Later in the week, the young tengu nervously approaches the rebellion leaders. "Excuse me, uh--" He takes a pause. "I'm not sure if you've all seen yet, but I just saw Barzillai's newest proclamation, hold on--" He reaches into his bag and pulls out a scroll, and reads it aloud. "BY ORDER OF LORD-MAYOR BARZILLAI OF THE THRICE-DAMNED HOUSE OF THRUNE, THE CONGRESS OF HELLKNIGHTS KNOWN AS THE ORDER OF THE TORRENT IS FROM THIS DAY FORWARD STRIPPED OF ITS CHARTER! ALL OF ITS HOLDINGS AND POSSESSIONS ARE CONFISCATED, ITS PRIVILEGES AND ENTITLEMENTS REVOKED, AND ITS MEMBERS DECLARED OUTLAWS! STEADFAST CITIZENS ARE COMMANDED TO TURN OVER THOSE MEMBERS WHO HAVE SLIPPED THE NET OF JUSTICE!"“So, umm, thanks for letting us know, Edrakk. Have you met everybody already? Everybody, this is Edrakk. He helped me and the Fushi Sisters try to spread some fun rumors last week, and he makes a cup of coffee that will melt the teeth right out of your mouth. But, you know, in a good way.”
He gives a little wave as Chance introduces him.
"So, Edrakk," she says, taking a sip from said coffee, "you any good in a fight?"
He seems a bit taken aback by this. "Uh... I think so? I haven't been in really any fights before, but I'm a pretty good chemist. Also I've been practicing with my kitchen knives a bit since this whole thing started, and I do have this neat little crossbow."
Edrakk, you're one of our newer recruits, eh? Nice to meet you. I've heard it said that chemistry and cooking are not that different. If your cutlery is suitable for a fight, remind me to stay out of your way in the kitchen. I joke. It's good to have you with us."
"Outlawed!? On what charges? The Order of the Torrent has always obeyed the laws of Kintargo and we have never done wrong by the people of this city. Perhaps he thinks the Order isn't made so easily into his pawns to carry out his goonery. Barzillai Thrune has overreached too far this time. I can no longer sit on the fence with my support of the Silver Ravens. After this outrage, I'm all in. Not even a Thrune is above the law. I'll show him what happens to those who think otherwise."
"I need to find my fellow brothers and ensure their safety. Without the citadel, perhaps some others would even be willing to join our cause as well."
”Hey,” Laria suddenly appears. ”Couldn’t help but overhear, but Vitalis, don’t you think that you going out is a bad idea? You’re from the Order of the Torrent, right? If you just go outside willy-nilly then you risk getting arrested.”
*
As the PCs make their way across Bleakbridge, they find that the crossing toll has increased: before it was just a couple of copper, but the toll is now 5 sp per person to cross!
Citadel Vaull, the Order of the Torrent’s stronghold in the Castle District, is currently being cleanly swept through by the Hellknights of the Order of the Rack. The Order of the Torrent has been cleared out already.
If you critically succeed, open the spoiler below
If you critically succeed, open the spoiler below
Vitalis is more than a little peeved at the increased toll. "Five silver? That's outrageous! That's over fifteen times what it used to cost. It's practically a full day's work of income. I can pay it, but it's going to severely punish many of the common workers in this city. Only the wealthy will be able to travel back and forth." Vitalis proclaims his anger to his allies.
After asking around, Vitalis reports, "It seems like the Order of the Torrent have already turned themselves in. There's no point in fighting the Order of the Rack over an empty building. What should we do now?" Vitalis barely hides the disappointment in his voice.
"Word is Lictor Sabinus was not among those arrested. It may be possible that we could track him down. I hadn't seen him in the Citadel the last few times I was there and I tried to contact him myself awhile ago with the Silver Raven but it went unreturned. Lictor Sabinus has family in town that run a tavern in Old Kintargo. They might know something about his whereabouts."
"Turned themselves in? That's ... Vitalis, you'd better not even consider doing that! There's nothing lawful about this proclamation at all!" The gnome turns a deeper-than-usual shade of scarlet and cuts loose once they're out of earshot of potential eavesdroppers. "Barzillai isn't even trying to pretend there's a reason for it, the way he did with his ridiculous bans on mint and drinking tea at night!"
"Word is Lictor Sabinus was not among those arrested. It may be possible that we could track him down. I hadn't seen him in the Citadel the last few times I was there and I tried to contact him myself awhile ago with the Silver Raven but it went unreturned. Lictor Sabinus has family in town that run a tavern in Old Kintargo. They might know something about his whereabouts."
"Then let's get going! Maybe your Lictor has a lick of sense after all and skedaddled out the back of the citadel when the Order of the Rack came in the front door. And anyway, we can try to find out if his relatives have seen the silver raven you sent him."
"Vitalis, if you're going to insist on showing your face out there, at least let me give you a new one," Jisara says, removing a red silken ribbon from her hair and placing it in Vitalis's hand. "When it's time, put this on. It'll make you stand out a bit less."
