As the door is opened and the scene beyond is revealed, the butler gives a sudden fierce shout of anger. "I had to do it! She was infected! SHE COULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO INFECT THE FAMILY!"
Beyond the door lies the body of an older woman, plump and wearing a matronly outfit with a cook's hat and apron. She is lying backwards, having fallen out of the chair which lies toppled nearby. Her face and neck are covered with bloody boils, which ooze down her face. Her neck is cut deeply and a sharp halfling sized dagger lies on the floor. The woman's eyes are open and staring, though she sees nothing any more.
"You did this? You're a monster! What is wrong with you?"
The halfling stares defiantly at the gnome. "I did what was necessary. She was infected with that... disease. She refused to leave and insisted on cooking for them. She would hear no reason. I killed her as painlessly as possible. Would you rather I let her die in pain and misery and infect others as she did? The Family is what is important; I serve them. I protect them. I take care of problems. They are my FAMILY! Of course you itinerant curs wouldn't understand." He stands proudly and sets his jaw. "I did what had to be done."
From the other room you hear a young boy's voice, only sounding about 4 years old. "Mr. Bumpins? Why is there paint on the floor?"
"Dont you dare move, or I'll take your head myself, Bumpins. Ruperta, would you see to the child while we take care of this filth in here? We have to see him punished for what he's done. I say we take him back to Kroft for trial."
Ruperta quickly turns to look for the boy, and get him away from the scene of the murder.
"Hello little one, my name is Ruperta, what is yours? Where are your parents?"
If he continues to ask about the paint she will tell him Mr. Bumpins made a mess in the kitchen.
He hustles him away, checking for signs of the disease and for other people in the house.
Slumper goes about securing the Butler with anything he can find handy.
The butler looks pained as you prevent him from attending to the little boy. Slumper and Pai soon have him trussed and gagged.
Ruperta sees a young boy with a cherubic face and slight raised splotches of red appearing on his face. He blinks his eyes sleepily and looks at her. "I'm Stephan. Mummy and Daddy are upstairs, asleeping." He points toward a staircase and then turns and begins heading upstairs, dragging a stuffed dragon behind him, its fuzzy head hitting every step as he goes upstairs. "Is Mister Bumpins in trouble? Someone sounded mad. I hope not. He's nice."
Ruperta tries not to see as distressed as she feels at the boy sickness.
"Well, he made a big mess in the kitchen, and he will need to clean it up, and I think it will take him much time. Let's tell your parents about it."
Pai shuts the door separating the group from the now deceased woman, making sure that no one would just happen upon it. If there is a key or some other way to keep it secured, she locks that as well. "You! How did you hear about this disease? What else do you know about it?"
The halfling scowls. "Hear about it? Look at her! I don't need to hear about anything to know she's infected, coughing up blood and clearly dying. She was sick and it was no mere disease. Came on too fast. I couldn't allow her near the family, dammit. She kept insisting, though. Wouldn't go home. Wouldn't rest. When the girl had symptoms I sent her home and she went. But not Mrs. Butterfield. The damn woman was ever too stubborn for her own good!"
Upstairs the little boy pauses by a door that opens at nearly the same time. A woman, her hair unbraided and wearing a long nightgown and holding a lamp, opens it. "Stephan, darling you should be in... Who are you and what are you doing in my house?!?" She looks startled at Ruperta and her voice rises in obvious fright. Her face is clear and she displays no sign of any illness.
"My name is Ruperta, I am with the guard. We need to put this young boy to bed and then my companions and me need to talk with you. I'll be downstairs for you and your husband to come down as soon as you are able. "
To the boy she kneels and bade farewell.
"Be brave and may Desna make your dreams filled with wonderful things."
After that she will go down and meet with her companions.
Paxs looks thoughtful over in the corner while petting Thrak absently.
"What girl did you send home? And to where?"
The woman looks at you and at the child, then nods and steers him toward a room down the hall.
The halfling looks at Pai. "Brienna. The house maid. I sent her home when she first started getting that rash on her face. I don't know what it is, but the boy, Stephan, is sickly. He took ill as a child and he cannot be around the sick. If only that fool woman Butterfield had listened! I didn't want to do it, but SHE WOULD NOT LISTEN. Fool woman! She always cared more for her pay than she did for the family. Take me away, guardsmen. Throw me in whatever dungeon you wish, but I did it for the family. And I'd do it again."
