The Watchmaster acknowledges Luma, and then Cy, with an appreciative nod; as Cy steps forward, the barest flicker of surprise raises his brows infinitesimally, and he gives the man a proper once over, clearly recognizing something in his attire. "Ah, I didn't realize we were paying host to an Assembly mage," he says, standing slightly straighter -- and nowhere near matching the height of even the shortest member of the party. (It's not a reality that seems to chafe him, particularly, so much as it is a fact.) "It'd be an honor to have your help in this matter." His tone suggests it's not the first time they've felt the presence of any of the Cerberus Assembly, but that their visits are infrequent, and in some way meaningful.
"Now, considering the rest of you have earned Luma's support," he tells those who haven't yet weighed in on their own degree of willingness to take up his request, "I'd be all the more grateful for any help you all could spare. Onyx shouldn't be taken lightly -- and neither should any forces not only inclined to but capable of freeing her." His eyes flicker to Harliblith's, a little less guarded than before; some combination of Luma's words and Harliblith's disposition have relaxed him slightly, at least from pursuing any immediate suspicions further. At this point, he seems willing to take a chance on just about anyone who's willing to help the city, war paranoia be damned.
A few feet away, Bash kneels on the ground beside the kobold, examining the reddish mud Luma had pointed out earlier. "Not sure about this mud," she says, though she removes the key from the kobold's neck and offers it to Luma, coming to a stand. "Doesn't look familiar to me, but you could always check with Zendasa, over at Lay of the Land. If anyone knows anything about dirt, it's probably her." Luma's at least walked by Lay of the Land before; it's Hupperdook's preeminent herbalist shop, and its shopkeeper has a positive reputation for being relentlessly welcoming to anyone who walks through her door.
An Assembly Mage? A flicker of fear crosses Nemira's face, and she takes obvious steps toward the figure she had called out to. Harliblith would understand her situation better than anyone else currently present.
With the bugbear in closer proximity, Nem feels a bit safer to look around the people gathered in the square. Luma and Jojo she trusts, and Luma seems to know the mage to some capacity. Half of Nemira, the very clearly drow part, wishes to make a run for it now and put space between her and anything related to the Empire. The other part, albeit a much smaller glimmer of hope, wants to put the safety of people above her own needs and hope the color of her skin doesn't detract from her ability to help. Nem looks at Harley, silently asking if the bugbear will be joining too.
Xintris isn't completely convinced yet, but with most of the others agreeing to the offer and with Cy's enthusiasm, they shrug after a moment. "You can count me in, then." Plus, it's not like getting some gold for it will hurt, either. They did want to find something interesting to do while they were up here, and accepting a task that fell, or more like exploded, in their lap was much easier than having to go around scouring for one.
Luma feels a surge of excitement as she sees that some of the others seem willing to accept the job. She does wonder about Nemira, though, noticing she has not agreed just yet. Maybe she’s not keen on the idea?
However, Luma’s attention is pulled towards Bash, as the guard proceeds to comment on the reddish mud. When handed the key, Luma accepts it before taking a closer look at the substance. "I've seen Zendasa's shop before," she says, recalling the owner’s reputation. She then glances around at the group. "Does anyone have something we could use to take a sample of this mud?" she asks, eager for the investigative adventure to start.
Jojo felt that his desire to jump in on this witch hunt would go without saying, but just to be clear, he pounds one fist into the open palm of his other hand and says, "You can count me in. I hate to lose a fight, and I have words to exchange with this Onyx character." Then he relaxes his muscles and his posture, finally beginning to calm down after all the adrenaline of the scuffle from before, and more casually says, "Besides, the circus isn't set to start for another few days at the least, after our setback. It'll be safer for all of us to take care of matters now."
This was all said before Bash's comment and Luma asking around for a container, which Jojo willingly offers to help with. He reaches around in his satchel of adventuring supplies to produce an empty waterskin he hasn't been using, and gives it a light underhanded toss to Luma.
