Open Chronicles A Plague in Elbion

[Kara Orin]

For some time, Elbion was stuffed with smelly meat bags from foreign lands. Applicants flooded in for a chance of entering the college. Predatory merchants from around the region – and some from foreign lands – brought “magical” goods to make a quick few pounds of gold. Many of the incoming beings were unwashed and created a bad air. Their beasts of burden left filth everywhere along the roads. What food a merchant could not sell rotted on the stands.

Eventually just as what happened in previous years, failed applicants began to leave the city. Merchants trickled out of the city and onto the next opportunity. Yet the mess they created remained.

Soon after the application frenzy ended, the seeds of plague took root quickly. As it always had, and as it likely always will be. A cough could always be heard somewhere in the city. Apothecaries took to the streets to replace the foreign merchants. Now instead of fake magical artifacts, the scam of the month was fake medicinal remedies.

Kara roamed the streets. It was high noon. She wore a cloth around her mouth and nose with a rune painted on it. Her hair was tied back into a low ponytail. She seemed to be heading back to the College of Elbion from the Port District.

Yet, Kara stopped before an alleyway. She heard something and turned toward the sound. She saw a hooded man hunched over and moaning in pain. She took a step toward the man.

“Hey, you,” she said to him.

The man turned to Kara.

The man reached out to Kara and begged, “Help… me…”

Others such as this man dotted the city – each being a sign that the worst disease the city had seen in its history has arrived…

 

[Quoril]

Quoril hastily walked down the street, mouth and nose covered by his shirt to block out the putrid smells of rotting food and dirty animals. There were people sitting along the side of the road coughing and hunched over from an unknown sickness. He passed by apothecary stalls selling “remedies” to cure the sick who had been unfortunate enough to catch the disease spreading throughout Elbion. “Remedies for whatever ails ya!” he heard a merchant yell from a stall that seemed to be half rotten and falling apart. Quoril’s interest was piqued. He would’ve bet his next meal that the merchants selling these “remedies” knew nothing about actual cures or medicines. They most likely just threw together whatever plants they could manage to get their hands on. There was a extremely good chance that any healing going on in this city was exclusively done through the use of magic.

The alchemist walked over the rotting stand and picked up a small bottle of the so called remedy. Ignoring the merchant’s spiel about the rare plants used to create the remedy- most of which were totally made up, Quoril opened the bottle and smelled the light brown liquid. The mixture smelled of alcohol and had a strong resiny tone to it. Determining that the remedy was nothing more than a mix of pine resin, watered down ale, and a slight whiff of something he couldn’t quite identify off the top of his head, Quoril started to walk away. He was extremely vexed that a man selling snake oil was making a bad name for his own profession. “...marshglove, fox fern, imperial snowdrop…”

The elf stopped in his tracks. Turning around he slammed his hands down onto the stall. “What did you just say?” he asked the merchant furiously.

“I-I said imperial s-snowdrop. Why?”

“What part of the plant did you use? The petals? The seeds? The leaves?” Quoril demanded, ignoring the merchant’s request for an explanation.

“The leaves. I used a mortar and pestle to grind them down before mixing them in,” the merchant responded sounding confused.

The alchemist was growing angrier by the second. “Was there any sort of liquid on the leaves before you crushed them?”

“Yes, there was some drops of clear liquid on them but I thought it was just dew. I don’t understand why you’re asking me all these questions.”

“I’m asking you these questions because it's clear that you have no idea what you're selling! The imperial snowdrop is an exceptionally toxic flower. The “dew” you saw was the activator for the poison. The two parts to the poison are harmless on their own but now that you've mixed them, the toxin is deadly! The leaves are usually dried, crushed, then mixed very sparingly with a single drop of the activator, sawdust, wax and bread crumbs to make a poison for getting rid of pests! Do you understand what I’m telling you?” Quoril was shouting he was so angry.

“N-no, I don't,” the merchant responded nervously.

“I’m saying that you’re selling people highly concentrated RAT POISON! Don't you care about the ill people who are buying your fake remedy enough to at least not KILL them?!” A shroud of white hot fire formed around his hand as he said this and he punched the stall as hard as he could, creating a sizable hole and setting it ablaze.

