Zamanda plays along with Kalem , smiling and saying
Well, I guess this Salvatore is our next stop then. Thanks for the information. We'll let you know if we find out more.
Bashiel puts a hand on the young man's shoulder and says "Do you have a place to stay other than the house across the round? I'm afraid you might come under more scrutiny there once whoever sent these assassins learns they didn't return."
"Salvator Scream... I can't imagine what Vencarlo would have been doing with such a horrible man. Maybe investigating him?" Bashiel shakes his head. "I guess we can only speculate." He smiles tightly at Amin. "Thank you for bravely coming over here and letting us know what's happened. We'll do our best to find, and if necessary, help Vencarlo. He's a very competent man, but he's only one person after all."
"Salvator Scream seems as good a lead as any. Ah, Amin, what does the Old Dock area look like these days? Anything in specific we should be wary about?"
Amin is surprisingly put at ease by Kalem. It seems Zamanda’s charm has worn off on the tiefling, or vice versa.
Addressing Kalem’s question and Bashiel’s first question at the same time, Jalento says, “I’ve just been staying across the street. But if there’s still trouble about, I’m open to suggestions. Don’t think I’d fare too well against assassins on my own.”
Answering Bashiel’s other questions, Amin says, “Uh, terrible would probably be the most accurate description. It’s seen better days would be a more diplomatic answer. If it was just decay, though, I would have already looked for Scream myself. The real problem is the so-called ‘Emperor of Old Korvosa.’ He rules - or at least claims to do so - from Old Dock. The Emperor’s real name is Pilts Swastel and his thugs roam Old Dock. It’s hard to avoid them for long.”
Amin shakes his head before continuing, “Hundreds of people live in Old Dock and most have joined Pilts’s mob just to avoid incurring his ire. If a tenth of the rumors I’ve heard are true, he is a sadist of the highest degree. The man used to be the owner of Exemplary Execrables, so I suppose it should be no surprise that he has a penchant for violent entertainment.”
Zamanda says I agree we should try to find Salvatore. As a backup plan, maybe we should go confront this Pilts Whatever his name is directly. He probably has the information we need.
After saying farewell to Amin, New Kalem takes the items out of the lockbox and shows them to everyone.
He asks Ilsa and Zamanda to see if they can identify the magic things, sees if anyone wants to wear something that isn't specifically recognizable as Blackjack, and stores the rest inside the magical bag , carrying it with the rest of his stuff.
Bashiel considers for a moment and nods to Ilsa's suggestion "Old Dock it is. Remember that time on Devargo's barges? This'll probably be more dangerous, I'm sure, but we've gotten a lot better at working together since then too."
Zamanda identifies all the items except the magical leather armor.
Bag of Holding (type 1)
Cloak of Elvenkind
Boots of Elvenkind
Amulet of Proof against Detection and Location
Gloves of Swimming and Climbing
+2 Keen Mithral Rapier
Amin bids you all farewell and says, “I’ll be across the street if you need to find me. I would like to know what you discover about Vencarlo, if you do find anything.”
Your business at Vencarlo’s home concluded, you head for Old Dock in search of Salvator Scream’s home. From what Amin told you, Scream’s house is located along the Narrows, not far from one of the many now-ruined bridges that once connected Old Korvosa to the mainland.
Despite it being night, you spot the light of numerous torches from the streets of Old Dock. It’s not long after you enter Old Dock that you run into one of the torch-carrying groups roaming the streets.
The five men are all poorly groomed and smell worse than Old Korvosa’s usual smell, which is saying something. Two of them hold torches in one hand and axes in the other. The rest wield an axe in one hand and a shield in the other.
The man in charge, perhaps the least groomed of them all, takes a step closer to you than the rest of his group. He gives you a grin that looks more like a grimace, revealing several missing teeth.
He sizes each of you up before saying, “You’ve entered the Emperor’s domain. What are you doing here?”
-----
Before entering Old Dock, you stop by Bashiel’s family bakery. The store appears to have been looted. The windows are all shattered and trash litters the front room.
From the darkness, someone shouts, “Go away! There's nothing left for the Emperor! Just leave!”
Bashiel recognizes the voice as that of his younger brother.
Zamanda stifles her disgust at the smell of the men and steps forward, smiling sweetly.
