We don't want to be cause of more deaths by holding on or sharing tainted coins. That spell you use, Huntress, can it be used easily by other priests? Maybe we should try to collect the diseased coins, and melt them in a forge's fire to get rid of them once and for all. Maybe by now it's too late, the plague has entered the city, and feast on the people's bodies... But whatever can be done shall be done, don't you thing!?
Twilight, you said that Devan and Nargun do be infected, but Atticus and I don't be.
What about you? Do you be knowing?
I can do this blessing once, but it do be telling me everything that is infected in a close area. So if you move in near Devan, I can be checking you too.
Twilght hesitated for a moment. She didn't really want anyone else to know if she had the Veil or not before she had an opportunity to examine herself and attempt to treat it if needed, but she also didn't really have a good excuse not to accept Mirela's offer so she relented.
She stood by Devan "Go ahead"
"I agree, just because we can't save everyone doesn't mean we shouldn't try to save anyone. We can disinfect or destroy what coins we can" she responded to Nargun as Mirela cast her spell.
Mirela casts the spell on the pair and pauses for a long time.
Then she grimly speaks up.
Well that do be proving it. You two have a faint trace of disease and I feel five others with very strong disease.
The coins really do be spreading this disease, but it can't just be that because you and Nargun didn't be touching the coins...
She seems sad as she says softly.
How... How could they pass it an not know? It's not right.
Twilight frowned behind her scarf. This was the second time that she had become infected by this affliction.
"I am suddenly inclined to pay a surreptitious visit to the hospice to see whether they do in fact have a cure that their doctors take to keep them healthy. I can't believe that they remain affliction free without some kind of treatment while tending to the sick day in and day out and over half of us have contracted it in less than an hour or two."
You do be right. They must be 'aving the cure. But the Queen did be brining them in to 'elp. Why aren't they sharing it?
I agree with you, Princess. There must be a cure, a real cure, not a sham, or else the plague could destroy those who planted it too. Could you use some magic so one of the doctors bring us a sample of whatever they use to cure people? Maybe the Professor here could work on a curative?
Twilight thought for a moment, a small smile playing across her lips. "I don't have any such magic right now, but Callistria has allowed me to be a little more... flexible with the domains of magic I am allowed to draw from. I can have magic to charm a man by tomorrow. It won't compel them to do anything particularly dangerous, but they will view me as their best friend. It might be enough to at the very least get some information from them."
I do be liking that much better then capturing one of them. The queen she did issue a proclamation about the doctors, and capturing one would probably not go well.
Twilight laughed finding the thought amusing "When did the Queen's proclamations or the threat of punishment stop us from doing anything? Trinia's escape certainly wasn't due to anyone in particular following the rules or quailing at the possible consequences, and infiltrating the hospice was probably not sanctioned by the queen either."
She grinned under the scarf. "But, if we want to play it safe, that's fine. We can always resort to more physical means of persuasion if magical ones prove to be insufficient. But in the meantime, what do we do now? Other than the diseases, do we want to go have a look at the bridge situation on our way back to the Juggler?"
I would like to be seeing what is 'appening there. So I vote for the bridges then we figure out what to do for the diseases.
Let's go to the bridges, and keep our eyes and ears open. Maybe we can find one of these doctors all alone, and eager to answer our questions, who knows? Stranger things have happened, like plagues spreading through coins...Meanwhile, I'll stay with you to protect you
there is a grim smile on the dwarf lips
As the walk along Mirela pipes up
I do be ‘aveing two blessings that can be countering the Blood Veil today. But 3 of us do be sick. Someone do be ‘aving to quarantine tonight to see if they can be fighting this off. If no I can try to ‘eal them tomorrow.
Is that going to be messing with your ceremony Twilight?
Twilight mulled over the question in silence for some time. She had options, some more palatable than other, but more importantly to her was the nature of the problem itself. Was this a test? Or maybe a lesson about putting someone else's concerns before your own.
