"Of course, Stanislav." Dr. Wilk examines the tonic and nods approvingly, then he and Stanislav present it to Katherine Pallaver.
"It's a mild sedative to help you sleep through the night - nothing too strong. Hopefully you'll be feeling in proper health after a few nights' rest with it."
Katherine frowns. "Very well, if you both think it will help. I was just getting ready to head up to bed." She takes the tonic from Stanislav and, after giving it a dubious inspection, drinks it. "I shall let you know if it's helped in the morning. Good night, sirs." Katherine curtsies, then says her 'good-nights' to the rest of the gentlemen and heads upstairs to bed.
"Well done, Mister Oculus," Thom says with a clap on the englishman's back, "perhaps we might find some occasion during our stay in Helorus for you to give a performance. If the locals don't take you for an actual sorcerer it could be an agreeable diversion for all?"
Once it has been discovered that deciphering the parchments in the locked book is beyond any of their abilities he frowns. "Unless the Professor has a few books on hieroglyphics somewhere in his collection, it seems unlikely we're doing to learn anything from this one... perhaps we should lock it back up to help make sure nobody else learns anything from it?"
"I know very little of Egypt - what a mystery!" Stanislav briefly looks at the heiroglyphics. "As you say, Mister Andrews, perhaps August had some books on the subject. I will help look." The Russian nods and walks upstairs to begin his evening's search.
Louie, Thom, and Stanislav spend the next several hours searching through stacks of books hoping to find a helpful reference on Egyptology. Eventually a cry of success can be heard from upstairs, and a minute later Stanislav returns to the sitting room, a large book in hand.
"I have found something!" Stanislav unscrews his flask and takes a swig. "An Oxford text, most reliable, yes? It has a description which matches our locked book - 'a collection of Egyptian scrolls bound in purple leather with a scarab and eye decoration on the front cover, reportedly recovered from Jerusalem in the 11th century. This text is believed to contain the majority of rites and incantations collectively known as the Egyptian Book of the Dead.'
"Sadly there is nothing on translation, but it sounds that this book is old and valuable. August was quite the collector, no?"
"Doc Pallaver liked his books, that's for sure."
Louie scratches his beard and adds
"I know we're supposed to bring these out to St.Louis, to the university there, but did the Doc's will say exactly who was to receive them? As they get older and stranger by the day, we need to make extra sure the right folks get them once we get them there safe."
"Yes, yes - I believe that Mister Keel left Katherine with the addressee in St. Louis. She's gone up to bed for the evening; best to let her get her rest and not disturb her. We can ask her in the morning, no?"
"I'm sure the professor trusts the people he has us delivering these to as much or more than he trusts us," Thom answers hoping to reassure Louie. Then he looks at the table covered in priceless, irreplaceable tomes, one of which recently had its lock picked and he adds, "though, perhaps your concerns are merited..."
Tired from the efforts of the day, the men turn in without resolving a solid agenda for the following day. Shortly before dawn, Oculus awakes from a strange dream which quickly slips away from him. He rolls over in bed to see Katherine standing in her bedgown, staring out the window of his room; she seems to him distant and unaware.
"...fear thy moon... fear thy moon..."
Katherine turns a blank stare to the room for a moment, then begins to slowly walk out the door.
Oculus jumps out of bed and gets in front of Katherine, facing her and slowly retreating with her steps to stay in front of her.
"Stanislav!! Wilk!!! Come out here!!! Katherine needs your help!!!!"yells Oculus.
Both Louie and Thom are woken, but the intended recipients sleep through Oculus's calls for help.
Thom comes stumbling out of his room in his dressing gown. "Mr. Oculus," he stammers, "what is the meaning of this commotion?"
Louie startles awake downstairs in the sitting room, and after hearing Thom, barrels upstairs.
James continues to snore as if nothing was the matter.
Katherine blinks in confusion at the shouts and stumbles, Oculus reaching out to catch her before she falls.
"What... what am I doing here?" she asks groggily, clinging to Oculus as she gets her bearings. "Mr. Oculus? Mr. Andrews, Louie?" After a few seconds she manages to stand again. "What are we all doing here?"
"Well," Thom answers, cinching up his dressing gown with some embarrassment, "I'm not a doctor but I believe you've had a bout of somnambulism... Have you ever had spells of sleep-walking in the past? Or been told that you talk in your sleep?"
