Nargun leaves most of his weapons at the inn, keeping only a small handaxe and a dagger.
I feel neaked without my weapons. How am I supposed to protect my friends if things turn sour with only these? But we do need as much information as we can get. I would have charged head first into troubles, but I can't think about myself only. i do have to see the biggest picture. Not only the people I fight along with, but the people I gight for too, the whole damned city. At least the poor and innocent, those who can't defend themselves.
With some time and pressing, Mirela considers heading back to the Sailors Delight, but decides that she needs to save her strength for their trip to the Hospise.
So instead she takes Whisper out into the courtyard next to the Juggler and continues her training. As the hours go by she is alone with her thoughts.
How do we be finding the group that is behind this? There's a cult of Urgahoa, who follows some woman know to have spread a plague. They must have something to do with what is going on here.
The Cult of Urgahoa... there has been more undead here then I expected, the Vampires in the alley could just have been taking advantage of the food, but could they have been something more? What about that Jester, was she part of this? She had all the zombies.. But could that be what happens if the dead are not dealt with?
And what is the Queen doing? If the plague is so bad over there, She could well have condemned all of old Korvosa to die. It's not like she could be saving the city as the plague is already here. How can this happen?
In frustration Mirela finally ends her training with Whisper and brings her back to the room, giving her extra food before she dressing up in her well warn peasants outfit, and tucking her holy symbol under her blouse. She ties a kerchif over her hair and finally ties her dagger up her sleeve just in case.
With that done she goes and meets the others, praying for the strength to be ready for whatever comes next.
Just after noon, the group of you exit the Juggler, drawing a number of strange looks from the maid and wait staff. But no one questions any of you, as the staff is starting to get used to your strange and often filthy outfits.
You find a large pull cart next to the inn, just as Ben promised, and set off across the city.
Even pulling the cart, it really does not take long before you are pulling up before the Hospise of the Blessed Maiden. While the whole city seems quiet for mid-day, the street seems even more empty here, as if people avoid this block if they can.
Even with the sun high in the sky, the building seems to loom over you as you approach.
Twilight sighed as she took a moment to inspect her disguise in the mirror. The heavy rags covered most of her face and a little makeup to dirty the little skin that showed. Some lampblack to cover her blond hair which was further obscured under a rough hat.
A little spark of anger rose up in her; she was supposed to be working her way up through the echelons of nobility, ingratiating herself with those in luxury and power. Learning the ways of the court.
But instead here she was trudging through sewers, abattoirs and now hauling diseased corpses.
She hit the table in frustration before taking a deep breath and composing herself. Someone was behind this plague and she was going to make sure that they paid for what they had done, not just for the suffering that they had brought to the city but for the indignities that their actions had forced her to endure.
....
Twilight shuffled along getting into character as the cart clattered over the cobblestones. When they got to the hospice she approached the door.
Taking a deep breath the professor takes a swig from one of his extracts, improving his sight. .
This building looked like a tomb and he was not keen of entering. But it was what it was. There might be answers to find inside.
Mirela reaches out and squeezes Devan's hand.
Well this does be what we were asking for. We said we would be doing this job today.
She steps up next to the door, and looks back at the others.
Do we be doing this? Or I I have to be carrying the bodies by myself.
Atticus moves up and looks at the door.
"I think we can walk in first and get a look. Maybe get a stretcher."
Looking back he adds.
"I am not keen on carrying the bodies, you know!"
Mirela looks dumbstruck for a minute.
Oh ladies above. That do be a very good idea. I was just did be thinking we would carry them out.
Smiles as she steps away from the door.
You really should be a professor, Atticus!
Devan returned the squeeze of his hand with a smile, nodding in agreement as Mirela praised the Professor for his quick thinking. "That's right...we just need to make sure there are still students left to teach, good man. Hopefully this place will net us the answers we need to end this plague."
When everyone was ready, the musician looked back one final time to make sure no one had any new reservations, then opened the door and let himself inside, careful to keep his head low and his posture humble.
