Raven Six moves forward.
Sevenspawn hustles as close as he feasibly can. The hag snarls, trying to use her evil eye on Thod again. However, the dwarf proves remarkably resistant to the hag's curse!
Stepping in behind Thod, Donnell takes aim at the hag again.
Thod continues to scream and stab at the ugly thing. He does, however, take a moment to reorient himself, watching his... err, footing.
Raven Six swims into flanking position with Thod and stabs at the Hag's kidneys!
Donnell's crossbow bolt manages to reach the hag, but she has very, very tough skin and it just bounces off. Thod manages an absolutely brutal attack on the sea hag who screams in agony.
Sevenspawn manages to move in, and he thrusts out with his spear, but he misses badly. The hag steps back, yanking out a potion and downing it.
Sea Hag (-21)
----
Thod
Raven
Sevenspawn (-3 str)
Donnell
Donnell moves to within melee range but, without time to reload his crossbow (and not wanting to drop it this time). There he will wait until Thod presses his attack and will attempt to interfere with the hag:
Raven Six maintains position, clicks her tongue at the tight quarters, and swaps her bayonet for a bolt.
Thod looks like he's about to miss, but then Donnell tackles the sea hag at the knees, pinning her in place. With a little bit of help from the Everbloom, Thod drives his glaive through the sea hag's heart! She shrieks one last time before collapsing to the ground.
End of Combat
You find the following equipment on the sea hag:
- wand of cure moderate wounds (18 charges)
- +1 shortspear
You push into the next room, which appear to be the crew quarters.
Several hammocks drift in the murky waters, strung between beams in this room. The room swirls with a haze of gore, fish heads, and half-eaten eels chumming the circling waters.
Opposite you is the door to what you presume is the captain's cabin, which is swollen shut and likely needs a very good shove or other means of opening it.
Hefting the spear, Donnell holds it out to the others: "Would one of you like to try this instead of your current weapon? I think I might stick to the crossbow or just helping Thod. Let me just take a look at this door, then maybe Thod you could give it a good hard push?"
Sevenspawn grunts at his current spear, disliking the weapon, and nods to Donnell that he'll take the new one. He casts Light again, transferring it from one tip of the spear to the other, and takes the wand if no one reaches for it. Feeling drained, he rubs his eyes, still not used to the water all around him.
"A sea hag," he intones quietly. "That it would be down here of it's own accord and not set here to await us, I find hard to fathom." He pauses. "Pun intended."
Raven Six shrugs.
"It is not impossible. Certainly a sunken ship is preferable to lurking outside the sewer outleads. But let us not waste time pondering matters with no ready answers; we need to search this ship, swiftly, if we are to make our ... appointment.
Let us survey the captain's quarters."
The door has no traps, it's just swollen shut.
Thod puts his shoulder to the door, and despite the awkwardness of hammering down a door underwater, he manages to get it open.
On the other side is the captain's cabin.
Along with a few other bits of ruined furnishings, the tattered sheets of a canopied bed twist like ghosts above the snapped wooden bed frame.
Knotted amid the linens, a drowned man idly floats in the room’s murky waters. A closed footlocker sits on its side at the far end of the room.
Shaking his head in wonder that someone would be in the captain's quarters as the ship approached the city, Donnell moves quickly to the footlocker, checking for traps and popping open the lock as necessary.
Sevenspawn is more interested in the dead. After a cursory glance about the room, he approaches the body, surveying it without touching it. He feels tired and worn-out, but does the best he can, moving his head under and over it carefully.
The body is wearing simple black robes - an examination reveals a nasty head wound. Not enough to kill him, but enough to knock him out to drown. He's been partially eaten by little fishies, who went for his tongue and eyes first.
On him is a holy symbol.
This is a holy symbol to the evil goddess Urgathoa. She is the goddess of disease, physical excess, and undeath.
Further exploration shows that his footlocker has a patch of skin and hair stuck to the corner - he likely hit his head here at some point. The seal on the footlocker is intact.
Within the footlocker are the following:
- a leather pouch with 538 gold (mostly platinum pieces)
- an enchanted cloak, which is embroidered with the same symbol the dead man is wearing
- an absolutely beautiful book, which is instantly ruined as sea water floods into the footlocker
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"Well, that's gross."
