The Instrument of the Grey Lady
Log Info
- Title: The Instrument of the Grey Lady
- Emitter: Ashes
- Characters: Ashes, Zofija, Elyanna Jinks
- Place: A06: The Soldier's Defense
- Time: Saturday, October 22, 2022, 1:40 PM, Sunday, October 23, 2022, 11:11 PM, Monday, October 24, 2022, 2:38 PM
- Summary: Mourner Ashlee Ciaradh has been ordered to do some healing at the Soldier's Defense. She's determined to heal people whether they want it or not. The administrators and the patients are concerned by the Mourner's appearance, presence, and disregard for their protocol. She goes ward to ward, using hex heals and occasional spells to cure as many people as possible. Zofija and Elyanna accompany her, to aid with Ash's beside manner, which is utterly lacking. Jinks is there, being treated and briefly joins the group. A timely addition, as the Mourner discovers a vampire of sorts, possessing one of the patients. The Manananananananananggal escapes into the vent system and the adventurers (except Ashes) give pursuit. The 'lady' Machaela Ryzhenkov fails to escape, refuses to answer questions, and is banished by the clerics of the Defense. Jinks departs and the others return to Ashes, who tackles the disease ward. Elyanna is struck by an odd association when one of the DEVA afflictions is uncovered, but declines to reveal it as Ashes finds a patient who will die. She gives him last rights and says her work is done.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=<* 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 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ashes 5'11" 177 Lb Hobgoblin Female A somber arvec in grey clothes with a skull face. Zofija 5'8" 225 Lb Hobgoblin Female A well-dressed Arvek-Nar with a big hammer. Elyanna 5'11" 153 Lb Half-Orc Female A grim, Arvek-blooded woman in raven feathers. Jinks 3'4" 39 Lb Gnome Male A gnomish fellow in fancy garb and jewelry. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= As the GM -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ashes 5'11" 177 Lb Hobgoblin Female A somber arvec in grey clothes with a skull face. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
Outside, an icy wind drives dark clouds across the sky. The air is brittle, crisp and sharp. Some stars appear as dusk draws near. The day is ending, night looms.
An omen of bad tidings, a vulture, circles over the Soldier's Defense. It flies widdershins, three times around the roof before landing inelegantly on the front steps. It hops up a step, and then preens, digging its head under its wing.
A moment later it draws out, stretching taller and becoming an ashen Arvec Nar. Tall, with a skull face, she wears a tight fitting jacket and loose slacks, with an over-cloak of Vardama. She sways on her feet, blinking, puzzled and confused.
A small owl emerges from her cloak, climbing to perch on her shoulder in the canopy of her hair. At the same time a large house centipede emerges from her breastplate, runs up her throat, over her face, then back down again to encirce her throat like a choker.
The woman squirms slightly, not from the actions of these two, but from two others who remain hidden in her clothes and crawling around on her. Tugging on her shirt, she looks up the steps, adjusts the strap of her satchel and mounts them.
At the main doors, a woman in Daeusite robes interrupts her. "Oh. Mourner Ciaradh. You aren't expected. Are you visiting someone?"
"No." The ashen Arvec says, her voice monotone. She faces the other woman. She has no expression, most of it is hidden by the skull markings on her face, but underneath those, there is no smile. As if to compensate, she has some cheerful embellishments to her skull. A red rose, a happy bee with a looping dotted line behind it, implying it flew out of one of her large ears. "The temple sent me."
"Oh." The Daeusite woman says, "There's no one in the morgue."
"Not yet." The Mourner replies.
"Hahaha," The Sunguard laughs nervously, stepping inside. "Well I'll show you to the linens and you can help with the changing."
The Mourner doesn't follow. Instead she reaches into her satchel and takes out a clove cigarette. She lights it, takes a long inhale and holds the smoke, while she stares at the tail drifting upwards.
"Are you coming?"
Ashes shakes her head, she exhales a plume of smoke and says, "If I were to start with the worst off, how would that go?"
The Daeusite answers, "We really prefer the followers of the Grey Lady to refrain from treating the patients, and also the city doesn't reimburse for the healing spells. Natural healing is best, where possible."
Ashes doesn't appear to hear her answer, she's staring at the smoke. It's curling in a circle around some air disturbance. A fly buzzes through and lands on her wrist. Quick as an eyeblink, a lizard tongue snaps it up from where he was hiding in her sleeve cuff.
"Woe." The Mourner says, taking another puff. "The least injured then."
She moves forward.
With the cold wind in the air, Zofija had to bundle up a bit more than usual, at the very least buttoning up her coat and wrapping a light yellow shawl around her face. Temperature or not, she still enjoyed wandering the gardens on occasion when she had the time to do so, which meant often times she was out later in the evenings.
Her wanderings through the garden brought her nearby to the Soldier's defence, where she happened to spot the mourner going about her business. The cavalier paused, before bounding up the steps, only to be caught with someone else addressing Ashes, so Zofija stepped off to one side to wait, still though, with some manner of grin on her face.
"You frighten them." The priestess says, holding her hand up to prevent the mourner advancing, then recoiling a little as she doesn't stop and the priestess doesn't want to press on her breastplate. Her head turns and she notices Zofija's arrival. "Look, it's one of your friends, another cavalry officer. She's been asking after you, in case you were injured. Don't you want to catch up?"
"No." Ashes says, shaking her head, turning to look at Zofija and nodding once. There might be a smile, it's difficult to tell with the painted teeth on her lips. She faces the Daeusite once more, "She knows healing the troops take priority."
The priestess steps back as Ashes steps forward, and she repeats, "The patients fear you being here means they'll die. It's very upsetting for them."
Ashes continues to stare, but doesn't respond to this warning.
"It's been a while, Ash, but, it doesn't seem to be the time for that, does it? Yeah, I've been worried." The cavalier half chuckles, half sighs. "She's right though, you shouldn't be turning down more hands to help, specially when the cleric is as accomplished as I have heard Ashlee is. If she can help save a few lives, ease some suffering, then it seems worth it to me. And she's not going to get better about helping if she doesn't try, you know?"
"Hey, I'll go with her if that helps, be reassuring." She suggests. "Make sure the patients are okay. You can come along too, just to make sure."
It's not an unfounded statement. There is an aura surrounding the Mourner, one akin to the grave, the silence of a cemetery, the quietude of a tomb. She has been touched by the Grey Lady, passed into her halls more than once, and the purgatory of the place in-between clings to her. It's difficult to ignore, at best, and ominous to someone stricken.
The Daeusite Priestess looks between Ashes and Zofija, choosing to address the cavalier. "That might be best, yes. I'll go warn the rest of the staff, then join you. Where are you starting?"
Ashes stares at the smoke from her cigarillo. She exhales another small cloud. It drifts towards the left wing. She raises her hand, a hand covered in stylized bone tattoos and points a single finger to the left.
"Okay, well... give me a moment." The woman in gold and white vanishes down the hallway.
Ashes takes another draw on her death stick then stares at it. She glances around as if seeking a good place to snub it out, then appears to abandon that idea. She speaks, her voice still monotone but a rough edge, "I hate the politics. I don't care if they pay. Refusing to be healed is stupid. There's always someone worse off, somewhere."
The Mourner is here. She starts off down the hallway, gesturing to be followed.
"Alright, 'preciate it, we'll meet up with you when you're back." Zofija grunts, turning her smile to the daeusite before she's gone. The cavalier then returns her attention to the mourner, losing the smile and getting a look that was a bit more concerned. "I didn't know you smoked Ash. It's not a new thing is it? Because if you're stressed, you know you can always talk to me. Least I hope you do." She states, before following along through the hall. "Yeah, I get it, people can be stubborn. But, I do get the other side a bit, too. Emotions can be important when people are real sick. If they give up, then sometimes that's all it takes. That's why bedside manners're so important. But that doesn't mean you can't just get rid of gods know how many ailments and make that a non issue. And with everyone recovering from those undead, there's a lot of people who need your help." She muses while walking.
"It's for Augury." Ashes says, staring at Zofija, then adding, "Mostly."
She starts walking, long steps. "Merek is better at it."
His bedside manner is infamous.
The First ward.
The Mourner steps in with her grey cloak billowing behind her. Although her entrance was silent, heads turn as if she was announced. The Daeusite Priestess is with a small collection of nurses who move forward to obstruct the line of sight of the patients. Each nurse has an expression of worried concern, their white uniforms a contrast to the Mourner's grey.
"Mourner Ciaradh, these are the nurses. They'll help you with washing the patients, explaining their injuries, their recovery plan." The Daeusite priestess says. "Also, there's no smoking here."
"It won't matter." Ashlee stares, answering bluntly, looking into each Nurse's eyes. She explains her mission and gives her orders using a tone recognizable to any military Arvek Nar. "I'm tending everyone. I'll need a wash basin and a lot of towels. Keep up."
She won't be questionned. She moves to the first bed, starting on the left.
"Well, let me tell you, there were an awful lot of diviners in the military." Zofija grunts, but she leaves it there as she enters the main hall, where she looks around, and attempts to give the nurses what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Hey, chins up, no reason to worry with Ashlee around. You'd be hard pressed to find a cleric who knows her stuff better. That being said, if you have any pertinent information to share, don't hesitate to say it." She grunts, looking around till she could find a spot to wash up. "Let me know what you need, I can handle anything clean, but not sanitized you might need. Know my way around general care, what with taking care of my dad so long, not to mention the rest of the military work." She tells the mourner.
This ward is filled with the common folk of Alexandria, citizens and tradesfolk injured around the home or in the pursuit of their professions. Injuries that are too serious for bandaging and discharge, but also the ones requiring the least care. The patients are lucid, able to read and converse, immobilized while their broken bone, dislocated joint, laceration, burn or blunt force trauma mends.
They are not complicated disabilities.
Ashlee approaches the first bed, occupied by a human male with heavily tanned skin, a sailor of some sort. He stares at her with some concern. She stares back at him impassively and touches his head. She lets her hand rest there a moment. "Alexis. Fell from the rigging. Two broken legs."
The Mourner breaks the tip of ash from her cigarillo and rubs it on her fingers. She uses her index to trace a symbol on his head, it is the scales of Vardama. Her eyes close briefly and she says, "Feiu of the Tears, take his injuries."
