Fable - Ask Escape from Castle Silverrock

[Tera Lynx]

Castle Silverrock, a massive fortress located between the fringes of The Reach and the foothills of The Spine.
The castle, ruled by the wise King Gerrid, overlooked and protected a thriving town and vast fields of grain.
It supports itself through its own industry and trade from nearby holdings and even Alliria itself, with occasional caravans passing through from Belgrath.

The castle itself is large, with many courtyards and terraces, surrounded by stone walls with guards on constant vigil from the battlements and towers.
Come orc, goblin, gnoll, giant or even dragon, Castle Silverrock was prepared to protect itself and its people from any threat!

At least... That's what they thought...

An earthquake had given everyone a scare about a month ago, but damages were minimal and the people of Silverrock we're quickly back to normal.
What they couldn't know was the effects the earthquake had on the local dungeon.
Local legends surrounded this dungeon, scholars believe that it was a vault to keep some evil treasure locked away and that's what everyone believed. For hundreds of years since Castle Silverrock was founded the impenetrable dungeon was a source of income, a tourist attraction.

But, in spite of the thick stone and powerful wards, the earthquake broke the seal on the dungeon just enough for its "evil treasure" to escape.
The first victim was a hunter who brought down a deer displaying odd traits. He was bedridden until he began vomiting up this black bile and more people started getting sick.

What was once a thriving kingdom became a ghost town as the king announced a state of emergency, imposing a curfew and interring the sick in the castles own infirmary so his healers and doctors could deal with this threat...

... And things have only been getting worse from there...

---

Once again, pulling out the same notes for the same plague to try once again against the clock to prevent the same fate... An inferno of cleansing fire to prevent the spread.
Luckily the King of Silverrock Castle was a benevolent man and unwilling to resort to such extreme measures against his people unless all possible options have been thoroughly exhausted, so Tera had a bit more time than usual to actually study this plague and figure out a cure.

She arrived and got to work while the most advanced patient was merely in the second stage of the plague. Vomiting up black bile.

Her previous notes only recorded the plague up to the third stage when it starts to show truly aberrant qualities, changing the victim and almost making them unrecognizable as human.
She stood at a worktable decorated with a massive array of test tubes and bubbling liquids.

The first time she encountered these symptoms she quickly ruled out all common anti-disease potions and magical herbs and treatments, even some of the most rare medicinal herbs in her possession had no effect.
Healing potions could delay the symptoms and provide a temporary relief for the patient, but inevitably the symptoms came back even more violently after the use of healing potions to such a degree that she's discontinued experimentation in that direction.

The sample of the bile, as always with every sample of this bile she's collected, it shows very strange reactions to different stimulus. Fire can destroy it, so they had that last resort still on the table, but fire generally wasn't conducive to the survival of the patient which was the whole point.
Slow heating doesn't work though, the bile seems to be able to adapt to the slower less damaging effects of a slow burn.
Chilling produces interesting results, as it reacts in different ways to maintain a human body temperature above 37 degrees Celsius.
The bile itself seems to act like a living organism, and she's long ago established that she's dealing with a parasite of some kind that's eating away and replacing the host.

Healing magic by clerics and various magic practitioners has only had the same affects as healing potions, delaying symptoms before they return violently.
Which makes sense to Tera... If they're dealing with a living parasite it too would benefit from effects of healing.
But how does one remove this parasite?

This is the first time she's had the chance to really try in earnest!

 

[Erren Serris]

The Dungeon is the least of this place's problems, it would seem.

That was Erren Serris' first thought as he arrived at what should have been the lively streets of Castle Sliverrock. Certainly, he'd had some idea as to what he should expect from the place; he'd been here several times before, though those visits had been much more diplomatic in nature. This trip had been an assignment from the Elbion College under his new title, and the King of this fortress was not going to appreciate his presence...

That was, if the King still lived. The roads of Silverrock were abandoned, and the wind was blowing massive clouds of dust and dirt down the pathways as though they were the ashen memories of the horses and wagons that should have been thundering in and out of Silverrock's gates. There were no bodies, so a mass killing was out of the question. He could hear voices, barely whispers through the walls surrounding him, in every home and shelter. Yet sundown was only just beginning.

That left either fear of Erren's presence alone or a mandated curfew. Serris certainly didn't think himself to be that ugly, so he leaned towards curfew. He felt his brow furrow. Stronger things were at play here than he'd been told by his superiors...

Erren Serris was employed by the Elbion College to seek and retrieve rare and powerful artifacts of a magical nature for cataloging, categorization, study and vaulting by the College. A few weeks ago, he'd received word of an earthquake within this fortress. The damage was minimal, but the Foard in Elbion seemed concerned about the dungeon underneath the city, rumored to hold treasures and terrible evils. Typical local legend terms. Regardless of the validity of these rumors, they had sent Erren here to investigate, just in case.

Setting his case on the dirt beside him, Serris took another look around the barren city. A curfew indeed, but for what purpose? Raising his left hand, Erren muttered a quiet incantation under his breath and spun his hand clockwise twice before pushing his palm outward. A simple detect life spell should paint a better picture for him. Picking his case back up, he continued to the castle.

