Could always buy some of the cure and have it checked out. If it is true than we can work with them perhaps and if not, arrest them as a fraud.
The Doctor. He would have the map I was talking about or supplies to investigate the ship?
"The data about the spread of the blood veil. If anyone has that." Kroft replies.
To Narciso she adds "If you're only in for the money, your safest bet would be to skip town. I've heard Magnimar is a nice place this time of the year."
Hold on Narcisco, we aren't rolling in riches that would let us by our own castle but some magic weapons and armor is enough to keep working folk comfortable for quite some time. Just how much have we been earning before doing patrol work or clerical duty?.
You know the city needs help. If the guard’s budget is stretched thin, I assume we are permitted to claim what we find while doing these tasks?
Like this possible cure, if it is just snake oil, we obviously arrest them, but I assume we can claim the ill gotten gains. After all giving it back to the swindled would be a logistic nightmare.
You get your job done Commander, we get paid and the fake cure is off the street.
And if the cure is real, we mass produce it and sell it for a small profit. Even a single silver profit on an item sold thousands of times is more than the commander can probably afford right now.
Would that satisfy you Narisco?
"Yeah, Ok, I just don't like doing anything for the government for free ..."
Narciso shakes his head and pauses, and then continues:
"What do we know about this 'cure'? Is it a magic ritual, an alchemist's draught ... I think we will need a 'plague sufferer' as an excuse to walk in there, without causing suspicion. The question is do we find a real one, with the risk of getting infected ourselves, or is Tisha putting her disguise kit to work again?"
He looks at Kroft and asks: "If we do decide to go with a real victim, is there anyone in the guard who's infected, and up for an undercover job?"
"By the gods, I hope not." Kroft calls out.
I bet the Bank of Abadar may have a few infected.
Or we can just claim we are looking into it for a sick neighbor.
"Sounds a lot safer than bringing an infected person. Anyway, I have work to do. Off you go."
Lavender, one of the better-known and noted perfume boutiques in Korvosa, stands amid a row of tightly packed shops just off of Summoning Street. A queue of eager Korvosans standing in a line that stretches nearly four blocks from the perfumery’s distinctive amethyst-shaded windows. Many of these people look healthy, but several bear the early but obvious symptoms of blood veil: hacking coughs and blisters. The line threads through the street and into the store. The queue moves at a slow but steady pace and every minute a customer comes out of the shop, some with a vial in hand.
Briggi strides up, his badge of office visible.
I don't like the look of this, sick people mingling with healthy ones? We best get them separated at least.
He looks to the others. How about Ernhild and Tisha head in and get some of this medicine while Narciso and I distract the crowd by trying to get them arranged in two lines?
If they are both going into the same shop, how does separate lines help?
You know people are going to ask that….
Umm.....So they arn't breathing on each other?
Right but how do they go in? All of the sick line then the others? Take turns? You start making scared people get farther away from a cure and you are going to have a riot.
Take turns. If someone looks real sick, we can bring the cure out to them perhaps.
While Tisha and Briggi argue about what to do, Narciso stands in line and manages to get into the shop.
Heady scents twist throughout the cramped but stylish perfumery. A dizzying assortment of bottles—from gaudy ceramic containers to graceful crystalline vials—lines a variety of lace- and ribbon-strewn tables, shelves, and racks, as well as an eye-catching display in the wide front window. Across from the front door’s lavender-tinted glass panes runs a long counter, stacked high with hundreds of simple clay phials bearing round, magenta stoppers. Behind the counter, violet flourishes swoop across a sign reading, Lavender’s Luxuriant Liniment: Either You’ve Got It, or You’ve Had It.
Inside the shop at the door stand two well-dressed men with purple cravats discreetly hold saps and keep their eyes on the shop’s patrons, ready to put down any trouble. Behind the counter are two local women working relentlessly as cashiers. Besides them stands a very enthusiastic woman greeting every customer personally and welcoming them to Lavender and praising her goods.
"Two sails." He answers and quickly puts the vial away, before Ernhild gets any ideas.
Narciso asks the enthusiastic woman: "All right, I've got a friend come sick with this new plague. Rumor has it that you have a cure. What is the cure, how much does it cost, and how do you apply it?"
