Ponzo is correct that getting lost would be nigh-impossible. As you walk south along the cobbled stone street you see a large manor house sitting on the other side of a small river. You can see three more bonfires in a semi-circle around the front of the manor. Judging from the smoke there are more around the back.
Waiting at the front door is a man with a graying beard and dark circles under his eyes. "Thank you Ponzo, I'll escort them from here." Ponzo waves farewell and heads back to his station while the elderly gentleman offers you all a short bow. "I am Laurentiu, the majordomo for this estate. Baroness Boroi is waiting for you in the sitting room."
The house itself shows signs of wealth in decline. Old statues representing long-forgotten heroes flank the entrance. The large antechamber is draped in the heraldry of the Boroi family - a red bear against a black sky with stars. Laurentiu leads you through dark and dismal halls until you enter an incongruently cheery sitting room. A glass chandelier sparkles over a small table on which is a tray bearing pots of tea and coffee. Surrounding the table are soft leather armchairs.
In one of the chairs sits Anya, easily recognizable from her portrait. Marek is in her arms. "Please come in and have a seat, thank you. Victor tells me you come bearing a letter from my mother. May I see it?"
Xanther retrieves the sealed letter and hands it to the Baroness.
Speaking to Marcus quietly Noctifer says,
"There are more things than us which lurk in the shadows Marcus. If it makes the people of Karpad feel more safe what harm could there be? Unless there are druids in the woods upset about the number of trees being cut down..."
Speaking loud enough for all to hear and with a mischievous grin, "I meant us shades my good friend. With our natural stealth and human's inability to see, a few fires set around the town would in no way keep us from walking right up into someone's bedroom while they slept."
The witch takes in the sight of the decaying estate. Certainly still more than what I have. As she walks through the halls, she notices that they are dark. Strange for a man who is obsessed with the shadows being out to get him. Perhaps it was her being over observant or seeing things where they weren't, but this place didn't feel right.
Ussaile sees the baroness, and looks for any telltale signs of duress, physical or otherwise that the room may be hiding.
She gives a small greeting to Anya, "We have traveled far Baroness, your mother is quite worried." She learned in her years that one of the advantages of the craft is that the untrained look at her and don't see an immediate threat... The same probably couldn't be said about her more armoured traveling companions. She takes a seat, "With what we've heard of the town and this plague, it seems she may be right to be worried."
Jassminder puts one hand to her forehead and sweeps her long hair back from her face as she gives Marcus a look. "That's true, but I think the resulting lynch mob would take the grin off your face."
Speaking loud enough for all to hear and with a mischievous grin, "I meant us shades my good friend. With our natural stealth and human's inability to see, a few fires set around the town would in no way keep us from walking right up into someone's bedroom while they slept."
Ponzo stops mid stride, looking around to see if anyone heard. Thankfully the roaring bonfires mask a lot of noise, but there’s one woman slowly backing away from the group.
”He’s joking Axia.” Ponzo’s voice is weary. ”Had to deal with Victor at the barricade, you know how that boy is.”
”Joking. Right.” She doesn’t take her eyes off Marcus until she’s halfway down an alley, at which point she turns and sprints away.
--------------------------------------------------------
”Thank you all for coming, you don’t know how much this means to me. If you’ll give me a moment…” Anya opens the envelope and, before reading the letter inside, casts a spell. A small silver rune at the bottom of the paper begins to glow. Satisfied with the result, she begins to read.
Once she’s finished she carefully folds the letter and looks back to you all. ”Mother says she hired you to help me with whatever might be going on?” Assuming someone nods, she closes her eyes and breathes out a sigh of relief.
”She always did have the most impeccable sense of timing.” Marek makes a grumbling noise and she immediately starts soothing him. ”Shhh, shhh, everything is going to be alright. Where do I even start? Things have gotten so much worse since I was able to send my last letter.”
”I suppose I should start with the plague…Tallowthroat. It’s not like anything myself, Master Miklos, or Nadia have ever heard of. The symptoms are bizarre. At first the victim starts sweating profusely. Their complexion changes. Finally their throats swell up as if with a goiter. If the victim doesn’t get treatment quickly enough their throats…explode." A hand goes to her own throat in an apparently involuntary reaction.
