Dr. Si's Curse of the Crimson Throne - Beta Group

[Dr Simon]

"That'll be the little bra- er, dear children, sir," says Yargin in a wheedling voice. "I expect they're a bit frightened by all the noise."

 

[Valthosian]

You forgot to mention them when I asked you what was in here before Yargin, do you really want to be a beggar in the Grey Ward with no eyes, no tongue, and no arms or legs? Perhaps you need a lesson in obedience and memory.

 

[Oni]

Lynn wrinkled her nose and held her sleeve to her face. The smell in the room was nauseating, she could taste the rancid fish in the air. The captive Yargin had confirmed her notion that the children were here. The question now was what to do with them, they couldn't let any more harm come to them. She called down to them.

You can come out, we're not here to hurt you.

 

[Dr Simon]

"But sir," says Yargin, "You only asked about things what would stop you. The little dears would do you no harm. Would you like me to call them out? They might be soothed by the sound of their dear Uncle Yargin."

There seems no need for Yargin to do this, though. In response to Lynn's call, some children appear from under the balcony, just a small group of older urchins. You get the sense that more are still beneath (Edmond and Dj'hân know that there ought to be more than the six who appear). They are a sullen-looking bunch.

One of the lads, perhaps about 12 years old, in ragged clothes and a pinched, aggressive expression on his face says "Wot choo about then missus? Woss your game?"

[SBLOCK=Edmond and Dj'hân]
Although he's got older since you last saw him, when he was a snot-nosed youngster, this is Kester. A tough survivor with a hard edge, and it looks like the years with Lamm have made him harder still.
[/SBLOCK]

[SBLOCK=Thorson]
Although Thorson is not particularly adept at dealing with people, his feral senses can sometimes spot when things are off. This boy is troubled by something - his eyes keep darting to something under the walkway, out of your sight.
[/SBLOCK]

 

[Ambrus]

Still hiding amidst Lynn's skirts, Dj'hân whispers up to the adults. "If Lamm isn't down there then maybe he's up here somewhere. Maybe we should try that door." The young uchin indicates the unopened door along the left hand wall. "The loading dock is outside on the other side; there's a pair of double doors on that side that lead in there too. He might try to leave that way."

 

[Valthosian]

Thorson's eyes narrow and his expression is suddenly very cold, There's something else under that walkway and the kids are scared of it, Yargin here is trying so desperately to convince us there's nothing, and he's brave enough to lie to me about it when he's all tied up, must be something he's even more scared of than us.

Yargin, I don't like liars.

With that declaration, Thorson stuffs the gag back in the human's mouth and grabbing the man by the hair agains yanks and pushes him down to the floor face first while kicking his feet out from under him.

 

[Ambrus]

Dj'hân's cherubic face suddenly blanches. "M-Maybe it's G-Gobbleguts... Maybe it's here..." The anxious boy crushes himself up against Lynn's leg in fear.

 

[Valthosian]

Strength boy, you're not alone, what is Gobbleguts?

 

[Ambrus]

"I-I don't know. It's Lamm's pet, but he never let any of us see it. When one of us made him angry enough he'd take em to visit G-Gobbleguts. The young guttersnipe trembles at the thought. "N-Nobody ever came back from a visit with Gobbleguts..."

 

[Valthosian]

Then Gobbleguts was just a tool to keep you afraid and in line, Lamm could easilly have simply dispatched the children himself but bring out the rumor of a monster and who of you would oppose him. If we find it we kill it, if we find Lamm, we get what we want from him.