"She can demand whatever she wants. She knows what will happen if she tries screaming again."
Zeona finds no rose petals among the supplies. Try as she might, she sees no sand either, only traces of tracked dirt. In the corner, however, she finds the dry, long-dead body of a cricket that most likely wandered into the shed and died there.
"Why, what would happen?" she asked back bravely, cradling the dead insect hoping it would be enough for her new sleep spell... but if the sleep would be fatal, she kind of did not cared at this moment. "Please, if I promise not to scream, would you get me food and drink and water to at least sponge-wash?!" her voice was getting louder and more frantic towards the end.
And of course she would start screaming if they did not seemed to be moved by her plea. But standing backfrom the door, she would try sending them to sleep anyway when finally she couldsee both of them - but maybe she would wait for the water to be put down, if any.
"We come inside and put you to sleep again," one of the guards says in a patronizing tone, as if explaining something very obvious.
"With a goodnight hug around your neck," the other adds.
When Zeona makes her requests, the guards pause a moment to exchange glances.
"We don't have food."
"Or a sponge."
"We have water, but you can't have it."
"We're thirsty."
With the guards unmoved, Zeona resorts to her fallback plan of screaming. That at least guarantees a reaction. Once she starts, it's only a couple seconds before one very annoyed-looking guard throws open the storeroom's door, the other right behind her. Their hands are empty, with their weapons at their sides, but they look ready for violence regardless.
They're not expecting you to cast magic, so you can consider this a surprise round even though they are technically ready for combat.
Finishing the screaming to put power behind her will, Zeona tries to get her two guards asleep. Hoping, but not really believing that it would be that easy, she is ready to charge and grab a weapon. Of course she really need them to be surprised a little more and have at least one of them succumb to the magic, the young noble half-elf still feels her excitement pushing her naked body to flush and almost radiate the excess energy.
Initiative: 20, first round surprise, Sleep 30HP
Second round charge at 20...
Zeona can't know how familiar the guards are with magic, but both seem surprised to see her spellcasting. As she readies the dead cricket and speaks words that are unfamiliar but, somehow, intimately known by her, the thugs' eyes widen with surprise. The one in front takes a half-step back while the other reaches for her weapon, but they have no time to accomplish anything before the spell goes off.
"What - "
" - the - "
The magic fills the air inside the storeroom and the thugs' eyelids go slack. Simultaneously, they slump, then collapse into each other, their heads colliding with a subtle clunk before they both collapse into back-to-back sitting positions, snoring softly.
"Yes!" Zeona jumps a little into the air happily, then hurries over to divest them of their weaponsand any keys, looking for something to tie them up with. Even their clothes would be good, but before she starts undressing them, she checks outside the door taking the weapons and any keys with herself. Being naked, she hopes to find her own dress to put on, but any clothes would be good, with footwear, before she tries leaving the building.
She did think about dressing one of the guards as her to be taken away by whoever is coming for her, but they could easily wake up soon, so she better look for her own freedom first. Still, if she does not do something with the people coming for her, they could easily wake the guards and try hunting her down in the unknown city... If only she could be sure that she would be safe in the house they was attacked at!
For now, exploring any possibilities in the other room and maybe in the whole building she was in should be priority, until she could dress.
The guards have no ropes, shackles, or anything else of the sort. If they had, they would probably have used them on Zeona. Zeona is able to tie knots around their wrists and ankles with their own clothes, but they're not very supple, so she can't be sure if the guards will be able to wriggle free once they wake up. Both are wearing chain mail (or were, until Zeona removed their clothes) and carry a longsword, shield, and dagger. She also finds a deck of cards, two lunches (enough food for one day, though far below her usual standards), and her dress and footwear.
The room itself has no more secrets for her. She already searched it earlier, finding only basic supplies, and stepping outside reveals that it is nothing more than a shack, though its against the wall of another building. It appears to be located inside an alleyway; the walls of multiple buildings tower around her, leaving her in shadow.
