Atticus searches for some ropes and binds them tightely to make sure the captives can´t escape.
"Listen carefully. By the grace of her Majestiy you are under arrest."
Wizard 0: Mage hand, prestidigitation, acid splash. 1: Mage armour, Magic weapon, (S) Colour spray. | Subtle misdirection 4/6. Bonded item 0/1.
Twilight looked at the unconscious Vancaskerkin "Huh, Devan and the Sergent bear an uncanny resemblance. I wonder if they are related."
"Well, lets see what the fuss was all about, shall we?" She looks over at Mirela "How are those guys doing back there? Did any of them survive?"
She turns to Atticus "I'm surprised at how well you use that morning star. I have to say though that it seems a somewhat brutish weapon for a man of your refinement. Would you have a look around the shop and see if you can figure out what they were up to? Devan and I can see if we can get someone here to talk. Baldrago should recover from the spell in a few moments, but we are going to have to wake up Vancaskerkin."
Twilight waits for Baldrago to recover. "Hi Baldrago. The Sergent is taking a little nap at the moment and we are going to be talking with him soon, but before we wake him up I thought that you might like a chance to tell us what is going on here and what it is that you aren't keen on your leader finding out about."
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Nargun tries to calm down, trashing furniture around, grinding his axe against the wall, gnawing his teeth, tearing his hair apart and sobbing, reminiscing himself of the quiet peace of his love, now forever lost.
Sitting in a corner, he rocks back and forth, whispering her name, rubbing with his sturdy fingers the wedding ring he forged himself.
Kaertin...Kaertin..Kaertin..
Devan leaned against the wall after the short but brutal fight, resting for a moment before he helped Atticus to bind the not-dead people so they would be a bit more reluctant to try any foolishness. He eyed Nargun with concern, but as it seemed the battle-rage was subsiding, the musician turned back to their captives, subtly nodding at Twilight as it seemed the interrogation was to commence.
After Baldrago regained his head and Twilight started speaking, the bard waited until she had finished, then added, "And quickly now, Baldrago...I'm not exactly chummy with you after the way you treated me and my lady-friend in line earlier, and I'd like nothing better than to poke a few new holes in you to hasten your tongue. We'd see if your life or your story came out in its entirety first. A rather macabre race I'd rather not put you through, you know?" Devan smiled tightly at the man, weapon still in hand, though not threatening at the moment.
Still groggy from the spell that caused him to drop, his eyes a bit unfocused, Baldrago wakes and after a few seconds of stunned silence, he hears Twilight and Devan speaking to him.
"My life ain't worth a whore's promise as it is, chappie. The Queen'll hang us fer sure, so yer blatherin' about pokin' me full o' holes is just noise, eh? Do me a favor and shut it! I ain't tellin' nothin! Besides, if it'd been a fair fight, I'd have gutted you, little man. Relying on yer lady friend to bedazzle me, that's just like yer chicken-%#@& ways, ain't it?"
Looking around the killing floor itself, Atticus sees meat in various stages of preparation from slaughter to finished product. Whatever else they were doing, these guys were really running a butcher operation.
Mirela Looks up from examining fallen soldiers.
All but ue will face the guard's justice. That fellow She nods at Parns. was bashed badly enough that 'e do be already dead.
As she finishes up with the men on the ground she starts stripping them of any weapons or valuables and putting it in a pile off to the side.
Maybe we can use the cart to bring all these unconscious deserters back.
With still unfocused eyes, Nargun drifts in the room, dragging his axe behind him
Devan chuckled, shrugging. "Such is always the excuse of the defeated, is it not? 'If things had been different!' Turns out I just have better friends than you, chap. In more ways than one. But maybe there's a way out for you or your friends. Tell you what...the first one of you that tells us what's going on here will 'escape', how about that? One dead body and three deserters is just as good as four, don't you think? Hell, I'll bet Kroft doesn't even know how many of you were actually here. And seeing as how you're the only one awake at the moment, that kind of gives you a leg up on the competition."
