Tidecleft: Edge of the Storm (IC)

[Nefarion Xid]

Castle Briarcroft, East Parlor

Basil was half delirious as the party had returned minus one duke and plus one nearly naked stranger. He'd been stricken with a rictus grin in a pained facsimile of someone trying to pretend this was normal. The assertion that Briarcroft had insisted on going to retrieve his necklace did nothing to calm him. As soon as he'd gone from what he thought was earshot, they could hear him half babbling and half screaming his frustration down the corridor. All the party could make out was one line directed at a maid who had the misfortune to be passing by: "Yes, I think they'd bloody well like some tea, you vacuous strumpet!"

He returned quickly sat down a set of his own beige pajamas on the coffee table. The poor man's face had apparently frozen this way and he talked through his teeth.

"Oh, no trouble at all, my austere amnesiac, mon bald bon ami! Is there anything else I can get you? Fancy some biscuits? Delousing shampoo? Oh, there's some lovely salmon salad left over from lunch in the ice box."

[Dorizzit]

[Castle Briarcroft]
East Parlor

The stranger doesn't seem quite sure what to do with Basil.

That said, that puts Basil in excellent company. There's a very short list of things the stranger does know what to do with, and currently, the pajamas are at the top of it.

"Thank you. I require nothing else at present. Directions to an unused space would be helpful; I would prefer a location small, dark, and isolated."

The stranger wastes no time in dressing, then unties the strip of cloth from their waste and folds it. They offer it to Senna, either giving it to her or placing it down on a convenient surface if she isn't interested in taking it back.

"I do not know if your garment can be repaired, but I will do my best to compensate you either way."

[Sønderjye]

Sunday Morning
The Riot

Lloanna stays curled up with her arms protectively wrapped around her face as she is picked up, and and it is only she heard Bergen's voice that she realized that she weren't lying on the ground anymore.

"You're safe now, my child."

Izpolat whispers something but Lloanna's attention is focused on the voice. She unwraps just enough to see who is carrying her and for a moment she allows herself to muster a weak smile. She couldn't remember the last time someone had told her she was safe.

Then reality kicked in. She was being carried by a giant beast of a man who could probably crush her on a whimp.

"You!" She halted in front of him, panting slightly as smoke billowed out from the Graves. "What were you thinking? What are you thinking?!? Are you part of this madness?
Who summons...ghosts...I think...in the middle of a riot?!?"

"Ghosts?" the weakness of her own voice suprises her.

[PepperP.]

Sunday Morning,
Castle Briarcroft

"I am..."

"I do not remember. I have been through...an ordeal, recently, and it has harmed my memory. It took all of my focus to escape, and I lost much of myself in the process. I will...I believe I will recover in part with time. This is not the first time this has happened."

"I seem to have forgotten my manners, as well. Thank you for your assistance. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Everly set her teacup down and looked upon the stranger with no small amount of concern.

"We had better call for the doctor." She was suddenly irritated at herself for not thinking to do that before she sat down to have a cup of tea. Perhaps she wasn't as good under pressure as she had thought. She took a deep breath to clear her head.

"Basil, please call for Dr. Stimme. He lives in the Bouquet. Marigold Gardens, I believe." Her tone was polite but held the imperious manner of a person who was used to people doing their bidding without fear of refusal. She looked back to the stranger just as they were dressing and saw to her surprise that they could not be said to be of either gender before she averted her eyes. As her curiosity grew, she idly wondered if their sexless state was congenital or imposed upon them by somebody. She regathered herself as they finished dressing.

"Thank you. I require nothing else at present. Directions to an unused space would be helpful; I would prefer a location small, dark, and isolated."

"I am sure we can find you somewhere to lie down. What should we call you in the meantime, if anything?" She felt odd not having a name for them. Names defined people, especially in the world atop the canyon walls.

"Can they use your study, dear?" She turned back to Senna, certain if she asked one more thing of Basil the poor man was apt to explode.

[Othniel]

Sunday Morning
The Waterfront

Eventually, the crowd thinned a bit as the passage ended, with people spreading out into the street. Buce paused for a second to quickly catch his bearings. "We've gotten past the worst of it, and no way am I going back to argue for a refund on this." he almost chuckled, despite the gravity of the situation, pulling out his bet.

