GM Harrow’s Curse of the Crimson Throne - AE

Game Master GM Harrow

"Why, oh why, are the nobs always putting on parties in the middle of plagues and bloody fluxes?"

"Right, so, whether this was just a spectacularly dreadful notion, or actually seeded by our pallid pals, there's a good chance they've stuck their noses in where we can give them a tweak, and maybe even follow things back."

Their focus is fully back as they conclude. "If luck's with us, we might even save some of the people they damned."

"I confess, in the area of noble families my education has an embarrassing gap here. Anyone have any more details on the Carowyns?"

"Ausio and Olauren. They're green-gilt. Older now. But still like to spill the beesum. Sponsoring a season at Kendall Amphitheater. Box seats at the Marbledome. Hosting galas that need lots of musicians. They're good news for artists. Bad news in a plague."

"You would be amazed how quickly nobles can become bored with the plights of the common folk. I'm surprised it has taken this long for someone to arrange this sort of elaborate distraction."

"And I agree, we should investigate. Even if the cult is not involved, it is the best lead we have on something that might make a meaningful difference for the city."

"Well, I admit, if I had a fortune I'd probably do something wasteful with it too.. not throw a party mind you, unless it was for the house drakes, they earned that respite." He nods "Then we must take action and visit. We can call it a..." the wizard searches for a term simple but fitting then smiles with grim humor "'wellness check'"

Kn. Noble: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Audria has spent the past several days helping Pava and Shane however she could after checking with Jessica and ensuring she was alright, or as alright as she could be given how everything seems to be steadily worsening in Korvosa. The increasing feeling of helplessness and the fatigue of too many late nights in a row fogs her brain and she can't recall anything about the Carowyns besides perhaps performing for them a time or two. The news about what has happened and what likely happened to everyone inside twists her insides the same way the news of the quarantines had.

"I doubt anyone is well if you can smell it from the street," Audria says grimly as she double-checks her gear. Tally perches on the paladin's shoulder and nods in agreement. "I'm guessing you know where to go, Shrike."

Shrike nods and stands, sheathing the razor-edged elf-blade over her left shoulder in a fluid motion. "Should tell Kroft what we're doing. We vanish too, maybe the robins'll act."

The grim croak does not sound hopeful, but Shrike asks Majenko to take the message of their destination and the reason for it to Cressida Kroft before leading the way to South Shore and Carowyn Manor without further delay.

”Good idea checking in with Kroft before we go. And if we can persuade one of the temples to spare a cleric to go with us, we have a better chance of helping any survivors. With Abella busy, our healing abilities are very limited.”

"Let's see if Brother Ishani or his cohorts have an idea of where to point us? They've been coordinating with other temples after all." Shane suggests

And tries to make it easier for our GM and new player

"I just hope there is someone to help," Audria says. "It's been three days, hasn't it?"

Ready to pick up our new party member. Welcome Kandru!

Pava deadpans in repsonse to Audria's gloom, "Look on the bright side, Odds. There's all sorts of bad things that take much less than three days to get you all the way to a gruesome end. This might not've been one of 'em."

"Be surprised if they can spare anyone." But Shrike turns north instead of south anyway.

And here I was thinking we'd have to find her investigating the mystery of the missing manor party on her own... But sure, this may be easier on GM Harrow.

"Maybe."

Audria neither looks nor sounds as if she believes it, though.

Oathday 2 Erastus 4708, Citadel Volshyenek, briefing room

Field Marshal Cressida Kroft looks over the assembled lieutenants and staff sergeants currently standing at attention in front of her. Their ranks are painfully sparse, and she sighs inwardly. Not only has the blood veil taken a toll on the Guard, but many guards have quit or deserted, and others simply disappeared.

And now they had nobles throwing parties...

"Right, team. I have been told that the Gray Maidens and the Queen's Physicians will handle the situation at Carowyn Manor." I have to be very careful what I say next. She tries to go for a bashful expression; most of the officers knew the situation, that the Guard was not supposed to interfere, so she could not frame this in any way that would resemble an official order. "From what I hear, several of my family's friends were on the guest list, so as a personal favour..." She lets the sentence trail.

A grizzled woman steps forward to fill the silence. "Field Marshal, I have someone in mind who could look into the matter for you, as a personal favour." Gods bless Sergeant Sirov, she's always been quick. Cressida Kroft motions for the sergeant to continue. "That Justicar who's been assigned to us a few months ago, I bet she'd love to poke her nose in it, and she's smart enough to talk her way out of it, in case."

A tired smile briefly lights up the Field Marshal's features. "Thank you, Sergeant. I wouldn't want her to go alone though, so I'll reach out to some-" Just then, the sergeant on gate duty enters the briefing room, salutes, and announces. "Your freelancer party here to see you, Field Marshal."

Kroft nods. "Alright, we were finished here anyway. Sergeant Sirov, please send Justicar Kandru to my office. Everyone else, dismissed."

Oathday 2 Erastus 4708, Citadel Volshyenek gate

The sergeant who had gone to announce their presence returns shortly, gesturing for Audria, Elric, Pava, Shane and Shrike to enter the citadel. "The Field Marshal will see you in her office now."

Oathday 2 Erastus 4708, Citadel Volshyenek gate

The sergeant who had gone to announce their presence returns shortly, gesturing for Audria, Elric, Pava, Shane and Shrike to enter the citadel. "The Field Marshal will see you in her office now."

Shane always felt exposed coming here. The Hall of Lies at the Acadamae had always taught that truth was an enemy and anonymity dear. Yet the more they worked with the Field Marshal, the greater the odds they drew the attention of the powers that be.

Unfortunately, the Field Marshal was just too good an ally to leave hanging or ignore when they themselves had need.

