GM Harrow’s Curse of the Crimson Throne - AE

Game Master GM Harrow

"That would be the question." He admits "As I said, it may just my misunderstanding of something tainted by accident rather than deliberately. The Acadamae makes one ... jump at shadows sometimes. You're welcome. Here's hoping to a full recovery."

"Let us know where she found the purse when she wakes. Could be important in preventing more sickness." While Shrike doesn't feel she did anything, and so can't accept Tayce Soldado's thanks, she nods to the woman anyway. That was a dismissal, and she can't wait to leave this house. "Ma'am."

But first— The shrike mask turns deliberately to Ishani Dhatri. "That was a kindness you didn't owe, Brother. You ever need help, ask for Audria at the Sanctuary of Shelyn. She'll find us."

Abella declares that she will stay here to see to Brienna's recovery, and will send word once she finds out where the girl found the pouch.

Ishani breaks into a radiant smile at Shrike's praise, and bows. "It... felt good. And I am always happy to meet a fellow cleric - even though we may not follow the same faith, we are in service to those in need."

With his niece out of immediate danger, Grau Soldado is relieved and thankful as well. "I need to get back to the Citadel, my shift starts in a couple of hours. But thank you for helping my family, I will never forget it. Anything you need that it is in my power to provide, it's yours." He sounds earnest and sincere.

You have a couple of days of downtime before the next event, if anyone has anything they'd like to do.

Audria starts to protest when Shrike says to find her at the the Sanctuary but finds she's not swift enough to correct the vigilante.

"Um, I-- I won't be there for some time," Audria says blushing a little bit as she thinks through her options. "Find me at [insert Jessica's address here] in North Point. If I'm not there, my friend should be. Her name is Jessica. If she's not there either, just leave a note and we'll come find you."

When Ishani calls her a cleric she blushes even more.

"I guess you can call me that, though I'm not anywhere near as powerful as others in my faith. I'm more like a guardian or a knight," she tries to explain.

After washing her hands thoroughly with hot water and soap, Audria slips back to the Sanctuary and tells Brother Theolan and Sister Jenelyn what happened and that it might not be a bad idea to prepare for more cases. Perhaps Shrike's and Shane's paranoia is starting to rub off on her, but something about this doesn't sit well with her.

GM, Unless anyone has other plans, Audria will spend her downtime performing for coin and trying to gather some information through eavesdropping and talking with others. Do you want me to roll for Tally too on the eavesdropping?

Yes, please roll.

Though the mask remains impassive, Shrike does not fail to note that a smile instead of a worried look suits the Vault-Brother. A handsome young man with a good heart and a confirmed vocation? If this is what I think it is, Mistress Soldado could do much worse.

But it is Grau Soldado she responds to, and a thought that has been slowly percolating since the twins told them about the purse. The ship whose bombardment and sinking had interrupted the show on the eleventh had been coming upriver, not so far from here. No one could agree what kind of ship it had been, exactly, or why they would sink it. But plague flags and no one at the helm responding to hails would be an excellent reason. Could Brienna have found the purse as wreckage washed up on shore? "There was a ship. Three nights ago. Sunk near North Bridge by trebuchet. If you hear anything solid about why, we'd appreciate it. Still looking for Rolth Lamm and his associate too. Female elf. Last seen with long blonde hair. Possibly goes by Jenny or Josie."

The mask does twitch toward Audria as she gives her own and Jessica's address for a contact point instead, but if Shrike has an opinion, she keeps it to herself.

This is a fine development, but I just want to note that I had not forgotten that Audria is not living at the Sanctuary of Shelyn anymore. Shrike is just sufficiently paranoid that she wouldn't give out Audria's current home address without asking her first, even though she knows it. To her mind, the system of directing requests to the Sanctuary so the people there can send a message on to Audria, like what just happened with Grau Soldado for this plot development, is a good balance between safety and findability. The Sanctuary seems pretty untouchable to her, unlike a random house or flat. Audria might care about whether it's inconvenient for Brother Theolan and the others to be her forwarding address; Shrike doesn't.

I'll work on a post for two days of downtime tomorrow. Thanks for letting us know what to expect, GM.

Fair enough, regarding where to get in touch with Audria. We can just as easily ignore that part of my post if we need to.

