Dr. Si's Curse of the Crimson Throne - Seven Days to the Grave

Neurotic · Dec 2, 2010

"Good work! We should dispose of them anyhow. While I'm doing that, Dj'ahn, who long can you maintain that burning wind of yours? Could you burn that pile of bodies outside? I know it's terrible job, but we must make sure there aren't anymore of those vampires and that no hidden entrance is under the bodies. And besides, this alley needs clearing anyhow and other corpse cleaners are already full. Brindom can make it into real funeral rite, can't you? Manachan, keep an eye on them, just in case."

Ambrus · Dec 2, 2010

Dj'hân screws up his face and sticks out his tongue disgustedly. "Yeah... I guess I could do that; but it'll take forever. You want to stick around here that long?"

Neurotic · Dec 2, 2010

"I like to see things to the end. I'm for finishing this. How about the rest of you? These are UNDEAD!" Edmond snarls the last words and his face scrunches for the moment as he breaks his usually calm behavior, sparks running over his body and eyes flashing with colors of the rainbow.

Ambrus · Dec 2, 2010

Dj'hân's eyes go wide as he hurriedly scoots back to the rear
of the shelf and draws his knees up to his chin. "Okayokay..."
Majenko scurries to interpose himself between the pair; spreading
his wings protectively and hissing angrily at Edmond.

Neurotic · Dec 2, 2010

Edmond calms down, frown on his face. "Don't worry, two of you, I'm not angry at you and my magic is under my will. It's undead that I have issues with. You never have to fear me, little one. Come down." Edmond offers his hand, entering easy reach of the dragonling. He doesn't push against Majenko's zone of protection, but stands still, showing trust.

Ambrus · Dec 7, 2010

Remaining guarded, Majenko suspiciously tastes the air with his forked tongue before furling his wings and turning away from Edmond dismissively. Behind him, Dj'hân slowly stands, and reaches out to tentatively wraps a hand around one of Edmond's overlarge fingers. A delightful summer breeze* stirs around the holy warrior as if responding to the pair's cordial exchange.

"O-okay... I'll do it. But you grownups will have ta stack em all good in the middle of the alley. Don't want ta burn down the whole neighbourhood. It'll also smell really bad..."

Flying out through the crack, Dh'jân and Majenko will perch atop a nearby rooftop to wait while their larger companions go about the grisly task of collecting and stacking the decapitated bodies and their severed heads. Once all is ready the urchin drifts down and, surrounding himself with swirling winds, slowly raises the temperature of the alleyway's ambient air. When sweat begins to bead on everyone's bare skin the urchin briefly pinwheels his tiny arms as if gathering up the air itself before thrusting his hands out towards the makeshift funeral pyre. A sustained torrent of desiccating wind is unleashed, flowing over and enveloping the stacked bodies to slowly shrivel and blacken their dead flesh. Succumbing to the unrelenting onslaught of Dj'hân's sirocco, the bodies begin to smoulder and eventually erupt into open flame.

OOC: FYI, cremating a single body in ideal circumstances (a modern crematorium) takes roughly 2-3 hours depending on body weight. In an open fire it'd take roughly 8-10 hours for a body to be reduced to ash. For a pile of bodies I imagine the time involved would depend on the number of bodies and if they're stacked in a such a way to ensure an even burn throughout. Just my ¢2.

*endure elements.

Neurotic · Dec 7, 2010

I'm going on assumption that dragonfire is more intense and focused then regular blaze (thus 2d6 fire damage instead of 1d6 for normal fire and line) - but if it's really longer then let's say half an hour, we should go for regular crews...

Dr Simon · Dec 8, 2010

One way or another, the corpses in Racker's Alley are disposed of, and the vampire spawn despoiled in such a fashion to prevent them from rising again. There is some disagreement between Edmond, Brindom and Dj'hân about whether the existence of vampire spawn must mean that their master is still around or not, but in the end you reach the worrying consensus that there must be an Ustalavan vampire loose somewhere in Korvosa. Another unresolved mystery.

Kroft is both worried and grateful for your report. The Marshall looks more worn down than you have seen her before, and Castle Korvosa feels empty, almost half the guard are dead or incapacitated by blood veil. She pays you 2000 gold crowns and wishes you good luck in finding somewhere to spend them.

"They are saying that the dead will soon outnumber the living," she says, "The city is in lockdown, Grey Maidens everywhere enforcing martial law - we're trying to minimise the spread between districts as much as we can but it feels too late."

Sombre news to digest as you head back to Edmond's house, but fortunately Edmond and Brindom manage to shake off the deathly chill of the vampire spawn. It seems that there is no time to rest, however. When you reach the Mer'Cauthon house, there is a hysterical Varisian woman waiting for you.

"My name is Deyanira Mirukova," you eventually learn from her once she has calmed down. "I was one my way to see you with Mamusia Lela; I ws hoping to get your help in finding my brother and the Mamusia said she had something important to tell you. But we were attacked on the way here. Ratmen from the sewers. They took the Mamusia but I got away. You must help us!"

[sblock=OOC]
I think we're finished with the vampire spawn episode, and I've already awarded XP for that. Add a 2000gp reward (between you).

You have not had time to rest properly since dealing with the vampire spawn before Deyanira shows up.

Brindom and Edmond both make their Fort saves against the negative level, so they are back to normal.
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Neurotic · Dec 8, 2010

"Dire news indeed! Enter the house, you'll be as safe in here as anywhere in the district."
After getting all the details (especially location of the attack so he can target the area of the sewers) he gets up.

OOC: If Edmond knows about ratman in the sewers he goes to talk to the pack, not track this particular band. Logic behind it being, if they are renegades, existing pack will help, otherwise, we find mamusia at the source. Streetwise +8, more if Dj'ahn aids (or vice versa)

"Everyone, freshen up, we're going down.
Kester! Make this woman comfortable. Anything strange going on?"

Dr Simon · Dec 9, 2010

Kester sizes up the Varisian woman and pokes her with the wooden spoon he is holding.

"She clean?" he asks. "No plague on her?" He shrugs as if the matter is unimportant to him. "Usual stuff Boss," he answers Edmond. "Them women guards keeping everyone off the street; that Spider feller down Eel's End, they say he's legged it outa town. Oh, and Pilts Swastel is putting on a plague special at his crappy playhouse, y'know, the Excrement place."

[sblock=OOC]
Kester means Exemplary Execrables, a sordid theatre specialising in sensationalist performances, usually involving lots of fake blood and/or scantily clad women. You've seen the flyers across town for "Farewell to Arms, a.k.a. Lepers in Love".

Edmond Local Knowledge 15+9=24

Edmond knows of one Eries Yelloweyes, a fishmonger down at the old docks. She always seems to know the goings on of Korvosa's wererat population and from the look of her is probably one herself.
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