Im ready, if you wait for me, Devan. Let's see how far our plan can work. If we raise suspicion, as far as you can tell, say the word and run away, I'll keep them busy.
Entering through the door, the stinging scent of alcohol and medicine floods this dingy reception room, an odor typical of hospices—and morgues. Across from the entrance sits a long wooden desk, beyond which a stained leather curtain covers an archway, muffling but not quite blocking the moans issuing from the rooms beyond.
A large woman sits behind the desk. Her face is covered in multiple scarves and leather glove covered hands. You see her eyes flash up to to each of you as a new person enters the room then quickly return to the item she is knitting. The only one that gets any longer analysis is Mirela who stands in the doorway with a rolled up stretcher over her shoulder. This gets maybe a couple seconds consideration before her eyes return to her work.
Sitting before her on the near side of the desk to you is a Open book and inkpot. A worn quill sticks up from the inkpot.
A louder cough sounds to your right and as you look around you immediately see that there are about 10 chairs around the walls of the room. Currently there are 6 citizens, all looking to be working class and showing the tell-tail rash of the Blood Veil.
One woman in the corner looks particularly bad, with her face covered in blacken pox marks and a bloody handkerchief held loosely in her hand, which rests limply on her lap.
Devan glanced at the reception room as they entered, noticing the poor condition of the one woman. Chances were she'd be carted out of the Hospice all too soon, destined for the mass burials the city had resorted to when trying to slow the spread of the Veil. It was likely too late to help that woman...but for the others maybe there was still a chance to save them.
The musician shuffled closer to the woman behind the desk, speaking in a soft voice full of city drawl, "Here to gather up those destined for the Boneyard, ma'am."
The woman looks up as you talk. (This is her) Hearing what Devan says, she stops her knitting and really starts to look at you all.
What happened to the normal crew?. She says irritably.
Devan gave a disinterested shrug. "Dunno. Might have them out moving the dead somewhere's else, I reckon. Plenty of that work to be done lately. I suppose we can go get 'em, if that's gonna be a problem." The young man tried to give off the air of someone who could care less which option the woman behind the desk chose, feeling quite exposed suddenly without his weapons.
Nargun tries to stay low-which isn't that hard to do for a dwarf-and to keep his temper in check-which is way harder for him.
His body tenses while he waits for the woman's answer.
At least if things go bad we're not that far from the door
Twilight was uncomfortable being this close to so many of the afflicted. She kept glancing at the ill and kept as much distance between her and them as she could.
"They're just havin' us cover for them for a day or two. Din't want anyone else tak'n the job while they're off tak'n care of other business. They'll be back tomorrow or so."
Just to draw attention to it, Mirela just quietly shifts the stretcher to her other shoulder as she steps fully in and the room let’s the door close behind her.
Then she stands quietly keeping her eyes down waiting to see what the woman does.
The woman looks at you all for a long time. Then finally she stands up grumbling.
of course more work for me. The bloody help can’t even do their jobs. No they have to take time off leaving me..... She trails off to incomprehensible grumbling until she speaks up louder..
Wait here. I’ll tell The Doctor.
She walks behind the curtain leaving you all alone I. The room for the moment.
Devan just offered a small nod of his head to acknowledge the woman's words, not wanting to challenge anything so as to cause any ill will with the gatekeeper. When the woman stepped out, Devan peeked over the desk to see if there was anything interesting laying there, then looked back and shrugged at the others. Truthfully, the musician hadn't expected that much push back, but it seemed as though it would be best to just see what happened.
Devan sees Nothing really interesting on the desk. Just the book of names most of which are crossed off. There are currently six not crossed off in the book.
There is also a half finished knitting project sitting on the desk.
You see the yarn from the project trail down under the desk, but without walking around to look behind/under the desk you don't really see anything more.
Worrying for an ambush, Nargun looks around for potential attacks
While looking around, you see nothing out of the ordinary.
You do however hear a muffled voice through the moans from beyond the curtain.
Fine, I'll let them in.
