Tolenn leaves her hand on Ruan's forehead, moving the other to press him back down.
"Easy, Ruan. Your sister sent us to find you. But I need you to calm yourself, for the danger her is still quite real" Tolenn says in a quiet voice, but one tinged with a hint of command.
As she talks to Ruan, she watches the others gathering near the iron door.
The young man's eyes widen, "My sister! Then she still lives. I've been so worried, so many have died around us while a few of us lived on." He breaks down in tears and sobs for some time before he is able to stop.
Amira finds no dangers around the iron door, giving Wednesday the go-ahead to open the portal. On the other side is a pair of rows of cells down a dank corridor. A bit of straw is scattered about the floor, some of it blood stained. Voices call out from the cell doors, each made of solid, iron-bound wood and with a slotted window for viewing prisoners. The cell occupants seem to be able to tell you are different from their tormentors and rowdily cry out for release.
All told, there are five live prisoners, three men and two women. They are in slightly better shape than Ruan was in when he was first encountered, all with injection injuries and shackle bruises, but otherwise disease free.
The cell doors are all locked and require some time to unlock being at the upper reaches of Amira's skill as a lock pick. Several minutes pass as she opens the cell doors but the people within are grateful, crying or shaking with emotion. Their stories are fairly similar. The vampire took interest in their resistance to the blood veil so he began to study their health, injecting them with a variety of strains of the blood veil, none of which seemed to significantly affect them beyond a day with a few sniffles.
"There is another person responsible for all this, a woman. Have any of you encountered her recently?" Amira asks of the victims.
As Amira frees the prisoners, Terri takes care of their wounds and injuries.
The prisoners give a variety of answers about the woman in charge:
"Our torturers said something about the Lady a number of times, but I haven't seen her."
"I thought they meant their goddess, <whispers fearfully>the Pallid One."
"I heard a woman's voice when I was on the table, but I was in bad shape. I thought it was my wife."
Then one of the women is able to give a more concrete answer. "Not recently, but I saw her. She was wearing a black breastplate made to look like a whore's corset, carried a big reaper's blade. Didn't like her one bit. She scared me just standing there."
Overall, the prisoners are a bit malnourished and abused, but their physical health is only mildly compromised as they are free of disease - unlike the two men strapped into the beds.
Stepping into the room alongside everyone else Wednedsay busies himself looking the quarantine over as the others assist the victims. Trying not to focus on them his face still twitches reflexively when the woman mentions that word.
Cassandra grabs Terri by the arm and draws her aside.
"I don't remember much from my classes on biology and magic," the wizard admits, "But I do remember that people can be immune to a disease and still transmit it to others."
Cassandra glances towards the patients who were tortured.
"We need to decide what we can do with these people. If it is even safe to free them... and where do we send them if they are? They can't go back to their old lives. They'll be hunted down, recaptured. We need a new plan."
"We cured you, we can cure them... or were you thinking I should put them down?" Wednesday says flatly from over his shoulder.
"That's not what she meant." Amira says in an irritated tone. "Besides, we have a decision to make. Go looking for the b@#$ in charge and take her down, or get these people out of here and to Croft. There's those two guards Victor coned upstairs ad at some point one of them is gonna come across a body."
"I'd be the first to stand against that" Victor broke his silence with an intense whisper "But Cassandra isn't saying that, what she is saying is that these people could be a danger to others even if they themselves aren't at risk anymore" The sorcerer's face looked as irritated as usual but his grey eyes seemed to be filled with an unbidden melancholy.
"Last thing Korvosa needs is a disease tearing up the innocents that the queen didn't get around to tearing up herself" Victor gave the survivor's a quick sidelong glance before returning his focus to the group, he was glad to actually find survivors here, to find out that their mission was more than just an avenge and retrieve, that they'd actually make more of a difference. The fact that these people could unwittingly end up as a blight upon Korvosa had soured that feeling and twisted into easily consumed emotional fuel for Victor's anger and cynicism.
"Taking distraught people to Croft for sanctuary... not a good idea. And I heard what Tangled Briar said, and the way she said it," Wednesday said nonplussed.
"You're wrong."
"I can't do it again today, but with a night's rest I'll be able to scan them for disease." Amira says looking at Victor. "Hmm... I guess that settles it. We find the scythe wielding whore and kill her, than spend the night sequestered here. In the morning if everyone checks out we move them to safety. Maybe one or two of us can get to Croft and bring her here overnight."
"Looks to be the best way to go about this" Victor's voice was still hushed as to not rouse the emotions of the people they've just liberated.
