But...how can this be?
Gaius is stunned into silence.
I will take her head to the sergeant. It looks like he found her and got to her. Too bad. Is this the woman that sent us though?
He'll use the hat to take the head.
She had been dead for two to three weeks. If this is so, then who is she?
Tolenn watches the decomposed head roll across the floor, eye wide with shock. She moves closer though, as the realization that it was Zellar's features they were regarding.
Crouching by the head, Tolenn holds out a hand to forstall Pyron's intent.
"Hold, Pyron. If this indeed be the remains of our benefactress, Zellara....a mystery that deepens. I would return to the house with this, if only to do honor to the lady that brought us here." she says thoughtfully, her brow furrowed in puzzlement.
The stink of the room pervades your nostrils as you remain there, stunned. Zellara's head remains fixed, staring at you with mute appeal, apparently dead well before your visit with her. The pool outside the door is now still, though murky, Lamm's vile blood obscuring vision through the water as though even in death he seeks to trouble you one last time.
Let's do one last check around the room, then let's get out if here. After one last search, he leaves with Zellara's head in the hat, unless he finds a sack to use. When everyone is ready, he leaves back to where the children's location.
Take that in case it has more evidence about this mystery with Zellara, Gaius says, snapping out of his trance and pointing at the box by Tolenn. We can open these later. Pyron's right, we should go. He hefts the locked box, ready to leave.
Pyron grabs the grisly trophy by the hair and quickly sets it inside the hatbox. We'll assume he grabs a bit of cloth or something to cover it so the kiddos don't get another nasty surprise. Pyron then skirts the pool and exits, standing outside the door in the dark underpier of the run down building.
Gaius hefts the box in both arms, making his way to the exit as well.
The flat wooden box is liberally endowed in dried blood. It beckons to Tolenn, a dark beacon in this abysmal hellhole.
Tolenn nods absently at Gaius's suggestions, then carefully picks up the box that had been hidden by Zellara's head.
She tucks it into her pack and follows the others , pausing at the edge of the water, saying a silent prayer for the fallen Gaedrun Lamm.
We can just tie Vuk to the rope last and haul him up.
The party makes its way back into the main fishery, revenge sated, but bittersweet. They return to the children to find them all sitting about, keeping an eye on Hookshanks, who is still unconscious. The lead boy looks at the boxes you are lugging about suspiciously, but says nothing.
"Good news everyone, Lamm is dead." Daud happily announces to the children.
Eaten by his own crocodile, Gaius says, without looking up from the strongbox.
Hookshanks, make yourself useful. Do you know how to open this thing? Or what's inside?
The children's reactions range from stunned silence, to tears, to fierce looks of triumph. Their new-found freedom not quite processed yet, they look confused.
Hookshanks cracks open his eyes, laughing gutturally as he croaks out, "Likeleh yull find the key in da gatah's s*&t here in a coupla days. Whateva da boss thought was worth keepin."
"Or we could just break the lock over your head Hookshanks" Daud muses aloud completely serious.
Gaius frowns at the gnome's comments.
I suspected as much.
He turns to Pyron while motioning to Hookshanks.
Can you and Tolenn take this one, Giggles, and Yargin into custody? Tolenn will lend an air of respectability to our story, and Daud and I can take the children to the temple and pickup Gob on the way. I need to get back and tell Larks he's a free man. Then we can all go together to see Zellara and tell her we succeeded, and ask the meaning of...what we found.
Gaius crouches near the tied-up, unconscious form of Giggles. He produces a small vial and opens it up under the half-orc's nose.
After the brute regains consciousness, Gaius grabs his face and says in a menacing tone: Listen here--Lamm is dead. Count yourself lucky that Tolenn and Pyron value the law so highly, or I'd stick a dagger in your ribs. Go with them with no trouble, or I'll find you when they're not around...
Hookshanks is not amused by Daud's statement, but is wise enough to hold his tongue, guessing that a retort would resort in Daud attempting to execute said action. He settles for a sulky glare.
Giggles comes to with a start, eyes narrowing in menace at Gaius. By the end of Gaius' threat, his eyes have widened, and he is nodding solemnly, happy he is not going with the inquisitor.
Hookshanks is not amused by Daud's statement, but is wise enough to hold his tongue, guessing that a retort would resort in Daud attempting to execute said action. He settles for a sulky glare.
Giggles comes to with a start, eyes narrowing in menace at Gaius. By the end of Gaius' threat, his eyes have widened, and he is nodding solemnly, happy he is not going with the inquisitor.
Chaos! As you exit the fishery, you are again shocked. Smoke rises over the skyline, surely coming from a district in Korvosa. Alarm bells ring all over the city. The sounds of fighting, both steel and magic, can be heard nearby, the screams and shouts that accompany this competing with the other racket. Overhead, a troop of Sable Company riders angles overhead, heading towards Castle Korvosa at a reckless pace. The party feels drops of blood as one of the griffon mounts and riders starts to descend, smashing into a building a couple of blocks distant. The fellow's companions do not break off to check on him.
You hear the voice of what sounds like an official city Herald declaring, "The King is dead! Long live the Queen" He is answered in the street by people less professional in their voices but no less zealous. "Hang the Queen!" shouts one. "The usurper whore must die!" cries another.
As you watch, stunned, trying to wrap your mind around what is happening, you see a group of three men break a window further down the street. They almost enter the building, but then start running down an alley. A moment later you see a contingent of five hellknights, complete with iron armor and horned helms, pursuing them down the alley.
Turning to Gaius "What. Did. You. Do?"
Gaius watches the hellknights give chase and sheepishly looks down at the stolen goods he's carrying.
