[IC] Americhronism [Medieval Post Apocalypse]

[Holmishire]

Oops, forgot. This still a thing?

]Rémix, Gaulish Barber-Surgeon.
Surgery, first aid, barber, cooking, sentry, scouting, manual labour, literacy, brawling, polearms.

---

Rémix's eyes darkened and his hint-of-a-smile faded at Lugurix's mocking. Though he respected the man, he was not always eager to be treated the fool. Not that he wasn't compared to one who had seen so much.

If he can see at all.

"Of course. Thank you, Lugurix," he responded, with little sincerity but a modicum of respect. He turned and moved off towards the man designated. Any hint as to the origin of this plague was of vital importance, though he felt there was little chance of it helping much. Many diseases just weren't curable, and though the herbs and poultices that Lugurix produced may do wonders against the symptoms, the underlying problem itself was much less straightforward to target.

Approaching the man and scanning his face—as well as the positioning of his body—for signs of fatigue, illness, or signs of recognition, Rémix couldn't help but find himself a little annoyed. Another man to soothe. Another man to burn. "Goodday, friend. I would ask some questions of you if you wouldn't mind."

One man may not hold much sway, he thought to himself in silent rebellion, but one man can try nonetheless.

[Sukisho]

He was enjoying this too much. The more the Piper spoke about the 'tournament' the more almost excited he became about it. Morgan was no stranger to the blood and gore of real battles, and even a less of a stranger to the presence of intrigue of the kings, tyrants and other rulers across the continent, but that did not change her feelings about being used as a front to calm the nerves of men literally walking towards their deaths. As he finished his tale, Morgan could see that he was expecting a reaction from her. It was obviously that while the two knew of each other, they were not fully aware of the other's personality, for Morgan was unaffected by the chilling story.

She locked eyes with the Purple Piper, "Thank you for clearing up that confusion," she remarked in an almost business like tone, "now, let's get to the real reason that I am here." Standing tall and daring to look the Piper in the eyes, she continued, "We both know that I was not just called here to be a front for your little fake tournament, that was just an added bonus that my presence would allow."

[Herzinth]

Dietrich Bern

---

"The shadows are a place for the untrusted and unwanted." Dietrich replied before turning around. He could make out little more than a dark shape obstructing what little light made it this far into the stone depths. After so many years, he had forgotten how to see without light, to sense with touch and sound and shadows. Yet perhaps he was drawn to the dark still. Considered an outcast by his subjects and his peers, surely he counted as untrusted and unwanted.

But he would move past it in time. The sunlit lands were his by birth, and he would claim them as was his right. "Why did you lead me down here?" He asked the hissing stranger.

[Jorick]

Eli was not entirely surprised by the Queen's words. There had been a suspicion in the back of his mind from the moment he received the invitation that it might be an unfair contest, perhaps multiple opponents pitted against him with words of praise and favor for his skill to make it seem as if it was equally balanced. At best he had expected to face a very skilled opponent with far more experience than himself. Facing a massive butcher of a man was not the best of scenarios, but it wasn't the worst Eli had thought up in the past few days either. He at least had some sort of chance against a single opponent, whereas facing off against half a dozen knights or a few men with bows would have been tantamount to outright murder.

"Have no fear, I won't let on that I know. Nobody will know that you told me." Eli kept his voice steady, more for Queen Julia's benefit than his own. "I will slay this monster tomorrow. Knowing that I won't be facing a man of honor makes things much simpler, in fact. I dislike killing good men, but my opponent sounds like nothing of the sort." In truth Eli felt his odds for victory were one in three at best, probably less than that, but he'd found that confidence was always the best answer to worried panic. "Thank you for sharing this, Your Grace. I shall sleep easy tonight knowing what I face on the morrow."

[Card]

Remix

The man lied stiff on the hard floor, wrapped in the same dirty tunic as he had been for several days. His face lacked color, and his skin was visibly moist. His breathing was audible and raspy, and his eyes would twitch and flutter from time to time. He appeared no different than any of the other victims of the plague. He was middle aged, maybe older, but definitely able to work. His fingernails were thin, and dirt lined them. He turned his head to Remix and croaked, "Ask."

It grew quiet in the rotunda, though one certainly couldn't notice that when treating a patient if they were focused.

