As the others see to Lamm's bonds and the welfare of the child, the bard snatches the two keys and slides over to the door, eager to check on their patroness, if she resides inside. He doesn't know anything of prudence, but he certainly understands all too well the overpowering emotions that come from family being killed. He had been about to embark on such a foolish venture himself until Madame Zellara had pulled them all together and woven their fate into the same pattern.
The musician tries the knob, pounding on the door. "Madame Zellara?" Devan was Varisian...he understood. To call her by her first name was to try to rob her of the mystique she had built for herself, the glamour of the seer. The young man tries the brass key first, then the iron in an attempt to unlock the door, should it prove to be locked. He glanced over at the tied up figure of Lamm, hate and disgust mingling on his face as the old wretch sat there motionless.
To Devan's surprise, if the room beyond was a cell for Madame Zellara, the door is not locked. It does appear the brass key would lock (or unlock) the door if needed.
There is no sound from inside and no response as Devan calls for the Varisian fortuneteller. Opening the door ever so carefully, Devan cringes at the smell from inside.
The foul-smelling room seems to be a combination bedroom and study. A wooden bed with a lumpy, mattress stands against the east wall, while a round table heaped with dirty plates, bread crusts, stained goblets, fruit rinds, and scuttling cockroaches sits nearby. At the foot of the bed sits a large strongbox; a slightly rusty iron lock secures it and a moldy ledger with papers rippled from moisture sits atop its lid. A sagging dresser filled with moth-eaten clothes well past their glory days is in one corner. What appears to be a large wooden hatbox surrounded by a small cloud of flies sits atop this dresser.
There is no sign of anyone else in the room beyond, which is lit by a smoky oil lamp.
Then Atticus would search lamp for the keys and a mechanism to hoist the children.
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"Atticus, one of the keys around Lamm's neck looks like it would unlock those manacles"
Once Lamm has been bound to the chair, Twilight fills the room with her divine power her healing her companions and Lamm as well.
"We aren't done with you yet Mr. Lamm. I know I have a few things to say before we send you off and I think there are others here who would like a final word with you as well"
Twilight gestures to the assembled group.
"Before we begin, understand that anyone who wishes to have a word with you will have their chance. After that, I have a small ritual to perform and then your life will come to an end."
Twilight toys with the whip while she speaks
"I won't bore you with the details Mr. Lamm, but suffice it to say that Wynnin was everything to me. The first person who was interested in me for who I was. Who didn't see me as an inconvenience or was only interested in my talents. While I can't say for certain what our life together would have been like, I do know that it was an experience I wanted to share with him."
Twilight sighs wistfully
"But then things changed, as they often do and he fell afoul of you or one of your minions. Since then I've only had one goal in mind, and that was to see you suffer Mr. Lamm. The church of Calistria's interest in me was no necessarily altruistic, but they did see great potential and gave me what I needed, though not without some significant sacrifices on my own part along the way. But dedicating myself mind body and soul to Calistria was the best choice I made after Wynnin's death. And so, as a reward for my dedication, here I am."
Twilight turns her back to Lamm, speaking with a mocking, regretful tone.
"I had originally envisioned taking your sight from you and hobbling your legs before casting you out to the mercies of the streets you helped create. I would have visited you in the gutter each day to revel in your misery, casting a chunk of stale bread or copper coin your way making sure that you never knew who your benefactor was. Sometimes the bread would contain a pin, or the coin laced with a substance that would burn your fingers. I would make you fear the generosity of others. And I would continue this way until the city finally swallowed you up. But today, I am with companions. Some of which do not have that kind of patience, others who do not have that kind of inclination and so we will make this encounter a comparatively brief one."
Twilight glances back at Lamm over her shoulder
"Shall we get started Mr. Lamm? I understand that you have a particular interest in rings."
Twilight turns and proceeds to run the whip across Lamm's hands and fingers for a bit before turning to the rest of the group.
"Does anyone else have anything they wish to discuss with Mr. Lamm?" Twilight moves to stand behind Lamm and brushes his long, dirty hair away from his face before gently running the leather along his cheek and holding out the whip. "Aleira?"
Twilight waits patiently while anyone who wishes to talk to Lamm does so before proceeding.
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Aleira slumps at the sudden rush of relief as her scream finishes the old man. As the others busy themselves searching the room, stripping Lamm, and lowering the suspended child she stands in place, breathing heavily. Cat moves into the room and daintily circles to Aleria, rubbing himself around her legs and mewing for attention until Aleira picks him up and stands, still in shock that she had finally bested the old man. Finally coming to herself she moves over to where Twilight stands next to the unconscious figure. Cat glowers at the cleric as she channels, but Aleria calms him and stands ready. At Twilight's invitation she steps forward.
