Graded [Vegard City] Healing the Holy City of Vegard

[Elvario]

This RP is part of the Isekai Hell group. It will follow Ceylan, Cayde and Malerie as they try to help out the citizens in the Holy City of Vegard, in the far north of the Beast country above Ryke. The city (in truth little more than a town in size) is a popular pilgrimage destination for Beasts that wish to reflect upon their inner nature. However, it suddenly has many of its residents falling prey to all sorts of illness. This RP will focus on the adventure aspects with mystery and slice of life sprinkled through-out.

Ceylan
​

Interactions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse

After their adventure through the Eastern Outskirts of Ryke, Ceylan had been summoned to Ryken with urgency. He wasn't sure why, but he knew that such a summon was rare for a missive like himself, so he abided, asking Cayde if he wished to come along. Whilst in the capital, things moved fast for Ceylan. He was promoted to High Priest, got himself a new staff and ended up with an urgent mission; to help out in a place in the northern parts of the Beast country above Ryke. He was to travel to the nearest bigger city in the Beast country by portal and to travel to the Holy City of Vegard by foot from there.

Considering nobody knew what caused the strange type of illnesses, Ceylan didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately asked Cayde to join him. The alchemist's knowledgable might be very valuable when strange illnesses were at play. Besides, Ceylan had grown fond of having his company during their last mission. Luckily enough, Cayde agreed.

The journey part of this adventure was very calm, other than travel through portals being an experience in and of itself. The road towards their destination was well-paved and equally well-guarded. As the city was growing closer, Ceylan was growing increasingly excited. His tail was showing as much, as it was wagging left and right at an impressive pace. “I've heard that most of the Cardinals in the Syncretist Church have visited the Holy City of Vegard during their lives, as it gives great insight into what type of religion the people in this country practice. It's amazing to be able to make the journey myself now, other than the reason for it being rather ominous.”

However, as they got closer, they eventually reached what seemed to be a cliff, with nothing but a steep way down into the ocean. Ceylan was looking around, somewhat confused, until they could spot what seemed to be a bridge among the mists. “That must be it!” Ceylan said, as he was excited all over again, heading for the bridge. Thanks to Cayde's higher perception, another thing would stand out to him. It was awfully quite here, especially for a passageway into a place as important as the Holy City of Vegard.

[OOC: they are entering from the top right of the image. Imagine the bridge extending onto the cliff described above and them going towards the descending path into the city.]

Holy City of Vegard

​

Interactions: Malerie/Malady Silent Angel

As the combination of a simple girl that wishes to heal and help others and a [monster] that wishes to trick others into deals in exchange for healing, Malerie and Malady alike had very good reasons to be in the Holy City of Vegard. Whilst the city would normally be guarded well, with guards checking the titles of everyone that wished to enter, she would now find the place in disarray. As many of the guards were falling ill as well, it would be easy to find a moment during which she could sneak into the city. Whilst her strange appearance would stand out, there were few people in good enough health to bother with it. If anything, she'd soon learn that many people that were willing to do a lot for a cure to their ailments.

[OOC: if you wish for Malerie to have been in the city for a while before Ceylan and Cayde arrived, I'd be okay with it. I could PM you some details of what she'd have encountered. Otherwise, assume she arrived only moments before Ceylan and Cayde.]

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario Silent Angel ​

Cayde had learned a lot from his previous adventure. From his short time in Aston to the return to Ryken, he'd gained an abundance of invaluable knowledge. By studying the people of Aston, he'd learned a great deal about their survival skills, and as he stopped at the apothecary back in Ryken, he managed to fit in some quick lessons from his uncle, learning a few new potion recipes in the process. Despite all that, he still couldn't get the thought of the gnoll out of his head, but recalling that encounter did make him feel just a little bit more confident in his speech skills; he couldn't have imagined what would've changed if he wasn't quick with his words.

Now incredibly eager to test his newfound knowledge, Cayde sought to embark on another adventure, and when Ceylan asked Cayde to accompany him once more, he swiftly accepted. If his last journey was that eye-opening, there was no telling what he could learn from this one. Plus, with everything he and Ceylan had been through, Cayde felt it'd be a sin not to travel with him again.