Thod goes through the motions of opening one of his flasks to take a swig, only to realize once he puts it to his mouth that liquids don't stay in their flasks when in the presence of other liquids. He spits out the salt water he unintentionally swallowed, which also results in more of his ale flowing out of the flask into the surrounding aquatic atmosphere.
Thod looks down at his flask for a moment, as if mourning the lost beverage.
"He bears the symbol of Urgathoa," Sevenspawn says to the group as he looks at the item. "An evil goddess, governing undeath and disease." He instinctively steps back, touching his own symbol.
His eyes fall to the book, sighing bubbles out his nose. "A shame, that. I hope it is not all the evidence to be found here."
Donnell cringes as he see air bubbling out of the footlocker as he begins to open it. Slamming the lid down quickly, he tells the others what he found, and what was likely ruined. "Damn! More knowledge lost to ineptitude. Let's see what else we can find on this ship before we run out of time."
After you search the captain's cabin, the rest of the ship appears to be unoccupied and does not have any other valuables of note. THe ship looked to have been completely abandoned except for the one sailor whose body you found.
Moving quickly to save the book, you head back to the anchor, and give it a few yanks. Weighted ropes descend in the water and after Thod is extracted he helped get the rest of you out onto the boat. Donnell hurriedly gets the book out of the lockbox.
Soggy pages and runny ink are the results, however it looks like if dried and carefully checked over, some information could be salvaged from the book.. It is unlikely to fetch much money though, and in its original condition it would appear quiet valuable.
Upset that your foray into the river did not gather any information about the source of the plague, just more questions, you head back to shore to plan your next move. It is now getting later on in the day, and your date with the King of Spiders draws near.
Assuming no other compartments of note can be found, Sevenspawn picks up the spear he left behind and looks downriver.
"It would have been nice to have had some cargo left," he intones. "But the augury reading rings true. Perhaps we should walk that way to see if anything has washed downstream."
Despite the dire circumstances, though, his mind is already thinking on the King of Spiders.
"I doubt it would be worth the time," Raven Six says. "Whoever sent this ship must have had contacts waiting to transport their cargo elsewhere. I think drying out and repairing the book is our best bet. Perhaps we might charter the aid of a spellcaster capable of casting Mending - after we have dealt with the Spider Knave."
Returning quickly from , Donnell suits up for the evening's meeting, checking all his pockets and bandoliers for best positioning of alchemical products.
"Everybody ready?"
Raven Six appears in ... well, in Alchemist chique.
Studded leather armour, every stud polished and oiled, the leather likewise polished and oiled.
Thick, dowdy robes under the armour, the hood up to cast Raven Six's face in shadow.
Heavy mace dangling from her belt on her right hip, the silver gleaming.
Light crossbow dangling from her belt on her left hip, a bolt already slotted into the groove.
The numerous little vials of alchemical nasty that come with the profession, tucked in neat little loops on her leather armour.
The Alchemist gives Donnell an emotionless stare and nods.
She flexes her left wrist and a dagger slips out of her sleeve, the bone hilt slapping into the palm of her hand. Raven Six gives the crude, black blade a twirl before tucking it back up her sleeve.
"Ready," she says, dispassionate.
Donnell knows that the best library in Korvosa is owned by their newfound allies - the Bank of Abadar. Assistance there should be easy to come bny.
You make your way back to your makeshift home, stopping briefly to pass the sodden book to Ishani - after fighting through some crowds. He looks in horror at the tome but says he'll pass it to the librarian to fix what they can and get information back to you.
You take one last look at the river, left with a disappointing mystery and no further information on the plague. Why would one lone worshipper of an evil God be the only thing of note on the ship?
==========
==========
Majenko decides to keep a very, very wide berth and does not accompany Raven Six to the lair of its previous captor and tormentor.
The walk to Eel's End is a miserable one as you hustle to make it to Eel's End by sundown. Korvosa is dying. The fact none of you have caught plague yet is a miracle considering the streets are teeming with people in its throes.
However, you are thankfully unmolested and you arrive at the gambling den. Standing out front of the den is Parni the same barkeeper you met with the day before. She wears a distinct blue shirt of the Cerulean Society, and everybody is giving her a wide berth. The rough-and-tumble den of sin shows signs of recent damage, and as expected, there are very few active customers during the plague. The brothel is closed entirely.