Louie stirs the sleeping doctors for their help, knocking lightly or peeping his head into their room and calling gently depending on the state of door locks.
"miss katherine's had another fitful sleep...you might want to head out here..."
James, awoken by Louie, moves swifty as he supresses a yawn and grabes his medical kit from his belongings. He gently shakes Stanislav to ensure he is awake.
"Please lead the way Louie!"
As they approach James hear's Thom talking... "...talk in your sleep"
He sees Katherine in Oculous's arms, "Is everyone alright? What's happened?"
"It seems that Miss Pallaver somnambulated into Mister Oculus' room," Thom informs the doctor, "and then towards the stairs after he awoke."
Louie wakes Dr. Wilk, but finds Stanislav's room empty.
Katherine's expression begins to clear. "Sleepwalking?" She straightens her nightgown and begins to blush. "No, I've never done anything of the sort. Not that I know of, at any rate. Perhaps it was a side effect of the sleeping tonic?
"In any event, I'm sorry for the intrusion, Mr. Oculus. I hope I didn't disturb you too much; to think, me walking about in the middle of the night scaring the daylights out of people I invited to stay 'neath my roof. Louie, if you don't mind, perhaps you could start some coffee and breakfast? I feel I could use some extra waking up. Perhaps I'll take a walk about town today as well - may it not be that my body is invigorated due to lack of proper exercise while my mind is exhausted?"
Katherine excuses herself briefly to her room, then goes downstairs to help with breakfast.
"As I said, I'm no doctor but that sounds like a plausible explanation." Thom agrees, "My own daily regimen includes vigorous kalesthenic exercises and a brisk walk, as recommended by a young Doctor Kellogg, whose acquaintance I made last year. If you'd like, you're welcome to join me this morning?"
Louie heads downstairs, looks in the sitting room for any sign of Stanislav and to check on the book crate. Checks to see if his boots and coat are in the hall.
If it doesn't look like he's gone out, he checks the porch then the parlor and dining room.
If he still hasn't turned him up he'll knock on the washroom door
While there he stokes the oven with coal, and puts a kettle on to boil in the kitchen.
He then will check the rear stair, piazza, and store room for any sign of him.
Stopping again by the kitchen he'll put on eggs for a soft boil.
If he still hasn't seen hide nor hair of the Russian, he will look to the animal pens, medical rooms, and store room.
Back to the kitchen to slice bread for toast and take the eggs off the heat to coast
If he still hasn't turned up he'll check the washroom and if need be find a lamp in the barn and check the cellar.
After Katherne's conversation with Thom, James turns to those who remain...
"I've never heard of a sleeping tonic causing someone to sleepwalk, but perhaps it had no effect at all. Katherine is showing a concistant pattern of this behavior. I would recommend that someone try to be in her company at all times if possible."
James paces the room with his hand on his chin...
"I would like to talk with Stanislov further and I'm surprised he isn't here with all this commotion. I'll clean up a bit, check in on breakfast with Louie and see if he turns up."
Louie scurries about the house peeking in rooms and checking on his cooking and finds no sign of Stanislav's departure nor whereabouts, only to turn around in the kitchen whilst dealing with his eggs to discover the Russian standing right next to him.
"No meat this morning?" he grumbles, peering into the pot. "A shame." He absentmindedly scratches his chest through his nightshirt as he makes his way to the stairs, passing James there. "Ah, good morning, doctor. Obviously the tonic did not help, but I'd prefer to discuss Katherine's treatment after breakfast, no?" He pats his belly, which emits an obliging grumble, and smiles. "The body needs sufficient fuel to stimulate the mind, after all!"
"Well, it seems we are all a bit out of sorts this morning," Thom offers looking down at his own dressing gown, "perhaps it would be best if we all retire to our rooms are prepare ourselves for the day? Miss Pallaver, I'll meet you in the siting room as soon as you're ready, if you do mean to join me? I believe we should have time for exercises before breakfast and a brisk walk afterwards. I'd suggest dressing in something lightweight and which allows unrestricted movements."
When he receives an answer from Katherine, he returns to his room to dress and set about his morning routine.
The house fills with the smells of coffee and something frying.
