Gameplay thread here!
When last we left our heroes...
You have all been brought together by a strange Varisian fortune-teller named Zellara. United in your hatred of the wizened crime lord, Gaedren Lamm, you went to his hideout to finally exact revenge for you, and for Zellara whose child he had murdered.
Upon entering the fishery you were overwhelmed by attackers; a horde of children led by the malicious gnome Hookshanks, a deranged half-orc named Giggles, and a blonde man named Yargin. Yargin, Hookshanks, and Giggles lie dead. The children were turned to your side and freed, in particular a child who seemed to know Sevenspawn. That child lead the others back to the Shingles to the protection of some contacts of Sevenspawn.
Gaedren Lamm has not been found, however, and according to the children he is beneath the fishery.
a wand
2 tanglefoot bags
a thunderstone
leather armour
2 suits studded leather armour
a dagger
a light crossbow with 10 bolts
a garnet
2 keys
a light shield
a flail
wand of acid splash 12 charges
The garnet is worth 10 gold
North: Leads into an office, presumably Yargin's.
East: This door is closed.
West: This door leads into a big fish processing facility.
2nd North: Leads into a hallway, which opens into a huge room to the north.
From Hookshanks:
Sevenspawn grits his teeth a little, looking impatiently through the open door into the fishery and back at those inspecting the loot amongst the bodies.
"Lamm will have heard the battle... he is likely fleeing, or at least readying himself. Take what you can quickly - we must pursue."
He looks to them all, with a little unease in his gaze towards Lorelei after what he has witnessed. "There is a boat in the back; it may be accessible to him downstairs. I would suggest that one of us go around the dock there in case he exits that way."
The Fox glances curiously at Sevenspawn, a bit bemused that someone else was thinking along the same lines as him.
"I agree - Lamm has likely slipped out already. I'll head out to check the docks, but there's likely an entrance up here somewhere - maybe in the office. If you can find that, maybe we can catch him between us. Otherwise, maybe you'll find some clue to where he may flee."
Grabbing the tanglefoot bags, Donnell heads for the main door (i.e., south)
Sevenspawn looks through the west door, seeing if he can spot the staircase down from the doorway.
"Goric. Can you... 'finesse' the office door?". He pauses, considering his new compatriot as he points north. "Ehhh... by that, I mean break it down."
Godric flexes, looking pleased.
"As long as you don't mind a little noise!"
Taking a few deep breaths first, he throws himself at the door attempting to hit it with a broad shoulder.
"I think we're far beyond worrying about noise, my darling," Lorelei croaks in amusement. She flips over a card and looks down at it, then places it at the bottom of the deck. "You wait here, I need to look at something."
Lorelei goes into the room to the north and rifles around for anything interesting, which may not necessarily pertain to the mission at hand, such as (but not limited to) jewellery, juicy personal correspondence, food, shiny trinkets, and spell components.
Godric slams into the door as hard as he can, quickly finding out it was not locked or that difficult to open.
A pair of bunk beds sits against the far wall of this room to either side of a boarded-over window.
This smelly barracks looks like where the three thugs you just killed slept. A quick inspection of the room shows that no valuables are kept here.
Lorelei scuttles northwards into Yargin's office to explore that.
A wooden desk sits in one corner of this room, its side preventing the western door from opening all the way. The table is heaped with dozens of slate boards covered with chalk scrawls, while to the east a cabinet slouches against the wall. To the south, a few moldy boards have been nailed over a door.
The table is covered in transaction records - the documentation of Gaedren's low-end criminal empire. This includes such incriminating information as the addresses of customers and a list of various grim deeds for pay. Enough to easily incriminate Gaedren if that was your goal.
Within the cabinet are several fine outfits. Yargin apparently had a taste for luxury. They would sell well.
The expensive clothes fit a human man of medium build and would probably sell for around 75 gold. They're the latest in good fashion.
While all this happens, Donnell pads out to check out the boat in the back.
