Putting the ledger aside with the intention to go through it later, Ariadne uses the keys to access the lockbox at the foot of the bed. Taking time to go through each item, she is impressed by the collection, at the same time sneering at the fact that the bastard used children to collect his 'treasures'.
The oddly shaped dagger gives her pause, being naggingly familiar. She'd have to see if any of the others knew anything that would jog her memory about the details.
Those ouside the room hear a low whistle as she goes through the items until a sudden gasp.
"You disgust me," Nethen growls. "Last chance. Answer my questions, or you're going in the river to feed your gator." Nethen grabs Lamm by the ankle and heaves him towards the edge of the pool.
Nethen finally makes it clear to Lamm that he's not getting out of this the easy way. "The little s!!+ is out earning his food." He says in a broken voice.
Upstairs vedika finds the orphans milling about, unsure what to do now that their exploiters are dead or captured. She can see an older child or two warily watching the building from the surrounding alleys. They can see something has happened but don't know what?
What are you doing now?
"Guys, I found the bastard's stash! Help me gather up this stuff!" Ariadne calls out, putting the bracelet into her belt pouch and shoving as many of the smaller items into her backpack as possible until later.
It would likely be easier than walking around with a footlocker.
Picking up the deck of cards, she studies them for a moment before shooing the flies, and hesitantly gesturing toward the hatbox, extending a small bit of arcane will to open it.
The hatbox contains something shocking Zellara’s severed head,
poorly preserved and decorated with unsightly makeup in a crude attempt
to give her dead flesh the semblance of life.
It doesn't take a skilled Healer to see that the fortune-teller has been dead for weeks. Her harrow deck sits in a smaller wooden box under the ragged stump of her neck.
what now?
"He had f*$!ing better be," Nethen replies, "or I'll come back and you'll wish you'd been eaten." He pulls Lamm back from the edge of the water and shoves him upright against the slimy wall. "Sit there," he says sternly before going to help Ariadne with her discoveries. "What's that stink?" he asks, wrinkling his nose against the rank odour.
"It's....Zellara's head! I don't know how in the nine he;;s it's possible, but it's definitely her...and her cards...looks like she's been dead for weeks." Ariadne says with a baffled expression.
"All right kids!" says Vedika. "My name is Vedika and I'm here to help all of you! We're going to leave at last! I want you to get anything that is yours and come back here and we'll make a line. Then we're going to hold hands and we're going to walk on out of here, and nobody is going to stop us."
She gives a friendly smile—strangely, the fangs are gone now—and waits for the kids to assemble, while looking about sharply to see if her little sister Sita is among them.
Vazhiort stays put and cheerfully watches Lamm to make sure he doesn't try anything.
Ariadne draws the Uprising card out of a pouch in her belt, comparing it to the deck after lifting the head with magic, comparing it to the others. "Have we all been contracted to enact revenge, by another of of Lemm's victims reaching from beyond?"
What are you doing now?
"What?" Nethen says in surprise. "Then who was it that sent us here?" he asks. "We need to go back to Zellara, or whoever she is."
"Yeah, let's get the rest if this stuff gathered up and get out of here, then burn this place to the ground." Ariadne says using her magic to set the severed head aside.
Vazhimort is getting bored watching the severely injured Lamm. It seems like Vedika has already left, and maybe Ariadne and Nethen are packing things up?
"HEY! What are we doing with him? If we leave him, won't he just go back to his usual antics with the kids and the drugs and things?"
"What you want to do with Lamm? Kill him here, end of any number of people's problem. Turn him in to The Wtch might be a reward...if he hasn't paid off enough people to end up back on the street. I'm sure once I have a moment to sit down with this ledger there'll be a ton of evidence of his crimes." Ariadne asks Nethen, in response to Vazhimort's question.
While considering their next move, she shifts her vision into the magical spectrum to study the cards, feeling that they might be of some significance given the grisly trophy.
As the sun begins to set and they wait for the rest of the children to return, Ariadne sits on the desk, a far better choice that the filthy bed, and begins flipping through the pages of the ledger trying to make sense of Lamm's code.
It couldn't be that complex, after all the bastard was the canny streetwise type of clever rather than some kind of genius.
"Hand him over to the watch. He won't last in jail, but at least we won't have his blood on our hands," Nethen says. "I need to wait here for Dreykin, so let's tie Lamm up and turn him in later."
Nethen stands by the door, watching for the orphans to return, hoping his cousin is among them.
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Vedika keeps the children occupied and says, "So who else are we waiting for? Once everyone is here we will get some food and we will be going someplace new. And you won't have to work for Lamm any more."