You tell Dr. Davaulus that you lot are responsible to clean up if the fools drop anything in my waiting room!
A few moments go by and The woman returns through the curtain and moves back behind her desk.
You may go in. Follow the doctors orders and don't bump anything on your way out.
She sits back down but watches you closely to see if you step out of line.
As you step through the curtain you see that the warehouse’s vast interior has been converted into one gigantic convalescent ward. The stench of alcohol, sickness, and waste chokes the breath, and tight rows of low, stained cots cram the stone-floored hall. Every bed is filled with a pitiful story — men and women of all walks lay groaning and wheezing as they’re consumed by blood veil, their sufferings multiplied by the echoing chamber.
Amid the sick hover four dark-robed Queen’s Physicians, their avian masks giving them an unnerving resemblance to crows waiting to feed.
The one nearest you walks over and simply says Follow! Take those I point to.
He or she (you can't tell) heads off into the rows of the sick stopping at the body of a young boy and simply pointing to it. Beyond the Physician, near the back of the room, you see two armored Gray maidens standing near near two doors in the back of the area.
As you look around you can see walkways cross the upper part of this room about 20 feet in the air. The ceiling, dimly illuminated by the lantern in the room, rises some distance above the walkways.
Two Gray maidens stand at various points on the walkway above looking down at those in the area below.
The Grey Maidens all have bows on their backs and swords on their hips.
Devan turned his head slightly as they were ushered in, from under his hood seeing the two Maidens on the walkways above and that they were all outfitted for melee or ranged combat. That could be troublesome, especially if these 'doctors' could also fight.
Keeping his face stoic, he moved over towards the boy with Nargun, grasping the corpse's ankles and putting it onto the stretcher with the dwarf's help. He made a slight gesture to Atticus and Mirela, motioning them towards the entrance, then went to follow the physician once more. He suspected the rat-men didn't speak while they performed their task, so he stayed similarly silent.
All in all it seemed like a normal sick-house (as far as Devan knew), besides for the guards. Looking about as they followed the plague doctor, he tried to see what the other three physicians were doing.
The doctors seem to working with patients, One is giving an older man some concoction that seems to sooth his bout of violent coughing, while the one other seems to checks on other patients.
After Atticus and Mirela clear away the boy from the bed, the fourth doctor goes through the curtain and to the waiting room, and you hear him call out for a new patient.
You also note that there are actually a couple empty beds in the far corners of sick room.
As soon as the first corpse is gone, the doctor moves to the body of a one armed man and repeats the process of pointing to the body.
By the time the second bed has been cleared out, the very sick woman from the waiting room has already been brought and laid down on the bed you took the boy's body from, and one of the doctors is softly talking to her.
This process continues for 3 more bodies, until you have cleared out 5 total dead bodies. The whole process takes about 10 minutes.
In this time four people from the waiting room have been called in and given beds in the hospice.
After the fifth body the the doctor reaches in it's belt pouch and holds out 5 silver coins.
Your payment, That is all today.
Twilight helped where she could in moving the newly deceased. Despite the dim lighting, her elven heritage allowed her to see within as if it was brightly lit.
Despite the advantage the sight and smell of sickness all about her dominated her attention and she was able to note little more than there were Grey Maidens on the walkway above.
Even with the distractions, she did her best to memorize the doors and layout of the room in the event that the group decided on a more thorough investigation at a later date. In particular, she tried to determine where the back entrances opened into and where access to the upper catwalks were in case such knowledge was necessary.
Under his hood, Devan seemed perplexed as they went about the grisly process of moving the corpses. He had expected to see explicit displays of wrongdoing, but the doctors here actually seemed to be...doctoring. Still, it was odd to have security (let alone the Queen's security) for a place that only a crazy person would venture close to.
When the last body was seen to, the young man wordlessly accepted the silver coins and slipped them into his pocket away from his other money. One could never be too sure. He followed the others out of the Hospice, sighing with relief once they were out the door and the air seemed to lighten considerably.
