For her part, Ollysta stands silently back as your group discusses how vest to approach Auntie Baltwin's place and what to do with whatever you find there.
Nori glances over her shoulder at the knight. Feeling more anxious about being watched, she nods at Ollysta, "Where shall we meet you when we have concluded our investigation?" Pending her answer, Nori wishes her well and steps away with the group, "Lets find this 'Auntie Baltwin' and see what we can determine about her."
"That's something I can agree with. " Odryk says with a smile as he joins Nori and nods a goodbye to Ollysta.
Orn, for his part, seems more paranoid than usual, but he does pipe up as they head out. "This sounds like something better suited to your abilities. I'll just stick around... maybe scare some pinkskins..."
11 Lamashan, 4707, 1:45pm
The journey to the Eastgate district is a short walk from the Ascendant Court. It is mostly quiet here, as pretty much everyone in this district is at work in other parts of the city.
Found here is the eastern gate of Absalom, the Postern, which is manned by the Post Guard. The tallest building in Eastgate is the Blue Tower, home to the Winged Sandals, an order of dedicated messengers.
It isn't very difficult to find Auntie Baltwin's place. If you follow the trail of children and cats running throughout the neighborhood, you will eventually find it, at least according to everyone you know.
Nearly swarming with cats and children, this fine upper-class home appears to be clean and in good condition considering the number and ages of its inhabitants. Three young boys shoot marbles in the dirt near the side porch, and inside strewn toys and more cats lie about on the floors. A few children take care of chores, while coughs and sneezes softly erupt from the children’s dormitories upstairs.
A couple of older boys greet you at the door, keeping the younger children behind them, they don't move until an older lady comes out, who moves children and cats out of her way as if they weren't there. Her face is a collection of bumps and warts and gray hairs that shouldn't be there and the hunch in her back tells you much about her lack of noble upbringing. The smile on her face seems genuine enough as she speaks, mostly to Sleggar. "Ah, visitors! What brings a fine upstanding knight like yourself to my humble abode for children?"
While she is familiar with the areas of Absalom, she is less knowledgeable about its residents, famous or not. She eyes the street urchins with a mix of distain and familiarity, having shared a cold alley with their kind before. She sighed inwardly as she focused on the task at hand.
As the old woman had not given any indication of mal intent, the ninja had no reason to intrude upon the conversation. Nori stays a yard or so behind the knight, scouting the building and its visible inhabitants.
Sleggar is noticeably uncomfortable with the flattery coming from such a source but clears his throat Yes ma'am I have come with a delivery from the temple - a charity you applied for if I am not mistaken. We have come to deliver some medicine and perform an assessment of your facility to determine how much we should give in the future...may we come inside?
As soon as the woman turns away Sleggar will look to Orn and whisper "Since I sense this sort of thing is out of your wheelhouse, maybe you can wander the grounds and see if anything is obviously unsafe about the home itself"
Orn perks his fringes up at the knight as he whispered to him. Send the kobold out to peruse around kids? Made sense. At least Sleggar realized he wasn't the best for discussions and had another use.
He might make a good leader yet.
Waiting for a chance to slip past undetected, Orn will try to slink his way inside the building, via an open door or unlocked window. He was betting that ninja woman would be able to handle the outside just fine.
Once inside, he'll sneak about to see if he can find anything out of the ordinary... maybe even see if the kids are doing alright.
Given he helped keep a bunch of them captive before, that, at the bare minimum, should be something he'd recognize.
Odryk shows the woman the parcel he retrieved from the Silver Crusade as Slegger speaks, to show that what he says is true, and then packs it back among his things.
"What is the medicine for, if you don't mind my asking? If possible we'd like to administer it to the children as needed before leaving you with the rest. Would you like to start the tour of your facilities?"
Odryk will wax poetic about the benefits of receiving charity from the Silver Crusade and how upholding their high standards is the only way to truly show the orphans that they can be more than society expects of them. He will ask her to explain how her organization fits those standards.
