SIDE QUEST VII
Hidden Dangers
As Byron and Trevor rowed out of sight, Calli, Nightingale, and Taylan discussed their options. The first order of business was returning to Field Marshal Cressida Kroft and asking her to get word to Orisini that they wanted to meet. Gale hoped he may have some insight into the Sabina Merrin’s past that may explain why she seemed to hate Old Korvosa enough to doom it. Kroft was surprised to hear the swordsman was lying low locally, but readily agreed to let him know through their usual channels.
The next stop was to drop Calli off at Eudicot Mannor. Her tears were still drying, but her mind was already full speed with plans to arrange aid for the people trapped on the small island, she only hoped her parents would be willing to assist. As the trio left the destruction of the narrows behind them, they picked up the reactions of the populace. The conversations were greatly varied: people cut off from loved ones in distress, empathetic bystanders, vultures excited by the drama, and those who had bought into the rumour that the plague had begun in Old Korvosa and cutting it off would somehow save the rest of the town.
One well-to-do man made the mistake of voicing his support too close to the Flowers, causing Nightingale to round on him in a righteous fury. Gale launched into a scathing verbal assault, pointing out the flaws in the thinking, the callousness of the sentiment, and let him know how shameful his blind trust in rumours was. The stranger sputtered indignation, having to physically take a step back at the intensity of the ire being unleashed upon him, and demanded to know the name of his attacker. Gale demanded his instead of acquiescing, and the man haughtily replied that he was Cevint the ceramics merchant. The group knew of his shop in North Point. The man dismissed Nightingale’s assertion that the plague was already with them, saying the people clamoring for aid all seemed to be from over the bridges, and that he’d not recognized any of them. Nightingale’s continued dressing-down the man, calling him an arrogant, snobbish, biggot. He didn’t let the man say much more, dismissing him by proclaiming, “Now if you’d kindly pull your head out of your own ass and start paying attention to the world around you, maybe you’d actually learn something. Now do us all a favour and fuck off!”
Cevint’s jaw dropped and he began looking around for a guard to report his assault, only then realising he’d never actually gotten Nightingale’s name.
As the trio stormed off, Gale apologised to Calli for the outburst, who simply pointed out, “I didn’t try to stop you, did I?”
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Calliandra split off from the men at the gate of Eudicot Manor, having reverted to her natural looks and attire. Taylan had offered to go with her, but Gale and Calli knew this was a conversation she needed to have alone. She promised to meet up with them either at the cafe or later at Zellara’s. She faked a smile for the guard on duty, a human man in his 30s named Gormoth whom she’d never quite stopped thinking of as També’s replacement, crossed the garden just beginning to bloom for the year, and let herself in. Renly heard the door and was there within moments.
The aged butler was the worse for the wear, coughing into the cloth wrapped around his face after the minor exertion. She demanded he cease trying to work, and asked how everyone was holding up. Mother was so far untouched, Agnes the cook was on the mend, but their maid Penelope was the worst of them- bedridden as the sickness ate away at her. Calliandra’s insides knotted with worry. Calli sent him back to bed, and climbed the stairs to the next floor where Renly had said she’d find her mother in her study.
She knocked briefly, took a deep breath, and entered. Her mother sat back from the piles of parchment she was sifting through and waved her forward. Mimosoideae Eudicot was a beautiful woman nearing 60, always made up with fastidious care, but Calli could see the toll the past month was taking on her. Smudged makeup on her cheek betrayed a head rested on a hand for too long, something her mother only gave in to after many hours of work. Hair had come loose from it’s coiffure unnoticed. Her mother came around the desk to embrace and Calli saw she was in stockings, but no shoes. No doubt they were still under the desk where she had been sitting. They moved together to sit on one of the plush settees.
After a brief greeting, her mother passed her a letter sealed with the Leroung crest, saying it had come for her not long ago. Calli ripped it open and quickly skimmed the short message: “I have the information you requested of me. You and your companions are in terrible danger. Come as soon as you can, no, earlier. Yours, Nif Leroung.” She was one part impressed at the speed in which Nif worked, and one part sad that it seemed Nif may have figured out the Arkona connection, and put the letter away to deal with afterwards.