He saw them all, huddled masses in almost every home, many bunched towards the windows to watch him as he passed. The castle, however, was the most striking thing to Serris. The life signs caused it to light up like an emerald fire in his vision. It was full nearly to capacity! Even a full assortment of guards and servants shouldn't amount to the level of life he felt within its walls. That could still have been a coincidence, but some of it looked... off. As though it flickered in an out of being. No, not out of being, but into another being.

Serris felt his gaze narrow, his grip on the handle of his case tightening as he set directly for the castle. They would try and stop him, but with the authority of the College (which he really was only supposed to use in emergencies), they would not be able to deny his audience with the King.

Whatever lay in the dungeon would have to wait. What he'd felt coming from this fortress could not be ignored.

Erren only hoped it wasn't what he feared.

Tera Lynx

 

[Dauner]

How does a retired demon overlord, who more than once nearly caused the destruction of his home world, along with his armies, spend his time in another world? He goes adventuring!

It had been a while since Dauner left Alliria. In this short journey he'd had several encounters, not all of them, good. But thanks to them, he'd learned more about Arethil, than he'd ever have learned stuck within the walls of Alliria.

A few acquaintances here and there, and a bit of chaos everywhere. Dauner was like a sleeping storm running through the land. But although he was a chaotic demon man, to a few he brought relief through random acts of kindness.

Along the way, he ran into a merchant caravan, headed towards a certain 'Castle Silverrock'. Apparently they had received news of a plague in town, and were delivering medical supplies, accompanied by a few specialists of the medical field. Dauner, intrigued by this information, offered to accompany them on this trip.

He had lived longer than he himself could remember, and in his lifetime, he had seen just about every disease that existed. In a way, he was a specialist like no one else. However, he hardly used any of the medical skills in his arsenal. Demonic energy was usually more than enough to heal injuries. And he wasn't a benevolent demon, either. Treating sicknesses was something he would only do if there was something to be gained from it.

Nevertheless, he had nothing better to do, and rather than letting boredom have the best of him, he chose the more fun alternative. Perhaps, in Castle Silverrock, there was yet an adventure to be had. His gut convinced of this. That was a feeling he rarely got to experience. One which never misled him. Whenever he felt this way, then it meant there was something calling out to him. Warning him. It was like a detector that told him, "danger lies on this path". Though he always translated this as, "a fun adventure awaits"

Just like that, a few days later, they were at their destination. The caravan members were fun company. But Dauner had an adventure to catch now that he was here. He snuck away the day before they arrived, and went ahead of the group. However, upon entering the town, he was immediately struck with a realization. There was a nauseating energy within the town. And even more so within the castle walls.

It was a parasitic smell. The type of which he was more than familiar with. Though this one had a slightly different feel from the one he was used to. Aside from that, Though there were energy signatures of many entities withing the castle, the energy of life within it felt weak, and constantly fluctuated. As though the people inside were dying, while something else grew from their demise.

A grin crossed Dauner's face. This looked like it would be more fun than he'd expected. Like a shadow, in the sunset, he strode forward in a darkness. Sneaking his way into the castle, unbeknownst to the guards.

---

Tera Lynx | Xithispk N'Xilna | Erren Serris​

 

[Tera Lynx]

The castle and village were indeed in a somber state. Only guards walked the streets, enforcing the curfew, and only guards patrolled the castle walls keeping watch for threats or whoever approached the massive stone fortress.
A new visitor wouldn't be easily recognized in the formerly lively city, but simple explanation to a guard could either result in the individual being turned away or escorted to the castle.

As was the case with the supply caravan that arrived not long after the wizard made his appearance in the nearly empty streets.

Guards might ask him of his purpose in the city but wouldn't press the issue too hard upon learning he's come to help.

---

The guards in and around the castle were wary of threats, but they were on the lookout for monsters or bandits that might have sensed the vulnerable state of Silverrock.

The last thing they were expecting to keep an eye out for was a single infiltrator practically invisible in the fading light of the day.
The former demon lord would find no challenge in slipping past the guards and gaining entrance to the castle fortress.

---

"... the nurses are settling the patients for bed. The night shift is getting ready to take over tending to them."

Tera nodded as she half listened to the report of the head nurse. She kept an ear out for anything interesting or new but otherwise she nodded politely and pretended she wasn't worn to the bone.
She had pulled about as many all-nighters as the nurse staff, except she didn't get to sleep in-between.
Almost all of the up-to-date research on this plague was rare and almost entirely her own notes save for one decrepit history scroll mentioning something similar back in the heydays of Belgrath but infuriatingly vague in its wording and references to records that they had no access to or no longer existed.

The nurses weren't having an easy time of it either. In spite of sanitation and quarantine protocols and the use of masks to prevent the spread, they'd lost a third of the nursing staff to the plague and were now among the patients.
Tera knew the head nurse was probably the one most overworked aside from herself. They'd probably amassed an hour of sleep between the two of them, Tera working with the few other healers to find a cure, and the head nurse organizing the staff and caring for the patients.

"Thank you, Karen. Try and get some sleep yourself, you don't do anyone any good if you get sick too."