Audria spends the next couple of days trying to learn more about where the mysterious purse may have come from, but it seems she's marked herself as something of a pariah with her questions. She only earns three more silver for her efforts, and as she goes back to Jessica's home on the second evening after meeting Grau and Tayce Soldado again, she wonders if she should go back to trying to find a way to worm into Halvara's inner circle.

Shane's time after this is not as free as he'd like. He buys some materials to write on, and ink, and then gets back home to scribing sections of the book on plagues, the part about symptoms and how to help (rather than nastier things), going over it after he does so to make sure it was done correctly.

The first copy will go to the temple of Abadar (Brother Ishani if he can find him again), the second to the temple of Shelyn, and so on. How many can he crank out in the time he has? He's not sure.

He has profession scribe. He'd probably take 10 to get 15 and make sure he did a useful job, not going for elegant script here ;) But I can roll if you like.

Shane's time after this is not as free as he'd like. He buys some materials to write on, and ink, and then gets back home to scribing sections of the book on plagues, the part about symptoms and how to help (rather than nastier things), going over it after he does so to make sure it was done correctly.

The first copy will go to the temple of Abadar (Brother Ishani if he can find him again), the second to the temple of Shelyn, and so on. How many can he crank out in the time he has? He's not sure.

He has profession scribe. He'd probably take 10 to get 15 and make sure he did a useful job, not going for elegant script here ;) But I can roll if you like.

Shane may want to add this cantrip to his spellbook - that ought to speed things up: Scrivener's chant

While he's still officially on special duty and not obligated to participate in the the daily routines and patrols of Sable Company, Elric decides to spend some of his free time assisting with the training of new recruits.

Profession (Soldier): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26 Nice! That should earn him 13 gp for a weeks work.

His recent combat experience proves quite instructive, and the officer in charge of training authorizes the payment of a small cash bonus.

Remainder of Sunday, Sarenith 14-Toilday, Sarenith 16, 4708

Merula spends the theatre's two dark days after the worrying episode of Brienna Soldado's sickness training herself and Isi during the mornings, and in the afternoon visiting with friends and reinforcing the social bonds she has neglected for the last month — as well as subtly probing for anything her contacts in the entertainment world may have heard about Lamm, 'Jenny,' the mysterious sunken ship, or the equally mysterious and possibly contaminated silver purse. At night, Shrike stakes out Eel's End for a few hours and shakes down one or two revelers for the same information, targeting those who look like sailors especially, but she goes home relatively early.

In the course of her journeys across the city, she replaces her grappling arrow, weapon rags and a few other sundries. Thinking of the stale air of the Soldados' sickroom, the infected giant zombie, and Lamm's unsettling focus on diseases in his library, she also buys a vial of antiplague from a shady Bridgefront apothecary for the next time she has to venture somewhere unclean.

4d20 ⇒ (7, 8, 7, 14) = 36 3d20 ⇒ (5, 7, 15) = 27 2d20 ⇒ (20, 14) = 34 1d20 ⇒ 5

Shane spends a couple of days copying the most relevant passages from the books and sorting them into neat leather folios. The first he goes to deliver to the Bank of Abadar. More than just a temple to the god of cities, the Grand Vault of Abadar also serves as the city's main bank, offering security boxes (said to be the safest in Varisia), saving and investment accounts, loans, and even writs of credit. However, the crowd currently clamouring on the marble steps leading to the great bronze doors seem to have little interest in financial matters at the moment. Dozens of people - mostly of the working class, although the silks of a few merchants show through the crowd - throng the entry, scarcely being held back by a group of gold-armored Abadaran clerics. All seem intent on gaining entry to the temple, but the clerics turn away nearly all comers. The clerics' reasoning becomes clear as one desperate believer is turned away, his pitiful countenance mottled with violent red sores that Shane immediately recognizes.

However, the crowd currently clamouring on the marble steps leading to the great bronze doors seem to have little interest in financial matters at the moment. Dozens of people - mostly of the working class, although the silks of a few merchants show through the crowd - throng the entry, scarcely being held back by a group of gold-armored Abadaran clerics. All seem intent on gaining entry to the temple, but the clerics turn away nearly all comers. The clerics' reasoning becomes clear as one desperate believer is turned away, his pitiful countenance mottled with violent red sores that Shane immediately recognizes.

Shane recoils from the diseased man! A true irony given how many have recoiled from him or other tieflings. Guilt fills him almost immediately afterwards but he doesn't close again. It's spreading.