There's no noticeable change, the air seems clammy. Ashes opens her eyes, stands and looks for the wash basin. She dips her hands in the hot water, rubs them, and wipes them off on a cloth. She moves on to the next bed.
"Is that it? What happened?" Alexis asks.
"You are healed. Go."
The nurses move to verify her statement, checking his bandages then helping him out of bed once the healing is confirmed.
"Battlefield healing," Ashlee tells Zofija, meaning she will be crude, fast, unsympathetic. They'll walk out or they won't. It might be too much for civilians who aren't used to being on the front line.
"Guess not, you're the one in charge, so I'll just follow your lead for now." Zofija shrugs, electing to just unbutton her jacket now that she was out of the cold. So she just waits, and watches, occasionally glancing to the nurses or the patient. By the time she was finished, the cavalier sighs. "We aren't on a battlefield though Ash, you don't need to rush it." She grunts. "And not everyone here is a soldier, either. Depending on how long they've been out of this, they need time to put themselves together to leave. Make sure they'll be in a good spot getting out of here, the beds aren't overbooked here yet, least I don't think so. I know it's not my place to step in Ash, but, I want you to learn, and leave the daeusite with a good impression, and leave a good impression on the people here."
"So, take your time where you can, please."
Ashlee moves to the next patient. Her process is repeated. She touches them, evaluating the injury and invalid through some mysterious method. This is followed by her smudging on a marking, telling them to go, then washing her hands.
"What are you doing?" The Priestess of the Sun asks, "Is that a cure spell? Light wounds?"
"Similar." Ashlee answers between beds.
"So you only have enough for this ward then, or two?"
"Everyone. It's a Death Witch's Hex." Eyes open wide throughout the room. Ashlee continues in monotone, "Strong as a Cure Light, as many as I can touch, every day."
Enough healing to restore a new recruit that's strong as an ox from death's door to full health. A respectable amount, but most powerful in the quantity. The Mourner could heal a squad, a phalanx, a whole army. Armies. As many as she could see.
Ashlee stares at Zofija. There's a twitch to her ear, a tick on one cheek. Chippen adjusts himself around her neck, running a full rotation then hugging tight again. It's the secret language of the mourners, odd looks and long glares, one not documented.
"I don't speak good. Calm Emotions is a waste of a Restoration. You can talk to them." She makes a wave in the nurse's direction as if to suggest: 'them too'.
"It's a witch's spell, yeah. know a witch who can do something similar, not a death witch, though." Zofija notes loudly. "Just healing magic as much as anyone else's, it won't take any differently."
"Sorry." Zofi adds, so much easier to read, with the way her ears drooped and how she frowned slightly. "Just want to help you out so you can be comfortable here and be welcome back, that's all. Because you don't have any reason to be here but to help people, least how I see it, and I support that."
"Fine, then. I won't take that as an answer forever, you'll speak good eventually. But for now, at least today, I'll be your voice." Zofija grunts, tugging at her scarf before walking over to the next bed. "Good to see you, I'm Ashlee's assistant today, she's going to take a look at your injuries and heal you up. It won't take long, and the nurses will see to you after she's done, alright?"
"Yes. Thank you. That will be fine." The patient focuses on Zofija.
The Mourner also gives her a long stare. "Yes. Just like everyone else's. Yet the Temple sent me."
Ashlee goes from bed to bed, each patient that she sees restored with only a few moments of mystical effort. She takes longer, because of the other Arvek Nar's urging, but her motions are stiffer, her shoulders tense, her arms tucked in.
"These aren't chronic. They haven't been hurt long." She explains, tapping a man on his forehead. "Beronje', you shouldn't hack tree branches with a halberd. I don't know what else to say."
Ashlee washes her hands.
"Glad to hear it. You'll be feeling better in to time, just you see." Zofija smiles to the patient, before she's on her way to the next bed. She decides not to talk any more in front of the patients of Ashlee's work, but she does stop to pat the cleric on a tense shoulder.
"You know him? Well, if you say so, I'd have to agree. Don't strain yourself with the wrong tools, you know? Your body is worth taking care of." The cavalier grunts before she walks off to the wash station. "Now's not the time, but you'll have to tell me later about being sent here. I'm sure they had a reason for sending you here."
"There isn't a human healer that can see me, or that other witch?" Another patient asks Zofija, a woman with a bandaged arm and shoulder, a pleading look in her eyes, although she doesn't look at either Arvek Nar long focusing instead on the Daeusite Priestess.
Ashlee shakes her head and does her evaluation and ritual. "I don't know any of them until I touch them, then I know everything. Adeliade was hurt when a barrel fell down a loading ramp. Adeliade, you're fine."
Ashlee washes her hands, moving to the next bed. She touches the person, knows them, heals them, says their name with some pithy advice and moves on. Between beds she adds some additional explanations.
"I was a healer for both light and heavy cavalry units."
"They kept changing who I was with."
"The units thought I was a curse."
"A lot of soldiers died."
"They said I wasn't healing fast enough."
"They were never happy I healed them."
"Elyanna and Donna nearly died in the sewers."
"I couldn't heal them fast enough."
The tension in the Mourner's body only seems to increase. Soon she's seen everyone in the whole ward. She stares at the beds, some still occupied, as the patients adjust to their unexpected wellness, and the nurses surround them with assurances and paperwork.
"They're all healed. They should go." Ashes looks at Zofija and the Daeusite woman, "I'm ready for the next room.
"And why does it matter if it's a human? There are plenty of human healers that don't know what they're doing half as well as Ashlee does." Zofija grunts, avoiding letting any frustration creep into her voice. "I understand, but don't worry, alright? There's practically no one I'd want healing me if I was injured more than Ashlee here, And that's not just because she's and Arvek-nar like me. You're in good hands, I promise."
The cavalier does frown slightly with each passing snippet, and by the time they're done, she waves to the nurses and looks to Ashlee. "Hey, you're not ready for the next room. You're doing great, but even if you can heal this whole place, it probably takes a toll on you, right? Take a moment to catch your breath, and relax. I'd like to talk more with you some time about what you're saying, but, for now just let me say, I'm sorry. I appreciate what you're doing, and give it time and I'm sure the others will, too. I'm sure I saw more than a few grateful faces in there, the others will come around in time."
"I'll be fine." Ashlee says, fixing her eyes on Zofija, staring. Her owl, Dunny, leans in and rubs at her cheek, his big eyes staring out through her hair. Chippen crawls up through her locks on the other side of her head, to sit like a crown and crouch down. His little legs massaging the ashen Arvec's scalp.
It's an old hobgoblin trait, to never admit or show weakness, especially in a hostile environment. As much as Ashes seems willing to talk about 'it' with complete strangers overhearing, she also doesn't seem to want to talk about it.
She looks around the room, seeking the grateful faces that Zofija insists are there. Maybe she saw them.
"Next room." She orders the Priestess and waits to follow. Her clove cigarillo has been used up, by now. She reaches for her satchel and ends up with her pet mouse in her hand instead. She pets Minnie carefully as she follows to the next ward.
The Next Ward
The next ward is much like the first, physical injuries that will heal with sufficient rest. Like the first, the hobgoblin in the funeral robes with a skull tattoo'd on her face draws a lot of worried looks when she enters.
Ashes holds her hand to her armour and tells her mouse, "Back inside."
"I know you'll do fine, you're tough, after all." The cavalier sighs, shaking her head once and chuckling before she looks back up to the mourner. "But I want you to be doing better than fine, and that's why I worry. That's probably why your familiar and other pals are trying to help how they can."
Zofija gives one last smile before she enters the room as well. Again, she stops by the first bed, waiting for Ashlee and the priestess. "Hey, mine name's Zofija, I'm the cleric Ashlee's assistant, who's going to be seeing you today. It'll only take a moment, but she's going to heal your wounds up so you can recover faster, alright?" She greets, before turning to the mourner with another smile.
"She doesn't look like a cleric. She looks like a mourner!" The first patient turns to Zofija. Hobgoblin smiles are wicked things, not always comforting in the moment. It's all those sharp teeth. Her voice rises, panic stricken, "Am I going to die?"
"Yes." Ashlee says, her voice a complete monotone as she touches the woman's head. There's a shriek as Ash's skeletally emblazoned fingers touch her forehead. She struggles but can't rise before the Ashlee continues, "Everyone dies. But you, not today."
"A dislocated knee and torn ligaments aren't fatal, Maddi. You will need to stay another day."
Ashlee's ritual expands, in addition to her healing hex she adds two orisons. "Feiu of the Tears, make her more resistant. Feiu of the Tears, give her a little boost." A heightened chance to improve, additional healing the equivalent of a small cut. It adds up.
Ashlee looks at the nearest nurse. "There's no infection, but she needs another blanket."
"I'll be better when we're finished." Ashlee doesn't smile, she has no expression at all.
"So you're saying she looks like a cleric." The arvek-nar grunts once, dropping the smile. "Doesn't matter what robes someone wears, what matters is what you can do and how you can help. And Ashlee has done a lot to heal the people in the previous room."
"I sure hope so, Ash. I'll keep going long as you need. Wasn't expecting to have to do this tonight, but I can think of worse things to do with an evening than be around to help you where I can." The cavalier grunts before she's off to the next bed.
"You don't have to. The Temple didn't order you." Ashlee says, moving to the next bed. It is a repeat of her previous efforts, contact, an evaluation, prayers, healing, some advice to the attending Nurse. An effort at least, to say the patient's name and something. This time it's "Have a nice day Jeri."
As she moves to the next bed, Ashlee elaborates on her past orders. "Commanders ordered me to save my last heal and channel for them."
Another patient is healed, another bed, another brief explanation between each.
"A good hobgoblin follows orders."
"A higher rank is how the army shows which soldier they value the most."
"I was a leftennant." An officer rank, but not a great one, and the typical starting rank for a healer.
"I didn't always manage to save the commander."
"Regular troopers died because I was following orders to let them."
These admissions don't seem to be making the patients any more comfortable around her. All are watching her progress from bed to bed. She ends up staring back at them. She's discharged very few on her round of this ward.
