Una holds up the hatbox.
"This box contains the decomposing head of a person whom we had met only recently. Too recently for the head to have actually belonged to her when we met her." Una blinks, realizing the sentence is poorly structured, but unable or unwilling to alter or correct it further.
"I wish only to know if the device is cursed or has some foul enchantment on it. Why was the head kept in a hatbox, for one thing? And if possible, perhaps you can cast a spell that will enable us to communicate with the head's owner, whom I am quite certain now is dead."
Una looks over at Hytogg. "Perhaps we can part with some of the jewelry we discovered to pay for such services."
Una holds up the hatbox.
"This box contains the decomposing head of a person whom we had met only recently. Too recently for the head to have actually belonged to her when we met her." Una blinks, realizing the sentence is poorly structured, but unable or unwilling to alter or correct it further.
"I wish only to know if the device is cursed or has some foul enchantment on it. Why was the head kept in a hatbox, for one thing? And if possible, perhaps you can cast a spell that will enable us to communicate with the head's owner, whom I am quite certain now is dead."
Una looks over at Hytogg. "Perhaps we can part with some of the jewelry we discovered to pay for such services."
"I...I...I". "Hmm...I didn't realize we were planning on all that". "I thought we just wanted to give it it's proper burial". "I thought the fact that he had kept putting makeup on it and everything...well I'm not sure I want to know all the facts". Hytogg turns a bit green around the collar. "Nethys protect me", he mumbles under his breath.
At Hyogg's blanch, Una frowns and continues.
"Burial is of course necessary. As to whether or not this is Zellara's head or not, though... I am not certain. It could be her twin sister. Perhaps that is the reason Zellara contacted us. She said she had reasons of her own to pursue the actions we ourselves were pursuing. Speaking with the spirit of the deceased head may be the easiest way to confirm her identity."
She turns to the priestess.
"Would the rite of burial break the enchantment?"
At Hyogg's blanch, Una frowns and continues.
"Burial is of course necessary. As to whether or not this is Zellara's head or not, though... I am not certain. It could be her twin sister. Perhaps that is the reason Zellara contacted us. She said she had reasons of her own to pursue the actions we ourselves were pursuing. Speaking with the spirit of the deceased head may be the easiest way to confirm her identity."
She turns to the priestess.
"Would the rite of burial break the enchantment?"
Cresston also frowns, looks around at his new-found companions and says, "Perhaps you all encountered some kind of shape-changer that made itself to look like the Varisian seer? If so, even though it was instrumental in your efforts to rid our fair city of the malefactor Lamm, it would seem sinister for it or it's master to feel the need to manipulate you into doing something you all sound like you were already eager to do ..." Cresston shrugs, then adds, "However, Una's explanation of it perhaps being Zellara's twin seems much more likely. I think, to be on the safe side, it would be best if Zenani did apply the powers of The Dawnflower to speak with the head and confirm its identity ..."
Shakhan looks a bit uncomfortable. "The dead should rest, not speak."
Shakhan physically repels from the self-turning card. "What is this?" He shouts after Zenani, "Is this your doing?!"
"Normally washed up mystics and con-men use these cards to glimpse into coming times, or at least feign the ability. It is often hard to for the average man to tell the difference between a real deck, and a fake one used to separate a person from his coin. If it is as you say an enchanted one, then maybe our spellcaster should have a look?"
Risdin looks over to Hytogg.
His curiosity awakened at the seemingly self animated box of Harrow cards, Hytogg steps forward for a closer look.
Plus appropriate skill, with Detect Magic engaged.
"May I...?" the priest asks, spreading a white cloth and lifting the head out, seemingly untroubled by the smell or flies.
"Hmmm....", her hands glow again momentarily. "That's interesting. The enchantment is not on the remains, but on this box."
She lifts out a small box that had been under the head, and lays it on the cloth. As she lays it down, the box opens and several Harrow cards fall out, face down on the cloth.
Zenani moves off to collect a couple of candles and some other ritual items.