A guard came over to investigate the commotion, and once the elf explained what was being sold at the stall, the merchant was promptly hauled away. Quoril had to pay the guard a small fine for creating a public disturbance but he didn't really care. He rarely lost his temper but when he did it was for a very good reason.

 

[Eleanor Griffin]

Eleanor looked up at the tall buildings of the great city as they stepped off the boat, the towers of the college looming over it all. However, the city was more desolate than when she had last been there, a thick aura of disease and rot hung over everything, clinging to the walls and hanging in the air like a fog. She stared up at the towers of the college. It had been several months but she still remembered it clearly; her brother's death. There was still an ach in her heart, but she knew he was happy now, even if she was not.

Eleanor took the triform hat she had been holding to her chest and placed it back on her head, hiding the white streaks that lined her part, the rest of her brown hair tied back in a loose ponytail. She was dressed in a jacket and trousers, gloves covered her hands despite the heat. She walked up to a wall and placed her hand against the stone. It felt good to be back in a city, even if it was decaying. She was glad to be free of her isolation. She felt the aura clinging to the wall and absorbed as much of it as she could. It might be a sick aura but it was aura wrought with emotion strife and pain, perfect for aura magic.

Eleanor looked back at Luna "Were to now?" she asked.

 

[Madame Valkery]

Madam Valkery walked through the streets, wire soal extensions on her shoes keeping the hem of her full skirts from dragging in the filth in the gutters. Her white hair was tied back in a bun and a ladies hat was pinned over top of it. She did not wear any kind of scarf or cloth over her mouth and she did not seem phased by the stench of the city. She had smelled worse in a hospital on the front lines.

The sound of merchants selling con wears, promising healing and miracle cures reached her ears. She ignored most of it until she heard a man shouting at one of the merchants about rat poison. She raised a brow quickly as he struck the stall sending it up in flames.

"So a mage and he knows something about medicine... or perhaps poisons," She said to herself, watching from a distance as the man smoothed things over with the city guards. Once this had passed and the guards had taken away the merchant she calmly approached the man.

" Excuse me, I don't mean to bother you but I couldn't help but notice you have some skill with magic. You wouldn't happen to be from the college, would you?" She asked giving a courteous bow of her head in greeting.

 

[Liam Silvern]

Sickness had come to Elbion and it wasn't good for business. Not for sellswords and mercenaries needing work. Not for merchants trying to sell their goods. Not for scholars trying to study in peace. The only ones profiting were con men, criminals, and undertakers. With death and misery all around it left those with a good heart spread thin while those with a bad one were free to run rampant. A terrible state.

Liam found himself caught up in this mess. His first instinct would normally be to leave the city, but that wasn't an option for him. His wife Nerisyrre Silvern was a student of the college and a healer on top of that. She was trapped in the city and so was he. Thankfully she was behind the walls of the college so had some layer of protection from the disease ravaging the city. He did not. But it didn't bother him so much. He could just keep his distance and try to keep on living.

But living required coin and all of Liam's was either being used for his wife's expenses at the college. His idea and one he would make a thousand times more. He just needed to find some work so he could buy food. There was a real lack of work though right now that didn't involve moving bodies or beating the sick away from warehouses and shops. He didn't particularly like either of those options. So he just walked down the the street looking for a job opportunity.

Kara Orin Quoril Eleanor Griffin Madame Valkery

 

[Luna Slateforge]

"That remains to be seen. Our master will tell us when the time comes. As it is, We should heal who we can until the time comes. Store up as much energy as you can now it seems healing is a dire need here."
Luna said softly as she drifted to her companions side smoothly, silent as a ghost.
"Your brother?"
She asked quietly placing a hand on her pupils shoulder giving it a small squeeze before releasing and withdrawing quickly.
"I'm sorry." She said with a soft solemness.
A passerby wouldnt even notice but there was the slightest tone of sympathy in her words only someone who knew her would detect.
Her cat like yellow eyes seemed to scan for danger constantly.
As a healer she spent most of her time looking for danger, how to avoid it and how to aid whatever it damaged.
She perked up as the sounds of a confrontation further in the city caught her attention.

 

[Eleanor Griffin]

Eleanor closed her eyes, her hand hanging at her side clenching into a fist. With her eyes closed, she could feel the aura of pain that permeated the city even more strongly, single flickers of healthy beings and life passing slowly by and the spikes of pain and anguish of the dying. She could sense someone on the other side of the very wall she leaned on. He felt young and healthy, except for the slight wisp of illness that was starting to take hold of his being. The building was probably a wear house, and the boy was probably just some kid desperate for some work.

