Huh. Well I'll be damned. Lookat that. Nalun says and then he snorts at Demitri Looks like you're out of a job bub. he says pointing his thumb at the shiny new guardsmen guardswomen
"I wouldn't bet on that just yet." Demitri walks past the crowd and approaches Kroft. "What is going on here exactly?"
Cressida sighs as Demitri approaches her. Judging from the dark circles under her eyes, she hasn't been getting much sleep, if any at all. "...Ileosa's just decided to have my men play bodyguard to a bunch of plague doctors. I need them to keep order, but..."
She looks behind Demitri to the motley crew of crooks behind him. "...wait. What's all this now?"
"They were selling perfumed river water and claiming it was a cure for the plague. Who knows how much they've bilked out of people."
"What?!" Kroft roughly moves past Demitri and stares down the crooks. Vendra winces and looks away, but Tarkus is able to meet her eyes for a few seconds before looking around the courtyard.
"...oh. You again." The field marshal growls, glaring at Vendra from under a furrowed brow. "Vendra Loaggri? I thought I had seen everything the last time you tried to con people out of their gold, but now this?"
"So she's done this before?"
Vendra keeps quiet.
"Oh, yes." Kroft snorts. "She was just a small-time merchant until she put out that 'Free Imp with Every Purchase' nonsense a couple of years back. It was a stupid publicity stunt that got out of hand--pretty bold, conning folks of the Heights out of their money with her shoddy perfumes. This, though..."
She spits at Vendra's feet. "...this is low, even for you."
"Apparently not too low."
Ortik watches as the Queen and her shieldmaiden introduce the Grey Maidens with some trepidation. Now that's a bit odd, he thinks. The Queen's got herself an independent warrior force. The Hell's that about? He sets these thoughts aside for the moment as the plague doctors push past him, making a mental note to look into this new development later.
"Some prison time might let her rethink her ways," he says, offering up a potential sentence. "Or, better yet, perhaps a reduced sentence if she serves some time at a plague house. I have it on good authority that the plague itself isn't contagious. Maybe if she sees the lingering deaths she'd condemned her patrons to, she'd rethink trying to capitalize on tragedy."
Karri stifles a giggle, the mirth not her own. Kasdaye whispers and tickles, Interesting. Divesting herself of her husband bastions of power. Maybe the whore-queen did off her husband. The good news is that her new lover won't beget any children to her belly. Feeling in the deepest parts that the demon is speaking truly, Karri listens. She comes out of her inner-conversation to a chat about Vendra.
"Vendra doesn't matter. Neither does her pet orc." Karri leans in towards the Marshall, "What does matter is that your Queen demands obedience and you gladly serve. All the while she is undermining you and giving the rewards of faithful service to another." Kasdaye pushes to the surface and sneers from Karri's mouth, "Maybe if you had a better tongue for diplomacy she'd give you your justice?" Karri clamps her mouth shut, embarassed at the demon's crassness. [/b]"Forgive my impertinence, I do not mean to offend. But the fact is, we work for you, and you work for someone that seems to make bad choices... leaving you in the cold."[/b]
Kroft's glare shifts from Vendra to Karri and her fists clench. "Understatement of the sodding year."
"Some prison time might let her rethink her ways," he says, offering up a potential sentence. "Or, better yet, perhaps a reduced sentence if she serves some time at a plague house. I have it on good authority that the plague itself isn't contagious. Maybe if she sees the lingering deaths she'd condemned her patrons to, she'd rethink trying to capitalize on tragedy."
Kroft considers this for a minute before nodding. "Perhaps. It's certainly more merciful than I'd have been."
She turns her withering glare on Vendra once more. "Consider yourself lucky. You're going to be working to fix the bullshit you allowed to continue, and then you're going to leave. Do you hear me, Vendra? After word of this gets out, there's no one in Korvosa who wouldn't want your head. You might not attract as large a mob as King Eodred's killer... but I imagine it'll be a close second." She grabs the merchant-turned-criminal roughly by the arm and wrenches it behind her back, causing her to yelp in pain. "For tonight, you can cool your heels in a cell here. Guardsmen!"
A patrol of five guards approaches. "Escort these other dregs to the cells. I'll deal with them later."
"And you..." She looks over at the party. "...well, you may as well help yourselves to their gear. They won't be needing it where they're going."
