Devan nodded as Twilight affirmed his statement, hoping the elder wererat would not be too disappointed in the way the group had handled the situation. As the discussion turned to the Guard, the musician added on after Mirela had finished. "If you and Kroft could come to an arrangement, it would give your people a certain level of legitimacy and acceptance, hopefully. As Atticus said, prejudices are hard to overcome, but any journey starts with a single step."
Aries bobbles her head in an expression of resignation and acceptance. "Thopping one bad rat will not thraighten out yearth of wrongdointh on both thidth. But it ith a thep in the right direction. And you have the thankth of thoth of uth who are willing to be tolerant. We thaid we would repay you with informathion, and that will do now."
She nods to Ben who seems quite uncomfortable and even after a nudge from Aries he does not speak. Finally the geriatric wererat sighs and speaks for him. "Ben theeth many thingth in the thity. He wantth you to know about a dangerouth thituathon in Racker'th Alley."
Aries goes on to explain that the Church of Abadar has hired carters, with the promise of reduced prices on healing, to remove the deceased victims of Blood Veil and get them to the boneyards of the Grey District for proper burial. Apparently, one or more of these carters have found the long trip to the southwestern corner of the city too distateful, so they have started dumping dead (and presumably infectious) bodies in out-of-the-way places in the city. One of these places is Racker's Alley in Old Korvosa.
"Clearly, such a hathard thould be reported or thopped at oneth." says Aries, stating hte somewhat obvious. With that, she and Ben make to leave, feeling like their debt is beginning to be paid. But before she leaves, Aries adds, "We will continue to be vigilant. If you need our aid, we will give it. My people are not warriorth but we do thee much and can help in a pinch. All you have to do is athk!" And with that the pair bustle off out the back door and past the offal in the alleyways behind the inn.
So what do you all think we should be doing next? We do be 'aving a 'andfull of things we can be doing.
We 'ave that potion from Lavender's that we got before the sewers. I know the Professor did be wanting to look at that. This place they do be dumping bodies does be sounding worrysome, and it would be a good place to test out how the information from our new friends do be.
I'd say we should look into this alley thing before we be talking to Kroft again. That way we can bring some evidence of the werefolk trying to 'elp before we try to get 'er to do anything with the guard.
Unless you all do be 'urt and need to rest?
"Well, while Lavender's cure is likely a fake, having a growing collection of un-tended to corpses who died of a disease that seems to have Urgathoa involved somehow sounds like a more dangerous situation at the moment.
I still have plenty of spells to continue on and am willing to heal up any of the smaller scrapes anyone might have."
Devan bid farewell to Aries and her silent friend, unsure of how helpful the rat-folk would be, but hoping for the best. His brow furrowed at the news of the corpses being dumped in the alleys, the musician shaking his head. Even with the City's citizens and their lives on the lines, there were those that would seek to shortcut such important work and put others at risk.
The young man nodded in agreement with the two ladies. "Lavender's cure is likely a fake, but it's of less import. Diseased corpses pose a larger threat to Korvosa. I'm feeling quite alright after having some holes patched up. Let's go!" The musician grinned as he patted the puncture wounds in his leather armor where Girrigz's rapier had punched through.
Im fine, Princess, don't mind me.
Atticus nods to Twilight and adds."Your assement of the dangers of bodies is of course correct. We should continue with this. Maybe get large quanteties of slaked lime! This should prevent some of the diseases."
So we are in agreement that we should 'ead to the Alley now?
Do we know anything about the alley and what might be there?
Don't look at me, lass.Ask your boyfriend. He's the one who knows the city like the back of his hand.
Nargun adds, more seriously
If there's another derro playing dirty trick with the dead, I want to be the one to kill him.
On an even somber, and sadder, tone
I Don't know what I could do, what I would do, if it's an her, I must admit. I still see that big woman falling down after my axe hit her too hard, remember, a few days or an eternity ago, when we saved a Daft noble from some thugs beating in the streets? I did my best not to kill her, but misjudged my own skill and strenght. Her skull was caved in, there was blood everywhere. She was maybe someone's wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister… I know that sooner or later, I'll have to face women in battle. I won't enjoy it. It's a grim fate, being called an "hero" to some, and carrying the weight of the conséquences of your actions and décisions, if you have the decision in the first place.
Leaving the safety of the Yellow Juggler for the risks and rigors of the streets of the plague-riddled city, the group travels briskly through across the city towards the island of Old Korvosa. With only a few causeways connecting the old city to the mainland, the traffic here is usually quite heavy, but these days, few are out without good reason, and you cross in record time.