He nods a thanks to the Sgt and moves forward when the others do.

"Thank you, Sergeant Sirov. How are your troops holding up? Looks like your ranks are just as stretched as Sable Company's. But it will be a cold day in Avernus before we abandon Korvosa and her citizens in a time of need." Elric says to the veteran Guard as they make their way towards Kroft's office.

Audria follows behind Elric and the sergeant that is escorting them. The hood of her cloak is pulled low and she holds it tight around herself to try keeping her armor hidden. The glaive she carries is too long to hide, though, and more than once on the way here she worried about it drawing the wrong kind of attention.

Once inside the citadel proper, Tally hops out from where she has been hiding under the hood of Audria's cloak and onto her shoulder. The little songbird fluffs her feathers in a way that evokes the image of someone shivering.

"It feels a lot emptier than it did the last time we were here," Audria observes.

"So Acadamae, you had to make an actual deal with a devil to graduate, yeah? Can't help but feel that being a welcome and frequent caller on the bleeding Field Marshal's a sign that things have truly taken a turn in my life."

Kandru collapsed onto the simple cot with a sigh, every muscle aching. The day's tribulations had been trying enough - with the Citadel so short-staffed, most Watchmen who remained were pulling double or even triple shifts to maintain what order they could in the plagued city, and the handful of Justicars not already recalled to the Bank had been set to patrol the streets, adjudicate what matters they could, even the investigators like Kandru.

Along the way, she had stopped in on a few addresses she knew - the residences of some of the guards who hadn't shown up for their shifts, a few recent retirees who had mentored her during her first years at the Citadel. Most were just terrified - not that she could blame them, either. The blood veil was sweeping the city, and the paupers' graves of the Gray district were nearly overflowing with the bodies of the dead. Despite her own exhortations, her appeals to duty and the necessity of order, most of the guards stayed in their homes, praying fervently that Pharasma would not stop at their door. Some, however, had fallen ill, and these she did her best to give succor - the herbal cures and remedies Ishani had shown her, even a spell for some of the weaker ones. Senior Banker Kirisol would complain, but in these trying times, another guard on the streets would be worth more than a bulging purse of sails in Abadar's sight - or at least, so she hoped.

Senior Banker Kirisol... at the thought, she sat up with a groan, moving over to her footlocker and retrieving a bundle of papers. A month or so ago - before the unrest in the city - he had been intrigued by a concept she had brought up in a theological debate, asked her to write a treatise on it. She was sure he had more pressing things on his mind now, but it was still a duty left unfinished. A walk around the world is measured in steps - it had been her motto, ever since she was a girl. Any problem, no matter how great, could be solved by just a little work each day. In the last month of her novitiate, a book each day had let her memorize most of the major apocrypha of Abadar's faith. It had trained her in discipline. Order. Inner strength. With a sigh, she bent over the newest page, dipped her quill in her inkwell, and began to write.

...and so the trials and difficulties that face us throughout life can be likened to the forge of a blacksmith, separating that which holds us from our true potential from ourselves in a grueling process that nevertheless results in a strong and reliable extension of the will. Expounding on this, the self can be seen as two swords - the sword of the hand and the sword of the heart. The sword of the hand is the source of all evil in the world, for the sword of the hand is power. Regardless of the intentions of he who holds the power, destruction and evil always follow close behind. On the other hand, the sword of the heart is the superior of the two, for the sword of the heart is...

Scowling, she buried her head in her hands, barely feeling her talons as they scratched the scar tissue along the left side of her face. In her mind's eye, the words blurred together, became meaningless. No, there were other, more important duties to attend to, but right now, she needed to do something, anything to take her mind off the plague. Looking around guiltily, she replaced her treatise in her footlocker and pulled out another stack of much lower-grade paper, this one with the words "Terror at Theumanexus - a Corian Colt Mystery" written on the first page. Setting her manuscript down and flipping to where she had left off, she exhaled, dipped her pen in the inkwell, and began writing again.

The cat was the first thing he noticed—curled up in the victim's armchair like it owned the place, completely unbothered by the blood smeared across the rug. Corian crouched beside it, brushing his fingers over the upholstery. "It's dry," he murmured. "Means it happened hours ago. Maybe overnight." He looked up at his partner, who was busy searching through the stack of books by the window. "You think the killer liked gardening?" she asked, holding up a well-used botanical text. Corian stared at the faded cover, something about it triggering a memory he couldn’t quite catch. "Or maybe they left behind more than just an old book."

Corian stood, brushing dust from his clothes as he took the book from his partner's hand. The cover was weathered, the corners soft with age, but there was something odd—just inside, writ large in messy letters, was a short note. "Colt - find me if you can," he read aloud, "before I kill again." His brow furrowed. "Why would someone buy an old book just to leave it here, at a crime scene?" His partner shrugged, but he could see the shift in her expression—she was thinking the same thing he was. This wasn't just about the book. It was a message.

He flipped through the book, stopping as he came across a page that had been folded in on itself. Unfolding it, he spotted

The tap on her shoulder jolted Kandru out of her reverie, and she turned to see the face of Corporal Pavend, one of her friends in the Watch. "Kandru - Field Marshal wants to see you. She says it's urgent." Blinking, Kandru nodded, stowing her manuscript and grabbing her gear. "Right, right - I'll get going." She rushed out of the barracks, her hooved feet clacking against the stone of the Citadel floor - halfway there, she slowed her pace, donning the featureless brass mask that denoted her status and negotiating the hood of her white robes up and over the tangle of horns atop her head. After a minute more, she arrives at the door to Marshal Kroft's office, knocking gently before entering. "Field Marshal Kroft? Kandru, Justicar Class-3. You said you wanted to see me?"