One of the cards flips over - card - all by itself.
Cresston grins slyly for a moment as he sees the card, "Not much chance of missing the meaning of that draw. The timing of our seeing it is a bit ... anticlimactic, though."
Una is somewhat dismayed that the box contained only a Harrow Deck, but she hides her disappointment quickly as the Harrow Deck card flips over on its own, revealing the political predicament of the city.
"Interesting. Perhaps this item is not so useless after all. But as Master Kroft reminds us, the information comes too late. Can we perhaps draw another card to see what the future might hold? Or should such information perhaps be left alone for the time being?"
Shakhan takes out the card he received originally, when summoned to Zelarra's place. He regards it suspiciously, equally likely to cast it from him as he's to keep it. "Do you think these are from the same deck?"
Shakhan takes out the card he received originally, when summoned to Zelarra's place. He regards it suspiciously, equally likely to cast it from him as he's to keep it. "Do you think these are from the same deck?"
Cresston rubs his smooth chin in thought. "You all received single harrow cards? Interesting ... I think, perhaps, we might find some clues at the residence of your ... umm ... possibly former benafactor. Shall we make haste to her residence?"
"Before we depart, I should like to know the identity of the head we now carry, and her relationship with Lamm, so that we can bury the poor thing and be done with it."
"Before we depart, I should like to know the identity of the head we now carry, and her relationship with Lamm, so that we can bury the poor thing and be done with it."
Cresston nods at Uma. "Wise words from the lovely femme fetale in our band! I think making certain who the unfortunate soul is that this ... umm ... head belonged to would be the best way to make sure we provide a burial that would be according to it ...er, her wishes! Cresston turns to Shakhan and adds, "Don't you agree, my large and honorable friend?"
Shakhan momentarily does not make the connection, but then realizes he's been spoken to. "Yes. Yes yes, the dead should rest." There is hint, an unspoken motion, that Shakhan would want to hold up a sign of warding against the head.
"Lamm was very old, set in his ways. He was the reason I had to claw my way back to life, and when I killed him I felt a heavy weight lift from me."
"If any man was deserving completely of death, it would be Lamm. His hands were stained with too many deaths of which he was unrepentant."
Shakhan grimaces and spi-- almost spits, though he decides better of it after remembering where he finds himself. "Unrepentant? That traitorous bastard got what he deserved." He suddenly shifts gears, mentally, as he recalls: "There were children that he forced to work at the place."
Shakhan grimaces and spi-- almost spits, though he decides better of it after remembering where he finds himself. "Unrepentant? That traitorous bastard got what he deserved." He suddenly shifts gears, mentally, as he recalls: "There were children that he forced to work at the place."
Cresston's dark eyebrows will rise ever so slightly as he hears how quickly, and with perhaps not-so-well-hidden vehemence, Una and Shakhan denounce the locally infamous Lamm. He puts a hand over his mouth to hide a half smile as he ponders if there's anything personal behind their disgust for Lamm. Instead of leave well-enough alone, the curious minstrel decides to probe at the potentially tender spots by humming and singing a well-known local street song about the vile Gaedren Lamm.
Cresston recalls that Shakhan was quite a figure in the shady underworld of cage matches. Also he has a hunch that Shakhan might have been in Lamm's stable of fighters... - some form of bad blood lingered between Shakhan and Lamm along those lines.
Cresstin does not recall Una as a famous person, but as the constant companion of a famous mercenary Colin Dalings, whose life first slowly depreciated then rapidly collapsed due to the addictive drug that Lamm sold.
"I'll take care of that for you," says Zenani. She bows her head and a golden glow spreads from her to the head.
"This is Zellara, whose head lies before you and the rest of whose remains are in the belly of a river-beast. Slain at the hands of Lamm himself, when she confronted him regarding the death of her son, her spirit imbued her Harrow cards and enabled her to contact those whom her divination skills showed could aid her revenge. She thanks you for your actions, and will continue to watch over you. Keep the cards, and you will keep her close to you."
