"Ah, so my suspicions were correct. You properly own this place and it's people. If that is the case, we shall meet again. I do not wish to hinder your influence of this place whatsoever, is not the place that is important to me. But I would love to have a chat about how you got hold of it, and perhaps you can enlighten me with the bits of the story that i'm missing. Farewell"

With a deep bow, Plaga left the place. Truly, this was unexpected. He had somehow imagined that whoever deposed of her had taken hold of the area. But it appears that her killers were not motivated by that, but had some other intention. Unless, of course, that the Shadow had a hand on her death, or in deposing whoever came after Plaga. Whatever the case, conversing with the stranger would likely clarify some things.

During the remaining of the night, Plaga will continue exploring the darkest paths of Silver Stream with her mask on. New organizations, dealers, purse cutters; Plaga wanted to learn everything, one person at a time. Only when she was familiar with the new Silver Stream, and if she had failed to find any of her former followers, she would reach out to a church to arrange a conversation

Asking around, Plaga asks about her known associates from when she was running her own organization. The hideouts have all vanished and been replaced with new buildings. Still, it's not difficult for her to find the place where criminals hang out.. the rows of clay houses and farms are broken up by the public blocks, and it's easy for Plaga to notice which ones have criminal activity.

The public blocks, the large fort like areas that serve as shelter against the rain and wind and contain the markets for people in the area are good natural meeting places. The fence/peddlers, weapon merchants, harlots and the like do not seem to know the names she gives.

But in the third public block she tries, Plaga has a remarkable stroke of luck: a seller of soups reacts to a name Plaga gives. Xaro Dervinter, known as the Strangler, was the guild master who had owed her a favor many years ago, and likely one of the ones who had betrayed her.

He apparently lived in a permanent suite in a ajoining building. He brought the soup in routinely to the place on his rounds. He had not seen the man, who seldom left the three story building (making it significantly more well put together than most of the cities in the Stream) and the place was frequented by n'aer do wells, but you didn't forget a name like that.

Plaga recalled that Xaro had been foreign born, a refugee from some other country. He'd been quite a brawler in his youth, and had graduated from a fighter to thuggery and then when circumstances went the right way, up the criminal chain of the city.

Finally having a lead, Plaga thanked the soup vendor, leaving a few coins for his troubles, and moved directly to her target. Xaro had been an important piece for her once, and if he was indeed one of the traitors, she will make sure he pays dearly for it.

Eager to see her old  acquaintance, Plaga moved to the building the soup vendor described.

Buildings in Silver Stream came, generally, in two varieties. The first were the clay houses - which tended to be large, ranch like buildings that would not last more than a few years before needing to be rebuilt in the rain and wind (but were quite easy to construct) and the larger ones made of stone and wood that were brought in from afar. These tended to cluster together in small public or private blocks.

The building in question essentially was an apartment building - something that would be occupied by Silver Stream's lower middle class. It was made of proper stone and wood and was old. It had been rebuilt many times, but it was starting to become apparent that a rebuild would be needed soon. In short, the place wasn't inhabited by peasants, mostly those who were well off but not too well off.

It was not a public building.  Entering the building was simple - the place had a door that would simply be closed at night, but was open for the majority of the day.Of course, locks were expensive, and guards more so, and security was frequently very... informal.

In this case, it took the form of about half a dozen young toughs. The exact gang wasn't known to Plaga, but they rarely lasted more than a few years. All of them in this case wore thick waxxed leather jackets with bone and metal studs common to the city, and openly carried "walking sticks" used to discourage fools. These gangs lived by providing protection services and minor acts of petty thuggery.

In this case, they loitered and "guarded" the entrance of the building.

