One figure separates from the shadows, blade in hand, off hand waving down the archers.
"Stand down brothers! These are the friends I spoke of."
The speaker is Grau and he advances quickly across the street to join your company.
"Until we saw the ladies we couldn't be sure how things had played out. We were coming to help - the boys rallied to common sense and agreed to take Verik down. But I see you've done the hard work already."
He eyes Verik warily.
"What have you been doing here, captain?"
Verik gives him an icy glare and says nothing.
When Grau identifies himself and those with him, Emi exhales and relaxes.
Maybe I'm getting too jumpy.
"Grau! It's a relief to see you! Verik doesn't have much to say, but there's plenty to see inside. Come with me and I'll show you. Be prepared though, it isn't easy to look at."
Emi takes Grau inside to show him what the group found there. She also shows him the guard roster to see if he can make anything of the notations on it.
Regeris exhales very, very slowly.
"Glad to hear it. And yes, come in. The evidence will speak for itself, because otherwise I doubt you would believe us."
Regeris remains guarding the prisoners with a bow in hand while Emi gives Grau and his guards a gruesome tour.
"Great Gods!" Grau exclaims when shown the gruesome evidence within the butcher's shop. "Abomination! Verik will answer for this with his life. All of them will." He nudges one of the guard's corpses with his boot, shaking his head sadly at the recognition.
Grau looks increasingly like he's going to be sick. He turns away from the dismembered remains and moves back into the yard to get some air. When presented with the roster he nods and explains.
"R is for Ran. These men have deserted their post and run - to their families or elsewhere. D is for dead." He hands back the paper. "I would detach men to deliver these criminals and this evidence to Cressida, but you've earned the honor of bringing them in. I'd come myself, but just now I think the boys require a direct hand, lest I find myself marking more 'R's on the next roster. Just please, deliver this to the Field Marshal along with my compliments."
He produces a note and hands it over.
"Patrols will begin again this evening in Old Dock. With some diligence and a little luck we'll restore order to the district in time."
Regeris nods once over to Grau.
"Thank you. The guard have a shattered trust in the area. I am pleased that steps are being taken to re-establish that trust with the community. Only then can we regain control and have a healthy, thriving city."
When he has a moment, Regeris checks on the rest of the gruop.
"That was horrifying and something nobody should see. How are you all?"
Kayleigh turns her gaze to the remnants of the guard, wondering if she'll see the Demon's Lantern hovering over the heads of any of them. When Regeris asks how everyone is, she turns her head his way and gives a simple nod.
Tassira lets the other guards pass without comment.
"Traumatized. Thanks for asking." She replies to Regeris, slipping off her backpack and fetching Ravnos out of it. The calico tabby starts rubbing her head against her master's neck and purring.
To Kayleigh, the guards that mill about in the street in front of you don't sport the Demon's Lantern. They just appear to be men wearing the badge of the Korvosan guard. Grau notices her haunted look but mistakes it for something else. He addresses the party as some of his men replace the prisoners's bindings with actual manacles.
"I'm very sorry for my actions at the temple, and for the horrors you've been exposed to in bringing my brothers to justice. The city already owes you a debt of gratitude, though of course the average man will not know it. If you lot intend to continue in the service of the guard I look forward to working with you all."
"Speaking for myself, I intend to call on the temple in the future, to learn more of your goddess and her teachings. Based on your actions in the service of the city, I think some of my assumptions about the goddess of uprisings must be misplaced."
Grau offers his hand in thanks to each of you, along with the key that will free your prisoners, then leads a group of his men into the butcher's shop to begin the process of cleaning the place up, gathering the remains, and documenting the evidence against Verik and his gang.
---
The walk down to the citadel is not a pleasant one. The optics of guards leading other guards in chains is a sensation to the onlooking crowds and you have to issue many a stern threat to prevent the walk from turning into a pillory. The crowds in the street are eager for blood - any blood that might reasonably bear some guilt for their desperation. You can smell the fear on your prisoners that you'll just turn them over to the mob.