"I'll rest when you do, Doctor Lynx."
Karen forced a rueful smile, pointing out that Tera ran the same risk.
Tera returned the smile, "Good night, Karen."
"Good night, Doctor Lynx."

Tera turned back to her notes and apparatus as the head nurse left the laboratory.
She picked up a cold cup of tea and sipped in the candle and torch light of the room, going over everything for the eight hundredth time since started laboring over this particular case.
The tea would have stung her tongue, but the bitter brew had numbed it days ago. It was her only fuel and it kept her working.

She flipped the page of her notes.
A parasite, and it mutated like crazy not only to poisons but to hostile environments like a boiling temperature.
It was a viscous substance, nearly like a living fluid, a student magic user attempted to extract the parasite from a patient using precision telekinesis, but it couldn't remove the infection and the fluid reproduced in the patient within an hour.

She sipped the cold bitter brew again and set the cup and papers aside, leaning with her palms against the table with a long sigh. Her shoulders were tight and her back felt bent from hunching over her experiments for so long.
She groaned and rolled her neck to a chorus of popping as she stretched and her body complained.
She brushed some stray brown hairs out of her face and readjusted her hair tie which held her hair up and out of the way in a severe ponytail.

She drained the rest of her cup and slapped her cheeks to shock herself.

Newly awakened she once again ran a battery of tests, trying to find SOMETHING to undo this parasite once and for all without killing the patient!

 

[Erren Serris]

As he'd expected, the guards didn't try too hard to deter him. On the contrary, he thought he saw a glimmer of hope flicker behind their eyes when he told them he wished to speak with the King about the state of Sliverrock. Not only did they let him in, but they sent an escort along with him to personally take him to the King. Brawny fellow, but a good head on his shoulders. Said his name was Errol. Serris would remember him, see if he couldn't put in a good word with the right people when this was said and done.

Despite the pleasant company, Errol also confirmed Erren's fears: A Plague was sweeping through town at a devastating pace, and they were having ill fortune in slowing it down to a manageable level. That explained the early curfew outside, and there was so much life contained within this castle; the King was harboring the sick in the infirmary here, was he? Unusually honorable for a regent these days.

Serris was sure to tell the King that himself when at last he stood before his throne bowed at the knee in the large room that seemed to take up much of the castle with it's splendor, banners hanging off of every wall, and a scarlet red carpet rolled through the center of the room.

As he'd expected, the ruler's face did wince upon learning this visitor of his represented Elbion College, and had been assigned to investigate the dungeons and confiscate any items of magical importance. Perhaps he even considered throwing Serris out for a moment, before the mage assured the King that he'd changed his mind and wished to assess the plague situation.

"Despite my reluctance to let Elbion meddle in my affairs, I must admit that I am hard pressed to refuse any hands in this matter. Very well, Erren Serris."

The King raised his hand, calling Errol to attention, and the armored fellow stood straight and true as an arrow in flight. "Take Sir Serris to the infirmary wing at once, arrange for temporary accomodations for him, and inform Doctor Lynx that she has a new 'assistant' of sorts." Errol bowed his head low and moved to lead Serris out of the throne room. Erren would still need at that dungeon, but he'd wager if he could fix this little plague problem, maybe the King wouldn't be so uptight about that.

---

A loud rapping on Tera Lynx's laboratory door would either break her concentration or her sleep, depending on how well she'd fared resisting the weight of her eyelids. The trip down to the infirmary had been very informative indeed. They had a woman who specialized in this particular plague in town, it seemed. Even Erren believed he'd heard the name in passing before, Dr. Tera Lynx.

"Oi Doc!" Errol's voice called through the door. "Got another set of hands for yous! Bloke from the Elbion College! King says put 'im to work!"

What an introduction, Errol was sharper than the average meathead but he wasn't an incredible speaker. Oh well, the 'Bloke from the College' was nevertheless interested to see if this great doctor was all she was cracked up to be.

 

[Dauner]

It was hardly a challenge to get into the castle. It was in fact so boring, that Dauner decided to undo his shadow walk. There was no one around, so there wasn't a threat of unwanted eyes on him. From there he began to leisurely stroll through the castle, and one thing he noticed, there weren't as many guards as he'd thought. Could the plague have taken them as well? He'd imagined, it was the guards who had been assigned the task of moving the infected into the castle infirmary, so a good number of them would have joined the patients already.

Dauner didn't care much about the details. The fact that there were no guards to block his path was welcome news to him. He strode on towards the infirmary wing, paying little attention to his surrounding, as though he was taking a stroll in his courtyard. That proved a bad idea as he ran into a guard on patrol.

"Hold it there! Who are you and what are you doing here?" the guard questioned with caution in his eyes. He kept a safe distance, and readied his weapon as he did.

Dauner had snuck in, and he knew that only the dungeon awaited if he was busted. That is, if he decided to let himself get caught. But he was smarted than that. "Oh, finally!" he exclaimed, causing the guard a puzzled look. "I thought I was gonna be lost in this infernal maze for an eternity. Oh, sorry. I'm Doctor Dauner, a specialist in plagues and viral infections, and I'm here to offer my expertise in hopes that we can finally rid the good people of Silverrock of this plague. So, may I bother you to lead the way to the infirmary?"