Casting illusory disguise counts as setting up a disguise for the Impersonate use of Deception; it ignores any circumstance penalties you might take for disguising yourself as a dissimilar creature, it gives you a +4 status bonus to Deception checks to prevent others from seeing through your disguise, and you add your level even if you're untrained. You can Dismiss this spell.
Finding the tavern took a slight bit of effort, if only because the tavern in question—called the Tooth and Nail—appears rather run-down and dilapidated. The single-story tavern is marked by nothing but a wooden post outside, four bent and rusty nails and six wolves’ teeth hammered into its weathered face. On the opposite side from its entrance to the tavern is another door on Tuce Alley, but above that door is written “Sweet Tooth.”
Inside, the Tooth and Nail carries the stink of stale beer, tobacco smoke, and less discernible odors hovering in the air like clouds of gnats. Narrow windows, stained yellow, allow in little natural light, and a few sputtering candles do little to disperse the gloom. The furniture is dilapidated, and was of poor quality even on the long-ago day it was fashioned. Inside the building are only two people (it is still early in the day for drinking, after all): A chubby blonde-haired man and a woman of similar age with short red hair and a face full of freckles.
When the PCs enter, the woman looks up and motions to them with a smile. ”He—“
“Who wants cupcakes?!”
Suddenly, a door on the opposite side of the tavern opens, and out comes a raven-haired woman with an eyepatch, an apron, and oven mitts carrying out a full tray of fully-decorated cupcakes. She sees the PCs and her demeanor changes to embarrassment. ”Oh. You have customers. Sorry, I just—“
“Oh you’re fine, Luculla!” The red-haired woman says. ”Your sweets are never a burden.” She turns her attention to the PCs once more. ”Sorry about that; Luculla owns the confectioner’s shop next door.”
“It’s not exactly ‘next door’ if it’s under the same roof.” Luculla adds.
”Oh, whatever.” The red-haired woman continues. ”Anyway, I’ve never seen y’all around here before. I’m Setrona . Welcome to the Tooth and Nail; how can I help you?”
Luculla is about to say something in response, and decides against it as she takes what remains of her tray of cupcakes and exits.
”Insome, could you go take your break right now?”
The blonde-haired man looks at Setrona with a raised eyebrow, but just shrugs as he goes outside the Tooth and Nail.
Setrona immediately locks both the door outside and the door to Sweet Tooth. She turns once more to the PCs, her face hardened. ”Who the hell are you and what do you want with Octavio?”
"Greetings. Yes, this is a quant little tavern you have here. We would love to sample your hospitality. Unfortunately we're here on serious business first. We're looking for Octavio Sabinus and we thought you might be able to help us."
"I'm sure you've heard the latest proclamation, so you are wise to be wary. But you can be at ease. I am a member of the Order of the Torrent myself and we mean him no harm. If we can track Octavio down, we hope to recruit his aid. I'm hoping he might be willing to work with us to free my brethren who have peacefully turned themselves in and perhaps do something about the Lord-Mayor Barzillai Thrune himself. I remembered him mention having some family here and the Tooth and Nail so we figured if anyone in Kintargo knew where he could be, it would be you. I can see the familial resemblance. Are you his...cousin?"
"Yes, I'm Octavio's cousin. And I don't know what you want with him, but if you are Order of the Torrent, then I suggest you get out of this city before the dottari come to...what was it the Inquisitor called it? Doghousing? And look, even if I knew where Octavio was, which I don't, he's not in any position to 'aid' anyone with that proclamation out on him."
If you critically succeed, open the spoiler below
Jisara tries to read the woman, but just can't tell if she's evasive or truly ignorant. "Listen, Setrona, this guy--"she says, hooking a thumb at Vitalis"--is way too pig-headed stubborn to run away, even when it's obviously the smart thing to do. Me, I just plain hate Thrune. Barzillai, I mean. Well, I hate all of them, but especially him. Anyway. If Thrune wants your cousin dead, imprisoned, or 'doghoused,' whatever that means, then I want to help keep your cousin alive and free to make Thrune sweat a little. So, if you've heard anything, and I mean anything, then we need to know because I can tell you that we are Octavio's best friends in the whole world right now."
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She may not know anything concrete, but she at least has an idea where he is.
Chance smiles as disarmingly as he can. "Hi, Setrona! I'm Fortunato, but my friends call me Chance. And Jisara speaks for all of us, which you might want to think about before you send us away. Because if we're here, telling you directly that we oppose Barzillai Thrune and his goons, maybe we have a pretty good idea what we're doing and maybe we could help your cousin. Even if he can't help us. Which he maybe can, but that's not a requirement for us to help him, if you understand what I mean. So maybe you don't know where Octavio is at the moment, but I bet you do have a pretty good idea where he might be. If you do, it would be a good idea to tell us about your idea. All we want is to help him and maybe help him help us, so please, help us help him!"
The gnome peers around the room as though looking for something. "Say, are there any more of those cupcakes?"