As Sleggar bends down to speak to Orn, the old woman makes a face. "I didn't realize you actually kept secrets with slaves. How odd." As if she said nothing wrong she continues, "The medicine is for the children of course, those that can not be mended by my simple remedies of soup and rest. I do appreciate all the help the Silver Crusade can send to us. I am but a simple woman of simple means. I do not appreciate being scrutinized however." She says this as Orn disappears into another room. "This way." You can tell she is becoming rather perturbed at this point as she leads you upstairs to the children's beds.
It is right about then that your magical senses tell you that there is something hidden in the kitchen larder that is obviously of a magical origin. It seems to be behind a small false sliding door.
Odryk notes the signs of a drinking problem in the parties less than generous host. He feels as though there's something she's hiding, and he never ignores his instinct.
"No one likes this part of the job really, but it must be done, you see. Charitable organizations need to know their efforts are going to reputable causes or they're unlikely to keep receiving the funding that allows them to provide aid. Surely with this many children, and cats, around, you would hate to lose the assistance you've been receiving! And were we to find any such organizations unhelpful in our investigation, we'd have to go back where we came with all of the goods we were to provide."
Nori eyes the bags the children are carrying in. Before she enters, she waits till the last kid goes to move past her. She bumps into the kid, seemingly accidently and stumbles. In the distraction, she attempts to draw a small item out of the bag to get a clue what's in it.
Orn pauses as his senses pick up something hiding from him, his frills perking up... and inadvertently right into the little boy's inquisitive hand. He startles a bit, recoiling and snapping his head around to the child, staring back with his yellow eyes before huffing a little. The last group of hatchlings did that too... humans have no sense of survival.
"...no. It's not smart to grab at a dragon, pinkskin." Orn hissed back, before looking around to try and pick up his trail of the magic. As the kobold approached the false door, hoping to open it, he kept looking back at the boy following him. "...don't you have anything better to do? I'm trying to find magic stuff here, so unless you can cast spells, you aren't what I'm looking for."
The old woman blushes a bit. "Oh, well we wouldn't want that. You know I do this for the kids, you know. Have none of my own, so I do what I can for the neighborhood. All the help I...we receive is truly needed."
As she tours you through the house, watching kids do chores or watching the younger ones or helping with the sick ones in the beds, you notice in a few places here and there an empty bottle or two, put in strange places. Few of them are marked, but one you notice has the mark of the Miltivis shop, who sells fine whiskeys.
Nori bumps into one of the kids who simply stares at her as if in a dream state. Until he notices the golden earring in your hand. As he goes to say something, another one pipes up. "Gerry has a girl friend! Gerry has a girl friend!"
The older boy steps back and then starts picking up the other things that had dropped, a few silver coins, an ivory handled paring knife, a copper trimmed pair of spectacles and some other odds and ends. He looks up at the earring and then you and only says, "Sorry."
The boy pauses, as if surprised that you spoke. "You're a real dragon? Where are your wings? Do you breath fire? Can you show me some real magic? Please? Pretty please? Wait til Auntie finds out I have a friend dragon. She won't yell at me no more."
Sleggar looks at her curiously Show me where you keep the rest of your medicine then.
Nori hands back the earing and kneels down, coming to eye level with the boy, "What's your name, youngling?" She looks over the items the kid was hauling home. Most likely, it was pickings from various pockets along the streets of Absalom. Nori bluffed to confirm her suspicions, "Auntie Baldwin isn't going to be pleased with this trite and meager haul, little one."
Orn rolled his eyes at the little human's incessant questions. Huffing a sigh, he held out his claw as a small orb of acidic liquid swirled into being in his open palm. "Definitely don't touch this... stand back."
Taking his own advice, he pointed the acid orb at the fake wall and flung it to melt open the door. He had to admit, though, the attention and being acknowledged as a dragon was a nice change of pace - normally, he got nervous glances or staring. "Does the old one yell at you regularly?"
