THE DEVIL'S THREADS (28 Gozran)
Hetamon shrugs at Falina. "I don't know. I wasn't even aware that there was a killer on the loose until some of my congregation mentioned the other killings to me today. They didn't have a lot of details, but I don't recall anyone saying that only women had been targeted...."
Viro goes out of armour for once, dressing as his dandy self as he starts asking around. He hits some of his usual haunts for gossip and information, spreading a bit of information about a weird stabbing in an alley and wondering if others have heard anything or know anyone.
Without Hetamon having any further information Falina decided it would be best to go out and try and gather information as well. While the others seemed to be focusing on more pleasant locations for information Falina did otherwise. She shifted her form and began to hit up the various brothels, after all whores hear all sorts of useful things.
STREETS OF REDROOF (28 Gozran)
Dom and Davina go looking for their contact Ned in the hopes of getting another audience with the rat queen information broker. What they find is disturbing: Ned is dead (a sudden death, and his corpse had been nibbled on by rats), and a lot of locals are sick, many from rat bites. There are whispers of a plague, and the few folk willing to talk to outsiders do so reluctantly and at a distance, their faces partly covered with handkerchiefs.
Davina is recovering with her own bout of sickness, likely filth fever caught in the fight with the otyughs. Thanks to a remove disease spell, the sickness is arrested, but she's still a bit weak from the experience (-1 Con).
THROUGHOUT OLD KINTARGO
The others gather a fair amount of information. Between them, they learn that there have been 7 other recent murders in southern Old Kintargo with the same modus operandi. The victims have little in common: all were simple working folk--5 men and 2 women--of various age, ranging from 23 to 63. All were killed at night and bore excessive multiple stab wounds.
The killings have brought back hazy recollections of the Temple Hill Slasher, who terrorized the city more than 100 years ago. The killer--Mangvhune, a respected professor at Alabaster Academy--was quickly executed for the crimes, but his legend lives on in ghost stories and warnings to keep children from staying out too late at night. The old-timers in the party (Dom and Davina) might recall their friend Lydia claiming to have heard at the Aria Park protest that Mangvhune (or his spirit) might've been responsible for the murders caused by a pack of tooth fairies in the tiefling slums called the Devil's Nursery. Indeed, enough people have heard that the Silver Ravens ended that threat that now a few folks are theorizing that a second pack of even more vivious tooth fairies may be behind this new rash of murders.
Arani's info leads her to the crime scene of Myrletta's murder. There's a lot of blood there but no real clues. Her no-nonsense intimidation of reticent witnesses bears no fruit, but it brings fear of the Black Thorn to new neighborhoods in the city.
Viroleth gets the most intriguing piece of gossip. One man claims that he saw a shadowy figure stalking the back street and alleys of Old Kintargo a week back, around the time of the previous murder. He says he only noticed the stalker because his form was slightly illuminated by a glowing red blade he carried.
Davina looks angry at the death, and very angry at the state of the ill. "Domitius this is unacceptable. Now have a plague in the city in addition to murders. The people have heard nothing of this illness in the finer points of the city. I wouldn't be surprised if Thrune didn't bring this on the city himself."
Returning to meet with the others, Arani exchanges notes, confirming the bloody excessive violence of the attacks if nothing else, and piecing together a likely scenario based on the assorted tidbits gathered by her companions.
"So we have a possible ghost inspired/possessed spree killer, and a rat borne plague. Wonderful!"
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"The glowing red dagger is a little on the nose don't you think?" says Viro dryly as the group congregates. He's now out of his armour and lazing about like a dandy with some wine he always seems to have once out of his 'uniform'.
"And a plague is... horrific. My first thought is this is some deliberate ploy. Plagues do happen, but considering the evil forces gripping our silver city it's the sort of thing I'd engineer to get the populace to focus on something else."
He looks at the group. "So what in my beloved avenging angel's name do we do about this mess? I'm not sure I can fix a plague but maybe if we can establish some sort of pattern with th is killer we can bait them out?"
Davina and Dom return with no information on the slasher but concerning news regarding a spreading plague in one section of Redroof district. It seem two different contagions are spreading: Filth fever (like what Davina just recently contracted from the battle with the otyughs), which is generally unlikely to be fatal unless untreated, and a much more deadly disease that may be spread through the air. It's believed that this is what killed the Queen's mouthpiece, Ned, and a few others who had been known to fraternize with him.
