Adventure Log XI

THE HUNGER

The sun began to rise over Trail's End, casting a soft, golden hue across the ramshackle town. The light spread slowly, touching the edges of the weathered rooftops and illuminating the narrow, winding streets with a gentle glow. The homes and buildings, though worn and modest, took on a warm, almost magical quality in the dawn's embrace.

The illusion that all was well though was shattered as a fit of violent coughing wracked Byron from sleep. As his eyes opened, he could see his skin was covered in angry rashes, and he felt an unfamiliar weakness coursing through his body. The signs were unmistakable: Byron had caught the Blood Veil.

He staggered out of the room and saw Trevor and Portia talking to each other. As he struggled to compose himself, Portia hit him with some terrible news "Another orphan passed away in the night," she said softly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Lottle... and one of Madame Devlin's girls, Ally. Both gone."

Trevor and Byron's hearts sank. The plague was a merciless enemy, claiming the lives of the most vulnerable. The weight of grief and responsibility pressed down on them as they prepared to carry out their sombre duty.

Together, they carried the lifeless bodies to the woods. Ishani, the priest of Abadar, who fulfilling his promise to come to Trails End in the morning, joined them to offer the final rites. The air was heavy with sorrow as Ishani spoke the sacred words, their voices a mournful harmony with the whispering leaves.

"Rest in peace, Lottle and Ally," Trevor murmured, his voice breaking. "We'll remember you."

After the burials, Ishani approached the grieving barbarians. “Byron, shall I start by healing you this morning?”

Byron and Trevor exchanged a glance, their faces etched with concern. "How many others are still sick?" Byron asked.

"Of the orphans? Four, but only one that seems dangerously close." Ishani replied, carefully neutral.

Trevor recalled the wand of remove disease the party had acquired and left with the large men for those whom needed it most. He retrieved it from his pack and offered it to the cleric. The slender, intricately carved magical object held only two charges left, but they couldn't let Byron's strength wane, not when so many still depended on him.

"Use it on Byron," Trevor said firmly. "If you could take care of the orphan with your own skills, we would greatly appreciate it."

Ishani nodded, took the wand, and spoke the activating command. Byron felt the warm magic searching his body to drive out the pestilence, but when the magic faded he was no better. Ishani’s face fell with the realization that it had failed. The magic was not foolproof, and the precious charge was wasted. The three exchanged grim looks, and Byron nodded for him to try again. With a moment of silent prayer to refocus his thoughts Ishani again spoke the word that woke the power in the wand. Its final magic surged through Byron, this time succeeding in destroying the plague's insidious grip. He felt the rashes fade and his strength return.

"Thank you," Byron said, his voice filled with gratitude and handed him a coin as payment. Ishani nodded and the trio made their way back to Trails End.

———————————————

Meanwhile, Calli, Nightingale, and Taylan set off from Zellara's house, making their way to Trail's End. Along the way, Nightingale spotted another flying goblin tailing them. Once again, with a swift motion, he cast a magic missile, striking the creature and causing it to flee in pain.

Reuniting with their companions at Trail's End, they were greeted by Portia, who shared a surprising observation. None of the courtesans that Byron and Trevor had saved had contracted the Blood Veil. Moreover, some of those who had been cured seemed to no longer be infected by the dreaded disease.

The party conferred, trying to determine the common factor that could explain the varying susceptibility to the plague. Wild theories were proposed, but then a revelation struck them: money! The courtesans never handled coins directly, as payment was always in advance. The orphans, too, had few coins and since arriving at Trail's End, had not touched any. This led them to the hypothesis that the plague could be transmitted through infected currency.

Ishani used his magic to examine various coins in his pouch: copper, silver, and gold. To their horror, he discovered the theory was true. After examining the rest of the group’s coins, he confirmed only some of the silver coins were infected. This revelation explained how easily the plague could spread, as silver coins changed hands most frequently.

They discussed the possible means of infection. Were the coins cursed? Sentient? Was all silver infected? They did numerous experiments on the coins and learned the following: the sickness doesn’t spread between coins or objects, only to people; dunking the coins in a healing potion only suppresses the effects temporarily; but damaging the coin enough to ruin its use as currency breaks the spell.

Ishani said they’d be able to melt down the coins and reforge them as safe again, but it would take time the town doesn’t have.

