The Sleeping Sickness

Log Info

• Title: The Sleeping Sickness
• Emitter: Thurid
• Characters: Thurid, Pasithea, Seyardu
• Place: A06: The Soldier's Defense
• Time: Tuesday, July 13, 2021, 2:00 PM
• Summary: A strange sickness going around the city. Nothing particularly alarming- none have died from it, and most who succumb recover within a few days. The symptoms are strange, aching joints, a mild fever- quite normal- and insomnia, a little less common. Three healers meet at the Soldier's Defense to treat patients and discuss their past experiences with similar diseases.

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=<* A06: The Soldier's Defense *>=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

This hospital is composed of rock from the surrounding Redridge, which lends it a comfortable feeling of solidity. Inside, frescos line the walls. They depict warm, cheerful scenes intended to encourage healing among the sick and ailing. A small fountain towards the back of the foyer is fed by the nearby river, and a number of benches surround it, providing a place for conversation.

The entrance to the hospital is guarded often by Sunblades, its interiors tended to by the Hearthguards. Older Hearthguards tend to patients and oversee its operation, while for the younger it is an opportunity to practice their skills and hone their trade. The servants garb themselves in Althea's colors, with a stole representing the City of Alexandria on the outside, to recognize their service to both.

The building itself is quite large, though built in a way to make it appear to be a collection of smallar buildings rather than one large one. The Soldier's Defense is known for its ability to feel "like home." While it is still a hospital, it arguably accomplishes this feeling of peace and serenity better than many counterparts, with the benefits passed on to its patients. Across one of the walls are a series of paintings depicting the hospital's many benefactors over the years. The first in line is the painted face of an unknown soldier, who the hospital was first dedicated to.

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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  Appearing, in Order  =-=-=-=-=-=-=
Thurid       7'1"     249 Lb     Giantborn         Female    Bright-eyed, muscular, blond Giantborn woman.
Pasithea     3'2"     38 Lb      Halfling          Female    Tall female lucht, willowy, Hair dark as night
Seyardu      5'6"     150 Lb     Sith-Makar        Female    A friendly silver sith-makar with a perpetual squint.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

Of late, there has been a passing strange sickness going around the city. Nothing particularly alarming- none have died from it, and most who succumb recover within a few days. What is strange about it is the symptoms, aching joints, a mild fever- quite normal- and insomnia, a little less common.

Thurid has been lending some help to alleiviate the symptoms of those who are sick in one of the city's numerous sanitoriums, which is where she is today. Unfortunately for the cleric, she's not able to do much about the insomnia- unless she tries giving them a gentle knock on the head with her hammer, but she somehow doubts that her patients or the other healers present will appreciate that very much.

A call is heard through the dreamlands. Those in need that is being denied. And Pasithea answers. He slow shuffling steps making her late to the rescue. Steps broken by her ever present need to dream. Yet somehow she manages to arrive towards the evening, just as supper would be eaten.

She steps in through the doorway and sidesteps a hurrying healer who is too tall to note the halfling. Out of the way she pauses, leaning on her spear and snoozing.

Thurid turns as the door opens- she is at present tending to a patients fever- by means of applying bundles of ice provided graciously by a device created by the Artificer's guild which freezes water into small cubes of ice almost instantly, dispensing them as needed. Icy armpits is not a particularly comfortable sensation, but there's only so much healing magic to go around and it works just as well. "Pasi!" she calls out to the familiar face. "It has been too long- I'd heard that there might be a sorceress on the way, and had an inkling it could be you." she says.

Her eyes closed she smiles as the voice invades her dreams. She nods slowly and eyes even more slowly to find Thurid. "Hello, Thuird. ...It has been.. A long time in...deed." She shuffles closer to the priestess with only a single pause to nap! She must be happy to see the jotun woman. There is a gentle hug apon a leg which becomes a resting place for sleep.

Seyardu has arrived.

Thurid chuckles at the hug, and she wipes her hands dry on a towel, one hand coming down to rest ontop of the Lucht's head for a few moments as she naps. "Have you been keeping well?" she asks the little sleepy sorceress then. "No more cravings for grass, I hope?" she wonders with a broad grin. Thurid, for her part, has gained a couple of new scars and lose a couple of old teeth in recent days, but otherwise seems hale and hearty.

A tremor goes through Pasi as Thurid mentions cravings. She startles awake and makes a 'bleh' face. "No.. no cravings at all! ...I have been.. adventuring off and...on." She tilts her head back to peer up at Thurid, taking in the changes while wobbling backwards and forwards. "You...look well. Changed...a bit."

Thurid nods her head, "That's life! Always changing in one way or another. You never cross the same river twice." she says then to the lucht. "It's good to hear you've been out and about though! I would love to hear some stories." she muses then, "Or I suppose, you could make me dream them if you liked, couldn't you?" she wonders and tilts her head a bit to the side. "But, for now- we ought see to the sick here. They've not been able to sleep, at first I thought it was just the aches and pains keeping them awake, but seems it's the sickness itself. Do you think you could help some of them get a decent nights rest? I think it'll do a lot to help them get well."