"This reminds me a story I heard once, of a time long ago when there was a mean old man who hated little children. So he concocted a plan to lure them to him, by finding the ones who had nowhere to go and nobody to look after him, and sometimes he would trick them by offering them sweets. Other times he would snatch them while they were asleep, and sometimes he would find them while they were trying to get something to eat and he would tell them that if they came home with him, he'd feed them all the food they wanted. But this man was a terrible man who just used them all, and he would hit them and tell them they were worthless, and his real goal was to use magic to turn them all into animals so he could sell them on the market!"
"But the old man wasn't a very good magician, he was waiting for a powerful wizard that he could make a deal with, he thought if he just got the right thing, the right jewel or trinket or magical bauble, he could rid the city of all the children that he loathed and make himself rich, too. So he waited in his hovel and he took the things that the children stole for him and the horrid man bided his time, making a stack of all of his little treasures in hopes that one day he could make a trade with a magician for such a spell."
"But little did this mean old man realize that the winds of magic blow hither and yon, and one day those winds blew to a kindly lady and told her... well, maybe I should save the rest of the story until everyone else returns."
Vedika now has a problem, as she doesn't want to just leave the children alone to go fetch one of the others for some assistance, but she can't really do anything else to help or influence them. She chews on her lip for a moment, cursing herself for not having any candy or toys or any way to convince the children that she's going to help them.
And she also silently fears that her little sister, whom she hasn't spotted yet, may already be lost.
Feeling that Lamm wasn't much of a threat, Vazhimort walked up to Ariadne and Nethen while they talked.
"Aw, I guess that's revenge, but I wanted to get a REVENGE, you know? I wanted to really see him--CALLISTRIA'S CAJOLING KISS IS THAT A SEVERED HEAD?!
"That's so gross! Oh, hey, we know her! Or... knew her! Still gross, though. I'm going to see what Vedika's doing! Lamm's over there nursing his injuries if you want to keep an eye on him!"
Vazhimort finds Vedika and catches the tail-end of her story.
"Hey! That sounds a lot like... Oh! Metaphor! I getcha!
"Hey kids! I bet you're glad to be free of that dumb old Gedren Lamm, eh?"
Ariadne puts her brain to work and deciphers Gaedren Lamm's simplistic cypher, making his ledger easy to translate.
The ledger on top of the strongbox contains a remarkably complete and concise accounting of much of Gaedren Lamm’s criminal activities, although the entries are somewhat coded.
A character who speaks Varisian and succeeds at a DC15 Linguistics check can decipher the relatively simple code after a few hours of work.
This ledger is worth more than Gaedren’s death or capture to the Korvosan Guard, for it contains notes that allow the authorities to close the books on dozens of minor (and a few major) unsolved cases.
The Korvosan Guard pays the PCs a bounty of 250gp for handing over the ledger—if you provide a key for the code in which it is written, this reward increases to 500gp.
Upstairs Vedika & Vazhimort manage to calm the Orphans down and earn a degree of trust. The sight of the bound and beaten Gaedren Lamm helps a lot with this.
Nethen spots Dreykin among the returned Orphans, scrawnier and much more dirty but still in reasonable shape. He is looking at Nethen with surprise and hope.
Vedika can see no sign of Siti though?
What are you doing now? You have 15 children to deal with.
Seeing Nethen reunite with his cousin, and the increasing expression of concern on Vedika's face, Ariadne approaches the other woman. "Have any of the children seen your sister recently?"
”No, but some of the children aren’t here,” says Vedika with a frown. ”We should get these ones something to eat and bring them to a temple of Sarenrae.”
"Sounds like a good idea, once we get them to safety we can turn Lemm in, along with the record of his criminal activities. I was able to figure out the code he wrote it in." Ariadne replies.
Looking at the others she leans in so that only her new companions can hear her. "There's another matter, in his stash I also found a bracelet I recognize as The Queen's. Obviously having that in your posesion is a fast trach to gaol...if not the headsman. At the same time, turning it in along with the thief, would definitely gain goodwill, and likely some kind of reward."
Nethen wraps his cousin in a tight hug. The boy is thin and stinking, but Nethen's concern and love overcomes those issues for a minute and he can think of nothing other than how glad he is to see Dreykin alive again. "I'd almost given up hope," he says to the younger lad. "I'll get you back to mum and dad and we'll hand this bastard in to the watch and he'll never trouble you again."
He leaves Dreykin for a moment to chat with the others. "The Queen's? Bloody hells, we need to hand that in with his book. We don't want to be on the hook for thieving royal property."
"Hey, that's cool and all, but let's not forget that we were sent on this adventure by a g-g-g-ghost! I mean, that explains how she got those Harrow cards into our things (not really, but you know what I mean), but also maybe we should... put her to rest or something? Or at least make sure she's not going to haunt us?