Dressed in her own clothing, Zeona tries to put the guards heavy chain and shields with their swords somewhere hidden in the alleyway. She keeps the cards and daggers with the food, but did not spent any time tieing up the women, fearing they would wake. Hoping she would neversee them again, but also hoping that if she needed, she will find the hidden stash to sell for money - or to exchange for favors. She very much hoped to find some money on them, or jewelry...
Carrying all of those steel and iron with her would be not only heavy, but call for attention now, when she tries fleeing the alleyway and find the palace of the Charrs. There she would try to gauge the aftermath of the attack and the killing. Obviously she herself would hope to remain in the background, knowing nobody, and fearing being found out by her kidnappers, so the best she hopes for are the rumours and what she can see and hear on her own.
Zeona would eat the food on her way, and looks for a well or rainwater collector to wash her hands and face. Finding a place to do her businness would be good too...
The alley looks like a natural place to collect rainwater, as there are multiple barrels with plenty of water for Zeona to wash her hands and face. Looking for somewhere to hide the shields and armour, she spots a window peeking above the ground in one of the alleyway's buildings. Looking inside, Zeona sees a cellar filled with trash. As she stashes the equipment inside, she sees signs that the room probably had another use before being repurposed as a garbage dump. Notably, she sees boarded-over portions of the walls that were probably windows and doors, even though they would seemingly lead nowhere. Zeona knows enough about history to know that some cities build up over themselves over time, and Ossimar is centuries old. Most likely, this room was located at ground level at one point, but gradually buried by further development.
The guards are still asleep when she flees the alleyway. When she emerges onto the street, Zeona doesn't recognize this specific location, but she thinks she's close to where the Charrs held their ball. Both that and this location are in the heart of Ossimar, relatively close to the sea but a respectable distance from the docks themselves. The buildings bordering the street are a combination of storefronts and inns catering to wealthy travelers. There are more wealthy, or at least well-dressed, travelers on the streets as well...but they're not being treated the way to which Zeona is accustomed.
"Backstabbing bastards!" screams a commoner, one of many swarming a lavishly-decorated carriage. The driver desperately attempts to guide the carriage away from the crowd, but cannot control the horses, as they are too spooked to follow orders and secured too tightly to the carriage to escape. The commoners ignore the horses, however, and pull the driver off his seat, where he disappears into a sea of fists and clubs. Other commoners wrench the carriage doors open and pull out a man and woman, both well-dressed but probably not noble - wealthy merchants, perhaps. The commoners howl in anger and beat down on the rich couple, while others pour into the carriage to loot whatever they can find. Only when members of Ossimar's city watch - clad in black uniforms and gleaming metal armour, riding on horseback - charge into the crowd do the commoners back off enough for the watch to save the couple's life, though they are bloody and bruised and whatever valuables they have are long gone. Elsewhere on the street, more city watch form a protective circle around another visiting dignitary as they and their entourage hurriedly prepare to leave, surrounded by more commoners jeering and throwing refuse.
For a moment, the shouting is drowned out by the sound of a blaring horn, though it doesn't seem to disturb the rioting commoners. The sound comes from a man dressed in rich, bright violet clothes with gold accents, obviously designed to catch the eye. He lowers the horn and clears his throat.
"Hear ye, hear ye!" The man's voice is booming and powerful. He shouts his message to the street seemingly unconcerned by the violence around him. "Kandik Charr killed in cowardly attack on International Celebration of Friendship by foreign ruling families! Some assassins remain at large! Full announcement at dusk in Ossimar central square!"
Measuring her chances against the crowd alone, Zeona eyes the rich couple and the visiting dignitary being protected. She definitely looks haggard and even a little dirty, but unfortunately she just made herself presentable in the alley. So, she feels that she must join the protected rich people - or try to survive on her own. So, if she can, Zeona tries to join them. If there are two groups of soldiers, she takes more interest in the couple and the dignitary to choose which one she can - and should - join. If theyseem to be protecting all three within thesame group of soldiers sooner or later, she tries to join them and just has to choose the right time to rush there...
