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Sorry to see you go, but I understand your reasoning/feelings on the matter. Good luck with the sale and whatever comes next for you in life.
Kayleigh waits semi-patiently for a knotted rope to drop down from above to make any climb she might have to make a lot easier.
Kayleigh picks up Vedika's litter with a sigh before suddenly realizing that maybe there's more to the ball of paper than just being a piece of trash. She stifles a gasp after reading the message and then turns to Ariadne...then Brigita...and finally Zahur before handing the note to the latter...the party member she judges best able to climb the rope and swiftly go to Vedika's aid. "Vedika fears she's not alone up there," the cleric whispers to Ariadne and Brigita. "There must be a staircase around here somewhere! I'm going to find one and go up to help her! Or at least create a distraction!"
Kayleigh is preoccupied with a potential upcoming climbing test and doesn't notice anything else.
After casting guidance to aid Vedika, Kayleigh joins the discussion between Zahur and Brigita. "Plus, we don't want to burn down the whole neighborhood by accident...or half the island!" she says softly. Climbing being something she's really bad at, Kayleigh waits to allow others to follow Vedika before she has to.
"Hmm...this certainly feels like some sort of trap or ambush," Kayleigh comments softly as the group creeps into the outskirts of Pilts's palace grounds. "I guess the only thing we can do is spring the trap and then try to counter it, maybe while certain members of our group launch a counter-offensive." Turning to Laori, Kayleigh asks, "What sort of mayhem can you bring to this mission if we can't negotiate an audience with the Emperor? I'm mostly just a healer and amateur diplomat, but hopefully I'll be able to undo any damage these creeps cause if they try to ambush us."
Kayleigh gives Ariadne a nervous nod. Nonetheless, the cleric tries to think of some brilliant tactics the party can use when they confront the Emperor of Old Korvosa. Swastel probably knows about the five of us being on the island by now.... Maybe we could approach openly but have Laori hang back...our 'ace in the hole' if things go south. She could sneak in after us and.... Kayleigh spots a flaw in her plan. No--I'm sure Laori jangles as much as I clank when she tries to move stealthily....
"So... what's the plan?" Kayleigh asks the others a bit uncertainly. "Do we fight our way into the Emperor's palace, ask for an audience, or play it by ear?"
KAYLEIGH’S LEVEL-UP CHANGES (9TH LEVEL) hp: +7 (5 +1 Con +1 Fast Learner)
Positive Energy Channel: 5d6
When Laori leaves the room, the smile leaves Kayleigh's mouth and her eyes widen; the new look across her face screams: Is this really the sort of person I want to make friends with??!! When she hears the elf returning, though, the smile's back on her lips and seems genuine. Kayleigh casts a guidance orison on herself before examining the piece of cloth Laori presents her with. "Holy Roses! This could belong to the missing seneschal, Neolandus Kalepopolis!" As she tries to figure out exactly what such a revelation might mean, she suddenly remembers to be polite. "Thank you, Laori. This gives us some food for thought!"
"So... I guess it's time to pay a visit to the Emperor of Old Korvosa?" the cleric asks the others. As an aside to Laori, the young Milanite adds, "We may not be popular with him, as we've killed several of his rude footsoldiers since arriving on the island."
"It looks like we're all willing to join forces with you," Kayleigh tells the spiky elf lady with a smile. "So...what is it you found here that you thought might interest us?"
"I think we should give serious thought to her plan," Kayleigh tells the others. "I thinks she's being honest...," the cleric adds, taking great pains not to look at the skulls on the table, "...even about finding those other artists already dead." "And I guess that if you want to get information from them, well...this is a functional--if distasteful--way of doing it." The look on the young Milanite's face betrays that this is NOT something she'd personally ever do.
Kayleigh listens intently to Laori's exposition. "Milani have mercy! What a mess!" she explains, working a spell into her words to get her goddess's insight into the Kuntonite's words. As she processes the elf woman's words for honesty and/or believability, Kayleigh makes one demand of her: "We'd need to be present when you ask Salvatore your questions. Is that acceptable?"