Devan winked at Twilight and squatted down next to Baldrago, looking the man in his eyes on his current level. "Or do you fancy swinging from a rope?"
Twilight takes Devan's arms and turns away from Baldrago. She leans over and whispers a little too loudly so that Baldrago can still hear "Are you sure about this? Remember what happened last time we let someone go?"
After determining all the brigands are either dead or stable, Mirela starts disarming them, making a pile of their goods in the center of the room. Each of the four bandits wears a suit of chain mail, carries a longbow and 20 arrows, a longsword, a sap, and a bag of various coins that adds up to 160gp in total. Vancaskerkin, meanwhile, wears masterwork chainmail, carries a masterwork composite longbow (+3 draw) and a masterwork spear. Additionally his quiver contains 17 magical arrows (+1) and he holds 2 minor curative potions.
Nargun still wanders around the room in a bit of a daze, his eyes still not seeing clearly.
Working on Baldrago, Devan and Twilight at least give the impression that they will let him go if he cooperates with information. At first the brigand is ready to snarl a reply, but well-timed words by Twilight convince him that perhaps, there is a path for his escape here.
"Alright, alright! I tell you story, you let me go before the rest of the Guard arrives, an' then we're square yeah?" Assuming you make an affirmative reply, Baldrago fills in some of the details for you.
When the death of old king Eodred was made known and the immediate resistance to Ileosa assuming the throne, Vancaskerkin suggested to the trusted members of his squad that they disappear from duty and take their work private. The four you have met all agreed, some out of loyalty to their sergeant, some out of profit motive, and others just out of pure meanness. While Vancaskerkin was never the smartest tool in the shed, he was an up and comer, and the boys took the work. When Verik suggested they open a meat shop, the guardsmen were less than impressed. Turns out, Karrolo was a butcher before joining the guard, and could at least make a passable attempt at it, and Verik insisted that with the anarchy in the city, those who controlled the food supply would have power and influence. So far, though, it's been just dirty, menial work for little return, in fact Vancaskerkin insisted on just giving the meat away, no money asked for. That got the boys to grumbling for sure, and some were having second thoughts about staying on with the sergeant. He ended up spending most of his time in the office upstairs pining away for some skirt that he'd fallen hard for. Baldrago thinks this lady, he doesn't know her name or anything about her, might have been who put Verik up to the butcher's gig and maybe even leaving the Guard in the first place.
Devan merely nodded for the man to proceed after hesitating for a moment after the half-elf's faux-whisper, hoping the man took it as an affirmation of their 'deal'. The musician's brow furrowed at the strange tale...something about it all just seemed a bit...off. What was Vancaskerkin hoping to gain by giving meat away to the city's unfortunates?
"So you deserted to become butchers under the direction of a love-sick pup? I guess once the gears are in motion it's hard to stop the machine, am I right? I'd play you a song I know about something like that, but I doubt you'll enjoy it in your present predicament." The young man laughed, gaze going to Twilight.
"So what do you think, my lady? Has our wayward guard earned himself a reprieve from his fate?" As he waited for a reply, he caught Mirela's eye, smiling at her appreciatively as she worked to organize all the loot. Twilight and he were doing what they were skilled at, but he didn't want her to think it was unnoticed.
Listening to Balrago for a moment or two Atticus replies."That is all well and good, but... where did the meat come from?"
You'd better tell the whole Truth. You couldn't give the meat away for too long, or you wouldn't have money enough to buy new cattle to kill, even if you had some cash to start with. It stand to reason.
Mirela is too busygathering the equipment and detecting magic to take too much notice of the conversation. But after questions start being raised about the meat she does walk over to examine what animal was being butchered when they walked in.
"Hell's Bells! How do I know where the blasted meat came from?" Baldrago explodes. "I'm a soldier not a bloody green grocer. Look out in them pens. There's critters there. Karrolo killed them and Malder gave the meat away. I just stood guard. I don't know nothin' about anything else. Now, I told my part, and told it true. Honor your bargain, and let me outta here!"