However, even if they were to find some miracle coin anti-virus, they knew that convincing the citizens of Korvosa to surrender their silver coins would be a Herculean effort. The party huddled together, brainstorming ways to tackle the issue.

"We need to find a way to inform the populace about the danger of silver coins without causing mass panic," Ishani said, his brow furrowed.

"Perhaps we can start with the merchants," suggested Nightingale. "If we can get them on our side, they can help spread the word that silver coins are ‘counterfeit’ and encourage people to exchange their silver for other currency."

Trevor nodded. "And we’ll need to find a way to cleanse the coins that are already out there. Maybe we can create a purification ritual that can be applied to large batches of silver."

Calli added, "We should also investigate where these infected coins originated. If we can stop the source, we can prevent more coins from spreading the plague."

At that moment, Grau Soldado's young niece Brenna who had been lurking and listening in piped up, her eyes wide with excitement. "I found a bag of silver coins recently," she declared.

Everyone looked at the child who had brought them to Trail’s End with her mysterious illness at the start of it all. Calli knelt down to her level, a gentle smile on her face. "Where did you find these coins, sweetheart?"

The girl explained, "It was shortly after that ship got blown up in the river. I was playing near the shore and found this bag washed up."

The party exchanged glances, the significance of her discovery sinking in. The Direption was the same ship where they had uncovered evidence of the plague cult. None of them questioned why she hadn’t told them this when she’d been asked the first time they met her and were trying to figure out if maybe something washed up had caused her illness. It wasn’t hard for anyone to understand why someone from Trail’s End would want to keep a sudden windfall secret from others.

It was clear now how the plague infected Korvosa and how it continued to spread. But they were no closer to understanding the method to stop it and, more importantly, who and why someone had done this.

Ishani said he’d have the bank begin removing the tainted coins from circulation, but in the mean time asked the party to investigate the disappearance of missing bodies he’d mentioned the day before. Two men employed by the Church of Abadar who picked up the dead bodies and brought them to the mass grave pits were under suspicion of 'dumping the bodies.' He’d narrowed it down to occurring somewhere along Volshyenek Street in Ridgefield, and explained the two under suspicion start their route at the Great Tower at dusk.

The party agreed and made their way to Korvosa.

———————————————

Having many hours to wait until dusk, the party first stopped at Eudicot Manor to check on the health of the inhabitants. Renly greeted Calliandra at the door, himself greatly recovered. Agnes and Penelope remained ill, but the most worrying development was that her mother and father had both also contracted the disease. It seems her father had been sick for a few days, but with the ongoing quarantine of South Shore it had taken time for the word to get out.

This troubled Calli deeply. If he’d been sick that long already, he could go at any minute, and she can’t even get to him to do anything about it. At least she knew she could get help to her mother. Panic squirmed under her skin as the stress of the past month reached critical levels, but a lifetime of court training finally took control. One must not lead with their emotions. Put away what can’t be helped and focus on what can. She would continue as normal, and put together a plan as they go.

She left a list of items the party were looking to acquire with Renly, and made clear he was not to accept silver coins under any circumstance. The aged gentleman laughed at first, but seeing the serious look on her face, he snapped to attention and gave a short bow of acknowledgement. “Tell the others, too. Once you’re well enough to deal with our items, take the silver coins the household has to the Bank of Abadar and have them swap out the counterfeits. Accept none from anyone else. Do not touch them, Renly. Please. And I know mother wants to help, and she’s stubborn, so you have my permission to hide our spoils until you’re both better to keep her from trying anything rash.” Once she was sure he understood, she returned to the waiting party, hiding her shaking hands by tightly gripping the strap of their haversack.

The Flowers then swung by Nightingale's father’s coffee house. Adam was in fine spirits, the usual bustle of the place a small comfort, although he did admit Gale’s mother Clara was no better or worse. When he learned how the plague was spreading, he described it as "Brilliant! Evil Genius."

“Dad, this isn’t something to admire,” Nightingale said, a touch of frustration in his voice. “People are dying.”

“I know, son, but you have to understand the mind behind such a scheme. It’s both terrible and fascinating.”

Adam let them know that in spite of the plague, work was continuing to tear down the Great Tower and erect the statues of the queen. Everyone remarked on how callous it seemed, and wondered if there may be more malicious reasons behind it.

Advising his father to now only trade in copper or gold the party left. But before they did, Adam pulled Trevor aside and told him he’d reached out to other shops in the area, and together they all sent two cart loads of food to Trails End for the orphans to which Trevor was deeply grateful. 

