"The good news is that the high priest of Sarenrae took my warning seriously," Varor says, "The bad news is that the reason why he took it seriously is because more people have been coming in to be treated for illness. Maladies, rashes and pock marks specifically. And that if a plague really is coming then there is little the temple can do as there are only a few who can cast the necessary miracles to combat such a plague."
When Zamanda goes to check in with her old guild, she hears no one has seen Zade in the last few days. It takes some digging, but eventually she tracks him down to his home, a couple of small rooms in a dilapidated flat in Old Korvosa. The half-elf opens the door warily and when he sees Zamanda, seems torn between relief and... panic?
"'Manda! I..." He glances over his shoulder, back into his flat, before looking back at her. "This isn't a good time, though it sure is nice to see you."
Zamanda hears the sound of someone inside, but it's not a sound of health. A wheezing breath, shallow cough, and quiet groans of discomfort. Now that she looks a bit closer, she sees Zade appears healthy, but ragged. His raven hair, normally sleek and brushed back over his ears, is disheveled and dirty. His clothes are dotted with spots of blood. Not his and not from violence, but it's definitely blood.
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Ilsa asks around and the talk of "plague" isn't really on anyone's lips just yet, but apothecaries and herbalists are reporting a run on reagents used to treat rashes as well as headaches and coughs. All of them. From all over the city.
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Oh no! It's already spread. What is going on?
Oh, Zade, you look terrible. Who here is sick? How can I help?
Zade seems to hesitate but is eventually persuaded to open the door to Zamanda. Inside she finds a finely robed man tending a pot over a small coal-fired stove and, in the back room, the small body of a child wrapped in blankets, heavily lidded eyes fluttering in semi-consciousness, her skin covered in blisters a few of which have burst.
In hushed tones, Zane whispers, "I don't know what you could do to help, honestly. This is Ishani," he gestures towards the robed man, who nods a bit sheepishly. "He's a priest from the temple of Abadar." He then leads you to the threshold to the backroom and whispers, "Don't go any closer. This is my daughter, Brienna. It's a long story, for another time, but... a couple days ago she started with a cough and a rash, now... this." He chokes slightly on his words, tears in his eyes before taking a breath and continuing, "I don't know what to do. The priest is trying to help but I can't afford what he needs for a miracle, so we're doing what we can with herbs. It's not helping."
Ishani gently presses past the two of you to apply a warm poultice to Brienna's blisters. After a moment, she seems to find some calm and drift into a more restful sleep, at which point the Abadarran stands and comes back to speak with the two of you. "That will make her more comfortable, but I'm afraid it's all I can do."
Hello Brienna. Zamanda greets the girl, and then stepping aside with Zade, asks him How much for the miracle? I can get you the money, though I might have to talk my friends into it too... I have a proposal for you, but I'll get you the cure either way, I promise. Just, if I bring you to meet my friends, can you maybe, er, go along with what I say, and not volunteer information about the past?
Zane seems a bit at a loss for words as to how much it would cost. Ishani chimes in, a bit bashfully, "It's one-hundred fifty gold for the casting of the spell. You could also buy a potion from the temple, though that would be far more expensive, seven-hundred fifty. If you can gather the funds, I can pray for the spell tonight and cast it tomorrow. I wish I could it for free, but tenets of my church force me to request a donation for Abadar’s power." The priest steps away to let you continue talking with Zane, and he nods to the question of Zamanda's past. "Of course, of course. We don't discuss such things with outsiders."
Zamanda is mightily relieved to hear the sum. That much she can come up with on her own, though it wouldn't do to act overconfident or wealthy, of course. I can come up with it, Ishani, so please pray for the spell. There is no danger of her dying before morning?
---
To Zade, when they are alone, she asks We were under the impression that the disease arrived on the boat sunk in the harbor, but she seems to have gotten it sooner. Can you tell me what she was doing or who or what she came into contact with just before she got sick? We are certain that someone is spreading this on purpose.
She explains the situation to Zade, and also asks him if he thinks Ishani would have any good contacts or would be wise to bring in on the deal. It was the town at stake, after all, and they could use all the help they could get. It would likely be profitable for everyone if they found a cure, so they could justify their involvement to their separate guilds, and it would also save the town, which would make everyone look golden.