The shamble that is the Shingles rises above your heads on the other side, the tall narrow buildings lean out over the narrow byways, making each street an adventure in the dark, even on bright sunny days.
Devan chuckled at Nargun's candor, thinking about what he might know about Racker's Alley.
"I remember now...I played a gig near there a couple winters ago. It's pretty close to the place we caught up with the young blond woman we met not long ago. I think there's a toy shop close by, though I can't imagine it's doing well these days."
The musician listened to the dwarf speak of his aversion to attacking opponents who might be female, sympathetic to the barbarian's frame of mind. He gently placed a hand on Nargun's shoulder, speaking softly, "We're not on friendly terms with Her Majesty, my friend, and her newly found force is all female, I think. I've known you only a short time, but I trust you to know when to use that ax at your side." He smiled briefly at the dwarf before the group set off towards Old Korvosa.
The young man led the group across one of the bridges leading to the island in the Jeggare, his pace slowing at times as he remembered the area through the haze of time.
Following on to Devan's comment Mirela adds
What would she have wanted Nargun?
Do you think she would 'ave been proud of the fact that you are risking your life to save all the good women in this city?
In the last few weeks we 'ave seen men chopping up people for meat, crazy Derro raising the dead and a group of priests who look to be trying to infect a city with the Blood Vale.
Do you really think that she would have asked you to step aside and allowed any of those things to 'appen just because the person doing them is a girl?
Wizard 0: Acid splash, Mage hand, prestidigitation, read magic. 1:Mage armour, Vanish, Magic weapon, (S)Colour spray.2:Spectral hand, Spectral hand[, (S)Blur | Subtle misdirection 6/6. Bonded item 0/1. Pearl Lv1 1/1, Lv2 1/1
Twilight was getting up, about to leave to prepare for the trip when Nargun spoke. She frowned and was about to say something, but politely remained silent while Devan spoke.
As the group was leaving she put her hand on his shoulder "Nargun, never regret something you have done. Learn from it, but don't dwell on it. Let it guide future actions but don't agonize over something that can't be changed now.
Anyway, she made her own decision when she chose to attack us. What happened was on her, not you.
Were you thinking that you should have just stood there and let her beat on you? Why? Why would you arbitrarily give half the people you meet permission to harm you with impunity?
The world is already unfair and harsh enough without creating your own disadvantages."
Twilight patted Nargun on the shoulder. "However, if I can't convince you otherwise and you insist on giving some people preferential treatment when trying to kill you, I think I recall and enchantment that might ease your mind going forward. I will look into it tonight."
She was just a misguided woman, not a trained soldier, without a real weapon in her hand. Sure, I defended, not myself, but you, Princess, if you recall well. I could have took her strikes with only a few bruises the next Morning. I wasn't even angry at her, she was.. well, stupid, even if I'm not a brilliant mind myself. In fact, charging a foe, whatever his power might be, Under sheer stupidity and anger is Something I can relate to…
There's a faint smile on the dwarf's lips
But you know me, if someone even just threaten to attack a woman, as the thugs we encountered a few days earlier while trying to cure the little girl, something break in me.. and bones and bodies are broken too, because I wasn't there to defend the honor and life of my beloved, and I feel I'm atoning for that sin each time I fight for them, but that my debt cannot be paid. Never. Fighting women, wounding them… I feel I'm no better than this scum. I'm reluctant to hit the first strike. But I'll do my best to hit the last one, if needed.
Devan leads the crew through the twisting streets and byways of Old Korovsa, while they discuss Nargun's proclivity to violence. Sometimes in sunlight, sometime in shadows, they finally come to the right neighborhood, and Devan slows down looking for the right way to Racker's Alley.
The sign for the now-defunct Giotorri's Toys beckons from the street, and turning the corner you find a narrow alley between the toy shop and the apartment behind. The high walls of the surrounding buildings throw this awkwardly bent alley into constant shadow. Although littered with garbage and filth, the refuse is not the most stomach-turning trait of this rundown side-way. Heaped against a bent wooden wall rises a pile of more than three dozen plague victims, their faces blistered and flushed, eyes open and staring. The scent of death is overpowered by the reek of rot, suggesting that some of these corpses have been here for a while, but even a casual glance reveals that certain bodies seem strangely pale compared to most of the victims who succumb to the sickness.
In addition to the noisome smell of rot, the alley is thick with black flies and rats which make their own meal for the human remains, possibly passing the vectors for disease on to other nearby hosts.
Do we 'ave any of the Anti-plague drinks left? We need to get rid of the bodies, but anyone who goes in there needs to be protected.
I'm tempted to say we should just burn the bodies to get rid of them.