”To make matters worse, the physical symptoms are only part of it. People who get sick become first irritable, then paranoid. They start dreaming about clawed hands reaching out of the shadows to kill them. They won’t leave their homes and just hole up inside, surrounded by as many candles or light sources as they can muster, until they die. ” She winces. ”The disease is curable, but Master Miklos only gets so many spells in a day, and the mental symptoms mean that the furthest along are also the least likely to seek help.”
”Depending on how much Mother told you, you might note that all sounds very similar to how Stepan has been behaving. It has to be related somehow, but I don’t know how. He’s not showing any other symptoms and both Master Miklos and Aunt Eugenia assure me he’s not sick.” She rubs her forehead. ”But given that I had to practically drag him into a room so Master Miklos could examine him while he ranted about living shadows and a kayal conspiracy…I don't know if he’s lost his mind or if he’s the only person around here that knows what’s going on, but either way I can’t make sense out of anything he says.”
”As if that all weren’t enough, people are going missing. I’d expect a few to leave town; I hired volunteers to help with the quarantine but you’re not going to stop everyone. At first I thought that was all it was. But then two days ago Delian, the butcher’s son, disappeared. He’s only ten and his family’s all here. He wouldn’t have run off.”
Anya looks pleadingly at all of you. ”I don’t expect you to be able to cure the disease. We sent Henri to Pangolais for aid; he should be back in a week or so with clerics and inquisitors to help stomp it out. But I’m afraid Karpad won’t last another week. With everyone so paranoid, and all this talk about shadows…” Her shoulders slump. ”Kayal haven’t been treated well here for centuries. They’re pretty much forced to live in a separate area of the village, Kayalhi, although the locals call it ‘Shade’s Row.’ Captain Groy says some people think the kayal are the ones spreading the disease and kidnapping folks. I'd like you to try and find evidence against that, find the missing people, find anything that will help calm people down. Because Captain Groy also says there’s been talk of burning Kayalhi to the ground. With everyone inside.”
At the start of the conversation Anya had been a relatively composed, confident-looking woman. That façade shatters as she begins openly weeping. ”I can’t convince them they’re wrong, I’ve been trying, but I can’t, I can’t…” Marek also begins to wail as Anya breaks down.
Jassminder ignores the storm of weeping as she turns to the rest of the group, starting to tick things off on her fingers. "We should probably try to talk to the Baron, but that may need someone who knows how to deal with people. I also want to find someone who has the physical symptoms, so I can examine them and see if this matches anything I know about. I can do that safely, but the rest of you might get infected so this is my task." She counts out more items. "The boy who disappeared - two days ago is recent enough there might be tracks to follow, if it hasn't rained. Then there's the kayal, it would be a good idea to visit them and make sure people haven't started to do anything foolish."
She thinks for a few moments. "We may need to split up, I don't think anything in town is a threat to us even if we're alone. Although someone should probably accompany Marcus, in case he draws a mob down on himself."
Xanther took a while to process what was happening. "Your mother instructed that if you were in danger, we were to escort you and your son back to Nisroch. I presume that is not an option you wish to consider at the moment?"
"You mentioned the plague is called Tallowthroat. Since nobody has seen it before, where did the name come from?"
"Your mother mentioned you have a bit of Sorcerer blood. Do you know Detect Magic? More specifically, have you or Master Miklos considered checking the Baron for enchantment effects?"
He turns to the others. "I have Remove Sickness available, it will boost your resistance for a short while, but it isn't total immunity. Still, it is a good precaution if any of you wish to inspect a victim. It might be worth using Detect Magic to see if anything comes up."
"I'd also recommend you request a Purify Food and Drink before consuming anything."
"I'm good with going to Kayalhi. My presence would just make the Baron rant more I'm afraid. If this takes more than a day, which it likely will, I do have skill with alchemy. My lady, if you have access to a lab I may be able to put together some anti-plague which could help us and perhaps some of those the good cleric cannot get to. As to going alone, I don't mind, but I don't mind good company either. That of course eliminates Noctifer but still, plenty of choices." Marcus says, smiling at Noctifer at the end of his diatribe.
Addressing Xanther briefly, "The Baroness knows Detect Magic. It's what she cast upon the letter to see Lady Fabia's Arcane Mark and verify the letter is from her."