"I mean, we're all experts on revenge, now, but revenge from beyond the grave is a whole other level!
"Let's try and take care of that before we go to jail!"
"I still have every intention of burning this place to the ground when we leave. A funeral pyre is as good a sendoff as possible." Ariadne says after a moment of thought.
I think we'd be better off turning him in sooner rather than later, especially given the bracelet. Whatever's going on at Zellara's will likely still be there when we're done, and the guard will be in a better position to refer us to somewhere safe for the kids." Ariadne says after thinking things over as they wait for any late arrivals.
"The sooner that bastard's out of my sight the better. Mainly for him," Nethen adds in agreement. "Looks like Zellara's been dead for a while, and whoever or whatever is impersonating her doesn't know we know. We can probably afford a little time before we go back to work out what's going on."
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Talking to the children you find out that a girl matching Siti's description was sold off to a buyer from the heights. Something about 'Exotic' heritage being the reason she was sellable?
There is no name or address given for her buyer, only the title The Pet-maker? If Pressed Lamm really doesn't know much about him. He shows up masked as various animals and is always looking for children of the more exotic breeds.
The Guard are overjoyed to receive Gaedren Lamm, especially with you giving them his ledger along with the key to the cipher. A lot of unsolved crimes are going to be cleared.
.
The Temple of Sarenrae in the Heights is agreeable to taking in the children you don't want, especially if there is a donation along with them. .
Reading the ledger told you that Iorghil's missing sister was sold to someone from Magnimar wanting a child with magical ability. So he makes his goodbyes and sets off to find her there.
.
Vedika is glad to have the children put under safe care, but still worried as she learns that her sister was already sold to someone else. She bites her lower lip, then says to the team, "I know it's a lot to ask... but please help me. Someone who has a weird title and buys 'exotic' children... that's not the kind of person who lives in a shed somewhere, that's someone with some kind of power or influence, and they use a pseudonym to protect their 'regular' identity. Not the kind of person that I can deal with myself."
"I need to get my sister back before anything else happens to her... and I don't think that I can do it alone. Will you help me?"
As the children report Vedika's sister's fate, Ariadne's expression darkens, the scar tissue around her mouth pulling as her jaw tightens. After relaying the details of the cipher to the guard investigator, and they drop off the children at the temple, she nods as Vedika asks for help in rescuing her sister.
"Count me in. This bastard sounds like the worst kind, the type that thinks their money and power can buy them anything, and they live without fear of consequence." she says grimly.
There was nothing she hated more than the monsters who hurt children. She'd seen it time and time again in the streets, people worse than Lemm who rode around in carriages and pretended to be above reproach, all the while being depraved and twisted.
"Whoever this Pet-maker is, his time is up."
Nethen is pleased to get Lamm off the streets and hands him over none-too-kindly to the city guard with vicious smile on his face as the old man finally has to face up to the misery he's caused over the years.
"Get home to mum and dad," Nethen tells Dreykin as the children are gathered together for their walk to the temple. "Tell them I'm OK, but I have some things to do before I can come home."
"I'll help you as best I can," Nethen replies to Vedika. "I know how hard it is to have lost someone. I'm glad I have my someone back," he says, smiling as he watches Dreykin begin to walk home, "but you don't have yours. Let's find this Pet-Maker and make him answer for his actions."
"REVENGE! Ha ha ha ha!" Vazhimort screeches as Lamm is hauled off to face due process of the law by a faceless criminal justice organization.
"How sweet it is!" The gnome closes his eyes and takes a deep breath as lets this novel experience wash over him.
"Mmm! Oh yeah!"
"I know it's a lot to ask... but please help me. Someone who has a weird title and buys 'exotic' children... that's not the kind of person who lives in a shed somewhere, that's someone with some kind of power or influence, and they use a pseudonym to protect their 'regular' identity. Not the kind of person that I can deal with myself."
"I need to get my sister back before anything else happens to her... and I don't think that I can do it alone. Will you help me?"
"Vedika, I am riding high on brand new endorphines! I am absolutely agreeable to facing a new -- and eccentric! -- danger! Count me in!"
Eric Gennady. Returning after some time away you check in on the woman who you feel you owe so much to.
You find Zellara’s home abandoned, and showing clear signs of having been empty for weeks. The furniture is in pieces, scattered
throughout the room under a thick layer of dust disturbed only by the footprints of several people who visited here recently?
The Party. You return to Zellera's hoping for some answers as to who sent you to extract their revenge on Gaedren Lamm?
You find an unknown Half-elf man standing in the seemingly abandoned room looking about in worry.