For the visit, Plaga chose to wear the mask. If the word spread, she would like for her to be identified as the Doctor of Death rather than Plaga. And on top of that, the mask had it's own benefits. For starters, the keen enhanced vision the mask provided would make it so no thug could remain hidden in her presence. However, she didn't want to be hostile, at least not from the start. After all, the possibility of Xaro being innocent existed.
She walked directly up to the thugs, and flashed one of her drug bags. She chose silver, as it had been quite popular in Silver Stream before. She was also curious about the reaction the thugs would have. When Plaga's empire fell, a lot of addicts would have been left without a supply. Were Plaga's killers interested in taking over her region? Or perhaps they wished to abolish drug consumption all together? While it won't be confirmation, a hint to the truth would lie among the type of people that buyed her product in the past. And this thugs certainly played the part.

"I would like to go inside. May we reach an agreement?"

He eyed the Silver and raised an eyebrow (or maybe that was just her appearance). "Nice stuff lady, but there's no one in here who's gunna buy, and we're not interested."

Several others continued to play some kind of card game inside the place, but now were looking at her through the corner of her eye as they did so.

"Place is for residents and the owner, only."

Kind of unusual for thugs. Maybe these people had orders?

The man continued to lean against the building, stretching out his rather impressive arms.

Plaga pocketed the silver without saying anything. Things have truly changed around here, huh.

"Alright then, I'm not in the mood for playing around. I need to see Xaro. Either bring him here or let me through, because I'm not going without having a chat with the man".

"Residents are not to be disturbed. The orders are very clear."

There is a subtle change in demenor from the men. The game behind them stops, and hands go inside jackets.

"It's gonna be this way then".

Through the mask, Plaga's gaze poses on each one of the thugs, but she must be distracted as it doesn't seem to have the desired effect.

19:10, Today: Plaga, The Doctor of Death rolled 5 using 1d20+4.  Lich Queen Gaze.
Yep, that's a nat 1

[OOC - You are point blank to them and they are lesser foes, and surprised. You may roll fray, and then a second action]

Ah, forgot about fray die.

15:39, Today: Plaga, The Doctor of Death rolled 22 using 1d20+4.  Lich Queen Gaze.
15:40, Today: Plaga, The Doctor of Death rolled 4 using 1d10+3.  Damage.

15:39, Today: Plaga, The Doctor of Death rolled 6 using 1d8.  Fray Die.

15:39, Today: Plaga, The Doctor of Death rolled 8 using 1d8.  Fray Die.

1+2+2= 5 damage

Also, if any die, im keeping them alive with Withholding the Mercy
This message was last edited by the player at 18:42, Sun 06 Jan 2019.

The thugs are quite willing to give her a hard time, but when a bunch of them quite literally start dropping dead from her gaze, they break, and immediately begin bursting out the back door, screaming obsenities and prayers in equal measure.

The Riders didn't seem to be in the immediate area (not surprising.. Stream was a large flat town that covered a lot of ground), and it was not certain that the thugs would even bother reporting to them, given they were likely tied to the place's underworld. They would probably report what happened to SOMEBODY, but that would not be nearly as swift as a call to the guard, at least not in this neighborhood of this town.

(OOC - If you really want to try chasing them down, that's doable, just let me know).
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:18, Mon 07 Jan 2019.

Plaga considered the implications of letting the thugs run away, but ultimately decided it was not worth the bother of chasing them. Even if they notified someone that could mean trouble to Plaga, it was bound to happen sooner or later. She was tired of playing with a low profile, it was time for the world to learn to fear the Doctor of Death.

Now without guards, Plaga would go into the building, looking for someone that seemed scared enough to answer her questions but not much so as to run away at her sight. If noone was around, she will look for Xaro herself.

(Note: You do have a bunch of thugs that are incapacitated thanks to withhold the mercy)

The place is not particularly large.. truly big buildings required large amounts of stone that had to be brought in expensive. Even a fairly simple three story stone building was difficult to maintain given Silver Stream's shifting sands, wind and rain during the monsoon season.

A winding interior staircase made it's way up the central room, and the residences were clearly marked. You hear at least one of the doors on the highest floor slam shut so fast that the candles and lamps in the place flicker momentarily. Not surprising: no one wanted to tangle with who or whatever had just overcome "security" in the place.