Ultimately the problem was that she needed everyone else to be comfortable enough to attend the ceremony. That was the first and foremost concern at the moment. "Well..." she said thoughtfully "You don't have to worry about my health. I can call on sister Joy and see if she can perform this service. Barring that, for the right price I can ask a priest of Abadar or even better Shelyn. I believe that I have enough funds to acquire treatment."
"Or if this is a test, I will simply have to bear this affliction through the ceremony" she thought as she smiled reassuringly to Mirela.
That would be making it easier then. We can all participate.
With the greasy black smoke of the funeral pyres darkening the sky at their backs, the party makes their way north toward the Narrows. The streets, usually bustling and crowded, are subdued. Few people are out, and those that are mostly wear scarves over their faces and keep their distance from strangers in an attempt to protect themselves from the blood veil.
High Bridge, just outside the Gray District, is especially quiet. The district is the primary home district for members of the Korvosan Guard and Sable Company. The buildings here are mostly boarded up neatly, evidence of military discipline and order, but the streets are eerily quiet. The Gray Maidens are visibly asserting their presence here, and there seem to be more of the faceless, red-crested warrior women patrolling than civilians moving around on the streets.
Gold Market- the city's largest marketplace- is almost entirely shuttered, with only one in four of the market stalls and shops open and everyone keeping a wide berth from the few other masked, gloved shoppers. The Gray Maidens are visible here, as well, with a squad moving among the eerily quiet shops and stalls as the party made their way through.
Heading north, the group passses the Hospice of the Blessed Maiden again without stopping, making their way up the high road past West Dock. The usually bustling docks are virtually empty, with no ships currently being loaded or unloaded. After the disaster of the Direption, the city is temporarily closed to ship traffic- a situation that can't last too long, but is evidence of just how dire things have become. They pass another squad of Gray Maidens patrolling the industrial district right around the Old Fishery.
Turning northwest to move through the University district instead of the more affluent parts of North Point, the group passes the Bookmaker, the city's largest bookstore, but while it appears to be open it doesn't look like anyone is inside. Likewise the Jittery Quill, a tavern and cafe catering to students fronting a small square usually full of budding young scholars. Usually at least half full of bespectacled youths nursing cups of coffee, the Quill is open but empty, and the only people in the square are a squad of Gray Maidens marching south.
Ridgefield, the most crowded of North Point’s neighborhoods, is where the city starts to come alive again. Unlike the rest of the ward, Ridgefield was plagued with poverty and desperation even before the blood veil, and now is almost as bad as Old Korvosa just across the Narrows.
The group is nearly to the Avenue of Arms when they hear a commotion a block over. It sounds like a large crowd and they don't sound happy something.
You met your contact at the Posh and Turtle (the finest inn and tavern in all of Korvosa) and delivered the scroll case to the contact- he looked like an overfed, wealthy nobleman or merchant to you, which was odd given the general mood in the city right now- and are heading back home (or wherever you would go during the day). But as you make your way through the cramped streets of Ridgefield it sounds like there's a large, angry crowd a street over. You can respond with your actions without spoiler tags.
Artegall did wear his armor for this particular mission. He is not exactly famous, but he is somewhat known in town. While he could try to go incognito and be completely unnoticed, doing so could draw more suspicion if his disguise were seen through. So, he'll go openly, and trust that his reputation will keep others from prying too much.
After all, the investigator is not one that people turn to when things are going well. Artegall's on a case, onlookers might think. Ghosts? Sczarni? Best not pry. We've got enough troubles.
And if being completely unnoticed wasn't a likely prospect, then the armor made sense. Ridgefield wasn't all that safe a neighborhood even in good times.
The investigator makes his way towards the noise. He has no weapon drawn, but has his shield on his arm.
A thought struck Twilight as they moved along the largely deserted streets "Where do you suppose all these Grey Maidens came from? Their appearance is quite distinctive, if they were a mercenary group then surely someone would have heard of them before.