Demitri says nothing as Karri speaks her mind. He respected Kroft, she deserved the truth. "Fair enough. Now what? Are there anymore leads? Maybe some that haven't slipped into a Gray Maiden's hand? They're only around to make people feel safe, I doubt they're going to accomplish much besides scaring folk."
"I wish I had some for you, but I've got my hands full just keeping order." Kroft says as she stifles a yawn. "I think Zena's made more progress than I have at that--she'll probably be of more help to you than I can."
Nalun nods in favor of the proposed "sentence" for the conwoman and her thugs.
Guess we go see the Judge yeah? as the party heads that way
"Indeed."
Leaving the mostly empty Citadel behind, the party ventures once again into the dark streets of Korvosa. The sound of rhythmic footfalls can be heard throughout the city as they walk--the contingents of Grey Maidens are already making their rounds of the plagued streets. Some of them oversee one or two Queen's Physicians loading some unfortunate souls into carts... victims of the plague who either couldn't afford treatment or didn't endure long enough to receive it. So far, there aren't many bodies in the carts, but it's still yet another grim reminder of the bleak future ahead.
The church of Abadar is dark and quiet in the wee hours of the night. The marble steps leading to its gilded doors are vacant of even a single guard. Stepping up to the doors of the church and walking inside, the party sees that most of the church's occupants are either asleep or still ministering to the sick.
Judge Zenderholm is crouched over a small boy, his ruddy hair beginning to fall out and plague sores visible under his shirt collar. She appears to be intoning a prayer to the Master of the First Vault for the boy's health, and pays the party no mind.
Demitri will wait patiently for Zenobia to finish the prayer.
As the judge finishes her prayer, the boy's body glows a soft gold. The sores under his collar fade and his posture relaxes. Nodding, she stands and looks over at the doorway.
"Ah." She walks over without saying another word and stops before the party. "Returned from South Shore already? What have you learned?"
"That someone was selling perfumed river water and calling it a cure for the plague. We caught them and shut it down. Kroft has them locked up right now."
Zenobia's face doesn't change as Demitri speaks, but from the way her hands clench slightly and relax, she's not pleased to hear the news. "Good. The audacity of some people..."
She sighs. "I suppose I'll have to preside over her trial once everything settles down." She starts before pausing. "...wait. Did you recover the proceeds from the sales?"
"We only found what was on them at the time. We didn't see a cashbox or anything. We should go visit them at their cells."
Ortik winces as he realizes they missed such an obvious connection. "Now that was damned addle-coved of us. Sorry for that, Your Honor. We'll track down the jink - someone like Vendra always knows where the coin is."
"Please do--if those coins go missing, there's no telling whose hands they'll fall into next."
With that, Judge Zenderholm dismisses the party.
----------------
The way back to the Citadel is silent and flooded with moonlight.
The Citadel is manned by a skeleton crew tonight--barely any guards are on duty, and those who are on duty don't look to be very experienced. As the party approaches the doors leading deeper into the fortress, they run into a pair of guards. One of them, a dark-haired young woman with bright blue eyes, runs up to Demitri.
"Oh my heavens, oh my heavens, oh my heavens--Demitri Severin?" She gasps, practically bouncing on her heels. "Coming by at this time of night? Oh, wow wow wow!" She has a shining grin on her face, in stark contrast to the pall of despair hanging over Korvosa. "I can't believe this--what can I help you with?"
Demitri looks around suspiciously, but seeing nothing ignores it for the time being.
"Do I know you? Nevermind. We are here to speak to Vendra Loaggri. She was just brought in today for fraud. She has some information we need."
"Do I know you?"
She shakes her head. "I doubt it--it's just that... well, Field Marshal Kroft spoke so highly of you, and you and your team are kinda responsible for getting the Guard back into shape. I'm just... well, I'm kinda excited to meet the man who inspired me to join up, ya know?"
We are here to speak to Vendra Loaggri. She was just brought in today for fraud. She has some information we need."
The guard nods excitedly. "Yep! Right this way--she hasn't gone anywhere, don't you worry."
----------------The young lady leads the party into the fortress, walking up a few flights of stairs before reaching the fourth floor of the Citadel. A long hallway of cells stretches before the party, some vacant, but most filled with inmates of various peoples and walks of life. She walks forward for about 50 feet before stopping in front of a cell on the north wall.
"Here she is." The lady guard gestures to the cell's occupant. Vendra is dressed in orange prisoner's clothes, and is sitting quietly on her bed. Her hair and face look much more ragged than when you last saw her.
She says nothing.
