"I have another suggestion. I would be willing to part with my share as long as you guarantee that we will be paid in gold. If you can arrange that then I will be more than happy to let my share go back to their owners. If not then I will take my share and be done with it." He looks at the others in turn to see their reaction.
"I believe there is a finder's fee under Korvosan Law."
Darthen eyes Inigio's emotionless face wondering if the priest ever cracked a smile in his life. He says to himself, "I don't think I have ever seen a man of the cloth look so... displeased. I feel sorry for those in need of service if this is what the church is spitting out."
Darthen straightens his back and looks at the others. "Are we in agreement then? The items get turned in as long as we are rewarded?"
"A reward is nice Darthen, but we weren't doing this for the gold. Nevertheless, friend Darthen, if it makes you feel more secure, why don't you carry the ill gotten gains so that nothing is done to it without your knowledge. I trust you not to run off with it. But... before we head to the guard,... I think we should go first to Zellara's house and find out the truth of her tale."
"I agree with Jeorik on this score. Murder does outweigh grand larceny in the First Lord's hierarchy of sins, second to treason against the lawfully constituted authorities."
"To Zellara's home then?"
"A reward is nice Darthen, but we weren't doing this for the gold. Nevertheless, friend Darthen, if it makes you feel more secure, why don't you carry the ill gotten gains so that nothing is done to it without your knowledge. I trust you not to run off with it. But... before we head to the guard,... I think we should go first to Zellara's house and find out the truth of her tale."
"I appreciate your sentiments Jeorik, and I can see that you are a good natured person. However living in Korvosa is a struggle. Survival of the fittest and all that." With a nod at Inigio, "Even the church makes sure that their hands are on the gold. As for the items, I do not care who carries them, but I do agree that we need to be out of here. Let us head to Zellara's house and see what we can find out. The rest will fall in place one way," he finishes with a look at Inigio "or another."
Keliwyn watches the dialogue between Darthen & Inigo with a smile. Once they're finished, he nods his head. "Alright then. If we're done here, let's be off."
Heather is quite happy to return to Zellaras first as it is on the way to the boys home(which is in that crescent of large houses just to the south west of Zellaras)
She is apparently unconcerned about the treasure except for the Queens necklace.
"Don't expect many thanks from Ileosa...she isn't that sort of person"
Heather makes no attempt to disguise the way she feels about the money grubbing little tart.
The party steps out into the street headed for Zellara's. Looking north a crowd of angry citizen's is storming towards them. At the head of the nascent mob a man is ranting about a "Cheliaxian Harlot" and the "Doom of Korvosa". The mob races towards you and sweeps by. A hard-looking young woman shouts at you,"The King is dead. Come to the castle!"
"The King is dead?!!"
Heather looks to the others...
"This will mean trouble...you all must know that the queen is not loved in this city...we could face civil war..or worse"
Jeorik shrugs, "One king is much like another to me. King or queen, the sons of Ilsurian bow their knee to neither," then with a smirk, "Still, I suppose that even the most independent leaf risks being swept up in the storm."
"Shall we continue to Zellara's? I doubt we can sway events at the castle one way or another, and as I said, it matters little to me at the moment who rules this city."
A sudden look of shock on Darthens face gives away his thoughts. "The King?!?" He searches the crowd raging by looking for more information. "WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE KINGS DEATH? TELL ME MORE!" He shouts at various passerby's until he gets one that will spill whatever gossip he has heard.
A quick nod of agreement to Heather, "It will be bad thats for sure. Lets get out of this crowd and see the fortune teller. At least it will give us a respite from this crowd."
Heather draws the boy in close to her to keep him out of the mobs way.
"If we keep close to the river it's an almost straight line to Zellaras..and the mobs are all going towards the castle. I just hope that we don't get mistaken for rebels by some over zealous guardsman.. or worse..a Hellknight"
Heather will try and keep herself and the boy in the middle of the group and will move at as fast a pace as the others wish
A sudden look of shock on Darthens face gives away his thoughts. "The King?!?" He searches the crowd raging by looking for more information. "WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE KINGS DEATH? TELL ME MORE!" He shouts at various passerby's until he gets one that will spill whatever gossip he has heard.