Hello, friend. We came looking for someone. We'd like to be about our business and then get out of your way quickly, and we'd really love to avoid having to kill you on the way. Pilts calls us in for the important jobs, but I'm sure he doesn't want us to kill anyone who works for him if we can help it.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Kalem walked up next to Zamanda and leaned on his scythe, giving the man a look which said [i]I really don’t care whether we can help it or not[/ooc]
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Ilsa tries to follow the Zamanda and Kalem's lead, but something about these thugs taking over her home town sits very poorly with her. She hasn't been the same since her metamorphosis in the infirmary.
"Get out of my way. This is my home town, and I'm not to be trifled with. Now step aside before you get killed. I'm only looking for excuses right now, and one I'll accept is that you smell worse than last month's entrails--and I'm familiar with that odor."
Malen trailed along behind the others silently, lost in thought. It seemed Korvosa had seen better days in his youth, and for the poor in the city it hadn't been that great even then. The neighborhood getting carved into districts lorded over by thugs was certainly a step in the wrong direction. This kind of urban rot was common, but when it was exacerbated or even encouraged by the rulers of the land it was close to anarchy. He shook his head, half expecting to find the dead lining the streets along the group's way towards Old Dock.
As the small group of torch-bearing thugs descended upon them, the priest was amused by the differing tactics of his companions. The lovely aasimar tried to sweet talk her way past them, while Ilsa and Kalem took the more direct approached favored by those born on the streets. All of them seemed pretty convincing in their own way, so Malen just shrugged and smirked at the leader of the group, wondering how the man would react in front of his band of men.
Bashiel holds back from the thugs. Zamanda, Kalem and Ilsa were very very good at what they did. And a firm hand with this sort of common criminal was needed. He just wished that Zamanda hadn't immediately committed the group to a rather outrageous lie.
He couldn't help but remember the last time he'd tried for an outrageous lie and been caught in it by Davaulus. It hadn't been pretty... and only Kalem's martial prowess had saved the group.
----
Relevant: this post about a year ago was the last contact Bashiel had with his family.
Dismayed, but not surprised after his last visit, Bashiel responds to his brother's call with "Petre? Is that you? Its Bashiel." His voice is a loud whisper. He doesn't want to draw attention to this place if he doesn't have to.
"Why are you still here Petre? I thought at least you and Hata would get out of the city, if not mother and father." He peers into the dimly lit store. "I-" He hesitates and has to force the words out "Is everyone alright? I got back as soon as I could."
Ilsa’s not able to identify the leather armor either.
The man in charge gives another toothy grin to Zamanda. He merely sneers at Ilsa and Kalem.
He says to Zamanda, “Must be important work indeed if the Emperor is using someone like you for it, angel cheeks. Make sure you keep that demon dog and those commoners in line. I’d hate to see your head fall to the tall knife before I get a piece of you.”
The thug steps out of the way and the rest of his group follows suit to let you pass. The five men still appear to be staring at you long after you’ve passed. It’s only when you turn a street corner and go behind a building that you lose sight of them.
It seems the border of Old Dock is more heavily patrolled, at least at night, as you’re able to make your way to the Narrows without being further accosted. Amin told you that Salvator Scream’s home is located along the Narrows at 140 Wave Street.
You arrive to find that Salvator’s home is a decrepit building. It's tilted slightly to one side and looks well on its way to falling into the nearby water. A couple nearby buildings appear to have already done just that.
Detect Magic
Detect Magic
You examine both doors leading into Salvator’s home and determine them to be free of traps and non-magical. Both also appear to be unlocked.
-----
“B-Bashiel?” a voice says from the darkness.
A moment later, a person that Bashiel recognizes as Petre emerges from the shadows. He has a knife in one hand that appears to be intended less for fighting and more for slicing bread. As soon as Petre sees Bashiel clearly, he drops his knife, runs over, and embraces his brother.
“It’s good to see you, Bashiel. I didn’t know… I’m just glad you’re here now.”
At Bashiel’s follow up questions, Petre shakes his head and says, “You know father. He’s stubborn. If you have something you want him to do, he becomes even more stubborn. He wouldn’t abandon the bakery despite your pleas and many more from mother, Hata, and me.