Her hand fell from the wall and she opened her eyes. She could not help them all. She saw Luna turn and look before she herself heard it. A bit of a commotion further up in the city. She looked at Luna quizzically but did not say anything, waiting to take her mentor's lead.

 

[Quoril]

Quoril calmed down after the merchant had been arrested. He looked at his hand, noticing light burn marks and bleeding knuckles. He hadn’t planned on interrogating the salesman or destroying the stall. He had just let his emotions had gotten the better of him.

"Excuse me, I don't mean to bother you but I couldn't help but notice you have some skill with magic. You wouldn't happen to be from the college, would you?" a voice behind him inquired. Turning away from the still smoldering stall Quoril came face to face with a white haired young woman who politely bowed her head in greeting. “N-no. I’m not from the college. Just an alchemist who has been living in this city for the past few months.” He too bowed his head and continued, “My name’s Quoril. And who might you be?”

 

[Madame Valkery]

"I'm Madame Valkery." She said. She noticed the burn marks and the scraped knuckles on his hand. "If you don't mind?" She said but didn't wait for a response taking his hand in hers "I am a bit of a healer," She explained. She turned his hand over placing two fingers on his wrist to feel his pulse. For a moment nothing seemed to happen and then the stinging in his hand went away. The burn softened to an off pink color and the scrapes on his knuckles scabbed over. She let go of his wrist and pulled away. "Just let the scabs fall off naturally and you should be completely better by tomorrow."

(OOC: sorry for the PP if you want me to change it let me know)

 

[Quoril]

The woman introduced herself as Madame Valkery. She gently took Quoril’s wounded hand and inspected it, saying “I’m a bit of a healer.” He watched as the burn turned a light pink and scabs formed on his knuckles. “Thank you,” he said as she let go of his hand. “So did you come to Elbion to help heal the sick from the plague?”

 

[Madame Valkery]

"Actually, I'm here on higher. Several months ago my client's daughter went missing at the college." She glanced back up in the direction of the college and then back at the disses ridden streets, "I did not know about the plague until I got here... I've never encountered this particular disease... though with a bit of study I might be able to find a cure." She placed the back of her thumb against her lip as she thought then shook her head "But first I need to speak to someone at the college, find out what happened, you wouldn't happen to know of anyone I could speak too?" She asked looking up at Quoril brow raised in query.

 

[Quoril]

Quoril knew exactly who Madame Valkery was talking about. The memory of the last time he saw Eleanor pained him, but he decided to tell Madame Valkery about what had transpired.

“I was there when she disappeared. It started when a noblewoman was shot with a poisoned crossbow bolt. Eleanor, Terrance and I, along with a couple other people, followed one of the college professors back to the college to get her treated. While we were there, Eleanor was kidnapped by an assassin. Terrance tried to save his sister but was slain. We all tried to get her back, but eventually Eleanor left willingly with the assassin."

Having to recall the events of his first visit to the College of Elbion filled him with sadness. He hoped that Eleanor, wherever she might be, was still alive.

 

[Luna Slateforge]

"Make for the college. Should there be any organized effort to combat this I feel they would congregate there.."
Luna said as she silently walked up the filth covered street. They were heading towards where the commotion had taken place as they rounded the corner and were presented with the guards leaving. Two people remained seemingly in conversation. Luna seemed to pause for a moment as they approached before the ghost of a smirk ,that seemed to be the closest she ever got to smiling, crossed her features.
"It seems we meet again my little alchemist friend. No fingers or toes missing I trust. From what I recall you enjoyed causing reactions that would part you from your digits last we met...." She paused as she surveyed the quickly crumpling ash heap of a stall. "And it appears that fact holds true."
She said in her usual soft deadpan, as she seemed to glide up like a ghost. She showed no real excitement she was genuinely happy to see the elf was no worse for wear. She gave a moment for the effects of her presence to dissipate before continuing.
"Who is your friend? and what brings you here. I thought you might stay in the spine longer with that group of necromancers."
She said as the ghost of a smirk made a second appearance.
She was really letting her emotions out of check today.
She took in Quoril's companion a tall woman, white hair and vibrant blueish green eyes, a half elf like her self.
"Danger.." A whisper licked her ear. It was a warning. Not imminent danger..a warning of possible danger. Whomever this person is...They were powerful...

