"The same way they didn't teach you the sky is up, swords are sharp, and fire is hot. Some things are obvious, my boy. So, this Queen's iron ladies slaughtered a bunch of common folk."
"The same way they didn't teach you the sky is up, swords are sharp, and fire is hot. Some things are obvious, my boy."
Korriban chuckles. "Yeah. I guess that should have been obvious. I'd rather have a beautiful woman bite me, though." He smirks as he looks at Teodor. "And cue verbal jab from Teo."
"So, this Queen's iron ladies slaughtered a bunch of common folk."
Korriban's eyes widen at this piece of news. "Really? Where did you learn that? What happened?"
Majenko nods pertly to Korriban, Lantressa, and Teodor, and then flies away to deliver your message, leaving the three of you to discuss recent developments.
The courtyard of Citadel Volshyenek seems emptier than you would expect--there are a few Guards hurrying here and there, but the only ones actually standing at posts are the Queen's new Gray Maidens, silent and stern in their full armor. Deyanira hurries toward the keep. "The Guard hasn't responded to any of my pleas so far--every street patrol I talk to is busy with some task to do with the blood veil! I know that's important, but still, my brother is missing! I'm hoping if I can just talk to the Field Marshall myself, show her what's going on..."
"Hey!" A sharp voice interrupts as Deyanira lays a hand on the doors into the keep. Turning, you see a weary-looking, scruffy man in a Guard's uniform. He approaches you. "Civilians aren't allowed in the keep unescorted," he says, sounding tired. "I'm Guard Sergeant Soldado--what's your business here? I'm sure I can help you out."
Callie listens to Deyanira's story. "Where's the manor? Do you know the noble's name?" She also wonders why someone would be holding a party with the king dead and a plague on the loose, but that she held off on asking for the moment.
When Guard Sergeant Soldado stops the trio, Callie turns toward him. She wears her pseudodragon's mark today, prominently upon her blue cloak's mantle--figuring in a situation like this it might help. She smiles graciously, but just with a hint of an air of authority--guards were used to taking orders, and if one acted like one were used to giving them, guards would respond favorably. At least, Callie hoped so. "Ah, Guard Sergeant, there you are! You are exactly right. So you are here to escort us in, of course! Mistress Mirukova has urgent business with the Field Marshal, and you know she hates to be kept waiting."
Korriban continues to focus on the energy that Zellara provides.
Korriban looks at Teodor. "Hey, Teo. Do you still have that wand of remove disease? I'd really like to be rid of this filth fever."
Korriban chuckles. "Yeah. I guess that should have been obvious. I'd rather have a beautiful woman bite me, though." He smirks as he looks at Teodor. "And cue verbal jab from Teo."
Rather than Teodor being the one to deliver the jab it was Tressa who pulled it off as she looked at Korriban, licked her lips suggestively, and said, "That could be arranged Korri."
"Don't worry, we'll find your brother," Riceak said, doing his best to comfort his friend.
When they got to the guard, Riceak stood his ground, letting Callie do the talking. He was more of the guy who drew his sword and started cleaving right and left through the enemy. Still, he wasn't all brawn and no brains, a fact that his dear mother thanked Desna everyday for.
He began to search his memories if he had heard anything about these Gray Maidens of the Queen's.
For his part, Sergeant Soldado looks nonplussed for a moment, then sighs. His eyes flick to Callie's pseudodragon mark, then away. "Wish the bleedin' woman would let us know when she's arranged...agh, whatever," he mutters. "Come on, then, in that case, follow me. Wouldn't want to keep the Field Marshall waiting!"
He leads you into the keep and through several halls before you come to a large set of oaken double doors. Knocking and pushing his way through, Soldado says, "Couple of strangers here, Field Marshall. Say that you asked to see them?"
"What? I most certainly did not." Following the Sergeant through the doors, you're confronted by a stern, weary-looking woman in a Guard's uniform behind an ostentation-free desk. She looks up sharply as you enter, though her face relaxes slightly when she sees Callie. "Callie Cobalt...it's been a while, now. What brings you all to my door?"
Deyanira glances at you pleadingly, clearly not confident in her ability to make her own case.
"But of course. This does leave us only with two remaining charges."
Korriban feels a wash of relief flood through his body, though he's still weak. Looking at the wound on his shoulder, its redness is already fading!
Callie gives a reassuring smile to the guard sergeant as well as to Field Marshal Kroft. "Clearly there's been a miscommunication somewhere along the lines. Thank you for seeing us, Field Marshal." She sees Deyanira prompt her to keep talking, so she does. "I know you have your hands full, with all that's going on. But my friend here alerted me to something rather disturbing. Her brother's gone missing--" she waves off interruption, swiftly adding, "I know missing persons amid all this chaos doesn't sound like news, but this reeks of a deeper problem, and possibly more missing persons.
"Her brother Ruan Mirukova had been invited to perform at the Carowyn's 'Forget the Plague' party--" Callie pauses to roll her eyes ever so slightly--"on the South Shore. But not only did he disappear, Carowyn manor appears to be locked up tight. Which is especially odd given they worked so hard to be sure everyone in the city down to the dock rats heard about the party--why disappear right after working to get that much attention? Would seem like an odd time to suddenly decide to leave."
"I'll add Ruan's not the type to wander off like this--especially not to commit career suicide by either failing to show up OR failing to build on his reputation afterward. But the manor being inaccessible--not just answering the door, but shut down--makes it appear all the more sinister."
She pauses, and adds with some thought, "Again, I know you're busy--but all manner of folk are using the goings-on in the city to cause all level of trouble without getting caught. And failing to address this kind of thing in the long run will create only more unrest if people hear the guard aren't helping with cases like these."
