Tayce thanks you once again for saving the life of her daughter. You and your friends will always be welcome as a guest in her house, should you ever need a place to stay or a hot meal.
After this, several more days pass. It seems Tayce Soldado isn't the only one who believes the wreck of the Direption to be the source of the city's latest woe, as you hear people on the street occasionally curse it, and those who sank it. The site of the wreck itself it treated almost as haunted, with people avoiding that section of the river or entreating various gods for protection as they walk past.
The rumored new branch of the guards that answers directly to the queen has come to pass, although it's not quite what most people expected. This faction is known as the Gray Maidens; you see a few throughout the city here and there. The tall woman you witnessed at the botched execution seems to have been an early indicator of their coming, as they are all rather similar in appearance; female and dressed in full plate armor, complete with face-concealing helmet decorated with a red plume. They never remove these helmets in public, which is said to be an intimidation tactic; by keeping their identities secret, one never knows if their own neighbor might be a member. When encountered these women are usually found in command of a few regular guards, quarantining buildings that have been touched by the disease, or dispersing crowds to prevent its spread.
Despite these efforts, it would seem Ishani's fear of an epidemic were not unfounded. The new malady is dubbed "Blood Veil", and new cases are being reported every day. It seems to be hitting the poorer districts of Korvosa hardest, where people living in close quarters and with poor nutrition help its spread. In addition to the irritating red rash, symptoms include fever, cough, and exhaustion. Without treatment, victims often die within a week, and before long the first fatalities are being reported.
Eventually Shaeda receives another missive from Ishani, thanking her once again for her aid with Brienna Soldado. He requests a meeting, but this time asks that she bring her allies with her, and meet at the Citadel.
"Most of the patients we’re treating have come from North Point and Old Korvosa. The disease seems to spread fastest through the lower classes. Although we here at the temple can heal some of the ill, I dread that the transmission of the disease will soon outpace our resources. The only way to stem the growing infection is to involve the entire city. We need to organize. We need to call upon the faiths of Sarenrae, Pharasma, and even Asmodeus to face this attack. Archbanker Tuttle and several of his assistants are out pursuing alliances with these other faiths, but even that won’t be enough. We need to involve the Korvosan Guard and the queen’s new agents, the Gray Maidens, at the very least. That’s where you come in. I hear you have a good relationship with Field Marshal Cressida Kroft. Perhaps you would be willing to meet me at Citadel Volshyenek to arrange an introduction?"
Searok glares at the painting. The 'artist' drew him with a slight smile.
Bah! I ain't never smiled in me life!
Staring at the painting a few more minutes, he lets out another Bah! People will look at dat an' think I'm soft!
Frowning at the explanation, "That is going to lead to the sick being rounded up. The Guard and the new Grey Maiden's are gonna have to. And the only way I will agree to something like that is if anyone able to heal is waiting to spend everyday, every drop of magic, to heal those people and there is waiting until they can pay. If we are going to do this then the city has to fix it."
"Fine, fine, let's go help."
The four of you meet Ishani in front of the citadel and, after the rest of you are introduced to him, enter to find Cressida in the main office, giving orders to several of her guards. Also present are a Gray Maiden, imperious and helmeted, and a group of men whose faces are similarly covered. They wear long black robes, wide brimmed hats, and masks on their faces that incorporate goggles and taper to a long conical "beak", giving them a crow-like appearance.
The field marshal instructs her guards: "You will escort the queen's physicians in their royal duties, wherever those may take them. Furthermore, you are to consider orders from any of the queen’s Gray Maidens to be as binding as those of any superior officer in the Korvosan Guard. You are the Korvosan Guard. You will not balk. These are dire times, and your city needs these healers. Your city needs you. Your patrol leaders have your assignments. Dismissed!"
As this assembly ends the guards and the physicians depart, along with the Gray Maiden, and a small, middle aged man approaches Kroft. "Your assistance in this situation is most appreciated, field marshal, but you didn't mention the other matter to your forces. The proclamation? We went over it at length. It is vital that your men begin enforcing it."
Cressida sighs. "Doctor Davaulus, it hasn't even been posted yet, so no one has read it. I can't order my guards to start enforcing a law no one is aware they could be breaking. In a day or so, once the criers have read it out to everyone, then I'll give the guard their instructions. Besides, I hope it will be amended by then. Some of the language is harsh, and goes too far."