"Here," he says, and he flashes a smile to Luma. Except in this moment, his shifted form wears off, and what would be an admittedly gnarly, toothy, albeit friendly smile becomes a little unnerving as Jojo's pronounced snout shifts back into an upturned humanoid nose and his lower-jaw tusks shrink back down to bookend a straightened row of teeth.
“Okay,” Bram says, nodding toward those who have agreed; Harliblith accepts the offer with a nod — not particularly enthusiastically, but difficult to read — and he turns a brief but questioning look on Nemira before settling on: “In that case, I can offer those interested 700 gold in total for returning Onyx and providing any information as to her escape and whoever orchestrated it, beginning with 350 gold upfront.” He calls out to a couple of the Crownsguard, one of whom retrieves a series of items from a satchel, all of which he hands to the Watchmaster, who offers them in turn to each interested party. Once in hand, you find quickly that you're holding a small, copper-and-gold badge — plain, but clearly deliberately patterned.
“Those will make it apparent that you are operating under my authority — that way, you should have a better chance of extracting information relevant to the investigation.” After another examination of each of them — as if he’s sizing them up one final time — he hands Luma a clinking bag of what is clearly gold, and adds: “If you’ve any further questions, let me know now — otherwise, I’ve several other fires this evening that surely need tending to.”
Seeing the bugbear nod, Nem let's out the shaky breath she didn't realize she was holding. "We'll join too!"
Skipping back toward the main group, the Half-Elf patiently waits her turn to retrieve a badge. She fidgets with the item, unsure where to place it on her person. After a moment, she pins it on her shirt in a place that is concealed under her cloak, so she can decide when to use the authority that comes with the item. Once her handy work is complete, she beams up at everyone, excitement beating any trepidation back for the meantime. "So, when do we start? Can we go now?"
Luma fumbles a bit with the waterskin Jojo tosses her way, her hands slipping slightly before she finally gets a firm hold on it. "Thank you, Jojo," she says with a smile.
As she carefully scrapes some of the reddish mud into the container, she listens intently to Bram's instructions. The amount of gold offered shocks her, and she glances up briefly, wide-eyed, before focusing back on the task at hand.
Once she's collected enough of the mud, Luma stands and approaches the group to accept the badge from Bram, taking a closer look at it before pinning it on her belt. When Bram hands her the bag of gold as well, she nods in gratitude.
Turning to the group, she says, “Just a moment while I split this evenly”.While sorting through the coins, she smiles happily at Nemira, excited that she’ll be joining in on the adventure.
Xintris takes the badge when it's offered to them, and turns the piece of metal in their hands, studying it from different angles. The craftmanship does seem legit enough, so they pack it safely in one of the satchels they have on their belt, easily reachable but out of sight, like Nem did with hers.
The amount of gold they get offered makes their eyebrows raise a bit but they don't say anything, and instead accept the coins without other comment than a small nod to Luma who distributes them all their share. It is an impressive amount, but they've dealt with business deals enough to know that acting surprised now would most likely make Bram think he offered too much, and lower the amount they get after the task is done.
The pale elf turns to face their apparent new party more, taking in the others now that they're out of battle, and can actually focus on their new companions. Cy they know, and the bugbear... Well, she looks strikingly similar, but it's hard to be sure. Their eyes settle on Luma again. "I'm sure we can do introductions on our way to the shop. Lead the way, if you're familiar with the place?"
“If it’s Lay of the Land you’re looking to check out,” Bash pipes up from beneath the kobold, who she’s now lifting down the road with help from one of the other Crownsguard, “you’ll probably have to wait ‘til morning — Zendasa ought to be long gone by now. Most of us spend our nights partaking in a little revelry.” She gestures toward Upper Hupperdook with her chin, looking a little wistful; the distant cheer filters back in, more surreal now for everything this night has already wrought.