"Yeah, I wouldn't bother either. If I know Fuller, he's going to be spitting acid for the next month with what this...whatever it was...is gonna cost him." Magnus looked back at the Graves and the steady stream of people still exiting. "Been thinking about competing again, earn some money you know." The big man chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound. "Glad I didn't today." Magnus looked down and regarded the other man with curiosity. "You said you were an herbalist? You sell cures and whatnot? Bound to see some business in the next few days, I'd say."

[Tychris1]

Salt Graves
Running for the entrance, she made it out in time to see the weird armor-man lifting a girl from the street, ghostly warriors surrounding him.

"You!" She halted in front of him, panting slightly as smoke billowed out from the Graves. "What were you thinking? What are you thinking?!? Are you part of this madness?
Who summons...ghosts...I think...in the middle of a riot?!?"

Bergen

Staring down at the woman as she began to stir, Bergen glanced up to see the tiefling woman yelling at him, whilst Adrian continued to look nervously down at the unconscious woman he was holding who began to stir, and Bergen's two remaining ghostly vanguards approached her. Hanns and Friedrich advanced steadily, their eternally locked in rotten scowls aimed directly at Nespira, their hateful glares only breaking partially to look at one another or slice away a cluster of nearby hornets.

"How dare you address the king as such!"
"ONLY WE GET TO ADDRESS THE KING AS SUCH!"

Hanns lunged forward swinging madly at her with his ethereal longsword whilst Friedrich returned to fighting off as many of the encroaching hornets as he could.

"Maybe they're fake, like the lava and magic inside."

And then her blade parried and felt the force of his spectral ancient weapon. The hate imbued within him in conjunction with the curse granted Hanns strength to go beyond death, but it had also rotted away at his mind, and while in life he may have been a master of the Lachshtinower combat style in death he was little more than a flailing beast. Batting his all too real blade, Nespira quickly followed through with plunging her professional instrument directly through the eye socket of Hanns' deteriorating head. Dissipating into a pile of gray mist once she whipped her blade throughout the odd creatures semi-corporeal form.

"I haven't started anything. I merely wish to return home. Safely. This woman is injured."

[Mary_Sue]

Sunday Morning,
Castle Briarcroft

"Thank you. I require nothing else at present. Directions to an unused space would be helpful; I would prefer a location small, dark, and isolated."

The stranger wastes no time in dressing, then unties the strip of cloth from their waste and folds it. They offer it to Senna, either giving it to her or placing it down on a convenient surface if she isn't interested in taking it back.

"I do not know if your garment can be repaired, but I will do my best to compensate you either way."


"Can they use your study, dear?" She turned back to Senna, certain if she asked one more thing of Basil the poor man was apt to explode.

Senna took the offered piece of cloth with a gracious smile.

"Think nothing of it, I am certain my mother would have understood given the circumstances." She stood and tucked it under her arm as she motioned towards her suite of rooms.

"Please follow me, I will take you somewhere quiet where you can rest. When the doctor comes, I'll show him up to you." The strange person was a bit of a fascinating enigma for Senna. They had clearly suffered some trauma and were possibly an amnesiac, however the details of their situation remained a mystery.

[Dorizzit]

[Castle Briarcroft]

"Can they use your study, dear?" She turned back to Senna, certain if she asked one more thing of Basil the poor man was apt to explode.

Senna took the offered piece of cloth with a gracious smile.

"Think nothing of it, I am certain my mother would have understood given the circumstances." She stood and tucked it under her arm as she motioned towards her suite of rooms.
"Please follow me, I will take you somewhere quiet where you can rest. When the doctor comes, I'll show him up to you." The strange person was a bit of a fascinating enigma for Senna. They had clearly suffered some trauma and were possibly an amnesiac, however the details of their situation remained a mystery.

The stranger's brows crease briefly when Senna rejects their offer of redress for the cloth, but if nothing else they don't seem upset. They stand when prompted, nodding in appreciation to Everly before following Senna deeper into the castle. Once they have left the room, the stranger suddenly speaks up.

"I believe that an uninterrupted period of rest will be of greater benefit to me than a doctor. I am not presently suffering from any physical injuries."