The musician turned to Twilight, "Any chance you could see if there was magic on these coins they gave us when we get back to the Juggler?"
Nargun faces is getting paler as Devant takes the money, but it would habe been suspicious not to get paid for their supposed work
What if the coins are tainted with the plague?
He tries to keep control of himself, closing his eyes for a few moments, thinking about his late wife
Haven't you learned nothing? Trust your companions, they are smarter than you are. If the Queen put up so much ressources in protecting the place, she won't allow her physicians to get the Plague from that cursed coins.
Then a shadow of a doubt
Aren't they already cursed by working among the diseased and the dying? Still they are alive, as last for now. So they have means to protect themselves. This plan, bringing a plague in a city, come from a mad mind indeed...
Visibly relieved after leaving the building Twilight moved to take off her stifling scarf, but a glance at the morbid cargo they were transporting made her think better.
Once the hospice was out of sight, she took the pouch of coins from Devan "Its better if we find out sooner rather than later, let me have a look."
Without opening the bag she cast the cantrip and examined the pouch and its contents for signs of magical auras.
After examining the coins she turned her attention to Devan and Nargun "I have a new blessing. Considering the circumstances we have been finding ourselves in I would like to bestow it upon you two since you had the most contact with the bodies. For the next few hours it will let me know your conditions and in particular whether or not you have been afflicted by anything, such as the veil for instance."
With that she uttered a short prayer to Callistria requesting insight into her friends' conditions and tapped each in turn leaving a brief yellow glow where she had touched them.
Twilight had never cast this spell before and she stared off into the distance for a moment as she let the sensation wash over her. She not only felt their overall state of health, but the magic also let her know instinctively what direction they were in and their proximity.
- Atticus Immune
The group of you return outside the Hospise. You stand in the street with a cart full of dead plague filled bodies.
Needless to say the people on the street are giving you all VERY wide distance. In fact most people turn the other way when the see the cart.
You detect no magic coming from the coins.
Your new blessing quickly tells you that both Devan and Nargun are Diseased.
Mirela says softly:
Do you be seeing anything on the coins Twilight? I still 'ave the blessing that did be detecting the disease with the last batch of coins.
Twilight remained silent for a few moments as she feigned examining the coins longer than was necessary to answer Mirela's question.
"Of course it would be today that everyone gets sick. If Nargun and Devan are infected, what are the chances that anyone else that was in the hospice remaining healthy?"
She mulled over the implications.
"How do I get everyone together for my ritual now? Even if I don't say anything they are likely to start showing symptoms by this evening." she involuntarily frowned as her displeasure over the circumstance grew. After taking a breath and collecting herself she replied "The coins aren't magical, but both Devan and Nargun are infected. Its quite likely that we all are at this point. Give me a moment and I can find out for sure."
She fished around in her belt pouch and drew out a lustrous pearl. Concentrating on the orb she felt a brief jolt in her mind as the power of the pearl renewed in her mind the spell she had just cast. As she tucked the pearl away, she cast the same spell again, this time on Mirela and Atticus.
Twilight calls forth the power of the magical pearl, and she feels the blessing of Calistria settle upon her again.
Then she reaches out and touches Atticus and Mirela, releasing the blessing upon them.
Your new blessing takes effect you suddenly know that Mirela and Atticus are both Unharmed.
Twilight peered at Mirela and Atticus for a couple of moments. "You two are still healthy." She said, somewhat relieved that the entire group wasn't infected.
"We need to deliver these bodies as quickly as possible and find some way of treating it. That being said, are we going back there? Considering how difficult it is to get treatment, maybe we should go back tonight since you are already infected rather than getting treatment and then getting infected again.
But, did anyone see anything out of place? Other than an unusual amount of security I didn't see anything that really stuck out as odd to me."
The place is more a fortress than anything else. Too much weapons around, and I wonder why. So I'm sick, uh, and Devan too? It was only a matter of time, I guess. But what about you, Princess? Won't your magic work on yourself?
