Well things were certainly getting out of hand and fast. Unfortunately leaving wasn't an option for her anymore. Having assassins possibly on her tail wasn't the sort of thing she was used to. She was bothered by everything that was happening. Karrick wouldn't even get close to Grachius, she was sure of that. Who knows how many hellknights he had at his command. Karrick was also unreliable as far as she was concerned, always disappearing. Hopefully it didn't endanger the rest of them.
Miikae suggests a watch is kept from now on and volunteers herself to take the first shift outside with Sands. Watching the house and streets beyond, just her and Sands again. It was quite peaceful. When she was relieved she slept outside on a blanket next to Sands.
Samuel Reidford takes the prisoners. See, I told you these Nidal diplomats are just as likely to have killed their own Lord as anyone. They will work the mines until the crisis is over. I am sure this punishment is a lot more humane than if I were to release them back to their own masters. In any event, I do not much take to folks thinking they can use this situation to get away with attempting to settle old scores. I think its time I go see this Grachius. Go back and tell your people that I mean to march on that Embassy in the morning and get some answers for myself. If your lot wants in on it meet me there before morning light hits the east wall.
Kera did was to march on Grachius with Reidford. If only to get some answers to some questions. Of course she would need to heal up more before they went. She couldn’t take another fight like the one today without it.
Arriving home with the others she was more the bit troubled to see her living room turned into a make shift morgue. Frowning, rather sternly to Karrick, she pointed to the body, while trying not to actually look at it.”
”You are cleaning this up. I don’t care that he tried to kill me he deserves better then to be…treated…like this.”
Turning to Muziel she tried to smile some.
”What would be the proper way to set Venrich to rest?”
Kera was above all things a good person. Venrich may have not been the more honest or best person walking the earth but he was still a person. He deserved more then to be gutted in her home then taken out with the trash.
Taking note that Karrick had claimed the breastplate she looked over the other things picking up the scroll case with Grachius signature on it.
”What do you make of this Muziel?”
She asked holding the case out to him. Hearing Karrick speak of getting out of town Kera shakes her head in the negative.
”No we need to stay. Reidford is going to march on the embassy in the morning. I want to be there for that. I never ask anything of this group but I am asking now. We may get some answers and if all goes well we can go after the Duchess by midday.”
Kera gets quiet after Karrick asks a rather pointed question of Muziel. She looked over the man as he answers. It seemed they had an angry Lord on their hands but that was to be excepted. Grachius wasn’t the drunken fool they had all taken him for. Looking at the note Kera got visible upset. How dare that man try and pin a murder on them.
”You did what you did to protect us Muziel it’s fine.”
She holds up a hand for Muziel to stop his apology.
”It’s fine Muziel. I’m fine and now we have some rather valuable information to work with.”
Kera looked at Karrick with a disapproving look when he spoke of killing Grachius. Moving over to him, trying not to get to near Venrich’s corpus, she looked up at him.
”If it comes to that I have no objections but we really should try and subdue him to get information from him and so he can answer for his crimes.”
Kera had proven that she could take a life if needed but it wasn’t her preferred method of dealing with foes. When Pervince echoed her sentiment she just nodded hoping Karrick would at least take their words under consideration.
Miikae seemed a little on edge when she suggested the watch. Kera quickly agreed but wanted everyone in agreement that they would go with Reidford in the morning. She was sure Karrick would want to go as it would be his best shot at Grachius. The others might agree just to see this mess put to bed once and for all.
As Kera complains about the placement of the body, Muziel is quite concerned. He didn't want Kera to dispose of the body before he had a chance to study it.
"If you don't mind having a small section of your property dug up, I can handle the burial. But I need some time to study Venrich first, and understand what happened to him. I can do my work outside."
Taking the scroll-case from Kera, Muziel carefully removes the seal, attempting to minimize any damage. He then reads aloud what's inside.
As Kera speaks of Samuel's plan to march to the embassy, Muziel becomes concerned. Would he be responsible for leading a force against his own people? That was not an outcome he wanted at all -- not unless they could find evidence to justify removing Grachius from his post. "I daresay the confrontation between Grachius and Reidford will be fascinating. But if Reidford thinks he can just walk into the tower, he is sorely mistaken. There will be blood."
"Reidford doesn't like me much anyway. I will go to the embassy if you all do, but I will stay out of the way and watch."
Miikae rushes over to Muziel when he falls to the ground. Wondering what happened she checks to make sure he is still alive.
