Long silent, Angalia watches as Eliva edges closer to Sevren, trying to win his confidence.
"We know of the laughing death and we survived without falling into the dark. Tell us what they are."
She keeps her voice quiet and steady.
"They can be anywhere," Eliva agree in a soft, steady voice, "But they can't come through the walls. These are good, solid walls here. You know these walls, they are strong, yes? The sisters are helping those who laughed. We stopped the laughing, Sevren, and the monster that spread the evil laughter. We killed it, and it will harm no one else."
Eliva will keep reaching for Sevren, being sure to always allow him to retreat, and never to corner him. If possible, she would like to reveal to the party what she has seen by moving aside his collar, but she will stop if he backs away or pushes her away or reacts negatively, that she notices - she does not wish to traumatize him farther.
Sevren nods quietly. "Thank you," is all he says. He does not move away from Eliva.
Eliva gently holds back Sevren's collar, allowing those watching to see the marks on his neck she saw, and getting a closer look herself.
Res looks intently at the marks on Sevren's neck that Eliva has revealed.
Sevren starts to grow uneasy at your examinations. "They grab you and you cannot escape." He tries to pull away.
Leandro pales at the sight of the man's neck and speaks gently to him. "Peace, my friend, we are not the ones who walk at night. Tell me... do they come here, to this sacred place? Or are you safe here?"
"No. Not here." He continues retreating to stand beside the barred window. "I ran away. Do they still chase me?"
Leandro sighs with relief. "Then we are safe here? That is good. And running is all you can do. As far as if they puruse... who can tell?" He pauses a moment to take a deep breath and release it before continuing very gently. "Can you... can you give us the names of the ones who did this?"
when Sevren pulls away, Eliva lets go and lets him retreat, backing off herself. Still treating him as much like a skittish animal as a man, she speaks gently, in as soothing a voice as she can manage to him. "Peace, peace, they cannot come here. These walls are too solid to let them sneak in, and the holy sisters guard the grounds for you." Eliva searches the wall for the nearest scrawling of the strange word she didn't recognice, Tetslin. She points to it, worried saying it aloud might send the frightened man into a panic. "What does this word mean, Sevren? Can you tell us? We would like to defend against the darkness. We would like to defeat the darknesses here, much as we defeated the evil laughter. If you can help us, we will find it easier to defend you."
Sister Cecile seems dismayed by the conclusion of what has happened to Sevren. She says to no one in particular, "We should have seen the signs. A dreadful thing..."
When Leandro asks for names, Sevren starts shaking his head repeatedly. "No. Can't say it. Can't. Won't speak it."
When Eliva points out the word Tetslin, his eyes open wide. He grows very still and his expression turns serious. "That's him," he says conspiratorily. "He is evil. Gilbraith works for him now." These statements are remarkably lucid.
Immediately after, he returns to shaking his head and pacing the room.
Tiffana's eyes widen with realization. "That's him," she says. "That's the one I saw in the dream, before we came to the carnival. And again when we found the letter signed only 'T'. They are all one and the same."
"Sevren, we will do all we can to help the sisters here secure the building. And then we will hunt down this creature and destroy him."
Keeping her voice calm and authoritative, Angalia thinks about the building and considers how it might be secured. Unwilling to ask for too much of Sevren, she resolves to ask the others what they know of such horrors and their weaknesses at the earliest opportunity.
"One does not go hunting for such things," Sister Cecile chimes in incredulously. "But perhaps you are a different sort. Blessings upon you in any case."
Sevren continues pacing nervously.
You hear a commotion out in the hallway. It is Sister Nadine and she is running. "He is gone!" She exclaims. "One of the patients is gone. I heard a sound of voices from his room and called out. There was a noise of a scuffle but by the time I got there, the room was empty. It looks like whoever it was went in the direction of the East Wing."
"Who is gone?" Sister Cecile asks. "Which patient."
"One of the new ones. Sergei."
"We must not let him escape!" cries out Res. Sister Cecile, please be sure to secure Sevren. We will go investigate the East Wing.
"Where is Sister Jacinthe?" Sister Cecile asks of Nadine. "She was supposed to be with those patients today."
"I looked everywhere and could not find her," Sister Nadine says, shaken. "So I came to find you."
Sister Cecile leads you out of Sevren's room and secures the door behind her.
Eliva will cast expeditious retreat on herself and make a break for her room to grab her bow, arrows and gauntlet.
Angalia pelts back to her room and grabs her toolkit and assorted weaponry.
"We need to find Sister Jacinthe as well. He's not a safe man."
Sister Cecile and Sister Nadine follow you. "I can show you where they went," Sister Nadine says, still panicked.
Sister Cecile stops a passing orderly. "Fetch Sister Claudette," she says. "One of the patients is missing." The orderly hurries off in the direction of Sister Claudette's study.
Leandro darts to his room and unlocks it. He slips the cestus onto his hand, pulling it tight and flexing his fingers to get it settled, then retrieves Thorn, his longbow, and a quiver of arrows. He takes up the holy symbol of Shelyn and kisses it reverently.
"If speed is needed, I have no time to don armor. You, lovely goddess, must be my guardian. I place my trust in thee."
He darts into the hallway and locks the room door behind him. "Be calm, Sister Nadine, and lead on. We will follow you."
"If Sergei is dangerous, we should all protect ourselves. If anyone has time to assist me, it will go quicker."
Res girds himself for battle and joins the others.