If Devan and the Dwarf did be getting sick just by being in there, 'ow come the doctors don't be sick already? They do be working with the disease all the time...
"They do have those strange uniforms with the beaked masks that probably help them. Or more likely they have their own source of healing. They do work for the queen after all and probably have access to the crown's resources."
She considered the thought for a moment "We could rummage around the hospice to see if we can find their source of healing and distribute it since it seems clear that they aren't using it on their patients."
I don't know if they have a source of healing, or just a way not to get ill, but surely people would enjoy to get access to it too! I understand it won't help if the doctors themselves take ill, I understand there is probably not enough ressources to heal everyone in town, but this is too much unfair..
I don't be knowing 'ow easy it would be to be rummaging around in there. The Grey Maidens didn't be seeming like they were just for show.
Though you do be right. Why 'ave so many of them? It's not like the sick look violent.
Twilight shook her head "I don't know, if there was a cure to be guarded why isn't it being given to the patients, and if there isn't a cure then why all the guards? And if there was a cure and they weren't intending on giving it to the patient any way, why would it be kept at the hospice?
One possibility is that they are there to protect the Queen's physicians in case people start believing they have a cure and riot? But that seems like a bit of a stretch." she shrugged. "I am curious about what is going on in there, but I'm not entirely comfortable about possibly starting trouble at the hospice if they are actually trying to help people."
Maybe we should try to get information from a doctor, by magic or guile... or blade? Do they live there permanently? Do they sleep here?Taking a few days to plan can't do us wrong.
Twilight smiled and cocked an eyebrow at Nargun's suggestion "Oh, I like that idea. A little kidnapping and interrogation then the fine physician can be on his way."
Atticus ponders over the remark from the others for a moment and replies.
"Maybe they have already had the disease and have been cured. This will make them immune for a while. Like when you had the measels... you can´t get it again!"
Maybe... . Mirela sounds tentative as she thinks about that.
After a moment she looks at the cart and says:
Should we be getting these to the Grey District?
The group drags the cart to the grey district. As they approach the gates a small group of townsfolk are approaching the gates from the other direction. The group stands back as the party pulls the cart through.
A man in White and Red Robes stands just beyound the gates. Seeing the party coming in with a cart full of bodies he simply raises his hand and silently points to the left where a large unlit pire has been set up.
Twilight stands back and watches as the cart is unloaded onto the pile. After the grim task has been completed and the group heads back to return the cart she ponders "What do we do now? I can't think of anything we can do about the collapsed bridges, should we at least go have a look? Or should we begin plotting the abduction of one of the doctors?"
I think having a look at the bridges could break the gloom of the day.Because theses bridges must be repaired, to get free of the place.
He shrugs, and gives a nasty smile.
Beside, while we walk toward the bridges, we can start plotting, quietly. "Kill two gobelins with an throwing axe", as we dwarves say.
Did you be wanting me to be checking the coins for the veil? I still be 'aving the blessing that found the taint last time.
Mirela pipes up as they head back across town.
The bodies that Devan and Nargun place on the pyre are not the only ones there. As the two place the bodies in open spots they can see multiple bodies already placed under the wood.
As they finish unloading and start to pull the cart away, one of the Priestesses of the Lady of Souls, walks up singing a beautiful song about the circle of life. She pauses the song only long enough to call out a short spell which ignites the pyre.
As the party walks out the gates, thick black smoke rises behind as you hear other voices joining the first in the song.
As you leave the grey district and head back across the city, you start to see a few more people. People are not immediately turning the other way as they did with the cart full of bodies, but they still do give you all wide berth, as you have come to expect.
Twilight nodded "Sure, lets drop off the cart and then head to one of the bridges to see what we can. Checking the coins also sounds like a good idea, just to be certain."
After a moment thought she adds "We should keep the disguises, just in case. If we are going to be taking some sort of action against the Queen's servants, then it might be best to keep as low a profile as we can for the time being. We should keep an eye out for more of the doctors collecting the sick as well, just to see how they travel about and how many are in a group."