Thankfully, the trip went smoothly, and soon enough, they were drawing closer to the city. As he made his way, Cayde couldn't help but notice Ceylan's evident excitement. Although he hadn't heard of the Holy City of Vegard until recently, it was clearly of great importance to Ceylan. However, the more he thought about the city, the more he started to remember why they were visiting Vegard, and the thought hung in his mind. Though small outbreaks of certain illnesses weren't rare in some cities, Cayde could only imagine what disease was spreading here - what malady could affect an entire city?

But before he could think more of the matter, Cayde stopped in his tracks, seeing as the path ahead of him ended in a drop. Confused, he turned to Ceylan for answers, only to hear the priest point out a bridge in the distance. As the priest wandered over to it, Cayde followed suit, but not before sparking up a bit of conversation. "Y'know Ceylan, you really made this place sound amazing, but doesn't it seem a bit... quiet?" He briefly glanced down the bridge, but from all he could see, they were the only ones crossing it, "There's an outbreak going on, we know that much, but word couldn't get out that fast, right? So how bad could it possibly be down there?"

Cayde shook his head; maybe he was just overthinking things. "Uhh, sorry, Do I sound paranoid? I don't mean to sound paranoid."

 

[Silent Angel]

Malerie



The doctor just didn't understand it. She had been here for days, doing her best to help the people of the city, but every time she cured one, they would come down with something new days later. It wasn't like a plague, or no plague that she had ever seen. Every person was coming down with a different illness each time. They weren't spreading anything to each other, so there had to be some sort of outside interference with this town.

She left the house of someone close to the city entrance after helping them as best she could. Though she had made rounds of the entire city, healing whoever she could, at this point, she was prioritizing the young, the weak, and the elderly, as those were the ones in biggest danger from this. But if whatever was happening wasn't stopped at the source, there was no way that she would be able to keep this up, and there would be no way she, nor her poor focus, could hold up.

As she left the home, something caught her eye, and she looked towards the entrance of the city. Two people were slowly making their way towards the entrance. She squinted, trying to get a better view of who they were, and seeing one of them instantly made her frown. A plague doctor? In this world? She wasn't sure whether to be flattered, insulted, or incredulous. But either way, that most likely meant that they were here to help, which her tired body couldn't be more happy for.​

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan
​

Mentions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse | Malerie/Malady Silent Angel

Ceylan's eagerness to head for the bridge was diminished by Cayde giving him some words of warning. “I... well. Yes.” The mixed feelings of visiting an awesome place like this during these circumstances were real.

As they approached the bridge further, they would find exactly one guard 'standing' watch. Although in his case, he wasn't exactly standing, as he leaning against the wall. He looked up when Ceylan and Cayde approached him.

Spoiler: Bridge Guard

Bridge Guard

​

“Halt. The city is currently...” He coughed. “... closed.” He then took a closer look, noticing Cayde's plague mask. “Unless... Wait. Are you here to help?”

Ceylan nodded. “Yes. The Syncretist Church sent us.”

The guard glossed over him and Ceylan. “Alright. You can head on through, but I...” He paused, suppressing another cough. ... warn you that it's going to be tough.”

At that point, Ceylan couldn't stand just watching. “If you'd allow me.” He stepped forwards, putting his hand over the guard's head. The latter looked extremely sceptical, but he was too ill to protest. After Ceylan offering a [Healing Prayer], however, the guard was starting to look considerably better.

“That's...” The guard stretched his wings and arms a bit in surprise. Then showed what might pass for a smile among beaked races. “It seems there might be hope for our city yet.”

As Ceylan was doing so, Cayde, were he interested enough, would've been able to make out what this guard had suffered from thanks to his medicine knowledge. It was a pretty bad case of the bird flue. From the guard's coughing, it had affected his lungs badly enough for him to start coughing up blood before long, at which point it'd become deadly. Their timely intervention had likely saved this man's life.

It looked like they were off to a great start, but as they were crossing the bridge, Cayde would spot that Ceylan was concerned more than anything. He'd soon share why. “That took more out of me than I thought. If the entire city is like this, I won't be able to do much.” Concern was visible in his eyes. “We'll have to find out the source of this quickly.”

The descent down towards the actual city was beautiful. The ocean stretched out before them, with its water barely moving thanks to the gentle breeze. The cliffs, the second bridge, the stubborn plant-life that managed to make its home on these rocks. It was truly magnificent. This place was truly a natural and architectural miracle.

