[Delay]
Oh Cat! Oh Cat save me!
You are left to sleep in the next day, and Chawaar arrives around mid-morning with a nurse bearing plates of food. Though everything still seems normal after a detailed check-up he remains convinced that another 24 hours of quarantine are necessary.
Cats awakes in the morning with a splutter, a huge gaping swallow air as if he hadn't been able to breathe all night. He spends a few moments pants, a-bolt upright in bed, and gathering himself before he remembers where he is and how, coincidentally, he doesn't really know where he is.
"Ah...for cat's sake, that was a strange night of bad sleep. I think maybe last night got me in a bad way, doncha know?" Cats mutters to others who might be awake and on the verge of eating the provided breakfast.
Cats stumbles over to the tray to grab an apple scone.
"Say, what's your name, Doctor? Did you tell me yet?" Cats asks Chawaar. "What should we think about last night? That ain't usual around here, is it?"
Cats shoves the rest of the scone in his mouth before reaching for another.
"Also, do we get baths around her? Maybe some water for wash? And a razor?"
"My name is Doctor Arosh Chawaar." The Vudrani man replies to Cats as he moves to takes his pulse. "As for last night, such events are unheard of. Most patients are carefully examined upon arrival for signs of disease. To have three slip past my watch..." He shakes his head in disgust. "Now. Do you feel warm? Or chilled?"
The events of the night have left Fearless rattled to the point of insomnia, which does little to improve his paranoia as Doctor Chawaar moves to him next. "No one let a monster in." The Doctor tries to assure Fearless, but his cold bedside manner, coupled with a hulking orderly lurking at the door, is less then comforting. "Clearly Argade was infected with ghoul fever, but such a disease does not normally turn one into a ghoul overnight. It is possible that he was suffering from an undiagnosed derangement and sought out a body in the morgue. It has been some time since a patient expired at Briarstone, but he may have found some old remains that slipped from the crematorium. I assume he was concealing the symptoms, yet someone should have noticed something and informed the proper experts."
Changing subjects, and patients, the Doctor examines Brother Butterfly and nods at his words. "Cleanliness is quite important, particularly when disease is a concern. I will make sure a basin, soap, and towels are brought here for you to use. Painting or drawing are not within my purview, but I will pass on your request to Doctor Losandro. Now, open your mouth and stick out your tongue."
Doorsight reveals little. Outside the door you occasionally see an orderly walk by. Standing on a bed you are able to touch the ceiling here, but all you see is a hallway with a few doors to unknown rooms.
Detect poison does not find any in food or water, and no one with you (not even Loic) has been given any drugs.
Doctor Chawaar is clearly annoyed that protocol in the asylum has been compromised. Though he rattles off a theory on how Argade was infected, you think he is suspicious of your group because you weren't checked by him before you were placed among the general population.
"Three? THREE? There was only one last night. Where the hell were the other two at?"
Fearless is cut off as the Doctor jams a tongue depressor into his mouth.
"Mmmfgh. mamagh? msymnfgh."
Tearing the depressor from his mouth Fearless takes a small step back.
"If someone didn't let it in then someone here isn't doing a good exam of us coming in." Fearless swats the Doctor's hands away as she continues to attempt to check him over. "I feel fine, leave me be!"
"Nice to meet you, Cattor Chatwaar," Cats extends his hand for a shake or whatever is formally appropriate. "AAAAHHAHA...." Cats says as he sticks out his tongue.
*cough*
*cough*
Cats turns his head and coughs.
"Ghoul fever, huh? That is weird. Never heard of it," Cats says, which isn't really surprising as he hasn't heard of a lot of things.
"Who were the other two?"
"Probably those two cats who started that fight in the commons yestercat. The ones that got hauled away? Probably them, that's my guess," Cats looks at the Doctor to see if he will confirm his theory. "They just got here an already started trouble. They are probably ghouls too. It just makes sense."
If and when washing water and towels are brought in, Cats will bathe himself.