Jojo lights up like a kid when he receives the badge and the gold. The gold was an exciting prospect - the amount he received after the split was more than he usually makes in two weeks. But the badge - a symbol of some level of trust and responsibility, and a little flashy to boot - felt weighty in his hands. He would pin it proudly to his chest if he had a shirt, but instead stores it in his pocket. He turns to the Watchmaster before he has the chance to saunter off, and gives a salute. "I won't let you down, or my name isn't Jojo Tuffin," he says while puffing out his chest.
Then Jojo overhears Bash's comment, and follows her gesture towards Upper Hupperdook. He is suddenly conscious of just how much of said 'revelry' his rag-tag group has already missed out on, and his excitement deflates a little. At least one of these days, he will partake. For now, he waits for Luma to respond to Xintris, but eyes the pale elf from a respectable distance when he speaks up, trying to size up these newcomers much in the same way he was sure they were doing.
Cy accepts the badge from Watchmaster Bram with a curt nod. The worn copper and gold gleams faintly in the dim light. He tucks it into his pocket, a wry smile playing on his lips. This paltry symbol of local authority represents a mere fraction of the authority he already commands as a mage of the Cerberus Assembly. Thismight be useful to help grease the wheels with some particularly stubborn local if the need arises. Cy accepts his share of the gold, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. Coin isn't his primary concern; he’s not a mercenary drawn to Hupperdook by the promise of riches. "Before we head out to follow up on the red mud," Cy says, his gaze fixed on Luma, "might I suggest we take a look at the blast site first? Perhaps there's some remnant, some clue left behind that could point us in the right direction." Investigation13 “We may want to interrogate these kobolds as well to see if we can extract any useful intel.”
After handing out everyone’s share, Luma puts her own gold away while taking a moment to listen to the group's suggestions.
"It’s too late to go to Zendasa anyways, so checking everything out here first could be worthwhile,"she says, meeting Cy's gaze."Maybe there are some more clues we haven't noticed yet... And, we can also take a closer look at this key while we’re at it.” She says, holding up the key found on the Kobold.
"In the morning, I'll be happy to show you all the way to Lay of the Land.”She says, tucking away the waterskin with the mud sample for the time being.
The Watchmaster smiles faintly at Jojo’s bravado, accepting the vow with a small nod — and at Cy’s comment, he holds a hand out toward the nearest guards, still in the process of lugging the final kobold body away; at once, they pause, giving Cy the opportunity to examine the unconscious kobold. In the meantime, the others have mostly begun to disperse, the Crownsguard returning to their duties — or, perhaps if they’re especially lucky, their chance at respite — and the rest of the civilian workers largely heading toward the wild music inviting them from above, clearly deciding to put the rest of their work to bed for the evening.
As Cy inspects the kobold, he finds a strange, acorn-sized sphere of brass lodged inside their chest, perhaps the very cause of the unexpectedly explosive end of one of the kobolds. They seem to be carrying nothing else at all, though their feet are the same reddish-brown as Luma had noticed previously.
“If you want to check out the blast site, be my guest,” says the Watchmaster, thumbing down the street and toward the prison. “In the meantime, I best be off — thanks again for your help in this, and best of luck to you.” With that, he takes off down the street, most of the other Crownsguard on his heels; only the two that had been in the process of carrying the final kobold still linger.
Cy scans the faces of his companions, his voice dry and grim."These kobolds seem to be holding the key to this whole mess," he gestures towards the key in Luma’s hand and the deceased kobold with the embedded sphere, a sly grin betraying the dark humor in his voice. "See that brass sphere lodged in its chest? My guess is that's what caused the spectacular demise of its companion. Now, the question is, how do we get that thing out without causing any more…unintended explosions?” He looks around at the group, his gaze lingering on each face. “Anyone here with some skill in surgery, medicine, or perhaps even sleight of hand? We need someone who can remove the sphere delicately, if possible. I’m willing to attempt it myself but would prefer to help someone more proficient in those skills.”