By the time you make your weary way into the citadel yard night has long since fallen. The captain of the gate listens to your explanation and rushes off to fetch Cressida. A few moments later, the Field Marshal makes her appearance. She's haggard from an obvious lack of sleep, yet she seems relieved and even pleased to see you return again so soon.
The combination of your story and the message on Grau's note wipes any hint of a smile from her face. She banishes Verik and his men to the citadel dungeon with a poorly concealed dose of fury.
"Treat these men's wounds so they survive their turn in the dungeons. We'll see what information we can get from them on their victims before they face their own fates."
That unpleasant business dealt with, she finally turns back to your party. She leads you back up to her own office and practically falls into the chair behind her desk. She dispatches her steward for spiced wine, then fishes through her cabinet for the funds to reward you.
"You've earned this," she says, as she slides the promised 500 gold crowns across her desk to you. "You have my profound thanks for stopping this travesty before it went any farther."
"What can I do to retain your employ? Though Grau and the guard that remain to him have the right intentions, they'll lack the numbers to put that district to right by themselves. And I still lack the strength to properly reinforce them. Can I rely on you further?"
Emileva answers Regeris with "Tired. Relieved I guess. I keep wondering why all bad things we look into turn out to be so much more awful than we'd imagined possible. There doesn't seem to be a bottom."
+++++++++++
Emi looks at each of the others, trying to read their faces, and trying to project her thoughts to them.
We probably need her more than she needs us. Verik was just a hand, and the head, Pilts or whoever, is probably very pissed off with us right now.
Then she turns back to Field Marshall Kroft.
"You can."
An exhausted Tassira rubs her eyes and tentatively nods. "I'll admit I wasn't prepared for what we saw tonight, but after this, I'd feel more guilt by turning away now. I'll do what I can to help you."
Kayleigh nods her assent to the Field Marshal but then finds the gumption to ask for a favor.
"I'm not sure how much sway you have over the Pharasmins and High Priestess d'Bear, but, as I'd mentioned to you previously, the Temple of Aroden was recently attacked and we're still storing the body of a murdered priest there...along with some orphans we rescued from a crimelord. It's not the best situation...."
Nebbin shakes himself, as if coming out of a reverie. Though it's just been a few hours, it feels like days since he stood watch over the guards and made sure they didn't cause any more trouble, even longer since he had to kill to make the city safer.
Ashen-faced, he nods to the guard captain, a woman he never figured he'd meet in his life. Then again, he'd been certain -- knew for a fact -- that he would never meet the queen, much less set foot in the palace. And he'd done that too.
He knew he'd make a lousy guardsman. He was just a poor kid from the worst parts of the city. But if they wanted him to help, well, he could keep hitting people with his sword. Or maybe his board again, since that seemed easier and safer (no chance of cutting himself), if they let him have it back.
"We can't let the city get any worse," he says in a quiet voice. "If you think I can help ... I don't know if I can, but if you think so, I'll do my best."
Regeris nods once.
"Speaking for myself, provided any missions are in the service of the folk of the city first, as opposed to the whims of some noble or another I am your man. There is a lot of work to be done."
He gestures to Kayleigh.
"If you can help us with her requests it will go a long way to restoring that good will with the guard, and maybe insulate against future riots. While Verik went rogue, these good folk have been caring for the community."
"For now I'd have you return to Old Korvosa and augment the strength of the guard there - just act as an extra set of ears and eyes. I'm placing Grau Soldado in Vancaskerkin's place so the district will be his to patrol. I wouldn't ask you to report in to him in any regular fashion, but rather to act as irregular attachments reporting directly to me. His men will need extra reinforcement in the short term, but in the long term I'd like you to be available for special investigations."
"I'm particularly concerned at the growing influence of strongmen in the district - Pilts Swastel, Glorio Arkona - and other members of the Cerulean society. In the absence of the guard they seem to have made various power plays, played their hands and revealed their cards to some extent. I don't have concrete leads for you to pursue yet, but I believe I may have something to go on soon."
