Just as flashing a bit of gold drew the crowds in, an angry Shoanti barbarian scattered them again. Like a flock of birds the beggars and pickpockets scattered and the group is able to quickly leave the area.

The rest of the journey through Old Korvosa passes without further incident. Every now and then the group hears that telltale cough. It could be common, or perhaps they are just primed to hear it as they make their way through the tight tangles of the Narrows and across the river into North Point.

"Ayeesha! Over here!"

When the group reaches the first crossroads Grau spies the party, namely the tall Shoanti, and calls out. He muscles his way through the crowd with a big grin on his face.

"Hey! She's awake! Brienna is awake!"

He finally pushed up close to the party and gripped everyone in a tight hug before they could react or resist.

"She's doing so much better! Yesterday she mostly just slept all day but now she's awake and her appetite has returned."

He held up a loaf of bread and some cheap cuts of meat.

"She's just about eaten everything in the cupboards so I ran out to get some more. If you can swing on by I'm sure Tayce and Brienna would love to give you their thanks and..."

He paused, scanning the group and his eyes settled on the disguised Trinia.

"Hey, who's your friend? She looks kind of familiar."
This message was last edited by the player at 13:24, Wed 26 Aug 2020.

"My cousin." Kyra lies quickly before leaning closer to Grau and skipping to another topic, trying to distract the man. "I'm sending her far away from here while I still can, and I'd strongly advise you to do the same with your family, and do so quickly. Have you seen what is happening in the slums? By this time tomorrow half the damned city is going to be at death's doors."

DM, let me know if a bluff roll is needed, or just roll one yourself.

Kraw asks (to further distract) "has Brienna told you anything of what she did that day that might have led to her getting infected?"

Figus motions to Ayeesha to keep their charge moving, while helping Kraw and Kyra distract Grau.

OOC: Please let me know if any rolls need to be made.

Grau spins and falls into step with the group, distracted by mentions of his nephew but not willing to let the party slip away either.

"No not yet. She still wasn't fully with it so I was hoping to give her another day before asking. Would you mind coming with? If you're not busy at least but if we're going to figure this out we should probably talk to her sooner than later, right?"

He gestured, pointing out a merchant who was coughing with angry red blisters across his face.

"Who knows where she caught it."

He paused and then hustled to keep up with the group moving at speed towards the gate.

"So do you think you can swing by? I know Brienna would love to tell you her thanks."

OOC: Just as an FYI I am calling out the sick but for every sick person there are hundreds if not thousands that are healthy and fine Easily < 1% of the city are infected, probably closer to < 0.1% at this point but the other point is the streets are so crowded and there are so many people that you do see them here or there.

Kyra nods as she gives the sick merchant a wide berth.

Kyra was exaggerating for effect, but given conditions in a medieval-ish city and how quickly this thing works maybe not by all that much.

Kraw says "like you said. We'll give it another day for her to recover, then we will swing by to visit, all right?"

Ayeesha was happy to keep moving, but smiled back at Grau.

"Yeah, I'll swing by soon as I can, promise. You tell Brienna that. But this lot need their den mother for now. See you all soon, ok?"

Grau nervously scracthes his head again.

"I...I might have promised them you would swing by today. If you can't make it I understand...and they will too! Just that you're heading the right way, you know..."

He pointed East in the direction they were traveling towards the gate across the river. Truth be told once they dropped Trinia off they would be a hop, skip and a jump away from Trail's End once again.

Trinia had positioned herself to make sure there were at least two people between her and Grau the guardsmen talking their ear off. She let out a quick breath of surprise as up ahead a Hellknight flanked by a half dozen armigers turned onto their street. The armigers spread out blocking the street as the Hellknight took a few steps forward. The traffic on the busy street slowed to a trickle as pedestrians were forced to squeeze between the gaps in the Hellknight formation.

The Hellknights had been creating these impromptu checkpoints quite frequently as of late as a way of filtering out the criminals that would hide among the flow of civilization along these busy streets.

Kraw says "Figus, why don't you and I go see the girl with Grau here. Kyra, is there someplace tou want us to meet you afterwards?" Kraw leans in close to Kyra whispering "hustle your cousin and the others down a side alley. I'll keep the metalheads distracted." He lifts his head and turns to Grau. He asks Grau "do you know if the Hellknights have been made aware of this new disease?"

Grau frowns as the Hellknights set up their chokepoint.

"No, and even if they did they probably wouldn't care. They're here to round up malcontents on the orders of the queen under the guise of law and order. They don't actually care about the safety of the city or its citizens."

Kraw nods. "Actually, I was wondering if they had been made aware of the potential dangers to themselves."

Figus thru back his cloak and picked his chin "Ok, lets do it."