"So Acadamae, you had to make an actual deal with a devil to graduate, yeah? Can't help but feel that being a welcome and frequent caller on the bleeding Field Marshal's a sign that things have truly taken a turn in my life."

Shane shakes his head trying not to look offended, but he grits his teeth as he answers, "Never.. never did I make an infernal pactum, you must 'summon' a devil successfully and send it back, but that can range from lemure to Pitfiend...and that policy is why so many imps end up in this city when young students underestimate them. And depending on how advanced the devil, they will try to tempt you but I am proud to say I met the bare minimum of requirements and am beholden to no devil." a soft breath, "But I do concur that this isn't where I saw myself either... I came out of the acadamae wanting justice for my mother... still half way there on that one. Instead, I'm working for an authority figure I mostly trust even as a greater authority I trust less and less becomes more problematic at the same time, fighting undead, crime bosses, and getting aid from were rats. At this point, in a few years I think we're either going to be rotting in dungeon cell or have statues around a fountain depicting our heroic struggle: Maybe both."

And sorry, cross posted, but will have Shane say 'howdy' to Kandru when the the group ICly meets her

Just a bit before meeting Kandru

"Statue'd be right nice though, eh? There's already some very anatomically imaginative graffiti of me down by the docks, but that was over an, err, personal affair. Still, not the worst beginning." A cloud comes over their face as they muse. "'Course, it really does all depend on who passed around the cap for the statue..."

"Statues are for live kings and dead heroes. They can keep them." Trailing noiselessly behind the gate sergeant and the others through the courtyard, Shrike has also noted the emptiness of Citadel Volshyenek even compared to only two weeks ago, when Kroft ordered the Guard to assist and obey the cockscombs and black-robed physicians.

Are we allowed in the Citadel proper while keeping our weapons now? We really are moving up in the world! And GM, is it safe to assume Vita will have successfully unpicked the Urgathoan design and maybe added a better one to the cloak of resistance now, two weeks on? I'd like to know for upcoming descriptive purposes if Shrike would be wearing it yet, and same with the weapons.

@Kandru - I view it as Kandru being on retainer with the Korvosan Guard, who pay a fixed monthly sum to the church of Abadar rather than being charged for individual spells.

"Thank you, Sergeant Sirov. How are your troops holding up? Looks like your ranks are just as stretched as Sable Company's. But it will be a cold day in Avernus before we abandon Korvosa and her citizens in a time of need."

"We've been better, lieutenant, but it's like you say - we won't give up no matter what." The grizzled sergeant looks like she has seen her share of troubles, judging by the scars and the missing two fingers on her left hand.

@Shrike - Yes, the cloak has had its Urgathoan design removed, feel free to add a new one if you wish. And the guard is at the moment too thinly spread and frazzled to check your weapons at the door, besides you are trusted by the Field Marshal. :)

As Kandru enters, the Field Marshal is pacing behind her desk, glancing outside the window every now and then. Even though her position is mostly a desk job now, she is still wearing her distinctive red breastplate - although it is perhaps not as polished as it was a couple of weeks ago. Cressida Kroft half-turns when Kandru announces her presence, and motions her inside.

"Justicar Kandru, I need your assistance with a personal matter. I am sure that you know by now of the situation at Carowyn Manor in South Shore, with many nobles declared missing after the Carowyns threw their ill-fated party several days ago. Since there is a suspicion that the manor is now a blood veil site, the Queen's Physicians have ordered the place quarantined, however..." Kroft's mouth twitches.

"There are some family friends on the guest list, and I am concerned for them. I would like you to investigate - discreetly - what the situation is. You will not be alone, I have a very capable freelancer group on retainer who will hopefully accompany you if they are willing to take the risk. I understand that what I am asking is outside regulations and protocols, but I cannot rest easy until I know what happened."

Just a bit before meeting Kandru

"Statue'd be right nice though, eh? There's already some very anatomically imaginative graffiti of me down by the docks, but that was over an, err, personal affair. Still, not the worst beginning." A cloud comes over their face as they muse. "'Course, it really does all depend on who passed around the cap for the statue..."

Shane rallies a smile "More like a few friends giving a toast in my case then." Very few friends but good ones.

"Statues are for live kings and dead heroes. They can keep them." Trailing noiselessly behind the gate sergeant and the others through the courtyard, Shrike has also noted the emptiness of Citadel Volshyenek even compared to only two weeks ago, when Kroft ordered the Guard to assist and obey the cockscombs and black-robed physicians.

Shane can't argue with the wisdom in the statement, but a part of him wonders if, win or lose, Shrike's legacy won't be more like Blackjack's... an urban legend that someone may choose to take up decades later if convenient enough when the need is great.

"I suppose I'm getting maudlin about legacies. There are two children who came here to learn magic but I never got a confirmation on if they'd found haven in Theumanexus College or not when the Acadamae closed. I told them that if they went to the Acadamae to hold onto what was decent in them and that the college was an alternative." the last of his good cheer dims "By the time they would have arrived the city's plague would be abundant. I may, by aiding them, have sent them to a rather feverish death. Whatever legacy I leave behind, doom guide was not among the ones I wanted."

Hearing Shane's worries, Audria slows to walk beside him and gives him a hug.

"If they're smart enough to be mages, then I'm sure their smart enough to stay away from a city ravaged by a plague," she says, trying to lift his spirits a little.

He gives Audria a grateful look "Perhaps. Perhaps."

But then he remembers "But I think they're in East shore..somewhere. Mmmph.. hopefully they have help in the area."

Edited as I remember that part

"After we see what's going on with the Carowyns, we could go looking for them. If they have any skill at alchemy, they may be able to help Jessica."

Shane looks thoughtful, but nods, "Oh well, onto things we can make a difference in NOW I suspect."