On the other hand, she really has to tell someone about the cowards and kidnappers. And preferably before sheis counted among the foreigners against the Charrs... So, if she can, she would happily Message - is she only had the piece of copper wire - the man with the booming voice or tell some of the soldiers in person about the house they was holding her and now two guards and possible others could be found.
However, Zeona's first priority is to save herself, and if the protected people are being ushered into the carriage, she has to be among them. Otherwise, if she can't reach safety that way, she will have to use up the last of her new power to Disguise herSelf.
Zeona's clothes are considerably nicer than the commoners rioting in the streets, but it doesn't seem to earn her any consideration from the city watch. They warily eye anyone that comes close, and if Zeona gets within arm's reach, they swat at her with the flat of their blades - hard.
"Back up!" they shout loudly and harshly. Zeona is not accustomed to anyone speaking to her that way, but the watchmen seem blind to her noble status. Oddly, so do the riotous commoners; a few notice her fine clothes and shoot her venomous looks, but most seem to ignore her, shouting instead at their earlier targets.
The only ones that seem to notice Zeona's status are the visitors. The couple rescued by the watch give Zeona brief, panicked looks as they pass - the expressions of people in a crisis exchanging sympathy with others in the same sinking boat - and the dignitary's entourage clearly notice her in the crowd, but are too busy with their own charge to help her. None of these visitors are from Cormyr, Zeona can tell, so while they recognize her as a fellow foreigner, they are not her countrymen.
Zeona was not used to be overlooked - and overlooked by poors, commoners and rich people alike - so she lifts her head and just walks away in the direction where the commotion is less, but the streets are still open and by the looks the houses are at least normal, if not richer. If there are shops built into the houses, that would be the right direction for Zeona. She plan to be there at dusk in Ossimar central square, and until then she does hope to find a smith, or an armour merchant...
She does not really want to meet the city watch if she does not have to, and unknown dignitaries can really be more problem than help. If she cant easily reach the man dressed in rich, bright violet clothes with gold accents, who just made the loud accountment, she would just basically leave the area. But Zeona would remember the couple and the dignitary's entourage, and have no problem returning their looks and reactions later if they would ever meet.
While the city watch prevents Zeona from getting close to the foreigners, they don't seem to extend that protection to the purple-garbed crier. No one is threatening him - in fact, no one even seems to be paying attention to him. Apparently, everyone currently here already knows the current events.
The crier looks over at Zeona as she walks up, but only for a moment, and he doesn't interrupt his work. He continues to shout his announcements unless Zeona directly addresses him.
"For a moment of your time, good sir, can you tell me who I can give more information about the attack and attackers? I fear it is quite time sensitive..." Zeona tries to do her duty as a good and lawful kingdom's noble born daughter, and hopes to remove some of the debth of association from herself - preferably never getting under any scrutiny. She also hopes that with her usefulness, she would get an escort and maybe some real food and room for the coming night. Zeona is a little bit queasy about the possibility to spend any time in a cell, but better have it now, than a longer time later. She just can't figure the circumstances turning against her even more.
"Hmm?" The crier looks over at Zeona, looking somewhat surprised to be disturbed from his work. "Talk to any of the watch. They'll know what to do."
He pauses, looking over at the evacuating foreigners. "...any that aren't already busy, that is. If you've been listening, you already know that..."
He stops, then gives Zeona a second look. His eyes scan down her clothes, then back up to her face. "You're...not of Ossimar, are you? You're a visiting...diplomat? No, it doesn't matter, anyway..."
He steps closer and lowers his voice. "I would advise you keep it to yourself and leave Ossimar as soon as possible. Whatever your concern, we can handle our own business. This city is about to become dangerous for your kind, I sense."
"My handmaidens are dead or turned traitors, I have no way returning home at this time. But I would be happy to help Ossimar... I was captured alive right next from the killed Charr, and then they want to sell me! If there are magic users and guards to work this angle, we can get the whole group... But there is not much time to act! Help me get to the right people, or if you do not want to help me to get my vengeance here, just give me some directions to people who could help me leave Ossimar..." Zeona tried to be seen both intelligent and comely - maybe the most dangerous, but it could offer the crier a way to put himself into a better position by helping her get to the right people...