It didn't matter if the guard wanted to or not. Dauner spoke with such confidence, that an intruder who just got caught wouldn't be able to. And besides, the only ones who enter the infirmary wing right now, were those working on a cure for the plague, so his words were rather easy to believe.

"Pardon my rudeness, sir! Right this way" said the guard, as he led the way forward.

---

Tera Lynx | Erren Serris​

 

[Tera Lynx]

As he'd expected, the guards didn't try too hard to deter him. On the contrary, he thought he saw a glimmer of hope flicker behind their eyes when he told them he wished to speak with the King about the state of Sliverrock. Not only did they let him in, but they sent an escort along with him to personally take him to the King. Brawny fellow, but a good head on his shoulders. Said his name was Errol. Serris would remember him, see if he couldn't put in a good word with the right people when this was said and done.

Despite the pleasant company, Errol also confirmed Erren's fears: A Plague was sweeping through town at a devastating pace, and they were having ill fortune in slowing it down to a manageable level. That explained the early curfew outside, and there was so much life contained within this castle; the King was harboring the sick in the infirmary here, was he? Unusually honorable for a regent these days.

Serris was sure to tell the King that himself when at last he stood before his throne bowed at the knee in the large room that seemed to take up much of the castle with it's splendor, banners hanging off of every wall, and a scarlet red carpet rolled through the center of the room.

As he'd expected, the ruler's face did wince upon learning this visitor of his represented Elbion College, and had been assigned to investigate the dungeons and confiscate any items of magical importance. Perhaps he even considered throwing Serris out for a moment, before the mage assured the King that he'd changed his mind and wished to assess the plague situation.

"Despite my reluctance to let Elbion meddle in my affairs, I must admit that I am hard pressed to refuse any hands in this matter. Very well, Erren Serris."

The King raised his hand, calling Errol to attention, and the armored fellow stood straight and true as an arrow in flight. "Take Sir Serris to the infirmary wing at once, arrange for temporary accomodations for him, and inform Doctor Lynx that she has a new 'assistant' of sorts." Errol bowed his head low and moved to lead Serris out of the throne room. Erren would still need at that dungeon, but he'd wager if he could fix this little plague problem, maybe the King wouldn't be so uptight about that.

---

A loud rapping on Tera Lynx's laboratory door would either break her concentration or her sleep, depending on how well she'd fared resisting the weight of her eyelids. The trip down to the infirmary had been very informative indeed. They had a woman who specialized in this particular plague in town, it seemed. Even Erren believed he'd heard the name in passing before, Dr. Tera Lynx.

The knocking shocked her out of her concentration, startled her really... Almost disastrously so.
She jumped with a startled yelp at the sound of knocking and her hand hit the glass container holding her sample of the parasite.

She yelped again as she dove for the fragile container holding the volatile and contagious disease, catching it just barely before it shattered on the floor.
Holding the sealed container she blew a sigh of relief and stood up, carefully replacing the container on the worktable.

"Oi Doc!" Errol's voice called through the door. "Got another set of hands for yous! Bloke from the Elbion College! King says put 'im to work!"

What an introduction, Errol was sharper than the average meathead but he wasn't an incredible speaker. Oh well, the 'Bloke from the College' was nevertheless interested to see if this great doctor was all she was cracked up to be.

Her heart was pounding at the close call and she was breathing heavily, she barely registered Errol's voice.
"Alright, Errol, thank you."
It was an automatic response. She needed to sit down and let her hands stop shaking, so that's what she did. She sat down and took deep breaths, adjusting her glasses on the bridge of her nose.

When the door opened she nearly jumped again before she realized what Errol had been saying.
"Oh! Pardon me!"
She stood up and approached the man that came through the door, putting her hand out to shake as she introduced herself.
"I'm Doctor Lynx. I'm so glad Elbion has decided to take this threat seriously, I've sent letters several times over the last three years inquiring about any archived information about these symptoms but I've not received any reply. Thank you for coming!"

She looked a lot more tired than she acted, the bitter tea leaving her wired and running like a puppet on strings but awake and working. Dark circles under her eyes were the least of it, she seemed drawn and more pale than a person ought to be.

---

Moments later another man was escorted to the door of the lab by a guard.
"Got a Doctor Dauner here to help, Doctor Lynx."

Tera looked from the mage at the newcomer, then glanced out the window.
"Welcome, I'm glad you're both here to help. But you've just arrived and it's late, perhaps you would like to get settled in first?"

