Finished [Kruhrin Village][Ciu'nan]Orson's Feast IV

Hathaway listened intently to the conversation between Jia and Akim. The priest himself was still abit surprised at the fact he himself was here aswell. So when Akim gave his reason for allowing the young man into his school, he bowed in respect. "I very much appreciate you for the opportunity, Sifu," he spoke with a smile of gratitude on his face. Still, his was concerned about the comment towards Daichi. Seeing the bearkin, he couldn't help but be worried at his sorry state.

Hathaway was then surprised at the sudden mention of himself, "Me!?" he exclaimed. What could they want with him? he pondered. Was it possible him being here was more of an offense than he thought? If that was the case, how much did he have to plead for forgiveness? If anything, he had to ask why they weren't taking Karsh instead of him. He looked over at the artist once more, who had that displeased expressing while serving the other students.

When it came time for him to answer Jia's question about their assignment, Hathaway hesitated in a moment of thought before speaking, "Yes that is the case,..." Jia was not only a member of the council but also the victim of the incident. There was plenty reason to trust him. He leaned his head low and spoke lightly enough for only the few of them to hear. "Me and my friends were given license to investigate the incident on you Jia. Just to make sure that it truly was an 'accident' after all. We simply wish for Orson's Feast to go on without any issues. We're investigating to clear away any worries. Part of that was speaking to Karsh, who we heard wasn't too pleased with you, Jia. Yet when we went to his place, he was nowhere to be found, well until now that is,"

Alexei waited for Crymaria at the top of the ramp. He offered a paw when she drew near. Her strange footwear seemed to grip much better than the boots he was familiar with.

"Oh, you'll see that now and again in forests: broken limbs and rotted trees fallen over. Some of this is natural, I s'pose, but most of it is from those toads wrestling one another or jumping around like they do."

Down below, Boris hesitantly waded into the water. His massive paws sank into the muck, but his strength pulled them free again. The process of getting unstuck did cause him to walk a little odd though. Boris moved under the tree and looked up to where Crymaria and Alexei were hanging out.

Alexei motioned with his paw to draw Crymaria's attention to the trunk of the tree they had climbed up to. There nailed into the tree's core were planks arranged like rungs of a ladder. Alexei pointed upward as he took to climbing. The rungs travelled up the tree fairly straight, then abruptly spiraled around the trunk about two-thirds the way up. About that point, the tree began to grow up at a slant, so the rungs swung around as they did to keep the climber on the topmost side. The rungs stopped when the grade of the incline was low enough to walk on more or less comfortably.

From this height (around 20 feet off the ground), it was clear that this tree was actually hunched. For some reason it had been made to grow at a slant, causing it to reach into the branches of a neighboring tree. Alexei began balancing across without hesitation. The tree bounced slightly underneath them, especially as they neared the other tree. As he entered the neighboring canopy, he grabbed onto sturdy-looking branches as he maneuvered from the hunched tree to the bough of the new tree.

Below them, the frogs could be heard. Presently, some heavy splashing sounded from nearby. The tree branches would obscure much, but it appeared as though two somethings were quarreling on the ground 50 yards away. Alexei stooped down as he maneuvered closer to the tree trunk then around to a branch closer to the action. Much was obscured by the branches and a separate tree in the way, but one would still see flashes of legs, water, muck, and branches flying this way and that.

Eventually, the commotion came into view. Two large frogs were "wrestling" as Alexei had described. One frog had stretched its mouth around the face of the other while their front limbs were slapping at each other. The one being bitten performed a powerful leap, launching them both horizontally across the bog. Luckily this jump took them further away from the scouts' and Boris's general location.

"C'mon, our next crossing point is below us. We call it the River of Sticks because, well, it's a river of actual sticks, but also, if we get caught here, we may well be meeting the ferryman." Alexei whispered as he began descending the tree.

What lay below them was a portion of the bog that used random pieces of tree and driftwood in place of actual ground. From the thrashing that had just occurred, some wood had been piled up, sharing a vague similarity to a beaver's lodge. Other such mounds dotted the area. Most of the piles weren't very tall, only around three feet on average, with a few standing closer to four or five feet tall.

It sounded like the wrestlers had taken their beef elsewhere, but looking out over the bog, more shadows were moving in and out of the fog. They were entering the frogs' territory now. Sudden splashing sounds approached from behind, but when the pair turned, it was only Boris coming to meet them. Alexei leaned in close and barely dared to breathe as he spoke.

"Stay low. If they approach, do not run. They're attracted to motion. Our target is that sunken shelter over there." Alexei pointed towards an old stone structure several yards out. One corner was submerged in the muck, while the opposite corner was raised into the air. A tree had sprouted out of what used to be a doorway on the raised side and now branched out over top of the sunken structure. Alexei crouched and alternated between walking on two legs and all fours as he began crossing towards the structure.

Time: 8:40am

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Akim patiently listened to Hathaway's explanation. His eyebrows raised slightly at the news of an investigation into Jia's accident. He glanced over to Karsh when he was mentioned as well. When Hathaway finished his explanation, the sifu turned his attention back to Jia.

"You had me look after one suspected of doing you harm?" Akim looked perplexed but then his eyebrows raised with revelation. He leaned closer before continuing. "You had him brought here so that we might punish him more...freely, like in the old days?" An excited yet dangerous gleam flashed in his eyes.

Jia simply held up his tiny paw.

"I told you, Akim, we are not in Kuridan anymore. It's time we left all that buried in the mountainside. The world is changing. We must adapt with it. As for Karsh, I still need you to look after him for me, and as an honored guest, hm? I don't mind if you have him do chores, but he is not to come to harm."

Akim settled back in his chair, a look of disappointment replacing his former excitement.

"You are still witholding something, are you not? What is happening in Kruhrin, Jia?" His tone bore the disdain of one who is being left out of a big secret.

Jia cleared his throat and pushed his bowl aside. He tapped the bench next to him.

"Sit down, boy. You're making everyone stare." Jia said at a volume that was surprising for his size. The students that had been watching them from the main table abruptly turned back around to their bowls. Jia let out a sigh. "There's some kind of outbreak happening in Kruhrin. Lady Bao and her helpers have been observing it carefully since the first few cases presented themselves. They thought it to be from some spoiled food, but the symptoms are too severe and progressive. They can ease some of the symptoms, but if nothing changes, there will be casualties.
"Furthermore, Lady Bao has taken charge in Misha's absence. She has put bearkin treatment first, and won't even see other beastkin, let alone our many non-beast guests."

"As she very well should!" Akim interjected approvingly.

Jia frowns before continuing. "If we let our friends die, who will help us when we need it, Akim? If we are known to other towns as the bearkin who abandoned even their closest friends during this crisis, who can we depend on? Bearkin are strong, and very proud of that strength, but we are not invincible. This situation may very well be our undoing if we handle it poorly." Jia says somberly before slowly turning to Hathaway. "Which brings us to the reason I am here: you, young priest. What healing power you possess is direly needed back in Kruhrin. You will focus on those whom Lady Bao has neglected, which unfortunately is everyone else. Perhaps the war and bug problem to the south can be thanked then for granting us a lower attendance this year."

Akim chuckled lightly to himself. Jia looked to him curiously.

"After humbling your artist friend only a moment ago, I must now be humbled by you, dear Jia. Very well. You may have the priest if he is willing. I will not forsake my kin in their time of need."

Jia clapped his paws as his grin renewed itself. He slid out from the table with comedic effect as his standing height was about the same as his sitting height.

"Ah, good, then I'd like to take Daichi back with me as well."

Daichi looked up suddenly. "Me?!"

"Shall I give you the rest of my students as well?" Akim said with a frown.

"Oh, no, that would be silly." Jia said with a laugh. "I only have room for three! So, what say you, priest? Daichi? Ready to head back?"

Daichi immediately jumped up with an excited "Yes!" Jia waited patiently for Hathaway's answer.

Time: 11:48am

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As Ciu'nan ran along the upper terrace towards the town hall, there were several figures shambling towards the same destination. Despite their numbers, Ciu'nan couldn't help but see a silver lining: at least they COULD shamble towards the town hall. How many others were bedridden like Anasi? Was this outbreak worse than it appears even now?

She was getting close now. The entrance to the town hall was apparent due to the crowd now forming around it. Although predominantly beastkin, other races were present among those now protesting outside the large double doors leading into the town hall. One bearkin stood guard in front of the entrance, permitting no one to enter.

