Quentin nods. "Pick me a small heap of books to look at after I'm done with this. I am a medic, but I'm not a librarian."

Then Quentin borrows some protective equipment (at least gloves + apron). And does full autopsies of two most representative, but different, bodies: one young man and one old woman.

The intent is then to diagnose the running course of the disease across a range of still alive patient at various stages and then to flip through a small pile of books selected by Elysia to see if any of them are relevant.

OOC: Combined, this is expected to take most of the day or thereabouts, but Quentin has nothing better to do. If Hunter needs any ideas, Quentin might give some (like putting a price tag on rat's ass or getting a map of the sewers or something).

[Private to GM: 22:43, Today: Secret Roll: Quentin Fox rolled 6,1 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,1.  Flipping through medical books chosen by Elysia.
22:43, Today: Secret Roll: Quentin Fox rolled 14,1 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (8+6)14,1.  Reviewing a bunch of still alive patients.
22:42, Today: Secret Roll: Quentin Fox rolled 7,2 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 7,2.  Autopsy of an old dead woman.
22:42, Today: Secret Roll: Quentin Fox rolled 5,4 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,4.  Autopsy of a young dead man.
22:40, Today: Secret Roll: Quentin Fox rolled 15,4 using 1d6+1,1d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of (6+6+2)14,3.  Trying to borrow some protective equipment.]
This message was last edited by the player at 17:53, Tue 05 Sept 2023.

"Greetings, good Elysia. I am Hunter" Hunter smiled pleasantly. "Quentin and I have been asked by the guards to explore the sewers and put a stop to this. I wanted to ask your advice on this matter, if that is acceptable?"

If she is amenable, he continues:

"I do have a number of questions. The most urgent is, is that a holding pit for burning the bodies, or is it sealed, or are rats getting in from below and feasting on the bodies?"

"I heard a rumour that the onset of this plague coincided with the arrival of a group of Infernals, what are your thoughts? Is exploring the sewers the best place to look for the source?"

"Do you have a map of the sewers? If so, I would like to take a copy with me, and to cross off what we explore, so if we fail to return then at least our bodies will have helpful information."

"Are there any treatments that work? Could we have some?"

"Do you have anything that we could take now that would prevent us from getting diseased?"


OOC: Jenkins is probably pestering Quentin's dogs.

Elysia greets Hunter with the same welcome. She listens to the ramble of questions and laughs a bit.

"I, myself would not set foot into the sewers, you on the other hand may have better luck than me. One thing I am always cautious about is doing anything beyond the scope of what I can do and that includes sewers with rats."

She looks around as if for something more physically. She grabs a book and hands it over to Hunter. "This is about the best I can do in terms of maps. You'll probably do better going to one of the map shops in town, I'd try Silvers. He is likely to have what you need. I'll tell you as I told your friend, there is no cure. Once you are infected you have a matter of days before you die and the disease takes control. Not sure when the rates are getting to the bodies but we know when we put them out they eventually get to them but it's unlike anything I've seen. They bodies aren't just picked clean they are dragged off. As if the rats are working together. There's nothing I've found so far that prevents the disease itself. Once infected your body has a brief chance to fight off the infection but if your bit again, it's instant infection."

Quentin after working on the bodies makes a discovery that likely no one has noticed.

[Private to Quentin Fox: After bit. The infected generally have about 5 to 7 days to live. Generally you feel 6 is a safe bet but the sickly might only take 5.]

OOC: The dogs growl in return (and they don't like goblins much to begin with), but probably resort to barking only if Jenkins gets physical. If barking continues, Quentin will eventually react. If it doesn't, he'll just follow his plan for the day.

Hunter bowed. "I thank you for your aid, and I thank you for your time, you are a busy lady. I will check out this Silvers.

"However, it concerns me that rats are, as you say, "working together and carrying off bodies entire." Surely it would be better to stop them from getting at the bodies, by any means whatsoever? Build a pyre, I beseech you."

He grinned a hard feral smile. "If it were up to me, I would stack them all inside a wooden house atop a platform of oil soacked brushwood, and leave the doors open. Then, at midnight when the rats have gathered for the feast, shut the doors and set it ablaze."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:54, Thu 07 Sept 2023.

Elysia shook her head as she walks away, "Certainly not a task for me but I will let the haulers know."

She leaves you with the bodies to determine and find out as much as you can.