 

[Erren Serris]

The young woman that met him on the other side of the door wasn't exactly who he'd been expecting to see. Not that he held any prejudices about women, mind you, it was more that she was so young. Dr. Lynx couldn't have been more than twenty-five, and already she was placing her own well-being on the line in the face of a horrendous plague. Serris didn't allow any of this shock to show on his face, however, accepting her hand and bowing his head low.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lynx. My name is Erren Serris." Once she stepped from the doorway, Erren slid past her to take stock of her lab. It was a veritable mess, but that wasn't a bad sign; she'd been working diligently, and coupled with the subtle bags under her otherwise youthful face, he doubted she'd been sleeping much. Clicking his tongue, he turned to Lynx, the smile still on his face flickering just a bit as she praised Elbion for taking this as a threat. "Well, to be blunt with you, they haven't. If you've made the Foard aware of this plague in the past, they've chosen to ignore you." He admits with a shrug. "It just so happens that I was in the area, and unlike some of my colleagues. I do care what happens to these people."

The sad truth of it was that the Foard of Maesters likely believed Tera and still decided not to take action. It would cost them precious funding and time for a plague that wasn't at their doorstep yet. No, they would wait until the last moment before offering aid, the selfish old fools...

Shaking his head, Erren slides his coat from his back and hangs it on an empty hook on the wall. "Doesn't matter. I'm who you have, and I know my way around the arcane just as well as them. With your medical prowess combined with my knowledge of magic, I'm certain we can come up with a solution to halt the spread of this..."

Another knock interrupted his sentence, followed by another guest entering the room. This one was a young man, slightly dark-skinned with black hair and an... unsettling air about him. According to the guard, he called himself Dauner.

Erren couldn't help but feel as though Dauner wasn't a doctor at all, but he wasn't about to start a fight when there were people's lives on the line. As he entered the room, Erren fixed him with a curious gaze, a pondering smile settling upon his lips. Dr. Lynx interjected, mentioning the time, which brought Serris' focus back to her.

"The only settling I need to do is unpacking my case, though you may take a rest if you feel so inclined. I'm sure this has been very taxing on you, fighting this on your own."

Serris was hoping for a rundown of what she'd learned so far, but if she was exhausted, he didn't want to push her. For his part, there was work to do and not a moment to delay in starting. Perhaps he and Dr. Lynx were like-minded in that regard.

Tera Lynx Dauner

 

[Dauner]

Upon his arrival into the room, Dauner immediately scanned it. From the vials, to the chemicals, and books, Dauner absorbed all the information in just a few seconds before fixing his gaze on Tera. The firs thing he'd notice, is that she was sleep depraved. Humans always tended to exhaust themselves when dealing with great threats. Dauner had witnessed it first hand, more times than he could count. A good number of times, he was the great threat. Tera's fatigued had materialized in the form of dark circles beneath her eyes.

On the other hand, the man beside her looked fresh out of the oven. Dauner guess was he was a new arrival, seeing as Tera was welcoming him, right before he arrived. But Dauner took note of the man's suspicion towards him. His eyes didn't seem to want to hide it. Well, he seemed like he knew a fair bit about magic, so Dauner guessed he was planning on applying the arcane in their medical endeavor. A most welcome option when dealing with an unknown plague of unknown origins.

Dauner wasn't particularly feeling anxious about eradicating the plague and saving the people, as compared to the other two. He just wanted to do something to alleviate his boredom, and saving these people just so happened to be that opportunity.

"Greetings, my fair lady… and gentleman. I'm Dauner A. Light. A doctor and professor that specializes in studying and curing viruses". That sentence was mostly true. Dauner was someone who never fabricated lies. To him, it was much better to alter the truth, than to make a complete lie altogether.

"Doctor Lynx, I thank you for the concern, but I'm ready to start working anytime. More than that, I think you might need to take a break. A short nap, maybe. You look like a train wreck, which is a pity considering you have such a pretty face" he'd suggest. Demon king or no, Dauner wholeheartedly cared about the health of anyone who would fall under the label, 'pretty'.

---

Tera Lynx | Erren Serris​

 

[Tera Lynx]

The young woman that met him on the other side of the door wasn't exactly who he'd been expecting to see. Not that he held any prejudices about women, mind you, it was more that she was so young. Dr. Lynx couldn't have been more than twenty-five, and already she was placing her own well-being on the line in the face of a horrendous plague. Serris didn't allow any of this shock to show on his face, however, accepting her hand and bowing his head low.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lynx. My name is Erren Serris." Once she stepped from the doorway, Erren slid past her to take stock of her lab. It was a veritable mess, but that wasn't a bad sign; she'd been working diligently, and coupled with the subtle bags under her otherwise youthful face, he doubted she'd been sleeping much. Clicking his tongue, he turned to Lynx, the smile still on his face flickering just a bit as she praised Elbion for taking this as a threat. "Well, to be blunt with you, they haven't. If you've made the Foard aware of this plague in the past, they've chosen to ignore you." He admits with a shrug. "It just so happens that I was in the area, and unlike some of my colleagues. I do care what happens to these people."

The sad truth of it was that the Foard of Maesters likely believed Tera and still decided not to take action. It would cost them precious funding and time for a plague that wasn't at their doorstep yet. No, they would wait until the last moment before offering aid, the selfish old fools...

Terra's face fell at the news... Elbion still refused to get involved, with all of their archives they had to have SOMETHING recorded about this, but they can't be bothered with a simple reference search.

Shaking his head, Erren slides his coat from his back and hangs it on an empty hook on the wall. "Doesn't matter. I'm who you have, and I know my way around the arcane just as well as them. With your medical prowess combined with my knowledge of magic, I'm certain we can come up with a solution to halt the spread of this..."