Morgan

The Piper grumbled, visibly upset that his shaking performance had left the medicine woman noticeably unshaken. He casually strolled to the railing of the balcony, making the effort to appear as if he wasn't talking to her. "I had you personally invited, actually. I not only behave as the king's herald and court jester, but I also deal with... domestic disturbance. It is the reason that no one knows my real name, and few know my real occupation. I trust you to withhold that information now that I've confided it in you."

He reaches into his wide, deep sleeve and retrieves a thin piece of board. He glances at it before stuffing it away. "There is someone of great significance with a horrid illness, and I need an herb. I have reached out in all directions to clear your path, so that you may deal with them as your patient; however, the person is of such authority and regard that they would not permit you to heal them personally."

He turned back to Morgan, now surprisingly stern. His face was now rigid and his voice solemn. It was clear that the Piper played another role besides the king's amusement. He extended his gnarled right hand. "Before I can disclose details of the herb and of your reward, I need to know we have a deal."

Dietrich

The stranger, still hardly visible, continued, "You are one of us. You hold sway with the overworld, and you will pay your dues to us in time."

Dietrich felt something wet and flat pressed into the back of his neck and removed with an audible pop. Whatever it was, it likely left a mark. Had Dietrich any more questions, he would find no answers, as he had disappeared. His eyes began to adjust to the darkness now, and he could see and hear the wind gently teasing the curtains on an open window, one that likely wasn't open to begin with. He could try and follow him, but it's likely that whatever he sought to do was done, and it would be fruitless to seek him further.

It was best to continue towards the party with an uneasy itch on the back of his neck.

Eli

Julia sighed, letting her sleek shoulders slack. She looked away again, now clearly contemplating something. She sat back down; in their lengthy conversation, she had miraculously not attracted any curious eyes, except maybe one. She sits upright, and adopts a graceful, dignified tone. She folds her hands in her lap and says, "Very well. It's a shame that there's nothing I can do to aid you, but I don't think you'll be slaying anything or anyone. I hope your last kill was a good one."

A silence follows, and the queen averts her eyes again, biting her lip. She pushes her untouched goblet of wine to him, saying, "The wine they offer the royalty is leagues better than the swill they're giving you; I'd highly recommend trying it before you bout. Please, try it. I insist."

[Holmishire]

I still dunno if I be hidering.

Rémix, Gaulish Barber-Surgeon.
Surgery, first aid, barber, cooking, sentry, scouting, manual labour, literacy, brawling, polearms.

---

"Good, we may have a lot to cover." Though bedside manners had never been Rémix's favourite aspect his profession, it would never stop him from being polite, if direct.

"I need to know as much as you can tell me about the time just before you contracted the plague. Any detail could help. A man you'd never seen before. A place you'd never travelled. An animal acting oddly. A plant, a meal, anything." Rémix knelt down beside the man. "if we can find the origin of this illness, perhaps others might be saved from its grip."

[AeronFarron]

Alejandra was unsure of what to do now. To buy herself some time, she registered the gifts with the registrar. The young noblewoman rubbed her chin as she asked the her note that she requested to bring the horse personally. The male would be restless in such a big city, she was sure. And she wanted to make sure a stable hand wouldn't bring him harm.

The girl decided to visit the Blackwater group. Unlike most, she had no problem with them and their decisions, after all, her father did business with their areas of influence. She was unsure of how they would receive her, but she held her head high.

She was rather suspicious of Conrad, that had been quite clear during the evening. He was overly defense and not very forth coming with almost anything. His criticisms of the king were also overtly hostile-in her opinion-and he seemed to care very little about the very nature of diplomacy. He seemed to favor isolation...and if what she heard was true the isolation could get her people killed. Nonetheless, she offered the group a sincere, customary greeting and humbly asked if she could join them for conversation. They had not crossed her, or damned her people with inaction. She had no problems with them, and prayed that they had none with her. She merely wanted to learn more about them, their ideas, and why they did not follow Conrad. She was only curious and longed to learn more so she wouldn't burn down bridges like Conrad had. Like she probably did with Conrad.

[Doivid]

Augustus, who had spent their journey consistently bewildered as the elder man shoved his way through half of the kingdom's nobility, had to take a few moments to react. The few moments stretched into a good minute or two, while he thought of and discarded a variety of different reactions. From here on out he knew that he would have to become ever more careful with how he responded. Add to that the fact that he hadn't been able to get a word in so far. Augustus looked around first, then at the ornate craftwork on the desk, and then finally down before speaking.

"I would never dream of rejecting the offer. It is everything that my family and my people most need right now," he agreed, facing the obviousness of his situation head on.