“He knew how dangerous staying in the city was, though, so he gave his blessing for mother, Hata, and me to leave. But I couldn’t just leave him on his own. Hata and mother left for Harse before things got too bad. I haven’t seen them since, but I know they made it out of the city. I watched them cross the Jeggare.
“Things went from bad to worse when the Emperor took over. Dad was still trying to keep the bakery going, and I did what I could to help, but, well, bread wasn’t exactly everyone’s first priority in the middle of a plague. Those who did want bread didn’t want to pay for it. The Emperor’s thugs came by yesterday and took the last of our supplies.”
Petre motions for Bashiel and the rest of you to follow him into the ruined bakery. Glass crunches beneath your feet as you make your way further inside and see the extent of the damage. Chairs and tables smashed. Display stands toppled. Paintings and walls torn. Nothing of value remains.
Once inside the shop, you can barely make out a small light coming from a room in the back. Petre leads you to it. Within the room, Bashiel sees what little remains of the Eland’s family possessions: a couple tattered blankets, a chair with a broken leg, a half-filled pillow, a few articles of clothing, and a wax candle about to go out. In the middle of it all is Bashiel’s father. Bruises run up and down his arms and legs and a bandage on the right side of his forehead is soaked through with blood. He seems to be hovering between consciousness and unconsciousness.
Petre, his eyes watering, says, “The Emperor’s thugs assaulted him when they came yesterday. They left me alone because they thought I’d make a good soldier for their maniacal lord.
“I was going to go look for supplies, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave him. I didn’t think… I’m glad you’re here, Bashiel. Can you do anything for him?”
Only due to long practice at deception, Zamanda manages to smile at the disgusting man rather than tearing his face off. It was a win.
When they arrive at Salvator's place, Zamanda walks around the building trying to determine whether the building is going to fall down when they walk in:
Feeling like she has a good handle on it, she says looks safe for now. She then goes to the dockside door and knocks.
Upon seeing the sad state of the bakery, Zamanda casts unseen servant and has it start cleaning while she casts mending on anything that looks like it can be repaired. She assumes that Bashiel will heal his father, but if he does not, she will jump in with the group's CMW wand.
Bashiel scowls as the team continues on past the group of thugs. Under his breath he mutters "How low does Old Korvosa still have to fall?", mostly musing to himself.
At Salvator Scream's dwelling, Bashiel leaves Zamanda to analyzing how likely it is to collapse. He instead does a circle of the building and peers into each of the windows, cleaning their outside surface with a spare cloth if it helps give a clearer image of what might be inside. As he passes his allies, he comments "I can't imagine anyone still lives here... especially not someone who earned as much as Salvator did. Not unless he was actively trying to court a watery death. Maybe we can still find some hint of his whereabouts though."
----
He rushes through the bakery, mostly blind to the damage, and to the back room to see his father lying there. "Father..." He drops to his knees at his father's side. "I'm here now... I'm... sorry I couldn't be here earlier." He takes off a gauntlet and places his hand atop his father's temple.
"Grandfather and the rest are still here as well, we'll get you healed." He closes his eyes and prays to Osiris for aid for his father. Of all the prayers he's offered recently, this may be the most earnest and most desperate.
The walkway next to Salvator’s home creaks as Zamanda steps onto it. But despite her false sense of safety, none of the boards outright collapse, at least for now.
Bashiel doesn’t see anyone through the windows, though the two windows on the southwest side of the building are shuttered from the inside, barring his view.
The western window closest to the northwestern door reveals an entry area. The northern window shows a hallway with three doors. The northeastern window reveals a simple bedroom with a messy bed. The southeastern window reveals a room that appears to be completely overgrown with fungus and mold. The paladin can’t tell anymore from outside.
Zamanda’s knock on the dockside door goes unanswered for no more than five seconds before the door opens to reveal a smiling elven woman. Her cheery demeanor is in stark contrast to her attire. She wears spiked chainmail and carries a spiked chain at her waist.
Still smiling, she waves at Zamanda and says, “Well, hello there! My name’s Laori Vaus. What’s yours?”
Regardless of your answer, Laori steps out of the doorway to allow the group to enter the room if you wish to.