Watching Muziel fall to the floor with a crash, Karrick slowly brings one hand up to his forehead and exhales a breathy sigh. "Right," he murmurs, strolling over to the fallen Nidal. He watches Miikae for a moment, seeing if it looks like she knows what she's doing, but when it's clear she's checking for signs of life incorrectly, Karrick nudges her aside and takes a knee beside Muziel.
First, Karrick picks up the scroll case and looks it over to see if he can tell if there was some sort of trap on it that was the cause of this. Squinting, Karrick furrows his brows and snorts noisily, throwing the scroll case aside when he can't tell from inspecting it.
Pausing for a moment, Karrick presses two fingers to the side of Muziel's neck, then hovers his hand over the Nidal's mouth and nose. A moment later, he winds up and gingerly smacks Muziel across the cheek hard enough to leave a red welt and hopefully enough to jostle him from sleep if the poison isn't particularly potent.
CRACK
Karrick looks to have slapped him a little harder than he intended.
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When Muziel opened the case Kera had been watching closely. She wanted to know the contents but they would remain a mystery for now. It seemed the case had been trapped and poor Muziel had been the one to spring it. Kera let out a gasp as her friend fell to the ground. Miikae was on him in a moment but then Karrick pushed her out of the way. If she had thought he was going to give the man first aid she would have been mistaken.
”KARRICK!!!”
She called his name in a rather chastising voice. He had just given Muziel a good crack which was clearly not what the man needed.
”Have you never given first aid before…”
She grumbled then moved to examine Muziel. Not that she had a lick of training as a healer but it couldn’t hurt to have another pair of eyes on him.
”Is he going to be alright?”
She asked Miikae and Karrick since they were tending to Muziel.
Heal
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Watching the debacle for a few moments longer than needed, then Pervince steps up. Pushing the others aside gently, he takes a look at Muziel. "Do ANY of you know how to lend aid? Someone see if you can tell what kind of poison this is. Of course, it had to be the alchemist who went down..."
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Muziel stirs slightly as Karrick hits him with all of his strength as if attempting to remove his head from his shoulders.
Rising up from where he was practically straddling Muziel, Karrick shakes the hand he struck him with and rubs his knuckles. "Boy's got a strong jaw. He's out for the damned count, whatever hit him's a hard-hitting poison." Stepping over Muziel, Karrick picks up the scroll case again.
"Anybody good with this stuff?" Karrick offers out the still armed trap, turning the spring-loaded end out towards the others, one brow raised over a bio-luminescent green eye.
Pervince ducks and weaves in a quick spin, right behind Kera. His hands pad onto her thighs, as though to catch himself from falling from the cover she provides. He peers around her at the dangerous scroll case. "Aren't you supposed to be good with this stuff?"
Tilting his head to the side, Karrick looks at the end of the scroll case, then over and down to Pervince. "Not a lot of soft, connective tissue in this." With a shrug, Karrick tosses the case in an underhanded lob onto Kera's sofa. "We'll let him deal with it when he wakes up. Muziel's got the right idea anyway," Karrick suggests, nodding to the floor.
Then, with a smirk, "We'll screw with this thing in the morning. I call dibs on the bed."
Looking at the case Kera suddenly felt little hands touching her. Quickly moving away from Prevince she gave him a harsh look.
”Get off!!! I’m not a meat shield little man.”
Next she looked to Karrick
”So he has been poisoned? Anything you can do about that Miikae? If not maybe in the morning we can got get something to help him?”
When Karrick had the nerve to try and take dominance over her bed Kera had enough. She moved over to him pushing him as hard as she could. Which wasn't that had at all in her current condition.
”You listen and you listen good Karrick. This is my house and my bed. You have already taken the liberty of gutting a man on my table so your liberties are at an end.”
Her voice was angry and course
”I’m wounded, dirty and tired. Muziel could be dying on my floor so I will be damned if you take up one square inch of my bed.”
The day had clearly taken it’s toll on Kera and she was more then ready to rest. Walking away from Karrick she moved back to Muziel then looked to Miikae.
”Will he survive the night like this? If not I can go to Samuel and see if he has something that might help.”
For now the case was forgotten as Muziel’s health was her number one priority.
"I can try a few other things. I can prepare something other spells in the morning if necessary." Miikae uses her druid energies to try and diagnose Muziel's condition.
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"So you do have some spark in you?" Karrick notes with a wry smile as he's shoved, stepping back a little to go along with Kera's show of force, lifting both hands into the air in feigned surrender. "Tentacles over there hasn't been gutted, yet. I just strip searched him and you can thank me for sparing you that little task."
Lowering his hands, Karrick looks to the coffee table, then to Muziel. "He'll be fine. He just needs t'sleep it off. I've seen someone get knocked out from Drow poison before." Wholly unaware that the poison is far worse than it seems, Karrick continues to downplay Muziel's condition, craning his head from side to side with a pop of his neck each time.
