Searok's hand passes right through the apparition, which she politely tries to ignore.
"Then I will see what your destinies hold."
With a have of her hand the desk swirls into the air, shuffles itself, and nine cards representing the suit of Keys cards select themselves. She lays three of them on the table.
"Girad, you have The Juggler, suggesting fate is on your side. I perceive a dangerous chase with an uncertain outcome in your future."
"Makall, you have The Rabbit Prince, signifying the randomness of combat. I see a battle with royalty who is not royalty, a tangled web, and the gleam of blades."
"And Searok, you have The Demons Lantern, indicating difficulties and conflict with those who should be allies. I see you standing up against those who would abuse their power."
The cards are reshuffled into the deck, and nine laid out on the table.
"In the past we have The Empty Throne, The Idiot, and The Cricket, with The Cricket misaligned. Of course, the throne makes sense, as it was recently emptied before being retaken by the queen. The Idiot represents both foolishness and greed, things that we would hope be kept away from the throne. Referring to the previous occupant, hopefully, as these cards represent the past. The cricket is harder to interpret, in its current spot it can mean a journey or a plan going poorly."
"The present holds The Bear, The Uprising, and The Locksmith. The uprising makes sense, Korvosa is in a state of discord. The bear refers to keeping control through brute strength and the locksmith holds the keys to new possibilities."
"Finally, the future. We have The Tangled Briar, misaligned, The Mountain Man, and The Sickness. The briar is a portent of old evils endangering the present, and the mountain man the collective humanity of the city. The sickness can represent literal sickness, but also moral degradation."
"An interesting spread. All in all it seems to confirm my suspicions that Korvosa is in great peril, but the future is vague. But that may be a good sign, as it strongly suggests that things are still in flux. Whatever evil fate has in store, we may yet avert it."
I'm posting a quick explanation of the mechanical effects of this in the discussion thread.
Sorry for the wall of text, figured this was a good opportunity for a recap so no one needs to read 16 pages of posts to know what's up.
"When all this began, I suffered at the hands of Lamm as did you all. He killed my son, and then me when I sought vengeance."
"Unable to move on, my spirit entered my Harrow deck. I possess some small amount of divinitory ability, and sensed others who had been wronged as I was. I also sensed an impending disaster, and sought to avert it. Among Lamm's many victims, I chose a number and gave them his location in the hopes that his death would avert whatever calamity I foresaw, and allow me to move on."
"It seems I made an error. One of the limitations of divination is that even if you see the future, you see it through your own flawed lens. It seemed sensible that, as Lamm was evil, and myself and the people I could reach out to all had a connection to him, that his death was what was necessary."
"And yet the night Gaedren Lamm died, Korvosa burned and rioted for entirely unrelated reasons. And even though things have calmed, the danger I sensed is still growing. Perhaps I was selfish to assume that whatever purpose binds me to this plane has anything to do with a personal vendetta."
"So, were our efforts wasted? I think not. These people not only rid the world of a vile man, but rescued a dozen children from his associates. And even in the course of returning some stolen goods - a mere errand! - they saved the life of a man from rioters and ended a fiend's sinister plot."
"Can it be coincidence that a group of strangers coming together on a mission of murder has saved so many lives? That the injustices we all suffered have given us the need to help others, and made us strong enough to do so? And that our coming together should happen on the eve of Korvosa's greatest need for heroes? No, destiny has clearly taken a hand. Whatever danger I sense on the horizon, I know that together we can prevent it. And while the connection between a gutter-level crime boss and the fate of a kingdom seems tenuous, there is one more thing I know cannot be coincidence; in his possession was a brooch belonging to our new ruler. Perhaps returning it will put us in her good graces, giving us further opportunities to aid Korvosa."
"So I think there is more work to be done, but only two among those I gathered remain. I called you as well, because I know the need for justice burns in you, and that even knowing Lamm is no more will not quench this fire. You may have missed the battle you craved, but the war remains. I can do little to affect the world in my current state, but if you aid us, I will try to glimpse your destiny, and give you some power over it. Will you stand with us, and with your city?"
@Girad - You know what most everyone knows by this point. The king has died, his young and inexperienced wife Ileosa has assumed the throne, and the city reacted to this news with a night of rioting and chaos, from which it is only now recovering after a show of force from the guard. And at some point during it all, Gaedren Lamm met his end.
As Emma shuffles the cards in her lap, something astonishing happens. Color flows across the faded curtains and carpet, the dust across every surface vanishes, broken furniture repairs itself, and the entire room appears renewed.
And a handsome middle aged Varisian woman draped in shawls and bangles now stands there, as if she had been present this whole time.