"Wei!" Ciu'nan cried when she finally recognized him. Worming her way through to the front of the crowd, she looked up slightly at the bearkin guard. "Wei, what's going on? Why can't we enter?" Ciu'nan cried over the din of the crowd.

The bearkin hunter tilted his head slightly as his eyes honed in on the fae woman addressing him.

"By order of Lady Bao, the bearkin are to be seen first. Aid will be given to all other races on a first come, first serve basis as resources allow." He knocked on the door behind him as he finished. It was opened by another bearkin guard on the inside. Wei addressed the crowd. "All bearkin in need of treatment please enter the town hall. If you are a foreigner, you may wait here to be permitted entry. Depending on your condition, Lady Bao encourages those who are able to seek medical attention elsewhere if possible."

The crowd was a mixture of relief from the overwhelming bearkin majority and outrage from the foreigners among them. Ciu'nan felt a smaller figure wedge next to her. Looking down she saw the catkin duo. Gray was panting heavily from having basically carried White all the way from the inn.

"Wei...please...! White needs...to be seen...!" panted Gray, still supporting his partner.

Wei's head inclined further to stare at the much shorter pair. His eyes narrowed with remorse.

"He can be seen after the bearkin are tended to." replied Wei.

As Gray stared up in shock and disbelief, the bearkin began entering through the guarded doorway. The catkin watched them pass, his panic becoming obvious. Ciu'nan placed a hand on his head between his ears. When he turned to look up at her, she gently shook her head. Gray tensed, making him appear as a toddler that had been caught in the act of doing something they shouldn't. His ears drooped as he looked sorrowfully at White, who was panting and moaning occasionally. After a moment, Gray's ears stood up straight as determination glimmered in his eyes.

"We'll just...find treatment elsewhere then! There must be another healer in town--magical or otherwise!" said the catkin as he began dragging his friend through the crowd. Ciu'nan found herself absently following after them, trying to part the crowd for them when she could.

"Another healer...." Ciu'nan said as she followed behind the pair. "There was that priest...Hathaway was his name. I think he knows healing magic."

"Did I hear you right, Miss? Were you saying you knew a healer just now?" came a voice from below. Ciu'nan looked down to see a short figure completely wrapped in cloaks and wrappings. Ciu'nan stopped as well as the catkin at the sudden appearance of the stranger.

"I...did...who might you be?"

"Just another soul interested in finding a healer in these trying times. Say, I know! How about an exchange, hm? You tell me about this healer you know, and I'll tell you"--the small figure hunched somewhat and put a hand to the side of his mouth--"about the secret entrance to the town hall. Hm? How does that sound?"

Ciu'nan perked up.

"A secret entrance? You know of such a thing?"

"Yes, yes, I assure you my information is true. Known to very few indeed. So rare is this knowledge that I fear I am losing in this deal should you take it." The peculiar stranger dramatically drapes the back of his hand against his forehead in a mock faint.

"Please, stranger, tell me what you know. I must get into the town hall quickly!"

The small figure wags a finger side to side as he tsk-tsked the fae.

"Ah-ah, don't be so impatient, fae. Considering mine is the weightier information in this exchange, it's only fair that you share first."

"If you know of a healer, Miss, please share with all haste!" Gray insisted.

Ciu'nan looked between the two. She adjusted her skull hat as she answered.

"I only met him briefly. He was rooming at the tavern. His name is Hathaway. He introduced himself as a 'priest of the church'. When I met him, he was in priestly attire: flowing robes and the like, carried a staff. He started training with a young bearkin named Daichi, and he changed into more...monk-like clothing, I guess you could say. Last time I saw him was yesterday evening in the town hall. I think he and Daichi left with some serious-looking bearkin. Not sure where they went. That's all I know."

The small figure put a hand to his chin and made thoughtful noises as Ciu'nan shared her information. A moment of silence passed as he appeared to process it. Then he put his hands together and bowed to Ciu'nan.

"I thank you for your information. Yes, I think this priest is exactly what I need. Now, then, your compensation." The figure took a few steps towards Ciu'nan and motioned for her to come closer. She knelt and put her ear towards him as he cupped his hands around his mouth to impart his wisdom. "Follow the terrace down past the town hall. There will be a ridge on your right where the mountain remains natural. Climb atop this ridge and look for a gathering of three bushes sprouting out of the side of the mountain. There in the midst of them will be your entrance." The figure withdrew, but added, "It comes out in the town hall's cellar. Be a good girl and replace the stone covering the entrance."

Ciu'nan nodded then spoke a quick 'thank you' as she turned and ran back towards the town hall.

Time: 8:55am

Crymaria watched as Boris waded through the water until she was confident nothing bad would happen. Then she turned to Alexei, who was getting her attention as they started to climb up the tree for a moment. Pausing as she saw the rungs in the tree and how the branches were explained. These frogs seem to be far more interesting than I originally thought and maybe a bit more dangerous at that. However, I still think it was foolish for them not to study the frogs or develop some method of keeping them away. She thought to herself as she grabbed onto the rungs and started to follow Alexei up the tree for a bit.

Once she was able to walk on the tree she continued to follow the guide as they moved from one tree to the other. Though she had to admit that the the bouncing of the tree was slightly concerning but, if it held the bearkin it should hold a human right? As they entered the next tree over Crymaria paused for a moment as she glanced down noticing the height difference they were at now compared to before. That was when the frogs finally came into view to which she tilted her head for a moment as she looked at the frogs. They certainly seem stronger than one would think a frog to be. She thought to herself not wanting to really making any more sounds than she had to at this point.

She watched as the branches and limbs went every direction until the one frog lept up into the air and they disappeared from view for the moment. As Alexei explained the next section of the swamp Crymaria cocked an eyebrow at the name. "A river of sticks you have to be kidding me right Comrade?" Crymaria inquired as she followed him down to the next level so they could prepare to cross to the next stopping point. As Boris approached she reached out her hand and started to pet the bear on the head before turning back to face Alexei.

"Comrade Alexei, I think if they spot us even not moving wont help us," She pointed out as she started to follow him as he crossed attempting to keep as low to the ground as she could to prevent from getting spotting by the frogs or anything else.

''Of course," Hathaway responded to Jia's demand by sitting down in a seat. With the other students seeing him chatting so closely to Akim and Jia, he had to worry if he was already giving off a bad impression of himself. Whether that was the case or not, he figured it didn't matter since, from what he gathered, the culture of the bearkin seemed to be pretty steadfast in their views. He had already knew he had plenty of work to do with Akim, and now the same could be said with his fellow practitioners.

"Seriously? Just what exactly are the symptoms? Is there anything we've learned at all so far?" Hathaway questioned, becoming increasingly worried about what was happening outside. He had to force himself to not yell his inquiry. Hathaway was unaware whatever dire misfortune had settled Kruhrin, but that wouldn't stop him from helping. The fact of Lady Bao's discrimination almost escaped him. "Wait a minute. Is this true about Lady Bao's actions? I know she is strongly for the support of Bearkin, but for a healer to allow discrimination to cloud their work is a dishonor!" he spoke harshly with an indignation that surprised even himself.

Upon hearing Jia's request for him once again, Hathaway stood from his seat firmly. "I'll do whatever I can, however I am still only one person. It would be hubris of me to say I could take care of everyone in time. Well...that depends on the amount of individuals needing treatment so far. Still, when given the chance, I'd like to speak with Lady Bao." he spoke steadily after deliberating over the details. Then there was the matter of using magic in Kruhrin. Lady Bao forbade it but considering the discussion he had with the council about healing magic last night and the events now, he wouldn't be discouraged from doing the best he could to help others.

The priest fastened the staff tied to his back, "I'm ready. I'll be using whatever means necessary."

The branches bobbed as Alexei, Crymaria, and Boris crossed the river of sticks. Under their feet, remnants of branches and trees jutted out of the muck providing a semi-solid surface on which to traverse. The mounds were solidly compacted down into the muck below, allowing them to support weight. Sometimes the topmost branches were completely free and shifted suddenly as weight was put on them.

Alexei continued his two and four legged alternate walk, stopping suddenly to look around before continuing. His head was continuously moving, giving him the appearance of an owl or some kind of curious bird twitching its head this way and that. He would point when the shadows of frogs started becoming more clear as they moved closer, diverting his own path to put more distance between him and them.