Edrakk follows along with the group quietly, evidently very nervous, since this is really the first time he's been on a mission with everyone else.
"We're pretty good at keeping people safe. I mean, they are, I'm pretty new, but, um..." He trails off a bit as a looks around the room, his head darting between different places. Eventually his eyes settle back on Setrona.
I... don't think she knows anything. Should I say something?
"I don't suppose the cupcakes are still available?"
"And look, even if I knew where Octavio was, which I don't, he's not in any position to 'aid' anyone with that proclamation out on him."
"So it's another dead end then..."
"So maybe you don't know where Octavio is at the moment, but I bet you do have a pretty good idea where he might be."
"Wait...Chance, that's a good point. Please, Setrona. We have no other leads. Any information you have would help. Is there any way we can prove to you that you can trust us?"
Setrona listens to the PCs’ words and bites the fingernail on her thumb as she looks off in deep thought. ”Okay, now I’m not insinuating anything with this, but I have heard rumors of birds that flash silver in the sky and someone opposing Thrune recently…”
“My cousin Octavio is an obstinate and difficult man, but he’s also an honorable one. He’s led the Order of the Torrent for a decade, and during that time they’ve rescued dozens of missing people and other unfortunates from abduction. The order’s members aren’t all stationed here in Kintargo— they work throughout Avistan, after all, and I suppose it’s something of a blessing that most of their two dozen or so members were elsewhere when Barzillai made the order illegal. Those who are outside Cheliax are certainly lying low, awaiting word from their lictor, but if we can find my cousin, I’m certain he can be convinced to aid a group of rebels against Thrune, though I’m not saying that that’s necessarily who you are. He might grouse a bit at the methodology, but I know for a fact that he’s no supporter of Thrune, and having his network of agents at your disposal can only help, right?
“In any event, assuming he’s not in the clutches of House Thrune, I think I know where Octavio is. He’d probably hate me if he found out I told you this, but the Order of the Torrent sometimes uses a small shrine just south of the city in the Argo swamps as a safe house. The place is warded against magical observation, and they’ve used it in the past as a staging place for smuggling those they’ve rescued into or out of Kintargo. The place is the Shrine of Saint Senex, and if Octavio is anywhere, he’s there.”
'doghoused,' whatever that means,
”If memory serves, there should be a public doghousing scheduled for today. But from what I’ve heard, it’s…not a pretty sight. But…apparently it’s a Torrent Hellknight being doghoused today. And…If Octavio isn’t at the shrine, then he’d definitely be among the first of the order that Thrune’d make an example of.”
"I've never heard of this Shrine of Saint Senex but if it does exist, that would be a logical place for Octavio to hide. I cannot express my thanks enough." Vitalis clasps his hands over Setrona's and shakes them vigorously in joy.
Vitalis turns to his allies in outrage. "So not only were the Hellknights arrested without warrant, they are to be unjustly tortured as well. We need to attend this doghousing. I cannot stand by and allow a fellow Hellknight to be subjected to this public display. If there is a way to free him, I'm going to do it, even if I have to do it alone."
"I doubt the Lictor is going anywhere anytime soon. It may be better to seek him out with the cover of night anyway."
Chance nods vigorously in agreement. "Good plan! Let's free the prisoner and take down some goons and once they're licked, we can find your Lictor! Unless he's the prisoner, in which case we will already have found him. Do we have time to stop next door to buy some of those cupcakes on our way?"
”In that case, could you wait until after the bar closes? I…I want to make sure it’s not Octavio myself…”
*
At the southern end of Veritas Plaza, a thirty-foot-square scaffold has been erected, and it is here where the doghousing is currently underway. Standing at each corner of the platform are soldiers that bear the regalia of the Hellknight Order of the Rack—though they do not wear the infamous Hellknight plate (which Vitalis will tell you means that they are armigers). On the platform itself are four individuals that are clad in black leather trousers, bloodstained chainmail aprons, and face-obscuring hoods painted with mocking visages. The Chelish Cross emblazoned on their chests identify them as government workers of some fashion. To one side of the platform is a post that one of the hooded figures stands next to. Chained to the post are a pair of large hounds.
Inside the doghouse is a strong and scar-ridden woman, who crouches inside the doghouse in a position that looks wholly uncomfortable and clearly causes her pain. It’s at this point that you realize that the nails pointing toward her prevent her from lying down on the floor of the doghouse like an actual dog would do to sleep. If she were to be in any position other than the uncomfortable crouch she is in currently, the nails would pierce her skin.
One of the hooded figures glances toward the setting sun and motions to one of the other hooded figures. One of them moves over to the two hounds and restrains them by grabbing at their collars and holding them back so they can barely move anywhere—which the hounds are not too keen on. Another hooded figure grabs a pair of dog bowls—one with water, and the other with various pieces of food that are likely table scraps—and sets them down a few feet from the post that the hounds are chained to, causing the hounds to start going wild as they attempt to rush at the food and water, with only the hooded figure holding their collars keeping them from going anywhere.
