Initiative:
Initiative:
Initiative
Oh for heaven's sake what now" the sorceress mutters as the cry sounds out
"Aren't you a little large for sewer rats?" Istas greets the newcomers with a sardonic tilt of her head.
Marching order, front to back.
Guard1, Emerion
Donia, Jeorik
Guard2, Kenan
Heather, Istas
Guard3
Dabbler :
Initiative:
Emerion, 17
Istas, 14
Kenan, 11
Others, 11
Heather , 8
Jeorik, 5
Guards, 1
"Nice day for a stroll," Emerion calls cheerfully. "You might want to take a different route, though."
Diplomacy: Let's see if this can be headed off without a fight ...
The three look at each other. Then the big rapier carrier yells, "Stay there." They back into the tunnel from which they emerged.
Kenan chuckles behind his hand at Emerion's quick thinking. "Nice." He pats Donia lightly on the arm just to see how tense she is.
Donia starts at Kenan's touch. "Get off there, Mister Manners." She leers. "Unless you fancy me. I could do worse than you." She barks a short high pitched laugh. The party moves on. As you cross the tunnel from which the three emerged you see that the big man is standing a short way back, well shadowed. His eyes glow a hateful, burning red. He taps the flat of his rapier against the stone wall in a slow heartbeat rhythm.
Jeorik concentrates to see if the man seems evil.
Jeorik:
"Well, let's ignore them for now - no point getting into a fight we can avoid right now," Emerion cautions. "We can find out more about them later, friend Jeorik, when we have the leisure to do so."
"Yes let's keep our minds on the matter in hand and not get distracted"
"In my experience, life rarely hands you distractions," Istas quietly intones, "Paths cross for a reason." She looks to Jeorik, her hand tightening on her grandfather's spear. "Perhaps as members of the Guard, we should ask their business and send them on their way..."
Knowledge (local)
"They be guarding their undercity and where there is one there is many more. We is on their turf now. Let's concentrate on what Heather says and find a way up to the warehouse, save our strength for saving the city if'n you please?"
The Guardsman look to Jeorik.
Donia hisses, "Let's go!" and takes a step forward, pulling on her chains insistently.
Red-eyes still stands in the dark, motionless save for the tapping of the rapier.
Kenan:
"We should do as she says! This could be a trap waiting to spring. They may be ratmen."
Kenan curses his tongue for letting on something he knows could have the opposite effect. He murmurs under his breath, "mother said me tongue was the most useless part of me!"
The Guardsmen look to Jeorik.
"Do we really have to get involved with these people just now" Heather asks with a touch of annoyance in her voice."We'll need everything we have if it turns into a fight in the Hospital"
"Perhaps they're here for a reason then?" Istas suggests in a low tone, meant to carry only as far as the ears of her friends, "If they are indeed ratmen, I'd presume they might be carriers of disease...same as these cultists of Urgathoa. Maybe they're in league with one another?"
"That's a disturbing possibility I hadn't though of," Emerion pauses. "Problem is, how do we tell?"
"Big picture people, we serve faiths and the guard, lets leave the small fry and stick to the plan."
Istas ignores Kenan's impatience for the moment and ponders Emerion's question.
"That's a disturbing possibility I hadn't though of," Emerion pauses. "Problem is, how do we tell?"
"We ask them?" Istas offers with a smile. "Rat-men or not, they should be capable of conversation. If they prove hostile, we defend ourselves. If not, perhaps Pharasma placed them here to provide us with more information about what's going on..."
Jeorik readies his arrow and takes a step towards the man tapping, moving into the front.
"Istas is correct, how do we know they are not in league with the ones we seek," he says to Kenan, "Its bad tactics to let yourself get flanked. Let us give them a chance to be reasonable."
Ahead of him he says, "You there, stop that tapping and come forward. We are on official business for the city! Hinder us at your own peril. Surrender now and answer our questions!"
Emerion flanks Jeorick, ready to intercept any attack on the archer.
The tapping stops. A high-pitched squeal follows when the man drags the tip of his rapier across the brick wall. Then that stops. "Typical Hairless arrogance, " the man jeers. "First it's 'get out of our way.' Then it's 'Surrender'. Then comes the killing and we must leave or die. Me and mine made our home down here because you chased us from the sun. I'll see you in hell before I surrender to you!"
"That is far from smart," Jeorik warns, "Our business in all likelyhood does not concern you, nor are we actively seeking a fight, we merely wish to ascertain whether you stand with those that would bring down the city. If you wish to make us enemies, that is your call."
Jeorik readies an arrow attack against any charge.
"My friend may not put it diplomatically, sir, but essentially we need to know who you are and what your purpose. There is no need for you to lay down your arms. A plague seizes the city above, we would end it - that is our first concern. This plague could threaten you also, and if so then is it not in your own interest not to impede us?"
Diplomacy:
"...This plague could threaten you also, and if so then is it not in your own interest not to impede us?"
"He speaks the truth," Istas attempts to bolster Emerion's words with her own, "I'm a priestess of Pharasma in service to Korvosa and we're only here to investigate the bloodveil ravaging the city. But my goddess is a goddess of fate. So, it's possible our paths were meant to cross. For what purpose, I cannot say. But perhaps you and your kind know something more about this plague?"
