"If he isn't being shipped back to the city and a cell I am sure we can rely on the soldiers to put him in a room and keep him there."
"Just not HIS room eh?" The Green Man says with a wide grin before following Boolna outside to have a look at the infected kobolds.
"Well" Norton intervenes "while Green and Furiel go and check on the Kobolds, Lady Sonechka and Dolgrym, that are more learnt can check the laboratory, to try to understand better what was occuring here. Master Kinsilvi and I, will be glad to wait in the dining room, aren't we?" he asks to the man.
"Sounds like a plan. I do have a keen on checking out the in's and out's of that lab."
Farmhouse Den (Norton)
Kinsilvi eyes remain vacant, but he ceases clenching his jaw and tempers his mild sneer as he nods to Norton. Kesten stands across from the two of you - and between Hyassus and Janille. His two soldiers post up at the doorway of the den.
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Cooped up Kobolds (Furiel, Green)
The door to the coop swings open with a flip of the simple latch. A wave of heat and stink wafts out - a smell of turned earth and bad potato. The kobolds within (some sacked out, some seated) shield their eyes from the light. They'd had only what had seeped through the gaps between the sloppily placed slats of wood.
All eight bow their heads submissively.
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Steps down to the Lab and Cannery (Sonechka, Dolgrym)
Under the hatch is a stone spiral stair - the flickering aura of torchlight can be seen emanating from down around the bend. You can smell the "paper rot" of a library - which is the first thing you see coming from the stairs. Several bookshelves (hundreds of books), and a reading table. On the wall next to the table is an oil portrait of a strikingly beautiful young woman. She appears regal - and her porcelain skin seems to glow in the dim chamber.
On the opposite wall is a writing desk with several books, journals, and ledgers open and bookmarked. There are two doors. One to the west, and one to the north. Both are iron banded oak and shut. A wheeled cart (like a busboy's cart) sits beside the door to the west. It contains three vial and beaker caddies. The vials and beakers are all empty or near empty, but not clean.
"Boolna, before I proceed, perhaps you should talk to them so they know what is going on."
The Green Man begins to unpack his healers kit in preparation for the procedure to come.
"They have been slaves for a long time, by the look of them, they need time to remember what pride is...such a sad thing."
Turning to Furiel, The Green Man nods in the direction of the kobolds.
"I know I've flown of the handle a bit about this subject in the past, but I cannot stand to see people so broken as this.
I can't promise it won't happen again, but I'll TRY to temper my anger more in the future."
Dolgrym starts by casting Detect Magic before touching anything. "This fellow has quite a set up, doesn't he? We'd better be careful of any traps."
Norton sits down comfortably and tries to put Kinsilvi at ease.
"I'm sorry this is all coming down to this. Barging in a man's house like this it's hard on my heart but my hands are quite tied on the matter. Please, sit down and let this pass, I'm sure we can find a way to smooth all this process."
Furiel stifles tears.
"This was evil!! We need a priest."
Sonechka walks over to the cart and peers down at the vials and beakers, careful not to touch anything yet. "I'm less worried about overt traps than I am of accidentally touching or inhaling something dangerous."
As Green speaks to Furiel, Boolna briefs the diseased kobolds in draconic. "The human master is now in chains by his own people for what he has done to us. These surfacers have come to end the disease. They are chieftains among their people. Kruormekh may be showing a new path for us... one more in line with our ways. You must help convince the young hard minds." The diseased kobolds nod respectfully, and bring fist to chest several times.
She then steps away from them to point out the hutch structures (like outhouses for short people) in the yard. "Those three boxes lead to shelters. Kinsilvi's best kobolds play small chief in each."
The containers have the same substances within... after some testing, you determine there are three concoctions to discern. With his library here to aid in your gaps in knowledge, you are confident you can work it out... perhaps even come up with something to ease the symptoms and speed up their own recuperative powers.
Inside the lab adjoining the main room/study, there is a second painting of the pale skin "regal"-looking woman. Sitting on a pair of bracket below is a amber gem-tipped scepter which emits an aura.
Sonechka spends some time looking at the substances, identifying two but unable to recognize the first one. Wrapped up as she is in the alchemical work she doesn't notice anything out of the ordinary.
She points at the first one. "I think I can figure that one out, I'll just need to refer to Kinsilvi's library first."
"Good, let's have a look at you and se what we can do.
My guess is that it will take some long term care to see you all on the path to good health, but we must start somewhere."
The kobolds perk up a bit - bolstered by Green's divine light.
The part of the scale tucked under the overlapping scale has turned near black.
Shinglerot usually comes with serious muscle atrophy and loss of teeth.
The third is filler, preservative fluid, and a fungal disease. It appears similar to poisons you are aware of which attack soft tissues and/or cause debilitating growths on organs.
