The two-legged ones barked at each other. A lot.
The little one always talked a lot, but this was getting ridiculous. Drips sat himself down, waiting for something of interest. Like bacon. Or steak. Or cheese.
He had a soft spot for cheese.
Pavlov, though, was a little more active. He started to sniff around. Lots of new smells. Strange smells.
Yes, you most certainly can.
Perception result: 35
In inspection of the building, you notice that there are numerable windows, possible a little more than a dozen that mark just about every side of the building. On the northern side, it seems that there’s a window for every 10 feet, which means that’s where the residents live.
However, due to the facility's condition, you're unable to see what's inside. The windows are covered in soot, weeds grow all around the building, and a myriad of cracks gives you the impression nobody cares about the place.
There's also an entrance to the side of the building but given the cluster of debris and refuse, that it hadn't been used for a long time.
Another thing to point out is that there is a large courtyard that lies on the east side of the facility where a lone man sitting on a rocking chair mutters to himself. He looks very old and decrepit. Elsewhere, weeds and decaying plants litter the courtyard's grounds.
Acrid, blood, sweat, something rotten.
It seems that there are indeed strange smells coming from building.
Pipernortin, Rafaello, and Zinthar, each take turns scanning for magical auras coming from Mother's Care. Unfortunately, due to the building's construction, they weren't able to detect any magics from the facility's exterior.
It is clear however, that the building's main entrance is a pair of double doors that stands ahead of you in 20ft. There is a courtyard annexed along the eastern side of the facility, however, an 8ft wooden fence runs along the garden's perimeter bars its entrance from the outside. From within its slotted cracks, you can see what looks like dry earth and rotted weeds.
Crazies still have eyes. Galoria slung her bow across her back and went to speak with the man.
"Good sir," she said, approaching him, "I've come to check-in on a friend in the care home. I presume you stay there? Could you tell me bit about the place?
Crazies still have eyes. Galoria slung her bow across her back and went to speak with the man.
"Good sir," she said, approaching him, "I've come to check-in on a friend in the care home. I presume you stay there? Could you tell me bit about the place?"
The old man rocked within his chair, staring off into a space towards the north eastern section of the garden. His dry cracked lips never ceased to stop as he continued to mutter towards himself.
”I never should have listened. My fiancée was as beautiful as sunset over the sea. I had everything I wanted, until that other woman convinced me to leave my love. I tried so hard to resist, but how can you escape the one you’ve dreamed of all your life? I told Bethany before the wedding that I had met the girl I’d always dreamed of. We argued. I told Bethany to leave, and to throw her ring into the river. She stole my carriage and fled north. I never saw her again. I never saw the other woman again, either. I drank my sorrows away till my health failed. Been here almost forty years now. Forty lonely years.”
With a low whine, Pavlov returns to the little master's side, pawing at his leg. This place was not good. The smells were all wrong. All bad.
He knew the master sometimes listened to him - more than the humans, at least. Maybe he would listen now!
Pip crouches down and listens carefully to the dog's whines and whimpers, nodding and mmm-hmming as the dog continued to 'talk.'
Suddenly he sprang back up, a frown almost visible on his otherwise perpetually cheerful face. "So... even the dogs think this place is wrong. Just a heads up."
Snapping his fingers, he pulled his violin from his pack with a flourish. "Wait! I just remembered a trick I learned from a drunken sailor over in Oppara. Keeps you moving even when your body's slowing down! And... might be handy if this is as bad as it's looking."
"It's the strangest thing," Rafaello says, "but I suddenly feel lighter on my feet than ever. Thank you, Pip!" Bards are truly curious creatures, he thinks. How does their music affect us so?
Rafaello is about to go to the door when he realizes Galoria is still snooping around the building. "And where has the young lady gone off to?" he asks, then heads over toward the area. "Galoria? Find anything?"
"Truly a sad tale. Do the staff here make things any less lonely?" Galoria leans in provocatively. "It would be a real shame to leave a man all alone for so long."
While Golaria talks to the old man Kien pokes around the rest of the building.
The invalid continues to rock in his chair, unabated by your presence. A small shriveled tongue wets his cracked lips and it seems for a moment that he paused. A twitch captures one of his eyes, and he begins speaking once more.
