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As Davina is slipping away with the rest of the Ravens she hears Arina's speech to the citizens, and smiles. Good for her. Give the dottari a black eye, and let the citizens know someone is watching out for them.
KINTARGO (Desnus 3)
After the rather public battle with and defeat of the serial killer Varl Wex, the Silver Ravens decide it's best to lie low for a while to watch the fallout from their actions. Turl's Troupe is sent into the streets to spread disinformation about the event, painting the dottari as so incompetent and uncaring that a group of local heroes led by the Black Thorn had to take matters into their own hands to protect the city themselves. The narrative plays well, and the rebellion grows.
Forvian's Fighters likewise move throughout the city, trying to make it safer for the Silver Ravens to spread the rebellion. They succeed, for the most part, but Forvian and two of his underlings are injured and diseased while battling an infestation of lemure devils in the sewers not far from the Silver Stein Inn. (The team is disabled until money is spent to restore them.)
At the same time, however, it suffers some serious growing pains. Davina receives a missive from her daughter, Kelyana, hinting at some pretty serious clashes occurring in Ostenso between the forces of Thrune and the upstarts of the Glorious Reclamation. Davina regretfully informs the Silver Ravens that her family must come first and announces that she'll be leaving the Silver Ravens immediately, maybe permanently. Domitius is badly shaken by the news and offers to accompany her to Ostenso, but Davina says she'd rather he stay in Kintargo, help lead the Silver Ravens, and watch her remaining family in the city as much as possible. Viroleth offers to accompany Davina instead, claiming that he's more of a holy warrior than a rebel in the shadows and has never felt truly comfortable in his role among the Silver Ravens.
As two Silver Ravens depart, one returns. Jessibel returns a week later than expected, reporting that Laria Longroads and the rest of the staff from the coffee house have successfully been shipped off to distant Korvosa, where they should be safe from the long arm of House Thrune. The bard bids Davina a tearful goodbye before informing the remaining Ravens that she'll only be a part-time contributor to the rebellion (as its Demagogue officer, for the time being), as her grandmother has seen fit to delegate more family responsibilities to her.
There are no major events in the city, giving the rebellion time to deal with its gains and losses and reestablish a working equilibrium.
Falina spent much of the next week doting over Sabrina after her injury. It wasn't until Jessibel came back that Falina calmed down enough over the whole thing and that only because she saw opportunities to have fun with both women at the same time again.
Falina approached Sabrina and sat next to the woman before hugging her rather gently. "It seems your lovely frenemy has returned Luv." She gave the younger woman a wicked smile and said, "What do you think, should we great her properly and show her how much we missed her presence?"
T'chazzar, meanwhile, is only too glad of the chance for a little rest. He takes the opportunity to heal his injuries and work a bit more practice with his blades, though it's obvious that he's a bit saddened by the team's recent losses. When Forvian's Fighters return, he does his best to minister to their wounds with his holy abilities, but he reluctantly concludes that he can't cure them, at least not yet.
"Forvian and some of his warriors have contracted some nasty disease," he explains to the team. "I can't heal it. We need to find someone who can help. Maybe we can get a lead from one of our existing connections? There must be some priests who've been forced underground by all of this nastiness. Recruiting a wayward priest of Shelyn or Milani or some other such deity could be a big help to us, regardless."
"Yes, between the lemures, and other things that might be encountered in the sewers, being able to treat disease is likely to become rather important." Arani agrees.
The young noble balances her down time between working with The Ravens, planning their next moves, and making appearances among her family and social circle, playing the part of the galavanting dilettante to explain her regular absences for often days and nights on end.
She's sad to see Davina go, though she understands that the need to protect her family came first. And happy to see Jessebel back safely, with news that the coffee house staff was safely relocated. Things would likely only get more dangerous from here on.
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Despite being devastated at the news of Davina's need to leave, Domitius does his best to not show it. Sudaryna's reasons are sound, and anyway, who would you be to question her?