Doctor Davaulus fidgets, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "On the contrary, it does not yet go far enough! We need to start discussing the possibility of quarantine. I have the queen's ear, and if you and I were to present a united front..."
Cressida decides that now is the perfect time to suddenly notice your presence. She turns with a bright smile that looks completely out of place on the unfamiliar territory of her face. "Emma, Shaeda, Searok, Makall, how lovely to see you! And someone new? Always happy to make new friends!"
Frowning and crossing her arms, "What is going to be posted."
Cressida silently hands her a notice from a stack of them on a desk.
Shaeda scans the document, mumbles a few times, and when complete passes it to someone else, commenting, "seems straightforward enough!"
Glaring at the notice, "That could be abused really easy."
Waving a hand towards Ishani, "This is Ishani and he wanted a meeting with you."
Passing the notice to Makall, "Is there a reason they have not included any of the temple in this?"
"The rules are vague. The punishments for violating them are decidedly not. That's a dangerous combination in my experience, certain to result in trouble. As for the temples, they all have their own rules for how to deal with emergencies like this, none of them are comprehensive, and not everyone's god is talking to each other."
Ishani speaks up. "I might be of some service there. I represent the Grand Bank of Abadar, and while like all the temples in the city our magic is limited, our record-keeping is second to none. We've been keeping track of where the outbreaks have occurred, and I'm certain that if we can convince the other temples to listen, we can reduce the rate of infection by targeting areas strategically."
Cressida points as him. "You. I like you. Doctor Davaulus, please come listen to this man. Any conclusions so far, Mr. Ishani?"
Ishani: "Well for one, I think we can put to rest the ridiculous notion that a sinking ship in the river is the cause of our woes. The info we've gathered does not match."
Doctor Davaulus: "Are you certain? It seemed a plausible explanation to me. Most of the earliest cases I'm aware of originated from that approximate area."
Ishani shakes his head. "The timing is wrong. We've determined the illness has an incubation period of about a day. The earliest cases appeared within just a few hours of the sinking."
Devaulus: "Really? That's a very good point."
Cressida meanwhile has slowly gone into a facepalm. "That stupid ship. Right. You four." She gestures at the four of you. "It seems I may have a job for you after all, if you're feeling brave."
"I'm not feeling particularly brave, but I am overwhelmingly bored, so if there's work to be done, count me in."
Makall reads the notice and nods, "What are the symptoms of this disease and is it magical in nature? The ship might not be the source but investigating it might lead to some clues about the origin of this disease."
Doctor Davaulus: "Symptoms of Blood Veil include headache, fatigue, cough, weakness, and a red rash that covers the neck and face. At advanced stages blood will start to fill the lungs, and after a week untreated death is likely."
Cressida: "And investigating the Direption is exactly what I'd like you to do. The guards are spread thin escorting the queen's physicians around and keeping peace. I don't expect the ship to hold the key to the sickness, especially if the information Mr. Ishani has gathered is accurate, but if we can rule it out entirely it will help calm the populace. I can provide you each with a potion of Water Breathing that should last long enough to fully survey the wreck and report what you find. Especially be on the lookout for any bodies, whether they have signs of Blood Veil will be telling."
"Exploring under water, sounds exciting."
Shrugging, "Haven't done something reckless in a while. But before I agree I want to know what you are wanting us to do. That way I am not agreeing to do something I might not being able to do."
As the doctor rattles off the symptoms, Searok suddenly believes he has every one of them!
He sticks his tongue out at Emma. How thoes ny tong look? he asks.
He then feels his forehead even though fever was not listed as a symptom.
"The Direption lies beneath about 80 feet of water, but that won't be a problem with these potions. It'll be dark, but I'll give you some sunrods too, they function underwater. Simply swim around and examine the wreckage, seeing if you can find any bodies. I don't expect much danger; one way or another the crew of that ship are dead. Some scavengers maybe, nothing you can't handle. If you find bodies bring them to shore; I'll pay for removal of any sickness you are exposed to myself, this is too important to figure out."
"What will be the disposition of any treasure found aboard her?"
"Either it was a plague ship that was transporting ill people who didn't have any treasure, or it was a ship full of pirates desperate and stupid enough to poorly disguise their vessel as a plague ship and run a blockade who thus didn't have any treasure. Either way, I don't expect to hear that you found any treasure."
The ambiguous wording of that last sentence hangs in the air for a second, rubbing its metaphorical hands together.