The crowd surges on, following the red-haired ranter south toward the castle. An older man, probably a baker or cook by his apron, who's having trouble keeping up with the crowd is pleased to stop for a moment and answer Darthen's questions, such as he may. "Have you anything to drink? I haven't run like that in a long time. " He sits down on Lamm's doorstep. "Late this morning all the big clerics were called down to Castle Korvosa. So we knew something was up. How else would you get them buggers together? Anyway, they haven't announced anything yet officially, but the news has leaked. Eodred's gone and Ileosa will be queen. Alika preserve us."
The man gets back to his feet, thanks you if you've given him anything to drink, and invites you to come along. Then he starts off down the now empty and strangely quiet street. Your way lies parallel to his for a short distance in any event.
In the distance you hear three thunder-like "crumps". Glancing north a thin line of smoke rises to the sky. A few blocks ahead of you a man stops staring after the passing crowd and begins shuttering his house. Glancing right at a cross-street, you catch a glimpse of a flight of more than a dozen Sable Company griffons streaking south.
Looking around, Keliwyn can't help but to pause. "I think Lamm's fate has suddenly become . . . a minor story. It seems like life in Korvosa has become much more interesting. I suggest that we all hurry on to Zellara's, and see this through before splitting up, although I imagine some of you may need to now attend to other matters."
The party steps out into the street headed for Zellara's. Looking north a crowd of angry citizen's is storming towards them. At the head of the nascent mob a man is ranting about a "Cheliaxian Harlot" and the "Doom of Korvosa". The mob races towards you and sweeps by. A hard-looking young woman shouts at you,"The King is dead. Come to the castle!"
"Whatever happens... there will be blood," pronounces Inigo grimly.
"With the king dead, the queen becomes the heir. But I don't think the aristocracy will make the transition easy."
Your journey back is marked by an uneasy silence in the streets, broken by the occasional knot of people. At one point you come across a Varisian repeatedly and savagely kicking a Cheliaxian. At your approach the Varisian runs away. The Chelish man thanks you for your help muttering something about, "rebellious scum and the queen will need to restore order."
For those returning to Zellara's: [spoiler]Upon opening the door the scene is much as it was earlier, but different. There is a thin, but easily discernible layer of dust on the table and floor. The dust is disturbed, swept, and brushed clear in places, probably by your movements in the room during your first visit. How could you have missed it? The basket of bread on the table is very dry and stale, with small patches of mold on it. The wine if sampled is the same as previously. The house has an atmosphere of empty abandonement.
"What happened here? This house wasn't this disorganized."
"What happened here? This house wasn't this disorganized."
"We were just here a while ago and the bread was edible. There is no way it could have spoiled so easily. There is definitely something going on here beyond what I can comprehend." Darthen takes a look around the house for any signs of life.
"Some magic was at work to bring us together against Lamm," mutters Jeorik as he takes in the room.
"Some magic was at work to bring us together against Lamm," mutters Jeorik as he takes in the room.
"It does seem that we've all become part of . . . well, a ghost story."
"Ghost story? Preposterous!"
"A ghost?" says Jeorik, "Do you think so? Perhaps we should give her head a proper burial then so she can be at peace."
Inigo lays down the bag containing the head. He murmurs a silent prayer.
Jeorik unties the bag and seperates out the cards from the head, laying them on the table.
"Should we take her to the cemetery?"
"I agree..there is something eldritch involved here...can the urge for justice be strong enough to make a spirit linger until she gets it?"
Inigo lays down the bag containing the head. He murmurs a silent prayer.
"Yet she was most insistent that we return the cards to her..wasn't she."
Heather picks up the Harrow deack and begins to count the cards to ensure they are all present.
"Are you here Zellara,if so answer us..... we have fulfilled your request"
"Yet she was most insistent that we return the cards to her..wasn't she."
Heather picks up the Harrow deack and begins to count the cards to ensure they are all present.
"Are you here Zellara,if so answer us..... we have fulfilled your request"
A gust of wind through the open door stirs the dust. But there is no answer.
"Are you here Zellara,if so answer us..... we have fulfilled your request"
"Actually I think she wanted us to bring Lamm to justice. I suppose killing him might be close enough to what she wanted."