Before she leaves, Dom takes a moment to talk to her. "Davina, I cannot thank you enough for the kindness you've always shown me. You took me into your home, and you let me see myself as more than just a killer. Rest easy in the knowledge that I will guard your home and your family to the last. Right up until the time of my duel to the death with Madame Estrella," he smiles, hoping the joke chases away the heaviness in his own heart. Daring to be a bit presumptuous, he gives her a brief hug. "May Fortune keep you safe until we meet again. Proshchaniye, Sudarynya."
Dom throws himself into anything he can find to keep himself busy. First order of business, get rid of that! He glares at Wex's knife, wrapped up in a sack. Not sure what needs to happen to make sure this gets done right. I may as well start with Hetamon Haace. He picks up the sack and heads out for Redroof.
KINTARGO (Desnus 3)
Sabrina pouts a bit at Falina's words. "I think she's a bit timid around you," the redhead opines. "Especially now that she has some family responsibilities and is expected to behave 'properly'.... Besides, three's a crowd."
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T'chazzar does what he can for Forvian and the other diseased men. Luckily, their illness was discovered early and is a fairly common one; it's unlikely to be life-threatening in this instance. He uses the downtime to hone his battle skills and recalibrate his mind.
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Arani, likewise, uses her time to get things caught up, both with the Silver Ravens and with her noble family. As she's leaving the Greens through the Whitegate to travel across town to reunite with the Silver Ravens, she's approached by a young street urchin of about twelve. He positions himself before her, trying to catch her eye: He holds a small envelope close to his body, dangling it a bit to make sure Arani (but, hopefully, no one else) sees it. When the ranger's close, he quietly says, "Please deliver this to your dark-skinned ally." Unless stopped, he melts away into the streets after making the transaction.
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Dom pays a visit to Hetamon's tailor shop, taking the evil, intelligent kukri with him. Hetamon shows him to a back room, joining Dom as soon as he's finished with a customer. When he sees Balgorrah, he hisses, recognizing it to be an evil weapon (if not fully understanding its dark history). After giving the matter some consideration, he tells Dom that the local temples to Abadar and Shelyn might pay a bounty for such a weapon to get it off the city streets and out of wicked hands. He doesn't seem to entirely trust the Abadarans (damned bankers, and money being the root of all evil and all that) but says the order's high priest is an elf "who ought to have gained enough wisdom in his years to see that the blade must be destroyed." He's ambivalent about Zachrin Vhast, the high priest of Shelyn, saying he seems nice enough but may not have the steel needed to confront the evils Kintargo now faces.
Arani watches carefully as the boy runs off, studying first him, then the area, looking for any sign of someone acting as overwatch for the young messenger.
She considers the likely source of the information given the multiple factions active within the city, before making her way toward their current lair, making every effort to leave no sign of her passage.
"Great, so now I'm off for Temple Hill," Dom grouses. "Thanks," he barks, without really sounding like he means it, and heads out the door.
Grumbling to himself about bouncing from one useless fool priest to the next, Dom doesn't even notice he took the wrong turn out of Hetamon's shop until he's practically walking right into the Tears of Aroden cemetery. Oh, well isn't that just f@#$ing great, Dom thinks to himself. Part of him doesn't want to go, but he could no sooner refuse than cut off his right arm.
He finds the grave in which he and Jessibel buried Zea, and kneels down beside it. "Hello, Zea" he says, very hesitantly."I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to visit. But I was nearby, so here I am. I uh, I avenged you, I bet that doesn't matter to you now, but, well, it did to me, I think. Your friends Garrik and Mezdelben, they helped. But you've probably seen Garrik around, wherever you are, so you probably knew that." He winces, still able to clearly remember the feel of that last scorching ray Scarplume blasted into him as he drove his gladius into the witch, with his full weight bearing down on her.
"I haven't had a chance to grow you that rose yet. I'm still gonna, really. It's just… it'll be tough. We got chased out of Eradon Manor; Mayor Barry named Sudarynya as a wanted woman, so we had to go into hiding. She's left now too, she's gotta go look after her daughter. So we're kind of at in-betweens again. We might have a new place lined up, but it's underground, so growin' plants there is gonna be tough. But I'll figure something out, I swear."
A deep breath, and he continues. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to save you, Zea. I'm fighting as hard as I can to keep folks, but it just seems like they keep going away. I don't know how to stop it, but I'm trying my best. Just… just know that, okay? I'm doin' everything I can." The young man's voice wavers a little bit, almost in tears.