"I don't have to, but I want to, Ash." Zofija notes with a quiet chuckle. That's what friends do, right?"
And that chuckle died quickly as she goes back to listening. Listening, and listening, until she stops, and shakes her head. "I've got a lot to say about that, believe me, but now's not the time for me. But I wanted to let you know I'm not ignoring you, or anything you have to say. What you're saying and how you feel about what happened is important, Ash." She states when she has a free moment. "Maybe that's why they wanted to send you here, not force you. Give you a chance to see what you can do to help people."
"It was a long time ago." Ashlee says, implying it isn't bothering her any more. Although, why would she mention the details if that was the case? She continues to stare at the patients, the few remaining beds. One of her ears twitches.
Chippen adjusts on her scalp, standing up and also looking at the beds.
"I should use a channel."
She suggests it, but doesn't follow up with any instructions, or the actual ritual to share the Grey Lady's energy. She brings her hands up, her white lizard is on her palm, and she taps at his head. She stares, calculating further.
"I should save the channelling." She turns to the Daeusite Priestess, "These patients are Group 1. There will be other groupings. When I'm done in the Defense I want to meet the groups outside, all standing as close as possible. This will be the most efficient use of Channels, and some will need more than one."
"I'll get some paper and make notes." The priestess replies.
Ashlee nods and moves onto the next bed.
"Talk about it another time, when you feel like it, Ash." Zofija grunts, stopping to help one of the nurses adjust one of the extra blankets provided. "I'm always willing to listen if you need, that's a promise."
The cavalier looks about the room when she returns, and nods. "That's a good idea. Take care of as many people as possible. If anyone needs assistance to move, even if they can't stand, feel free to let me know if you need more aides for that. I know how to handle patients with paraplegia and other similar movement restrictions." She adds. "Looks like the priestess trusts you with this. Glad to hear that."
Sunday, October 23, 2022, 11:11 PM
"Others will need that help." Ashes says, glancing around the room. There are a few more beds, a few more patients. The Mourner goes from bed to bed, examining and healing. She doesn't share, focusing on her prayers. The patients still stare at her with some nervousness, and tend to look at Zofija more.
The room is done. The next room is similar, as are the rest in the left wing. These are simple injuries, and if her immediate efforts don't completely heal them they are placed in groups. A group 2 and a group 3 are added, some of the injured in the last group are impressive individuals, more experienced, tougher than the average person and consequently in a lot more need.
The left wing finished, Ashes moves onto the right wing. It's taking longer, each patient, each room. The Mourner is moving slower, there's a hesitation before she touches each patient. A hesitation that grows. Minnie and Carbuncle emerge fully and ride around on her armour. She changes her satchel from one shoulder to the other.
The first floor is done. Ashes finds a seat in the hallway and drops into it.
Whatever pace the mourner set, the cavalier was neither pushy or meandering in her own work, whatever small bit she was able to play. More of the rooms, and more work, that was handled with as much care and gentleness as she could muster.
She wasn't unaware of how Ashlee was slowing down, either, and when they sat down in the hallway, the cavalier sat down next to her. She fished around in her satchel and pulled out a large flask, popping the lid and pouring out some of the tea to offer. "You've done a lot of good work so far Ash, how are you feeling? Holding up okay?" She asks.
There is a certain ritual to this place, insofar as one, newest entrant is concerned.
A pause within the door, with a slow, steady scan of the goings on within.
A flash of memory, and a shudder, subsumed beneath the raven silhouette of the red woman's feathered cloak.
The hobkin's inward momentum continues, then as she clears the entrance proper, though what she is looking for is anyone's guess.
Ashes sits hunched forward. Her elbows on her knees and her hands together between them. She holds her doormouse and slowly pets her. She glances at the offered tea, then reaches out, takes the cup and sips.
Dropping her hands together, Minnie drinks from the cup also.
"I see how they got injured. It doesn't hurt." She sees bones break, cuts to the bone, organs stabbed and hanging out. Blood, everywhere. A full understanding, being able to visualize it as if she can see through their bodies. "It's still a lot."
She takes another sip from her cup.
"So you're done for today?" The Daeusite Priestess asks hopefully. "Upstairs is a lot worse."
"Upstairs is a lot worse." The Mourner repeats. "I'm not done for today."
"It's cold but, still something to relax with." Zofija grunts, before leaning back in the seat. "Guess I gotta get cups for all your companions too at some point."
The cavalier stops, blinks, and hangs her head. "I uh, I didn't even consider having to see all those injuries like you were saying, Ash. Sounds like a lot, and taking a break is a good idea, even for a moment. If it gets too much, we can just go by the reports given."
"If there's still more to be done, then I'm still here to help though." She adds, glancing to the door and spotting the other Arvek-nar. She grins for a moment, something that passes and turns to a bit of worry. "Ely too? You alright there? You didn't look too good for a moment. What's up?"
Elyanna is familiar with injuries, after a fashion. An expertise, one could say, but less in the correction and repair than application of sorts.
The call of a familiar voice draws her attention toward the restive fullbloods, though it's a somewhat reserved, "Hello."
There's a steel eyed glance between the two, "You have been busy, I see."
"Elyanna." Ashes says, sitting up, facing her hob-kin friend. She tucks Minnine into her armour and drains the cup, handing it back to Zofija. "We share food."
Her eyes roam over Elyanna, looking for injuries, finding none. "The Temple sent me to heal people. Need any?"
She stands and adjusts her cloak.
"Yeah, I remember from last time. Nothing wrong with that." Zofija chuckles, taking the cup and rubbing the outside with a kerchief before screwing it back on to the flask. And I know Elyanna too, met her a few times."
"I guess we have been busy, I just happened to meet her here, and offered to help with her rounds. It's a fair bit of work, but, not too bad. Least, not for me." She admits to the other arvek-nar. "Been a while, good to see you, Ely."
"I am fine, thank you." Elyanna replies more casually as she edges around certain goings-on in the room while closing toward the pair. As ever, her movements allow her cloak to hang closed about her frame, and choice of weaponry.
Once in something a little further than arm's reach, her words come in a more natural dialect, "I'm familiar, though it's been some time." she replies, glancing back toward an array of beds before returning her attention to the others, "It's good to see you both well." <goblin-talk>
She nods in affirmation as to their familiarity, then, "I came to see if there is anything useful I can do, here."
Ashlee bobs her head again, looking between the other three. She stands, "I don't know. It's healing."
A blunt and direct answer, suiting the Mourner's mood. She considers a moment longer. "Company would be nice." She starts for the stairs to the second floor. "What's up here?"
"We have a ward for victims who are recovering from exposure to Wights, another for chronic diseases and advanced complications. A third, for difficult cases." The Daeusite Priestess says.
"Okay. The Wight Ward first." Ashlee decides, starting for the stairs. One flight up, the left and right wings of the Soldiers Defense are once more open, and the group is led to the left.
"What, am I not good enough company?" The arvek-nar chuckles once. "Not that I mind Elyanna sticking around if she wants to, suppose. Good to see you well, too."
She looks up to the stairs, and sighs. "Those are more complicated for certain. How are you thinking of handling it Ash, and how much do you think you can do?" She asks before heading up.
Elyanna gives a little nod, without superfluities, and pivots on her heel as Ashes and Zofija start to head up the stairs. It's about halfway up the stairs, she remarks, "I expect some changing of bedclothes and dressings to be necessary, in addition to any divine ministrations." matter of factly, "The theft of vitality comes with particular complications."
"I'll touch them." Ashlee elaborates, "I'll know what's wrong, what spells will work, what natural medicines will work. I have Restorations, Remove Diseases, Neutralize poison, other spells. When those run out I'll leave notes."
It seems straightforward enough. "I'm trying to discharge them. If they aren't well enough to leave someone else can handle the bedsheets." Ashes has a single course plotted in her mind. She steps into the first ward, ahead of Zofija, Elyanna and the Deausite Priestess.
"NOOO!" A patient screams. "It's an undead! A wight!"
Ashes sighs, closing her eyes, keeping them closed as she inhales, then exhales. Her eyes open again. She hugs her satchel closer, "I'm not undead."
She steps up to the bed of the panicking patient. He struggles, weakly attempting to escape the sheets while she stares and the nurses crowd to dissuade him. Murmurs of 'It's okay', and 'she's with the hospital', 'we know her' are applied and reapplied until the sink in. He still draws his head away when Ashes reaches to touch him.
She touches his forehead. There's an almost imperceptible jolt in her neck. "You came close, Werrin."
She makes her small mark, she prays, "Feiu of the Tears, give him extra resistance. Feiu of the Tears, give him extra strength. Feiu of the Tears, take his wounds to the grave. Feiu of the Tears, free him from the negative influences." She shakes her holy symbol after each sentence. The scales of Vardama go 'tink'.
Ashes withdraws her hand and stares at Werrin. Werrin stares back at her.
"Just don't stretch yourself too thin, Ashlee." The cavalier sighs with a small shake of her head as she bounds up the steps. "This is going to be worse than downstairs, you don't have to push yourself too hard. Take a break if you need to, there are other clerics around, too."
In the room the Arvek-nar stops and looks around, not sure where to start this time, with the mourner already moving ahead. "It's a vardaman's job to know how to deal with the undead." She notes. "Which includes how to deal with the effects of them. So don't worry, you're in safe hands."
"Agreed." Elyanna asides to Zofija's advice toward the Mourner, but, like a proper Arvek, she opts not to beat the horse. <goblin-talk>
Instead, she moves to help settle the man with the priests, who seem familiar enough with the hobkin to let it go without challenge. While her demeanor is softened toward the stricken man, she still clutches to an awful lot of her upbringing and poise, so her assurances of, "It is true. Her magics can drive out the eldritch taint." are likely much less soothing than if they'd come from, say, a more.... traditional member of Althea's followers.
A fancy little gnome steps in from a side-door on the ward, coat open and spread wide to reveal his untucked silken shirt as he wrangles his long hair back into its usual ponytail. He's a bit on the paler side. So much so, in fact, that his brows and beard begin to blend into his wan complexion.
