Tisha slips Monica 10 gp.
I don’t know how much time you have spent out of the city, but I find there are lots of benefits to living closer to nature. I think we have given you what you need to get your new life started, I hope in a few months to hear you are settling in well.
The trip back to Korvosa is also very peaceful. As you finally come into sight of the city it is already dark. But the prospect of camping another night in the fields isn't that appealing so you decide to press on. As you come close you hear distant shouting and see busy movement of torches on the city wall. You see a fiery load fired by a trebuchet into the city and shortly after the projectile disappears out of sight you hear an explosion echo through the city. Then silence.
The number of guards at the city gate is back to normal and they are more interested to gawk in direction where the explosion happened than checking on carts. They wave you through.
Briggi addresses the gate guards. Any idea why they were firing off flaming shot?
"Probably something on the river. Pirates?" the guard replies.
Lets go see what we can see at the River.
Briggi drives the wagon towards the river. Of course they will promptly return it later to their benefactor.
The road to the benefactor leads over the bridge to Old Korvosa anyway and from there you get a nice view into the darkness. From what little light there is in this partly clouded night there could be a sunken ship. Could also be the monster of Loch Ness on vacation trying not to be seen by not moving.
Well if it was officially done, Kroft may have more information. We could ask next time we see her.
But it doesn’t look like an emergency, so let’s get this cart back.
Vencarlo is glad to see you made it back without incidents and happy about your report of deliver Monica to Harse. But as it is late already the visit is rather short with only the necessary information exchanged with lots of thanks from Vencarlo.
After parking the cart and putting the horse in the stable it's time for bed.
Walking through half the town again to get to Zellara's home you drop on your respective bed substitute and sleep like stones.
Next day shopping is necessary to get some food after the long travel and on the market you hear the latest gossip and news. Some mysterious illness has befallen a few people mostly from Old Korvosa that ends deadly if not treated in time.
"We have been away for a week or so, perhaps we should check in with the Captain General to see if she has another job for us?"
Aye. Just give a wink and nod that things have been taken care of. Perhaps ye would like joining the guard? Bunk space, meals and some extra coin.
Aye. Just give a wink and nod that things have been taken care of. Perhaps ye would like joining the guard? Bunk space, meals and some extra coin.
"Oh hell no!"
Briggi heads back to the barracks to see if he can pick up any news.
As Briggi and Ernhild make their way towards the northern parts of town a man approaches them.
"You are the guys who dragged me to the guard when I was busy drinking myself to death, right?" Soldado opens the conversation. "My niece is sick. I don’t know what she has and neither does anyone in Trail’s End. She’s broken out all over in red pocks and can barely keep down food, or even the swill that good-for-nothing herbalist gave her. Her mother’s talking about going to the Bank of Abadar, but can’t afford to pay the prices their clerics would demand. Then I remembered how you and your friends handled yourselves during the riots, and how you aided me, and I figured you could help. A bunch of resourceful folk like you, I’d bet if you don’t already have a way to fix this, you must know who can. Surely you can’t just sit by while a child suffers, can you?"
Tisha stays back at the house, doing the shopping for food and getting things ready for when the others get back. While she waits to hear what the others find she starts looking at her book of locks again, studying how they work and thinking of what upgrades can be made to the building.
Well I just can't let a child suffer of illness. Briggi's eyes almost fly out of his head due to all of the rolling. Ernhild, do you have any knowledge of healing sickness?
Tisha stays back at the house, doing the shopping for food and getting things ready for when the others get back. While she waits to hear what the others find she starts looking at her book of locks again, studying how they work and thinking of what upgrades can be made to the building.
Narciso, being much less domestic, takes a nap...
Tayce and Brienna Soldado live in a small community northeast of Korvosa called Trail’s End. Made up primarily of Varisians—with a few Shoanti and socially disaffected Chelaxians—Trail’s End is poor and reputedly dangerous, but the neighborhood feels more like a small town than any district within the city proper. The criminal element is obvious and impossible to ignore in the face of dozens of toughs and thugs who loiter on the streets, mostly Sczarni brutes who call themselves the Bashwater Boys and prey exclusively upon Chelaxians and other outsiders. Knowing most city folks’ distaste for Varisia’s natives, the residents of Trail’s End return such prejudices, creating a community that thrives off Korvosan coin but reviles the city all the same.
