Briggi assumed Total Defense and waits for the rats.
Seeing that no one charges in, the were rats lower their crossbows but don't put them down. "So, you wanted to talk to Girrigz. Guess that didn't work out. Are you leaving now?"
Well with Girrigz not being very leader like right now, are you going to keep going with your surface attacks?
"Ehm, ... no."
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Ernhild gives the unfortunate spokesperson a hard look, holding their gaze silently for a couple dozen seconds. It is long enough to be uncomfortable. "I don't think you quite understood." Her tone is calm, measured - but firm.
"Between the riots and the rising epidemic, this whole city's at arms, and looking for someone to blame. Crimes are on the rise, and unlikely to be judged in the court any time soon."
"I understand that you are angry and afraid. You have every right to be. But to lead you all into a fight you are sure to lose is not an adequate solution to the crisis at hand. It's collective suicide."
"What are you asking me. I'm just a random guy here. Griggiz plan sounded good when he did his rally speeches. He's not very persuasive now that he got his ass handed by some city dwellers that aren't just bums."
I'll take that as you want be following any more of his future invasion plans then. So we can all just part ways now.
"I for sure wont follow up on his plans. I don't even know who would be in charge now either if he is gone."
"I'm fine with us parting ways now. You first. You're standing in the only exit."
Briggi backs up with the others.
Tisha slips out and quietly moves around the corner to wait to see what happens.
Please tell me the banker took his weapons when she healed it….
She hopes desperately from her hiding spot.
The were rats retreat to the next room to talk to the others.
Briggi casually drags of Gruz for looting
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Ernhild takes Griggiz's weapons away from him. "I don't think anyone will mind if we make him less dangerous."
"I feel that we should wake him up and persuade him to stop waging his stupid wars. Either that, or find a way to remove him from the wererat community."
"His own kin doesn't seem confident in his ability to overcome his violent impulses. And a fanatic will always find ways to gather followers."
Griggiz has quite the fancy stuff on him. Two potions of bear’s endurance, potion of blur, potion of cure moderate wounds, potion of shield of faith , chain shirt, mithral rapier and 230 gold sails.
Tisha stays silent watching to see what happens as the others wait at the entrance. She looks both ways to see if anyone is sneaking up on the others from behind or from the way they came.
Briggi confiscates Grigg's items as evidance.
Briggi puts his manacles on Griggiz. We can keep him in the jail and file a report on how he was planning on attacking the citizens of the city. Briggi hefts the ratman over his shoulder and is ready to head back
The group walks back to the garrison. Everyone seeing Briggi turns up their nose at the rat and gives them a wide berth. At the prison tract Briggi asks for Griggiz to be locked away. The were rat gets a new room free of rent, no questions asked.
Even the guards wouldn't touch Griggiz with a ten foot pole and suggest to Briggi to get a medical check.
Briggi gets a quick clean up to get the worst of the muck off and then gets to work writing his report on the case of the wild were-rat.
"Hey, want to see the queens physicians? There is an introduction ongoing and we're supposed to take care of their safety in town." one of Briggi's colleagues tells him as he sees him in an office. Without waiting for a reply the guard moves on to the meeting.
The echoes of forcefully spoken but unintelligible words resound off the imposing granite and iron walls of Citadel Volshyenek’s outer curtain. Dozens of red-and-silver-armored guards stand in assembly upon the pitted stone mustering ground here, muttering in hushed, somber tones.
Before them, atop a weathered wooden platform, paces Field Marshal Kroft, her eyebrows arched sternly as she momentarily tolerates the crowd’s murmurs. Behind her upon the scaffold stand three grizzled veteran guards at attention, as well as an ominous-looking group. These newcomers wear cowled robes of oily-looking leather, supple gloves, and wide black hats. Some grip heavy canes, others dark satchels. Each of them, though, wears a dark-goggled mask tapering to a pointed beak.
Among them stand two others. The first is a middle-aged gentleman in a simple black overcoat with streaks of white gracing the sides of his short, dark hair. He watches the gathered guards with a soft, concerned expression, his hands tightly clasping a heavy-looking doctor’s case. The second figure is an imposing one indeed — one of the queen’s new Gray Maidens, clad in her resplendent plate armor and crimson plume.
The Field Marshal’s fierce tone cuts through the rumble of whispers as she addresses her gathered guards. "You will escort Doctor Davaulus and his physicians in their royal duties wherever those might take them. Furthermore, you are to consider orders from any of the queen’s Gray Maidens to be as binding as those of any superior officer in the Korvosan Guard. You are the Korvosan Guard. You will not balk. These are dire times, and your city needs these healers. Your city needs you. Your patrol leaders have your assignments. Dismissed!"
As the assembly ends, the guards gathered in the courtyard break up into groups, many reporting for various duties while others loiter for a few moments to quietly gripe about their new orders.
Kroft and her veteran attendants head into the citadel with Dr. Davaulus and his Queen’s Physicians.
Tisha waits a second before casually walking into the citadel. There she walks with purpose until she is around the corner from the main group then she hangs back and tries to silently follow them and listen to what the bosses are talking about. If she is within sight
of other guards while trying to listen she tries not to be noticed, by bending down to tie her boot, looking in her backpack to find something or by just silently nodding as she moves on.
Baby sitting some doctors it seems. Anyone want some boring work after our scuffle down below?
