The questioning of Rolth Lamm continues and he continues to be cooperative…in a somewhat disturbing fashion. Additional players in the Queen’s “coup” are identified. Plans are discussed for drawing the Queen out of Castle Korvosa. Gray Maidens under the control of the party are created!!! Lieutenant Divo is informed of new information and plans. Details below the break.
Everyone was in attendance. Although I do not think there are any specific spoilers for elements of the Curse of the Crimson Throne adventure path, there are potential spoilers regarding some of the movers and shakers of Korvosa. As usual, my GM comments are in italics.
29 of Pharast
- More questions are directed to Lamm and he continues to be very cooperative.
- Are he or the Queen followers of Ugathoa (turning to questions about the temple beneath the Hospice of the Blessed Maiden)? The answer is no.
- What are the coffers with skulls that the party has found? They are called Death’s Head Coffers and are used to safely transport items such as diseases. Items are held, essentially, in suspended animation while the coffer is closed. The one recovered from his “lab” in the Temple of Urgathoa holds two of the major Death Scarabs used to make captains of the Gray Maidens.
- Why was the Queen involved with the Temple and the work being done their to create a plague? He does not know why as he is not privy to all of the Queen’s plans, just as she is not aware of all of his. He guesses that it is some sort of backup plan for taking over Korvosa.
- It was the followers of Urgathoa creating the plague and they seemed to another of the Queen’s tools.
- How did you get involved with the Queen? He contacted Dr. Reiner Davaulus and discussed his research with the good doctor. This eventually got him an audience with the Queen and led to the creation of the Gray Maidens.
- Who knows how to create Gray Maidens and where are the created? He provides the following list (in no particular order):
- Gilded Orrery: Toff Ornelos, the head master of the Acadamae and, based on description, the older Acadamae individual that the party had spotted on the Sanctuary with Volshenyek many days (and sessions) prior. He would have been involved in burning down an entire building in Old Korvosa with the inhabitants within (many of whom the party rescued at the time.)
- Hospice of the Blessed Maiden: Dr. Giullio Stolus, a student of Dr. Davaulus.
- Hospice of the Divine Matron: Varra Ornelos, the head mistress of the Sanctuary.
- Korvosa Mercy: Dr. Palis Falco, a student of Dr. Davaulus.
- Riverside House: Dr. Corex Callus, a student of Dr. Davaulus.
- How are the supplies needed to create a Gray Maiden getting to Korvosa? Dr. Alviano Kasensius of the University of Korvosa is the contact for this. He has contacts in Osirion that he is working with. Dr. Kasensius has no knowledge that he is helping to create the Gray Maidens or of the Queen’s treachery. He thinks he is just being a good Korvosan and working for the rightful monarch.
- Discussion then turns to plans against the Queen. Lamm continues to offer to help in exchange for his freedom. A few thoughts are tossed about. The goal is to get the Queen out of Castle Korvosa and where she might be more vulnerable.
- Lamm has previously offered to create some Gray Maidens under the control of the group. He brings this up again. All it would require is blood from whoever will control them and, of course, access to his lab, supplies, and relatively fresh bodies.
- Darcy suggests that maybe the group could use these “rogue” Gray Maidens to lure the Queen out. Make it look like control was lost and Lamm could arrange a meeting under the pretense that he knows what went wrong and how to fix it.
- Lamm is keen to do this. The group is more hesitant. They definitely do not want to make more victims for Lamm. His response is that he can use the bodies he already has in his current lab. He will just have to do it soon or the bodies will no longer be “fresh” enough.
- It is agreed that this will happen. Darcy makes it clear to the others that they should kill her if something goes wrong and they need to do so.
- The group returns to Lamm’s lab. Stefaneto does hood Lamm, but he allows the others to follow him with their vision unimpaired…just don’t look at him.
- Rolth indicates that he will need assistance and that Pop is the best suited to the task. Pop is put to work doing basic tasks such as cleaning out the inside of torsos, packing the sand, putting items where they need to be, and similar. (I think it is pretty clear that Lamm is still trying to bait Pop.)
- Blood is drawn from Darcy…not by Lamm.
- Lamm does his magic…chanting in Ancient Osirion, a language that none of the party understands. The bodies animate.
- Lamm tells Darcy to tell them something to do.
- Each looks at Darcy with absolute and utter hate in their eyes. Despite this, they do exactly as instructed. They are told to greet each other and engage in small talk. They do that as well.
- The trio of new Maidens is taken to another room beneath Rose Point Manor where they begin to train in fighting. It appears that they instinctively know how to fight like a Maiden. Their motions are stilted at first but start to improve.
- Lamm says that they should be ready in a few days for whatever the party has planned.
- Isabella messages Divo and lets him know what is going on, avoiding certain details. He dislikes the freelance, adventurer stuff. The party is putting plans in motion to get to the Queen, get the item that lets her control the Gray Maidens, but she can’t provide any details.
- She also shares that the Queen has been wearing a different crown than she did before and it might be a source of some of her other new powers and abilities.
- They’ll get in touch again at a later date and he mumbles something about damn freelancers.
- Isabella also messages Elvo.
- Elvo shares he is now married to the head of the Midnight Siren to join their two gangs in an alliance. He asks Isabella to not tell Darcy about this.
- Some other gangs have attacked both territories and so a move to strengthen them both was needed. It was also to help mollify the Sirens after the members Elvo asked them to have watch the Hospice of the Divine Matron did no return.
- Some gangs have already “declared” their support for the Queen. Others see his as a usurper. The Cerulean Society itself is staying neutral. They’ll likely back whoever wins the civil war.
- The group decides that once the Maidens are ready that they’ll use them to attack the Hospice of the Divine Matron. They know of some smuggling tunnels that go to it thanks the Stefaneto and then to Aimar selling his soul to Kalthrax.
- A few days to engage in some other activities…
That’s pretty much were we stopped for the night.
