queen's Physicians, though. If you remember, they are protected by a direct decree from the Queen. Any affront to them will be harshly punished, and I'm not sure if we'll be able to cover for you. You have certainly proven your loyalty to the city, that's no doubt, but the Queen and her Gray Maidens have their own ideas of what loyalty means it seems."
He lowers his voice quite a bit then, not wanting it to carry outside of his office.
"Having said that, I agree that they have been acting suspiciously, and would recommend an investigation of their activities, if I had that power."
"At least I'm happy we're not getting paranoid.", mutters Garvid grimly, nodding at Grau. "We're planning to get our hands in that pie.", he confirms. "You see who's getting in and out. Have you talked with any of the people leaving the hospice? Any information from them?", he asks, before his brow lowers. "If there are any cured people...", he adds. He chuckles. "S&@+, Grau, you're rising fast. Sure there aren't too many captains and not enough ships in the Guard right now?", Garvid asks concernedly.
Lord Talfryn tugs fretfully at the lapels of his greatcoat. "Given enough time, and a hidden vantage point, I could use my magic to read the minds of those working within the hospice. The spell allows me to read a subject's surface thoughts, so at the very least I could target some Gray Maidens, perhaps a doctor or two. Perhaps a room across the street, or the like, for if my spell fails, they'll know they were targeted by something magical."
He peers around the group. "What do you say? An hour is all I would need, and perhaps a hasty exit."
That said, he smooths his great mustache and listens for Grau's responses to Garvid's questions.
Grau listens to both Garvid and Talfryn and nods.
"I have been busy keeping the city from falling apart at the seams to worry about the Physicians. That, and the Queen commanded that they be left alone to pursue their job of curing the blood veil or at least slowing it somehow."
He then clears his throat and offers a final comment before dismissing you with a salute.
"As for giving advice on what tactics you wish to pursue in investigating the Hospice, the Physicians, or Dr. Davaulus, I must remain silent. If anyone asks, you were here for supplies and I told you to help keep the peace."
"Very well, Master Grau," says Lord Talfryn. "Our thanks for your assistance."
The lord leads the group back out into the great courtyard, and once they find a moment's seclusion he turns to his comrades and frowns.
"It seems we operate only with tacit approval, but will be left out to dry like the proverbial laundry if caught. No matter. What say you all to my plan of employing Detect Thoughts to divine the intent of those working at the hospice? At the very least it could serve as laying preliminary groundwork, could it not?"
"Sure, Grau.", mutters Garvid, before a grin appears on his face. "We can't make you commit such actions against those you'd sworn to protect, I know this s%%% better than everyone.", he pats the man on the shoulder, then winks.
"Although, purely theoretically, as an experienced guard, how would you approach a well-guarded and maintained encampment in, say, the areas around Old Town? If it's guarded by people who are, possibly new to Korvosa, but well trained otherwise, and accept people that have...", he taps his lips with a devilish grin, "the plague?" He taps his halberd on the ground. "Of course, we're speaking in a purely theoretical manner, here. Nothing malicious of the sort roams Korvosa at this moment, of this we can be certain." He looks around to his companions, nodding. "Right? It's a blessing that those Red Maidens are keeping the peace.", he grits his teeth.
-------------------
In the courtyard, Garvid's already tired face frowns even wider at the proposition. "Can't say I like mind-reading, on principle.", he says, then shrugs. "But right now, it beats getting in blind or sneaking in.", as a wide smile suddenly flashes on his face. "Neither you or me, Lordship, would make for a pretty Maiden, even if we get armours our size.", he laughs heartily.
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For a moment Lord Talfryn blinks owlishly at the former guardsman, then he smiles tentatively as he understands that the man is making a joke. "Ah, indeed. Form fitting armor would be rather unflattering, I suppose, given my propensity for rotundity. I'd more likely be mistaken for a rogue cannon ball of hyperbolic dimensions over a grim maiden with diabolical intentions."
His smile grows all the more tentative as he waits to see how his witticism lands - or whether it lands at all.
At least Grau hadn't forbidden them outright to poke at the physicians, so she supposes this is the best they'll get. And, like Garvid, she dislikes the idea of someone reading minds, but she supposes that in this situation it is... well, not the best solution, but a solution, and at the time those are in short supply.
Li hangs back before following the others out of the room. "Movin' up in tha world be agreein' with ya Grau. Ya be lookin' quite handsome in yer new uniform. If'n ya be needin' any help, ya know where ta find me...find us. Remember ya be havin' friends who be glad ta help."
The rogue catches up to the others and overhears Lord Talfryn's suggestion. She shrugs and says, I don't be knowin' much 'bout magic so if'n ya be thinkin' readin' minds be workin' then we c'n be tryin' that first. I also be willin' ta be sneakin' in if'n magic doesn't be workin'."
Captain Grau pauses for a considerable time before answering Garvid's question.
Clearing his throat, he states: "I would be very careful, and quite discreet, considering the current state of the city. Korvosa is like the grasses on the Storval Plateau after a drought: very dry and flammable. With one neighborhood in the city already on fire, it's only a matter of time before the rest burns. If that happens, it will be all hands to the buckets."
The guard captain's demeanor changes considerably hearing Li, and the beginnings of a shy smile even creeps into the corners of his mouth.
"Thank you for that kind compliment, Miss Li. You don't have to worry about helping me, however. You have already saved my life, and for that it is I who is in your debt. I hope I will be able to repay it before this is all over. Let me know if there is anything for which I can be of assistance, anything at all."
During the last few words of his sentence, he begins to blush, and quickly makes an exit before he embarrasses himself any more.