Callie finishes, "We'd be extremely grateful if you could offer any assistance. Even if all you have is information--other missing persons or if you've heard of any other strange ongoings, especially on South Shore." She looks meaningfully at the other two, and hopes Deyanira understands why it would be unreasonable to simply demand the guard go looking for Ruan at once. "I'm sure you're short handed and in return we'd be willing to offer any assistance you need, if you're able to give us the agency to do so."
Rather than Teodor being the one to deliver the jab it was Tressa who pulled it off as she looked at Korriban, licked her lips suggestively, and said, "That could be arranged Korri."
Korriban's face gets red at the sight of Tressa licking her lips. He nervously chuckles. "Hehehehe... Thanks for the offer, Lantressa. But I don't think you'd want to bite me right now considering my sickness and the thing I have on my shoulder because of it. Besides..." He sits down in a chair and props his feet up on the table. "...if you want a taste, then I'd prefer if we court each other first. You know, a nice dinner, some dancing, the whole courtship deal." At the weird looks he gets, Korriban shrugs. "What? I consider myself to be a romantic at heart. Grew up with stories about dashing, swashbuckling heroes, saving damsels, being charming, all of that. I try to emulate that, along with heroes like Blackjack."
When Teodor mentions the amount of charges, Korriban nods. "Then we'll take extra precautions. Everyone! No getting sick! If anyone gets sick, then I will be very disappointed and upset." When Teodor casts the remove disease spell from the wand, Korriban sighs in relief. He looks at the wound and smiles. "Hey! It's getting less red! Later sucker!" He then stretches a bit. "Still a bit weak, though. Guess that feeling will go as time goes on."
"You always have had a good nose for finding trouble, Callie--even if it's trouble I never asked you to look for." Her mouth twists slightly in memory of your previous interactions. "Unfortunately, there's not much I can do--you're right that the Guards' resources are stretched thin right now, and this is the first I've heard of this particular incident. I'm not comfortable sending you off alone to look into, and given that, I--oh, dammit, not you again!"
The last exclamation is apparently addressed to a dog-sized pseudodragon that has just made a spectacular entrance through Kroft's open window. Apparently it's not just a pest, though, because Kroft is glaring at the creature expectantly rather than shooing it away. It circles on her desk and chirps at her, then settles on its haunches and cocks its head, looking into her eyes. The Field Marshall sighs. "They say it's that important?" The pseudodragon nods vigorously. "Fine. In fact--you know what, tell them I'm on my way." The pseudodragon gives a happy-sounding chirp and takes off again.
Standing, Kroft whirls a heavy cloak onto her shoulders. "Walk with me, you lot. I think I may have just remembered a...resource...that we can lend you to investigate. And apparently I need to go see that resource anyway. Jackasses. This best be important. Would you be willing to look into this yourself under the Guards' aegis, if I supply some support?"
Callie smiles a little proudly at Kroft's remark on her trouble-finding skills, unoffended at the fact that said skills not always necessarily wanted.
She eyes the pseudodragon with curiosity.
At Kroft's question, Callie nods and looks at Deyanira and Riceak. "Deyanira, are you alright with this? I realize it might not be the answer you're looking for, but I think it's the best chance to find your brother and figure out what's going on--with the city's support." She looks at Riceak. "And you?"
Presuming all are on board, Callie walks with Kroft.
"Others? Be on guard," Teodor says as he unbinds his flail.
Riceak knew that the Gray Maidens were founded barely a week or so ago, apparently to provide protection for the new order of Queen's Physicians that were tending to the diseased of Korvosa (Riceak didn't like the look of those 'Queen's Physicians'). The swordsman had heard several rumors though, that the Gray Maidens'd been recruiting members--all of whom were young, female, and beautiful--for awhile before they were officially recognized (which struck the Varisian as very odd). From what Riceak had heard the Gray Maidens were commanded by Sabina Merrin, Queen Ileosa's personal bodyguard, and that they were beginning to develop a reputation for authoritarianism and ruthlessness. Riceak had learned just the other day some of them had cut down a group of civilians who were trying to break quarantine. Several of those who had been mercilessly cut down Riceak counted as friends.
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Just as Korriban finishes speaking, Majenko reappears through an open window, soaring in to land on the table. Saw Kroft lady again! She coming this time, with others! he says in your minds. Didn't feed me this time, though, he adds, sounding morose. She grumpy lady right now!
Korriban nods and pulls out some dried meat for Majenko. 'It's okay, buddy. You did a good job.' Turning to the others, he says, "Kroft's mad at us. Although, I think that will go away once we share the evidence. Isn't that right, Corpsy?" He looks at the dead cultist as he says this.
During the wait, Korriban looks at his friends. "I think we need to discuss something. Our situation with Bavarsi. Teo, Lantressa came by the Rosa last night with an interesting development. It appears that Spiderman is angrier at us than we thought."
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Teodor manipulates Corpsy's head, replying falsetto. "Right as usual buddy!"
About Lantressa, "Ah, do tell. Once you shake the web, the spider hungers. He was going to have to be dealt with at some point. Krofft doesn't need to know about this."
Tressa simply laughed at Korriban's reply, she did so enjoy teasing him. Once Majenko returned and gave them his news she grabbed a small bit of dried meat as well and gave it to him, "Thanks for the help hin, appreciated." The talked then began to turn to the topic of Bavarsi and she nodded, "I agree, he needs to be dealt with, and soon. Things are beginning to get away from us I think and we it would be one less thing to worry about. I just hope he'll hold off long enough for us to deal with him on our own terms."
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"Good," Kroft says, clicking out of the room on her boots and clearly expecting you all to follow. "Sergeant Soldado, you're in charge of the Keep until my return. Don't let the Gray Jerk Squad take over."