This game of "keep away" caused the trio to take a scenic path more than once, forcing them to go out and around in a rough arc until the structure lay between them and the encroaching shadows. Alexei was laying on the side of a mound of sticks, poking his head out just enough to get eyes on the area between them and the shelter.

Several frogs had clustered together on the far side of the sunken stone building. A few others drifted in and out of the fringes of the fog. One sat atop a stout mound a stone's throw from the structure droning contentedly to itself. The sound of their many croaks was heavy and hypnotic in its steady cadence. A devout person might enjoy it for its meditative quality, but for the interlopers there in the bog, it was a constant warning that their next move could be their last.

Alexei stared intently at the squatter near the structure and the several shadows all around, looking for a way to sneak by all of them to the shelter. Even if they succeeded, as soon as they poked out to start climbing the tree sprouting from the structure, they'd surely be spotted. Boris would be a sitting duck as well.

That's when a strong gust caused the fog to roll over the area, enveloping Alexei, Crymaria, and Boris as well as the structure they were heading to and the frogs beyond. It was a momentary inconvenience as the fog was not heavy enough to linger and obscure vision for long. As the fog began to disperse and restore visibility to what it was, a loud shriek from overhead caused the droning to go eerily quiet. Through the fog the sound of splashes receding into the distance could be heard in the direction of the structure.

In response to the shriek, Alexei had ducked back down behind the mound on which he lay, but now he scrambled back up to peek over the top once again as the fog thinned. When the structure came into view, the frog sentinel was gone. Alexei looked around but the shadows were also gone. The droning had not started again either.

The bearkin scrambled up to the top of the mound, urgently beckoning with his paw for Crymaria to follow. Alexei moved purposefully towards the structure using a more direct path than before, but still crouched behind mounds as he passed. Another shriek suddenly pierced the air somewhere ahead of them. The sound of a multitude of splashes could be heard rapidly approaching.

Alexei turned and whisper-shouted, "Make for the building!"

[Combat Rules are in effect. Alexei, Crymaria, and Boris are 120ft from the structure. Movement is halved for Medium sized creatures due to the bog and debris. ]

Alexei
1. Move 30ft (Movement, Fast F)
2. Move 10ft (Dodged incoming frog)
3. Move 15ft (Movement, normal)
Total: 55ft/120ft

As Crymaria and Boris move towards the shelter, a frog scrambles towards them. They will need to bypass it.

Time: 9:00am

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Jia would beckon Daichi and Hathaway with his paw as he left out the way he had entered.

"We can talk about that on the way. Say, Akim, do you still have my old cart here by chance?" Jia said, dipping back into the feast hall to add the last bit at Akim. Akim stood and addressed his students.

"Finish eating and clean up the hall--that includes you, human. I shall return shortly." Akim turned and calmly followed the trio out of the hall. "Your...cart? Did you not ride here in one...?"

"Oh, Orson's paw, no! I ran."

"You ran...? All the way from Kruhrin...?"

"Indeed. So where is the cart?"

Jia had been leading, but now Akim moved to the front of their group as he navigated them out a side entrance. They emerged onto a small yard beside the main building. Akim went to a barn that stood nearby and drew back the main door revealing a rickshaw that could seat two. The shafts used to pull it were positioned much lower than the traditional design.

"It was a good joke when I got you this. Your face was worth every coin I paid. What do you need with it?"

"Oh, I'm going to transport these boys back to Kruhrin in it." Jia said waving the would-be passengers onto the cart. "Go ahead and climb in, lads."

A look of confusion tilted Akim's features.

"You jest. The joke is that you are too small to move it, Jia. What are you playing at?"

"If I jest, then you are playing the part of a blind man, Akim. Have you not noticed by now?"

Akim stared in bewilderment at his small friend, squinting as though the secret to Jia's confidence would be revealed. He moved closer and stooped down to put himself face-to-face with the councilbear. Suddenly, his eyes widened as a paw raised towards Jia's face but stopped short of touching him.

"She used it then...?" said Akim, his tone expressing wonder.

"Yes. You should know she was as stubborn as an owlbear about it."

Akim chuckled lightly as he slowly stood.

"You will be here tomorrow then?"

"Can't miss the ceremony, can I? I fear Lady Bao would be more displeased about that than using the last flower."

Akim rubbed the back of his head.

"The last flower is gone." he said as one trying to convince himself of something. "I was hoping it would be me that would benefit from it. Bah, we shall talk tomorrow then. Get going."

Jia gripped the arms tightly and hoisted them up to his waist, which wasn't that high at all. Leaning forward slightly, he took a tiny step forward and the cart immediately began to move without any hesitation. Tugging the rickshaw out of the barn, Jia followed a narrow path around to the front courtyard and out the main gates.

Time: 12:08pm

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Ciu'nan jogged back past the town hall. The bearkin had been let in and the remaining ailing non-bearkin were milling about, unsure of whether to wait in hopes of being let in or to seek help elsewhere. Some, like the catkin, had already left.

Arriving at the natural portion of the mountain as described by the stranger, Ciu'nan turned and easily jumped up the crags to the top. The side of the mountain containing the town hall rose up on her right. She scanned the section, but did not immediately see the gathering of bushes the stranger mentioned.

In the early morning light, she began frantically searching for the landmark she had been given. More than once Ciu'nan pondered whether she had been tricked. She looked up. She looked down. She considered whether the bushes could be higher up. Maybe even on the very top somehow? Just as she was about to give up, the fae discovered her quarry completely by accident when she nearly fell into a crevice whose opening was cleverly hidden by the uneven terrain. There sprouting out of the side of the hole was the bushes spoken of by the stranger.

Hastily hopping down, Ciu'nan used her flight to hover as she peered into the midst of the hidden greenery. A door disguised to match the rock it was affixed to was revealed. She felt around until a handle was found and gave it a tug. Wrenching the door open, she crawled into the tunnel, closing the hatch behind her.

Crawling on her hands and knees through the rough tunnel was not comfortable, but it was the only way she knew to get inside. Ciu'nan hadn't even thought of what she'd do once she was in. It seemed unlikely that she would avoid the guards forever, but their numbers were few, so she had a chance.

Finally the tunnel opened up above her. She reached up and felt another trapdoor. Her hands searched eagerly for the handle. Finding it, she started to throw it open, but remembered she was supposed to be sneaky. More calmly and slowly, she carefully opened the door, peeking out when she had the room. The cellar was dark. No one seemed to be around. She could hear faint sounds from the upper floor echoing down on the far side of the room. Raising the hatch the rest of the way, she quickly and quietly emerged from the tunnel, replacing the trapdoor as she had the first.

Suddenly, her [Danger Sense] kicked off as something attacked her from behind. Several others emerged from hiding places to also attack her. In her confusion at the sudden assault, she allowed herself to get hit from behind. She was wrestled to the ground as her consciousness faded.

Time: 9:37am

Crymaria looked around as they continued to push further into the swamp. She could see the structure they were going to start making their way towards. Letting out a sight of relief as the shrieking and the frogs moved further away. She looked over at Boris and gently patted the bears head before continuing to follow Alexei as they started to transverse the river of sticks. Then came the stampeded that was off in the distance. As Alexei told them to run he didn't have to tell Crymaria twice. She motioned for Boris to follow as she used Fast F and energized E as she attempted to go around the frog. Followed by Fast E to get further ahead in an attempt to make it to the structure to at least hopefully avoid getting tramped by their new found guests that were coming this way.

Hathaway was awed by the cart that was shown to Daichi and himself. "Have you ever ridden in one of these,...Daichi?" He questioned the bearkin beside himself, having to force himself not to say 'master'. He couldn't help but still feel that strange sense of awkwardness from earlier. Just how serious did Akim take offense to Daichi being referred to as a master? The priest still wasn't sure.

Hathaway hesitantly stepped onto the cart, unaware of the integrity of its craftsmanship. "I will make sure to be back as soon as everything is settled, Sifu Akim." He proceeded to bow in respect toward the elder. He sat in his seat and let Jia carry them. He thought about riding a fuss that he shouldn't let them do all the work, but figured such complaints would be disrespectful.

"If I may ask, what are the details concerning Lady Bao and the flower?" Hathaway, while watching the trees pass by. He was rather impressed than Jia could pull them at this speed especially considering they had only recently healed from their injury.

[Combat Rules are in effect. Alexei, Crymaria, and Boris are 120ft from the structure. Movement is halved for Medium sized creatures due to the bog and debris.]