"Here's your chance to redeem yourself. Where did you hide the cashbox from your sales? If you help us, I'll see about making your stay here less awful." Demitri says to her.
"Or don't help us and we will ensure your stay here is longer and more miserable. We can always get rats to join you. Or, I am sure there are some friendly prisoners that would love to share your cell." Karri's flat voiced statement is greeted by a small laugh from Kasdaye, Good, yes, bring her to you with fear. Always the fastest path.
Nalun keeps his hand on the dagger beneath his cloak as they walk the streets. He's begun feeling more and more paranoid of late...
Eyes up.. is all he whispers as they walk the empty streets of Korvosa.
As Demitri asks his question Nalun settles to watch the door, he gives Karri an odd look when she begins making threats.
"I feel it too, Nalun," Ortik breathes to the warrior. "The streets may be empty, but Korvosa isn't the only one with eyes upon us this night."
Ortik's look mirrors Nalun's when he hears Kerri's distasteful implication, but like the bounty hunter he bites his tongue from admonishment. Instead, he decides to focus on the first part of her threat. "I can go find some rats, no problem. They're social animals - I'm sure they'd love making your cell part of their warren."
Vendra sighs. "What's the use? I doubt there's anything either of you can say or do to make things worse." She looks over at the opposite cells, noting the inmates' baleful looks. "...I imagine rats would be healthier eating than the swill that's normally served here."
"But if you insist... the cashbox is under the counter at the front of the store." She glumly looks at the wall. "Now, are you quite satisfied yet, or must you humiliate me some more?"
"I think that's all we had for now," Ortik replies. "If your story pans out, I'll put in a good word for you, and see if we can make this a little more comfortable for you."
"Thank you. I'll see what I can do for you."
Nalun shrugs at the woman as if to say You put yourself in here.
Let's go get that cashbox shall we? Nalun says as they leave the jail and head to Old Korvosa.
By the time the party returns to Lavender's Luxuriant Liniments, the streets have become almost completely pitch dark. The front window of the shop is completely dark... but movement can be seen inside.
"Stay sharp. No telling who or what is in there." Demitri will cast on his blade after drawing it. He then leads the party inside.
Karri follows, behind Demitri and Nalun. She mutters the incantation for a light spell as well and lands it on Ortik's shield.
Nalun draws his bow and follows a few feet behind Demitri
The light emitting from Demitri's blade and Ortik's shield floods into the dark perfume shop.
The shop floor is vacant of merchandise, save for the lingering odour of roses and tulips. Shards of glass are scattered about the floor, along with perfume stoppers and splintered wood. The shelves and displays look like they've been cleared out in a hurry--only a few stray ribbons and lace serve as any indication that they were stocked with something in the first place.
A hunched figure stands before the counter, its back turned to the party. The green peasant's garb it wears looks like it's stretched to its absolute breaking point. A long, leathery tail sweeps from side to side with intermittent *swishes*. It turns and looks at where the light entering the room is coming from.
What the party sees can only be described as a mockery of a rat, enlarged to the size of a man. Clutched in its large, furry claws is a small wooden cashbox, its oiled padlock secure for the moment. Its eyes glow a vicious red, and it chitters in surprise!
Afraid the culprit may make a break for it out the window, Karri moves back to the street, and pulls enough of Legion forward that she can throw color spray at a moment's notice.
Karri's prediction was indeed correct--the creature, upon seeing the squad of heavily-armed men and women burst through the door, immediately runs to the window and crashes through it!
The Legion leaps forth from Karri's fingers in a flash of green and red and all manner of eye-bleeding colours, but the culprit covers his/her/it's? face before the colours strike!
It then starts running as fast as it can down the street!
Nalun snarls in annoyance and runs after the ratlike creature.
Nalun moves over debris and through broken glass to try to catch up to the rat-man. He almost catches up to it!
Demitri also chases after the culprit. "Stop!"
"Oh, b%$$%&%s," Ortik says as the wererat flees down the street. "My legs aren't up to this drek." He begins to give chase to the lycanthrope as well, though he swiftly begins to fall behind his friends and their longer strides.
Lyla groans. "Brilliant. Just brilliant, really."
She starts running after Ortik, stopping short and pulling out a bomb filled with green fluid. "Here goes nothing..."
She aims it and throws!
It manages to hit the wererat in the leg, exploding in a sticky green mess!
While the rat-man isn't glued to the ground, the green stuff manages to impede its movement significantly!