Do you think they were picked from the other forces? I'm sure the Hellknights wouldn't accept their members breaking rank, and Kroft would know if any of her guards were picked for special duty and the Sable knights are special cavalry, so they also don't seem to fit with the Maidens.
You don't suppose the Queen had a secret force raised and trained just in the off chance that she might need an army loyal only to her one day? If so then it was fortunate that she had such foresight considering what is happening."
The angry sounds from down the road caught her attention "Another riot perhaps? We should have a look."
That do be a good question. We 'ave seen some, but so many all of a sudden. We did be 'earing that the guard needs to 'elp the Maidens any way they did be asking. Maybe they did be taking some of the guardswomen... I don't be remembering ever seeing them before the queen's event that the Blackjack did be disrupting. But I never really knew much about swords for 'ire. Nargun 'ave you seen things like this before?
At Twilight's suggestion they check out the crowd, Mireala heads that way.
We should at least be looking to make sure there don't be trouble. We can always be staying back if need be.
You can find mercenaries quite easily, if you know when to seek, and have plenty of gold. But these Grey Maidens are something else entirely, I guess. They have a common purpose, and seems to work as a unit, as far as I can tell. There are not a just a bunch of sellswords, more like something you would expect in an army. But unlike the Hellknights, I've never heard of them before, they seemed to come out of the blue. Except you don't equip a hundred women warriors with fitting, look-alike armors in a few days. That kind of stuff was ready to be used for months, stashed secretly. I worked the steel for a few years, I should know what I' talking about. I agree with you, Princess, the whole thing was planned by the Queen, but I doubt she worked alone.
He smiles at Mirela's words, but his smile his mirthless
There is always trouble, wherever we go in this town, it seems...
On the next block over, an angry crowd is facing off against a solid block of Gray Maidens. A single plague doctor stands on a box to make himself visible to the crowd and is in the middle of shouting instructions. "...will be treated! But you must return to your homes and wait for a physician to reach you! This is your last warning! This block has been quarantined by order of the Queen's Physician himself! Disperse or we will be forced to take steps to disperse you!"
The Gray Maidens did not have their weapons drawn yet but there was no evidence of non-lethal weapons among them and their shields, swords, and bows looked absolutely deadly.
Oh No. This do not be looking good.
She looks over at the others as she fishes her wooden holy symbol out of her blouse.
If this do be getting violent, there do be little I can do, not without my bow and armor. But I ‘ave a blessing that could be settling people down for a bit. Maybe it would let people run.
Artegall will scan the crowd for any apparent leaders, or any armed individuals.
This protest is not going to make the Queen comply. It's just going to get people killed.
If he sees anybody in the crowd (not the Grey Maidens) drawing a weapon - even a makeshift club - he will try to Disarm them.
He does not provoke an AOO, and does not take the -4 for trying it barehanded - because his unarmed strike counts as "armed."
Twilight cleared her throat before shouting to the crowd "Hey! HEY! Me an my crew just got back from carting people to the Grey district." She gestured to the rest of the rag tag group.
"While we be appreciatin' all your generous offers of keeping us in business and flush with coin, maybe you should all be linsten'n to the good doctor here." She nodded to the plague doctor on the box. "He's tryin' ta put us out of the corpse haulin' business, and I think we can all agree that is one job that this city can do without."
Artegall doesn't see any obvious ringleaders. They just look like a bunch of scared, angry people taking out their frustration on the obvious targets.
The plague doctor turns his head to look back at Twilight and gestures at her as he turns back toward the crowd. "Precisely! Please listen to this person! Go back to your homes! Continued resistance will be met with force!" Either the doctor had a terrible bedside manner or they were trying to incite a riot.
Mirela tries to figure out what the crowd is complaining about and how close this situation is to coming to blows.
Artegall likewise keeps an eye on the crowd, trying to gauge how near they are to the boiling point.
He is not particularly persuasive, but he is observant.
And he also tries to listen to the Plague Doctor... is he trying to incite a riot?