OOC: Depending on your next move, let me know what you plan to do next.

Hunter found a quiet spot and flicked through  the book until he got bored.

"Cheerio old chap, I'm going shopping" he said to Quentin as he was leaving.

OOC: First to Silvers, then to the guards HQ.

Hunter leaves the library only to find himself in the middle of the city heading towards Silvers.

[Private to Hunter Gallagher: On the way to Silvers you are ambushed by attackers. While you are able to find off a few of the attacks one specific attack leaves you and your goblin hostage due to a sleep spell. You can continue in Chapter 1: Scene 2]

Seeing Quentin, she moved to him.

“Where is Hunter?” she asked. “I had a most revealing talk with some one Ezekiel, a Rakashan, and apparently a holy wise person in the Temple.

Apparently the plague began with the arrival of a group of Infernals that seem to have some king of ill intent to the city, and probably beyond. He didn’t tell me about what this plan is, he claims he cannot see more, but he gave me a vision about the city burning, claiming this is the future if it cannot be stopped.

He also told me some of us, including this stranger who was also at the temple, are “the chosen”, and somehow marked, though not sure how or by whom, hinting that we are the ones who may fight this plague. He also told me whoever is behind it also knows about us, and even our names, and advised us to keep together, keeping the force of numbers.

That’s why I came here instead of going, as I had planned, to the Promenade. Frankly, I’m a little scared of what he told me, and I’m afraid not more closer to know where to begin to search than before, but quite sure we’re confronting something dangerous and at disadvantage of being known, while knowing little…”

By this time Quentin is about done with a corpse of a young man, which you can see neatly gutted and placed piecewise before the medic. There is also a corpse of an old dead woman near him, completely naked and with clear signs of the disease from which she has probably died. Quentin is clearly not done here, and his facial expression shows he's not a huge fan of being interrupted.

"The man went to procure a map and then talk to the guards. The thought was we will have to know our way through the sewers sooner or later, if only to make some plans, and..." Well, as Lirian went talking, it caught on the man that the "and..." was becoming less and less relevant by the minute. "Whatever. Had this wise guy warned the king too? I'd like to get paid by the king if I can get certified as a chosen." There is some sarcasm in the man's voice, but that is not all there is. Oh, damn, please don't tell me we are into high stakes for small change, with no way to opt out of the thing. The frown on the man's face gets deeper. He did not quite believe in being a chosen of sorts but did quite believe in being pointed and killed as such. Okay, we have basically two options. Either this stuff is legit or it's bullshit. Let's now assume both and see what must be done before we delve into guessing which it is. This way we should... He then gave a reply. "Go fetch the man then. I'm not quite done, but if you insist..." The man raises his hands just a little, one in glove and blood, another the same and still holding a scalpel. He then starts to change into his normal clothes without waiting for a reply. This was going to take upwards of three minutes, considering some semblance of hygiene, on which the man was going to insist. He was ambivalent on whether Lirian should watch for him to do it.

“And what have you discovered here?” Lirian asked Quentin, eager to know if there was at least any clue of what were they against to.

“Where should we look for him, if we go to?” she asked, seeing he was readying to go to look for Hunter. “The map shop or the Guards headquarters? ”

"The map shop should be first. And here... seven days." Quentin points at the dissected young man. Then he points to old woman. "Five days." He keeps changing and talking at the same time. "These are two extremes. The timings are pretty damn consistent. No exceptions."

As your standing deciding what to do. Elysia comes over to you from the library in a hurry. She is out of breath.

"I found something of importance she states to Quentin. Oh hello! I'm Elysia. I run the library here.", the woman says out of breathe.

"So I was researching plague by going backwards and looking at what's causing it. Now I know about as much as you but I found something that might be worth mentioning. Part of this magic comes likely comes from a group known as the "The Arcane Covenant". You've probably never heard of them but they are talked about a bunch in this tomb. Apparently, they are an underground society that worships some pretty dark gods but they were forced into the shadows a long time ago by the king's elite guard. They had almost wiped out most of the Covenant. There one of the few in this area who could make magic like this but the ranks were dwindled into almost nothing. So I am unsure how they could be plotting this by themselves."

"The Arcane Covenant. Makes sense. We'll fetch our friend and, I don't know, be back to you shortly? Which way is the map shop?"