He smiles at the Baroness while opening his journal and ink, "A few questions I'm afraid just to collect information on the situation if I may? Is Master Miklos a cleric? And who is Nadia? The fact that the victims all have the same mental symptoms almost sounds like a curse rather than just a disease. Aunt Eugenia, is that the Baron's aunt? Do you know who first contracted the disease? Perhaps knowing where they've been, what they've done, etc. might give us some clues. And maybe a list of the missing people? It could help to see if there's any connection between them. If we are able to discover any information which would clear the Kayal of involvement do you think the Baron would listen to us?"
Looking at Marcus and Jassminder he frowns, "Absolutely under no circumstances should we split up. This village is a powderkeg of paranoia and any of us could be targets since we're outsiders. Especially Marcus and his wit which is definitely an acquired taste. As for the disease Master Miklos should be able to cure any of us who come down with it. The parameters of our contract are clear: 'Deal with the problem threatening the Baroness.' I suggest we try our best to do so."
Anya pulls out a handkerchief as Laurentiu clears his throat. "I believe I can answer some of your questions. I'm not certain who coined the name 'Tallowthroat,' but it caught on because of the victims' waxy complexions, swollen throats, and proclivity for candles. Master Miklos is indeed a cleric of the Midnight Lord; you can usually find him at the local temple. While we don't have an alchemy lab here at the manor, I know he has one there and would no doubt appreciate any extra anti-plague you could produce." His lip curls in mild disgust. "Nadia is a local hedge witch. The sort of charlatan young people go to for love potions and fortune-telling."
"She has genuine magical talent." Anya's regained control of herself, although her voice is still quiet. "Not as much as Master Miklos, but enough that I thought it wise to consult her."
Laurentiu inclines his head. "Of course. Lady Eugenia is the Baron's aunt, although her circumstances are...complicated." He looks questioningly at Anya who gives a small nod. "By which I mean she's a ghost. She was a cleric in life though and retains some of that ability."
"She doesn't like me or Stepan but she's loyal to the Boroi line. Therefore she's agreed to keep an eye on us all, including Marek, and cure us of Tallowthroat should we contract it. So far we have not." Anya shakes her head. "Unfortunately she's not willing to do the same for anyone else. She believes this plague has been sent directly by the Midnight Lord as punishment for our lack of faith."
"Myself, Master Miklos, and Aunt Eugenia have all checked Stepan for enchantments and found none. The only spell he's currently under is an illusion that he arranged himself. In his paranoia about shadows, he used a magic book to seal his own away." Anya dabs her eyes one final time before putting the handkerchief away. "I didn't approve and Master Miklos called it 'unwise,' but Stepan would not be deterred. His strange behavior started before that but I will admit he's gotten worse since. I just don't know what to do about it."
"As for the Tallowthroat victims, the first was our groundskeeper, Sergyev. He died a little over two weeks ago. The second was his wife Tania; she worked at the local tavern. I'm not sure who caught it next after that but I do know that a total of twelve people have died. Master Miklos would have the full list. I'm also not sure how many people have gone missing, like I said until Delian disappeared I just thought they were fleeing town. Ten maybe? Fifteen? I'd recommend asking Captain Groy, he'd know."
"If I may be so bold, I'd recommend checking on Captain Groy regardless." Anya looks at Laurentiu curiously and the majordomo actually blushes. "I did not want to worry you madam, but Captain Groy was sweating rather profusely when I saw him yesterday. I sent word to Master Miklos but do not know if he has had the time to follow up."
"Oh...oh no." Anya covers her mouth with her hand, eyes wide. "Yes, please do check on him. If he's sick we need to get him to Master Miklos immediately. If he succumbs to paranoia and starts blaming the kayal, people will listen to him. If, gods forbid, he dies..."
Laurentiu shifts uncomfortably. "Perhaps you might consider your mother's offer of sanctuary?"
"What? No!" Anya sits up straighter. "I will not abandon Karpad or my husband." She looks down at her lap where Marek sits contentedly now that his mother is no longer crying. For a moment her gaze focuses on her left hand and its missing fingers. Almost to herself she adds, "I love my mother, but I will not go back to Nisroch, and I would never allow my son to grow up there."
Xanther clenches his hand reflexively, while trying to recall what he knew about ghosts.
"While your mother did mention the Baron was behaving strangely, she did not give many details. Please tell us, when and how did this all start?"
"Also, if we wish to talk to them, where might we find Nadia and Captain Groy?"