Indecision engulfs him. He covers his mouth and nose if he can with part of his clothing, and looks to see if he can move around the crowd to get to the priests. It may seem a waste of spells, but he has both invisibility and flight options. If he can get forward and into the temple with the former without getting too close to the crowd, he'll try that. If he can't ... he'll fly over the barrier and land, hoping he's not shot by any temple guards.

Either way, once past the crowds and near the priests he says "I have payment for Brother Ishani. Your temple can use this."

The temple guards turn away all who show signs of disease, while others need to fight through the frenzied crowd to get anywhere near the doors. It takes Shane four attempts to muscle through and reach the guards. The mention of Ishani's name seems enough to gain entry, and after a brief visual scrutiny the wizard is waved through. A chorus of dismayed shouts sounds behind him, cut off by the great bronze doors shutting firmly behind him.

5d20 ⇒ (5, 5, 5, 16, 18) = 49 1d100 ⇒ 49

Inside the temple, the atmosphere is calmer, but far from serene. Within its airy hall, priests and patrons eye each other and every newcomer with suspicion, and every footfall upon the marble floor echoes through a frightened silence. Shane is shown to a small meeting room to the side, and a quarter of an hour later Brother Ishani Dhatri appears, looking tired and tense.

"My friend, what can I do for you? Is... is Brienna sick again? One of her brothers? Her mother?"

Waved through or not, he tries to avoid anyone getting close.

"My friend, what can I do for you? Is... is Brienna sick again? One of her brothers? Her mother?"

"I don't know, to be honest. I spent time making copies of the helpful sections of that book. I came here, and am I mad or do we have some sort of plague underway? Is it what she had?" He hands the copies over "If this can help, all the better. I.. I should warn my friends. Any messages for them?" He's rambling a bit. Unlike him.

Sorry for late post

The coincidence of a strange illness and a missing necromancer who experimented in horror is too much for Pava to ignore; they cannot try to focus on brighter things than Lamm any longer.

A man like that needs more than a quiet room, he needs a space to work, a space where strange smells and sounds will not be remarked on, and one far from the growing list of his enemies. Korvosa's a big city, but given time, they'll narrow the search.

Knowledge (local): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16
Knowledge (local): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7
Or maybe get themself into trouble

After dark on Toilday, Shrike seeks out Audria at Jessica's lodgings in North Point, and relays both her suspicions about the unpiloted ship, and what her informants have told her over the last two days. Not all the information she gained is reliable — for instance, she has good reasons to think the Key-Lock Killer was Rolth or Gaedren Lamm, and not a city arbiter — but thieves, cultists, and assassins are indeed operating in Korvosa, and wererats are only a little more improbable than the Red Mantis. It also seems clear the mysterious ship was sailing under quarantine flags, or unresponsive and unpiloted, or both. The sailor she spoke to who said the ship was deserted seemed the most certain. "With no one aboard it makes no sense. A tainted purse would've sunk to the bottom, not washed up on shore in Thief Camp. But if a few sick sailors were still belowdecks, and escaped to Thief Camp when it was sunk... could've lost it getting ashore." She asks that Audria let the others know what she has been able to learn when she can.

Everyone feel free to read that Shrike/Merula spoiler. No one but Shane currently knows that the red-sores-and-coughing sickness has been rapidly spreading in the city, right?

Bank of Abadar

"Your friends! That's a great- Sorry, sorry." Brother Ishani waves his hands as if to erase what he was about to say, then takes a deep breath. "The day I healed Brienna, I returned to the temple to hear that three of my brothers awoke with similar symptoms, although they had already been healed. I spoke to each, and aside from their usual duties in the temple, none have had any dealings with any who are ill. The next day, more of my fellow priests - acolytes, guards, vaultkeepers - developed symptoms, and folk from throughout the city began arriving in search of healing. It's been more than a little bit frightening." Ishani raises his hand towards his face as if to rub it, then seems to think better of it and wipes it on his robe. "They’re calling the sickness 'blood veil'. An apt enough name, I suppose. Most of the patients we’re treating have come from North Point and Old Korvosa. The disease seems to spread fastest through the lower classes. Although we here at the temple can heal some of the ill, I dread that the transmission of the disease will soon outpace our resources. The only way to stem the growing infection is to involve the entire city. We need to organize. We need to call upon the faiths of Sarenrae, Pharasma, and even Asmodeus to face this attack. And of course, your friend's temple of Shelyn."