Kayleigh gives the strange Kuthonite elf a polite smile before calling a sidebar with her friends. "I think we should give her a chance," the Milanite whispers. "She may have some hidden ulterior motive, but as far as I can tell she's being honest and forthright in her offer to help us deal with the Emperor...." Breaking the huddle while flashing another smile, Kayleigh introduces herself and meekly inquires, "So...what are you seeking Salvatore for, exactly?"
Kayleigh looks at the stranger and her eyes widen when she realizes who the elf woman apparently worships. "Um...hello! What brings you to this place? What's your interest in Salvatore?"
Kayleigh casts a quick guidance spell on Vedika in case her friend needs to move in quietly, check the door for traps, or pick a lock. That done, she casts detect magic and scans the otyugh pit for buried treasure before turning to take in the artist's shambles-for-a-home.
Kayleigh steps forward a bit and casts sound burst in the midst of the monsters.
Kayleigh casts guidance both on those trying to lead the infiltration and those hanging back, to help shield them from curious, prying eyes.
Though she may have heard Salvatore's Scream name in passing, the two walk different paths and live and socialize in very different circles. Kayleigh silently defers to her friends in this matter.
Kayleigh looks to the other with uncertainty. Then (unless someone stops her) she opens the door and lets the visitor inside. Immediately, she starts studying the person's words and mannerisms, checking for anything that seems deceptive.
"I don't get many guests here," the cleric whispers to the others. "I'm guessing it's more of the Emperor's sycophants. If so, do we smash them some more or try diplomacy?"
After the meal and a bit of sleep, Kayleigh awakens the next morning for prayers, finding out that Milani has granted her greater power. When she meets with the others, she tells them about her power-up, adding a thought she's had. "I have the power to cast a new, more powerful spell--scrying--which would allow me to look in on Vencarlo...maybe seeing some clue as to where he is currently. Unfortunately, the spell has a pricy material component--a silver mirror worth a thousand gold or more. I'm not sure we can get one in Old Korvosa. Maybe the 'Emperor' has one that we could claim were we to overthrow him...."
"Well, there used to be a lot of pop-up market stalls in the neighborhood--especially just on either side of the bridge--but that was before the plague and before the "Emperor" seized the island," Kayleigh tells Vedika. "The Reefclaw Run Market was the most reputable--if you like seafood--but there were also several stalls near it that sold vegetables and spices and the like. I'm not sure it'd be wise or safe to venture there now; we're pretty close to Pilts's headquarters, and I imagine his thug patrols will become more regular and maybe larger as well."
Kayleigh leads the party to her rented flat on Wave Street, located about a block and a half west of the old Temple of Aroden. (Assuming that it hasn't been burned down during the recent troubles.)
"I agree with Zahur--staying here would make me nervous," Kayleigh chimes in. "I have a rented flat on Wave Street we could use. It's small and only has one bed...but maybe folks could sleep on the floor if we were to buy some bedrolls. Any food I had there has probably spoiled by now, though."
Kayleigh considers Brig's question a bit before shaking her head. "Though that's certainly an outside possibility, I think it's more likely they came after Vencarlo for much the same reason we did: because he might have valuable information about the Queen and/or the missing seneschal. They probably want to silence him, though. Hiring assassins--especially ones dressed up like giant bugs--seems consistent with Queen Ileosa's dramatic personal tastes...I'm thinking of her Gray Maidens and bird-masked physicians." Remembering that she's acually wearing one of those masks at the moment, Kayleigh removes it briefly to both get some fresh air and give one of her encouraging smiles to her friends.
"So...Vencarlo is Blackjack?" Kayleigh thinks aloud. Not having heard much about Blackjack over her short lifetime , the young cleric finds she has nothing more to say about the discovery. Her mind does wander a bit, though. I wonder if I could become as beloved by the people of Korvosa...the Whitejill, maybe. Protector of the downtrodden, healer of the wounded and diseased. General nice person. Encased in a snug suit of white-colored leather armor and a matching cape.... No--white would probably make me look fat. And I'm no celebrity, either. I think I'm happy just being Kayleigh the Healer, unheralded helper to her friends, the true Heroes of Korvosa. And with that final thought, the young lady returns to the present and makes one final Kayleigh-like expression: "Huh!"