Audria nods, though she keeps her suspicions that their role in the Carowyn affair is likely to be that as investigators and cleaning up to herself.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (20) + 15 = 35

Kandru notices the falsehood, but declines to comment on it. Regardless of the reason, an unofficial visit is an unofficial visit, and access to a Queen's Physician quarantine site might illuminate what, exactly, the bird-masked doctors are doing to combat the plague - and why they are so strangely recalcitrant to share this information with the temple healers. She's far from the temple's best healer - as a matter of fact, most of her patients are already dead by the time they get to her - but she may be able to extract some useful information from the manor house. How the disease was introduced, what the nobles did in their last hours to stem the plague... The thoughts are unexpectedly grim, and she shudders.

Still, the dead won't get any more so, and just a bit of knowledge might help the living stay that way - it's one of the first lessons she learned at the Citadel, drilled into her by two dozen murder victims and almost thrice as many accidental deaths. Behind her brass mask, her obsidian eyes gleam with the prospect of resolving her outstanding investigation, but she manages to keep her voice mostly impassive as she nods assent to the Field Marshal's offer. "Well, Marshal Kroft, my intent is not to leave the Citadel shorthanded, but I will admit access to a quarantine site may help clarify certain... misunderstandings about the Physicians and the work they do for the city - I'll gladly look into this for you. You had mentioned a team of freelancers? I look forward to working with them, if they're amenable."

As Kandru speaks, the sound of many footsteps can be heard down the corridor, growing louder as the group draws nearer. Ushered in by the sergeant on gate duty, five people file into the Field Marshal's office. Cressida Kroft smiles.

"And here they are, just on time. My friends, this is Justicar Class-3 Kandru Lostling, on loan to the Guard from the Temple of Abadar. I would like you to accompany her on a... fact-finding mission, if you are willing."

Please introduce your characters and describe them a little.

As Kandru speaks, the sound of many footsteps can be heard down the corridor, growing louder as the group draws nearer. Ushered in by the sergeant on gate duty, five people file into the Field Marshal's office. Cressida Kroft smiles.

"And here they are, just on time. My friends, this is Justicar Class-3 Kandru Lostling, on loan to the Guard from the Temple of Abadar. I would like you to accompany her on a... fact-finding mission, if you are willing."

Please introduce your characters and describe them a little.

Shane is a Tiefling, but they come in a lot of shapes and styles. Shane's particular features are hard to conceal up close without a hooded cloak and a bit of shadow. His skin is a mix of whites and very pale blues. He has horns that spike out the sides of his forehead, and inhuman ears. His features aren't entirely unappealing, but his face is a bit gaunt, and sometimes he looks as if he doesn't get enough sleep. He does tend to wear that hooded robe to hide all this, plus dark gloves.

Despite his concealed features, the discovery that Kandru is another tiefling forces an expression of surprise on Shane's face. There is something wistful in his look for a moment, but it passes quickly, "Shane Driscoll, graduate of the Acadamae, consultant in the arcane and phantasmagorical."

Audria follows the sergeant into Kroft's office and looks towards Kandru as the justicar is introduced. By far the smallest member of the party, Audria stands only five feet tall. On her shoulder rides a small thrush with eyes more intelligent than one would expect from a simple animal. She lowers her hood to reveal her long strawberry-blonde hair tied back in a braid and her worry-worn face. Her normally bright blue eyes are dark and dull as she looks over Kandru.

"I am Audria Lumina, a sister in the service of Shelyn, the Eternal Rose," she says in a sweet-sounding voice, though it's obviously strained, "and this is my companion, Talanaliel." she gestures at the bird on her shoulder. "I wish our meeting was under happier circumstances, Justicar Lostling," she adds before turning to the Field Marshal.

"Forgive me if I am speaking out of turn, ma'am, but what is it that you wish us to look into? We had come to let you know that we would be investigating what happened at the Carowyn estate and render what aid we can to those that are there. It's already been three days, and I fear that if we have time, it is short," she tells the field marshal.

Pava raises an eyebrow at Cressida's explanation before refocusing their eyes on Kandru with all the warmth and charm of a drill bit.

"Services on loan from the First Vault, eh? Hope you can cover the vig, Kroft."

Pava is tall, the top of their close-shaved head more than a foot above Audria's, but with none of the bulk common to their Shoanti forebears. Staring at Kandru sideface on, they present a profile that would give a duelist fits. Faint silver tattoos of rain run down their face, whorls of wind down their limbs, but their clothing, a snug vest and baggy trousers both warmly dyed doesn't suggest the same traditions.

They don't seem heavily armed, but for a curious weapon strapped to one hand. It's something like a Shoanti klar, but trimmed and smoothed down to better function in an alleyway brawl.

And then they smile. Carefully hidden fatigue tugs at their eyes even as a spark of warmth appears. "Hang on a drip. Kandru Lostling? The Kandru Lostling? Horror in the Heights? Corian Colt? You know what it takes for me to read a skycursed guard story? My fian- My... It's complicated: My Lina hadn't handed them to me with great gusto, never would've given 'em a try, and..." They trail off.

"Hold up, you want to go into the house of plague-y murders? Well I guess that's one person we'll make sure gets out in one piece. Unless- You haven't finished up with Terror in Theumanexus yet, right?"

The Field Marshal turns to Audria, her eyebrows rising a little. "So you know? Sister Lumina, that is precisely what I wanted Justicar Kandru to look into." She looks a little nonplussed at Pava's recognition of Kandru, then shakes her head in a I don't want to know motion.

Elric and Shrike, if you could please introduce your characters as well.

Audria gives Kandru and Pava a surprised look, but can't ask them anything before Kroft gets her attention again.