"We may not be able to fix a plague, unless that plague is somehow the work of men. Then, I can surely stop it," Dom grimaces at the thought of this city yet again being set upon by people intent on causing more suffering. "Investigating the murders is certainly of value, but given this additional threat, I think I should try and find the Gray Queen, see what her role in this is." He gets up, and is on the verge of leaving when he remembers the painful consequences he has incurred from running off half-assed. He pauses and turns to the others. "That is, I think we should..."
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"Hrm. Yeah, filth fever is rarely fatal on its own, but it might cause problems for someone who catches this new disease. We ought to see if we can 'nip it in the bud'," says T'chazzar. His use of the final phrase is stilted, as if it's unfamiliar to him, which on reflection makes sense because flowers (and thus, flower buds that one might nip) are quite uncommon in the lands below.
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"There isn't much we can do about the plague right now. Let's speak with the victim tomorrow, and see if we can take care of that issue. Then we can go searching for the Grey Queen. One thing at a time. If not we'll never be able to do good for the people." Davina suggests.
"As you suggest," says T'chazzar amiably. "Hopefully the disease does not progress with unnatural haste."
Dom nods in agreement with Davina's words. "As you suggest, Sudarynya."
"Agreed. Getting this killer off the streets is a priority. People like this tend to escalate. If he's just getting started..." Arani trails off grimly.
"A killer is also something we can reasonably target and fix. A plague..." he shakes his head. "Trouble."
THE DEVIL'S THREADS (29 Gozran)
The next morning, Viroleth prepares a spell to enable the party to speak with the Milanite murder victim; Hetamon has done the same. Between the two spells, you'll be able to have the spirit answer four questions...assuming that it's willing to talk.
Davina sits next to the body and begins.
Please describe who or what killed you." She asks. Then she asks "What did you see immediately before your death?
THE DEVIL'S THREADS (29 Gozran)
"I didn't get a good look at him," the spirit says in a tone somewhere between a groan and a wail. "It was late at night and he attacked me from behind with a curved knife that glowed red. I think he may have been Varisian. I did notice that he wore leather armor with a leather apron bearing dozens of pocket openings. As I collapsed, I saw he wore a metal-and-leather leg brace on his right leg. One more thing--his apron had a horrible smell...like rancid cheese and urine."
The description of the smell sounds like slurk grease, which is often used in the construction and maintenance of clockworks.
Vespam Artisans is Kintargo’s largest manufacturer of clockworks; further, this workshop is located square in the section of Old Kintargo where the murders have occurred.
"Hrm. An apron with many pockets, smells of urine? Like... a tanner's?" says T'chazzar uncertainly.
Falina nodded in agreement with T'Chazzar's statedment, "I don't know of any other place that would have that smell."
Viro looks to the others. "Honestly that's already a lot of information to go on. Do we have more questions we want to ask?"
THE DEVIL'S THREADS (29 Gozran)
"Rancid cheese and urine? That sounds like slurk grease...slurks being slimy, sabre-toothed toads," Davina reports after a moment of thought. "Anyhow, their grease is used in the construction and maintenance of clockworks."
"I have another question for our deceased friend. Do you have family we should notify of your death?" She pats the corpses hand. "She's given us excellent information. If I could send a few sails to her family, I'd like to." Davina says by way of explanation.
"This is interesting. Anyone heard of the Vespam Artisans? It's Kintargo’s largest manufacturer of clockworks. Even better it's located square in the section of Old Kintargo where the murders have occurred. I say we need to go take a look. Dom don't let me get too distracted by all the interesting clockworks or we'll never finish this investigation."
"Interesting. All right. I like clocks," says T'chazzar, flashing his white teeth in the midst of his ashy countenance. "A good thought."
"Works for me." Arani says, replenishing her quivers."The sooner we can put a stop to this the better."
VESPAM ARTISANS (29 Gozran)
Vespam Artisans is located a couple city blocks southeast from Aria Park. A large sign made of artistically rendered letters of iron stands over the broad entryway of the establishment, and a raucous symphony of steel spills out onto the street while several skilled metalworkers practice their art within. The bulk of the building’s interior is taken up by a large open area that serves as both a workshop and warehouse. The rancid smell of slurk grease and other industrial chemicals lies heavy in the air, but the dozen or so crafters and tinkers toiling within don't seem to notice the foul odor. None of these people are wearing leg braces, but there are likely more folk plying their trade in the vast building's inner workshops.
Dom looks a bit crestfallen at the amount of activity the place shows. "Hmmph. So much for hoping it'd be a one-man operation, that much easier to find the guilty party. How to get a look at everyone...?"