Jeorik shakes his head, "This place is a dead end, in more ways than one. Let us take this head to the cemetery, pay for a burial and then see about heading to the guard to take care of Inigo's,... um, conscience."
Jeorik takes a step towards the door and then asks Heather as he looks at the cards in her hands, "So do you play Tower's? My mother taught me and my brothers and sisters to keep us entertained when we were young. Might be fun to play it again."
"Towers..Aye I play"
Heather smiles for the first time since you met her..the effect is quite dazzling..her hands work quickly shuffling and cutting the cards
"I can read the cards too...not well..I learnt it as an amusement mainly"
"Ah well I suppose we have done all we can here..unless...just one more thing"
She concentrates momentarily and tries to see if the channels of power can tell her anything about the place
Heather's concentration focusses inward for a moment then expands outward as a kind of second sight.
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Heathers eyes open wide and her voice takes on a totally different tone
"This deck....is enchanted.Let me see if I can discover the nature of the Magic"
She concentrates on the deck attempting to define it's purpose
Appraise the item...take 10 on my appraise roll for a total of 19.Under the way the skill now works in conjunction with detect Magic that will give me the powers and command words for an item up to CL4
if required to dice for it 1d20+9=19...heh exactly the same result
Focussing and delving deeper into the aura of the deck, Heather merely comes away with the knowledge that the deck may be used for divination.
As Jeorik stands by the door watching Heather, He asks the other's, "Any idea who at the guard we should turn these things over to?"
"This deck is imbued with divination Magic..yet I am still unsure how to activate it..perhaps I need to do a reading..would anyone like to volunteer"
"This deck is imbued with divination Magic..yet I am still unsure how to activate it..perhaps I need to do a reading..would anyone like to volunteer"
"Not here if you don't mind," says Jeorik with a grin, "It's a little too weird for me, this house. Perhaps after we visit the guard we can head to a tavern."
A surge of noise outside, another excited, bewildered crowd passes on the main street two blocks west, heading south for Castle Korvosa.
"Events are moving to a climax. My duty compels me to see what is happening. I have to go."
"Events are moving to a climax. My duty compels me to see what is happening. I have to go."
"Good journeys Inigo," says Jeorik, "What about the rest of you? Who will accompany me to the guard? Heather?"
"Can we restore this one to his parents...it is only a short distance..two or three hundred yards at most..Five Minutes will make no difference surely..and besides I doubt you will find a guardsman in any watchhouse tonight..they will all be on the streets.
"I imagine the guard is going to be a little too busy to deal with the likes of us anytime soon. Inigo, what's your plan? Are you going to return to your temple? Darthen? Heather? Although I certainly feel the pull of the crowd, I have no urgent need to be anywhere, other than maybe a tavern."
"Events are moving to a climax. My duty compels me to see what is happening. I have to go.""Good journeys Inigo," says Jeorik, "What about the rest of you? Who will accompany me to the guard? Heather?"
"Actually, I am going to the Guard, right now."
"Let us go ahead and drop the boy off. Then after let us go to the guard together."
I'll assume that's the plan. Stick together, drop the boy off, and head to Citadel Volshyenek, unless I hear otherwise by tonight. Even if I proceed on that assumption your charcters may peel off at anytime.
Heather is quite agreeable with the plan..thogh entering the Citadel seems to give her a momentary pause for thought before agreeing
Moving west from Zellara's towards the boy's home takes you uphill across a couple of major north-south streets. In the streets knots of people can be seen talking in their doorways, or moving south toward Castle Korvosa. To the north a few thin pillars of smoke rise. As you head west it becomes quieter and more calm. The houses are larger, with yards, and occasionally walls.
Heather's brother and wife are gratefully astonished at his return and invite you all in for a celebration of sorts.
"Your thanks is not necessary," Keliwyn says, "but a chance to clean up a bit, and perhaps a glass of wine, would be greatly appreciated. Tell us, too, what you have heard regarding the King's death."
"Glad to be able to help," says Jeorik, "A family is among the greatest of treasures. Guard it well."
He will allow the actions of the others determine how long he visits. He is anxious to get to the guard but does not wish to appear rude either.
"A glass of wine would do us all good after the last couple of hours brother.I fear this will be a long night..put up your shutters and stay indoors..it will be safer that way"