Tuck those things back in the bag. We don't want anyone to know Vencarlo might know Blackjack's identity.
"And soon we can ask Black Jack if he is the perfect hero you think he is." Tyrandro comments towards Sebastian.
As the equipment comes tumbling out of the locker, Sebastian's eyes light up. Naturally, he recognizes the armaments, and he remembers the conversation that he'd had with Vencarlo while preparing Trinia's horse. "Those don't belong to Master Orisini. He and Blackjack are friends, they studied under the same swordmaster."
Examining the weaponry, Sebastian sees that the sword, obviously magical, shows no wear, but the daggers appear to have seen some action. "I don't think this is a spare equipment set. And if Master Orisini is keeping it safe, Blackjack must have gone to ground again." Sebastian frowns, not liking the implications. Certainly he's being hunted, but this shows just how bad things have gotten in Korvosa.
No doubt after rescuing Trinia he would be the target of a massive manhunt. Perhaps he is working as an intern at a major paper something where he doesn't stick out. Shall we head to Salvador's and keep this safe if we meet Blackjack?
"Yes, let's move." Tyrandro puts everything back and hands the box to Sebastian. "You lead the way."
You pack up your gear and make your way towards Wave Street in the Old Dock sector of Old Korvosa. Along the way you encounter a wild-eyed human wearing an ill-fitting suit of leather armor, striding purposefully down the street toward Old Dock, sword in hand.
"If you're not the emperor's goons, step out of my way. If you are, prepare to meet your doom."
With just a cursory glance of your trained eyes, you can easily tell that he is no match for you nor any of the thugs you encounters earlier.
"We aren't with the Emperor. We aren't his goons. They were rude to a lady. Who are you?" Iolana asks. She hopes her small size makes her look harmless to the gentleman.
Of course we are not his goons, we in fact struck some down who rudely tried to rob us, do you have the intention on fighting them?
Sebastian lets the ladies do the talking and merely stands behind them with his hand on his hilt, making sure that his pseudodragon mark is clearly visible.
Tyrandro would have let him pass but as the ladies are intent on speaking with him he waits patiently at the back. Checking that no one jumps out of the shadows.
The man stops at Iolana and Ayako's questions.
"Do I have intentions on fighting them?! Do hippogriffs fly? The emperor executed my entire family for refusing to turn out our food stores and life savings. The plague took nearly everything from me and the emperor took the rest. I have nothing left. I don't care if I die trying. I'll see my family sooner that way. But I'm hoping to send the emperor to Hell first. My name is Tesh Zobberdin, not that it matters. Now if you aren't the emperor's men, move aside. I have nothing but murder on my mind."
Well wouldn't it be better to have some stout allies to help you? We've suffered attacks from the Emperor's thugs and so I think a confrontation is in order. We just need to see if one of our friends here is safe and then we can accompany you. After all, revenge is better when one gets to live through it.
"I'm sorry for your loss. Please wait for us, and we'll come up with a plan that will have a better chance of working."
"If you want to die honourably, but stupid you can continue on your path." Tyrandro comments. He sounds bored.
"Or you simply wait for a day. For I got the feeling this emperor won't live to see another sunrise."
"You're going to kill the emperor? Well good on you. Perhaps revenge will be sweeter if I can piss on the asshat's corpse. Are you going there now? I can lend you my sword."
While you are talking with Tesh, another group of emperor's thugs rounds a corner, spots you, and moves towards you.
"Well well well. Pathetic Tesh Zobberdin. What are you going here? Did you not learn your lesson when the emperor decapitated your wife? I see you made some new friends. And they look like they want to fight. Now you know the emperor doesn't tolerate this type of dissidence. We're just going to have to kill them too to really hammer the point home. Their deaths will be on your head. Pun intended. But don't worry. We won't kill you. The emperor is merciful, despite your treacherous ways. And your suffering is so sweet."
The thugs prepare to attack you. At the sight of danger, Tesh's true face shows as a coward and he immediately flees at full speed. "You guys take them. I...um...got your back...from way back here."
Oh joy. Ayako mutters and blows outwards, sending a rush of dark particles at the thugs that explodes outwards.
The bow glides from Tyrandro's shoulder into his hand in one move while the other hand draws an arrow onto the bowstring, draws the bow and let's it fly.