What are you doing now?
To say the unknown man had an unusual appearance would be an understatement. His garments were part that of the shoanti, with the common feathered fur hat, five-strand clam shell necklace ending in a rat symbol and buckskin mantle of which the cap almost hid his elven heritage. If not so on edge, his features would be quite striking - a good blend of human and elven genetics with a generous blonde mane of hair and piercing blue eyes.
On his shoulder sat a rat, on its hind legs and unnaturally still, peering at you just as intently. The man was pretty well-armed, with plated hide armor, a mace, dagger, and crossbow hanging from his belt and back. But he seemed to prefer a very odd black 'branch' of sorts, clasped in his arms like an equally long and wide weapon. It wasn't quite aimed at you, but it was close, as if he was ready to assume a fighting position if needed. And that branch, it had to be said, did look pretty sharp, its many ends reflecting the sparse candle light like small stars against the night sky just waiting to fall down on you.
"Who are you people? Are you friends of Zellara?" He asks cautiously. "It's unlike her to miss an appointment."
He seems to take not of the arsenal of weapons and gear in front of him and his eyes dart to the exit and then the window, perhaps wondering about the best avenue of action should things go sideways.
The tall, athletically built redhead in well-kept scalemail armor studies the stranger, her green eyes narrowing, as the wicked Puckered scar (make hair red) on the left side of her face, glistening in the glow of the ball of conjured light hovering above her palm, her other hand resting on the hilt of the sword at her hip.
”We could easily ask the same of you.” she replies evenly. ”You have an appointment with Zellara? Meaning that you’ve seen her recently?”
"Not exactly recently; The last time was three months ago. I was on a spiritual journey across the coastline to-" He stops and winces. "Actually, I probably shouldn't talk about it, or my teacher would probably bash in my face, heal me and repeat it a few times... well, if I'd survive, that is..."
He shakes his head and shivers at the unpleasant proespect, then angles the branch slightly less towards you. "But that's not here or there. Zellera saved my life once, so I drop at certain set dates to see if there's something I can help her with. It's an honor thing among the Shoan- er, that is, my people. I've been doing some odds and ends for a couple of years now, in fact. But now this place looks like it's been looted and she's missing! I don't suppose you know anything more about all this? If not, I have places to be; people to find deserving of having a tree shoved up their arse!"
Vedika folds her arms and narrows her eyes.
"I have a feeling that Zellara isn't missing this one. Or perhaps already missed it but it doesn't matter," she says cryptically.
She holds up one of the Harrow cards that the fortune-teller gave to her.
"Familiar?"
"I think those people have already been found...and dealt with. Have you ever heard of Gaedren Lamm? A minor but malignant crime lord in this part of the city." Ariadne replies.
The Shoanti (?) looks at the card and frowns. His rat, meanwhile, scuttles up to his feather headdress and peers down at it from his further heightened position. The man doesn't seem bothered about the additional weight. "Part of a harrow deck," he says. "Those are highly prised among Varisians, I believe. Hierlooms they'd never willing part with. Why do you-? ...Oh. It must have been stolen from her."
At the mention of Gaedren Lamm, he looks up sharply. "'Course I do. Assole's a shiver trader, amongst other even viler things. Got my mother killed. Me too, almost. You say he's dealt with? As in, dead? Well, the world'll be better off I'd say! Let him rot like... like..." he takes a moment to think. "Like a heap of compost soured with cow dung, ever blazing in he sun's warmth until the maggots eat it all!"
His eyes briefly shift to the rat, which in turn... raises his hands in a so-so gesture?
"Well, anyway, where's Zellara then? Is she safe!? If Gaedren was dealt with that means they'd have rescued her too... right?" he looks around with cautious hope.
"He's going to meet his end rotting the prison, for what he did to Zellara among other things. Since you know her longer than we did...was she gifted with some kind of supernatural power? The kind that could reach beyond the grave" Araidne asks, relaxing her posture to less guarded and prepared for a fight.
Moving over to the tabe she pulls up a chair, taking a seat. "We were each brought her by a card, one from Zellara's deck. We met with her yesterday, where she set us on Lemm's path to retrieve something he stole from her. And we found it...her deck, the same deck she used last night to give us all a reading." she says, studying the odd stranger, this man who looked half elf, half ulfen, yet dressed like a tribesman.
"We found the deck in a box, along with Zellara's severed head, clearly done weeks ago and preserved." she says, watching the newcomer closely for his reaction.
The man goes slack-jawed, frozen in shock. "Y-you're joking. Tell me you're joking! She can't be- no! I... but I haven't repaid..."
He feels around for a chain behind him and more drops than sits into it. "Show me. Just... show me first, please."