You head outside to take a look around. A boardwalk leads around to the north to a dilapidated ship that does not look like it could ever sail anywhere.
The rotten deck of the this ancient barge seems to be barely intact, its hull worn and thick with seaweed and barnacles. The barge is held together primarily by the layers of old rope that lash it securely to the pilings that support the fishery and the nearby boardwalk. A single wooden door leading into the aft cabin bears a crude painting of a red fish on its surface.
It wouldn't be difficult to get to the door to the aft cabin and try it, if you so wished.
Assuming nothing untoward happens between here and there, I'll take 20 on Perception before boarding, and on Locate Traps if/when I make it to the door.
All of you stand looking blankly at the contents of the closet and decide to figure out who grabs what later on.
You can go west and north to large rooms on the top floor.
You start moving along the baordwalk and quickly discover it is VERY slippery.
However you're as surefooted as they come and easily get to the barge to look it over for traps. Although the barge is not trapped, it is very dangerous to walk upon, and any of the bigger folk would almost certainly break through to the floor below. As it stands, you're sure you could stand on it without too much issue.
The fish-door is not trapped or locked, you hear nothing on the other side.
Lorelei picks up a transaction record and runs a gloved finger down the page. How she can actually feel anything through the gloves is anyone's guess.
"Can't hurt to take these with us," she muses and stuffs two fistfuls of records into her bag. "Just in case we decide to try legal avenues." She lets out a short bark of laughter and starts coughing.
She heads back to the main room and casts detect magic and picks up the wand, muttering under her breath as she turns it over in her hands.
The wand also goes into her bag, along with the records.
Sevenspawn pushes into the west area, where the children have come from, seeking the staircase down. Still gritting his teeth with impatience and caring little for the loot, he grips his warhammer tightly.
"We move, my friends. Donnell is alone, and we must try to catch Lamm between us while there is time."
The remaining three of you set to exploring the rest of the upper level, which you quickly find out is empty. The south half of the fishery is high above the water, with the north half descending directly to the water.
The large room in the southwest is a workfloor which reeks of fish and sweat. A huge trough holds a mound of half-rancid fish, seaweed, and brine. The floor is stained with rotting fish and filthy seawater. Stairs lead down towards the water to a large room to the north.
The northernmost room is the fishery proper and just as filthy. Tiny hammocks line the walls and a huge catwalk circles the area. Barrels packed with unpleasant fish fill the area, and there is a large hole in the floor, through which you can see the muddy sea.
To the west is the loading dock.
There isn't much to be had for valuables on the top floor, however you're able to recover 75 gold from a lock box (from which you had the key), which was likely the gang's petty cash.
For further exploration, the barge Donnell went to examine (and has not returned from) is to the north. Gaedren is apparently below the fishery in some way, but you see no sign of him, or where 'below' is.
You swing open the door to reveal the following:
The air in this room is thick and musty. Thick sheets of cobwebs hang from the walls and mounds of blankets, cushions, and straw clutter the floor. A narrow flight of stairs leads down to the south into the ship’s hold.
As you start to brush aside the webs, you feel something land on you. An absolutely enormous spider, easily the size of your hand digs into your clothing but fails to bite. It tries to bite you again, but this time you swat it off!
"Oh, you'll pay for this, Lamm," he mutters under his breath.
Fox takes a 5' step back, replaces his poisoned bolt with a regular bolt, and fires.
After the cursory search, Sevenspawn - inwardly concerned that too much time has passed since both the battle and Donnell's departure - heads down the stairs in the north towards the water, motioning for the others to follow, Unconcerned about stealth, he keeps his shield up and hammer handy as he descends, watching and listening,,,,
Lorelei flips a card over.
"Beware!" she hisses after Sevenspawn. "Beware the Cyclone in the sixth alignment!"
Then she returns the card to the bottom of the deck and follows him, tapping at the ground with her staff, feeling her way along.
The group make their way to the northernmost fishery room. The exits from this area are east onto the boardwalk, and there's the big hole in the floor. With the windows boarded up, Sevenspawn sticks his head through the hole to look beneath the fishery.