"Do you even remember me Lamm?" she says as Cat hisses in his direction "Did you ever wonder what happened after you left me to die like so many others? Well now its your turn to know what fear tastes like."
With that she spits in the old man's face and looks up at the Calistrian. "I want nothing from the bastard. I say we feed him to the shark."
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Devan's brow furrows in confusion at the contents of the room, his nose wrinkling with disgust as the smell assaults his senses. Not seeing Madame Zellara in the small chamber, he closes the door back for now, walking the short distance to Lamm's side after Aleira has her say.
He pulls out his precious lute once again, beginning a familiar song. "Half Past Midnight. I know, a relatively simple medley, but it's important to me." The musician smiles sadly as he plays, closing his eyes as his hands play the popular tavern song. "I was warming up with it when I saw her. Joline. You remember her, surely?" The young man speaks companionably with his nemesis, switching to another, much more complicated song.
The Varisian grins at this one, fingers dancing upon the strings, "She showed up to my sets several times, so I practiced this one until I had perfected it, looking to impress her. The Styxian Jig, it's called. A particular favorite of the less desirable taverns, it is. It worked, so I thought, but later it turned out she had been wanting to approach me anyway. Young fools." Devan chuckles, moving on to his next piece.
The simplest rhythm and note progression everyone had heard tonight. "A Varisian children's song called The Songbird's Call. We had just decided to marry, and had discussed the possibility of children to share our joy." The bard's eyes well up with tears, but he continues to play, looking at the old man. "Surely I would have written my own songs, but it never came to pass. For you stole my children from me as well, Lamm. So you can take their songs with you as well to the Hell that awaits you."
With that the musician stands, holding his instrument to the side and giving a bow. "My Joline would never condone torturing one even such as yourself, so I will refrain. It makes it easier, knowing that these others will surely make up for my mercy with their own invented cruelties. Good-bye, Lamm."
The young man proceeded to the door to the small room again, not looking back as he opened it and stepped through. He eyed the hatbox with a terrible sense of foreboding, instead searching the bed and clothing quickly to make sure no one was hiding or nothing was hidden within.
Nargun comes closer, with tears in his eyes
My name doesn't matter. It isn't my true name. What matters is the name of the woman I love, the woman you killed and stole to. She was named Kaertin, and she was my wife, for so few months... You killed her. You stole her future, our future, our joys and our tears, our children, our squabbles and our reconciliations, our nights togethers, our mornings, our meals, our laughs. You stole the wedding ring I forged myself for her, which was for you just a little babble but was the symbol of our everlasting love for us.
He pauses, with hate in his eyes
And if it wasn't enough, you greedily stole those poor childrens hopes too, the love they could get from their own family, the help they could share with their friends, their dreams of meeting someone they could love and be loved to. You crushed them, mercilessly. You beat them, senselessly. You make them your tools, your possessions, your slaves, disposable. You killed a few of them, to rule by fear. Tonight,
you die, Lamm. Tonight, you are the one who is disposable. Tonight, you are the one you should be afraid... if you had an heart.
He slaps him, hard, twice.
Twilight give the keys here, before you start on your... fun?
After getting the keys and then turning her back on what the others are doing Mirela puts up her bow and joins Atticus in working to getting the child down.
Focus in getting the children safe... don't think about what they are doing. He deserves all that and more, but oh.... She stumbles a bit as Twilight describes what she wants to do. But recovers. The children
Professor, would it help if I boosted you up with these keys?
Mirela offers crouching down sh he can stand on her shoulders.
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"This is not entertainment for me. I am not here just to amuse myself with someone's torment. I just need him to suffer for all the pain he has put me through before he is finally put out of his misery. As the teachings go, all slights against me will be repaid tenfold."
Twilight turns back to Lamm.
"It seems my companion's discussions were much gentler that my own. Even now when faced with one who has hurt them so much there are still lines they will not cross due to their good natures. That makes them better than you, and possibly even me Mr. Lamm. While you have shown you would do anything to achieve your goals whatever they may be, Calistria has taught me that there are few lines that should not be crossed in persuit of revenge.
Twilight moves to stand before Lamm again and lashes him a few more times with the whip. What she lacks in strength and skill she makes up for in zeal and enthusiasm.