Despite the water they trudged through and the incoming frogs, Crymaria was small and nimble enough to weave through the intial wave of the stampede and surpass Alexei in the run for the structure. In the final stretch, she encounters the main bunch of frogs. They were packed close together, so weaving through them safely as she had done before would not be possible this time.

Crymaria
1. Move 30ft (Movement, Fast F)
2. Move 60ft (Movement, Fast E)
Total: 90ft/120ft

Boris was nowhere near as small as Crymaria, so in order to fulfill her orders and follow her to the structure, the large bear charged into oncoming frogs, using his strength to shove them out of the way. Unfortunately, the frog he pushed aside was the same one Alexei had to dodge. Now, Boris was 30ft behind his master who was faced with an impenetrable wall of frogs. The command to follow Crymaria stands.

Boris
1. Move 30ft (Movement, normal)
2. Attack (Superstrength F)
3. Move 30ft (Movement, normal)
Total: 60ft/120ft

Alexei had to dodge Boris's handiwork, but that made him see how valuable the bear was in their current task. His next move was dashing for Boris's side. Alexei's wounded leg would give out unexpectedly, however, causing him to stumble. The pain would slow him down as he tried to catch up to Boris.

Alexei
1. Move 30ft (Movement, Fast F)
2. Stumble
3. Move 7ft (Movement, injured leg)
Total: 92ft/120ft

Time: 9:00am

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Daichi shook his head as he climbed in next to Hathaway.

"I've heard the older bearkin talking about them before. They were mostly used back in Kuridan from what I understand. I haven't even seen one until now!" Daichi said, his tone implying his own interest in the contraption.

Rain poured heavy as the rickshaw departed from the monastery gates. The small roof over the cab kept some of the damp away, but its occupants would find the ride bumpy and wet as Jia tugged them along.

"Confidential, I'm afraid~!" Jia called playfully over his shoulder. "What's important is that you two get what rest you can. I know how Akim's training is." The small bearkin was hardly winded at all despite the load he was hauling.



Time: 12:10pm

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Ciu'nan would fade in and out. Every time she started to wake up, a new wave of sleep would take her again.

Time: 10am

Crymaria turned on her heel as she weaved her way through the crowd of frogs. That was until she saw the next group of frogs which would cause a problem by itself. Seeing that the other two were not so lucky, she saw Boris and Alexei were still making their way towards her. "Comrade Boris, use Maul and push through the frogs, there are more of its comrades that are coming!" She shouted hoping they would be able to push further into the bog. But at this point, this was turning into a fight that they were hardly prepared for. At this point, it was probably better to start backtracking to where they had come from.

"Comrade Alexei, it might be better to fall back, better to live to fight another day," Crymaria suggested as she had her focused now on the frog. her hair starting to once again fall from her hat as it was shaken loose.

Hearing Daichi talk about the cart, Hathaway began to wonder of the possibility of humans doing such a thing in other regions. Not just that, but he had a very vague memory of such a job in his previous world. Being reminded of 'old bearkin' brought his mind back to the conversation earlier, "So, what's the connection between the Akim and Jia? They seemed to know each other quite well." he asked Daichi to just help pass the time on their ride.

Under the wrath of the incoming rain, Hathaway couldn't help but have to slide closer under the roof in order to not get totally drenched. "I'm suprised you're even capable of this Jia, let alone after your injury?!" he became more impressed with bearkin physicality while being dragged along the awkward terrain. When his questioned the flower was denied, that made him even more curious to it's nature. The priest was starting to get the feeling there was something bigger going on, "I see, I can't say I'm satisfied considering the situation we're in but I won't press it right now. You're right, it's best we try to get whatever rest we can," he admitted regrettably. However it wouldn't be easy considering how rocky this ride was, Hathaway folded folded his arms and leaned back with his eyes closed to try his best to nap.

[Combat Rules are in effect. Alexei, Crymaria, and Boris are 120ft from the structure. Movement is halved for Medium sized creatures due to the bog and debris.]

Crymaria climbs atop a nearby mound of sticks. The surface was loose and sticks shifted and pulled free as she mounted it. Her new vantage point was perfect to shout out her order to Boris, who would charge past her as he followed through.

Crymaria
1. Wait
2. Climb (Movement, normal)
3. Command Boris
Total: 90ft/120ft

Boris charged fearlessly on. The urgency with which he moved was spurred on all the more by the fact that his comrade was in danger. At the sound of her voice, his attention zeroed in on Crymaria. The order had barely left her lips before Boris's body swelled and a mighty roar escaped his lips. His muscles rippled as his claws tore up the sticks and muck underneath while propelling him forward. The frogs closed in on Crymaria's position as Boris charged in from the rear. His master stood unmoving atop a pile of sticks, displaying her confidence in his ability to defend her. While the frogs seemed to simply glide through the sticks and water, the same debris clung to Boris.
(20 feet)
Pulling at him.
(15 feet)
Dragging at him.
(10 feet)
Trying to stop him.
(5 feet)
...
Boris clashed with the frog nearest to Crymaria, the force of the impact rattling her mound of sticks. The frog was lifted up by the force of the tackle and fell backward onto its back. This in turn backed up and diverted surrounding frogs to either side of the conflict. Taking the initiative, Boris chomped down on the frog's shoulder/neck. The frog was still thrashing against the bear, particularly its longer, more muscular hind legs which extended and contracted as it struggled. Others would need to be wary while passing by.

Boris
1. Move 30ft (Movement, normal)
2. Attack (Ability, Maul E)
3. Attack (Basic)
Total: 95ft/120ft

Alexei smirked despite his pain as it seems like Crymaria had read his mind. Boris worked like a charm and punched a whole in the incoming wave of frogs. All that was left was for them to make it to the sunken structure. "Get inside, girly!" Alexei called as he hobbled past the mound she stood on. Giving Boris and the frog a wide berth, the gimp bearkin managed to duck inside the doorway.

Alexei
1. Move 15ft (Movement, Fast F, injured leg)
2. Move 7ft (Movement, injured leg)
3. Move 7ft (Movement, injured leg)
Total: 120ft/120ft (safe)

Overhead, the disembodied cry that had been herding the frogs now rang out again. This time it originated from the direction the frogs had just scurried. Now the wall of frogs returned once more.

Time: 9:00am

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Daichi laid his head back, but, like Hathaway, wasn't having much luck in getting to sleep. He seemed to enjoy being able to rest and close his eyes nonetheless. Without opening his eyes, he answered Hathaway, "I only know the stories we've been told over the years by Lady Bao. Getting Sifu Akim or Master Jia to talk about their past is like trying to get an East Empire noble to talk about how much they love beastkin.
"Anyway, according to Lady Bao, the bearkin served in the Kuridan army at the beginning of the war 50 years ago. During that time Sifu Akim and Master Jia rose through the ranks with Sifu becoming a general and Master Jia serving under him. Lady Bao says that their roles could have been reversed had Master Jia been more ambitious--"

"Oi, that doesn't sound like resting!" Jia interrupted before muttering under his breath. "Lady Bao needs to stop spilling all my secrets...."

Daichi opened an eye to peek at Jia when he interrupted, but now the eye closed once more as a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. When Hathaway addressed Jia, he offered a quick reply, "You are witness to a miracle, my boy! That said, let's just say my present vitality won't be an 'everyday' sort of thing."



Time: 12:15pm

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Ciu'nan would fade in and out. Every time she started to wake up, a new wave of sleep would take her again.

Time: ???

Crymaria looked over the battlefield as the frogs closed in on her position. She rolled her eyes as she saw Boris charging toward her position. Well, at least the frogs will be a bit surprised. She thought to herself. She saw as the Boris made contact with the frogs and campled down on one of the targets. Smirking, she hopped down from the pile as Alexei called back to her to follow him to the structure. She quickly followed their guide as she gave space to the frog that was currently struggling with Boris. Quickly she pushed to reach the structure so she could duck inside once reaching the target.

"Comrade Boris! Follow!" She called out to her companion as she looked at back over her shoulder to see what was going to happen next. Though if they could reach the safety of the structure, it would make all of their lives easier. Though the fact the frogs knew where they were was slightly concerning at the moment. But there wasn't much that could be done about that right now.

Hathaway was surprised by what Daichi has said and carefully examined the body of Jia. His impression of the beastkin was rapidly changing in just a short amount of time. "Really now? I can certainly see Akim in the military but I never imagined Jia too. And at that level too. A lesson learned in not being fooled by appearances." He commented with a smile.