You hastily prepare yourselves to explore the East Wing. When you have done so, Sister Nadine leads you quickly in the direction of Sergei's room, which is on the way to the entrance to the East Wing. There, Sister Claudette stands by the doorway looking concerned.
"The bed has been upset, and things strewn about his room. I think there was a struggle," she says quickly.
Behind her, a Vistani man stands beside her, armed with a sword he clearly knows how to use.
"I am here to help find Sister Jacinthe. Andrzej Plamen at your service," he adds with a bow. With the poise and athleticism of a dancer, the vistani performs a neat bow. He returns to an erect back. Barely concealed under the red jacket and white shirt is the glint of chainshirt.
He bows again to the good sister Claudette and his heels click together, "you have my thanks. I shall find the good sister. On my honour."
"Well, that's straightforward, at least."
Angalia nods at the newcomer. "I'm Angalia and we're on the same mission I do believe. Just so you know, the man Sergei is very dangerous and ... disturbed."
The words "a total headcase" rise to her lips and are quelled.
Ramrod straight, Andrzej turns and offers a similarly gracious but fast bow, "Angalia, a pleasure to meet you. Sergei is the patient that took her, yes?"
He will give each of the party a curt bow too. "Can we walk as we talk?"
Giving Andrzej a brief bow, Leandro nods acquiescence. "We should make haste. I do not know this Sergei, but my friends' worry is sufficient evidence for his menace. I am happy for your aid, Sir Andrzej, though I fear we may encounter foes for which a sword is little use. Still, you are very welcome. And now... onward!"
Eliva looks over the new arrival, briefly, but her impatience to be off after Sergei makes her a little curt. "Pleased to meet you. I am Elive, and we searchy for the good sister as well. May Erastil bless our mission!" She moves on ahead, looking for signs of Sergei's passage.
Examining the room and the corridor, Eliva sees many signs of a struggle as of someone being abducted. Given the marble floors of the hospital and the fact that most everyone is wearing shoes, there are no tracks to speak of, but she does see some markings on the wooden door frame. They are scratches that look like claw marks, and the claws resemble those of a rodent, only quite a bit larger than the ordinary variety. She notices additional scratch marks in the corridor, heading to the double doors of the East Wing. That door is slightly ajar, which is notable because every other time you have seen a doorway to the East Wing it has been securely locked.
"I hope he has not harmed Sister Jacinthe," Sister Nadine says woefully.
Elive points out the scratches as she finds them to her companions. "These look almost like rat claw marks, but much too large. And see, they go to that door. Isn't that always locked?" As the words leave her mouth, Eliva is already heading for the door to the East Wing. "We will do everything we can to bring Sister Jacinthe back to you safely," she says as she rushes past Sister Nadine on her way to the door.
"Lady Eliva, take care!" Leandro rushes to join Eliva.
"This is the haunted wing. But who found out this and what is the specific nature of the spirits or curse involved? Sister can you help us?"
Sister Cecile responds quickly to Andrzej, "The others have heard the tales. This was not always a place of healing. The activity that went on in that wing under this hospital's previous... management... must have been unspeakably terrible."
"Keep your wits about you," Sister Claudette says. "Many people experienced dreadful horrors in that place. Now it bears the imprint of that terror, like so many scars. I was in the wing once, but briefly. I do not envy this task."
"Svjetlo!" spits out Andrzej as he draws his scimitar. Then he waves a hand casually over the flat blade above and below and it warms to the brightness of torchlight.
The magus then pokes the light through the doorway and pushes it open wide stepping through slowly.
As the group proceeds toward the East Wing, Res brusquely introduces himself. "Res Thannq, welcome to the fight!" He steps behind Andrzej and Leandro and follows them into the wing.
"Eliva, let me look first before you open anything."
Angalia casts a swift eye over the doorway, looking for further clues and any hazards.
If Angalia says the door looks safe, Leandro moves with Andrzej through the door, walking side-by-side with the swordsman. Thorn is held at the ready.
Angalia notices nothing amiss about the door, apart from it being ajar. There are no signs of it being forced open, so if it was locked previously, someone unlocked it with a key. No traps.
The hallway beyond the door is lofty like the others, but the air is stale and musty. Occasional patches of light shine through from adjacent rooms where windows were covered hastily, intermittently illuminating the dusty, bare floor. Much of the corridor lies in shadow.
All is quiet.
Leandro smiles grimly. "Let us have a little light in this place, eh?" He murmurs a few words and flicks his fingers and four lights appear in the corridor ahead, illuminating their way.
"Practical."
Angalia smiles approval and looks cautiously at the newly illuminated corridor.
Eliva sighs a little as the lights brighen the corridor. "There's no help for it, I suppose. It'd be dangerous if none of you could see." Eliva readies her bow and steps forward, looking around for more evidence of recent passage by the clawed creature, either on the walls or in dust disturbances on the floor, trying to step as lightly as possible.
"Not all of us have your advantages, Lady," Leandro murmurs, "My apologies if the lights discomfit you. We have not your keen eyes."
"We must accept that he will know we are coming. But someone quiet could travel ahead and be masked by the clumsy armour."
As Andrzej says this he scrapes the scimitar down one wall by mistake. "Apologies. I am so clumsy too."
Angalia drifts quietly, hidden behind her cloak, her own abilities and the astonishing clanking of her companions. She exchanges a small glance with Eliva, wondering if there is any real point in the exercise. She watches her surroundings with a suspicious eye.
Res attempts to follow the expert lead of his compatriots and likewise, stumbles into a sconce along the wall. Alert to the noise the group is making, he strains to hear or see anything amiss.