The closer they descented to the buildings, however, the more ominous the situation got. Moments after nearing the first building, below the spiralling stairs, where the village's entrance was, Ceylan suddenly felt overwhelmed by something. He grabbed his head as his vision turned black, barely even managing to remain standing. His sixth sense was going off even more than in the gnoll's forest. “Something really bad is going on here...” He managed to force out, as he was trying to regain his composure.

Malerie, having just spotted the two newcomers, would also spot Ceylan almost fainting directly after setting foot within the city's borders. Cayde, perceptive as he was, would easily spot Malerie from a distance. The shared beakedness would likely draw attention, after all. However, thanks to her species sharing some similarities with a few beast species, she wouldn't instantly stand out as a monster.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario Silent Angel ​

After the encounter with the bridge guard, Cayde got an idea of whatever might be causing the outbreak. From the guard's symptoms, it was likely a bad case of the flu, probably the avian-infecting strain if it managed to affect a beastkin at this level. Although it was a virus that mainly affected birds or bird-related beastkin, Cayde had read of times when humans or other races had fallen ill from it, all of them described similar symptoms to the guard. Regardless, the avian flu was treated just like any other flu, so with a bit of help from the city and Ceylan's healing magic, Cayde was pretty confident they could get to the bottom of this.

Though, that confidence slowly waned as Ceylan voiced his concern. If healing that one person took that much effort, perhaps they were dealing with something far worse than just the flu. Still, Cayde had his priorities straight, "Definitely. First, we find whatever's causing this, then we work on treating people. It's only gonna get worse if we don't stop it."

The journey to the city gates provided a nice distraction from the outbreak. As he descended, Cayde's eyes widened with wonder as they gazed upon the colossal cliffs and the boundless ocean stretched out before him. It all seemed so new! He couldn't remember the last time he's been this close to the sea. A few days ago, he was camping outside of Ryken, and look at him now, visiting seaside cities."If only they could see me now."

Eventually, Cayde made it near the village's entrance, though he was still admiring his surroundings. "Man, sure is beautiful, isn't it, Ceylan?" He said, but as he turned to face him, he saw Ceylan clutch his head and give a foreboding warning. Immediately, that brought Cayde back to their adventure in the woods, how Ceylan had made a similar forewarning, and the dreadful things that followed soon after. If this prediction had caused Ceylan so much pain, there was definitely something else going on here, something way direr.

Despite all that, Cayde rushed over to Ceylan and laid a hand on his back, helping him regain his composure. At that moment, Cayde looked up towards the village and saw someone standing in the distance. He squinted his eyes and was just able to make out a person with a plague doctor's mask - just like him. Likely a doctor helping the village, Cayde thought maybe they'd share some details on the outbreak, and so with his free hand, he waved them over. "Excuse me!" He called out, "We're here to help! Can you come over?"

 

[Silent Angel]

Malerie

The woman frowned slightly at being called over, but still came, knowing that they just came into the city and must want to know what was happening. Her eyes flicked to the other man, the one who seemed to be coming down with something of his own, and her frown deepened. They had just come into town, she didn't expect someone to get sick that quickly.

"Hey! Umm, help... Not sure what you can do. It's pretty bad here..." She glanced back towards the main section of town, thinking about the hard time she had been having personally, not caring that her mask opened as she talked, making it quite obvious that she wasn't a plague doctor like Cayde. She turned back to the two, continuing. "Whatever this is, I don't think it's something we can deal with just by using magic or herbs."​

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan
​

Mentions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse | Malerie/Malady Silent Angel

“Thanks.” Ceylan told Cayde, as he managed to get himself together a bit. There was something really wrong with this city, but he was pretty sure Cayde would've also picked up on that by now. He then looked over at the newcomer. She was some sort of oddly-dressed avian, from what Ceylan could gather. Even though something felt a bit off about her, the overwhelming feeling of something being wrong in this city currently preoccupied his mind.

Her words did manage to reach him, however, as he would reply. “You're correct. There's more than just the sickness in the air, like a tangible mist.” He wasn't sure how else to explain his sixth sense constantly blaring at him. It didn't give him details on what was wrong either, for that matter. Just that something was terribly wrong.

That's when he realised common courtesy was a thing. “Ah, apologies for my belated introduction. I'm Ceylan, high priest of the Syncretist Church. This here is Cayde, alchemist by trade.”

As Ceylan was introducing himself and Cayde, a small rabbit women hurriedly hopped over to them. Malerie would recognise her as Miss Nana, the city's main doctor. Other than Malerie herself, Nana was probably the biggest reason why nobody had died yet, but the woman was reaching the point of exhaustion. Even so, she ignored the newcomers and instantly got to business.