Mirela is too busy gathering the equipment and detecting magic to take too much notice of the conversation. But after questions start being raised about the meat she does walk over to examine what animal was being butchered when they walked in.
After looking over the meat processing equipment Mirela quickly spins around looking at Baldrago.
Were these vats part of the process they used for butchering the meat?
As soon as he responds and no matter his response was she quickly follows up with.
There are fresh 'umanoid bodies in the vats. Who did you all kill? You don't take bullyboys to just give away meat...
Sensing that Baldrago seemed to be holding back telling the group the whole truth, Devan just shrugged. This seemed as convenient an excuse as any to back out of their 'agreement'...not that he had had any intention of honoring it. "Tsk tsk, Baldrago. And here I thought you were trying to save your hide. You're holding something back...you don't get to walk for ALMOST everything... He shook his head with mock sadness, standing up and backing away from the bound man.
The musician listened with a blank expression at Mirela's comments, not catching on at first. He mouthed the word humanoid several times before his expression darkened. He looked back at Baldrago, then to Mirela, then back again. "Is this the part the 'Sergeant' wasn't supposed to know about? Or was there something else? Answer quick now, or I'll get my friend Nargun here to throw you into a boiling vat and we'll see how long you scream."
Mirela recalls when they first burst in on the Parns and Karrolo at work, the smaller man was first boiling then cooling the cuts of meat to make it easier to butcher later, the only reason those human-sized portions haven't already been cut is because of your interruptions.
Knowing he has been caught out, and the threat from Devan seems real, Baldrago spills all. "So without any cash, the boys got up to some shenanigans here. Sergeant didn't know about it, but we'd done hired ourselves out as bully boys or hitmen or whatever, we could raise a little cash on the side while Verik was upstairs pining over his lady-love. And Karrolo had the great idea how to dispose of any bodies. It all looks t' same on the inside he said. I didn't like the idea at first but the others made me go along with it. Given a few more weeks to operate, we'd a'been runnin' this neighborhood. Now, I told the worst, you said you'd let me go!"
Twilight's stomach churned as her face went ashen at the implication of what was revealed.
She turned to Baldrago with a tight smile.
"Just a few days ago I met a man who fed children who displeased him to a crocodile and I thought I had seen the most depraved thing Korvosa had to offer. But you have certainly made quite the effort to sink to depths even more debased."
Twilight's smile twists into a disgusted sneer
"People came to you in need and you turned them into ghouls. Hanging is too good for you lot."
She turned to Devan "Maybe we should let him go. Set him free in the water with a stone tied around his ankles"
Atticus spits out and looks horrified at this confession, dreading the answer for quite some time.
"You are a despicable being. I just know that you will feel the wrath in the afterlive!"
Looking at Twilight he nods. "Splendid idea. I just know a place where a crocodile is waiting for another snack. Maybe we just tie them to the roof and let them hang down half into the water."
Did anyone mentioned to let you go in one piece? I havent done any such promise, and even if I did, you're not Worth my words. I'm sick with people Killing for money. Maybe I should kill you just for fun...
Nargun's weapon is dragged inches from the man's face
Even if I don't know as much about animals than our bow wielding Maiden here, I guess that an alligator doesn't mind if his meal is served in one piece or several.
Devan let’s the threats of his companions hang in the air for a few moments, then shook his head. ”As much as Baldrago and his fellows deserve a grisly demise, I feel we should bring them in to Kroft. After the commander is told of their foray into murder and cannibalism, i’m sure they will think of a particular creative execution for these sorry excuses for human beings. Besides, letting them sweat for a bit while they contemplate their fate seems more cruel than just chopping them to pieces, don’t you think?” He gently pushed down on the axe head in Baldrago’s face, hoping Nargun was in a state of listening to reason.
The musician then proceeded to ignore the bound man, turning back to his companions. ”So it seems as though our enterprising sergeant here was unaware of his men’s side business. Let’s go look through his office upstairs and see if we can find anything that would tell us why he decided to do this before he wakes up.” Unless anyone objects, Devan went up the stairs to the next level of the building.