With the air of superiority about him, Figus strolled directly towards the Hellknights. As he got closer, he sneered with disdain ... and 'accidentally' bumped one.

"I beg your pardon!" he exclaimed "That is so rude of you!"

Knowing that Tengu are usually under scrutiny, Kraw nonetheless advances on the Hellknight checkpoint. When he arrives, he uses Figus' distraction to allow his feathered hand to drift near the pouch of one of the Hellknights. He makes no effort to grab anything, but he does deliberately obscure what his hand is doing.

14:13, Today: Kraw rolled 12 using 1d20+10 with rolls of 2.  Sleight of Hand .

Ayeesha waits for the distraction to take effect, to see where the guards are looking and where they aren't. She calls to Trinia and Kyra in a hushed voice.

"If they see me, I'm turning back. You two keep going. I can be a secondary distraction, you just don't stop. Meet you on the other side."

She let Trinia and Kyra slip down the alley first, then tried to follow. If she hears an order to stop from a Hellknight she stops that second, then turns and walks back towards them, hopefully further drawing attention from Trinia and Kyra. Worst comes to worst, she gets in the way.

21:42, Today: Ayeesha rolled 5 using 1d20-2 with rolls of 7.  stealth in armor (at least I think that's the check I need).

"Coz, you look cold. Here." Kyra wraps her shawl around Trinia's neck, while whispering the command word and instructions to her ear. "Stay in the shadow as much as possible."

That done, she points her to the side alley, hoping Ayeesha's frame will shield them from hellknights' attention. "I really can't be bothered dealing with this today. Let's take a little detour."

Side alley it is. Kyra gave her shawl to Trinia.
07:26, Today: Kyra rolled 11 using 1d20+10 with rolls of 1.  Stealth.
Oh ffs, d20 strikes again. I hope Trinia has better luck. If Kyra is stopped, she will motion Trinia to continue on.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:15, Tue 01 Sept 2020.

The commotion turns into a true spectacle. The armiger Figus bumps into starts shoving him back. Another guard grabs Kraws arm, pulling it out expecting him to have a purse or something in it and looking a bit surprised when it comes up empty. He motions and another armiger starts searching Tengu, growing confused as they find the trappings of an adventurer and not a pickpocket.

Then as Ayeesha and Kyra try ducking down the side alley the Hellknight himself points at the trio and shouts.

"You there! Stop! Halt!"

Might this be the same Hellknight from the docks? It's hard to tell with the full-plate armor but the voice does sound familiar. The Hellknight checkpoint dissolves as half the armigers are busy with Kraw and Figus while the other half follow the Hellknight down the side alley in pursuit of Ayeesha and Krya.

Meanwhile Trinia just freezes, stepping to the side and Hellknight pursuers run right on past her. She's just another innocent face in the crowd, nope nothing suspicious going on with her.

Meanwhile Grau is just standing there looking stunned as half his friends are fleeing like wanted criminals and the other half are being apprehended and searched like captured criminals. Trinia just keeps on walking towards the gate and disappears into the crowd.

OOC: Kinda a good news/bad news situation...

Kraw acts affronted. "How dare you stop members of the Guard? We are with Grau here on legitimate business. And don't you know there's an epidemic running around? And why are you following that clown in the armor? Don't you know he's bought and paid for by a Korvosan Crime Boss? I demand you send a messenger to Cressida Croft. Let go of that, it doesn't belong to you."

"Head through alone." Kyra whispers to Trinia when she hears a shout behind them. She shoulders the woman aside and carries on casually down the side alley without her, motioning Ayeesha to follow as well. She's pretending not to realize who the hellknights are yelling after until they come after them. "Who, us?" She asks when the hellknights finally reach them.

Since Kyra knows the city pretty well, where does this side alley lead to? Anything interesting (an inn, tavern, shop, something)?

OOC: Krau/Figus, someone make a Diplomacy/Bluff/Intimidation check (your pick). One person can make the roll, the other can assist. Grau will also assist for a +2.

Same for Ayeesha/Krya. If you're just looking for the name of an excuse then the Three Rings Tavern is headed in this direction although it would still be a weird way to go there instead of taking a main road.

OOC Social skills are NOT Kraw's strength.


23:01, Today: Kraw rolled 9 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 7.  Diplomacy.

OOC: Better than rolling another 1, I guess.
10:03, Today: Kyra rolled 16 using 1d20+9 with rolls of 7.  Bluff.

A tavern will do. As for this not being the usual way to get there, well, that entirely depends on where we were going from, something they don't know. This could have just been the shortest route for us to the tavern. Let me know and I'll put that in character.

Figus eyes begin to throw cold daggers of fire.

11:01, Today: Figus Dva rolled 16 using 1d20+6 with rolls of 10.  Intimidate