He eventually stands up, getting his composure. "I've gotta get going. I've got this stupid cursed knife I've gotta get rid of, and the first guy I talked to 'bout it was damn near useless, 'cept to point me toward someone else. So off I go to the Temple of Abadar. I'll come back some time soon as I can, okay? Rest well, brave woman." He nods at the ground, hoping that's an appropriate acknowledgement. With that, Dom heads to the House of Golden Veils, in about as miserable a mood as he could ever recall.
Falina was only slightly disappointed at Sabrina's rejection of the idea of "welcoming" Jessibel back. That disappointment was eclipsed at the pleasure ot the young woman wanting her to herself. With a naughty little smile Falina said, "Well then, if that's how you feel about it..." She pulled Sabrina into a very deep kiss and when she was finished let her go and said,"Are you feeling up to entertaining outrselves for a while?"
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KINTARGO (Desnus 3)
While T'chazzar, Rexus, Jessibal, Falina, and Sabrina tend to the upkeep and general comings-and-goings of the rebellion, Arani and Dom are out on the town taking care of their own business. Outside the Whitegate, Arani looks around after being handed a message; the only vaguely suspicious person she sees looking somewhat in her direction is a middle-aged man wearing a hooded cloak. His salt-and-pepper beard gives away his age. The fellow seems to bask a bit in the sunshine that's just started to break through the clouds overhead; then he heads away in a casual gait toward the Newt Market.
Dom, meanwhile, visits Zea's grave. Eventually, he wanders to the House of Golden Veils, the temple-of Calistria-turned-bank/temple-of-Abadar. He has to wait a few minutes before he can meet the high priest, a half-elf named Mhelrem Gesteliel. Mhelrem examines the evil kukri with disdain. "I was not yet born when Mangvhune's murder spree took place, but his name still holds terror for many Kintargans to this day. In an age where Thrune's redactors bury history on whim, it is telling that the collective memory of the terror that monster brought to our city is as widespread as it is."
The priest then thanks Dom for bringing the weapon to him and getting it off Kintargo's streets. He confirms that his church will indeed pay a bounty for it. He has 500 platinum crowns on hand to offer as a partial payment, and he suspects he can get even more if the blade is as wicked and dangerous as he suspects it to be. He tells Dom that Balgorrah will be studied briefly before it is destroyed; he'll also get a few trustworthy scholars to research the blade's history after the fact.
Dom accepts the sack of crowns with less enthusiasm than he maybe should have had for such a large amount of money. A lot of money, to be sure. But enough to solve Kintrago's problems? I don't think there exist enough coins for that.
Wearily, Dom says, "Just make sure that when it's all done with, that thing is destroyed, okay? I don't want to run into some chmo with this knife ever again. It's done enough." If there's nothing else, Dom takes his leave of Mhelrem.
Unsure what to do with himself, Domitius decides to head toward the War Cage. Maybe looking at some pretty sharp things will rouse the spirit, he thinks to himself.
Dom greets the proprietor, trying to raise his spirits. "Hello Master Chuko. What's new in the world of sharp pieces of metal?"
Caldariel shooed the crying woman out of his office, the elf literally having to push her out the door. How one was supposed to work with the insufferable wailing was beyond him. Bedside manner, they called it. It had always struck him as being so impractical. Here he was, with a young boy bleeding out all over his floor, and he was expected to console the mother? How would that help the child? As it so happened, a guard had accused the child of eating a confection with mint in it, and when questioned the child had shoved the treat into his mouth as quickly as he could. A cudgel to the head dislodged the candy, as well as a copious amount of blood and all senses.
With the wailing mother crying outside, he picked the child up and placed him on the bed. It was, for sanitary reasons, more of a raised plank. Much easier to clean that way. He 'tsked' as the sound of wailing outside grew in intensity. It was times like that when he wished that he had an assistant to handle the uninjured. He took his healer's satchel and placed it next to the table. It was, without a doubt, the best investment he had ever made. Thanks to the powers of magic, the satchel summoned it's own supplies, meaning that he was never without the right tools for the job. He knew that there was some magic in his touch. He was an elf, afterall. He was not so arrogant as to think that he was able to heal all of his patients purely through medicine. No, there was a restorative touch to his administrations which was beyond the mundane. Not that he truly understood it, but such was magic.