Then she takes up her holy symbol, the silver glinting in the dim light, and holds it before Lamm.
"Calistria, you have guided me and given me purpose through this most difficult period in my life. In payment I have given myself to your worship. Now I can think of no greater way to thank you for this opportunity than to dedicate this moment in your name."
"As the eyes are the window to the soul, accept this tear from a man who spirit is shattered as he has seen his own fate in the eyes of all those who he has wronged over the years. Those returned to seek revenge.
Twilight gently wipes a tear from Lamm's check with one finger and uses it to anoint one of the tips of her holy symbol.
"As the body is the instrument through which thought and purpose are put into action, take this blood from a man who's body is now bloodied and broken. Treated with the same callousness and disregard he has shown to others.
Twilght dips a finger in the blood from one of the whip strikes and anoints another point on her holy symbol.
"As the mouth is the means by which the mind announces its intent to the world and influences others, accept this spittle from one who's mouth has uttered a lifetime of lies and deceits. Who has used his words to influence others to perpetuate his own transgressions and thus multiplied them beyond what he was capable of himself. A mouth soon be silenced forever by those he and his associates have wronged.
Twilight wipes a little drool from the corner of Lamm's mouth and annoints the final point on her holy symbol.
"Calistria, accept these gifts as I reconfirm my dedication and thank you for your teachings."
Twilight bows her head for a moment then looks up at the rest of the group, a zealous fire burning in her eyes
"It is time!"
She walks behind Lamm and loops a coil of her whip below his chin, pulling his head slightly back while placing the dagger tip to his neck.
"Make ready the instrument of choice for your vengeance, when we are ready we strike as one. We can consign his corpse to the sharks when he is done."
"If any of you feel particularly thankful for this opportunity, you may recite my prayer. I assure you that I will not hold it against you if you choose not to"
Twilight gives a wry smile and waits for everyone who wishes to participate to get ready.
"I am the instrument of my own justice. If I am wronged, I will take vengeance with my own hands."
With that Twilight gives a nod and her face twists in anger as she drives the dagger home, giving the dagger a final twist out of spite.
"Mirela. any help would be more than appreciated."
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Twilight brings the healing energy of the Savoured Sting to bear in the room full of injured and to her delight, it brings the fallen Lamm around, tied to the chair as he is. After a momentary struggle, his shoulder slump in defeat as first Aleira then Devan and then Nargun face him, delineating the ways in which he has injured them. The broken old man doesn't look up or seem to acknowledge the words or even the slaps from Nargun.
Grabbing the keys, Mirela and Atticus are able to free the poor Nikkodeamus who has also benefited from Twilight's channeling and is starting to come around as the Professor lays him on the wet floor boards. Opening his eyes, one of which is blackened and ugly, the child says, "Where am I? I remember the smelly man and then nothing. Professor? How did you find me? I was so lost..." he begins sobbing and hugs Atticus tightly.
In the small adjunct room, Devan does not find anything amiss in the rumpled bed or well-worn clothing, except the filthy stains and bed bugs that run rampant in this befouled room. Flies continue to buzz around the wooden box. The lockbox still sits untouched with a dog-eared ledger atop it.
Finally, when all have had their way with Lamm, Twilight performs a solemn ritual of revenge honoring her goddess and damning the crimelord and his evil ways. The ritual ends as the Calistrian priestess drives her dagger into the heart of the foul man, giving a wrenching twist at the end for good measure.
And so the evilness that was Lamm passes from this world, hopefully consigned to some pit of hell where he suffers greater tortures daily than your hearts have borne from his actions. With Lamm now dead, the fires of vengeance that lit you for so long are quenched, leaving a painful empty hole.
Devan thoroughly searched through the small room, peeking through any space that seemed large enough to hide a person. As the bard's efforts come up empty, his dark eyes again settle on the hatbox with its halo of flies, at that point hearing the Calistrian begin the final condemnation of Lamm as she sang out "It is time!"
The Varisian walked slowly to the box, revolted as the smell intensified but unable to stop, as though drawn by a siren's call. The buzz of the flies competed with the zealous priestess, as though trying to drown out her message of revenge mockingly, reminding the musician that all of them would be food for the carrion eaters one day.
He puts his hands on each side of the box, gathering his resolve before lifting it swiftly. As the flies briefly retreated, he looked down in horror as he heard Twilight's final uttered sentences. What if one were unable to take vengeance with your own hands? You found proxies, of course. People with motivation to deliver your justice and revenge. Devan nodded at the object now revealed, making the sign of the evil eye before replacing the box and moving to leaf through the ledger on top of the strongbox.