"You were - ?!" The crier's breath catches in his throat as he stares at Zeona in horror. He looks over at the nearby guards, but they're still busy fending commoners off from other visitors. He looks back at Zeona with an extremely nervous expression.
"I...I didn't quite hear that, young lady," he says. "But I meant what I said. Get out of Ossimar...by dusk, absolutely. Any way you can. I - I have to go!"
Without waiting for an answer, he backpedals away from Zeona, then turns on his heel. He walks swiftly for a few steps before breaking into as fast a run as his age and impractical attire allows.
Staring after the seemingly nervous, but definitely cowardly crier, Zeona stomps in her anger, and tries to leave the affected streets towards the richer neighborhood. Still thinking about finding out what happened at the Charrs house, or at least at the announcement at dusk in Ossimar central square, Zeona's first interest is herself, and getting safer than she is at the moment.
It would be nice to find someone who would go back for the hidden armor and weapons to provide her with money, but the half-elf noble is looking for a safe place to rest and recuperate, and gather information about her possibilities. She is not used to the situation, it is giving her too much freedom while not really giving her options of what to do.
While Zeona does have the skills to start investigating, the area and its people are alien to her, and without the usual safety net of her family, - with the kidnapper killers not far off -, she does not know where to start. Maybe leaning on her knowledge of history and her usual perceptiveness, she could find the right local noble to help her - or at least gain audience in her plight. Maybe even with the Charrs.
Getting some useful knowledge of Ossimar and finding a place to recover would also let Zeona reflect on what happened with her handmaidens and guard, and on her pact with the otherwordly creature of carnal pleasures.
While the city wasn't much more of her - and her family's - interest outside of the Charr family, Zeona did not thought that the Thayan magic backed business and government was in such a turmoil that she had to flee even without a clear target destination in her mind. Not to speak about the non existent way or the money to do it...
Zeona tries to find a helpful noble, but is disappointed. For most of its centuries of history, Ossimar has had no nobility, as it's only been a sleepy port and lumber town of no kingdom. Today, Ossimar's only nobility is the Charr family, and they're too guarded for Zeona to get close - at least, not in an afternoon. Fortunately, she manages to find a buyer for her weapons and armour, so she at least gets some money.
Make a Persuasion or Deception roll (whichever you prefer), DC 15. If you succeed, you sell the weapons and armour for the full price listed in the Player's Handbook. If you get fail, you sell them for half price.
While searching for a buyer, Zeona discovers that while Ossimar has little nobility she can use, it does have a middle-class of wealthy, but common-born bourgeoisie. They may have the resources to be useful to her.
Ossimar's people converge on the main square as dusk approaches. Zeona finds herself shoulder-to-shoulder with a densely packed crowd, looking up at a raised platform. On the platform stands a red wizard of Thay: a tattooed, red-robed middle-aged woman with a shaved head and eyes as dark and impassive as onyx. This, Zeona knows, is Naxara Charr, mother to Kandik Charr and the matriarch of Ossimar's ruling family. Exiled from Thay for reasons unknown to Zeona, Naxara was the one to take control of Ossimar's government and economy. She looks younger than Zeona would expect, given she accomplished all this decades ago and she, like all of Thay's red wizards, is human.
Also on the platform is man in gold and purple clothing, like the crier she'd seen before. This isn't him, though; the only she'd seen before was a portly, middle-aged man, while this one is younger and fitter, with a red-brown beard and eyes that blaze with intensity even from distance. There are also a half-dozen members of Ossimar's city watch, standing beside Naxara is a tall man covered head to toe in black, spiked full plate. Zeona does not know who he is, but she knows what he is: a Knight of Thay, the red wizards' elite bodyguards - or at least, he looks like one.
Finally, the platform also includes a broad beam and a hangman's noose. It seems the best stage in Ossimar is also its gallows.