The party then headed to Ridgefield as Byron was still keen to find Gina, and Trevor wanted to find Otto. They entered the Plough and Horses Inn, a popular place where many Old Korvosans gathered.

The Plough and Horses Inn had an old-world charm about it, with its low wooden beams, creaking floorboards, and walls adorned with faded tapestries depicting pastoral scenes and long-forgotten heroes. The air was thick with the smell of roasted meat and freshly baked bread, mingling with the tang of spilled ale and the faint odour of tobacco smoke. The warm glow of lanterns and the crackling fire in the hearth cast dancing shadows across the room, creating a cosy yet bustling atmosphere.

The inn was filled with patrons, a mix of rugged labourers, weary travellers, and local regulars. Conversations buzzed around them, snippets of gossip and news floating through the air. As they found a corner to settle in, the party's ears caught several intriguing discussions.

They overheard conversations about the old tower of the Sable company still being dismantled and a new one of the Queen being erected. Urgathoa, the goddess of the undead, was responsible for the plague.  But the strangest conversation they heard was about a dominant woman who had control over two huge painted barbarians and two magi who could fill the air with fire and ice. 

"They say she's got these painted barbarians on a leash," one grizzled man said, taking a swig of his tankard. "And those magi? They can scorch you or freeze you where you stand."

"Sounds like a tall tale," another replied, though his tone suggested he was half-convinced.

The patrons were, of course, talking about The Flowers, and the party found it strange to hear themselves being talked about this way.

The party also heard that three vigilantes seemed to be operating in the city now: Black Jack, Black Heart, and The Fallen. Each had their own reputation, but the stories shared a common thread of masked figures dispensing rough justice. The Fallen was a new name to them. The story told was that they’d caught some guards running an extortion racket and forced them to strip and walk home naked through the town.

"Black Jack, Black Heart and The Fallen, they're dangerous" a woman whispered to her companion. "It's like the city's gone mad with all these masked heroes and villains."

Byron found Humber, an Old Korvosan resident, but he said he had seen no sign of Gina or Gretta's school teacher. Word on the street remained that they thought the women had been stuck on the other side when the wall went up. Byron then told him to avoid silver coins as they were counterfeit. He almost told him they were plague-infected but stopped himself at the last moment, knowing that such a rumour could cause panic, economic chaos, and downfall if word were to spread.

As all this happened, many people seemed to gravitate towards Trevor. His kind reputation and familiar face was a little bit of their lost home. He was a calming presence, and people seemed to take comfort in his company. His broad shoulders and reassuring smile made him a natural focal point, and he offered kind words and support to those who approached.

Calli was recognized by one of the patrons, who asked her to sing and for Taylan to put on a 'magic light' show. Others heard, and took up the call for a show. Calli hesitated, her thoughts still clouded with worry for her parents, her staff, and her friends. At one point an eager audience and spreading reputation is all she wanted, but in the moment she wanted to be out in the city finding the next lead that might put an end to the dark disease. She checked with the other Flowers, asking once more if there was anything they’d overlooked, or anywhere they could be questioning. There wasn’t, and looking around at the unhomed people making the best of their situation, Byron encouraged her, “We could use a song.” Taylan, sensing her hesitation, also gave her an uplifting smile.

Having received permission from her group, Calli began to sing, her voice clear and melodic, weaving a spell of enchantment over the crowd. Despite the turmoil in her heart, her professionalism shone through, and she managed to captivate her audience. Her song was one of hope and resilience, a fitting anthem for these troubled times. Meanwhile, Taylan conjured a dazzling display of magical lights, swirling colours and shapes that danced in time with the music.

The crowd was enthralled, their faces lit with wonder and appreciation. It wasn’t the greatest show Calli had ever done, but was still highly skilled, and it was enough to lift their spirits, if only for a little while. The crowd clapped and cheered, their laughter a balm against the weight of the day's worries.

The day passed pleasantly enough, a small respite in the midst of their larger mission. As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the inn, the party prepared to leave. They knew their next task awaited: finding the two men who transported the dead bodies.

With a final wave to the grateful patrons of the Plough and Horses, they stepped out into the dusky streets, ready to face whatever challenges the night would bring.