Perception
Spellcraft bookplates/books
Spellcraft scepter
Spellcraft on painting (not sure if magical)
Sonechka frowns at the second potion. "Magic Fang, but diluted to the point of virtual uselessness. That's either very sloppy or he was trying something I don't understand." She gestures at the third. "That's a weaponized fungal disease that attacks soft tissues and causes debilitating growths on organs. Evidence, if our lord Green needed more of it."
She shakes her head and turns toward the books. "And I suppose there is likely to be even more evidence on those shelves. Have you found anything interesting, Dolgrym?"
"There's magic here. Give me one second and let me try to sort it out. And keep that weaponized disease over there, if you don't mind," he remarks with a worried glance at the witch.
"So Master Kinsilvi" Norton sits down and engages in conversation with the man "This feud between two kobold tribes, I understand you were trying to help, can you explain me more?"
Kinsilvi - who'd been looking a little "vacant", takes a moment before answering. "The Kobolds under these lands - and countless miles around... Seven Bloods Clans. Each clan had its chieftains, shamans, war leader and such, but the Embermaw led them all. Sootscales, Stonebacks, Ratpool... Whiptail...." He half turns and gestures toward the back to indicate the nearby kobolds as the Whiptail.
"All but the Whiptail conspired against the Embermaw, and intended to eliminate them completely... by poisoning the well.. essentially. The Whiptail discovered this, and informed the Embermaw of the horrific plan. War broke out immediately. All clans suffered heavy losses. The Stonebacks were nearly wiped out. And by the end, the Embermaw were no more."
"They had their victory... yet after the war had ended, they branded the Whiptail as traitors. They marched the survivors to the surface, and bound them to die of exposure."
"They will still have their revenge. I find it hard to believe you will find anyone both able to fathom my work, and willing to trudge out here to these... unpleasantly rural environs. Disease spreads... and this one... wildfire. You will see how they look after they are off their medicine for a day."
"I do look forward to seeing how you will appear coming for my help, because on day three you will be burying them all."
"Boolna, this was done to them, and by their consent yes? How much of what Kinsilvi did are you familiar with?
I imagine he may not have told you or them everything, but he looks like the kind of man who likes to brag about his own genius, so he probably said something.
And I bet he was also arrogant enough to talk to himself when you were around, not bothering to acknowledge that you might understand or note what he said.
So far it seems like ..."concoction" of things, I've seen what may be Shinglerot, but there is more to it than that...
However, between me, what Mistress Alkaeva and master Sharpaxe finds in the laboratory, what you may know, and possibly some help from a few other people, I think we can cure this.
I just hope I won't be distracted by the rage I feel towards Kinsilvi.
No doubt he is sitting smug in there with master Ambrosi.
Just one hand on his neck...I'm a healer, I know just where to squeeze... "
The Green Man harrumphs and goes back to his work.
Boolna answers... "He talks to the painted human female. Once I heard her speak when I entered Kinsilvi's lab and did not knock. He calls her Sweet Luwinni." She leans in and speaks slowly... "He talks both as youngling to mother and mate to mate."
"He makes the drink every morning. The alchemy liquids he puts in the... glasses? we were washing when you came. Kinsilvi said it keeps us alive and strong."
"The agreement was made by our leader... I was against it in mind only... I did not speak it. Our leader is gone. Heart broke in the fields. I am leader now... but slave to old leader's agreement."
"Interesting, and something we will want to look into later, but for now, my only concern is curing these kobolds of the vile concoction he made.
Well, having identified the Shinglerot, it is a good place to start.
Curing that may not be enough, but it is a start.
And clearly it damages your bodies, I saw the effect my burst of spirit energy had on them."
Furiel looks to the kobolds and shakes his head.
"We sent for Mikmek, a kobold of great bravery and calm. He did not come."
"I see" replies Norton. Disgusted, but not too surprised about what he just heard, from where he comes from, such conduct would be considered quite normal. "So you are just helping the Whiptails with their feud. I'm sure this will reassure people back to Stagfall, that all this is not coming their way."
Norton keeps a neutral tone, while not approving, there is no need to get confrontational with the man while he seems to be cooperative.
The intel about the kobold clans could turn out useful, helping the Whiptail could hinder their relationship with the Soothscale, but something else concerned the cavalier more: what was Kinsilvi angle in all this, sure he wasn't doing it out of good heart.
"Our concern, master Kinvilsi, lies with the people of these lands." Norton's tone gives away the fact that for people he means humans "Are you sure this disease won't spread outside the clans?"
"Eh, not as much as I'd have hoped. There are three bookplates of recall. That's all I've found. Not the trove of evidence I had hoped for," the dwarf grumbles to the witch.