Go now, if you know what's good for you. Keeping so close to each other, people you don't know if they got the PLague or not? That's not very wise, in my opinion..Better take shelter in your own home.
As far as she can tell, things are on a knife's edge. One or two wrong moves could lead to disaster. The crowd is agitated and the Gray Maidens look like they always do- a second or two from drawing their swords. Faceless helms or not, they always seem ready for a fight.
Artegall will move among the crowd whispering, "This isn't going to work. The Gray Maidens are looking for a fight. They're nuts. I saw one kill a man last week. He moved aside like she said but she didn't like the way he rolled his eyes when he did it. They have no remorse."
Those citizens do be about ready to riot. We do need to be calming them down or this will be getting violent soon.
Maybe if we can be convincing them that they will be safe in their home, it will be ‘elp them. They do be seeming to think they will be trapped there and the veil will get them.
Twilight's curiosity was piqued "Someone who has seen a Maiden kill a man without cause? That's interesting. As distasteful as they are, I wonder if we can get the Hellknights to investigate the Maidens for misconduct and set them against one another. Hmmm...
The muttering in the crowd increases as Artegall's warnings start spreading. A few people on the fringes start peeling off, not wanting to face the Gray Maidens.
The doctor gestures at Nargun. "This man is exactly correct! Please return to your homes where you will be safe! Gathering in large groups like this is dangerous for your health! You will be seen to once you return home!"
Between Artegall's whispers and Nargun and the doctor's cajoling, the crowd starts to break up. With the threat dissipating, the back rank of Gray Maidens turns crisply to face the group, their faceless helms betraying no emotion but that sense of partially leashed violence still in the air.
"Move along." You can't tell exactly which of them says it, the full face helms giving the order an echo-y, hard to triangulate reverb.
Mirela ducks her head and turns away from the group of maidens.
Then she softly says: The man in the armor, we need to be talking to him.
She glances back at the man beyond the Grey Maidens.
Then more loudly she saysWe can't be interfering with the Doctor and queens guard. We will 'ave to be finding a way around them.
Twilight nodded her head and gave a brief half salute to the maidens as she moved on giving them a wide berth.
After passing the doctor and his retinue she headed past the armoured individual. "Excuse me, would you have a moment or two to walk with us? I have a few questions about your encounter with the Grey Maidens if you would be willing to talk about the matter." Even thought there was already some distance between them, she kept her voice low to avoid being overheard by any of the retreating maidens.
Artegall nods to the half-elf. He too keeps his voice low.
"A fiction. I am not proud of it, but we needed the people to disperse. The Grey Maidens clearly were looking for the slightest provocation to start a fight, but I didn't think that merely conveying my intuition would convince the crowd. So I improvised.
I see you too were helped get them to clear out. This isn't going to end well... unless we can buy enough time for a cure.
My name is Artegall. Formerly of the Korvosan Guard, now an independent investigator."
He does not shake hands, of course, but nods his head again.
That cure do be needing to be coming soon. 'Alf the city do already be sick. She shakes her head in frustration.
'Ave you been over in Old Korvosa? Do it be as bad as they are saying.
Oh I be Mirela, by the way.
And I'm Nargun. Usually I don't mind some violence, but this wasn't the place or the time for that. People of Korvosa are hurt enough without needing a beating by the Grey Maidens too.
"I work out of Northgate. I haven't been to Old Korvosa since the plague started.
I suspect you all do more than just cart the dead, or you wouldn't have addressed the crowd as you did. If you know of anything that might offer a hope of making things better... I will help if I can."
"We help out where we can doing a variety of odd jobs here and there. We were just on our way to have a look at the situation regarding the bridges."
She smiled "You may call me Twilight. It is too bad about your story though, I was hoping that we might be able to use it to stir up a little friction between the Hellknights and the Maidens. What kind of work do you do?"
Mirela looks at the maidens and the doctor.
Why don't we be walking as we talk?
Artegall will follow Mirela.