"Uh...yes'm," Soldado mutters, running a hand through his hair. He's clearly discomfited, but he shrugs at you and walks you all to the courtyard of the Keep.
Kroft leads you away from the Citadel at a brisk pace, turning west at the end of the walk and heading rapidly north through Dockside, dodging pedestrians with ease--not that there are many, what with the plague in full swing. She occasionally covers her mouth and nose with her cloak as she goes, when someone who looks like they might be infected stumbles nearby. As she walks, she says to Riceak, "As far as I know, no, there are no other events that would explain a lockdown like Miss Mirukova is describing in South Shore. That district hasn't been hit very hard by the plague, and we haven't had as many incidents of rioting, looting, and so on. You said that there was no sign of life at all?" Deyanira nods, and Kroft scowls. "Yes, that's strange. Unless they had high-tailed it out of the city, of course--and plenty of the upper crust have--but then why would they ask your brother to play there?" She shakes her head. "No, something's definitely fishy. Ah, here we are." She pulls up short outside a small, two-story house on a side street: Lancet Street, you see by the street sign. She sighs slightly. "Fair warning. These people are...pretty special. But they're some of my most useful private agents, or at least they have been for the past few months. But...well, you'll see." She knocks and, without waiting for an answer, pushes her way in. Following behind her, you see a small front room dominated by a table and chairs. There's a clearly not human woman with long dark hair, dull red eyes, and short horns standing in the corner, a scruffy-looking older man who's incredibly dirty and ragged leaning on the table, and a younger man with a long dark ponytail, gatorskin boots, and lots of tattoos relaxed in a chair. The pseudodragon you saw earlier is swallowing something, but it's seated on the most arresting thing in the room: the clearly deceased body of a man. The dark clothing and the bird-like mask lying on the table leave no doubt as to his identity--this is the corpse of one of the Queen's Physicians!
Kroft breaks the silence with a strangled yell and slams the door shut. "What in the hells is going on here?!" she shouts, her sword coming halfway out of its scabbard. "You morons! What have you done?!"
At the Citadel....
"I see. And yes that is quite suspicious. Something is most definitely wrong here."
Riceak was about to ask about these private agents when they entered the room with said private agents awaiting.
Riceak simply raised an eyebrow and cleaned his glasses. He found it odd that one of the Queen's Physicians was lying dead on a table.
"If I may take a guess, I'm assuming this Queen's Physician was up to something. But I guess it would be best to hear what they have to say first."
Returning his glasses to his face, he rested his armored hand on the hilt of his sword.
The sound of Riceak's hand clenching the hilt tightly and slowly pulling the blade out of its sheath can be heard.
When she sees Kroft reach for her sword, Callie urges Kroft with gentle tones, "They're your agents, remember? Let them explain..." She raises an eyebrow at the strange trio expectantly.
Riceak nods and smiles at the woman that Callie is correct.
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Teodor manipulates Corpsy's head, replying falsetto. "Right as usual buddy!"
Korriban laughs at Teodor's antics. "Hahahaha! Oh, man. If Diamon was here, he'd be so p****d at us."
Tressa simply laughed at Korriban's reply, she did so enjoy teasing him. Once Majenko returned and gave them his news she grabbed a small bit of dried meat as well and gave it to him, "Thanks for the help hin, appreciated."
Korriban just grumbles at Lantressa's teasing, face still red.
About Lantressa, "Ah, do tell. Once you shake the web, the spider hungers. He was going to have to be dealt with at some point. Krofft doesn't need to know about this."
The talked then began to turn to the topic of Bavarsi and she nodded, "I agree, he needs to be dealt with, and soon. Things are beginning to get away from us I think and we it would be one less thing to worry about. I just hope he'll hold off long enough for us to deal with him on our own terms."
Korriban nods. "Yeah. He needs to be stopped before he hurts anyone. Including your friends, Tressa. However, what I'm concerned about is what will happen if we get caught. Spiderman pays his taxes. By all accounts, there's nothing that Kroft can do about him."
A few moments later, Kroft and three other people enter the house. When Kroft begins to yell, Korriban quickly stands.
Korriban can easily hear the man begin to pull his blade out. He responds with putting a hand on the hilt of his rapier. He points to the corpse. "Kroft. This is Corpsy. He's a Queen's Physician. We found him and these two coffers in the shipwreck. We had received a tip that after the ship was sunk, the boxes with the silver coins that carry the blood veil began to wash up on the shore. The rest you should know. Anyway, we did some investigating and found the coffers and Corpsy." He walks to the corpse. He pulls out the symbol of Urgathoa and show it to the newcomers. "He was a Queen's Physician and a cultist of the Pallid Princess. It stands to reason that if this guy was a cultist, then the rest are cultists as well. We haven't opened the coffers yet."
He looks at the newcomers warily. "So... Do you want to introduce yourselves first? Or shall we start with our introductions?"
"A cultist of the Pallid Princess? It would seem that these Physicians of the Queen aren't completely interested in curing the plague. And these coins carry the taint of the blood vein plague you say? Let me see these coins. And don't worry, my family has a strong and robust immune system. In fact, I can hardly remember a time when I was sick. And I haven't even caught the plague afflicting the city despite traveling through the worst hit parts."
Riceak walked over to one of the coffers. He awaited to see if Kroft would allow him to open one to investigate the plague tainted coins.