 

[Eleanor Griffin]

Eleanor nodded and followed Luna She saw the two people talking by the smoldering stall and her eyes went wide and stopped in her tracks. She recognized Quoril from the college, and that woman, she couldn't see her face but the way she dressed, her white hair... could it be. She felt a cold fear grip her heart as she realized what that would mean and took a step back as Luna approached them. How did Luna know Quoril? And what was Madame Valkery doing here? A part of her longed to go up to her and give her a hug. But another part screamed that she would only put the both of them in danger. She turned around before either of them could see her face, Instead walking up to another stall and looking over the offered 'cures'. But tears welled up in her eyes and the unnerving aura that she gave off only made the shop keeper want to leave her alone.

 

[Madame Valkery]

"She went willingly?" Madame Valkery started in surprise, but before Quoril could answer she felt a chilling aura approach. The only way she could describe it was like a void. The woman it was attached to called out to Quoril with familiarity. Valkery raised a brow at her comment about necromancers but didn't say anything, stashing that information away for later. The woman was taller than her, the void aura seemed to be most heavily concentrated on a book at her side. She looked Luna up and down. This void aura seemed to be coming from the book. The woman's own aura seemed very weak, no, just subdued, in check, this woman did not express much emotion, ever, it seemed, so much so that even her aura did not show it very much.

"I might ask the same about you," Valkery said coldly, her own expression shifting to match Luna's usual impassive expression. "Who are you..." Then she noticed it, a second aura, "And who is your friend," She added looking over at Eleanor's back. This one was different, the two auras, the void, and the person seemed more separate. And their aura seemed familiar, yet different. She couldn't place it.

 

[Kara Orin]

Kara stepped into the alleyway while staring at the sick man. He fell to the ground after attempting to step toward her. He groaned in pain and seemed unable to immediately push himself back up on his feet.

“Lucky you,” Kara told the fallen man with a slight upturn of her lips - which were still hidden by her face mask.

Then, Kara reached into one of her pockets and pulled out a small vial. She placed the vial on the ground just out of reach. It contained a dark blue liquid. The glass vial was branded with the initials C.R.T.C.

“Drink it and rest,” Kara told him before she turned around and left the alley…

---

While things may appear to be growing grim on the surface, Elbion still remained very active. Job opportunities for those such as Liam Silvern remained – particularly at the ports and warehouses. Multiple companies associated with the Merchant Council moved supplies around. Labor was short, yet the plague seemed to not quell their activity…

 

[Quoril]

“Luna! My favorite Black Priestess! I should have known a woman such as yourself would show up in this den of death and disease!” Quoril said teasingly giving her a light push. Grinning, he continued “Hey now. I’ve cut down to no more than a couple explosions a day.” The elf noticed her looking at the wrecked stall. “I got a little carried away dealing with a merchant and his fake “remedies”. He explained what had happened, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

“Huh?“Necromancers? What necromancers? Ooh those necromancers. Yeah I got bored. All they ever wanted to talk about was ‘let’s raise some dead’ this or ‘we should create our own nation’ that. I didn't learn any more about necromancy from them than what I already knew.”

“After leaving the Spine, I traveled down to Elbion to get a few new tomes to study, and to see the new talent vying for admission to the college. Then I got myself mixed up in a kidnapping/assassination attempt and lost a friend.” He felt a slight twinge at the memory of Eleanor.

“I’m surprised you left the necromancers in the Spine. They seemed like your kind of people. Anyway, what have you been up to since you left the Spine?” he asked with a giant smile on his face. Quoril wasn’t sure if Luna was happy to see him, but he was most certainly glad to see her again.