"You won't have the chance, murderer. The masters of the house will come down in a minute."
Ruperta waits for the owners to come down.
The halfling goes silent and glares at each of you.
A few moments pass and the woman comes downstairs, accompanied by an older man with greying hair and a slight paunch. He's wearing silk pajamas and a red bathrobe. "What is the meaning of this? Since when does the Guard burst into an honest man's home uninvited? And why is our butler restrained?!? Someone needs to explain immediately!"
Corbyn leans agains the wall near the front door wearing a slight smirk as he prepares to watch to proceedings.
"The butler has murdered the cook. He aim to take him to justice."
"But I am afraid that is not the reason we came here. Brianna, a girl that works here, is very sick. We are looking for people she could have infected, or that infected her. And I am sorry to say I fear the kid I took upstairs seems sick. Can you help us pinpoint when the sickness started, and with who? Are you feeling OK? Do you know of more sick people?"
The man stands shocked, while his wife lets out a small gasp and covers her face. "Jon, is this...is this true?" the man manages to sputter out.
"She was infected, sir. Infected and refused to leave. I had to take care of it, sir. You and the madame, you weren't to know." The butler says, drawing himself up proudly.
The man seems taken aback, then his eyes narrow. "Wait. Caroline? The Fletchley lad? They didn't just quit, did they?"
The halfling smiles darkly. "Caroline was a damnable whore who sought to seduce your lordship. She wouldn't be deterred, so measures were taken. The Fletchley boy was stealing from the silver. He refused to return it and go quietly. I simply did what was necessary to protect the family. I always serve the family, as did my father before me and his father before him. We serve the family, m'lord."
The man looks pale and shaken. He turns back to Ruperta. "Yes.. yes. Brienna always played with Stephan. She was always so kind and good with the lad. She's sick, you say? How bad? I mean, we simply thought Stephan had caught the chicken pox. I...I don't know of anyone else sick, no."
"As a follower of Desna I know something of healing, but my knowledge is not enough to identify or treat this disease. I beg of you to find help for your son, and let me know if somebody else is able to identify and cure him, so I can treat others which don't have your means, starting with Brienna. What I can tell you is that the sickness seems to be spreading, and people get very sick. Noone has died yet, and no one will if I can prevent it, but I strongly recommend you take all possible measures to protect the child. About your employee, I fear he is deranged and we will need to take him away to face justice. You, where did you dispose of the bodies?"
The halfling stares defiantly at Ruperta. "I will not speak of such things in front of the family."
Pai just shakes her head, disgusted with the halfling. "You are an embarrassment to wee folk of all races," she hisses.
Ruperta looks at the owners of the house, asking them for their help in the interrogation of the halfling.
The man looks back as his wife quietly sobs into his shoulder. He just shakes his head helplessly.
Slumper moves toward the gnome and says with some menace "We don't have to ask these questions in front of the family... Jon."
Ruperta looks a little distressed at Slumper warning, and quickly asks the owners to get back to the upper floor while the interrogation takes place.
"If you are not going to help is better you are not here."
Their inability to help reminds her why she doesn't like rich people.
"Wouldnt you want to help the family by cooperating with us, you are putting them in danger by not helping!"
Diplomacy
The halfling sets his jaw and refuses to speak.
The man raises her voice. "Now wait just one damned minute! You're in my house and you will abide by my wishes. Jon has been a loyal servant of this house for years. You will not need to threaten him and you damn well will not under my roof! He's done wrong, and he'll serve his punishment. But you will not mistreat him! And I will not be ordered around in my own house like a common cur!" He turns to the halfling. "Jon, please. Go with these people and aid them as you can. I will see that a barrister visits you in the morning. In light of your service, and for the love you have for us, I will do my best to see you treated fairly."
The halfling nods, his eyes filling with tears. "Alright, my lord. I will cooperate. But not here."
Pleased with the performances of all involved, Corbyn smiles and begins to slowly clap.