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Korriban watches as the knight moves to one of the coffers they found on the shipwreck. He stops him. "Woah there, big guy. We have no idea if there are silver coins in those things. Let's start you off with something smaller." He digs into his pack and pulls out the lockbox from the toy store. "There are two silver coins of Chelish mint. Those are the contaminated ones. We don't know if the other coins in there are contaminated from contact with the Chelish ones." He puts the box on the table and then quickly moves behind the man and peeks at the box, almost as if he's expecting the lockbox to explode in disease.
Riceak nods and takes the coins into his now uncovered hand.
"Hm...I've seen some of these coins beings tossed around but that's about it. If they are indeed contaminated then I can't tell. And neither would my family and a few others. There are a few other Varisians like us who have strong immune systems and while we may get a cold or a runny nose we recover faster than others. Of course, I did have a Chel...errr Chelish man who was clearly infected spit and cough on me but that was a few days ago and I feel fine. I did have an ancestor who tried to wipe out all disease and sickness in the world many many many years ago. Maybe my family and I inherited something from him that makes us immune to the plague or at least extremely resistant to it. Still, if cultists of the Pallid Princess are the cause of the disease and are masquerading as doctors and healers then our problems are much worse. Direly much worse I'm afraid," Riceak said grimly.
"Hold on hold on, let's slow down, and also not accidentally give half the room a deadly diseease until after we've at least introduced ourselves." Callie waves her hands, and jumps a good yard away from Riceak when he picks up coins the others claim are tainted with plague. "We're not all blessed with your saintly constitution, Riceak. Be careful!"
She nods to the others. "Okay, I'm Callie Cobalt. Part time entertainer, part time duelist, part time adventurer. I've helped the Field Marshal in the past, and we're investigating a missing persons case. This is Riceak Swordhand who will kill us all in his over-eagerness to help, and this is Deyanira Mirukova, whose brother is missing. You all know the Field Marshal." She waves to each person in turn.
She sighs. "Now, while I'm talking, I've also got some questions before we start accusing the Queen's servitors of conspiracy--not that it's out of the question, just that it's a thing one needs to be careful about, you understand? You found this fellow on a sunken ship? Was the only supposed Queen's Physician there? Was he dead when you found him, or did you kill him? If he was dead when you found him, how did he die, and how do you know that he very definitely is both a Queen's Physician AND an Urgathoan cultist? Is it possible someone planted either the mask or the holy symbol on him after the fact? Was there anyone else on the ship?"
She pauses and takes a breath. "Now I'm going too fast. I'm sorry."
Tressa's clothing of the day was far more conservative than normal for her, not that the newcomers would know that. She wore a black dress with a wide slit up each side from hem to her hips to allow for freedom of movement, a pair of knee high black boots, and a red top that laced up the sides and showed a fair amount of her cleavage. Her tail tip twitched idly as she stood back against the wall with one foot placed against it. When the newcomers entered she looked each over appraisingly while Kroft exploded and Korriban explained things to her. She noticed the one introduced as Riceak handling the coins and drew in a hissing breath between her teeth at his idiocy before saying, "At the very least put gloves on that you can burn before handling those things. This disease is too nasty to take chances on getting and spreading."
She pushed against the wall with her foot and walked towards the newcomers, her tail lashing in slight agitation now as she approached Callie, giving Riceak a wide berth. She walked around the woman as she listened to Callie's introduction and questions looking her over with interest before stopping before her and saying, "Lantressa Darksong Miss Cobalt, and those are excellent questions." She stood tapping one clawed finger against her lip as she thought over the answer's and stared into Callies eye's with the dull, blood red, glow that were hers before suddenly saying, "Yes, yes, yes, no, no clue, I believe there was a letter, unlikely, a sea hag." She paused then for effect before saying in a voice that was an initial statement of fact turned into an inuendo, "Some like it fast, I prefer to take my time, to each her own though.' Her lips pulled up into an amused smirk as she waited to see how Callie would respond.
Riceak raised an eyebrow at the others.
"I can assure you all that if I had caught the plague it would have been before now. But if you prefer and makes all of you happy I'll wash my hands as well Still there is something that puzzles me: if this coffer contains tainted coin and yet you found tainted coins already in use...oh dear...if I'm not mistaken and this isn't anything against followers of Abadar, but what if someone distributed this plague covered money through the merchants and bankers first? And what is the largest bank in the city? The temple of Abadar of course. So it is my assumption that someone targeted the clergy of Abadar to weaken those who could cure this disease and also by ensuring that the money goes through the merchants who deal with all classes of society thereby making sure the plague reaches all levels of the city thus throwing the city into a panic. Convoluted mind you but it makes sense."
The swordsman went and wash his hands with soap and water before returning whilw putting his gauntlets back on as well.
"Now just humor me here but while I may not be some sort of rebel or revolutionary, I have little respect for the Queen and her Gray Maidens. I lost some friends to them. You probably heard how many were cut down by the Gray Maidens trying to seek refuge or get help? And weren't the Gray Maidens charged with protecting the Queen's Physicians who maybe cultists of some evil goddess!? I'm not sure what is going on here but I do know that while getting to the bottom of this is important, Deyanira's brother is in danger and I aim to find him. And Desna and the empyreal lords be with him."
Turning towards Deyanira, he says, "Don't worry Deyanira, I'll find your brother even if I have to turn over every stone to find him. You have my word."
Teodor watches suspiciously.
At the introductions of the newcomers, Korriban makes to shake Riceak's hand. He stops when he realizes that he touched the coins and just gives him a pat on the shoulder. "Korriban Balros. Adventurer, agent of the Guard, apprentice of Vencarlo Orsini, and heir to the Rosa in Fiore in Old Korvosa." He approaches Callie and Deyanira, gives them a bow, and a peck on their hands. "Charmed." The young man is obviously varisian. He has two scars on his face, running from his left cheek and down the left side of his neck. He wears a pair of worn brown boots, black wool breeches, a sturdy black belt, a goldish yellow shirt, leather armor, a light brown trench coat that has seen better days, and a gold and black bandana wrapped around his head. He adjusts his shirt, showing a tattoo of Calistria's holy symbol and some wasps on his chest. When he rolls up his sleeves, there are tattoos of Shelyn's songbirds and roses on his forearms.