"We do. Shrike learned that something happened a few days ago from an acquaintance. She asked us if we could help look for someone that was performing there and learn of his fate. Given what we know, I don't expect we'll find anything good there," Audria says, her expression grim and sorrowful. "We'll do what we can for anyone we find, though."

"Might be a trail to the carrion flies." The elf woman in the full-face mask standing statuelike behind and almost a foot taller than Audria now speaks for the first time since entering the office, her voice an unlovely croak that contrasts harshly with the girl's naturally musical tones. It is low for one of her sex but still markedly higher than a man's. This is useful, since the waves of nearly white hair through which the tips of her delicate ears protrude are no guarantee of anything when it comes to elves, and it is hard to see a real outline of her form under her blackened chain armor, fine grey cloak marked by the subtly darker embroidery of a hawk on a silver crescent, and many-pocketed, nondescript dark grey clothes. Her most unusual feature, the painted wood and leather mask, is clearly meant to resemble some bird of prey, but not one immediately recognizable to most people. Its dramatic but monochrome features are in many ways the opposite of Kandru's featureless but gleaming brass faceplate. Above the large, upturned eye holes covered by some kind of matte black mesh, and the similarly dark tear tracks that run down to the beak and back to her temples, its upper half is a medium grey, while the lower half is a paler grey. The beak is short, straight and much less massive than that of a hawk or eagle, but still cruelly hooked at the tip.

She carries an odd multi-bladed spear in a sling over one shoulder and wears a long curving sword and a quiver behind the other. As though to remove any doubt that she is the one Audria was referring to by a bird's name, her head turns just enough to make it clear that she is looking sidelong at Kandru, and she nods infinitesimally. "Shrike. We expect violence. Necromancy and undead. What are your gifts, Justicar? Besides mystery stories."

The croak is flat enough that this is probably not meant in jest but as a serious question, though it does indicate that she understood at least the general thrust of what Pava was saying. And that she has noticed that under the white and gold robes and key of Abadar, the tiefling is not wearing armor, and is armed only with a crossbow.

"We've been better, lieutenant, but it's like you say - we won't give up no matter what." The grizzled sergeant looks like she has seen her share of troubles, judging by the scars and the missing two fingers on her left hand.

"I'm a sergeant. Like you, I work for a living." Elric responds with a friendly smile. Since he's currently wearing non-descript armor without the Sable Company insignia, he can hardly fault Sergeant Sirov for the mistake.

Meeting Kandru

Elric is a tall, muscular young man with short-cropped dark hair and piercing steel-blue eyes that don't miss much. He moves with the practiced ease of a warrior, and wears well-maintained armor as well as a bow, a longsword and a long lucerne hammer. Under his leather wrist guard, the tip of a stylized arrow tattoo pokes out and the edges of other tattoos can be seen under his armor.

"Glad to have you with us, Justicar Lostling. Elric Rivers, Sable Company Marine currently attached to this capable outfit. I'm not much of a reader myself, but I appreciate the support of someone skilled in both investigation and healing."

"No, I don't expect so," Kroft agrees with Audria, "But I'm sure that you will do what you can. Well then, I won't keep you any longer. Justicar Kandru, Sister Lumina, Sergeant Rivers..." she motions to include everyone else, "good luck and be careful. Report back as soon as you find anything."

From Citadel Volshyenek to South Shore the distance isn't very great, but the walk there is sobering. The wide Citadel Road stretches south from the gates of the Korvosan Guard headquarters, passing through the once-bustling plaza known as Eodred's Circle. Fourteen shops form the semicircular face of the Walk, and normally they stand separated from Eodred's Circle by a riot of color, activity, and scents that make up the Gold Market. The permanent establishments and the transient vendors of the market form a symbiotic relationship, with the shops offering a variety of permanent goods and a number of services, while the market's many stalls and tent sellers tend to specialize more in food and minor crafts. However, today most of the shops are shuttered and the stalls stand empty and desolate. Only a few people are in the plaza, walking hurriedly as they clutch their precious purchases of food or medicine.

From Eodred's Walk, the party turns west on West High Street, then Endrin Avenue and finally Pillar Hill Boulevard. Here the traffic is less sparse, with worshippers heading to the Pantheon of Many or the Cathedral of Pharasma, or carts loaded with body heading towards the Gray. Finally, they turn south on Breach Avenue to pass through the gap in the 100-foot-tall remainder of what once must have been a magnificent barrier. They pass the Jade Circle on the right, another reminder of the unusual times that Korvosa lives in. The green-painted, domed building glitters like a giant emerald in the sun, with banners of Korvosa's oldest noble houses waving on poles that jut from the second floor open-air balcony. In better times, behind its lacquered latticework doors there would be a cacophony of scents and delicate delights, from the teahouse's famed porcelains to its exotic fare. By day, young noblewomen would accompany their mothers here for a spot of the most exotic fragrant teas from Osirion and even the distant sandalwood shores of Tian Xia. By night, young bravos would bolster their spirits with mulled wines as they share a rousing tale of the silver market's ups and downs, or discuss the merits of various fighting styles. Now, the building is dark and silent.

Right before the Pantheon of Many, the road turns westwards again, this time as Anita Street, ending in South Shore Square. From there, a side street leads them to Shoreline Way, a wide promenade that runs along the shore, with a view to the sea and Jeggare Isle. Along this road lies Carowyn Manor, a stately, gabled building set in a meticulously manicured garden, complete with a gazebo. Festooned with cinderberry garlands and bright-red drapery, the limestone façade of Carowyn Manor faces the street and the sea. The brass banisters of a balcony rise 15 feet above the sturdy Bloodsworn mahogany front door.

Feel free to RP on the way, I'll have the map up tomorrow.