Auntie Gilga first eyes Sleggar curiously and then acquiesces. "Sure, sure." She leads you to a pantry by the bedrooms upstairs where the ill children are. Opening it with a key, you spot several implements of healing: gauze, cough tonic, liquid spirits, treebark paste, cinnamon sticks in a jar, etc. None of these stand out as something the priesthood of Sarenrae would have given. They all look homemade or at least gotten from the local market.
"G..Ge..Gerry," the boy manages. "I.. I just collect these from the parents to help Auntie pay for the stuffs she uses to fix up all us kids. A..uh..donation."
The little boy's eyes widen in both fear and excitement. "Wow! You really are a dragon!" When you ask him your question, his eyes lower and he stares at the floor. "Sometimes.. but usually only when we're bad."
As you look at the hole your magic acid made in the wall, you can see several vials of potions and scrolls in the nook behind the wall. The boy doesn't say anything as you look through it, but behind you a tweenage girl with a broom and mop looks at you, the boy and then at the wall. Slowly turning around, she yells, "Auntie Gilga!!"
Orn eyed the boy a little, before looking back at the hole he'd made... and smirked a little. Dragon Orn. That had a nice ring to it... he could get used to admiration like this. Perhaps he should hang around human hatchlings more often. "Indeed I am... and that is just a small sample of my power!"
Orn's little ego is too inflated to really grasp the subtlety and completely misses any sense of the little boy potentially duping him. Instead, he looks into the hole he made, looking at the vials and scrolls, he tries to discern what they might be for.
Orn's little fringes snap up as the tweenage girl calls for Auntie Gilga. Snapping back to stare at the child, he dashed over and clambered up to place a claw over her mouth. "Shhhhh! Shh shh shh! Don't do that! I'm trying to help you here!" Great, what now? How do I keep her quiet? ...........oh yeah, bribes.
His maw curled into a smile as he stared at the little girl. "...have you ever seen the treasures of a dragon, little one?"
"All of these look to be simple market bought medical supplies. Where is your reserve from previous shipments? Also," Odryk holds his hand up and leaves the room for a second, when he returns he is holding the empty labeled bottle of alcohol, "Why are there so many of these around the house? This certainly seems unsafe, particularly with children and animals running around the house likely to shatter them."
Sleggar looks appalled when Odryk makes the reveal Madam - you aren't hitting the bottle with this many children around are you? What a poor example to set!
Nori sneers a bit under her face cover. She straightens and waves the kid off, "Scram, kid" She would need to find another avenue of investigation. She stepped into the house finally and glanced around. Nori hoped her keen eye would spot something out of the ordinary without running into Aunty as the others moved about the building.
Auntie Gilga's ears perk up a bit and all of you hear what sounds like a child's yell, but then there is silence. She pays no mind to it as Odryk and then Sleggar make accusatory statements. "Well..I..you know when YOU have to deal with so many kids without help, you would want a little liquid encouragement too.", she says through irritated teeth. "I do my best, bending over backwards for these children and I drink a little here and there to help me get by and the city sends people to call me out on it? Bah! Maybe they should send actual help. A few extra gold dragons a month should do it." She stands back, a smug look on her face.
Gerry simply shrugs, finishes collecting up his pieces and heads into the house. As you follow him, you watch as he disappears into a side hallway. A couple of cats cross your path and one particularly mangy looking one turns and hisses at you. It is then you feel a tug at your clothing. Looking down, you see a small toddler holding up both arms toward you.
"Pickles bad kitty! Up?"
The girl stops for a moment, pawing at the claw on her mouth. "You're not a real dragon," she mumbles. Her eyes look you over. "What do you have?"
Your quick glance before being interrupted tells you that the potions are various strengths of healing tinctures, but the scrolls, while indecipherable, are definitely divine, some with the markings of Sarenrae.
Odryk is completely disgusted by Auntie Gilga's response, and it shows quite clearly on his face. He steadies himself however, and places the bottle down.
"Hmm, quite, a few extra dragons a month would certainly improve this situation. I'll discuss it with the Crusade. I'm sure whoever takes over responsibility of these children when they are removed from your care can put the extra money to good use." He turns from her, not caring to see or hear her response.