Jinks stops and turns, offering a thin-lipped glare at the Althean on his heels. There's frustration, warning, and threat enough in the look that the portly Khazadi man puts up his hand and retreats back out into the hall and out of sight. Hair subdued, the maestrom drops his arms and sighs, tugging at his coat and then setting to his gems and jewels.
The quiet sound of him sucking his teeth in thought is lost as he considers the rows of beds and the people milling between them.
Werrin looks at Zofija, then Elyanna, as they speak, finally offering an abrupt, "Thanks."
Ashes has already moved on, stopping to tell the Daeusite, "He has no injuries, and the debilitation is gone but he'll need another full restoration." As she turns to the next bed, she admits, "Merek would be better at this."
As observed, her divine magic works even if it seems to bring the Grey Halls closer. Something in that connection makes Ashes look up in time to see Jinks enter the room. She stares at him, finally asking in her usual monotone, "Jinks?"
"You're welcome, but Ashlee did all the work. We're just here to help her out. She's the one who deserves the thanks. Still, you're welcome, hope you'll feel better. And it doesn't matter, you're great Ash, and doing a good job helping them all."
The cavalier continued on, walking to greet a few other patients. She looks to the gnome, and nods. "If you're here for help, the cleric has a lot of people to see, but she should have time for you in a moment. Or, you know him? Well, that makes things easier. Are you alright?"
Elyanna gives the fellow a nod and straightens back to her full as Ashes has already carried on with her business. Zofija is better disposed toward kindnesses than she, herself and so the hobkin defers the affair to the fullblood.
She catches the approach of the new, smallish footfalls and her attention turns toward the sharp dressed gnome who shared a brief, if patently distressing, jaunt to the Grey Halls.
She bows her head his way with a polite, "Hello." to her fellow musician, but with the salient queries already in the air, she leaves it at that.
"Fall into one fucking river..." Jinks grumbles rapidly in Gnomish, looking supremely irritable before putting on a smile that flushes his cheeks and brings the color back to his face. A shimmer seems to overtake his form entire and his shirt maybe even tucks itself back in. <gnomish>
"I'm fine, tallmen," he responds casually in the common tongue. "Ashlee," the gnome answers in kind but punctuates with a wink. A hand comes up in a wave and the rings and jewels glint and glitter playfully in the candlelight.
"I required a balm for a personal problem and was hoping to avoid proselytization... but Telmentar's ilk are an obnoxiously persistent lot." He smirks. "Luckily, if I'm forced to stab one they won't have far to go..."
With a grand gesture, the maestro sweeps his hand across the hall...
The Mourner nods after watching the gnome and catching the wink. She gestures at Elyanna and tells Zofija, "We fought a demon with him."
That's all she wants to say regarding that.
Ashlee turns to the next bed, approaching the unconscious patient and touching her forehead. Unexpectedly, she jerks her hand back. Her voice has uncharacteristic emotion in it, a tone of shock. "This one is possessed! Some kind of vampire. She sneaks around at night draining the others."
Which would explain the protracted recovery process.
Nurses turn with expressions of disbelief, a doubt that is instantly dispelled as the patient snarls and leaps out of the bed. Her cover blown, the guant figure howls with too wide a mouth and scuttles across the room, twisting into an impossibly small vent as darkness descends.
"Fuck."
Monday, October 24, 2022, 2:38 PM
The Manananggal
"This one is possessed! Some kind of vampire."
The patient snarls and leaps out of the bed. Her cover blown, the guant figure howls with too wide a mouth and scuttles across the room dragging the bedsheets with her. She twists into an impossibly small vent as darkness descends. The tail of the sheet flicking after her like a snake.
"Fuck." The Daeusite Priestess swears uncharacteristically.
Ashes is more controlled, her surprise past. "I only have heals. I don't want to waste them. I'll stay in case she doubles back."
She reaches out and touches Elyanna on the shoulder. "Feiu of the Tears, ward my friend."
Ashes looks at Zofija next, "Be Donna for her."
There's a banging in the vents, unsettling screams. It would be possible to crawl after her, or follow the noise through the halls.
<OOC> Ashes says, "Okay! Jinks, All. There are two paths as indicated, 1) through the vents, 2) in the halls. Vents have a +2 on the rolls for Small PCs, -2 for medium PCs. Halls have no modifiers." <OOC> Jinks says, "I'll cast grease on myself and pursue through the vents." <OOC> Ashes says, "Okay, DC15 Escape Artist to get into the vents, (1st card) and a move to get to the other side of the card" GAME: Jinks casts Grease. Caster Level: 15 DC: 19 GAME: Jinks rolls Escape Artist+2: (16)+6+2: 24 <OOC> Jinks says, "+10 if the Grease applies but RAW is for Grappling." <OOC> Ashes nodnods, "I say it will apply. You wriggle in. it's dust and a bit sharp, you turn a corner facing what seem to be Will-o-wisps. Roll k/arc GAME: Jinks rolls Knowledge/Arcana: (4)+20: 24 (vs DC21) <OOC> Ashes says, "you're across Card 1. make your pose!"
Frowning mildly, Jinks watches the creature spring up in its bed and make a mad dash-- like some paralyzed octogenarian made ambulatory by the promise of free chocolates. There's a tired sigh and a practiced flourish. A simple tune is hummed and the gnome's fine clothes shimmer again.
"You could always ask to speak with someone if you needed to vent," he drawls before taking two bounding steps and sliding down on one knee, foot-first. He tucks the leading leg as his momentum begins to expire and rolls into a three-point stance before navigating through the tight space with ease.
"... hedge magics in its wake," the lyrical tenor calls back. "Harmless but making it difficult to see beyond..."
<OOC> Ashes says, "Elyanna you have a Ward Hex, which is +2 AC/Saves until you get hit/fail" <OOC> Ashes says, "Elyanna, DC15 Perception to pick the right way, or k/engineering DC15 to guess the air duct directions" <OOC> Ashes says, "assuming you're going Hall, Path2, and not crawling after jinks" GAME: Elyanna rolls perception: (16)+8: 24
"Wha-damnit!" Elyanna exclaims as Ashes's examination reveals both a very different strain of filth.... and said abomination suddenly up-n-unassing through the ductwork.
With Jinks's initiative in coursing the curmudgeous cadaver through the air channels, the larger bard cocks her head with a perk of her ear, trying to discern an intended bearing. Ashes's blessing touch gets a quick nod and a hasty, "Come on, this way!" before the halfblood tears off down the corridor toward the stairwell. <goblin-talk>
<OOC> Ashes says, "Zofija, you can follow Elyanna, or try for another route. If you follow you can aid another for her next check." <OOC> Ashes says, "DC15 to pick another route, follow is automatic. DC10 perception to Aid Another." <OOC> Zofija says, "I'll follow Elyanna" GAME: Zofija rolls perception: (5)+4: 9 (vs DC10 - Fail)
"What the, oh, gods damn it all, did no one think it worth sweeping over the ward filled with wight victims for undead?" The cavalier curses to herself. "Yeah that's fine, you've done plenty as it is. No clue who or what Donna is, no time to really figure it out."
She tears off down the halls after Elyanna, stopping just once out side one of the preparation rooms for surgical procedures.
"Sorry, going to have to borrow this." She grunts to some rather indignant and confused looking priests as they grab one of the large hammers used for more, violent orthopedic surgeries, intending to put it to more violent use as she returns to chasing down the bard, but the brief distraction was enough to lose most of the sound moving farther away.
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+12: (13)+12: 25 (vs DC20 - Success)
There is further banging inside the conduits, sounds of a trapped animal, elbows and knees thumping the sides. The noise echoes, it appears to be getting further, or going down.
Up ahead, through the blinding lights, the tail of a sheet can be seen flicking around a corner.
<OOC> Ashes says, "escape artist DC20 to enter the next card, +10 grease, +2 small, Jinks. Move to cross it." GAME: Jinks rolls Escape Artist+10+2: (13)+6+10+2: 31 (vs DC20 - Success) <OOC> Ashes says, "the Will-o-wisps follow you" <OOC> Ashes says, "it turns a corner, to a juncture going down, another going straight, and another towards the stairs"
Jinks pays little mind to the cantrip bobbing in between him and the infiltrating undead. He uses his overly-decorated digits to shield his eyes and passes straight through, blinking a moment as he readjusts to the backlit darkness.
The gnimble gnome gnows gno impedement as he continues down through the gnarrow gcorridors. He twists his head to lean with an ear, looking out of the corner of his eye, too. Reaching the fork, he pauses and considers each passage.
<OOC> Elyanna says, "new perception to see if she's still going where we thought?" GAME: Elyanna rolls perception: (11)+8: 19 (vs DC20 - Fail) <OOC> Ashes says, "okay, that fails, you can use your move to try again" GAME: Elyanna rolls perception: (5)+8: 13
Pursuit is certain of some familiarity to the ex Keeper, though the circumstances are particularly askew in this instance. Elyanna's pace patters to an uncertain pause as she cocks her head to one side, then the other as her eyes dart about, trying, apparently in vain to filter out the background excitement.
"Drat!" she snarls, her cranings becoming more rapid and fruitlessly energetic, "I lost her chord!" <goblin-talk>
<OOC> Ashes says, "Zofija, same, DC20 Percep to get on Card 2" GAME: Zofija rolls perception: (16)+4: 20 (vs DC20 - Success) <OOC> Ashes says, "okay, you can hear she's gone downstairs, you can follow and get to the card 2 exit"
Despite the setback, Zofija is able to catch up to where Elyanna is a bit unsure of where to go next. She stops for one moment, her ears flick once, sending her hat somewhat askew. "Downstairs, the sounds going down!" She shouts back to Elyanna, before tearing off down the stairs.
<OOC> Ashes says, "Drainee is at entrance of Card 4. Jinks Entrance of Card 3. Elyanna entrance of Card 2, Zofija entrance of Card 3. Elyanna can follow Zofija, either attempt to enter card 3 or aid another Zofija to enter card 3" GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+12: (4)+12: 16 (vs DC15 - Success)
There's further scrambling sounds, as the pretend patient moves through the duct-work.