Taking her own portion of coin, Nem cradles it to her chest with wide eyes. She's been punching and saving every copper, and to just suddenly be handed a bag of gold is mind blowing. This is more than she could make in a day, let alone a a week.
Clutching the money so she doesn't lose any of it, Nemira makes her way back to give a quick glance at the body the mage was indicating. And just as quickly she retreats with a shake of her head. "Sorry. My hands have different kinds of talents. I don't think removing a ball is anything like strumming a lyre."
Luma chuckles at Cy's comment as she steps forward, missing the dark undertone completely. "I can give it a try,"she says, approaching the kobold."though, I can’t say I’ve ever used my medical skills for this purpose, but I guess it’s worth a shot."
She kneels beside the kobold, examining the sphere in its chest. Her fingers move gently over the area without disturbing the body too much. She takes a deep breath, focusing on the task at hand.
"Okay,"she murmurs, mostly to herself but loud enough for the others to hear."Let's see if there's a way to do this safely."Her eyes narrow in concentration as she searches for a method to extract the sphere without triggering it and causing further damage.
Luma takes several moments to examine the explosive, running her fingers carefully along the sphere, peering at the areas where flesh and brass seemed joined; as she does so, she becomes increasingly convinced that perhaps these explosives were connected without the intention to ever remove them — leaving her without an obvious method for doing so that keeps the subject entirely intact. Still, after many long moments, she’s absolutely certain she can remove the explosive without triggering its effects, and thereby is certain she can mitigate any hazards to everyone in the vicinity; less clear is the feasibility of removing the sphere without causing the unconscious kobold harm. She thinks it’s likely possible — but difficult. The likeliest, most accessible method for doing so would seem to be a blade of some kind, but regardless, it will amount to a surgical removal.
(With that Medicine check, Luma will certainly be able to remove the sphere without triggering an explosion, if she tries; there’s still a possibility that the kobold won’t survive the process, but a possibility that they could, as well. If she’d like to commit to removing it, she can make one more Medicine check, with or without the help of someone who wields a bladed weapon or is proficient with thieves’ tools, and can thereby offer advice on the wielding itself — so, with advantage — or she can give the help action to someone who wields a bladed weapon / owns and is proficient with thieves’ tools for them to make either a thieves’ tools, Dexterity, or Sleight of Hand check, with Luma offering her medical expertise.)
Luma keeps a close eye on the kobold, her concern deepening even though she is almost certain she can remove the sphere without triggering it. What gives her pause is the danger to the kobold. Now unable to fight, the kobold's helpless state makes her uncomfortable with the possibility of causing further harm.
She takes a deep sigh before looking at the group.
"I need to be honest with you all,"she begins, her voice uncharacteristically serious."I'm fairly certain I can remove the sphere, especially with the help of someone who has a steady hand with a knife or thieves’ tools. But I'm not sure I can do it without potentially killing this kobold."
Luma's eyes scan the faces of her companions, her expression apologetic but firm.
"I'm not okay with that possibility, especially since they’re no longer a threat to us. So… I don't think I can do it. I’m sorry."She stands up and steps away from the Kobold, her decision made.
Cy's face falls slightly, a flicker of disappointment quickly masked by understanding. Luma's hesitation is clear. He clears his throat, forcing a smile. "Of course, Luma," he says, his voice warm. "Your patients always come first, and that's as it should be. No one else has the skill and respect for life you possess. We wouldn't want to risk a mishap with the sphere if it could be avoided." There is a hint of genuine admiration in his voice. Despite his eagerness to examine the sphere, he recognizes the importance of Luma's skills and her dedication to healing. "Perhaps we can focus on deciphering the link between the key and the red mud for now," Cy continues, a hint of optimism creeping back into his tone. "There might be clues between them that can shed some light on what these kobolds and their mysterious leader were up to, as well as another opportunity to examine these strange spheres."