Sebastian draws his sword and takes a step forward, but goes no farther. If they wanted a fight, they would have to come get it; Orisini taught him better than to advance into a crowd of enemies. Instead, he merely taunts them from afar. "You know Ayako, I think I've discovered the reason I could never find any ugly minions. They've all been hiding in Old Korvosa!"
The Emperor certainly has rotten taste.
Iolana uses her elemental ray.
The thug in front takes a splash of cold to the face following by an arrow from Tyrandro.
The same thug also grows fatigued as the icy dust particles drain his energy away. The others, however, manage to shake of the effect.
Two thugs move up to attach Sebastian, but two others skirt the edges of the fight to sneak around to Ayako and Tyrandro.
When Sebastian is on the defense, his guard is nearly impenetrable as the two thugs attacking him find out.
Tyrando also manages to block the attack against him. Only Ayako isn't able to avoid the attack and takes a minor hit with the thug's axe.
Iolana casts Haste on the group. "They are ugly aren't they." Then she pulls out her wand of Cat's Grace.
Ayako steps around and stabs twice at the cur to her north, seeking to take him out. Sebastion, his kidneys are open to you.
Tyrandro takes a step away and shoots the guy
"Perhaps your should open them yourself," he calls to Ayako. The last group of thugs had gone down easily enough, but this was no time to get sloppy. He'd help Ayako when he could, but allowing himself to get surrounded would be no help at all. Fending off his enemies' blades, he gets a couple of good hits in thanks to Iolana's spell.
"Let's see what progress my pincushion here makes. Maybe I'll take the option soon." Tyrandro chimes in on the merry chatter.
Iolana hastes the group.
With his newfound speed, Sebastian stabs one of the thugs twice in quick succession and drops him to the ground.
Tyrandro puts three arrows in the one in front of him, killing him as well.
Ayako stabs twice at her enemy. He fends off the attacks but she keeps him at bay.
The thugs, being the rogues that they are try to take advantage of positioning to flank Sebastian. Unfortunately, even flanking, their skill is no match for Sebastian's and parries forwards and backwards with ease.
Ayako moves to flank thug 3 and stabs
Iolana realizes that the's gents are no match for the group, and choose to use one of her lesser spells instead of tapping Tyrando with the wand. She casts an elemental ray of cold at the thug to the right of Sebastian.
Tyrandro shoots another set of arrows.
But obviously he got his fingers in a knot.
Sebastian growls as the thugs surround him, but their clumsy attacks pose little threat. Still, it was bad etiquette, and they needed to be taught a lesson. "Poor form," he chides as he delivers the blow to end the man's life. Spinning around, he slashes the other man's unprotected femoral artery.
Iolana splashes a thug with a burst of cold.
Sebastian impressively stabs the thug to his left twice and pivots and stabs the thug to his right. Tyrandro is left hanging when he begins to aim his bow and both thugs fall over as gouts of blood gush from the wounds Sebastian inflicted.
After the fight, Tesh is nowhere to be found. You continue on your way to Salvator Scream's home on Wave Street without further incident.
Salvator’s home is a leaning, decrepit building located along the Narrows, not far from one of the many now-ruined bridges that once connected Old Korvosa to the mainland.
The house has doors facing to the west and south. And windows along the other walls.
Near the house is a sinkhole.
What once might have been a small house has been obliterated, collapsed from within by a twenty-foot-diameter sinkhole. Water from the Narrows fills the hole, creating a muddy pit strewn with jagged bits of timber and flotsam. The edges of the hole are slick and patchy with fungus. Immediately south of the sinkhole, the boardwalk has also collapsed, creating a dangerous tangle of timber and crazily tilted pilings.
Ayako, despite all the battles he has been in, still flinches from the very impressive spray of blood from one of the thugs.
Looking around, she notices the loss of their brave companion. Alas, seems he wasn't as devoted to his vengeance as he said he was.
After continuing on, Ayako notices the sad state of the house and surrounding streets. I wonder if the city will ever recover from what has happened. Repairing such places is difficult even in the better parts and I suspect that wooden planks will just be placed over the hole.
"Well the "Emperor" should be fixing this. It's a leader's responsibility. Of course he's not the true leader." She approaches the western door. She notices noting amiss, but doesn't walk up on the walkway.