He nods towards the eerily quiet halls of the Grand Vault outside of their meeting room. "Archbanker Tuttle and several of his assistants are out pursuing alliances with these other faiths, but even that won't be enough. We need to involve the Korvosan Guard and the queen's new corps, the Gray Maidens, at the very least. That's where you and your friends come in. With the number of desperate souls growing, it's not particularly safe for a priest to walk the streets of Korvosa. One of your friends had a martial bearing and the insignia of both the guard and the Sable Company. Perhaps you - and they - would be willing to escort me to Citadel Volshyenek for an introduction?" His expression is hopeful, but he seems to know just how much he is asking - for a bunch of strangers to put their lives in danger. "The temple will pay, of course!"

@Shrike - You may have seen one or two sick people around, but nothing on the scale that Shane saw at the Bank of Abadar.

A Duckling Canary and the Shrike
Audria frowns as she hears the news and ponders what it could mean. A disease that might have started spreading through tainted coins or their purses and a plague ship that apparently never identified itself being sunk right before Brienna's illness. She's sure that Merula is on the right path.

"Shouldn't we have heard about sick sailors by now if they were the ones that brought the purse ashore? This doesn't make any sense. I think you're right, the ship and the tainted purse seem to be related," she says. "But why? Is someone on the outside trying to destabilize Korvosa from within? Is it some twisted experiment? I don't think we know enough. Maybe the ship holds some answers."

Bank of Abadar

It is a ... LOT to take in.But the priest's points are both alarming, and accurate, "I concur organization is best in this for a coordinated response for curing or at least preventing spread. This Blood Veil seems to be nightmarish. I was going to give other copies of the papers I gave you to them as well. So please, share that knowledge. I suppose I should first go to Audria and the others to make sure they get the information. As for hiring us... I can't speak of negotiate for us all, and i confess my first instinct is to fly over the city wall and wish everyone here the best of luck. However, what is instinct but a foe meant for a civilized mind to overcome? I'll find them as soon as i can and alert them to your request."

Why am I CONSIDERING this? I have no spell to resist illness. I'm no Warrior with enough health to eat pox and spit out the common cold due to my meaty masculine vigor, nor a priest myself protected by some kindly god with means to fight this! He frowns This is THEIR fault, that entirely too decent crowd I've fallen in with. 'Dabble in a little do gooding' they seem to say, then WHAM, you're hooked on Civic minded lifestyles! A resigned sigh escapes him, "i might be able to cover you with invisibility for part of the trip too. Unless there is anything else, I'll head off to alert them now"

And he'll head out to one of their usual locales... Probably whatever is closest :)

Canary and the Shrike — North Point, 16 Sarenith 4708

"Shouldn't we have heard about sick sailors by now if they were the ones that brought the purse ashore? This doesn't make any sense. I think you're right, the ship and the tainted purse seem to be related," she says. "But why? Is someone on the outside trying to destabilize Korvosa from within? Is it some twisted experiment? I don't think we know enough. Maybe the ship holds some answers."

"Maybe. Holds them on the river bottom if so. Seen a few mor—" Shrike breaks off as a rapid knocking sounds at Jessica's door, and in the next moment has flattened herself to the wall beside it with her spear out.

The Bank of Abadar is also in North Point, so I hope it wouldn't be too far-fetched for Shane to come straight here.

Sounds good to me!

Canary and the Shrike — North Point, 16 Sarenith 4708

"Anyone in there today? It's Shane." Shane's voice says "I've news, and it's terrible."

Audria, throws the door open when she hears Shane's voice.

"Come in! What's going on," she asks as she gets out of wizard's way so he can come in and she can close the doot.

"Don't take this wrong, but don't touch me. I have been wearing gloves and keeping distance best I can and I'm 90% sure I'm fine. But I was at the Temple of Abadar, and it's nuts there. The Blood veil is spreading like wildfire and they actually have to turn people away. Brother Ishani healed Brienna, well the same day..." And he explains everything, about the condition among the priests, about the spread through the lower classes especially, of how they've dealt so far, and how they need to organize. And.. how Brother Ishani wants to hire them "So we've got a job if we want it. I don't really but this needs to be done."

In short he relates EVERYTHING Brother Ishani told him

"Oh, and i have a copy of those papers for you to give to the temple of Shelyn, Audria."

