Panish bows and leaves for the inn.
Sgt. Drakus thinks.
"Well, I guess I could use 2-3 cure wounds potions. I'll draw some unmarked armor and clothing from stores and pose as a bodyguard cashiered from the army." He fingers the scars he was given as punishment and gives a short bark of laughter. "Never thought this thing would come in handy." He leaves for the barraks, then the inn.
Aliandara nods and follows the rest of the people to the inn.
SOLLUS: "Very well Field Marshall, we shall await your courier at the Inn, and by Abadar we shall get the information we need."
"I still don't think the hundred plat will be enough." Marra says quietly as she leaves the room.
Cressida looks at her quizzically as you all leave.
You make it back to the Inn, you have a few hours to make ready for the night's foray, you smell the scent of potatoes and herbs cooking as you enter, smells much better than the poor fare you had at the fort.
"Welcome back." the innkeeper states as you enter, "Care for some Home taters? I had to cook up the rest afore they went south."
"Smells pretty good to me. I'll take a platter, and a house beer."
Sgt. Drakus slaps down an appropriate coin.
"Coming right up sir." he says as he serves a small platter of taters and a nice mug of the House Ale, a delicious smelling Ale.
"That'll be three silver."
Panish let's 3 silver tap onto the table, "I'll have the same." Aside, to his companions, "Three silver? Times are indeed hard on all of us."
"P'shaw, that's for the taters and the City's finest brew..."
Sgt. Drakus searches through his pouch, finally pulls out a gold piece and slaps it down. "Keep the change Innkeep. We did a hard job well today and I feel generous."
<bump>
Around an hour after you arrive at the Inn, the courier arrives, he's carrying a satchel, which he promptly hands over, 4 vials anti-venom and 8 healing potions, clearly marked, 3 with large symbols of Sarenrae and 5 with smaller symbols. In the distance you hear a scuffle of sorts, first one you've heard today, things are calming down some, but not enough to think it's all back to normal...
Panish picks a vial of anti-venom for himself, as well as a "smaller" symbol Sarenrae potion.
Sgt. Drakus picks up one of the anti-venom vials as well as one of the large symbol potions.
Marra grabs one of each.
"Let's hope we don't need these...[/b]
Sgt. Drakus, now in armor shorn of distictive markings, now looks like a mercenary bodyguard. He looks around at the companions.
"OK, we need someone who can speak and be persuasive, which lets me out. Who's going to be out face man? Or woman."
This time Aliandara is donned in her studded leather, believing the type of attire won’t be out of place at Eel’s End. She also picks one of the smaller Sarenrae potions and a vial of anti-venom.
When Drakus asks for volunteers Aliandara pulls up her shoulders and says: “I would want to help with the negotiations, but I’m not particularity skilled in creating enticing deals." Motioning at Panish “Panish seems a bit too polite to be face man, though I guess that all depends in what kind of front we want to present. Who are we going to present ourselves as?” She looks at Panish and Marra awaiting their ideas.
Panish beams, his smile catching everyones attention, before gaining a leering quality; the likes one is more likely to see along the docks. "Oi, why is a dancer like yourself steppin on another dancer? I did not grow up as a ponce you know, Gater, me is." Reverting back to his more usual self, "I think I can handle negotiation - the future of Korvosa is at stake here, we must do our utmost to see it bright. I am more worried that it might turn ugly - the King of Spiders is a loathsome and twisted individual; we'll be fortunate if mere negotiations will suffice."
As Panish so easily takes on this persona Aliandara is taken doubly aback then she apologises. “Seems the church can’t burn the streets out of ya, though you do do a good job looking it. No offence meant, just saying, I’m surprised.” Turning grim with the thought that this could go ugly "I doubt mere coin will convince him, though I will not be surprised if he asks something more of us, to do some kind of dirty work for him or another. Though he probably have enough lackies for jobs like that."
"If it comes to it, are we taking prisoners this time?"
As you sit and eat, making your plans, a messenger from the temple of Abadar arrives, "Priest Sollus, an important message for you" The young acolyte hands Sollus a piece of parchment.
Looking down at the paper, Sollus reads the note, partway through, you notice he visibly pales as the blood drains from his face.
"I'm sorry my friends, it's my brother, I have to go."
With that, Sollus gathers what he has, and bolts out of the room.
"Whers tha ale in this inn!, ima a travelin man in need o a drink!"
Prior to the messenger of Abadar entering, the dwarf had entered, covered in dust.
Donagar you witness the messenger enter, and deliver the missive to the priest of Abadar.
"I fer suren needs better gear what i has now, has taken a beaten, orcs heads err harder than thought"
A little more tweaking and this character will be ready to go
"I hope Sollus returns in time to join us tonight, I'm not looking forward to this encounter with just a pair of potions.
Panish motions to Donagar to come join them.
Pointing at the symbol of Cayden Cailean and laughing good naturedly: "Am I seeing this right? A devout follower of the Grape Lord? As a dwarf, I wager you have found your calling in life. Have a swig of this and tell me what you think - innkeep! Another one of Korvosa's finest please!"
"I've never turned a drink away from my lips!"
"Another in an orcs eye, bring tha bottle here!"
"I ad not thought tah be seein one of Lamm's lambs her afore me, Lamm's wronged me an I mean to pay her in full"
"Where be that b#&%(?"