I rather suspect that this 'Emperor' isn't the sort to concern himself with trifles like a crumbling kingdom.
Tyrandro shrugs as no one is left for him to shoot. "That was quick work." He puts his bow away and follows to the artists house.
"Old Korvosa was never the pinnacle of the town. Maybe far back when there was only Old Korvosa. But he managed to run it down really quick. No one is going to raise a monument for him. Let's make sure this doesn't evolve into a game of catch. I'll take the door to the south." Tyrandro walks carefully along the house on the boardwalk checking that it is sturdy enough.
At the door he checks if it is locked and if not he flings it open.
Ayako follows Tyrando
Iolana peers into the window to the northwestern room.
Even from the outside, the smell around this entryway is of must and mildew, much of it coming from the mud tracked over the floorboards, as if a small army had marched through the room. To the south stands a single empty set of shelves.
At the same time Tyrandro investigates the southern door. The windows to this room are shuttered but the door is not locked and he easily opens it.
Both of this room’s windows are tightly shuttered, yet the air inside seems strangely fresh and scented, no doubt because of the six large candles that burn within. Each candle has been affixed by a glob of melted wax to the crown of a gleaming, polished skull, and each of these impromptu and grisly candleholders has been placed atop an otherwise clear desk to the west, arrayed in a gentle arc. A chair sits before the desk, and a careful stack of papers and scrolls sits inside the arc of skulls. To the south stands a nearly empty cabinet, its shelves barren save for a few paintbrushes and a cracked pottery urn.
This room is occupied by a pale elf woman with long black hair and clad in skin-tight spiked chainmail. She sits in the chair meditating before the skulls. Her weapon, a long spiked chain, is curled up on the floor next to her. She turns to Tyrandro when the door opens and greets him cheerfully.
"Hi! My name is Laori Vaus. And you are? Are you looking for Salvator too? He's not here."
Based on her garb and choice of weapon, she displays her allegiance to Zon-Kuthon, the god of pain.
Who is that, Tyrando? Salvator's wife?
"I don't think so. Or does his art look like it's from an artist in pain?" he replies.
Turning to the woman he asks "Congratulations to finding that out first. Do you know why, or where he is instead?"
Well we shouldn't really judge him on his preferences and positions. Anyway, we haven't seen him.
Salvator Scream is a notorious artist whose gruesome and often scandalous art is held in relatively high esteem by several of Korvosa's nobles. His popularity is even greater among the lower classes, who are most familiar with his work at the Old Dock playhouse known as Exemplary Execrables, where his paintings served as grisly backdrops to that venue's notoriously violent entertainments. Salvator himself isn't a public figure, though, and beyond his name, few folk can say they know him.
"As a matter of fact, I know that he's been taken. I've already found out who took him and suspect I know where he is." says Laori. "I've been trying to figure out the best route to gain access to Salvator but I need help. If you'll team up with me to work together to find Salvator, I'll tell you everything I know. But then again, I don't really know you, do I? Who are you and why are you looking for him?"
I am Ayako and along with my friends we are trying to find Salvator so we can find out about another friend. Quite the long chain of breadcrumbs we must follow.If you know who took him, we would appriciate the aid.
Iolana moves up next to Tyrando. "New friend? We could use the clues on where to find Salvator. Who took him? We really need to speak with him about a mutual friend."
With the footprints of an army finding out who took him is not rocket science. "Let me guess. The "emporer's" thugs were here and took him. Save us all some time and tell us where to go push that nuisance off his throne already." Tyrandro replies annoyed. Subtlety, diplomacy and scheming have never been strong assets of him.
"Let me guess. The "emporer's" thugs were here and took him. Save us all some time and tell us where to go push that nuisance off his throne already."
"Well aren't you a wise one. It was indeed the emperor who took him. The emperor has converted a collection of tenements and abandoned stores on Silk Street in Old Dock to his "palace". If I had to guess where Salvator was taken, that'd be it. Now I know what you're thinking. Now that I told you where he is, you don't need anything else from Laori here. But guess again. I have something else that might interest you." She waves what looks like a fragment of cloth in the air briefly before tucking it back into her armor. "I found this hidden in Salvator's room. But I'm not sharing what it is until you promise to take me with you. And I'm not dead weight asking to tag along. I'm an accomplished cleric of Zon-Kuthon. I can be very useful."