"Oi, apologies," Asta says, placing a shiny platinum piece into the guard's hand. "Listen... anything you can tell us about the investigation? Anything important been discovered, anyone the guards have talked too that can may have been witholding information, a branch we can shake to help you all out? We find something, I can pass it onto you, get you a quick promotion, better duties than this detail, perhaps?"
----
"Skald-speaker is found," Asta nods to Pytho, "but as for finding a devil-speaker, the Acadamae is probably the best place to find one, but there's plenty of Chels about everywhere. Throw a cat and you'll hit one."
The sprite frowns. "...Cats seem pretty hard to throw ..."
The young guard's eyes widen as Asta drops months worths of wages into his plam. He quickly sticks it in his pocket and racks his brain trying to be of any use to Asta.
Ah, well, I was just told to come here and stand guard, so... whatever you guys did in there I can just say must have happened last night or something. Everyone knows the guy was well connected with thief types and nobody really messed with him 'cause of that... maybe someone from the pub he ran would know something? I don't know where he was from but he wasn't Chel... oh and there was some Abadaran cleric that really wanted to know what was happening? Some sort of gnome or halfling or something?
"The pub?" Pytho perks his ears.
"Mind telling us, where we can find it?"
Fourteen shops form the semicircular rod that is Eodred's Walk, just across the street from the late Aram Pavisky's two story home.
These three-story, whitewashed wooden buildings have their upper floors overhanging the ground floor to form a continuous covered pavilion house the wedge-shaped shops.
It is crowded as the festive nature of the city's population loosens wallets and appetities.
Aram's Crown, Pavisky's concern, is the pub that takes up one of these spots. It is pretty busy even at this early hour thanks to the crowds, nothing seems out of place as the three of you enter. There's more bread and cheese being served then libations, but there's still plenty of that as well.
The rotund half-elf lady behind the bar glances at the three of you and nods in greeting before turning back to other customers, there's a few tables still free as well as a few spots at the bar.
Asta moves into the pub, curious as to why it was open. Surely the employees new the fate of the pub's owner? Perhaps Pavisky had a partner? Asta muses, and takes the left-most spot of the bar's three open seats; a spot on the side of the curvy bar that provides a good vantage of the room, either with a short swivel of the tall stool or by looking in the mirror behind the bartender.
Holding up a hand, Asta waits for the rotund half-elf's service, and then helps Erytheis into the tall stool next to her. "What do we want to ask on about then?"
The small sprite climbs up Asta's arm and flutters the last bit to her seat. Neat! These places were pretty cool, but she usually didn't go alone - too much boot-dodging. So it was nice to have some muscle with her. Still vigilant she looks around the room. "Gossip? About Aram." she tries to lean over the desk towards the barkeep. "Have you heard? What happened? Who could have done such a thing! And ... "
Knocking twice on the bartop, Asta gains the woman's attention, beckons her close. "Oi! Three porters for me and my companion. In Aram's memory, gods bless him."
The half elf's eyes widen as Erytheis does a theatrical whisper that threatens to carry across the room. The sprite wasn't very good at judging large folk volume. And then Asta says the exact wrong thing loudly.
SHhhhh! she hisses and glares at the three of you while busying herself polishing the bar. She glances around the room to see if anyone's heard the two women and, satisfied there was no commotion, comes up to the three of you with two mugs and a thimble of ale.
She glances at Asta's guard like armour and says quietly Look, I don't want any trouble, I already told the guard what I knew before I opened right... the bastard Aram may have owned the place but I've been running it since before he showed up and I'll thank the Master of the Vault later that I outlived him.
I'll tell you three what I know if you promise not to cause a scene right? Original owners of the pub fell on hard times about 15 years ago, and, mysteriously, Pavisky shows up at just the right time with an offer to buy 'em out. Since then, it don't matter how much we water down the ale in the day, the place stays busy, no locals during the daytime though unlike before... and in the evening, movers and shakers come in to buy the expensive stuff but that's not my shift.