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As he is tackled, a grin crosses the Twin's face. "Alright, so this is happening." he says as he wrestles with the man on the floor.
"You have six seconds to get this guy off me before I kill him, whelps!" the Twin bellows to the useless orderlies.
[delay]
Doctor Chawaar jumps at Fearless' outburst. "What are you talking about. There was only one. Bah, why do I let myself be drawn into such insanity..."
Cats' mention of other patients having slipped past the entrance exams soon sets him straight, and sets him off. "Did you say there were more patients that arrived yesterday? Taken to the Ward of the Wicked?!" Doctor Chawaar offers a few choice words in Vudran and turns to leave the room. "This is inconceivable! I must see Losandro immediately."
Pinkie's foot lands right in the man's groin. He cries out, then groans. "Ohhh.. Right in the coin purse. Got me good you did. Let's have another?" He starts chuckling and pulls back hard on The Twin's head.
The orderlies begin wading into the crowd, but cheering and laughing patients slow their progress. Aggra and her two cronies prevent one from making any headway at all.
INITIATIVE
The Mariner (delaying)
The Twin (grappled)
Pinkie
Scarred Man (grappling The Twin)
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Cats seems surprised at the reaction, as if he is not used to being right. He tries not to seem to proud as he hitches up his britches and unbends over with the end of the examination.
"See? I told you. Them others are ghouls too. I told you. I'm right. C-A-T-S, that spells 'Right!', which I am."
Cats goes back to breakfast after the exam is over.
"Say Loic, how long you been here?" Cats crams another apple scone into his mouth.
Concentrating hard, the Twin focuses, trying to summon his eidolon in this time of need.
With a burst of acrid smoke, a flying eagle appears much to everyone's surprise as it tries to hover in midair (in flank with Pinkie) and attack the man strangling the Twin. "Kill him and then scratch out that a&!&~%#'s eyes!" he yells, instructing the eagle's actions before he passes out.
"Hit him again, Mr. Pink!" the Twin yells, letting the eagle open up a free attack on the man.
ninja'd by Twin's post
"So now that we have been checked over and we are fine can we leave now?" Fearless asks as he grasps the cold bars and rests his face against the cool cage.
Seeing the Doctor rush off in a hurry fearless sighs and looks over at his companions.
"So you like cats huh?"He looks over to the disheveled man before turning to the bald man.
"And what makes your tattoo glow? Did the Doctor do that to you? Will my mark glow?"
"So you like cats huh?"
Cats looks around to see who Fearless is speaking to, even looking at Brother Butterfly and waiting for that man to answer, then suffering for an uncomfortable moment of silence until he realizes the halfling is speaking to him.
"What?" Cats asks, a look of confusion on his face. "What the cat are you talking about?"
Fearless gets further confused by Cats' denial. "What am I talking about? Listen to yourself. You're off you catting rocker man! Do you see cats? love cats? Meow you got me all confused?"
|
During his storytelling, you see him scrub his skin raw as he cleans himself from head to toe. Trying with all his might to get every speck of grime and sweat off of his body.
Fearless-- to answer your question is easy, but to truly answer your question requires a parable.
You see, the simple answer is that I have been blessed by the grace of the Travel Goddess Desna. I am able to call on Her divine grace because of this birthmark.
Where my answer gets complicated starts with the fact that I don't have any of my past memories. A feeling in my gut does allow me to know that I have done something wrong to the core tenants of Desna's beliefs. YET, she has given me a second chance.
She has sent me here, to this Asylum, to accomplish something.
So here is my parable. There was a poor farmer who toiled on his land from sun-up to sun-down. He constantly wished, and prayed, and bellowed to the heavens for the opportunity to become rich and have lots of gold. One day, he is summoned to a family reunion and must take a ship to get there. That ship is beset by a fierce storm and he is tossed overboard- barely surviving and finding refuge on a small island. Finding himself alone, and without provisions, once again the farmer yells to the heavens. This time, begging for food, survival, and help off of the island. But instead, in his searches, he finds a buried treasure chest filled with gold and silver.