The stranger is apparently also a hideously terrible liar. It's obvious that their health is not their primary concern and that they wish to avoid the doctor altogether.

[TheDarkDM]

Sunday Morning
The Salt Graves

The summit of the Graves was a long, narrow ring of slanting tiles, broken at even points by tall flagpoles. Pennants of the city, the kingdom, and all manner of other backers to the arena's blood sport whipped in the morning breeze, a chorus of rippling cloth that almost drowned out the sounds of panic from below. Molly had reached the summit quickly, pulling herself up one of the rib-like supports fro the cloth canopy and running the rest of the way. Now she leaned against one of the flag poles, watching the seething mass of humanity below disperse into the streets. At that height, individuals faded away into black specks, and idly Molly reached out and pantomimed crushing them between her fingers. Then the first hints of smoke reached her nose.

Turning, she saw the fire underway in one of the noble vomitoriums, as well as the scrambled efforts of those trying to put it out. And for good reason - while the majority of the Graves may have been stone, the noble seats remained strewn with cushions and discarded curios, all of which would happily feed the fire if it reached them.

What a mess.

A better person may have felt the urge to help, but Molly was unburdened by such impulses. Indeed, if she felt anything it was the growing anger that the violence below had helped to suppress. She wasn't getting paid, that much was clear, and she wasn't sure how much the Guild would care. After all, they had handed off the betting slip. Their hands were clean. Or at least as clean as they ever were.

With a sigh, Molly turned her mind once again to escape. So far above the chaos, there was little to distract her from her target, one of the many ropes that rose from the surrounding rooftops to the peak of the Graves, hung with banners advertising local businesses, upcoming bouts, and whatever else those with money wanted those without to see. Reaching down, Molly tied her skirt together with a practiced knot, twisting it into a makeshift set of pantaloons and revealing a scandalous amount of lower leg in the process. Untying the scarf around her hair, she twisted it into a tight cord and leaned down to wipe it in the storm-slick shingles, until it was sufficiently wet for her purposes. She made her way to the anchor for one of the advertisement cables, draped her cord over it.

And flew.

Sliding down the cable at increasing speed, Molly's wild laugh was lost in the roar of wind around her. The rooftop below her grew monstrously large in moments, and for an instant she considered simply letting herself collide in a smear. She shook the thought away, instead kicking her legs forward and then back, turning her body into a human pendulum until she released her scarf with one hand and launched herself higher into the air. Her lungs drained in anticipation, and at once her flight slammed to a halt in a rolling landing that nearly took her over the opposite edge of the roof. Wincing as she breathed again, Molly looked up just in time to see the lovely creature she'd watched buying spices enter a carriage, along with another woman she swore she recognized. Then the carriage was gone, careening along the streets towards safe harbor. Mouth twisting in disappointment, Molly made it to her knees, then to her feet.

It was going to be an interesting trip home.

[Jerry]

Sunday Morning
Castle Briarcroft

"Basil, please call for Dr. Stimme. He lives in the Bouquet. Marigold Gardens, I believe."

Veridian had seen the King to safety and had made his own slow, exhausted way home. Early this morning, he had walked the distance to the Graves with a spring in his step, finding the exercise invigorating. His steps after the chaos and pressure of tending to Frederick were slow and he trudged the long way back and cursed himself for not asking for a horse from the Kingsguard. He arrived home to find an envoy set to whisk him away to Castle Briarcroft and nearly groaned. He wasn't really surprised though, there were bound to be scores of injured folks after a riot of that scale and he supposed that he should be thankful that it was merely one envoy that waited for him.

Fortunately, the castle was not a great distance away and he arrived without incident. He was shown into the room where most of the others were gathered and greeted the one person in the room he was familiar with.

"Good afternoon, Miss Sinclair. I understand there are folks in need of my attention?"

[PepperP.]

Sunday Morning
Castle Briarcroft

"Good afternoon, Miss Sinclair. I understand there are folks in need of my attention?"

Everly stood and turned to address the voice which had intruded upon them as they continued wait for the return of the duke stretched out interminably.

"Oh Doctor Stimme! Thank you for coming. Yes, we have an individual in need of your expert care." She hesitated, not really knowing what was wrong with them.