When news of the illness began to spread, the temple of Althea was one of the first to be notified. And by extension, Seyardu was one of the the first to volunteer to provide what aid she could to those who were recovering. There was the convern that a giant silver lizard person would be alarming to those sleep deprived by the illness, but Seyardu does her best to allay their fears, and another cleric to help is certainly not turned down. Still, she does what she can where possible that does not require direct contact. The silverscale is walking by in Althean temple robes, with a large basket of freshly laundered linens in her arms.

"Ah, Thurid, peace on your nest, it is good to see you, and your aid is appreciated." They greet with a smile. "The celestial mother smiles upon such charity."

The lucht's face turns as grim as Thurid has ever seen it. Something blocking the land of dreams?! Catastrophic! She nods though and after a seconds worth of dreams she asks, "Not the pain...but sickness? What..have they all eaten? ...Had to drink? How long...has the longest gone ...without sleep? What has ...been tried already? ...Have you checked for... mystical sources?" And this has got to be the most the little sleepy one has ever spoken in Thurid's presence.

"Pasi's face then turns towards the silvery one and nods twice. Once in greeting and once as sleep takes over and she dreams apon her feet.

Thurid nods her head, "Oh only a couple of days at most- the disease seems to run its course in half a week at worst." Thurid tells Pasi then, trying to allay her fears. "We haven't found anything in common with food and the like, though, many of those that are sick have been working outdoors. Could be as it's the biting insects causing it." she says then. "Though that's conjecture. For now, we're mostly just treating symptoms and keeping an eye out lest anyone becomes seriously ill." she says then. "Most folks are well enough to return home after a couple of days."

The lucht relaxes somewhat and nods again. "Good... that is good then." SHe pulls at her bag and gets it in front of her. A hand dips in and pulls forth a cloth sack. The smell of something nice wafts from it. Spices. A touch of lavender. More things. She offers this up towards Thurid. "Make like...a tea. Steep long. This...should make many...pots of drink. Nothing magical just...soothing. Taste and smell. Relaxing." She snores softly, the hand with the sack slowly lowering.

"Yes, it seems to correct itself rather quickly. But still, several days without uninterrupted sleep is not good for anyone. I do what I can, and it seems like the pain, or something else related stops them from getting a proper sleep. And there is only so many sedatives to go around, which should not be used unless absolutely necessary."

"At least, most seem to eat well enough. The althean temple has been sending off some of their daily meals on the regular to ensure they will have enough to recover well."

They stop and peer at the sleepy lucht as she began stripping down one of the beds. "Have you contracted the sickness as well, madam? If you need a bed or room, I am sure one can be arranged."

Thurid chuckles a bit at Seyardu, and shakes her head, "No, nothing like that - she's usually like this." she muses as Pasithea starts to snooze. She takes the sack from her, though, dipping her head gratefully. "I'll see to it that they get to brewing some." she says. "Once the patients are off to sleep, I should like to hear about your recent advenutres." she says to the luct.

"Ah, if you say so. She just looks a bit tired, is all. It concerns me." The silver sith-makar sighs. "If you say this tea may help, then I trust yours and her judgement on that matter. And at the very least, a warm drink should help them to relax."

Thurid nods her head a bit, peering towards the Lucht who seems to have fully dozed off for now, before turning back to Seyardu and heading over- handing off the satchel to one of the nearby nurses as she does, to take it to brew into tea. "She's a Sorceress- attuned to the plane of dreams." Thurid offers by way of explanation. "I'll leave it to her to explain further, when she wakes. But as I understand it, she's always half here and half there." she says then. "It's been a little while since we last chatted. Are you fully recovered from the incident down at the shore?" she wonders of her fellow cleric, while she heads over towards the artifice machine to fetch some more towels and ice for the feverish.

Pasithea wakes as suddenly as she fell asleep, in motion and turning to follow after the nurse that got handed the pouch. "Not to.. hot please. Just below a ...boil. Too hot and the spices.. do not fare well." She stops again and leans on her spear hard. Eyes drooping she peers about and finds the silvery one and raises a hand in a fingery wave. "Dreamspun." She says as if that answered everything.

"I did not know there was a plane of dreams, though I am not surprised. There are gods who make it their domain, after all." Seyardu nods back, finishing up one bed and moving onto the next. Though, they pause just for a moment, before nodding again. "I am, well, I would say. Certainly recovered from everything that had happened. There were no lasting complications as a result."

She did look a lot better, for certain. Eyes no longer sunken, and the dullness was gone from her scales.

Thurid claps Seyardu on the shoulder heartily (but not /too/ hard. She is aware of her own strength) while holding the bundle of ice packs in the crook of her other arm, unbothered by the cold "Good to hear it!" she offers. She heads on over to the beds of a couple of patients who are still suffering from the fever to hand them out, looking back over her shoulder to chat as she does, "You explained it to me once, this dream plane, let me see if I recall." she muses. "It's made up of all the dreams and unconscious minds, right? And it's kind of like a mummers mirror of the material?" she wonders.