In his current situation all that abundant gold is useless. He could not eat it, nor use it as a boat to float to civilization.
The farmer despaired.
But with hunger and the drive to survive spurred the farmer into action. Through hard works he was able to find and grow food to survive but equally important he was able to make a signal fire to alert a ship that was passing by.
The rescuing ship took him (and his chest of gold) to his family, where he was told that a wealthy relative had died and bequeathed him some of his estate.
The poor farmer had now become wealthy two times over and his prayers were all answered. But through ways and travels and hardships that he did not expect.
The moral of the story? There are a few lessons to learn from this parable and I hope you reflect on it. One moral of this story that is important-- is that sometimes when you THINK the worst things that are happening to you, can actually be the BEST things that ever happened to you.
"You're off you catting rocker man! Do you see cats? love cats? Meow you got me all confused?"
Cats steps back from the halfling, giving both the halfling, then Brother Butterfly a look.
"What are you catting talk about?" Cats replies, truly not aware of any similarity between what the halfling is talking about and himself.
He looks at Brother Butterfly and gives him a conspiratorial 'loonie-loon-loon' circling finger gesture, then discretely pointing at the halfling.
He looks to say something else to the halfling, but gets sidetracked listening to Brother's story. He hmpfs when he hears the end, not sure he gets the parable, but knows that since he's never valued gold above all else, it makes some sense to him.
Now, how do I know that I don't value gold above all else? Does that even make sense?
Butterfly, Fearless, and Cats are given a bathing basin, but again a razor is forgotten and orderlies seem to avoid checking on the room.
A few hours later the muffled sounds of a conversation can be heard outside the door.
"I was very much looking forward to speaking with Doctor Losandro today."
"With the incident last night, and now another in the Ward of the Wicked this morning, you'll have to wait."
"Hmm. I really must speak with her. We have unfinished work."
"Don't know what to tell you Zandalus. She'll summon you when she can."
An orderly stands with a gaunt man with a ponytail of long and exceptionally straight white hair. Paint and ink stain his patient uniform, a flare of yellow standing out on his forehead in the shape of a flame.
"I was very much looking forward to speaking with Doctor Losandro today." The gaunt man says.
"With the incident last night, and now another in the Ward of the Wicked this morning, you'll have to wait." The orderly seems uncomfortable under the intense stare of the man's large blue eyes.
"Hmm. I really must speak with her. We have unfinished work."
Shying away from the odd patient, the orderly moves to leave. "I don't know what to tell you Zandalus. She'll summon you when she can."
Zandalus watches the orderly go for a moment, then turns to look up the hallway. A glare crosses his features for a second before he turns and steps into a room two doors down.
The scarred man's laughs turn to cries of ecstasy when The Twin's summoned eagle appears and rips into his back. "Yes! YESSS!"
Those cries are suddenly silenced when The Mariner breaks a wooden spoon over his head.
The crowd quickly disperses when faced with a bloody eagle flapping about and the orderlies swarm in with clubs at the ready. One of them points at the eagle. "What in the world.. How'd a damned bird get in here!"
"Probably magicked up by another mad sorcerer. Just kill it!"
Two orderlies take swings at the eagle, but neither connects with it.
INITIATIVE
The Twin
The Mariner
Pinkie
Orderlies
Perception
"SSShhhht!" Cats holds up a finger, calling for quiet. "Did you guys hear cat? Sounds like the sound of me eating another scone."
Cats takes the last scone and shovels it into his mouth.
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Fearless can't seem to hear a word as Cats chews a scone right next to his ear with his mouth open.
Crunch.....slorp.....munch....crunch.
Fearless cringes. "You want us to be quiet to listen to you chew?"
"You want us to be quiet to listen to you chew?"
Cats seems pretty pleased with himself, offering a Cheshire grin in return.