Korriban is about to answer Callie's questions. But Lantressa beats him to it. He smiles and nods. "Yeah. That's pretty much it, Blue." His eyebrow raises as Lantressa circles Callie and says her innuendo. He smirks. "Oh boy. This is going interesting."
Riceak comes back in after washing his hands. As he says his piece, Korriban's eyebrow raises in interest. "Wow. Okay. You were not what I was expecting. A lot smarter." At the mention of Deyanira's brother is missing, Korriban turns to her. "You're brother's missing? Need any more help finding him?"
She pushed against the wall with her foot and walked towards the newcomers, her tail lashing in slight agitation now as she approached Callie, giving Riceak a wide berth. She walked around the woman as she listened to Callie's introduction and questions looking her over with interest before stopping before her and saying, "Lantressa Darksong Miss Cobalt, and those are excellent questions." She stood tapping one clawed finger against her lip as she thought over the answer's and stared into Callies eye's with the dull, blood red, glow that were hers before suddenly saying, "Yes, yes, yes, no, no clue, I believe there was a letter, unlikely, a sea hag." She paused then for effect before saying in a voice that was an initial statement of fact turned into an inuendo, "Some like it fast, I prefer to take my time, to each her own though.' Her lips pulled up into an amused smirk as she waited to see how Callie would respond.
Callie returns Lantressa's stare with a neutrally amicable, sociable smile. A few of the Cheliaxan households that were associates with her family had a tiefling or two within, some even indeed dressed as courtesans as Lantressa appeared to be dressed (if tastefully so), and Callie had long learned to dispel or at least repress an unnerved reaction to those who were fiendborn. At Lantressa's innuendo-laden joke, she chuckles. "Ah, good one! As for my questions, I think you tracked them even better than I did. You've a good memory and a way with words: no wonder Kroft values you as one of her agents."
"I can assure you all that if I had caught the plague it would have been before now. But if you prefer and makes all of you happy I'll wash my hands as well.
"Thank you. It's the rest of us I'm worried about. I know you meant no harm but if what these folk are saying is true I'd rather not keep those coins in the open air if we can help it."
Still there is something that puzzles me: if this coffer contains tainted coin and yet you found tainted coins already in use...oh dear...if I'm not mistaken and this isn't anything against followers of Abadar, but what if someone distributed this plague covered money through the merchants and bankers first? And what is the largest bank in the city? The temple of Abadar of course. So it is my assumption that someone targeted the clergy of Abadar to weaken those who could cure this disease and also by ensuring that the money goes through the merchants who deal with all classes of society thereby making sure the plague reaches all levels of the city thus throwing the city into a panic. Convoluted mind you but it makes sense."
"THAT is a good point. Do the local Urgathoans have a feud with the Abadarans? I admit I don't pay much attention to religious politics."
At the introductions of the newcomers, Korriban makes to shake Riceak's hand. He stops when he realizes that he touched the coins and just gives him a pat on the shoulder. "Korriban Balros. Adventurer, agent of the Guard, apprentice of Vencarlo Orsini, and heir to the Rosa in Fiore in Old Korvosa." He approaches Callie and Deyanira, gives them a bow, and a peck on their hands. "Charmed."
Callie allows Korriban to kiss her hand and then her eyes widen in excitement as she clocks something he had said. "You're APPRENTICE to an Orsini? Really?" She pauses, and seems to be restraining herself from bouncing. "That's... probably something we should talk about later. Anyway..."
Korriban is about to answer Callie's questions. But Lantressa beats him to it. He smiles and nods. "Yeah. That's pretty much it, Blue." His eyebrow raises as Lantressa circles Callie and says her innuendo. He smirks. "Oh boy. This is going interesting."
Callie catches his smirk and raises an eyebrow at him along with a shrug, as if silently saying, What?
She wonders to herself, Is he the sort of sheltered fool to think that kind of talk shocking? Or does he take me to be one?
Riceak comes back in after washing his hands. As he says his piece, Korriban's eyebrow raises in interest. "Wow. Okay. You were not what I was expecting. A lot smarter." At the mention of Deyanira's brother is missing, Korriban turns to her. "You're brother's missing? Need any more help finding him?"
"That's why we're here. But maybe we should let the Field Marshal get a word in before we keep going."
Lantressa nodded in response to Callie's compliment and said, "Thank you, I have a wonderful singing voice as well, you'll likely hear it at some point." She reached out with one claw and gently traced a line from her neck up to her chin as she said, "I think I'm going to like this one, she's fun." She stepped back with a smile then and said, "It's good to meet you Callie."
It was about then that Riceak startled her by responding to everyone's reaction in an intelligent way. She turned and looked at him as she said, "Well now, it seems you're more than just an armored fool who hits things...I approve." She moved to him after he washed his hands, held her hand out to him, and said, "Lantressa, at your service. Depending on what you want from me it may cost you, but I think you'll find my price is well worth it."
Kroft, who has remained silent for the last several moments as the coins and the dead man were debated, lets out her breath in a long, low hiss.
