Pel decides to continue his abstention from speech, merely nodding in agreement with Zamanda's word of thanks.
Davaulus listens patiently as Bashiel explains his logic, an earnest and engaged expression as he nods in understanding as the paladin makes his argument. When Bashiel is done, Davaulus responds, "I understand and you may be right, but let us say we begin to get the phage under control in one neighborhood but not yet another. People traveling about risk re-contamination of areas cleared previously cleared. I know it may seem harsh, but it's proven a necessary component in several of the outbreaks I've dealt with. Now, this could be like the plague of Restov, transmitted by rats, in which case a quarantine will do no good. I grant you that. But until we know for certain, we need to lock down as many vectors as possible."
"Can you not consider an alternative plan? One that will be more... equitable."
Bashiel takes off a gauntlet and rubs his fingers across his temples. "What he proposes is good for one purpose: healing a portion of the city at the expense of others. A quarantine would only work if a portion of the city is plague free, and with cases everywhere the only way an area will be plague free is if the divine blessings are concentrated."
He frowns "If he's as experienced as he suggests, he knows exactly the result of a plan like this. Aid focused only in the areas 'worth saving', and hell for everyone else." a helpless shrug follows "With the queen's direct orders, maybe we can't do anything about it."
Listening to Cressida and Ishani, Bashiel continues "If the Guard and Church of Abadar are collaborating, maybe we can make sure all of the city is taken care of, despite the Doctor's plan? Hmm." He pauses to think about how to make sure sections of the city are not abandoned.
Non Backtrack:
Ishani, I think that you should coordinate with the guard, and leave coordinating with the doctor to Cressida. She'll know what needs to be shared for the good of the city, and no reason for you to be repeating yourself; that wasn't part of the deal.
She glances at Cressida to make sure that is okay with her.
What time are we meeting up tomorrow? I have a couple of things to do, but will see you all in the morning.
She arranges with Ishani to accompany him when he heals the girl as well, offering to meet him here if he likes, or at Zade's house if that is his preference.
____
Once they are finished here, Zamanda goes to find her father.
"I think if we should meet up as early as possible. We don't have much time to waste, and this ship seems somewhat unlikely to yield results." Bashiel holds a hand to his forehead. "I'm planning to check in with my family. They need a warning about the quarantine. If Old Korvosa is to be locked down, it could become very dangerous very soon."
"Cressida, could we have an extra pass through the quarantine. Varor will also need a way through once we reunite with him."
"Anything else we need to prepare? If not, I'll see you all at our new meetinghouse. Later tonight."
Ishani and I have an errand first thing in the morning, and then we'll meet up with you back at base.
Zamanda smiles and says farewell to Cressida, tells Ishani that she'll see him in the morning, and then runs off to find her father.
Cressida writes out two more passes for you while also mentioning that Eland, as an officer, should be able to move freely himself as long as he displays his Guard regalia.
Ishani says he must first heal the girl in the morning but, afterwards, will meet you at a place of your choosing.
Before you departed Cressida's office, she writes one more paper for you, this one authorizing the requisition of two potions of water breathing for each of you.
The next morning, after taking care of any outstanding issues, you are able to gather at the safehouse and make your way to the Old Dock neighborhood of Old Korvosa. The bridges have indeed been secured by the Korvosan Guard and, usually, with the additional presence of one or two helmed and anonymous Grey Maidens. While they allow people to pass, everyone is inspected for signs of disease. Movement through the city is delayed and unrest is growing as people grumble.
From the docks, to the east, in the middle of the Jeggare, is where the ship was sunk. You can't see it as it has completely sunk below the surface, but the location is still fresh in the memory of everyone who saw it.
Ishani arrives not long after you have and reports he was able to successfully cure Brienna of the plague. She is weakened but recovering.
"Well here we are. We've got our potions of waterbreathing, and I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm ready for a swim. Ready to go? We can take a boat out there and then dive in. Save us some time and energy."
I was planning on going directly to the Longacre building and contacting him at work this time, not to the house.
Also, I was planning on meeting Ishani and joining him at Zade's for the healing so I could ask the girl more about what happened the previous day and how she caught the plague, as well as talking to Zade about how the Thieves' Guild could help.
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Ilsa had slept fitfully last night.
She had seen a vision of the city. Carrion birds circled overhead, and a dark mist enshrouded everything. She had seen the Queen, and Cressida, and all of her companions, but they were walking dead with pinprick points of light for eyes. She had seen, but from the corner of her eye, the dark figure tormenting her. Ghoulish claws grasped at her from the ground and she awoke with a rapidly racing heart.
Now at the waterfront, she looks reluctantly at the boat with tired eyes.
"Do we need to take some kind of precaution to avoid getting the plague ourselves?" she asks. "I mean, swimming at the plague's source seems like it would be at the top of the list of things not to do."