"And what about the murdered people? Weren't them "loyal servants"? Shouldn't them have your protection too? I am starting to think this halfling didn't acted alone, and that is not credible that so many people got murdered here without the "masters" of the house knowing about it. So get away, and start to take care of your son yourselves, instead of relying on others to do your stuff, like us "common curs" do. Hurry! Go away! And don't interfere with our work!"
The change in Ruperta's attitude is complete, from caring and concerned one second to raging, her small frame trembling with indignation.
Pai stands silent, her eyes wide at Ruperta's outburst. Everything she said made complete sense, though. "Lets get him out of here," Pai pleads with Slumper, wanting to transport the butler out of this scene as quickly as possible.
Slumper makes good on Pai's words leading the gnome out into the streets back toward the jails.
The lord of the house fumes with silent rage as you remove the halfling from the home. He slams the door behind you without a word. As soon as he is away from the house, the halfling butler sags with a sigh. He is silent as you take him back to the Citadel.
Once there however, he sits straight and answers your questions honestly and without any emotion.
The halfling butler answers your questions, revealing that he disposed of the bodies by hauling them to the sewers and letting them float away. He is surprisingly open and somewhat apologetic about it; he would have preferred that the victims acted in the best interest of the family, but measures had to be taken. He doesn't strike you as an evil person, just one with a strong personal code and very few moral barriers.
You finally find your beds late in the night and fall into fast, deep sleep. But strangely enough, you all have the same dream. In it Zellara sits at a small table in front of you and begins dealing cards, saying "I sense a great tide coming, one that threatens to engulf Korvosa. But I believe you can stop it, or stem it." She begins to flip over cards, calling out their interpretation.
Past
Card 1 – The Cyclone - Despair and destruction is coming to Korvosa.
Card 2 - The Fiend - Brought by a powerful evil
Card 3 - The Tyrant - Who wants to rule over these lands yet again.
Present
Card 4 – The Forge - A group of Korvosans must band together
Card 5 - The Hidden Truth - To find the hidden truths about this evil
Card 6 - The Avalanche - Before the city is meet with total disaster.
Future
Card 7 – The Sickness - For sickness is coming,
Card 8 - The Crows - Bringing the birds that feast upon the dead,
Card 9 - The Trumpet (upside down) - And beautiful women with ashen skin and blank faces.
“The saviors that have been destined to help defeat The Fiend and save Korvosa are:”
The Survivor - One who has suffered greatly by the scales of Korvosa, but yet still calls the city his home.
The Paladin - One who will not back down against this evil despite the obstacles and hardships placed in her way.
The Juggler - One who follows the destinies of others, but unable to follow his own.
The Eclipse - One who is filled with self-doubt and the loss of purpose in his life. He is waiting for something or someone to show him a new path to travel down.
The Joke - One who has seen the trials of life and chooses to create a better one through trickery.
"There is a tide, but tides turn and can be weathered. Look beyond the tide to what controls it. It may be more than it appears."
The dream ends and the rest of the night goes quickly and restfully.
The next morning you find yourself summoned by Field Marshall Kroft. "I know this plague is at the top of your minds, but I have a favor: Vencarlo Orsini sent me a message last night. He has a situation he believes you can help with. Please go to him and see what he needs. I suspect it might be best if I not know what that is..."
"What a strange dream," Pai mentions offhandedly to the others the next morning. Upon hearing the others all had it, she asks, "Well, can you tell me more about what that means? Do you know that lady who performed the Harrowing?"
"Sure, we can check out this Orsini fellow for you, Ms. Kroft. I don't suppose you could start contacting the temples for us, looking for a cure, could you? Of course, if we finish up quickly with Orsini, we could handle that for the rest of the afternoon."
After waking up, Ruperta kneels and prays while crying:
"Night butterfly, I thank thee for the blessings and the luck, I thank thee for the dream and hope, I thank thee for everything."
She is genuinely moved by the dream, which she attributes to Desna.
"That woman should have been Desna, in disguise! The Harrowing is a very important tradition for us Varisians, a way to let the gods speak to us, and to have the cards dealt to us in a dream is a big portent."
She hugs all of her companions.
