ADVENTURE LOG XXX.I

FRIEND OR FOE - PART 1

The sunlight spilled over the Cinderlands that stretched before them on the tiered mesa. In preparing to say goodbye, they recalled all that had transpired. The day before, while repairing the camp, various people within the tribe that they’d spoken with had taken the time to start pointing out the marvels of their home. Now that they were accepted as family, the previously stand-offish people were eager to educated them. Things the party had previously overlooked or dismissed became crucial elements of future survival on their journey. What they had thought of as a simple plant scrub indicated thick delicious roots underneath full of nourishment. They were shown how particular birds of the Cinderlands are never far from a water source, so spotting one on the horizon would lead you to a refill point. The desert seemed more beautiful to them, and they wondered what else they’d learn of it.

Byron remembered how good it had been to be shown the Sklar-Quah’s prize horses. Krojan had allowed Byron to groom them, and showed him how to reapply a coating of leaves caked in a special clay that protected the horses so well from the elements that they could even be ridden through fire. Byron wasn’t sure what they were going to face when they returned to Korvosa, but he was certain it wouldn’t be safe for his baby hippogriff Shank. He asked Krojan if he’d mind looking after it for him until they returned, and Krojan said he’d be honored. Byron taught Krojan, then, how to carefully tend to the feathers and scales, and how to feed it without getting caught in the fierce beak.

As The Flowers began gathering their things and saying their goodbyes, one of the lingering sparks from Zellara’s manifestation drifted off the scroll she left and sunk into Calli’s hand. She suddenly recalled an extra feature of the Harrow Deck, as if it was a memory of her own and not the dead fortune teller. She gathered the party, had them each draw a card, and as they regarded the images they’d selected they felt a bubbling of potential that might aid them on the fights to come.

The Sun Shaman assured them that by the time they got back they’d have found someone among the Shoanti who had seen the barbarian graveyard far to the north for Calli to witness the memory and share with Taylan. This would cut weeks out of their travel time, and considering how much left they had to do, it was critical. Every day wasted meant another day Korvosa suffered.

“Miss?” Rune, Calli’s tiny Lyrakien companion, tugged on one of the bard’s ruffled sleeves. “I think I have a message for you from Desna.”

Rune’s face suddenly went slack and her jaw dropped open. A brilliant blue light poured from her eyes and mouth, and they all heard the voice of the goddess emerge. “YOU HAVE BEEN JUDGED WORTHY.” When the light faded, Rune’s frilly dress now also incorporated glittering armored pieces.

She fluttered her wings and gave her body a wiggle, shaking loose a small cloud of sparkles, “Oooh… I think I’m a cleric!”

Focker settled on Byron’s shoulder with a bit of a pout, feeling a bit jealous that Desna hadn’t spoken through him, when he was her cleric first.

————————————————————

In the shower of snowflakes they’d become accustomed to within Taylan’s teleport, they arrived outside the Korvisan Temple of Pharasma in the Dead Warrens. The black marble cathedral loomed impassively over them. Even though it was morning here, as well, the difference between the wide open space full of smiling Shoanti they had just left and where they arrived was like night and day. The smell of humanity was the first thing that hit them. Scents they previously hadn’t given a second thought, smoke from distant cooking, filth in ditches, the mold and decay of the graves that surrounded them, now stood out in stark contrast to the fresh air they’d left behind. As they retraced their steps away from the recently made mass graves for plague victims towards the south end of Potter’s Ward, past mausoleums, tombs, obelisks, they couldn’t help but recall the first time they made this trip together and how far they’d come in just the few short months since.

When they arrived at the crumbling mausoleum that marked the hidden entrance to Rolth’s old hideout, a familiar man stepped out from behind a pillar and held open his arms. Travis briefly embraced the old priest, as Otto was visibly thrilled to see them. Otto leaned over the trapdoor and whispered, “Black Jack.”

An arcane rune illuminated briefly, turning from red to blue, and only then did the priest grab the handle and open the hatch for The Flowers to descend.

The inside resembled nothing of the gruesome charnel house they had left behind. The remains had been cleared away, and furniture for many people now filled the room. A large central table surrounded by many chairs dominated the center of the first room, rickety new shelving with supplies both medical and edible, and a few incense burners trying desperately to overpower the old stench of death with vanilla and sandalwood. Half a dozen people who had been looking over a large map of Korvosa on the table looked up at their entrance. They recognized Cressida Kroft, the Cleric Ishani, and a few of Madame Devlin’s girls- including Taylan’s wife Alice. Relief was visibly etched across their faces, and Alice rushed forward to throw her arms around her hero’s neck.

Rune, a creature of magic herself, took in the space and made an appreciative noise. “Lots of spells, miss. No one’s going to be able to spy on you here!”