She nodded in agreement and smiled, he was right, at least somebody took notice.

Another knock interrupted his sentence, followed by another guest entering the room. This one was a young man, slightly dark-skinned with black hair and an... unsettling air about him. According to the guard, he called himself Dauner.

"Greetings, my fair lady… and gentleman. I'm Dauner A. Light. A doctor and professor that specializes in studying and curing viruses". That sentence was mostly true. Dauner was someone who never fabricated lies. To him, it was much better to alter the truth, than to make a complete lie altogether.

Tera bowed her head in greeting. She had never heard of any Doctor A. Light, but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
It would have behooved her to check his credentials, people's lives were at stake after all, but she wasn't exactly thinking straight.

He spoke eloquently and she couldn't help but be slightly charmed by his demeanor. There was something hidden and mysterious about him, and her natural curiosity was piqued.
"Doctor Light, I'm sure you're assistance will be most valuable."

Erren couldn't help but feel as though Dauner wasn't a doctor at all, but he wasn't about to start a fight when there were people's lives on the line. As he entered the room, Erren fixed him with a curious gaze, a pondering smile settling upon his lips. Dr. Lynx interjected, mentioning the time, which brought Serris' focus back to her.

"The only settling I need to do is unpacking my case, though you may take a rest if you feel so inclined. I'm sure this has been very taxing on you, fighting this on your own."

Serris was hoping for a rundown of what she'd learned so far, but if she was exhausted, he didn't want to push her. For his part, there was work to do and not a moment to delay in starting. Perhaps he and Dr. Lynx were like-minded in that regard.

"Doctor Lynx, I thank you for the concern, but I'm ready to start working anytime. More than that, I think you might need to take a break. A short nap, maybe. You look like a train wreck, which is a pity considering you have such a pretty face" he'd suggest. Demon king or no, Dauner wholeheartedly cared about the health of anyone who would fall under the label, 'pretty'.

She looked to both of the men and chuckled ruefully to herself. First Karen, now these two! She hadn't looked in a mirror lately, did she really look that bad that even the newcomers could see how tired she was?
Well, they were right. One person telling you is an opinion, two people telling you is a coincidence, three people telling you is a call to action.

She sighed and took off her glasses, rubbing her eyes and putting a hand to her forehead.
She had a chance to finally learn everything about this plague, but it wouldn't do anyone any good if she got sick too.

"Very well, gentlemen. You've convinced me. First I'll explain the situation."

She went to her lab set up and carefully lifted the glass container which held the black oozing fluid.

"This is our enemy. Not long after being diagnosed the patient begins vomiting and coughing up this substance from either their stomach or lungs respectively. It reproduces at a high rate as it progresses, and the patient begins to exhibit black stains and rashes on their skin, and the more advanced stages grow eldritch protrusions from the infected areas."

She set the container on the table again and carefully began removing the lid.

"In spite of the symptoms the substance itself shows strange behaviors which lead me to believe that it is some sort of parasitic ooze or slime monster. It shows incredible adaptability, I've introduced both cold and fire to it and it's formed defenses against both, but in order for it to survive long without a host it requires sustenance."

She brought out a small bit of meat from her dinner and dropped it into the black fluid before putting the lid back on.
The ooze seemed to shudder at the presence of a foreign object, but soon the meat disappeared into the depths of the fluid.
Tera picked up the bottle and carefully handed it to Dauner first to examine.

"As you can see, it's not inanimate. It reacts to outside stimulus and it does in fact "eat". I've performed a battery of tests when I've encountered this plague in the past. Regular healing potions and curatives have no negative effect on the plague, in fact, the plague itself seems to benefit from such things. Magic healers both arcane and Divine have been met with similar results. The magic heals the patient, but the plague simply attacks again harder and more violently."

She sighed, rubbing her forehead again.

"I've all but ruled out healing, so I've turned to poisons with varying results. Finding an effective poison that won't significantly harm the patient is difficult, and those that do seem effective initially lose any sort of effectiveness over any sort of prolonged treatment."

When Dauner indicates he's done examining the fluid she will carefully take it from him and give it to Erren to study.

"The king here has given me an opportunity that I've lacked in the past, he is unwilling to resort to fire in order to "cure" his subjects, as others have... Unless I am unable to find a cure and there truly is no other way. What I have is time to fully study and understand what this thing is and how to stop it."

 

[Erren Serris]

Erren had little doubt she'd already been given plenty of lip service when it came to keeping herself rested, so the little chuckle that escaped her brought an additional smile to the face of the mage. It was far from a happy expression, however; any optimism that painted his face took a sizable blow when Dr. Lynx set about demonstrating the effects of the parasite, his brow furrowing as the sinister looking ooze consumed the meat with astonishing speed.

"How curious. It's almost as though..."

Erren's eyes followed the container as it was passed on to the strange 'Dr. Light', a small fire kindling behind each iris as already he felt the gears within his mind begin to turn. The ex-Maester had always enjoyed riddles, and now Tera was presenting him with one more complex and puzzling than any he may have ever experienced before.