Jassminder thinks for a moment or two, before standing up with a speed the belies the stillness with which she was previously sitting. "I agree. There is lots to do here, but Captain Groy would seem to be our priority to prevent things getting worse."
"He does seem to be the next target of opportunity and if no one wants to get the party kickin' by splitting up, then we need to go together."
Ussaile mentally checks off the people in the small town, "Okay then, perhaps finding that Captain would be prudent." The hooded woman turns to Marcus, "It is wiser to not split up here. We are in unfamiliar land with tension that is so thick you could cleave it."
Agreeing with Xanther, the witch speaks up, "The more details we have the better we can serve this place. However..." She looks out of the bleak window, "I understand you don't wish to see your mother, or at least go back, but perhaps it may be the most practical course of action." The witch cracks her neck a little, "Not that we will fail, but I would recommend packing up in case a hasty exit may be required." The tone is matter of fact but she continues while looking upon the grim landscape, "It is better to be prepared for the worst case than to do it in a panic."
Turning around she begins to head for the door, "Only you know in the end what you must do Baroness. Though I hope you don't need to make such a decision."
"It would be a great help if we could have a map of Karpad with the relevant locations noted. It sounds like time is of the essence in checking on the Captain so we might as well gather up Master Miklos first and take him with us. I agree with the Baroness that losing Captain Groy at this time would be a tragedy for all."
Before the group leaves Noctifer will ask the Baroness, "A small favor if I may? If you could write a note of commendation or something similar to the guards Ponzo and Victor I would appreciate it. They are doing fine work under difficult circumstances and deserve some recognition and praise."
Anya nods when you request a map. ”Of course. Laurentiu, would you fetch one for them?” While Laurentiu‘s gone Anya gives you a basic timeline of recent events.
3.5 months ago: Marek was born. Stepan seemed overjoyed at first, then rapidly became withdrawn and distant.
2 months ago: Stephan’s paranoia increased. He refused to sleep without multiple candles in the bedroom. He spent most of his time in his study and ordered Laurentiu to move many of the manor’s lanterns inside that room.
7 weeks ago: Stepan came to her and announced his plan to sever his shadow. She tried to talk him out of it but he refused. His paranoia became worse.
6 weeks ago: Stepan had a secret meeting with someone in his study. He ordered everyone, including her, to stay away from not just the study but the entire first floor while this meeting took place. He’s had similar meetings every two weeks since and is due for another one any day now.
5 weeks ago: Stepan randomly fired all the fetchlings working at the manor. He accused them of plotting an uprising against the human residents of Karpad.
4 weeks ago: The groundskeeper started displaying the first signs of illness. Stepan ordered bonfires be lit around the manor.
3 weeks ago: The groundskeeper died. His wife started displaying symptoms. Stepan ordered a full quarantine of Karpad. Henri was sent to Pangolais for aid. The first people started disappearing.
1 week ago: At Stephan’s suggestion bonfires were lit around the whole village. He stopped sleeping in their bedroom and now almost never leaves his study.
Ghosts are incorporeal undead, meaning that in addition to the usual undead immunities they can only really be hurt with magic weapons. Even then there’s a 50% chance the attack or spell will miss. And even if you get past all that and manage to “kill” one, they come back a few days later. Their primary attack involves touching the living and forcing them to feel the same pain the ghost did when they died: this is a supernatural attack that bypasses all types of damage reduction.
The party you’re with would probably be able to defeat a ghost, but it would be a tough fight.
Ghosts are incorporeal undead, meaning that in addition to the usual undead immunities they can only really be hurt with magic weapons. Even then there’s a 50% chance the attack or spell will miss. And even if you get past all that and manage to “kill” one, they come back a few days later. Your ability to channel positive energy wouldn’t help as much as it might against other undead: ghosts are resistant to that too.
The party you’re with would probably be able to defeat a ghost, but it would be a tough fight.
"Grabbing the cleric sounds like a good idea. No sense in potentially injuring a paranoid man while trying to get him to the temple. As for hedge-witches, I think all of us have heard the term. She's likely a practitioner of some tradition with just a modicum of power. Since it's not tied to the temple nor a noble house she gets branded a hedge-witch." Marcus agrees.
"That is assuming Master Miklos is willing to follow us." Xanther says. "Baroness, if it is not too much trouble, could you write us letters of introduction to Miklos, Groy, and Nadia? Identify us as your agents, least they think of us as random outsiders who snuck into town past quarantine."