"But if you don't mind me asking, why?" He paused, calculating the risk of this line of thought. After all, why question a good thing? But his need to know prevailed. It was as much a part of him as his name, and if he was walking into a trap he would not abandon his caution. "I mean...we are not the most favored corner of the Kingdom at the moment, so this is a very surprising opportunity..." He trailed off, before remembering himself and adding, "respectfully, of course."

[Sukisho]

Morgan looked towards the Piper, even as he turned away, watching his movements as he spoke. When he turned to her again, and offered the deal, she was skeptical. Even with her resume for healing the elite, she was still not permitted to even know who this patient she needed to treat was or be able to personally treat them. It didn't sit well with her. It felt like she was being used in another plot, and Morgan was not the plaything of the royals. As the Piper extended his hand to shake on the deal, Morgan took it but did not shake and release it. Instead she held it and gently tugged the man closer.

"I will perform my duties as a medicine woman, but I will not be dragged into some bullshit because of it. If it comes to that, I will not hesitate to take my leave. Your 'authority' is of no importance to me, and I do not give preference to the elite, no matter how great the reward."

[Jorick]

The queen's sudden turn from worried girl to dignified ruler threw Eli off balance for just a moment. He had expected his words might calm her at best, but her almost disdainful words were quite a bit more than just calm. There was no time to formulate a response to that before Queen Julia reverted to shyness and threw another bit of strangeness at him. She offered her wine to him, which was rather unusual. No, more than that, she insisted that he try it, which was rather more than just unusual.

Eli had no choice but to comply. To decline would be both rude and in defiance of an implied order from the queen. He bowed his head to her. "As you wish, Your Grace." He looked around to see if anyone might be looking their way and saw nobody paying himself or the queen much attention, though he knew that even had he spotted staring eyes he would have no choice but to follow through. Eli lifted the goblet and took a small mouthful of the wine, savoring it as he set the goblet down where it had been. After he swallowed he voiced his thoughts aloud. "You were right, it's far superior to the wine being served to everyone else. I feel as if I've stolen something valuable from far above my station with that small sip." He considered for a moment making a quip about how he'd drink no more wine tonight, as he wanted that to be the last thing he tasted in case he died on the morrow, but that would be in poor taste. Instead Eli bowed his head once more, speaking in a light and joking tone. "I thank you for the experience, though I fear no wine in my future will ever satisfy me now. I shall have to struggle on somehow."

[Card]

Remix

The man groaned audibly, tossing his head to the side. "Well, I had some strange tasting venison a couple weeks ago..." he mumbled.

"Too soon. He's been in here for more than a week and a half." Lugurix commented, shouting without turning over his shoulder.

The man continued twisting in his agony, gritting his teeth with sweat soaking his skin. "Well... I took a trip into the woods about a month ago... to hunt."

"Nope." Lugurix shouted. "Most of our plagued patients spend their time inside the village." Lugurix continued to stare out the window with his strangely aligned eyes and warped fish face. He continued to mutter and make remarks until he grew suspiciously quiet.

The man continued to writhe like a worm in the dirt. He began to lose his breath as he spoke, "I can't.... imagine what it could be. Although, my dog... bit me a while back." Lugurix was silent.

The man's breathing weakened; he clearly needed to rest. It was best to start searching his body for the bite while he rested.

Morgan

"Very well."

The Piper was unshaken (sorry) by Morgan's forceful gesture. "I'm fully aware that a person of your status has treated royalty before, but the circumstances of this case are special. My priority is domestic security, and if word that this person was ill were to escape into the great, wide open, there could be... consequences."

The Piper reached again into his draping sleeves and retrieved an envelope. "Eyes are everywhere, and if anyone does happen to see this, all they'll see is I gave you an envelope. Precaution, really."

He gave her the envelope and looked back out over the balcony. "We cannot speak much longer; I'm glad we got to speak when we did. There are many who would have caught you and not handled this with the same tact that I did." The Piper began to pace, just mulling around in a circle, something bubbling in his bald head, his cauldron of chaos. He approached Morgan again with a cheery smile, taking her hand and shaking it, without her permission. "I'm glad I got to meet you personally. It was a pleasure."

