Adventure Log XXI.I

SKINNING A CAT

In the corner of the torture chamber, after a short and intense conversation, Calli returned more of the Blackjack gear to Orisini. His inscribed daggers and face masks, as well as throwing in a spare cloak of resistance the party had to hold him over while they used the rest of his things. “Think about it,” Vencarlo gave her a meaningful nod, and the two returned to the group.

Leaving behind the room of horrors, The Flowers of Korvosa, Melyia Arkona, Neolandus Kalepopolis, and Vencarlo Orisini exited the labyrinth and descended to the hidden cove. An immense cavern with a single ocean exit to the north, timbers propping up artificial expansion over the years, and lapping blue water met a thin sandy beach where the small punt remained tethered to the single pier, bobbing gently in the water. The briny air was refreshing after the stink of smoke and death. After listening at the large temple doors and ensuring there were no lurking enemies, Melyia kept watch while the rest said their goodbyes. They made plans to meet back up at the Blackbird Ranch in Harse. It was on the way to the Shoanti, and hopefully once he’d had some proper rest Neolandus would remember more useful intel.

They watched the pair board, Travis untied the small vessel and held the rope for them. The leaner Vencarlo with his mangled hands wrapped an arm around the mast to brace himself as the broader shouldered Neolandus took up oars, and they pulled out. They didn’t get too far.

Two giant reefclaws burst up on either side, sending water flying and the boat rocking dangerously in their wake. The aberrations had long, thin bodies with a spiked ridge, two massive fore-claws with serrated pincers, and their mouths full of sharp teeth were surrounded by additional hooked appendages that ended in wicked claws. Calli cried out to Melyia for not warning them, but the Arkona denied any knowledge of the creatures. Her surprise read to the others as true, but not the whole truth.

Everyone lept into action. Nightingale fired off a lightning bolt into the nearest monster, which jerked but continued advancing on the small craft. Neolandus ran to the side of the boat furthest from danger, grabbing Vencarlo on the way to move him from harm, but in splitting his focus he lost his footing and splashed into the water. Taylan dropped a fireball between the two reefclaws, who recoiled in pain from the fiery blast. Travis, still holding the rope, tossed the other end to Neolandus to pull him from the water. Focker called for instruction, but Byron told the damaged drake to stay back out of harm. Calli felt his claws anxiously grip at her shoulders while she strummed her harp and began vocalizing an ominous dirge of doom to hinder the beasts. Byron ran and pounced on to the nearest monster, who snipped him with one of its many clawed mouth appendages, but couldn’t prevent the full round of spiked attacks he hammered in. Orisini made his jump back to the pier, and turned to shout encouragement at his swimming comrade.

The monster closest scrambled to remove the human pummeling it, but couldn’t pin him down with its giant claws. The further reefclaw dove under the water, and they watched the surface ripple as it sped towards the submerged seneschal. Neolandus screamed in agony as it clamped on, and a spreading pool of red rose around him. Nightingale moved in on the nearer creature, hoping Byron would be enough distraction, but it noticed and battered him with one of it’s enormous claws. It threw his aim, and his blade cut only air. Neolandus struggled fruitlessly to free himself, and Taylan shot magic missiles from his eyes into the claw holding him, trying to get it to release. Travis warned Kalepopolis to hold tight, and wrapped his end of the rope around his arm. He leaned his full weight into one solid tug, muscles bulging, and it was enough to pull the seneschal free onto the pier. Calli kept up the dirge, carefully keeping the harp out of reach of Focker’s spiked tail he nervously flicked about as he watched his master fight. Byron was in total control, he needn’t have worried. The fighter’s spiked gauntlets continued to take chunks out of the creature, and it quickly looked more like bait than predator. It looked to all assembled like it should be dead, but the dying frenzy of a reefclaw allowed it to continue to fight even past the breaking point. Vencarlo helped the badly wounded Neolandus to his feet and together they hobbled back to the sand.

The thrashing reefclaw damaged Byron only once more with one of its creepy mouth appendages, and then the creature finally went limp. Byron gave the beast middle fingers with his own bear claws as he rode the falling corpse harmlessly back into the shallows. The last monster breached directly at Travis, but the half-orc was expecting it, and he gave it an axe-infused uppercut that caused it to miss its own attacks. Nightingale ran down the pier to join in. The reefclaw tried to drop a claw on his head as he approached, but it was still reeling from Travis, and managed to not only miss, but rammed aberration-face first into one of the pier posts. As it floated, stunned, he punctured its hide and filled it full of electricity. Taylan sent more of his eye beams at it from the safety of the beach. Travis reared back and buried his axe into the creature’s skull, and it began the frantic death throws they’d seen the other one perform. Seeing it was already dead, Calli swapped her song to an inspire courage for Byron, who charged down the pier- claws out- and went into a slide that allowed him to split the monster open, and finish sitting on the edge, stopping short of falling back in to the water. The reefclaw disappeared into the decidedly more disgusting water.