The boy, it seemed, was not truly unconscious. He was mumbling. Slurred speech...which did not make sense. He opened the boy's eyes and after a glance saw that there was a concussion. What was worse, he saw, was that there was a fracture of the boy's left occipital region. He sighed when he saw that multiple pieces of skull bone had been displaced by the guard's blow. He took a moment to allow himself a deep breath. He turned, walked to the door and saw the weeping mother leap to her feet. Before she could say anything Caldariel held up a finger.
"I will need to perform a debridement to remove damaged tissue and dislodged bone. Given the wound, I give the child an equal chance of living or dying, and your wailing disturbs me. Return at nightfall and I will have more news. Your presence lessons his chances."
She raised a hand to say something, but the door was already closed in her face. Pleased that he had bought himself some peace and quiet, he returned to the boy. Luckily the table had straps to keep a patient from flailing and falling off. Once the child was firmly tied down, he prepared his surgeon's tools. It would be quite the day, he reflected, as he readied himself to work. First remove damaged tissue, foreign items, and bone fragments. Then apply local medications to stop infection. Then mind the wound up, and pray to the gods that his latent arcane or psychic powers, he wasn't sure which, would help the child pull through.
As he worked, the elf reflected upon how pointless the injury was. To crack open a child's skull for eating a confection with mint? Not for the first time, he thought to himself that if he was going to stop this flow of injuries, then something would have to be done at the source of the troubles...
REDROOF (near the Bleakbridge; Desnus 3)
Arani decides not to confront the slightly suspicious man she picked out of the crowd, but she takes his measure and the details of his physical traits as best she can. As she crosses the Bleakbridge and heads in a roundabout way toward the Silver Stein Inn, a slim figure steps out of a doorway and reaches out, pressing a small item into the ranger's hand.
"Keep up the good fight!" a female voice whispers. Arani recognizes the young woman to be Carlissa Solstine, a member of another of Kintargo's noble houses (and the only such house to be based in Redroof). While she's not sure of the Solstines' allegiance, she knows that at least one branch of their family tree (of which Carlissa and her two siblings--Jayson and Jolena are the youngest scions) is wholly concerned with the city's welfare and is likely anti-Thrune.
The item handed off is a hand-sized crystal leaf attached to a leather cord--a snapleaf.
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YOLUBILIS HARBOR (The War Cage; Desnus 3)
Chuko looks up at Dom and gives as much of a grin as his beak allows. Lifting a single clawed finger to tell Dom to wait a moment, the tengu trundles off to dig into his stores. When he returns, he presents the half-orc with a well-crafted falcata. "Thought of you when I got this. Useful tool for what you do, I'm guessin'. Yours if you promise to keep sendin' business my way."
He presents Dom with a masterwork falcata.
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OLD KINTARGO (The Silver Stein Inn; Desnus 3)
The letter appears to be from your contact, Konrad Hest. It's written in code, as usual. Hest reports that a female half-elf with a pistol has been asking around about the Silver Ravens in Villegre, near the Newt Market and Laria's old coffee shop. The woman wore the uniform of a Chelish naval officer.
REDROOF (near the Bleakbridge; Desnus 3)
Arani decides not to confront the slightly suspicious man she picked out of the crowd, but she takes his measure and the details of his physical traits as best she can. As she crosses the Bleakbridge and heads in a roundabout way toward the Silver Stein Inn, a slim figure steps out of a doorway and reaches out, pressing a small item into the ranger's hand.
"Keep up the good fight!" a female voice whispers. Arani recognizes the young woman to be Carlissa Solstine, a member of another of Kintargo's noble houses (and the only such house to be based in Redroof). While she's not sure of the Solstines' allegiance, she knows that at least one branch of their family tree (of which Carlissa and her two siblings--Jayson and Jolena are the youngest scions) is wholly concerned with the city's welfare and is likely anti-Thrune.
The item handed off is a hand-sized crystal leaf attached to a leather cord--a snapleaf.
