Marcias life pt 2

Balthazaar	Markus heads out, looking for the door once again, holding the soft toy rabbit
[16:09]	Nemi	It occurs to Markus, right as he steps into the scrubland and finds himself emerging into a clearing with a ring of mushrooms around a standing wooden door, that this must be the kind of thing he can find if he just looks for it. And there it is, door ahead. Flitsy is soft in your hand.
[16:10]	Alivi	Hiiiii
[16:10]	Balthazaar	He clutches flitsy to his chest, entering the door hurriedly
[16:13]	Nemi	You find yourself standing, peering out the door of that familiar cottage- your home, really- out toward the clear stone path on a snowy winter day. The blanket around your shoulders helps ward the chill away, as do the sheepskin slippers around your stocking-clad feet. There's nobody at the door. It smells like breakfast behind you, today being a day for bread and fruit preserves with
[16:14]	Nemi	porridge and honey. Grandma, sitting at the table, peers worriedly at you. "Are- you alright? Where did you go, yesterday? You missed the ceremony.." She sounds more- worried, than upset or anything similar.
[16:14]	Nemi	Flitsy remains hugged to your chest and your simple spun muslin dress.
[16:15]	Balthazaar	she runs over and hugs Grandma. "I'm sorry grandma... I... I had a calling." She remains hugging grandma tightly
[16:17]	Nemi	The small, stout old woman by the fireplace seems terribly concerned, and she hugs you warmly, grateful to see you back. "It's alright, it's alright- I'm sure it was important- don't worry. Don't worry. We'll just try again next year!"
[16:18]	Balthazaar	"Okay..." she nods. "I'm sorry..." She keeps on hugging. "I missed you."
[16:22]	Nemi	"I missed you too.. you were gone all day. I wasn't /afraid/- I know you can handle yourself," a soft clucking laugh. "But.. I'm glad you're back. And I suppose you at least got to miss Thorvald's goats! Why, I'd think that's /why/ you left!" Another clucking laugh.
[16:23]	Balthazaar	>_>
[16:23]	Balthazaar	<_<
[16:23]	Balthazaar	"Suuuure." she grins cheekily
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[16:28]	Nemi	Grandma lets out a soft chuckle and gestures to the empty seat at the table. "Well, you'd better eat up. The Andersson boy was by earlier- there's some traveler down in town who's mighty sick, and they'd like you to help."
[16:29]	Balthazaar	Marcia sits and starts to eat. "Really? What should I bring grandma?"
[16:31]	Nemi	"Mmm, you'd probably be fine with the ol' satchel.. You topped off all the medicines and cleaned the tools, I hope? Ha, of course you did- that was just yesterday!" Grandma laughs again. She's always been a cheerful woman, even when that little bout of plague went through town a few years back. That left a little pock-mark on Marcia's temple that still hasn't gone away.
[16:32]	Balthazaar	Marcia nods, smiling. "You'll be okay while I'm out?"
[16:33]	Nemi	"Well, I was fine all day, I'll be fine a few hours! Remember your coat and scarf, now! And I'm sure Flitsy wouldn't mind riding along either."
[16:36]	Balthazaar	She smiles hapily, finishing her breakfast and getting her coat and scarf. "... Does my hair look ok? you can't see the mark from the plague, can you?"
[16:41]	Nemi	The wooly scarf is very soft, a finely knit affair with a subtle pattern. The coat, a man's greatcoat a fair touch too large for you, was a gift from a traveler some years ago whom was quite grateful for an actual functional hangover remdy. Grandma reaches up to tug a sandy blonde lock aside, and nods. "Mhm! Bit of a mess, but I swear, you never let me help with that bird's nest of yours.."
[16:41]	Nemi	Another funny clucking laugh. "You look lovely, dear. And- the man's at the inn. Kindly pick up some cheese on the way back, if you would!"
[16:43]	Balthazaar	"sure grandma. And besides, I don't really care that much so long as you can't see the mark." She rubs at it a little
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[16:43]	Balthazaar	She kisses Grandmas cheek, as usual, and heads out. "Bye Grandma!" she waves as she heads along1
[16:48]	Nemi	It's like a dent in the skin where a pox swelling burst and scarred. Unpleasant, that memory, but no life is perfect. It built character. Grandma waves as you leave, stepping onto the flagstone path leading to the road to town. Flitsy sits easily in the outer pocket of your pale leather satchel full of tools and medicines, button eyes peering toward the path ahead. It's a sunny winter
[16:48]	Nemi	morning, the pristine white snow sparkling in the light. The path takes a brief detour through a small copse of trees, each studded with a tap and collection barrel, before coming to a road. By now you know the way and so you start the long walk to Arden Crossing. The road's lined with snow-crusted trees and distant farmhouses.