Calliandra asked Mumsy if it would be possible for the two of them to go see her father, as she wanted to speak to them both. Her mother shook her head sadly. “South Shore has closed itself up, no one is being allowed to enter or leave in an attempt to both protect themselves from the plague and prevent anyone leaving town to spread it elsewhere. Last I heard your father was well, but currently there’s no way to get to him.”
There had been so much bad news recently, so many tragic moments today alone, that Calli didn’t have any emotional energy left to fully process this new information. She buried it away for later, and instead launched into her pitch. “You both have always wanted me to take an interest in the city, and have been molding me in your image with the hopes diplomacy runs in the blood. It worked. I care. The city is now in real danger. Cutting off Old Town is condemning a significant portion of the population to death by cutting them off not just from healers, but from food as well! It's far too late to claim to be containing the infection, it's already here. We have to do what we can to help them. They aren't stopping boats from going over, only coming back, so I don't think they'd object if we rigged a boat of supplies and had it attached to both shores by rope. We could have it pulled over to unload and pulled back to refill when possible. We've only just gotten past the riots and people on the streets are still not speaking kindly of the nobles and politicians, it would be both a humanitarian and a tactful move to make a very obvious gesture of support. The boat avoids having to be too openly critical of the Queen, as well. Please, Mother, you have to talk to the other noble families and try to get help!”
Her mother furrowed her brows, “I did hear they were thinking about it, I didn’t expect them to go through with it. You say you want to send supplies, charity? Would that not make people more angry, as if we’re rubbing in their faces that we have what they don’t?”
“Doing it in spite of those that hate you for it is all the more reason. You have nothing to gain, it’s a purely selfless act.”
Mimsy steepled her fingers in contemplation. “Like the church of Abadar preaches ‘civilization is taught to those without,’ so providing stability to those in chaos is the right way to proceed, and even the church of Asmodeus preaches law and that the strong should govern the weak, so it would follow we should take part in restoring what order we can."
“And the church of Shelyn teaches that all creatures have potential for beauty, and should be given that opportunity. We need to help them, because there’s more they could create,” Calli responded without hesitation.
“You’ve become very wise, Calliandra. I’m proud of you.” Mimsy smiled warmly at her daughter, and reached out to tuck one of Calli’s curls behind her pointed ear.
Calli averted her gaze. “It’s amazing what all I can accomplish when not under lock and key.”
Her mother took her hand back and her shoulders dropped slightly. “You’re right. I am sorry. I thought I was protecting you, but it seems Nightingale was right all along. He argued with us that we shouldn’t keep you in the dark, but you had already been through so much. We wanted you to be safe.”
“But I wasn’t safe. And if I’m going to be in danger, I’d rather see it coming so I can fight back. Forewarned is forearmed. Look, look at all I can accomplish! I’ve finally met the queen, on my own merit.” Calli reached into one of her small pouches and retrieved her gold ingot, stamped with the Korvosan seal, and the Drake’s Mark she had been awarded, and held them out for her mother to inspect.
Mimsy’s eyes went wide, “Was all this just from returning her broach? Calliandra… Calliandra where did you get the broach?” Her mother searched Calli’s face. Calli, chin raised proud, gave a small self-satisfied smile. Things started falling into place. “You brought me that ledger at the same time, from that horrible man, what did you do?”
“You don’t have to worry about that horrible man anymore, as he’ll never harm our family or anyone else’s ever again.”
Her mother’s voice was stern, but betrayed the uncertainty of whether she actually wanted to know, “Did you have a hand in that man’s death?”
Calli vividly remembered the fight in Gaedren Lamm’s lair. In a voice colder than her mother knew she possessed she answered, “I did not personally end his life, but I had the pleasure of witnessing it.” Her mother showed visible distress at this news, but Calli pressed on in a happier tone. “Mother, The Flowers, I’m one of them. I’m an adventurer.”
Her mother stood and began pacing the room, rubbing at her temples. “This is a lot to take in, I don’t know how to react to all this. You’re a what?”
“A bard, of course!” Calli waited for the initial panic to pass.
“Oh, of course.” She fretted about a bit longer and then returned to Calli’s side, taking both her hands this time. “I know I can’t stop you, but I’m going to worry. I just have to trust your friends can keep you safe. They seem capable and strong.”
“We keep each other safe, actually,” She thought of Byron and one side of her mouth pulled up in a cheeky grin, “and they are very strong.” Without her hairclip disguising it her mother witnessed the slight blush form on Calliandra’s cheeks, and her eyebrows raised.