Louie helps set out breakfast, soft boiled eggs toast and fried mutton.
"To satisfy a request for meat I fried up some of the leftovers from last night's roast, let me know how it tastes. I know some folks like it this way and others prefer chops to start the day."
"Thank you, Louie, it smells marvelous, as usual," Thom remarks as his fixes his plate, "I hate to impose but we do seem to be getting less fiber than I've grown accustomed to... if my man, Mister Wright, can find some Granula for sale in this hamlet today would you be so kind as to prepare some with breakfast whenever time allows?"
Katherine joins Thom in the sitting room attired in her simple farm dress and partakes in his stretches and light calisthenics followed by a brisk walk after breakfast. As they make their way down the road away from town, Thom notices that a man seems to be following them some 200 yards behind – keeping pace despite their purposeful speed. Thom does not recognize him from this distance, but is also far from acquainted with the town’s residents.
After breakfast Stanislav is more than happy to discuss Katherine’s condition. The Russian posits some possible causes for her sudden and pronounced sleepwalking which seem a bit far-fetched and decidedly grim to James – a defect of character leading to dependence upon opiates, a derangement of the nerves, an infection of the brain – until settling upon the more likely cause of her recent emotional trauma due to her father’s death as his diagnosis. He suggests either a stronger sleeping aid or simply locking her in her room at night for her own safety.
After breakfast Louie and Oculus grab a lantern and head to the cellar, which appears undisturbed since Oculus’s last visit. Together the pair attempt to open the newly-nailed crate, and after no small amount of time finally manage to pry the lid open. Inside the crate is seen to be overgrown with bluish-white mold and vivid orange mushrooms. After a moment a strange, heavy odor insinuates itself into their noses harkening to exotic spices of the Orient; Louie is not familiar with the mushroom, and despite it's smell knows that mushrooms are just as likely to be poisonous as they are to be edible.
.
Thom / Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15
James / Know: Earth & Life Science: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16 vs DC 10
Louie / Break Open Crate: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8 vs DC 12
Louie / Profession: Cook: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22 vs DC 10
"Well Stanislav, those are two options we can discuss with Katherine directly. My hope is to not increase the potency of the sleeping aid since the last attempt had little to no affect. I'm also not keen on locking her in, but it we may have no other choice."
"I think I'll take a look at the "On Verified Madness" today and see if there are any similar cases of note. Maybe there is another course of treatment discussed that we could try."
"Yes, we shall let Katherine decide. Certainly we can sedate her to a state of unconsciousness, but locking her door so she does not harm herself in these wanderings is much simpler. Though it does not solve her problem, it should go away once she is over this shock and more herself again, no?"
Glancing over his shoulder, Thom once again catches sight of a curious fellow following along behind him. "Miss Katherine," he says a bit nervously, "I do hate to trouble you but it seems we have a third in our party for this morning's constitutional... there is a gentleman who has been trailing about behind us for some time now, do you by chance recognize him?"
Louie gestures towards the garish growth in the chest and asks Oculus:
"Since we've got this out in the open, think its worth having the bookish sorts have a gander see if they know anything about it?"
He goes on:
"Wonder if the professor brought this here purposefully, or if there's something under it he brought back that this grew out of."
Rubbing the side of his head:
"I guess someone else could have brought it here too, maybe snuck it in? I know some types of mushrooms can be foul. We might want to cover it back up for now, and seal it once anyone who wants a look has got one."
Katherine looks back over her shoulder and smiles. "Why that's Mr. Schultz, our town constable. Shall I call him over?"
the professor was concerned about her wellbeing... it isn't possible that the constable is a threat, is it?
"Perhaps we should finish our route first?" Thom offers hesitantly, "We can speak with him in town before returning to your home..."
Blimey - take a butcher's at that! Seems da doctor wasn't one ter keep a tidy cellar!
Katherine assents to Thom's suggestion and the two complete their walk, heading a mile north of the Pallaver House before turning around and heading back for a total of two invigorating miles. When they make the turn, Constable Schultz continues onwards past them, illiciting a wave from Katherine as they pass him. He nods to the pair, and does not "pursue" them back to the house.
Back at the Pallaver residence, several of the men spend their day reading.