"A predator of the smallest degree." Erren peers over at Tera, a smile on his face as he waits for his turn to look closer at the black substance. "Not a disease, but a living creature within the body. Not too dissimilar to traditional parasites, except for the sheer tenacity of this particular specimen, no?" Already he seemed to be enjoying this. It was no wonder that healing magic did little to stop the infection; they merely addressed the symptoms and not the root cause. Were it Serris, he likely wouldn't have even bothered trying any traditional methods.

Still, one couldn't fault Dr. Lynx for being thorough.

When Tera brings the container to him, he carefully takes it into his hands, holding it up over his head to look at it from underneath. "Tricky spot, isn't it? Attack the parasite directly and you risk damage to the carrier, but healing the carrier doesn't deter the parasite. That does make the mind wander, however..." Lowering the container back down and placing it on the table, Erren winces at Tera's use of the word 'time.

The amount of time they actually had would shrink quickly if this became any more widespread. Lynx knew that, he was sure. This castle was a ticking time-bomb waiting to erupt into a massive infection event. Whatever solution they found would need to come swifty.

Information, he needed more information.

"Any species bias? Have you been able to determine which parts of the body it favors attacking yet? I've a few tests of my own I think could be enlightening, if you'll humor me, Miss Lynx."

What made their little friend tick? Erren wanted to tempt it, wanted to test it's resolve...

Tera Lynx Dauner

 

[Dauner]

As far as parasites went, Dauner had encountered countless numbers of them, ranging from the most common to the most rare. Even the artificially engineered. However, this one was new to him. It wasn't just a parasite, from what he could see of it. That ooze wasn't just ooze, either.

"How intriguing! I can sense several tiny life forms from within this goo, almost as if they were a bunch of cells coordinating with each other" Dauner said as he examined the bottle. Seeing as the volume of the ooze increased almost immediately after consuming the meat, it was safe to assume that the same thing could happen if the parasites directly consumed the human they infected. But they didn't do that. The question now was, why? Was it because they required a living host to survive? No. If that were the case, then the cells in the bottle would have long before perished. Or could it be that outside of a living host, its vitality deteriorated. The cells were too tiny individually to measure their vitality. A few tests on this may be necessary.

There were many questions that arose in his mind. Questions that could only be answered through testing the cells, and inspecting the patients. If his deductions were right, a single parasitic cell was enough to start an infection in a person, as it consumed his insides, reproducing as it did. Although it was dangerous, Dauner was confident in his body's natural immunity against diseases and parasitic infections. However, he wouldn't be so stupid as to tempt fate. He'd still follow proper protocols when dealing with the infected and the parasite.

"May I trouble you for a copy of your research notes on the parasite so far?" Dauner would ask Tera. Using what she already found out as a base, it would be easier to dig up more from any tests they'd be carrying out later. It still disturbed him that the cells seemed to be able to coordinate with each other with little trouble, as though they were designed with a specific goal in mind. But he'd put that thought aside for now. Anything that needed to be uncovered would be uncovered when they began testing the parasites.

---

Erren Serris | Tera Lynx​

 

[Tera Lynx]

Erren had little doubt she'd already been given plenty of lip service when it came to keeping herself rested, so the little chuckle that escaped her brought an additional smile to the face of the mage. It was far from a happy expression, however; any optimism that painted his face took a sizable blow when Dr. Lynx set about demonstrating the effects of the parasite, his brow furrowing as the sinister looking ooze consumed the meat with astonishing speed.

"How curious. It's almost as though..."

Erren's eyes followed the container as it was passed on to the strange 'Dr. Light', a small fire kindling behind each iris as already he felt the gears within his mind begin to turn. The ex-Maester had always enjoyed riddles, and now Tera was presenting him with one more complex and puzzling than any he may have ever experienced before.

"A predator of the smallest degree." Erren peers over at Tera, a smile on his face as he waits for his turn to look closer at the black substance. "Not a disease, but a living creature within the body. Not too dissimilar to traditional parasites, except for the sheer tenacity of this particular specimen, no?" Already he seemed to be enjoying this. It was no wonder that healing magic did little to stop the infection; they merely addressed the symptoms and not the root cause. Were it Serris, he likely wouldn't have even bothered trying any traditional methods.

Tera nodded in affirmative, "Exactly. And well put. This is a new species or new sort of parasite that I've never encountered before, nor found many records of."

As far as parasites went, Dauner had encountered countless numbers of them, ranging from the most common to the rarest. Even the artificially engineered. However, this one was new to him. It wasn't just a parasite, from what he could see of it. That ooze wasn't just ooze, either.

"How intriguing! I can sense several tiny life forms from within this goo, almost as if they were a bunch of cells coordinating with each other" Dauner said as he examined the bottle. Seeing as the volume of the ooze increased almost immediately after consuming the meat, it was safe to assume that the same thing could happen if the parasites directly consumed the human they infected. But they didn't do that. The question now was, why? Was it because they required a living host to survive? No. If that were the case, then the cells in the bottle would have long before perished. Or could it be that outside of a living host, its vitality deteriorated. The cells were too tiny individually to measure their vitality. A few tests on this may be necessary.