"We are truly blessed, and I thank you too for being here with me. I know that together we will beat any and all problems we face."
She prepares her spells and casts Diagnose Disease on the box they got from Brienna.
She also checks her companions for symptoms of the disease.
About Marshall Kroft orders, Ruperta protests!
"I'm sorry, but there are sick people in the city, and our priority should be them! Aren't anyone else who can lose their time attending that problem?"
Slumper meets up with the group and realizes quickly that others have had the same dream. "Well she's back again, last time she helped deliver Lamm, hopefully we are equally as fortunate this time. How that dead girl gets her knowledge I'll never know"
The Marshall agrees to have some of the patrols check with temples on their routes.
None of the companions seem to have symptoms of the disease. Still, you find yourself second guessing, as you're still not sure what this disease is or how it presents itself...
The walk toward Orsini's academy is long and you find yourself noticing the locals more than ever, checking them for symptoms and noting every cough or sneeze. There does seem to be more sneezes and coughing than usual, and you notice a few people with red splotches around their necklines.
Still, nothing quite prepares you for what you find when you are lead into Orsini's sitting room, or rather who you find... Trinia Sabor stands in the corner, smiling rather shyly. She looks much the same, though her hair is covered by a large floppy hat and a wig of long red curls. Orsini stands between you and her, smiling.
“You were all at the Queen’s debacle, so I don’t doubt you recognize this charming young woman. I had only just reached my home the night of Her Majesty’s morbid gala when that rogue Blackjack and this startled woman arrived at my doorstep. The people’s hero and I have had some dealings in the past, but still, it’s been some years since I’ve seen the scoundrel. He was quick with his words, and soon swooped off—doubtlessly to right some other festering wrong—but not before entrusting Miss Sabor into my protection and care. Although I don’t know Blackjack’s motives or politics, I trust his judgment and have seen much right done by his blade. He says the girl is innocent of the crime she’s been accused of, and I’m more disposed to trust a hero of the city than the tantrums of some bloody-minded harlot playing at queen."
“The matter is simple: Korvosa is no longer safe for Miss Sabor. I’ve arranged for friends in Harse—a couple of well respected ranchers—to take in our beautiful renegade until this whole ‘assassination’ foolishness blows over. Its the first leg of the journey where we find our problem, though. Both the Korvosan Guard and the Sable Company have been searching for the young lady tirelessly—they’ve stopped by here three times so far, and each time I’ve only just barely been able to turn them away without inviting a search. My most reliable contacts have gone to ground in light of the recent uprisings, and Her Highness’s considerable bounty for Trinia’s capture makes the use of new agents inadvisable. Thus, after some time to let her trail cool, I turned to you resourceful lot. Care to escort a lady home?” Orsini smiles charmingly, and then grins like a rogue.
"How do you suggest the best way to get her out of the city unseen? The people are still pretty stirred up right now. Is there a route no one else knows about?
"I do not mind helping her, but we have an issue right now, and kind of work for the guards. Maybe we can do both."
"Will she promise not to run this time... we did try to help her before..."
Trinia looks embarrassed and smiles, in a pretty way. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know who to trust and well, you're kind of intimidating." she finishes the statement in a mumble, blushing.
Orsini walks over to her and pats her on the shoulder. "There, there, my dear. We can all make mistakes, and yours is forgivable. They ARE intimidating!" He turns and smiles at the party. "As for a secret way out, I'm afraid I have none. We've almost made it out of town several times, but each time we're stopped and I dare not press our luck further. What I can provide is a distraction: I've been amassing some fireworks over the last season and I think if I can arrange for a somewhat sudden display of them, then I can distract the guards long enough to allow you to slip out. Oh and provide the city with a much needed distraction! Shall we say tonight, at sundown? If you meet here, I will have Trinia suitably disguised and ready for travel. Can I count on you?"
"I do love a good fireworks show, I have to admit," Pai smiles, thinking about the show. "I guess we could try and sneak her out then."
"I fear I am not sure we can lose time now... but I wouldn't be able not to help her. We will meet here with you at sundown. Trinia, I really hope you don't run away from us this time."
Ruperta then invites his friends to go check Brienna and the other sick people.