"I can deliver them to the Sanctuary while I'm letting Elric know what's going on. Are you sure he said that the three bankers that got sick never left the temple or came into contact with anyone from outside of it," she asks Shane. Her belly feels as if the bottom of it had dropped out and she looks pale with worry. Before she leaves, she writes a note for Jessica, warning her about the spreading illness, its symptoms as best as she can describe them from Shane's account and what she saw with Brienna, and asking her if she has anything that could help limit the spread. After that, she changes into something more suited for what she thinks is going to be a rather stressful trip across town.

"Will you let Abella and Pava know? I think it might be better to meet at the Bank of Abadar than at the Sanctuary," she tells Shane and Shrike as she changes.

Audria will deliver the copy of the Rolth's research into diseases that Shane made to the Sanctuary then go find Elric and let him know that Ishani is asking them to escort him across town.

Elric is naturally more than willing to assist in any efforts that might help combat the plague.

During his time with Sable Company, he would also have asked around if anyone had more info on the mysterious ship and the steps taken to sink it.

Shrike swiftly swings the spear back into its usual sling when Audria opens the door to reveal it is only Shane and quickly closes it behind him. Though she needed no warning to not rush in to give him a hug of greeting, she still takes a wary step back at his mention of the disease they are calling blood veil. "I've seen a few people around with the red sores too. But nothing like that. The other temples'll be full too. Brother Dhatri needs an escort, he has one. Plague ship and purses'll have to wait." She sketches the outline of the information she's turned up for Shane. She turns to Audria, looking for the little bird that usually accompanies her. "You'll get the hawk? Be nice to have his badge for this. And his beast."

It is well known that the Sable Company's hippogriffs fly from Fort Korvosa on Garrison Hill, across the Narrows of St. Alika, so that is probably where Galewing and thus Elric are. The old fort is in the opposite direction from where they need to take the Brother. But Reefclaw Run is that way too, and it seems they're taking the time to assemble all the defenses they can.

"Pava's on the way. I'll go. Might be fastest for Tally to fly to Thief Camp. Think Abella's still with the Soldados." And we don't know how many in Thief Camp are sick. Could be like a leper colony by now.

Shrike makes ready to travel and leaves North Point with Audria, crossing the Narrows on one of the smaller, unofficial bridges to avoid any large crowds of people on the main bridge. She splits off from Fort Korvosa Boulevard, the main route through Old Korvosa up to the Fort, when she smells Reefclaw Run Market, the oldest seafood market in the city.

Just off the Reefclaw Run fountain, follow the smell of fish. Hah. Smells like fish everywhere through here. Red paint, shingle marked with a Shoanti tattoo.

"Are you okay with doing that Tally," Audria asks the bird that is apparently napping in the nest she's built for herself.

Tally stirs and gives a yawn before hopping down.

"Find Abella at the Soldados and let her know what's going on, right," she asks.

"Yes, and do you know what we're doing and where we're going?"

"Escorting Ishani to the Citadel after meeting up at the Bank of Abadar," the little thrush replies. "I was paying attention."

"Right and it had nothing to do with getting woken up from your nap," Audria teases before opening a window. "Be careful, Tally. I like you in one piece."

Tally nuzzles Audria's cheek before taking off and heading out to Thief's End and Abella.

"I guess I should get going too," Audria says as she closes the door. She's not expecting a fight, but it never hurts to be prepared, so she takes her armor and arms with her. "Elric can help me get it all on. I'll see you two in a little bit."

With that, she's hurrying over to where the Sable Company Marines are based to let Elric know that things are getting worse.

One thing you can’t say about his friends, they don’t sit on their laurels.
”I was told they never had any interaction with anyone who was sick, they might have gone out to folks who they didn’t know were sick… or who came to them.” He clarifies, ”We don’t know the incubation time of if folks who seem fine are merely in the first stages and still infectious.”
Shrike gives her own findings and confirms they WILL be escorting the Abadarian. Between that and Audria’s plan to disguise him, it seems like the group will most likely agree as a whole.

Tally is put to work to find Abella while the paladin will go to find Eric, and Shrike seeks out Pava.

”Right, I guess I better head back to the temple and tell the good brother we agree or do you need me to go somewhere else? Sorry, I’m brilliant, but this is a bit fast paced.”

He's unsure what they want him to do next.