"Someone's going to have to tell them...and I think it'd best be done after we kill the woman who's been running the show here"
"Whores can be nice and awesome people." Cassandra points out. "You shouldn't use their profession as an insult."
She pauses.
"What if the woman in black with the scythe IS the queen?"
"I'm used to it," he lets out while raising his hand to the side of his head. Even with the mask on one could probably make out the twitch he just had.
"Whores can be nice and awesome people." Cassandra points out. "You shouldn't use their profession as an insult."
"Thank you, Briar. People. Of negotiable attention are usually quite pleasant to be around." Wednesday adds relieved while also rubbing his head. "You also shouldn't call them insults."
Terri just shakes her head and tends to the two men lying ill, trying to make them as comfortable as possible.
Once that's done, she stands up and approaches the rest of the group.
"I'll tell them after we've finished here," she whispers, "But we should see if we can find somewhere not as vile as this place to hole up in. Perhaps up in the ward with the others that are still ill?"
She pauses.
"What if the woman in black with the scythe IS the queen?"
"Then we kill her just the same as if she wasn't."
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"You of all people know I've got no problem with whores Cass," Amira says shaking her head. "Was just going off the description."
"Why does everyone keep using that word...
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"Not the way you were into that one with the leather and the whip." Cassandra concedes Amira's point. "Anyway, my point stands. This is a delicate situation and we need to not run around it like a hydra in a glasswares shop."
"Dunno, but I never understood the reason for selling sex anyway," Terri replies to Wednesday's question. "Besides, if she thinks that showing the goods will intimidate us, or distract the two of you," she says pointing to Wednesday and Victor, "I think she's going to be in for a rude surprise."
It's not too difficult to see that of all four of the women present, Terri is easily the smallest.
"Like someone else taking control, neh?"
"Dunno, but I never understood the reason for selling sex anyway," Terri replies to Wednesday's question."People need to eat, people like getting paid for doing things they enjoy, plenty of reasons."
"Besides, if she thinks that showing the goods will intimidate us, or distract the two of you," she says pointing to Wednesday and Victor, "I think she's going to be in for a rude surprise."
"No, but it might give us something nice to focus on while her guts are spilling out onto the floor."
"Well that just killed any glimmer of a mood." Amira chuckles shaking her head.
"Like someone else taking control every now and then, neh?"
"Well that just killed any glimmer of a mood." Amira chuckles shaking her head.
"Sorry," Wednesday responds while chuckling himself.
Tolenn smiles ruefully ar Ruan, "My friends, the philosophers." she says by way of explaining the conversation going on by the iron door.
Standing, she approaches her friends, "Let us leave judgement on the Priestess' sexual proclivities to her foul goddess. Our judgement shall be of a more physical nature, I think. she says with a smile.
Turning back to Ruan, "Ruan, watch over these unfortunates while we pay the Mistress of this foul place a visit.
"Whatever goods she shows my mood has long since been soured today" Replied Victor as he turned his attention towards Terri "Besides a 'torture the innocents' persona isn't what I look for in a woman" He added in what should have been a lighter tone but in the end the common annoyed edge to his voice won out in the end.
Cassandra kisses Amira on the cheek.
"We'll work on that later."
Standing, she approaches her friends, "Let us leave judgement on the Priestess' sexual proclivities to her foul goddess. Our judgement shall be of a more physical nature, I think. she says with a smile.
I wonder if she thought that through before speaking...
Amira fails to keep the smile from pulling at the corners of her mouth. She gives Cassandra a playful wink before turning back to the door still smiling slightly.
"So, we need to go after the evil woman but we need to secure these people here. Do we think she is still in the building and we can find her soon? Because if so I can create a place that will keep our new friends safe while we do that. But it only lasts about half a day."
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Standing, she approaches her friends, "Let us leave judgement on the Priestess' sexual proclivities to her foul goddess. Our judgement shall be of a more physical nature, I think. she says with a smile.
Terri faceplams, as much to hide it coloring as to express her feelings.
Tolenn, start thinking before you say stuff like that.
"I think that sounds like our best bet. At least it keeps them safe while we look for her." Amira replies with a smile at Cass.
Terri's ministrations ease the coughing of the two men on the table a bit. They rest a bit more comfortably.
Ruan accept's Tolenn's charge. "Yes, ma'am. I only wish I had my ocarina so I could keep our spirits up."
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"Right. Okay. Let's move these beds out of the way, then, and everyone stand back."
Once the cots have been moved, Cassandra begins chanting and hopping up and down on one foot.
And hopping.