He opens the parcel they were tasked to deliver and takes a measure of it's contents,
then turns his eye on the children waiting for medical assistance.
Odryk studies the contents of the parcel, a small cushioned box with three vials of liquid within. A smell of each tells you that these are potions of lesser restoration.
Auntie Gilga simply glares as you give one of the children a drink of the potion. This small girl appeared as if she had been badly burned, but as you watch the potion take effect, the burns slowly turn to fresh skin and her sunken eyes start to open and look at you directly. "Th..thank you..", is all she can manage. It will be awhile before she is fully healed, but the potion went a long way towards it.
Sleggar looks on with disgust at Aunty I Believe we have seen all we need to...
Odryk will administer the last two potions to whichever children he believes are most in need.
When he is done he will ask each of the children how they received their injuries and how long they have been suffering. Promising that he will make sure Auntie Gilga will not punish them.
"I'm inclined to ask the Crusade if I can oversee this facility myself given the situation. Do you have anything to say in your defense madame?"
Orn smiled as he hopped back to the floor, before reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a small, well polished obsidian worth about 10 gp. He held it up to show the child. "Would a real dragon neglect such treasures as these when he finds them?" he asked, eyes darting back to the boy behind him to gauge his reaction as well.
"This comes from the mines of my tribe, far away in Andoran. We had so many beautiful gems, we used these trinkets for mirrors. When I helped slay the Dragon King, he wore armor of gold and rubies! I took it for myself." He reached again into his pocket, pulling out some golden coins and displaying them. "You should know, dragons reward our minions with generosity when pleased... would you like to be my loyal minions? You only have to answer my questions: what does this... Auntie Gilga keep all these things for?" He nodded at the collection of magical items in the hole in the wall he'd made.
The next child Odryk sees to looks to have been afflicted with filth fever. "Jem," he says when you ask him his name. "I's playing with the rats in my pa's basement when they done bit me and now I's here. Been here since last month, I think. Ain't see Pa in a right while. That over there is Elsabeth. She's real sick. Seems she got into an accident in her pa's place and got poisoned by something fierce. Auntie Gilga's been working on her a long time. Long afore I got here at least. She don't talk much, but at least her pa comes and sees her once in a while."
The third child you find most ill is a little halfling that is barely the size of our arm. Jem is very helpful with this one too. "She's a tiny one. Auntie Gilga spends a lot of time with her too. No one knows what's wrong with her though. She never wakes up. Sleeps all the time. Auntie says she'll be okay with some more help from the temples."
Auntie Gilga, for her part watches as you administer the potions. She unsuccessfully attempts to hide her anger in front of the children. While they aren't really frightened, they are unsure of what her reaction will be. It seems your presence has kept her mostly tame. So far.
"Do you honestly think you could do a better job? These children have a home, someone to care for them on regular basis, someone to teach them the ways of the world without having to run off to work or some silly adventure for some silly group of nosy gits. If you're really upset about my drinking, have the temple send someone and I will see to it that I lighten up.. a bit." Jem seems really pleased by this, as do the other children that are awake and listening. Jem leans over and whispers to you.
"She's the worst when she's drinking."
While the girl still seems apprehensive, the boy is very excited. "I'm a dragon minnen! I'm a dragon minnen! He stops, looking at you and then realizing he forgot something. "Auntie says we're not apposed to be here. I seen her bring other grownups here to talk about stuff though, sometime it's about the...mmmpphhmmmmpphhh.." The girl has put her hand on his mouth.
"Don't listen to him. He makes up stories all the time."
Orn's fringes perk up, looking expectantly at the boy before looking at the girl who quieted him. ...I may not know much about humans, but I do know when someone is making stuff up. That's not it. Orn slipped the obsidian piece back in his pocket, but kept the gold coins out. His expression stayed neutral, but his tone seemed more... genuine.
"Do you know why I faced the Dragon King? We disagreed. He kidnapped several human hatchlings, much like yourselves, and planned to kill them... I helped save them. Any plan that harms hatchlings is a bad one. Of any kind." Orn eyed the doorway out, before turning back to the children. "This Auntie Gilga reminds of our Dragon King, in many ways. She is selfish, isn't she? She cares more for herself then your tribe, yes? She scares you to do what she wants... that is not how a leader should be."