 

[Luna Slateforge]

"My masters shrine has many tasks required in its upkeep."
She said humbly looking down as the thoughts of visiting a dragon, being involved in the Belgrath seige, and ridding an old temple of her masters of some bandits flashed through her mind.
"But I manage. Its all very boring." She said with a small shrug.
She then turned her attention to her friends acquaintance as she realized she had asked some questions.
"My name is Luna Priestess of Bastellen. The coldness of your tone indicates I may have caused you an offense in some way. My deepest apologies."
She said softly with a small boow of her head.
"And young one, why have you not.." Luna began as she turned to see her pupil not by her side.
"She is having a hard time in this place she has a soft heart for pain. And i believe she experienced a great loss here." She said with a slight sigh.
"Im not the most prepared to help her deal with emotions. My master says they would be wasted on me and i cant help but agree.." She said softly. Her eyes meeting Valkerys. "Now i believe you are obligated to tell me your name..thats is how social interactions proceed after introductions yes?"
She asked and while her dead pan delivery would have many jump to her being sarcastic, the genuineness in her eyes said she was really asking. She may go on quests now and again...but she really, really, didnt get out all that often.

 

[Madame Valkery]

Priestess of Bastellen. Whoever this Bastellen was he was bad news if his followers all had an aura like that. A very powerful aura at that. But Valkery realized she had made a misstep, It was a bad idea to tip her hand so soon. "My apologies, that was rude of me, this talk off necromancers just threw me off guard," She lied. "My name is Madame Valkery," She gave another courteous bow and glanced back at Luna's pupil. There was something about her, something familiar, why couldn't she place it.

 

[Eleanor Griffin]

What are they doing here? I can't face them. Why, why both of them? 'Get over yourself girl' the voices hissed, and her mind snapped out of its spiral. What was she so afraid of anyway? Madame Valkery could handle herself. She glanced over her shoulder at the group and froze as she saw Valkery was staring at her. Their eyes locked and a look of realization and recognition came into Valkery's eyes which quickly flashed from joy to worry. I guess I can't avoid this now, Eleanor thought approaching the group. She looked at Quoril and gave him a weak smile, but it only lasted a moment before her face returned to an expressionless melancholy, the dark circles under her eyes marking many sleepless nights.

 

[Quoril]

A young woman approached the group. Quoril glanced over as she joined them. She smiled at him weakly before directing her gaze to those already assembled. “That woman looks a lot like Eleanor,” he thought to himself. Looking over at her once again, he realized that she was Eleanor!

A wave of emotion rolled over Quoril. He was shocked and couldn’t believe what his eyes were telling him. This quickly gave way to overwhelming joy. He was so relieved to see that Eleanor was alive and well that he started crying tears of joy. The elf ran over to her and wrapped his arms around her in a giant bear hug. After a brief moment he pulled himself together and released her. Wiping his eyes he said, “I’m so glad to see that you’re alright! After you disappeared, I was so worried that something terrible had happened to you!”

 

[Eleanor Griffin]

Eleanor tensed when Quoril suddenly embraced her like an old friend. She gave him a half smile as he let go, he was even crying, had he really worried about her that much? "More terrible than what happened at the college?" She chuckled, "I didn't want- He didn't want anyone following me. Sorry, I didn't mean to make anyone worry."

"What did you do?" Madame Valkery demanded, grabbing Eleanor by the chin and forcing her to make eye contact with her. Eleanor was cold to the touch, almost vampiric, this made Valkery frown more deeply.

Eleanor pulled away abruptly from her grasp "What do you mean, what did I do?" She snapped.

"You know exactly what I mean, don't play dumb with me." Valkery Scolded placing both hands on her hips.

Eleanor scowled and folded her arms over her chest, "Whatever happened to, hello it's so nice to see you, it's been so long, oh and yeah sorry for disappearing all those years ago without saying anything."

"You're one to talk," Madame Valkery scoffed, "I was at the funeral, you're family highered me to track you down and find out what happened to you."

Eleanor realized that things were quickly spinning out of hand, she had never seen Madame Valkery so riled up about anything. She was always so collected and calm, and if things continued in this way someone might end up getting hurt. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you like that, let's start over. I'm so glad to see you, I missed you after you left, what have you been doing with yourself?" Eleanor smiled.

Madame Valkery's expression didn't change "I thought I taught you better than this," She said coldly "You know you can't hide anything from me. So I'll ask you again, what did you do?"

"I didn't have a choice," Eleanor cried out before spinning on her heal and storming off.

 

[Kara Orin]

For some time, Kara continued to walk down the street. She noticed a merchant shop accepting a shipment of crates with the Nahas Shipping Company logo.