———————————————

Soaring like a dancer out of the Korvosan skyline, Little Focker, Byrons’s pet Drake, rejoined the party, swooping down with a graceful arc before landing softly on the big man's shoulder. The party felt a renewed sense of determination with the drake’s presence.

They lurked on Volshyenek Street near the Great Tower until they spied the two workers pulling a rickety cart, calling out to the citizens, "Bring out your dead!" Their voices echoed mournfully through the narrow alleyways. The men wore long leather jackets and gloves, their faces set in grim determination as they went house to house, piling dead bodies onto the cart. It was a sad, gruesome sight, the grim reality of the Blood Veil plague stark against the backdrop of the city.

The party followed at a distance, with Little Focker soaring above to get a better vantage point. The drake’s keen eyes tracked the workers’ movements, and he reported back to the party when he saw them disappear down an alleyway that led to a dead end. Byron then instructed the Drake to go back to Greta and look after her. They’d handle matters from here. The little dragon leapt into the air and disappeared into the clouds.

When the workers emerged from the alley, the cart was mysteriously empty. The bodies had vanished. Byron stepped forward, his towering figure casting a long shadow in the dim light of the alley. His voice was quiet yet filled with an unmistakable menace as he confronted the men.

“Where are the bodies?” he demanded, his eyes boring into them with a cold intensity. The workers stammered, their faces going pale under Byron’s fierce gaze.

The first man tried to act bold, demanding to know who it was that challenged them. Byron snapped back, “I’m the Korvosan Bear, and I’m hungry!” The other tried to muster a response, but Byron cut him off, his voice lowering to a dangerous whisper. “Tell me the truth, or I’ll break your legs.”

Fear gripped the workers, and they finally confessed, their voices trembling. “There were too many bodies to cart out of the city. It was too much work… so we started dumping them down this alley.”

Byron’s eyes flashed with anger. “Go back in there and start picking up the bodies. Take them to the graves where they belong.” His tone left no room for argument.

Reluctantly, but with the fear of the barbarian driving them, the workers turned and headed back down the alley. The party followed them, ensuring that the men would do as they were told.

As they ventured deeper into the alley, the stench of decay grew stronger. The sight that greeted them was horrific – a heap of three dozen bodies, carelessly discarded, lying in various states of decomposition. The party steeled themselves against the revulsion of rot and death that threatened to overwhelm them. Calli turned her back to the nightmarish sight and grabbed Nightingale’s arm to steady herself. It was clear that some of the bodies had been here for some time.

With grim determination, the workers began to load the bodies back onto the cart under the watchful eyes of the party. Some of the Flowers started to notice that some of the bodies seemed much more pale than the others around it. Looking closer, the pale bodies didn’t seem to have the same blemishes that bloodveil leaves behind. As the body men lifted one of the pale corpses, one of the workers noticed something else odd.

"Look at this," he said, pointing to the neck of the body. Two puncture wounds, eerily precise, marred the skin.

Before anyone could react, two screaming vampires leaped down from the rooftops, their eyes glowing with hunger and malice. The sudden attack threw everyone into chaos.

One of the vampires grabbed a worker, hurling him against a wall with such force that his ribs cracked audibly. The creature’s claws sank into the worker’s chest, and his life force visibly drained away, leaving him a withered husk.

The other vampire lunged at Byron, its claws raking across his chest. The barbarian staggered, feeling a part of his strength siphoned away by the creature's dark power.

Trevor roared in fury and charged the vampire that had killed the worker. His axe came down with a mighty swing, but the vampire shrugged off the blow. The wound began to heal almost immediately, closing before Trevor's eyes.

Taylan, seeing the dire situation, cast Burning Hands. A cone of searing flames engulfed one of the vampires, but the flames also caught the remaining worker, who screamed and collapsed, lifeless.

Calli spun back again to face the chaos, and swiftly summoned a lute to begin strumming a fast and driving tune. The party felt a surge of strength and determination, their attacks becoming more focused and potent. While she played she began shouting out vampire lore, warning the others of elements they’re resistant to, their attacks, and their healing.

Byron, fueled by Calli's song, struck the vampire with his claws. Despite his ferocity, the damage was minimal, the vampire's resilience dampening the force of his blows.

Nightingale spoke an incantation and his arms began to pop and crack, lengthening unnaturally, giving him extra reach with his blade.

The vampires, frustrated by the resistance they faced, turned on each other, arguing over whose 'food' was whose. Their distraction cost them; their attacks on Byron and Trevor missed entirely.