Disable ‘im before we go. ‘E needs to pay for what ‘is companions ‘ave been doing to the good people around ‘ere.
She nods at Baldrago.
Then as the others finish with the monster she walk over and grabs the magic items out of the pile. as she does she uses her detect magic to try to identify the items.
Not knowing what the arrows are she just packs them away. The potions however she has a pretty good idea on.
Who does not ‘ave a ‘ealing balm? We ‘ave two more ‘ere.
She holds out the two potions to the rest of the group.
Don’t use them now, if you are ‘urt, I can ‘eal you.
"Disable" them? I agree. I'll rough them up, without Killing them.
If no one stops him, Nargun beats Baldrago within an inch of his pathetic life
Atticus raises his hands and speaks up."I would appreciate if I could have a potion. Just for safety. And I think Nargun should have one, too!"
While Nargun carries out the group's murderous rage on poor Baldrago, Atticus grabs a curative potion from Vancaskerkin's stash. While the rest of the thugs are still out, Devan mounts the stairs to the office of the sergeant to see what else might be going on.
It appears the upper floor is bifurcated, and the first room looks like where the rest of the soldiers bunk and have their dayroom. Four bedrolls are stashed neatly in one corner, in near military-like precision. A stack of playing cards sits on the tabletop, and a cabinet to the southwest is full of dirty clothes and blankets.
A door to the south, where Vancaskerkin's office must be, is currently closed.
Baldrago soon succumbs again to the beating delivered by Nargun and is out cold once again.
Upstairs, Devan opens the door to the inner office and sees that a single large desk stands in the eastern part of this office, transformed into a makeshift bed by a bedroll, several blankets, and a pillow. A chamber pot sits under it. A table and three chairs sit to the west, several papers lie strewn over the table's surface. One of the papers is pinned to the tabletop by an exquisite silver dagger.
Devan sifted through the contents of what had been Vancaskerkin's room for a moment, just wanting to make sure he didn't overlook anything.
The young man then gathered up all the papers on the desk, pulling out the finely-made silver dagger and admiring it for a moment before picking up the paper it had been holding in place. He scanned the document to see what it contained, then placed it with the other papers and made his way back downstairs to join the others, showing them his findings.
Twilight pays no attention to Nargun as he roughs up Baldrago, her stomach still churning at the thought of what had transpired.
"Atticus, would you mind helping Devan find out more about what was going on here?"
She looked over at Nargun "Well Nargun, I guess you were right. Apparently there is actually amazingly little difference between a soldier and a butcher in this case. When you are finished with Baldrago, would you be a dear and help us pull these unfortunates out of the water tanks please?"
As she waited for Nargun to finish up her thoughts turned to all those citizens that had come here seeking a small measure of relief from the chaos in the city and who were instead unknowingly exposed to this atrocity. She fought once again to keep her stomach in check. After a few minutes in thought she had an idea.
"Mirela, if we could scrub the taint from what was going on here, would you be able to help butcher the last two cows out back? The idea was good even if it was corrupted by this filth." Twilight takes a quick kick at Baldrago. "If nothing else I would like to finish up with what we have available instead of letting it go to waste, if you are willing."
Mirela thinks for a minute then responds.
I can carve up birds and fish, but butchering cows do be a bit out of my experience. The only time I ate cow was when one of the good-wives used to make it for me as thanks for healing one of their kin.
Besides: We still need to get these criminals back to Commander Kroft for judgement. I don't be thinking that carrying them the whole way would be easy. Maybe it do be better to use a cow to pull the cart back to the guard. We can bring the other cows to a proper butcher and 'ave 'im give that away. And the cow used to pull the cart can feed the guard.
Nodding the professor moves quickly up towards Devan aiding the bard in cataloging the papers and checking for other hidden stuff.