[16:49]	Balthazaar	she smiles at the wind in her hair and keeps on walking along to the inn, holding all her things together
[16:55]	Nemi	Arden Crossing. Supposedly named for one of the founders of the town, a man named Thomas Arden, whom realized this crossroads was a fantastic place to erect an inn and general store. The eponymous Arden Crossing Inn thus stands tall amongst the few shops and homes of the village itself. Always a rural community, the township proper extended over more than a few miles of scattered farms,
[16:55]	Nemi	and so the town's biggest role was as a marketplace and a central location to service the farms. There's the blacksmith, there, not far from the stables. Most of the buildings are wooden framed and with wooden siding, though some of the newer buildings are brick. The inn itself is a two-story affair, a place for the locals to spend money on booze and socialization, and for outsiders to
[16:55]	Nemi	eat and sleep. It's the real heart of the town. More than a few passerby wave or greet you as you approach the red-painted front door, including two young men- the Willem boys, you remember- clearly planning to go hunting. And mostly boasting about it and posing with their rifles. At least Adam Willem is pretty cute.
[16:58]	Balthazaar	She waves back cheerfully, smiling brightly, even looking a little longer at Adam than the other, before heading into the inn!
[17:02]	Nemi	Adam's fur-lined-coated brother totally elbows him at your enthusiasm, some classical fraternal teasing no doubt following. The inn, still run by an Arden (David and Maria, you recall), is pretty quiet about now. Some bundled-up visitors, not recognizing your import, glance up from their breakfast but do little else. The youngest Arden, a small boy named Andrew, is waiting for you. "Oh!
[17:02]	Nemi	You made it! Um- upstairs, come on!" He immediately turns to hurry up the creaky wooden stairs. The inn itself features a great hearth, perfect for the winter weather, rugs and rustic decor, hanging herbs and dried flowers providing some pleasant smells to the smoky interior.
[17:04]	Balthazaar	Smiling at the little boy, she follows hurriedly. "Okay kiddo!"
[17:08]	Nemi	Andrew's bundled in a scarf that covers nearly all but his hair and eyes, as is typical for the shy boy whom otherwise helps clean the stables. Up the stairs they go, where Andrey approaches the first of the private rooms to rent. He fumbles in his coat's pockets a moment before realizing something and just opening the door, pushing it in. It's another small inn room- a straw mattress
[17:08]	Nemi	sitting on a wooden frame with blankets and fresh sheets and such, a simple wooden chair and desk and a dresser for the guest's purposes. Lying in the bed is a stout man with impressive whiskers, seeming in a daze. His cheeks are oddly swollen, one of them discoloured a sickly green and yellow. Anything from neck down is covered by blankets, but you can tell he doesn't look good.
[17:10]	Balthazaar	~Oh dear...~ She steps inside! "Hello, I'm Marcia, I heard I was needed?"
[17:11]	Nemi	The man mumbles something- he sounds.. Germanic, maybe? But his voice is too faint, too thick and wet, to really be easily understood. Andrew scurries away. "Um, call if you need me to get something, miss!"
[17:12]	Nemi	The traveler arches his back some in the bed and groans.
[17:12]	Balthazaar	"Okay kiddo." she closes the door behind her. "Sir? I'm here to help you. What's your name?" she places the back of her hand over his forehead to check his temperature
[17:15]	Nemi	The man must be delirious, because again no real reply from him- at least in words. He opens his mouth but nothing comes out but an awful, pungent smell, like rotten food and worse. He feels very warm, fevered.
[17:18]	Balthazaar	"Let me have a look at you..." she tries to pull away the blanke
[17:18]	Balthazaar	t
[17:21]	=-=	SpookyBee is now known as ShowerBee
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[17:25]	Nemi	The blanket is pulled away, and the sight is not much better. The man's in a fairly normal linen nightshirt, his hands resting on his broad abdomen. His forearms are gnarled and swollen terribly, with large sores oozing pus and foul-smelling clear fluid from where they'd burst. The skin is discoloured, going purple and green in places, and similar stains have spread up the sleeves and into
[17:25]	Nemi	the nightshirt's body. His hands have clear signs of cuts- from blades- upon them, as if he'd been defending himself from someone wielding a knife or sword.
[17:25]	Balthazaar	~Oh dear...~ Does she have any clue of what to do?
[17:26]	Nemi	As it happens, you do. But first- a ACAD roll, with occultism spec.
[17:27]	Balthazaar	4df+6
[17:27]	Glacon	Balthazaar: 7 (4df+6=0, -, +, +)
[17:30]	Nemi	This.. Is no mere illness, and it bodes ill omens to see such an affliction so close to the lands of men. You recall from Grandma's teachings the terrible effects of cursed weapons on mortal flesh. This man is far beyond mere medicine. But you do know what you can do; while you can clean away the pus and the other shows of outward corruption, perhaps supplication to the Old Gods may be
[17:30]	Nemi	enough to force the corruption free, to spare his body its ravages and thus allow you to mend him properly?