Furiel examines the command words for the bookplates to discern a pattern, maybe there are similar books out there waiting to be recalled. He attempts some likely names including the three names on the bookplates yet to be affixed to a book.
Every nonkobold on the estate is under guard.
Sonechka looks curiously at Dolgrym. "Oh? And which books did Master Kinsilvi find so useful that he wanted to have them available with a word?"
"Apparently, he hadn't gotten around to attaching the magical bookplates to any particular volumes yet. I wish he had....it would be great to know what he had found important."
After an hour so, Sonechka comes across a short passage in a medical journal speaking of a study using alchemically diluted potions as symptom relievers. The study was cut short due to ethical concerns voiced by partners of the head physician.
The book the entry references is a thesis by Kinsilvi named "The Humane Prolonging of Disease for Qualified Study".
"Boolna, I am curious, what was the point of all this, I mean, what was the end result that people hoped to achieve?
What did your people intent, and what did Kinsilvi claim he intended?"
"Our concern, master Kinvilsi, lies with the people of these lands." Norton's tone gives away the fact that for people he means humans "Are you sure this disease won't spread outside the clans?"
Kinsilvi scoffs and turns his head away... "As far as explaining to you how that is nigh impossible, I wouldn't know where to start."
Boolna responds to Green... "The other clans of the Seven Bloods sent us to the surface to die. The Brown Shaggies saw this and attacked the Seven Bloods as they bound us - meaning to leave us to die in the hot sun with no food or water. The Brown Shaggies took us as slaves, but sold us to Kinsilvi. We were to return to our homeland to spread disease. Kinsilvi said they would not recognize us."
"But this plan is so...stupid!
Look at them, look! They can clearly be seen to be ill, the others wouldn't take you in like this.
And why sacrifice your lives at all? If Kinsilvi truly could turn disease into a weapon, why not make it into a vapour and shot a few flasks of it into the caves?
Besides, how do you even know that the disease would spread? has it spread amongst the kobolds here?"
Boolna nods, clucks her tongue, and keeps her head bowed as if agreeing with the assessment, but not to the extreme Green suggests. "These kobolds are weak and ill... the younger - those who work the fields show little sign of illness."
"They are the ones who planned to creep around, and poison the Embermaw like cowards. We were left to die - still meant to die. But we would have died in our homeland... amongst the kin who pledged our death to the gods."
"I do not know how it comes to us... by glass or by others infected, but we all have the disease."
"From what I understand, the Embermaw clan is no more, the Chief of the kobold clan we negotiated with referred to one of their number as "the last of the Embermaw".
So if that was your goal, it is already too late either way.
Besides, here you have a chance to make a new land for yourself.
I know that sometimes nostalgia makes you long for the things of the past, I miss my own kin...but they are dead, all that remains of them are the bones and ash I keep next to my heart now.
This land, it has room of all seeking a new life.
I know Kobolds have a bad reputation and are often exploited, but if you live here, I promise you that you'll be offered the same protection as everyone else.
Besides, do you really have anything to lose at this point?"
Furiel nods and adds:
"We don't have a problem with making sure you have you our own place and can be free. You might say we have an imperative to do so."
Boolna nods with conviction to Green and Furiel. "The way is clear. I will go to the younglings. You've given me words enough to convince them." She heads toward the nearest hutch.
~~Meanwhile, in the downstairs lab~~
Sonechka and Dolgrym hear a ghostly female voice. There is no visible sign of the speaker, but it seems to spiral slowly around you... "What is it you are looking for? Why do you intrude on the doctor's work? What do you desire? ... What do you desire?"
"We are here to see what evil deeds the doctor has been up to. Care to point that out to us?"
Dolgrym and Sonechka hear a faint whoosh sound toward the painting of the young pale woman... and she suddenly emits an ethereal glow.
"Open the cannery door..."
Sonechka had just looked up to mention Kinsilvi's thesis when the ghostly voice speaks up. She looks around, her pet bird eerily mirroring her movements as she does. "Do you see anything that looks like a cannery door, Dolgrym? Also, and I'm sure this goes without saying, but we should take care opening anything in here."
"While I appreciate the advice, mind telling me a bit more about yourself? I assume the painting has something to do with your condition?"
"All will be clear.. beyond the cannery door...."
There is something "un-ghostlike" about this being.
Sense Motive
Sonechka nods at Dolgrym. "We can always come back to peruse the library more, later." She stands up from the desk and re-settles her black feathered cape around her shoulders, then gestures at the door. "Shall we?"
"Sounds like a plan to me.. Once the witch was ready, Dolgrym pulled the door open.
Furiel follows Green. "We may want to quarantine the kobolds until they are free of disease. We just need a cure."