Curse of the Crimson Thread: Escape from Old Korvosa [IC]

[Rithryn]

Dane seeing what he perceives as a small shot glass walks past Jacintha heading towards Linzi, after moving 20 ft out of the flames he will retrieve his cooking pot and plops it on the ground.
"Don't cry Linzi, we're going to be just fine."

[lostsole31]

R9T14: Dane - seeing what he perceives as a small shot glass - walks past Jacintha and heads towards Linzi. As he steps up to her he retrieves his cooking pot and plops it on the ground. "Don't cry Linzi, we're going to be just fine."

R9T13: Jacintha, you had actually unwittingly dismissed your psychic kukri to take out the potion, but your mithral kukri is in hand. While you are no longer standing in a burning square, the heat is enough to cause 5 fire. What do you do?

Dane on deck ...

[Dusk Raven]

Jacintha, it seems, had unwittingly stepped too close to the fire. She corrects this, immediately moving away and following Dane as he moves up to Linzi. "Sorry I couldn't do more for you back there," she says, holding out the potion to Dane.

Spoiler: Actions

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Move action: GTFO. I'll move up next to Dane.
Second move action, or possibly a standard - put away the mithral kukri.

[Rithryn]

Dane shakes his head.
"No worries, in a situation like that it is natural to think of self preservation. I'm just glad everyone got out."
He waves a hand over his pot.
"OH Lucky Drunk, bless us with the waters to quench this fires thirst."

"We can use this to help put out the fire, if people need water come to me and I can fill buckets!"

Spoiler

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standard action create water in the pot

[lostsole31]

R10T14: Dane shakes his head .... while he is still on fire. He says, while gritting his teeth in pain from the active burning, "No worries ... in a situation like that ... it is natural to think of self preservation. I'm just ... glad everyone got out."

He waves a hand over his pot and casts a verbal spell .... barely managing to control his spell through the pain and praying, "OH Lucky Drunk, bless us with the waters to quench this fires thirst."

He has no more time for speech, but the pot fills with water.

R10T13: Linzi comes out of delay, heaves up the pot, and splashes it over Dane to put him out.

Dane and Jacintha want to help, but both are too wounded and tuckered, while Linzi takes the pot to the others and firefighting is underway.

Encounter Ends ...

If there is one thing that brings people together, and something that Old Korvosans know how to do, and that is to fight a fire. And with Vivino's example of strength, Ernak's leadership, Linzi's pluck, and Runa riding her mount to determine hot spots from above .... the house fire will finally be put out. It still takes awhile, though, and while the bones of the house stand, it is effectively a total loss.

[Moriar]

After the fire finally goes out, Vivino just stares at the wreckage. "Who were those people in insect outfits and why would they want this home to burn down so badly?" he asks those around him.

[lostsole31]

It takes a total of 2-1/2 hours to finally kill the blaze.

Linzi shrugs at Vivino's question, but hands him his scythe. She looks around. While sporting light wounds herself, she pipes up, "I don't know, but that and the fire really did a number to our group. We have severe wounded, especially Dane and Jacintha."

[Sienna]

"Been stabbed before, and set on fire before, but never both in the same day," Runa says, taking out a wand, "I'll see what I can do for 'em."

Spoiler

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Runa will use her wand of CLW on Dane and Jacintha until the two seem reasonably healthy (or decline further healing)

[Rithryn]

Dane coughs a few times trying to clear his lungs of smoke.
"I got a few healing spells in me to."

[Dusk Raven]

Jacintha has long since put back the potion she had pulled from her bandolier, but she took out one of the lesser healing potions from it instead. She rotates it around in her fingers for a few moments, before seeing Runa take out a wand, upon which she puts that potion back in her bandolier as well. "Anything you can spare would be appreciated."

[Ason]

Ernak wipes sweat from his brow as the party finally has a chance to relax and debrief. He gives a tired but optimistic cheer to the party, "I am glad we all survived the ambush! Well done, friends!"