Kenan sees through the words of the others and their willingness to cause a fight anywhere, even here on the turf of the ratmen. He takes a moment to make sure that the guards have Donia under watch and then he waves at the ratman.
Kenan grins with a glint of a smile in the sallow and dank surroundings, "I know this is your ground, these hairless warriors and the priest of fate don't come down here much and don't know no etiquette. We are passing through and want no fight. Tell them what you know, let us pass and everyone can go about their business. You are here to make money and we want in to the warehouse of the healers from below. The under-road will be yours again and we will be gone."
A high-pitched hiss from the man. "A free life is our business here since we can't get it above. The plague is none of our business. We smelled it on the boxes with their rats and money and let them be, but you Hairless weren't so smart. Your greed and stupidity betrayed you."
"There is no way into the warehouse. I don't tell you to help you. I just want you to leave."
Sense Motive:
Emerion nods to the others.
"Thank you for that information," Emerion replies to red-eyes courteously. "We still have to check the warehouse, but thank you. As soon as we can be, we'll be gone from here and I hope you are left in peace."
Red-eyes waits.
Kenan looks at Emerion, "satisfied?"
He starts to wave Donia and the guards on and backs away from the red eyes before turning to carry on.
"Once we clear out of earshot of them we can discuss our next move, it sounds like this way is not going to work," he murmurs at the rest.
"You mean we came down into this sewer for nothing...gods it's going to take days to wash the stink out off my hair" Heather hisses under her breath
"No way that they know of - that doesn't mean no way we can find," Emerion murmurs back softly.
Donia smiles, apparently enjoying your frustration. The smile fades as the party begins moving again.
You soon find yourself at the manhole through which you entered the Vaults. Red-eyes spoke true. No tunnels to the warehouse. Captain Halstam offers a hand to help the ladies as they emerge.
"Find anything?"
"I guess we are back to the original plan then," says Jeorik, "In through the front door, request an interview and play it by ear?"
"A two pronged advance?" Emerion produces the mask, "one group in with the mask feigning to be a healer, the other requesting an audience?"
Kenan hands Donia back to the Captain, "me thanks but the way below has no way into that warehouse. Your help is much appreciated even if Donia couldn't be of service."
He turns back to the rest with slightly slumped shoulders and an air of resignation, "aye Emerion. Feel like we be missing something but I know not what. Using the front door seems too easy." He shrugs and gets ready for Istas to say the word.
"Who is wearing the mask?"
"Well you don't have quite the way with words Emerion does but you do know a great deal more about healing so I would suppose you are the best suited for that job..as for the rest off us. I suppose I'd better do the talking" Heather says still annoyed with Kenan for having dragged her into the sewers for nothing.
"Hell and damnation, I know what I have missed! Heather my dear, I will treasure you forever," Emerion exclaims. "Can we delay an hour? There is someone I would speak to!"
"Well you don't have quite the way with words Emerion does but you do know a great deal more about healing so I would suppose you are the best suited for that job..as for the rest off us. I suppose I'd better do the talking" Heather says still annoyed with Kenan for having dragged her into the sewers for nothing.
"I agree. Emerion could probably bluff and talk his way through, but he'd lack heavy knowledge of the healing arts and religious cult of Urgathoa. I can do the latter, but I'd be hard-pressed to handle the talking part...more apt to punch them in the mouth than talk my way out of anything. Kenan stands the best chance of doing all those things. Thus, he'd make the more effective spy in this instance."
"Besides," she adds, "If the rest of us are going to call on Davaulus, it would make sense for me to make an appearance there, both as an acting member of the Guard and the healer's coalition, as well as the church of Pharasma. And, if Davaulus really is involved with the cult of Urgathoa, having someone like me who's so diametrically opposed to his goddess should hopefully keep him and his doctors off-balance and occupied enough to make Kenan's job that much easier."
"Heather? Do you think our little dragon-friend could tag-along with him?" the priestess asks, "Another pair of eyes wouldn't hurt. And, if anything happens to Kenan, perhaps the dragon can alert us with its mind-speech..."
"Whatever we do, it should be done quickly. At this point I'm in favor of less sneaking around, personally. Just go in there and see what's what. If we stir things up directly, fine. If not, we can see how it shakes out. If nothing else, we can interview Davaulus politely and then invite him to come with us to the guard to help with an examination of things we have found in the river. If we can pull him away from his support, the questioning might go easier."
"...If we can pull him away from his support, the questioning might go easier."
"Or, it might force the situation and cause him act rashly and reveal his true nature," Istas adds with a nod, "Either way, we accomplish our goal. I'm fine with either approach."
"Alright then..we just go in and..play it by ear..thats as good a plan as any."
Majenko..if you are close you can rejoin us she calls with her mind.
A few minutes walk puts you in front of the hospice. The door opens and a Queen's Physician walks out. Through the open door you see a desk and a heavily built woman in the hospice vestibule. After a few moments he is joined by three Korvosan Guards who emerge from the inn behind you. The Guards follow the Physician toward Eodred's Square.
A puff of breeze stirs the dust in the street and chills you where your clothes have gotten wet.
"So I'm the man with the mask. We go in first to see Davaulus for a "guard" chat. With the ledger? Then he blusters and chews the fat, spits it out. If that falls apart on the way out I slip on the mask and we head inside deeper on our own? I'm trying to keep this simple."