*****************************************************************
** spoiler omitted **...
The sentiment and support are even more meaningful to her than the gift, though its value does not go unappreciated. Noting Carlissa Solstine, and her family's likely support for the rebellion, the ranger gives her a a nod of thanks.
"Always!" she whispers in response, the smile evident in her voice, despite being hidden by her veil.
Dom's eyes damn near pop out of his head when he sees the weapon. He hefts the blade, admiring the feel of it. He's a bit surprised when Chuko offers it to him, but doesn't want to offend him by refusing the gift. "Master Chuko," he says as he straps the new weapon onto his belt, "I promise I will use this justly, and anyone says the best blades in town come from anywhere but here, they'll get a piece of my mind!"
Dom bows to the tengu, and smiles. "Give my regards to Miss Korva. And you have my gratitude, sir." He leaves in a much improved mood from the one he entered with. I guess we can change some things for the better, he thinks to himself. There will always be those who try to make them worse, but we will simply have to be more... insistent in our pushing.
REDROOF (Desnus 3)
As Dom and Arani return to the Silver Stein, they notice that the streets seem to be less crowded than normal, and they spy a few folks coughing and wheezing here and there.
Inside the inn, the dwarf Turl approaches Falina and presents her with a small, thin package. "From an admirer at Alabaster Academy," he announces. Inside is a wand .
The dwarf gathers the remaining Silver Ravens once Arani and Dom have returned. He says that a virulent disease is spreading in Redroof, mere blocks south and west of the inn. He claims to have recently spoken with a local healer who's doing his best to help sick folk, but is unable to keep up with the increasing case load.
"I set up a meetin' with this fellow--an elf--fer tomorrow mornin'. Figured you folks might want to nip this sickness in the bud afore it becomes a full-on plague. Also...thought maybe this healer might be worth considerin' fer a position in the rebellion, what with the recent losses o' Miss Davina an' Viro."
REDROOF (The Bronze Bell Tavern; Desnus 4)
The meeting place proves to be a tiny nondescript tavern about three blocks south of the Silver Stein. The Bronze Bell's owner--a balding, middle-aged human named Torman Wortley--lets your group inside via a back door in a garbage-strewn alley. "Elf's here already," he announces, trying not to sound gruff (though his deep voice makes that a challenge). "Already had breakfast or shall I whip something up for you all? Got coffee brewing...."
The tavern's common room is small, consisting of a long bar with a dozen stools and four rickety tables. A lamp sits on the top of the largest, and seated at it is an elf, likely the one you were to meet with.
REDROOF (Desnus 3)
Falina was kind of surprised to receive a gift but she wasn't going to turn it down. She nodded politely and said, "Thank you Turl." She read the not included in the package and said, "Hmmm, an admirer at the Alabaster Academy huh? I wonder who that could be."
Falina thought back to the early days, the civil war, and the Academy back then. They didn't teach magic at the time, not that she could recall anyway, but rather botany, herbology, and other such topics. In fact she knda recalled some scandal but she couldn't recall what it was anymore.
After reading the note Falina smiled and said to herself, "I should go by there sometime and see how much it has changed. I wonder if they would give an old alumnus a tour of the facilities?" Falina slide the rod into a loop on the inside of her dress for just such things and continued about her business.
REDROOF (The Bronze Bell Tavern; Desnus 4)
Falina entered the tavern in yet another form, something the dwarf was used to, and she made it a bit of a game to see if he recognized her each time. So far he had yet to fail and when he asked about breakfast she nodded and said, "Sure, whatever is fresh and some coffee would be greatly appreciated."
With her game complete Falina went to the privy and shifted back to her real form before joining the others for the meeting. Falina took a seat at the table and crossed her knees while she leaned forward slightly to look at the elf.