“I see…. ah. Right. I am sorry I offended your friend Byron, by the way.”
The blush deepened as Calli realised her mother saw right through her. “Me, too.”
“This is a lot of information to process, and I’ll want more answers from you in the future, but I have to get back to work. I’ll talk to the other families for you and try to get something set up. Where along the narrows should we send the supplies?”
Calli and her mother picked a place away from the remaining bridge. Calli warned her to not send anything right away, but to let Calli warn Byron and Trevor on the other side the next morning so that they can have a plan to protect the delivery and distribute it fairly. Calli let her know that Renly was refusing to stay in bed, and Mimsy let Calli know her sick friends were holding up well, before Calli finally said goodbye. They hugged, her mother holding her tighter and longer than usual, and as she pulled away Calli used her hairpin to change her features into her pink haired alter-ego for a few moments as she smiled. “Thank you, Mother.”
Mimosoideae, recognizing the performer she spoke to at the birthday party, pointed in shock, before once more rubbing her temples and returning to her desk.
Calli left her home, grateful to have unburdened herself of at least one thing. Should the cards prove true and death was right around the corner, at least her mother will have known the truth from her own mouth. She finally had her freedom. Clutching the letter from Nif as she started off towards Adam’s cafe, she hoped it wouldn’t be short lived.
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Nightingale and Taylan made it to the cafe, which sported a “closed” sign but an unlocked door. As they entered they found Clara, Gale’s mother, sat back watching her husband bustling around the room. Adam had a coffee in one hand and a book in the other and was muttering to himself, but looked up with a huge smile to greet the two, before coughing. Nightingale learned both his parents had come down with Bloodveil, even though they’d been isolating. Adam had been pouring through his books trying to figure out a non-natural cause and so far had no luck. Nightingale and Taylan brought up the strange doctors the queen had brought in, and asked if it was possible they were actually the ones spreading it around. Clara bristled at the treasonous suggestion, and Adam said there wasn’t anyway he knew of they could be doing that, but he’d keep looking. Gale continued, asking if anyone had even seen under those strange hoods the doctors were wearing- to which his mother proclaimed she had, and he needed to let it go. Nightingale pressed the issue, sharing with his parents his suspicions about the queen and her allies from Chelliax, pointing out the history of trouble Korvosa had with them.
Clara finally snapped, and used Gale’s full name in a tone of voice that left no more room for argument. Taylan’s eyes went wide and he turned to look at his companion, having never before considered that if Nightingale was a last name, he must have others.
Gale straightened his back, a reflexive call to attention, and gave a short nod. He refrained from continuing down that line of discussion, and returned to hypothesizing possible paranormal ways the plague could be spreading.
The four continued talking of the recent events and transmission possibilities until Calliandra arrived, and then the Flowers bid them farewell. Gale promised to get one of the priests out to see them soon, and Adam continued insisting they would be fine.
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Calli let Gale and Taylan know her mother had agreed to send aid, and that Nif had already sent word about the dagger. Their next stop was Leroung Manor. On the way Calli and Nightingale began telling Taylan bits about the great family. They’d founded the University of Korvosa, among others, and were liked by virtually everyone. The family steadfastly refused to take sides when other great houses butted heads, which ensured they remained in good standing all through the city’s history. Calli warned them that while she’d asked for help locating the dagger, she hadn’t given any clues to the provenance and wanted to keep it that way to avoid pulling Nif any further into the situation than they needed to be.
The guards checked them for signs of the plague upon arrival, and Calliandra once more offered to pull up her blouse to show her middrift, scandalizing not just them but her companions, as well. As they walked between the gate and the house she laughed at their expressions, and said in times so dark it was good to find what joy they could.
They knocked on the door.
And then everything was chaos.
The party lost time, and each came to consciousness at different times, not all in the same place, and without their memories. The last of them to become aware of their surroundings again was Calliandra. She looked around what seemed to be an unfamiliar bedroom, and had a strange headache. Her first thought was how much she hoped they would find the mysterious dagger again. She’d grown fond of it. The last thing she remembered was knocking on Nif’s door, so she assumed she must be inside. She heard voices rush by outside, and waited til it was quiet to peek out. It was definitely the Leroung household, which resembled a grand library in places more than a home. Guards were frantically checking the building. Nif stepped out of a nearby doorway and spotted Calli, before calling to the others that she’d been found.