Trevor seized the opportunity, striking his assailant again. The vampire staggered but the damage was again reduced by its unnatural resilience.

Taylan focused his magic, shooting lasers from his eyes. The beams struck the vampire attacking Trevor, searing its flesh and causing it to hiss in pain.

Byron, his strength bolstered by Calli's continuing magic, struck his vampire twice. The blows landed solidly, but wasn’t doing as much damage as the big man was used to.

Nightingale, using his extendable arms, struck the vampire next to Byron. This time, he laced the blade with acid, and the fluid burned the vampire from the inside out. With a final, agonised shriek, it dissolved into smoke and drifted back towards the corpse pile.

The remaining vampire, enraged and desperate, lunged at Trevor but missed. Trevor, with a mighty swing of his axe, decapitated the beast. Its body collapsed, becoming smoke like the one before, and slinking into the bodies.

As the group caught their breath Calli warned them that they’d have to follow the smoke back to their nest, somehow, to deliver the final blows. But their respite was short-lived. Three more vampires burst from the mound of dead, their eyes glowing with fury and hunger.

Taylan reacted swiftly, conjuring a flurry of magical snowballs that hurtled towards the vampires. However, the magical projectiles passed right through them as if they were insubstantial shadows. Calli reminded him that using cold on the monsters was no good.

Taking advantage of the vampires’ proximity to each other, she unleashed a powerful sound burst upon the fiends crawling towards them. The sonic blast did only minor damage to the threats themselves, but the force of it pushed aside some of the corpses and revealed a hidden entrance in the side of the building, where the vampires had clearly emerged from.

As the vampires closed in, Byron tapped into his rage power, channeling it to heal himself, his wounds closing slightly as a surge of primal energy coursed through him.

Nightingale reacted swiftly, stepping protectively in front of Taylan and casting a shimmering magical shield in front of them. The shield resembled a buckler, adorned with one large rose surrounded by smaller ornate flowers that seemed to move and shift magically along his arm.

The vampires attacked. One lunged at Nightingale, who thrust his rapier at the undead creature. The blade struck true, but to his annoyance, it did no damage. The vampire retaliated, its claws narrowly missing Nightingale's face.

Byron swung at his assailant, his claws tearing through flesh, but the damage was minimal. In return, the vampire struck back, draining more of Byron's life force, weakening him further.

Trevor, seeing an opportunity, grabbed a bottle of alchemist fire and hurled it at one of the vampires standing on the cart of bodies. The bottle shattered on impact, engulfing the vampire and the cart in flames. The creature screamed in agony as the fire consumed it.

Meanwhile, Taylan conjured burning hands once more, flames erupting from his fingertips. The fire engulfed the vampires, causing them to stagger and scream as their undead flesh burned.

Seeing Byron wounded, Calli quickly waved a wand, channeling healing magic to mend his injuries. Byron felt strength returning to his limbs as the magical energy worked its mending power.

Byron and Gale pressed the advantage against the burning enemies, continuing their relentless attacks.

The vampires, now desperate to put out the flames that were consuming their clothes, momentarily halted their attacks. Trevor seized the opportunity, swinging his axe with lethal precision, cleaving one of the vampires in half. The two parts turned into a black cloud that blended with the sickening smoke of the fire and retreating into the hole in the wall, confirming that was where they’d been hiding

Taylan cast burning hands again, ensuring the cleansing fire would continue. Flames engulfed the remaining vampires, their shrieks of pain echoing through the alley.

Byron, weakened but undeterred, stumbled but managed to slash out with his claws. His strike ripped open the abdomen of the vampire he was facing, spilling its entrails onto the ground. Like the others, the vampire became a dark vapour that sped off into the opening of the wall.

Nightingale, using his extendable arms once more, thrust his acid-laced rapier into the final remaining vampire. The blow was devastating, the acid eating through the vampire's undead flesh from the inside out. With a frustrated wail it, too, melted into smoke and retreated.

The party stood victorious amidst the grim aftermath, surrounded by the corpses of their fallen foes and dozens of plague victims. The alleyway was eerily quiet once more, the only sound the crackling of flames and their own ragged breathing.