Caldariel walked in, his rather large frame filling out a faded gray cloak, with immaculately clean clothing beneath. His build resembled that of Dukkan far more than it did the typical elf. If one looked very closely, an odd mask hung from his belt in a manner that would allow easy access. On each of his arms was a metal vambrace which continued to his knuckles and from there turned into leather gloves. Aside from those, there was nothing on him that could be considered a weapon. Across his back hung a satchel, which clearly contained his medical supplies. Caldariel had a presence of seriousness about him which made the idea of him laughing or dancing seem to be as incongruous as a flying dwarf. He met Falina's gaze and despite her obvious beauty, only offered a slight nod of the head in acknowledgement to her. His features were very forgettable. Even the most generous would hesitate to call him handsome, lest they be called a liar. Of his looks, the only thing that stood out were his piercing gray eyes. To anyone spending a socially inappropriate amount of time looking into them, it would feel like he was gazing into their soul.*
"I thank you, Turl, for the introduction." He said as he approached and took in the room. His face and voice a mask of neutrality, he continued "So this would be the...society...that I have heard so much about." Not sounding particularly excited or disappointed, he introduced himself "I am Doktor Caldariel Vintrish**, at your service. The good dwarf here has informed me that you all have a vested interest in the well-being of Redroof, and for that matter, Kintargo as a whole." Looking around to ensure that he had the attention of the group he explained "To be brief, the plague known as Daemon’s Touch has visited the Redroof district. It is spread by infected vermin and insects. Those infected suffer inflammation of the glands and a black pallor of the skin. Common symptoms include fever, headaches, nausea, fatigue, swelling of the lymph nodes, bleeding beneath the skin and...death." He counted off the symptoms on his fingers in a tone that was more academic than concerned. "As for what a group such as this, so obviously worth it's weight in silver, might do...My patients have reported numerous rat sightings, recently, and more than a few were attacked by unusually aggressive ones. If the source of this plague is not discovered and destroyed, then it is no exaggeration to say that the death toll will be counted in the thousands. Given that the authorities appear to be more concerned with keeping me in business by brutalizing the citizenry, it seems prudent to come to you in the hopes that this crisis might be swiftly averted."
Dom takes in the elf's words with a frown. He asks him, "I have two questions. That name, is it supernatural in origin, or did someone just have a flair for the dramatic? And does this disease ever occur naturally, or do you think it had a little help getting started here? We've seen the people of Redroof preyed on before, and I've just about had my fill of it," Dom clenches his teeth and his fists, thinking about the tooth fairies, which of course leads him back to when they met Zea, and his relatively good mood goes up in smoke.
"A good question." Caldariel said, sounding very much like a professor answering a student's question. "It is a natural disease, with the scientific name being the Bubonic Plague. But amongst laymen, it is usually called Daemon's Touch, or the Black Death. As for what started it, I do fear that someone or something has a hand in it. I am not aware of any nearby regions or trading partners having an outbreak, so I do not have any evidence to point towards the rats coming from abroad and this being the natural spread. Furthermore, the reports of unusually large and viscous rats does not sound natural to me. Because malicious actors have been preying on the people of Redroof, it is likely that this new crisis has some sort of ulterior motive behind it."
The figure that enters the room in a drab worn grey hooded cloak, removes the concealing outer layer once the doors are shut, revealing a darkly beautiful woman with the strong and slightly stern presence of one accustomed to authority. Silky black hair falls to the length of her shoulders, framing a porcelain complexion, marred only by a scar that extends from the inner corner of her right eye, running across her cheek to the edge of her jawline, a feature that adds a sense of deadliness to her demeanor.
Dressed in form-fitting black leather armor detailed in red, she moves with the fluidity of a trained combatant. Of note to one with detailed knowledge of anatomy, her shoulders and arms seem notably more developed than one would expect for a woman of her frame.
"So believe that it has been deliberately introduced to Redroof? That would beg the question of who would stand to gain."
REDROOF (The Bronze Bell Tavern; Desnus 4)
Torman shows the kind of discretion revolutionaries like yourselves appreciate: He brings food and coffee swiftly and then vanishes again, providing your group with privacy.
Caldariel shrugged. ”Religious. Political. Accidental. Malice. Unfortunately, this is the information that I have. Anything more would be conjecture. All else that I can offer is my services.”
T'chazzar has kept quiet, figuring that if he speaks up, it'll draw attention, and even if Caldariel is one of the Forlorn, he probably doesn't have a high opinion of dark elves. Instead the drow focuses on watching the surroundings, keeping an eye out for ambushes, and remains on the edge of his seat.