While their friends greeted them, two faces they hadn’t met hung back. A florid heavy-set man with short brown hair and beady dark eyes that some recognized as Guild-master Boule, the leader of the Cerulean Society under the Arkonas. Kroft, seeing the penny drop, stood in front of him. “We need him,” she explained. The other was Bishop DeBaire, the leader of the Pharasman Church.

Byron asked the girls how things had been going at Carowyn Manor, and they filled him in on how the Maidens harass them often, hoping to catch a hiding Flower or even the escaped prisoner Gina, but the household had become very skilled at avoiding detection. They warned him about a new gang named The Tusks had been causing problems for everyone equally while they waited for word from some mysterious boss. They were acting a bit like a rival resistance, doing good, but sometimes at odds with the plans Kroft came up with. They needed someone to go talk to them to bring them on board so they could coordinate efforts. Byron raised his eyebrows at Travis, who was grinning from tusk to tusk.

Taylan, holding Alice carefully around her middle, asked her how the baby was.

“The what?” Alice looked at him with furrowed brows, and the nearby Flowers looked away to hide their laughter.

The young half-elf smiled at his bride, “I was told by a goddess there’s a baby on the way!”

“Oh that’s why I’m late!” Alice nodded, and then it really sunk in. “Wait, what?”

Meanwhile Kroft had been updating the other three on the streets. He heard how the vigilante known as The Fallen had been causing trouble for the queen by releasing magical adepts from prison. Anti-Flower rumours had been spread by the queen’s people to try and counter the support from the populace, claiming to have seen them stealing food from a food cart set up by the nobles to feed the needy. While that obviously wasn’t true, another vigilante had appeared, Trifacia, who entirely focused on doing good deeds exactly like stealing food to feed the hungry- but not from food carts, from those with excess.

Finally, with the pleasantries concluded and all The Flowers paying attention, Cressida narrowed her eyes at Boule. “Alright, Boule. Tell them why I’m tolerating your presence.”

The man smirked, and gave an exaggerated bow. “Let me get right to the point. We may operate on different sides of the law, but we can agree Ileosa is not good for Korvosa. I want her gone as much as you. And while I feel that neither I nor my associates are right for the task, you, brave adventurers, have proven time and time again you’re exactly what Korvosa needs. Without the Grey Maidens to police the streets or the Red Mantis to stalk the alleys, her grip on the city will slip. Yet in their fortress in the Longacre building they’re bolstered against attack, and there are other within who may yet be innocent and forced to comply against their will. But as it happens, I know of a back door into the building. I know the secret of the Death Head Vault.”

They knew of this place. All the worst criminals, the most violent, are sent there to be imprisoned and some even executed. Boule continued, somewhat sheepishly, “Many years ago the Cerulean Society had an arrangement with the Derros that lived in the caverns below the city. As long as we provided them with stock for their experiments- vagrants and leftovers, no one who would be missed, I assure you- the Derros allowed us to use the upper tunnels to occasionally smuggle prisoners out of the Death Head Vault. The Derros were masters of stealth and hidden architecture and maintained this for decades. We were able to replace the original prisoners with insane patsys who would live out the original sentence without the arbiter’s realizing. I make no excuses for this practice, it was a different time. But for some months we haven’t had any contact with the Derro, since the Grey Maidens took it over. I’ve investigated, and it seems they’ve wiped out the Derro and are using their caverns in some manner. There remains a secret door into their warrens from the underground sewers, and I can provide you with keys that with unlock several- but not all- the doors within.”

Cressida remarked that strange times made for strange bedfellows, but she trusted his word on this matter. “If you could mount a successful raid, maybe even rescue key prisoners, it would throw them into disarray. It would build support for the rebels among the citizens. I’ve secured reliable intelligence that the excommand of the Sable Company, Marcus Endrin, is held within.”

Calli was unable to suppress a gasp. If she could rescue her friend’s father, she would. “So the word that he’d been killed was a rumor?”

The older woman shrugged. “I was there when he made his ill-fated attack, and it looked to me like Ileosa delivered him a fatal wound. But somehow it wasn’t mortal, he survived, and he’s being held in the vault. He was physically seen being transferred within. In addition to anyone you can rescue, the Death Head Vault being the home base of both the Grey Maidens and the Red Mantis Assassins means there may be important documents within. Why Arbiter Zenobia threw in with the queen is still a mystery, if she’s being magically compelled then rescuing her would also be a coup. Finally, capturing any leaders among the Maidens or Mantis would deal the opposition a great blow. I’m hesitant to use my own resources, we’re still very much underground and stretched thin trying to fight back as quietly as we can.”

Byron spoke up, “Now hang on, the mission sounds entirely too big. The more things we try to do, the more chance we get bogged down and it goes wrong. What’s our primary focus here?”