The main square is, unsurprisingly, close to its docks and has easy view of the ocean. As the sun sets over the Sea of Swords, it basks the square in orange light. When the lowest edge of the sun touches the water, Naxara gives the Knight of Thay a barely perceptible nod. The Knight says something to the crier that Zeona cannot hear at this distance, and the crier steps to the edge of the platform.
"Hear ye, hear ye!" the crier explodes. His voice is so loud and aggressive that it's surprising he doesn't go hoarse immediately. His arms sweep outward in exaggerated movements. "People of Ossimar, proud subjects of the noble Charrs! Tragedy rocks our city and our people! Noble Kandik Charr, son of our matriarch Naxara Charr, is dead - murdered by the very noble families to which he had extended friendship, at the ball he had hosted for them!"
Naxara makes a few hand motions, and an enormous vision of Kandik Charr - a magical illusion - appears above the platform. The illusion is slightly different than Naxara remembers Kandik: its face is more regal, its pose more statuesque, and it bears no emotion. Still, it is recognizable as him, and several members of the crowd gasp or cry out in shock and horror.
Zeona can tell at least some of the gasps and cries are faked. They come a little too quickly and sound a little too theatrical. Still, they're followed by several other sounds of grief from the crowd as the majority follow their example.
"Murdered for his trust and generosity!" The crier's voice, while still completely intelligible, is almost overcome with distraught grief. He sounds genuine. "Murdered by nations that hated him! That hate us! That hate you, and all of Ossimar! They hate our success! They envy and fear all that we, led by the Charrs, have created so quickly and with so little! Today, they tried to kill the Charrs, who lead and protect us! They would do this to destroy what we've built, steal the fruits of your labour, make slaves of your children!"
More cries, now of anger, come from the crowd. The majority responds quicker now.
"And what nation is it that killed Kandik?" the crier shouts rhetorically. "Who held the knife that murdered him?"
Naxara's hands move again, and Zeona sees the giant illusion above the central square change to a different person: her. Once again, the details are not quite right: her ears more pointed, her face plainer, her breasts fuller. It's likely Naxara is creating the illusion based on seeing Zeona from across the room. But still, Zeona recognizes herself, displayed above the square for everyone to see.
"Zeona Alsevir, of Cormyr!" the crier screams. "It was she who murdered Lord Kandik Charr! She who fled the ball! She who may still remain in Ossimar, plotting your destruction, right now!"
The crowd explodes in shouts of rage, fists raises into the air. Zeona sees faces around her, turning left and right, trying to spot the face of the ruthless assassin Zeona Alsevir, as others scream for her blood.
Having spent the remainder of the day to find someone to help her one way or another, Zeona was tired, cranky, and felt like she was cheated, but she could not even be sure if her persuasion worked and she got fair prize on the armaments of her captors. However, she did stood struck and crestfallen at the accusations on the square. Her first impulse was to cry foul and stand up for herself, but the frightening Thay family and the possible agents of the real killers being around made her froze. Her mind was trying to find a solution, but the crowds reaction was not making it plausible for her. So, when she could breath and move finally, her first action was to lower her head within the hood of her cape, and cast Disguise Self as secretly as she could. It was obvious that she was no longer wearing that dress, and hiding her ears, but other small changes was needed. A darker skintone and being flat chested would suffice, it was not like anyone really knew her, or how she moved.
She had been hiding and in disguise most of the day too, and without any real opportunity to use her noble name, she hadn't shared that with people either. Not being local or even from a friendly or connected state, she rather tried to get on the good side of people on her own merit... But now, she would be the enemy, unless she found herself anyone against the Charr family... And as she had seen, there was a possibility for that.