Despite the tightly shuttered windows, the air inside this room seems strangely fresh and scented, no doubt because of the six large candles that burn within. Each candle has been affixed by a glob of melted wax to the crown of a gleaming, polished skull, and each of these impromptu and grisly candleholders has been placed atop a desk to the west, arrayed in a gentle arc. A chair sits before the desk, and a careful stack of papers and scrolls sits inside the arc of skulls. To the south stands a nearly empty cabinet, its shelves barren save for a few paintbrushes and a cracked pottery urn.
Laori stands before an open door leading into a short hallway. Bashiel recognizes it as the hallway he spotted during his cursory inspection of the building’s exterior.
The elf glances over at the macabre display of skulls, then back at you. She laughs, seemingly at herself, and says, “Oh, those? Don’t worry, I didn’t kill their former owners. But I just had to bring them with me. The people they used to belong to did such fascinating work, you see.”
Laori, still smiling, stops speaking for a moment before a thought seems to cross her mind. She claps excitedly and asks, “Are you looking for Salvator Scream, too?”
-----
Bashiel’s father looks better after Bashiel’s first prayer, but it’s only after the second that all his wounds heal.
His father groans softly as he becomes fully conscious. He rubs his temple before opening his eyes to Bashiel.
“Is… is that you, Bashiel? I thought you said it wasn’t safe to be here.”
Bashiel’s father sits up, seemingly still struggling to completely return to his senses. He shakes his head slightly and says, “You were right. I should have left. But the bakery… after what happened, I just couldn’t abandon it. I couldn’t let Gaedren get the better of me.
“I’m sure Samir has some choice words for me. Well, what’s done is done. The bakery’s ruined and it’s not like I’m getting customers anymore. I suppose there’s no point in me staying longer.”
Bashiel’s father coughs before continuing, “You and your friends, are you here to clean up Old Korvosa? I’m sure Petre mentioned the Emperor. The man may be a maniac, but he didn’t come to power by chance. I worry t here might be too much of Harize in you for your own good. Don’t underestimate the Emperor. I’ve seen too many neighbors led away to the tall knife to doubt his power and influence.”
|
|
Ilsa looks the elf over, and the thought of the creepy bard elf presses heavy on her mind.
I do not like this woman--she's trouble.
Ilsa can feel dread inside her, but pushes it outward.
"I'm Ilsa," she says. She has an edge to her voice--a slip in her friendly demeanor. "It's good to meet you, Laori. Yes, we're looking for him, too. Do you want to explain what you're doing in his house, as well as who those skulls used to belong to?"
Zamanda gives her name to Laori, walking in and taking in the room while she talks. Before she can form a coherent question about why anyone would collect the skulls of interesting people, she hears her question about Salvator and nods.
Laori, do you live here with Salvator? It seems strange that you are in his house, otherwise. Do you know where he went? Maybe we can catch up with him elsewhere?
Malen waited patiently while Bashiel spoke with his family nearby. As being judged by Lady Death was inevitable, it was important to live life on Golarian to the fullest, including interactions with loved ones and ensuring their safety. The priest's own family had passed in his youth, so he had no close connections, so felt a bit envious as he regarded the conversation. Still, it had been fated to be so, and he was content enough, so he passed the time going over what they had learned so far, wondering what this 'Tall Knife' that had now been twice mentioned was.
As the elven woman answered the door, giving her a skeptical look as she cheerfully greeted them and invited them into someone else's home. The array of skulls and her comments on them only served to make Malen think she might be mad, and her manic excitement that they might also be looking for the artist exacerbated the thought. Ilsa and Zamanda seemed to have the questioning under control, so the priest did his best to look about and make sure there were no hidden companions lying in wait to ambush the group while the woman distracted them.
Before the door opens, Bashiel relays what he learned from peeking in the windows. He particularly points out that one of the rooms is packed full of fungus. "Something to avoid, if we can." he adds. Once the door opens and the cultist friendly elven woman reveals herself, he steps into place right behind Zamanda, ready to intervene if things go badly.
While Ilsa and Zamanda talk, Bashiel racks his brain for which cults and religions would so thoroughly emphasize spiked armor and spiked weapons. He also focuses his senses on detecting any auras of evil that might cling to her.
He follows on Zamanda's heels into the room, raising an eyebrow as he takes in all the skulls, but doing his best to hold back from any comment that might be too rash. Instead, he clears his throat and adds "Laori, you collect artists? Is that it?"