"Well, they crawled up into our viewing box half-drowned and can not remember their name. They're resting in Senna's room at the moment, we shall lead you there." She gestured to the well-dressed man in their group.

[Minescratcher]

Sunday Morning
Castle Briarcroft

Regor had spent the better part of the day since returning to the castle closeted in his apartment, staring out the window once again. He was worried; this day had been nowhere near good, and the next few looked ready to be worse. When he saw the doctor's arrival, Regor went downstairs, tripping over his own feet distractedly as he hit one of the landings.

"Thank you for your prompt arrival, Doctor. Did you see his Grace on your way here?"

[Tentreto]

Sunday Morning
The Waterfront


"Yeah, I wouldn't bother either. If I know Fuller, he's going to be spitting acid for the next month with what this...whatever it was...is gonna cost him." Magnus looked back at the Graves and the steady stream of people still exiting. "Been thinking about competing again, earn some money you know." The big man chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound. "Glad I didn't today." Magnus looked down and regarded the other man with curiosity. "You said you were an herbalist? You sell cures and whatnot? Bound to see some business in the next few days, I'd say."

"A herbalist of sorts," Buce replied. "I know a lot of remedies, but I'm far more on the ingredients side. Quite a few alchemists source from me as I'm about the only one who knows white vervain from lemon verbena."
Buce glanced around, as the crowd continued to stream past. "But yeah, my business is probably going to be better in the next few days. Nothing like a disaster for people to start worrying about their health."
Buce turned and looked over his tall companion again, now there was a little more time. He was a thickset man, who had the calm look that only the strong could really pull off. "You said you fought in the Graves? You must be a pretty good fighter to win the prize. Are you a blacksmith by any chance?"

[Aedilred]

Sunday Morning
The Salt Graves

"Alright, everyone on alert. We're headed through the cells and up to the King's litter. Let's move out." He commanded the Kingsguard casually before saluting the would-be hero with two fingers at his forehead and disappearing with the King beneath the Graves.

Sunyer was damned if he was going to let some doctor blow him off like that. He had fought a tiger - more or less - and was still risking his life for the king's wellbeing and he was going to see this through no matter what. He followed after the king's litter, eventually falling into step beside the queen. He understood it was rare for her to accompany the king to these events and it was cursed luck that this should happen on one of the few occasions that she had. Such had been the concern for the king's safety that it appeared few had taken the time to reassure her.

The cells were dank and dirty, and bore the signs of the chaos that had erupted when the tiger cages had been opened. He supposed they could have been worse, but they were still no place for the royal family, and he couldn't help but wonder if there were any condemned criminals who had escaped their cells but were still lurking in the area. His hand closed about the hilt of his sword as the thought occurred.

"Fear not, your highness," he said to the queen, who was visibly shaken and somewhat taken aback by the environment. "The royal guard are more than capable and I'm sure that the cells are quite deserted."

No sooner had he said it than a moaning attracted his attention and he leapt round to see who was there. A man lay against a wall, clearly in a bad way. Sunye moved over somewhat cautiously, and realised that it was a dwarf, rather mangled, whether from ill-treatment, the attention of the escaped tigers, or being trampled by his fellow prisoners as they escaped. He wondered for a second why he had not made his own getaway but then spotted the chain connecting the dwarf to the wall. At the point the manacle met the dwarf's ankle, the leg was clearly broken. Without medical attention he would surely die, and who would have time to see to him now, even if he could be freed from his chains? But it could take hours, even days, for him to die if left unattended.

The dwarf seemed unable to speak, but gasped and looked up at him with something like pleading in his eyes. Sunyer knelt and spoke a few words of commendation in dwarfish, then drew his sword and drove the point of it through the dwarf's heart. The prisoner sagged against him and then was still.

He stood and sheathed his sword before turning to find the queen watching him wide-eyed with something approaching horror on her face. He returned her gaze dispassionately.

"Even criminals deserve some mercy, your highness."

He once again made to follow the king's litter.

[Othniel]

Sunday Morning
The Waterfront

"You said you fought in the Graves? You must be a pretty good fighter to win the prize. Are you a blacksmith by any chance?"[/QUOTE]

"Ha!" Magnus barked a laugh. "No, I'm no blacksmith. Just a captain without a ship. But I have fought in the Graves. Lost everything I won though, and it ain't worth it. Some jerk with an axe can mess you up right good and you never walk again. Just for money. Pfah."