"I'm prepared to pay you 10 gold pieces each per week to keep you on retainer. If you gather information relevant to a case we can build against any of these players the reward will be more... substantial."
"Of course I'll pass on a reminder to Keppira where your fallen friend is concerned. And I'll have a word with one of the orphanage houses on your behalf."
Kayleigh thanks Cressida and promises to keep her eyes and ears open when she returns to the streets of Old Korvosa to tend to the needs of her poorer neighbors.
The Cerulean Society is the common name for the thieves council of Korvosa. It's formed by the leaders of various gangs, drug lords and extortionists. While some members of the society are 'above the board' - getting a pass from the city authorities for their immoral trade by paying a sin tax, others are of the more traditional, underground sort. The society actually has a spokesperson to the city, a lobbyist of sorts who represents the interests of the criminal underworld to the crown. The current spokesperson for the society goes by the singular name Bouel. Not much is known about this figure except that he frequents the castle, and represents the interests of the society to the queen. He enjoys a protected status, both through the influence he wields in court, and from the fact that none of the shadier businesses he represents can be directly tied to his person.
The journey back to the Temple is an uneventful one, but you're collectively dead tired when you get there. The adrenaline of combat has washed out of your systems, leaving you drained, sore and grumpy. Hal's familiar face greets you with a look of obvious relief and the bar is securely dropped into place behind you once you're inside.
---
Gozran 17, 4708
A gentle peal of thunder wakes most members of the party the next day. It's rained much of the night, and the patter on the roof tiles of the church combined with the stress of the previous day create the perfect conditions for hard, earnest sleeping. The children are up early, as they always seem to be, and those who rise early enough find Garlan leading the children through a reading lesson. Most of them, that is. Carawyn is not to be seen until much later in the morning. When she finally does make an appearance she looks frowzy and worn out, like she's had a long night of it.
Crayden busies himself preparing a cold breakfast for the lot of you and generally tending to the needs of the house. He hums pleasantly to himself as he works. When he comes to the main chapel, he says many long, quiet prayers over Amistan, still lying at rest among the burnt out candles.
After Emi wakes, she checks her thigh and finds the wound there from the previous night is pretty much healed.
Only a small scar. Still a little stiff and sore, but hopefully I'll be able to take care of that with a workout later on."
She plans on going with Kayleigh today so she's careful not to miss breakfast. When she sees Carawyn she's a little surprised. Emi had noticed the girl seemed to be under a certain amount of stress before, but she'd assumed it was due to the other boy, who they had now delivered back to his parents. Maybe not.
There may be something that she needs someone to talk to about. Kayleigh is the boss though, and Tassira is tall and beautiful to the point of being a little intimidating.
When an opportunity arises, Emileva takes Carawyn aside privately.
"How are you Carawyn? Seems like maybe you're not sleeping so well? Anything you'd like to talk about? I'm fairly good at figuring out problems, and I can keep my mouth shut like nobody else."
Before calling it a night, Kayleigh uses the last of her healing power to make sure her friends are fully healed (or as close to it as she can manage). Tired as she is, sleep comes surprisingly easy, despite the horrors of the meat market.
In the morning, Kayleigh says her morning prayers before the statue of Milani in the small side shrine in the Temple of Aroden. Then she renews the gentle repose spells on Amistan and the still-boxed head of Zellara. She both blesses and lightly curses the Harrow reader's spirit for her part in the otherworldly vision of the Demon's Lantern during the raid on the butcher shop.
After checking to make sure there's enough food in the temple for a decent breakfast, the priestess announces her intention to return to a bit of normalcy, meaning that she'll be making her usual rounds of the neighborhood, creating water, purifying food, and generally helping the poor folk of Old Korvosa. She adds that she plans on doing a bit of shopping as well, both for groceries and a new set of crimson "battle-clothing" to wear when she's acting more as a member of the city watch than a cleric of Milani. She invites the others to join her, making her mission of mercy a guard patrol as well.