----
"I'd like to get the two of you out of here. Out of the city would be best. But with the Queen demolishing the bridges between Old Korvosa and the rest of the city, and with the Grey Maidens making sure no one gets out..." He shakes his head. "It'll be difficult. At least until things change, or we make them change."
He shakes his head again at the suggestion that he's here to clean up Old Korvosa "Clean up? I can't even imagine how. We were walking through the streets on our way here. It's-" He pauses, the edge of his mouth quirks into a smile. "Phiatep says she's seen worse. Of course, she also says she also knows how to fix it."
He sighs and rests a hand on his father's shoulder, feeling a little overwhelmed by the confidence his ancestors seem to have in him. "In any case, we'll be coming up against the Emperor at one time or another. What have you heard about him? About how he seized power so quickly? And what do you mean by the 'tall knife' anyway?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Ilsa’s spell doesn’t seem to effect Laori.
Laori frowns briefly at Ilsa before quickly returning to her cheery, smiling self. “We’ve just met and you’re already casting spells on me? That’s really not necessary, I assure you.
“I don’t live with the man, no. I’m pretty sure I’m in his house for the same reason you are. I’m looking for him. I’m not going to find him by just twiddling my thumbs. Where better to look than where he lives… or used to, at least.”
When Ilsa mentions the skulls, Laori’s smile widens and she gestures to them one at a time as she explains, “Of course, of course. Let's see... that one there used to belong to Jeonia Chirco, a costumer. She had this exquisite skirt in her wardrobe. So dark and lovely. The one beside hers belonged to Boathar Kaay, a toymaker. He didn't make your typical toys. Most would probably say his toys were inappropriate for kids, but I loved them! That one was Velaka Hoon’s, a writer. Oh my! She was excruciatingly good with her words. The next one belonged to Maxtel Erns. He was a sculptor. Definitely couldn’t show any of his sculptures in public, but I enjoyed them, at least. This one belonged to Imon Vernell. He was a poet. It was fascinating seeing the differences in his work and Hoon’s. Both excellent, to be sure. The last one there belonged to Yvos Tanguany. She was a tattooist. I do dearly wish she could have plied her trade on me, but alas it was not to be.”
Laori turns back to you and nods to Bashiel’s question. “I do, though I much prefer them alive. Easier to talk to that way. Sadly, these six had all killed themselves before I got to them. I’m hoping to get to Scream before he meets the same fate. It’s also a specific kind of artist that I’m interested in, you see - ones whose art have a lot of themes important to Zon-Kuthon. Salvator’s paintings are of particular interest to me in that regard.
“What good luck, then, that you show up on his doorstep not long after me! I already found out who took him and I think I know where he is. I’ll sweeten the deal, too. I found a certain something here that upstanding citizens of Korvosa like yourselves would definitely be interested in.
“What do you say? Want to work together to find Salvator?”
Bashiel recognizes both the armor and weapon Laori carries as marks of a follower of Zon-Kuthon. He also detects an evil aura coming from her.
Laori is being genuine. She honestly wants to work with you to find and talk to Salvator Scream.
-----
When Bashiel mentions he would like to get his father and Petre out of the city, Petre says, “You don’t have to get us out of the city, but I don’t think we can stay here either. The Emperor’s thugs will be back sooner or later. Is there somewhere else we could stay?”
Petre’s stomach growls, almost as if on cue. “And we could use some food, too.”
Regarding the Emperor, Bashiel’s father says, “He’s seized control of several tenements in Old Dock, and rarely leaves them. Pilts Swastel - the Emperor’s real name - always had a knack for showboating, long before the plague and the quarantine. When the few prominent political figures in Old Dock fled or died, it was a relatively simple matter for Pilts to transition from theater director to gang lord.
“As hard as it is for me to believe, I’ve been told my multiple reliable sources that he has an almost hypnotic speaking voice. He apparently has quite the talent for delivering compelling soliloquies as well. His employees from Exemplary Execrables were some of his first thugs and he only expanded his influence from there.
“He spends most of his days sitting on his ‘throne’ from his ‘palace’ on Silk Street. Of late, I’ve heard he’s taken to hosting a brutal game called blood pig. It’s said to be his new favorite entertainment. He converted a large rooftop inside his palace into a playing field for the game. Even here, I can sometimes hear the howls and screams of those playing and watching.”