"Well, I'm glad that you're all so cozy with each other," she says dryly. "It will make the rest of this simpler...to answer your question, Korriban, yes, Miss Mirukova does need more help finding her brother, and I had aimed to deputize you lot to do so. Callie is another one of my irregulars...and quite a competent one. I don't know Riceak, but since Miss Mirukova seems comforted by having him along, I certainly don't object to his presence. Now then..." her gaze hardens, and she strides over to the corpse on the table. She tips the symbol of Urgathoa over with the end of her sword, examining it closely but not touching the dead man with her bare skin. Her mouth wrinkles in distaste, but then she straightens up.
"What you've found here is interesting, but definitely not conclusive. On what grounds do you claim that it 'stands to reason' that the rest of the Physicians are Urgathoans? Verik Vancaskerkin's goons were murderers, but that doesn't make the rest of the Guards killers. This is suspicious, to be sure, but you can't just go accusing the Queen's picked order of plague doctors of all being conspirators without more evidence than this. He could be a defector. An outcast. Even an impostor! You can't know. Not with so little evidence."
She casts her eyes around the room. "Was there anything else in the wreck?"
Callie raises her eyebrows slightly at Lantressa's act of sudden familiarity, but simply meets Lantressa's gaze--even if it is only to be sure Lantressa keeps her eyes on Callie's face...
"Well aren't we ever so suddenly friendly?" Her hand brushes against the tiefling's skirt ever so slightly. She comes up with nothing, but comments, "Nice gems you've got in your skirt, by the way. And no, I'm not making a sexual joke there." She takes one step away from Lantressa, and daggers seem to sprout from her fingers ().
Then the daggers seamlessly disappear from view as if she was never holding them to begin with.
"But word of advice? Be careful who you decide to get close to. Important things can disappear all too easily."
The tiefling woman was quite pleased to see that Callie was reacting as she was, though the surprise of the woman's statement after brushing the tiefling's skirt drew a laugh from her. She didnt bother to check if anything was missing as she saw nothing of what Callie did beyond feeling her fingers brush against the skirt. This woman was going to be a lot of fun. She winked and looked away then as she turned to Kroft, "Yes, I definitely like this one. I'll help find this person she's looking for." She looked back at Callie as she stepped out of the woman's personal space and said, "I realize it wasn't sexual, the jewels are up here," she cupped her breasts with her own hands, gave them a slight squeeze, and chuckled, "And I'd be delighted to show them to you sometime, just don't expect it to be free. A girl's gotta make a living after all."
Tressa stared at Kroft like the woman was a complete moron and simply said, "Fine, but you remember this lack of trust when I tell you I told you so later on." She looked to Kerrigan then and asked, "Was there anything else we found that will serve as proof? I'm afraid I'm much better at figuring out things by how they feel than logic, and this connection feels right. I'll admit that it is possible the queen doesn't know the connection that thought just doesn't feel right to me. I can't see how she doesn't know, but I also can't see how she benefits, what's in this for her?"
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"Further proof will be found. Of that I am certain. It's no coincidence that these Gray Girls are slaughtering common folk like our wordy warrior's pals. This royal rutter fancies herself a queen of death. The Lord is much displeased."
"Ahem," Riceak said trying to get everyone's attention.
"My apologies. If I may suggest something: since we are dealing with cultists of the Pallid Princess, it might be a good idea to stock up on some holy water given the fact that said cultists have been known to be accompanied by...unliving allies that if you get my meaning."
"I've got holy water, for what it's worth. But: what WE are dealing with at the moment is the disappearance of Deyanira's brother and the closing of Carowyn Manor, remember. If we happen to see more evidence of the Urgathoans or unsavory actions of supposed servants of the Queen we can deal with it and report it to the Field Marshal. But while there's obviously a LOT going on right now, I want to focus on helping the Mirukovas for the moment. So: what's next?"
Kroft nods at Callie, clearly approving of her mission-focused mindset. "What's next needs to be investigating Carowyn Manor, as Callie says. To put the story succinctly," she turns to Korriban, Teodor, and Lantressa, "Miss Mirukova's younger brother, Ruan, was invited to play at a rather tasteless party hosted by a noble couple named the Carowyns in South Shore. He never came home, and when Miss Mirukova investigated, she found the entire house locked and sealed off. I'd like you three to go with Callie, Riceak, and Miss Mirukova to investigate. I can't spare the officers, what with the plague running wild. This may turn out to be nothing, of course. Ruan Mirukova wouldn't be the first young man to disappear in troubled times."
"That's not my brother," Deyanira says fiercely. "Ruan would not abandon me. Whatever's going on, wherever he is--he's trapped there. It's the only explanation."
Kroft sighs. "Well, I hope you're right--although it may mean that it's worse for him." She turns to the rest of you. "Regardless, we need to make sure that there's nothing untoward going on at Carowyn Manor. Take the time to get any supplies you need, but please get down there and investigate it today." She glances at the corpse on the table. "...I won't tell anyone about this but I'll start making...discreet inquiries. Let me know if you find out anything else about this man or the Physicians."
A few minutes later, Kroft heads out the door and is gone.
Carowyn Manor turns out to be a stately, gabled house on Shoreline Way in South Shore. Its mahogany front doors seem to be locked, and no one responds to your knock. The house is surrounded by a high hedgerow, only the very front facade facing the road, and the brass banisters of a balcony rise 15 feet above the front door.
After Kroft leaves, but before they depart for the South Shore:
Callie looks at Teodor, Lantressa, and Korriban. "Sorry, it looks like we got you conscripted. Will you come with us? If there ARE any connections to the sinister things you've found... well, it might not be lucky, but it might help your own efforts, at least."
She looks at Teodor. "And I'm not sure we've been introduced properly. You are...?"