Taking his share of the money, Regeris quietly heads back with the group, lost in his own thoughts and not particularly talkative. He offers his memorized healing spell for anyone who needs it, and then finds a place for himself to get a restless night's sleep.
---
The following morning, Regeris engages in his morning prayer at the shrine. He listens to Kayleigh as she announces her intentions, and then just nods.
"I will join you. Show me how this is done. In this, I am your servant."
While eating with the others in the morning, he looks a little curiously to Carawyn, not being quite sure how to deal with children.
He looks to the group a little awkwardly before speaking. He then just blurts out a little of his history.
"I don't know much about any of you and I suspect the feeling is mutual. But I believe we will be fighting together for a while, and it is important that you know my place in this city. Kayleigh has called me an inquisitor which is... true after a fashion. I do not serve any central organization though, my only master is the Everbloom. However, I was trained as an inquisitor - for Abadar. I was born into the church, and left it after my rather naive beliefs were shattered. Korvosa is a corrupt city, and the church is a part of that corruption. I came into Milani's faith in Cheliax, which gave me purpose, and something true, and pure to fight for."
He looks around the room.
"I'll answer any questions you want. I have one of my own though - how did all of this come to be? How did you meet? Carawyn here, why is he staying in the temple. What was that about a body? Your arrangement is... unusual."
Carawyn's face registers a look, maybe irritation or even fear, when pulled aside by Emi. Her skin is pale, almost yellow and her eyes are rimmed in red.
"It's nothing! Trouble sleeping, I guess. I'm sorry I wasn't up to help Crayden in the kitchen this morning. I should go help him now! He's really too old to manage by himself." She squirrels away, back to the kitchen and works hard to look busy. She spends the rest of the morning avoiding direct contact with any of the adults and takes the first open opportunity to disappear back to her room.
In the middle morning, as the party is preparing to head out into the rain there comes a soft knock on the Temple doors. Hal answers the door to find a tall man in the grey robes of a Pharasman priest standing on the steps. Behind him, the Pharasman's Wain stands idle in the street. Another priest sits at the box, his cowl pulled down low against the rain.
"Good morning to you," the priest on the step says. "My brother and I have come to take the remains of Amistan the priest to his place of final rest."
Kayleigh nearly chokes on her food when Regeris mentions that his 'rather naïve beliefs were shattered.' "Too bad you didn't arrive here a few days earlier," she says a bit bitterly once she's finished coughing. "Then perhaps you could have spared me the same experience, or at least softened the blow. I've always known that the people of Old Korvosa weren't entirely upstanding citizens, but I thought their vices and wickedness were of a more selfish 'Me first' nature...but I see now it runs deeper than that."
The priestess goes on to tell Regeris of how the new friends had been brought together by the ghost of a Harrower named Zellara, ostensibly to take revenge against a petty crimelord named Gaedren Lamm, who'd wronged each of them in some way in the past and, it turned out, murdered both Zellara and her son. She briefly mentions the group's raid on Lamm's fishery/hideout before coming to the part about returning to the Temple of Aroden to find it desecrated. Of its three elderly priests, one was slain with a sledgehammer blow to the head ("That atrocity has been avenged; Good riddance, Baldrago!"), Garlan was left for dead, and poor Crayden was dragged off to Exemplary Excrables to be ritualistically murdered as part of an unholy play--"We put a stop to that, though!"
She blushes when one of the rescued Lambs asks her not to talk about bashed-in heads while they're trying to eat, and Kayleigh realizes that, once again, she's uncharacteristically let anger overwhelm her good judgment.
****************************************
When the Pharasmins arrive, Kayleigh rushes forward to greet them and take them to where Amistan lies in state. She briefly mentions that High Priestess d'Bear also promised to remove the partial remains of Zellara. The priestess says she'll carry the hat box out to the wain if the two Pharasmins can handle Amistan. Not certain of the proper protocol, she offers the priests a donation of 2 gp for their order, one for each of the deceased.