[17:34]	Balthazaar	"Okay. Okay..." she rubs her hands and gets to work!
[17:35]	=-=	madness_ is now known as napness_
[17:37]	Nemi	Fortunately, you brought many, many clean rags to wipe away the filth oozing from the man's body. Someone attacked him with some kind of blighted weapon. Where would someone even HAVE one of those, so close to civilization..?
[17:37]	Nemi	ACAD again, with Occultism.
[17:38]	Balthazaar	4df+7
[17:38]	Glacon	Balthazaar: 7 (4df+7=0, 0, +, -)
[17:38]	Balthazaar	She tries to keep her mind calm, not dwelling on that now, need to get this man good and well before freaking out
[17:42]	Nemi	A mindful bit of supplication to the Old Gods is sufficient. You can feel their blessing flow through you and into the man's body, and his many sores and wounds begin to weep forth a sickly rust-coloured sludge. A tiny work, perhaps, but enough to at save a life. The smell is atrocious but the stuff can be cleaned away and squeezed from the cuts and sores where it hides soon enough. Now?
[17:42]	Nemi	Just simple application of medicated bandages and cold cloth for the fever. The work takes over an hour, leaving you tired and feeling disgusting, but eventually he should recover. The man groans again, and in a strongly accented voice, mumbles out, ".. what- who are- how did..?"
[17:43]	=-=	napness_ is now known as madness_
[17:44]	=-=	madness_ is now known as napness_
[17:44]	Balthazaar	"Shhhh..." She pats his arm gently. "It's okay... My name is Marcia, I'm a healer..."
[17:46]	Nemi	The man is perhaps too exhausted from his ordeal to struggle. Instead, he just slumps. The green's faded from his face, and instead, he merely looks anemic and weak. ".. I- see. I.. Danke sehr. I do not have much to repay you.. I am- where am I?"
[17:49]	Balthazaar	"Arden Crossing. in the inn... I was called out to come see to you... What happened?"
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[17:56]	Nemi	He sighs, as if giving out a long-held breath. ".. My name is Dieter Striecker. A- an envoy, from Middenland. I am- not sure exactly what happened. I had hired a coach to Vinhem but we were attacked, ah.. Arden Crossing? So not far off course.. We thought- I thought they were bandits. I managed to get away, but I passed out some hours later. I- woke up here, but it's- hazy." He clears his
[17:56]	Nemi	throat and sits up in the bed as to peer at his bandaged hands and forearms. ".. I- I must thank you again. Whatever that was- I'm certain I'd have died without your help."
[17:58]	Balthazaar	"Yes... Where were you attacked? Are they coming here?"
[18:00]	Nemi	Dieter seems unsure. ".. There were only- four, five of them, skinny, wretched men. I don't think they'd dare attack any hearty sorts who'd think to defend themselves, but.. I don't know. I can't say, exactly- perhaps six hours' journey down the road?"
[18:00]	Balthazaar	"You were attacked with a cursed weapon... It did that to you with just these shallow cuts on your hands..."
[18:01]	Balthazaar	"If they're going to come here, we ill all be in desperate peril..."
[18:02]	=-=	ShowerBee is now known as SpookyBee
[18:03]	Nemi	Of course, you recall that with so many of the locals being hunters when not farming, and the everpresent need to protect one's farm from thieves or wild beasts, anything but actual concerted force would be ill-received. Striecker again seems uncertain. ".. I will, when I am ready to travel, bring word back to Middenland. Curses.. Hexes, here of all places, in the heartland..?" He mutters
[18:03]	Nemi	something before sinking into his bed. It must have been quite an ordeal for him.
[18:04]	Balthazaar	she pulls the covers up to his chin, sighing worriedly before heading out and looking for the inkeepers
[18:07]	Nemi	And on that note, time passes as it does. Dieter Striecker recovers in another three days, leaving a day after that, promising to bring word on to the capital. Arden the elder gathers the robust men of the village to ready them to arms, with small patrols of militia to rove the most remote farms. Marcia'd run into little further trouble beyond the usual daily chores and daily problems the
[18:07]	Nemi	villagers bring to her Grandmother's door, though tension is high and many locals come by just to try to settle their stress with words. Some even have the awareness to ask blessings from whatever-it-is they expect Marcia to represent. But things remain quiet, at least for this month, at which point Markus awakens. He finds himself supine on the beach near Site-77, sandy and with salty
[18:08]	Nemi	ocean waves lapping at his head. He'd been gone about two hours, it seems.
[18:09]	Balthazaar	"Ugh... Shit..." He arises, rubbing his head. "Why am I always getting wet with this?" she stretches and heads back up to the site proper
[18:10]	Nemi	Flitsy and the pale satchel remain under an arm, untouched by sand or sea.
[18:13]	Balthazaar	He holds them close