Typically that is where the best rooms are, of course. There are a number of regular sized suites on the second floor, but only 4 on the third. One of the doors is marked with a bell. Their suite is on the third floor, but is fairly small (and is likely the owner or building manager from what you know of such places). There are several other small suites on the third floor, one of them clearly marked with warning signs.

There are a bunch of rooms on the second and first floor that seem otherwise unremarkable.

I assumed that the thugs that went down were taking a nap. If Plaga can interrogate one of them, she would do so

Plaga will approach one of the thugs, and ask very calmly.

"Now, you want to tell me the truth here. Because I have plenty of people around to ask, and I hate liars. Where is Xaro?"
This message was last edited by the player at 10:55, Mon 07 Jan 2019.

At the very least, Plaga's command over the near dead is enough to get an answer, though he's on the edge of consciousness. The thug, terrified, simply looks at one of the doors on the third floor and weakly points at it.

Plaga nods, and lets the terrified thug continue sulking in his despair, walking to the door the thug pointed to.

Plaga knocks on the door, and wait a few seconds. If she has no response, she would announce herself.

"Xaro, don't make me come get you... you wouldn't like that option, would you?"

If after all that she still has no response, Plaga will go out of the building, to check if Xaro may be trying to escape through a window.

There was some noise from from inside, but no actual movement after nearly a minute.

"Alright, ready or not, here i come"

The ground would start shaking outside the building, on the street, and the next thing you know a group of 10 skeletons is marching up the stairs, joining Plaga and toppling down the door for her. After that, they clear the way for the godbound to go through, and swiftly (or as swiftly as a skeleton can muster) follow behind her, as she goes inspect the room looking for Xaro or any leads as to where he may have gone.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:25, Wed 09 Jan 2019.

You burst in. The room is rather spartan. There are a number of cleaning supplies here and there, as well as medicinal ointments and herbs.

Lying in bed is an old man in a simple cotton nightgown. He is clearly quite invalid from his palid complexion, the way he's been secured to the bed, and from the medical devices scattered across the room, which Plaga recognizes, of course.

And speaking of recognition, the man's eyes dart across the room and he sees her. Already terrified from undead bursting in, he begins making a piteous, wheezing attempt at a scream and clutching at his heart as he sees her, for he knows it is Death, come to take him.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:10, Wed 09 Jan 2019.

"... Xaro? What... how long have I been dead? Has it really been that long, or perhaps...?"

Plaga had seen men age quite a few years in an instant not too long ago, after the deals with the balance for life years were made. Perhaps she had truly been dead for several decades, or perhaps it was something else. Whatever the case, the old man in the bed looked quite a lot like his former associate.
Plaga went closer to the bed. In this state, the man would hardly be of any help.

"Kill yourselves".

While she say this looking at Xaro, the order was directed at the skeleton army, that proceeded to bash their skulls into the walls and furniture of the room, in a chaotic frenzy. Once there was only a skeleton remaining, Plaga freed him of her control and proceeded to finish it off herself with her eldritch gaze.
If the old man had somehow not died from a heart attack by now, Plaga would go even closer to him.

"That is the power i hold. Answer me Xaro, or I'll summon your soul from the beyond and force you to do so. I'm the Doctor of Death, and you better think very carefully if you want to lie to me or not. I was chased down, and assasinated. Who did it, Xaro? And why?"
This message was last edited by the player at 12:38, Wed 09 Jan 2019.

He makes a piteous sound and grasps his heart, but it's not quite his time to go quite yet. Still, he palid clammy flesh, sweat and puffy skin were clear markers to Plaga: he'd be dead of heart failure soon enough.

He looks up, at Plaga's eyes.. as much as he's seen through the mask.

"Plaga.. impossible they said... I guess you were a necromancer. Huh. They were right."

He spent a few times catching his breath.

"It was Redactors. Said they'd divined that you were going to be a liche queen. They came in with the old cardinal.. what's his name? Ordo? And the cloaked assassin. She was cloaked."