Not really wanting to know what is inside the box, but unable not to look, Devan is amazed to see the severed (and slowly rotting) head of Madame Zellara, the Varisian fortune-teller inside. The head is poorly preserved and decorated with garish and unsightly makeup in a crude attempt to make the dead flesh a bit more lifelike.
Below the horrific find, Devan also spies a blood-spattered harrow deck.
Brow furrowing as he begins to replace the box, the musician reaches out to procure the harrow deck, harrow cards being what drew all six of them together in the first place. Strange that what many people referred to as a 'dark' art brought such justice this evening. The full weight of the night's events weighed on the young man as he replaced the box over the grisly head of Madame Zellara, his hand grasping the hand-drawn deck tightly.
His revenge was complete, now...he had heard the Calistrian's final call for those who wished to strike the final blow against their nemesis, the death throes of Lamm. What now? He had never really contemplated anything beyond vengeance. Devan smirked, knowing the reason...he had expected to die this night, a lone, foolish man against the old crime lord and his machinations. But he had lived, and all because this dead woman had somehow reached beyond the grave to bring this small group of common allies together.
Not yet, Joline...there is still something in store for me in this life. I can feel it. He wondered what would become of his companions now that their common foe was dead. They'd likely retreat back to wherever they had been drawn from, their taste for blood and vengeance satiated. Korvosa was Devan's home, though, and he had nowhere to retreat to. Distantly the young man thought of the commotion they had heard in the city earlier, but he was not yet ready to deal with that.
Professor, we should get this child out with all the others. 'E 'as seen enough death today.
She kneels down in the water to look the boy in his eyes.
Nikkodeamus. My name is Mirela and I used to be one of Lamm's Lambs until someone rescued me. The professor and I 'ave already brought the other Lambs to someplace warm and safe. Will you come with us until we can get you to your parents?
Carefully hugging the boy Atticus holds Nikkodemus tight for a long moment. "What ever happened, it is over. It is over! It is time to bring you home! But we also have to get the other children to their parents!" Lifting him up and keeping him close Atticus nods to the others. "It is time to leave. And if we weren´t in the middle of the town I would burn this place down! But it is just too dangerous!"
Mirela turns to the others.
We should 'urry to clear this place out, both to ensure there is no more of Lamm's crew lurking around for revenge and to recover his stash so we can pay to 'Ouse them while we 'elp the kids find there parents.
As she says this she walks over to the closed room Devan went into as she does she staggers back a bit.
Gods below it smells like death in 'ere!
But after a moment she steps back into the room holding her nose.
Did you find anything in 'ere? she asks the musician as she quickly searches around for any hidden caches of ill gotten goods.
Nikkodemus readily agrees to get out of the old fishery. As Mirela wanders into Lamm's boudoir she catches the smell of filth, death, and rot assault her senses. The sharp-eyed cleric doesn't see anything new in the room. The iron strongbox with a worn ledger on top still remains undisturbed in the room.
Tied to the chair in the outer room, Lamm sits there with his lifeblood soaking his stained underclothes. None of the heroes feels remorse for the death of this man, but he does look a pitiful sight in his final rest.
Beyond the corpse, there are still three cabinets along the north wall and heaps of items scattered across the table next to where Lamm was sitting when you entered.
Atticus moves to lamb and carefully but throughoutly frisks him.
The man was a monster, but there is no reason to get a monster go to Pharasma´s throne with any valueables on him.
"Check please if there is anything worth taking. Revenge is sweet, but it doesn´t pay the bills!"
Lamm is only dressed in his small clothes after being stripped by Twilight. There is nothing hidden on him. Around his now-still corpse lies is padded armor, hand crossbow, and dagger. Devan has the brass and iron keys that were around his neck, and Atticus has the small manacle key which he used to free Nicky.
Judging by what they had seen and heard earlier outside, burning the place to the ground would be in character with the evening. What exactly was going on in Korvosa? Perhaps all the good luck in the city had focused on the group of six, leaving the rest of the residents to fend for themselves. The party would be leaving soon enough and could ask around at that point.
Devan's dark eyes move to the Erastilan priestess as she makes her comments about the distribution of funds for the children. The musician had no intentions of giving his share of the group's hard-earned loot to the welfare of the lambs...he'd just risked his life in an effort to help them shake the yolk of Lamm, hadn't he? That seemed more than payment enough. Perhaps that hadn't been his motive, but it didn't make it any less true. The young man wisely holds his tongue, however...that seemed an argument to be made later in the evening.
