In which there are three clerics

Zeke walks through the hospital slowly but with purpose. He carries a stack of pies in one hand carefully, and has been handing them out to the children of the ward. They're feeling playful today, but they all know the sith-makar so nobody rushes him. Instead they eagerly await their turn and their pie. He too is patient with them, and offers sith grins to them that makes them laugh.

KumainPekPek watches Zeke handing out pies to the children with a smile upon his face. "Hail, Zeke!"

Deak is also a regular fixture in the hospital. He steps out from a back room, drying his hands with a fresh, white towel. The Hearthguard smiles at the Sith'makar and watches the pile o' pies gradually diminish. Tossing the towel into a hamper he says, "Four-and-twenty blackbirds?"

As the sith-makar is deprived of the last of his pies by the last eager child he rises to his full height. He's an impressive figure when he's not hunched over. Just shy of seven feet tall and broad through the shoulders for all he tapers at the waist. His black robes and black cloak obscure much of his figure, making it difficult to make out much about him. His cowl is down today however, showing off his blue scales and the six dark horns that arc along his skull. "Blackbirdss?"

Zeke clearly doesn't get the reference, but he doesn't seem to mind the lack. Instead he inclines his head to both Kumain and to Deak each in their own turn. "Peasssce on your nesstsss. Are you both well thisss day?" The sillibance of his words makes him slightly difficult to understand, an accent which he's never been able to shake as his native tongue of draconic is far more familiar to him than even the common language of the land.

Deak nods, "Doing just fine. Peace to you, also, Zeke." He then begins to chant softly in the Celestial language, and other Altheans join in. The chant makes a comforting background, and is over in a minute.

KumainPekPek walks closer over to Zeke. The sound of his armor making little clinking noises gets the attention of some of the kids as they are dazzled by the myriad of lights it reflects from the candles and onto the walls. "I see you have given the children their midnight snack." "Peace be upon your nest and all that dwell within."

The sith looks slightly guilty. The pies had been small but... yes it was rather late for feeing children who were clearly still up and awake awaiting the treat. "Thisss one iss only bringing them sssome ssmall happiness." He looks sad a moment, eyes slipping away. "Particularly ssinsce Ascedia is no longer here to do it."

The sith looks back at the two men and seems to realize something. "Thisss one doess not think you two have met." He is not sure that he has properly met the cleric of goddess of healing, but he has heard the name in passing. "Deak, thisss iss KumainPekPek, Pek; Deak."

Deak smiles and offers a hand to the armored youth. He says, "Welcome to the Soldier's Defense. Normally, we see a lot fewer patients: ordinary things, but the last few weeks we've been overflowing with plague. And it defies magical treatment!"

KumainPekPek takes the offered hand of Deak. "Thank you. Always glad to meet another man of the cloth. In regards to the defying magical treatment; has anyone sought out this plague's source?"

Zeke stands back a little bit, allowing the two men to make further introductions to one another. However when Pek offers up a question about the plague itself he feels obligated to answer. "Yesss. Alba and ssome other adventurerss ssaught it out, and were attacked by a vampire." He shakes his head. "Thisss one hass been doing ressearch into vampiress to ssee if more can be learned about them. Do either of you know much about ssuch creaturess."

GAME: KumainPekPek rolls knowledge/religion: (14)+9: 23
GAME: Deak rolls Knowledge/Religion: (11)+12: 23

Deak says, "Oh, only what they teach in catechism, which to tell the truth, is a fair bit, I guess."

KumainPekPek grins at the mention of his nickname that he never lived down from his childhood. "Yes, Deak, please, if you wish, you may also call me 'Pek' as it is what I am used to being called by friends." Pek turns to Zeke to answer his question. "Yes, when my mother first turned me over to the man that lead me down the path to become a Cleric, he had lost a family member to vampires and was studying them extensively in order to rid a nest that was nearby. I gleaned a fair amount of information during that time. I would be happy to aid you in any way that I may."

Deak says, "Nice, Pek. Actually, 'Deak' is a nickname, too. Anyway, I do also know that the Arvek Nar had a long tradition of vampire relations, but the one these adventurers found was no vampiric hobgoblin. Probably a human, from the rumors I've heard."

The blue-scaled sith brightens considerably, his eyes tracking from one man to the next. "Escellent! Thiss one would be mosst appreciative if you would tell all you know on the subject. Perhapss you could write it down for thisss one? It could be added to the ressearch which this one is undertaking." He nods again. "Thisss one hasss a desscription of the vampire if that helpss?"