"It is one of those vials and the cost is a mere twenty silver - and you drink it. Simple as that." the woman cheerfully explains.
"Ok. How long does it keep? Might be worth getting a second as insurance..."
"It's always a good idea to plan ahead. You never know when you catch something again. And the queue in front of the shop isn't getting any shorter."
"And the cure wont spoil for at least half a year."
"Hey lady, no cutting in line!" "Yeah, get to the back!" "Who do you think you are!" "That's a cleric of Abadar! Not enough that they send us away for being poor, now they try pushing us around here too!" The crowd is not happy and with that backing one man gets bold enough to stand in Ernhild's way.
Hold it! Calm down everyone. Briggi turns to Ernhild. Ma'am, perhaps if would be best to just me handle this. *wink wink*
Briggi turnd to the crowd. Now everyone, let's just all get in line so you can get yer cure. Times are rough but Korsovans are tougher.
Narciso digs out a platinum piece and hands it over, "Five please, and a bag."
Tisha takes advantage of everyone looking at Ernhild and Briggi to try to slip away and walk all the way around the shop to scout in case they need to come back.
She is looking for general layout, any security and back ways in without drawing attention to herself.
A narrow path between Lavender and the next shop leads to the second row of buildings. Behind the shop runs a path parallel to Summoning street. The buildings are probably the living space for those running the shops. Directly behind Lavender are two apartments, one of which has its door and windows boarded over.
"A providient decision." the woman praises Narciso while one of the girls packs the goods into a cloth and ties it up with twine. As she hands it over the woman continues "Thank you for your purchase, have a nice day and I hope to see you back!"
"Once you make her move to the end of the queue!" the man replies. But the anger of the crowd is now muffled as a city guard takes over handling the issue.
Tisha looks quickly to see if there is any way she can see into the boarded up apartment or move the boards off the door (while still making it look boarded up) so she can get in.
Let's go Ma'am, give the other folks there chance to get their shoopen done.
vs DC 17
5 rank +3 trained +2 wis+2 racial
Stepping out of the shop with his purchase, Narciso spots Tisha sneaking around, and includes her in his Message spell (as well as Ernhild and Briggi), whispering "I got some samples...let's get out of here and have a look at this stuff."
With Ernhild out of the way, a tense silent order returns to the queue interrupted by a cough here and there.
Tisha finds out that the openings in this apartment are done very thoroughly and even a crowbar might not be enough to get in there.
Perhaps we can check in with the royal physicians?
Hearing the message Tisha completes her sweep and as she moves to meet up with the others a couple blocks down the street, she consults with Zellara:
Hmm do we know if anyone who can help us analyze some samples? Probably a local alchemist or herbalist…
There is nothing magical about the bag Narciso holds and its content.
I think hiring an alchemist is something rich people would do. Or do they offer such services at the magic academia? Zellara also has no first ahdn knowledge of that topic.
"Let's get back to our house, and I'll take a look. I studied a little alchemy at the college . If I can't figure it out, we could take this 'cure' up to Theumanexus college, and see if one of the professors there could help us..."
Sounds like a good idea to me. Zellara and I both know nothing about Alchemy….
Briggi follows. If Narciso can't figure it out, perhaps Captain Kroft can get us an introduction with the physicians.
When opening the vial a pleasant flowery smell emerges. It has a sweet taste and a bitter aftertaste. But for details about the ingredients special knowledge is necessary.
After heading home with the others, Narciso sets up on Zellara's big table and begins a careful study of one of the vials and it's contents...
1 rank +3 trained + 4 int +1 guidance
"This cure is a scam. There's nothing in here but water, sugar and some stuff to make it smell nice... How do we want to handle this? We don't want to set off a riot; it's the last thing the city needs."
well we could have the guard shut them down. That’s straightforward but will need the guard resources….
We could show our findings to the physicians and have them shut this down.
We could lean hard on the store owners themselves and have them stop selling, but that’s going to be a big job as they are making money hand over fist.
We could try to demonstrate the cure doesn’t work, but that will take a long time, and not everyone will believe.
Or I suppose we could just take out all the supplies so they can’t make it, but if it really is just a scam they will probably just swap the recipe…
My thought is one of the first two options is the best.
We can go to Kroft and ask her to help us with this. If we can't get more guards loaned, perhaps you three can get deputized.