"He agreed to this meeting, but he's ... mercurial. Be careful. I don't want to get killed in there any more than you do, he's just the kind of idiot to set off a gang war over a slight. So talk pretty now. I'll step in if things get heated."
You step through the doors and into the Throne of Spiders.
This large room, once a captain’s cabin, has been converted into a throne room of sorts. The walls are thick with spider webs, in which scuttle dozens of spiders, some as large as a fist but most considerably smaller. These spiders seem content to stay in their webs and do not venture into the room itself, which is furnished with two sturdy oaken tables surrounded by chairs. The familiar throne is no longer there, and Devargo stands over a basic, but comfortable chair. A narrow door stands to port, hanging ajar and revealing a fight of stairs leading below.
Devargo is just as you remember him, and he remains seated as you enter. As is the wont in Eel's End, nobody takes your weapons. He doesn't mince words. Notably, he is covered in red splotches, and his tirade is occasionally interrupted by a hacking cough.
"We have an issue," he breathes before he breaks off into a cough. "But I suppose you know that. The information you gave us. It was sour." Spiders scuttle across the floor and begin to crawl up his legs. One particularly large one leaps onto his shoulder, and rears back in an aggressive display, its fangs glistening with venom.
He watches you carefully for your reactions, particularly focusing on Donnell. "Whether it was true or not, we do not know. What we do know is House Arkona were very aware when we tried to use leverage, and had prepared." He lunges to his feet before doubling over with another bout of coughing. "Eck. Gray Maidens came for us they did, the Queen's horrible lackeys. Killed some men. Destroyed our throne. And we received a message from House Arkona we did - one telling us to be compliant, to bow down, and to not meddle in politics beyond our station."
Devargo stalks off of the stage, recalling the tale has obviously incensed him. He leans in to Sevenspawn. "So we took -our- revenge. And we knows your secret. But we did not tell the Queen what the Dead Kings were hiding, because we did not want the Queen to be the one to kill you. Now... we have a question."
He breaks into coughing again and then pauses. "Who told Arkona about the information you gave us?"
Sevenspawn listens carefully, having bowed respectfully and remained silent. He looks Devargo in the eye, remaining still as the man leans in, and chooses his words as wisely as he can.
"As memory serves,"he says quietly,"we explained to you that the soldier running the shop was a lover of Virmanda Arkona. That soldier was subsequently captured. Were I to guess, I would think that they were prepared for anything once he was locked up."
He pauses, remaining completely still. "If you think there was a more direct conspiracy, I would suggest that information could have come to the Arkona from any source. Respectfully, that would include my family and your own kingdom." Sevenspawn stiffens slightly. "The information was true and well-traded for the letters we bartered for, Your Majesty. That the Maidens came for you would seem to suggest that, would it not? Your revenge against the Kings was unwarranted."
He puts up his hands, palms out. "But there can be peace, if we desire it. To secure it... I will need the name of the person who told you that we were holding her."
Raven Six says nothing, but listens and watches, one hand gripping a primed bomb in her pocket.
Muttering under his breath: "I thought priests were supposed to be good at talking to people."
Speaking up, Donnell hopes to allay any ill feelings on both sides: "I can assure you, it was not us - we are, ourselves, at odds with Arkona. If you want us to track down who revealed secrets to whom, we can do that (perhaps after we cure the plague?). I'm not sure that you will like the answer, as it is likely an agent of the Queen - that is, after all, who held Veric in custody."
After drying out his underpadding, Thod polishes up his breastplate in preparation. He walks to Eel's end, again assuming proper guard formation, halberd held in one hand, back straight, staring forward at nothing in particular, letting the smart people talk.
Devargo screams to interrupt Sevenspawn. "WE'RE NOT STUPID!! They did not know that -someone- knew about Arkona's connection to the cannibals, they knew everything. They knew who you were, they knew that you traded us the information for dirt on that ambassador. Our attempt to use the information for some leverage was met with the strongest response. Somebody. Told."