Pel meets up with everyone the next day. He's not exactly looking forward to diving underwater. The one time he and his brother tried going for a swim, Pel inhaled far more water than is healthy.
After Kalem and Ilsa speak, Pel says, "Taking a boat sounds like a great idea. I imagine the potions will give us enough time. But who knows what we'll encounter down there? As for the plague... I'm not sure what we could do. If the plague is in the water, it'll be all around us."
Pel nods at Ishani and continues, "I think our Abadaran friend could prepare spells to heal us tomorrow, should the need arise. Based on Brienna, the plague won't prove instantly fatal if we do contract it."
At the prospect of having to actually swim, Pel blushes and says, "By the way... I'm not the best when it comes to water. Or swimming in it, rather. One of you may have to," Pel gulps, "drag or pull me to the ship. I'll try, of course, but I don't have much skill in such things."
0 Level: Detect Magic, Read Magic, Dancing Lights, Daze, Mage Hand, Message
1st Level: Magic Missile, Vanish, Color Spray
2nd Level: Burst of Radiance
Zamanda announces to the group
The Grey Maidens have taken over the Longacre Building and ousted the Arbiters, so unfortunately no help from that front.
Her words are mild, but there is an edge to them. You get the feeling that if anyone defends the action taken against her father that she will lash out.
She loads up her potions and accompanies the others to the boat.
Bashiel spent the evening visiting his family's home and bakery in Old Korvosa. Though it had hardly been longer than a week or two, it had seemed an age since he had saw them last. Ever since that afternoon he'd gone to follow Zellara's invitation...
He calls out hesitantly. "Mother, father?" He pauses "Hata? Petre? Is everyone alright? This is... Bashiel, grandpa and the rest as well."
The following day, Bashiel spends the early morning in prayer and seance with his ancestors. Once he's done he heads straight out to the waterfront to regroup with everyone else.
"The Arbiters and the Longacre Building? Why would they do that? And why now with the plague?" Bashiel shakes his head in confusion. "We can ask about it later I suppose."
"I agree with the idea to get a boat, though even borrowing a small rowboat should be enough. I'll see if I can find one." Bashiel heads down the waterfront and speaks with any locals that look willing to allow a boat to be borrowed for a couple of hours.
The Longacre Building is alive with activity even as the sun has set below the horizon. Torches and lanterns burn brightly as figures in polished grey plate mail watch servants and laborers moving furniture and documents out of the Longacre Building and into carts that are then pulled away. The arbiters are also outside though considerably more animated, "No, criminal dockets go there, civil dockets there! They're completely different!" "No no no, that goes with the secure documents. Yes, they're all important, but those are supposed to be secured! Why aren't they under lock and key!?"
It takes a solid fifteen minutes of interrupting, begging and searching to find your father. His face is red and flushed and that vein in his forehead is throbbing as it does when he's particularly upset. When he sees you, his expression is not so much one of relief but of yet another complication. "Oh no. You have that look about you. What do you need?"
Before you can say anything, he holds the candle aloft and looks in your face, then nods in satisfaction. "You look well. Tired, but well. Certainly haven't joined our ancestors yet. I'm glad. We've been worried. How are you? And that girl you fancy, Mirya?"
It's no challenge at all to find a few boats at the docks with their owner-captains tending to them. Most are simple fishing vessels but only one looks big enough to carry all of you. A man with leathered skin and eyes as blue as the sea looks up as you approach. After a brief discussion about your needs, he says, "Aye, I can do that fer ya, an' I can lower an anchor to wait fer ye to come back up... if ye do come back up, that is. S'pose I should warn ye, though... water's deep out there. Hun'red feet if it's an inch. An' with the runoff from the farms mixin' with the salt water, it'll be dark down there, too."
He stares at you with a gimlet eye, then adds, "But there bein' no doubt adventurers like ye have magics to deal with that, eh? So, it be just a matter of 'ow much, eh? T'was a plague ship, I know. The yellow lantern. Ten gold fer me to come out an' drop you off. Another ten to drop anchor an' wait. Ye come back an' bleed on my boat, it's another ten." It may not be much gold to you, but it's an exorbitant fee for the simple labor and time.
Zamanda looks at the captain and says
15 gold total, but if you get the plague in the next week we will personally guarantee that you get healed. That's more than fair.
Zamanda responds to her father:
I don't need anything really. I wanted to make sure you were okay. We found the Urgathoans who designed the plague, and we are working on a cure. I admit, I was going to see if there was anything you could do to help, but just seeing everything that is going on here, it is clear that you have your hands full.
The queen sent her "personal physician" to help. They are also barricading the bridges as a quarantine measure. I wasn't sure if you knew. Can you tell me what is going on here... why is the queen's new guard harassing the arbiters?
