Gideon Klotrich's page

The ship's surgeon nods appreciatively, the gears turning in his mind. He lets out a soft groan of intellectual satisfaction, of a puzzle whose key pieces have just been fitted and whose picture is beginning to resolve.

"We know for a fact some of the morani escaped to the forests of Meledon, and all manner of eldritch powers now stalk those woods. It would be quite natural if there were others."

"That's some trick. I get the feeling, however, that it can't be learned by just anyone."

Before Jade can reply to his observation, Gideon hears the gunner shout his warning.

"You'd better go," he says, packing up his equipment.

...

After the explosion, the surgeon gathers the crew belowdecks in his office and produces a vial of eardrops that restore your hearing and silence the lingering tinnitus.

The doctor stammers for a moment. "I'm sorry, miss, I thought you meant-"

Noticing the looks of the rest of the crew, he stops, closes his eyes in chagrin, smiles, and resumes treating injuries.

In ten minutes, he patches up Jaym'row and moves on to Syper. At the man's comments about seawater, he chuckles and replies, "I think we can find something a bit more effective."

As he begins his work on Syper, there is another round of healing from Jade on those still injured.

As he concludes, restoring Syper to full health, a final application of soothing magic from Jade heals the last of Okoteck's wounds.

As he beholds the young woman, who just minutes ago was stabbed through with a gigantic serrated longspear but now shows no trace of the injury, he whistles.

"That's some trick. I get the feeling, however, that it can't be learned by just anyone."

The surgeon nods reassuringly. "Of course."

"My word..." gasps the surgeon as he clambers over the lip of the trapdoor, followed closely by the gunner, gunner's mate, cooper, blacksmith's apprentice, and all the rest.

"Let's get them belowdecks," he says decisively. Being in his element, his normal passivity and diffident manner vanish like ice dropped in a boiling teakettle.

Klotrich, taken aback, mutters to Jaym'row, "I'm sure an antiplague elixir would have an equal or greater salutary effect in such an eventuality."

The surgeon shrugs at Kork.

"If you say so." He takes a sip of cider and adds, "One of these days, though, I'd like to examine your collection."

He then takes another long draught from his mug before turning to face Syper and offering an observation.

"Scamps aren't native to the material plane. I wonder where it came from?"

The apprentice blacksmith frowns in consternation. The surgeon rubs his chin before cutting into the conversation.

"I have a few from when I treated him an hour ago. They're a bit scorched, is that all right?"

"Yes, judging by the character of this young lady's wounds, the miscreants responsible wielded fairly potent magics. I'd love to hear the full details," interjects the ship's surgeon.

The surgeon pauses for a moment, head cocked in thought.

"He did not," responds Klotrich. "Though I'm sure someone with your talents will come in handy, even if you're not powerful enough to propel the entire ship out of a dead calm by yourself... yet."

Spying Okoteck in the corner, he strides over and inquires politely, "So you're a tengu? As an anatomist of eclectic breadth, I couldn't help but notice that your bone structure seems even lighter than usual for one of your race."

"Nice work!"

The surgeon congratulates Jaym'row, then gives a small "Ah!" of recollection.

"The captain instructed me to give each of you emergency healing elixirs. I'll be right back with the requisite materiel."

He hops to his feet and strides out of the room.

As the crew finishes their lunch, he returns and hands each party member two minor elixir(s) of life.

It's usually one Interact to retrieve the elixir from your belt and another Interact to use it.

"These will heal wounds rapidly in a pinch, as well as ward off poisons and disease. Don't hesitate to use them in a fight."

"To treasure!" Gideon proffers, a bit too loudly.

She lowers her voice and leans in to ask Jade, "You've sailed before. Should we expect any hazing from the established crew?"

A quiet man in simple but well-maintained clothing chuckles from across the table.

"No need to worry about that," he announces in understated tones. "The captain has a letter of marque from the Eredori City Council. We're too professional for such pettiness."

The dark-skinned female you met on the docks snorts, causing him to frown. The moment passes swiftly, however, and he introduces himself.

"I'm Gideon Klotrich, the ship's surgeon." He starts to reach across the table to shake hands, but thinks better of it as his elbow approaches dangerously close to his fellow crewman's face. Speaking a bit faster to cover the awkwardness, he continues.

"I was educated at Delthis University, the greatest academy in all of Omrinth. I took an adjunct professorship at the Scrivener's Collegium in Eredor a year ago, and was hired by House Dandolon to provide medical services for this expedition."

He lowers his voice and sardonically adds, "And to keep me away from the stevedores' union. Aristocrats love the products of republican government, but the idea itself terrifies them."

His political aside complete, he reverts to a normal speaking voice, but growing more excited as he continues.

"I have studied anatomy, alchemy, and epidemiology for many years, and been in some tense situations, but this is my first taste of true adventure. Even if they weren't paying me more than anyone but the captain, I'd be thrilled to go! Just think: we're on our way to visit a continent that no one has set foot on in over a century, whose interior is a complete mystery."

He glances at the navigator as something occurs to him.