Trevor and Byron, feeling fatigued from the battle, needed a moment to regain their composure. As they waited for the barbarians recover, the rest of the party discussed something strange they noticed about the vampires. They had been Elven. Unusual elven vampires, from Ustalav to be exact, countries away to the East. Calli quipped, “They’re not local,” which understated their origins. They were wood elves, but unlike Calliandra’s lineage, these were a much older and more ancient line. It was strange discovery which only led to more unanswered questions.

Once Trevor and Byron were ready to go though they turned their attention to the hole in the side of the building. Byron led the way, his broad shoulders and imposing presence making it clear he would not hesitate to face whatever lay ahead. The others followed closely, weapons at the ready.

———————————————

As they stepped into the darkness, The mages of the group sent forward dancing lights to chase away the shadows. What they saw made their skin crawl. First dozens of eyes reflected back at them, and as they got closer they realized the crazed eyes that stared back at them from small forms hanging and strewn across the room belonging to malformed and half-carved dolls lining skewed workroom shelves. Severed doll limbs, warped blocks adorned with grotesque or haphazardly painted animals cluttered the room.The scene was one of macabre disarray, a twisted mockery of a child's playroom.

This was the workroom of a toy shop. A toy shop unfit for children and the atmosphere was thick with an eerie, unsettling energy.

The party slowly entered and to the North they could see a door, to the east a trap door in the floor, but in a corner they could see the corpse of an old bald man. His lifeless eyes seemed to reflect the madness of the room.

Taylan shuddered, his eyes scanning the room. "This place gives me the creeps. We should be on guard. There could be more of those vampires lurking around."

Byron and Gale agreed the party should clear the floor they were on before descending through the trap door, and Calli asked the men to move something heavy over it while they did to ensure no more surprises crawled out.
“Their coffins are likely down there, we’ll have to finish the job before they can recover.” She warned.

When the party searched the man's body, they could see puncture wounds on his neck. The Vampires had clearly feasted on him. They also discovered a ring of small keys. They then turned their attention towards the door.

Trevor moved towards the cracked wooden door, his axe at the ready. When he opened it, a host of unintentionally misshapen toys gazed vacantly from the grime-coated front window of the toy store showroom. Overhead, several weighty kites with purple and crimson tails hung suspended from the ceiling, while a dollhouse replicating the formidable towers of Castle Korvosa occupied a central table. Adorned with tiny bells, the shop’s entrance lay to the north, opposite a counter piled high with dusty sweets and a door labelled “Private.”

The party stepped into the room cautiously, their eyes scanning the strange assortment of toys. The atmosphere was thick with dust and neglect, the once-cheerful ambiance of the shop now eerie and unsettling.

As they searched the room, Calli’s keen eyes spotted something behind the counter. She knelt down and pulled out a small lockbox. "Look at this," she said, placing it on the counter.

Using one of the keys they had found upon the dead man, with a satisfying click, the box opened to reveal its contents: 2 gold pieces, 8 silver pieces, 22 copper pieces, a silver tooth, and a brass key shaped like the symbol of Abadar and bearing the number 261 – clearly for a safety deposit box at the Bank of Abadar.

"This key could be important," Nightingale remarked, examining the brass key closely. "We need to check it out once we’re done here."

Byron nodded "Agreed. But we still need to check that trap door.”

Before they could do so though, Byron’s keen senses picked up an eerie sound. It was a loud howling, almost otherworldly in its tone. He turned to Trevor, his eyes narrowing.

“Do you hear that?” Byron asked, his voice low and tense.

Trevor’s face paled as he nodded. “I hear it too”

Calli, Nightingale, and Taylan exchanged uneasy glances, all hearing the sound as well, but unlike the barbarians they heard it only distantly. It was emanating from Trevor. Nightingale’s arcane knowledge immediately jumped to possibilities.

“Trevor might be haunted,” Nightingale suggested, his voice grim.

“It sounds like a Hound of Tindalos.” said Byron recalling the moment that he and Trevor stopped the beast coming through a portal.

Nightingale shook his head. “No, a Hound of Tindalos would be trying to break through to our reality, not just howling. This is something else.”

For a brief second, Trevor’s demeanour changed. His eyes darkened, and his posture shifted as another personality, ‘Shiv,’ emerged. His voice was a harsh, panicked cry. “Get me the fuck out of here!” And just as quickly as he appeared, Shiv vanished, leaving Trevor looking bewildered and more than a little frightened.

Byron placed a reassuring hand on Trevor’s shoulder. “We’ll figure this out, but for now, let’s focus. We might need to use Otto’s amulet sooner than we thought.”