She turned her attention to Doctor Light, her eyes once again quizzically examining him.
He's able to "sense" the tiny organisms that she had to use complex enchanted instruments to detect. Perhaps he used magic in his medical practice to enhance his senses, that would make sense.
"Indeed, it reminds me of a swarm of bees, or ants coordinating together... But if you examine a sample under a scope, you will see that they are also eating each other and trying to reproduce. That's why I have to feed this sample regularly, so the sample doesn't eat itself into extinction."

When Tera brings the container to him, he carefully takes it into his hands, holding it up over his head to look at it from underneath. "Tricky spot, isn't it? Attack the parasite directly and you risk damage to the carrier but healing the carrier doesn't deter the parasite. That does make the mind wander, however..." Lowering the container back down and placing it on the table, Erren winces at Tera's use of the word 'time.

Again, she nods in affirmative. "Yes. Whatever healing given to the patient, the parasite benefits also. But more frustrating is the fact that it adapts far more quickly to poisons or other damaging agents than the patient does."

The amount of time they actually had would shrink quickly if this became any more widespread. Lynx knew that, he was sure. This castle was a ticking time-bomb waiting to erupt into a massive infection event. Whatever solution they found would need to come swifty.

Information, he needed more information.

"Any species bias? Have you been able to determine which parts of the body it favors attacking yet? I've a few tests of my own I think could be enlightening, if you'll humor me, Miss Lynx."

What made their little friend tick? Erren wanted to tempt it, wanted to test its resolve...

She's thoughtful for a moment, pinching the bridge of her nose and squeezing her eyes shut to fight off a wave of exhaustion.
"No, I've witnessed no preference. This plague usually seems to start in animals which come into contact with hunters in a community and are spread from there. It usually seems to focus mostly on the stomach or lungs, where it causes the patient to vomit or cough this black substance, respectively."

There were many questions that arose in his mind. Questions that could only be answered through testing the cells and inspecting the patients. If his deductions were right, a single parasitic cell was enough to start an infection in a person, as it consumed his insides, reproducing as it did. Although it was dangerous, Dauner was confident in his body's natural immunity against diseases and parasitic infections. However, he wouldn't be so stupid as to tempt fate. He'd still follow proper protocols when dealing with the infected and the parasite.

"May I trouble you for a copy of your research notes on the parasite so far?" Dauner would ask Tera. Using what she already found out as a base, it would be easier to dig up more from any tests they'd be carrying out later. It still disturbed him that the cells seemed to be able to coordinate with each other with little trouble, as though they were designed with a specific goal in mind. But he'd put that thought aside for now. Anything that needed to be uncovered would be uncovered when they began testing the parasites.

She went to her desk and slid a small stack of books forward.
"These are all of my notes and records on treating this parasite over the last three years, along with a few books where I've bookmarked similar references to this "thing". I think once I show you the patients, things will become clearer, but if I can ask for your patience, I really should sleep before I fall dead. Make yourselves at home, avail yourselves of my equipment and run whatever tests you deem fit. Peruse my notes and I'll be back in a few hours."

She yawned and stretched, her shoulders popping from being hunched over for an extended period of time. She sighed and rubbed her eyes as she went to the door.
"If the nurses report anything with the patients, please wake me first. I'm in a room next door over, don't bother knocking."

Spoiler: Tera's Notes

... counter to my previous belief, this is not a true disease but a living parasite that takes the form of a plague. In addition to being infectious to living creatures, it is capable of infecting water, food, and even the air if the conditions are right. In one village, they were infected by the parasite by drinking water from the stream. I was unable to investigate until after the village was burned to the ground, but I found several dead animals upstream that exhibited similar traits to the infected in the village.

It begins as a light cough as the spores are inhaled or ingested, seating itself firmly in either the stomach or lungs while the parasitic organism feeds on its host, growing bigger and causing the host to either cough or vomit a black substance which is actually the parasite itself, it's very contagious and it spreads in this way to other creatures nearby.
The parasite feeds on anything organic, and as a living creature it benefits from healing magic and medicines and cannot be cured like any other magical or normal disease.

The vomited black substance has a curious and grotesque effect on the surface skin of the patient. It stains the skin purplish black in growing blotches and begins enacting weird changes. In the most advanced cases of the "plague" that I've been able to observe, these blotches start to grow vestigial appendages, tendrils, spikes, or even rough patches of skin or boney plates. Like it is trying to protect itself or the host from outside threats.
Unfortunately, I've never seen a patient progress beyond this stage, these aberrant growths are usually enough to convince town leaders that their infected are a lost cause and that they should all be burned alive to save those unaffected.

Spoiler: Book References

... Nothing prepared the people of Belgrath for the black slime that grew from the depths, that sickened its people and brought devastation to the world...

... Beware the "Black Ooze"... I call it Black Ooze, but it is not anything like the Black Oozes that you are familiar with, also Known as "Black Pudding" which are common monstrosities deep beneath the earth. That corrosive creature is nothing compared to the sickness and pestilence that this Black Ooze produces...