------------------------------------
After leaving Castle Volshyenek, the group heads down to the Hospice of the Blessed Maiden. After a brief discussion with the owner of the warehouse across the street, a small room is opened for you that has small windows facing the street approximately eight feet off the ground. Once you drag over a large work table to the window, four of you can stand and watch the street. You then settle in to watching the comings and goings at the Hospice.
------------------------------------
Several hours later (it is now nearing noon), you think you have a good feel for the place. Three groups of people can be seen entering and leaving the Hospice: Grey Maidens, the Queen's Physicians, and the sick. The sick are brought to the front doors of the Hospice walking or on stretchers or wagons, accompanied by groups of two to three Grey Maidens and a Physician. Those who are brought in on stretchers carried by the Maidens are taken through the front door, while those who come in walking or are on wagons are transferred to stretchers before they enter. Approximately three to four of the sick are brought in every hour, but none are ever seen leaving. Physicians and Grey Maidens who accompany the sick leave soon thereafter to collect more. Because the Maidens and the Physicians are masked and are similarly dressed, it is impossible to tell for certain if the people who enter the Hospice are the same ones who leave.
"Most strange, most strange." Talfryn tugs on his whiskers. "Either that building has many sub-levels, or it functions much like a bag of holding, capable of hosting more members of the sick than one might guess. They all go in... but none come out."
Visibly perturbed, the lord closes his eyes for a few moments, readies himself, then decides to target the next Maiden or Physician that he sees.
Sending a flash of a smile to Grau, Garvid chuckles. "It's a good thing we're talking just theory then...", he says, voice trailing off at the end as he stares at the rooms in the Citadel Volshyenek. Place is so damn empty..., he sighs, shouldering his halberd.
----------
Garvid shrugs. "That, or they're simply dumping the bodies in the sewers, and letting the wererats take care of them. It's what I'd have done.", he mutters, bending over for a chesty cough. "Still volunteering.", he says, pointing towards his boots. "Can probably fit a couple of daggers in there, if need be. And it's not that I'd be lying that I'm sick." He chuckles grimly. "Sick of their s$%$, too."
He sits next to the table, starting to take off his armour. "Li, you want some backup for that warehouse? I promise my joints don't squeak that much."
One of the Grey Maidens visibly stiffens and her head whips about as Talfryn concentrates on the spell, scanning the street and nearby buildings.
The thoughts of the Physician on the street, however, flow clearly to the wizard:
"... tired of these people ..."
"... why do we have to be stuck in this provincial backwater ..."
"... not a single Varisian in this group. Davaulus will be furious ..."
"... what is the Maiden yammering on about? A spellcaster? I don't see one around here. She must be cracking up. Don't know what the Queen does to those women ...
"Time," says Lord Talfryn in a husky voice as he turns to the others with a rueful smile, "That we were on our way. Shall we?"
With some difficulty he steps down from the table and then follows their exit path, striding as fast as he's able till they're a safe distance away.
That accomplished, he turns, breathing heavily, hands laced over his walking stick, and regards the others.
"A successful venture, I'll wager, but not nearly as complete a victory as I'd hoped. The Maiden resisted my magic, and indeed became aware of my attempts. The physician, however, was nonplussed; I skimmed his thoughts as a cat will skim cream from the top of a milk jug. Besides being tired and grumpy and showing not an ounce of concern for the plague victims, he revealed that they are specifically searching for Varisians, and that Davaulus would be furious with their lack of recent success."
He pauses, letting the significance of his statement sinks in. "Clearly the Maidens and Davaulus' organization are a front to some more nefarious and ill-intentioned endeavor. They search for Varisians, and are using the hospice as a facade. My good Mr. Krein, if you are intent on entering the hospice, then perhaps I might suggest you assume a Varisian identity? Though doing so is liable to be quite perilous."
"Knew it. Called it.", grumbles Garvid, quickly skimming through his worn journal, pointing the page where he'd drawn a rather decent sketch of Jolistina, connected to a skull. "She was looking for Varisians for Rolth, too!", he rubs his palms together, connecting lines in the journal. "Not going to hold up for an Arbiter, but what does, these days."
Nodding at the suggestion, Garvid ruffles his hair. "Sure, sure, brate.", he replies with an authentic, honest-to-nobody street Varisian accent. Unbuttoning the top of his shirt, he frowns. I'm a couple rings short and a couple of days of stubble to go for the classic cliche., he sighs. "It beats going in with swords out, barking att them to get on their knees.", he reasons. "Hope noone recognises me without my uniform, though. If they try to restrain me, I'm getting out of there.", he shrugs. "Now hand me that fancy leather coat and a couple of knives."
Li nods at Garvid. "It be gettin' that it ain't safe ta go nowhere alone. If'n ya be wantin' ta come, it be nice ta know I ain't alone."
Li moves almost silently which makes Garvid sound noisy in comparison although he still moves quietly. They manage to situate themselves to get a good view of the back of the hospice. If anyone had been thinking that they weren't seeing anyone leave because they were going out the back, they now know this isn't the case. Even though there is a loading dock, it was locked up tight.
Once Li and Garvid are certain they aren't going to find out anything further, they return to the others.
"I be thinkin' we need ta be gettin' inside ta know what be goin' on." When the others suggest that Garvid go in by himself, Li looks concerned. "But what if'n there be a different exit underground or somethin'? They could be takin' Garvid an' we wouldn't be knowin' he be in trouble. Mebbe some of us c'n be sneakin' in? Watchin' tha hospice at night may also be good ta do." She shrugs, "Mebbe night be when they be movin' bodies around."