Cressida thought for a moment. “Rescuing Endrin would be your main target. Along the way if you find any documents or can save any others, especially Zenobia, great. And if you capture or defeat any of the leadership down there, it would help.”

“Fine, then Endrin will be our priority. Anything else that doesn’t slow us down on the way to him, we’ll do, but once we have him we’ll get out.” Byron looked around to make sure The Flowers were on board, and found no arguments.

Nightingale asked, “Were you able to get in touch with my alchemist friend?”

“Oh, yes! He’s left a package for you.” Cressida asked one of Devlin’s girls to retrieve it for her, and the lithe figure disappeared out through the far door.

Boule put a finger up, “I do have one more gift for you all. I’ve prepared a set of faked coded documents and I can arrange for them to ‘fall into’ the hands of the Grey Maidens. I happen to know Kordaitria, their second-in-command, fancies herself a code breaker and will be unable to resist locking herself away for several days to focus on them. When you’re ready to begin, I’ll set these loose, and you won’t have to deal with her or her top people on your mission.”

Cressida spoke up again, “One last thing, have any of you heard of The Tusks? We need really need someone to go bring them in to work with us, instead of the chaos they’re currently causing.”

All of the Flowers looked at Travis, who rolled his eyes, “Very subtle guys, thanks. Yes, I’ll go talk to them.”

While Travis got information on where to find them from Kroft, Calli pulled Boule aside and spoke in hushed tones. “The Akronas that are no longer involved…” he looked at her suspiciously and nodded. “We’ve acquired their information.”

He went very pale. “Ah. Well. If you return my documents to me I’ll make sure there’s a retrieval bounty of say… 600 platinum a piece?”

Calli smiled. “You misunderstand. What’s happening here is that you simply have new bosses. So I’m very happy to see you’re willing to do the right thing and aid the resistance in these matters, because it will look very kindly upon your station.”

“Oh, I see.” He tugged at the collar of his doublet with a finger, “What can I say but ‘Woof, woof? I am your trained dog?’”

Her eyes twinkled mischievously. “I do so love that. It will be Travis doing most of the interactions with you in the future, so carry on for now as we are obviously busy elsewhere, but I just wanted you to know to be good to us, and by extension these people. Because we’ll be back.”

Byron suggested bringing Eerie Yelloweyes and her wererat contingency into the resistance, and Cressida said she’d welcome any help they could gather. She gave the location of a safe house she would meet with Eerie in to talk it over before giving away their base. Gale used a sending spell to reach out to Eerie, giving her the address and asking her to hear them out. Byron agreed to be with Kroft for the meeting, to keep the nervous wererat appeased.

Nightingale received his newest assorted potions from the alchemist, and mentally contacted Katrina Brown, asking if she had any information about The Fallen. The Flame replied she’d tell him over dinner that evening, and gave a time and place for him to be. He huffed in frustration, not sure if they’d be done with the prison in time.

That brought them to discussing whether they should go directly into the mission right away. Boule handed over a map of the path they’d need to take, and he and Cressida said they’d need a day to ensure the documents fell into the right hands, so they had that day to do what they liked. The group went over the precautions they’d need to take, as they were obviously highly wanted, and the anti-magic efforts through the town were dangerous for all of them. In the end they felt it was worth the risk, and they all set out to attend to their separate goals- some for the resistance, and some personal.

Alice and Taylan locked themselves away in a room with a bed for a much needed catch-up. The newlyweds had not had much time to themselves since meeting, as saving the town kept getting in the way, and now they had a new baby to make plans for.

Devlin’s girls found Madam Devlin, Gina, Greta, and other friends of his and brought them to visit with him until it was time for him to accompany Kroft to meet with Eerie. It went well, and Eerie and Cressida discussed ways to work together.

Gale escorted Calli, in mundane disguises, to visit Nif and get updates on how her friends among the nobility were handling the unrest. Calli worried that as a magic user Nif would have been targeted. Nif explained the nobles weren’t getting hassled as much as the rest of the city, as they were assumed to be supporting the queen, and that wealthy families with magic users only had to pay a nominal tax and get their papers checked every few days. Knowing who actually was in support and who was merely keeping their head down until it passed was nearly impossible. Nif warned her not to try to visit Oriel or Daesha for that reason. It was too hard to know whom in the household would be happy to report something amiss- and Calli turning up when her whole family was supposedly away would be strange. This was disappointing overall, but she was appeased that her friends were safe.

They returned to the hideout in time for Nightingale to make his dinner. When he got back, he let the others know that The Flame said she could contact The Fallen on their behalf. He learned The Fallen appeared as a result of seeing good guards fighting for the people against the clowns at the battle of Wyndam Street. In honour of those who gave their lives, they don’t deal in death- only in justice. The Flame, also, was willing to join the resistance.