As the sun disappears over the horizon, the hooded figure that set down the bowls yells ”Sundown! Feeding time!” The woman in the doghouse hears this and desperately springs ahead to exit the small structure, accidentally getting scratched by several nails in the process. As soon as she exits the doghouse and sees the dog bowls, the hooded figure restraining the hounds releases their collars! The feral hounds rush toward the dog bowls and begin devouring their contents. The woman sees this and musters up the energy to likewise rush at the dog bowls. She desperately moves to grab the bowls, which the hounds do not take kindly to as they bite at the woman to keep her away from the food and water! The woman yelps as the hounds bite her, causing the contents of the dog bowls, which she had grabbed, to go flying! The hounds rush at the fallen table scraps as the woman gulps down what little water still remained in the water bowl. She then attempts to grab as much of the table scraps as she could, which results in the hounds attacking her again! What little food she grabs she takes desperate bites out of.
As the food and water dwindles, the woman desperately pushes herself along the ground back toward the doghouse—but more accurately out of reach of the chained hounds. When the hounds devour the last of the food, the woman collapses from exhaustion. One of the hooded figures then stands over her and cracks a whip at her chest, which brings her back to consciousness. The hooded figure grabs her by the hair and looks her dead in the eye. ”Back in the doghouse! You know the rules.” The figure whips her again for emphasis, and the woman reluctantly crawls back into the doghouse, resuming her painfully uncomfortable crouch.
There are only a handful of people observing the scene before them—they are all appalled at the sight before them, but clearly far too afraid to do anything about it. Some passersby stop to view the doghousing, perhaps out of morbid curiosity, but few rarely stay for long, not wanting to view it for too long.
If you critically succeed, open the spoiler below
Setrona looks at the scene before her and gulps. ”There’s…a lot more guards here than I thought…”
Vitalis curses under his breath. "I recognize her. She joined the Order of the Torrent around the same time that I did."
"Excruciations aren't new to the Thrunes, but the "doghousing" certainly is. Barzillai Thrune is a cruel bastard. I swear he'll face justice."
"There’s…a lot more guards here than I thought…"
"I count eight. And the four Order of the Rack members aren't full Hellknights; they are just Armigers like me. If forced to, we could probably take them, but it would cause a huge scene."
"We could try waiting until midnight and seeing if the number of guards decreases. Moreover, we'd reduce the risk of civilian involvement."
"However, the real problem is, even if we rescue this woman, Barzillai isn't going to stop the excruciations and he has more members of the Order of the Torrent under arrest. He'll likely seek retribution and the torture of the next Hellknight will be even worse. I'm at a lose for a solution."
"I guess now we know why he wanted all those dogs," Jisara mutters. "I vote we break her out. He might just put another Hellknight in there, but it won't be her. You're right, though, we should wait until it's full dark. Even if they keep the same number of guards up, their eyes are weak and they'll be tired. Better odds for us."
"Well, that's the last time we ever turn over a dog to Thrune's goons!" Chance points to one of that hounds guarding the unfortunate prisoner."That's the mastiff we found in the livery and gave to the dottari for the reward. Look what they're making him do! We have to get him back!"
He scowls at the Hellknights and hooded torturers, then adds,"And free the prisoner, too!"
"We don't necessarily need to defeat all of the guards either. If someone could create a diversion, maybe draw as many as they can away with a ranged weapon or some sort, someone else could sneak up from behind, heal the woman enough that she can walk, and run away to escape. Edrakk, do you have any alchemist's fire in your arsenal? Maybe we could burn that doghouse to the ground. I don't know what you want to do about the dog. I'd sooner just leave it unfortunately. It has likely been conditioned that it will attack you on sight. I don't think there is a safe way to release it. But if anyone has an idea, I'll listen."
Setrona continually glances at the PCs as they speak.
”Guys, you should really take a step back. These guys may be armigers, whatever that means, but they’re still Hellknights, right? I’ll be the first to admit that I had the intention of going full vigilante justice on these guys if it were Octavio up there, but now I’m not so sure; these guys don’t look like pushovers and I think that guy is looking our way. As much as I hate to say it, I think trying to mount a rescue here would be suicide…”
"F$~$!" Vitalis growls with frustration. "You're right, let's get out of here. She'll have to hold out a little longer. Maybe Lictor Sabinus will have an idea of how to put an end to this."
”If you’re going to the shrine, then I want to come. I’m…not much good in a fight, though, so I understand if you don’t want me to come with…”
Jisara curses under her breath. "I don't like leaving someone to that. She won't last long under those conditions, so we ought to figure something out soon. But you're right, now's not the right time."
Chance’s scowl deepens at the thought of leaving Barzillai’s victims - the dog and the armiger - to their fate. The gnome inhales sharply as though he is about to begin a long rant, but he gets control of himself and sighs in frustration instead. “Fine, we’ll do the smart thing. Let’s get moving.” With an effort, he turns away from the horrific spectacle.