The half-elf sighs as she straightens up I've been surviving by keeping my head down through good times and bad, and I'll continue doing the same. I'll see what that old skinflint's will says but I'm hard to budge from here. I've got the keys and know how everything works I'll let you know.
Then louder, Now you want some bread and cheese with that?
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"Thank you, ma'am! Bread and cheese will do fine!" Pytho replies, with equally loud voice.
Then, a large gulp of ale from the mug to give himself some time to think what the bartender just said. Something fishy going about, all right. He slams the mug down on the table, and speaks again to the woman, this time with a quieter voice.
"The expensive stuff? What would that be?"
Apparently the age old trick of revealing secrets for food still worked! (Though Erytheis had a nagging feeling the offered bread and cheese wouldn't *actually* be free.) "Yes please!" she beams.
"Oooooh so an ancient plot then!" the sprite whispers to her companions. She looks around to make sure none are too close or obviously listening in. "Trouble trouble trouble just before he wanted to buy. Sounds like a devil's bargain. How many other tricks like that has he pulled? A good way to make foes. Or deals that are hard to hold up ... Still, I doubt our goaty friend has a history of barkeeping."
Not.. my.. shift.. The lady of the bar repeats with finality.
When she returns with the food (very quickly as there's no real prep involved), she does offer. Tastes better than the swill you're drinking though.
"Maybe the goat was cashing in Pavesky's tab?" Asta ventures, taking a gulp of ale. "All those devil's bargains end badly for the signer, right? I suspect we'll know more when we get that Infernalese translated."
When the barkeep returns, Asta nods her thanks. "Sorry, a little confused here. You saying that the place is always busy, but the patrons are never folks that live in the area? Why don't they come here, you think?"
Simple enough, Aram's... was.. as skinflint and watered down the drink and the suspicious types that he invited in after hours gives the place a bad rep. Locals found better places but somehow tourists that don't expect any better keep filling the place morn till sundown.
She moves away but before she does she says There were always rumours how someone from away would do so well with Chels... Hellsigned always made the most sense... but I don't want anything to do with it.
"The imps, the imps were trying to collect. Or vulture? But yes, we'll need the texts." the sprites concludes and goes to enjoy the tourist experience. Watered down ale and cheese! What more could one wish for?
"Hellsigned," Asta whispers, her face draining of what little color it has. "Bad, bad news."
She tips back the ale, finishing it all in one long gulp, and slams it on the table. Nothing good to come of messing around in the affairs of the Hellsigned. Of course they didn't have a choice.
Next up, after settling the bill of course (9 sp, no wonder Pavisky was doing well) is the Bank of Abadar, a nice stroll up Midland with the Jeggare river flowing to the right as Asta leads the way past the fortification walls that mark the beginning of NorthPoint, the oldest settled part of Korvosa. Northpoint covers the northern part of the city outside of Old Korvosa and has distinct wards, the one they're in though is posh. Here the decorations are more expensive thanin Midland and adorn the gates of private homes and government buildings.
The CrystalHue decorations on the Bank of Abadar are very tasteful while making clear their quality and expense. Shelyn and Abadar are allies after all.
While the bank is officially closed for the holidays there are still plenty of guards (from the Korvosan Guard of course) around and when Asta mentions who they're here to see to one, she nods. That one don't stop working no matter what. She did say to expect three fitting your description so I'll lead you to her.
Inside the bank is clean, orderly, and hushed but a bit mazelike with a lot of rooms set aside for accounting and important discussions. The Guards are the type that take care of their gear and look like they'd be ready to go out on parade at a moment's notice.
Well, good luck with whatever you're mixed up in. your escort says. If you need help finding your way out just let anyone know and... Merry CrystalHue.
Hafspotter's personal office is, compared to the rest of the place, a mess. There are a few folders scattered about a desk with paper almost spilling out of the edges. There are various boards with scribbles on them marking dates of recent crimes and suspicious characters. All set low to the ground so that Asta and Pytho feel like they're looming while Erytheis doesn't have to scramble up tooo much.