As Mirela moves into the small room, the bard thumbs through the harrow deck until he finds a card with a horse-drawn carriage being smashed to bits by a malevolent-looking piece of a mountainside. He eyes it for a moment, then hands it to the priestess gravely. "Madame Zellara has passed on from this life. Looks like she's been dead a while." Devan's brow arches at the end of his statement, letting the full impact of his words wash over his companion. The musician gestures to the hatbox, having tried to save the woman the horror of seeing what lies within, but not moving to stop her should she want to look for herself.
Thinking that the ledger could be looked through later, the young man takes out the iron key and tries it on the lockbox, moving the small booklet aside. Time to see what a lifetime of cruelty, theft, and murder gained a person.
Breathing heavily Twilight slumps against a wall, exhausted from the intensity of her zealousness. Upon hearing the child speak she smiles and looks over at Atticus. "I'm glad we were able to get here in time. Is he ok? I am spent for this evening and have no more healing to give."
She rests for a few more moments catching her breath. She is a little disappointed when Atticus states that they shouldn't burn down the fishery as she had planned to do that very thing. If there was ever a night where that wouldn't be out of place tonight seemed to be the night, however she had to grudgingly concede that it would still be a reckless act and adding to whatever problems were going on outside was probably not a good idea.
When Devan looks through Lamm's room and mentions Madame Zellara Twilight struggles to her feet and enters the room to see what he is talking about. She catches her breath and holds her arm over her nose to try and block the smell as she checks out what has caught Mirela and Devan's interest.
Twilight looks in the box and stands for a few moments in contemplation of what this means before murmuring under her breath "So great was her desire for revenge that even death was not an insurmountable obstacle for her to overcome." She solemnly replaces the lid and asks those in the room "If it would not offend you, I would like to show her the culmination of her efforts. Then I believe she deserves proper burial."
Atticus will ask for the keys to the strongbox, using thick leather gloves to open it. Later he will ask for the harrow-deck and especially his card as a memento.
How could she be dead? we've seen her, we talked to her... you mean she was a ghost or something like that?
Nargun seems totally surprised, and way out of his confort zone
We should bury her, and thank her for putting us on Lamm's trail. But what about her son...Did she used us to get her revenge, Princess, like your goddess?
Aleira watches impassively as Twilight finishes Lamb and the others free the boy. At Twilight's words she speaks up. "I have some ability to heal. If any one is still in need?"
When the other's return from Lamm's room with the remains of Madame Zellara she gasps. "Dead? But,... how?" she asks, her face grey with shock.
Leaving the ledger aside, Devan uses the iron key to open the footlocker in Lamm's former quarters. Inside there appear to be several small bundles all wrapped individually in white cloth tied with twine. As he unwraps each, Devan finds:
- a teak cigar case inlaid with tiny bits of jade
- a 2-pound gold ingot stamped with the Cheliax coat of arms
- a miniature gold crown
- a fist-sized scrimshaw carving of a kraken with garnets for eyes
- a silver ring bearing the inscription "For Emmah - the light in my nights"
- a highly realistic and highly scandalous ivory figurine of two entwined succubi
- a masterwork shuriken
- an adamantine arrowhead
- a masterwork dagger with a strange blade shaped almost like a key bearing the inscription "For an inspiration of a father"
- an abalone-shell holy symbol of Shelyn
- a glass tube filled with an oily liquid
- an obsidian wand
- a crystalline vial with a silvery fluid inside
- a bejeweled brooch with a broken clasp.
Even to his in-expert eye, the brooch is clearly the most valuable item in the trove. The circular gold item depicts a house drake and an imp coiled around each other in an almost yin-yang pattern. The pseudodragon's eye is an amethyst, while the imp's is an emerald.
Truely 'er desire for revenge must 'ave been great, either that or one of the Gods sent 'we back to talk with us. She did know where to find me, and not many did.
When the topic of burial come us Mirela Nods:
I think the Gods would be pleased with that, and it just might lay 'er soul to rest.
As she says this she flipps through the Ledger and then when she gets a vague idea of what the book documents she casts Detect Magic to see if anything recoved is magic.
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The harrow deck recovered from the horrific hatbox has hand-painted images on the faces of the cards and the frames are gilded in silver so they sparkle and flash in the flickering torchlight. Despite the worn condition of the backs of the cards, the images on the face are always vibrant and seem to move of their own accord when glimpsed out of the corner of one's eye.