Nif led Calli back to where Gale and Taylan were waiting in a small study. Books were open across a large table to various pictures of snake-skin handled curved daggers similar to their artifact. They all watched her with worried eyes. Taylan began giving Calli the full story of what had transpired:
Nif had found some information about the artifact, but wanted to see it again to be sure. They’d lead the trio into the study, where Calli had protested she didn’t have it, she had shown a magical image of it. Nif asked Calli to trust them, “I think we have an evil stowaway,” and check the haversack again. Calli then indeed produced the weapon out of the bag, to her own and the other Flowers’ surprise. Nif asked Calli to pass it to them, and as she tried it changed! The dagger twisted in her hand, changing into a small snake-like beast, and leapt at Nightingale. It managed to bite him and he looked very confused after.
They all heard it speak to Calli in a strange voice, “I am your friend and I’ve served you well, trust me I am not evil. Nif is mistaken! I know things about the plague, I can help. Protect me from your friends, they won’t understand.”
It then slithered across the table towards Nif. Calli’s face showed she suddenly trusted the creature, and aimed a magical joke at Taylan. “What did the sea urchin say to the sea cucumber? With fronds like these, who needs anemones?”
He managed to shrug off the urge to laugh and tried blasting the creature with his eye beams, but they seemingly had no effect on it. Nif began shouting for help, and Nightingale continued looking around confused.
The tiny monster managed to bite Nif, who also became confused. Calli tried again, “Did you hear about the shepherd who drove his sheep through town? He was given a ticket for making a ewe turn.” This time Taylan couldn’t resist and fell to the floor in gales of laughter. Calli then moved towards the snake and Nif.
Gale regained his senses, sporting a splitting headache, in time to see what looked like Taylan blasting at Nif and Calli hitting him with hideous laughter, and asked what was going on. Calli yelled for him to restrain Taylan, saying it was the only way. He didn’t hesitate to grapple the half-elf, who was unable to speak through Calli’s spell.
The snake asked Calli to hide it, and turned back into the dagger, but Gale couldn’t hear it above Taylan’s laughter next to his ear. She picked it up and shouted to her bodyguard to keep Taylan there, she had a plan, and then she ran from the room. Taylan was unable to explain, still gripped by the laughter Calli had inflicted upon him, but attempted to gesture for Gale to stop her.
Nightingale took over the story here. He mistook the gestures as Taylan beginning an attack on her, and sent a shocking grasp through him to put him down- hoping that he estimated correctly and it wouldn’t be enough to kill his young friend. It was a near thing, as it rendered him unconscious. The sudden silence allowed him to hear Calli call to the guards outside to go help Nif, and they rushed in with weapons drawn demanding to know what the commotion was.
That’s when Nif’s confusion finally cleared, and they began frantically asking where the dagger and Calli went. Gale didn’t remember anything between walking up to the house and seeing Taylan attack Nif. Together they were able to stabilize Taylan, who filled them in on their missing time while healing himself with one of the cure wands he held for the party. Nif had called for the guards to search the house for the missing woman, and that brought them all up to speed.
As Taylan had been relaying all this to Calli, Nif had slowly worked their way around behind her, and began casting. The guys recognized it as a dispel magic, and once it had gone off Calli’s head cleared and the wistful longing to have the dagger back vanished entirely.
“That thing used my own trick on me! I guess I know now what being charmed is like. Oh, Taylan, I’m so sorry!” Calli looked distressed at Nif, “But it must still be here somewhere, we all have to find it!”
Nif said there was no point, it would most likely be on its way back to its master by now. Nif went on to explain what they had learned while researching Vurda style daggers like the one Calli had shown them. They cross referenced it with items that radiate magic but can not be identified, and found mention of something called a Raktavarna. The creature wasn’t an artifact at all, but a powerful shapeshifter. It’s an evil spirit being that is often used as a caster’s familiar. Someone had been using it to spy on The Flowers, but with the cover blown it would abandon the mission and return.
Taylan and Nightingale looked at each other, while Calli had the same thought, and she asked Nif, “You didn’t happen to figure out whose familiar, did you?”
Nif indicated they had not, and Calli nodded. “Good. Thank you for this, I’m so sorry for bringing this into your home.”