Hafspotter turns around from one of the boards. Ah, I was expecting you first thing in the morning, but... not too late I suppose. She casts Detect Magic on you again and winces. It's still there... now... the amount of magic on you three marks you as... Persons of Interest, possible threats to the city but it doesn't seem like you mean to be... especially you former Guardswoman Ingedottir. It's because of that I'll allow you your freedom...
She somehow stares the group down even though she's shorter than two of you.
BUT, you will do as I say or I will have you thrown into an anti magic bubble of the highest order to be studied. I want you to go to Theumanexus College in East Shore, the head professor there is a friend and should be able to figure out what magic the three of you are under... do I make myself clear?
"Hey, easy there, mister." Pytho raises both of his hands up, trying to appear as harmless as a half-orc can. "Trust me, we want to get rid of this weird magic as much as you."
He looks around the office, maybe a bit disappointed. Perhaps he was expecting a similar grandeur as in the main hall. "So you keep track on suspicious types, eh?" Pytho points at one of the boards. "Anything on this Pavinsky fellow? He must somehow linked to whatever ails us."
"It'd be a pretty shoddy curse if it was gone wouldn't it?" Erytheis shrugs. But yeah; better play nice. Being stuck in a bubble was one of her phobias. Bleh. Anything but that.
With her eyes twinkling she asked "May I have the name of the head professor please?" It probably wasn't Hafspotters to give, but it was good to keep up the practice!
Pytho was right though, maybe one of these files did contain something helpful. And surely they could trade some information ... The sprite eyes the files.
The obvious connection is the monster that seems to have killed Pavisky also seems to have placed this magic on you of course. Hafspotter says to Pytho, her tone softened by Erytheis' seeming acceptance of her instruction. Could be coincidence, could be something else. if you're asking about Pavisky himself there's not much really, he appeared on our records when he bought the establishment now known as "Aram's Crown", well regarded citizen though not native, some allegations against him as is usual for any successful tradesperson but nothing solid, the only accusation that really sticks is that he hoarded resources and profiteered during the troubles that came during Queen Illeosa's short but troubled reign, but he settled accounts with the city afterwards.
To Erytheis. Of course you may, Professor Tepest Geezlebottle should be able to figure out the nature of the magic on you as he is a first rate scholar and a fundamentally decent gnome as well. He will let me know of what he finds and if I know him at all he'll help you as well.
The Cleric of Abadar gives the three of you another pointed look. I truly hope our relationship will be one of mutual trust and shared benefit. Know that I *will* be keeping a close look at the ledger however and you do not want me to think you're dipping into the red. As a *gesture* of goodwill I will give you this fair warning. *Avoid The Acadamae*, they find out about what's on you and they will want to dissect you to find out what it is and they tend to get what they want.
"Oh! That's a good name. Gnomes have the *best* names..." The sprite enjoyed a moment of good mood. Before the dissection thing. That'd be worse then a bottle. "Bleh. Let's not."
Asta gulps, and nods her head vigorously. "Aye. No Acadamae. Got it."
Truthfully, she'd avoid the Acadamae any ways, in general principle. Korvosans, as a general rule, had no concept of what happens inside those cloistered walls, and they generally preferred it that way. Asta was no exception.
"And thank you for your time, Priest Hafspotter."
"Yeah, no Acadamae." Python agrees. He isn't sure if the priest is kidding with the dissecting or not, but he'll rather not test that.
"So if this Geezlebottle is not into dissecting us, I guess we'll try him next. Asta, do you know the way to the uh... Theumanexus place (who comes with names like these...)?
"Oh yeah," Asta says, a rare smile flashing across her face. "It is on East Shore, across the Jeggare River. I mean, I know basically where the College is. I've only ever been to East Shore like twice in my life."
Asta shrugs, her armor clinking with her exaggerated movement. "Nothing really happens there. Unless you're a professor at Theumanexus College, I guess."
Indeed East Shore isn't an exciting place. Other than a few noble estates and the College itself it's really only known for being a good point to stop over before heading East into Varisia, and for being a good place to buy pack animals.