<OOC> Jinks says, "So I think I'm headed down!" <OOC> Jinks says, "Do a dance to Inspire Competence as a Swift" GAME: Jinks spends ONE use of BARDIC PERFORMANCE. GAME: Jinks rolls Climb+5: (10)+Climb+5: 15 (vs DC20 -fail) <OOC> Jinks says, "Will Gallant Inspire myself" GAME: Jinks casts Gallant Inspiration. Caster Level: 15 DC: 20 GAME: Jinks rolls 2d4: (6): 6 (Total 21 vs DC20 - Success) <OOC> Ashes says, "okay... the entire Soldier's Defense is treated to a serenade as you hit the harmonic frquency of the duct-work and your song is heard everywhere." <OOC> Ashes says, "you have the option of continuing through the ductwork, or popping out into the hallway at the exit of card 3, DC10 for that, changing pursuit tracks, essentially" <OOC> Jinks says, "I will trust the hobgobs to hobgnob out in the halls and stick with the ducts for now, I suppose." <OOC> Ashes says, "oka, make the pose, you're at exit of Card 3/entrance card 4"
The tunnel had seemed plenty tight walking through it but looking down the shaft's drop, Jinks wonders if it's conspired to dilate and ruins his progress. He sucks his teeth and shrugs after only a moment's hesitation, tumbling forward and catching his foot on the opposite side.
Perched, he twists and holds opposite sides of the shaft. A little hop and he swings to brace both feet below while gripping the ledge (now above). He looses his hold and kicks, bouncing to the other side of the shaft. A grate sticks out just enough for the dancing gnome to brace again and jump, pulling into the tightest little ball and spiral down at speeds.
When his grab for the next flange to slow his progress fails, he sing-songs an oath in gnomish and finds a second. His shoulder aches in complaint at the quick lurch but he only pauses in his descent for a second before dropping the rest of the way.
Soft-soled boots land at the bottom and his knees bend to absorb the shock. Tucking forward, Jinks rolls one last time before he springs back up to look up and down the path.
<OOC> Elyanna says, "ok, will draw maidenhead and try to aid zofi into card 3" GAME: Elyanna rolls perception: (16)+8: 24 (Aid Another vs DC10 - Success, +2 for Zofija) <OOC> Elyanna says, "ok will move if i still can" <OOC> Ashes says, "you can catch up to Zofija, yesnow at the entrance of Card 3."
Elyanna's head whips back around to Zofija's direction and then back toward the wall, scanning down... down... "Got'er!"
Deftly as she resumes the chase, the red woman curls her fingers around Maidnhead's hilt, and the multihued tresses of the weapon slither free to writhe beside her like an eager tendril.
She trusts the gnome is continuing to press their bunny toward the hounds as it were. -<goblin-talk>
<OOC> Ashes says, "Athletics DC15 or k/local or k/engineering DC20, Zofija, to get onto card 3" GAME: Zofija rolls athletics: (6)+9: 15 (vs DC15 - Success)
While the trail was still hot, Zofija elects to keep it that way, breaking out into a short sprint once she clears the stairwell. "This way, come on Ely!" She shouts back when she has a moment, before continuing the chase. <Goblin-talk>
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+8: (17)+8: 25 (Reflex vs DC22 - Success)
There's further scrambling, and an unexpected mechanical screeching noise.
<OOC> Ashes says, "okay, Jinks, you think she's made it to the exit, you have a card to enter, cross, then another roll to make the exit, if you want to rush it and take a -2 on your rolls. It will be a DC15 Survival to pick the right air duct, a move to cross, then a reflex DC22 to get past the mechanical blockage." <OOC> Jinks says, "Alright. I'll continue to perform as a freeb." GAME: Jinks rolls Survival+5: (19)+0+5-2: 22 (vs DC15 - Success) GAME: Jinks rolls Reflex-2: (12)+15+-2: 25 (vs DC22 - Success) <OOC> Ashes says, "okay! you wriggle and squeeze through an dpop out by the back door" <OOC> Ashes says, "where the thing is, which hisses at you" <OOC> Jinks says, "a happy-to-see-me hiss?" <OOC> Ashes says, "maaaaaaybe"
Quite a bit dustier and cobwebby for his efforts, Jinks squints and finds the creature's trail with an speed that surprises himself. It's probably a trap? He shrugs and rolls again, twisting and turning and occasionally going down on one knee.
The collapsed bit forming the blockage makes him grunt. A few quick steps and he slides sideways, shoulder-first through the gap and leaps free before the bit he'd bumped comes crashing down to crush him.
The hiss draws his gaze as he stands up back out in the open air. He's equal parts dusty and glisteny-greasy. The gnome twists his lips so he can blow upwards and dislodge a bit of webbing dangling down by his eye.
"You should at least hear me sing before you boo..." suggests the bard.
<OOC> Ashes says, "okay, Elyanna, you can follow, and aid another for Zofija, or attempt 2 successes with a -2 on your roll to make it to the exit. It will be a DC20 Percept to get on Card 4, then a Fort DC22 to get on the Exit card." <OOC> Ashes says, "if you Aid Another, Zofija will get +2 on both rolls if she decides to do both rolls." <OOC> Elyanna says, "we'll go that route" GAME: Elyanna rolls perception: (14)+8: 22 (vs DC20 - Success, Aid Another +2 for Zofija)
Things are clearer now that some 'stunned silence' has cut down on some of the background din, and Elyanna continues to follow her companion with brief updates on where the sounds sounds like they're going, such as 'To the left' or 'drawing back', with Maidenhead trailing behind her like a dancer's scarf.
"There's something- a fan ahead! Rush in as the blade passes the very bottom!" <goblin-talk>
<OOC> Ashes says, "Zofija, a DC20 Percept to get on Card 4, then a Fort DC22 to get on the Exit card, you have +2 to your rolls." GAME: Zofija rolls perception +2: (12)+4+2: 18 (vs DC20 - Fail) <OOC> Ashes says, "you can re-attempt to get on card 4, using up your move" GAME: Zofija rolls perception +2: (9)+4+2: 15 <OOC> Ashes says, "okay, you don't make progress Zofija, sorry, pose getting the wrong door"
"Fan's up top, we just have to actually get out of here." Zofija grunts as she sprints along, only to find the hallway she was following looped back around on itself. She shoves open a door only to close it just as quickly, the Arvek-nar shaking her head.
"I really didn't need to see that." The cavalier grumbles. "Another way! If you've got an idea where to go, I'll follow your lead. It isn't making much noise now." <goblin-talk>
<OOC> Ashes says, "So Draenee full attacks Jinks, and then will 5' to start getting away." GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+11: (9)+11: 20 GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+12: (12)+12: 24 GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+12: (20)+12: 32 (THREAT) (vs AC25 - Success) GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+12: (13)+12: 25 (Confirmed) (vs AC25 - Success) GAME: Ashes rolls 2d8+8: (9)+8: 17 GAME: Ashes rolls 1d2: (1): 1 GAME: You damaged Jinks for 17 points. 70 HP remaining. GAME: You damaged Jinks's Constitution for 1 points. 1 total damage.
The patient is dusty. She's impossibly alive, somehow still moving despite being only a torso. Her legs are wrapped up in the bedsheet, the bundle she was dragging along behind her. The dismemberment doesn't impede her. She launches at the gnome, her hiss turning into a howl, and then a wide mouthed snap.
This misses
Two claws follow, one ripping at his face, nails narrowly passing above the skin. The second connects, opening a wide slash on his neck. She screams again. The gnome feels weaker.
GAME: Jinks rolls Knowledge/religion: (5)+20: 25 <OOC> Jinks says, "Alright, I will change to do Inspire Competence with a song so other two can take a +5 on their skill checks. I will cast Hold Monster on the critter. And then (if it saves) 5' in, drawing the rapier just so I threaten" GAME: Jinks spends ONE use of BARDIC PERFORMANCE. <OOC> Jinks says, "If you're OK, I'll make it Shadow Evoc and Resilient Sphere." GAME: Jinks casts Shadow Evocation. Caster Level: 15 DC: 26 GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+10: (4)+10: 14 <OOC> Jinks says, "First save is a higher will save (it failed) now it needs a Reflex." GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+8: (3)+8: 11 <OOC> Jinks says, "Alright. It's trapped in a sphere-shaped version of a Wall of Force" <OOC> Jinks says, "Move action to ready my rod of Quickened Metamagic. And that'll be my turn."
"At least the other blood-drinker in my life had the graces to court me first," hisses the maestro as his neck turns wet and warm. Glancing between the dangling entrails and bundled hips, Jinks turns his lip.
- "-- oh, and checking everything is in place, you never know who's looking on.
- A perfet body...
- with a perfect face..."
The Hymn spills out from the gnome, twisting through to bolster and reinforce the lyrics. The little man's voice reaches through the alley, across the gardens, and back into the hospital.
Rings of gold, platinum, silver, and stone dotted with all cut and color of gems go dull as he sweeps his hand through shadow. The stuff comes away semi-solid, roiling and angry as the gnimble gnomish digits corral the volatile stuff. The hand makes a fist and the cloud is consumed, suddenly bursting to life in tendrils around the undead creature that encircle, entwine, and collapse as a vision-distorting, semi-transparent sphere.
<OOC> Jinks says, "+5 to any skill checks if they're within 30' and can hear me." <OOC> Ashes says, "Elyanna, same as before, 2 rolls to at -2 to get to the exit, DC 20 percp, Fort DC22, or aid another to help Zofija, or wait if she's going to aid you. Also +5 to whatvever you decide to do" <OOC> Elyanna says, "i'll try to take point again" GAME: Elyanna rolls perception-2+5: (19)+8+-2+5: 30 (vs DC20 - Success) GAME: Elyanna spends ONE use of CHARMED LIFE. GAME: Elyanna rolls Fort+3: (4)+3+3: 10 (vs DC22 - Fail) <OOC> Ashes says, "okay, so you get part way but can't make the dash to the exit."
There's a nod to Zofija as whatever the fullblood saw on her wrong turn convinced her to defer to Elyanna's reacquired sense of bearings, "This way!"
Her eartips given to stunted twitching compared to her forbears, the Keeper manages to steer things toward this new obstacle. With a soft sigh of consternation, the highborne hobkin tries to lunge through the gap, though she ends up getting caught up at the halfway mark with a surprised grunt of loosened wind.