Ernak moves to pull out a wand of his own in conjunction with Runa, but when Dane mentions having healing spells prepared already, he pauses instead to let others cast what they have already prepared first. Should any wounds remain, the big Shoanti offers to use his wand to help them patch up a little bit more.

After any healing magics are cast, Ernak says to the party, more somberly than usual, "Vivino: you asked about those insectoid warriors, yeah?" he beckons the party to lean in closer so he can explain with a conspiratorial whisper (partly for dramatic effect and partly to avoid eavesdroppers), "I've... I've heard stories about them, and not happy ones. They're called the 'Red Mantis Assassins'. They're a cult of hired killers who all worship Achaekek, some minor devil-god who's the source of their weird powers. Since they know they'll continue serving their mantis-headed god in the afterlife, they're known for reckless, self-destructive tactics like we just saw, as death holds no fear for them. The one other odd thing--I don't exactly know why--is allegedly they refuse to accept contracts on any current heads of state."

He pauses to let that information all sink in, and then he continues, "So I imagine someone--maybe Tesh, rest his soul, maybe us, maybe the fencing master--someone nearby has angered a person powerful enough to hire a cult of very deadly people to silence them. I know we came here to solve one problem, but I suspect we just gained another in these mantis guys."

Spoiler: OoC

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Ernak is willing to spend up to two charges each from wand of cure light wounds on Jacintha and Dane, at least to start with on this first go around. This will happen only after any healing spells or abilities Dane uses, since Dane mentioned it. If Dane seems to be relying on a wand for his healing magic and not his own personal spellcasting, Ernak will instead join in alongside him with his own healing wand.

Ernak is sharing info with the party gained from his Lore Master check back at the very start of the fight.

[lostsole31]

Ernak no longer feels the focused mind that he did during the battle.

Dane, the compassionate doctor ... and Vivino, the dispassionate anatomist ... both possessed of equal skill in their approach to the matters of medicine, triage the group. Then all members begin healing as best they can where and how needed.

Spoiler: Spells and Wands of Healing

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Runa casts CSW on Dane, tapping her out of 3rd-level spells. She then casts CMW once each on Dane and Jacintha.
Runa casts CMW on Jacintha, and is now tapped out of 2nd-level spells.
Dane casts CMW once each on himself and Jacintha, tapping him out of 2nd-level spells.
Vivino takes a CLW and a CMW extract each, and has the faintest abrasion remaining.
Dane then casts CLW four times on himself to fully heal himself while tapping him out of 1st-level spells.
Runa casts CLW on Jacintha twice, leaving her with barely a scratch.
Runa uses the wand on herself 9 times until she has a light wound remaining.
Dane uses his high-powered healing wand on Ernak only once to bring him to a light wound.
Linzi casts CLW on herself so she has only a light wound remaining.

The remains of the mostly burnt-out hulk of Orsini's home lie before you, and residents have all returned to bed, exhausted.

It is now approximately one in the morning. What do you do?

[Rithryn]

"It would seem any secrets this place held were destroyed with the assassins, but it would hurt yo check. Shall we look once more through the remains?"
Dane will starting looking through the remains of the building.

[lostsole31]

Any search of the remains will be effectively a T20 because of moving stuff around. It will take a good long while, but you are having to clear ash and rubble. Luckily, you have a big "crane" in the form of Runa's scaly-bird to help with excavation.

Do you want to do the search, even if to find Tesh's remains for respect?

[lostsole31]

The group has a small argument that is pretty close - to search now or later? It just comes to a vote of finding someplace to hide out first and getting some sleep.

"Well, we sure made a ruckus here!" exclaims Linzi, once the matter is settled to leave. "Now that the danger of fire is past, and normal townies have headed back to a well-earned rest, I imagine it won't be too long before we might have to deal with a more resolved welcoming party sent by whomever sent those thugs. So it comes down to, where do we go?"

"I believe," says a timid voice, but one that was unexpected so makes the more reactive among you jump, "I can help with that?"