Still fighting a bit of queasiness Twilight glanced around the bloody abattoir. While giving away the free meat was something she would have liked done, preparing said meat was definitely something she did not want to do. If her idea had been accepted she had planned on arranging some sort of situation that would have excused her from any more than the barest minimum necessary to appear to actually be helping. However, Mirella's idea was a good enough compromise and required no effort on Twilght's part. "That sounds like an excellent idea. This whole situation seems to have rattled me a little more than I thought." Twilight gave a little laugh "Can you imagine me trying to help butcher a cow?"
Twilght points to the sergeant "You think we should wake him up and have a little talk? It sounds like he knows more about what the plan was supposed to be than his subordinates did. Why would he abandon his post to set this up Twilight vaguely gestures to indicate the room "only to neglect it and lock himself away? Was he trying to somehow impress his lady only for her to spurn his efforts?"
The papers are old duty rosters and other things you would expect a watch sergeant to have, nothing else of interest or concern, besides the exquisite silver dagger which Devan pockets.
Returning downstairs, Atticus and Devan help bind Vancaskerkin, and he is roused with some effort. He is quite downcast, sensing his pending doom, and doesn't meet the eyes of anyone who speaks to him.
"What do you want with me. Just take me back to the Citadel and let me swing. It's no more than I deserve." he mumbles morosely.
Devan handed the papers to whomever might want them, not caring overly much about the assignments of watch and whatnot. He pulled out the silver dagger and showed it to the others with a grin before handing it to Nargun with an almost apologetic look. The musician hadn't asked to be born slight of frame, after all.
As Vancaskerkin is aroused, the bard looked at the man with a neutral expression, understanding the black mood the man is in, if not exactly for the same reason as Devan's own recent struggles. "This was an unexpected thing to do for a deserter, Verik. Why risk so much just to perform an act of unprecedented generosity? Surely you could have done the same on your off time and stayed on duty. Was it the lady friend your charges here mentioned?"
The young man kept the fact that the other deserters had been killing and cannibalizing from the man, for now. He was already in such a bleak mood, Devan had no idea how he'd react. "We can certainly plead for mercy on your behalf, Verik...you might be a deserter but your heart was in the right place. We think, anyway. If you explained it would help."
"Ah, the amnesty gambit again. Fair enough, it worked with Baldrago"
"I was really hoping we could meet on more amicable terms to discuss a means to keep your operation open while satisfying Kroft. It was unfortunate that it turned out this way, but I am still hopeful we can salvage something from this. We just need to know more about what is going on here."
Although the words she spoke contained elements of truth Twilight had no interest in seeing leniency for the one who had set up and then neglected the operation that enabled these atrocities to occur. He had chosen these men to work for him after all.
Atticus takes out a piece of paper and a pen to follow the words of Verik, so that he can sign his confession.
Verik sighs deeply. He was never a very smart man, and Devan's honeyed words played on his only hope, which was a chance for leniency. "I am naught but a fool." The man says through clenched teeth. "A fool for love perhaps. Aye, it was Meliya's idea to leave the Guard and build a squad to help feed the locals. With anarchy in the city, food will become quite hard to come by, and people will still need to eat after all. Giving the food away, instead of selling it a mark up like most would, will only endear us more here."
"But I should've known that the Guard would never stand for it, and while the city burns, they would send a brute squad here after us. Not sure I deserve any mercy for that, but at least we were doing good while off the line."
Devan nodded at the former sergeant's words, noting the woman's name, Meliya. However, the motive for wanting to be endeared had still not been explained. "But why did Meliya want to become endeared, Verik? What were you playing at? It seems she's missing...your comrades intimated that you spent much time alone in the office upstairs. Have her visits become more sporadic?"
So it seemed like it wasn't just a bleeding heart operation. Someone was trying to gain influence. And Verik was a tool. But for what purpose? Surely Kroft would like to know, so the musician kept at it, for now, hoping Vancaskerkin would continue to let information flow. He flicked his eyes to his companions, an invitation to ask their own questions, if they had any.
Verik looks up at Devan for the first time, he eyes full of pain, for lost love, and for his lost life. "I-I-I don't really know why she wanted me to quit and start this. I never asked, nor thought about it too much -- until lately. I was, I am, love struck for her. I'll do whatever she asks, and then, like you say, once I started this outfit, I can't get in contact with her. She has cut me off, completely. I am such a fool, like my brother, like my father..."