If Zade agrees, she invites him to come along to meet with her group, and Ishani too if Zade knows him well enough to bring him in on the whole thing. If he/they can't come this evening because of Brienna, she arranges a meeting at the safehouse/hideout for the next day.
She also gives Zade the 150 gold before she leaves, if he is unable to come with her tonight.
Pel will stop by to see Zandu again and ask if the man is a cleric of Cayden Cailean or if he knows any who are. He'll ask that they help with a potential plague and spread the word that people should be cautious and vigilant. Pel also asks that Zandu keep an ear open for any sign of people who might be involved with the plague. The arcanist will plan to come back to see Zandu in a few days.
From there, Pel will head to the alchemist's shop to meet up with everyone else.
Zandu listens to Pel with an air that projects more interest in his stein of ale than in the plague, but when Pel is done Zandu finishes a deep pull of the amber liquid then says, "Aye, I can pray to the Lucky Drunk for some miracles, and I know a few others in town I can ask for help, too. Come back in two days, or leave a message for me here, and I'll have all the help for you I can gather."
He eyes the stein for a moment, then looks at Pel and adds with a wink, "Now get going. I'm going to need a head start on my drinking if I'm going to be working so hard the next few days."
"The good news is that the high priest of Sarenrae took my warning seriously," Varor says, "The bad news is that the reason why he took it seriously is because more people have been coming in to be treated for illness. Maladies, rashes and pock marks specifically. And that if a plague really is coming then there is little the temple can do as there are only a few who can cast the necessary miracles to combat such a plague."
"Damn, then cutting it off at the source is already not an option." Bashiel balls his hands into fists "At least the Sarenites are helping to treat the people who already have it. Did they offer any ways we could help?"
"I hope Pel and Zamanda are having better luck with their own contacts."
Pel smiles at Zandu, despite the man's preoccupation with his stein. "Thank you, Zandu. I'm sure Cailean will be pleased and I know I am. And thank you for your words of wisdom a few days back. They really helped. I'll be back in two days."
After speaking to Zandu, Pel makes his way to the alchemist's shop. Once there, he says to the others, "I found a friend of mine. He and a few others should be able to provide some miracles for us. He said to come back in two days time and he should have gathered the help he can. Hopefully the city can hold together for that long.
"As to the matter at hand, are we headed for the sunken ship? Or do we need to get some potions or scrolls of water breathing first?"
Zade shrugs when the topic of Ishani being a help comes up, "I doubt it, not unless there's gold in it. He's been nice enough, but bound to his copper-counting ways."
As Zade says that, Zamanda notices Ishani wince slightly under the overheard rebuke. She gets the sense Ishani is actually quite ashamed at having to ask for the money. Perhaps there is room to discuss it with him?
"As for how she got this, I've no idea. She went out to play, bought herself some sweets -- I don't know where she got the money -- that she ate when she got home, and the next day started with a rash and cough. She shared one of the candies with me, so I doubt it was those."
Zade indicates he can't possibly leave his daughter until she's well but, once she's better, he's willing to help as he can. The cleric says to you both, "She is ill, severely so, but I don't think she will pass tonight. If we can give her Abadar's blessing tomorrow, she should recover fully."
Relieved that the girl will live until they can cure her, Zamanda explains the whole situation to both Zade and Ishani, and explains how they could get their groups involved, since if they came up with a cure they could certainly sell it, so it would be worth the initial investment. She has books and samples to help them as well, and would only want a small cut for their own group so that they could stay healthy and able to hunt the ones responsible.
She accepts Ishani's offer of free help in this case, but makes it clear that she isn't expecting freebies in the future except as part of an overall agreement. She wants his superiors to be happy with this deal as well. If they are agreed to try to help and get their groups involved, Zamanda invites Ishani to come with her to meet her group and tells Zade she will check back with him tomorrow, so she can make sure that his daughter is getting better, and ask her some questions when she is able to talk.
Ishani walks back with Zamanda to meet the others after promising to Zade he will return first thing in the morning to ask Abadar for his blessing to cure his daughter.
Zamanda enters with an olive-complexioned man in tow with white and gold robes, coins and keys hanging from his belt, and a holy symbol of Abadar about his neck. Though in his early forties, he seems somewhat shy and even a little embarrassed about something.