He held up a hand that was a bit malformed with a long ago healed injury. Xaro was a big guy, and had been quite strong in his youth who'd made it a habit of strangling his enemies to death with his bare hands.

"She crushed it. Grip like steel."

The church.. backed with the redactors themselves, and a LOT of money

[OOC - He absolutely had to make a save vs fatal heart attack for that]

"Between the might of the church and the redactors, sorry, I gave you up."

He spent a few seconds coughing and hacking, into his hand with a pained expression. After a few moments, he wiped away the blood and plemgh with a hankerchief before continuing.

"Your organization got folded. Not much to the story after that. A couple years ago I started dying and got pitched out of leadership. Tried running a tavern, but couldn't even do that after a few years. Some agent of a noble arranged this room for me."

"A self-fulfilling prophesy, eh? By killing the to be lich queen, they created her. I like it, it has a taint of bitter irony to it. I was concerned with your betrayal, Xaro, but I now know that you had no choice. I forgive you."

Plaga stood up straight. She was furious. She now knew the names responsible for her fall, and didn't want anything more than storm the church and make an example of Ordo and his followers... but it was not the time yet. She was powerful, yes, but she needed to be even more so to complete her revenge. And, as fate would have it, her rebirth had presented powerful potential allies to her. She didn't need to do this alone. She couldn't do this alone.

"Xaro... you served me well in the past. It is because of that service that I'll give you three choices here. One, perhaps the most simple, is letting you be. You will agonize for a few more days, perhaps even weeks, and die when your heart can't keep up anymore. The second option... I can make your death less painful. You will die peacefully, in a rush of ecstacy. Neither of this two options i feel is a fitting end for Xaro, The Grappler. Dieing of old age, on a bed... if you really want to go like that, you may choose so. But there is a third option. I can tie your spirit to your body once more, before it departs to the afterlife. Your heart is failing you, so I can make it so you don't need it anymore. You will feel no pain, and the grappler of the old days will return. The choice is yours, Xaro. I'll respect whatever you wish".

"I was alive longer for more years alive after you left then before. Time, it can change you. The weight of years.. it is a powerful thing.

That man, Xaro, "The Strangler".. he is gone. Were you to restore these hands to their strength, I would not live as I did before."

He weakly shook his head.

"No.. I thank you for your forgiveness, but there are countless others that I hurt that did got get the chance to forgive me. Crimes and betrayals committed before and since that were far worse than.

I am ready to pay for those sins, I think. Be it by your hand, or letting time finish it's job. I leave it in the hands of the divine, through your work or nature's.

Do as you will, Doctor."

He gave a rapid cough and lay back.

While she had found valuable information, Plaga had to face the realization of all her hard work being truly gone. If Xaro was any indications, the remainings of her former glory were now broken and weakened, and would no longer serve their purpose.

Before leaving the room, Plaga gave Xaro a final gift. The man will feel truly relaxed, as he hadn't felt in years. The pain was completely gone, and he didn't find himself trapped in an old and broken body, but he was his old self. Expect his hands. The hand he hands were not the one that had been Xaro's proud on his all days, and his cross to bear on his dying bed. He had the hands of a baker. Of a doctor. Of a father. The hands he had now were not meant to hurt others, but to give love, care and life. Seeing this beautiful and peaceful hands, Xaro passed away, the eldritch might of Plaga doing quick work of him.

"Goodbye, Xaro. I hope you find in death the peace that was denied to you in life"


Ordo. And the Redactors. Those were responsable for her fall. They were her enemies, and they would learn that destroying her organization was a mistake. But not yet. Plaga had just awakened, and even if she was more powerful than ever before, she was yet too weak. There were monsters in this world that were above what she could handle, she knew that now. No, she couldn't do this alone. She needed to gain trustworthy allies. And she just happened to know where to start looking.

Turning her back to Silver Steam, Plaga started heading back to the city.