Miss Nana

​

Spoiler: Miss Nana

“Quickly! You've got to come quickly! The mayor has fallen terribly ill!” She didn't wait for an answer, instead hopping in the direction of one of the large buildings at the centre of town, the mayor's office. Malerie wouldn't have set foot inside there yet, nor would she have seen the mayor, but she'd have heard the rumours that he'd been investigating the illnesses on his own.

Ceylan, although not the intended recipient of that message, nodded to Cayde. “Let's go as well.” Saving the mayor would give them a quick way to establish a good connection with the leadership in the city. That, and Ceylan wouldn't even consider not going to help.

They'd find the mayor inside his office, barely conscious and slumped over his desk. His eyes, however, showed a dangerous red. Furthermore, Malarie and Cayde in particular would spot some drool around his lips. He might just be suffering from the infamous 'Mad Cow Disease'.

Spoiler: Mayor Wallace

Ceylan, on the other hand, just saw a sick person in dire need of healing and was planning to head over to him to do just that.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario Silent Angel ​

After Miss Nana bounded off to the mayor, Cayde quickly followed suit. However, as he made his way, he couldn't get one thought out of his head: what exactly was Malerie? After witnessing her speak, he knew she wasn't human, but unlike the previous beastkin he saw, she didn't resemble any animal - or at least, not as apparent as most do. Cayde thought she was some kenku, but where were her feathers? And do Kenkus always have grey, smooth skin? After a while, Cayde decided not to think of it any further. Not only were there more significant problems at hand, but it also wouldn't be a bright idea to get on anyone's bad side. After all, he was here to help, not to pry at someone's identity.

Eventually, he caught up with Ceylan and Malerie at the mayor's office and immediately noticed the bull-man slumped over the desk. Eyes squinting under his mask, Cayde took a few cautious steps around the mayor, scanning his body. Spotting the mayor's red eyes and drooling lips, Cayde knew he wasn't suffering from the flu, and considering the circumstances, he definitely wasn't poisoned. "Well, he isn't coughing up a storm, so it isn't the flu, and uh, I don't think the flu gives you red eyes either." He thought out loud, still pacing around the mayor, "But considering the soldier we saw before had an animal-related disease, maybe the mayor has one too?"

Cayde took a moment to think of any bovine-related diseases before finally landing on Mad Cow Disease. Although he'd had only read about it, the symptoms seemed to line up. "If I have to guess, maybe it's... Mad Cow Disease?" he said incredulously, "I mean, I've never heard of a person contracting it before, but the mayor does resemble a bull, so it isn't too farfetched, right?" Cayde turned over to Malerie; maybe she could share some insight on this, "What do you think?"

 

[Silent Angel]

Malerie

"Malarie. I'm a doctor, though up until recently I wasn't able to do much work due to... issues." Her mind went to the fact that most people weren't fans of her race's payment that was asked for healing, and oftentimes they thought she would want the same. Her eyes went to the village doctor, listening intently before starting to rush over to the mayor's office.

When she entered, she took one look at him before moving towards him, asking, "How long has he been like this, Miss Nana?" As she talked, she started examining him for any other signs of illness. "And I would say it is, in fact, Mad Cow Disease. As for not appearing in humans, yes, that is somewhat true, but humans can come down with something very similar called..." She paused, knowing the name for it was specific to her old world, but with a shrug, assumed it wouldn't hurt to say. "It's called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and unlike with bird or swine flu where it's a sickness that started with the animal and transferred to humans, it's either only transferred through genetics or through eating diseased meat. But either way." She backed off, looking thoughtfully at the mayor. "We'll have to use magic to cure it, since there is no cure through normal medicine. But even worse..." She paused, looking over at Miss Nana, waiting to figure out how long the mayor had been suffering from this illness.​

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan
​

Mentions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse | Malerie/Malady Silent Angel

Cayde was quick to form a theory that it was Mad Cow Disease, which Malerie was equally quick to confirm. Along with Ceylan, she'd gotten close to the mayor in order to examine him. In case of Ceylan, he was already offering a prayer in order to start healing the mayor, although it didn't seem to have an immediate effect. Perhaps the mayor's case was already in a late stage?