"Two days is a long time. From what Varor heard from the Sarenites, there are already cases of some kind of sickness spreading throughout the city. But I'm glad you were able to secure the help of these... religious? friends of yours. I wasn't nearly so lucky with the Pharasmites" Bashiel looks a bit surprised and uncertain. Despite them working through some life or death situations together, the young arcanist hasn't been one to talk about his past. Clearly he had some serious contacts to call on though.
'Zamanda's friend is a priest of Abadar? This, I wasn't expecting.'
Bashiel waits for Zamanda to do introductions, not quite sure what she has and hasn't told this fellow already.
Zamanda tells Ishani the names of all of her friends and explains that they are a small group interested in helping the city. They have recently gone independent, but still have extensive government contacts.
Hey guys. This is my friend Ishani. He has already been helping with a case of the plague, and is interested in helping us research and find a cure for the city. He will try to get his organization involved, in conjunction with another one of my friends and our group here.
Just one thing that I hope doesn't overly burden any of you--the search for a cure is going to cost money up front, and it will have to make money when it comes out, to recoup the investment. This isn't Ishani's doing; he has already offered to cure the young girl stricken with the plague at no cost. It is just a necessary part of getting big organizations involved in the effort, so please don't harass him about that particular point. I think that we can work something out so that we benefit to a small extent, so that we have the power to find the people responsible and help as many people as we can.
In any case, that is why I brought him to meet all of you, so we can come up with a proposal for him to take back to the church. I have already offered the books on plague and disease that we found, as well as disease and tissue samples from the Urgathoans. ... I think that catches you guys up to what we have discussed so far.
Varor grimaces hearing what Zamanda has to say but doesn't say anything until she finishes speaking. "Zamanda I get what you're saying, but are you really asking us to sell the cure to a plague!" He exclaims, clearly not liking the idea.
At Bashiel's half-question, Pel smiles and says, "Yes, I guess you could call them religious, in a way. Maybe not your type, but they're on the same side, so to speak. Caydenites. Believe it or not they have a few healers in their ranks."
When Zamanda arrives, Pel considers her words. He's certainly surprised to learn of her connection. Did they really need the help of this Ishani and his church?
Who am I kidding. Korvosa needs all the help it can get.
After Varor speaks, Pel says, "We're not going to be able to stop the plague entirely, Varor. We need all the help we can get. At the Acadamae, I learned of a thing called herd immunity. The long and the short of it is that if enough people get inoculated... or in this case cured... of something, the rest will get the same benefit. Sure, it's not a perfect solution, but it's better than no solution at all. It could also mean that those who can't afford to pay for a cure will still benefit from those who can."
Pel looks at Ishani and says, "How much does your church want for this cure? And how many miracles can they offer in the meantime?
"When you speak to your church, it might be good to know what resources they can provide in the search for the culprits behind this plague. Surely Abadar can't abide such lawlessness."
Kalem laughed. ”I think this Adabar has the right idea. And come on Varor. You know how the world works.”
Varor, I am not asking you to do so. I am only saying that finding a cure requires money, and it is extremely unlikely... no, I would really say impossible... that the church of Abadar would fully participate and fund this research without getting some benefit. When we get our share, whether we take it in cash or cures, we can choose what to do with our own, just as they can. I am sure that even they will provide some at lower cost to help more people, and you should be able to give away your share to whoever you want.
I'm not saying this is all ideal. I'm just saying that we need this help. Ishani is personally willing to help us for free, but he won't be able to get his organization involved, and there are other groups that can help too for a profit motive where they won't necessarily out of the goodness of their hearts. I personally need to be able to help my family if they fall victim to the plague, and I can't do that by just begging people for help. I need to be able to have the resources to help them, and I believe the same is true for us as a group, especially since Cressida isn't funding us anymore. This effort to fight the plague needs to be organized and extensive, and as much as we might resist it, profit does that. This is a way that we can help, and a deal that we desperately need. Please try to see that.