Travis had gone to find and give The Tusks guidance, and hadn’t yet returned, so Calli encouraged Gale to open up to Byron about his own vigilante activity. The two of them found him, and took him into an empty room away from the others to talk.

“Byron, old chap. We should have a chat.”

The pit fighter was immediately on guard, suspecting this would be a talk about what he got up to with Calli.

Nightingale continued, “There have been times in the past I may not have been entirely honest with the party. I want to lay my cards on the table. On occasion, I’ve taken things into my own hands with injustices.”

“Okay, makes sense.” Byron wasn’t sure where he was going with this at all.

“There are times I have helped the people of Korvosa.”

“Good to know.” Byron wasn’t sure why helping people was such a secret. He narrowed his eyes as he started to imagine some scenarios, and he prompted, “In what way?”

Gale didn’t know where to start, so he ripped off the plaster. “You remember Spider? The drug dealer from the boat? I may have been involved in killing him.”

“He was a high-level criminal. I’m sure he could’ve been brought to justice, there were many people he did wrong-”

With an awkward chuckle, Gale interrupted, “That wasn’t an option at the time.”

“That I can possibly understand.”

“There may have been a couple of instances where people weren’t able to be brought to justice. People who bribed guards to ignore what they were up to-”

Byron interrupted this time, “Who decides that?”

“Well, they did. By paying the law to look the other way. Even when you brought them in, the guards just let them out again.”

“So you decided that.”

“No, they broke the system, and continued to hurt people.”

“And those people deserve retribution.”

“Yes, and they weren’t getting it.” Nightingale was frustrated, he hadn’t expected this. Neither had Calli, who had been quietly sitting in, and was growing distressed that she’d encouraged Gale into this conversation in the first place.

“You denied them that.”

“I wouldn’t say that, I’d say the system had been corrupted and the only justice they could get is what I gave them.”

“I understand what you’re saying-”

“They were never going to be stopped. The guards had looked the other way while some of them killed people and harvested their organs from street urchins!”

“There’s always going to be a hard edge. There are lots of people who have a say in justice, it can’t just be us. You need to fight for them to get that justice.”

“Then how?”

“I don’t know. But if we don’t we’re no better than them.”

“What’s the difference between that and all the others we’ve killed as a party?”

Byron shook his head, “They willingly engaged with us.”

“So did these people!”

“So you say. But you’re going out at night and seeking them out-” Byron didn’t want to admit there was a similarity, and wasn’t sure what words to use to explain it. “There’s a huge difference.”

“We have gone after people before! We hunted down Lamm in his home-”

Byron cut in, “Lamm was a known criminal.”

“So were these people.” Nightingale felt like he was stuck in a stress loop. “What’s the difference?”

“I’m not getting into it. There’s an element of group justice you’re denying to other people.” Byron wanted the conversation to be over.

The cognitive dissonance on display was making Calli’s stomach hurt. While she agreed that she’d rather Nightingale not sneak off and murder people alone, she- like Gale- didn’t see the difference between him going in to stop murderers by himself and how the party have done it as a group multiple times now. Why was it okay in Byron’s mind when he killed their enemies, but not Nightingale?

“I might say-” Nightingale tried to continue his defense, but didn’t get far.

“What you might say is what you might say, but that’s what you’ve been doing.”

Nightingale took a deep breath, and saw the distress on his young charge’s face. For her sake, he changed tactics. “I fear in trying to be honest with you I’ve caused more friction than I was meaning. I felt if things came to light without it coming from me, it’d be worse.”

“That may be the case. But still. I fight people in an arena who agreed to be there. Or I fight people on equal footing as us who can choose to change sides. I don’t know what your situation is, you’re going out in the night and just killing people, when you have the skills to being them to justice.”

“Then surely we had the skill to do that with the others we’ve fought.”

“Not some of those people, and you know that.”

“But how do we know that-”

Byron had also noticed Calli’s growing unhappiness and continued. “Well, fair enough, next time maybe we modify what we do. If you’re using that as a level. Because I disagree with how you’re going about it.”

The two men stared hard at each other, and Calli finally had to join in. “Look, I’ve told him off for it, too. But he has a point- killing Lamm is exactly the type of thing he’s done.”

“I’m not there when he’s doing it obviously, but from what I’m gathering he’s going out and killing low-level thieves and criminals.” Nightingale stayed quiet as Byron gestured to him.

Never once had that been indicated, and she took his accusation at her mentor personally. He was upset over situations he’d literally made up in his mind. “Organ harvesters are hardly low-level thieves. He found people that are killing others, and made it stop. Like we do.”

“He should’ve brought them to justice. He took them out on his own, he could’ve done that. All of us together could barely bring Lamm down. I don’t necessarily knock what he’s done, but there’s a group not getting their justice.”