Orn reached into his pocket and pulled out more gold coins, placing them on the floor in front of the children, roughly 10 gp in all. " These are yours. I believe you have answered my question enough... but I will hear more, if you wish to say so." Orn waits to see if the children have anything else to say. If they don't, he'll take a scroll and potion from the wall and head on back to the group.
"If you're really upset about my drinking, have the temple send someone and I will see to it that I lighten up.. a bit."
At this remark, Odryk completely looses his temper.
He roars in her direction."These children have been suffering for months. Months! One potion from me almost healed them to full and you have been receiving these goods for how long? You have deliberately prolonged the suffering of children! I will not only see that this institution is put under better supervision, I will see you punished to the fullest extent of the law for your crimes!"
Calming slightly he narrows his eyes at the vile woman.
"Where are the rest of the supplies you received, and what have you been doing with them?"
Sleggar moves into place behind Odryk and cracks the whip - and loudly - to show that we mean business.
The children look at you incredulously, not saying a word. They stare after the coins, but do not move until after you leave, to which you hear them quickly gather them up.
As Odryk finishes his question, Orn walks into the room carrying the potions and scrolls. Though the whip crack doesn't seem to move Auntie Gilga, her face admits defeat. It does get the attention of the children though, all of whom stay silent. Auntie Gilga looks at Orn and his cargo, then back at Odryk. "It appears I have been found out then. I am sorry my children, but the law is the law, and I must pay the price for my crimes."
At this, Jem speaks up, though hesitantly. "Wha.. what's going to happen to Auntie Gilga?"
"She will be tried for her crimes, and hopefully get the help she needs for her vices." Odryk pats Jem on the back,
"You will see her again if you wish to, not one goes away forever. Orn, if you can, please help me distribute some of these potions to any of the children who are still sick. After that one of us will have to get a hold of the local authorities, and figure out who will keep an eye on the children in the interim."
Orn looks up at Auntie Gilga, scowling a little before quirking a brow and looking at the labels and scrolls. "I will try... I think this one goes to... you." The kobold moved over to a nearby child and handed her a potion.
"...I believe I may know someone who could take care of them. Our tribe's midwife, Mekapa, has taken care of our hatchlings. She is dedicated and protective. She stood between our intruders and our tribe's young... and with her, our tribe would be invested in keeping her safe. These pinkskins would be very well protected and cared for." Orn handed out another potion to a child as he shrugged. "Merely a thought... perhaps she would scare them, as I do. I do not know."
Jem looks as if he understands what Odryk says. As Orn speaks, Gilga looks at him as if he were disrupting her very soul's existence. "I hardly think one of you would be qualified to raise a human child. To think it would even be an option is..."
Dragon minnen! Dragon minnen! I'm a dragon minnen! The little boy is holding a golden coin in his hand as he dances around the room.
"Harry! Get back here! Adults are talking.", a small tween girl is chasing after him.
"...absurd." Auntie Gilga finishes.
"Sleggar, if you don't mind making sure she doesn't run, I'm going to go find some authorities and try to figure this out."
Odryk will exit the building and go in search of whatever local guard he can find. He'll see if he can find Nori or Kelwin while he's at it.
Nori joins Odryk outside, "Did we find something disqualifying?
Sleggar nods and stands watch Yeah, let's see to it these children find proper care - Nori, the grandmother seems to have been selling the charity secondhand to support her drinking habit - these children haven't received care in months aside from ineffective natural remedies.
"Is that really necessary?", Auntie Gilga protests. "I'm a feeble old woman, not some ruffian." She looks at Sleggar. "Is this even legal?"
At that point, two Post Guards arrive at the scene in front of her home. "Pathfinder, what seems to be the trouble at old Gilga's place?"
Gilga doesn't wait. She attempts to bolt outside, screaming,"Help me! These thugs came and roughed me up, claiming I don't take good care of these kids!"