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The Watchmaster acknowledges Luma, and then Cy, with an appreciative nod; as Cy steps forward, the barest flicker of surprise raises his brows infinitesimally, and he gives the man a proper once over, clearly recognizing something in his attire. "Ah, I didn't realize we were paying host to an Assembly mage," he says, standing slightly straighter -- and nowhere near matching the height of even the shortest member of the party. (It's not a reality that seems to chafe him, particularly, so much as it is a fact.) "It'd be an honor to have your help in this matter." His tone suggests it's not the first time they've felt the presence of any of the Cerberus Assembly, but that their visits are infrequent, and in some way meaningful.
"Now, considering the rest of you have earned Luma's support," he tells those who haven't yet weighed in on their own degree of willingness to take up his request, "I'd be all the more grateful for any help you all could spare. Onyx shouldn't be taken lightly -- and neither should any forces not only inclined to but capable of freeing her." His eyes flicker to Harliblith's, a little less guarded than before; some combination of Luma's words and Harliblith's disposition have relaxed him slightly, at least from pursuing any immediate suspicions further. At this point, he seems willing to take a chance on just about anyone who's willing to help the city, war paranoia be damned.
A few feet away, Bash kneels on the ground beside the kobold, examining the reddish mud Luma had pointed out earlier. "Not sure about this mud," she says, though she removes the key from the kobold's neck and offers it to Luma, coming to a stand. "Doesn't look familiar to me, but you could always check with Zendasa, over at Lay of the Land. If anyone knows anything about dirt, it's probably her." Luma's at least walked by Lay of the Land before; it's Hupperdook's preeminent herbalist shop, and its shopkeeper has a positive reputation for being relentlessly welcoming to anyone who walks through her door.
An Assembly Mage? A flicker of fear crosses Nemira's face, and she takes obvious steps toward the figure she had called out to. Harliblith would understand her situation better than anyone else currently present.
With the bugbear in closer proximity, Nem feels a bit safer to look around the people gathered in the square. Luma and Jojo she trusts, and Luma seems to know the mage to some capacity. Half of Nemira, the very clearly drow part, wishes to make a run for it now and put space between her and anything related to the Empire. The other part, albeit a much smaller glimmer of hope, wants to put the safety of people above her own needs and hope the color of her skin doesn't detract from her ability to help. Nem looks at Harley, silently asking if the bugbear will be joining too.
Xintris isn't completely convinced yet, but with most of the others agreeing to the offer and with Cy's enthusiasm, they shrug after a moment. "You can count me in, then." Plus, it's not like getting some gold for it will hurt, either. They did want to find something interesting to do while they were up here, and accepting a task that fell, or more like exploded, in their lap was much easier than having to go around scouring for one.
Luma feels a surge of excitement as she sees that some of the others seem willing to accept the job. She does wonder about Nemira, though, noticing she has not agreed just yet. Maybe she’s not keen on the idea?
However, Luma’s attention is pulled towards Bash, as the guard proceeds to comment on the reddish mud. When handed the key, Luma accepts it before taking a closer look at the substance. "I've seen Zendasa's shop before," she says, recalling the owner’s reputation. She then glances around at the group. "Does anyone have something we could use to take a sample of this mud?" she asks, eager for the investigative adventure to start.
Jojo felt that his desire to jump in on this witch hunt would go without saying, but just to be clear, he pounds one fist into the open palm of his other hand and says, "You can count me in. I hate to lose a fight, and I have words to exchange with this Onyx character." Then he relaxes his muscles and his posture, finally beginning to calm down after all the adrenaline of the scuffle from before, and more casually says, "Besides, the circus isn't set to start for another few days at the least, after our setback. It'll be safer for all of us to take care of matters now."
This was all said before Bash's comment and Luma asking around for a container, which Jojo willingly offers to help with. He reaches around in his satchel of adventuring supplies to produce an empty waterskin he hasn't been using, and gives it a light underhanded toss to Luma.