He sighs, and stops speaking, staring silently at the floor once again.
Nargun was waiting, patiently. His battle skills would be of no use now, and Devan' wits and words seems to do the trick without resorting to more bloodshed.
Beside, the dwarf was feeling some sympathy about the story of lost love, about this Melyia.
Is that only her real name? I don't think so.
"This is a very sad story, but nevertheless you deserted your post in a time of need. That is unacceptable.
Are your oaths worths nothing to you?"
Atticus looks positivly disgusted at the man.
Twilight unconsciously raised an eyebrow and gave a slight nod of appreciation.
"Despite what's gone on here, I can't help but be impressed by this Melyia. She got a love-struck fool to essentially sacrifice everything he ever had including his own life to further whatever scheme she has going on here. Calistria be praised she is doing some fine work. It is a pity we might have to meddle in her affairs."
"What of your crew here. Did she provide the muscle or did you hand pick them yourself?"
After Verik answered Twilight and perhaps responded to Atticus, Devan nodded in finality. ”Well that’s that, then. As promised, i’ll speak on your behalf, though I guarantee nothing. Great things are done for love, but despicable things, as well. Perhaps you’ll get an opportunity to redeem yourself, though my money is on the gallows. As for those three over there,” the musician indicated the three bound deserters nearby, ”they’ll likely suffer horribly for their crimes. While you were pining for your love, your unsupervised supporters were committing murder and serving their victims to your unsuspecting customers.”
Devan rose from in front of the man, shrugging at any of the others if they seem upset or angry. He helped get everything loaded onto the cart they planned to use, ready to leave once the others are. He gets out his instrument and tuned it, playing for the doomed me as he walked along beside the wagon. He kept the music slow and subdued, fitting for a group of men likely walking to their graves.
As Atticus berates the beaten man, he doesn't bother to argue, but only agrees. "For love sir, for love. Maybe you will understand someday. Not that I understand it myself. I know I have broken faith, and must pay the penalty."
To Twilight he responds: "No lady, these are my men. Handpicked from my unit. They are good men and true. I would not have thought you could've bested us, but didn't count on that derivsh of a dwarf. Like a man sent from hell, he is..."
Verik is shocked into silence when you tell him of the crimes of the soldiers, not wanting to believe the atrocities they committed. He doesn't give any trouble as he and the rest of the boys are loaded into the cart and the trek for Citadel Volshyenek is begun.
As the cart pulls into the street, jeers from the populace begin, calling out the Queen's traitors for ending the charity of Verik and his men. But the tune played by Devan slowly calms the situation, and what might have gotten ugly soon clears, and before long the wagon is far enough from the neighborhood that it is barely given a second glance.
Atticus just shakes his head.If they only knew!
Murmuring under his breath he speaks.
"The masses are stupid. The great Mark Ottobis was right!"
The rest of the trip to the Citadel is uneventful. The sentries allow you access once again, and the deserters are clapped in irons and put in the dungeons, awaiting their eventual fate. It's not long before you summoned to face Marshal Kroft once again.
Smiling wanly, she says "I am surprised you brought them back alive, for the most part. I would've thought they had more of a fight in them. I am quite pleased you were successful. An example will be made of Vancaskerkin and his men, we cannot afford such lawlessness in these dangerous times. You have the thanks of me, the Queen, and the entire city."
She brings forth a moderate sized coffer which holds the promised reward of 750gp, most of which is in 100gp royal ingots, stamped with the regal insignia.
"Rest now, and recover. Things are still dicey in parts of the city, and I may have need of you again soon. You may stay here in the Citadel, or return to your rooms, the choice is yours. But report back to me in two day's time, unless I send for you sooner."
There's more than meet the eyes, about this lot, Marshal, and you have to know it. Someone used them, a woman named Melyia. Their worst crimes were done Under her influence, I guess. I'm not totally sure, you'll have to ask people smarter than I am, like my comrades.