It seems the king is dead, likely by violence from the looks of things. And don't look at me--I was with you the whole time. But since murder is our collective alibi to prove we took no part in whatever happened, I suggest we get off the streets immediately.
"True. But my card wasn't The Uprising. Just saying."
Even the prisoner in the temple needs to go to the sergeant. The sergeant needs to get the whole story from everyone. I did promise to say how he helped us. Also, I am a part of the guard, so I should be able to clear us of any trouble from what's going on with politics. Pyron is carrying the hat box in his left hand where his buckler is located, which is somewhat hiding the hatbox a bit. He has his morningstar in his right hand and is using it to prod the handcuffed prisoners forward. Let's go to the sergeant first. I can send another guard to pick up the prisoner at the temple. We can go to Zellaro's place afterwards.
Joining the others, Tolenn quick agreed to assist Pyron in bringing the miscreant to the authorities. However, when they see what chaos the city had descended into in thier absense, she says "One would hope that the guard has maintained their oath of service, often in such tumult duty can be forgotten in the worry for one's family...."
She gently prods one of the prisoners forwad as well.
The party can see another, larger contingent of hellknights marching towards Castle Korvosa, clearing the streets temporarily with their passing. The children with you are very nervous, their eyes dart around like wild animals. It will be only a matter of time before they break and scatter.
"True. But my card wasn't The Uprising. Just saying."
Zellara's reading seems so long ago--perhaps she was foretelling of things to come beyond Lamm's demise...
Even the prisoner in the temple needs to go to the sergeant. The sergeant needs to get the whole story from everyone. I did promise to say how he helped us. Also, I am a part of the guard, so I should be able to clear us of any trouble from what's going on with politics. Pyron is carrying the hat box in his left hand where his buckler is located, which is somewhat hiding the hatbox a bit. He has his morningstar in his right hand and is using it to prod the handcuffed prisoners forward. Let's go to the sergeant first. I can send another guard to pick up the prisoner at the temple. We can go to Zellaro's place afterwards.
Gaius "whisper yells" to Pyron, trying not to alert anyone to their presence. Look around, Pyron! The king is dead and the city is in chaos! Hellknight squads patrol the streets in full force! No one at the guardhouse is going to give a damn about a cheap thug like Lamm.
He moves in closer, trying to make his argument with reason and quell his rising temper.
You were given just authority to apprehend Lamm or, barring that, use deadly force if necessary. We acted on that authority. Now we have frightened children with us and the streets aren't safe. We need to get inside. When the time comes to make your report, your word and the word of these captives should be enough. If it's not, I'll submit to magical scrutiny and tell them the truth--we went to arrest Lamm and he tried to flee, getting eaten by his own pet crocodile in the process. All this is meaningless if we get killed by an angry mob on the way--I'll be damned if I let Lamm vex me from beyond the grave!
Gaius looks to the others to see if they agree.
As for Larks--I gave him my word that I would free him if his information led to Lamm's downfall. I intend to keep that promise. I will stand in your way if you try to bring him into custody, for questioning or otherwise. Now can we please finish this conversation at Zellara's house?
As Gaius 'lectures' Pyron, Tolenn crouches before the nervous children "Be not afraid, we will take you somewhere safe." her hand unconsiously making the Little Lamm sign for "all clear", or at least the sign from 10 years ago.
Diplomacy
Fine, as long as you accept the consequences, I put this on you. It won't be on my hands. All I care about at this point is getting the kids to the sergeant, getting Crookshanks to the sergeant, and getting this other guy to him too. I also want to know what is going on with Zellara's story.
The children's eyes widen slightly as the kind adult makes the sign they know all too well. They cluster together tightly and move closer to Tolenn.
Up ahead, you see what appears to be a handful of guards fighting an unknown enemy. Upon closer inspection, you see that the guardsmen have torn off their badges and are actually fighting a contingent of guardsmen with badges still on.
"Not our problem. Move along now children."
Yes, let's move on. We're going to stop somewhere first to get some answers before we go to the sergeant.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
It takes more than fifteen minutes of navigating the alleys of Korvosa, hiding while a fight breaks out nearby, hurrying across streets swarming with mobs, to reach Zellara's home. When you enter your puzzlement continues to grow, as this can not possibly be the same place you visited such a short time ago.
The house looks to have been abandoned for weeks, and there is no trace of the wall hangings and carpets that were present when last you visited. The furniture, every bit of it, is scattered about the room in pieces. The leftover food you did not eat is nowhere to be seen, nor is there evidence that you were ever really here.
Tolenn feels the deck grow warm again, and Zellara appears in front of you! She smiles sadly as she speaks, "Greetings, my young heroes. I apologize for the need for deception, but I thought people would be more willing to help a living patron. I have been dead for many weeks, killed by the monstrous Lamm, and am now satisfied with his doom. However, Korvosa will have need of you ahead, and in your possession you carry my Harrow Deck. My spirit infuses it, and I will help you whenever I can, as long as you work towards the good of Korvosa. Farewell, my brave heroes, I see great destinies ahead for all of you!" With that, the image fades, leaving behind only the dust and clutter.
1) Dexterity Rerolls: Spend a Harrow Point to reroll any one
Initiative check, Reflex save, attack roll modified by Dexterity, or
Dexterity-based skill check. You must abide by the new result
(although if you have additional Harrow Points remaining, you
can use them to attempt additional rerolls).
2) Dodge Bonus: Spend a Harrow Point to gain a +1 Dodge
bonus to your Armor Class for one encounter. You can spend
up to 3 Harrow Points per encounter to increase your Armor
Class in this manner.
3) Speed Increase: Spend a Harrow Point to increase your
base speed by 10 feet for one encounter—you cannot spend
multiple Harrow Points to increase your speed multiple times
in one encounter.