"It was more of a catstraction, really. To get you all to stop moving so I could grab the scone. Classic miscatrection," Cats explains. "I learned it in...uhm...uh..." Cat's face scrunches up as he tries to remember. "Well, I learnt it someplace. I guess."
When he's finished eating, Cats will find a chair and, just before he sits down he wipes his hand under his bum as if to shoo away any cats from the chair's seat before sitting.
And, once there, he begins to rock. And rock.
He rocks in his chair, passing the time.
Snapping his fingers, the eagle is returned to the Astral Plane before it can claw at the fleeing man. Seeing that the fight is over, the Twin leaves his hands down at his side so as not to rile up the orderlies. "He might still be breathing, whelps. You should probably check." he says as he nods to the fallen aggressor. "Arrive with a bit more promptness and I wouldn't need to defend myself, though you are still whelps, so it is understandable." he says with a bit of a sneer as he wipes the blood on his thumb off onto his white tunic.
A sharp blow to the back of the head knocks The Twin out cold...
****
By the time he comes to he's been jacketed again. Doctor Losandro stands over him with an eyebrow arched.
"At the center of trouble again?" She asks. Flanking her are two other doctors in black. One you recognize as Doctor Oathsday, the woman who examined you last night after you were moved to the Ward of the Wicked. The other is a dark skinned Vudrani man with a dark scowl on his face.
The Mariner cowers against a wall, eyes scanning the ceiling in terror, two orderlies covering him with crossbows, another stands ready with a club. Pinkie is still on the stairs guarded two more with clubs.
"There would be no trouble had the proper procedures been followed." The Vudrani mutters, shooting a glare at Doctor Oathsday.
"Now now, Doctor Chawaar, we have discussed that." Doctor Losandro chides in a tired voice. "Doctor Oathsday performed as directed. Though it is no excuse, the events of last night were quite the distraction. However, this error is on my conscience."
Meanwhile, Doctor Oathsday has scurried over to examine the injured. Looking over the scarred man, she notes blood still flowing from his wounds and retrieves a small vial from a pocket in her gown and drips the contents into his mouth. His wounds do not fully heal, but his condition seems to stabilize.
"Who are the new patients?" Chawaar demands, staring at the crowd.
"The man with the symbol on his forehead, the older one, and the boy."
"Three?! I thought there were only two more!"
"I did not tell you such a thing."
"But!"
"Let it go, Doctor Chawaar."
Chawaar folds his arms and fumes. "Quarantine the ward. All of it."
"As you wish." Doctor Losandro nods. To the orderlies she says, "Lock down the Ward. Everyone is to be confined to their rooms until further notice."
"Catsration! Good Gods! What is wrong with you?" Fearless moves back to his corner of the small room and continues to watch Cats out of the corner of his eye.
After several minutes of waiting and the monotonous sound of Cats' rocking, fearless is finally able to find sleep as his body gives in.
The day passes, with evening marked by the arrival of dinner brought by a nurse and overseen by Doctor Chawaar and two orderlies, Tovren and Hobes. Chawaar conducts another quick examination, which he seems relieved to note that no sign of disease has yet manifested, before leaving you for the night and another empty promise of razors.
With little to do, Loic helps pass the time with stories about far off places, occasionally reminded of details by his invisible companion "Lucy." Eventually he tires and you take to your cots for the night.
Late in the evening, long after most patients have gone to sleep, Fearless lies awake. Having remained up the night before, and slept most of the day, he finds himself annoying awake when hears some movement and muffled voices in the hallway outside.
You hear two men have a brief conversation in the hall outside. You do not recognize either voice.
"I know its late, but Doctor Losandro sent me for you."
"Yes. I was expecting her call."
"Its been crazy.. uh, sorry, you know what I mean. Patients attacking orderlies yesterday. Argade and this disease business last night. Heard something happened in the Ward of the Wicked this morning and now they've got them all on lockdown too."
"Fear not, for I know the way. Follow me and the flame will keep you safe."
"Flame? Do you mean the mark on your forehead? Ok.." The man chuckles. "You know, you sure say some odd things now that you're talking..."
