"Raamanti and I will lend what aid we may," says Zart, with none of the judgement shown by Daud, but with no pleasure either, "War with the Shoanti will serve no-one, even if the fools that did this had it coming. I cannot help but wonder, however, given the specific nature of his killing and then sequestration, if the killers did not intend for war to happen. If so, given the king's death and the mob's movements in Trinia - you may be fighting a much more subtle war of subterfuge here. We will do what we can to uncover such secrets, but you would be well served to start your own lines of inquiry, if you haven't already."
Unable to bring himself to say anything he simply sees her off with sad eyes. After the carriage leaves he'll turn and walk off in no particular direction. I think I'll take that long walk off a short pier now...
Croft nods curtly to Zart. "Of course, good sir. However, with the mobs still running about, I can only extend so much of my influence to information gathering. Your service will be of vastly greater importance in this matter. Which is, of course, why you will be compensated much more handsomely than my guardsmen. Are there any questions?"
None for polite company...
Any thoughts about where we are heading and what we might be expecting, so that we may prepare.
"The Dead Warrens is the series of underground vaults and chambers that lies under the Gray District, Korvosa's massive graveyard. Elkaris, a simpleton, delivered Gaekhen's body to a partially collapsed mausoleum somewhere in Potter's Ward, the area of Korvosa's graveyard relegated to those without means. Those who live in poverty, those who die in the alleys, those who no one claims or cares about."
"Rolth, meanwhile, is a proverbial thorn in my side. He is a failed Acadamae student, and was quietly expelled after it was found out he was trying to construct a golem out of human and other body parts. He is suspected in over half a dozen killings. I am not certain whether he is in the Dead Warrens, but my gut tells me he is. Any information that can lead to his arrest would be appreciated."
Tolenn smiles lightly, eyes getting a faraway look "I remember avoiding the Warrens at all costs when I was a Lamb, such was it's reputation. I presume it hasn't improved." she says, looking Croft in the eye "At least in this occasion, Rolth's guilt of his crimes does not seem to be in doubt. I suspect entryways to the Warrens are many, are there some you can suggest?"
Croft nods. "I would suggest the mausoleum, actually. There are hundreds of entrances, but not all connect. We know they likely entered there, so there you should start."
"SOUNDS SIMPLE ENOUGH THEN," chimes in Raamanti after a long brooding silence, "FIND THIS COLLAPSED MAUSOLEUM, OR ASK AROUND ABOUT THIS ROLTH FELLOW. WHEN WE FIND HIM, WE BRING HIM TO JUSTICE AND RETURN THE SHOANTI'S BODY TO ITS PEOPLE."
Raamanti ignores the look he gets from Zart for speaking out of turn. The task wasn't going to be easy, but at least the Field Marshall had made starting it fairly straightforward. The eidolon knew where to look, and he was good at looking. His master could talk his way around as required. Hefting his hammer, Raamanti nods at Croft and exits the room.
Croft nods, but cautions. "Remember, Rolth is very much secondary. Of primary importance is return the Shoanti boy's remains to his people."
Thank you for giving us such useful information and for giving us a secondary mission through which we can get an even higher bounty from this mission.
Once they are ready, Pyron leaves to head that way unless someone objects.
"Yes, Field Marshall, war must be averted," says Zart in his usual sad voice, "Here's hoping that the corpse we find is suitable to be returned."
With that, Zart follows Pyron and Raamanti out of the room.
Wednesday wordlessly follows the others out.
The Gray District is a forbidding place, but seems to be Korvosa's most quiet area in light of the recent riots and unrest. The rows and columns of graves stretch on for many yards in either direction. Potter's Ward is the lowest of these areas. Most of the dirt patches have no gravestones, with some not being marked at all. From the look of the area, this place seldom gets any visits from mourning loved ones.
After a short walk and a bit of looking around, the party finds what has to be the mausoleum Croft described in your briefing.
Oh, wow. This seems to be a lonely place. Kicking a pebble, Pyron continues, I could see why this is a suitable entrance for a necromancer. I hope no one is too queesy abut spiders or bugs, he quips. If you guys are ready to get to work, then let's get down in that mausoleum.
Raamanti searches the top of the Mausoleum for any clues or signs of danger.
If all is clear, he signals for the rest to proceed.
Of course, from this perspective he can not search the inside of the mausoleum...
Gaius also searches thoroughly for any signs of recent travel, hoping to discover what direction would be the best way to begin.
"MY MASTER, AND HIS HEROIC COMPANIONS," begins Raamanti in his familiar deep, booming but somehow soft voice, "TRACKS LEAD INTO THE MAUSOLEUM HERE AND HERE. SOME STRANGER TRACKS OVER THERE APPEAR TO BE SOME KIND OF HUMANOID THAT ONLY HAS FOUR TOES. MY KNOWLEDGE OF THE HUMANOIDS OF THIS PLANE ISN'T COMPREHENSIVE ENOUGH TO DETERMINE WHAT THEY MIGHT BE. OUR NECROMANCER, HOWEVER, IS LIKELY TO HAVE COMPANY."
Raamanti allows Gaius to take the lead following the tracks, pointing them out again should he lose the trail.