If she only knew what experiments the young Charr had been doing! Why else would he had to die? There surely was a plot behind it, but there was no way for her to even get a glimpse of it from the street... and with now having to really leave. Being in the vicinity of the docks, Zeona would slowly inch that way in the crowd, but still trying to get a better look at the grieving family and their prominent enforcers. Where was they when the banquett was attacked? They surely knew that what they was saying was a lie! Were they part of the attack? Was it some kind of inter family squabble, or maybe their past reached after them? Zeona had ideas, but she did not felt that she was in any position to start investigating... Alone in an alien city? She had to find a ship that was leaving for Waterdeep! There she would surely find friends, maybe evenfamily, and if the news reached thatfar, she would have better chance to clear her name with spellcasters that wasn't on the other side...
The sound and movement of Zeona's spell go unnoticed, drowned out by the cries of rage and grief around her. Nearby, she sees a man inspecting the people around him suspiciously, as if expecting to see the murderer Zeona Alsevir nearby. He notices her lowered head and ducks slightly to see under her hood, not even bothering to be subtle about it - but when he sees her magically changed appearance, he dismisses her immediately.
The crowd is too riled up to notice or care about someone moving through them. Behind her, the crier continues to shout about the glory of Ossimar, its Charr leadership, and the punishments metered out to the Alsevirs and other foreign noble families.
The streets between the main square and the docks are almost empty; most of the townspeople are probably attending the announcement. There are more people at the docks, however, as many of them are sailors from other lands, not citizens of Ossimar. Zeona manages to find one ship destined for Waterdeep.
"Yup, I'll be leaving for Waterdeep tomorrow," says the captain, a middle-aged human man with red hair and a permanent squint, speaking past the pipe he keeps clenched between one side of his teeth. "Probably midday or so, depending on how quickly we can get her loaded up. This ain't a passenger ship, though - all mail and cargo, she is. There ain't any room for ya, and even if there was, you'd not find it too comfortable, I figure. Waterdeep's a popular place, though. There'll probably be a ship taking passengers heading up that way in the next week or two, I figure."
He sucks on his pipe a couple of times, then blows a circle of smoke into the air.
"Then consider me a mail too, a gift, that needs to be cared for. I imagine there are the occasional livestock or exotic pets to be carried between ports... I just can't stay in this city for another tendays. It is no longer friendly to nobles..." Zeona was getting on the ship, if not as a paid passanger, then maybe she would have to try out her new charms on the captain. "How long would this trip take?" she was already considering spending it in the captain's cabin, if she was not welcome on the deck...
"Mm-hmm, we take animals sometimes," the captain says languidly. "Usually keep 'em below decks, roped up or caged. Don't think you'd care for that, and even if you did, that takes up a lot of room - room we don't have to spare on this trip. As for time, we can do Waterdeep in five or six days, depending on Umberlee's mood. Seven at the most."
He looks Zeona up and down for a long moment. "You don't look much like a noble to me. I suppose that might be on that purpose, though, seeing what you said." He sucks on his pipe again. "What sort of gift would you be, then, anyway?"
"The surprise kind. Maybe not the most welcome one, but definitely on the interesting side... But if you have no room to spare, I better take my businness elsewhere... Who knows where I would be in six days, if not in Waterdeep?" Zeona groaned and tried playing the damsel in distress, but she really had only the last day to take inspiration from. She really missed all the fun things that she very much hoped from the attacked ball, and now she had to worm herself into this ... captain's favor.
Alas, she would have to keep looking and find something else maybe, even if not to Waterdeep straight, but she just had to get out of sight before her spell was over. Then night would come, and she could rest in the shadows... If shedid not find a ship, she would have to seek shelter elsewhere in the city, as she was sure that the port would be watched soon enough, and not just by the guards.
"An interesting surprise," the captain repeats flatly. He falls silent for a moment, taking a long drag from his pipe before releasing it slowly through pursed lips.
"You really have nowhere else to go, do you?" he asks. "Ain't no other ships here heading to Waterdeep. None what I recognize, anyway, and I figure I know every ship passing in and out of that port. Now, you could see what shows up tomorrow...or walk..."
He adjusts his position, and his previously apathetic expression changes to a sly smile. "I might have room for you, but not the standard sort. You may have to deal with, ah, unusual conditions. Now, how much can you pay?"
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