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I really enjoyed the game while it lasted. I think the next Ravenloft-y game I go for I'm going to play Griswald as a full-blown cleric. As for the other game, you had me at "Midnight meets Arcanis". Let me know when you're ready to start it up and I'll gladly submit a character.
"Aye, the book had a lot to say on how to prevent this sort of affliction from spreading, and how to care for someone who had been bitten, but unfortunately it didn't say anything about where the curse comes from or how to cure it. It also didn't say anything about what to do if it effects animals. I suspect we are seeing something rare or even new."
"I don't know, lass. We might never know. We're going to do everything we can to stop this thing from spreading, and that's all we can do. If you look at the problem from a big perspective, it seems insurmountable. We have to take it in little pieces. One thing at a time. Right now, the important thing is to get some rest and keep ourselves healthy and safe."
"We took measures to prevent that from happening. She will rest peacefully." Father Griswald said sadly, but still trying to be reassuring.
Griswald and the guards walked out of the catacombs quietly, looking in on Micha and Eleeda. "We're done. Are you two doing alright?"
Griswald nods but doesn't return the smile. He wasn't quite ready yet, but he did appreciate the elf's good nature. He's probably seen more death in his lifetime than I have, and I'm a grave digger. Wonder how old he is. How many people has he seen grow old and die in the time it took him to simply grow up? I don't know if I envy that or pity it. "Aye. It's been a long day."
Griswald tried for a moment to keep Klaudia's head from rolling away, setting it next to the body in some semblance of dignity, but after it rolled awkwardly away from where he'd set it a couple times, he game up and simply covered her with a burial shroud. Shaking his head, he said "There is an alcove in the mausoleum for her. Lets get her wrapped up and moved." Retrieving a large sheet of linen from a storage cabinet, he instructed the others on how to properly wrap a body for burial as he anointed her with holy oils and prayed for her passing, improvising a little from the usual method because of the necessity of wrapping her head separately from the rest of her. Then he wrapped the two parts in one more cloth to maintain a slight illusion that they were still intact. By the time it was finished, it was difficult to tell that her head was not attached. Lifting her like a child with help from the others to support her head, Griswald moved into the catacombs to an empty alcove and gently placed her within it. "Rest well, Klaudia. I'm sorry we could not save you."
Griswald had been mentally steeling himself, but Derryn was quicker. The big priest turned his head away as the young guard went about his grisly work. Doing it was one thing. Watching it was another.
I think I might have messed up derryn's plans. Derryn were you wanting to not be there so you could maintain disbelief? If so, I'm fine with a slight retcon. Varisiel and I can handle it.
"Swords are no good for beheading. Takes to many swings. They don't have the weight to get through bone neatly. An axe is better. A flat-headed shovel is almost as good." Griswald says, soberly. "The book said we need to bind her hands and put a rope in her mouth in case she starts moving while we're carrying her." he says tossing Varziel the shorter of two lengths of rope he'd retrieved on his way here. "Careful not to touch her teeth at all. Derryn, give me a hand with this. Avoid her fingernails." Pulling on his heavy leather work gloves, Father Griswald began tying the dead woman's hands together.
Griswald stands next to them in silence, letting them grieve. After a time he places his hand on Micha's shoulder. "When you are ready, please take Eleeda to the chapel. Help each other find solace. Talk about your favorite memories of Klaudia. I will fetch you when we are ready for the cremation. Varisiel, Derryn, please stay. I will need your help to move her."
"Indeed." Father Griswald says somberly. "But for those of us with more modest blessings, the gods teach us more mundane means of preventing such evils as this plague." "Eleeda, Mischa, we must hurry now. Say your goodbys, but please do not touch her. Priestess Anna wished Klaudia to be cremated as soon as possible." Swallowing, Griswald tried as best he could to comfort them. "Try to remember that this body is not Klaudia. She is gone now, and no longer suffering. She is with the gods now."
Griswald just nods and slips out of the room, heading toward the makeshift infirmary.
"Your Grace," Griswald says in a low whisper to Anna after the festivities begin and focus is no longer on them. "Klaudia passed during the commencement. I'm not feeling much like celebrating, and I should probably do something about ensuring she doesn't decide to get back up again. Any suggestions before I slip out?"
Griswald catches Micha's glance during the blessing and swallows, nearly dropping the asperilligum, then continuing with a slightly shaking hand.
For the first time in anyone's memory, Father Griswald wasn't a laughing, booming force of merriment at the festival. He seemed preoccupied. He Smiled at the folks who approached him, congradulated and blessed them, and for the most part seemed his usual self, but his heart simply wasn't in it. He found himself sitting near Anna, the Book of the Seven in hand, simply waiting.
was super busy this weekend. Will be able to post again more regularly tomorrow night.
Going back to the first page resets the thread counter.
I never know what to say when I hear things like this, but I always feel it pretty hard. Really sorry about your kitty. It's strange, something about dying pets always hits me harder than dying people. Especially cats.