As each member of the group introduces themselves, Kandru inclines her horned head to each one in turn, and a talon-tipped hand tinted a rich blue extends from the robes, offering a handshake to each in turn. With her hooves, she stands an inch or two above Field Marshal Kroft, and her featureless mask lends an air of stoicism - an air that is quickly shattered as a mellifluous, surprisingly casual voice emanates from within the hood, muffled slightly by the mask. "Well, it's great to meet you all - I look forward to working with you."

At Pava's warm greeting, however, she seems taken aback slightly - behind the eye-holes of her mask, her obsidian eyes blink, and her tail curls around her leg as she processes the greeting. After a moment, however, she nods in greeting again, her tail uncoiling as she relaxes. "Terror at Theumanexus? I'm, ah, afraid I've had other things on my mind recently." She nods to the doorway leading to the rest of the understaffed Citadel. "As I'm sure you can imagine."

"Shrike. We expect violence. Necromancy and undead. What are your gifts, Justicar? Besides mystery stories."

Kandru grimaces behind the mask, but it is a fair question - turning to the other masked woman, her hand rises to the golden key around her neck. "I've been trained well by my teachers at the Bank - Abadar grants me some powers, which I'll gladly use in your aid so long as it aligns with my duties." Letting her hand fall to her side, she continues, shifting slightly as her head cranes to examine the other woman's impressive array of weaponry. "I've been an investigator for the Guard for several years now - mostly profiling, mortuary examinations, that sort of thing. I understand people, living and dead, and how to keep them that way in either case." Behind the eye-holes of the mask, her eyebrows rise. "Does that answer your question, Miss Shrike?"

On the way to South Shore, Kandru takes in the desolate market as the group passes through, her gaze lingering on a mildly singed patch of wall for a moment too long. "I've passed through here a few times. Most of the time, it's nice enough - others... not quite so pleasant. Not many out today - still, better they stay in their homes than walk the streets with Death, yes?" After a moment, she clears her throat, her eyes flicking to Pava. "...I'm sorry about that greeting I gave you earlier, in the Citadel. I suppose I was just a bit startled - it's been quite some time since I met someone who's read my books. Someone who's not another writer, that is. If you don't mind my asking, how'd you like Verses in Scarlet? The mad poet who wrote stanzas in his victims' blood? Not too dark, I hope? I was a bit worried about that one when I finished the manuscript - thought they wouldn't publish it."

Audria takes Kandru's hand after a moment of hesitation, not because of her obviously fiendish heritage, but because of the featureless mask. It reminds her too much of the helms that the Gray Maidens wear. She gives herself a mental shake, reminding herself that Kandru can't be much like the Queen's callous soldiers if Field Marshal Kroft is sending her along to help.

===

Walking along the broad street towards the Carowyn's residence, Audria walks close to Elric; though, she feels her mood darkening, as does Tally. The little songbird rubs her head against the paladin's cheek, which does help Audria stop the downward spiral of her thoughts. As Kandru asks Pava about what they thought of Verses in Scarlet, Audria turns to Elric.

"Do you think we're going to find undead when we get there," she asks.

Shane looks intrigued when he finds out Kandru is a writer and mentally reviews some of the books his House's small library, "I think we have one of your older books." He adds, "Majenko prefers riveting adventure tales to mysteries but he had no complaints."

Right before the Pantheon of Many, the road turns westwards again, this time as Anita Street, ending in South Shore Square. From there, a side street leads them to Shoreline Way, a wide promenade that runs along the shore, with a view to the sea and Jeggare Isle. Along this road lies Carowyn Manor, a stately, gabled building set in a meticulously manicured garden, complete with a gazebo. Festooned with cinderberry garlands and bright-red drapery, the limestone façade of Carowyn Manor faces the street and the sea. The brass banisters of a balcony rise 15 feet above the sturdy Bloodsworn mahogany front door.

"Lovely." Shane looked a bit wistful, "At one time I dreamed of a home as grand as this. Since we are in the mystery mind, while we're in there we may want to be on the look out for secret passages and hidden doors. The wealthy can afford those little touches either for protection, utility, or even whimsy."

"Terror at Theumanexus? I'm, ah, afraid I've had other things on my mind recently."

"Right, we'll keep you alive then."

***

Pava's expression gets a little forced when Kandru brings up Verses in Scarlet. "Errm well, I liked the mystery fine, the clues and all, but his motivation just being madness seemed a bit like a cheat. And the poetry was good, but wouldn't they have been dry by the time Colt got to it? Though I'll allow Tercets in Taupe wouldn't have exactly made for a cracking title." They glance over to make certain their honesty hasn't been too unwelcome, adding "Lina loved it though. It's why she dug through your back catalogue in the first place, and- Ah, here we are."

Pava sizes up the building with an undisguised distaste for its finery. "So, without adopting the pretense that everything's gone well in there, how should we handle things? I figure Murder Bird and," they pause almost imperceptibly, "Odds, and I can sneak about a corner ahead in hallways, we all huddle up for doors. Oh, Soldier Boy, will you be plying your bow this time? Wouldn't want you to get written up for knocking over a vase with your hammer."

Murder Bird = Shrike
Odds = Audria
Soldier Boy = Elric
Acadamae = Shane

At Carowyn Manor

"Tally, could you fly over and see if there's a good way in," Audria asks.

"Yup! Be back soon," the little songbird chirps before taking off and flying over the manor's grounds.

Perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (7) + 14 = 21

As she waits for Tally to return, Audria turns to the others.

"I figured letting Tally look around would be a good first step. If she finds a good way in, then Pava, Shrike, and I can sneak in first. Elric can stay with Shane and Kandru to keep them from getting into trouble if someone manages to slip behind us."