"I pray I can be so active in my later years as well, if there's some form of trick to your suddenly vitality I'd like to hear it, but I suspect that too is on a 'need-to-know' basis." Hathaway surmised regrettably. There was still plenty he didn't know about the bearkin's culture. The priest didn't want to be nosy however , he wanted to make the most of this endeavor.


Thankfully Daichi had been a great help and he was already noticing his friends mood brightening ever since they left Akim. "I'm still in your debt Daichi. The next time we eat, dinner is on me. Oh and that goes for you as well Master Jia." He spoke genuinely, a smile still on his lips. With that, Hathaway once more leant back to rest.

[Combat ended.]

As Crymaria made her way around Boris and the frog, her comrade chomped more vigorously at the still squirming frog. Boris tore his maw free of the reptilian flesh, removing a large, bloody chunk as he did so. He mounted his upper body atop the now bloodied frog, pressing it down in the murky water. The frog would stop moving as Crymaria called for her partner to follow her.

Alas, all Boris could do was remain outside the medium-sized door through which Alexei and Crymaria entered, the former ducking to do so. Boris remained in front of the door, their ever vigilant sentry. The splashing of the oncoming frogs could be heard, but they seemed to part around the group's location. Perhaps the dead frog served as a deterrant?

Crymaria and Alexei now stood inside the structure. A large portion of the back end had sunken down at an angle into the muck. Water had been trickling in through the doorways and windows for some time now, allowing a thick layer of sediment to cover the floor. Stone brick walls, now buckling from the uncertain ground, held up a heavily deteriorated roof--mostly trusses and rafters now.

Immediately to the left of the entrance, the wall had been severely compromised by a tree that now sprouted up from the interior floor and base of the wall itself. In all likelihood, the tree had saved the building from sinking faster than it had. Its roots now occupied most of what was now the highest corner of the building, while its trunk now protruded through the wall, partially supporting what was left of the roof.

Alexei leaned against the base of the tree with a sigh of relief. After catching his breath some, he looked down at his injured leg. The muck the scout had applied to his leg was now mostly washed off by the jog through the swamp. A deep red ooze stained the green-tinted fur of his leg despite the wrap he had put on it earlier.

"You know...," said Alexei through a few final pants, "...we don't have a 'Contest of Speed' for a reason!" He relaxed back against the tree a moment before pushing himself up and hobbling over to the cracks and spaces in the wall, trying to get visual of the outside. "We'll wait here a moment. I don't like the idea of climbing up with some unidentified banshee screeching above the mist. Want to see what it's doing with the frogs too."

The next twenty-five minutes would pass as they watched and waited. The screeching call came regularly, urging the frogs to rush once more across the swamp to a new location. Not once did the creature above descend to feed or otherwise present itself. Although the mists did swirl and churn in its wake as the creature remained just out of view in the clouded atmosphere. Alexei moved to lean against the tree once more as he stared at the ground thoughtfully.

"That screeching is a problem. Some giant bird maybe...but I've never heard anything like it before. Definitely never seen or heard of the frogs acting this way because of another creature's call. Like they're actually scared of it as big as they are. And the way it's causin' the frogs to move all together. Grouping them up....We have to let Wei and the others know."

Another screech echoed over the swamp. Boris stood at the ready outside the door. Splashing could be heard approaching, but it was off in the distance. The frogs were scurrying by at a different angle, their trajectory a stone's throw out from the structure.

"It's gotta be you, girly. This leg is gonna give me trouble. You and your friend there can get out of here and warn the others. I'll wait here. If I get a chance, I'll try to get back myself."

Time: 9:25am
saxon

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Daichi turned his head lazily toward Hathaway.

"You'd buy a bearkin dinner? Ha! You don't know what you're in for!" Daichi chuckled a bit, wincing slightly as he did so. "I appreciate it though. The past few days have been crazy, but at least you and I have become friends."

The rain seemed to have thinned some as Jia had apparently pulled them ahead of the storm ever so slightly. While nice, it wasn't like the trio could get much wetter at this point.

The brooding sky definitely made the meadow appear less inviting. Despite this, as they came up on the path leading over to the wetlands, a lone figure could be seen coming from the direction of Kruhrin. An avian styled mask covered the face with a hooded coat obscuring much of the rest of the individual. A peculiar staff adorned with some kind of skull aided them as they walked against the oncoming rain. Jia perked up, but his pace did not slow as they rushed past the stranger.


Time: 12:24pm
Kenju Law

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Ciu'nan would fade in and out. Every time she started to wake up, a new wave of sleep would take her again.

Time: ???

Crymaria watched as Boris finished off the frog and made his way toward the sunken structure. "Keep an eye here, Comrade Boris, but don't engage anything unless you have to," She told the bear before ducking through the entrance to the structure. She let out a small sigh of relief as for the moment it sounded like the frogs were going to stay away from them. Though the fact that the wailing was still going on was concerning. I wonder if that thing is the reason the frogs had moved to close to the city. She thought to herself as she saw the tree that had grown through the wall. Looking around the building it had seen better days that was for sure. Though the fact it hadn't sunken into the swamp yet was surprising by itself.

Leaning against a wall that wasn't compromised, she noticed the red ooze from the wound earlier and his comment about speed. "Comrade Alexei, I doubt there would be many that would be able to keep up with you in a straight-line race. Moving through this bog isn't easy, and I doubt the other Bearkin would be able to do so if they didn't know the area well. But, you should see to that wound when we get back. Don't want to lose your leg over something like that, Comrade. But food for thought, I suppose, we might have found out why the frogs were so close to the city," Crymaria concluded as she went to take a peek outside through the gap in the boards.

As Alexei spoke on the strange creature making the noise as well it basically cemented the thought in her mind. There was still much to find out and when she was told to warn the others she looked back at the bear for a moment. "They do need to be warned about all of this, Comrade Alexei if you are going to stay behind then I would advise waiting for the others to show up. Once I get back, I will tell them to send some hunters this way. If you think you can make it back by yourself go for it but with your leg, another ambush by a snake could be fatal if you ask me," She pointed out as she started to make her way out of the building and paused for a moment.

"A gift I suppose," She stated as she opened her pack and pulled out a bottle of vodka. "Might ease the pain and the time up to you though Comrade," She concluded before tossing the bottle toward him and then went to rejoin Boris. "Alright Comrade Boris, lets get moving we need to hurry back," She told the large bear before climbing up on him and holding on tight.

As he was blurring in and out his rest, Hathaway caught a glimpse of the masked figure walking in the rain. Considering his half-asleep mind, he almost wondered if he was dreaming or hallucinating them at first glance. A few blinks of his eyes reassured him that the individual was actually there in the muck. The odd appearance obviously standing out, caused Hathaway to make a statement concerning it, "I don't believe I've seen that sort of attire around this area.". He looked back at the visage becoming smaller as they got further away.

"Judging by the staff,...a mage perhaps?" The priest started to ponder with some concern his voice. It probably wasn't best to judge by appearances, especially in this area. However, the hooded stranger gave off some perturbing vibes. It was more than just that as well, there were sinister happenings going on in Kruhrin currently and even a suspicious-looking individual could be linked to it somehow. Perhaps if time weren't a factor, he'd look into it, but there were people that needed help right now.

The situation was starting to become anxiety inducing, resulting in Hathaway repeatedly tapping his finger on a nearby wooden arm on the rickshaw. Instead of bothering Jia, who was doing enough for them, the priest nudged Daichi and questioned, "Any guess to how far of a distance we have left?"

Alexei clumsily caught the bottle Crymaria tossed to him, his belly doing most of the work. Removing the cap and bringing the bottle to his snout, he sniffed it curiously. The lack of a scent seemed to perplex him as he took a small sip. The liquid had barely spread across his tongue before he recoiled. Quickly swallowing the mouthful, he coughed heartily as he adjusted to the liquid's potency. As Crymaria left, he raised the bottle in a silent toast as he took another sip.

Outside it was much the same as it had been. The all-encompassing fog blocked view of the sky and obscured distant scenery behind a white, vaporous wall. The frogs could still be heard as they were herded to and fro by the unseen creature overhead.

Leaving the wetlands was no small feat. Boris's size and strength were mostly to thank for the pair not becoming immediately stuck in the muck below. Snakes and various reptiles were spotted on the way. The occasional serpent gliding across the watery surface of the wetland made for a particularly imposing silhouette through the fog.