Pek brightens at the aspect of being able to help Zeke in such a manner. "I would be happy to assist you in this matter, Zeke. What all can you tell me about this vampire you speak of? Is it an entire nest, or just a solitary vampire?"

Deak says, "You're welcome to use my desk in the back room. I have quills, ink, and parchment."

Zeke offers a bow to Deak, a motion that most sith-makar would never have attempted to perform and yet is clearly practiced on this one. "Thisss one would be mossst appreciative. Can you sshow uss the way then?"

Pek silently motions forward as to follow where Deak may lead.

Deak leads the way to the offices in the back of the hospital, and says, "This is my desk. The paper is in the top drawer."

Pek enters the room last, behind Zeke. "Well, where shall we begin? First maybe tell me about this vampire. Do you know his name?”

As they traverse the hospital Zeke remains silent, and finding himself in Deak's chambers his tail begins a gentle flicking motion. It's a small space. Deak offers the desk to him and he hovers near it uncertainty for a long moment before drawing open. Then startling as Pek comes in behind him. The nervous sith-makar pulls out the paper slowly and a pen as well. "Thisss one. There isss a name." He thinks about it for a very long moment. "Cole? Kol. Kol Demon-tree. Demontry? Thisss iss what Alba ssaid."

Deak suggests, "You know, the archwizard Mikilos has a private library that just might have information on this Demontry name."

Pek looks around the room with 3 occupants. "I think it would be a great idea. We could then scribe our findings from the library as well as from our own experiences. Brilliant idea, Deak!"

Zeke nods as well, clearly enthusiastic in spite of his nervousness. His tail flicks up and down, and he quickly jots down Mikilos' name on the paper. "Yesss. Ressearch on the name... Thisss one had not thought of that. Perhapsss the vampire had living family at one time. Perhapsss sstill doess." He looks between them and seems to settle a little. "Can you think of a reassson a powerful vampire would sserve a missstresss?"

Deak sits in a corner of the small office and says pensively, "A mistress? I had not heard any rumor of his serving a mistress, except perhaps that he might be associated with these deranged cultists that believe Vardama is telling their so-called 'Prophet' whom to murder."

Pek looks thoughtful for a moment before replying. "Perhaps the mistress is but another vampire? Perhaps an even older and more powerful one? That would indeed be troubling to find that there are not one but two vampires attached to this plague." Pek turns to Deak, "These cultists you speak of, are they near the region where the vampire attack was reported?"

The sith-makar shudders at the thought of another, more powerful vampire. One who might hold the one that has so far eluded everyone who's faced it. Not to mention how easily it captured Alba. "Thisss isss a troubling thought and yet... Thisss one had thought that it mussst be someone who iss more powerful than thisss vampire." His green eyes fall on Deak. "Thisss one had not heard that the vampire wasss asssossiated with the cult. Have you new newss?"

Deak shrugs. "Not really. Just a guess, really. You see, I sort of gathered that this Obsidian Mask dude is sincere in his beliefs, but I think he's being manipulated by someone with less genuine convictions. And one thing I do know about vampires is that they are said to be excessively charming, even mentally dominating. Of course I could be wrong. As for a yet older and more powerful vampire. this mistress could be, I guess, but that's just one possibility. Mr. Blood-sucker could be serving a goddess, or a demon, or Sandy, for all I know, well, except I know Sandy better than to believe that, but my point is, there are a lot of possibilities."

Pek has a troubled look on his face. "Uh oh.. I am supposed to be serving breakfast in the morning! I need to go to sleep! We will have to continue this upon a later date, gentlemen."

Zeke bobs his head to Pek, watching the other man head out the door. Once KumainPekPek is gone he turns his green eyes back to Deak, his tail flicking less often now. Less agitated. "You have the right of it Deak. Thisss vampire could be controlling thiss cult, or perhapss hisss misssstresss isss. Whomever he sservess however; unssettles me greatly. We must know more!"

Deak smirks and nods. He stands up and says, "Well, anyway, I think we ask Mikilos to research the name. Maybe knowing the history of the Demontry name might lead to discovering this mysterious mistress. For now, though, I have patients to attend to. Thanks for your efforts on this plague, though. All of us at the Defense are grateful."

Once more the blue-scaled sith-makar bobs his head, and moves toward the door. "Thisss one thankss you. Thisss one will take your information and your ideasss to Chay. Perhapss they can be usssed to find this vampire once and for all." He sounds grim, serious as he heads out the door, his tail still flicking up and down. He's a sith-makar with a mission.

-End