Cagliostros’ Apothecary – Evening – The Messenger

Nicolaus had seen the Arbiter and Hunter off in the grey shadows of the fully risen moon through the alley door whence they had first come. As he resecured the door once again his smile turned to a grimace. He returned to the workroom and studied the cooling corpse. What a mess.

"Well my friend, I had a number of questions regarding my own line of pursuit, which you apparently will not be assisting in. Fortunately, not entirely a loss, I have other ways for you to be of service to me. I do wonder whom has been taken as a sacrifice, as those two seemed very motivated." Nicolaus mused aloud, It was also good to hear Blackwolf would be exonerated after he delivered the Arbiter's letter.

Nicolaus spread a shroud over the body and spread some herbs to keep any vermin away and pinned a note for Tolan to move the body to the cellar. The assistant had paled when Nicolaus was working and he had sent the poor man to bed with a sleeping draught so he would be spared the noises from below and get a good nights sleep. Tolan would be asleep for hours yet but still might be up before Nicolaus was able to return.

He quickly freshened up, dressed in his traveling gear and cloak and filled his pouches and satchel. Events seemed to be proceeding and one never knew; He added a extra roll of bandages to his satchel. Then proceeded out onto the street and secured the heavy lock. He studied the plaza around him for a moment then headed across for the keep under the bright moon.

The houses fronting onto the plaza were all narrow and tall, some of the newest reaching three stories in height, with shutters on either side of the (occasionally unglazed glass) windows. This allowed many merchants to have a frontage onto the Plaza. His own corner shop was itself larger due to its location and was laid out for his particular services. The majority of houses each had a heavy timber door, while to the side, and occupying most of the front of the house, was the shop front. In the evening and on holidays this closed up, and looked like a wooden barricade across a large window. But during the daylight trading hours the lower half was hinged down to form a display counter and the upper half was hinged up, and propped, to provide a shelter for the goods. The shop inside would on occasion be a workshop, such as a leatherworker, jeweler, tailor, shoemaker or such.

Others such as butchers and fishmongers, tended to work out of doors, standing in front of their counters, using their shops’ interiors as storage areas. In any case, the house above is where the trader and his family would live, much as Tolan and Nicolaus did, although considerably more cramped. Some of the richest, who specialized or were in goods transported in bulk over the sea, might even have separate houses and warehouses, although this was rare in the newly founded town. He noted some had tried to beautify or make their homes and businesses stand out with the projecting wooden beams intricately carved or had even even painted images of their goods or heraldic beasts for luck on boards above their window or door. The Oak Cup Tavern was one of these with its wide arched entrance. And of course dominating the center of Suncross Plaza stood the Shrine of Kupen. Its single spire housed the bronze bell that not only signaled the time of prayers but the schedule of daily life in the town itself.

When Nicolaus turned off the rough cobbled plaza and onto the main road towards the keep he could see the gatehouse, with a crenellated stone tower above. The houses of the wealthiest and most important citizens were here. Just as the traders congregated together the majority of the most influential citizens also live in close proximity to one another, in the widest, most prominent street. They were still made of wood but increasingly with chimneys and glazed windows. Nicolaus noted one of the most recent town mansions was covered in scaffolding made up of poles lashed together supporting rough timber planks, with baskets of tiles and stone stacked ready to be laid.

As he approached the Stoneshade Keep gatehouse Nicolaus could see those executed on the gallows had been added to the desiccated remains of thieves on display their eyes plucked out by birds already. Thankfully it was too early and cool for flies.

Nicolaus approached the pair of guards standing at weary attention at the gate and announced himself, although through his services and previous visits to the keep there were few that would not recognize him here, it was an unusual hour.

"Apothecary Nicolaus Cagliostro, I have urgent new for Sir Zane regarding a outbreak we must control quickly. I must be brought to speak with him immediately or we will be too late to contain it. Hurry! Fetch your commander."