_____
Not sure if you were going to do this later, but other than the kiss at Zade's house, Zamanda wanted to ask Brienna about the day she bought the candy, and see if there were any other details she could find out about how she did that, who she came into contact with, etc. (Trying to figure out how she got the plague.)
Pel's getting quite nervous about this planned dive of theirs. Over a hundred feet down... he would almost certainly need help to get down there. Still, there's no use in fretting over it. It's not like he'll be able to drown once they use the potions of Water Breathing.
Concurring with Zamanda's assessment, Pel nods toward Ishani then toward Zamanda and says, "Ask our Abadaran friend, if you want to. He can corroborate what she's telling you."
"Everyone OK? Healthy?" He takes a deep breath. "Since I was last home it seems I've been set on some kind of path. I don't think it has to do with the family. None of them are taking credit." He cracks a half smile before becoming serious again. "You've seen what's been going on in the city, right? I've been working with a group in the Guard to deal with some of the bigger problems. A couple of days ago we learned that some clerics of Urgathoa were preparing a plague to release into the city. And... well... it's already started."
He clasps his hands together, leaning in to watch his father worriedly. "The queen's doctors and new grey maidens are imposing a quarantine on the city. I'm afraid Old Korvosa might be the place the suffers the most if something like that happens. So. Even if it means abandoning the bakery. I'm hoping you'd take mom, Hata and Petre and either head into the city proper or out into the countryside. It's not going to be safe here." He looks into his dad's eyes, mentally pleading for him to agree.
"Sir, it'll only be a couple of hours. Surely you can spare the time and your fine vessel?" Bashiel backs Zamanda up.
The man laughs slightly, "If yer thinkin' I be stayin' in the city after this, ye brains be as leaky as that boat yer tryin' te find. Won't be no need fer healin' or miracles." Yet, he pauses, grins at Zamanda, and says, "But fer such a pretty lady... twenty-five, whether ye bleed on my boat or not, just don't be touchin' me when ye come back up."
Zamanda smiles back at the man. It was still an awful deal, and she could probably do better with more convincing, but perhaps he needed the money to pack up his family and move elsewhere.
Agreed. And thank you.
The man gives a grin, then turns about to start tending the boat as he waves over his shoulder. "Well, ye be comin' aboard now."
Before you board, Ishani says, "I need to return to the Citadel but I can pray to Abadar for the blessing to breath underwater. I can divide it among you evening, or focus on fewer of you."
Once you're settled, the ship's "captain" unties the lines and hoists a small sail to carry the vessel out into the Jeggare. The water here is a bit rougher though manageable. Once you reach the approximate location, he tells Bashiel to toss the anchor over. When it hits the eight knot, the rope seems to slow and slacken, and the captain says, "Well, that be eighty feet then, give or take. Hope ye got a way to see down 'ere." He furls the sail, leans back, and prepares himself a pipe to smoke while you make ready to dive.
Varor looks over the side of the boat as the anchor sinks into the probably cold water into the certainly cold darkness below. Well guys I wish you luck down there. Hey Captain do you have a spare pipe?
Pel frowns at Varor. The elf is a mystery to the arcanist.
Is he really planning to just sit here?
Out loud, Pel says, "I can almost promise you I'm worse at swimming than you, Varor. But being able to breathe underwater means we should both be able to get down there eventually. And, worst case, Kalem or Bashiel can probably drag us down. I think we should all head down since we have no idea what we may or may not find in the ship."
When everyone's ready, Pel casts Mage Armor on himself using his wand. Then he unconsciously holds his breath before jumping into the water. It takes him a few seconds to breathe normally. Being able to breathe underwater isn't something he's ever experienced before. Pel waits for the others to join him in the water before trying to swim down to the ship.
Zamanda thanks Ishani for helping them out.
Once on the boat, Zamanda stows the stuff she isn't wearing in her waterproof bags to protect it, keeping the potions of water breathing close at hand.
Then she jumps into the water and swims down to the wreck.
Kalem gave Varor a glance, before deciding that arguing wasn’t worth it. He jumped in after Zamanda, trusting in his darkvision to allow him to see. Naturally, he left his hammer behind on the boat.
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Ilsa stares at the water with some trepidation. She knows how to tread water, but this seems much more difficult. It doesn't help that when she looks at the water, she sees decay bubbling to the surface like large yellow bubbles.
But only I see that...at least no one else has mentioned it.
After taking her share of the potion, she jumps in. Initially, it seems as if her mind is playing tricks on her and she's jumped into a grave she can't escape. She can hardly move, but then abruptly her head is above water and she takes another breath.
Watching the others swim down, she casts light on a pebble she keeps handy in her belt pouch, then does her best to follow them down.
Varor looks back down at the water before turning to Bashiel, taking his holy symbol into his hand and with a silent prayer it begins to glow. "One shark Bash. One shark and I'm gone."