Ishani seems a little embarrassed by the back and forth and discussions about the church of Abadar, profit, plagues, and so on. He coughs slightly before adding his own voice, "I am only a junior priest and I cannot bind my superiors, though I could take you to meet them at the Grand Vault to discuss your plans. But..." He pauses, glancing at Varor with his holy symbol of Sarenrae, before continuing, "I want to help. I may be sanctioned for it, but if we only provide Abadar's miracles to those who can afford them... I seems a sin to let a child die just because her family cannot pay the donation."
As for the other ideas percolating, Ishani remains silent. This group clearly has its own history and personalities. As an outsider or, at best, newcomer, he doesn't feel it's his place to opine.
"I can't be hearing this. I can't believe I'm hearing this! I can't believe I'm hearing a priest of Abadar put more value into someone's life then actual gold!" Varor yells in disgust. "You want me to think about making money while trying to save people's lives!? I can't do that. Because if I do that that means I have to accept that I believe that a life, any life, has an inherent monetary value, and that I should always consider that before I do anything."
"But if you all really want to try and defend your amorality fine, let's start with you."Varor turns to face Pellius. "Now I'm no cattle farmer and I'm certainly not a educated man, but I do know something about the spread of sickness and disease, and herd immunity is a community defense. Adding a defense to a sickness and having that get passed on, But the person who doesn't get the cure can still get sick and, in this case, die! But maybe I'm going to bit too far, after all we're not cattle, we are smart and sensible enough to not have a system that divides people and their living conditions based on monetary value and status of birth. Oh wait! Yes we do!"
"As for you," he continues, turning to Zamanda, "I can poke two major holes in your argument. Well actually I can poke a lot of holes in your argument if I tried but let's just focus on the two. The Bank of Abadar will help fund the research. Do you know why? Because the best customers are alive. And do you really think that the city is in any condition to make a well-organized and extensive efforts to find the cure for a plague? Right now after the king died a week ago? there have been riots in the streets ever since, and do I need to mention the assassins escape from the Queens justice at the hands of a local hero? everyone is out for themselves right now, and this is only going to get worse."
He rounds around on Kalem "And yes I do know how the world works and so do you. And that's what makes you the most disgusting of the bunch. Because you were no position to be laughing about any of this a week ago demon blood!"
Kalem listened to his with some surprise, but then shrugged. ”I’m getting used to my blood. I like it, even. It’s who I am, and if you can’t like who you are, then life is going to be pointlessly hard. Maybe you should go get some rest? I think the stress is getting to you.”
Bashiel sees the others talking animatedly and takes the opportunity to pull Ishani a little ways (maybe a lot of a ways) away from them.
"I hope you'll excuse them, Ishani. It's been a stressful time for all of us recently, and finding out about this plague has really put a bow on it all." He extends a hand to the Abadarian priest "Nice to meet you. The name is Bashiel Eland. I'm glad to hear that someone in this city is willing to put themselves out there to help those in need of divine healing. You do your order a service." He smiles warmly and couples that with a firm handshake.
"I agree wholeheartedly with your stance. It's a callous cruelty to share a god's blessings only with those with the means to pay. Material wealth is rarely a measure of one's need." He sighs and pauses for a moment, during which he does his best to put himself in the mindset of a typical Abadarian priest. "But I understand not all of your fellows think the same way. What I hope to impress upon the higher priests of Abadar is that this is a crisis that will affect the whole city in dire fashion. A response that lacks the well organized networks of the Abadarian Church will have a hard time handling things successfully."
He looks out at the streets of the city as he continues "And if the response isn't strong or capable enough, the city will fall into even greater chaos than it currently suffers from." He looks back to Ishani "To put it in a way that matters to some of your superiors, the city's trade, order and prosperity will fall into ruin. There will be no income for the Church at all, and far greater risks." 'I hope that that's reason enough for them. Because I certainly don't want to imagine a resolution where only the rich find any care and the plague runs rampant through the poorer quarters.'
Bashiel's anxiety lies clearly on his face. "Are you with us in explaining this to your superiors, Ishani?"
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After gathering information and ensuring that Gregor and Briget had left town, Ilsa finally arrives and joins the others. She shares what she has learned about the diminishing supplies of herbs and medicine.
"I can pay whatever we need to for a cure or more supplies to help out," she says. "But I wonder...doesn't it seem like a drop in the bucket?"