And hopping.
And hopping.
A large cottage appears in the cleared space. Inside there are eight well made, comfortable bunks and even a fireplace, though it is not lit.
"Whew!" Cassandra says, wiping her brow. "So, this whole thing is secured. There's a magic lock on the door and you'll find an invisible servant inside who will tend to you as best as it can. I can't do much about an instrument. Sorry about that. But the beds should be more comfortable."
"Aside from the instrument... is there anything you can't break reality by doing?" Wedneaday asks while looking on in surprise as the homestead appears befor them.
After seeing Cassandra materialize a house from thin air, Terri comes to a conclusion about the wizard.
I don't know whether she's just silly or crazy.
Okay, it's more of an inconclusion, but still.
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Tolenn looks at the other's reactions to her statemnt quizically, not getting what was so funny, but was distracted from asking them by Ruan's response.
"Do you best, Ruan. Calm them, perhaps sing to them. They and you have been through alot." she says quietly.
She helps Cassandra move the beds to the exterior of the room, then watches curiously as the wizard hopped endlessly...
Her eyes widened at the appearance of the cottage.
"That was well done, Cassandra. " Tolenn murmurs appreciatively.
Ruan leads the rest of the prisoners into the secure shelter. Confident in their immunity to the blood veil, they also take in the two sick men and make them comfortable.
With the freed prisoners secure, that gives you the freedom to explore further. The two doors to the side in the room with the bubbling vats turn out to be storage rooms, neither particularly heavily used and both devoid of significant value. That leaves the doors at the far end of the vat room, deeper into the complex and as yet unexplored.
"Well, looks like there's only one way to go." Amira says approaching the doors at the far end and inspecting them for any nasty surprises.
There they left what survivors they found. While they were better off than they were before their liberation, their surroundings were still marred by the morbid and gloom that seemed common to this place. Victor looked about the walls as they continued ever deeper in this maze of misery and decay. A small part of him couldn't believe that such a place existed; Korvosa may have been despair in city form, but for it sink this low?
His cynical more prominent side on the other hand simply told him that he should have expected this, that the evil within Korvosa was always good at setting the bar ever higher. It was then that he remembered Tolenn's question to him, about whether he'd been here all his life...and for probably the umpteenth time he truly wondered why hasn't he left? And the answer was ever the same he didn't know, just like he didn't know why he bothered trying so hard to fight off any sort of wrong doing he laid his eyes on...others may look on him and think that he's being foolish; clinging to a cause that even he knew was beyond hope, but then again sensibility was never one of his virtues.
The sorcerer's gaze then briefly fell upon Terri and he wondered how could she be so energetic and hopeful about the matter. Yes, they both tried to help this city but from what he's seen from her it seemed that she truly believed that this city could be saved. Himself? On the good days he felt that he was someone trying to fix a dam with holes and cracks constantly appearing whenever he was done with one, on the bad days? It feels like he was just standing helplessly as the flood takes his city. Victor truly wondered why they were different in this She can't be naive, she probably sees how bad it is here With that last thought Victor turned his eyes forward and watch as Amira studied the doors ahead of them for any more 'gifts' their 'hosts' may have left for them. Almost on instinct he raised his hand to his face and concentrated. Tendrils of darkness gathered from the shadows around them and quickly formed a small globe that floated in his hand. The ebony orb, nigh transparent orb began pulsing as Victor kept his somber visage and remained focused.
The doors do not appear to have any triggering mechanism attached to them, at least not to Amira's discerning eyes. Victor, however, detects the presence of magic, but as his concentration tightens, it appears the auras come from inside the room. Within his view, he can find 3 auras - two are faint, the kind of aura left by minor spells or magic items - but the third is strong and reeks of conjuration. The first two are just past the door, maybe 10 feet, the third is 25 feet back.
As Terri follows the others deeper into this place, she notices Victor deep in thought, but can't guess what it is he's thinking about. She puts a hand on his shoulder, her emerald eyes soft with concern.
"Is everything okay? You look worried about something," she says her voice quiet so the others hopefully wouldn't hear.
The shadowy orb pulsed to its own rhythm, only varying in rhythm and intensity three times, each one of these intervals coinciding with the three auras that Victor was alerted to. The shadow caster's frown made its return; the first two signals he caught on didn't worry him, the third on the other hand...Calling reinforcements from out of the world? Looks like we made them desperate Victor clenched his fist and the orb imploded noiselessly.