The voices fade as the men move out of range.
Laying in the dark for what seems like hours, eventually Fearless finds rest, but not for long.
You stand waist-deep in water that stretches out in all directions as far as you can see.
A female voice calls, faint and distant. You strain to hear it, but cannot make out any words.
Before you, obscured in ripples, a reflection stares back. Looking closer you are certain it is not your own.
You find yourself once again in the strange city of your first dreamlike memories. You wander the city, lost among streets that remain unfamiliar, and suddenly changed when you turn back. A far off scream pierces the desolate silence.
"Iä! Iä!"
Figures of men and women walk the streets as well, their faces obscured by mist and shadow. When you call to them, they do not seem to hear you, and when you approach the mists swallow them whole.
Everyone is yanked from sleep by an ear-piercing scream. Loic sits lays in his cot, clutching his blanket and breathing heavy, sweat beading on his face. For a moment you are all reminded of Argade the night before, but Loic still seems lucid as he wipes his face with a trembling hand.
"Sorry Lucy, didn't mean to scare you.... Yes, a bad one. I was on street. Fog surrounded me. There was something else there. Something, or maybe someone, I couldn't quite see. I heard a terrifying scream, and I ran. I fell... and that was it. I woke up. Pharasma's grave, that was scary."
Fearless shoots out of bed. A hairy hand clutching at his heart that is nearly beating out of his chest.
"Second ..nnn..night in a row this one..." His voice chatters. "If his dreams don't kill him, Then I may have to help him one of these nights..."
Climbing back into bed Fearless shouts at Loic from across the room. "GO BACK TO SLEEP YOU FOOL!"
Grabbing ahold of his sheet Fearless brings it up over his head as he shakes. He leaves just enough of a gap to peek through as he eventually falls back asleep once again as his nerves calm down.
Between the voices out in the hall and this excitement, Fearless' nerves are nearly at their edge.
" Something, or maybe someone, I couldn't quite see. I heard a terrifying scream, and I ran."
Cats sits up, staring first at Loic and then at his clobbering chair in case Loic shows signs of being a ghoul. He relaxes a bit when he realizes that's not the case, but still stands up to sit in his clobbering/rocking chair. He wipes his hand over the chair's seat immediately before sitting down.
"Say, that sounds a lot like my dream. A lot. Probably has something to do with the catloaf we had for dinner. Too spicy, maybe," Cats offers an explanation as Fearless tries to placate the man.
Cats rises to go get Loic a cup of water, then returns to his chair. He wipes his hand over the chair's seat immediately before sitting down and begins to rock slowly, waiting for sleep to come again.
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Brother Butterfly wakes up equally troubled by his dreams. While he isn't flushed or sweating, he is vexed by the symbolism and the larger -far more dangerous- meaning of what his dreams delivered.
Come on Cats and Fearless!! While I know that we are in an insane asylum, and my expectation levels should be very low, the both of you have bigger brains than you are displaying.
speaking to Loic Loic, your nightmare sounds terribly similar to one that I had 2 1/2 days ago. The good Dr. Losandro seemed exceptionally interested in the nightmare and my recounting it's details. More than a Doctor should, so it struck me as odd.
NOW, it appears that at least two of us (Loic and I) have shared the same -or at least similar- dreams. THAT, combined with Argade turning into a ghoul after suffering a terrible nightmare that caused him to wake in panic is too much of a coincidence.
While I am not the smartest flyer in the trees, I know something is going on. I have tested the food, and it's not poisoned or medicated or causing hallucinations.
At least not that I can tell.
So our shared dreams have another source. They should also be considered dangerous.
I suggest that we set up a round of dream watches. One of the three of you stay awake and immediately shake and awaken one of us - should we show signs of distress - like pained facial expressions.
Come here and draw lots to see who has first, second, and third watch.
Afterwards, I am going to try and draw an image of some of the things I have seen.