Bashiel mentally runs through a quick back and forth with one of his ancestors. It was all well and good that Ishal had once swam the River Sphinx from An to Sothis, but Bashiel himself certainly didn't feel any more confident that he'd be able to manage. He could only hope that Ishal would take over when he floundered.
"I'm with you Varor. I don't think any of us are in a position to fight sharks while in their natural environment." Bashiel looks at the water around them with skepticism and grips a dagger. "I'll be counting on the rest of you for light."
After making sure that all his gear is secured (and water-intolerant and non-valuable gear left on the boat), Bashiel takes a deep breath and dives down.
After a few easy strokes, he finally manages to trick himself into breathing normally, letting the spell do its job.
In turns out the water is fairly placid. Pel and Ilsa initially flounder a bit, slipping beneath the surface, but with the advantage of Ishani's waterbreathing spell, quickly find their bearings. The water is brackish and filled with sediment and, as you descend, it grows darker as less and less light penetrates. However, you're able to use the various light spells that have been cast to keep together and orient yourselves.
Upon reaching the bottom of the river, you begin a search and in little time at all Zamanda has spotted the wreck. A quick inspection shows the scars of fire and trebuchets that sank the vessel. After it slipped below the surface, it appears to have cracked in half upon a rock on the river bed. The bow of the ship rests upon the rock at a 45-degree angle with the prow into the mud. The aft rests on its starboard side and is pressed up against the rock in such a way that you will only be able to gain access through the doors and hatches.
From a nameplate, you see the vessel was called the Deription.
Zamanda starts with the bow since it seems to be open. She swims over to look inside.
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Ilsa struggles not to show her great anxiety, not only at breathing underwater but of feeling like she can't escape the bubbling brown plague around her.
She can just make out the ship ahead.
"I guess we should get a closer look," she says, though her allies can barely hear her words as though spoken through a few feet of solid rock.
"Let's try that piece first," she suggests, pointing toward the fore section. "It looks easier to check out."
Zamanda tells the group that it is a Nidaliese merchant vessel.
"Nidal? Not the nicest of places." Bashiel's words bubble into the water as he leads the way to the fore section of the ship. "The front of the ship is where they would have hung the plague lantern, right?"
He makes a circuit around the fore-section, looking for where the lantern may have gone.
Once he's done, he heads to one of the two closed doors (?) and waves the rest of the group to join him. Holding his dagger at the ready, as if it will protect him against the plague, he opens the door.
Zamanda joins Bashiel.
A Nidal ship? I really hope that's not an omen.
Varor moves to follow Bashiel and Zamanda.
Kalem swam over to Bashiel, to help him look for the lantern.
”Nidal? I’ve heard bad rumors, but then again I’ve heard bad rumors about a lot of things. What’s so bad about it?”
After getting his bearings on the river floor, Pel swims? floats? walks? over to the others at the fore section of the ship.
When Zamanda mentions that the vessel is Nidalese, Pel shakes his head. Or does the underwater equivalent, which probably looks more like he's slowly examining his surroundings.
"Red Herring or not, what good comes from Nidal? We should be prepared for a fight... or for the need to quickly get back to the surface for Ishani's healing."
To Kalem, Pel says, "Nidal's right next to Cheliax and it doesn't have the best reputation. Zon-Kuthon is worshiped widely there. Even if the ship isn't directly related to the plague, the people it once bore... or still bears... are unlikely to have good intentions."
”So the rumors are true? Well, screw these bastards then. Don’t feel bad for them at all. Let’s loot this.”
You're unable to find any sign of the lantern that hung from the bow of the ship but it seems plausible it's simply been lost in the gloom, having come unmoored from the ship when it was sunk and has now disappeared somewhere into the muck at the bottom of the river.
You swim and angle yourselves to approach the interior of the bow. You see the doors on both decks now swing from their hinges and will allow easy access into the interior. At least, they will after you deal with the ship's newest residents. Swarming out from ruined bunks and broken pottery comes a writhing mass of silt eels, spiny-faced, dark-brown eels native to the region.
-----------------
<-- can't move
<--can't cast
Kalem kicked himself forward, gripping his trident. Pleased that he had brought such a thematic Weapon, he plunged it into the closest mass of eels. He willed the trident to strike with the flames of the abyss. While it certainly didn’t catch aflame like usual, it did cause the metal to heat up unnaturally.
Bashiel kicks forwards, making his way through the water with his dagger at the ready. He shields himself from the bubbles of steam from Kalem's attack and then adds his own laborious underwater stab .
"At least they don't look plague ridden!" He burbles out as he drags his arm back for a second swing.
Pel, not at all confident in his ability to maneuver in the water, decides to remain stationary as he casts a spell at the attacking eels. He takes a moment to enhance the spell with some energy from his arcane reservoir.
Pel then draws his light mace in case one of the eels gets too close. He's fairly certain he'll be useless in such a case, though.