So now we know the name of the entity... well, a name of an entity... Quentin was not quite sure what good it is since doing open-source research on a well-organized conspiracy should be borderline pointless, but it seems to be better than knowing no name at least.

OOC: Quentin is ready to be leaving. He's taking the doggies along.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:33, Wed 13 Sept 2023.

“I’m Lirian” Lirian answered to the librarian. “The Arcane Covenant, you said? If they were so weakened, could they ask help to some hellish powers, acting through Infernals?”

Seeing Quentin ready to go, she readied herself, taking the staff. “May I leave this here?” she asked to the librarian, leaving her lute.

She followed Quentin, hopely with Daremo too.

Daremo has been tagging along being quiet but the man has taken in everything said with little input. However at this point he does speak up.

"I am familiar with these Arcane Covenant. In my lands they are called something different but very similar to what you speak. Can you give us more information?"

“Of course you can, you’re even asked to. Any information would be welcome and probably useful” Lirian answered.

“You heard what Master Ezekiel said: your land is not safe if we fail here”

Elysia looks at Lirian, Daremo and Quentin,"Please follow me back to the library. I might be able to pull more information from the books."

Elysia walks briefly to the library trying to find the right books that contain something she is looking for. You follow behind her and she manages to find the right book.

"Ah! Here it is! I knew it was in here somewhere.", she puts the book in front of you and opens it.

"This Convent was created by one of the people of one of the royal families. His name was Lord Varren. He was highly involved in the creation of this secret society. But according to this text he was discovered by the elite guards of King Alistair Stormrider. He fought Varren and won stripping the Lord of his land and people. This also says Varren's body was never recovered from the battle."

"This makes sense. When the Arcane Covenant came to my lands. They sought to raise an ancient lord, some dead god. They stripped my people of valuable resources in order to try to do this but we were able to push them back off our island. I am unsure if they completed their task but once they were gone we made sure to control them. Is it possible this has been one big game for them? Have they been in hiding since then and are now choosing to strike?"

Daremo looks at Elysia with some curiosity.

OOC: Can I make a history roll to learn more about the Arcane Covenant or remember more details?

09:42, Today: Daremo rolled 7,1 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (4+3)7,1.  Knowledge of Covenant.

This message was last edited by the player at 15:36, Wed 13 Sept 2023.

“And when was this? I mean, how long ago?” Lirian asked.

“May them have invoked the strength of a demon or other infernal powers to help them with plague?” he asked to Elysia. “And would holy items help agains either the lague or the Covenant?”

She was becoming nervous, as she understood the hurry to go for Hunter, but at once the information they were receiving seemed very relevant for the case…

"Many, many years ago. When I was but a small child. I hardly remember the experience but I do remember that infernals were not part of the Arcane Covenant. They may have played a roll behind the scenes but I do not remember these creatures. I do remember talk of a lord. My guess is that this Varren is behind most of this. ", says Daremo.

“Well, when I when it was I mostly meant if this generation or some generations ago, so if you remember some of it it’s not as old as I understood” Lirian said, trying to smile despite her concerns.

“And that’s relevant because it’s more credible…” she added. “Old stories occurred generations ago must be taken with a grain of salt, but if you can remember it, we should take it at face value…”

Then she turned to Quentin, seeing him nearly ready to go. “Master Ezekiel said they, whever they are, know about us. Would it be wise to disguise us a little? Or at least using a lateral door just in case they are waiting for us?” she asked now turning to Elysia, as asking if there was any such lateral door. “Or even both options…”

"I will not disguise my dogs, nor my horse when it comes to that, so essentially won't work if we are to keep sticking together. Going through some less than obvious door, or, for that matter, a window, might throw their immediate observers off our trail, but they do know where we live, so we'll have to repeat that trick more often than not."

As Elysia turns to you one of the people helping with the library comes running up to the group. "Ms. Elysia!", he says. "We have a problem. That guy with the pet goblin, I saw him get nabbed."

Elysia looks shocked by the news, "Then these monsters are really looking for you. By now I am guessing they would've already found you. The fact that they haven't means you are either lucky or some how the gods are on your side."

She comes over to the table and grabs a big book that includes a map of sorts, "According to the history the Arcane Covenant was driven to the other bounds of the city. Close to the groove, it's not hard to find. If they have taken your friends anywhere they would be here. Text does mention of a secret entrance hidden from the road in the roots of a tree. They have likely done that because that road is very well traveled by the guards."