Bashiel’s father shudders when he mentions the tall knife. “It’s also sometimes referred to as Jabbyr’s Tongue or the Demon’s Maw. Those are just horrible names for what civilized people would call a guillotine. Jabbyr’s Tongue refers to the Emperor’s closest follower. He’s almost like a son to Pilts, except he’s a mute gnome who revels in pulling the tall knife’s lever.”
”Don’t know anything about this Zon, but you seem legit. Here at least. I’m for this, at least. Anyways, what kind of things is Zon into? He’s what, a smuggler or something?”
Zamanda is not pleased with Laori's life choices, but if she knows where Salvator is, then she is at least a temporary ally.
Kalem, that's the name of one of the evil deities. I believe some call him the god of pain.
Turning back to Laori, she smiles and says We would definitely like to know who took Salvator and where he is, and anything you found here. Since you say you think you already know where he is, can you explain more about what you get out of this deal before we agree?
|
|
Ilsa glowers as her spell fails to affect the woman, and more visions of the trickster elf they previously defeated fill her mind.
"All these skulls--you--collect them from dead artists? How did they kill themselves?" she asks.
"Why don't you tell us what you know--we may have some goals in common."
Malen stiffened when the elven woman mentioned she was a follower of Zon-Kuthon, but despite her manic demeanor she did seem sincere in her efforts to recruit allies to find Salvatore Scream. "What is it you hope to get from Scream, should we find him?" The priest gave the skulls a pointed look, pleased with his allies' measured approach to what was going on. Keeping an open mind about things was important.
Bashiel is far from comfortable with dealings with this woman, and it shows clearly in his face as his allies start to negotiate. Zon Kuthon was one of the nastier deities, and his followers had a penchant for torture and brutal displays of violence. And no matter the surface cheeriness, you don't end up a cleric of Zon Kuthon without being more than a little twisted yourself.
As his allies ask their questions he adds "Could you explain why the artists you've collected killed themselves, and why you think Scream would suffer the same fate?"
-----
"As for Pilts... Well it sounds like we'll come up against him whether we intend to or not. And I rather think we should pay him a visit..." He breaks off, letting his scowl fade and making an effort to replace it with an encouraging smile. "Now, let's get you two out of here."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Zamanda has heard of Zon-Kuthon. He’s the state deity of Nidal and commonly worshiped in the Inner Sea Region, albeit not so much in Korvosa. He’s a god of torture and pain and undoubtedly evil.
Laori scowls at Zamanda’s description of Zon-Kuthon and says, “There’s so much more to him than that, though! He’s really quite the complex character. And torture isn’t all bad. I find you can grow very close to a person you torture. It’s quite intimate, really. If nothing else, it gives you a way to pass the time when you’re bored.
“As for what I get out of the deal - just what I said, I get to talk to Salvator. I would like to know where the inspiration for his art comes from.”
When Ilsa asks about the dead artists, Laori shakes her head sadly, then - only a moment later - resumes her cheery attitude as she explains, “Various ways. Hanged, sword through the gut, dragged to the bottom of the Jeggare attached to a rock. All terrible ways to die, but then I guess there are a lot of bad ways to die.”
Laori shakes her head again when Ilsa asks what she knows. “Not so fast. You haven’t agreed to work with me yet. We obviously have the common goal of finding Salvator. I assume we also both want him alive rather than dead. Aren’t those things enough?”
At Malen’s question, she says, “Information. He is an enigma, wrapped in a paradox. I would like to unpackage him, if possible.”
She nods at Bashiel’s question. “Sadly, I believe they all succumbed to madness, likely caused by their art. If Scream goes too long without aid, I fear he’ll suffer the same fate.
“Now, then!” Laori says, clapping excitedly. “Can we all agree to an alliance? At least a temporary one? You may not care for my god, but you have to admit we have a common goal. Shall we shake on it?”
With a wide smile, Laori extends her hand toward Zamanda.
-----
Petre nods at Bashiel’s suggestion. “Orisini’s Academy is further from Old Dock, so the Emperor’s thugs are less likely to patrol there. Sounds like as good a place as any in Old Korvosa.”
Bashiel’s father gives the paladin a worried look. “Please be careful, Bashiel. Your family still needs you. I don’t think the city can afford to lose you, either.”