The young paladin ponders for a moment before turning to Kandru.

"How sneaky can you be, Kandru," she asks.

Streets of Korvosa

At Pava's critique, Kandru ducks her head self-consciously, though it's clear she appreciates the honesty. "Not my best story, I know. I've tried to do more research since then, though." Rallying, she turns to the Shoanti, raising her eyebrows at them. "To be honest, the madness was a bit of a cheap way out, but it's not that unrealistic - Korvosa has a way of attracting the more unstable artists, you know. I recall a sculptor a few years ago - what was the name..." Her horned head tilts to the side slightly, and her tail coils around her leg as she thinks - after a moment, she shrugs. "Erens. Erns. One of those. Kept going on about 'shapes in the flesh,' his friends said - ended up tearing his own stomach open in the end. I helped with the investigation - gruesome business, all around."

The tiefling slows her stride slightly, reaching back to pull a small journal from her pack and flipping through it as she tries to catch up with Pava. "There's an old legend I recall - I wrote it down somewhere in here. Something about a long-dead mage-queen, who loved artworks of all sorts. They say she offers wondrous visions of the glories her magic has shown her to those who catch her eye - but that all but the strongest minds shatter when they come to terms with the truths she shows them." Kandru shakes her head, closing the journal and stowing it back in her pack. "All nonsense, if you ask me. No, I think it's all to do with this new fascination with the occult. Harrowings and such are harmless enough, if you know how to do them right, but go poking around enough old trinkets, and all of the sudden, the walls have eyes - that sort of thing's not exactly good for your mind."

Carowyn Manor

Kandru's obsidian eyes sweep the elaborate manor critically - she ignores most of the ostentatious ornamentation, but she does notice a distinct irregularity with the house's facade. "That's odd - most quarantines I've seen in the past few weeks, they've put a plague flag out. Out a window, on a balcony, anything to show that the house has the sickness. If there were only one on the property, it would probably be on that big balcony there - elevated position, overlooks the main entrance to the manor, most likely to be seen there. Blood veil takes days to kill - surely, they've had at least some time to ward others off?"

"How sneaky can you be, Kandru?"

At Audria's query, Kandru glances down at the young paladin, her eyebrows raising behind her mask. "Not particularly, to tell you the truth. I don't wear quite so much armor as some of the other Watch officers, but I've never had much call not to be seen. Still, this is an active quarantine site - if I'm to help you with your investigation, I'd be remiss if I let you catch the blood veil in the process." She glances around the area for a moment, her eyes lingering on where the girl's talking thrush had disappeared into the sprawling grounds of the manor. "I can wait here, if that's what you'd like, but at the first sign of the sickness, you should send your little friend - Tally, you said? - to get me. I've been trying to treat this disease for the past few weeks, and Abadar will ward me should I catch it - I know its symptoms and how to deal with it better than most."

At Carowyn Manor
Audria actually chuckles when Kandru mentions her catching the blood veil.

"Out of all of us, I'm the one you have to worry the least about getting sick. Shelyn chose me, and in return for serving her, I can't get sick. Even the worst illnesses can't touch me, or at least that's what Tally told me," Audria says as her smile fades and she considers what else Kandru had said. "I've been thinking that it was foul play ever since Shrike told us about it. If that is what happened, they didn't have time to put out a flag or anything at all."

GM, can we smell the stench we were told about?

Field Marshal's Office, Citadel Volshyenek

"I've been trained well by my teachers at the Bank - Abadar grants me some powers, which I'll gladly use in your aid so long as it aligns with my duties." Letting her hand fall to her side, she continues, shifting slightly as her head cranes to examine the other woman's impressive array of weaponry. "I've been an investigator for the Guard for several years now - mostly profiling, mortuary examinations, that sort of thing. I understand people, living and dead, and how to keep them that way in either case." Behind the eye-holes of the mask, her eyebrows rise. "Does that answer your question, Miss Shrike?"

The shrike mask remains still for the space of a full breath before her voice sounds through it again. "You've combat training. And keep your head around death. Good enough." This blunt assessment seems positive, though she had ignored the offered handshake.

Kandru shakes her head, closing the journal and stowing it back in her pack. "All nonsense, if you ask me. No, I think it's all to do with this new fascination with the occult. Harrowings and such are harmless enough, if you know how to do them right, but go poking around enough old trinkets, and all of the sudden, the walls have eyes - that sort of thing's not exactly good for your mind."

In the same silence she has maintained since leaving Citadel, Shrike pauses for the first time and turns her head slightly over her left shoulder — as though listening to, or for, something.

Anything to say to the new girl, honored shade? I don't much like how that Waxworks is playing out. Helplessness and paralysis seem to be all I've had to hand the last two weeks. Now Ruan's missing. Maybe dead. Maybe worse.

Whatever it is, she either does not hear it or it ends quickly, because she soon starts moving again, her long strides swiftly making up the lost distance.

Carowyn Manor
Shrike does not pause to either admire or deplore the manor's elegant grounds and exterior, and in fact does not appear to notice its grandeur at all, though of course the mask makes it impossible to tell exactly what she is thinking.

"That's odd - most quarantines I've seen in the past few weeks, they've put a plague flag out. Out a window, on a balcony, anything to show that the house has the sickness. If there were only one on the property, it would probably be on that big balcony there - elevated position, overlooks the main entrance to the manor, most likely to be seen there. Blood veil takes days to kill - surely, they've had at least some time to ward others off?"

"I've been thinking that it was foul play ever since Shrike told us about it. If that is what happened, they didn't have time to put out a flag or anything at all."