“I’m sorry! I was just so excited for the chance to examine one in real life that I wasn’t thinking. I had suspicions of what it was, but couldn’t be sure until I examined it, so I didn’t want to overreact. But I should’ve been more careful, I should’ve taken better precautions, this is entirely my fault.”
They took turns trying to take blame until finally agreeing they of course they forgive each other, that’s what friends are for. Nif insisted they take two potions of lesser restoration to help Nightingale and Calliandra from the mental damage they’d suffered from the bites, and again assured everyone that they were more than equipped to handle it if it was still around.
Nightingale took his potion right away, having been badly effected, but Calli pocketed hers instead, thinking of how many loved ones were currently struggling to live long enough for a cure, and felt they deserved it more than herself at that moment.
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The very long day was not over yet, though night had descended. Calli changed back into her pink Flowers persona and Nightingale summoned his horses and the party returned to the Temple of Abadar. Crowds remained outside, in spite of guards trying to get everyone to return to their homes for the evening. Many cried out they they could not, as the bridges had been demolished. Gale spotted the ceramic merchant from earlier among the crowd, coughing, and felt a grim satisfaction. The guards spotted the Flowers and made a path for them to enter.
The priest Ishani met with them and apologized that he was all tapped out for the day, they all were. Every time they went out to heal many of them ended up catching it themselves, meanwhile the sickness continued to spread through the populace, so the temple had burned through nearly all their supplies. Those who could were working round the clock to try and get more of everything made. Those who couldn’t create were researching what could possibly be the cause. They had also come to the same conclusion as Adam, that this was not a natural illness. The trio briefly conferred, and then decided to tell him what they knew.
They gave him the bad news about the cult of Urgathoa that had infiltrated the town, and passed on Kressida’s warning to be very careful whom he told. The town couldn’t handle any more panic than it was already in. The news seemed to age him as he processed the full implications, but he thanked them for the valuable information. He’d be able to better focus their research and hopefully get to some answers faster.
In return he let them know the little they had already learned. The worst of the infected all seemed to be sharing the same dream. They’re in a grand house, looking out bars of cages at large colorful pictures of terrible monsters. Some of the pictures are broken revealing a view of the sea. The group didn’t recognize the description. He carried on to say that the first they know of to have been infected may have been a baker near the Three Rings Tavern in North Point, who carried it to Old Korvosa, but that the baker had since died and been burned so they were unable to get any more information from him about where it may have come from. They had also found that 1 in 10 seem to be immune to the infection, and everyone who was have Varisian lineage- though not all with the Varisian blood have immunity.
They thank him for the information, and ask if he would visit their parents the next morning to try and heal those in residence. Nightingale explains his father is also researching the disease and may be of use, and Calli says her mother is arranging aid to be sent to Korvosa. “We wouldn’t normally ask for special treatment in these times, but they are helping the cause as well.” He agrees, and upon hearing who Gale’s father is happily proclaims that he would love to have Adam’s assistance, the magical cafe being a favourite of his. Ishani then turned to Calli and asked who her mother is.
At which point she realizes the mistake they’d made. Gale and Taylan moved to block sight-lines while Calli leaned in and quietly said he needed to visit Eudicot Manor. Ishani looked confused, and wondered if her mother was one of the staff. When Calli explained her mother was Lady Eudicot he looked at her disbelieving, until she briefly let the facade drop and reveal her tell-tale birthmark across her cheek. He reacted with shock, and stuttered a “milady” which Calli quickly cut off with a calm, “Calli.” She smiled and restated it for emphasis. “Calli.”
He slowly nodded and repeated her name. “Calli. I’ll go in the morning and see what I can do, for both of you. Taylan, was there anyone you needed me to visit?” Taylan said his people were out of town or in Old Korvosa, and the priest gave his sympathies.
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It was quite late now, and so much had happened since that morning at the Cracked Weasel that the party was desperate for sleep. They decided to all stay together at Zellara’s, in case Orisini had tried to make contact. Upon arrival it was a different note they found. In a barely legible scrawl and child-like spelling it gave a demand for Taylan to hand over the amulet. It didn’t say where, and they didn’t have it in them to think too much on it that night. They finally slept.