She also turns to Deyanira, concern clear in her eyes. "If Kroft is asking a five-man-team of seasoned private investigators to look into this, she probably is worried it's something pretty dangerous. Not that we didn't think it wasn't--it's just kind of a confirmation of a sort. I know you're not an adventurer, and you don't have to come with us. If you want to, of course, I understand: you want to help your brother. Riceak and I will keep you safe. If not, maybe you should wait at home and see if you hear from him or anyone he knows."
"Tasteless party? Ooooh! Why didn't you say so?!? Tasteless how?"
Then, to Callie: "I am Teodor Niculescu, prophet and evangelist of the Lord. I bring the good news to the people of Korvosa. The good news of Lord Groetus." Teodor smiles a yellow, crooked smile.
"Tasteless party? Ooooh! Why didn't you say so?!? Tasteless how?"
Then, to Callie: "I am Teodor Niculescu, prophet and evangelist of the Lord. I bring the good news to the people of Korvosa. The good news of Lord Groetus." Teodor smiles a yellow, crooked smile.
Callie catches his smirk and raises an eyebrow at him along with a shrug, as if silently saying, What?
She wonders to herself, Is he the sort of sheltered fool to think that kind of talk shocking? Or does he take me to be one?
Korriban's smirk turns into a somewhat goofy smile and he just shrugs back.
At Lantressa's innuendo-laden joke, she chuckles. "Ah, good one! As for my questions, I think you tracked them even better than I did. You've a good memory and a way with words: no wonder Kroft values you as one of her agents."
Korriban chuckles at Callie's response to Lantressa's innuendo. "Well, Blue's going to fit in just fine with us."
Callie allows Korriban to kiss her hand and then her eyes widen in excitement as she clocks something he had said. "You're APPRENTICE to an Orsini? Really?" She pauses, and seems to be restraining herself from bouncing. "That's... probably something we should talk about later. Anyway..."
Korriban chuckles at her response. "Well, Vencarlo allows me to train there without being a student at his school and he gives me some one-on-one lessons." When she says that they will talk about it later, Korriban nods. "Deal. We'll talk later then."
Lantressa nodded in response to Callie's compliment and said, "Thank you, I have a wonderful singing voice as well, you'll likely hear it at some point."
Korriban nods. "Yeah. Her singing voice is amazing. Better then mine."
She reached out with one claw and gently traced a line from her neck up to her chin as she said, "I think I'm going to like this one, she's fun."
Korriban just chuckles. "Same here. Same here."
"Well, I'm glad that you're all so cozy with each other," she says dryly. "It will make the rest of this simpler...to answer your question, Korriban, yes, Miss Mirukova does need more help finding her brother, and I had aimed to deputize you lot to do so. Callie is another one of my irregulars...and quite a competent one. I don't know Riceak, but since Miss Mirukova seems comforted by having him along, I certainly don't object to his presence. Now then..." her gaze hardens, and she strides over to the corpse on the table. She tips the symbol of Urgathoa over with the end of her sword, examining it closely but not touching the dead man with her bare skin. Her mouth wrinkles in distaste, but then she straightens up.
Korriban nods at Kroft as she explains the situation, listening intently.
"What you've found here is interesting, but definitely not conclusive. On what grounds do you claim that it 'stands to reason' that the rest of the Physicians are Urgathoans? Verik Vancaskerkin's goons were murderers, but that doesn't make the rest of the Guards killers. This is suspicious, to be sure, but you can't just go accusing the Queen's picked order of plague doctors of all being conspirators without more evidence than this. He could be a defector. An outcast. Even an impostor! You can't know. Not with so little evidence."
Korriban frowns. "While that is a good theory, I think our idea is more likely. Something about the Macabre Patrol is off. Full of bad feelings. And I think you know, too. I can tell that you're trying to convince yourself. But, you're just as suspicious of them as we are." He approaches Kroft. "Don't deny it. Having suspicions can aid us in situations."
"Well aren't we ever so suddenly friendly?" Her hand brushes against the tiefling's skirt ever so slightly. She comes up with nothing, but comments, "Nice gems you've got in your skirt, by the way. And no, I'm not making a sexual joke there." She takes one step away from Lantressa, and daggers seem to sprout from her fingers .
Korriban's eyebrow raises at the sight of Callie's hand brushing against Lantressa's skirt. 'Okay. Where is this going?'
Korriban is shocked as daggers appear in Callie's hands and causes them to disappear. He claps. "Nice trick. How did you do that, Blue?"
The tiefling woman was quite pleased to see that Callie was reacting as she was, though the surprise of the woman's statement after brushing the tiefling's skirt drew a laugh from her. She didnt bother to check if anything was missing as she saw nothing of what Callie did beyond feeling her fingers brush against the skirt. This woman was going to be a lot of fun. She winked and looked away then as she turned to Kroft, "Yes, I definitely like this one. I'll help find this person she's looking for."
Korriban smirks and nods. "Same here. I'll help out."
She looked back at Callie as she stepped out of the woman's personal space and said, "I realize it wasn't sexual, the jewels are up here," she cupped her breasts with her own hands, gave them a slight squeeze, and chuckled, "And I'd be delighted to show them to you sometime, just don't expect it to be free. A girl's gotta make a living after all."
Korriban's reaction to this is his face turning pinkish and turning his eyes downwards, whistling.
Tressa stared at Kroft like the woman was a complete moron and simply said, "Fine, but you remember this lack of trust when I tell you I told you so later on."
Korriban looks at Lantressa. "Easy there, Tressa. Kroft just has her doubts. She has to consider all of the possibilities."
She casts her eyes around the room. "Was there anything else in the wreck?"
Korriban nods at Kroft when she asks if they found anything else.