Pasithea shuffles over beside Seyardu and looks her over through half lidded eyes and nods a few times. A brief three second nap and she speaks. "You look.. good. I like the.. shine of your scales."

The lucht then turns towards Thurid with a wobble and nods to her as well. "The dreams can.. be somewhat real. Or they can.. be something not there...at all." She falls asleep and wakes again. "Currently there are.. imps..playing around the kittens...that are laying down...in place of patients."

The sith-makar blinks, and nods to the small Lucht, giving them a sharp toothed smile. "My thanks, that is kind of you to say. I heard from a friend that softskins seem to like when scales are polished, so I have been putting care into that."

"So, it could be real, or it could not be. But if true, you think something may be stopping their sleep, or making it unrestful? If what you see is symbolic in some manner." They note, glancing at some of the patients.

Thurid grins at Pasithea's description of the imps and kittens- dream imps likely being the only sort that Thurid doesn't immediately smite, after all. "Ah that's a point. Even if it isn't the imps causing their lack of sleep, could be some sort of subconscious sign of why it is." she muses then. "Or mayhap just a bad dream someone is having, if I understand rightly?" she adds then. "You know, I admit I'm a might curious, could be interesting to see what you see if you took a wander through my dreams one night." she says then, continuing on the rounds of dishing out ice packs.

Pasi nods to first Seyardu and then Thurid. "It could be.. those things or not. ...Often I catch.." She sleeps and comes back with the word she sought. "..glipses of future. What will be...in the signs of... the dreamlands. I wish I could.. bring you along. I do not have.. the magic for that.. yet." She frowns..fighting off the sleep. "The imps are.. loud."

"Perhaps it is the night guardian helping you to see what she wishes to share." Seyardu offers. Another bed down, and she moves to the next. "It would be interesting, for certain." The sith-makar sighs. "But I would ask that any of my dreams were not explored. It would likely not be a pleasant experience."

"Maybe that's what's keeping them awake. Noisy impy." Thurid says, making a shoo-ing motion at the space near one of the Patients' beds. "Truth be told, things don't seem all that bad. Unpleasant to be sure." she says then, offering the nearby patient a smile. "But everyone seems to be pulling through. It's like as not the outbreak will be over with in a few days." she says then. "Although it does remind me, I've some friends to visit." bit of an odd connection, sickness and friends.

Pasithea smiles as the scent of the brew she handed over begins to seep through the room. Lavender and honeysuckle as well as something akin to sandlewood travel through the air. The combination strangle not clashing nor overpowering.

She snores twice and then wakes to look at the Sith woman more intently. "Brooding.. heavy clouds.. tired even when just awakened. ...Your dreams.. from past?"

She wobbles and then turns towards Thurid. "Friends?"

"Yes, everyone seems to be making a full recovery, which is good news." The silverscale nods. "And healers from the temple have offered to provide visits to check up on them afterwards as well, in case they need anything furtner. And with any luck, the source will be determined, to avoid it happening again."

"I hope your friends are doing alright, Thurid."

Seyardu listens to the observation, and nods. "Yes, from the past."

Thurid nods her head then, "From my travels during a recent plague outbreak among Blar and Bludguni soldiers." she tells the Lucht. "I met a tree holding back a mountain at Caldera Saute- an honorable Colonel in Stone Talon. A pair of bugbear brothers I traded stories with, and an Arvek-Nar I promised a dance- both at the camp." she says then. "It seems strange to say it- those were difficult times, there was a great deal of hardship, for the sick and for us healers. But they are fond memories, regardless."

Pasi blanches. "I went..there. They thought I was... sick. I came to help... with the sleeping sickness. They.. forced me to stay for ...a long time."

She turns towards Seyardu and speaks, "May your.. dreams find peace." She opens her mouth to say more but she droops against her spear and falls fully asleep.

"This is the first I heard about this, but I do not know that many arvek nar or bugbears, really." Seyardu admits. "That sounds interesting, and I hope things recovered there as well. So you are returning, for the dance that was promised? This one knows very little of dancing."

She rurns to Pasithea, and smiles. "My thanks, though I do not see it bettering for a while. I will be fine, however."

Thurid laughs, "I'm not much of a dancer, myself. But I'm told what I lack in talent, I make up for in enthusiasm." she says. She ruffles Pasi's sleeping hair, and then she offers a dip of her head to Seyardu, "Aye, a few sadly succumbed to the sickness, but most recovered, eventually. And we discovered the cause of it, and rooted it out. So all in all, it was a great success." she says then. "Well! That's enough talking for now, I think, I had better get back to work." she says, offering the two of them a friendly grin, before she heads off deeper into the Sanitorium to see where she can make herself useful.

"Well, If others appreciate it, and you enjoy it, I see nothing wrong with that." The silverscale nods and chuckles. "I understand, but I am sure that you did your best, and a success is always an excellent outcome. But yes, I have spent a while speaking, and there is always much more to do. Peace on your nest, Thurid." They wave off, before continuing their work.