"I am an investigator. I help out the Guard on some cases, or individuals come to me for problems where they feel they can't go to the Guard. Blackmail, hauntings, fraud, runaway children, suspicions of infidelity, lost heirlooms - there's any number of things people ask me to help with.
I have some slight gifts of communication with the spirit world that help with my work."
Finding lost people... We actually could use...
She looks over at the others.
Think we should be telling 'im about Ruan? We still don't be knowing where the jester took 'im. Maybe a fresh set of eyes could be 'elping up find 'im?
that could be great. Maybe he can find out if he's still alive or not, for start..And I have a grunge to settle with that Jester. She will laugh tears of blood until she chokes on it and die.
The encounter had happened well into Ridgefield, not far from the Narrows. The crowded neighborhood was plagued with poverty and desperation even before the Blood Veil and now the stink of desperation and fear pervades the entire district.
The group's short trip through the rest of Ridgefield is uneventful, though there isn't a block where they can't hear someone weeping or yelling- usually a child, but more than once an adult pushed past their breaking point. The street ends at the boardwalk overlooking Endrin Isle as it usually does but the wooden bridge that used to cross the Narrows has been destroyed.
From the debris poking out of the water below, it looks like someone set the bridge on fire then chopped the charred timbers off the stone piers. The same has been done to every one of the bridges up and down the Narrows, save for far up the Narrows where the group can still see the solid stone Jeggare Bridge crossing the water.
Gray Maidens look down warily from the wall on the city's northern shore but don't immediately shoo the group away.
As they walk, Mirela starts to get Artegall up to speed about Ruan.
We could be actually using your 'elp. See, we also are asked to do some work for Commander Kroft with the Guard.
One of the last things we looked at was a missing Musician, Ruan.. Ummm ... Mirukova.
We found out from 'is sister that he went and played at some big fancy Quarantine party at the Carowyn mannor.
I don't be knowing if you 'eard about this yet, but when we went to investigate, we found that almost all people in the 'ouse 'ad been killed. It seems this elven Jester that did be 'ired for entertainment, went nuts and started murdering the guests.
By the time we did be getting there, the guests 'ad been raised as zombies infected with the blood veil, and the Jester was running around cackling like a mad elf, and trying to kill us with 'er bow!
We managed to drive 'er off and put the zombies to rest, but we never found Ruan's body.
We did be getting a clue that the Jester did be connected with a known Necromancer named Rolth. So it do be possible that Ruan was sent to 'im. But we don't be knowing where the Jester, Rolth or Ruan do be now.
We know Rolth did be 'aving a lair in the Grey District, but we burned it out weeks ago.
I suppose we can be looking there, but I doubt we will be finding much there. Since you specialize in finding people, any other suggestions on 'ow we can be finding this missing Musician?
She pauses for a second then says.
Wait... She killed them, but the zombies we fought all 'ad the Veil? That don't be making sense.
"Hmm, there wouldn't be any point in going back to his old lair, we alerted the priests to its presence. I would suspect that it has already been cleaned up or sealed off.
As for the zombies, we already know that the veil can infect things as well as people. Perhaps one or more of the guests were already infected before their demise and subsequent animation?"
She gave a little shrug before glancing at Artegall "By the way, you may want to be cautious about accepting payment of any kind in coins for the foreseeable future." she said cryptically.
"But, it is an important matter. We know Roth is an unscrupulous necromancer and under these conditions he would have plenty of material to work with which makes him particularly worrisome. The sooner we can find him the better."
"I would normally inspect the lair for anything missed by the 'cleaners'. Asking around can also work. Some have the power to speak with the dead, which can be useful, though I cannot yet do that.
As to these zombies, it is possible that the spell that animated them also infected them with the plague. I can see a necromancer developing such magic.
Is it Rolth or Roth? If the necromancer has magic to bring back the corpses as formerly healthy people as zombies infected with the Blood Veil... is this plague magical in its origin? Maybe Rolth created it, or has ties to the one who did."