Since she had detect magic active, Kayleigh scans the secret panel for magical emanations, certain that Vedika will find any mundane protections or traps.
The fire under control, Kayleigh casts a basic cure spell to (hopefully) erase the damage the weirdly attired assassin just inflicted upon Brigita.
Assuming that the blaze on the first floor has been extinguished, Kayleigh will move upstairs to deal with the fire(s) there. At the last moment, she casts detect magic again before scanning for auras (in case there's a magical trap or invisible enemies about.)
Kayleigh tells the others about the presence of an accelerant and splashes a little extra created water to wash away or at least dilute it. Then she helps her friends (Brigita, in particular) examine the area for anything else that might be suspicious or out-of-the-ordinary.
With limited space in the room, Kayleigh leaves battling the assassin to her friends. Instead, she moves to the edge of the expanded fire, spamming create water to keep the fire from spreading further and potentially consuming the building.
"On it," Kayleigh's voice echoes from within the mask as she turns her gaze toward the fireplace to detect any emanations that might be coming from the fire.
Kayleigh follows the others from her standard rearguard position. While her friends use their eyes and ears to look for Vencarlo or clues to his whereabouts, Kayleigh casts detect magic and scans each room in turn, looking for any magical items or clues.
"Looks like that cure you whipped up has made its way into Old Korvosa as well," Kayleigh tells Brig, happy that she shouldn't have to worry about prepping lots of remove disease spells or using her healing channels to remove the blood veil from everyday citizens. Like Zahur and Vedika, the cleric's ready to move on to the meeting with Vencarlo before any more of the Emperor's thugs make their lives temporarily inconvenient.
After making sure the thug is disarmed and has his hands tied or shackled, Kayleigh casts a couple of healing spells, the first (and more powerful one) on Brigita, the second on the prisoner. Then, still wearing her plaguebringer's mask, she tilts her head to the side (in a manner she hopes the man finds disconcerting) and starts her interrogation. "Alright--we spared you; in return, we expect you to answer a few simple questions. Truthfully. What's the status of the blood veil on the island? And what's the deal with this 'Emperor' you serve--not very well, might I point out. You just got whooped by a bunch of girls plus our...uh...Death-Dealer." She motions toward Zahur. "We've just got a few errands to run on the island and then we'll be on our way and out of your hair. Seems like a reasonable request...but is your Emperor going to make a big deal out of it and force us to whoop him as well? That would be unfortunate for all involved, I imagine." x 1.5 = 19 x 1.5 = 13
Kayleigh gives up on trying to take prisoners and instead starts looting the fallen.
Kayleigh sighs and takes another swing. "You know, you could make this a lot easier and less painful by just surrendering and answering a few simple questions...." for
"Are we going to try to take a prisoner for interrogation?" Kayleigh asks the others. Toward that end, the cleric closes in and tries to jab the butt end of her weapon into the gut of a blinded, already injured thug to try to knock the wind out of him. for
Kayleigh closes on the thugs, morningstar ready for some attempted thumping.
If Vedika doesn't cast glitterdust, then Kayleigh's gonna cast sound burst! The thugs are practically begging to have an AoE spell dropped on them.
"Probably ought to hide the bodies," Kayleigh comments as she starts to drag a dead thug by the ankles toward a nearby alley. She stops suddenly and looks up at her friends. "Unless the plan is to send a message to the Emperor...but we can always do that later, after we've seen Master Orisini and heard what he has to say."
Kayleigh totally misinterprets Vedika's sigh. To Brigita she says with a soft smile, "Save a couple of those pecans for Vedika, if you have any left. I think she likes them."
When she hears Brigita's grim final words, Kayleigh suggests, "After we've visited Vencarlo, OK? He might be able to give us more information about this 'Emperor'...or the Arkonas."
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