Audria pauses for a moment, pondering Shane's question.

"No, I think going back to the Bank of Abadar and letting Ishani know we're coming is probably the best course of action. I'd also try to get with the Head Banker as well. I think this is spreading through the coins," She tells Shane.

"We only know of one purse. But Bankers getting sick without treating the sick sure sounds like contaminated coins. We'll be there in under an hour."

"Maybe, but that one purse was also the only strange thing Brienna ran across before she got sick."

"Off to the Bank of Abadar for me then... and perhaps to the temple of Sarenrae first to drop off one of the copies if I can get in." He ndos to the ladies and heads out to do just that.

Shrike's appearance in the nearest doorway is soundless. Only a slight change in the quality of the shadows announces her presence before she speaks. "We're needed."

Pava looks up sharply, the sting of Lamm's disappearing act clear on their face. "So what else is bloody well new? Just tell me you've got a fresh lead or at least a proper outlet to vent my spleen at."

"Not unless you can punch a disease." The level croak does not sound hopeful on this point. One of Shrike's ears twitches very slightly. "Sickness is spreading. They're calling it blood veil. That Vault-Brother needs to see Kroft. Organize. Without getting mobbed."

I believe the hippogriffs are mostly at the Great Tower in North Point.

As the group assembles in front of the High Bank of Abadar, the scene is slightly different than a few hours ago. The crowds surrounding the building have mostly dispersed and the remaining stragglers are kept at bay by the temple guards. A few acolytes are scrubbing what looks like bloodstains from the marble steps.

Is Audria visibly wearing her holy symbol?

I believe the hippogriffs are mostly at the Great Tower in North Point.

Correct. Elric and Galewing both reside in the Great Tower and this is where Audria finds them.

Elric checks his weapons and gear before mounting up on Galewing. The Sable Company insignia is clearly visible on the hippogriff’s saddle.

After thinking about it, no, she isn't. She got into the habit of hiding it after Trinia was falsely accused.

Seeing the bloodstains, Audria's heart sinks. She hoped that no one was killed or permanently injured, but she isn't hopeful about that. She sticks close to Elric and Galewing, hoping that being close to them would help her not lose her nerve.

At the Bank of Abadar

As the group assembles in front of the High Bank of Abadar, the scene is slightly different than a few hours ago. The crowds surrounding the building have mostly dispersed and the remaining stragglers are kept at bay by the temple guards. A few acolytes are scrubbing what looks like bloodstains from the marble steps.

"What happened?" He asks the acolytes, "And I and some friends are here at Brother Dhatri's request."

Oh sorry, I thought Elric was training the other marines, so I got it mixed up with the Endrin Military Academy in Fort Korvosa.

Bank of Abadar
Shrike keeps back and to the shadows until it looks like Brother Dhatri is ready to be on the way. She hopes Shane told the initiates about the possibly contaminated coins before they got here.

Not sure Shane did. *Facepalm* he was a bit overwhelmed at sight of the plague at the Bank earlier

That's okay, Audria's planning on bringing it up.

Oh sorry, I thought Elric was training the other marines, so I got it mixed up with the Endrin Military Academy in Fort Korvosa.

It would make good sense that he’s assisting with the training at the academy during the day (either with or without Galewing), then return to his quarters at the Great Tower after duty.

Elric is relieved that the crowd has dispersed but the signs of violence puts him on edge. He stays outside with Galewing, close to where Shrike is lurking.

”Go get Brother Dhatri. Make sure anything that could identify him as a cleric is covered. Once we’re ready to move, I’ll take point on Galewing, that should clear a path. “

Audria looks up at Elric and nods. He's likely had far more experience than she has at this, and it sounds like a good plan to her. She follows Shane inside, and when they reach Brother Dhatri, she speaks up.

"Hello, Brother Dhatri. It seems that things have gotten a lot worse in just a few days. Shane told me that some of the clergy that had no interactions with those outside had taken ill. We found out that the only strange thing that Brienna had interacted with before taking ill was a purse full of silver. I think whatever plague we face is being spread using coins," she tells him. "We were planning to have you dress as a merchant to escort you to the Citadel, do you think we could speak with the head banker while you get changed?"

Pava's jaw tightens as they look at the bloodstain on the church steps. "Right on your heels," they murmur as they split off to question the acolytes.

"Nasty business there, what happened?"