"That wretch has been dead for near a week now, died the same night the King died, I'll tell you this, only one of them will be mourned by me."
She pulls Calliope's war razor, and absentmindedly begins to stroke the inlaid handle.
Suddenly she remembers the Harrow deck...and pulls it out fanning the cards on the table.
_HRF.jpg)
As Marra fans the deck onto the table, a beautiful woman appears.
"Hello young phoenix," The woman says to Marra"I was listening and heard the stout dwarf mention the vermin. Good dwarf he is most certainly beyond this world, shortly after my own demise. He met with justice."
"Marra, I see you have new friends, shall I perform a reading?"
"Jus as well I'm not to follow her inta tha pits o tha abyss ovr havin wronged me inha past, Im fer knowin when ta let go a grudge."
"Lets drink to a beter world with Lamma no longer in it!"
(To zellara's ghost)
"Jus don't be conjuring her here for her goin away party!"
Marra cocks her head to the side trying to figure out what the dwarf is talking about.
"A reading would be beneficial Zellara, with what we plan to do tonight, it may give us insight into how to deal with the Lord of Spiders."
At Zellara's ghost manifesting, Sgt. Drakus, does a double take, then grabs his sword, then his holy symbol of Abadar.
"What the #$%#$ is THAT?"
Panish reacts alongside Sgt. Drakus - his shield protectively holding the symbol of Iomedae towards Zellara. "What manner of witchery are you embracing, Marra?"
As the woman appears from the deck of cards Aliandara grows pale and franticly starts looking if she has anything that looks like a holy symbol on her,
but she does not have any and hides behind the paladin.
"Party tricks an games"
"I trustin me god, inna strong drink, an a sturdy weapon, not inna ramblins o a shade!"
Takes a swig of the nearest ale.
"Cause me any grief shade an Ima fer turnin yah, Otherin that have yer play then."
Marra forgets that her new companions were not privy to Zellara's misfortunes.
"Worry not, this is Zellara, a Harrow reader who was wrongfully slain by Lamm, in desperation, she attached her soul to her Harrow deck as part of her dying curse. She sought out myself and others formerly wronged by Lamm to bring him to justice. He resisted, he died in the conflagration of his hideout that he himself started. She's not truly a ghost, that is an illusion she projects of her former self, when she called to us for help, she actually created an illusion that made her home that had been abandoned and sacked for weeks seem to be homely and lived in."
"Like I wasa sayin party tricks an games"
"Me guessis the lass has someting she wants adone afore shes willin to move on tah a final rest, out withit then whatcha want to be alieved o yer condition."
"Whatever manner of creature she be, be warned - Iomedae will not be trifled with."
"Take a load off fair haired and unbearded one an introduce yerself over a drink"
"If it be a harm to any best tah face it with yer constitution fortified with a bit o ale first"
"I keen turn it away if it be as bad as all that, have no fear o it, if yer to run away ye jus needs to outrun an old armored dwarf"
"No don't be a gettin riled up Ima jus sharin a bit o puff an I likes tha sound o me own voice a bit too much"
"Mor ale tis like Ive naught a draught tah drink since yesterday!"
1d20 + 5
1d20 + 8
"Whatever manner of creature she be, be warned - Iomedae will not be trifled with."
Marra appears sincere and you're not versed in this form of of spirit.
"I'm not a ghost, I'm the cards, they are me, my soul is attached to them, through the cards, I can manifest an illusion of myself. I did call upon Iomedae to deliver justice to Lamm."
"Encounter with the Lord of Spiders"
The cards on the table begin to shuffle themselves.
One cards flips from the Deck, "The Empty Throne"
"This encounter will become one of diplomacy, you must draw upon your knowledge of the past to be successful."
"Well then be a tellin o tha fortune or be lettin me know when tha ales to arrive!"
"You each have a role to play in the encounter"
Marra you are "the Theatre"
Dwarf you play a role in this as well "The Marriage"
Drakus, "The Tyrant"
Aliandara "The Liar"
and
Panish, "The Courtesan"
The cards reshuffle, and align into the 9 alignments.
(M=Misaligned)
Brass Dwarf - The Crows (M) - The Idiot (M)
The Inquisitor - The Sickness - The Mountain Man
The Empty Throne (M) - The Mute Hag - The Publican (M)
"The Theatre The puppet that acts the scene, unaware of her affect."
"The Marriage, The represents a union, a joining of forces.
"The Tyrant, A leader who is not well liked despite his role"
"The LiarTreacherous love, the silvered tongue."
"The Courtesan Political intrigue, care must be taken or unexpected turns will show."
Drakus seems calmer, but still unnerved by the ghost.
"Haunted cards? Marra, neither one of you is making any sense."
"Misaligned Crows Murder, death, loss...but that which can be averted"
"The Misaligned Idiot in the future, greed, will play in your favor, bribery will benefit you."
"The Inquisitor, this is an immutable reality forces in motion.
The Sickness plague, famine, pestilence, it's here the riots possibly, or something set in motion...
"The Mountain Man, powers beyond your control move toward and unknown future. There are forces moving that are unclear."
"The negative...an Empty Throne, The Mute Hag, and The Misaligned Publican... These are the negative, a powerful telling, Your actions will affect these negative forces."
"Important lessons of the past will reveal pacts of evil, and make light revealing a refuge unfound."