"Right. Not blood veil. Or there'd be some who got out." Shrike keeps her croaking voice very low, so as not to alert anyone or anything inside the house. This is the first she has heard that there is any quarantine of the manor, and they certainly had not passed any signs, barricades or other indication that the Gray Maidens or physicians have taken any interest at all. While they wait for Talanaliel to complete her aerial inspection for the best place to enter, she crouches behind a convenient shrub, concealed from casual glances out the window, and focuses on what she hears and smells.

Closer to the main house, the stench that Deyanira had mentioned is readily apparent - the sickly sweet smell of decay and rot underlined by subtle traces of perfume, wine, and dying flowers.

Talanaliel

The thrush flies over the tall hedge to survey the grounds. Clearly the owners spared no expense, as the garden is filled with meticulously cared for exotic plants, and there is even a small pond filled with glow-in-the-dark salamanders next to the gazebo. The gazebo itself seems to be empty, save for a few decorations and a table holding the remains of canapés and some half-drunk glasses. Tally can see no people, alive or dead, in the garden. Frustratingly, the shutters on all the windows have been closed, so she cannot get a peek inside the main building. A smaller building, likely the servants' quarters, stands to the south of the manor.

Shrike

Listening carefully, one can hear faint sounds of music from within the estate - although it sounds like a harp and not the ocarina that Ruan is famous for mastering.

Map updated.

Streets of Korvosa

Carowyn Manor

At Audria's query, Kandru glances down at the young paladin, her eyebrows raising behind her mask. "Not particularly, to tell you the truth. I don't wear quite so much armor as some of the other Watch officers, but I've never had much call not to be seen. Still, this is an active quarantine site - if I'm to help you with your investigation, I'd be remiss if I let you catch the blood veil in the process." She glances around the area for a moment, her eyes lingering on where the girl's talking thrush had disappeared into the sprawling grounds of the manor. "I can wait here, if that's what you'd like, but at the first sign of the sickness, you should send your little friend - Tally, you said? - to get me. I've been trying to treat this disease for the past few weeks, and Abadar will ward me should I catch it - I know its symptoms and how to deal with it better than most."

"if need be, I've spells that can help you and I keep up with more stealthy members of our group. I'm an illusionist," He says quite proudly, but also offering his services there.

Tally worries as she sees the leftover food out in the open and the shuttered windows. Something is definitely off, but she doesn't have any idea what all of these clues add up to. With nothing else to discover, she flies back to Audria and gives her report.

"There's leftover food and drinks in a round building with no walls or windows. I didn't see anyone, and the shutters are closed. Something is very, very wrong here," Tally tells the others, clearly feeling spooked.

"I know. That's why we're here. What else did you see, Tally," Audria asks as she gently pets Tally to help calm the songbird's nerves.

"There's a walkway between the big house and the little house that connects their doors right by the front fence. There's also a big pond with glowing lizard things in it by the odd building with all of the food and drink. That's in the back corner," Tally answers, sounding a little calmer.

"I think we have our way in, then," Audria says, pointing to the front fence. "I'll go first. Pava and Shrike follow. Once we're sure it's clear, Elric, Kandru, and Shane will come over. Hopefully we can be quiet enough to keep anyone with ill intent from hearing us and raising an alarm," Audria says as she moves over to where one of the tended plants will hide her from the street while she scales the fence.

Assuming no one objects. Audria will take 10 on the stealth (for 21) and climb (for 17) checks, but if not, here's the rolls.

Stealth: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16
Climb: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

Assuming she makes it.
Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

Earlier

Before leaving Citadel Volshyenek, Elric makes a stop at the Guard Quartermaster, stocking up on arrows. He also purchases some more holy weapon balm and a couple of doses of antiplague.

He instructs Galewing to take to the skies and follow them from above as he has done before, conscious that the hippogriff would certainly attract attention in the noble quarter.

While moving through the streets of Korvosa, he's focused and quiet, speaking only briefly to answer Audria's question about expecting undead.

"I don't know what we'll face, so it's best to stay alert and be ready for anything. Undead is as good a bid as anything, especially considering the vampires we encountered earlier."

As the group enters South Shore, his focus wavers a bit, though. Distracted by childhood memories, he glances at the shiny dome of the Jade Circle and pulls his scarf a little tighter around his face, hoping anyone looking will just consider it a precaution against the plague.

Strange to be back. I still remember being dragged along to afternoon tea in that place, trying to sit still and avoid getting jam on my fine clothes while Mother and Valeria were busy socializing and trading gossip. Gods, it seems like a lifetime ago.

Turning towards Carowyn Manor, he realizes that he could probably put an arrow into the garden of his childhood home from where they are standing.

At Carowyn Manor

While waiting for Tally to deliver her report, Elric studies the manor carefully.

"That smell does not bode well. We should take precaution against infection to be on the safe side." he says, glad he remembered to stock up on antiplague.

Once Shrike and Tally share what they have observed, he says.

"Getting inside is our first priority. I don't think knocking on the front gate is an option. We could try climbing the balcony or disabling the lock on the gate. In any case, we should stick together and move as a single team. We don't know what we're facing and we'll be more vulnerable if we split up."

When Pava mentions his choice of weapons, he responds "I'll keep my bow ready certainly, but we'll see how the tactical situation evolves. A bit of property damage is the least of my concerns if we find ourselves up against something that shrugs off arrows."

"Yeah yeah, not too split up, keep everyone in sight, eh? Just helps us maybe get the drop once or twice if we don't all clank up as one."

Pava swigs down an antiplague before heading in. "It'd be better if we could bathe in the stuff, but at least before splashing about in whatever this is, eh?"

I'd feel a titch better with Murder Bird or myself on point they think, but they keep their mouth shut rather than reopen wounds only recently closed.

"I've got your back then, Odds."

Stealth 22
Climb 20
Perception 17