Anya readily agrees to write letters of introduction, although it does take her a small amount of time to write all three. By the time the party leaves the manor behind, letters and map in hand, it's nearly 4pm.
You make your way along the streets towards the Temple of Zon-Kuthon. Word seems to have spread that your party is here to assist the Baroness, for while most villagers still give you a wide berth their stares are filled with more curiosity than fear. Eventually you turn towards the west and can see the temple before you. A graveyard surrounds it on all sides and imagery of skulls and chains is carved in onto every tombstone. Mausoleums line the edge of the cemetery, each emblazoned with the Boroi family crest and dozens of names. The temple itself is an austere, spired building of black stone.
As soon as you open the door you hear screaming. "STOP THEM! PLEASE! THEY'RE KILLING ME!" You rush in and see a gruesome scene. A shirtless man has been tied down to a table, blood dripping from numerous wounds across his torso. Above him leans an overweight man in his late thirties with a facial tattoo and numerous silver piercings along the bridge of his nose. He ignores the bound man's screams and continues carving lines into his flesh.
There are two other people in the room, both fetchlings. A woman is standing next to the table, rag in hand, while a man leans against the wall. He's the one to notice you first. "We've got company!"
"A moment...I'm nearly done..." The overweight man is too engrossed in his work to turn around.
"Oh, good." Jassminder is pleased: she'd been hoping to find someone with the illness, but all the other priorities had got in the way. "I'd like to examine the symptoms," she tells the overweight man. "It's not a disease I've seen before and I'm curious about it."
She is less concerned about the screaming man; from the way the others in the room are behaving, it seems clear that he isn't being murdered.
"Master Miklos?" Xanther asks, guessing the overweight tattoo'ed man is the resident cleric.
He tries to figure out what is going on with the man tied to the table. Is it some sort of religious ritual for Zon-Kuthon?
"It's just the paranoia from the tallowthroat Xanther. They'll be fine. There is antiseptic in the air." Ussaile moves past him but keeps her distance from the table. She wasn't sure how infectious it was and had no desire to find out first hand. "You never seem to get sick Jessminder, see what's going on."
At the sound of an unfamiliar voice the overweight man does actually pause and turn around. "Hmmm? Yes, I'm Master Radu Miklos." He eyes Jassminder. "Are you part of the delegation from Pangolais? I didn't expect you for a few more days...no matter, no matter. If you wish to examine him before he's healed please do so now, although I wouldn't recommend touching him. The disease seems to spread fastest through direct contact."
The man on the table still writhes and screams, but Miklos ignores him (and the rest of the party) as he turns back and carves another thin line into the man's flesh. The fetchling woman speaks up in a soothing tone, "We're nearly done Max. Just a few more minutes and you'll be fine."
Jassminder doesn't lie, so she has to correct the priest. "Not from Pangolais, we're a separate group working for the Baroness. Introductions can probably wait, though." Ussaile's right, she doesn't get sick, so this illness holds few fears for her. But then, nothing does, she thinks to herself wryly. She doesn't feel fear, or joy, or remorse.
She has no real understanding of compassion, either: she looks thoughtfully at the man writhing on the table, ignoring his cries of pain as she studies the symptoms to see if his illness is something she understands.
It's all very strange and definitely not anything you've seen or heard of before, but you can draw some conclusions. Max isn't coughing, sneezing, or anything else that would indicate the infection might be airborne. Instead you'd guess it's passed through bodily fluids, particularly the sweat dripping down his face.
The paranoid rambling reminds you of a memorable encounter you once had with an amber ooze. A companion ingested it without realizing and grew more irritable and suspicious every day. By the time you realized what had happened and arranged for a cleric to remove the amber ooze from his body, he was convinced that you were trying to kill him. You had to knock him unconscious to get him to submit to the procedure.
Tallowthroat
Type disease, ingested or touch
Save Fortitude DC 14
Onset 1d3 days; Frequency 1/day
Effect 1d3 Cha damage. A creature dies if this Charisma damage equals or exceeds its actual Charisma score.
Cure 2 consecutive saves.
Jassminder frowns slightly as the markings on the man's throat seem to move when she isn't watching them. Apart from that, it seems straightforward. "You won't catch it just by being around anyone infected, only if you get too close. It's not breathed in, you have to touch them or ingest something. But apart from that, I have nothing. I've never seen this or heard of it before. Although..."