"Two magical auras 10 feet away, could be items infused with magic, there is a third, it's 20 feet away but this one feels like it's dragged something that doesn't belong on this world here, and it's stronger than the other two, much stronger"
As Terri follows the others deeper into this place, she notices Victor deep in thought, but can't guess what it is he's thinking about. She puts a hand on his shoulder, her emerald eyes soft with concern.
"Is everything okay? You look worried about something," she says her voice quiet so the others hopefully wouldn't hear.
If there was one thing Victor did not anticipate, it was for the woman that was just occupying his thoughts to approach him. The touch of her hand was friendly enough and her eyes of jade showed worry for his well being...it was a look he had not seen in years, a look that could have easily pushed him into the valley of nostalgia if he didn't held firm to the here and now.
"It's nothing, ya.." Victor halted his attempt at brushing off her concern, and instead decided for a more forthcoming approach. The sorcerer returned her gaze with a more somber stare and kept his silence hostage for one more moment as he collected his thoughts "At times I wonder why I'm still here, why I keep fighting what looks to me like a losing fight...can't find answers though, I just keep pushing harder even though deep down I know that this city won't change, won't get better" Once more silent caught up with him and he looked away for a few more moments "Tell me, do ya believe that it will all turn out for the best in the end? Or are we fighting a losing battle cause it's better than pretending that nothing is wrong?" Simply putting these reflections he had into words made him feel their weight even more. Victor felt that silent whisper in his head that kept saying he should surrender this fight and go elsewhere grow louder, but he ignored it like he always did...but he couldn't deny that it felt more taxing to shut it out than it did before.
Victor's left hand unconsciously went to the top of his head and he then turned his vision back in the direction of Terri, as he wondered if he'd be getting a roaring rebuke, concerned words of consolation or something entirely different.
Tolenn stood a few paces behind Amira as she checked the door, her face calm and relaxed.
She noticed a few murmurings between a few of her companions, but let those sounds fall from her awareness, only aware for a moment or two of the stillness of her thoughts, the purity of her mission: beyond this door lay the priestess of this foul place of worship, her foe in all things. Tolenn and her friends have rid Korvosa of some evil in the recent past, but here was a adversary of true malevolence. Tolenn felt no nervousness or doubt, only certainty.
Giving her neck a slow turn and her shoulders a nice round roll, she felt her armor settle more comfortably on her body; she felt at one with her gear.
Taking a potion from her pouch, she waits for the doors to begin to open, then downs it in one deep draught.
She then takes position and readies herself to enter the den of evil beyond.
Stepping up beside Tolenn Wednesday came into his own focus, which is to say none. He wasn't thinking about what was beyond the door or anything else going on in this plague pit.
Everything they had been through, all the arguments they had had he pushed down along with his anger, his hate, and just let it all collapse in on itself and smolder.
Completely dead inside he waited for Amira to open the door.
If there was one thing Victor did not anticipate, it was for the woman that was just occupying his thoughts to approach him. The touch of her hand was friendly enough and her eyes of jade showed worry for his well being...it was a look he had not seen in years, a look that could have easily pushed him into the valley of nostalgia if he didn't hold firm to the here and now.
"It's nothing, ya.." Victor halted his attempt at brushing off her concern, and instead decided for a more forthcoming approach. The sorcerer returned her gaze with a more somber stare and kept his silence hostage for one more moment as he collected his thoughts "At times I wonder why I'm still here, why I keep fighting what looks to me like a losing fight...can't find answers though, I just keep pushing harder even though deep down I know that this city won't change, won't get better" Once more silent caught up with him and he looked away for a few more moments "Tell me, do ya believe that it will all turn out for the best in the end? Or are we fighting a losing battle cause it's better than pretending that nothing is wrong?
Terri, almost as much to her surprise as Victor's, wraps one arm around him in a comforting hug.
"I hope that things will turn out for the better," she tells him, "I think that we, you, me, all of us here fighting, can't sit by and watch others suffer. We can't see injustice and evil and stay silent or still." She takes a step back, letting go and placing her hand over Victor's heart. She can feel its steady beat, and her cheeks turn a little pink when she realizes that. "We can't do nothing because to pretend nothing is wrong would be a betrayal of our hearts. You may try to hide it, but deep down, I think that you and I are not so different. Two people who care deeply and can't stand idle while others suffer."
Realizing her hand was still over Victor's heart, Terri turns even redder and pulls her hand away quickly.
"I-I'm s-sorry," she stammers out as she takes another step or two away to give Victor some space.
Get a hold of yourself! Now's not the time to start acting like some love-struck neophyte!
After a moment, she dares to steal a glance at Victor. Still, he's handsome when he smiles.