Then not long after that, Kara spotted a familiar face in the distance. Quoril, the elven alchemist with odd books. She spotted the group of women around him. Eleanor Griffin, especially, caught Kara’s eyes once she cried out to Madame Valkery.

After Eleanor stormed off, it would not take long until a sickly woman stumbled in front of Eleanor’s path. The ill woman stumbled toward Eleanor. The woman groaned in pain.

Black veins and eyes. Pale skin. Boils and sores everywhere. Pus and blood oozed from any opening.

Even if Eleanor avoided colliding with the woman, the victim’s erratic movements flung infected fluids everywhere…


Luna Slateforge

 

[Eleanor Griffin]

Eleanor almost ran into the woman, noticing the presence of another aura at the last moment and stopping short, instinctually throwing up an invisible magical barrier. To the observer, it would look like she had merely somehow miraculously avoided getting any of the fluid on her. She had been practicing magic in isolation for so long with such a small aura reserve that now that she had an almost unlimited supply things seemed almost easy. She topped off her reserve, collecting aura from the street. This all happened in seconds, a process of instinctive habit.

Eleanor looked sadly at the flailing woman. She was not acting erratically like this because the sickness had affected her brain, this was just pure pain driving someone to desperation and agony. The woman tripped and fell to her knees trembling. Eleanor knelt down next to her and gently took her hands in her small gloved ones. The woman's hands were covered in open soars cut and bleeding red white and black fluid from having to continuously use her hands in this condition. A black energy seemed to lick at her sores for a moment, eating away at them, the worst of them shrinking and the least of them disappearing completely. The woman looked at Eleanor in amazement a shock as the pain eased slightly.

Eleanor carefully helped her to her feet and over to the side of the road where she helped her sit on a crate. Taking some bandages from her satchel she began to wrap the woman's hands so she would be less likely to open her sores up from everyday use. As she did this she began to focus on the disease itself. The living aura of this disease was very strong and pervasive. She wouldn't be able to get rid of it but she might be able to weaken it.

"Who are you? Why are you helping me?" The woman asked hoarsely.

"Because I can and you need help. Now shh, I need to concentrate," Eleanor explained. She began to focus on the woman's aura, her heartbeat and the resonance of the disease. She began to weaken the resonance of the disease while also supplanting her own healthy aura onto the women's, tweaking it to make it compatible and strengthening her immune system.

Eleanor stopped and took a deep breath. That had taken more out of her than she had expected. Someone watching would see no difference but hopefully, now the woman would be better able to fight the disease on her own. She tied off the bandages and pulled back. "There, that's better." Eleanor stood up and small black tendrils seemed to lick at her hands cleaning the blood and pus from her gloves, but it was so subtle and short that most wouldn't have even noticed it.

The woman looked at Eleanor grateful tears welling up in her eyes. No one had treated her like a human in so long.

 

[Luna Slateforge]

"I apologize. The young one is still quite emotional at times."
Luna said with a small bow to Madame Valkery and Quoril.
"However from what she says about you and your methods..I understand her anger."
Luna shot coolly at her disciples ex mentor her eyes narrowing in a way that promised the woman following her at the moment would lead to conflict. "I will take my leave. I hope our paths will cross again young one, and i do not doubt they will." She said with the ghost of a smirk to Quoril as she turned to follow. She saw the woman before she heard her. Luna almost rushed to Eleanor's side, but hung back as her pupil took charge. She approached slowly as Eleanor finished pulling the bandages tight.
"You handled that well young one. Your training has seemingly paid off."
She said with a warm note under her chilly tone. "Now let us hurry to the college. The disease has progressed far beyond anything I've seen in a very long time, and what I have seen was usually at its worst. This still has plenty of time to impress us."
She said calmly. As she turned and walked down the cesspit that was the streets of Elbion. She remembered visiting here long ago. The city was hurting and it pained her to see it like this. Like watching a man you knew in his prime rot away with age and disease. Luna thought of what she could say to Eleanor, but no words came to mind. Emotions hadnt been something she had even had to think about in decades. A priestess of Bastellen was bonded to his will, how she felt rarely mattered thus it faded over time. She was once like Eleanor, emotional, frightened, lost...but she learned. Bastellen had shown her emotions were a limiter. The wolves showed her fear was useless, and the tundra had made her survive. It was all she knew.....Her life before...She only remembered flashes...most were not good...