Trevor nodded, trying to steady his breathing. “Agreed. Let’s finish here and then deal with whatever is happening to me.

With the lockbox secured, the party moved back towards the trap door. Trevor opened the door and a waft of stale air greeted them, carrying the scent of decay and mustiness. The darkness below seemed impenetrable, but their resolve remained firm.

"Light the way," Byron said, looking at Taylan, who conjured a small flame in his hand, illuminating the descent.

The party carefully climbed down into the darkness, their eyes adjusting to the dim light. They found themselves in a cramped, musty basement . The air was thick, making it unpleasant to breathe.

In the corner of the basement lay five coffins surrounded by piles of imported soil, presumably the resting beds of the five vampires they were hunting. The sight sent a chill down their spines, but they knew they had to be sure the job was done.

The five Flowers each took a coffin, and with some sort of blade in hand, they coordinated to open and stab in at the same time. This was easier for some of the party than others, as an axe beheads better than a dagger, but once the easier heads were taken aid was given to those struggling. Calli knew they were monsters, but their resemblance to real people gave the grim task an extra layer of horror for her. She was quick to prestidigitate the Flowers clean when they were sure all five had been seen to.

Searching the coffins, they found a set of bone pipes. Taylan picked them up, examining the intricate carvings along their length. As he examined it he realised what they were. “These are enchanted,” he said. “If you play them, anyone within 30 feet who hears this could become frightened.” 

Calli, meanwhile, had discovered a ring in another coffin. “This ring is magical too,” she said, “It enhances agility and allows the wearer to leap higher and longer.”

It was decided that Calli should have the pipes due to her natural performance skills and Byron the ring.

Nightingale casting a wary glance around the dimly lit basement said “We need to figure out what these vampires were doing here. Why come to Korvosa?”

The party tried to piece it together. Were they passengers on the Direption, the wrecked ship that brought the plague? Was there a connection between the vampires and the plague? Despite their speculation, they couldn't find definitive answers.

With the basement thoroughly searched, the party left the eerie toy shop and made their way to the Bank of Abadar.

———————————————

Upon arrival, they reported their findings, including the discarded corpses in the alleyway behind the toy shop. The priests of Abadar listened intently, their faces growing graver with each detail.

As they shared their discoveries, they also presented the brass key bearing the symbol of Abadar and the number 261. With a nod, one of the priests led them to the vault area. The safety deposit box labelled 261 was soon opened, revealing a small trove of gold coins and a pair of finely crafted boots.

“These are enchanted,” Taylan said, examining the boots closely. “They will allow the wearer to run faster and leap further.” He handed them to Trevor, who gratefully accepted them, feeling the magic pulse through the leather as he slipped them on.

Before they left, the priests of Abadar also took care of Byron, using their healing magic to restore the life force that had been drained by the vampires. Byron felt the strength return to his limbs, his body no longer weakened by the vampire's touch.

With their health restored and new magical items at their disposal, the party felt a renewed sense of purpose. Yet, the mystery of the vampires and their connection to the plague lingered in their minds. They knew they had to keep investigating, to uncover the truth behind the dire events plaguing Korvosa.

———————————————

As they stepped out of the Bank of Abadar into the night, the streets were quieter than usual, the air heavy with the weight of uncertainty and fear. The party exchanged determined glances, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

"We should check out the new statue," Trevor suggested, his usual stoic demeanour tinged with an unusual suspicion. "You never know. It might be some kind of fulcrum enabling the cursed coins to retain their power."

The party nodded. They all had their doubts about the Queen and they agreed to investigate this potential lead. They made their way through the winding streets of Korvosa, the city growing darker as twilight descended. 

When they arrived they could see the statue was still in its infancy of being built with scaffolding surrounding it. Nevertheless, Nightingale stepped forward, his hands moving in intricate patterns as he cast Detect Magic upon the structure. The party held their breath, waiting for any sign of magical energy. But the statue remained inert, radiating nothing.

"Another dead end," Nightingale said, his voice heavy with frustration.

"We can't give up," Calli said, determination in her eyes. "We'll find the source of this plague. We have to."

The party decided to call it a day, their minds and bodies weary from the constant strain of their investigation. As they walked home, each member of the party reflected on the day's events. They had uncovered more questions than answers, but they were determined to continue their search. The fate of Korvosa depended on it.