Her eyebrows raised. “We just killed an Orc warlord without giving him a chance to defend himself at all!”

“Well if you think that’s what we should do, that’s what we should do. But at this point, just being a vigilante, with the skills he has,” Byron glanced down at his rapier, “and we know what skills he has, sneaking up on someone at night is going to be overpowered. As a group we go up against forces that can hold their own. When it’s that uneven, you can bring them to justice. You know Kroft isn’t corrupt, you have that as an option.”

“He does now.” Calli gave Nightingale a pointed look. “He didn’t at the time.”

“Well, then, if that’s what we’re doing. If we’re going to apprehend people and bring them back to Cressida, I’m fine with that.”

“What about the Grey Maidens?” Taylan asked. Everyone startled a bit, not knowing how long he’d been there. His cloak that made it seem like he was always there, and always meant to be there, had allowed him to slip in unnoticed. “They die quite easily.”

“And the Red Mantis Assassins, we kill them constantly,” Calli added.

Byron smiled, “They’re assassins. They’re trying to kill me.”

Nightingale had collected himself. “Actually, I would like to be on Byron’s side for that one. We don’t actually know if we’ve killed the Mantis’. Their bodies vanish.”

Taylan asked the taller man, “So if he challenged them to a duel first, would that be alright?”

Byron considered it. “If they had the chance to flee…”

“They’ve always had the chance to run,” Nightingale confirmed.

“I would argue you still have the skills to just bring them in…”

Calli couldn’t handle getting stuck in the loop again. “I think at the end of the day it would be hypocritical to judge someone too harshly for things they’ve done in their past before they have the power to do something else, considering who’s in the group.” She averted her eyes. She didn’t want to make the argument, but for her it was the elephant in the room.

Nightingale and Taylan were silent, waiting to see what Byron would say, when finally Byron shrugged, “That’s way too cryptic for me.”

She looked up to him and said gently, “We’ve forgiven you your past.”

Defensively, he immediately retorted, “I didn’t ask to be forgiven.”

Something about that struck her heart like a shard of glass, and something in her memory tried to wriggle free, but she smothered it and pressed on. “Right. But you have changed how you go about things.” She indicated Gale, “He’s not done this in some time. The group has changed how he’s done things.”

Byron turned to Gale, “So you’re going to try to change?”

Nightingale nodded. “I’m open to change. If the world is becoming a better place where justice is being truthfully served, then yes, I don’t want to be doing this. The world isn’t a good place if I have to. ”

“There’s no point in us rescuing Endrin and getting Sable Company up and running again if we’re just taking the law into our own hands. Although, saying that, I admit I have done it on occasion. But only people I felt on equal footing with. People who could do me damage. That’s the difference. If you have to stab them to subdue them, do it, but take them to Cressida instead of killing them.”

“I like that,” Calli nudged Gale with her elbow, eager to grasp the compromise that would end the conversation.

Taylan, leaned back so he could mouth to Nightingale without Byron seeing, “Just say yes.”

Nightingale agreed, “I do want to not kill. I believe the world would be a better place if it didn’t have to happen.”

“Having said that,” Byron added, “You’re fucking good at it. As a fellow professional!” The tension in the room shattered.

The men laughed and Gale continued, “Thank you very much. As a professional, I respect your ability, as well. If it is a situation where someone can be captured and brought to justice, I will do that. I do just ask you not to let that get outside of this group. I want to limit who’s at risk from the knowledge.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got plenty of people to protect, I wouldn’t want to put Cressida in an awkward situation, and I wouldn’t want to do that to Calli, either. I’m not going to go telling anyone I know the Black Heart.”

The conversation drifted away from the touchy subject after that, and they returned to their loved ones elsewhere in the compound.

————————————————————

On the morning of the 25th of Desnus Travis had not yet returned. Nightingale used a sending to ensure the half-orc was not in danger, and was reassured when the gruff voice replied he didn’t need assistance, but it was going to take a bit longer. They debated waiting for him, when Cressida arrived to tell them the fish had taken the bait. The plan was in action, and they needed to move. As he knew the direction they’d be heading, he could catch up.

The Flowers, minus Travis, began to travel towards the prison hoping to gain entry to that heavily guarded building via the sewer tunnels that ran beneath the building. The sewers at times were cramped and claustrophobic, seeming to press down upon the rescue party and other times they would open up cavern-like, as if there were no possible way that such a vast space could exist beneath the streets of Korvosa. Hugging the walls of the underground tunnels the party tried to avoid the flowing brown stream of humanoid filth by walking on the stone and brick walkways that ran along the sides.

They had been following Boule’s map to the prison and knew they were getting close even before they had entered the large tunnel where they would find the door they were looking for. There had been many constants on their journey here such as the pungent acrid smell that forced everyone of them to breathe through their mouths.