The deck detects as magic with a moderate aura of divination. Lamm's padded armor and dagger are likewise magical (faint abjuration and evocation respectively), as is the obsidian wand (faint aura of evocation), the oily liquid inside the glass tube (faint aura of transmutation), and the silvery fluid inside the crystal vial (faint aura of divination).
[dice=KnowLocal]1d20+1d6+10
[dice=Appraise]1d20+41
[dice=Appraise]1d20+42
[dice=Appraise]1d20+43
[dice=Appraise]1d20+44
[dice=Appraise]1d20+45
[dice=Appraise]1d20+46
[dice=Appraise]1d20+47
[dice=Appraise]1d20+48
[dice=Appraise]1d20+49
[dice=Appraise]1d20+410
[dice=Appraise]1d20+411
[dice=Appraise]1d20+412
[dice=Appraise]1d20+413
[dice=Appraise]1d20+414
There are few items that Atticus can determine the value of. The minature gold crown he says is worth 100gp. The carvings of ivory succubi should be worth 450gp. The abalone shell symbol of Shelyn is worth 300gp.
Twilight takes the morbid hat box and brings it into the room where Lamm's remains are still bound to the chair. She opens the box and holds it as if showing Madam Zellara their handiwork.
"As your soul was strong enough to remain bound to this plane in order to bring us together to enact your final vengeance on Lamm, I pray that you are able to linger just a few moments longer to join in savouring our victory. The man who tormented you and your son in life now joins you in death. May he burn in the Pit and may your soul be able to pass on in peace."
Twilight puts the lid back on the box and finds some twine to secure it tightly, partly to keep the contents secure inside, but mostly to try and contain the stench of death.
With that finally done, she returns to the room where Lamm's treasures are being examined. She watches as Atticus evaluates the items. When he is done with it Twilight picks up the statue, her eyes lingering appreciatively over the entwined forms. "Hmm, what a beautiful piece to be found in such hideous conditions. The artist was quite talented. The composition and attention to detail is exquisite, wouldn't you say?".
Twilight then looks over some of the other items to see if she can estimate their value.
Nargun gets a look at the stuff
She lets the others know what she figures out ten she goes to look at Yargin's body to see if he has anything on him (Magical or normal)
Devan eyes the small hoard with a practiced eye, his earlier days of housebreaking having given him a knack for deciding which items would have the best resale value. He avoids the magical items and liquids for now, leaving that for the more studied to figure out.
The bard nods absently to Twilight as she asks about the disposition of Madame Zellara, not much caring where the harrower’s head went. He doubted the woman would overly object, at any rate. He focused on a couple of pieces of the loot, brow furrowing as he tried to remember something from all the scattered bits of information in his head.
First, he looks at the dagger, turning it about in his hand, the distinctive blade nagging at him. Then, finally, he remembered being a young boy on the street, the older teens teasing him and his other young companions about being killed by the Key-Lock Killer. Devan figured that Lamm must have been the infamous killer, the old man having decided to keep the dagger as a memento of his younger years’ handiwork. The weapon would probably be valuable to the right people, or perhaps to the Watch.
The bard’s gaze lingers on the brooch, remembering back recently to a conversation he had overheard at a seedy tavern. He had been half drunk at the time, but he remembered hearing about Korvosa’s young Queen, Ileosa, having lost a similar brooch. She was supposedly offering a sizable sum for its return. The young man’s eyes shine with greed, and he considers pocketing the valuable item. He shakes his head finally, putting the brooch back down with the rest of the loot. These others deserved it just as much as he did…fair was fair.
”This brooch belongs to our young Queen. It is said that she is offering a substantial reward for its return.”
Devan’s look is of dark amusement as Twilight fondles the statuette, nodding his agreement before heading out of the room. He hands the harrow deck to the Professor ”Watch out for the blood, Professor…”, holding his hand out expectantly for his rapier. He found that he preferred the lighter, slimmer blade to the heavier longsword. As Mirela rummaged through Yargin’s belongings, the musician took a deep breath, exhaling it slowly. Joline’s death still hung heavy on the young man, but perhaps this revenge had taken the edge off. He felt…purposed, for lack of a better word. Shrugging, he prepares to depart so they can secure the lambs and take them somewhere where they’ll be cared for…and be someone else’s problem.
The Queen! How would something of 'ers end up 'ere I wonder? Mirela wonders aloud in response to Devan's announcement.