Aside from the dangers below, there were dangers above as well. The unseen antagonist that drove the small army of frogs would send them after Crymaria and Boris as they left the centralized 'Watering Hole' portion of the wetlands. It was anyone's guess whether this was intentional or pure chance. The all-encompassing fog would also hinder their progress and turn the pair around a time or two. The path Crymaria had come in by was anything but straightforward after all.

Eventually they would arrive at the outer portion of the wetlands and the slope that led back up to the meadow. The gloomy sky had not ebbed in the slightest, and in fact had become darker as the storm was now very near. Crymaria and Boris would smell the coming storm now saturating the air with its telltale scent. The meadows were empty as they trotted back to Kruhrin.

This emptiness did not change as they crossed the threshold into the back side of the town. The streets were likewise as desolate as the meadow. Nary a soul in sight. Even the wild bears that tended to wander the streets were cooped up in their caves or elsewhere out of sight.

Crymaria and Boris would arrive at the town hall where a dispute was unfolding. A few haggard individuals, non-bearkin, were standing off a short ways from the town hall's entrance in front of which was Wei standing guard. Presently, a bearkin, Beh'zig, was standing in front of Wei holding someone in his arms. The two were in the middle of a heated conversation.

"...Let us in, Wei." Beh'zig was saying. His tone was soft but stern.

"If you need treatment, I will allow you to pass, but she is not permitted to enter at this time." Wei responded. His tone matched Beh'zig's, but fatigue robbed his words of some of their pleasantness.

"Wei...I...I think she's dying." Beh'zig said, choking as he uttered the statement.

"Then why are you wasting time here instead of getting her help? Aren't you her mate?"

"And aren't you my friend?" Beh'zig's tone was harsh as he cut Wei off.

"I have my orders, Beh'zig. You remember how that is."

Beh'zig's jaw tensed. "My mate is dying in my arms, and all you're worried about is following orders? Was that your concern when you saved me? Was following orders your concern then??"

"That's--" Wei started, breaking eye contact with Beh'zig and noticing Crymaria approaching.

"No!" Beh'zig said visibly agitated as he began shuffling Anasi around in his grip. Working his hands close to one another, he pulled something off his finger. Immediately, most of his fur disappeared, exposing a marred visage. "You look at the bear you pulled from the belly of that frog and say to my REAL face that orders are more important than saving a life!"

Wei gaped at Beh'zig's face for a long moment. He finally closed his eyes as he bowed his head. Raising a hand to his side, he rapped his knuckles on the door. A bearkin opened it from within. Wei looked up at Beh'zig and jerked his head toward the opened door. Beh'zig pushed past him inside. Wei let out a deep sigh as he rubbed the back of his head. Looking back to Crymaria, he beckoned her with his paw.

"Come on then. You and I need to have a talk." Wei said as he entered the town hall.

Upon entering the town hall, the other guards and hunters would look confused as Wei seemingly abandoned his post. This bewilderment would be replaced by understanding when they saw Beh'zig carrying Anasi to the infirmary on the left side of the hall beyond the door that led to Lady Bao's sitting room. Wei would go to the right and approach the stairs to the second story. He climbed up and entered the meeting area they had spoke in the previous evening. He entered the room and closed the door after Crymaria and Boris had entered.

"Have a seat." Wei said indicating the chairs around the table. "Don't worry about the mud. It will be cleaned...eventually." The bearkin sank into a chair opposite Crymaria at the table, sighing heavily as he did so. He rested his face in the palms of his hands for a moment, then clapped his hands against his cheeks. "So then...you've returned later than expected--and without Alexei....I imagine you have something to report?" Wei said trying to focus in once more on the task at hand.

Time: 12:48pm
saxon

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Daichi was somehow beginning to doze off. His answer came slightly confused through the haze of his ambiguous consciousness. "Not far...but far...."

Though lacking in clarity, Daichi's answer would have to suffice. Ultimately, he was not wrong. The low mountains that spanned Kruhrin's rear border rose up from the horizon before long. The sound of Jia's feet stamping the earth echoed off the cliffaces in the wind tunnel between the town and the meadow.

Bursting free of the tunnel, the rickshaw raced down the main road towards the plaza, the lowest terrace. Cloaked figures rambled about aimlessly. Some moved more decisively in the direction of the inn, which was where Jia pulled the rickshaw. Sliding to a sudden stop in front of the entrance, Jia lowered the pulling arms to the ground.

"Alright, boys, here's where your fight begins. Come with me." said Jia as he briskly walked into the establishment.

Inside the main lounge had been rearranged. Most of the tables and chairs had been pushed to one side to create more room. Blankets and straw had been laid out on the floor for makeshift beds. The sick were staged in the floor beds or off to the side in chairs if their symptoms were minor. The most serious cases were quarantined in guest rooms.

Mhu'ati emerged from the kitchen area holding some broth. She handed this off to Gray who rushed it back to one of the sick rooms. Other non-bearkin who had not fallen ill were pitching in to help care for the sick. Jia approached Mhu'ati.

"I've brought what help I could, Mhu'ati. The human knows healing magic. Daichi can be another set of hands and feet. I have to check in at the town hall, but I will return as soon as I can." said Jia, dodging out of the way of someone carrying dishes back to the kitchen. Without another word, he ran out of the inn as more sickly individuals wandered in.

Mhu'ati wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.

"There is a lot to do, my friends." She rummages in a pouch on her waste, pulling out a white stick. "Daichi take this chalk. I need to know what rooms are usable still. Look in the guest rooms. If there is vomit in the chamber pot, or especially if it is anywhere else in the room, draw an 'X' on the door."

"Got it." Daichi said, taking the chalk and marching off.

"You, Priest Hathaway, have a long day ahead of you. But so do we all. Here" --she retrieves a root from her belt pouches-- "chew on this root. It tastes awful, but it will give you energy. Keep it and chew on it when you start feeling slow, ok? Now, I need to make sure we do not run out of room here in the lobby, so we will start you on those people in the chairs over there. They are the least serious. The floor beds are for the more serious cases. The rooms in the back are for the most severe cases. We shall see what your powers are capable of, yes? Go ahead." Mhu'ati would lightly push Hathaway in the right direction before moving to inspect some of the floor beds.

Upon moving to the chair patients, Hathaway would see four individuals. One would be holding his stomach. Another was leaned over holding his head. The last two were fidgeting, seemingly uncomfortable in any position.

Time: 12:48pm
Kenju Law

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Ciu'nan gradually emerged from her slumber. She was slumped over in a sitting positioned so straightened. In doing so, she realized that she was bound to a chair. A thick rope had been pulled tightly about her torso and legs, securing her to the chair. A cloth had been tied around her mouth as well.

A lantern sat on the floor a handful of feet away. With its light she could see she was in a cellar type area, presumably the same place she had snuck into earlier. A single bearkin came into view as she started to struggle against her binds. He met her gaze then turned and walked away to a corner of the room. Ciu'nan heard him say something like 'she's awake'. Soon he returned and stood silently watching her. A few moments later, in came a much shorter figure.

"I see you had no trouble finding the secret entrance." said Jia. Ciu'nan's eyes widened. She began trying to speak through her gag. Jia raised a paw as he continued. "Now, now, I'll hear you out. In the interest of time, however, perhaps you should hear me out first, hm?" Jia pulls a barrel over and sits on it with a slight hop. "Let's see where our stories match up...."

Time: 12:48pm

Crymaria looked up at the sky as the signs of a storm were becoming prevleant. "Well comrade Boris, I hope that comrade Alexei will be fine if they can't send anyone until after the storm. But we should hurry and report it anyway," Crymaria stated as she gently patted the bear between the ears as they continued to move through the city. Though it was strange not to see a single bear in sight, which probably meant that the storm was going to be a bad one. Looking down at herself she was still covered in the muck from earlier. She was going to be happy when she could bathe get it all out. She had no doubt Boris wouldn't mind a bath after this one either. Though at the town hall things didn't seem to be much better as the argument was going on between several individuals.

Crymaria watched as the event unfolded as the bears true form was shown. So that is what it looks like after being swallowed by one of those frogs, that is concerning to say the least. That acid must have done a lot of work. Though I wonder what the matter was with all of that? Why was someone denied entry? She thought to herself as she approached and slid off Boris landing on the ground. Though there wasn't much time at the moment to ask about it as she was told to follow Beh'zig. As they entered she was glad to be under a roof again and followed him up to the meeting area from the night before.