A narrow space exists under the fishery, with about four feet of
room between the floor of the building above and the languid, foamy river water below. Wooden pilings support the building, and moss and cobwebs hang thick from ropes and rusted chains between them. A wooden walkway floats on the river surface, winding along the inner wall of pilings that supports the building’s frame above, leading from the sodden barge to the east all the way west to a wooden door that leads into an understructure below the fishery’s landbound half.
It appears that the walkway can only be accessed from a jump in the water, or from the barge to the north of the ship. Distantly, you hear Donnell swearing and the twang of his crossbow from the north. Sounds like he's on the barge.
Your bolt misses as the spider appears to be a very, very difficult target. It continues to scrabble at you before rushing up your leg and chomping down! You immediately begin shaking violently as the poison saps your strength.
Fox takes a 5' step back, reloads and fires the crossbow.
Godric may not but he isn't deaf. Hearing the fight, he takes off at speed towards the barge via the boardwalk.
Hearing the thwip of the crossbow, Godric realizes his tiny pal is in trouble. He charges southwards, and makes for the walkway. It is extremely slippery, however he manages to maintain his balance despite his awkward armour.
Lorelei follows Godric, moving slowly, still feeling the ground with her staff.
Your crossbow misses the stupid spider AGAIN - it's a very small target.
The spider again lunges at your boot but just sinks its tiny teeth into the leather. You are safe for now.
You continue to shake from the poison.
"I f&+&ing hate you, you piece of s*~!!"
5' step and fire again.
You now stand in Gaedren's strange playground, looking at the various items you've managed to get from his body (which Gobbleguts has now run off with) and his den. To your great shock, one of the items you found in his den was the head of Zellara, the fortune teller you had just seen earlier today. However, she looks to have been dead a good week. The question of who you spoke to and why hangs unanswered in the air.
Furthermore, you have found a brooch which Donnell and Sevenspawn are certain belongs to Queen Ileosa of Korvosa. She would be very pleased to have it returned.
You manage to collect and appraise or identify the following items:
- a masterwork dagger
- a masterwork crossbow
- 8 masterwork bolts
- a teak cigar case worth 25 gold
- a 2-pound gold ingot worth 100 gold
- a miniature gold crown worth 350 gold
- a silver ring worth 150 gold (inscription: "For Emmah - the light in my nights")
- a graphically realistic figurine of two succubi entwining worth 450 gold
- a fist-sized scrimshaw of a kraken worth 350 gold
- a masterwork shuriken
- an adamantine arrowhead
- a holy symbol of SHelyn made of abalone worth 300 gold
- a vial of keen edge
- a wand of cure light wounds (23 charges)
- a crystalline vial worth 50 gold, containing a dose of silversheen
- the Queen's brooch - worth 1000 gold to anyone stupid enough to buy it
- a beautiful harrow deck that radiates magic
As the group sifts through the loot, Sevenspawn broods quietly. He paces the boardwalk slowly, lost in thought for a time.
"Now that my anger fades," he says, hating silently how it sometimes blinds his thoughts, "it occurs to me that this is perhaps more than strange magicks and odd circumstances at work. This seems somehow..." He searches for a word. "... orchestrated, and by someone or someones who are masterful at it."
He turns to the others, speaking with gravity in a rumbling, raspy tone that has been made that way by years of living in the damp and cold. "I pray to Milani, Her name be praised, that I am mistaken. But think on it: someone who wants the brooch, either for what it symbolizes or for its value alone, knows that each of us has a reason to exact revenge upon Lamm and will likely find it. We are brought together for that reason; his death is merely icing on this cake. We are so eager to extract our vengeance that we agree without asking questions and rush headlong towards it.
"This is why we were sent here, if that is true. We are pages, sent to collect payment on our master's behalf... whoever they are. Someone in Her Majesty's Intelligence, or another noble with fingers into the darker corners of Korvosa, perhaps. I do not know."