[lt_murgen]

"Well, they crawled up into our viewing box half-drowned and can not remember their name. They're resting in Senna's room at the moment. I would imagine Master Nicolescu to be the more pressing case." She gestured to the well-dressed man in their group.

OOC: Master Nicolescu had disembarked at Agatha's herb shop and did not go with to the castle.

[Jerry]

Sunday Morning
Castle Briarcroft

"Well, they crawled up into our viewing box half-drowned and can not remember their name. They're resting in Senna's room at the moment, we shall lead you there."

Veridian's brow furrowed as he learned the details of his patient.

"It sounds like an unusual case, color me intrigued." He gestured to Everly.

"Please, lead the way."

[lt_murgen]

Sunday afternoon , Agatha’s Elixirium, Herbs and Sundry. Sunfall district

Agatha saw the carriage pull up in the street and Artur disembarked. She immediately noticed his stiff posture and limping gait. Still, she sat calmly at the small table, sipping her tea. The alcove afforded an excellent view of her white fence, the small front garden, and the stairs to her shop. She arose only as the door opened and the bell rang.

“Good morning, Master Nicolescu” She greeted formally.

“And to you as well, Widow Walters.” He nodded politely. There was a pause for a moment as the pair stood quietly, a respectble distance apart.

“Satisfied?” She said wryly, but her smile couldn’t be withheld. She moved to hug him but he winced and moved away.

“What’s wrong?”

“I had a small run-in with a couple of muggers at the Graves, Aggy. Just need some bandages with your special unguent.” He tried to sound unconcerned. She could tell he was lying.

Agatha took a closer look, taking in his slashed greatcoat, odd slant to his vest. Red brown stains spread fingers op his white shirt. He clearly bled through his undershirt; Agatha never knew the man to wear less than four layers.

“Avvy, we’re too old to lie ta each other. Take off coat ‘n go sit on the bench.” She said exasperatedly, pointing to another alcove on the opposite side of door from the one she had occupied earlier. “And tell me exactly what happened.”

The man struggled out of his greatcoat. His vest was completely torn at the arm and his shirt tails were hanging out, stained bright red. A darker stain, starting at the waist spread down his leg. He eased down onto padded bench and leaned against the paneled wall. As Agatha moved about the store, he closed his eyes and began recounting the events at the Graves.

A moment later, Agatha was shaking him. “Wake up! And quit bleeding on my cushions.” Her eye were bright with fright.

Artur realized that at some point he had slumped over on his good side and passed out. He didn’t think it was that bad. Had he really lost that much blood? He looked at Agatha as she helped him to his feet. As lightly as he could manage, he quipped, “Wouldn’t do to have a bleeding man die in your store window.” It sounded more shaky and nervous than he intended, but it calmed her fears somehwat.

“Sunfall folks always wantin to buy on credit, could do with a warning” She quipped back, trying to bring some levity as the pair struggled to the back of the store. “Wouldn’t do to have your pale torso on display, though. Think of the scandal!” Even in a crisis, she could find time to knock his obsession with propriety.

That brought a genuine chuckle, cut off by a grimace. She helped him past the swinging half-doors along the wide counter, past the shelves lined with containers, and into a small back room.

Propping him against a tall table, she began unbuttoning his vest and shirt. He tried to help her, only to have his hands slapped out of the way. “Don’t spoil my fun..” she started to tease gently, but then saw scope of wound. “Lay back, now.” Steel sprang into her voice, and she would brook no argument. He gave her none, collapsing in a sprawl on the tall working table.

The room was dark, and the pair of lamps seemed to be running out of oil, slowly making the room darker. “Hey!” She flicked a long, wrinkled finger against his ear. “Open wide, chew on this.” A thin, acrid root was pressed to his lips. Distantly, some part of his mind recalled the earth smell and bitter taste from youth- Lactuca… something… a strong painkiller.

He felt her hair brush his across his face, a scent of hollyhock, basil, and lilac. Felt a gentle kiss on forehead. He hadn’t realized his eyes were closed again. “Try to be still- I have much sewing to do.”

The sedative root and exhaustion claimed him before first spike of the needle.