She looked to Kerrigan then and asked, "Was there anything else we found that will serve as proof? I'm afraid I'm much better at figuring out things by how they feel than logic, and this connection feels right. I'll admit that it is possible the queen doesn't know the connection that thought just doesn't feel right to me. I can't see how she doesn't know, but I also can't see how she benefits, what's in this for her?"
Korriban looks at Kroft and Lantressa and walks to the two coffers that they found on the ship. "We found these things right here on the wreck. We haven't opened them yet. Wanted to wait until you got here to open them, Kroft. Might have some information inside of them." When Lantressa asks about the Queen's involvement, Korriban scratches his chin. "Not sure. Considering that she has quarantined Old Korvosa, it might be a way of isolating the "undesirables" from the rest of Korvosa. Maybe it's her way of trying to solidify her position as Queen."
"Further proof will be found. Of that I am certain. It's no coincidence that these Gray Girls are slaughtering common folk like our wordy warrior's pals. This royal rutter fancies herself a queen of death. The Lord is much displeased."
Korriban nods at Teodor's statement. "Yeah. Whether there's more information in the coffers or we need to do more investigation, we'll find out what's going on."
"Ahem," Riceak said trying to get everyone's attention.
"My apologies. If I may suggest something: since we are dealing with cultists of the Pallid Princess, it might be a good idea to stock up on some holy water given the fact that said cultists have been known to be accompanied by...unliving allies that if you get my meaning."
Korriban's face turns pale. "That's right. Death cultists mean dead guys walking around. S**t. I hate it when dead guys do that. Just stay dead. Don't get up and go for a Sunday walk."
"I've got holy water, for what it's worth. But: what WE are dealing with at the moment is the disappearance of Deyanira's brother and the closing of Carowyn Manor, remember. If we happen to see more evidence of the Urgathoans or unsavory actions of supposed servants of the Queen we can deal with it and report it to the Field Marshal. But while there's obviously a LOT going on right now, I want to focus on helping the Mirukovas for the moment. So: what's next?"
Korriban nods. "Well, if that's the case, then let's go."
Kroft nods at Callie, clearly approving of her mission-focused mindset. "What's next needs to be investigating Carowyn Manor, as Callie says. To put the story succinctly," she turns to Korriban, Teodor, and Lantressa, "Miss Mirukova's younger brother, Ruan, was invited to play at a rather tasteless party hosted by a noble couple named the Carowyns in South Shore. He never came home, and when Miss Mirukova investigated, she found the entire house locked and sealed off. I'd like you three to go with Callie, Riceak, and Miss Mirukova to investigate. I can't spare the officers, what with the plague running wild. This may turn out to be nothing, of course. Ruan Mirukova wouldn't be the first young man to disappear in troubled times."
Korriban nods at the explanation. He racks his brain for any information about the manor, South Shore, or the Carowyns that can help them.
"That's not my brother," Deyanira says fiercely. "Ruan would not abandon me. Whatever's going on, wherever he is--he's trapped there. It's the only explanation."
Kroft sighs. "Well, I hope you're right--although it may mean that it's worse for him." She turns to the rest of you. "Regardless, we need to make sure that there's nothing untoward going on at Carowyn Manor. Take the time to get any supplies you need, but please get down there and investigate it today." She glances at the corpse on the table. "...I won't tell anyone about this but I'll start making...discreet inquiries. Let me know if you find out anything else about this man or the Physicians."
Korriban nods and salutes. "Okay. Break into a manor and find Ruan. Got it."
"Tasteless party? Ooooh! Why didn't you say so?!? Tasteless how?"
Korriban smiles with Teodor. "Dude, there's a party! We're going to crash it and raid the buffet! Party! Party!"
Callie looks at Teodor, Lantressa, and Korriban. "Sorry, it looks like we got you conscripted. Will you come with us? If there ARE any connections to the sinister things you've found... well, it might not be lucky, but it might help your own efforts, at least."
Korriban shrugs. "Well, I got the feeling Kroft would have come to us anyways. Sure, we'll help."
She also turns to Deyanira, concern clear in her eyes. "If Kroft is asking a five-man-team of seasoned private investigators to look into this, she probably is worried it's something pretty dangerous. Not that we didn't think it wasn't--it's just kind of a confirmation of a sort. I know you're not an adventurer, and you don't have to come with us. If you want to, of course, I understand: you want to help your brother. Riceak and I will keep you safe. If not, maybe you should wait at home and see if you hear from him or anyone he knows."
Korriban nods at Callie's suggestion.
Carowyn Manor turns out to be a stately, gabled house on Shoreline Way in South Shore. Its mahogany front doors seem to be locked, and no one responds to your knock. The house is surrounded by a high hedgerow, only the very front facade facing the road, and the brass banisters of a balcony rise 15 feet above the front door.
Korriban whistles at the size of the place. "Wow. Nice place." Korriban puts a hand on the doors. "Look! Mahogany! High class stuff. Would like to have this over at the Rosa." He looks around a bit.
He also puts his ear to the door and tries to listen for sounds.
He turns to the group. "Okay. We have a few options. I could try getting the doors unlocked. Or we could try the balcony. I vote for the doors."
He turns to the group. "Okay. We have a few options. I could try getting the doors unlocked. Or we could try the balcony. I vote for the doors."
"Most noble houses also have a servant's entrance near the kitchen in the back. We could see if that's the case here--that door might be easier to get through than the front one, which'll be reinforced."
Taking out his sword and shield, Riceak prepared just in case trouble decided to come at them.
"I agree with Callie. It might be easier to get through the servant's entrance than it would to try and kick down the front door."
"Oh, an important and wealthy house. We must be certain to be VERY careful."
Korriban nods at Callie and Riceak's suggestion. "Alright. Let's find that servant entrance."
Korriban nods at Teodor's statement.