It hasn't been cold enough for the Jeggare to freeze over so the fastest way to get to the college is to hire a skiff across the Jeggare for 3 sp (or 2 if you hide Erytheris). 20 minutes
It would be equally as fast if the group walked out of Korvosa over the North Bridge and then through the Thief Camp to get back into Korvosa. The Camp is pretty rowdy though, made of people not accepted into the city proper but still choosing to live close to it. 20 minutes, and you'll get into a fight if you feel like one!
It would be cheap and safe to walk all the way south to High Bridge, cross it and the come back north to the College which is in the North East part of East Shore. (about an hour).
"Boat trip boat trip!" Erytheis casts her vote. And she's ready to make herself hard to hide; sight-seeing was way too important!
Asta smiles, resisting the urge to give the sprite a pat on top of her tiny head. "Sounds fine to me then. It is a pretty nice day for a boat ride."
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"Two silver for a boat ride!? That's a fortune! How is everything so expensive in the city?" But them, Pytho remembers the found the bag of platinum coins and that they are practically filthy rich now. And rich people don't walk.
"Right, boat ride it is."
Korvosan winters can be both harsh and mild in turn and other than the rather festive dusting of now the prior night, has been fairly mild. As such the Jeggare is free of ice and the ferries are open. It's a fairly brisk trade to take people from the main city to East Shore. The sun is bright and a lack of wind makes the day almost but not quite like a pleasant spring day.
Your rower seems to be relaxed but still not talkative so 2 or 3sp and 20 minutes later the group is on the quiet streets of East Shore, the CrystalHue decorations here are more directed inwards to the homes and estates of this part of the city; meant for family and not really like the street celebrations they had passed through.
It's a very short walk from where they land across the north of East Shore to the College. It's an open campus consisting of three buildings. One is a stately manor that seems to be the administrative center, it seems to be closed for the season, the second building is very small and similarly closed. The third building is truly odd, one side of it is very large but the roof slopes down and the other side is so small that only Erytheris would be able to get in. The door at the center is open though and inside the medium sized entrance desk proclaims the building to be Geezlebottle Hall.
The place seems to be mostly deserted but there are some noises coming from the 'smaller' side of the building. Following the noise leads to a shrinking hallway and an open door into a room that seems to be sized for halflings and gnomes shows a gnome with wild and very dark hair singing to himself while thumbing his way through a book larger than he is.
He looks up. Ahhh.... new students perhaps? An odd time to be starting but I'll not say no to the admission fees! he says with a smile that causes his mustache to slant upwards above a very impressive beard.
"Yesss!" The sprite chooses to not think about the price of said boat trip too much. Nor anything else in the city to be honest. Just enjoy soaring above the waves in the majestic vessel. [i]We have to go on one of the big ships one day![/b] she thinks - but fears that'll be more then a piece of silver. And puppy eyes won't cut it...
---
"This place is odd. Makes sense we'll find the gnome in here!" Erytheis notes when they see the sign. Heading inside the hall she makes sure to look around for the strange sights that no doubt lurked in there. Mhm. Oh! There were one; perhaps the professor? "We are looking for Professor Tepest Geezlebottle!"
The gnome smacks the book closed with a thump to hop out from behind his human width, though gnome height, reading desk.
Professor Geezlebottle at your service. he puffs himself up. And who might you three be? he looks at the three of you with sharp eyes. You there, sprite, you seem to be the only one inclined towards the arcane with your spellbook, are these two louts your friends. They certainly don't seem to be inclined towards the arts.... hold on a minute.
He casts a spell that Erytheis recognizes as the arcane version of Detect Magic and his whiskers immediately seem to flatten back like the ears of a scared cat.
Oh..... oh.. my.
"They're very friendly louts!" the sprite half protests and half confirms her companionship. Yes, they were huge and lumbering - but they had good qualities too! "I'm Erytheis and ... I see you see why we are here. Delightful."
Asta follows the lead of the others as they make their way through the campus, the former guard clearly being uncomfortable. Kneeling in the cramped hallway, Asta peers through the door into the gnome-sized room and nods.