He flicks a glance at Lorelei, something else occurring to him then... but keeps his thoughts to himself. He swallows a little, pressing on.
"But I know this: if I am right, we are in grave danger as long as we have the brooch... and if it were me, I would not allow us to leave here and scatter to the winds for fear of losing it. We cannot fence it... it would come back to us, I reckon, and swiftly. We also have the head of a murdered woman, perfect for framing us if killing us is too far somehow. We need to feed it to Gobbleguts. Now."
He looks about, considering the points of egress.
"Lamm had no boat - it was beside the dock. He wanted to flee into this small room... there may be a hidden way out there. Either way... by Everbloom's Bloody Rose, we need to get out of here right away."
Lorelei nods her agreement with Sevenspawn while she studies this new and very interesting magical harrow deck.
She produces a silk scarf from somewhere with in the voluminous folds of the multiple skirts she appears to be wearing and gently, reverentially, wraps the deck and puts it in her bag. Whatever she may have learned from her studies goes unspoken.
"I hadn't considered the brooch," she says grimly in her gravelly voice. "But the head causes me no end of anxiety. Who did we speak with? Who sent us the cards? It is all very well, I think, that we revealed no secrets to whatever it was that wore a Zellara mask."
Seeming to ignore Sevenspawn's suggestion that they need to leave immediately, Lorelei settles down on the floor and produces her own Harrow Deck. It's well-used and extremely old. She shuffles the cards thoughtfully and sets three face-down in front of her.
"No time for a full reading, I understand this, but a little guidance, a little clarity, might help on the road ahead. It's all well and good just to get out of here, but where are we going? Let us see what the cards say.
"The situation, the Beating-" Lorelei chuckles and lays the card on the floor before her. It's an unnerving sound, full of grim humour and understanding with a frost of hysterics. "An attack from all sides. Relentless attack. We must stay strong in the face of this card - and wary, for strength can dissolve in our current predicament."
Lorelei nods at the card and moves on to the second.
"The central card is for action. The Empty Throne is reversed. The ghosts of the past are restless. Our action is to bring them peace. That could be either the brooch or quite literally, the ghost of departed Zellara." Lorelei's voice begins to rise as though overwhelmed. "Stash the brooch, hide the head. Do not destroy it."
Her veiled head swivels to each of her companions in turn, lingering on each for long moments before returning to her reading.
"And the final card is our outcome," she rasps, turning the card over. Then she freezes, studies the card for a moment, and her head tilts back. The intensity of the scream that follows puffs her veil out slightly, but not enough to catch a glimpse of the face beneath. She throws the last card on the first two in rage.
The Twin.
"We must go to Zellara's. We must seek the truth. Beware the restless spirits. Beware the Twin."
With the various items of value arrayed on the desk before him, Donnell, after some silent arithmetic, is quickly realizing that working with this group is turning out to be far more profitable than he had anticipated. "It's certainly better than working for favours, fish, and twists of tobacco," he mutters under his breath. "Maybe now I can afford to do some real alchemy..."
Raising his head and speaking louder, though still with his back to the group: "I, for one, do not appreciate being manipulated; though I'll reserve judgement regarding who is doing the manipulating. I agree that Zellara's head might spell trouble for us; on the other hand, someone from the Academae or one of the temples might be able to give us some answers, or help us to contact her spirit. (I might even be able to cash in favour, if I can find the right person)."
Holding up the brooch, and turning around: "This will also cause trouble unless we can prove that we recovered it, and are not the thieves who stole it in the first place. And I'd prefer to see it returned to the Queen (and receive her favour) than attempt to pawn it. Unfortunately, Lamm obviously had friends in high places, so we'll have to be very careful how we go about it - especially when news of his demise gets around."
"Let's get out of here, hock these items, then..." he glances uncomfortably at Lorelei, unable to look her directly in the... veil...? "If you think Zellara's is the best place to start, madam, we can do that, but I think we'll have more luck with someone who can speak with the dead."