Zenani raises her head and opens her eyes.
"The Dawnflower would rather see villains redeemed than slain, but some are unwilling and hence must be slain - was that the case with this Lamm?
Watching the shadows pass across Una's and Shakhan's face jars Cresston's memory in regards to their place and experiences in Korvosa. He masks his thoughts by singing another verse of the local song about 'Lamm the Boogie Man'.
The singer then turns his attention back to the well-fed priestess of Saranrae. He pauses a moment to let the stirrings of his song die out and so that he may gather his thoughts.
"Dear Zenani, I can vouch that Gaedren Lamm was one of the most vile beings to ever sully the streets of our fine city. He was not only beyond redemption ... but beyond all taste! A philistine of a scoundrel ... with little care for anyone ... to the point that he was a foul exploiter of our children!"
Hytogg quickly moves to take the magical deck. "I'll hold on to these for now". "I should study them, and see if I can figure out their purpose".
Hytogg then heads quickly for the door.
Shakhan takes a few steps forward - for a moment Zenani looks slightly worried as the giant looms over her - but he lumbers passed, towards the shrine to Sarenrae. He bows his head slightly before it and his lips move silently. In spite of how it looks at first glance, it is fairly obvious to Zenani that he is not actually praying; but doing something else.
It doesn't take long, then Shakhan turns around again. He mutters as he passes Zenani: "I'm not a good man, I know that. But this is all I have to offer now. If your goddess has need of me in the future, I will listen."
Having carried the cards for some time, Una is a little protective of them.
"Hytogg, I do not think these cards were meant for us to read with. They seem to be a way for Zellara to communicate with us from the spirit realm. Treat them with care."
Conscious of her finances, Una drops a few silver pieces in the donation box on her way out the door.
"Thank you Zenani. It's not common to have a service done for free in a city like Korvosa, especially such a sensitive one."
Risdin walks towards the door, after Hytogg and Una. He empties the last couple of coins from his pouch into the donation box, and exits the building.
Once everyone is outside he asks,"So where are we off to next?"
"Of course, sir. I am sure Risdin was only being colloquial."
Shakhan points to the exit with his axe, "No need to spend more time then. Let's go."
Shakhan points to the exit with his axe, "No need to spend more time then. Let's go."
Cresston grins eagerly and responds, "Well, then off we go, to deliver Lord Jalento safely to his illustrious place of business!" Feeling particularly emboldened by his fortune in finding good companionship so early in the day, the handsome minstrel leads the way out the door, singing a well-known heartening song that speaks of Korvossan patriotism.
Having carried the cards for some time, Una is a little protective of them.
"Hytogg, I do not think these cards were meant for us to read with. They seem to be a way for Zellara to communicate with us from the spirit realm. Treat them with care."
Conscious of her finances, Una drops a few silver pieces in the donation box on her way out the door.
"I know what I'm doing". "Leave the magic to me, and I'll leave the chopping to you". Hytogg says with a disarming smile.
Shakhan positions himself close to Lord Jalento again, shield and axe at the ready. "We're not entirely familiar with the way. Can you direct us to your store?" The procession goes along steadily then, along the main cause ways of the city as far as possible.
Una whispers to her nearby companions.
"I'm assuming this is the tomb of the fallen king. The castle is not too far out of our way if we mean to investigate the home of Zellara. We can probably deliver this message as well, though I would like to see some pay for our efforts. The roads are dangerous."
Shakhan grimaces, then agrees. "Lord Jalento's store first; then we can visit the castle."
Hytogg is stumbling along behind the group, studying the cards, and just goes along with wherever the party goes.
Shakhan nods to the guards; without a trace of irony he tells them, "Expect to be relieved within the hour."
Risdin stays at the rear of the group,"It's odd to see the city guard drawn so thin. I was under the impression that these forces were near endless compared to those from my homeland. Then again their movements are not as free as ours... Bound by bureaucracy and all..."