Dom continues to scowl, the facial expression he makes when he's trying to think of something, but he'd rather be hacking at something instead. Finally he says, "I wonder... Sudarynya and I, we encountered a creature that could be the source of this. When the Fushi sisters went missing, in our efforts to track them down, Davina and I met a... Okay, I don't know what to call it. It was like a mass of rats, all knotted together and acting with one mind. We bartered with it for the information we got, and at the time, it seemed like it just wanted to live and let live. Then we went back another time, and it was gone, and it may have gone wild or something." He turns to the others. "Who's up for tracking down some rats?"
"Ugh...how did I know this was going to end up in the sewers again?" Arani mutters. "Sounds like this thing has gone from a source of information, to a full-blown menace that needs to be put down."
Turning to the burly elf she considers his apparent expertise. "Any idea how to best protect ourselves from infection while walking right into the epicenter?"
"Antiplague." Caldariel stated. "Fifty gold per vial. It offers protection against disease for an hour. Not immunity. I could make it for less, but my own skills at alchemy are humble and we do not have the time. There are also outfits that help protect against contracting disease. Such as my own. But it is a minor crime in Kintargo to wear the full paraphernalia of my profession if not licensed."
Dom nods at Caldariel. "Very well. We go to Madame Paqshari, or any other source we can think of, get a much of this antiplague as we can carry, and get to tracking this down."
His first thought, of course, had been that Davina could've probably made this stuff without missing a beat, and that only irritates him even more. Some day, I will get my hands on the men plaguing Kintargo. Literally sending plagues on it, now! His fists clench tightly as he rises. "Let's get to this."
Falina ate as they talked and found the news rather disturbing. Plague was bad, as much because of how dangerous this one was as the fact it would make it harder for her to indulge herself if this spread very far. Once she realized they would be going back into the sewers Falina knew she needed to do something to combat the smell.
"Alright, if we are going to do this then I need to make some preparations. They shouldn't take long and can be done on the way." She pushed aside her plate, having finished while they discussed the situation, and considered anything else she needed to do. "If you will excuse me I am going to change." Falina took her plate and cup back to the bar and handed them over before heading upstairs to an unoccupied room.
A few minutes later another woman came downstairs, this one with dusky skin and dark brown hair who looked distinctly Vudrani. "There, now I am ready," said Falina's voice from this new person. The others were familiar enough with Falina's tendency to adopt alternate appearances when they went on a mission. How the new person would take it was another matter entirely.
Noting Falina's altered appearance, Dom quips, "Yes, I can see how the other face wouldn't have gone with those shoes." Shifting to speak to the group at large, he asks, "Anyone else have anything that needs doing? Falina, your errands, they have any sort of risk exposure of their own, or is it routine stuff?"
Falina shook her head, "They shouldn't be a problem. I just want to pick up some perfume and scarves on the way. Anything that dampens the stench will be a good thing."
Dom nods in response to Falina. "You're right, that should be fine. In which case, if there's nothing else, let's get to it, folks."
"After picking up anti-plague. None of us will be of any help to the city dying of disease either." Arani chimes in.
Dom turns to Arani. "Yes, as I said, that's our first stop. Paqshari is a gnome woman, runs an alchemy shop. Has a thing for green. I've got a vial of antitoxin in here somewhere I'm reluctant to use for fear it'll make me greener than Belkzen himself..."
REDROOF DISTRICT (Paqshari's Potions & Poultices; Desnus 4)
Paqshari is as Dom described her to Arani: a gnome with a penchant for the color green. She greets T'chazzar warmly and is even civil toward Dom, a change from her previous general attitude toward the half-orc. She welcomes the group to her shop, looking at the new members of the group with interest.
"What can I do for you Big Folk?" she asks before quickly scurrying into the back room when a green cloud of smoke begins billowing out the doorway. Once that small emergency has been dealt with, the gnome returns and again asks how she can be of assistance.
"No more apprentice to help with my work," she grumbles to T'chazzar. Apparently Gavin Brassvane never returned to work in the shop after his misfortune with demon's bile.