Pel would have likely just smiled and dismissed Varor's words if they had only been directed at the arcanist. As it is, they are directed at a few different members of the group, so Pel can't let that stand without putting in another word himself.
"We're not saying you can put a price tag on a life, Varor. Maybe others are, but I don't think that's the case here. We're just acknowledging the reality of the situation. If we want to save as many as we can, we may have to work with some people we disagree with.
"And I didn't mean we're literally a herd, Varor. Herd immunity is the name of the concept. People will die. We can't stop that now. But we have to try to save as many as we can. Getting the cure and miracles out to those we can will ensure the lowest mortality rate possible. Yes, there are absolutely problems with Korvosa's hierarchical system, but now is not the place to debate that system. Now is the time to save lives."
"What's more..." Pel hesitates, looking over at Zamanda. On second thought, the arcanist is confident that Zamanda can speak for herself, if she wants to.
"What's more, we're wasting time debating this. Once we've reached an agreement with Ishani, we should get some potions of water breathing and get down to the ship as quickly as possible."
Pel extends a sad smile to Ilsa, "Maybe so, but a drop in the bucket is better than one that's completely empty."
When Ilsa comes in, Zamanda listens to her and responds Yes, agreed about it being a drop in the bucket. That's why we need a bigger deal to help get a cure, so that those drops will get us through until then.
After Varor's outburst, Zamanda starts to regret trusting the group with this deal. She just ignores Varor, who was just replaying his old argument that everything was hopeless, so there was no point in trying to talk him out of his notions. She wasn't sure why she had tried in the first place.
She steps aside and tells Ishani that she will meet up with him in the morning as planned (he knows where), and that she is sorry for bringing him into the middle of an argument.
When Pel mentions potions of water breathing, she nods and says Would a scroll work? I think that is cheaper, and we could divide the duration among all the creatures touched. If none of us can cast it, maybe Ishani could for us. She motions to Ishani, who seemed to be in a serious discussion with Bashiel.
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Ishani listens intently to Bashiel while trying to politely ignore the argument between the others. When the paladin is done, the Abadaran nods, "It's a compelling case and I am happy to give you what aid I can in making the argument. At a minimum, I'm sure I can get you an audience. But it is a steep hill to climb. A tenet of the faith is that nothing is free." He pauses, lips pursed as he considers something, then continues. "I have to heal Zade's daughter tomorrow, but I could also pray for a spell of water breathing. Divided among all of you, it will only give you a little more than an hour, but it may help."
Varor listens to them all brush off everything he said, his hands balling into fists shaking and anger shaking in anger. "You know what fine, if you want to ignore everything I say and treat me like a child than go ahead, I have more important things to do with my time." he says as he walks away from the group.
Pel sighs at Varor. Zamanda probably has the right idea in just ignoring him.
When Ishani offers to prepare a water breathing spell, Pel's mood brightens. He says to the Abadaran, "That would be great, Ishani. Thank you. Assuming we don't encounter too many obstacles, a little over an hour should be sufficient for our needs."
To the rest of those still present, Pel says, "So is there anything else we should do today? I would hate to waste the rest of the day if there's something we can be doing, but I can't think of anything at the moment."
Kalem was about to react, but in the end held his peace. Nothing good would come of this. Instead he turned to Pel. ”Nothing that I can think of. With the blessings of Adabar, and the antiplagues we ”all I can think of is a good night’s sleep before we go.”
Bashiel smiles broadly at Ishani when the priest seems amenable "Wonderful, glad to have you with us." When Pel wanders over, Bashiel nods "We'll gladly take that water breathing spell. Do you think we could make our case to your superiors today? I would hate to waste even a single moment when the plague could be out there spreading."
Bashiel's gaze is drawn to Varor's retreating form. He raises his voice and calls out "Varor, see you back at the safe house this evening if we don't before then!"
'I can't say I understand him, but he's passionate about the city. Surely him and the others can sort out their disagreement after they've had some time to cool down.'
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Ilsa feels a knot in her stomach as the group argues about the best way to tackle the plague. She had felt her demons distancing themselves with happier events in recent days. It seemed they were closer when there was evil happening around her...she had seen that in the crypts and at Lamm's. But even contention attracted something, as if this--thing--in her mind was always on the lookout, and could influence Ilsa more easily when darkness was nearby.