”I never should have listened. My fiancée was as beautiful as sunset over the sea. I had everything I wanted, until that other woman convinced me to leave my love. I tried so hard to resist, but how can you escape the one you’ve dreamed of all your life? I told Bethany before the wedding that I had met the girl I’d always dreamed of. We argued. I told Bethany to leave, and to throw her ring into the river. She stole my carriage and fled north. I never saw her again. I never saw the other woman again, either. I drank my sorrows away till my health failed. Been here almost forty years now. Forty lonely years.”
While Galoria is busy trying to speak to the old man in the ruined garden, you decided it was best to look around the building for any clues.
In inspection of the building, you notice that there are numerable windows, possible a little more than a dozen that mark just about every side of the building. On the northern side, it seems that there’s a window for every 10 feet, which means that’s where the residents live.
However, due to the facility's condition, you're unable to see what's inside. The windows are covered in soot, weeds grow all around the building, and a myriad of cracks gives you the impression nobody cares about the place.
There's also an entrance to the side of the building but given the cluster of debris and refuse, that it hadn't been used for a long time.
Not wanting to cause too much noise, Kien waits for the others before breaking in.
Rafaello follows after Galoria, hopping the fence and approaching cautiously. Seeing her provocatively leaning in, Rafaello blinks in surprise. "Wait, what did I just stumble into? Are you- are you working your feminine wiles? Who...?"
"I bet,"[b/] says Galoria, holding back her frustration. [b]"Come, let's get you inside where it's warm." She helps the man back to the care home - if he will come.
While Galoria attempts to move the old man back within the care home, the old man's body begins to convulse. In mere seconds, he begins to sob uncontrollable.
Despite Galoria's coaxing, the man did not budge from his chair.
"Nothing!" says Galoria quickly, upset with herself she'd not heard Rafaello coming. "Look, now you've startled him - he's seizing!"
"I didn't- confound it, out of the way! You've gone and vexed him, you... vixen!" Rafaello says irritably, rushing to the old man's side. Almost immediately, his cheeks turn red, and he looks apologetically at Galoria. "Sorry- didn't mean to get snippy. I blame nerves."
"Come now, old fellow- we should get you back to bed..." Rafaello says, but trails off upon realizing that the man seems to have no intention of going back.
Galoria seems more amused than angered at Rafaello's response. "A very vexing vixen? I was only trying to see what he knew about the care home. Next time I will leave it to someone less ... dangerous." She kept one eye on the priest, one on the man.
Tired of being left behind, Pip approaches the dangerously tall fence and tells his dogs to stay put as he climbs over a small mountain to join the others in Mother's Care's side lot.
"Why's everything always human sized? Why can't a fence ever once be gnome sized? You tall folk are a bit self absorbed, if ya ask me."
Trying to silently observe the rhythms of the group to best determine how to fit in, Zinthar remains in the back of the group trying to be as observant as possible. He takes a thin wand from up his sleeve and idly twirls it between his fingers as he waits to see what happens next.
The old man cried and shook, and allowed you to check his condition, probably too weathered and conditioned to the facility's lack of care. He didn't appear to have seizure, but you noticed something about him. From the opening in his smock, you could see sores and old scars along his body. Clearly, the place should be called, Mother's Lack of Care
While his pups whined in apprehension, Pipernortin took towards one of his many bardic abilities and began to scale the sizable wall before him. As he grasped for the wooden boards, he noticed that fragments of dried vines and twigs had lay scatted among the bottom of the fence, which reminded him of a grim scene in a Taldan play. Though the obstacle was nothing for Galoria and Kien, the gnome had the unfortunate pleasure of grunting and yelping as he heaved himself over.
The remaining party members kept their vigilance outside of Mother's Care, patiently waiting for further development.
Rafaello appears grim as he sees the old man's poor condition. "This level of neglect is truly criminal," he says. "Come, Galoria- shall we rejoin the others and go inside? I would hope that we might make our visit here a brief one. Let us get this over with."
Rafaello goes to the fence, nodding to Pip as he approaches.
Zinthar takes a brief moment to scan for a more suitable way to breach the fence. He briefly considers simply flying over it, but thinks better of wasting the spell on such a simple obstacle. The elf finally shrugs and makes the climb as the others have before him.
With a burst of confidence born from the fact that he did not totally embarrass himself in the process, Zinthar stays close to the others as he takes in his new surroundings.
"We shall - but I question our welcome. Perhaps the front door is not best."