Tayce Soldado lives here with her three children, Brienna, Charlo, and Rello. Despite being only half-blooded Varisians, Tayce’s sons have distinctly Varisian features, with unruly black hair, brown eyes, and olive skin, while Brienna takes more after her father, having a paler complexion, with light hair and freckles.
The Soldado home is a squat, two-story wooden building in desperate need of repair. Overall, the building feels like the home of a family too busy living to bother with tedious chores. Inside, the house is remarkably clean and well kept, filled with worn furniture and decorated with the crafts and scribbling of children.
As you and Grau reach Tayce’s home, Charlo and Rello are playing quietly in the living room, while Tayce attends Brienna upstairs. Every few minutes, a spasm of ragged coughing fills the house from above. An acolyte from the Bank of Abadar, is in the kitchen with a bag of herbs, brewing some concoction that smells of cinnamon and anise. Upon seeing the man still there, Grau is obviously displeased and goes upstairs to have a sternly whispered conversation with Tayce.
The acolyte Dhatri attends a kettle boiling on the kitchen hearth until Grau and Tayce come back downstairs.
Tisha slips out of the house quietly so as not to wake Narciso and goes looking for more tools to help her with her future locksmithing shop.
After some time she comes back into the house and says.
Wow they still aren't back? They must have a lot to catch up on after taking a week outside the city.
Oh sorry, were you still asleep?
Briggi looks around casually, he wonders just how the child got sick.
Grau comes back down together with a middle aged woman in worn clothes. "Hello. I'm Tayce!" she greets you offering a hand.
"Grau told me you're here to help Brianna? She's not well since a few days..." She pauses as she sees Ernhilds holy symbol and the hope on her face vanishes. "But I can't afford paying for the magic that would heal her."
...
After some time she comes back into the house and says.
Wow they still aren't back? They must have a lot to catch up on after taking a week outside the city.Oh sorry, were you still asleep?
Tisha doesn't catch Narciso by surprise; Bun-bun (his tattoo familiar) is ever watchful. Waking smoothly he replies "It has been a while... do you think they found some trouble?"
Briggi addresses Ernhild in Dwarven. Perhaps an arrangement where they don't have to pay all at once?
|
Ernhild acknowledges the acolyte with a courteous nod. "Ishani. Always glas to see a colleague."
She takes a look around, pretending to inspect the furniture a bit closer, but in reality she listens intently to what is happening upstairs. She keeps a straight face while trying to figure out a plan of action. Ishani had every right to be here, and Brianna was his patient - but knowing him, whatever he was brewing would probably be as useful as a cup of tea.
It was no fault of his own. No manner how helpful, how good-willed he was, he could only do as well as a low-ranking cleric with basic training in healing. Tayce had called on him to help because she couldn't afford anyone more experienced, and he had answered as best as he possibly could. He simply was unable to treat a complex disease. It would be grossly unfair, under these circumstances, to blame him for showing up and doing his job.
And even if Ernhild did manage to cure Brianna for pennies - what then? Would the desperate flock to her door to beg for healing she wouldn't be able to provide?
People thought that magical healing could cure all of their problems. They often forgot that an epidemic didn't stop until the source of the infection was uprooted - and there were not enough healers in the world to outpace the spreading of a disease. Perhaps Brianna would be cured tonight, but she would have had more than time enough to contaminate her parents, her siblings, her neighbours and possibly her healers.
Ernhild had to choose her words carefully, especially in front of Ishani.
"There is no question of payment as of yet," she answers Briggi in Dwarven, before turning to Trayce. "We both know Grau personally, and he has asked me to have a look at Brianna because she was very ill," she explains in Common. "As a favour to a friend, I agreed to do so. I was not sent here by the Temple, though I'm glad to see that you already thought if calling in a colleague."
"I'd be happy to assist in examining your niece, if, of course, you still want my help. Since we're both here, perhaps I could work with you on this, Ishani," she suggests to the acolyte.
"It has been a while... do you think they found some trouble?"
I hope not besides…. I would think they would come get us if it was anything serious.
But maybe we need a way to send each other messages. I know some people hire urchins to run messages for them, but we would have to spend time setting that up. Not sure if there is another magic way you know to do this.