Miss Nana

​

Spoiler: Miss Nana

“He was alright when I saw him last, which was two days ago.” Miss Nana stated, worriedly looking at the mayor from a distance.

Mayor Wallace

​

Spoiler: Mayor Wallace

It happened in mere seconds. From looking like there was barely any life in him to entering a raging state, the mayor shifted gears almost instantly. “BE GONE YOU DEMON!!!” He shouted at the top of his lungs, whilst headbutting the nearest person to him with his horns, which happened to be Ceylan. The latter had not accounted for Mad Cow Disease's name giving trait; the psychosis it might induce. Cayde and Malerie had also failed to account for it or warn Ceylan of it, which led to Ceylan being caught off guard and getting the air knocked out of him whilst being flung across the room, crashing into a bookshelf and feeling a few things crack. He would normally be able to heal himself, but his blessed fortune had abandoned him in this instance, as he'd hit his head particularly hard, which knocked him out before he could heal himself.

The mayor himself would also head-butt in the direction of Malerie, but considering he'd gone after Ceylan first, Malerie would be granted a bit more time to prepare herself and possibly dodge out of the way. The mayor would also leave it at that, as he'd rush at the door and storm through, forcing miss Nana to jump out of his path whilst the mouth-foaming mayor ran into the streets. “I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD, YOU HEAR?!?” He shouted to nobody in particular, before running off into the distance. Malerie, after either having had to dodge him or having been knocked down by him, wouldn't be able to catch up with him. Cayde would be able to keep up, if he were to chose to pursue the mayor, although whether that was wise or not was a different question.

Miss Nana had jumped towards a corner of the room, holding her ears down whilst shivering. “Oh dear... oh dear... oh dear...” The bunny woman was clearly quite panicked from what had just happened.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario Silent Angel ​

Underneath his mask, Cayde's eyebrows raised, never had he heard of this "Creutzfeldt-Jakobs" disease. "Alright, so he has this Creutzfel-Creutful-Creuztfel - uh..." He paused, trying to pronounce the new word in his head, "Okay, he has THAT disease." Cayde finally spat. He shook his head, "Anyway if we need magic to cure him, Ceylan's got it covered." He replied assuredly, motioning over to him, "See? The mayor should be up and running any minute now."

And up and running he was, but not in the way Cayde had anticipated. The mayor regained his consciousness in just seconds flat, and Cayde watched as he sent Ceylan soaring into a bookshelf. Then, not wanting to be the raging mayor's next target, Cayde lept from him, landing just a few feet away. From his position on the floor, Cayde stared as the mayor spouted maniacal nonsense and charged into the streets, leaving him in the room with Malerie and a possibly unconscious Ceylan. His lips struggled to find the words to say, but after witnessing what just happened, there was only one word that could sum it up perfectly, "WHAT?!"

Spotting Ceylan in the corner of his eye, Cayde rushed over, resting two fingers on the priest's neck. Thankfully, he felt a pulse, though it was faint. He sighed, "He's still alive! I just think he's unconscious." Assuming Malerie was in good condition, Cayde turned to face her, "We've got to get him back up, and then..." his eyes trailed over to the floor, spotting a peculiar trail of foamy drool, "Then we find the mayor. We can't just let him go running around like that."

Finally, Cayde turned to Miss Nana and crouched down to eye level. Although he wasn't too great at reassuring people, he desperately needed her help, "Excuse me, Miss Nana, but we're gonna need your help." He said, "Look, the faster we get Ceylan up, the quicker we can make the mayor better again. So can you help this one time? Please?"

 

[Silent Angel]

Malerie

Malerie flung herself to one side as the minotaur rushed past her. She turned to watch as he barreled down the street before her eyes went to the now unconscious cleric. She stood up, brushing herself off as she walked to him, the monster examining him with care. "Doesn't look that bad, but I''ll need to make sure he doesn't have a concussion when he wakes..." She glanced to Miss Nana, saying, "Make some tea. You won't be able to help anyone if you're fretting about. Take a bit of time to calm yourself down, alright?"