Viro, back in armour, looks over the workshop from behind his visored helmet. He takes a moment. "May be worth just asking questions and seeing who panics."
VESPAM ARTISANS (29 Gozran)
"You people look lost," comments a male middle-aged man who's apparently a glassblower; he's just finished work on a large glass globe. He then gives directions to the office of the building's owner and manager.
Vespasio Vespam also proves to be human, though older, with a ring of untrimmed white hair circling his bald crown like a winter thicket. "Potential customers?" he asks. "I know it's hard to find the right artisan for the job in such a chaotic layout, but folks come and go and most become attached to wherever I first give them space--likely so repeat customers can find them again easily enough. Now--what brings you folks to Vespam Artisans this fine day?"
Davina gives Vespasio a bright smile, "Good afternoon. We're looking for an artisan who can create a leg brace for my nephew. He hurt himself recently, and we can't repair his leg with magic. I heard from an acquaintance that they met someone with such a brace who was an artisan here. Can you direct us to him, please? We'd like to speak to him about it. I don't know much about him other than he wears the brace and an apron. He also smells of slurk grease."
"It just kills me to think of the little guy like that..." Dom almost lays it on a little too thick, trying to back Davina's ploy.
Rather than make the conversation any more awkward, T'chazzar hangs back and lets Davina put her touch to the matter. Better than accidentally skewing things sideways with his unexpected appearance.
Arani keeps an eye on the artisans, and the surroundings in general.
Viro shrugs a little bit and just remains silent and faceless in his plate armour as Davina does the talking.
Falina was intrigued by the story being spun but knew better than to butt in. This was Davina's show for now and she was content to look around her and keep an eye out for trouble.
VESPAM ARTISANS (29 Gozran)
"Leg brace, eh? Sounds like Varl Wex," Vespasio says. "Braces and the like ain't his specialty, so far as I know; then again, I ain't sure he even has a specialty--more of an all-around tinkerer. Has some talent but doesn't take his craft very seriously. He ain't been in for about a week, but he lives at the Iudeimus Tenement. Maybe you could ask around there for him."
IUDEIMUS TENEMENT (29 Gozran)
This apartment building is one of the larger edifices in all of Kintargo. Three stories tall, it's made mostly from weathered gray wood. Though dilapidated, the tenement's bones are strong. There's a Manager's Office with an open door at the bottom of the staircases leading to the upper floors, and inside sits a hawkish-looking older woman.
IUDEIMUS TENEMENT (29 Gozran)
The older woman glares at Dom initially, but his good manners win her over...at least initially. “A good lad, I suppose. Pays his rent every month and on time, but that smell...he should wash his clothes when he gets back from work! You sure he's not at work? Left here around his usual time, same as always.”
A suspicious look enters the old woman's eyes. Whether she's suspicious of your party or that Wex apparently isn't at work as she'd supposed is open to debate.
"Why no ma'am," Dom says, giving it his most sincere on-demand concerned expression. "His boss said he hasn't shown up for like a week. He sounded real worried, between you and me," he embellished a bit. "You don't happen to know anyplace he might've mentioned he goes to be alone, or somethin' like that?"
IUDEIMUS TENEMENT (29 Gozran)
The suspicious look leaves the woman's eyes as she's won over by Dom's politeness.
"Not sure where Master Wex goes to blow off steam," the woman admits. "Don't think he's got much in terms of friends or family in the city, either--keeps to himself, mainly. If you want to slip a note under his door, though, he lives in Apartment #303, up on the third floor."
"Aw, thanks ma'am," Dom says. He gives the lady a smile, which vanishes the second he's turned to head up the stairs.
In front of the Apartment #303, Dom refers to Davina. "Sudarynya, care to work your magic on the door?"
"Got it." Arani whispers, crouching before the door and producing a set of finely crafted tools. After a few minutes of intricate work, she smiles as her ears are greeted with the click of the lock finally acquiescing to her wishes.
IUDEIMUS TENEMENT (29 Gozran)
It takes Arani a bit longer than expected to pop the lock on the door to Wex's flat--it's of better quality (good) than one might expect in such a building.
The room beyond the door is surprisingly neat. In addition to a table-and-chair set, there's a small desk and several bookcases set along the walls. A quick inspection reveals that most of these tomes deal with tinkering, clockwork theory, engineering, and similar topics. A few, however, deal with alchemy and medicine, including a couple on the anatomy of humanoids. To the north are a pair of closed doors leading to the rest of Wex's apartment.
You spot a couple tiny drops of blood on the floor between the two doors to the north.