"Since this job is a bit of a rush order, 300 sails apiece sound fair?"
”A girl can hope, can’t she?”
Pressing a hand on to Searok's forehead and the urge to tell him he is doomed is on the tip of her tongue but the dwarf really seems concerned. Sighing and mumbling to him, "You are fine. Hale and hearty."
Looking back at the Captain and nodding, "Ok." Honestly they should have already done so awhile ago. I get why my people avoid cities. It really does rot the brain.
Are ye sure? Searok asks hopefully. Once assured he is ready to be off.
Soon you stand on the bank of the muddy Jegarre river, at the location where the Direption went down. There's no sign of wreckage from the surface, and the water here is slow moving. The river is about 200 feet wide, and half as deep at its center. Around you people go about their business, mostly avoiding this part of the river due to its recently acquired bad reputation. A few boats drift by.
"Do we weigh our packs down with rocks, and just walk across the bottom?"
Searok looks at the water and fully realizes the plan. That water looks mighty murky! Are ye sure these potions are gonna work? How about I grab one of ye in each of me arms and the other climbs on me back?
"I did not realize that dwarves can swim so well? Can we not ask around and maybe find a fisherman who might have a better idea where the ship went down. If they know we can then drop an anchor and reach the bottom by going down on the rope?"
We don't but it's like walkin'. He then thinks for a moment, scratches his beard. It is walkin' right?
"The potion will provide us with the ability to breath in the water like fish but not swim like them I believe."
"If we can find someone willing to take us out there it would be best but all things considered I doubt that will happen."
Emma asks around and finds that many people are avoiding that particular stretch of river, out of fear and superstition. Eventually however she finds a fisherman with a small boat who is willing to take you out to above where the wreckage lies. He doesn't want to stick around longer than necessary though, so you'll eventually have to walk to shore.
Than'ee! Is there anyway ye can come pick us up? Searok asks hopefully.
When everyone is ready, Searok will reluctantly drink his potion and dive in.
"Don't think so. No way to see what's going on down there, water's too murky, and people might think I'm up to something if I just float in this spot."
Shaeda too will drink and dive when the time comes.
Smiling at the fisherman, "It was worth asking and thank you for bringing us to the right spot."
Offering the man five gold sails, "We are still grateful though."
Grimacing when the potion slides down her throat before diving into the murky water.
As the water closes above your heads , the magic takes hold and you find yourselves breathing quite comfortably. Slowly the daylight above fades, and after a couple of dozen feet the murk has rendered everything pitch black, save for Searok whose eyes are better adapted for darkness.
At last you hit the bottom, and your feet are ankle deep in silt. Once a sunrod has been struck, the blackness gives way to an alien landscape. As the lack of sunlight allows few plants to grow down here, one could almost mistake the bed of the Jeggare for a cloudy desert, if not for the occasional fish swimming through the "air", attracted by the light. This far below, the surface is completely invisible, as if you are standing beneath a starless sky.
The helpful fisherman's knowledge of the river was right on the money, and you will be spared a long search; a splintered board attached to a chain isn't far from where you stand, beyond it a metal ring with broken glass that was once a porthole, and following the debris you are soon able to trudge through the silt to the wreck of the Direption.
It lies in two pieces, split across a large rock about a third along its length. The prow of the ship is broken off and leans forward into the riverbed, while the stern two thirds have fallen sideways so the starboard side lies in the silt.
Shaeda, with her nautical experience, recognizes the make of the ship as a Nidalese merchant vessel, constructed from gray Uskwood timber.
Edit:
Searok points to Shaeda and then to the wreck as if to say "Lead on". He is afraid to speak least the potion no longer works and his lungs fill with water.
Shaeda nods, casts light on her shield and moves on in.
Emma points towards the separated front of the ship. It's smaller.
Approaching the ship is easy enough, but due to the front's awkward positioning, you have to shimmy up a slippery rock to get a good look inside. Luckily, light as you are in the water, this isn't very difficult even with your packs weighed down.
The front portion of the ship broke away and landed awkwardly here, revealing two splintered decks inside. Its bowsprit shattered and decks filled with debris, the vessel bears the name Direption painted across the bow.
Peering inside, there doesn't appear to be much of note. The doors to the forecastle and galley have swung open in the river's current, revealing a wrecked interior. There's no sign of bodies or supplies.