”If you’re going to the shrine, then I want to come. I’m…not much good in a fight, though, so I understand if you don’t want me to come with…”
Chance gives Setrona a puzzled look. “No, of course you should come, he’s your cousin. But are you expecting a fight at the shrine? Who with?”
Chance gives Setrona a puzzled look. “No, of course you should come, he’s your cousin. But are you expecting a fight at the shrine? Who with?”
"I dunno! They use it as a safehouse, and a safehouse has to be 'safe' for a reason, right? And Hellknights aren't exactly known for being lax with security."
"Oh, god, I'm gonna be sick." the tengu says, holding his beak, narrowly avoiding throwing up. "I'm sorry, I'm not usually this squeamish. Um--" He takes a second to collect his thoughts. "I don't have alchemist's fire in my arsenal, unfortunately. I might have a plan for dealing with the dogs, but it's not easy, and it's... a bit cruel, to be honest. Although something similar could work with the guards, if we didn't want to get noticed."
"Still, I agree, we should come back to this later. The Lictor might have another idea we can use. And if we were worried about hurting potential allies in getting to the safe house, I have a few tricks up my sleeve that can work a bit less lethally."
Chance sighs dramatically again. "Oh, you're right, of course. Well, I'm not going to go down quite so easily this time."
Once the party has moved out of Veritas Plaza, Chance takes the first opportunity to duck out of sight of the street, into an empty alley or the doorway of an abandoned building. The party hears him chanting for a few moments in a disquieting monotone.
"Vivo de morto!
Vivo de morto!
Vivo de morto!..."
When he rejoins the group, he is nearly glowing with additional vitality. "Ready!"
If you critically succeed, open the spoiler below
Once outside the city, the shrine is only a short walk west of Ravounel Road to the swampy western shore of Argo Isle. A 2-foot-wide path rises up from the marshy ground, leading to what appears to be a heap of stones and driftwood. The mound has an opening on the southeast side, flanked by two poles sporting gouts of fire that dance erratically in the ocean breeze
As the PCs approach, two figures exit from within the dome: A man and a woman, both middle-aged and carrying fishing gaffs. The man has seashells woven into his long beard, and the woman’s braids go past her waist, seashells and bits of driftwood knotted into their lengths. They both appear to have recently gone for a swim, as their hair and clothes are damp.
”Visitors to our humble shrine!”
“We have not had visitors in an era!”
“Have you come to pay homage to the great Saint Senex?!”
The two then proceed into a strange dance and chant that is…more than a little off-putting.
“Soooo,” Chance says, unable to stay silently morose for long. “Saint Senex, huh? A shrine founded by a bunch of seafaring mystics a few hundred years ago, to honor the memory of sailors who lost their lives at sea? Sounds like a fun place to hide out."
Trying to drive us off by acting crazy? Clearly, they don’t know us at all.
“Wonderful!” Chance pulls out his journal and a pen and begins scribbling notes. “I have not seen such a stunning example of Senescent ritual performance in twenty years or more! Now, I simply must see the shrine itself!”
"We don't have time for this. I am Vitalis Tanessen, an armiger of the Order of the Torrent. And this is Setrona Sabinus, Octavio Sabinus' cousin. We were told we could seek sanctuary within the shrine. We have reason to believe that Octavio Sabinus may already be hiding within. If so, we need to speak with him. Cut out the song and dance and speak plainly with us. The longer we delay, the more another member of the Order suffers."
"We don't have time for this. I am Vitalis Tanessen, an armiger of the Order of the Torrent. And this is Setrona Sabinus, Octavio Sabinus' cousin. We were told we could seek sanctuary within the shrine. We have reason to believe that Octavio Sabinus may already be hiding within. If so, we need to speak with him. Cut out the song and dance and speak plainly with us. The longer we delay, the more another member of the Order suffers."
The couple stops their strange dance and look from Vitalis to Setrona to each other and back to Vitalis. ”He has cast his breath upon the Stone many times, long a friend to our shrine. We honor those who honor the watery dead.” The pair then move to the side, allowing access to the shrine itself. Setrona moves forward and stops next to the couple. ”Thank you.” The man holds out a strange, hook-shaped key to Setrona, which she moves to grab. She gasps and flinches when she touches it, causing the key to fall to the ground.
”Sorry, it just shocked me—“
“Happens all the time, dear.”
Setrona picks up the key and leads the way to the shrine.
At the center of the shrine’s dome is a rather small and unremarkable altar. Jisara, however, notices that there is a catch holding the altar in place. Setrona kneels down and uses the hook-shaped key on an indentation and turns it, which causes the altar to life up on a hinge, underneath which is a 3-foot-wide shaft set with iron rungs. You cannot see the bottom, as a dark, foggy mass obscures your vision about 8 feet down.
Most curiously, the strange black fog appears to only be one-way; as you descend into it, it’s clear that from the bottom of the ladder you can see to the top, just not vice versa.