Same here. All kinds of annoying.
Ah, gotcha. Well, I suppose we can just pretend Griswald said the right thing in that post.
"M'Lord, this is miss Eleeda. She is the daughter of Tatiana Orkovich. Tatiana was the serving girl who worked for Thogar over at the Sleepy Mule. If... ah, if you remember, she passed away while giving birth, to Eleeda. I believe the last time you saw her up close, she was an infant." Father Griswald was being as forthright as possible, but it was clear as he talked about Tatiana that he still harbored strong emotions about her death.
Father Griswald's forehead rumples in though and he sighs, looking to Priestess Anna. "I'm not an expert, but from what I understand, this is not something people tend to recover from, and if it's being spread by rats and can be picked up by other animals, that means every cat in town is at risk, as are any birds of prey, like your falcons, m'lord. From there, given how aggressive this disease makes it's victims, it's a pretty short step from animals to us. I'd recommend that anyone who's suffered any kind of animal attack in the last few weeks be quarantined."
"He ran off while we were dealing with Klaudia. We were too busy to stop him."
"Ourselves, Haldorf, and whoever he told." Griswald said, his exasperation with the boy very apparent.
"Well m'Lord, we found her in bed suffering from fever with an infected bite on her leg. She told us that it was from a rat in the barn. When we checked the barn, we found Klaudia's cow. The cow was partially decayed and very aggressive. We trapped her in the barn and burned it down. The high priestess showed up shortly thereafter and helped tread and diagnose Klaudia."
Father Griswald had been working and sweating since sunrise getting ready for the festival. By now, after the attack of the zombie cow and the fire, he was feeling pretty haggard. With a nod, he retreated to the church's bath chambers and took his time cleaning himself. Since he'd spent the day in a house with a very sick woman he opted simply to burn that robe. He had plenty. Wool was cheap. After brushing and braiding his thick beard and changing into a set of robes a bit more fitting to meet a Lord, he came back out to await the others.
Father Griswald nods and takes their hands with Anna, lowering his head in prayer as the high priestess speaks.
"Your Grace, Haldorf already ran off. Eleeda told him about the cow, and he was here when we first talked to Klaudia. The cat might already be out of the bag."
"I was afraid you were going to say something like that." Griswald said grimly. "What can we do?"
Griswald looks over at the guardsman and holds up his hands in front of him. "Now just hold on a minute, son. Too many people askin' stuff all at once. The fire's purposeful. Let it burn. Talk to Varisiel about how you can help." Looking back to the high priestess, he waited on her response.
Shaking his head from the shock of what he'd overhead Eleeda say, he turned back to Anna. "Pretty much what she just said, Your Grace. We arrived to find Klaudia sick in bed looking just awful. She told us she was bit by a rat in the barn. We checked the barn and found the cow. It was half-rotten and obviously not in any living state, but it definitely battered down the barn door to try to get at us. Somewhere in all that Eleeda magic'd up a fire. The cow's still in there, just standing and burning." Glancing back at Eleeda he continued, talking mostly to himself. "It makes sense now, I guess. I kind of saw the flames, but I didn't think much about where they came from. I was a little busy at the time and my mind doesn't usually go straight to 'magic' when unexpected things happen." Shaking his head, he looked back up at the priestess. "Klaudia's in her room. This is beyond me, Anna, and now that damned fool kid's run off to tell the whole town. We're about to have a panic. Half of 'em are gonna want to burn Klaudia's house down around her and the other half are gonna want to toss Eleeda in with her."
Crap. Missed that part. I'll fix it in a sec, hold on.
Then I set the barn on fire with my magic."[/b] "Ye did what? How in the... how did I miss that? I figured someone just brought a log from the stove or something."
"You see how she just stands there? Any mortal creature would be out of its mind with fear. Everything living is afraid of fire. It isnt really what this does to the body that is the frightening part. It's what it does to the mind. Hope Her Grace gets here soon..."
Griswald looks a little haggard and grimly points through the broken door into the flames. "Can you see her through there? Klaudia's cow? Can you see the affliction?"
It would be pretty cool for Derryn to be Varsiel's half-human son. :)
Thanks for the heads up.
Griswald shakes his head and stares at the flames, watching the monster inside continue to batter itself against the walls and the cart to reach them. He runs his hands over his bald head and huffs, slowly coming down and processing the gravity of the last few moments. "Hope Haldorf gets back soon..."
Darn it! Sorry Haldorf. :( I know a guy who's love to join. He's a zombie-obsessed crazy person, and he's a great gamer too.
Hope not. It would suck to lose a character because I told him to go get help.
"Workin' on it, Lass." Griswald says backing away from the undead cow, still holding up the symbol of his faith until he was at the edge of the cart. Crouching at the edge and letting himself down, he squared his feet, lowered his shoulder and shoved the burning cart sideways into the broken door.
"We need to wedge this thing under the door!" Griswald barks.
"What in the hells was that?!"
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