REDROOF DISTRICT (Paqshari's Potions & Poultices; Desnus 4)
"Five doses of antiplague?" the gnome chirps as she digs into her stores. "Phew--got six!" Paqshari announces moments later, placing the slightly dusty vials on the countertop. "You folks planning on looking into the outbreak in Redroof? Good for you! Still looking out for the welfare of others...wish more folks would do that in these trying times...but then again, most folks aren't as capable of standing up to a dottari or Queensman raid. Still, most good folk do what they can...."
"Business is down, so I can't just give these away," she tells the party. "Can you meet me half way, maybe? 25 gold apiece? That'd make me feel like I'm doing my part for the city while showing my ongoing appreciation for your efforts in finding my apprentice and those other missing kiddos...all while keeping food on my table."
REDROOF DISTRICT (Sewer-Realm of the Gray Queen; Desnus 4)
Dom leads the party to the abandoned building where he and Davina previously met with the Gray Queen and her human mouthpiece. Descending to the cellar, the party finds not a single rat in sight. Entering a wide hole in the wall, the group makes its way through a rough tunnel passage until they find a second hole-in-a-wall, this one opening into the city sewers.
As they prepared to enter the sewers Falina pulled out the cloth she had brought along and the perfume she picked up on the way. She sprinkled some on a cloth and tied it around her face so the perfumed portion covered her nose. She then repeated this for everyone who wanted to try it. It wouldn't be perfect but it was better than nothing. Once that was done Falina cast a spell and called up four bobbing lights that resembled torches. "That will give light for those who need it. Now let’s get this over with."
Expecting trouble, Caldariel opened his robes and looked down at the two masks that he had. He regarded them for a moment. One was the mask of a doktor, which would help protect him from the plague. The other was fashioned to look like the face of an oni. After regarding them he settled on the oni mask and placed it on his face. The elf shuddered and stood up straight, his fists clenching and unclenching. With more feeling than he had expressed thus far, she said, his voice filled with anticipation "Yes. Let us find who is responsible for this and get it over with."
"What happened to Gavin?" T'chazzar asks conversationally, drawn in by the hook.
Accepting a dab of the perfume on her veil before drawing it up across her face, Arani nods her thanks to Falina as she conjures her arcane lights, making a note to herself to get her hands on a more long-term solution. With all of her companions being able to navigate in total darkness, and the propensity for their opponents to count tieflings and devils among their number, the group being able to operate without light would definitely be to their advantage.
Drawing her hood over her head, she draws an arrow, advancing into the sewers.
"Of course, Paqshari. You do your part and we appreciate it." It took a lot to choke back snide comments about robbing the place, but Dom thinks Davina would want him to 'take the high road,' so he bites back.
When they get to the sewers, Dom notes Falina's spell to provide light. "Thank you, Falina. The darkvision is useful, but not a constant among the lot of us." Dom advances into the sewer. Noting Caldariel's mask, he says to the man, "It seems you're more than just a physician, eh?"
”We are all more than our professions, are we not? And I dare say that we all wear masks everyday. And different ones for different situations. The mask that a father wears before his children is not the same as the one he wears when drinking with friends. I just feel this one suits our situation.” The elf finished, and chuckled at some personal joke.
"I suppose so, yes." Dom accepts the man's answer with a certain resignation. He decides Cal is probably not laughing at him. He has only just met us, not out of line for him to play things a little close, he thinks to himself.
Previously on Madness in Kintargo....
REDROOF DISTRICT (Paqshari's Potions & Poultices; Desnus 4)
Paqshari nods in recognition of Dom's words. To T'chazzar, she says, "Boy was never right after that incident. He couldn't talk to his friends after that and they fell apart. But I guess that's what can happen when you find some weird substance and the first thing you do is decide to taste it."
REDROOF DISTRICT (Sewer-Realm of the Gray Queen; Desnus 4)
As your group begins to file into the sewers, your arrival is greeted by movement in the darkness. Falina's dancing lights spell reveals half a dozen great rats on the walkways. They turn in the group's direction but are absolutely (and ominously) silent. Their unblinking eyes and ragged fur with bare patches of mottled skin indicated they are undead, likely zombies. They are slow to react to your presence as well.