The Abomination in the Slums IC

[Silent_p]

Listening to Silk and Michel talk, Minerva calls over. ”I can’t say I am fond of that name but I agree, a tavern is a good choice for putting one’s ear to the ground.”

She stands and makes her way over to the pair, her raven ruffling its feathers briefly before flapping over to perch on the gazebo. “Do you plan to start here or there, then?”

[Janwin]

"I concur with the idea of a tavern. It tends to be filed with people in the know--whether they know it or not." The elf smiles amusedly at the thought.

"I suppose we find out what we can here, and then onward."

[gryffydd65]

I can find things out if you like, people like talking to me.
Zed said with a grin on his face.

Spoiler: investigation

Show

Zed does have investigation at +6 if that helps.

[Silent_p]

Minerva looks around the group. ”It seems settled, then,” she observes. “I imagine we can return here as needed but shall we depart for the time being?”

[whiteflash]

"Not yet. We still need to speak with Gerridon to announce our presence and see what aid he can offer us."

[SunderedWorldDM]

As conversation slows, you all notice a stout and small cloaked figure in a rather ostentatious black velvet hat stride across the lawn to you with bold steps. "I've been told you were arriving," he says. "Gerridon Ulmark at your service. Now, it's awfully bright out, perhaps we go inside to talk further?"

[JNAProductions]

If you'd like, sir, Silk says. As she walks in with him, she asks Do you have any leads? Anything worth investigating you know of?

[whiteflash]

"Gerridon. It's been too long. How've you been?" Michel starts walking along with Gerridon and Silk. "And how's business... apart from the big issue?"

[gryffydd65]

Zed, the Ruiner of the Night, enforcer of House Mungo stands at the back of the group as they discuss the investigation. He only replies if spoken to. He lets the mages talk about the problem.

[Silent_p]

Her raven resuming its perch on her shoulder, Minerva follows the group inside, listening to the conversation.

[SunderedWorldDM]

Gerridon good-naturedly glares at Michel. "Business has been lackin' recently, as you might assume from the sniffle that's been going about." He spits it like a curse. "People start foamin' at the mouth, no warnin', their skin turns an unseemly pink, veins get dark, and in minutes poof!" He snaps. "They're gone."

He turns to Silk. "I don't know much, but there's been more deaths among the hoi polloi than folk like me, if you know what I'm sayin'. I'm thinkin' the source or the transmitter is more abundant in the... less fortunate areas of town, catch my drift?"

[whiteflash]

Michel pales a bit. "... Minutes?"

[SunderedWorldDM]

Gerridon nods. "It's bad. Comes without warning, you're dead and gone lickety split. Nobody knows where it came from..."

[whiteflash]

"I... I hadn't realized it was that bad... I'd thought even if one of us got sick despite our abjuration amulets, we'd have time to get to a cleric."

Michel shakes his head. "Apart from being more common in the less affluent parts of town, is there any other discernible pattern in the victims?"

[SunderedWorldDM]

Gerridon shakes his head. "Not really, far as we can see. Maybe you can find a pattern that we haven't?"

[Janwin]

"You say less affluent areas." The elf particularly emphasizes the plurality of the word. "Any specific district which has been hit the hardest? That would be the obvious area to begin our investigation."

[SunderedWorldDM]

Gerridon puzzles for a moment. "Try near the aquifer, what do they call it, Candle's Market?"

[Silent_p]

”And what of these constructs?” Minerva asks. “Plant-like, I gather...”

[SunderedWorldDM]

"Oh, that. We haven't seen or heard much about it, we've just heard three heads and pink fire. That's really all we know. Though plant is a safe guess, given that we're thinking this has something to do with Fendrigar."

[whiteflash]

"The Candle's Market aquifer? Huh. One of the taverns we wanted to visit during our investigation was around there..."

Michel turns to the rest of the party. "Maybe we should check that one first?"

[Silent_p]

Having spent a moment eyeing Gerridon, Minerva turns to Michel and nods. "That seems prudent. I imagine there's little to be gained by delaying."

[whiteflash]

"I suppose not."

Michel turns back to Gerridon. "We should get started. May we return here tonight, to stay as your guests? If the less affluent areas are the most dangerous, I'd feel safest here."

[SunderedWorldDM]

"I think we could make arrangements, so long as a couple wouldn't mind sleeping under the stars- we don't have quite that many rooms." He glances at Zed and Silk when he says the bit about sleeping outside.

[SunderedWorldDM]

"Alrighty. Well, I'll assume that everyone is fine with that. We'll get all the rooms prepared that we can. You can head out. If you need a map of the city, here's one just in case." He passes over a scroll case handed to him by a Cannis attendant.

Looking at the map, you set out to the Candle's Market. Passing through the city, it seems to be in a state of great disrepair. Buildings crumbling, sometimes burning. Strange and gibbered words muttered to you and in the shadows as you pass. Arcane writing written in blood coats the shattered cobbles of the streets. In other words, it feels like home.

A twenty minute walk takes you to where you want to be. The Candle's Market is where you get things if you want them cheap. Near-rotten food, odorous cheeses, and wilting flowers for sale by bellowing traders assault your noses. You hear the sounds of glass breaking in the distance, followed by a scream. Two people get into a fistfight in the middle of the street for a copper penny they found lying on the ground. It's commerce at its most brutal and heart-wrenching.

As you continue by, you come across the Weeping Boar. You see that there is a brawl outside, and that the shattering of glass and scream was how it got outside. Inside the bar, you see the stuffed head of a massive snake, an indicator of a Cannis site. Engaged in a brutal brawl outside is a very muscular dwarf woman and a goliath man who is rather scrawny for his race, so moderately strong in terms of the normal human. They are trading blows with a hateful fury, sitting in the shard of broken window, pummeling each other. If you'd like you can interfere, or you can simply walk into the bar, which seems to have returned to a normal and unagitated state after the pair forcefully vacated.

[whiteflash]

Does it look like they were thrown out by the staff, or did one of them toss the other out and then follow after?

[SunderedWorldDM]

Knowing the establishment, both are equally likely.

[Silent_p]

Before the group departs, Minerva carefully places her amulet of protection on, adjusting it slightly for comfort.

On the journey itself, she maintains a dispassionate expression, taking in the sights of the city, such as they are. Not long into the trip, however, she produces a perfumed handkerchief and holds it up to her nose.

Once they near the Cannis tavern, she notes the brawl but, disinterested, starts to move past, into the building. ”I imagine they’ll tire themselves out at some point,” she comments. “Or one of them is killed...” She adds with a shrug.

[whiteflash]

"Try not to kill each other," Michel calls out. "It's harder to drink that way."

[Janwin]

Lethuil seems to be somewhat amused by the atmosphere and watches the brawl for a brief moment before entering the tavern with the others.

"Free entertainment: what every tavern wants. Well, minus the cost of repairs, that is."

[whiteflash]

Michel stops the party as they're walking in.

"Listen. I hate to say this at one of my house's sites," He says quietly. "But this is the district hardest hit by the plague. Until we know the source, we probably shouldn't consume anything here. But, please try to phrase any refusals you have to make politely."