"You win, though, Pip. I'll sleep down here. Wouldn't want you t'get your dignity all sullied." With that, the assassin moves towards the sofa around Miikae, unaware that she has discovered a far more dangerous truth about Muziel's condition.
Pervince lets go calmly. Quietly watching, he waits until Karrick lays down. He speaks to Miikae. "I will help, if you wish."
"Do you know first aid or proper care for a patient? He is under the effect of a serious poison and will need long term care. He needs an antidote. If we can acquire one soon that would be the most help. I will stay with him." Miikae prepares for a long night ahead. You owe me for this silly alchemist.
[ooc]Burned through my stockpile of hero points, alas. Should've checked for traps. Also, I strongly recommend that Miikae sleeps to get her spells back. I will take my chances.
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In the Morning Miikae is fatigued by the over night she had to pull to care for Muziel. He still hasn't woken and looks pale, but probably would be a lot worse were it not for Miikae.
Seeing how bad Muziel is Kera goes out in the night and attempts to find an antidote or someone that can cure the poison. She almost gives up as the night progresses, but she runs into Gazerich Greystone who remembers her from outside the Nidal tower. A Ranger of some renown, Gazerich has the ability and agrees to help his fellow Greystones{Pervince and Cpt Oliver).
When Gazerich arrives, Miikae has started the usually treatments and is attempting to keep his fever at bay. You have done well my lady, please allow me to treat him. He begins to examine Muziel. Ah, Night's Whisper. Did he poison himself? Usually the creeps from Nidal are good at using the stuff. He grabs an old flower he has in bag and gives it to Miikae.Crush this into a fine powder and add it to water that has boiled. He needs to inhale the steam from the mixture so help me prop him up. He says looking at the other able bodies in the room.
A few hours of the treatment and Muziel awakes with a terrified look on his face that slowly fades as he realizes his is back from the land of nightmares.
After the Battle you found among other things a strange scroll case.
Kera Takes the prisoners to Samuel who informs her he will march on the Nidal Embassy.
Muziel attempts to open the scroll case, he gets poisoned.
Miikae begins to treat Muziel as Kera goes out to find help
Gazerich Greystone comes and cures Muziel.
Miikae shows the scroll that poisoned Muziel to Gazerich when he asks how he was poisoned.
Muziel dreams deeply of the torments awaiting him in the deep recesses of the dungeons of Nidal. He is chained, stripped bare. A figure enters - twisted, mutated, his form full of weird limbs and eyes. It's Venrich, his mutation having consumed his entire body. He carries a sword, covered in blood. It's Kera's sword.
"You traitor! yells Venrich. His voice echoes in the dungeon, brimming with hatred. "You have turned against the Umbral Court. Now you'll pay." Venrich takes the sword and begins to flay the skin on Muziel's body, peeling it aside.
"No... stop... Aaaaughh!!"
A strange scent comes from his skin, the smell of spring in the fields. Muziel tosses and turns, still trying to escape his captor. And then, he's out of the dungeon. He finds himself propped up against a wall, taking in the scent from a cup that Miikae is holding. The surroundings look familiar... it's Kera's house.
"Miikae, it's you. What happened?" Muziel thinks back... "I was just about to take a look at Venrich's body, and then..." he shudders, his memories of Venrich in his nightmares surging into his mind. He focuses on the scent of the flower, trying to calm his mind.
Hmm nasty, I would bash it against the inner wall of the fireplace until all those needles came out, but that might ruin what's inside. I am not familiar with dealing with those sort of devices. Remarks Gazerich as he treats Muziel.
Well looks like my work is done. Good luck to you all, I hear about that scuffle in the market place. If I know Samuel like I think I do, I'd wager he isn't going to let that go. I must be getting back to other matters. Good night to you. Gazerich leaves.
Miikae tries to get Muziel to hold the cup himself. "The scroll case poisoned you. You've been out for several hours."
Miikae takes the scroll case and her scimitar and tells the others to stand back. Holding one end in her left hand and the pins facing down she attempts to slash off just the end without destrying any scrolls or contents inside. If that doesn't work she tries Gazerich's idea.
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Miikae's scimitar makes sparks as it interacts with the device, one needle does free itself from the case, but many still remain.
*Edit*
If that doesn't work she tries Gazerich's idea.
Miikae is able to free the parchment from the device and disable the poisonous needles in the fireplace.
"I am unskilled with codes. Would anyone else like to try reading it?"
Miikae hands it to the first person to reach for it.