Briggi tries pulling up anything that he remembers about the Grey Maidens.
The Grey Maidens are the new force commanded by the queen herself. They made their first appearance on the attempted execution of Trinia Sabor. They are easily recognizable by their shiny full plate armor and the red plume on the helmet.
You manage to listen in on what is told in Kroft's office. Doctor Reiner Davaulus claims to have served Queen Ileosa’s family in Egorian, the capital of Cheliax, for many years. When she contacted him several days ago, begging for his assistance on her city’s behalf, he couldn’t refuse. After accepting her gracious offer of magical transport to Korvosa, he has spent his time assembling a group of the city’s most talented healers to help stem the tide of the spreading plague. In all cases, he speaks highly of the queen and her attentiveness to her city’s needs.
He tells about the plans of finding out how the plague spreads, and of setting up a sufficiently large place to treat those that suffer from blood veil. Kroft assures him that the guards are ready to support in all ways necessary and that by now they should be ready awaiting their departure at the gate.
After exchanging some more pleasantries Kroft shows them to the gate where each of the masked doctors pick their escort and leave. Davaulus leaves with the Grey Maiden.
As Kroft comes back she inquires "What business do you bring?"
Briggu salutes. We brought in a miscreant by the name of Griggiz who was going to assult civillians by attacking from the sewers. We dispersed his gang and brought him to topside and put him in the cellar. He is also a wererat so extra caution is needed.
"Captain General, why did the guard fire on that ship the other night? Also, do you want us to go out and examine the wreck?"
Kroft nods at Briggi's report.
"The ship was unknown, didn't react to requests to stop and identify and so was sunk. Standard procedure. Surprisingly no one was caught swimming to shore."
"If you have time, I got several issues you could look into. There is a shop called Lavender in Summoning Street. They sell a cure for the blood veil. There are several reports about people disappearing around Racker's Alley. And if you still have time after that, it would be interesting to hear what that ship was about - if there is something to be found at the bottom of the river."
"As you saw, the guard has more important tasks at hand - like babysitting the queen's doctors."
She pushes a paper on her desk towards you to read.
Attention!
By Decree of Her Royal Majesty, the Radiant Queen Ileosa, all citizens and
members of the Korvosan Guard are to aid and admit the newly established
Queen’s Physicians in this time of urgency. These royal agents will extend healing
to those who are ill and organize defense against the spreading affliction
known as “blood veil.” They are to be allowed access to any home or building they
deem necessary in the course of their duties. All those suffering from disease or
disorder are to submit themselves to the Physicians for treatment.
To aid in the duties of the Queen’s Physicians, know that the order of the Gray
Maidens shall also provide military support as needed. The Maidens answer
directly to the Crimson Throne, and will be called upon as necessary to augment
and strengthen the peace where city guards will not suffice.
Impeding or distracting the Queen’s Physicians or the Gray Maidens in the
pursuit of their duties is punishable by imprisonment. Impersonating one
of the Queen’s Physicians or Gray Maidens is punishable by death. Knowingly
harboring or hiding the infected is punishable by death. Purposefully spreading
blood veil is punishable by torture, then death.
The Queen’s Physicians will be making rounds of every city district henceforth
until Her Majesty deems this misfortune has abated.
Kroft nods at Briggi's report.
"The ship was unknown, didn't react to requests to stop and identify and so was sunk. Standard procedure. Surprisingly no one was caught swimming to shore."
"If you have time, I got several issues you could look into. There is a shop called Lavender in Summoning Street. They sell a cure for the blood veil. There are several reports about people disappearing around Racker's Alley. And if you still have time after that, it would be interesting to hear what that ship was about - if there is something to be found at the bottom of the river."
"As you saw, the guard has more important tasks at hand - like babysitting the queen's doctors."
...
Narciso asks the Captain-General: "The usual rates, 1000 gp per job?"
Then he reads the paper... and asks an obvious question:
"If this is a plague, there are going to be hundreds, maybe thousands of of people doing the 'submit themselves to the Physicians' thing; Where are they going to house them?"
Perhaps ask any buyers if this 'cure' if they actually got better.
"Sorry, I'm fresh out of budget for external hiring. The queen prefers to invest into the Grey Maidens."
"Where the doctor will put his patients depends a lot on how good he is. Until proven otherwise I'll assume most of them will go to the Warrens."
Turning to Ernhild Kroft answers "Well, it spreads if you have contact with those who have it. Where the first cases got it is a mystery. The symptoms were known from the start as they are very obvious. The only thing no one seems to know is how to get ahead of that to stop it from spreading."
Dark spots, coughing inability to eat?
If so that sounds like Ernhild what you dealt with yesterday on that girl over in Trails End.
Do we have a map where the first cases were detected? If we know it spreads by contact maybe we can find an origin point or patient zero?
When the talk of missions comes up Tisha says:
Do you think the disappearances in Rackers Alley could be where Griggiz was killing? The other Wererats did talk about him killing those who couldn’t fight back.
I suppose we could look into this Cure and if the disappearances keep getting reported then look into the alley.
The boat thing, that’s at the bottom of the river. We would need specialized magic to get down there and explore. Does the guard have that for underwater operations?
"You just missed the guy who might have that." Kroft tells.
We can pool our funds and sell some of Griggiz's equipment for what we need to get to the bottom of the river.
The Doctor. He would have the map I was talking about or supplies to investigate the ship?