[hi-mi-tsu]

Outside the Graves

"I haven't started anything. I merely wish to return home. Safely. This woman is injured."

Nespira eyed the armored man with suspicion, gaze only softening slightly as it moved to the woman in his arms. She did look a fair bit worse for wear, and it wouldn't be right to keep her from getting help. But..."home" seemed a strange place to want to take a wounded woman. And where did a man who could summon spectral monsters at the tip of a hat live?

No, she wasn't content to let him just wander off. Who knows what he could do to this woman in her current state?

"Fine." Sheathing her blade, she nodded brusquely. "You can take her home, but I'm accompanying you to ensure that she gets the care she needs and that you don't harm her. And don't think of trying anything funny to slip away - I know fair well what you look like, and the Wolves would consider you a grand target for investigation."

[Mary_Sue]

Sunday Morning
Castle Briarcroft

"Well, they crawled up into our viewing box half-drowned and can not remember their name. They're resting in Senna's room at the moment, we shall lead you there." She gestured to the well-dressed man in their group.

"Please, lead the way."

Senna stood to accompany Everly and the good doctor to her suite of rooms where the person in question rested.

"In the spirit of full disclosure, the injured party did not wish to be seen by a doctor but I thought it best given the circumstances. I do not know the events that led to them crawling out of the sea onto our balcony, but I trust in your discretion doctor."

[Jerry]

Sunday Morning
Castle Briarcroft

Veridian followed the women to his mysterious patient, but something about the whole thing had been nagging at him. He finally pinpointed what it was exactly.

"Please excuse my forwardness, but I can't help but notice you have both referred to the patient as they? I had assumed by the description of events that I was seeing one patient here today...?"

[PepperP.]

Sunday Morning
Castle Briarcroft

"Ah..." Everly began to reply and then hesitated a moment before she continued.

"You see, upon first glance they appeared masculine, if solely due to the lack of any hair. Upon speaking with this person further, and a brief glance at their anatomy, they seem to be entirely genderless. I would not presume to know their preference either way." She finished speaking just as they arrived at Senna's rooms and she rapped softly upon the door.

"Pardon the intrusion to your rest but may we come in?"

[Dorizzit]

[Castle Briarcroft]

There's no immediate response, but then again, the stranger was most likely exhausted by the events of the day. It's entirely possible they slept through the knock.

[Tychris1]

Outside the Salt Graves
Bergen

Staring intensely at the Tiefling, Bergen broke his silence with a curt nod, and boomed "Acceptable. Come, Friedrich." Turning to face his lord, Friedrich bowed ruefully and floated over to Bergen. Sheathing his ancient spectral blade, Friedrich extended his hands and held the unconscious woman in his arms. Despite his new duty, Friedrich continued to stare daggers into the uppity tiefling woman, and his moaning dirge turned into a soft and low hiss.

Pushing through the crowd until they were free, Bergen once more took on the burden of carrying the injured woman, and waved Friedrich away. "Thank you, Friedrich. That will be all."

"Until this chain comes pulling again, my King..." He rasped out in his last moments of corporeality causing Bergen to visibly recoil.

"Come, this way. It's a long hike to the Briarcroft Estate."

For some reason, a feeling rumbled deep within Bergen. A feeling that refused to leave him and only grew more and more intense as time passed by. "Could it be? She did face down Hanns without flinching, and prepared to battled me in the midst of all this chaos," He began to more closely examine the exotic woman, the feeling deep within him now bubbling forth and obscuring his very vision as all he could see when looking at her was orange.

The color of Bravery.

Looking away, he clenched his armored fist and watched as it began to burn and change in hue to match the discovered trait.

"Soon.... soon."

[Mary_Sue]

Sunday,
Castle Briarcroft

There's no immediate response, but then again, the stranger was most likely exhausted by the events of the day. It's entirely possible they slept through the knock.

"Let me." After waiting for a few silent moments for the stranger to respond, Senna opened the door a crack, just enough to peer in.

"It's ok, nobody here wishes you harm." She tried to be reassuring as she opened the door wider and stepped in.