The flowing effluent which accompanied them, a constant unwanted companion almost guiding them on their way. The sound of the stream ever present as the city's waste continued on its journey downward away from the city.

The dark which at times was a blessing as they couldn't fully see the foul, rank corridors and walkways through which they were passing and at times a curse as they tripped over unseen stonework, refuse or things worse.

But it was the lack of rats here that put the party on edge. The army of feral vermin had been a consistent part of their journey through these dark rancid tunnels, with their scurrying movements, high pitched squeaks and squeals but now suddenly there was not a sight nor sound of the brown and black furred vermin.

Indeed, as they turned into the final long corridor that, according to the Cerulean Guild Master, would lead them to the underground entrance of the prison complex they could clearly see why the this area was clear of the rats that were so common elsewhere.

The tunnel itself was large enough that even the large barbarian of the party could stand upright with no fear of the arched ceiling hitting his head. Right across the tunnel blocking their way was a heavy rusty barred gate, but it was what was beyond the gate that caused the party to stop in their tracks.

There was a large beast standing in the foul waterway regarding the party as they turned into the tunnel.

The beast seemed to be an incredible composition of fur, scales, talons and teeth. The large beast had a large well muscled powerful upper body and hind quarters with a bull like face framed by a thick lion's mane of hair. It had vicious looking horns on either side of its head and it's rear legs seemed to be coated in scales. In all the beast seemed non-threatening as it regarded them but it also radiated power and strength.

"It's a Cateblepus," whispered Taylan almost hoping not to attract the attention of the monstrous beast, despite the fact that the beast was gazing directly at them.

"What's it doing here," Calli whispered picking up unconsciously on Taylans caution.

"Presumably it's a deterrent," supplied Nightingale to his charge’s question.

"Guard dog or not we need to get past it," offered Byron, "Any ideas?"

"it doesn't seem overly aggressive," stated the bard as she fully rounded the corner to face the large magical beast, "let me try something." And with that the beautiful young bard walked slowly up to the barred gate facing the large bull-like monster and began to gently play her harp. To this she added the magical allure of her voice hoping to engage and fascinate the creature. But she knew it hadn't taken, the beast wasn't under her spell, but equally it still had shown no aggressive moves towards her, and indeed it was discernibly bobbing it's head in time with her music.

As Byron went to open the heavy gate, Calli warned, "I don't have him, be careful!'

Byron gave his paramour a small smile and made his way slowly into the tunnel beyond the gate hoping not to appear in any way threatening to the massively muscled animal in front of him.

As the barbarian made his way down the tunnel beyond the gate, the beast immediately reacted by bellowing fourth a massive cloud of green poisonous gas from its massive maw catching the entire party. The noxious cloud had an immediate effect upon both Byron and the young magic user Taylan as both seemed to physically wilt from the cloud’s effect. Both felt within themselves physically weaker as the toxic fumes entered their bodies robbing them of their strength.

Only Nightingale seemed to suffer no adverse reaction from the poisonous breath of the Cateblepas.

Seeing Calli also engulfed in the green hazardous cloud Taylan immediately called upon the magical, spiritual boon of the harrow deck to help the young bard overcome it's debilitating effects, thinking more of his friend than himself.

Realising that the only way past this deadly creature was through him, and through it quickly, Calli began to sing- the magic of her voice once again lending strength and courage to all those around her. Indeed, maybe it was the immediacy of the moment, but her song at this time felt potent, more powerful!

Taylan recoiled from the Cateblepas attack and realised that he had better end this quickly, and so tapped an inner reservoir of power that he had not used in the past. Placing two fingers on his forehead a bright white spark of power suddenly manifested on his fingertips. The sound of the energy that the young mage controled was immense, and bright white light surged and sparked. When it appeared that the blistering forces and energy that the young dragon-hearted half-elf had summoned were getting beyond his control, he unleashed that power in an all consuming disintegrating blast straight at the monstrous thing that had poisoned him. The energy blasted the creature, tearing at its flesh, blistering its skin and muscle inflicting terrible wounds, yet still the beast stood roaring its defiance in spite of the terrible pain it must be in. But even as the power of Taylan ripped significantly into the beast, the young mage could feel the poison within his system clutch ever tighter, robbing him of more strength.

Despite the debilitating effect the beast’s breath weapon had inflicted the tall barbarian, Byron decided to rush the monstrous creature, feeling the sense of urgency to end this confrontation. The feeling of weakness was something the warrior hated, indeed the very thought of frailty and weakness terrified the urban warrior, igniting his inner rage, spurring his attack despite his diminishing strength.