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The next morning the three left to make their morning meeting with Byron and Trevor, but the barbarians were not there. Plumes of smoke rose across Old Korvosa already, one from the area they knew Orisini’s academy to be. They waited hours, tension growing unbearable, before giving up. Taylan tried to raise spirits, saying with the fires they were probably staying at their homes to make sure they didn’t burn down. That wasn’t as comforting as he intended.
Turning their backs to The Narrows they could see a much larger column of smoke from the opposite end of town. Word on the street explained that the death toll had become unmanageable, and they had begun burning the plague victims in mass graves in the Grey District. There were less people on the streets, and more of those who were, were showing symptoms.
Unsure what to do next they checked in on the cafe to see how the healing had gone. Adam had been healed, but it had taken three attempts, but his mother remained infected. Ishani had healed some of the damage the sickness had done to her body, so she was at least no worse than before. Returning to Eudicot Manor the news there was Renly had been healed, her mother remained untouched, but that Aggie had been taken again so that she and Penelope were both in bed. Ishani had helped Penelope as he had Clara, so that she wasn’t in immediate danger.
While there the group let Mimsy know about the riots in Old Korvosa, and warned that word had not been gotten to the Flowers trapped on the other side, so the aid would have to wait another day. On that front Calli’s mother had more bad news, many the other families were resistant to offer assistance. She would send some on her own, of course, but without more backing it would be limited. Calli asked for the names of the hesitant, and was met with stern suspicion, but she insisted it was only so she could make her own case to them.
While thinking of the need for funds, Calli asked her mother if she might be able to help move some items for the party, and her mother agreed. As Calli continued to pull item after item, weapons and armor, out of her bag, she once more started rubbing her temples. “Calliandra…”
“If it helps any it wasn’t all actually being used, there was a good deal in a stash!” She noticed one of the pieces still had blood on it, and quickly prestidigitated it away.
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It was late morning, and after checking The Narrows one more time the small group returned to Zellara’s, hoping to find Orisini. There was instead another figure waiting for them at the door.
Forrest, one of the Pharasman Clerics that had assisted them during their trip into The Dead Warrens, was anxiously shifting from foot to foot, and jogged to meet them as they approached. As if there wasn’t enough going on in the city, the situation was now dire in the Grey District. One of the plague pits had breached a ghoul warren, and the clerics on duty the previous night had been overrun. With numbers and organisation like that, they suspected a ghoul queen had taken up residence. He was gathering anyone he could for an immediate daytime excursion to try and root her out. He didn’t think the temple could last more than another night or two if they didn’t, and then they would flow into the city unchecked. Unfortunately with everything already happening, there weren’t many available to assist, and he was there to beg The Flowers to step in.
The three casters looked at each other and felt the absence of their fighting friends most keenly. But without any other leads they needed somewhere to direct their desire to be useful, so they agreed. Calli quickly stepped into Zellara’s, pulled a few letters she had written out of her bag and left them behind with a quickly scrawlled update on the outside, and then rejoined the others to begin the trek south.
It was midday as the volunteers assembled at the Grey Quarter. The air was sooty and the stench of burning, rotting flesh was pervasive. The final count was 6 Grey Maidens, 4 priests of Pharasma, 4 Korvosan Guards, and 6 random militia from the town, in addition to the 3 Flowers present. Forest explained to the crowd that ghouls carve out caverns, and if there was a queen they could expect many of them connected in a spiral-like labrynth, to better protect her in the center. There were 4 plague pits currently, and they didn’t know which would have the entrance, so the first move was so split into 4 groups. The one that finds the breach would alert the others with a light spell and everyone could converge.
One of the Maidens stepped forward and declared they would be a team on their own, they only requested one priest to join them. Everyone agreed having one priest per pit was the right move, and arranged the remaining groups to make sure each party were about the same size. The Flowers would take a priest and a militia man, the Guards would take a priest, and the remaining militia would have the last priest. They didn’t bother trying to ask one of the several identical armored Maidens to help full out the numbers in one of the smaller groups, it was clear they weren’t interested in mingling.
The teams split up and approached their assigned pits without much more preamble. The urgency to make the most use of the daylight, when most ghouls would be sleeping, was palpable. When they were near enough to the gaping hole in the earth Forest called upon his divine powers to sense if any of the heaped dead hid the murderous ghouls. The rest of their team did their best to hold their breaths, not being as used to so much death in one place as the Pharasman devotee. Calli struggled to keep her stomach calm, and she knew this sight would give her nightmares. So many people of all ages in various states of decay, most bearing the wounds of the plague, distorting features sometimes beyond recognition. They waited, heatbeats thudding in their ears, but nothing happened.