Orn snarls back at the old woman as she comments about his kin, huffing. ...stay your claw, Orn. Actions speak louder than words, and the Society demands a good example. Orn merely returns to distributing potions to the children.
The sound of the old woman shouting outside earns a growl from him. However, he calms himself and remains inside. No doubt, him showing up would earn some nastiness... or at least, unlikable looks. Better to stay and tend to the little ones.
"...you know, you look like one of the pinkskins I saved back in Andoran." The kobold commented, looking at one of the smaller children as he hoped to distract them from commotion outside with a story. "He had been kidnapped by a terrible monster - a Forgespurned, they called him. I helped battle the beast to save the little one. I entered the creatures lair, thick in smoke and the sound of a roaring furnace nearby..." Orn continued his story, obviously embellishing pieces here and there, as well as leaving out the "heroes" and their role in the battle. Perhaps if he could entertain them, they may be more willing to side with them, should the guards start asking questions...
"Thugs, hmmph. Guards my associate here seems to have found a hidden cache of healing supplies that Madame Gilga secreted away instead of providing for these children. The potions and scrolls we did not use are still there, and I'm sure Orn will happily show you where he discovered the hidden goods. The children will tell you that I helped them recover not more than a few minutes ago despite them having languished here for months, and the Silver Crusade can attest that they sent us here for the very purpose of assessing Madame Gilga and her qualifications."
He stops to take a breath.
If you wish to conduct your own investigation, I am more than happy to assist but any evidence you require stands before you, right now, and it is clear we never laid a hand of the Madame, we are Pathfinders, not thugs."
Sleggar reaches out to stop the old lady
Orn's story seems to captivate his audience, though the commotion outside draws their attention rather quickly.
Sleggar is unable to stop the old lady, as her determination seems to make her quicker than the knight. As she bursts out of the front door, yelling her words, the Eastgate Post Guards look at her, then back at Odryk, listening. One of them nods.
"While we have heard of some strange things going on here, we didn't think the Society would actually deem it necessary to investigate. Other than the noise and the smell sometimes, we have had very little complaints. It seems though that you may have found something more interesting. For the time being though, I think it best to go and deliver your report and then allow the Crusade to decide her fate."
It is then that Elsabeth slowly walks out of the front door, holding on to the frame for support. Gilga's eyes widen, as does the guard you are speaking with.
"Young lady you get yourself...," a glare of the guard stops Gilga mid sentence.
"You told me nothing would help her," he says, rushing to his daughter's side. You see several other children gathering by the front door, with Orn. "For over a year I have paid you for your help, even taken this job to support my little girl and you promised... you promised!"
He picks up his daughter in his arms and reaches over to shake Odryk's hand. "We will straighten this out right away." He motions to the other guards who take Gilga custody. "Thank you all for your help in rooting out this.. this carbuncle.. I hope the Crusade can send help soon. The rest of these children will need care as well."
"Very well, I look forward to hearing that the law runs its course for Madame Gilga."
Odryk strokes his mustache and turns to the rest of his companions,
"Let's go report to the Crusade, I'm sure they'll find someway to assist the children. I'll be glad to be gone of this place. Seems we have one task left to do, visiting Dremdhet Salhar in the Wise Quarter."
Orn nods from his perch at the front steps, looking up at the guard as he embraced his daughter. He didn't fully understand the relations of larger races and their kin; they bonded with their offspring greatly. For kobolds, a hatchling was the responsibility of the entire tribe, and nothing was more rewarding than one looking up to you as an example of hard work, and nothing more noble than giving oneself to defending the unhatched eggs.
So, Orn couldn't say he understood how this guard felt, but in another way, he shared his satisfaction in seeing her cared for. His tail slapped the stone as he walked to Odryk's side at his order. "Sounds good. I believe my 'minions' can handle themselves until I return, yes?" he asked aloud, looking back to the children in the doorway.
Sleggar looks quite proud of Orn and Odryk
Wish I had been of more help gents. But I guess I mostly just stood there huh?