As the mud was mentioned she looked down and gave a slightly dsigsuted smile with her appearance. She didn't mind getting dirty but she had been covered in mud most of the day. Taking a seat she nodded her head. "Comrade Alexei is fine, though he is injured in the water hole deep in the swamp at a sunken building. He told me to come back and report what we found. There are frogs in that area however, there is some screeching that is attract or controlling the frogs. We couldn't see the creature in question but, we could hear it," She pointed out as she didnt' want to lean back in the chair as she lifted her hat and her black hair dropped back to just below her shoulders. Which her hair the was cleanest part about her at this point.

"So what was that all about earlier things seemed to be getting heated over someone needing healing?" She inquired as she wasn't entirely sure about the situation so playing dumb might be beneficial here and see what the bearkin would give williningly.

Hathaway's consciousness began to to re-emerge once he could hear the sound of wheel meeting stone within the town. Upon shifting his weary eyes around, he found multiple cloaked figures rummaging. The priest was awestruck, could this really be the Kruhrin he was just vising the other day. "It's like I've been teleported into another world..." he muttered to himself, shaken by the surrounding chaos. The young man didn't waste anyone time, once the rickshaw stopped, he was already hopping off and walking towards the establishment.

When Hathaway entered the building, he was horrified by the sight that laid upon them. Here and there by the walls and floor were people ill with some sort of disease or virus. He cursed his own lack of knowledge when it came to identifying causes, but he was no doctor. Still he decided he would do what he could to ease any suffering. "Unfortunate we couldn't meet under more calm circumstances. Pleased to meet you Mhu'ati. I'll take care of anything you need me to." he spoke hurriedly without his usual amicable diction.

"Understood," Hathaway stuck the root he was given in his pocket and moved with a purpose toward the sick the chairs as he was instructed. "It'll be alright, you all will make it through this," the priest spoke hopefully for them all to hear. Removing his staff from his strap, Hathaway lent towards the fellow holding his stomach raised his hand near it. Relaxing his breath and sending his mana through his arm, Hathaway caused a small ray of light to emit from his palm and onto the patient's torso (Healing E).

Wei's gaze turned down to the table as he forcefully blew air out through his lips. His index finger tapped its claw into the table as he thought.

"Dangers within and without. Hm..." said Wei as the tapping continued, a divet forming underneath his claw. Suddenly, the tapping stopped. "One thing at a time."

Wei stood and walked around the table. He reached into a pocket on his coat and pulled out a black orb. "Before we continue, I'll need you to be scanned by the orb again." Though he tried not to make a show of it, his other hand rested casually on the hilt of his blade.


Time: 12:54pm
saxon

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Hathaway's light would shine on the patient, causing him to recoil at first. Almost immediately, however, he relaxed as the magic did its work. A sigh escaped the man as he sat calmly basking in Hathaway's divine light. The man did not notice when the spell ended and continued his quiet basking for a moment before opening his eyes and realizing his healing was over. His hands absently rubbed his belly as assessed his condition.

"I-It worked. I'm healed." He said, looking in awe at the priest before him.

The other chair patients began beckoning for Hathaway to do the same for them, but the priest would need time to recuperate. That said, he now knew he had the power to heal the minor cases. With a healthy pause between each healing and perhaps a chew on the root Mhu'ati gave him. Hathaway would heal the four chair cases easily enough. They would exit the inn once they felt up to it, clearing room for more minor cases.

Mhu'ati would be around and took notice of Hathaway's success.

"Happy news! It was good that we had you around, Priest Hathaway! Let the chairs alone for a while now. Come see the floor patients. See what you can do there." Mhu'ati called as Daichi came back.

"All rooms have been marked, Mhu'ati." Daichi said returning her chalk.

"Very

well, Daichi. Help me move this one. Lead us to a clean room." Mhu'ati said, stooping to pick up the feet of a patient. Daichi stooped down and slid his paws under the individual's shoulders. Lifting him up, they walked him into the back.

Hathaway had his work cut out for him. Currently the floor beds were arranged in a loose 4 x 3 grid, with twelve total patients. Many were feverish. They all had combinations of the symptoms the chair patients were experiencing.

Time: 12:58pm
Kenju Law

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"A fae by the name of Ciu'nan, that's you, arrived at Kruhrin a little over two weeks ago. She was accompanied by another individual. Both creatures were badly injured upon arrival. When subjected to the black orb, it was discovered that the other individual was in fact a monster and was therefore chased off. The fae Ciu'nan, however, was clean--as far as the orb could discern--and was permitted entry into Kruhrin under the assumption of ignorance of her companions, er...status.

"As mentioned, Ciu'nan was heavily injured--a rather deep gash just below your shoulder that limited use of your arm, if I recall. Lady Bao was gracious enough to tend to your wounds and offer you our finest healing treatments--nonmagical, of course. When you were cleaned up and on your way back to health, you were released from Lady Bao's direct care and allowed to roam the town on your own. You were still wearing your sling and presented like a frail, timid doe, so out of our kindness we told Beni, the council's aide, to keep an eye on you and assist you if necessary.

"Much to our surprise, you grew quite close with Beni over the next few days. She was very optimistic about your recovery and overall disposition whenever the council spoke about you with her. She was convinced that you were and are as harmless as you appear." Jia clears his throat and casually scratches underneath his chin as he continues. "Five days ago, Jia, that's me, one of the Three Bears that council and lead Kruhrin, as well as my assistant, were transporting a large stone sculpture back to town for the coming Contest of Cunning during Orson's Feast. I spent so long on that piece. My assistant declared to me that it was without a doubt my finest. Everything had gone according to plan: I had finished the sculpture on time, we had loaded it onto the cart safely, and I triple checked that it was secured to the cart before heading back. The wind was even favorable and not gusting as it can at times out there in the meadow. Even so, despite all that favor...something happened. The sculpture fell forward and crushed both myself and my assistant. Only my legs were injured due to the quick thinking of my assistant, who -ahem- more or less tossed me from the cart. His selfless action, however, caused him to take the full force of the statue as it quite thoroughly crushed him.

"I'm not too proud to admit I screamed louder than a banshee after the statue came down on top of me. Misha was among the first to hear my pained screaming. As he and the others that eventually showed up were pulling us free, I had a moment of clarity and pulled him close and whispered a simple instruction: 'bring anything unusual you find to my chamber, show no one'." Jia paused again as he reached into the breast of his robe and pulled out a sliver of metal. "Do you know what I awoke to find in my chamber while undergoing my treatments? This metal shard. According to Misha, it was wedged in a gash towards the top of the statue: some 16 feet off the ground." Jia hopped off the barrel, his chest puffing out slightly. "Now, I know what you're thinking: how did little ol' me carve something of such impressive stature? Some of the residents of Kruhrin swear I have mastered some secret flying technique...Between you and I"--Jia cups a paw around one side of his mouth as he ever so slightly leans towards Ciu'nan--"I just use stilts! I have a whole collection of them in various sizes depending on my needs, but I digress."

Time: 12:54pm

Crymaria watched Wei as he seemed to ponder the events that she was reporting on. However, she couldn't help but feel a group should have been sent to check on Alexei upon her telling him the account. She didn't lean back in the chair she was sitting in as she didn't want to get more mud on the furniture than what she had to for this situation. "That would seem to be the case, though once again, we didn't see the creature ourselves, or at least now when I left, Alexei might have seen it afterward; you should send someone to go pick him up, comrade," She concluded placing her hands in her lap.

As Wei walked around the table and stopped to pull out the orb, her eyes shifted as she saw the bears hand casually rest on the hilt of his weapon. "I don't like what you are insinuating there, Comrade. Do I look like I was in a fight? I doubt Comrade Alexei would have gone down without a fight even if I snuck up on him. One of those river serpents bit him, and started bleeding, so at this point, you are wasting precious time," She concluded as she looked the bear dead in the eyes as placed her hand on the orb.

Hathaway was pleased to see the patients were able to be so excited with their renewed vigor. The same couldn't be said for him however, as he could only give them a weary smile in face of their gratitude. While they were recuperating, Hathaway took the time he had to sit down on one of the free chairs and closed his eyes. He rested his mind and body, breathing slowly to allow his stamina and mana to re-strengthen.


There was a part of Hathaway that was anxious if his healing magic would work, not only because of the unknown origin of the disease, but because there was a thought that his new lifestyle of martial arts would be betraying his identity as a priest. It was a silly unconcious notion, but one that was sticking to his soul constantly throughout the day. In truth, it was a matter of if he was truly honoring his deceased mother with this selfish and potentially violent endeavor of his.

