CH. 07 - Lost History

[Daos]

The Harvest Festival had been just over a week ago, and all agreed it was a great success.  But now, it seemed that once again Buho was in danger.  Although this time the threat was not goblins, or any foe that could be slain with a sword or bow.  It was sickness.

It started the day after the festival.  Marcus Locke arrived at the temple, claiming to not feel well.  He passed out as the kohen examined him.  Fever, fatigue, cough, inflamed sinuses...Rorak had seen it all before.  It was another flu.  The last big one had been about 10 years ago.  Several lives were lost, but they were able to keep it contained for the most part.  So it was that Marcus was put into isolation, to keep it spreading any further.

But spread it did.  By the second day, ten more people had reported symptoms.  By the third day, it was thirty.

Rorak was stumped.  There seemed no rhyme or reason how it was spreading, or to whom.  It seemed almost random.  An entire family would come down with the sickness save for one person, or half of the family, or only one person was infected and the rest were fine.  What's more, isolating patients seemed to have no effect.  The disease infected people living in the village and the outlying farms, from all directions.  Rorak's medicines seemed to do nothing, nor did Anara's herbal concoctions.

Word was sent out to Hart, asking for clerics to be sent for aid.  But it would take a couple of weeks for them to arrive (the bureaucratic red tape alone would delay them significantly), and it was becoming increasingly clear it may well be too late by that point.

Yesterday was Damon's 21st birthday, but rather than a joyous occasion for the town to celebrate the life of the son of Sandon, the town was thick with despair and worry.  Was this that plague spoken of in whispers and rumors from the east?  Had it made its way to Buho?

Almost half of the population was now sick.  Rorak has stopped bothering isolating patients--there are far too many to even hold in the temple, and instead only keeps the more dire cases there.  Ladonna and Katya, both regular volunteers at the church, have been helping to comfort the patients in the temple, as Rorak, Garnet and Ryan have been overwhelmed.

To make matters worse, winter was coming.  The temperature had dropped considerably in the past week, and the first snows would likely arrive soon.

That morning, after breakfast, the party is at the temple, helping the patients who have progressed the farthest with the disease.  There is little they can do but offer comfort at this point.  Lillian plays soothing music, while Katya, Ingot, Liala, Ladonna and the acolytes work to change out wet cloths, fluff pillows, and offer kind words of encouragement.  Fortunately, none of the party have felt any symptoms themselves yet, but everyone has been affected.  Ladonna's father is at home in bed, being cared for by her mother and sister.  While Katya's mother was still alright, both of Jherek's parents had fallen ill and were at the temple now, as there was nobody else to watch over them (Jherek had still not returned from his last hunt).  Ingot's father, Councilman Mattin, was also at the temple, as he was one of the worse cases.  Dawn, Ingot's mother, watched over him, praying fervently every day that he might recover, but so far, his condition has only worsened while Ingot watches on stoically, his face betraying no emotion.

[Ezeze]

When the first few people got sick Katya got it into her head to treat this flu the same as the bog sickness that had affected Theron, Garnet and Ryan. Just heal everyone, one by one. To that end she'd immediately used her ability on one of the farmers that had come to the temple for medicine from the Kohen. He wasn't all that much younger than Katya, but he looked so miserable sniffing and coughing that she'd felt the call to protect him. She'd used her ability when they clasped hands for prayer.

He'd gotten better, but no one else had and in the week she'd needed before she could cure another person half the town had fallen ill.

It panicked her like a horse in a burning stable. Having just a little ability to help, but not enough for everyone, almost felt worse than not being able to help at all. Even if she only used her ability on the most dire cases no doubt someone was going to die from this disease. It created a sense of guilt in her. After all, she is immune.

That guilt mixed with genuine desire to help mean Katya has done everything she can for the suffering. She has taken it on like a full-time job. After the first few days she even stopped going home at night, bedding down instead in a spare room at the temple so she doesn't have to spend the time travelling. When she's not sitting with the ill at the temple she's running herself ragged between the homes of the bedridden, helping with the work they cannot do.

"Garnet" she addresses the acolyte during a rare down moment. "Do we have some sort of census data? A list of everyone in town?"

"I know we already have a lot of work to do" she explains "but I'm worried that someone who lives alone could get sick and be unable to get here for help."

[HorizonsDream]

Ladonna was helping Marcus back to bed after she had moved him to change his sheets. "Why do you want a list of people from Buho? she asks.

[Ezeze]

"To make sure no one is forgotten."

[Daos]

When the sick first started coming in, Garnet seemed especially tense.  She would give a slight squeak of panic whenever she had to come within 10 feet of sick people.  But as more and more patients started pouring in, avoiding the sick just wasn't possible, even if she had not been an acolyte.  There's nowhere in the village anyone can go to avoid it.  Nevertheless, the prospect of spending time with books over people seems to appeal to her, as her eyes light up, despite how exhausted she is.  "Y-Yes, in the temple archives.  Um, I'll go get it," she offers, speeding off.

Meanwhile, Rorak is checking on a farmer, before getting up to check on the next patient.  The old dwarf seems to have grown even older over the past week.  It's not clear when he has last slept, as his eyes are bloodshot and have heavy bags under them.  He moves from patient to patient, but of course, there is no more for him to do than for anyone else at this point.  They say some clerics can heal any sickness with a touch, when they grow powerful enough.  But Rorak has never obtained that ability; not like the powerful clerics that are said to dwell in Hart.

Despite their very public breakup, Liala has remained at Marcus' side since he first fell ill.  At this point, he is barely coherent anymore and rambles aimlessly in delirium.  She is quite tender, even loving, in her administrations toward him, but he is so out of it that it is not clear if he even realizes she is sitting beside him.

