"If that's all that's in the way, what do you need from us? Money? Someone with a pulse purchasing you a spot in a cargo hold somewhere?"
"More or less, yes." Ramoska shrugs. "That, and my equipment would need to be relocated as well."
"...which is where you come in." He grins, revealing a row of sharp fangs. "I'm certain we can come to an arrangement that will benefit us both equally."
"Alright, we're listening. What kind of equipment you have in mind?"
"Nothing much--a simple alchemist's lab and my spellbooks, really." Ramoska pokes the operating table. "Nothing so elaborate as this over-designed contraption." He snorts, glaring at the three iron bands holding Yargin down.
"I believe 1,000 gold pieces would be enough to ensure my passage home with my equipment." The vampire *clicks* his claws together in his sleeves. "I'll even let you walk away with that wretch there..."
"...along with something else I think you'd be very interested in."
"You wanna give us a hint on what that is?"
"Why, my notes on the Blood Veil Plague, of course." Ramoska arches a decrepit eyebrow. "Cardin, Rolth and I all kept separate notes on the development of the plague--I imagine at least one of you adventurous sorts would be able to do something with them. Perhaps... devise a cure for it? Eh? Eh?"
"And you'll never come back to Korvosa again?" Demitri looks cautiously at the rest of the party before eyeing the vampire.
Nalun itches to run the Vampire through, but he knows this is a fight that they might not win. He guesses a deal with a lesser evil might allow them to defeat a greater one, and the plague is the greatest they face right now.
Yeah. That's non negotiable. Nalun adds.
"Oh, I assure you, if it were up to me, I'd never have set foot in this... pit of a city." Ramoska snorts. "I don't intend to ever return here."
"Fine. You have yourself a deal."
"Agreed. The Old Dame will be as glad to be rid of you as you of her." He reaches into his belt pouch and withdraws several handfuls of gold. "Your notes," he says, extending his hand.
"Fine." Karri gets out her share of the payment, "Better this than letting the Urgathoans run amok."
Lyla chips in with her share of the payment, placing a handful of gold coins in the pile. "There." She steps back and takes a good look at Balko. "Out of curiosity, how did that one end up on your table? Oh, and any idea why some Varisians are immune to the plague?", she asks the vampire.
"Out of curiosity, how did that one end up on your table? Oh, and any idea why some Varisians are immune to the plague?"
"Blind luck, mostly." Ramoska pokes the now-unconscious Yargin. "He was but one of several Varisians with a resistance to Blood Veil. Normally, I wouldn't have given him much thought, but his lack of complaining intrigued me. All the other subjects wailed, cursed and screamed for their freedom. He kept quiet."
"Part of me wanted to know why he was being so quiet. So, in between experiments, I used some magic to read his thoughts." His tone takes a sharp turn for the spiteful. "And I was... revolted... by what I found. I decided to continue my work on him and him alone. Let Cardin & Rolth handle the other cases... I felt like making him suffer worse than his victims did."
"But I digress--I've come to a conclusion as to why certain Varisians possess an immunity to this plague." Ramoska taps a taloned finger on the operating table. "I believe these people share a common ancestor--one who originally possessed an immunity to it, likely through magical exposure."
"The Blood Veil Plague was refined into a new strain from this parent disease: my handler called it 'Vorel's Phage'. I'm not certain as to why."
"Interesting. We'll take him from here."
Indeed. Take your payment and go with our thanks. Nalun says, part of him still wants to run the creature through, he knows nothing good will come from it though.
Ramoska sweeps the gold coins into his sleeves and grins. "My thanks, mortal ones. Glad you've decided to be reasonable."
He turns and raps once on the western wall, causing it to shift to the side. Several open trunks spill piles of books across the dusty room beyond. Stacks of tomes, some apparently quite old, stand in orderly stacks and haphazard heaps, surrounding nearly every foot of floor space except for an elegant black-canopied bed. A table of beakers, burners and other alchemical tools stands against the north wall.
He disappears into the room for a minute before re-emerging with a sheaf of papers. He presses them into Lyla's hands. "Here--these are all the notes I've taken regarding the development & refining of the plague. I'm sure someone of your intelligence will find some use for them."
"One more thing," Ortik says after the nosferatu has handed Lyla his research notes. "The Priestess might have been the one masterminding the plague, but they were working with the cult of Achaekek - or at least a cultist. And that cultist was working with the Gray Maidens, who guard the Queen's chosen plague doctors, who are again cultists of Urgothoa. Where the Hell does this go? What relationship do the cults have with each other?"
"That's a good question, Ser Dwarf." Ramoska growls. "Mayhap you should ask your Queen."
He starts walking towards the door, pausing briefly to point at a set of levers across from the operating table. "Oh, and if you wish to release him, just turn all the levers to the left."
With that, he takes his leave. He makes no noise as he walks out the door.
As the vamipre leaves, Karri makes a suggestion, though by her voice it seems she thinks it might not be too wise. "Well, if the high priestess is not going anywhere, do you think we could post guards on the doors to her demesne and then see about recharging ourselves a bit?" She shrugs, hoping to be more help when the party does face the priestess.