Like a flash of lightning, his cordial, toothy grin became the harrowing face of dread. His grip on the woman's hand lasted became longer and more forceful, squeezing her palm in his. He glared at her--into her--with his blank eyes, eyes that can and have frozen many hardened men. "Be careful who you grab; you may grab someone with a stronger grip." he whispered as he released her from his dastardly claw and returning to his perch on the balcony; the band came back from downstairs, filling the seats behind them. The Piper looked out into the crowd, his gangly arms behind his back; before the medicine woman leaves, he flashes her his sly, joking grin.

After all, he was just joking.

Augustus

Catullus snapped back into reality. "With the old king dead, we lack representation from the island in the Senate. You are the most qualified islander to take a Senate position; I have all of your records of your education with the Magisters." he explained. He then took his staff, the dark iron cage rattling, and waved it around threateningly in Augustus' face. "Further, I choose Senate members. Don't question it."

Catullus then reached into his robes and pulled out a thin piece of board, folded in three pieces. "This is a contract. In it, your powers and privileges as a Senate member are detailed in full. You will be able to propose state motions to the floor, give hearings on the affairs of your constituency, and, as chief (and sole) representative from Rhode Island, you will be able to assemble committees, which will be approved by me."

Catullus continued as he paced around the room, "You will live in the city, beyond the riff raff of course, and you'll have all of your needs cared for. Finally, if you aren't already committed, don't associate with any of the few female representatives, or any woman you meet in politics for that matter. That is merely good sense, not law."

At last, he turned to Augustus, and looked him in the eyes. He approached him, approached further, and approached further, until his head was practically under Augustus' chin. He surveyed the young man, looked him up and down, and spat, "We'll get to know each other quite well while working together. So far, I like you; don't fuck that up. It's really not hard."

Catullus then started back towards the party and turned around. "Have it signed next I see you tomorrow, hopefully at the tournament. Any questions?"

Eli

The young queen smiled warmly, "I'm glad you enjoyed. If only you could enjoy more of it." The queen loosened up a bit, now hardly unlike the noble patrons that surrounded them: charming, witty, and high brow. She had seen it all her life, and she learned how to emulate it quite well. "I'm glad we could talk before your bout, I wish you luck tomorrow." she commented. She strangely no longer seemed concerned with Eli's life; instead, she just batted her youthful eyelids as she spoke. Her voice was still weak and frail, like the rest of her, but she had a youthful, cutesy charm with her wide, puppy dog eyes.

She waved him goodbye, "You have quite a struggle ahead; you'll need the luck, Sir...?"

[Holmishire]

Rémix, Gaulish Barber-Surgeon.
Surgery, first aid, barber, cooking, sentry, scouting, manual labour, literacy, brawling, polearms.

---

Rémix was content to have at least one lead that wasn't quickly shot down. While he would most certainly have disliked searching around on a doomed-to-failure investigation on such trivial leads, he couldn't help but feel a little discouraged by the lack of support from Lugurix.

"Would you mind showing me this bite?" he asked as he began to search the man's visible flesh with his fingertips. A dog bite was as good a place as any to look for disease, with how easily it attains infection. "And could you tell me where I could find this dog?" Festered flesh always looked about the same, but if he could see the actual live animal that bit him, he might be able to search it for signs of the same symptoms that were affecting the villagers.

[Sukisho]

Morgan took the Piper's warning to heart, even if he did give it with a sly smile. She tucked the envelope he had given her in her inner coat pocket where it would be safest from thieves. It seemed that while she was the guest of the King, this did not mean there wouldn't be those that would take the chance to steal her life. She would have to be extra careful in the days to come.

A slight bow towards the Piper and a quick, "well met" was all she gave in response before she turned and headed back down the staircase. Morgan was deep in thought. She didn't like to be mixed up in all the political mess, especially if the Piper was right about it being a domestic disturbance. Prior to reaching the last stair, Morgan had decided that she would not return the party. This envelope was too precious to be toting around, and she needed to read it anyway to find out why she had been summoned from the Freelands. Upon reaching the hallway, Morgan turned and headed back towards her room.

[Herzinth]

Grimacing, Dietrich began making his way back towards the party proper. The sudden breeze teased at the wetness on his neck, sending shivers through his body. The entire encounter had left him confused and aggravated. What debts? He thought to himself, careful not to get lost in the dark halls. He and his father had found little in the Underhalls beyond a damp ruined room in which to work and starve.

As he returned once more to the world of light, he rubbed at the itch left on his neck. He was beginning to look forward to the night's end. The Queen Julia had given her birthright to her new husband, and the ceremonies were all but complete. Now it was all drinking, frivolities, and whispered threats in dark corners.