Cressida immediately calls for a guard to take Vendra away. She listens to your report on the mission and congratulates you on how smoothly you handled everything.
"Very well done! We have more than enough evidence to put Vendra in jail. You can keep her personal belongings as part of your reward, along with the 1000 gold per person you get from me. Just don't mention the part about her personal belongings to anyone else."
She grabs the familiar box from underneath her desk and hands each of you 1000 gold.
Tural looks surprised at the amount of loot on Vendra.
"She seems to have done very good for herself..."
He turns back to Cressida.
"Have you anything else that needs our attention? A lot seems to be going on at the moment."
Baer puts the offered gold into her pouch, another good payment for services well-rendered.
"Yeah, what else do you need done?" Baer snorts, getting more comfortable with her position.
"Perhaps this woman should be made an example of, so deter others from trying to profit from Korvosa's misery?" Quorthos suggests to Cressida.
"At some point, I'd like to spend a bit more time examining that spellbook, but if we have another task I am good to go."
"I currently have nothing for you," Cressida responds while putting the box back. "I will of course contact you when I do."
"Make an example of her, as profiting from desperation of the masses?
That is a nice idea, Quorthos. Yet what would you propose to do with her, if you would be allowed to?"
Quorthos pauses at Denario's comment, having not really thought it through until called on it. "Perhaps... a public trial? Something to show everyone that there are unscrupulous people taking advantage of the plague, so they should be careful?"
Or maybe we should just turn the crowd loose on her, hey, Quorthos? That's what we really wanted to do, isn't it? Back there in the shop?"
Quorthos shakes his head suddenly. "No. No, maybe it's best we leave it to the Field Marshall's discretion. I wouldn't mind spending some time with that spell book if we're off-duty for a few hours."
Baer has little interest in the fate of Vendra, now feeling a bit conflicted on selling hope, even a false one, if it helps people to carry on and try despite Death's presence on their door.
She stands up.
"Well, if you don't need us, you know where to find us. Thank you for your time, Commander Cressida."
Baer leaves.
* * *
If the party has no other errands to run, Baer goes to her training grounds to continue her work with staff and spell. Though she is getting better, it is clear that she still has much work to do.
She tries to focus on learning and training, but is easily and often distracted by...everything.
When you look you see the headmaster of the College. The small gnome smiles at you. "How's your new staff? Has it been useful?"
Quorthos heads home, checking in at his father's on the way, then goes to study the spellbook. After getting comfortable and brewing a strong pot of tea, he casts read magic and gets to work.
He first tries to decipher the ray of enfeeblement spell.
Still confounded by it, he tries command undead.
Successful, he spends 2 hours copying the spell into his book, using 40gp of materials.
Now dinner time, Quorthos heads back to the tavern to meet up with his colleagues.
Tural goes to the tavern, having nothing else to do. He sits there talking to his pet. Later in the evening he retreats and starts his daily ritual of talking to his spirit animal to change some spells around.
Mavor relaxes in the Three Rings Tavern, He works out in his room, doing push-ups, cleans himself in a bath and takes a nap before dinner aiming to increase his recuperation of the disease that is plagueing him.
Later at night when everyone is sitting down for dinner he comes back down as well and looks for Blythe, hoping that she has no real contagion of Blood Veil just yet.
Denario purchases a nifty headband.
After which, he pays a short visit to a certain card shop and a social talk, before going home.
Quorthos joins his friends at dinner. "So, we have a bunch of this stuff to get rid of... " Quorthos lists out the gear and its half-value sale price.
"So, if I kick in 454gp and take the boots, that would be my share. Thoughts?"
"Allyph's upstairs, in bed. She chose to stay in another bedroom for now, to not increase the risk of infection for Baer."
"Your form's improved, Baer, but you look distracted. How's your new staff? Has it been useful?"
Baer grunts and stops her practicing (mostly just beating a dummy as hard as she can without finesse) to answer the headmaster.
"It is the chaos in the City. The disease. The destruction. I have lived here a long time and the only chaos was pure racism. People hate my kind...and I even hate myself sometimes. But now there is so much more happening. I have seen things in the last few weeks...things are not good out there," Baer says, fingering her new staff.
"Aside of that, this new staff is nice, but still untested. I have nothing but good fights when I have used it, and only mostly died twice without it. So yeah..."
"On the other hand, I have gotten stronger. I know more and strike more quickly than ever before. I cannot complain."
Having the loot sold Tural decides to also go shopping. Upon returning he wears a copper band with a small yellow gem just above his brow, with his eyes also yellow it gives the idea that he has three eyes instead of just a mere two.
"This small thing is amazing."
He says as he feels the new powers flow through him.
He points at your staff and grins. "Solving the problem will likely involve the use of your staff."
"Yes, there is much hatred of my kind. Some of it is earned, but some is not," Baer says, ready to get back to beating the dummy. "Sure, I could look into helping her. I have a free day tomorrow. I could even invite my friends to come along...unless they won't be needed? Some of them are pretty useful, and some are even plantlike."
Baer considers again, then nods her head as if agreeing with herself.
"Yeah, I'll do it."
Mavor looks inquisitively at Blythe, taking his time to inspect her face for any signs of Blood Veil, only he takes a little too much time, realizing too late he might make Blythe a little uncomfortable perhaps.
"Uhm.. Sorry.. I was just making sure you're not getting sick as well by catering to me and my friends. I'd hate to see you get sick."
He gives you a polite nod and lets you resume your training.
"That's, uh, alright!" she quickly says. "I'm fine. So far I've been lucky enough to not catch the disease."
Theandra butts in as she places some food and beverages on your table. "Use that wand you got before you go to bed, and drink that antiplague stuff Quorthos has been consuming like it's hot choco, if you haven't yet."