Once things were still, Travis rounded on Melyia, calling her out for once more not taking part in a battle. Melyia tried flattery, expressing how impressing they were to watch. Calli pointed out she had a spear, and the Arkona made the lame excuse that she hadn’t thought to use it. Calli chided she should be a better liar than that, she could at least put some effort into those if she’s not going to bother assisting. “After all, who else would take out Glorio for you?”

“Oh, someone or another. I have my fingers in many pies,” Melyia shrugged and examined her nail beds.

Byron, Nightingale, and Travis heard this from the pier, and Travis quietly expressed that had been the last straw for him. Byron reminded them he needed her to provide a guide to locate Gina, and Nightingale agreed. He reassured Travis he would help him end her life, but not just yet, as she was still too useful for them. Her existence in Old Korvosa would keep things in line while they were away talking to the Shoanti, but when they all returned, he promised they could deal with her- for good. “I have someone to introduce you to who’ll be really useful,” Gale added.

While the three muttered together, Calli kept Melyia engaged in conversation. She expressed concern over how the snake-like rakshasas will react once they’d removed Glorio, but Melyia was certain she’d be able to control them once he was gone.

Neolandus, still being propped up by Vencarlo, spoke up. “Is there anything else in the water we should know about?”

“Not that I know of.”

The men on the pier separated, some of them joining Taylan in retrieving the boat and putting out the small fires his fireball had caused. Thankfully it was still seaworthy enough to get their rescued friends to shore.

Byron pointed at Melyia, “Look, next time something happens, I expect you to be doing something.” His voice held the threat unspoken.

She held her hands up, “Okay, okay, that’s fine. I believe you. I will do so.”

Finally Kalepopolis and Orisini once again board the boat, and the party returns to healing themselves as they watch as the men row out of sight.

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They send Melyia at the head of the procession back up through the suspension bridges and out through the animated elephant entrance. As she exited, she gave a greeting to multiple people, and The Flowers halted to prepare. Byron and Travis took potions to boost their attacks and make it harder to be damaged, Nightingale cast shield- summoning the floating tower shield with the painted rose, and Calli used her Eagle Harp to summon the lyrakien Rune. The tiny nude celestial appeared in a shimmer of glittering sparkles on gossamer butterfly wings.

Calli whispered they were about to be in a fight, and asked if Rune would be able to assist. The lyrakien clapped delightedly, “Oh how fun! Adventuring!”

One by one they emerged into the lush jungle garden to find they were completely surrounded. They spread out within the group as much as they were able. Glorio and eight others wearing Arkona livery were spaced out in a complete circle. Melyia had walked up to her brother, and he addressed her matter-of-factly, “You saw what I saw.”

“Yes, I think so,” she sounded faintly disappointed, “your sending was quite clear.”

“Well, what are we going to do about that?”

“Well we can’t have an accord!” she scoffed.

“Of course not. So what are you going to do?” he asked again.

She turned to face The Flowers, “Best of luck!” and vanished.

Six of Glorio’s henchmen changed shape. Their two human-looking arms uncurl and each becomes four writhing snakes that all spit venom into The Flowers. Everyone is hit but Focker and Rune, and along with the damage they all take some of the attacks had additional properties. Gale and Taylan are staggered, Byron is stunned, and Calli gets the worst of them- knocked prone, nauseated, stunned, and briefly on fire. Seeing it all instantly go so wrong, Focker positioned himself directly in the center of the group. With the aid of some gestures he opened his jaws and cast an obscuring mist. Thick fog poured from his mouth and concealed the vulnerable Flowers unable to act. Nightingale pulled out a vial and downed it. He seemingly faded into the mist as he took the form of a huge cloud and spread himself over the area. He was able to pinpoint where everyone- friend and foe- was within. Only Glorio remained outside the fog.

Rune fluttered near Calli, “Quick question. How good are your friends?" Are they of good intent?”

Confused, Calli nods, “I like to think so.”

“Would you say they’re chaotic in their dealings of the world?”

“A couple of them…? I’ve been called that before.”

“Ah, well I’d better not try that, then… here,” and Rune placed a tiny hand on Calli’s forehead. She briefly saw a rainbow light, and then some of her pain eased.

Taylan aimed a fireball into the mist where he’d last seen some of the snake rakshasas, but the flames only danced around them. They seemingly had a magical resistance. Nightingale, who sensed this occur in spite of the fog, relayed it to the others.