"Aye, I'm a lout but I've been called worse. The good cleric Hafspotter sent us to you, for reasons you're surly now divining. What's the diagnosis, professor?"
Pytho holds his hand on his forehead, and bites his lip to avoid cursing out loud. Damn these small door frames and low ceilings. Five minutes in, and he has managed to bump his already twice.
"Uh... Hello?" the half-orc grunts a response to the gnome. Not the warmest of welcomes, but he is used to far worse.
"Yeah, we've got a small problem. Maybe you could help us?"
Ah.. Yes... small certainly is one way to describe it.
The gnome steadies himself and then, carefully, casts Detect Magic again. He seems to have braced himself before doing so. He then casts another spell and takes out a human sized notebook that looks like a massive tome in his hands and starts scribbling in it while mumbling to himself...
Hold Still. Hold STILL he hisses if any of you move even a muscle... which is kinda hard for Erytheis but old hat for Asta's old training. Not sure about Pytho.... He moves back and forth and casts
Fascinating... he says after about ten minutes. Come along then. he says and moves out of the room, fully expecting the three of you to follow.
He moves down the hall, thankfully towards the larger wings of the oddly shaped college, and not the smaller.
The diagnosis is uncertain. The strength of the magic upon you is artifact level but incredibly localized, the detection drops much more rapidly then you might expect... As well.. I can't even pinpoint the tradition of it.
As you might be aware Erytheis, the four essences of magic, mind, matter, life, spirit... are what make up the four traditions... with arcane taking advantage of mind and matter while the lazier arts delve into other combinations... but what I'm able to glean of whatever it is on you... it just does not... fit.. Now Nethys knows these are all very limited mortal attempts to understand the mysteries of magic, more... unlimited... sources of magic probably exist in a place where such understandings of magic begin to break down or perhaps don't even exist... oh yes, how did you this even happen to you three?
As he speaks he has ushered you into the larger parts of the campus until you come to a sort of a roughshod arena with tiered benches curving around it in a circle.
Get in the middle.. get in the middle... I'm going to set up some equipment.
Luckily pixies had evolved a self-defence mechanism against boredom. "zzz...zzZzz" ... "zzZ-oh? Yes!" She leaps to follow as if nothing had happened at all.
---
"Hmh. Hmm. Mhm! Oh *that's* an excellent question; I think it was some boogie-critter. Let's see! It was the other day and ... Oh? Do we have to stand still again?" Erytheis will do her best to recap what they knew, but she couldn't really talk and sleep stand perfectly still.
All this metaphysical poking and prodding, it made Asta deeply uncomfortable. The guardswoman blushed red and stepped into the arena, and listend to Erytheis's recounting of their strange last few days. Asta added details when appropriate, but otherwise kept silent and aware, and mentally prepared herself for the intrusion on her soul she felt would shortly come.
"Just don't prod me with anything, prof..." Pytho grunts, dragging himself into the arena. He didn't understand much on what the gnome was babbling. But from the sound of it, the professor doesn't have a clue whatever this is.
Boogie Critter.. the gnome harrumphs from behind a large desk apparatus, he takes out some items from a drawer and inserts them intot he apparatus and...
Some sort of magic energy crackles around the arena, the smell is of the aftermath of a lightning strike, and from four different spots, creatures appear, wildly disparate in nature.
One is a skeleton on four limbs, there is a floating haze of smoke, there is a blue tinged monster scrabbling and spitting at you three with it's goblin head on tentacles, and finally, there is a broom.
I would not suggest standing still. I need to know how the magic on you interacts with the essence of these different creatures. He says. The longer you last the more I'll be able to figure out.
Caught completely unawares, the three of you are quickly beset by the four.
The broom, motivated by some instinct to clean out pests, moves to swat Erytheis.
◆Move
◆
◆
The first hits, dealing Erytheis quite a smack, a cloud of dust raises, completely enveloping the sprite.
And it gets right into her lungs sending her into a coughing fit.