Reaching the others, she watched Zinthar scale the fence. Not as sedentary as he looks. Not to be outdone by a scholar, Galoria follows him over.
"Well... perhaps you're right, Galoria. No need to make a big entrance. Let's go back around and go through the front door."
Pip stands in front of the old guy, waving his hands before the man's face trying to elicit a response. "Hm." He scratched his head, and then remembered his incredibly awesome hat.
"Oh! I've got a better idea than just waltzing!" With a few pokes and prods, the hat began to change shape - along with the gnome underneath. Within a moment, the gnome was replaced with a slightly-taller old human, his grey hair spilling out from beneath a stylish, if old fashioned, hat.
Grinning like the madman that he probably was, Pip put on his best old man voice. "Not bad, eh, kids? Now help good old uncle Pippy into this place..."
Rafaello stares blankly at Pip for a few moments before managing to wrangle his composure. "Right then, Grandpa," he says, patting the "little old man" on the shoulder. "I know this is hard, but you're going in a home." He grins wryly.
The competition completed, Galoria hears Pip's innovative spark but does not turn around in time to see the transformation take place. When she does finally see his form, her shoulders sunk. I supposed it's not a bad idea ... just ridiculous.
As much as she disliked the place around which they were in hunch, Piper's disguise looked the real thing. "... er, yes. Your line doesn't age well, does it, Rafaello?" Well, at least I can have a bit of fun...
Pip tried to contain his glee, but was clearly having a very hard time. He stopped, took a deep breath, cleared his throat, and then glared at Rafaello.
An ornery old man. The perfect disguise.
"Well then, sonny... let's see how caring Mother's Care really is!"
Laying in the dirt alongside the fence, the pair of canines look as confused as ever. Master had changed his appearance again. He smelled the same, he sounded mostly the same, and he spoke kind of the same... but he wasn't little anymore.
Closing his eyes, Drips tried to catch some rest while the excitable master was off doing whatever it was his kind did. Pavlov, sadly bound by his master's orders, joined him.
"Here, let me get the door for you..."
"Careful, Grandpa. Don't throw out your back on the way in."
Grimacing, Pipernortin strode through the door and took a very angry look around the interior of Mother's Care. He'd never really been one for the stage - too many tall people crowding him out - but now he had his very own stage! The opportunity of a lifetime! And the coolest hat ever! He always knew that was a good purchase.
Hopefully those misspent years in Oppara would finally pay off...
"Dagnabit, I told ya I don't need no danged home! I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself!"
With the team's action decided, it was Pipernortin who took upon himself a most devious and cunning disguise – an invalid! The gnome's appearance changed with a magical flourish thanks to his special cap, and in moments flat, he was ready to be ushered into Mother's Care. Galoria and Rafaello helped their grandfather enter the building with the guile and ease as someone who was ready to relinquish their aging elder. Upon ingress, there seemed to be no visible attendants, which gave further cause of worry to the party.
The brief hallway beyond the front door of the care home is bleak and gloomy. A large meeting area with several tables is completely devoid of patients and family members. Two offices near the door feature small windows—the only light within the building appears to be from the exterior windows.
Despite having old eyes, its very clear that there wasn't anyone within sight. The facilities lack of care was very clear as a thick sheet of dust caked all visible surfaces. In a nearby corner stood a veritable spider nest complete with several copper sized cocoons.
Rafaello follows in and begins looking around the area. "Very attentive service here," he grumbles. "Don't worry, Grandpa. I'm sure they'll take very good care of you... as soon as we figure out where to sign you in."
As Stephen pokes his head into one alcove, Galoria knocks on the doors of the offices, the closest first. "If they want our business, they'd better snap to it; I don't part easily with coin, certainly not for those absent from the job."
Presented with few options, Rafaello and the Cap began searching the room for any inking of the nonexistent staff. While Pipernortin stood impatiently and wary of the facility, Captain Andoran opens the nearest door and entered in what looked like an administrative room.
The main office is furnished with two disorganized desks and shelves covered in flat papers, quills, and inkwells. Two middle-aged administrators, a man and a woman, look at one another as if they’re surprised to receive visitors. The man stands and looks down his nose through a pair of spectacles, saying nothing.
The pair stared at Captain Andoran expecting the young man to say more than hello. A moment had passed, and the male of the group pushed his glasses which had dangled on his bridge and leaned back with his arms crossed.