The ceiling of this damp chamber is seven feet high, bolstered by square supports of rough-hewn wood. A shallow pool of water lies in the northwest corner of the room, where a rusty iron ladder descends from a hole in the ceiling above. An iron gate blocks access into a corridor to the east. Piles of sail canvas and jumbled coils of rope litter the stony floor, and the walls, floor, and ceiling have been carved to look like wood. Brown paint clings in patches, and it’s easy to see how the room may have once looked very much like the hold of a ship. To the west stands a statue carved from driftwood depicting a woman dressed in robes, holding the body of a drowned sailor in her arms.
As soon as the first person down the ladder moves aside to allow the next person room to descend, a voice echoes throughout the chamber, and it becomes clear that the driftwood statue of the woman begins speaking as her mouth moves.
”Those who would visit the drowned departed must bring to these lips the gift of lung’s bounty, lest my guardian stand before your approach.”
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Vitalis straightens his collar smugly as the pair steps aside. I'm surprised they didn't give us a harder time about it.
”He has cast his breath upon the Stone many times, long a friend to our shrine. We honor those who honor the watery dead.”
"Noted. Thank you."
Vitalis admires the shrine as they head down. He is a little disconcerted about the fog, then relief washes over him when it seems to has no ill effect.
”Those who would visit the drowned departed must bring to these lips the gift of lung’s bounty, lest my guardian stand before your approach.”
He is surprised again when the statue suddenly speaks and ponders over the riddle. He recalls what the man said before they entered and says, "Ah, I got this."
Vitalis steps up to the statue, puts his lips up to the lips of the drowned man and breathes out air upon it. Then he steps back. I hope this works.
Chance rolls his eyes at the paladin and follows the group into the shrine. When Setrona opens the hatch, the gnome peers into the dismal fog below.
Shaking his head, he makes his way down the ladder and lets out a low whistle when he spots the driftwood statue.
"Ah, it's Saint Senex herself. And she talks! You know, I was bluffing outside but this really is a fascinating example of ... VITALIS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
Vitalis steps up to the statue, puts his lips up to the lips of the drowned man and breathes out air upon it. Then he steps back.
Chance gives Jisara and Edrakk a worried look, then turns back to Vitalis. "I hope you chose correctly, my friend. I'd have kissed the saint over the dead man, but you've been right so far, and her reference to 'these lips' was a little ambiguous. I mean, really, who needs the air more, right?"
As Vitalis breathes upon the statue of the drowned man, a loud grinding echoes throughout the chamber as the gateway to the east opens.
The passageway to the east does a U-turn before entering into another chamber. This seven-foot-high vault contains over three dozen human- shaped bundles of sailcloth, each wrapped tightly, sewn shut with heavy thread, and laid respectfully side by side on the cold stone floor. A shallow pool of water lies in the southeast corner, while in the northeast corner of the room someone has set up a camp.
Standing at the center of the room, with their back to you, is an individual completely covered head to toe in an armor that invokes fear and terror—the infamous Hellknight plate. The armor itself has a number of overlapping plates forged in the fashion of scales, and various pieces of plate that stick out, reminiscent of a fish’s fins—each order has its own flares on the design of their Hellknight plate, and Vitalis immediately knows this to be the regalia of the Order of the Torrent. The individual carries a halberd in one hand that is engraved with the image of a sea serpent along its head. They exude a palpable air of authority so potent that you feel inclined to fall to your knees and plead forgiveness for merely being in their presence.
The Hellknight waves a gauntleted hand over the sailcloth bundles, and speaks in a gruff baritone. ”These shrouded bodies are those of drowned sailors with no living relations, given a place of honor down here by the grace of Saint Senex.” He pauses a moment. “Those who seek Octavio Sabinus have found him. His safe capture, however,” He places his free hand on his halberd and wields the weapon steadfastly. ”Is no certain thing—“
“Oh, cool it with the theatrics, Octy!”
Setrona’s comment shatters the tension in the air like a bomb, leaving only an awkward silence on all sides. After recovering from his stunned silence, the Hellknight removes a hand from his halberd and buries his helmeted face in it with a groan.
”Oh for the love of Abadar… First,” He snaps his fingers and raises a single digit for emphasis. ”I have asked that you not call me that, Setrona! And more to the point, how and why are you…Oh.”
The Hellknight finally turns to properly see the group that has come to his hiding place. With his free hand the man grabs at the helmet that obscures his face and removes it with a fluidity that shows he has done so many times before. Beneath the helmet is a man with short red hair and a chiseled face with a handful of scars. His steely gaze seems to pierce straight into your soul as his eyes silently demand respect.
”And you must be the so-called Silver Ravens.”
"My, my," Jisara says, her lips curling into a wicked smile. "He seems fun."
Vitalis steps forward and kneels before Octavio. "Lictor Sabinus. You may not recognize me for I am new to the Order but I am armiger Vitalis Tanessen. We come seeking you after the Lord-Mayor's newest proclamation both to ensure your safety and to seek your aid. If I may be so bold, why do you remain secluded in this shrine when there are those in the city who need you? With the exception of yourself and I, all of the Order of the Torrent within Kintargo have turned themselves in for arrest. As we speak, one of our own is being tortured in public view."