She looks from a distance to see if she can see anything extra dangerous about the alley. Like a swarm of rats, something moving in the pile or people watching from the shadows/buildings/rooftops around. She is not getting close yet just assessing the area.
Without getting any closer to the stinking pile of rot, Mirela gazes around the rest of the alleyway, making sure there are no immediate threats. The steep walls of the buildings, and the lack of direct sunlight make observation difficult, but she does not see any creatures in the mass of bodies, or anywhere else in Rackers Alley.
Twilight covers her nose with a cloth, trying to keep the stench at bay and wishing that she had brought her scented scarf. "Unless you would like to try out Lavender's concoction, I don't think we have any antiplague left."
Without getting closer, she looked at the corpse pile. "I don't think burning them is an option. We are likely to set the whole city block on fire. We could let the Pharasmans know, but they are likely to already have their hands full.
Were we going to try and find the culprits that did this or just clean it up ourselves? That's a lot of bodies to take care of, we would need a cart."
Almost as an afterthought, Twilight cast a little cantrip conjuring a mage hand. Thought it was weak, she poked around at the pile from a safe distance to see if there was anything on the corpses that might identify who they were or give clues as to who the people that left them here might be.
"Its odd that not all the corpses show signs of the veil."
Devan was in agreement with the priestess that the group should just ignite the bodies and burn the corpses if they could. Reassessing after Twilight interjected, the musician had to admit the Calistrian had a point about setting fire to the city. When the half-elf mentioned those that had dumped the bodies there, the young man's face clouded in anger.
"They were paid by the church of Abadar, right? When we get this sorted out we'll pay them a visit and see who might be on the payroll for this work." Devan glanced at the bodies when Twilight mentioned the color, but just shrugged...maybe the church was just being extra cautious and sending all the dead this way.
"I don't fancy getting close, but we'll need to handle them. Maybe we should get a couple of carts or wagons so we can make this trip as few times as possible."
Using her magical hands at a safe distance, Twilight moves the bodies around a bit, but there is little else she can determine or find about the corpses from that distance. Some look infected with the blood veil, and some do not. Many of the ones that are not infected have a pale look about them, but it will take closer observation for any definitive reason why.
I can check the bodies. It's not as if I valued my life anyway. But I don't know much what I should look after, so tell me first.
"Let's go get a cart first. We can examine the bodies as they are loaded up rather than mess with them now and then disturb them a second time when we go to move them. How does that sound?"
With most of the streets of Korvosa, even the old isle, empty due to the Blood Veil, it takes some time to find a carter and team willing to either haul the bodies for you, or willing to part with their cart. Eventually you find a teamster from out of town with a flat bed cart that is empty, near the waterfront. Since there is little cargo to offload, he agrees to rent you his team and wagon for 10 gold crowns for the day -- higher than you might like, but its looking like the only option.
After the money changes hands, you ride the cart back to Racker's Alley and eventually stand in the same place, looking at the forlorn pile of corpses.
Twilight paid the man the agreed upon price. It might be pricey, but considering that over the last several weeks she had amassed a sizable amount of wealth she had no reservations.
Once back at the alley, she stood there once again looking at the pile. After a few moments of searching through her belongings she shrugged her shoulders in resignation "I don't have anything that would protect someone from catching the veil. Unless Mirella has a spell ready, I think we are just going to have to take our chances."
Mirela looks worried.
No. I do not be 'aving anything that can be protecting someone from catching the disease. I can check if you 'ave it after we are done, as well as Cure one person if they do be catching it.
Devan frowned at the prospect of moving the diseased bodies, but there remained little alternative besides leaving them where they lay. Steeling himself, he proceeded forward with the others to start to grasp the corpses and load them onto the cart. The musician did take the time to make an impromptu bandana to set across his mouth and nose before proceeding to the work.
While they are walking into the city, Nargun buys a long, two handed pike with a hook, and a large shovel, with a larger plank and a wheelbarrow
Nargun stops Devan
Let me do it. No need to multiply the risks, and if I get sick, I should last longer than any of you. Besides, the girls will have to heal only one people, and won't have to choose between multiples comrades..
Nargun gets to the grim task, loading the corpses one after the other. He takes some clothes to cover his hands and mouth, and mainly uses his newly acquired weapon to drag the corpses and lift them, and the showel to put them into the wheelbarrow, one by one, and pushing them on the plank to charge the cart, so actual physical contact is limited.
He might have a deathwish, but slowly rotting inside is not the kind of death he wishes for.
He's not a genius, but he's no fool either, and uses common sense. Sometimes.