James reads the book cover to cover. Doctors Pallaver and Foramen suggest that a sympathetic approach to the mentally disturbed, encouraging the patient to describe and "fully realize" their madness, allows them to then confront and overcome their affliction with the assistance of a doctor to guide them. Three cases of complete success from this method are described, all achieved through the efforts of Dr. Foramen - a man who suffered hallucinations of being burned alive, believing that the fires of Perdition would find and torment him whenever he had un-Christian thoughts; a woman haunted by visions of a hunched, ghoulish figure stinking of sulfur and rotting meat; and a man convinced that rats followed him everywhere: inside walls, floors, ceiling, and even the ground and trees when outdoors, unseen by him but not unheard. Other cases from both doctors showed varying, lesser degrees of success.
While an interesting theory and method on the surface, James can't help but see it as unwholesome and of questionable validity, knowing that Dr. Foramen was himself diagnosed as insane after found to have committed kidnapping, torture, and murder.
Louie spends his day translating the next chapter of this book.
Chapter 2 describes how the minstrel, a man of strange yet compelling aspect, proceeds to delight all present with his piping and displays of prestidigitation. He is said to "know every song and every trick that anyone could request, and many more besides." When one of the kings tells of his longing to hear again a tune he dreamt of in his youth, the minstrel immediately plays it for him. Amazed, the king asks where he learnt to play the tune, and the minstrel responds: "In a far off land which lies just beyond yonder door, to those who know how to get there."
He then offers to take the kings there, and they all happily agree.
This text states that lightning is generally caused by the collision of clouds, with these collisions being the gods' method of announcing their intentions to mortals through the lightning they produce.
The method of divination via lightning involves a "cartography of the sky," wherein the horizon is divided into 16 sections assigned to various deities, with each section is further divided into 4 subsections; the viewer then notes which section the lightning originated from. Also important is the nature of the lighting, which is broken down into three major categories: lightning which pierces through cloud cover, lightning which is forked, and lightning that burns; there are further minor categories of lightning, such as lighting which springs from the earth or lightning accompanied by earth tremors. Furthermore, the specific effect of the lightning is considered, with such factors as the lightning's effect on men, animals, landscape, architecture, etc. It is presumed that thunder is produced by lightning, such that the origin of thunder with no visible lightning must be guessed at to the best of the diviner's ability.
The volume of divinatory signs and their interactions with one another is impressive; to actually memorize the divinatory system would take weeks of effort and practice, but Thom is fairly sure he could note the important aspects of any lightning/thunder he witnesses and later refer to the text to determine it's supposed meaning, if he was so inclined.
"Well gentlemen, I'm off to the tavern. Save some supper for me."
Oculus, feeling quite bored, heads to the tavern for some refreshment and possibly some trouble.
Dis place is so bawin o'her 'han 'he lady ov 'he 'ouse walkin in 'er Bo Peep.I need 'o ge' ou' an' stre'ch my legs a' 'he 'avern. Maybe i can ge' some gamblin in an' 'ave some drinks.
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Louie stands up from his reading, stretching his arms above his head, fingers laced together, and arching his back, cracking his knuckles and back.
He heads to the kitchen and puts together a supper, slicing the rest of last night's mutton and some bread for sandwiches. Thinking of Thom's request for ruffage he heads out into the fading light to pick some spring lettuce from the muddy, somewhat neglected kitchen garden out by the pump. He makes a simple dressing for the side while the kettle heats up.
As he sits down in the sitting room with a mutton sandwich and a cup of tea, he takes a bite.
"Honor my fate. That's the first night."
He sets down the sandwich and walks over to the table where he was reading and writing through the day.
He takes a sip of tea.
"What was it she called Stanislav? A hefty moron.
He chuckles and sets down his cup.
"And this morning Oculus said it was... Fear thy moon. The same letters over and over again. "
He grabs a pen, licks the end, and starts to write...