"Yes, we are the Silver Ravens. We have been supporting the Kintargans from the shadows and we have struck a few minor blows against Barzillai Thrune. Yet we remain small. If we are to free our brothers who are imprisoned unjustly and to free all of Kintargo from Thrune's tyrannical rule, we are going to need more help."
”Rise, armiger; I do not require this level of formality. And yes, I do recognize you.” Octavio produces a small item and hands it to Vitalis: a silver raven wondrous figurine. ”How do you think I knew you lot were the Silver Ravens? As for why I am here: my order is not a large one, only twenty-three across Avistan—an unprecedented low—and only a third of whom have completed the Test. I am sad to say that those within Kintargo’s city walls had no choice but to turn themselves in. The alternative being possibly dying at the combined hands of the Rack and the dottari. Those outside of Kintargo, if they have any wits about them, are in hiding until they receive word from their Lictor. However,” The Hellknight’s gaze looks offward. ”If I were to be captured, then…that’s it. The order lives and dies with me. I cannot do that to my brothers-in-arms, especially since this is my fault.”
The Hellknight furrows his brow. ”We only have—had—a small handful of true Hellknights in Kintargo, and I had them investigate into Thrune’s predecessor, Lord-Mayor Bainilus. I don’t believe she fled the city to Arcadia as the government claims; I believe she’s been imprisoned—or worse—by Barzillai Thrune. If that were the case, then it would be within the Torrent’s jurisdiction to attempt to mount a rescue of Jilia Bainilus, otherwise the plan was to compile anything sinister of note that we discovered and forward it to my compatriots in the Order of the Scourge.”
If you critically succeed, open the spoiler below
”However, word quickly spread back to me of Thrune discovering our efforts to undermine him. It also didn’t help that I took offense, quite publicly, at our new lord-mayor’s recruitment of the Order of the Rack as additional guards. I saw the proverbial writing on the walls, so I’ve had to be largely absent in business related to the order, delegating most responsibilities to my paralictor. However, when one of our Hellknights was captured in the act of looking into Bainilus, I had no choice but to go into hiding. Barzillai Thrune is conniving. The man spins webs like a spider, though I can’t decipher his design yet. Whatever his reason, I’ve come to believe it bodes ill for all of Kintargo.”
"Have you summoned the Order of the Scourge, then? Is the fact of his persecution of your Hellknights as they investigate the mayor's disappearance not evidence enough?"
Octavio sighs. ”In case you haven’t noticed, the entire country is under martial law due to this ‘Glorious Reclamation’ business that’s going on in the heartland. Travel in Cheliax is difficult at the moment, as the three copper toll to cross Bleakbridge in our own city will tell you. Not only that, but with Her Infernal Majestrix assigning several Thrune loyalists to maintain order throughout the country, the Scourge is spread rather thin as they investigate the authority of these individuals, which puts them in poor standing with their already-strenuous relationship with House Thrune. Not to mention that taking action against such officials appointed by the Queen would likely incite rebellious action, and not only are riots the last thing we want, but that would also put them at odds with the Order of the Rack. The Order of the Scourge would need considerable evidence of abuse of power to justify sending their already-overworked numbers here to investigate, especially against a Thrune. I’ll admit, sending a report to the Scourge was a long shot, but at least I wouldn’t be overstepping my jurisdiction in that case. And while this persecution against my order would be quite significant evidence, I have been unable to send a message to the Scourge without compromising my hiding. And even if I could, the Scourge is tangled in a web of red tape; I'd be lucky if even my close friends in that order would take notice with everything that's going on.”
Chance scowls at Octavius's mention of the oldest of the Hellknight orders and nods along with Jisara's question. "Right. Of course, if the Order of the Scourge is so concerned about political corruption and government abuse of power, you'd think they'd have been ready to jump in before that, like when Barzillai banned mint, or when he prohibited ship captains from coming ashore."
The bard glares skeptically at the Lictor. "But are you really saying that everybody in your little Hellknight club who wasn't out of town when Barzillai dropped the hammer is in his custody except you? Do you have any idea what that psychotic bastard is doing to them? Thrune is torturing your people in the public squares, Mister Lictor, and nobody is coming from outside Kintargo to save them, or any of us. We came here looking for you because he --" Chance points at Vitalis "-- he believes in you and thought you'd be ready to help them, that you'd have some kind of plan!"
The gnome takes a breath to calm down, with limited success. "Sure, I'm curious about what happened to Jilia Bainilus. I'm curious about lots of things in Kintargo. But right now in Veritas Square, Thrune's goons are doghousing a young woman whose only crime was pledging herself to your order. She might be dead by now, but she looked brave and tough so maybe she's still hanging on. If we can free her and the rest of your Torrenters, then when we figure out what Barzillai's real plans are, we might have enough people backing us to stop him! So are you going to help us save her and the others, or are you going to stay here alone in your cave?"