The man speaking seems to be a lean man in his early 20s .. not bad-looking, and seems to be a poor student ... which is to say, a noble with a decent doublet that is starting to go to thread, for otherwise he wears once-fine leather and has a noble's outfit but not much in the way of jewelry beyond a signet ring and a well-crafted rapier at his side.

"My name is Amin Jalento, and I know a place we can talk quietly, but your small blond friend is right. We should get out of sight."

[Rithryn]

Dane will look him over to get an idea if he is trustworthy.
"Why would you help a group of strangers during these difficult times?"

Spoiler

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i want to do a check to see if hes trying to lure us into danger.

[lostsole31]

"I just spent too long helping fight the fire," he whispers, realizing from the hours of firefighting that the loud fire made him forget how quiet the night is. "I'll answer your question in safety, not out in the open."

He turns and heads away from the party, but does so in an attempt to be stealthy ... not from the party that directly observes him, of course, but with a mind to not attracting other attention.

[Moriar]

Vivino eyes him warily. He shrugs towards his compatriots and then follows this man stealthily as well.

Spoiler: crunchy stealth

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Stealth roll (1d20+13)[14]

[Ason]

Ernak, having just coordinated and labored alongside the volunteer fire brigades, smiles at the man's mention of sharing in that work and gives him a once-over.

Seeing Vivino's shrug at Amin's proposal, Ernak raises his eyebrows with an amused smile and then gives his own shrug in agreement. "Nothing gambled, nothing gained, I suppose," Ernak says before turning to follow the stranger as well.

Spoiler: OoC

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Since they both ostensibly worked to fight the fire, does Ernak remember seeing this dude doing what he claims? I'm not sure what--if any--check is required for that. If Ernak doesn't recall seeing Amin in the fire brigades, he'll at least try to notice any evidence of recent fire-fighting activity (e.g. sweat, scorch marks, soot on clothing) during that brief once-over.

If any of the above doesn't quite add up for Ernak, he will pause to reconsider after turning to follow the man, with his subsequent actions to be determined based on the intensity/nature of his suspicions.

If everything seems fine, however, then Ernak will simply try to discretely leave the premises like this guy is doing, though after the red mantis assassins' last attack, he'll try to keep his eyes and ears open, just in case.

[Rithryn]

Dane shrugs.
"Alright than, lead the way."

[lostsole31]

Amin guides the group just back up the street to a partially collapsed building across the street from the burned out academy you had just visited a few hours prior. Amin has been squatting here for the past several days, it seems, where he tells you his story...

He was attending classes at Vencarlo’s academy when the quarantine hit, and when he was unable to escape back to the mainland and his home, Vencarlo graciously allowed Amin to stay at the academy as a guest. That stay ended not long after, when several Red Mantis assassins invaded the building. Vencarlo confronted them and took one of them down, but there were too many. Vencarlo was forced to flee, and Amin assumes the assassins burned down the academy as a warning as much as anything else.

Amin doesn’t know where Vencarlo has gone, but he does suspect who might. In the days after the quarantine, while he was Vencarlo’s houseguest, Amin noticed his teacher seemed restless and distracted. Vencarlo regularly left his house at odd hours in the night, sometimes not returning until morning. After one such return, Vencarlo’s clothes were bloody, and he said he had to fight off a thief, but Amin is sure there was more to it than that. Furthermore, in the days before the Red Mantis assassins attacked, Vencarlo had a singularly strange houseguest visit several times—a man with paint-stained hands, wild hair, and a jittery habit of looking about. Vencarlo introduced him as a friend, but Amin recognized him as a somewhat notorious local artist named Salvator Scream. Vencarlo and Salvator always met behind closed doors, three times in all, and on that last meeting Amin swore he heard Vencarlo’s voice raised in anger. Unfortunately, he has little more information than that. He’s been meaning to try to track down Salvator to ask him if he knows what happened to Vencarlo, but has not, of yet, worked up the courage to brave Old Dock, the place where Salvator’s home is located.

What do you do?