Screams cut the air from one of the other pits. Everyone immediately took off in a run to converge upon the unlucky victors. The militia group had been the ones to disturb the ghouls, and there were more guarding the opening than anyone had assumed. The initial skirmish was quick, but brutal. The cleric with them was able to destroy a number of the monsters who crawled up from the mountain of deceased, some with scraps of flesh still between their sharpened teeth, but the ghouls took a number of the militia out in return before the rest of the teams arrived as backup. More creatures swarmed up from the pit, their lanky grey bodies moving in an unnatural imitation of humanity, but the parties worked together to wipe out the threats. There were so many it seemed everyone ended up taking out at least a few, and these were just the ones left to keep watch. Of the initial 6 militia, only 2 remained.
Leaning over the mouth of the pit everyone was able to see the carved out hole in the side below, and they helped each other get down into it, avoiding having to use the dead as support. The first cavern split into two tunnels, so the teams once more separated themselves. This time the Maidens took two priests, and everyone else went with the Flowers, making it an 8 vs 11 split, but the fully armored Maidens refused any further assistance.
The tunnels were thin, forcing the party to move in single file. They kept a priest towards the front and the back of the group in case turning was required. Gale cast mirror image on himself, so suddenly multiple identical copies of himself lead the way, his light cantrip keeping it from being total darkness, and casting haunting shadows ahead. It wasn’t long before they reached another fork in the tunnel. They declined splitting up any further, but Gale marked the wall so they’d know their way before carrying on the tunnel in the opposite direction from the way the Maidens had headed in the previous cavern.
Soon they reached another cavern that seemed entirely empty, but as they began walking through it Calli looked up and spotted the ceiling full of the beasts, clinging to stalactites. She cried out a warning, stopping the rest of the group from entering and saving them from the ambush as they dropped down to attack. Seeing Gale and Forest surrounded ahead, Taylan knew he’d have to do something brave. He pushed through the party ahead of him and entered the cavern, placing himself directly into harms way, but giving him the opportunity to send a flurry of snowballs into the ghouls, reducing the number of attackers by two and damaging a few others.
Nightingale thrust his rapier with perfect precision into the ribcage of one of the surrounding monsters and sent his trademark lightning arcing down the blade. It lit up from within, shining through the rotted wounds in its form, until it exploded in a blast of light that briefly left spots in the party’s eyes. He followed up stabbing into the next ghoul along, but still it stood, hissing into his face with rancid breath.
The strong start turned into a series of disappointments. Even with Calli’s music urging the party on, the group had a series of failures that the ghouls quickly capitalized on, leaving Forest paralyzed and Taylan seriously wounded. Terrified of what was unfolding, Calli copied Taylan’s initial bravery, darting into the room past the ghouls and managing to avoid most of their swipes, though one connected leaving a bloodied gash down her back. Once into flanking position with Taylan she was able to provide some threat, and if nothing else another target, to hopefully help distract from the valuable priests in the party.
Unfortunately things got worse. They heard noises from down the tunnel behind the party, and one of the guards shouted there were more ghouls coming from the tunnel they had not taken. The priest at the back of the line was able to destroy a great number of them, but it meant he and some of the others had to fight at the flank instead of entering the cavern to assist. Without that support, the ghouls in the cavern set upon the helpless Forest, and tore him limb from limb.
The fight continued slowly, with more mishaps, but steadily they were able to kill the two attacking bands of ghouls between them all. Breathing heavily, they healed up the worst of the wounded as quickly as they could. The second priest, who offered his name as Manir, recovered the two health potions Forest had been carrying from his limbless torso. They were too valuable to leave behind. Mourning could come later.
The cavern had three exits. One they’d entered through, one directly opposite, and one at a right angle to the other two. Remembering what Forest had said about the nests being set up in a spiral, they agreed to all move together into the latter.