<OOC> Ashes says, "Zofija, +5 on skill checks, a DC 20 percp then a Fort DC22, -2 if you're doing both" <OOC> Zofija says, "-2 doing both?" <OOC> Ashes says, "if you try to do both checks, because normally you only get one" GAME: Zofija rolls perception +5: (12)+4+5: 21 (vs DC20 - Success)
Zofija lets the much more competent bard take point for the time being as she has trouble with her own sense of direction, but loses Elyanna around one of the corners. It takes a long moment before she hears the sound of fighting through one of the doorways, and she takes off running in an attempt to close the gap.
The woman screeches, battering around inside the shadowy sphere, her howls increasing in volume as she attacks in all directions and finds none of them yield. She even goes so far as to throw her bundle of legs at the wall.
Darkness falls, the back steps of the Soldier's Defense obscured beyond the deepest night. Her screams fall silent.
She has escaped under cover of spell.
Or so it seems at first. The pursuit, the commotion, drew the attention of others in the Soldier Defense and they arrive. The darkness is dispelled with light, revealing the woman in two parts still trapped inside the sphere. The other healers, most of them are lay people but some are clerics, with holy energy to banish undead.
They prepare to do just that.
After a few grunted/wheezed words that could be considered.... unladylike at least outside of Ogress territory(in Jotun for extra crunch!), Elyanna finally manages to unstick herself and complete her rush to find Jinks....
With his very own NoGlobe, and it even has a 'prize'!
The red woman approaches the sphere, looking to the gnome with a quick, "Are you alright?"
With nothing worthwhile to do as her mistress missed the party, Maidenhead is absently coiled to return to her place at the Keeper's waist.
Jinks nods and offers a thin, tired smile. "Fine. It was more interested in escaping than it was me... just a quick bit scratching to push me back." He's dropping the rod back into a loop on his belt at the arvek nar arrive. Now he takes a moment to pull the handkerchief away from his neck and inspect it. "A little faint, maybe, but nothing a night of drink won't cure."
There's an ironic smirk at that last bit.
"What is it about your establishment that I depart more wounded than I arrive?" The gnome wonders in a conversational tone as the wrangling holymen and -women begin to arrive. "I'm sure you welcome the repeat business but this is a little suspect?"
Heavy fingers wave off any that seek to attend him. The bard instead hums a quiet tune and sees to himself.
Elyanna nods, then looks to their, well, his, captive, reaching out to lightly caress the mystic prison, "I will have to learn this one." she notes drily.
The levity gets a smirk then, with a hand raised in a halting fashion else their chance at information is scoured from existence prematurely, she wonders of the foul creature, "How many more of you are there?" with a distinctly intent glare as Jinks tends to his wounds.
"That's the Lady Machaela, at least that's who she claimed to be, of Veyshan," The Daeusite Priestess says, arriving behind Elyanna and Zofija. She smiles apologetically at Jinks, "I'm sorry you were injured. It isn't common for patients to attack each other."
Though not unheard of. One must be careful when housing soldiers.
"Who sent you! Who made you! Why are you here?" The white and gold priestess demands of the woman in the dark sphere. "Answer or you will see the sunrise!"
"I'll rip out your eyes! Your childrens eyes! I'll make a belt of bloody orbs to watch me while I'm waking!" The half-woman howls, flinging herself at the priestess. Impossibly long fingers slash at the sphere holding her back.
She turns on Elyanna next, "I'll end your tainted line with your childless corpse!" Her mouth slams against the barrier, so wide the hobkin can see almost to her stomach. A rotting esophagus that leads down to blackness.
<OOC> Jinks says, "I'm sorry, folks, I'm having some stomach distress. Would a Kn.Nobility be helpful, Cryo?" <OOC> Ashes says, "yes, you can both roll. DC20" GAME: Jinks rolls Knowledge/Nobility: (10)+18: 28 to Ashes GAME: Elyanna rolls knowledge/nobility: (15)+6: 21 GAME: Zofija rolls knowledge/nobility: (1)+4: 5 (EPIC FAIL)
Finally the arvek-nar cavalier manages to escape out the door of the soldier's defence, panting for a moment and catching her breath with the surgeon's hammer at the ready, only to find it unnecessary. Zofija grunts once.
"Guess something downstairs isn't the only thing you're catching, smallman." The arvek-nar chuckles weakly, setting the weapon more idly in a single hand. The others are busy interrogating, so she doesn't have much to add at the moment, but the insults hurled at Elyanna seem to have some effect on the cavalier as she freezes up and closes her eyes.
"A joke," Jinks dismisses the priestess' apology with a shake of his head. Once he's done with the healing magics, he hums a tune to make the pocket square pristine again. Then it vanishes from his grip-- likely up into one sleeve or the other.
"You're caught, lady, and your threats are empty. Perhaps there are magics that can see you right or quicker, kinder ways to leave this life." The gnome smooths his goatee as he watches the gnashing, risen thing. "Were you wronged or cursed? Do you even remember your life before..." he gestures vaguely at the two-piece monster in the bubble.
"... catching things was never my problem, tallgob," he smirks and side-eyes Zofija. "Keeping them is always the tricky part."
"I haven't heard a threat like that in a while." Elyanna murmurs with an offhand shrug. <Jotun>
She looks to the passle of priests, ""No, 'Machaela'," and tap-tap-taps the fingertips of her gauntletted hand against the eldritch sphere, each in time with her following words of, "you... will... not."
She looms over the fiesty scion, "My Lady Ryzhenkov, if that is truly your grace, I will not lie to you. You will be destroyed in holy light before the hour is struck."
She pivots some from the figure, so as to make room for the more divinely gifted, though her face and steely gaze hold to the undead visage within the barrier, "Answer our questions, and your release to the beyond will be done quickly. Refuse, and I expect your scourging to be a matter of successive lashes of holy light."
"I brook no disobedience from a half breed such as you! Slay them! Submit! Use that whip as intended, subordinate worm! Your kind grubbed in our dungeons and should do so now. OBEY!" The 'Lady' Machaela howls, her futile slashes raking the sphere.
"We are going to get nothing useful from her." The Daeusite Priestess says. She reveals her holy symbol and holds it aloft. She extends her arm towards the other clerics, "join me in prayer."
"Oh Highest One, Draco Solis, Master of Law, show this one her last sunrise. Let your holy light consume her corruption, and if any remains exist after the taint is destroyed, welcome what is left of her into your warm embrace."
Her holy symbol catches a sunbeam. The light reflects and grows brighter. A warmth suffuses the area. Shadows vanish, colours grow paler until everything is a singular, all encompassing light. A blinding ball that grows larger, surrounding everything.
It vanishes. The steps are clear, even the shadow sphere is gone. Only a bedsheet remains.
Zofija blinks and opens her eyes with a grunt, shaking her head and whatever thoughts were there out with it. "Yeah, you're right, no reason to keep them around." The arvek-nar agrees. "Safer for you clerics to handle it so, do what you have to do."
"She waits for the undead beast to be dispatched, and the cavalier sighs. "You know that thing, or what they were before Ely?" She asks idly. "At least it's not going to harm the people in the defense any more, and it was handled with minimal incident. The place doesn't need any more black marks on it."
"Coyote laughs," observes Jinks, turning back to observe the aftermath having averted his gaze from the blinding brilliance. He makes quick work doing up the buttons on his coat and then fixes his cuffs watching the clerics return to the Defense and their posts within.
"It was a bold one... and lucky to've last as long as it did." Black-eyes scan the gardens as he gets his bearings. Hands find pockets. There's a moment where the gnome seems a little lost before he reaches whatever decision and starts off down the paths towards the warehouses and southern bridge beyond.
"Well done."
"Machaela Ryzhenkov..." the hobkin intones softly, by will unflinching by the holy light invoked by these divine agents to sweep the undead taint from their halls, "... your song is sung."
An act of the Gods whose spectacle touches the red woman far less... directly, than the first time she'd strung that sentence together, for another monster, another undead blight now gone... and were it up to her, all mention and potential memory of the slug would be wiped from the world.
The query from her countryman brings her out of her 'mood' with a blink, and she shakes her head, "There is one noble line in Veyshan I know of, along the Gold Coasts, it is thought the sway they hold is due to their undead taint."
That said...
"She is quite far from field, to be feigning infirmity in Alexandria." her eyes half lid as her chin lowers to meet the crook of a knuckle with her lip in thought, "This is... troubling."
Then toward Jinks she turns, "Your hand was most critical in stopping her escape, as you say, well done."
The Daeusite Priestess nods graciously, gesturing to the gnome and the two hobkin, "Yes. Your actions were instrumental in preventing her escape. Thank you for your swift response."
"It is troubling that she escaped our notice." The woman says, slipping her holy symbol into her robes. "As an invalid, she was much more congenial, and frail. She showed none of that vitriol and didn't behave in a suspicious manner. With so many suffering from wight attacks, it was difficult to detect her predations."
"Once again, thank you." She frowns slightly, "I should return to the Mourner."
"Yeah, Ely is right, well done is mostly on your part, Jinks, I think it was? All I did was get myself winded to see everyone else handle it." Zofija grunts. "That does sound a bit troubling though, if they're that far out."
"You did what you could, just take some time to think what could be done better, learn from this." She adds to the priestess. "Yeah, we should go check in on Ash, see how she's doing. I don't want her burning out if I can help it."
"The variety of undead..." Jinks remarks, turning after only a few steps. "They're more commonly encountered in the Islands of Jade passing for living creatures-- even so far as foiling divination magics during the day.
"They're adept liars and play-actors that split in two and hunt after nightfall, often flying aboard ships from land or other vessels to feast."
The gnome pauses to think, waving away the compliments. "... strong spices; they find the odor repellent even in their masked forms."
Another, final smirk and he nods at Zofija as he starts walking backwards, crunching on the gravel of the path. "I just lucked into the proper path."
"Lucking into the proper path can change a life." Elyanna remarks thoughtfully, though she turns then to Zofija and nods, "She is a woman of focus."
She shrugs her cloak closed once more then, "Shall we, then?"
