Arkanum - The Story So Far

Helping

After a while Euristats has gathered three groups of people and assigned others to translate the local language for those of you who can't speak it. Antia is surrounded by a small group of people who are the elders of the clan, although none of them actually look that old. Apparently the old were affected quickly by the pox and didn't survive long. Bruen is talking to the main healers of the group as well as those whose job it is to protect the clan.

First, Bruen gathers up all the information on where the various sick folks in the village are from the healers, then tells them to check with the shaman for more instructions. Second, he gets the village defenders together, making sure that there is someone who can translate, and sends them off to work out some sort of a defensive plan for the village with the men-at-arms the party has brought with it. He tells them that he'll check in with them presently. Third, he goes over to the group that is with Antia, waits deferentially for an appropriate time to speak , and informs her of the number, condition, and whereabouts of the sick. Once that is done, he go's over to listen in on the preparations to defend the village.

As Antia talks to the elders she discovers that the sickness struck the clan suddenly and without warning. The first to die were the healers and elders of the clan, closely followed by those who seemed most healthy. They discovered that the village where the clan lives was the only place affected by the pox and so they closed themselves off and let no one leave or enter.

Some days ago, just before the last of the elders died he spoke of a shaman who would come and restore the clan. He told Euristas to go and wait for her and her companions at the river and to not return until he had found them. The council of elders now consists of those who are still healthy and retain their senses. One of them explains how the sickness rots the mind as well as the body. First of all the person begins to lose their memory and then they break out in large boils all over the skin. After about two days of slipping slowly towards madness the boils begin to weep and bleed and the victims body begins distort and a few days later they die. No one has survived and many are still sick, but those who were away from the camp at the time the pox struck seem strangely unaffected and remain healthy.

Antia looks at those who must now assume the role of Elders for the village. She has been gone for a long time, and none of those who were the voice of wisdom in her childhood seem to have survived. Tears start welling up behind her eyelids, but she promptly pushes her sadness back. The survivors have enough grief to bear. "Honoured Ones, I have come back to be the clan's shaman, as promised long ago. Show me those in most dire need of healing, and those whose condition is uncertain."

She proceeds to go move around the camp, examining the sick and doing what she can. The stench of sickness is thick here and the sight of some of the clan members sickens you. A small girl, obviously near death, is moaning off to one side. Her back is hunched and most of her hair is missing. Looking at her it is hard to imagine she was ever a healthy child who ran and played with the other children. As she wanders among the sick the girl begin to convulse and thrash about. She begins tearing at her flesh and coughing up blood violently. After a few seconds she gives one last scream and lies still. Two of the other clan members move over and cover her with a stained sheet.

Antia sets to doing what she can for the sick but all her magic acomplishes is to heal the physical scars they have inflicted themselves. The weeping boils and madness remain. On every patient she seeks to find the cause of the sickness with her magic, and everytime she fails.

While the sick are being tended the defenders of the clan spend time talking to Bruen about the defense of the area. There are not many people left who are able to fight and it seems that if anybody attacks then it would be easy for them to get past what little resistance is put forward. Everyone in the clearing is obviously looking towards the small group for some sign of hope.

Benedict goes to one of the tents, crosses himself and enters. Looking around he kneels next to a suffering patient. Very quietly he begins to murmur under his breath and seems to concentrate on the victim. As he murmurs he seems to decrease in size slightly. After a while he is silent and a look of disapointment crosses his face. The sickness seems perfectly natural except for the manner in which it struck the clan.

Seeing how ineffective her Arts are, Antia reels as if buffeted by physical blows. She sits back on her heels, kneeling, and remains motionless for several minutes, head bowed, holding a sick woman's hand. Finally, she raises her head and turns to the other magi. "This illness is not natural," she says gravely. "The flesh is not healed by the Arts, and the spirit is ill as well. I will try to contact this soul and clear the sickness there."

Again she bows her head and concentrates for a moment, then she calls on the Arts of Creo and Mentem. Antia once again begins to chant and concentrate on the person in front of her. As soon as She stops speaking the womans eyes fly open and she begins to scream. She convulses a few times and then lies still and silent, staring up into the sky. Antia falls back unconcious.

Seeing Antia go down, Bruen sprints towards her from the group of men at arms he was with. By the time he's covered a quarter of the distance, his form is visibly changed. By the time he covers half the distance his clothing hangs off in tatters, his body has sprouted fur, and his head is flattened and elongated. By the time he covers three-quarters of the distance he is down on all fours. What reaches Antia is not Bruen at all, but a large Brown Bear.

LinkExchange Member

Free Home Pages at GeoCities

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page