Chance looks around at his friends and deflates a little. "I mean, it's a very nice cave. But still."
The bard glares skeptically at the Lictor. "But are you really saying that everybody in your little Hellknight club who wasn't out of town when Barzillai dropped the hammer is in his custody except you? Do you have any idea what that psychotic bastard is doing to them? Thrune is torturing your people in the public squares, Mister Lictor, and nobody is coming from outside Kintargo to save them, or any of us. We came here looking for you because he --" Chance points at Vitalis "-- he believes in you and thought you'd be ready to help them, that you'd have some kind of plan!"
The gnome takes a breath to calm down, with limited success. "Sure, I'm curious about what happened to Jilia Bainilus. I'm curious about lots of things in Kintargo. But right now in Veritas Square, Thrune's goons are doghousing a young woman whose only crime was pledging herself to your order. She might be dead by now, but she looked brave and tough so maybe she's still hanging on. If we can free her and the rest of your Torrenters, then when we figure out what Barzillai's real plans are, we might have enough people backing us to stop him! So are you going to help us save her and the others, or are you going to stay here alone in your cave?"
”DON’T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT?! I can’t leave this cave without risking not only my life but my order’s as well!”
“Octavio, you need to calm down…”
The Hellknight takes a deep breath and leans against a nearby wall. “You are certainly hopeful idealists, but in my experience, passionate revolutionaries lack discipline. Like Setrona, you have good hearts, but it takes more than heart to stand up for what’s right. If I’m to throw in with the Silver Ravens, I need two things. First, I need to know that my surviving armigers are safe. Only two true Hellknights of my order were in the city when all of this occurred, but if Thrune is the slightest bit competent he’ll have outright killed them to make a point to my order, while keeping the armigers alive to make a point to the citizens. Second, I need to know that the Silver Ravens are more than thugs who seek to fight in the streets—I need to know you can exercise subtlety and work at least partially within the bounds of the law to solve problems when such an option exists. As it so happens, this is a perfect chance for you to accomplish both goals.
“I have reason to believe that my armigers are being kept in a facility known as the Holding House. As long as they are there, I…I can’t let anything happen to them on my account. IF you can free them, then…” Octavio contemplates his next words. ”Then you have my loyalty. On that you have my word as a Hellknight.”
"Rise, armiger; I do not require this level of formality. And yes, I do recognize you."
Vitalis rises and accepts the raven back. "I am honored, Lictor."
"I have reason to believe that my armigers are being kept in a facility known as the Holding House. As long as they are there, I…I can’t let anything happen to them on my account. If you can free them, then…"
"Now that's what I want to hear. Can you suggest any strategies for us to break them out? And once freed, where should we lead them? I could image it would be quite cramped squeezing the Order in this one-room shrine."
"I had them investigate into Thrune’s predecessor, Lord-Mayor Bainilus. I don’t believe she fled the city to Arcadia as the government claims; I believe she’s been imprisoned—or worse—by Barzillai Thrune."
"I heard she was dead. If she is alive, yes, I agree with you, it would be within the Order of the Torrent's jurisdiction to rescue her. And with proof of wrongful removal and imprisonment, the Order of the Scourge would be forced to intervene as well. We might just actually have a chance to send Barzillai Thrune back to where he came from. Or I'd shed no tears if we sent him straight to Hell either."
Octavio shakes his head. ”Even if we managed to get the assistance of the Scourge, which I’m not certain will happen, Barzillai still holds power over the Asmodean Inquisition; he’ll put up a hell of a fight, pardon the pun. And do you not have a headquarters of some kind that you can transport the armigers to?”
"Fair enough. We do have a headquarters of sorts. Although truth be told, it is starting to get rather crowded there as well. Our little rebellion has grown to two score strong."
"And as for the Asmodean Inquisition, we'll deal with them in time. For now, we have enough on our plate rescuing the Order of the Torrent and Jillia Bainillis. I suppose it would be wishful thinking that she'd be held in the Holding House as well."
"Subtlety shouldn't be too much of a problem, I don't think, although you might not approve of some of my methods. And while they are a bit crowded, the headquarters are very well-secured. I only remember one potential security problem, and from what I remember, we--well, mainly them--got it fixed pretty quickly." Having mostly been quietly focused on the hellknight, Edrakk takes a second to look around the chamber. "This is a nice cave, but how do you get air down here? Are there vents somewhere, or..."
"Fair enough. We do have a headquarters of sorts. Although truth be told, it is starting to get rather crowded there as well. Our little rebellion has grown to two score strong."
Octavio ponders Vitalis’s words for a moment. ”Hmm…Take them to the Tooth and Nail.”
“What?!”
Octavio looks toward Setrona, having a silent conversation between the two of them. Setrona sighs. ”Fine. I’ll figure something out.”
“Excellent. Additionally, I may have a…potential headquarters in mind, should you need one. But we’ll discuss that at a later time.”