The Cateblepas reacted to the warrior’s charge, lashing out with a heavy hoof attack, but the barbarian shruged the attack off, and as Byron began his assault already his inner resources were healing the damage the Cateblepas had inflicted. Two wicked bone claws suddenly erupted, one from either of the barbarians hands, and with rage fueled power the barbarian slashed at the beast. His two bone talons ripped deeply into the beast, rending its flesh, and again the monster reared bellowing its outrage and pain! Even as he struck Byron could feel the poison within his body try to dig deeper, but he steeled himself against it and kept it temporarily in check.

The black-coated swordsman, seeing the deleterious effect the creature has had on two of his other comrades, chose to attack with fire at a distance. Quickly slapping his palms together and feeling the heat of his magic begin to pulse there, he drew his hands apart, drawing searing hot fire into existence. Held within the hands of the magus was a writhing, twisting, contorted ball of flame seemingly straining to be let loose. Nightingale threw the intense ball of flame, directing it straight at the beast! As the tight ball of flame hit the magical Cateblepas the flame erupted, engulfing the monsters frame. However, whether due to lucky happenstance or some dexterous movement of the beast, the damage inflicted by the searing flame wasn't as severe as Nightingale had hoped.

Amidst all the fire and fury the small drake Focher, fearing for his masters well being, flew down onto Byron's shoulders and hissed his defiance at the much larger beast. He then turned and cast upon the warrior a small guidance spell, hoping that the small cantrip might be of some use in the upcoming struggle.

Reacting to the fire that had scorched and burnt its skin, the seared and disintegrated flesh the Cateblepas focused its animalistic rage on the beast with claws that had so deeply cut him. It reared high on its hind quarters and tried to smash the clawed human animal that confronted it. It's used to its prey being weak and helpless after it breathed on them, not standing claws out. The monster once again bellowed as it struck, but the strike missed, causing the massive beast to unbalance itself. It quickly recoverd, striking with its other clawed hoof and bite. The raging barbarian barely noticed the damage the creature inflicted. Despite the serious look of the wound, very quickly the barbarian’s innate healing ability kicked in, reducing the severity of the wound, what could have been a life threatening slash became more an irksome cut!

As the beast bellowed its rage, the barbarian bellowed back!

To Taylan this moment in time seemed to stop. He hadn't the strength to move, to fight. The effects of the poison were on-going, and he felt himself spiraling down- getting weaker and weaker. And though Byron was strong, he would soon follow in Taylan's trajectory. He needed to get help, and though it felt terrible to leave his friends in the midst of this struggle, there was only one place he could go whilst he had the strength to do it.

Looking around him Taylan saw Nightingale casting fire at the creature, he saw Calli concentrating intently on her song, magically inspiring the others in their efforts to thwart the monster before them whilst considering her next step. He saw Byron standing toe to toe with the monster screaming in its face his defiance preparing himself once more to attack.

The guilt at leaving was overwhelming, yet the necessity to leave was undeniable.

And with that final look he clicked his fingers ...and the tunnel winked out of existence...

...And suddenly he was in the small stone room that Croft had taken for her command base. Light spells and torches illuminated the the room with its makeshift desk, mismatched chairs ,and Cressida Croft!

Taylan fully materialized within the room as the powerful bands of teleport magic dissipating around him into nothingness left him feeling disorientated and nauseous.

“Taylan," said Croft as she got up from her chair around the desk that seemed to be cluttered with maps, parchment communiques, and lists. Her attention was suddenly focused on this unexpected magical intrusion as she recognized the distinct flowing power pattern of a teleport spell, but that intense military focus of fight quickly turned to concern as she saw the young mage Taylan materialize and wilt as he fell to his knees barely able to support his own weight. Kneeling down to help steady the young half-elf Cressida called for help.

"Get Ishani in here," the Field Marshall in hiding barked to a guard by the door who with sword drawn was just standing there rooted to the spot. The authority in her voice shook the young guard out of his shock.

"Yes maam,” he replied, and quickly left the room calling for the cleric. Another guard replaced him as Croft helped Taylan into a chair.

"What happened," enquired Croft?

"Attacked by a Cateblepas’ poisonous breath weapon down in the sewers, guarding the prison," whispered Taylan, talking was now proving difficult as the poison in his system was beginning to exact a heavy mortal toll. "Ishani?"

"He's on his way," replied Croft.

Taylan let out a shuddering breath and further slumped.

"Ishani damn it get in here," demanded the soldier as the door was quickly flung open and standing in the door way was the cleric of Abadar Ishani. A tall, well-built man with dark hair entered the room.

"Let me see," said the cleric striding into the room....

The monster reared back out of the barbarian’s reach as Byron’s claws missed their intended target. With his strength sapping as the poison circulating through his system once again flared up, robbing him of his power and strength, its was getting harder and harder to lay a claw on the beast. He knew he couldn't last much longer.