The animalistic skeleton bounds around the room and leaps at Pytho.
◆Move
◆Knockdown
The young half-orc is bowled over by the attack, literally, not only do the jaws of the creature really hurt but it twists its head sending Pytho crashing to the floor.
Simultaneously, the haze of smoke, coalesces into a wisp that flies at Asta
◆Move
◆
◆Prep
A little gust of air slams into Asta, knocking the breath out of her then the wisp seems to pause...
As the tendriled abomination with the head of a goblin hops up, finding an opportunity to flank with the wisp and attacks the surrounded Asta with a spear.
◆◆Two Moves
As it does the wisp lashes out again, distracting Asta.
↺
Leaving quite a large opening for the small horror.
◆
Which it is able to take advantage of the spear getting through Asta's defenses.
"Oof!" Oaf! And not the good kind either. I'll show you what swatters get! The small sprite conjures magical fire and lashes out.
Burn wicked creation burn!!
”That was… ” Pytho grumbles, swiping some blood away. Annoyed, he feels his orcish nature taking hold of him, and he feels furious. He gets up, almost screaming in rage.
”… uncalled for!“ he hisses, and the air around the half-orc starts to heat up.
Asta growls and raises her shield towards the horror, and with her other hand brings her sword up in an overhand chop, one time and then again. She would focus on the horror, attempting to down it first, and then deal with the wisp.
Taken by surprise only Erytheis is able to cause any damage as Asta misses, Pytho envelopes the skeleton and the horror in a sudden fiery aura though.
The broom is looking worse for wear but it's not down so it thwacks at Erytheis.
◆
◆
◆
Now that the sprite is ready for it, she dodges swiftly away from the hateful cleaning implement.
◆
The skeleton on the other hand is on its game
And knocks Pytho out (double damage so Pytho is at 0 and Dying 2 because this was a crit. Sorry!
It then shifts to flank Erytheis
◆Move
And Bites
◆
Which hits because she is flanked.
◆
Meanwhile the horror and the smoke do their actions again on the flanked Asta.
◆
◆
◆Prep
One hits gets through
↺
Then the wisp distracts Asta allowing the horror to flail its tenacles at Asta
◆
Which barely gets through Asta's defenses thanks to the flank AND the aid. Unless Asta Shield Blocks the damage. She is also grabbed by the little creature
Either way the small creature attempts to gnaw on Asta.
◆
◆
Geezlebottle looks over with surprise and harrumphs as Pytho collapses. How can there be so much magic but still be so fragile... bah... highly improbable.. but... perhaps...
Some dials are twisted and various crystal apparata around the arena glow for a moment...
Spend all your Hero Points (minimum 1) to avoid death. You can do this when your dying condition would increase. You lose the dying condition entirely and come back to consciousness with 1 Hit Points. You don't gain the wounded condition or increase its value from losing the dying condition in this way, but if you already had that condition, you don't lose it or decrease its value.
So, Pytho not only doesn't increase dying value but comes back awake at 1 hit point so can act this turn. You're prone though.
Erytheis briefly considers how Geezlebootle's eyebrows can contain so much magic but still be so flammable ... Bah. The gnome was helping, for some value of helping. And if he wasn't, better deal with the minions first. Or run away ... Valor wins this time and she raises her bow against the monstrous behemoth of a broom and sends a searing shot at it. Maybe if it goes down ..!
Despite the arrow barely grazing the broom, the slight lick of flame is just enough to bring the dancing cleaning implement crashing to the ground.
Asta grimaces, and lowers her shield, deciding to concentrate on ending the fight with the Wisp and the horror as quickly as possible. She swings her sword in a series of quick thrusts, one-two-three, and ignores the wisp for now.
Pytho grits his teeth.
That skeleton ripped his throat open, and his upper body is now a river of blood. It takes all his willpower to stay conscious, and all his might just to stay alive.
He calls into powers given to him. He smells the brimstone and feels the heat. And he channels. A divine flame cauterizes his wounds, making him feel better, more alive.
Then, with more magic, he protects himself against further attacks.