Brother Butterfly then looks around for things to use to draw or paint or even watercolor. He only needs a stick or nub or eating utinsel, even splintered broom straws could work. I will then try to find or make water colors by crushing any pigmented left over food (like berries), or an item that is made of clay that I can break a little and crumble.
"While I know that we are in an insane asylum, and my expectation levels should be very low, the both of you have bigger brains than you are displaying."
Cats listens to Brother, nodding along as if he was about to say the same thing himself (he wasn't). He knows (though he's not sure how he knows) that it's unusual for different people to have the same dream...which is why the obvious culprit is...
"...that's why I said the meatloaf. Of course, we shouldn't be having the same dreams, but the only things we all done have in common is being here and eating the dang catloaf," Cats explains he reasoning.
"Now, I'll help with the shifts and taking watch as long as we can keep an open mind on the cause...it's probably the meatloaf and you'll feel better after you done did poop it out in the morning. I'm sure we all will."
"I'll have no problem staying awake, just to watch you all and make sure you're not the ones poisoning everyone!" Fearless scolds as he flings his blankets off of him.
"So far you all are having the dreams and I am not. Not a mere coincidence." He says as he sits up in bed, back against the metal bars and crosses his arms.
"So far you all are having the dream and I am not. Not a mere coincidence."
Cats shoots an eyebrow up at Brother Butterfly after the halfling's admission.
"So you're saying that you don't dream, huh? You know who also doesn't dream??!!" Cats lets his question hang in the air for a moment before answering the obvious.
"GHOULS." Cats says flatly and edging closer to have his clobbering chair closer if he needs it.
"Remember Catrade, the ghoul? Well, he wasn't sleeping either...when HE BECAME A GHOUL."
Cats looks at Fearless for any signs of oncoming ghoulishness.
"I gave your children a fair warning to deal with the man, but they were impotent, so I was forced to deal with it." he says with a shrug, enjoying the comfort of the straightjacket.
Looking directly into Dr. Losandro's eyes, he says matter-of-factly. "Perhaps you should consider giving me their job and they can be forced to paint inane pictures of houses and thylacines. At least I won't allow impudent patients to back talk like these poor fellows have let me." A toothy grin crosses his face as he looks at the five orderlies in the room. "Look at them. They need crossbows and clubs to deal with a few outbursts by unarmed psychiatric patients. Quite pathetic."
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Pinkie starts scrounging around his room for anything usefull
Fearless pulls the covers halfway up his face as he points at Cats. "Not true! Not true! NOT TRUE!" Placing his head back under the sheets he shakes as he pinches and reinspects his own skin.
Can't be true. The...the doctor checked me.
blinding signs flap, flicker, flicker, flicker, flap, pow, pow
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Brother Butterfly arranges a sleep rotation, then goes to work putting together crude supplies and tools to create an image of his dream from days past. A pillowcase becomes his canvas, and a brush is fashioned from a frayed string affixed to the handle of a wooden spoon left from dinner. Loic provides some black charcoal and a brownish-yellow pigment. Inspired by his memories of the dream, and displaying surprising skill in setting the scene to canvas, Brother Butterfly doesn't immediately notice how bad the stuff smells, and is disuaded by Loic from asking where it came from.
Brother Butterfly's Dream Painting
"That's.. disturbing." Loic remarks upon seeing the finished result. "I'm staring to think you're right Lucy. Old Wives' tale or not, that makes me think Jeprin wasn't just being the normal kind of crazy expected around here. What's that, Lucy? Yes, I'll tell them."
To the amnesiacs, he says, "So Wren said the Tatterman was is a boogyman made up by the locals, but Wren isn't a local himself. Lots of people around these parts, and over in Thrushmoor, know the Briarstone Witch was real, and they believe her servant, the Tatterman, was real too. When someone crossed the witch, she would call the Tatterman, and he would come to do her bidding."
Settling into his storytelling voice, he goes on.
"From the ancient stones of Briar Isle.
From the mists of Avalon Bay.