The return journey is easier and longer. Ashes is waiting in the ward on the second floor, alternating between staring at the vent and staring at the door. Her silvery khopesh is held low and ready. Once friends enter, she replaces the weapon in her satchel.
Dunny, her owl, asks a related question to the one on her mind, issuing his eerie warble, "WhooOooooOooo?"
Ashes adds, "You got her?"
"Yeah, back we go, the sooner we let her know, the sooner she can relax. There is a bit of luck to the right path, but still need skill." Zofi grunts before she's on her way back into the building proper. She stops to return the hammer, making sure to let them know she didn't actually end up using it, and returns to the hall where Ashes was last.
"It's gone, yeah." She nods. "I didn't get it though, that was on Jinks and Ely. But it's gone."
The trip back is certainly less strenuous, and the highborne leaves the rebuttal lie for now.
It isn't a discussion for these circumstances.
The two hobkin ultimately find their friend and Elyanna affords her a faint smile, "Jinks managed to secure it by the time we had caught up."
A sigh, then, "She had claimed to be a noble of Veyshan, my guess is the Ryzhenkov line, she had called herself Machaela." she explains, after reaching back to gently close the door. Even then she is speaking in a low volume, "Jinks believes the particular strain is from the Jade Island, can pass for the living even by magical scrutiny, and hunt at night by..." here she sounds uncertain, "splitting in two. They are held at bay by the odor of strong spices. I do not know of such creatures, do you?" <goblin-talk>
Ashlee listens, concentrating as Elyanna goes into further details. "I've not heard of that type." Her shoulders slump. "Thanks for getting her. I'll want to hear more, later."
The Mourner turns to the rest of the beds in the ward. Unlike the first floor, her ministrations here are limited by her spells. While she can provide some healing, she only has eight restorations, and half of them aren't very strong. She still evaluates each patient, gives a blessing, and her thoughts regarding treatment.
Her explanations are terse and often, "The same as the last patient."
"I'll share more about it later if you want to hear, but, yeah, it's dealt with for now." Zofi sighs, finally giving herself a moment to unwind. "Shame I couldn't do more, just running down halls isn't worth a kiss on the cheek as a reward or anything."
The cavalier chuckles, and shakes her head. "No clue what it was, or what the measures entail. Maybe I'll do some research later. Don't know much about Veyshan, that's more Elyanna's wheelhouse. As for the task at hand? Hey, just knowing what we're dealing with for certain is a big help. No misdiagnosis' and all."
Elyanna is, in this area, significantly less useful than others. She doesn't like the set of her friend's posture, but while she is partly human, she still has enough hierarchical thinking beaten into her that she doesn't challenge the healer within these confines with stock she doesn't have.
She does, however, stay reasonably close to hand, softly whistling an intricate diddy of some familiarity to the ear, though her probably invocative gestures are shrouded behind her feathered cloak. With barely more than a glance, she sets her willwork toward a gurney, cleansing it and it's associated patient.
The tableau worries something nameless in the strange corners of her mind, enough for it to brush against her conscious awareness, if only just. Ashes moving from bed to bed is not an unheard of concept for the halfbreed, but seeing it for herself for some reason tickles Elyanna with a sense of...
What is the Myrrish colloquialism for it again... 'Veja Du' or somesuch?
Zofija's commentary on risk vs reward draw a blink, and the von Diesel scion turns the cavalier's way with a quizzical, "Have I been erring on my expectations of recompense?"
The rest warrants a shake of her head, "Hardly that. The play of Houses and Lineages oft times demands knowledge of the others, even those outside your own borders, as potential sources of support for you, or your enemy."
The little tune appears to help, although there is no dancing accompanying the lightness of Ashlee's step. She's completed the room, and willing to fold a few towels and move the gurney around. A delaying tactic. She looks at the Daeusite Priestess, "The next ward is diseases?"
"Yes. Chronic patients, with some aggressive afflictions that aren't easily banished."
"Any of them from DEVA station?"
"No," the Priestess says, "none of them are magic resistant. Some re-appear after cures though."
The Mourner nods. "I'll need to wash carefully to prevent transmission."
Another thought crosses her mind, and the Mourner adds, "I wasn't planning to kiss anyone today."
"Well, you know more about it than I do, I just have bits and pieces I picked up here and there." Zofija shrugs before she realizes what she said, and the cavalier looks away with her face turning into a bright sunset. "Ah, crap, nah, you're uh, you're probably being right in what you expect for payment for work." She mumbles to the floor. "Don't worry about it."
With that bit of embarrassment sorted, yet likely burnt into her mind to haunt her some moment when she was getting ready to sleep or her mind was blank of things to do, She looks up, and focuses again on the work at hand. "Right, those sorts of things. I'll leave my stuff where I can, and get changed into whatever robes and kit they use in there."
Elyanna is blessed to some extent in that she's always red.
There is some recognition, and a little surprise at the response she'd garnered, and she simply reaches out to lightly clap the cavalier's shoulder. No blood, no foul, as it were.
Her invocation traverses the patients in Ashes wake, aiding at least in the sanitary regards to lighten the healer's efforts.
A service she was too crippled by plague to provide her first stretch within this place.
"My cleansing spell is like one used at the DEVA station as I am led to understand, it would save you some time." she offers as she follows the Mourner on her course.
The Mourner nods, divesting herself of most of her gear, her armour, her cavalry boots, her satchel. She takes off her jacket, but keeps her shirt and slacks. Despite the looseness of the material it still shows her form, a soft build, more like a goblin's though not as extreme as the dancers at Mama Rose's. She's not the rough, muscled type that embodies the hobgoblin ideal. Ashes slips on a white robe, gloves, and a hood cover her grey. "It would help. Thanks Elyanna."
Robes are available for everyone.
The Disease Ward
The beds are further apart, with hanging sheets separating each. There's a board with written notes on it, explaining the symptoms and treatment.
"Are there any unknown?" Ashlee asks.
"Most are. I'll show you the complicated ones." The Priestess says.
The first bed, the first patient, glows blue, surrounded by Faerie Fire and appearing physically weak, as if the magic is slowly consuming him.
GAME: Zofija rolls heal: (7)+3: 10 <OOC> Ashes says, "so it's DC15 for Long Term care, or DC20 to identify the disease, but it is written down what it is"
The cavalier jumps with the clap on her shoulder, and Zofija nods weakly to Elyanna before she's on her way to preparing to enter the disease ward.
"I don't think I've ever seen you without all your gear." They note once, before pulling on their own robe after doffing the scarf, coat, and bag. With everything set, she heads into the room once she was sure she was prepared. "Does it list what treatments they tried already?" She asks when seeing the patient first. "I wish I could be more help, but I'm not entirely sure where to begin." Zofija sighs.
Like Ashes, Elyanna divests herself of most of her personal equipment, save the innermost layers. Between their hems, and the chance spread of her raven locks, thin white scars peekaboo along the exposed carmine skin of her back. Her own frame, likewise is deviant from the hobgoblin standard; a taller and leaner silhouette, softer in the ways humans tend to be, though also more graceful in the exchange.
Her robe donned, she neatly stacks her gear, with Maidenhead set gently atop the pile. A small thong is taken from a pocket on her weapon's belt and tied about her hair down near the end, leaving the mass above free enough to move, if hang about her head like a habit.
She is more hesitant to simply begin invoking recklessly, as these contagions are more like the Winter Plague, and she has no desire to rekindle that particular relationship.
Instead, she advises her friend, "Tell me who and when to cleanse, and I shall. I can also... try to sing to bolster your efforts, if you think it would help?"
"It does." Ashes says, reading the chart. Her head dips as she does, and she draws a gloved hand across one line. "I'll need help with this one. It's easy to catch."
Just touch the faerie fire. A mild problem when the spell to cure it requires touching.
"Feiu of the Tears, help me resist this." The Mourner grips her Holy Symbol, then makes her mark on the patient's forhead. "Feiu of the Tears, take this disease to the Halls."
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+13: (13)+13: 26 (vs DC 20 - Success) <OOC> Ashes says, "okay, Remove Disease works so Ashes doesn't catch it." <OOC> Ashes says, "for the next patient, Elyanna can make a heal check, and you can make another for the one after Zofija." <OOC> Ashes says, "Also, you have the take10, take 20 options" <OOC> Ashes says, "take10 probably doesn't work with your heal though Zofija, you'd need a 15 to do appropriate LTC things," <OOC> Ashes says, "so you'd have to do take20" <OOC> Elyanna says, "i don't have a heal skill as such, i'd have to take 20" <OOC> Ashes says, "well, if you aid another with a take10, and zofija take10, that's a 15 which is good enough for daily care" <OOC> Ashes says, "so the two of you working together would be fine" <OOC> Elyanna says, "ok, will do that"
Zofi looked up once while she was changing to catch Elyanna, and the cavalier returned to finding the floor very interesting.
Come on, focus, there wasn't time for a lapse of concentration in the wards. The cavalier pulled her hood up, and continued making her rounds. "I'll tend to those that I can, take some work off of you." The arvek-nar grunts, before going over what care she could manage. Changing dressings, moving patients, changing sheets in the like, while taking care to mind all the listed precautions.
Elyanna nods and she starts a low, wordless rumble that becomes a croon, her voice altering in pitch and resonance through the subtle tricks of her trade to present a centering melody that seems to clarify thought and shore up action, albeit to a lesser degree than Jinks's own song.
As she walks to the new bed with Zofija to tend to the particulars, on Ashes's all clear, she guides her spellwork toward the newly cured patient for sanitization's sake.
Her eyes wash the chart of this new subject, and she roughly bends a note.
Swalllowing between a shallow breath to continue her song, she uses the notes to shape words in a somewhat bizzarre sing-song, "Red Drip!"
A hand snaps out to ward the cavalier back from the bed and she edges back some, herself, "Ashlee, this one has one of the DEVA infections. The one that rots off limbs." <goblin-talk>
Zofija was working at a decent pace with the aid of the bard, and she started humming to herself tunelessly after some time. "'Bout time I got to here some of your singing, sounds nice." She grunts before continuing on with her work. It was mostly with the less magical diseases, ones she could handle herself. Compresses and bandages changed, temperatures gauged and noted for future treatments, and scheduled medicine ministrations offered after triple checking the amounts and times before signing off. "Used to do a lot of this for my dad." She explains to Elyanna. "Since he couldn't move around that well, I had to handle his medicine since we couldn't afford to have healers come by often." <goblin-talk>
She stops when the song takes an odd turn, and she re reads the chart, before freezing on the spot, and looking back to Ashlee for some form of guidance, eyes more than a bit wide.