"Well, if the high priestess is not going anywhere, do you think we could post guards on the doors to her demesne and then see about recharging ourselves a bit?"
"If you're so certain the rest of her followers will not strike at you in the night, be my guest." Ramoska audibly stifles a snicker as he walks away.
"If she is intent on staying here then that would be wise, though not here."
When Ramoska is gone, Lyla puts down the notes on the disease and points to the vampire's sleeping quarters. "That's a secret room. I mean, I had no idea it was there the first time I was in here. Maybe we could hide there, and lock it from the inside... if no one sees Ramoska leaving—and I'm guessing he's prone to sneak out rather than throw a going away party—people will just assume that it's him in there." She looks at the group. "What do you think?"
"That is also a good idea."
"Then we should set watches." Karri turns to the former prisoners and apologizes, "I am sorry but I think if we try to fight our way out the front we will not be strong enough to bypass the Queen's Guards. You do understand, don't you?"
Griggs looks like he's about to protest, but he sighs in resignation. "...fine. I'll go collect the other prisoners."
He turns and stalks off into the temple, returning a few minutes later with the noncombatant prisoners.
Nalun nods his assent, resting would be arduous but needed.
Once everyone has settled into the secret room, it's finally time to rest. Even with the door closed, the shadows in the room stare down from the walls... they offer not even a mockery of sanctuary in this unhallowed place.
But now is a time to rest and reflect. You've discovered the heart of the conspiracy to drown Korvosa's streets under a tide of plague, and have dealt a great blow to the groups responsible for its creation... and you are certain such a daring assault will not go unanswered. Your skills must be sharpened. Your preparations must be thorough.
------------------
Moonday, 6th of Pharast, 4711 AR
You awaken with unease in your hearts, but your resolve has not wavered. Secrecy has proven to be an adequate shield, for now.
The stone is cold and silent, and Ortik suspects this must be what it's like sleeping in a sarcophagus. The rest he gets is fitful, but he awakes resolute - and more importantly, he feels the Old Dame's blessings return to him at last.
"I'm almost ready," he says at last, finishing his prayers to the city and her citizens. "But first, there's some unfinished business I need to attend to." He lays a hand upon his weary muscles, and warmth extends into his bones, banishing the weakness he's felt for the better part of a day.
A sigh escapes his throat as he finally feels recovered from the sea hag's witchery. "Let's finish this," he says, standing up at last. "When we feel we are close, I have some protections to cast upon us, but they won't last long. Best to wait until we know we're in the thick of things again."
Nalun draws his bow. Indeed. Let's make them pay for what they've done.
"They will pay, we'll make sure of it." Demitri draws his sword and nods.
As the party steps out of the room, they hear a quiet moaning coming from the unconscious Yargin. He's still strapped to the table.
Demitri silently chides himself for forgetting all about Yargin. He frees the man. "We should heal him." He says looking at Ortik.
Yargin gasps for air as Demitri manipulates the table's levers and frees his restraints.
"...kill me...kill me...kill me..." He whispers, over and over again.
"You'll be alright. We'll get you help. Just stay with us."
Yargin doesn't seem to be listening. He keeps repeating "...kill me...kill me...kill me..." over and over.
It might be that he's in too much pain to listen.
Demitri turns to Ortik again. "Is there anything you can do for his pain?"
You could ease his pain, just reach over and use the only power you have without me.... Karri shrugs to herself and answers, Maybe to get any peace I have to use you up like I did yesterday?
"Many things," Ortik replies quietly, wincing as he feels a wave of regret for letting Yargin suffer. "Let me check him out, first."
Nalun grimaces. We let that monster go. I know we made the prudent choice....but still.
Ortik grimaces as he realizes just how much suffering the monster Ramoska forced Yargin to endure. "He's not eaten for days, and not had any water for at least as long. Besides the obvious wounds, he's still suffering from blood veil. I can deal with some of the worst of the disease's effects, and heal his wounds, but I think his best bet is for Lyla and Althea to study Ramoska's notes thoroughly and work up a cure." As he's speaking he pulls out a bag of mud and smears it on Yargin's face, chanting prayers to the city. The mud clears and melts into the pitiful form on the slab, and the signs of the blood veil lessen.
Yargin takes a gasping breath as Ortik's magic takes hold. A lot of colour returns to his face.
Demitri will use the wand to heal the man.
"Can you walk?"
Yargin's injuries heal somewhat, but he's still visibly weak.
"...I... I think so..." He groans as he sits up on the table and swings his legs over the side. He blinks a couple of times as he looks at Demitri.
"Wait... I know you."
"Yes and I know you Yargin. But now is not the time. Can you make it back to the Citadel? You need to tell Kroft what is going on here. We still have work to do."
Yargin starts to nod, but he suddenly grimaces and clutches his ribs. "I think... I think I can. The others...?"
"All safe, we got them out."
Yargin coughs. "In that case..."
Griggs moves into the room and offers his shoulder to Yargin. "Don't worry about the others, Severin--I'll get them to the Citadel."