H O N O R M Y F A T E
A H E F T Y M O R O N
F E A R T H Y M O O N
F O R M E N T H Y N O
N O R T H F O A M Y E
M O A T H O N E Y F R
H O N E T R Y M O A N
M A N F O O T H E R Y
A E O O Y F H N M R T
A E F H M N O O R T Y
T R M N H F Y O O E A
Y T R O O N M H F E A
E O O F Y H N M R T A
E F H M N O O R T Y A
R M N H F Y O O E A T
T R O O N M H F E A Y
O O F Y H N M R T A E
F H M N O O R T Y A E
M N H F Y O O E A T R
R O O N M H F E A U T
A E O O Y F H N M R T
A E O O Y F H N M R T
F A T H E R O M Y O N
N E A T H R O O F M Y
Y E O M A N F O R T H
Y E O M A N F R O T H
F O R M A T H O N E Y
F O A M Y T H R O N E
F O A M Y H O R N E T
H O A R Y F O M E N T
M A R O O N H E F T Y
M A N Y H E R O O F T
M A N Y T H R O E O F
M A N Y O T H E R O F
M A N Y H E R F O O T
M A N Y T H E R O O F
A N Y H E F T R O O M
A N Y H E F T M O O R
A N Y F O R E M O T H
H Y E N A F O R M T O
H Y E N A F R O M T O
R O M A N T H E Y O F
M A Y O R T H E N O F
R A F T M O N E Y H O
F R A Y H O M E N O T
O A T H O M E N F R Y
F E A R H Y M N T O O
R A N T F O E H O M Y
R O M E H A F T Y O N
Y O H A F T O o ~ ___
Louie startles awake, pen still resting on the paper in front on him.
He whispers
"hoyt foramen"
He shakes his head, sets the pen down.
"Hoyt Foramen"
He stands up and shouts
Thom does his best impression of polite small talk with James and Stanislav while he eats his sandwich and small salad. He shares with them his belief that while the system of lightning-divination was too complex for even himself to memorize quickly he could memorize where lightning flashed in the sky and later check it against the book, if anyone were curious how this superstitious practice was carried out. He also listens with earnest interest to their findings.
After dinner he asks Mr. Wright to fetch him some papers and a pen, and he sets about writing a few personal correspondences for his valet to deliver to the post office tomorrow. When Louie starts shouting nearby he is startled and, looking at the man with some concern, he answers, "are you quite alright?!? What are you carrying on about?"
Louie shudders and shakes his head
"Sorry there Thom, just had a thought I chased after having my nose in the books all day. Miss Katherine, when she is having her fits, always says something. Realized the words were all the same letters jumbled up, strange that right?"
A brief shudder again, gestures to his notes, and looks at Thom.
"So then I thought what if there is something to it. I tried to work it out, but dozed off and it must have came to me. The letters, they spell the name of the mad doctor from the old Catholicon, the one James was reading about today, Hoyt Foramen. Even stranger right?"
Glancing at Louie's notes, Thom cocks an eyebrow and answers, "that certainly does seem strange... perhaps tomorrow one of us should go into town and see what we can learn about Doctor Foramen... he was an associate of her grandfather's but how long did he live and what kind of contact did he have with Miss Katherine?"
Oculus makes his way to the tavern, where to his dismay he's unable to find anyone willing to play cards. They are willing to drink, however, and after a few rounds he's able to strike up some friendly conversations in the afternoon. Everyone seems to have heard about the row at the funeral with Gustav Mayer, and he learns that the Mayer family has had a grudge against the Pallavers since the time of Byron Pallaver - Elsa Mayer was the young woman that Dr. Foramen kidnapped from town then tortured and murdered at the Helorus Catholicon.
As the afternoon turns to evening Gustav himself shows up and the townsfolk clam up, talking only about apples and weather until after sunset, at which point some get drunk enough to open up again. Oculus further learns that it appears that Constable Shultz thinks that one or all of the strangers in town staying with Miss Pallaver are up to something, as he has been asking townsfolk about them for the past two days; his questioning has been whether they have been seen about town and if so, where they were and what they were doing. Thus informed, Oculus tipsily returns to the Pallaver House around midnight.
"Yes, a good idea, I think." Louie and Thom are startled by Stanislav, who is casually reclined in one of the sitting room's armchairs with a tumbler of scotch in hand; by all appearances he is quite settled in, though neither man noticed his arrival. "August never got over whatever events led to his father's death; perhaps neither did someone else, no?"
After a night's rest everyone but Oculus awakens and shares breakfast, even if only briefly. Katherine joins Thom again in his morning exercises, and Stanislav stumbles back up to his room with a mug of coffee.