Sevenpawn looks troubled, especially at Lorelei's reading. He sighs, trying to calm himself.
"The Fox is right... and I respect Lorelei's reading, though we do not want to be caught with her severed head. Perhaps I am being paranoid... but as I have learned in The Shingles, just because I may be so does not mean that someone is not out to stab me between the shoulder blades."
He half-grunts, half-growls a short sound in his throat. "Hrrrrmmm. Let us do all these things. We take the head and travel to Zellara's, remaining watchful. We can decide after that to bury it properly or seek words with her spirit." Sevenspawn spits on the ground, partly from superstition and partly for what he is about to add. "I have no real issue with returning the brooch to the court... it would bring us only trouble were we foolish enough to keep it. We should ask for nothing in return, however. Our necks are not worth it.
"And we must rest first, once we are free of here. I must seek guidance from The Everbloom. We stay together, go to Zellara's, and plan our next move."
He looks at the warrior, hefting his shield to go. "What say you, Goric?"
As Sevenspawn begins to speak, The Fox gathers up the smaller treasures on the desk and casually begins to juggle them. One by one they disappear - presumably in various hidden pockets.
The larger objects get distributed among the other members and stuffed into backpacks.
"I think we are in agreement - I think between Sevenspawn and myself we should be able to find suitable accommodations for the evening. I'd like to regain my strength, if possible. Then we can see about pawn shops and/or Zellara's."
Crooking his finger at the beautiful barbarian, "Come Godric, we're leaving."
Godric shuffles uncomfortably. For all of his range and apartment coldness in letting Lamm be devoured in the water, he is very clearly troubled by the events that passed. It is unclear what specifically troubles him, and in response to Sevenspawn's question he simply grunts.
At Donnell's motion to leave, his sullen look is quickly replaced by a cheesy grin. He's obviously eager to leave.
You manage to secrete the various goodies from the fishery, and Zellara's head on your persons. With Godric's capability of carrying a lot of equipment, he ends up being the unlucky one with a severed head in his pack. Thankfully the head has largely bled out and just smells really bad.
It's been a couple of hours since you took out Gaedren and his gang, and it becomes readily apparent it's starting to get noisy outside. Finally, you gather your gear and head outside.
Into a full-scale riot. Korvosa is in flames. Smoke rises on the horizon and the frantic clang of alarm bells sing out in harmony with a multifarious cacaphony of screams, the clash of steel on steel, moans, and even the periodic detonation of arcane power.
A wing of Sable Company griffon riders swoop overhead, angling towards Castle Korvosa at a breakneck pace. Blood spatters down on the streets from a badly-wounded griffon, which pinwheels through the air before crashing into a statue. The others in flight simply continue on for the castle.
Amid the chaos, the voice of a Korvosan herald cuts through the din. "THE KING IS DEAD! LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!" only to be shouted down by ragged cries of "Hang the queen!" and "The usurped whore must die!". Through the alleyway, you spot a contingent of the terrifying Chelaxian elite guard - the hellknights. They clank through the streets as they chase down what look like some looters.
The city has gone mad while you battled Gaedren in his lair.
Korvosa is governed, or apparently was governed by King Aeodred Arabasti II. His rule has been steady, although he is known for living the high life and has been hard on the city's coffers. But his skill as a negotiator has earned favourable trade agreements and the Kingdom prospers. However, rumors persist of the king's womanizing and high living. He has produced no heirs in a continuance of the curse of the crimson throne.
To his supporters he is the Saffron King for his trade agreements. To his detractors, particularly in the Shingles he is the Stirge King - slowly bleeding the city dry.
He recently, finally wed a woman a good third of his age - Queen Ileosa of Cheliax. She is a legendary beauty, and many say she is descended from nymphs. Being seen at best as a harmless trophy wife and at worst as a petulant gold-digger, she is highly unpopular in a city with such poverty.