They saw nothing in the ceiling of the next cavern they came to. Instead there were a group of larger ghouls that had heard the previous fighting and lain in wait to rush them. these proved much tougher than the previous ghouls. Calli and Taylan were only able to damage them a bit, though Gale was able to bring one down. Manir held out his arm and made a spiral motion, leaving a glowing image of Pharasma’s symbol hanging in the air, and the remaining ghouls turned and fled from the room.
Once more there were multiple exits, but encouraged by the larger enemies they knew they must be close, and keeping the idea of the spiral in mind decided to go through the tunnel that led them further in, rather than left or right. This far into the nests underground the air was stale and earthy, with no breeze to help clear out the smells of the dead. Sounds echoed through the tunnels, but muffled, and impossible to tell how far away they actually were. The priest warned them all this would likely be the final fight. If they were lucky they could take down the queen before the big bastards returned.
The next chamber was the largest, and indeed a female figure stood in the center, wearing the remains of what was once wedding attire. Between the party and the queen were three growling ghoul wolves, one of dire size, and they launched into a run at the party at her command. Nightingale moved between Calli and the beasts, and his arms grew unnaturally long allowing him to begin attacking them before they reached to retaliate. The dire wolf went straight for Manir, doing considerable damage. While Gale and his remaining mirror images put down the two ghoul wolves, Taylan attacked the dire wolf. The cleric made to try the turning again, but it proved much more difficult, only succeeding thanks to the strange precognition Calli had developed allowing her to send him a sudden burst of inspiration at the crucial moment. This time the ability seemed to take a bit more out of her, she had the uncanny sensation that it cost her some future potential to do so. The massive undead canine yelped and turned tail to flee.
While the Flowers kept the wolves busy, the guards and remaining militia charged in to surround the queen. Gale was able to reach over them with his freakish arms to aid in the attack while avoiding her rage, which was lucky for him. She killed three of the team with three deadly swipes, dropping them one after another in one round. With no wolves to menace him, the priest was able to heal himself. Calli’s song continued to support those in battle, though she could feel she wouldn’t be able to keep it up much longer.
There wasn’t much longer to go. Nightengale struck home with one of his devastating shocking grasps, Taylan’s eye beams found purchase, and the remaining guards got the final blows to put an end to her foul reign. As she died, unnatural screams came from every direction that seemed to grow quieter as the monsters once under her thrall fled the area.
Minutes later four of the Grey Maidens strode into the chamber, followed by one of the Pharasman priests. Their assigned priest, Henthor, said they had refused to listen to his guidance about the spiral nature of the nests and wasted a good deal of time continuing around in a circle rather than moving in towards the centre. In spite of that, they’d only lost two Maidens and the one priest, demonstrating how tough the Maidens really were.
Nightingale asks for the names of the fallen, and etches them into the wall of the centre chamber, leaving an impromptu monument to their bravery. Calli asks for the names of the survivors, to potentially immortalize in stories of their victory. The Maidens refuse to give their names, but say they’ll report back to the queen how honourable they had all been that day. Calli asks them to mention that the group who returned her broach was now named The Flowers of Korvosa, and that they were still at work doing good in her city. They acknowledged the request, and took their leave to retrieve their fallen and return to their base.
The remaining groups gather their own dead and bring them out of the damned caverns back to topside where the clerics would be able to properly take care of them. They took the bodies to the large, imposing temple of Pharasma, where clerics made sure to heal each of the survivors of any diseases picked up from the filthy mission before allowing them all to go back to their own lives. The ghouls hadn’t just been spreading ghoul fever, but were carriers of the bloodveil from feasting on those who had fallen to it.
Manir thanked them all profusely. The last thing Korvosa needed was a legion of ghouls making everything worse. They had potentially saved a good number of lives.
They passed the large pits of the dead on their way out, and thought of decisions made in the caverns below that had added to the number. It was getting hard to stay optimistic.
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The Flowers returned to Zellara’s once more, injured both physically and mentally after their horrific afternoon. Calli retrieved the letters she had left, and the party stayed inside waiting for any more news or visitors. None came. Eventually they decided the evening’s watch and tried to get some rest, wondering what fresh hell the next day would bring.
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Morning came, and the city was abuzz with new gossip. The outrageous news came that in the night one of the ships from Eel’s End had broken free of its moorings and made it across to the opposite shore full of people, who had all escaped into the trees inland.
When Byron and Trevor were once more absent from the planned meeting point, the three couldn’t help but suspect who might have been behind the daring escape.