"Here," he says, and he flashes a smile to Luma. Except in this moment, his shifted form wears off, and what would be an admittedly gnarly, toothy, albeit friendly smile becomes a little unnerving as Jojo's pronounced snout shifts back into an upturned humanoid nose and his lower-jaw tusks shrink back down to bookend a straightened row of teeth.
“Okay,” Bram says, nodding toward those who have agreed; Harliblith accepts the offer with a nod — not particularly enthusiastically, but difficult to read — and he turns a brief but questioning look on Nemira before settling on: “In that case, I can offer those interested 700 gold in total for returning Onyx and providing any information as to her escape and whoever orchestrated it, beginning with 350 gold upfront.” He calls out to a couple of the Crownsguard, one of whom retrieves a series of items from a satchel, all of which he hands to the Watchmaster, who offers them in turn to each interested party. Once in hand, you find quickly that you're holding a small, copper-and-gold badge — plain, but clearly deliberately patterned.
“Those will make it apparent that you are operating under my authority — that way, you should have a better chance of extracting information relevant to the investigation.” After another examination of each of them — as if he’s sizing them up one final time — he hands Luma a clinking bag of what is clearly gold, and adds: “If you’ve any further questions, let me know now — otherwise, I’ve several other fires this evening that surely need tending to.”
Seeing the bugbear nod, Nem let's out the shaky breath she didn't realize she was holding. "We'll join too!"
Skipping back toward the main group, the Half-Elf patiently waits her turn to retrieve a badge. She fidgets with the item, unsure where to place it on her person. After a moment, she pins it on her shirt in a place that is concealed under her cloak, so she can decide when to use the authority that comes with the item. Once her handy work is complete, she beams up at everyone, excitement beating any trepidation back for the meantime. "So, when do we start? Can we go now?"
Luma fumbles a bit with the waterskin Jojo tosses her way, her hands slipping slightly before she finally gets a firm hold on it. "Thank you, Jojo," she says with a smile.
As she carefully scrapes some of the reddish mud into the container, she listens intently to Bram's instructions. The amount of gold offered shocks her, and she glances up briefly, wide-eyed, before focusing back on the task at hand.
Once she's collected enough of the mud, Luma stands and approaches the group to accept the badge from Bram, taking a closer look at it before pinning it on her belt. When Bram hands her the bag of gold as well, she nods in gratitude.
Turning to the group, she says, “Just a moment while I split this evenly”. While sorting through the coins, she smiles happily at Nemira, excited that she’ll be joining in on the adventure.
Xintris takes the badge when it's offered to them, and turns the piece of metal in their hands, studying it from different angles. The craftmanship does seem legit enough, so they pack it safely in one of the satchels they have on their belt, easily reachable but out of sight, like Nem did with hers.
The amount of gold they get offered makes their eyebrows raise a bit but they don't say anything, and instead accept the coins without other comment than a small nod to Luma who distributes them all their share. It is an impressive amount, but they've dealt with business deals enough to know that acting surprised now would most likely make Bram think he offered too much, and lower the amount they get after the task is done.
The pale elf turns to face their apparent new party more, taking in the others now that they're out of battle, and can actually focus on their new companions. Cy they know, and the bugbear... Well, she looks strikingly similar, but it's hard to be sure. Their eyes settle on Luma again. "I'm sure we can do introductions on our way to the shop. Lead the way, if you're familiar with the place?"
“If it’s Lay of the Land you’re looking to check out,” Bash pipes up from beneath the kobold, who she’s now lifting down the road with help from one of the other Crownsguard, “you’ll probably have to wait ‘til morning — Zendasa ought to be long gone by now. Most of us spend our nights partaking in a little revelry.” She gestures toward Upper Hupperdook with her chin, looking a little wistful; the distant cheer filters back in, more surreal now for everything this night has already wrought.