"It has been a while... do you think they found some trouble?"I hope not besides…. I would think they would come get us if it was anything serious.
But maybe we need a way to send each other messages. I know some people hire urchins to run messages for them, but we would have to spend time setting that up. Not sure if there is another magic way you know to do this.
"Message runners is probably the most practical solution. So if they are off catching up on things, is there anything that you and I should take care of in the meanwhile?"
"Hello Ernhild." Ishani greets his sister in faith looking at her shortly, before focusing on the herbal tea again.
As Ernhild suggests looking at the girl, he shares what he evaluated so far. "I don't know what kind of disease the girl has. It's none of the common illnesses we see at the temple. But a remove disease should cure her all the same." Ishtani struggles for words. "But I can't do it in good faith - they can't pay for it. That's why I try to help with herbs."
|
|
"I understand," Ernhild nods gravely.
She really did. It was not merely that healing spells from an Abadaran clerics were typically a paid service - after all, she provided plenty of healing to her teammates outside of the temple's jurisdiction. But what would the consequencesbe if Grau could call on a priest and heal his niece for free, while his neighbours were refused the same favour?
"What kind of symptoms does she display?"
Briggi pats his slowly depleting coin pouch. I would be willing to pay for treatment, if that is acceptable.
I can’t think of anything pressing for once….
She flops down on one of the beat up couches.
Honestly, I have been thinking. If we are really going to use this as our base of operations, do you think we should make some upgrades to make this more comfortable?
Expand to have bedrooms so we can stay here, get more comfortable seating, better security, maybe some hired help to take care of us. What do you think, would it be worth it?
"I have already 100 gold sails, but I'm still short 50. Please save my girl!" Tayce begs, some of her hope coming back.
|
|
Ernhild turns around to raise an eyebrow at Briggi. "You're going to empty your pouch if you keep going like that," she says to him in Dwarven, before turning back to Tayce.
"First, let me have a look at Brianna and see what I can do," she says as soothingly as possible. "If a spell is necessary, we can discuss your options to afford the fee. There is always the possibility that I can think of another way to cure Brianna that will rely on other remedies."
"I will examine your daughter, and try to determine what illness she has. What can you tell me about her disease? When did it start? Is anyone else in the family ill, or have been ill?"
If it is a disease, we still have those antiplagues that we bought when we were exploring the warrens. They might help.
I can’t think of anything pressing for once….
She flops down on one of the beat up couches.
Honestly, I have been thinking. If we are really going to use this as our base of operations, do you think we should make some upgrades to make this more comfortable?
Expand to have bedrooms so we can stay here, get more comfortable seating, better security, maybe some hired help to take care of us. What do you think, would it be worth it?
"Are we going to use it as a long-term base of operations? We've been taking advantage of it being free, but is it a good choice for that? I mean who holds the deed to the place. Heck for all we know Zellara was renting, and we may have a landlord show up next month..."
Zellatra want to fill us in on the details of the house?
Tisha thinks to her companion in her head.
Tayce runs down the order of events. How she was fine one day and then started getting symptoms, which ones, in what order and how no one so far could tell and no one would help in a way that would get Briana out of bed and on her feet again.
"Maybe it's karma. One day she is lucky finding a purse full of silver shields, next day life gets back at her with that disease."
"Don't worry, it's not much but the house is mine. I've lived here for 30 years. Taking care of it and putting up some curtains again will probably help to keep looters and or hobos away."
"And if none of the neighbours have come to inquire about my whereabouts or why you are here by now, then that won't be an issue either."
"Anyway, worst case I can always tell them to bugger off myself."
"It was just lying in the street." Tayce answers.
After a moment of thought she adds "Are you implying she stole it?!?
Not at all. It just might have something to do with her sickness.
"Coins? How?"
See. We should be fine to invest in this place.
Tisha smiles.
Zellara, how is the neighborhood? Is it quiet and full of trades families, or are there regularly hobos/urchins hanging around? Any gangs we should know about who control the area?
Nargun, anything you want to see? A workshop, library or shrine or something? I never really heard your history or what you did before the guards drafted us….
The dwarves are open books, they choose this for themselves…. Me, I have some debts I need to pay. This helping the city thing seems to be a fast way to do that. But you, I can’t figure out why you are risking your life for the watch…