She gives a crooked half-smile. "Remember that time just outside Pangolais, maybe... nine months back? Xanther got into it with that amber ooze and it made him think we were all trying to kill him? Good times. Anyway, the ramblings here remind me of that, a bit."
"Say, is all of this really necessary? Can't you just wave your hands over him, sprinkle some water and voila, no more disease? I understand inflicting pain but you should at least give him a chance to fight back." Marcus says while eyeing the two fetchlings. After his comment he approaches them, "I thought you guys were on the personae non grata list by the baron. He not come over here much?"
"Yes, and I'll never touch alcohol again!" Xanther mumbled.
Returning his attention to Miklos and the victim, Xanther asked aloud "Payment in pain?"
It seemed like an absolutely barbaric concept to him, although if it meant no gold was required, it made clerical services affordable for poor peasants.
Xanther lacked the heal skill, so he simply examined the man (from a safe distance) for anything of interest.
Xanther also scans the victim with Detect Magic.
"Yes, and I'll never touch alcohol again!" Xanther mumbled.
Returning his attention to Miklos and the victim, Xanther asked aloud "Payment in pain?"
It seemed like an absolutely barbaric concept to him, although if it meant no gold was required, it made clerical services affordable for poor peasants.
Xanther lacked the heal skill, so he simply examined the man (from a safe distance) for anything of interest.
"Correct Xanther, the man must 'give' pain in the process."
Miklos raises an eyebrow at Marcus. "The Prince of Pain demands sacrifices for his gifts. Under normal circumstances people understand this and the restraints would not be necessary, but-"
"THE SHADOWS! THE SHADOWS HAVE COME FOR ME!"
"This disease makes things difficult. Have you finished your examination?" Once Jassminder nods, Miklos casts three spells in rapid succession. The effects are immediate. The victim's throat deflates back to a more normal size and his complexion approves. He stops screaming after the second spell, and by the time the third spell closes the worst of his injuries he's lying quietly on the table. The fetchling woman immediately begins cleaning the scratches that remain.
DC17:
DC16:
Miklos studies him for a moment. "Better?"
"I...think so?" Max's eyes dart around the room. He still seems frightened, but no longer panicked.
"Perfect! Please do remember that Renza and Somar were trying to help you, not harm you." Miklos begins undoing the restraints, allowing Max to get off the table. As he works he addresses the party, "The first few people I healed ran off in a panic afterwards due to my having fetchling assistants. I fear their talk of being held down and tortured by 'shades' inflamed the current crisis. Adding the restorative spell seems to have made the victims more willing to listen to reason."
"Right. They...helped. Can I go now?" Max starts edging his way towards the door. Unless someone in the party stops him, he runs out and disappears.
"Although as you can see, even with the restorative spell the victims aren't entirely back to themselves for a few more days." Miklos shakes his head with a sigh. "Oh well. You said you're working for Baroness Boroi? Is there anything she wishes me to assist you with?"
"I thought you guys were on the personae non grata list by the baron. He not come over here much?"
Somar makes a disgusted face. "The baron's why we're here. Renza and I used to work for him until he fired us. Don't know if he'd care about us working at the temple, but since he hasn't left the manor in weeks what he doesn't know won't hurt us."
"Fetchlings appear to be immune to the disease." Miklos washes his hands in a nearby basin. "While it is unfortunate that several people lost their jobs, it's very useful to have assistants that needn't fear getting sick themselves." He laughs, a booming sound that seems out of place in the temple. "And knowing they can't get sick means I'm not likely to dismiss it as paranoia on their parts should they suggest the physician needs to cure himself!"
It wasn't much to see how the disease was removed. She was shocked it was so simple. But it definitely explained the slowness of the cleric's work.
At least we can rule out something like Mummy Rot
Something piqued her interest though, "Fetchlings being immune? Does this extend to other outsiders?" She gives a glance to Noctifer and her lips turn upward, "It may help us pin down whether this is from the Plane of Shadow or not." The witch takes an idle walk through the room, "If you're willing of course."
"Right now we need Master Miklos to save Captain Groy."
To Renza and Somar, Marcus says, "Will you be joining us to track down Groy? If not, when would you have time to talk?"