Emileva waits a while, until before they are ready to leave, then finds Carawyn in her room. She slides down to rest on her heels with her back against the wall.
"I want you to know that I didn't try to talk to you because you slept late or missed some chores. It's because I'm concerned about you. This is isn't like Gaedren Lamm's racket. If you're not feeling up to it, skip the work. Take care of yourself."
"If you're sick, let someone know and you can get a cure. If there's some worry or concern that's making you ill, talk to someone. You know, I'm an orphan myself, and really not much older than you. There isn't anything you could tell me that would shock me. I'd understand. But, if you would rather, talk to someone else instead."
"You can't hide that something is going on. I'll be honest, you look like hell. But before you're unconscious on the floor, or something else similarly drastic, it will be up to you to ask for help. Whenever you're ready, someone will be there."
"We will be out for several hours, so you won't need to hide to avoid us for most of the day" Emi adds with a wry smile.
During Kayleigh's telling of their story to Regeris, Emi fetches the Harrow deck for him to take a look at.
Although she's more interested in adult issues and conversations, Kayleigh's vaguely aware that something's off with Carawyn and that Emi's trying to deal with it. Before heading out, the priestess has a couple of revelations in sudden succession. She seeks out the orphan girl and casts a quick blessing , telling the girl that should help her feel more peppy, despite her lack of sleep.
"Oh, I forgot to mention this earlier--I've been so busy. Kevlin may be coming to visit pretty soon. His parents are interested in attending services here, so once we've finished cleaning and Regeris and I can come up with some sermons, Kevlin and his family should be visiting fairly regularly."
The priest lowers his cowl as he steps in out of the rain. He accepts Kayleigh's offering with a smile. "It's more than what's necessary for the final services, but there are so many dead in the city without the means to pay. Your donation will help cover the burial of others."
He takes a step closer to Garlan, Kayleigh and Regeris, lowering his voice in a conspiratorial manner.
"The Seat of Birth sends her respects to the priests of this house, and wishes me to say that the houses of the benevolent deities must hold together in cooperation in these days of trial."
"Our mistress believes that Master Tuttle and the bankers of Abadar seek to make common cause with the house of the Prince of Darkness. A desperate gambit to restore order to the streets of the city, and one that seems like folly. She fears that he gives this council to the queen." He practically spits the word bankers.
"Our mistress wishes you to know that the house of Pharasma wants no part in such a bargain. One imagines that such an alliance would be equally anathema to the keepers of this house."
He looks to the three of you for agreement.
---
In her room with Emi, Carawyn sits on her bed and pulls her knees up to her chest in a protective hunch. She listens to the other girl's words and nods, but doesn't have much to say for herself.
"I'm not sick," she says in a barely audible voice. "At least I don't think I'm sick. Thank you for coming and talking to me. You're so strong... I want to be strong like you, but..." She shakes her head and a tear spills down one cheek.
"I'll think about what you said."
Nebbin nods as Kayleigh explains everything that's happened to Regeris.
Afterward, he ponders for a moment, looking for the appropriate question(s) to ask. Finally, the big man speaks, "What happened to your beliefs? Why don't you like Abadar? He seems better than Asmodeus. Isn't that who they believe in in Cheliax?"
Kayleigh's about as well-versed in religious politics as she is in city ones, it seems. Flustered by the Pharasmin's insinuations, the priestess finally manages to spit out, "Well, indeed, making a deal with devils is never a wise move."
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Regeris listens wide-eyed to Kayleigh recount the adventures of the group to date.
"You were brought together by a -ghost-? This... fascinating. I am glad the crimes against this temple and its inhabitants have been addressed. You are doing excellent work; I have thrown my lot in with the right people."
He turns the Harrow deck over in his hands, looking at the odd card before handing it back to Emi.
"Everytime I think I know what is going on, there is more to the story."