Bashiel’s father and brother let him lead them to Amin’s place to stay for now.
Kalem’s face darkened on the talk of torture not being all bad. His grip on the scythe shifted as he gave Bashiel a look which asked whether he should kill her or not.
Malen listened patiently, stoically not wincing as the woman mentioned torture and other things that were not likely to sit well with some of his companions. Not that he was a fan, either, but it seemed they shared a common goal, at least for the moment. If she was capable and had information that could help them achieve their goal of finding Scream and therefore Vencarlo, perhaps it would be worth soiling their hands by working with the elf.
Missing the look Kalem and Bashiel share, he started speaking, "Perhaps a temporary alliance could be arranged, as long as some conditions are met. Obviously we can't abide you operating under your god's tenets while we work with you. No unnecessary killing or harm...and you get to talk to Scream, and that's it. Can everyone find such an arrangement palatable?"
As long as it is only talk, and if it is within our power to grant, of course. We're not forcing him to talk to you against his will.
If that gets a nod, Zamanda smiles and shakes her hand.
Laori nods at Malen and Zamanda’s conditions. “Of course. I wouldn’t dream of injuring or impeding such capable individuals as yourselves. Only talk, yes. Though I won’t abide him trying to kill himself. I would have to go against his will in that case. Such a talented artist like him needs to keep living.”
The elf takes Zamanda’s hand in a firm grip once she offers it. Afterwards, Laori claps her hands again and jumps up and down.
“What a wonderful sign from Zon-Kuthon that capable adventurers like yourselves would show up right now. This is truly wonderful.”
Laori cracks open the door to the room where Bashiel spotted the fungus and mold. Gesturing inside, Laori says, “There’s some nasty yellow mold in the northeast corner over there. I think Salvator kept mold for his painting, but it must have gotten out of hand after he was gone. Could be some useful supplies in there still, but wanted to make sure you knew about the mold beforehand. Can’t have you dying before we work together.”
Laori closes the door and waves for you to follow her down the short hallway. She opens the door on the right side of the hall to reveal Salvator’s bedroom.
Pointing at Scream’s bed, she says, “Poor Salvator was abducted in his sleep. They ripped him right out of his bed.”
Turning back to the group, and still smiling, Laori says, “The so-called ‘Emperor of Old Korvosa’ had some of his goons abduct Salvator. I was so close to getting here in time… but the thugs were already marching Salvator off once I got close to his place. The Emperor has him now and I bet I know where - his palace on Silk Street. Now we just need to work on a plan to get Salvator out of there.”
Laori’s face brightens even more than usual as she adds, “Oh! I almost forgot. The extra something I was going to give you.”
She rummages around in her pockets for a moment before producing a small scrap of blood-stained cloth. She hands it to the group. “This is part of a government official’s uniform. Unusual to find something like that in a place like this. I found it between Salvator’s bed and the wall.”
You recognize the fragment as not only part of a government official’s uniform, but as coming from the uniform of the seneschal of Castle Korvosa.
Bashiel crosses his arms. Enthusiasm for cruelty and torture is surely a twisted perspective, but hardly an immediate cause to bring the blade down on her. He's also smart enough to realize that his silver tongued allies have plans for her.
He steps outside, resolving to let them say what they will, and then to tell them his own piece once theyre done. He just says "See what you can find." before stepping outside the door. He doesn't close it, wary that he might still be needed should he have judged Laori's intentions incorrectly.
Kalem shrugged. This would bite them, he was sure of it. But he trusted their judgement over his own, so he was willing to roll with it.
Zamanda tells the group, not in the woman's hearing (after they leave if that's the only way to get privacy), that the bloody cloth is from the Seneschal's uniform. Finding both of the missing people seemed to hinge on this artist.
Out of curiosity, Laori, what do you find so fascinating about this painter? Does he paint things that... please Zon-Kuthon?
Also, Laori, do you have any information about the Emperor that might be helpful... an idea for how to approach him, who he might be allied with or afraid of... anything like that?
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
His allies had again asked very pertinent questions, so instead of stacking on top of them and possibly overwhelming the manic elf, Malen instead nodded to Ilsa and started to search the house thoroughly. Laori might have had designs of her own on Scream and probably conducted a thorough search, but several sets of eyes were better.