Jojo lights up like a kid when he receives the badge and the gold. The gold was an exciting prospect - the amount he received after the split was more than he usually makes in two weeks. But the badge - a symbol of some level of trust and responsibility, and a little flashy to boot - felt weighty in his hands. He would pin it proudly to his chest if he had a shirt, but instead stores it in his pocket. He turns to the Watchmaster before he has the chance to saunter off, and gives a salute. "I won't let you down, or my name isn't Jojo Tuffin," he says while puffing out his chest.
Then Jojo overhears Bash's comment, and follows her gesture towards Upper Hupperdook. He is suddenly conscious of just how much of said 'revelry' his rag-tag group has already missed out on, and his excitement deflates a little. At least one of these days, he will partake. For now, he waits for Luma to respond to Xintris, but eyes the pale elf from a respectable distance when he speaks up, trying to size up these newcomers much in the same way he was sure they were doing.
Cy accepts the badge from Watchmaster Bram with a curt nod. The worn copper and gold gleams faintly in the dim light. He tucks it into his pocket, a wry smile playing on his lips. This paltry symbol of local authority represents a mere fraction of the authority he already commands as a mage of the Cerberus Assembly. This might be useful to help grease the wheels with some particularly stubborn local if the need arises. Cy accepts his share of the gold, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. Coin isn't his primary concern; he’s not a mercenary drawn to Hupperdook by the promise of riches. "Before we head out to follow up on the red mud," Cy says, his gaze fixed on Luma, "might I suggest we take a look at the blast site first? Perhaps there's some remnant, some clue left behind that could point us in the right direction." Investigation 13 “We may want to interrogate these kobolds as well to see if we can extract any useful intel.”
After handing out everyone’s share, Luma puts her own gold away while taking a moment to listen to the group's suggestions.
"It’s too late to go to Zendasa anyways, so checking everything out here first could be worthwhile," she says, meeting Cy's gaze. "Maybe there are some more clues we haven't noticed yet... And, we can also take a closer look at this key while we’re at it.” She says, holding up the key found on the Kobold.
"In the morning, I'll be happy to show you all the way to Lay of the Land.” She says, tucking away the waterskin with the mud sample for the time being.
The Watchmaster smiles faintly at Jojo’s bravado, accepting the vow with a small nod — and at Cy’s comment, he holds a hand out toward the nearest guards, still in the process of lugging the final kobold body away; at once, they pause, giving Cy the opportunity to examine the unconscious kobold. In the meantime, the others have mostly begun to disperse, the Crownsguard returning to their duties — or, perhaps if they’re especially lucky, their chance at respite — and the rest of the civilian workers largely heading toward the wild music inviting them from above, clearly deciding to put the rest of their work to bed for the evening.
As Cy inspects the kobold, he finds a strange, acorn-sized sphere of brass lodged inside their chest, perhaps the very cause of the unexpectedly explosive end of one of the kobolds. They seem to be carrying nothing else at all, though their feet are the same reddish-brown as Luma had noticed previously.
“If you want to check out the blast site, be my guest,” says the Watchmaster, thumbing down the street and toward the prison. “In the meantime, I best be off — thanks again for your help in this, and best of luck to you.” With that, he takes off down the street, most of the other Crownsguard on his heels; only the two that had been in the process of carrying the final kobold still linger.
Cy scans the faces of his companions, his voice dry and grim. "These kobolds seem to be holding the key to this whole mess," he gestures towards the key in Luma’s hand and the deceased kobold with the embedded sphere, a sly grin betraying the dark humor in his voice. "See that brass sphere lodged in its chest? My guess is that's what caused the spectacular demise of its companion. Now, the question is, how do we get that thing out without causing any more…unintended explosions?” He looks around at the group, his gaze lingering on each face. “Anyone here with some skill in surgery, medicine, or perhaps even sleight of hand? We need someone who can remove the sphere delicately, if possible. I’m willing to attempt it myself but would prefer to help someone more proficient in those skills.”