Miklos looks at Noctifer curiously, apparently just now noticing the tiefling. "I'm afraid I have no idea if other outsiders are immune. None currently live in Karpad. I suppose we could see if your friend here catches the disease, although it means little if he doesn't. I haven't yet, and humans are definitely susceptible. The only reason I've drawn the conclusion about fetchlings is because none of the thirty or so we have living here have gotten sick."
At the mention of Captain Groy his face falls. "Oh yes, Laurentiu mentioned he thought Lucian was ill. I went to the Town Watch earlier looking for him but he was nowhere to be found. We could try again, see if he's returned? Or perhaps go straight to his house. Even if he's not there his wife might know where he's gone."
"We'll stay here." Renza looks like she might protest, but Somar shakes his head. "If Captain Groy's sick we'd be more hinderance than help. If he's not then you wouldn't need us anyway. Come back once you're done and we can talk."
"Since Master Miklos has already checked the Town Watch, perhaps we should try his home for now?" Xanther suggests.
Looking a bit unsettled at Miklos's scientific curiosity Noctifer says, "Yes testing on one outsider is statistically insignificant so let's put that idea away. I think we should go straight to Captain Groy's house to look for him. We should also check to make sure his wife hasn't contracted the disease yet either."
To Renza and Somar he adds, "Thank you and we will return to speak as soon as we can."
"Let's go see what the good captain has in store for us." Marcus says and heads for the door.
Following Miklos’ directions the group leaves the temple and heads towards the center of Karpad. The sun is beginning to set and the red light reflected from the cobblestone streets looks eerily like blood. Just a short while ago when heading towards the temple you saw a number of villagers, but now the streets are empty.
Miklos leads you to a small, unassuming single-story house next to the main road. He steps forward and knocks three times. ”Lucian? Irina? It’s Radu. May I come in?” There’s no response from inside and Miklos frowns. ”Strange. Even if Lucian’s away Irina should be making dinner right about now. Unless they’re both too sick to answer?” He knocks again, harder, but the house stays silent.
Just then you all see a figure bolting towards the temple. It’s Max, the man Miklos healed only moments ago. When he sees you he changes direction and skids to a stop in front of you. In between gasps for air he manages to say, ”Need you. Town square. They’ve gone mad!”
”What? Who are-” Miklos starts to ask, but Max cuts him off with a gesture.
”No time. Hurry!”
Miklos immediately begins to run northwards. As you follow him you start to hear the sound of people yelling in both anger and fear. Bursting into the town square you see a mob of about thirty people gathered in front of a gnarled, leafless oak. A rope dangles from its branches and a table has been shoved underneath to make a crude gallows.
On top of the table and surrounded by the crowd is a terrified fetchling. A large man in a captain’s uniform is trying to get the rope around her neck while she struggles and screams. ”Please! I didn’t do anything!”
”You took my daughter!”
Beside you Miklos gasps. ”Surely he can’t mean…not Olya?” He shakes himself and yells out over the noise of the crowd, ”Lucian! What is this madness?!”
Captain Lucian Groy turns and stares at you all. For a second he looks confused, then furious. ”I know where your sympathies lie; with these shades, these monsters! You can’t stop me! I will have justice for my daughter!” The crowd around him cheers, clearly driven into a frenzy.
You all can clearly see that Captain Groy is in fact suffering from Tallowthroat, as are several other people in the crowd. The uninfected are too caught up in their bloodlust to notice the peril they are putting themselves in.
Jassminder looks interested when she hears that fetchlings are unaffected by the illness. "Curious." Noctifer's reluctance to play the role of experimental animal makes her smile. "Spoilsport. What happened to your spirit of inquiry?"
Her smile drops when she sees the scene in front of her, and she curls her lip at the crowd. "Really? A lynching? This isn't Galt, you know - the penalties for taking the law into your own hands are... well, this is Nidal. Do you really want to find out?"
Xanther pulls out the letter from the Baroness and waves it in the air. "We are investigators sent by the Baroness to probe these recent disappearances. This letter will prove what I say."
"If this Fetchling is involved, she must first be questioned! Don't you wish to find your daughter? You can rest assured we will force her to speak the truth."
Ussaile sees the commotion going on, but her familiar hears something else with her senses. Fear. She looks into the alleyway and sees the young woman running into the shadows, doing what she can to note who it is.