He relaxes and steps back. "As for the Dead Kings... well. Perhaps we came for revenge and found a little surprise. Suppose someone told us the Dead Kings had a surprise. Our sources are not for you to know - you do not come here and make demands. Not after playing us for a foo--"
He breaks off again, coughing.
"You are sick," Raven Six says. "Odds are good you have contracted Blood Veil. If I examine you to confirm and provide medication, are you willing to formally end this altercation?"
Sevenspawn falls silent. There seems little else to say, nor any desire to hear anything spoken.
Internally, his minds reels. Who else knew? Cressida... Orsini... the Kings. He wants to dismiss each, but cannot.
Devargo pauses and stares at Raven Six. Parni, the gnome remains at the side, her face stony.
"Show me your medication - we knows poison when we sees it you weird b%%**. No tricking!"
"'We' do not doubt it," Raven Six replies in a chilly tone.
The Alchemist dribbles a dram of antiplague into a convenient saucer and slides it along the table towards Devargo.
"But rest assured: I am not like that lying trull Lavender. This is real medicine, not water mixed with scented oil and feces."
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Sevenspawn sighs deeply, loudly, and slowly through his nose. He turns to the others - Raven Six, Thod, Donnell - and gives them each a long gaze in the eyes.
"I'm sorry for this," he says cryptically. "Truly."
Stepping towards the table, he places his gloved hand very firmly over the saucer, preventing Devargo from taking it. His face, hard now, looks to the King of Spiders, but he seems to speak to his companions.
"But there is no dealing with madness, is there." His tone suggests a statement, not a question. "We came here in good faith, just as we did the first time, and are met with accusations despite our peaceful efforts."
His voices raises, angry, and he speaks to Devargo. "What did you lose? A chair? A modicrum of pride? You killed members of my family for that, and were still offered a peace treaty. Now you are offered a cure for your illness, and you respond with venom and spite. No, sir. No."
Sevenspawn tosses the saucer aside, letting it crash into the floor. He raises a staying hand to Parni, indicating that he will do nothing more.
"I will not raise the first hand against you here, Devargo - better you die from the plague. But you'll get nothing more from us. You show no respect when it is given, and you are no more a king than I."
He steps back, glancing at Parni. "I am done being his lick-spittle. The business here is at an end."
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"I could have poured the sample back into the bottle," Raven Six says in stuffy tones as she rises back to her feet. "But very well. His symptoms are advanced. Presumably his successor will have other concerns than bothering us in..." - the Alchemist gives Devargo a chillingly clinical look - "Hmm. A week? Less? Yes. Less."
Donnell's eyebrows raise at Sevenspawn's outburst - both surprised and impressed. This is a kind of priest that continues to defy his expectations - it's one reason why he likes him so much.
Eyes flicking from Parni to Devargo to the spiders, Donnell surreptitiously pulls a vial of alchemist's fire from his bandolier and keeps an eye out for trouble.
Parni gasps as Sevenspawn challenges Devargo to his face. Devargo's eyes go similarly wide. As one would expect, things go badly. He doesn't even hear Raven's retort.
"YOU MISERABLE PUNY--hack hack hack WE WILL NOT LET THIS STAND!"
Parni steps forward. "Devargo, enough! You promised to the society peace here and an attack on them is an attack on us. You know you can't win that war."
Devargo yanks out his spiked gauntlets, staring you all down as he rises despite his illness. The kingly act seems to drop as he looks at you all with the fury of a dying madman. "KILL THEM! KILL THEM ALL!!!" You hear shouts as the guards outside prepare to run in. The fight is on! Parni curses and downs a potion, vanishing.
Devargo has taken a step back and is waiting for you to come in. He has his hand on a lever.
Parni
---
Devargo
Thugs
---
Donnell
Sevenspawn
Raven
Thod
Muttering: "Finally..."
Louder: "Thod, kill those punks. Raven - bomb Devargo from here. I'm afraid he's got something up his sleeve."
The doors fly open, and two of the thugs outside bounce on Thod - one of them stabbing him hard with a shortsword!
"There is presumably a trap in readiness! The kine king is holding a lever," Raven Six warns the others.
Looking Devargo in the eye, the Alchemist pulls a bomb from her pocket and throws it at him. "I have wanted to do this since I met you, I'm afraid. You really are very offensive."