Mirela stands with her bow in hand watching over Nargun as he works. She wants to be ready to cover him if anything happens.
Devan frowned as Nargun halted his forward progress, but relented, realizing the dwarf was correct. Though the young man had never fallen prey to many of the illnesses that wreaked havoc on the poorer districts in the city, he knew all too well from first-hand experience the horror that a plague or disease could bring. Frustrated, the musician paced back and forth near the cart as his dwarven friend worked, eager to be done with the task. He kept an eye out for any of the lazy fellows who seemed to think this a prime corpse-dumping ground, keen to give them an earful should any arrive.
Holding Devan back, Nargun wades into the pile of corpses beginning to shift and move the bodies and stacking them on the flat-bed cart. It only takes moving a few fro the dwarf to see that behind the wall of death, a hole exists in the building wall immediately behind -- into what used to be the toy store.
After he has stacked two or three bodies, Nargun moves back to the pile and as he lifts another, a shriek resounds from atop the wall behind. Looking up you see a wild looking humanoid shape leaping from the rooftop above. Teh form has wild, unkempt black hair, long claws at the its fingertips, and feral red eyes. Additionally the bared teeth show elongated incisors and the skin is mottled grey, the color of death.
The foe emits a ululating cry as it descends to the alley floor, ready for a fight.
Rackers Alley - Round 1
15 Red Spawn
15 Atticus
11 Nargun
8 Twilight
6 Mirela
5 Devan
The devilishly quick foe scrambles down the wall, leaping the last several feet, baring its sharp teeth in a roar of challenge. It shrieks one more ear-splitting sound, and motions for someone to come close.
By Aodran's Ghost
Mirela stumbles back reaching for her quiver.
Silver ones.. she seems to say almost to herself as she quickly grabs at her quiver and pulls out some silver arrows rapidly launching two quickly at the thing.
Devan looked up in surprise as the shriek filled the immediate area, thinking maybe the thing was perhaps a person mad with the Plague. When it leapt down and got closer, the young man realized there was something worse going on as the priestess shouted a warning and let fly two well-placed arrows. Hearing Mirela speak of silver, Devan dropped his recently acquired rapier and drew the silvered one as he started towards the beast. Unwilling to let Nargun face the creature alone (even if the dwarf would have preferred it), the musician hesitated, waiting for the barbarian to predictably engage before circling to the other side to make the foe have to divide its attention.
Nargun drops his tool and takes his large axe instead, hoping to lure the creature into fighting him
Wizard 0: Acid splash, Mage hand, prestidigitation, read magic. 1:Mage armour, Vanish, Magic weapon, (S)Colour spray.2:Spectral hand, Spectral hand, (S)Blur | Subtle misdirection 6/6. Bonded item 0/1. Pearl Lv1 1/1, Lv2 1/1
Although she wanted to help in some way, Twilight had been standing back from the gruesome task. She had already been touched by the veil once and Callistria's teachings about placing one's own safety first featured strongly in her mind.
The sudden shriek startled her as she looked up .
At first she was convinced it was an odd looking ghoul based on the pile of rotting corpses it seemed to be lurking around, but Mirella's assessment seemed more accurate since none of the corpses so far looked like they had been gnawed on by anything larger than a rat.
She took a step back from the vile creature and once again formed an ethereal hand from a portion of her own soul.
This time the process didn't hurt as much. Either she was getting better at taking just the right amount or she was becoming used to the strange pain.
With the spectral hand in place she drew out a wand in order to maximize her options.
Atticus inspects his enemy and uses one focus point to give his weapon the bane undead property.
Rackers Alley - Round 1 - concluded
Atticus studies the enemy, listening to Mirela's classification then spends few seconds preparing the right bane for his weapon.
Nargun fearlessly leaps into battle against the half-vampire. As he attacks however he slips on a corpse underfoot and the attack fails.
Knowing she didn't want to touch or be touched by the spawn, Twilight brings forth her spectral hand to allow her to work certain spells from a safe distance. She also brings out her blasting wand just in case.
Mirela's shouted warning is followed by two streaks of silver as she gets quick shots off against the undead. Both arrows hit doing full damage to the foe.
Devan uses his bright silver blade to engage the vampire spawn, stabbing a wound across its bare torso.
End of Round 1
Rackers Alley - Round 2
15 Red Spawn (17hp dmg)
15 Atticus
11 Nargun
8 Twilight (spectral hand in place)
6 Mirela
5 Devan
The cut across the belly of the spawn seems to close of its on volition (at least partially) as the horrified group watches. The killer first lunges at Nargun lashing out with a closed fist. When that attack fails to hit, it moves preternaturally, avoiding any attack as it scrambles back onto the pile of corpses.