”Son. Look, this isn't a tavern. Either state your business or leave. I have important work to do!” he said hastily while glaring at Captain Andoran.
While this happened, the female administrator eyed Captain Andoran and made a rude sound, as if she was offended by his wartime attire.
|
"Right. Hello! I'm off to the military, if you couldn't tell, and I need somewhere safe to leave my father. Can I ask you some questions about your establishment here?" He turns his head and calls out "Dad, they're over here."
He looks at Pipernorton as he enters the room, then leans towards the woman to whisper with a wink "Please, it's a hotel, not a home, huh? He's sensitive." As he leans in he presses his coin pouch against the edge of the desk, the coins clicking against each other audibly.
Following the Captain into the other room, Pipernortin paused at the door to return a scowl at the bookish man. Shaking his head with disapproval, he takes up roost in the corner of the room and crosses his arms angrily.
"These are the folk yer leavin' me with? Dang, son, you sure picked a dump."
"But daaaad," Rafaello drones in as good an impression of his older brothers as he can manage, as he follows the gnome inside the office. "It's only for a little whiiiile. This place came hiiighly recommended! You know I can't take care of you, I've got a baby on the way! Stephen can't do it, and Gally can't do it, so we just don't have a choice. These nice people will take really good care of you." He bows deeply and gives the administrators his most winning smile, giving his holy symbol a good-luck rub as he does.
The male administrator's brow wrinkled with sweat, and he looked very cross. Removing his glasses and putting them upon the table, he moved around the table, rubbed his brow, noticed that the glasses weren’t on his face, retrieved them once more, planted them carefully on the bridge of his nose and puffed quite loudly.
”You've come at a bad time. It takes at least a week for new patients to be considered for their application withing Mother's Care Home for Invalids” he said with an indignant tone. While crossing his arms, and uncrossed them, and trying to find a comfortable but authoritative pose, he took a place near the female administrator and looked at her sideways. At a brief nod and suggestion at the coin purse, the male administrator's face eased.
”Your...offspring...seem to be very concerned for your well being...citizen” the male administrator said. ”I...could work something out, however, its seldom that we see a family very eager to...request this sort of aid. Surely, a shelynite, a soldier, and...loving daughter couldn't...provide more?”
It was at this point that the female administrator spoke up. ”Its rude to keep them waiting. I'll summon one of the aides while you p-p-p-pre-pare the p-p-p-p-ay---pa”
”You mean paperwork”
”Oh yes!” she said with an embarrassed expression.
Carefully shuffling past the motley crew that stood within the office's doorway, the stuttering administrator tip toed through the hall as if she was walking on eggshells and looked about for an aide.
Meanwhile, the remaining administrator fumbled through a nearby desk and produced forth several sheets of vellum and an ink pen. Nearly stumbling over, the sheets scattered on the table. ”Oh dear...” he said while clenching the inkpen with nervous tension. ”Apologies, I haven't been myself lately.” he said while accidentally snapping the pen within his grip, pouring black ink over his hand, and the sheets of paper that marked much of the table.
”Now...I've done it...” Trying to be careful and not make a bigger mess, the male administrator walked towards the old man, and smiled before excusing himself. ”Apologies...citizens. I must revile myself.” Making sure not to step upon anybody's feet, he moved down the hall and disappeared from sight.
Zinthar can practically feel his skin crawl as they enter the gloomy place. Something is definitely not right here.
He waits just inside the double doors as the companions perpetrate their ruse with the two staff members. As both move away from the office the elf reaches for a wand at his waist. With a few quick words the wand flares and suddenly the mage's form begins to waver and blur. He does not disappear exactly but in the dark recesses of the hallway it does become slightly harder to pinpoint his exact location. Not my favorite, but I cannot deny its usefulness sometimes.... Moving carefully he turns in the opposite direction from the office to see what the other side of the room holds.
"Observant fellow," Rafaello remarks as the man leaves the room. "And what, pray tell, has got them so anxious? They are the ones running this place, yes?" Rafaello glances about at his companions with a raised eyebrow. "Some sort of sinister higher power must be pulling their strings. While we, ahem, wait on our paperwork to come through, why don't we poke about the facility a bit more?"
"Well, I did not pick up any magical auras from outside, but now that we're in here..."