=========
=========
Regeris' eyes go wide as she tells her tale before he scowls angrily.
"I know the bankers very, very well. Considering the unrest in the city, this is far from surprising. They have much in common with the diabolists for they are all slaves to power for its own sake. They see unrest as an opportunity. These may spell dark days for the people of this city. Clearly this must be opposed at every turn, and I am grateful for your decision."
==========
==========
Regeris thinks for a moment before speaking.
"Abadar is not an evil God like Asmodeus, as Asmodeus demands sacrifice and cruelty. Abadar just demands order and obedience. Good and evil are concepts Abadar - is not concerned with. He is the God of civilization, cities, and money. To an Abadarian, a well-run city is beautiful, like a machine. Every part of the city is there because it has to be, and they all work together to make society... well, happen."
Using his finger, he sketches a pyramid in the dust.
"At the top are the nobility and perhaps the bank, in the middle are merchants, and clergy, and at the bottom the small folk. All playing their role, to make the machine of the city work and generate wealth - more wealth means the city is succeeding. I believed that everyone benefited from this, and that the city was for everyone. Obey the laws, listen to the nobles, do your job, and be rewarded. But this... this is nonsense."
Regeris circles the tip of the pyramid.
"The Bank of Abadar only cares about this part of the pyramid. Power and money. And the bank will lie, cheat, and break every rule - or create unfair rules - and do anything it can to make sure it and the nobility it supports remain wealthy and in charge. A common folk who steals to feed her family will go to jail. The noble who drove that commoner out of her house will become richer. Korvosa isn't a well-oiled machine, it is an extortion racket."
He looks up at Nebbin.
"Kayleigh going around to care for the homeless and needy of this city - the Bank would not endorse that because it -wants- them to be homeless and needy. Just enough so they don't riot. Although it is not an evil organization, it allows evil to flourish unchecked. A legitimate noble who is evil, is still legitimate. The Everbloom taught me that pyramid is nonsense, and what matters is helping the greatest number of people, and stopping those who would harm them. Does... does that make sense?"
Kayleigh's blessing washes over Carawyn and some of her natural color returns to her face.
"Oh... my," she sighs, "I do feel better. Thank you mistress." She looks for all the world like she's about to start crying again.
"Kevlin's good. I wished him the best when he left - honestly I did, and do. I don't blame his family for coming back here and listening to the prayers of Milani... it's what they should do. You and the others here are the only people really looking out for the smallfolk."
---
The priest of Pharasma nods to Regeris.
"Well, you may have a better measure of Darb Tuttle and the House of Abadar than we do... or did. I would never have believed he would turn so quickly to such desperate measures as aligning with Asmodeans just to secure the walls of his bank. It may be that we sell him short. That he spoke only of a theoretical alliance and a temporary one at that. In any case Mistress Keppira councils you to be on your guard with the Abadarans. You can bet that the Asmodeans have no love at all for Aroden and his flock - perhaps less for those who follow the teachings of Milani. You should know that in the House of Pharasma and in the person of Keppira D'Bear you have a friend and ally. Call on us if you have the need, and we will certainly do the same."
He offers his hand to Garlan, who takes it readily. He then does the same for Regeris and Kayleigh before joining his brother in the labor of removing Amistan to the Wain.
Tassira is quiet as the others speak when they reconvene. There is a frightened look still in her eyes, even as she holds her cat in her arms. Ravnos keeps peeking over her shoulder at something, while occasionally squirming.
She doesn't seem to be paying much attention to the things going on around her.
Nebbin nods at Regeris' speech.
"But ... isn't that the way things work? I mean, some people are just poor, and I don't think they should be poor, but we can't all be rich, can we? It'd be nice if we could ... I'd eat pastries every day if I had the money ... but someone has to do the real work or nothing would get done, right?"