Cursing in Aklo, she turns her attention to the current state of affairs. They will have to track her down after because she's certain that her companions would cry foul if they sacrificed one fetchling to finish their mission. If you say, so shall it be.
Seeing the way her companions handle the situation turns her face into a grin, either way she was going to enjoy whatever was going to happen next.
Xanther was ever so diplomatic, which was shocking considering what he hid under his robes. Frankly she was surprised any normal person would give him the time of day, and even more surprised that he had the patience for it. Jassminder on the other hand, she had no qualms with using her authority as a cudgel, and perhaps that was something she admired in the young crusader.
"I demand that you all stay back." Her voice bubbles up from the quiet introspection, "If there is Tallowthroat here, this mob is a great way to get yourselves killed." She takes her hood off, letting the alien hair fall to the floor, "Now move along and let the professionals do the talking, because the truth is I wouldn't have any issues with you getting sick but your baroness might." The witch has no time for the mob and uses the most forward approach to scaring them off, hoping that she won't have to expose herself too much in the process.
Shouting at Captain Groy, "Captain Groy! You must stop this madness and disperse this crowd. The Baroness herself told us she thought you unwell and she sent us to gather Master Miklos to check on you. Even you can see, and feel, your throat; you have Tallowthroat and it's clouding your judgement. Master Miklos can heal your affliction and then you'll be in a better state of mind to help everyone else. Your service to the Baroness is required in Karpad's time of greatest need. You have a duty to her, the people of Karpad, your wife, and yourself to be healed and not stain your legacy with rash actions taken under the delusional state Tallowthroat has you under. If you do this will your wife ever be able to forgive you? Will you be able to forgive yourself? You know you're sick; please let Master Miklos heal you and we can work together."
When Ussaile removes her hood the reaction from the crowd is immediate. Fully half of them turn tail and run while the rest collectively take several steps backwards. Finally one particularly bold individual shouts back, "Professionals? We've got a professional right here, the Captain of the Watch! And he says the shade needs to die!"
Said captain has stopped trying to get the rope around the fetchling woman's neck and is now merely gripping her arm. Emotions flit across his face in rapid succession: rage, confusion, fear. In a much quieter voice he asks Xanther, "You can question her? Find out what she did with my daughter?"
Sensing the shift in mood Miklos tries to get Groy's attention. "We'll find her Lucian. But this gentleman is right. You're sick. Let me heal you." Unsure, Groy sways in place on the table.
The individual who spoke up before points at Marcus. "Axia overheard that shade with them plotting to kill us all in our beds! Whether the baroness hired them or no, they can't be trusted. All shades have to die before our children are safe!"
Emboldened, the remaining members of the mob close ranks around the table. Several begin shouting things like "Justice!" and "For the children!"
Focusing his attention on the Captain, "Don't listen to the mob; they're only interested in causing trouble - the very thing you swore to stop. We will question whomever needed to locate all of the missing people and to try and locate the source of Tallowthroat. You must let Master Miklos heal you; once you're cured, you'll be in a clearer, more focused state of mind to protect Karpad - from itself! Don't let yourself or these people do something they'll regret. When the authorities from Pangolais arrive, including Inquisitors, they will have neither mercy nor compassion for those who broke the law. Everyone should remember that before they are called to account in front of the Umbral Court."
Marcus wanted to leap in and just snatch the woman away from the Captain but everyone seemed bent on talking their way out so he stayed his hand. When the man pointed him out and made the half-truth remark of killing people in their sleep he decided to play the bogeyman. Drawing his blade he let his anger and frustration flow through him and hardened his gaze with the speaker in the center of it. "I just need someone to say go." he says under his breath.
The individual who spoke up before points at Marcus. "Axia overheard that shade with them plotting to kill us all in our beds! Whether the baroness hired them or no, they can't be trusted. All shades have to die before our children are safe!"
Jassminder throws Marcus a flat look that indicates she is seriously considering whether to offer him up in place of the woman they're threatening to lynch. Ultimately, she decides against it: he'd be hard to replace and she's just gotten used to having him around.
Plus, of course, it would be wrong, she reminds herself.
Ignoring the mob, she focuses her attention on the captain. "Is this the sort of community you want to create? How do you think the Baron will... reward you when he finds that so many of his taxpaying citizens were murdered on your watch? Is that something you're willing to find out?"