She clears her throat. "If we can't have that water breathing spell until tomorrow, what can we do today? There must be some other leads we can chase down, or gather some herbs to help or something."
We should buy all the antiplagues out of party treasure, or I'm happy to pitch in.
Zamanda thanks Ishani for his kind help. She waits to see if there is anything else that the group wants to do today, and joins them if they are going with Ishani to make their case to his superiors.
If they aren't doing anything yet, she goes to try to track down her father. They could really use his help as well, and even though they don't get along that well, she wants to make sure he is okay.
"I'm not certain what else we could tackle today Ilsa. Other than maybe gather more information on where the plague seems most concentrated, to better organize ourselves and any helpers tomorrow."
Before leaving Zamanda mentions
The only thing I know about the girl who has the plague is that she bought some candy that day. That seemed to be the only thing not in her normal schedule that her father knew about.
She explains that it is a long shot, but if someone wants to follow up at candy stores (if there is more than one?) in the area, she tells them the neighborhood.
It isn't the actual candy, thank goodness, because her father ate some and is fine, but it could be something she encountered there.
Ishani escorts you to the Grand Vault of Abadar. Your journey through the city is mostly uneventful but, when you arrive at the vault, it's a different story entirely.
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.
Ishani's expression is pained as he says, "There is nothing we can do right now. To heal anyone now, even if I could, would probably set off a riot. We need to make our way through the crowd. Once at the doors, I can get us into the vault."
”Make way! I bring an important message! Coming through! Stay calm and move to the sides.”
Kalem shouted this out. Thanks to his bracers, he was now dressed as a priest of Sarenrae. He moved with complete purpose and shouted with total confidence. He figured that dressing as a priest of a beloved deity would get the crowd to move, while not being dressed like a priest of Adabar would free him from earning the ire of the real priests.
Zamanda starts to push someone aside, and quickly realizes that isn't going to work, and she doesn't want to accidentally touch someone with the disease anyway. Then she hears Kalem, grins, and joins him, speaking to the other side of the crowd, trying to help convince the crowd to let them through.
Remain calm and move aside! We have an important message that will benefit all of you, if you'll just let us through.
Pel's countenance darkens upon seeing the crowd in front of the temple of Abadar. For all its decadence, the temple is disgusting to Pel.
Seeing the grey-veined white marble of the building, Pel shakes his head and thinks, It's less like a temple and more like a white-washed tomb.
As Kalem and Zamanda bluff their way through the crowd, Pel's conflicted about the performance. He can't blame them, though. He doesn't want to touch members of the crowd either. He won't be able to help any of these people if he contracts whatever it is these people seem to have caught.
Pulling out his spellbook, Pel takes a few moments to replace one of his prepared spells for the day with one more suitable for the occasion.
Once the switch is complete, Pel gets as close to the crowd as he dares, before vanishing into thin air and weaving his way through the crowd, doing his best to follow the trail his companions blazed.
Bashiel follows after in the wake created by the rest. While he doesn't feel great about the subterfuge, it's probably better than trying to push through this crowd and either injuring someone or making people even more panicked and angry than they are.
As he follows, he quietly tries to reassure the people that look the most worried:
"Stay strong, we will speak to the priests on your behalf."
"Abadar's church will see reason, I know it."
"Now is the time to stay at home with your family, they need you to protect them."
Seeing that he's starting to lag behind, he hurries to catch up with the rest of the group.
Ishani tries to muscle and cajole his way through the crowd but is almost immediately surrounded and pawed at by a dozen people who recognize his faith and alternatively beg and demand for healing ministrations. He clutches his holy symbol and prays for sanctuary, and the crowd suddenly takes a step back. So protected, only a few are able to overcome the Abadar's protection of his priest, enabling the man to make his way through the crowd with little more hassle.
At the massive golden doors to the Grand Vault, Ishani vouches for all of you and states that you're on business to see Archbanker Tuttle or one of his deputy bankers. The doors part and you are ushered into the Grand Vault. A massive vaulted chamber of marble trimmed in gold and silver opens up before you while heavily armored priests stand at watch. In alcoves throughout the chamber, you see desks and other meeting spaces where Korvosa's moneyed elite can discuss their accounts with Abadaran bankers. Ishani leads you through the palatial chamber, through a side-door and into a suite of even more opulent offices.