Kayleigh shakes the Pharasmin cleric's hand and asks his name for future reference. Then, once Amistan and Zellara's remains have been removed, she prepares to go out into the streets of Old Korvosa to again help the poor and unfortunate. She asks if any of her new friends would like to accompany her, just in case there's any trouble. Failing to keep a grin at bay, she tries to bribe Nebbin along by promising to treat him to some pastries for a midafternoon snack, once much of the day's work is completed. She then extends the bribe to the others as well.
Nebbin blushes a moment, but grins as Kayleigh invites him on a date (he doesn't quite notice that the others were invited along too).
"I'd love to!" he says excitedly. "I should probably get my, um, sword, though, since it's not really safe out there."
Tassira seems quite amenable to Kayleigh's idea.
It'd be better after...
"...yes. I'd like that." Ravnos meows and hops out of her arms, staying by her side.
"This little exercise might be good for all of us," Kayleigh says suddenly, "to remind us of what we're fighting for...and maybe what we're fighting against."
Emileva had already prepared to accompany Kayleigh and has her stuff on hand. She isn't expecting any trouble since the idea is to make a number of charity visits. Accordingly she has opted for the lighter chain shirt and the rapier she had taken from the armory.
"Shall we be on our way?"
The rain continues on and off throughout the day and the sizes of the crowds milling about in the streets are visibly reduced. You also see patrols of the Old Korvosan guard on three separate occasions as the party makes its way about the district. More than once you notice toughs leave their places in the shadows of tenements and shops, slipping away into back alleys and open doorways as you make your show of strength. People generally seem grateful for any return to normalcy, even if that normalcy is a state of oppressive poverty.
When you pass by 'All the World's Meats', you feel gratified in seeing the shop closed with a guard posted outside the door. You hear no rumors connected to the place as you move about and this comes as a bit of relief. Were word to escape of what was going on under that roof it would very likely take away from the positive effects that the guard's return seems to be having.
Likewise there's no activity among the blackened ruin of Exemplary Execrables. People pass by the place without giving it a second glance.
The Reefclaw Run Market actually has more open stalls than empty ones, and shopping proves a relatively easy task. By the time your good deeds are done, your pastries are eaten and your groceries secured, evening is starting to fall. As you gather the items you've purchased and head back toward the temple there's an ominous rumbling of thunder. Another front is rolling in off the water, promising heavier rain and a decent show of lightning.
You're winding your way down side streets, unconsciously ducking at each loud peal of thunder when your attention is captured by a shriek coming from down a side street. Peering through the murk of the weather you catch a glimpse of three creatures hovering uncertainly about a foot off the road. A second cry focuses your group on a street urchin standing under the eaves of one of the nearby buildings.
"You leave him alone!" he hollers as he chucks a small rock at one of the flying creatures. As you stand there trying to make sense of the scene a flash of lightning makes things clearer. Two of the creatures are flying and each has in its hands one of the ears of a little dog that they're lifting off the ground. The dog yelps in pain as the two flyers struggle for altitude. They cackle at the boy as his rock sails wide of the mark.
==========
==========
Regeris shrugs.
"I'm not saying we should all be rich... that's not really what's important to me. What matters to me is justice and honesty. We are told that the good will of the nobility is what will make the lives of the common folk happy - but what happens when they have no good will? Or here's a different question, one you do not need to answer. If every member of House Arkona vanished overnight, how long do you think it would take for you to notice or care?"
=============
=============
Regeris quietly pads along with the group, watching Kayleigh as she works and generally keeping to the background. Seeing the creatures making off with the dog, he wastes no time in pulling his longbow from his back.
"Put the dog down now!" he shouts giving them a scant moment to react. If the creatures do not oblige, he will fire.
When she finds an opportune time on their way around the quarter, Emileva queries Kayleigh on something she had said to the Field Marshall.
"When you were talking to Kroft, you mentioned the children at the temple not having a permanent place as a problem. Do you plan to have them relocated to an orphanage?"