"Well, we should return it to her. I am sure she will reward us!" Caesare adds. "Mirela, let us bring the children back to their parents, and maybe you others can clean this up and we meet in Narglun´s tavern at noon?"
Using her magical divination and some skill with magic items, Aleira studies each item that radiated magical auras in turn, then passing it over to Mirela to investigate further. Together, they are unable to divine the use of the harrow deck or either of the liquids, but they can ascertain several other items.
After reviewing the non-magical lucre, the party is able to value a few other pieces. The crystalline vial holding the silvery liquid is worth 50 gp (the vial only, the liquid is magical but unidentified). In addition, they are able to place values on the scrimshaw kraken, the adamantine arrowhead, and the masterwork shuriken. A few other items are beyond their experience to judge.
Mirela kicks over the dead body of Yargin, and searches it for any valuables on his person. The red bathrobe turns out to have many pockets and inside different ones, the priestess find a few items of interest: one thunderstone, a brass key that looks very similar to the one found on Lamm, an iron key (different than the one found on Lamm), a garnet amulet, a dagger, and a light crossbow.
As Devan turns the broken brooch over in his palms wracking his brains, he suddenly remembers the Queen lost such a thing, and word was on the street that a reward for its return was offered. Estimating the value of the thing at more than a tradesman might make in a year, Devan knew that Lamm had stumbled upon something very valuable here.
The ledger Mirela flips through seems to be written in some form of code which she cannot break at present. Perhaps with more study, it might make sense to her or someone else.
Finally, as Twilight takes the severed head of the Varisian fortune-teller from the box, and shows the final fate of Gaedren Lamm something unexpected happens...
So, how do we get back this trinket to the Queen? should we just go to the palace and Knock at the door?
Beside the chair where Lamm's corpse rests, a spectral figure appears, slowly solidifying. You recognize the figure of Madame Zellara herself!
"My friends," she says slowly, spreading her hands in a gesture of patience. "You must forgive me for my ruse, but as you can ascertain, my ability to get revenge on Lamm was limited given my...unhappy ending. I do apologize for making you my cat's paw but I suspected you would see this foul task to completion and find my deck. As you can see, I am not without my resources. My essence now resides in the deck of harrow cards you have reclaimed. Keep them well, and keep to my purpose -- the defense and protection of Korvosa -- and I will be able to aid you from time to time."
"While I cannot directly intervene in events, some of which I foresee will be quite damaging to my city, I can help you prepare. Periodically, I may be able to use my deck to predict the future via harrowing, thereby preparing you for what lies ahead."
"Additionally, three times per day, I can help the wielder of my deck identify magical items. All they need to is hold the item in one hand, and hold my deck to their forehead in the other. In this way, I may be able to assist."
"I have sensed greatness within each of you, greatness that is more than the revenge you have not satiated. Korvosa will need you, each of you, in the near future. I implore you in the name of my murdered son, and in my memory, to heed the call and act to defend this fair city and its people, despite the odds that may be stacked against you. Even now, the city is thrown into chaos and turmoil. Be brave, dear ones, and fulfull your destinies."
And with that, the image fades from view, just as quickly as it had appeared.
Twilight is startled by the sudden appearance of Madam Zellara, but listens intently as she speaks.
Once the specter fades away and she has put the lid back on the box Twilight nods towards Atticus.
"I agree, there is something going on in the city and we have left the children to their own devices at the moment. We should just grab everything we can and return the children as quickly as possible. We can sort all this stuff out at our leisure afterwards.
Given that something is going on up above and Madam Zellara's prophecy that our fates are tied to that of the city, we might want to stick together. At least until we can figure out what is happening.
With that said though, the broach is quite the find. Something that would curry favour with the queen herself. Its value goes beyond mere monetary reward. I suspect that since there is a reward for its return we simply have to present ourselves at the castle and state our business."
Even after everything that has just happened Twilight begins to consider how she might be able to use this small favour to the queen as a modest start to gaining some measure of influence in the queen's court.
The musician shrugged at Mirela's probably rhetorical question, not having the slightest idea. Lots of strings had pulled them together this night, so this could be one more common strand to wind them together.
The bard chuckles darkly as Atticus mentions cleaning up the place, shaking his head, eyes full of morbid humor. "I'm afraid Lamm and Yargin will have to tend to their own mess this evening, Professor."