As Mirela reaches for her quiver she continues to babble. Not really focusing on the words but seems to recite something memorized long ago to no one in particular.
Vampire Spawn are souls cursed to be undead by a Master Vampire. They resit lightning and cold, plus are hard to Turn and can not sleep...
As she recites her lessons from her training, she advances launching another silver arrow from her bow.
Nargun follows the undead foe and strikes, drawing minimal blood... which should be expected when fighting a vampire-thingy
No way you get outta here alive.. or dead.. or undead.
Wizard 0: Acid splash, Mage hand, prestidigitation, read magic. 1:Mage armour, Vanish, Magic weapon, (S)Colour spray.2:Spectral hand, Spectral hand, (S)Blur | Subtle misdirection 5/6. Bonded item 0/1. Pearl Lv1 1/1, Lv2 1/1
Twilight was concerned about Nargun recklessly rushing after the undead. With a few arcane words and a gesture she wove a warding illusion and let the spell flow through the spectral hand. The ghostly appendage flew quickly through the air and caressed Nargun's cheek before returning to hover beside Twilight.
Nargun's form blurred and shifted making it more challenging to land a telling blow on the stalwart dwarf.
Devan began to sing a ballad about a lone warrior fighting against the night, sliding up beside and behind Nargun as the dwarf continued pressing the vampire-thing. The musician eyed the nearby corpses nervously, feeling woefully unprepared for potential contact, but resolved to rejoin the fight if the mad dwarf didn't bring down the foe soon.
Atticus, now with the magic belly opener attacks the spawn.
Atticus and Nargun both advance on the vile undead but only the dwarf manages to connect and do any damage, while the spawn avoids the attack from Atticus. Nargun notices the wound from his axe doesn't seem to be as bad as he would have expected with the force he put into his swing.
Twilight casts a spell, her spectral hand delivering it to Nargun as the dwarfs form seems to blue and shift making him a more difficult target.
Mirela moves into the alley further loosing another shot from her bow but as Whisper starts growling and looks ready to charge the creature Mirela hesitates and it throws of her shot, while she reigns in her companion.
Devan moves up to support his dwarven friend as he begins singing an inspiring ballad that bolsters everyone's confidence.
The undead glares at Nargun after his successful attack and strikes out him.
It slams him with its clawed hand rending his flesh and tugging at his life force as it seems to absorb the dwarves vitality into itself.
Mirela continues to recite to herself as she draws more arrows.
And they can 'eal themselves by sucking blood...
She continues to fire arrows rapidly at the spawn.
But clearly her aim is pulled off as she hears the sounds of something stirring.
But she refocuses and continues to shoot.
Nargun's face get pale. Its not the damage of the claws itself that shocks him, he has seen worse, but the unnatural cold pain that rakes his body, his soul, making him completly miss his target. But a strange, colder, calm and eerie smile appears on the maniac dwarf's mouth
Oh, my beloved… Is this the end for me? Will we finally be reunited in death?
Wizard 0: Acid splash, Mage hand, prestidigitation, read magic. 1:Mage armour, Vanish, Magic weapon, (S)Colour spray.2:Spectral hand, Spectral hand, (S)Blur | Subtle misdirection 5/6. Bonded item 0/1. Pearl Lv1 1/1, Lv2 1/1
Twilight frowned as the undead beast's claws sank deeply into Nargun's flesh. There was nothing she could do about his affliction, but she could still try to prevent him from suffering any further insult.
"Calistria, provide this instrument of vengeance your protection" She whispered the prayer and a familiar soft yellow glow enveloped the ethereal hand. She sent it forth and it gently touched Nargun delivering the divine aid. The glow flowed off the hand and briefly enveloped Nargun in a warm aura that faded from sight leaving behind only Calistria's blessing.
Atticus whirls his blade once more and attacks again.
"Beware more enemies are comming
Devan was too concerned by the creature sapping the strength from his dwarven companion to notice the movement that the others spoke of, but he trusted them completely and took it as a fact. That meant they needed to finish this one off quickly, even if it wasn't extremely dangerous already.
Continuing to sing a stirring ballad to bolster his allies' support and keep up his own courage, the musician strode forward and to the side, hoping to start outmaneuvering the creature and catch it in a crossfire. Then he thrust forward with his weapon, hoping to skewer something vital. However, he slipped on something in the loose rubble that threw him off.
Wary of the creature's capabilities, the young man set his blade out in a fencing style, intent on knocking the thing's potential strike aside and perhaps capitalizing on it.