Ingot brings a bowl of soup to his father, but his mother, Dawn, waves him away.  "He's burning up, and you bring hot soup?" she asks.  She, too, has been by her husband's side since he fell ill, switching between crying her eyes out and praying fervently to Gonto throughout each day.

"I thought...he would be...hungry," Ingot says.

"Go on, find someone else to help.  You've done enough as it is," Dawn says, turning back to her husband, taking his hand into hers.

"The anvil is so loud at this hour," Matten mumbles in a daze.

"You see?  You're bothering him," Dawn adds over her shoulder.

"Yes, mother..," Ingot says, and after a pause to scan the room slowly, he starts looking for another patient to bring the soup to.

[Ezeze]

With Garnet working on checking the census Katya goes to sit a little while with Drundor and Thessila.

Even if it's clear now that she and Jherek will never marry, Drundor and Thessila had always been very welcoming. Once upon a time they had treated her like family. She would act like their family now.

[HorizonsDream]

Ladonna frowns lightly as she overhears Dawn speak to her son, but her attention is soon averted to the fact that everything seems so hopeless when it comes to this sickness. "Okay, there has to be more that we can do," she finally says. "All we can do at this point is make people comfortable, but isn't there someone out there that could possibly help us?" she asks.

[Daos]

Katya moves to check on Drundor and Thessila.  As they are both older patients (in their mid-60s, although being half-elves they don't look older than 40 at most), the sickness has hit them particularly hard.  Currently, Drundor is snoozing, although he mumbles incoherently in his sleep about rounding up the sheep before the storm comes.  Thessila is awake and a little more lucid, as she offers Katya a weak smile as she approaches.

Rorak looks up at Ladonna after she speaks, and just shakes his head.  "The priests of Hart; but they won't get here for days, maybe even a couple of weeks.  It's in Gonto's hands now.  All we can do is wait and hope for the best."

Just after he says this, the door swings open and the reeve steps inside, looking a bit haggard and beleaguered.  She hurries over to the kohen.  "Rorak, I just received word.  The baron and his daughter are now showing symptoms of the sickness."

"What?  That's impossible!" Rorak objects.  "They haven't been out of that manor in nearly a year.  How could the sickness have spread to them, too?"

"Sennah and Hazel have fallen ill, too," Derica continues.  "They were the last healthy members of the council left.  With all of them and now the baron ill, the village is without leadership, aside from you and me."  She follows this up with a cough.

"Maybe just me.  Take a seat, let me examine you," Rorak says, reaching up to her.

Derica waves him off.  "I'm fine.  Have you received word from Hart yet?"

Rorak looks ready to argue, but instead just sighs.  "This morning.  They haven't even set out yet.  Damn bureaucracy is delaying them."  He pinches the bridge of his nose.  "I don't get it.  I've dealt with sickness before.  And we've lost people to it, despite my best efforts.  Lerra Benton, Yvette Perron, the Frye boy...but this.  If those priests don't get here soon...or some kind of miracle happens...forget about losing the leadership.  There might not be a village left at all!"  he says that last bit a little too loud, and in the quiet of the temple, it practically echoes all over the place.  Embarrassed, he and Derica resume the conversation in much lower tones.

[Ezeze]

Katya sits with Thessila and speaks quietly so as to not wake Drundor.

"How are you feeling?" she asks.

She frowns at Kohen Rorak's outburst but, in truth, it was good to know he was feeling the pressure. It meant he cared.

[GravityEmblem]

“Katya, this illness is worrying me,” Lillian mentions. “I know I know...it’s worrying all of us. It just seems...strange. Almost otherworldly. The way it just showed up suddenly, the irregular way it’s spreading...I’m probably just imagining things, but I thought I might mention it.”

[HorizonsDream]

Ladonna let's put a sigh as she looks to Katya and Lillian. "What if we were to go to Hart?" she asks.

[Ezeze]

Katya lowers her voice further so that only Thessila and Lillian could hear and exchanges a few whispers.

"Be careful who you say that to, Lillian. The people here are superstitious and scared. If this turns into a witch hunt while the entire council is ill, it may well be a bloody one."

[Daos]

KATYA:  "How are you feeling?"

Thessila covers her mouth to cough a bit before answering.  "Oh, Ol' Drundor and I have weathered worse than this.  But even if this is the end, we're old and have lived long, full lives; we've made peace with that.  I just wish I could have a bit more time to see my first grandchild.  You and Jherek will make great parents.  He should be back from his hunt soon.  He's usually not gone this long..."

LADONNA:  "What if we were to go to Hart?"

"Unless you're suggesting we kidnap a bunch of clerics and bring them back here, I'm not sure going to Hart personally would be of much help," Liala interjects, having overheard.

"Such a plan...does not seem...to have a very high...chance of success..," adds Ingot walking by, still carrying a bowl of soup and looking for a patient to administer it to.

[Ezeze]

A few years ago Jherek may have actually lead an expedition to kidnap a group of clerics. Katya thinks. That would have been an adventure worth having. We would have both ended up in the stocks or on the run but, oh, that's where we were headed anyway. Could have at least saved the town on the way.

Thessila's remark about he and her being good parents sends pang of guilt, mixed with something else, through her heart. Longing. Mourning. Anger.

The emotions there are muddled and confusing and unpleasant, so Katya simply pushes them aside. She settles for saying "I hope he's okay." And she does.

[GravityEmblem]

“Ah, my mistake,” Lillian says in response. “I’m all too familiar with witch hunts, and they’re never pleasant,” she adds, lowering her voice.