"Well done team! Even better, that nobody had to die!"
Nodding, "Yeah, nice that it worked out that way."
"We should be off. The threat is done and the city is still ready to tear itself apart." Makall makes mention as he watches the wererats disperse.
You exit the sewers, a little grubby from the environs and the combat, but largely unscathed. The sun is beginning to set over the city; it's been a long day, starting with a dip in the river, and ending with a wererat bout. A long rest would probably be nice.
But it seems fate has other things in store. Shortly after you exit the sewers, the find the streets packed with a crowd of people, blocking your progress. A few grumpy carters stand around, complaining about the obstruction, the cause of which is up on a makeshift stage.
A young woman with short hair and Varisian garb is giving some sort of speech to the assembled crowd. No, after a second or two of listening, it becomes clear that this is actually a sales pitch.
"Yes folks, Lavender's Luxuriant Liniment is what Korvosa needs in these dark days, and we've traveled to your fine city to bring it to you. The alchemists of Thuvia, the arclords of Nex, the pharaohs of Osirion, all will swear by this fine product! Lavender’s Luxuriant Liniment is the everyday elixir of the common Korvosan. It wakes you up in the morning and calms you down at night. It soothes aching joints, tired feet, sore hands, and throbbing heads. It takes the pain out of cuts, burns, bruises, and blemishes. It smells like chastity, confidence, and respectability, and tastes like honeyed dewdrops over snow clouds. Most miraculously, though, Lavender’s Luxuriant Liniment dispels blisters, minimizes swelling, calms the complexion, and erases all symptoms of the common Blood Veil complaint! Just look at these testimonials!"
The woman points to a sign hung above the briefcase from which she is hawking small vials of liquid, which are being replaced as quickly as they can sell by a pair of men filling new vials from a barrel. The sign reads:
- "Brilliant - and all natural!" - Mimsy Borogrove, gnomish druid
- "It's putting us out of work!" - Sinclair Tannis, Pharasmin undertaker
- "A true miracle!" - Razmir, god
Shaeda looks to her associates, "coincidental opportunist, or a guilty collaborator?"
Searok looks at the 'circus' with disgust. Bah! A con artist fer sure. I'm sure wasn't too long ago she was sellin' rotten fruit for that execution we stopped..er..stopped and watched is what I meant!
Growling, "I doubt it is a good thing. People always manage to find a way to profit on misery."
Pushing her way threw the crowd and raising her voice,
Smiling and continuing, "As you can see I am a bit of a mess right now. So that thing should fix me right up, right?"
Emma's words impress the gathered gawkers more than the woman on stage's two-bit sales pitch. The crowd quickly starts jeering, and she tries to regain control.
"Have I mentioned it wards off goblins? Gives dogs a nice shiny coat? Free imp with every purchase! YIPE!"
That last word is because she has to dodge a thrown tomato. Between this and the execution, at least the grocers of Korvosa seem to be doing a fine trade.
"Keep your swill, we've got enough problems!"
"Just another fraud, like the bloody queen!"
"You're just making things worse!"
More vegetables are thrown, and the woman realizes she's beaten. She gestures to her lackeys, who quickly pack up the barrel and vials, and all three flee the scene, leaving the stage they set up. Before she goes the woman gives Emma a venomous glare.
After a few more minutes of laughing and insults, the crowd begins to disperse, and the street traffic cam finally move on, slowed somewhat by the abandoned stage taking up part of the street.
”Making friends wherever we go I see!”
Quickly moving out of the crowd and back to her companions with agitation clear on her face, "Sorry. People like that are why my people are called 'moths' its why I have had so much trouble getting a real job and play for change on the streets."
Shifting on her feet, "I did not mean to start all that."
You all return to Zellara's house for a well-deserved rest. That night, however, both Emma and Searok awaken to the sound of breaking glass.
Searok will slowly rise, blink a few times to get his darkvision used to his surroundings and look in the direction of the broken glass.
Searok sees two figures through a broken window. One of them is keeping a nervous eye on the street, the other has a small sack and is trying to push it through the hole in the window.
Looking around and moving next to Searok, "Oh, good your awake and its dark."
[b]"Can you grab the one in the window and I can get the one outside? I can make you invisible till you grab him but you gotta be quick."[b]
Searok flashes a toothy grin and says quietly, He is gonna wished he picked another house!
Emma casts her spell and Searok fades from sight.
Searok will go over and try to grab the one by the wondow like Emma asked him to!
Turn Order:
Shaeda (Next round)
Searok
Thug 2
Emma
Makall (Next Round)
Thug 1
Searok walks unseen up to the man at the window and snatches him, causing him to yelp as the dwarf suddenly appears out of nowhere in front of him.
He struggles against Searok's grip...
And just manages to escape his grasp.
The sack he was putting through the window hits the floor, and something skitters out of it and across the dark room. Searok, adept at seeing in the gloom, catches a glimpse of something that looks like a rather big spider before it's out of sight under a table.
The thug by the window is entangled in how own shadow.
The one watching the street hears the ruckus and turns around. He swears, pulls out a crossbow, and fires it.
Impressively, the bolt goes right through the broken glass and hits Searok.
Shaeda and Makall are roused by the sounds of combat.
Shaeda looks about, spies the individual outside the window, and hurls hold person at them. She stands up.
DC 14 Will save!
The man just barely resists.
As Shaeda exits the bedroom and casts her spell toward the man out the window, she catches a glimpse of something crawling rapidly across the floor in her direction. At first it appears to be a spider, but at second glance it's actually an animate severed hand. It's using three of its fingers to propel itself, while the thumb and forefinger are being used to carry a dagger.
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Shaeda points that creepy thing out to her friends, ”eeek”
"Why? All I wanted was to sleep off today." Turning at the strange noise and staring at the hand. "No."
Searok, enraged, will try to punch the man in the nose. Since ye wiggled out of me grip, I'm gonna beat ye in submission!
Since he is raging, he will try and bite the man for good measure!
Searok pounds the man's face like hamburger, and sinks his teeth into him, causing him to yowl with pain.
The man Searok's fighting, unable to flee due to his shadow holding onto him, tries to fend off Searok with a blackjack.
He misses.
The hand, which was skittering toward Shaeda, suddenly finds itself pinned in place.
”The Sting be praised! And Emma, thank you too!”
The hand struggles against Emma's spell, but does not prevail.
The man with the crossbow reloads and takes another shot through the broken window at Searok.
Shaeda will attack the creepy hand with her whip...
The whip snaps against the hand's putrid flesh.
Ye should give up while ye can and ye still have yer teeth! Searok says as he pummels the man again!
The man's nose breaks under Searok's blows, followed by his jaw. He goes limp in the dwarf's grip, falling unconscious.
Shaeda keeps pointing at the creepy hand, "keeeeel eeeeet!"
Emma draws her rapier and readies to attack the hand if it comes closer. She doesn't want to move forward, because where she is, she is comfortably within Shaeda's Bodyguard range!
18-20x2
It looks like I roll as well for Emma as she does!