Taking her own portion of coin, Nem cradles it to her chest with wide eyes. She's been punching and saving every copper, and to just suddenly be handed a bag of gold is mind blowing. This is more than she could make in a day, let alone a a week.
Clutching the money so she doesn't lose any of it, Nemira makes her way back to give a quick glance at the body the mage was indicating. And just as quickly she retreats with a shake of her head. "Sorry. My hands have different kinds of talents. I don't think removing a ball is anything like strumming a lyre."
Luma chuckles at Cy's comment as she steps forward, missing the dark undertone completely. "I can give it a try," she says, approaching the kobold. "though, I can’t say I’ve ever used my medical skills for this purpose, but I guess it’s worth a shot."
She kneels beside the kobold, examining the sphere in its chest. Her fingers move gently over the area without disturbing the body too much. She takes a deep breath, focusing on the task at hand.
"Okay," she murmurs, mostly to herself but loud enough for the others to hear. "Let's see if there's a way to do this safely." Her eyes narrow in concentration as she searches for a method to extract the sphere without triggering it and causing further damage.
OCC: Medicine 18
Luma takes several moments to examine the explosive, running her fingers carefully along the sphere, peering at the areas where flesh and brass seemed joined; as she does so, she becomes increasingly convinced that perhaps these explosives were connected without the intention to ever remove them — leaving her without an obvious method for doing so that keeps the subject entirely intact. Still, after many long moments, she’s absolutely certain she can remove the explosive without triggering its effects, and thereby is certain she can mitigate any hazards to everyone in the vicinity; less clear is the feasibility of removing the sphere without causing the unconscious kobold harm. She thinks it’s likely possible — but difficult. The likeliest, most accessible method for doing so would seem to be a blade of some kind, but regardless, it will amount to a surgical removal.
(With that Medicine check, Luma will certainly be able to remove the sphere without triggering an explosion, if she tries; there’s still a possibility that the kobold won’t survive the process, but a possibility that they could, as well. If she’d like to commit to removing it, she can make one more Medicine check, with or without the help of someone who wields a bladed weapon or is proficient with thieves’ tools, and can thereby offer advice on the wielding itself — so, with advantage — or she can give the help action to someone who wields a bladed weapon / owns and is proficient with thieves’ tools for them to make either a thieves’ tools, Dexterity, or Sleight of Hand check, with Luma offering her medical expertise.)
Luma keeps a close eye on the kobold, her concern deepening even though she is almost certain she can remove the sphere without triggering it. What gives her pause is the danger to the kobold. Now unable to fight, the kobold's helpless state makes her uncomfortable with the possibility of causing further harm.
She takes a deep sigh before looking at the group.
"I need to be honest with you all," she begins, her voice uncharacteristically serious. "I'm fairly certain I can remove the sphere, especially with the help of someone who has a steady hand with a knife or thieves’ tools. But I'm not sure I can do it without potentially killing this kobold."
Luma's eyes scan the faces of her companions, her expression apologetic but firm.
"I'm not okay with that possibility, especially since they’re no longer a threat to us. So… I don't think I can do it. I’m sorry." She stands up and steps away from the Kobold, her decision made.
Cy's face falls slightly, a flicker of disappointment quickly masked by understanding. Luma's hesitation is clear. He clears his throat, forcing a smile. "Of course, Luma," he says, his voice warm. "Your patients always come first, and that's as it should be. No one else has the skill and respect for life you possess. We wouldn't want to risk a mishap with the sphere if it could be avoided." There is a hint of genuine admiration in his voice. Despite his eagerness to examine the sphere, he recognizes the importance of Luma's skills and her dedication to healing. "Perhaps we can focus on deciphering the link between the key and the red mud for now," Cy continues, a hint of optimism creeping back into his tone. "There might be clues between them that can shed some light on what these kobolds and their mysterious leader were up to, as well as another opportunity to examine these strange spheres."