Denario had taken a stroll before meeting up back at the tavern, looking for an obscure little shop.
Tural, back at the inn, casts lesser restoration on Mavor.
"Better use what I have in reserve first. We'll always be able to use the wand later."
After the spell is cast Tural inspects Mavor a little closer.
Baer finishes her training and returns to the Three Rings Tavern only stopping to buy her new belt of beating. She returns whistling, having gotten much of her aggression out over the afternoon, but also, new belt!
She comes in and orders dinner.
"Hey chumps! you guys, I think I found a lead on more work," Baer starts, then stops and turns to Blythe. "I need food. Whatever you got that has meat. And if it was hot, that would be sweet," Baer orders before turning back to her companions.
"Seems like the headmaster has a friend who might need us. I should hear in the next day or so. Anything fun happen while I was away?" Baer pulls up a stool.
"I think Mavor's the one to ask, he's been in the tavern more than any of us. Rumors are a thing in taverns.
That aside, i saw a bunch of street urchins give the slip on a bunch of drunk loudmouths, them going face flat in the mud while chasing the kids is a great sight."
"Hello, lad!" the gnome said as he greeted you. "What will it be?"
"Of course, Baer." Blythe momentarily leaves, soon returning with some beef stew for her. "I just made this. There's plenty more, if you're hungry."
There are some footsteps on the stairs. A couple of seconds later Allyph appears at the bottom of the stairs, waving at you. Her face is still covered in a red rash. "Did you buy that wand? Could you give me a tap or two?"
Allyph stays where she is, but lets Tural approach to give her two taps with the wand. "Thank you!"
She covers her mouth and coughs. "So... what did you do today?"
Denario nods.
"Good day to you, sir gnome.
Indeed, i'm looking to get one of those energy tattoos.
I'd like one of a queen of hearts on my left hand, red at its appropriate places."
Baer eats, listens, waits.
Quorthos asks Tural for a tap of the new wand as well.
Tural goes around poking everyone with the wand before storing it away. Whilst doing that he tells everything that happened today to Allyph.
"... Wasn't an all that exciting day actually."
"So here's hoping that tomorrow will bring health to us all and for a more eventful day. Now I'll need a good night's sleep to recover. When I'm better I'll treat everyone on a round. I reckon Theandra and Blythe don't drink on the job, so whatever I can get you, within limits of course, I'll do for you."
Mavor waits for an answer and for any more conversation to spark up, else he'll head to bed early.
The gnome shows you multiple designs of the queen of hearts. You choose one, maybe state what you'd like just a bit different, and once you're all happy the gnome gets to work. Half an hour later, you've got your cyber tattoo.
"If you ever want another one, you know where to find me!" the gnome artist says as he puts away the money you paid for the tattoo.
Just before you decide to go to bed, when it's already pitch black outside, there are three knocks on the tavern's front door.
"Helloooooo...? Helloooooo-ooooo...? May I come iiiiin...?"
The voice you hear is female, but unfamiliar to you.
"I'd really like to come iiiiin...? May I...?"
Hrm, let's see, does Denario stay at the tavern or go home after dinner.
Preferably before pitch black.
Denario turns his sight from his seat.
"What in the world...at this time?", he looks back at the others with a raised brow.
"This is a tavern, one could just walk in, if looking for a place to sleep. Why ask if they can come in....."
His eyes look like something struck him.
"...unless.... we took out three vampires, right? But there were four coffins. Remember what the priestess told us, those blood suckers can't enter a house or dwelling unless invited by the one with authority to do so."
Theandra casts a nervous glance at the door. "Thus I hereby remind you that no one but me has the authority to invite new people in..."
She looks at you. "What now...?"
Baer does not concern herself with the new guest, leaving it to the proprietors to handle unless they need something.
Baer continues to eat.
Ain't my business.
Tural raises an eyebrow at the door and looks at the others.
"I am not going to invite anyone in at this hour. Certainly not someone who comes calling that way..."
He does the same as Baer does and continues eating.
Mavor grumbles and gets up as he was already underway to bed after finishing his meal. he walks over towards the door and says in a loud voice.
"Who is it? It's late, we're sick and tired and in no mood to entertain. So unless you give us a good reason to open the door 'miss', you'll keep seeing the door locked in front of you."
Mavor takes a closer look at the woman or girl that's standing outside through one of the windows.
"You bring trouble or are in trouble?"
Quorthos ambles over to a window (different from Mavor's viewpoint) and looks out into the street, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever is at the door. At Denario's discussion about vampires, he eases a throwing dagger out of its sheath.
A short woman who looks like she's in her early thirties, with beady yellow eyes, stares at you from the other side of the window. "Hellooooo! I was starting to worry no one was heeeeere!"
She smiles at you, showing you teeth that are at least ten shades more yellow than you're used to. "My name's Eries. A friend of mine told me I'd find a person named Baer heeeeere? He said she agreed to help meeeee. May I come iiiiin, or shall I return in the morniiiiing?"
Mavor frowns, then turns to Baer.
"She says you agreed to help her, thanks to a mutual friend or acquantance you have. Ring any bells?"
Mavor looks outside to see if it's raining or bad weather, he doesn't feel comfortable leaving someone out in the rain.
Baer nods, trying to wave the woman entrance.
"Ayep. She's our new work, I think," Baers says, wiping her mouth with her arm and making ready to speak rather than eat.
"C'mere, Eries, what do you need?"
Quorthos sheathes his knife, and goes to sit at a table near Baer.
Tural still looks a bit mistrustful of the situation but goes with it.
One more vampire wouldn't matter that much...
Denario isn't trusting this, but like Tural plays along.
The city on lockdown and at this hour, of all, to come here.