"We meet again, and I see that our new guests have arrived. I apologize for inviting them without informing you, but I can only speak when called, and I thought it best not to wait. And this is after all, my house."
"I'm afraid I don't know any more than you at this point. And of course even if I did I'm in no position to make requests of any of you. You came here to settle a grievance with a man who harmed you all, and now he is dead. For that you have my eternal thanks. I just wish I knew what I was supposed to do next."
"I have seen much, but I honestly cannot be sure what I am. Dead, it would seem. I didn't expect the life after death to be this one."
"What I told you before about me was was true. My Harrow Deck was stolen, my son retrieved it, and he was slain for his troubles. I was given no help by the guard, and tried to find Lamm myself."
"I succeeded, but made the mistake of thinking I could sneak in and end him myself. He took my head, and once more my cards."
"But something happened to me, and I could not move on. My soul entered the deck, and remains there still. What you see now is mere illusion."
"In my sorrow and need for justice, I reached out and sensed others who had been wronged by Lamm, and called you here. I had thought I might move on with his demise, yet here I remain."
"When we first met, I performed a Harrowing for you all and glimpsed a destiny greater than the removal of a mere parasite from the world. Can it possibly be coincidence that the night we came together is the same night Korvosa fell to this madness?"
"I know not what we are meant to do, but I will do what I can. Even in this bodiless form, I possess some minor divinatory abilities."
She tries to explain her powers and limitations as best she can.
Zellara's Deck:
The deck is an intelligent magic item with Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 13, Ego 8. She's Chaotic Good, but since she's an actual soul and not a regular magic item she can let anyone she deems fit make use of her without gaining a negative level.
She has senses out to 60 feet, and can normally only communicate by Empathy, but can also cast Major Image (CL 10) once per day, and that's how she's speaking to you now. She can also cast Identify 3 times per day, revealing the properties of a magic item to anyone who holds one of the cards to their forehead.
She also has a Special Purpose of protecting Korvosa; to that end, she can perform a special Harrowing once per chapter of the AP to reveal bits of your destiny, which is the in-universe explanation for the Harrow Points.
The house is not large, just a central room and a small bedroom.
The children make themselves comfortable; they are used to sleeping in worse places, and soon drift off. Occasionally the sound of looting, reveling, or fighting can be heard outside, and Marvel sees a few people pushing stolen wine barrels down the road, but no one approaches.
Shortly after the last of the orphans nods off, a light fills the room. It touches every corner, spreading like paint across the walls, floor, and ceiling, washing over the furniture, and everything it touches takes on the appearance it had when you last visited this place.
The deck of Harrow Cards lifts into the air and swirls around the room like a tornado, before finally reassembling itself, now held in the hand of Zellara Esmeranda.
"We meet again. And I sense that the foul Gaedren Lamm has been laid to rest. Well done, you have avenged me, avenged yourselves, and avenged countless others, who may sleep easier tonight for reasons they do not understand."
She walks to the window and peers out at the troubled city.
"Insofar as anyone will sleep well tonight. I foresaw strife in the cards, but selfishly assumed it pertained only to our battle with Lamm. I could not predict that the whole city would shudder before the night was through."
"All I can say is good luck. As satisfying as it will be to have vengeance, there is more riding on this that our own pain. Your actions tonight may save hundreds more from suffering at the hands of this fiend who walks like a man. And if what the cards tell me holds true, then the events we have set in motions may have greater consequences still."
Anyone have anything more to do/say before we move on?
"I wouldn't tarry long. Surely Lamm's paranoia is well-founded; we can't be the only people in this town with a desire for vengeance. He has not lasted this long without being cautious, and may know who some of you are if your inquiries about him have been noticed. Probably has any number of hiding places prepared that he can move to at even a hint of trouble. One mistake could cost us our only chance."
"Nicholas has chosen The Dance, which means that staying in Harmony is important, but not to the point of remaining in lockstep with others. I see a man...I think it's a man, with long limbs engaging in an eerie, deadly dance."
"Aerel has the Rabbit Prince, signifying the capriciousness of combat. I see a battle with royalty who is not royalty, a tangled web, and the gleam of blades."
"Shaeda has The Crows, which can either indicate the taking of someone important, or an act of theft. Are you sure your stake in this battle is purely religious, dear? I see someone who dwells in darkness and takes from the dead."
"Emma has chosen The Cricket. Interesting, that's the card I myself chose to send you. It may be especially fortuitous. It represents speed and good passage. Which is good, because I see a chase with an uncertain outcome."