[Rithryn]

"Than it looks like the next thing we must do is find Salvatore, after we rest would you like to accompany us in the search for him?"

[Dusk Raven]

Jacintha folds her arms, saying nothing during or after Amin's talk. She isn't fully sure she trusts him, but the group otherwise has no leads, so it only makes sense to do as he says. In the meantime, she tries to recall what she can about the Old Dock district. Has she been there before? Would she be able to properly guide the group to and through it?

[Moriar]

"Thank you for that explanation and sorry that you have had to go through such extremes." Vivino says.

"If you do come with us it would be very helpful."

[Sienna]

"What's got you scared to visit the docks? Is it particularly dangerous? ...Though I s'pose few places here aren't, these days."

[lostsole31]

"Than it looks like the next thing we must do is find Salvatore, after we rest would you like to accompany us in the search for him?"

Amin thanks Dane, "As long as you keep me safe! I am no hero."

Jacintha folds her arms, saying nothing during or after Amin's talk. She isn't fully sure she trusts him, but the group otherwise has no leads, so it only makes sense to do as he says. In the meantime, she tries to recall what she can about the Old Dock district. Has she been there before? Would she be able to properly guide the group to and through it?

Jacintha knows her general way around town, but she doesn't have a recent lay of the land if anything got changed up in the anarchy.

"Thank you for that explanation and sorry that you have had to go through such extremes." Vivino says.

"If you do come with us it would be very helpful."

"Thank you, brave hero."

"What's got you scared to visit the docks? Is it particularly dangerous? ...Though I s'pose few places here aren't, these days."

"It's why I hide out here and scavenge for food at night. The Emperor's Thugs are everywhere, especially the Docks!"

[Ason]

"Yes, thank you for sharing your story, Amin, hard as those events may have been on you," Ernak agrees, "It seems that between this 'Emperor' and the Red Mantis assassins, we have our work cut out for us. We fought the former en route to Vencarlo's home, and the latter ambushed us inside it while we searched for him and started that fire. A gang of looters has motives I can follow, but do you have any clue why those assassins would hunt your teacher, in the middle of a quarantine no less?"

Ernak nods his head at Dane's suggestion. "I agree. We should try to Salvatore at first light, and if that fails, we might be able to shake out some clues from this so-called 'Emperor' at the docks. Do you know a place where we might hole up for the night in relative safety?"

[lostsole31]

"At first light," as late as it is now, means not enough time for rest for those that need it.

Do you wish to amend leaving until the party can get full recovery?

[lostsole31]

It is the next morning. There is no ability to do recovery at this time (much of what was used in the previous 8 hours, anyway). Everyone wakes up fatigued, as sleep was cut short and you had a very long day yesterday.

Amin knows that Salvator lives in Old Dock and did enough asking around to confirm that the artist lived in a building located at 140 Wave Street. He also knows that Old Dock is under the control of the Emperor of Old Korvosa. Amin’s heard plenty of rumors about the emperor—that he’s a cannibal, that he’s beheaded more people than died to blood veil, that he’s a devil hiding in the flesh of a man, and that his minions are almost as bad as he is. Although Amin doesn’t believe the rumors, he does believe the emperor is deserving of them, and wants nothing to do with Old Dock as a result. For that reason, he will stay behind here, now that he told you where you can go.

Jacintha, who lived adjacent to the Old Dock before she was trapped in main Korvosa during the epidemic, knows that Salvator Scream is a notorious artist whose gruesome and often scandalous art is held in relatively high esteem by several of Korvosa's nobles. His popularity is even greater among the lower classes, who are most familiar with his work at the Old Dock playhouse known as Exemplary Execrables, where his paintings served as grisly backdrops to that venue’s notoriously violent entertainments. Salvator himself isn’t a public figure, though, and beyond his name, few folk can say they know him.

Before heading out, Linzi asks (sleepily) Dane, "Do you mind if I stay behind to watch Amin to keep him safe? I'm too tired and spent magically to be of much use, I think."

[Rithryn]

"That should be fine, will you be alright alone?"