"Thank you Raamanti," says Zart plainly, "Your keen senses, as ever, prove an asset to all."
Zart examines the tracks and wracks his brain for which small humanoid creatures might have long toes looking like these.
Elkaris' tracks, Gaius says, pointing to the wheelbarrow tracks. Looks like he made multiple trips. I can't say what made these four-toed prints, but whatever did is probably a servant of the necromancer.
The inquisitor straps on his shield, smiles at Tolenn as he gestures towards the entrance, then draws his sword.
Still in a sour mood and with a roll of his eye Daud draws his cleaver and begins heading into the mausoleum.
Pyron equips his buckler and morningstar and goes forward too.
As the group enters the small mausoleum, Gaius, Wednesday, and Raamanti all see the poorly concealed trap door set in the stone in the middle of the chamber.
Without speaking Daud will tilt his head towards the switch and point it out to the others.
Pyron raises his arm ready to strike once the door opens if he needs to strike.
"WHILE I STILL FEEL PAIN, I CANNOT BE PERMANENTLY DESTROYED ON THIS PLANE," bellows Raamanti ever so softly, "I THEREFORE SUGGEST THAT I BE THE ONE TO GO DOWN FIRST."
Unless there are objections, Raamanti will open the trap door and head down into the gloom.
"Thank you, Raamanti my friend. Your bravery and practicality are unparalleled," says Zart in a gloomy voice, "Just before we go down, I have a spell that can help us withstand magical effects, poisons and other such things. It is a little cantrip called resistance. It doesn't last long, but I will happily cast it on all of us before we enter a room. If anyone else has it, then we should be able to maximize the time it remains active for."
"And after the Returnable goes the Worthless followed by the Valued." Daud muses to himself as he heads down after Raamanti, slowing momentarily for Zart to cast his spell.
Gazing at the mausoleum as the others search for tracks and other tell-tales, Tolenn approaches the trapdoor with the others.
Nodding her thanks to Zart for his protective dweomer, she descends into the earth after Daud.
As you descend into the cave system, you see that the walls are faintly illuminated with what looks like a glowing moss or plant.
You progress forward, Raamanti in the lead. The eidolon leads you several yards, and in the distance, it appears the passage opens up into a fairly large chamber. You can make out four pillars but the sides of the room remain out of your line of sight.
Growing up in the dark wilds of Ustalav had accustomed Daud to seeing perfectly fine at night, he thought to himself anyway.
Stepping up beside the eidolon Daud takes in the pillared room.
Pyron nods and says, And I can cast virtue, which gives you a bit more life fur about a minute, which I can also cast each time we go in another room. Since no one has refused his blessings in the past, because it didn't come from a specific deity he will cast on his comrades and himself as the go inside the room, and each subsequent room.
"ANY BLESSINGS YOU CAN BESTOW, PYRON, WOULD BE MOST WELCOME. EVERY LITTLE BIT COUNTS," says Raamanti deeply but softly. He then pauses as though deep in thought before continuing, "MY MASTER SAYS THAT PERHAPS WE CAN WAIT UNTIL WE ARE ABOUT TO ENTER THE NEXT ROOM, THOUGH. WE'VE ALREADY ENTERED THIS ONE. MY MASTER'S GIFT FOR STATING THE OBVIOUS CANNOT BE SUCCESSFULLY QUANTIFIED WITH NUMBERS ALONE."
As Pyron casts it anyway, Raamanti shrugs and then nods in thanks before moving further into the room. He sweeps his gaze from side to side and first investigates the left hand portion of the chamber they find themselves in
Mostly, Raamanti searches for the continuation of the tracks they found earlier.
While Pyron is casting spells, Zart also casts mage armor on himself and Raamanti using his as yet unused wand.
Tolenn murmur her thanks to Pyron's helpful magic, squinting around in the low light. "I'm finding it difficult to see down here, perhaps we should..." Tolenn says, then realizes that the others already in the room can see just fine.
As she cuts her own comment off Daud thinks rhetorically on how a warrior of the Sun Goddess would indeed have problems seeing in the dark. Stepping back to her he'll offer his free hand as a guide.
Here, I don't want you mistaking me for this Rolth, Gaius says, touching Tolenn's armor and illuminating it.
Daud curses under his breath and wipes his eyes as the sudden illumination fills his field of view.
Oh, let me help. Pyron turns on his full-version of his halo.
Daud only blinks a few times at the full on luminescence, his eyesight already having been forcibly adjusted by Gaius' orison.
As she cuts her own comment off Daud thinks rhetorically on how a warrior of the Sun Goddess would indeed have problems seeing in the dark. Stepping back to her he'll offer his free hand as a guide.
Tolenn glances down at Daud's offered hand, then shakes her head, bringing her shield down from her back and drawing her scimitar. She gives him a little smile of thanks, then blinks as Gaius illuminates her armor.
Looking about, she says "Thank you, Gaius."
"Yes. Thank you, Uprising." he flatly mimics while occasionally blinking his dilated eyes.
What can I say, when the necromancer descends on us with his horde of undead slaves, I want all of us to be able to see our deaths rushing toward us.
Gaius chuckles, the sound strange in such a place.