Travis stalked up to the edge of the mist and smashed one of his stink bombs at Glorio’s feet. The stench worked, and Glorio began heaving. He raised a hand to his mouth as he vomited and the fingers bent unnaturally backwards, the way a rakshasas would. Two of the remaining thugs drop their human guises and reveal themselves as the cat type rakshasas. The first sent a lightning bolt towards where Travis was stood in the fog, just catching him. The other began creeping through the mist until he found Taylan and promptly slashed the smaller man across his delicate half-elf features with a long sword.

The snake creatures all made a gesture and go invisible, but Nightingale could still sense them within his fog-body, and he warned the rest. Calli got back to her feet, the snake nearest snapped out at the movement but the venom fangs missed her entirely. She joined Travis near Glorio, leaning forward until she could see him, and then attempted to cast hideous laughter.

“Did you hear about the couple fornicating in the apple orchard? He came inside her.” But like Taylan’s fireball, the magic failed to take hold.

The mist suddenly resembled an electrical storm, as Nightingale unleashed his shocking grasp upon all eight thugs within his cloud. They heard multiple bodies hit the ground at once, as six of them were fried alive.

Byron went into a rage and followed the scent to Glorio, pouncing with a devastating claw directly to his temple. He immediately dropped dead, but once on the ground his form shifted to that of some other tiger rakshasa, no longer wearing Glorio’s magnificent garments, but the household livery like the other thugs.

The tiny lyrakien zipped over to the snake rakshasa remaining, the one who’d cut Taylan, and with a squeaky, “Leave my friends alone,” a burst of holy starlight exploded from her form. The tiny glittering motes went through the snake-man like a shotgun blast, and he, too, collapsed lifeless.

No longer menaced, Taylan was free to turn on the sole remaining enemy- the true Glorio Arkona. He exited the fog and attempted to blind him, but when the magic failed to work he noticed a glowing barrier surrounding the tiger-man, and realized it must be a minor globe of invulnerability. No weaker spells would ever get near him as long as that was active. It would need to be dispelled.

Travis didn’t need magic, he stepped in and swung his axe, blows that would have crippled another person, but Glorio palmed the attacks easily.

“My turn,” Tiger-Glorio growled, his true form revealing itself, Bahol the lead rakshasa. He drew his kukri and began swiping at Travis, drawing blood twice, before the half-orc turned and Bahol overextended himself and tripped to the ground.

Nightingale moved his fog to brush against everyone again, and cast greater invisibility on The Flowers.

Calli struck up an inspiring tune, and Rune returned to her side.

Byron scented his way back to flanking with Travis, and stomped on the fallen rakshasa.

Their sorcerer took a steadying breath, focused on Bahol’s orb of invulnerability, and set his arcane magic against it. The dispel worked, the sphere shattered.

With powerful overhand swings, Travis began chopping into the Arkona like firewood. In spite of all the direct hits, they never seem to do as much damage as they’d expect.

Feeling the tide had turned against him, Bahol went invisible, and attempted to slink away. Byron and Travis missed their attacks of opportunity, but Focker was still watching with his true sight, and flew directly above the rakshasa to indicate where he was.

Not that the foggy magus needed it. Nightingale could feel his target within, and surrounded him in a tornado of lightning. It was too much for the tiger, and Gale could sense him grip his chest before he, too, died.

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Focker’s mist dispersed, and Nightingale did a sweep of the mansion in cloud form to ensure there were no remaining antagonists. While searching the many bodies from the fight, they find Bahol had an eye implanted in one of his hands that matched the eye design on the ring of evasion he’d gifted the party. The one Travis wore. The pieces fell into place. He’d been scrying on them through the ring the whole time, and had relayed their conversation discussing her impending murder to Melyia. He also had scrolls of sending, and multiple wands.

Finally, they found a ring of keys they were able to use to thoroughly explore the mansion. They found more crystals with the eye symbol in every room, and a wealth of various riches. Six more Salvatore Scream paintings, gold hookahs, narcotics, exotic cigars, wands, weapons, and expensive gems. They eventually find a room Nightingale wasn’t able to get into as a cloud due to a forbiddence spell on the door. Taylan cracked his fingers, focused, and once again his dispell shattered the warding.

Within was the true concentration of the Arkona’s wealth, arranged with reverence around an illusion of a 40ft tall golden tree. Oaths of loyalty, debts, and servitude, including the full roster of the Cerulean Society with a promise to leave Old Korvosa to them to do with as they please once the Arkonas had taken over the main city. In addition there was proof that it had been Glorio who had wanted the alchemist Nightingale rescued, and the Red Knives reported to him personally. Gale was surprised to see names listed for the gang that he’d not yet ‘accounted’ for, and he mentally tucked the information away to return to after hours.

The full impact of what they’d found dawned on everyone, and The Flowers took it all.