"Byron," Calli's voice tight with emotion caught in her throat as she watched the large barbarian stand almost face to face with the beast, she could see her lover failing, diminishing and felt a sense of dread at the horror that was unfolding before her.

Nightingale quickly made his way to her, urgency propelling his actions.

"You need to jaunt me, Calli," commanded her tutor, "or Byron is done for.” Immediately she understood the instruction and as Nightingale was pointing a spot just behind the beast, she slapped her guardian and mentor’s shoulder releasing a power of shimmering magic that coalesced around Nightingale, outlining his form, and then quickly shrank down to a single spot of light before completely disappearing. Immediately she looked to a spot in the tunnel just beyond the bulk of the enraged Cateblepas and saw a small spot of magical light appear only for it to immediately spring back into a silhouette of Nightingale. As the magic dispersed the swordsman now standing behind the beast up to his mid-shins in Korvosan 'shit' lunged with his swept hilt rapier burying its long length deep into the brutes back. Again and again he thrust with the blade, and with his final stab the very air crackled around him and light began to emit trails and sparks as he, Nightingale, swordsman and magician, tutor and protector, channeled the power of lightning that is his to command and conducted that fearsome energy down the blade. The rapier turned white hot, and both Nightingale and the tunnel were illuminated in a searing bright light as the electrical charge tore through the beast.

Byron, not realising Nightingale and Calli's desperate plan, prepared to face a final onslaught from this monstrous beast and the insidious toxins that were poisoning him even as he stood there. The beast reared up on his hind legs ready to smash the barbarian into the filth of Korvosa when suddenly Byron spied a sword length of sparking electrical metal drive itself through the beasts head and out through its open maw, and then an electrical blast blew a hole right through The Cateblepas's head. For a moment all is stillness and then the behemoth fell into the sewer water of the tunnel, leaving both Nightingale and Byron starring at each other over the giant fallen carcass. The smell of ozone and cooked flesh was pungent within the confined space of the tunnel when Byron looked the black coated swordsman in the eye and joked, "I though we were going to take this one prisoner?"

"Oh," replied a bemused Nightingale, "I thought this one was okay?"

"On this occasion I'll cut you some slack," replied the barbarian with a smile touching his lips, to which Nightingale doffed his hat enjoying the moment of repartee.

Suddenly Byron collapsed into the sewer water himself as his body was further ravaged by the deadly corruption that had afflicted him.

"Byron" Calli cried, rushing over to the fallen warrior, her concern and fear evident in her voice and actions as she runs through a lake of Korvosan filth to aid her fallen paramour. Both she and Nightingale helped the human warrior to the side of the sewer allowing him to sit on the raised walkway just as thick blue and white swirling bands of snowflakes began to appear just beyond the tunnel gate. The bands of power swirled and revolved around each, other growing to an immense intensity, and then shot off into the air with the power discharge shorting along the roof of the tunnel. Both Nightingale and Calli shielded their eyes from the intense magical flare and Byron simply dropped his head as he lacked the strength to hold his head upright.

As the magical teleport energies dissipated, standing there were both Taylan and Ishani.

"Ishani," cried Calli with some urgency, "we need you."

The cleric of Abadar hurried to the fallen warrior, holding up the hem of his robes to keep from tripping on them, and knelt down by his side. Just the presence of the cleric had a calming effect on all around him as he regarded Byron.

"He's been poisoned by that thing," supplied Nightingale as the cleric looked the huge barbarian over.

"Yeah I told him," said Taylan as he walked over, feeling a little nervous and anxious as to the reception he might receive from everyone having teleported away from this encounter.

Calli got up and seeing the half-elf's nervousness hugged the young man close as Ishani began to trail his hands over Byron's almost comatose form. A golden glow began to trail over the warrior’s body as Ishani moved his hands and began to chant indecipherable words and phases. As the priests prayers grew in intensity so did the golden healing light covering the warrior in a bright golden haze. The little drake flew down to settle just beside his fallen master, careful not to disturb the cleric’s healing magic. Momentarily the cleric came back to himself, saw the tiny Drake shifting anxiously beside Byron's head. He reached down and gently scratched him behind the ears, "Fear not little one, he will recover soon," said the cleric.

Calli unburied her face from Taylan’s shoulder and turned to look, relief clearly etched on her face.

Nightingale breathed out a long slow breath letting the tension that had unknowingly built up leave his body.

Taylon just smiled the broadest smile as they all thanked Ishani. They led him back to the nearest ladder up to the streets above, Calli cleaned the grime off him with a simple prestidigitation spell, and he wished them better luck on the rest of their mission. He had used his allotted powers for the day, and wouldn’t be able to help again. They waved him off, and returned to where the monster had fallen to begin searching for the secret door.

They knew they had to continue, though they had almost fallen at the first hurdle, some quick thinking and this gentle priest's administrations had seen them past this first test.