One of the acolytes grimaces at Shane and Pava's question. "People got desperate, all sorts of rumours were flying... they started fighting each other trying to get into the temple." She holds a sturdy staff, but wears no visible lethal weapons. "We did all we could to break them up before things got worse."

The remaining crowds keep their wary distance from the group, especially once they sight Galewing. Inside, Brother Ishani seems relieved to see Shane, Audrie and whoever might have followed them into the interior of the temple. "Thank you, thank you so much for coming." He has already removed or hidden his holy symbol, and instead of the clerical robes he is wearing a Vudrani long-sleeved embroidered tunic and loose cotton pants. A scarf matching the pants is wrapped around his neck and over his nose and mouth, and he is wearing a pair of ratty gloves, too small for him.

His expressive brows shoot up at Audria's mention of the coins. "That would be terrible! Everyone in this city handles coins every day! Just a moment, I will relay to my superiors what you just told me." His scarf slips a little as he smiles awkwardly, and he hurries to replace it. "It would be better if you were there with me, but the Archbanker is... very selective about who he comes into contact with, these days. I probably won't be able to see him either, so I will have to pass the word to his secretary."

Audria nods and follows Ishani to the Archbanker's office. She feels her nerves ratchet, less so because she hadn't thought to cover her nose, mouth, and hands than the thought of potentially meeting the head of the Abadarian faith in Korvosa.

Sorry, not a lot to add.

One of the acolytes grimaces at Shane and Pava's question. "People got desperate, all sorts of rumours were flying... they started fighting each other trying to get into the temple." She holds a sturdy staff, but wears no visible lethal weapons. "We did all we could to break them up before things got worse."

Shane shares the grimace, "My sympathies..." He isn't a fan of abadar as a god, but he may change his mind yet as his followers here seem decent enough. They certainly don't deserve a panicked mob. "Hysteria is a formidable force in mobs." Shane tries to keep at least a few feet from anyone but his friends during this, not always possible he knows.

His expressive brows shoot up at Audria's mention of the coins. "That would be terrible! Everyone in this city handles coins every day! Just a moment, I will relay to my superiors what you just told me." His scarf slips a little as he smiles awkwardly, and he hurries to replace it. "It would be better if you were there with me, but the Archbanker is... very selective about who he comes into contact with, these days. I probably won't be able to see him either, so I will have to pass the word to his secretary."

And just like that, his respect for the temple goes down again , or at least the Archbanker

Pava nods, unconvinced but aware there's no good reason. "You should get better help. Bloodshed on the church's threshold isn't what you need when you're already facing a shortage of care. Even if it does mean more business in the short term."

They flex their hands out, and walk upstairs. "Not a bad idea to look after any recent changes at the mint too, eh?"

With the hypothesis of tainted coins relayed to the upper echelons of the temple's clergy, Brother Dhatri is ready to venture out. With no holy symbol in sight and the prickly demeanours of Shrike, Pava and Elric, reaching Citadel Volshyenek poses little problem, despite Ishani's fear to the contrary. Although many in the city attempt to conduct life as normal, whispers and quiet conversations replace the raucous chatter of any normal business day, as if noise might attract the disease's lethal notice.

The Citadel is no exception; fewer than usual guards are drilling in the courtyard, and those standing guard at the gates seem tense. Fortunately, enough are by now familiar with the motley group that they are waved through without issue - especially at the mention that they are escorting an envoy from the Bank of Abadar. In the Field Marshal's office, Cressida Kroft looks as tired and harangued as ever, although she musters a half-smile as everyone shuffles into the room.

"Well! It's been a while. Tell me, is the country air as good for your health as they say? Perhaps I should take a holiday and see for myself..." The growing piles of paperwork on her desk seem to belie the feasibility of that wish, however.

Audria glances over at Elric when Field Marshal Kroft mentions their trip and her cheeks pinken as she remembers a kiss in a field after a sparring session and a conversation.

"I-it is, ma'am," she stutters before clearing her throat and pushing aside the happy memory of her first kiss.

"Thank you for seeing us, Field Marshal. I fear that the news we bear is ill. This is Banker Ishani Dhatri, he asked us to escort him here so that he could speak with you about a new threat to Korvosa and her people," she introduces Ishani, her voice firmer and her blush gone as she focuses on the grimmer reality they now face. "He can probably explain things in more detail than most of us can, but it looks like someone's using coins to start and spread a potent illness."