Sevenspawn stands mute, clearly troubled. Spotting the Hellknights with the others, he tugs on Donnell's cloak once, snapping out of it.
"We must get off the streets. I can take us all somewhere safe in The Shingles, unless you have closer accommodations."
Looking skeptically at Godric: "I don't think you'll fit... We'd better head to your place"
Taking a short run and jump, The Fox bounces his way up onto Godric's shoulders
"Lead the way, cleric"
Godric adjusts slightly to Donnell's weight, then draws his greatsword and a scowl aimed at dissuading the rabble from approaching.
"Let us make haste." He is obviously not eager to engage the crowd.
Lorelei moves as quick as she can, feeling her way with her quarterstaff. She keeps her head down seems not to notice what's going on around her, mumbling apologies every time she bumps something with the staff.
As you start making up your minds to go to the Shingles, it becomes readily apparent that the Shingles are on the opposite side of the city, in Old Korvosa. You are in Midland, and Zellara's house is far, far closer.
Despite staying out of the way of the worst action on the streets while you deliberate, something seems to have noticed you. Shrieking with delight, four imps suddenly speed from behind a rooftop towards you!
Thanks to Korvosa's famous magical academy, escaped imps have become a constant problem in the city, particularly in the Shingles. They are known for collaborating with gangs and building their own little fiefdoms which rise and fall quickly. They also constantly battle the city's secretive pseudodragon population.
These imps don't appear to be taking you seriously, and pause mid-flight to start bickering about who gets to eat your livers. You're given more than enough opportunity to respond.
Lorelei
Sevenspawn
Donnell
Godric
---
Imps:
Plain
Red
GReen
Blue
"Note to self: Just because Lamm's dead, doesn't mean the rest of the world isn't still a steaming pile of dung.
Donnell pauses for a moment to consider what he knows about imps
"Bloody imps! Sevenspawn, take madam Lorelei by the arm and drag her if need be. Godric, m'boy, get us the hell out of here!"
Imps are numerous, irritating little bastards who infest Korvosa. They are clever, malevolent, and tenacious. Imps are resistant to damage done by weapons which are not good-aligned or silver, immune to fire and poison, and resistant to cold and acid. They fly, can turn invisible at will, and heal themselves.
Lorelei studies the imps for a moment.
"I think we've seen all we need to see here," she croaks out to the others. "Best be getting along now." She bats the air with a gloved hand in case someone is trying to help her along. "I can take care of myself just fine on my own, I don't need Junior Pathfinders helping me across busy streets."
She half runs, half skips, whacking at the ground with her stick and keeping to a relatively straight line in the direction they were headed.
Sevenspawn, who has been wondering - and not for the first time - how Lorelei can read slates and see enemies but otherwise seems blind, shakes away his confusion and awe quickly as her hand bats away his reaching arm.
"We won't make The Shingles in this chaos! We must head to the storyteller's home - to me, and quickly!"
Shouting out ancient arcane words, he casts Obscurring Mist as he tugs at Goric to follow he and Lorelei down the alley.
Smacking Godric on the shoulder and pointing after the priest:
"We're falling behind, Godric, let's go!"
The imps cackle as they realize there's a game on and give chase after all of you as you take off down an alley in an attempt to get to Zellara's house. The imps soar into the sky, three of them speeding towards you while the last casts a spell.
"Hey! Big dumb guy! You should see how heavy that can thing is! I bet you can't lift it!"
Godric is slightly confused at the mention of a can.
"Can? What can?"
"Oh. That can." And without a second thought, Godric breaks from the group and rushes to pick up a large, entirely uninteresting metal can.
Sevenspawn suddenly urges everyone to stop inside the mist, ready their weapons and stay close to the sound of his voice, unslinging his crossbow and loading a masterwork bolt.
Sevenspawn rattles off a prayer to his God and the party vanishes within a huge cloud of thick, thick fog.
Not seeing how the group will be able to run away or hide from the imps while out on the street, The Fox looks desperately at the adjacent buildings, hoping to find a door he can open.