"Red Drip?" Ash's head turns sharply. She walks over. It's in that moment, how she moves in the corner of the eye and the DEVA association, that the strong sensation she's seen this before washes over Elyanna. Ashes never tended anyone at the camp, but she's reminding her strongly of someone, a similar healer, a similar situation.
Ashes takes the clipboard and reads. "It... is... The cure for this is known. Pinecones, or a dryad, wasn't it?" She reaches the bottom of the page.
A hesitation, and then the Mourner touches the patient and the knowledge comes to her through her fingertips, "It's the simpler form. Not as contagious. Not from the war."
Easily cured with a Remove Disease spell, which she does. In this moment she has a similar, yet different epiphany to Elyanna. Chippen uncurls from her neck and winds his way out of her clothes to descend down to her wrist.
"I'm sorry about your father." She adds for Zofija, attempting that bedside manner 'thing'.
A different time.
A different healer....
A different camp....
The hobkin ignores the phantom tingle along her side at the memory:
Stone Talon.
"Vibibi." comes a single, singsong word half without context, and Elyanna lowers her arm, directing her cleansing to this new focus.
Her eyes swivel toward Ashes, then Zofija, though her melody doesn't fluctuate.
At least knowing there was a solution was enough to take a weight off her shoulders, and the cavalier sighs. "That's, yeah that's good. I don't want anyone being hurt by those diseases anymore." The arvek-nar grunts.
"Don't worry about it, but, still, I appreciate it, Ash." Zofija chuckles. "Been that way for pretty much as long as I remember, so it's just the way things are really."
Ashlee doesn't notice the word without context. There's no change in the melody to draw her attention. She's focused on her task, but her profile, her build, her movement. They match. As that realization occurs other details click into place, those shared in the Grey Halls.
Ashes was the firstborn; stillborn.
She never knew her family.
She never sought them out.
She doesn't know! The fleeting impression Elyanna had when she woke after the challenge wasn't baseless. The Mourner has a sister, a healer, another follower of the Feiu of the Tears and similar in many mannerisms and appearance. Just less 'dead'.
This revelation completely passes her by, she's focused on the patients. She moves to the next bed, "It often is."
Click.
The keeper's voice continues to croon it's chords, tone measured and volume kept in check for the sake of those outside her influence in need of rest, though rete enough to run 'in the background' while her mind chased it's tail around the tree.
The prevailing humours are different, though many of the ephemerals stand in parallel.
Click.
Function.
Click.
Form.
A more studious expression subsumes her usual poise, even as her hands continue to their works in relation to Zofija's directions. The study breaks when she looks back to their prior patient to mentally direct her lingering spell to a new vector.
Ashlee keeps going, stopping after each bed for a magical cleansing. Some patients she's able to cure, all get her hex healing, similar blessings that she's be doing the whole while. Bed to bed and the next, it's very repetitive and a longer process. She is dilligent at reading the chart, has so many spells and is doing her best to pace them out. She identifies a few as she cures them.
"Daemonic wasting. Crypt Fever. Demonplague. Demon Fever."
Her voice remains monotone, but the names are drawn out more and more. Tireless and tired, a patient's question halts her in her tracks.
"Does everyone else see that? Am I imagining things? Are you Lady Death?"
What beds left were mostly those needing more specialized care that Zofija wasn't comfortable dealing with, she ends up staying to help the mourner, instead. "Everything alright Ely? Seems like you've got something on the mind." She asks of the bard before she continues on, listening to all the explanations. "Big city, lots of different diseases here I wouldn't expect. Port probably doesn't help."
Zofi grunts, before patting the mourner on her arm and stepping forward. "Nah, not death, this is the healer Ashlee. She's been helping a lot of people here recover, and she's going to do her best for you too, alright?" The cavalier reassures.
Elyanna, likewise, keeps her pacing to her partners'. She continues her song with the resolution that there are a couple of Mourners who need The Talk.
The question bends another note as she blinks, then, to regard Zofija and she lets the song fade while she has a moment of consideration about answering it.
"Nothing urgent." the red woman replies quietly, "I want to be sure before I speculate aloud." <goblin-talk>
"I'm not the Grey Lady." Ashlee says with conviction. She is female, and ash coloured in all aspects like skin, hair, clothing, and often personality. She's not a 'Lady', a hobgoblin of such standing would have Elyanna of Zofija's colouration, red, orange, something rare and exotic. She steps forward to continue her ministrations like she has with all the others, looking over his chart and then touching his forehead.
"Oh."
She withdraws her hand, letting it hang by her side. She stares. The patient stares back, until his eyes cloud with delirium.
"Feiu of the Tears, grant Ronaldi Lar'ikkin an easy transition. Feiu of the Tears, prepare a place for him. Feiu of the Tears, weigh his heart carefully, he has suffered greatly. Feiu of the tears, he will be missed but not mourned."
Mourner Ashlee Ciaradh leans in and kisses the man on the forehead. "Feiu of the Tears, he is coming soon." She stares at the clouded eyes, "Ronaldi. You are dying."
She is not the Grey Lady; she is one of her instruments.
Zofija stops, blinks, and nods, before taking a step back. She closes her eyes, and clasps her hands together. She waits for a moment, until she is fairly certain Ashes is finished with her rites.
"I... should have expected something like this still potentially, but that doesn't make it easier. May he find peace and rest in the next life." Zofi sighs. <goblin-talk>
There isn't a lot to say in the wake of Ashes's revelations. It's neither her place, nor is consolation anything resembling a gift of hers.
Ask Donna.
Elyanna regards the man who's due is heralded and she affords him a polite bow. This precedes a quizzical glance toward Zofija, but she remains silent.
Ashes steps back, looking around for the Daeusite Priestess. She isn't far away, she steps over to the Mourner, "Are you done?"
The Mourner doesn't answer. She remains staring at the man in the bed. Finally she says, "I'll come back."
Once he's passed. In case he needs a guide.
"I'll meet the groups. Bring everyone who can channel." She turns towards the door. Her efforts combined with others won't completely empty the Soldier's Defense.
And some will leave by other means.
It will nearly do so. There will be empty rooms and empty floors until inevitable injury fills it up again.
OOC & Combatty
Pre-Part 3 Consent
<OOC> Ashes says, "okay, seeing if I can get a staffer"
<OOC> Ashes says, "Since it is mixed tier, there are a couple options. 1) Do it as a chase scene so it's more skills reliant than combat reliant. 2) Do it as a combo, a short chase then a combat. So you might not all arrive at the same time, the CR would be slightly higher than than option 3) You get split up for some reasonable IC reasons, Zofija and Elyanna fight it, and it will be a few +s over their APL, then Jinks gets a crack and it will be a few -s to his level. The theory being a high CR for T2 works as a low CR for a solo T3."
<OOC> Ashes says, "Thoughts?"
<OOC> Jinks says, "I will defer to the majority as I'm happy to go either way. Jinks is pretty good at what he does but he's not the powerhouse most characters are at his level-- especially here."
<OOC> Zofija says, "I think I like the first option more"
<OOC> Elyanna isn't particularly billy for her level, "umm skills option could work i think?"
<OOC> Ashes says, "I'm kind of partial to 2 or 3 but I can work up a 1, as that seems to be the majority"
<OOC> Jinks says, "Well, you're running. I'd say do what gives you the greatest inspiration as that's likely to result in the best scene."
<OOC> Ashes says, "okay. I've got Option 1 worked out. Timestop and setting."
Armoured up
<OOC> Zofija says, "For sanity's sake I'm just going to pretend Zofi wasn't unarmed and unarmored"
<OOC> Ashes says, "That's fine if you think you'd be that way Zofija."
Chase Paths
<OOC> Ashes says, "Okay! Jinks, All. There are two paths as indicated, 1) through the vents, 2) in the halls. 5 Cards
<OOC> Jinks says, "I'll cast grease on myself and pursue through the vents."
<OOC> Ashes says, "Okay, DC15 Escape Artist to get into the vents, (1st card) and a move to get to the other side of the card"
Big Ass Fans
<OOC> Ashes says, "oh, jinks, there's a 'Big Ass Fan'(TM) blocking the way out, but you tumble through it."<OOC> Ashes says, "fun fact. There is a 'Big Ass Fan' company, and it's always amusing to see those fans show up on engineering drawings"
<OOC> Ashes says, "has a Donkey Girl mascott, obviously"
<OOC> Jinks says, "Audioquest (make high-end HT cables) have their mfg planet and main office here in SoCal and all of their warehouse fans are made by BAF."
<OOC> Jinks says, "The co-owner that gave me the tour one time was quite proud of them."
<OOC> Ashes says, "They are good, BIG fans. I was very amused to find out about them."
<OOC> Ashes says, "so you know what you're diving through. :)"
Not the Lady Death
<OOC> Elyanna says, "It's the boobs."
<OOC> Ashes says, "the Booooooooooo-bs"
<OOC> Zofija blink
<OOC> Elyanna says, "comics character from the 90's called Lady Death, her figure was based on Marilyn Monroe"
<OOC> Ashes says, "not Ashes, but the reference for the joke,
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/villains/images/f/f3/LadyDeathPureHD.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20170825151923"
<OOC> Zofija says, "lol"
<OOC> Elyanna says, "come halloween, i'm descing like dejah thoris to see who notices"
<OOC> Ashes says, "you had 14 hp damage from the Flesh scene"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | Name | Race | Class | CHP | HP | AC/FF/T |CMD |For |Ref |Wil | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Elyanna |HALF-ORC |Bard/Swb | 30 | 44 |22/18/15 | 23 | 3 | 11 | 6 | |Jinks |GNOME |Bard | 87 | 96 |25/21/15 | 26 | 9 | 15 | 11 | |Zofija |HOBGOBLIN |Cav | 13 | 37 |16/14/12 | 20 | 7 | 3 | 2 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------