These annoying thoughts were interrupted by Mhu'ati and Daichi entering the room. "I can do this all day!" Hathaway boasted with a grin. Afterwards, he took careful observation of the patients resting on the floor. He was well aware this would take a different tact than previously.

"This will be a process. I know itll be hard, but the most important thing for both all of you and me, is patience." He spoke as soothing as he could to ease their nerves. Hathaway would start out with the worst of the lot, releasing rays of healing light onto their bodies. He was well aware that he needed to pace himself, no matter his desire to heal them as fast as he could.

Wei seemed relieved yet still on guard as Crymaria rested her hand on the sphere. Boris chuffed at the bearkin, placing a massive paw on Wei's arm. The bearkin held his ground, his arm bulging slightly as it resisted the bear's protest. A tense moment passed as Wei's hand became firmer on his sword while the black orb deliberated Crymaria's status. When the answer finally came, Wei tensed momentarily as he eagerly peered at the information.

No criminal titles.

All the fight left with his breath as Wei heaved a sigh of relief. His arm holding the sphere fell limp at his side, the orb only just remaining clutched delicately between his fingers. Moving as though in a daze, Wei's arm slowly stowed the orb back in an inner pocket in his coat, while he moved back to the other side of the table.

"I'm sorry for doubting you, adventurer. We are...in a bit of a situation. Now that I know you're clean, perhaps I can trust you with more details. Councilbear Jia suspects the fae Ciu'nan to be behind the attack on him and his assistant earlier this week. She as well as all of you who were investigating the incident are strangers, you see. Since you all had been investigating together, it was possible that you were working together. If she truly is behind the attack, we could not wait to see if you all were her accomplices. I had to be sure." Wei said, a paw rubbing and combing the fur on his head. "Now that that is done, we can try to figure out what to do about Alexei and your report from the wetland. Our problem is the same as before: we have too few people and are unable to send an extraction team for Alexei. Lady Bao has ordered the remaining hunters and guards to maintain order here at the town hall while she tries to get a handle on this outbreak. Unfortunately, Alexei will have to make it on his own for now. Unless...." Wei stood and paced a bit, talking as he did so. His words were said as though he were simply thinking aloud. "Tomorrow is the offering. The monastery would be there. Perhaps we could send a detachment then? He'd have to survive the night alone...of all our scouts, he'd be the one to manage it...somehow...." Wei suddenly turned to Crymaria. "You said he was injured? Bitten?"


Time: 1:00pm
saxon

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The patients were eager for Hathaway to get to work, but they were desperate for anything to ease their present suffering. As Hathaway bestowed his light upon them, he would notice that their symptoms did not diminish as readily as the chair patients. While the symptoms did clear eventually, it would take all of Hathaway's present healing ability to accomplish.

Pushing his healing power to the max time and time again on each new patient would quickly take its toll, especially given Hathaway's training and present lack of sleep. Exhaustion would set in, leaving the priest unable to finish the remaining floor patients. He would have to stop healing and rest or seek a remedy for his fatigue. Furthermore, Hathaway would notice a headache beginning to take hold.

Mhu'ati had taken a bowl to the kitchen. Daichi had been sent to find more bedding for the floor patients.

Time: 1:11pm
Kenju Law

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The sound of a door opening echoed faintly down into the cellar area. A shaft of light illuminated a stairway built against the far wall behind Jia. The diminutive bearkin turned at the sound of his name being called, returning the metal fragment back into the breast of his robe.

"Ah! What news then?" Jia asked as he approached a figure descending the stairs.

There was a muttered response from the individual. Jia nodded and replied. As the figure returned back up the stairs, Jia also returned to where Ciu'nan sat still tied to her chair. Jia tapped his temple a few times as he appeared to be lost in thought.

"Where were we...? Oh, yes!" He withdrew the metal piece once more as he continued. "This piece of metal. Right, right. So this piece of metal was found wedged in a crack in my stone statue up high near the tippy top of it. Now, the first impressive detail is that the blow was so high up on the statue. We did not have any giants among our guests this year--save for Anasi, of course, who is part giant. While she is tall for a female, she's nowhere near tall enough to have made this attack easily. The angle of the gash in the statue was almost parallel with the ground, suggesting the point of impact was level with their torso. Fairly close to the shoulder, I'd expect.

"The second impressive detail is that this shoddy blade pierced the statue at all. My assailant must have considerable strength to have embedded this piece in the statue. If the weapon were a sword or other weapon with a long blade, I'm almost certain it would have shattered upon impact, or at the very least been greatly deformed. Since no such fragments of the weapon were found, however, it seems more likely the weapon deformed or it had a shorter blade less prone to shattering. If that's true, then this missing fragment would be a noticeable void in the remaining blade." Jia paused as he appeared to study the fragment in his paw. "My story has ran quite long, hasn't it? I promise you we're quite near the end now. The final part of my story involves a piece of information I received less than twelve hours ago. Anasi came to one of my hunters to report you, fae Ciu'nan, as a troublemaker and disturber of the peace. I'll have you know that we initially planned on ignoring her report. Anasi can be...a jealous creature at times. She likely took offense at you visiting Beh'zig's cabin yesterday. While she was making her accusations, however, she mentioned some details that we...took an interest in."

"Anasi mentioned that she positively identified the armor you wore as a type manufactured in the Eastern Empire. As I'm sure you understand, a potential mercenary or defector from the Empire's army taking refuge here could be troublesome for us. While this information did grab our attention, what ultimately brought us to this coerced meeting was what Anasi told us about WHY you visited Beh'zig's cabin yesterday: to repair your broken spear."

Jia turned and waved a paw at the bearkin behind him, who grabbed something from his waist. The object was given to Jia who brought it into the light, revealing it to be a misshapen spearhead.

"Such a detail can be easily overlooked, but given the circumstances you can imagine why I might like to see your spear--specifically the blade, which I have procured here. All this chatter and show for this singular moment. I have this displaced shard in one hand and the previous tip of your spear in the other. Just looking at it, I can tell that it is missing a piece or two, but let's just see if these two can fit together...." Jia slowly, so painfully slow, moved the two pieces together. The shard slipped into the gap of the spearhead, confirming Ciu'nan's spear to be the one that struck Jia's statue.

Time: 1:00pm

Crymaria kept a watch on Wei's hands, while she didn't think the bearkin would do anything unless she did. Being prepared to react to something was far better than not getting stabbed in the gut by something. As Wei started to explain, Crymaria took a few steps back as from the bearkin as she tried to process what she was being told. "Just because one is seen with someone doesn't mean they are close," She pointed out as Wei continued to explain the whole thing. Though she thought it was possible, so far, they seemed to be going off the matter of a single individual. However, there didn't seem to be any hard proof as of yet.

As Alexi and the situation were brought up Crymaria puffed out her cheeks for a moment as she looked down at the ground. "So she is the suspect, though how much has been looked into the matter especially at the scene?" She inquired for a moment shaking her head before moving onto other matters. "Yes Comrade Alexei was bitten by a snake like creature, he wrapped up the wound in bandages afterwards," She concluded as she looked down at herself. "Say Comrade Wei you wouldn't have a large enough bath around here would you? As much as I don't mind being covered in muck, Comrade Boris and I would like to at least wash it off before the smell sinks in," Crymaria stated as she motioned to her clothes and to Boris' fur.

Despite his best efforts to pace himself as much as he could, Hathaway was ladened with exhaustion while helping his healing of the patients. The weariness caused him to stumble backwards and land on his bottom. Perhaps he had been more over-eager to help them than he suspected, or maybe the short nap he took on the ride here wasn't enough. Either the case, he was struggling to fight off slumber. It was unfortunate that he was already at his limit but the priest was proud that he could at least try his hardest for their sakes.

Hathaway's pride would only last so long, once a heavy weight of headache came down on him. "Agh, pushed myself harder than I thought...", he commented to himself, rubbing his forehead. After blinking excessively, the priest managed to catch the visage of Mhu'ati in the kitchen. "Miss Mhu'ati, would it be too much trouble to ask for a drink or bite?" he asked a bit loudly to make sure he was heard from across the rooms. Hathaway closed his eyes and spoke have consciously a moment later, "I have some friends in town somewhere. I've been meaning to ask, have you heard news of any fellows named Ciu'nan, Crymaria....and Boris?". In his haze of fatigue and pain, he was praying that his allies were doing well during this chaotic event.