[Dorizzit]

[Castle Briarcroft]

In the center of the darkened room, the stranger lies curled into a small ball on the floor, evidently asleep. As the door opens wider, their eyes drift open, briefly flashing with reflected light before the room grows bright enough to negate the effect. They roll into a sitting position, eyeing Senna warily.

"You know..."

They stop in the middle of their sentence, head tilting to the side and eyes growing vacant. After a moment, they snap back into focus.

"I apologize. How can I help you?"

[Jerry]

Castle Briarcroft

The doctor stepped into the room slowly, the hand that was not holding his doctor's bag raised to show he meant no harm. Still a fair distance away, he knelt on one knee and spoke in a soft voice.

"I'm more interested in how I can help you. Now, I'm not gonna do anything you aren't wanting me to do, but I'd like to be sure you don't have any serious trauma to your brain and make sure your lungs are clear of the seawater you ingested. That's all. No questions and I ain't gonna force you to go anywhere you don't wanna go. These folks say you can't remember your name, is that right?"

Spoiler: OOC for Dorizzit

Show

Veridian is from Sanctum, but there ain't any reason he'd recognize Ancala as such. Whether Ancala recognizes Veridian as a Sanctified I will leave entirely up to you.

[hi-mi-tsu]

Outside the Salt Graves, on the way to the Briarcroft Estate

My King...? Nes shook her head at the words of the ghostly figure. That was a question for another time. If he really was a king, he wasn't any king she recognized, and didn't seem to have any authority outside his strange ghostly servants. Who didn't seem to respect him very much, but were outright angry at her for not immediately bowing to him...

This man - king - whatever was quite a bundle of contradictions.

"Briarcroft, huh? You live there?" She arched an eyebrow, skeptical. "You don't really seem the type. Wait, are you the Briarcroft that came back? No one said anything about him walking around in a massive suit of armor...I thought he was supposed to be a fancy type. Unless you're like his...guard? Though if you are, you're doing a rather poor job of it."

Her lips pursed, contemplatively. "Maybe I could be his guard. Does he have a doctor on-hand? That girl's going to need help."

[Dorizzit]

[Castle Briarcroft]

The stranger's lips purse together in displeasure when they realize what's going on, but the expression is momentary.

"...I am not afraid of you. You need not be so cautious."

They stretch their arms and back, not getting up from the floor.

"That is correct. I do not, presently, recall my name."

Spoiler

Show

Since the Sanctified aren't recognizable by sight and Ancala is still far from the top of his game, there's no reason for him to notice.

[Tychris1]

En Route to Briarcroft Castle
Bergen

"No, I am not the prodigal Briarcroft nor am I his guard, though I served him as one for a time, and now we are associates." He stated simply as he continued his long march, focusing all of his magical energy into suppressing the overwhelming energy pulsing through his gauntlet "As for whether or not he has a doctor on retainer I'm unsure of, but dozens of skilled and high profile people walk in and out of his estate everyday. Surely one of them must be medically trained or have a personal physician. Regardless, he has no personal guard now, nor has he inquired me to resume my mantle, so the position is free if potentially unneeded. But considering his predilection for drama and desire to avoid bloodshed I imagine he'll need it again at some point or another. If todays events are any sign for the future of this city, I imagine it will be quite soon."

Approaching Castle Briarcroft, Bergen stopped infront of the looming edifice, and said aloud "Here we are. Adrian, take everything in my purse and take this woman inside. See if there's a doctor on hand or anyone with medical experience. You have been an excellent actor today, young man, and I see a promising future for you," And with that Bergen's armored form unclasped and fell to the ground in a heap of metal pieces and antiquated protection leaving the rattled Adrian shivering and staring at Nespira and the unconscious woman with equal levels of bewilderment.

"Uh... uh...."
"Go. Now."
"Right! Uh, thank you... sir? Gods I have so many questions..."

Adrian picked up the leather purse, placed it on his hip, and started to walk towards the front doors of the castle. Reforming and steadily stacking his various pieces ontop of each other from the boots all the way up to the pauldrons Bergen knelt down and grasped his helmet with both hands before placing it back ontop of his breastplate.

"I am Bergen Valdof, First of his name, the Fallen, Fairy Killer, Oathknight, and King of Grendelhof. I spoke truly when I said I had no intentions of harming anyone or causing chaos. Who do I have the honor of addressing?"