Devan turns his dark, tired eyes towards the specter of Madame Zellara as she speaks to the group, somewhat surprised at the turn of events but remembering the visit to the woman's house earlier. A visit that surely hadn't happened with the harrower still alive. The Varisian man listened attentively as the woman spoke, eyes turning to watch his companions' reaction on occasion. When she has finished and vanished, the musician nods to himself, certain that was the purpose he had felt. Korvosa was his home, and it could certainly count on his aid against whatever threats were imminent. It was Fate, after all, and Devan needed a new focus.
The young man signals his agreement with Twilight's assessment, particularly about sticking together. Her speaking gave him another chance to study her features without attracting attention, noting the subtle differences. His heart ached as he glanced at her, but he kept up his facade, noting all the differences. She wasn't Joline, she was dead.
Still weak from the spider's venom but eager to be away, the musician helps father everything up and proceeds to the exit, hoping to find the lambs where they had been instructed to hide.
Mirela stares in awe at the ghost.
I talked to a ghost!!! She was dead the whole time? Bloody 'ell! What are we involved in?
She is visably paler when she says:
There are a few items over 'ere including this iron key. I bet there is a lockbox upstairs someplace. We should.... She swallows to compose herself. We should search the doors we didn't try upstairs and get out of 'ere.
I'll be gathering these items for us to look at later.. Mirela says as she gathers the stuff from Yargin into her belt pouch.
Standing up she says: Come in Professor, let's be getting young Nicodemus upstairs and out of this 'orrable room. I don't know about this defending the city thing, but we can make sure the kids are safe...
She heads to the door, too stunned to really process all that just happened.
Devan voices his agreement with Mirela, making sure to go through the cabinets on this level to ensure the group had anything of value. No sense leaving it with the corpses of evil men when it could be used.
As the Erastilan suggested, the musician helps go through all the unexplored rooms to make certain that if they had anything of worth it left with the party, also on the lookout for any other children that might be hiding. Remembering Zellara's words, the young man is curious to see what is going on in Korvosa.
Spending some time perusing the cabinets in Lamm's hideaway, Devan isn't really surprised to notice that most of the items here are worthless junk. The really good stuff was locked up in Lamm's strongbox. He does find a few items of interest however.
On the table near where Lamm was sitting there are seven applications of foul-smelling vermin repellent -- likely used to keep the spiders in the old ship from attacking as the crooks moved through. Also a small darkwood coffer is tucked in one of the cabinets. The coffer is latched but not locked and contains 20 doses of shiver, a street drug Lamm was selling to addicts.
There is nothing else of value in the understructure of the fishery, so the group departs treading carefully on the wooden planks and out to the Kraken's Folly. Moving through the old ship, they work their way long the rickety boardwalk and back to the Fishery itself.
After poking through the rest of the fishery, the group finds a locked cabinet in the upper workroom (area A7). The iron key that Mirela retrieved from Yargin fits this cabinet and inside are 6 small pouches full of petty cash. All told there are 4 pouches of 50cp each for a total of 200cp. There are two pouches of 50sp each, for a total of 100sp.
The other unexplored room off the front entrance (Area A5) turns out to be the sleeping quarters for the now deceased group of bully boys employed by Lamm. There you find a few items of interest:
- a disguise kit (used by the gnome Hookshanks to appear more childlilke)
- 2 potions of Cure Light Wounds
- a composite longbow (+3 draw strength) and 20 arrows
- a couple of leather purses filled with 84 gp altogether
Besides those finds, the rest of the old fishery appears to be empty, the stillness a bit unnerving after the flurry of action that occurred here not that long ago.
[Dice=Knowlocal]d20+1d6+8
As everyone begins a more thorough search of the room, Twilight goes back to Lamm's corpse and takes one of his ears, wrapping it in a scrap of cloth and securing it in a pocket trying not to draw attention to the act.
Twilight frowns when the wooden box is opened revealing the shiver.
While the church did use mild intoxicants to enhance pleasure, shiver was something else entirely. There was a small movement among the clergy that argued one could experience pleasures through hallucinations, but this belief wasn't widely held. How could someone truly indulge in a lust when one wasn't even aware of their surroundings? And there was a world of difference between lusting after something and being addicted to it.
"We should dump that stuff. We didn't stop Lamm just to continue his legacy of spreading misery and suffering ourselves."
As the the group begins to make their way out of Lamm's lair Twilight turns to Nargun. "Would you mind helping me Nargun? Aleira wanted to feed Lamm to the shark and I'm all too happy to indulge her request."
I nearly pity the shark, Princess. That's a meagre meal.
answers the dwarf with grim humor before taking Lamm's corpse and dragging him toward the shark