After a thirty minute wait, you are granted an audience with the Archbanker, Darb Tuttle. He is an older man with short-cut white hair and dark skin. His robes are woven with gold thread and the chains of his office alone are probably worth a king's ransom. Seated behind a massive desk of Qadiran mahogany, he glances up from his ledgers with a slightly exasperated expression.
"This is quite the entourage you bring, Dhatri. What is so urgent you must distract me from our work?
Ishani's eyes go wide with a flash of embarrassment as he stops short and bows his head in a respectful display of obeisance.
"Archbanker, these people and I have, independently from one another, found evidence of a plague soon to be unleashed on the city, though the crowd in the square outside the Grand Vault should be evidence enough. They asked for an opportunity to speak with you about this threat and I assured them, with the wealth of Abadar's wisdom, you would hear them out on a topic that threatens not just the physical health and safety of Korvosans, but the stability of the city, threatening anarchy and destruction of assets of the laity as well as the Church."
Tuttle sits back in his chair slightly, brows arched at Ishani's directness as well as the seriousness of the topic. He folks his hands over a belly rounded by years of rich meals (though not quite obese) and looks at the rest of you with an open expression. "Well then... Why don't you go and tell me of this plague and what exactly you think the Grand Bank of Abadar can do to assist."
Zamanda puts on her most charming face and starts laying out the deal. She explains what they found among the Urgathoans, the notes, books, and research that they have, the samples of the original disease as developed as well as tissue samples from the original test subjects. If the church can do the research to find a cure with the help of the resources that they can provide, then their organization can not only help the city immensely and look like heroes to the populous, but can also profit. Zamanda and her group only ask a small percentage so that they can both stay healthy and continue to go after the people spreading the disease while the Church focuses on curing it.
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Kalem nodded along, his body language showing that they had nothing here to hide.
Pel happily defers to Zamanda's knowledge when it comes to details on the disease and the tissue samples they have available. Her explanation seems quite solid to the arcanist.
He simply adds at the end, "Helping Korvosa now ensures long term profits for the Church of Abadar because your reputation increases and the city's population is much higher than it would otherwise be."
Pel tries to put on a good face, but coming up with an argument that an Abadaran will support isn't exactly his idea of a fun time. Hopefully the man will acquiesce and the conversation will be brief.
The Archbanker listens patiently as Zamanda lays out the details of the situation and her proposal. When all have said their peace, he nods slightly. "Interesting. Though we are already aware of the plague. Three of our brothers already began to show symptoms. We were able to heal them, of course, but now more of our priests have developed symptoms -- acolytes, guards, vaultkeepers -- the virulence is astonishing. We won't be able to keep pace with this solely through Abadar's blessings, nor any god's, I would wager."
He thrusts his chin past you in a gesture to indicate something beyond the door. "To heal the masses? Even if they could afford the tithing, it will soon be impossible."
He unfolds his hands and taps a finger encrusted with golden rings on the desk as he considers what to do. "We can take your samples. Though alchemical remedies are not truly the purview of the Grand Bank, we have associations with those who specialize in such things. There will be administrative costs, but..." He does some rough calculations in his head, then says, "If the samples are as good as you say, we may be able to develop a more effective anti-plague and have it mass produced. Perhaps a grant from the Crown... hmm." He jots down a quick note to himself, then looks up again.
[b]"Anyway, yes, the Banker assigned with overseeing our internal problems has taken to calling this affliction the Blood Veil. A bit maudlin for my taste, but..." He shrugs. "I'll reach out again to the Pharasmites and will coordinate with the church of Sarenrae. You," he looks at Ishani, "are to act as my representative to the Guard. I hear these friends of yours have a good relationship with the Field Marshal. Go to the Field Marshal and see about coordinating with her."
He pauses, then looks at Zamanda and the others. "Of course, we'll take an administrative fee for the research and sale of the anti-plague. I'll have some barristers draw up the paperwork while you escort Dhatri to the Citadel. He's a good man but soft and I worry about the mood out there. How does 200 gold sound? Each."
He also has a few minutes if there are questions you want to ask.