Stalking streets in dark of night.
A cloak of rags dragged in his wake.
He knows when you are sleeping.
He knows when..."
*Knock knock knock!*
The sound of rapping on the door startles everyone, and Loic gives a choked shreik.
There is a general grumbling from the other patients as Pinkie, The Mariner, The Twin, and the unconscious scarred man are separated from the rest of the patients. From the scowl on Aggra's face as she and the others are ushered back to the Ward of the Wicked she did not expect this outcome. The younger woman with her seems nearly hysterical at the situation.
"But I was supposed to paint today!" She rages, fists clenched at her sides and looking like a child throwing a tantrum. "Zandalus was going to show me more of his work! He was going to teach me!"
Once they have been removed Doctor Chawaar divides the remaining four into two groups.
"I will take the boy and the old man back to the Upper Ward for an exam." Chawaar says, pointing to Pinkie and The Mariner. Then, pointing to The Twin and the scarred man. "Oathsday, you should take the tattooed man and Klades to the infirmary and tend their wounds. I will examine them for symptoms later."
You are taken back to the Ward of the Wicked and locked into rooms away from the general population. There Doctor Chawaar examines you carefully under the watch of a pair of big orderlies, As he takes your pulse and temperature, checks your eyes, teeth, and tongue, he asks questions.
"How do you feel? Warm? Cold? Was your breakfast enjoyable? Are you still hungry? What is your favorite food? Do you prefer your meat bloody or well done? If you were lost at sea, would you eat your fellow sailors to survive? Have you visited any graveyards recently?"
You and Klades are taken to the infirmary and put into beds. A manacle is locked to your wrist and secured to the bedframe with a sturdy chain. Afterward Doctor Oathsday tends to your throbbing head, which by the amount of red on the cold cloth she uses, must have been split by the blow from the crossbow.
After tending to you, Oathsday moves on your attacker, the scarred man Klades. He remains unconscious as she cleans and dresses his wounds, some of which require stitches. Eventually Doctor Chawaar arrives and conducts an exam of his own, some of which is standard, but he also asks more than a few questions.
"How do you feel? Warm? Cold? Was your breakfast enjoyable? Are you still hungry? What is your favorite food? Do you prefer your meat bloody or well done? If you were lost at sea, would you eat your fellow sailors to survive? Have you visited any graveyards recently?"
Fearless sits on his bed and listens raptly to the tale of the Briarstone Witch. His eyes glaze over and his mind wanders as it fills with images of the tale. Engrossed in the story the little Halfling leaps a foot off the bed as someone knocks on the door.
Shakily and with a bit of precaution Fearless slowly approaches the door and opens it.
Cats nearly jumps out of his chair when the knocks arrive, Fearless' startlement affecting his own. He then jumps out of the chair and moves behind it in case it needs to be used as a weapon.
"WHO'S THERE?! Cat you see we're busy in here?!" Cats asks, remaining behind the chair.
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Brother Butterfly internally blames "Fearless" for making him jump like a frightened Dryad facing a lumberjacking crew. He then gives a quick blessing beneath his breath,Dear Desna may your might and wisdom grant me protection against the witchcraft of the Briarstone Witch and her henchman. Witchcraft has no place, and should not stand a chance against the divine gifts YOU give to your followers.
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While Cat's watches from behind his chair and Brother Butterfly prays to his goddess, Logic sits rigid with the pillowcase art clutched in his hands. Fearess displays surprising courage and approaches the door. Only upon turning the knob does he recall that Doctor Chawaar locked it when you were first quarantined in the room.
"Hello?" A woman's voice calls. "Everyone all right in there?"
Upon hearing Cat's reply, the lock turns and the door cracks open to reveal two orderlies accompanied by a young woman with auburn hair, dressed in the black gown of a doctor. Early morning light from a window down the hall silhouettes the three. "Good morning." The woman says with a shy smile. "I'm Doctor Lovelan. Doctor Chawaar asked that I check on you first thing this morning."