"And Marvel has The Juggler, which means fate is on your side. The chase is in your future as well, though your role may be different."
"Now, let us see the past, present, and future of all of you."
She reshuffles the deck, and lays out nine cards.
"The left column represents the past, which is unchanging. The Marriage, the Fiend, the Desert...and the Desert is misaligned, but the other two are aligned. A union of persons or ideas, many losses in a calamity, and a passage with little hope. This looks bleak, as if there was some foul conspiracy in play."
"The center column is the present. The Wanderer, the Rakshasa, and the forge, and the Wanderer is aligned. Finding worth in cast-offs. Perhaps that represents ourselves, as we are all the detritus of Lamm's evil deeds, yet together we may defeat him."
"And most importantly, the future. The Locksmith, the Rabbit Prince and the Joke, with the Rabbit Prince and Joke aligned, and the Locksmith misaligned. Keys to a new destiny, danger overcome by artifice, and capriciousness of combat. There is battle in the future, but we all knew that. A LOT of battle, as the Rabbit Prince is also Aerel's chosen card. But the locksmith suggests that this fight may lead to something more, something bigger. And what I learned of the past is disturbing, as if events outside our control have been set in motion, and we must rise to meet them."
"Interesting, and troubling. But I do not foresee failure. I think you will succeed in defeating Lamm, but that doing so may lead to a larger, more important fight."
"I wish I could find out more about it, but I dare not investigate it in person, lest I be spotted. Lamm has left a long trail of mourners in his wake, he keeps the place secure, and almost never leaves. The place is still operating; he takes the less desirable catches of fishermen and sells the offal by the bucket as bait or as food for the desperate."
"During the day you might enter as customers, but there may be witnesses about. At night you could sneak in, but there are surely patrols."
Zellara heaves a sigh.
"I realize it's not much to go on. I've exhausted nearly all my resources finding the place, and I fear Lamm may move on if action isn't taken quickly. He surely has boltholes all over the city, and flees at the first sign of trouble."
"That's why I need you. I have no skill in a fight, and were I to accompany you, I would only endanger us all."
"I may however be able to provide some small amount of supernatural assistance, if you will have it."
With that she draws nine cards from the deck in her hands and extends them toward the group.
"Will you let me take a glimpse at your futures?"
Anyone who wants to take a card, simply announce you are doing so. I'll explain the mechanical benefits in the Discussion thread.
Zellara seems amused by the goings on, but tries to hide it.
"Who I am is nothing more than a humble fortune teller, who made her way in the world giving others a glimpse of their futures, but who never foresaw the tragedy that dwelt in hers."
She holds up the Harrow deck.
"This was how I made my living, and a modest one it was, but it allowed me to raise a son. A year ago this deck was stolen from me. It is an heirloom, in my family for a dozen generations, and quite important to me. My son Eran got it back, but it was no mere street gang or band of urchins he angered in doing so. A week later he was beaten in an alleyway by thugs in the employ of Gaedren Lamm, and died before help could arrive."
The levity on her face is long gone, now she bites her lip and stares at nothing.
"I sought help from the Korvosan Guard, but they turned me away. And so I asked around. I paid bribes. I consulted my harrow deck for advice. And recently, I was rewarded—I found out where Gaedren dwells. He can be found in an old fishery north of here, at Westpier 17, where he trains abducted children to be pickpockets and counts his stolen treasures."
"But I need your help. I cannot hope to face this man on my own, and the Guard moves so slowly that if they were willing to help, Gaedren would certainly know of their coming well in advance. And even if they arrested him, what guarantee would I have he would be punished? This criminal has evaded the law for decades. But you know of these frustrations as well, for word on the street has it that Gaedren has wronged each of you, too. So there we are. It is time for him to pay."
Aerel did not hear Zellara come in. Of course, people were talking, and the woman said she was trying to be stealthy.
"I know of you. I know you have all been wronged, as have so many others, by Gaedren Lamm. I know you all would like to find him. And I know each of you, and myself, would fail if we sought our vendettas privately. But together we may have a chance."
As if on cue, a woman enters the house. As her choice of decor suggested, she is indeed Varisian, and has chosen her garb to reflect that fact as strongly as possible.
In her hands she holds a deck of Harrow cars, which she deftly shuffles, making them flow and dance through her fingers.
"Please, everyone have a seat. I am Zellara Esmeranda, and I apologize for calling you here in such a dramatic fashion, but I fear for my life, and was worried about being seen if I approached you directly. I had to take a roundabout route back here for the same reason, hence my tardiness. As you've had some time to chat, you've probably figured out what all of you, and myself, have in common."