Laori nods vigorously at Zamanda’s question. “Yes, he does. Salvator’s themes are exceedingly pleasing, but as far as I know, the man doesn’t worship Zon-Kuthon himself. His paintings didn’t come from nowhere, so I’d like to know what the somewhere is that they came from.”
Zamanda knows that yellow mold, when disturbed, bursts forth with a cloud of poisonous spores. Anyone nearby takes Constitution damage unless they succeed at a Fortitude save. Fire destroys yellow mold, and sunlight renders it dormant. Sunlight from the window fills most of the room, which explains why the yellow mold is limited to one shaded corner. Zamanda also notes that Salvator’s home is made almost entirely of wood.
Regarding the Emperor, Laori says, “Well, most of Old Dock would be considered his allies, I’m afraid. His closest ally, though, would undoubtedly be Jabbyr the gnome. Those two are seldom far apart. The Emperor has plenty of other thugs in close proximity. As for people he's afraid of... nothing substantiated, but most think he fears the Arkona family. His thugs never venture close to their Palace. That said, I'm not sure that'll be particularly useful. The Arkonas have kept to themselves since the plague broke out.
“As for an approach, this may seem a little too simple, but I think we should start by just talking to him. I know the Emperor has Scream, but I don’t know exactly where. From what I understand, the Emperor rarely executes people immediately, unless they insult him.
“He ‘holds court’ daily in his Palace. He’s got a makeshift throne that he sits in all day. He tries to act like a real king, entertaining pleas from citizens of Old Dock. Mostly he just spends the day in entertainment - directing his idea of plays, overseeing games, or watching executions.
“If we were to go as some of his petitioners, we might could speak to him about Scream. If it comes to violence, so be it, but perhaps we can at least learn Salvator’s location before we come to blows.”
You conduct a search of Salvator’s home, which Laori doesn’t seem to mind. Malen notices that one of the jars the yellow mold has grown over radiates strong conjuration magic. It’s impossible to say more without getting closer, which would expose you to the yellow mold.
Salvator’s studio contains various mundane painting supplies that are worth a few silvers at most.
A closer examination of Salvator’s bedroom supports Laori’s story of his abduction. Muddy footprints belonging to a half-dozen people can be seen on the floorboards. Amongst the footprints, there are signs that a seventh person was likely dragged out of the building.
The final room you’ve yet to closely examine proves to simply be the entryway of the home. The footprints go through here as do the drag marks.
You don’t find further evidence of the seneschal or Vencarlo.
Zamanda casts Burning Hands to kill the mold, carefully positioning herself to avoid hitting the walls and setting the house on fire.
Malen told his companions of the jar and its strong aura of Conjuration type magic, giving the area a wary glance as they discussed how to get to it safely. "Be careful...with a strong aura of Conjuration, it's possible there is a summoned being of some type in there, and we have no idea what trigger might provide its escape." Having given fair warning, he turned his attention to Laori and her information about the 'Emperor'.
The priest kept close enough to the jar-gatherers that he could douse the area quickly with water, if needed, but otherwise pondered the elf's words. "The Emperor probably wouldn't mind speaking about Scream, but getting him will be another story. Should we ask about our other quarry, as well? Also, are we willing to bargain? A thug like this man seems to be won't give up a prize for nothing."
Zamanda’s Burning Hands incinerate the yellow mold, burning away the danger. The flames avoid touching the walls of Salvator’s home, so the place remains intact, or as intact as it was when you arrived. Ilsa is then able to safely retrieve the magical jar.
Regarding Ilsa’s suggestion, Laori says, “Feigning respect could certainly work, but we better make sure he buys it. I don’t like our odds if we have to face the bulk of the Emperor’s forces, Jabbyr, and the Emperor himself all at once.”
Still quite cheery, Laori adds, “Should we maybe get some rest and go talk to the Emperor in the morning? I can help keep watch, if you want me to.”
|
|
Ilsa nods as they try to finalize a plan.
"We're pretty convincing--and if he doesn't buy it, we have other ways to get people to see our way. Something tells me you're not a slouch in battle yourself," Ilsa adds.
"I am happy to rest and go in the morning, but I'm sure you'll understand if we want to keep our own watch."
Laori perks up as Malen mentions 'other quarry.' She says, "Oh? Are you all looking for someone else, too?"