"If that is your thinking, I'd like you try to persuade to reconsider. It isn't my place to tell you what you should do with the temple. I don't know, maybe it isn't your place to decide either. But, and I apologize for saying this, the temple feels like a hospice creeping toward becoming a mausoleum. The orphans bring life back to it though. If they were to stay there, the children could remain together, and I think they would want that."
"It would be a new chance for Garlan and Crayden as well. They have more to offer than just repeating rituals that will never be answered. The children need what they can give, education, guidance. They need the children's help keeping the place up and running. It's all already in place and happening, it just needs to recognized and nurtured. Maybe what the neighborhood needs as much as rot excised is something decent built. Will you think about it if you haven't?"
Emi can't make out wht the things holding the dog are. She's certainly not as confident as Regeris with a bow, doubting she could hit the right target in the mix.
She draws her rapier as she jogs over the see what's happening.
"Oi! Let do of the dog!
"Oh. I mean, I don't know how many people are in Arkosa. I don't think I've ever met any of them, so ... I guess I wouldn't really care? But that doesn't mean I think they should all go away! I mean, they never met me, right, so hopefully they don't want me to go away."
The big man seems more confused than anything by the priest's words, but he knows that type of thinking is for more educated people than he.
Nebbin's ears perk up as he hears a strangely familiar cry. His heart leaps as he sees the ... things ... tormenting the poor dog.
Tassira gives the imps a contemptuous glare. "Imps. The biggest reason as to why the Acadamae is overrated. Clearly, someone incompetent summoned them and now they're up to no good."
During her 'patrol' of the neighborhood, Kayleigh stops by dozens of homes and street corners, using her create water, purify food and water, and mending spells to make the lives of the poor folks just a little bit better. She often shakes hands with those folks who she knows and are her 'regulars,' and anyone watching her closely can tell that the priestess is slipping the very needy a few coins (likely from her share of the rewards/pay given them by the Field Marshal) to tide them over.
When Emi mentions that the Temple of Aroden 'feels like a hospice creeping toward becoming a mausoleum,' Kayleigh frowns in momentary annoyance, feeling that similar sentiments are what are emboldening the neighborhood's criminal element to target the 'useless' old priests of a dead god. The frown is short-lived, however, and Kayleigh sighs before answering.
"I agree with you, to a certain extent, but ultimately that's up to Garlan and Crayden. I'm not sure it's fair to burden a pair of lifelong bachelors with a bunch of street children, some of them approaching their dreaded teen years. And if the criminal elements of Old Korvosa keep targeting the temple despite our recent successes...well, the kids will be in the line of fire, so to speak. We can speak with the priests tonight, if you'd like. If they agree to keep the kiddos under their roof, I'll donate some of my share of the gold Field Marshal Kroft gave us to commission the building of some bunk beds and other furniture."
***********************************
Kayleigh's unusually alert when the group comes upon the imps tormenting the poor dog. Almost before she knows what she's doing, she closes on the little devils while drawing her morningstar. Her movement's a bit slower, though, due to her new heavier breastplate armor, and instead of trying to attack, she moves to the east wall, hugging it while moving past the two fliers to limit their escape routes.
When Kayleigh agrees to bring the subject to the Arodenite priests, Emi offers her assurance.
"I will also contribute in whatever way is needed."
Kayleigh offers Emi a genuine smile. "Thank you. I believe I offered previously to help you spruce up Zellara's house if you were going to live there...although I'm not sure now how I'll find the time! Is that plan still in the works?"
Regeris stares at what are apparently imps, but unable to really say or tell much, he just keeps silent and shoots them.
"If it's imps then they die!"
Despite how small the targets are, Regeris plugs his target with his first arrow. And while the little monster grunts and immediately lets go of the dog's ear, the arrow doesn't transfix the target like you would normally have expected such an excellent shot to do. Instead it clatters to the pavements, its tip fouled and smoking.
Tassira digs out her spellbook, and with a swish of her wrist and a burst of magic, exchanges the incantation for colour spray for one that conjures a missile of force.