Her eyes turned back to Ceylan, the lady reaching into her coat and bringing out a foggy orb. She seemed to grimace at it's appearance, but still held it out, pressing it against the beastkin as magic flowed through her into him as she used her ability 'Heals What Ails You.' And with that usage, the focus finally turned a shade of gray, Malerie sighing and tossing it to the side. "I'll need to find someone willing or able to make a new one. I've been using it so much over the past few days... It was too much for what I had before."​

 

[Elvario]

Miss Nana

​

Spoiler: Miss Nana

Mentions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse | Malerie/Malady Silent Angel

The panicked bunny woman was getting slightly less panicked once the Mayor was good and well out of the office, but she still shook her head at Cayde's request. “I know medicine, my dear, not magic, so I can make sure he'll pull through and minimize the harm, but I can't make him get back up on his feet instantly. You'd need magic for that.” She was more eager to take Malerie's words to heart. “Right... yes.. tea.” She was a bit confused, but hopped off to somewhere else in the building to follow-up on Malerie's advice.

Malerie's healing, especially combined her medicine knowledge, was enough to get Ceylan back into the realm of consciousness. That said, the first thing he felt was that some of his ribs were most definitely bruised and broken all over from when the mayor's horns had hit them and Malerie's healing wasn't strong enough to fix those. His head was also still painful, so he grabbed it as he tried to go through what happened.

Ceylan
​

“That...” he started, but stopped again. “I did not see that coming.” Still a bit out of it, he looked around, spotting he dropped his staff when he got knocked away. “Could you hand me my staff, please?” After he'd be given it, he was able to heal himself further. That was also when he was able to go clearly over what happened, including the fact that he'd been back 'up' much sooner than normal. He turned to Malerie. “Did you restore my consciousness? If so, you have my gratitude.”

He was getting back up on his feet, although bit wobbly at first, especially once his sixth sense was kicking in again now that his senses were functioning again, making him feel like the air itself was weighing him down. Even so, he'd be able to follow the others on their chase after the mayor soon enough. Before they were ready to head out, however, miss Nana returned.

The bunny woman hopped over to Malerie with a cup of tea. The hot liquid was splashing around dangerously with every hop she made, but somehow remained inside the cup. “Here you go dear.” Apparently she'd misunderstood the advice as a request in her half-panicked state and had diligently set out to get Malerie a cup of tea.

As for chasing the mayor after that; it was a challenge. Someone only had so much drool to leave as a trail, after all. Luckily enough, in combination of knowing the general direction in which he'd ran off and seeing some other tracks, such as hoof-prints in some of the unpaved or dirt-covered parts of the city, Cayde was able to stay on his tracks.

Now that they were moving through the city, they also saw more of the extend at which this city was affected. There weren't many people on the streets. The few that were looked sickly, pale and tired. Red eyes, running noses, slumped over positions and slow, badly coordinated movements were more the rule than the exception. A few people looked hopeful in their direction, hoping that Malerie would be on her rounds to aid them or that the other two might be here to help them, but they'd merely sigh and try to move on once she passed them by.

Ceylan was having a rough time with it. “We've got to find the source quickly. It's difficult not to stop and try to help them.”

Cayde's tracking eventually lead them all the way to the 'bottom' of the city, where a stream of water ran from underneath it off of the cliffs and into the ocean (as in the image). To one side of them was the city wall (the one that makes up the bottom 'terrace' for houses to be built upon), whilst to the other side, there were the cliffs that lead into the ocean. It was still a fair way down from here, potentially a deadly height even. In front of them was the stream, behind them the small path they'd taken to get here. The mayor's tracks, oddly enough, ended in front of the stream. There was no sign of the mayor himself.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario Silent Angel ​

Cayde stood back as Malerie worked her magic, watching as she brought Ceylan back to consciousness. A relieved sigh escaped his mask, "Ah, thank goodness." He looked over to Malerie and shared a grateful nod, "Thank you, Malerie. And now, with that out of the way..." Cayde trailed off, his eyes finding the traces of drool, "We go look for the mayor."

Although the trail lessened the further he went, Cayde was able to find some of the mayor's hoofprints. From then on, it was just as simple as following his tracks, but what wasn't easy was stomaching the sights along the way. Every time he passed by a sickly person, a pit formed in his stomach, partially from fear of catching whatever disease they laid bare and partially from pity. Of course, Cayde wanted to help them, but not knowing the fullest extent of the outbreak, paired with its possibly unnatural cause and the priorities he set straight, he just couldn't. He doubted even his potions and salves could do much to relieve them. For a moment, Cayde felt utterly useless.

Soon enough, Cayde would stumble upon the end of the mayor's tracks, "The tracks end here." He muttered, scanning his surroundings yet seeing no trace of the mayor, "So where is he?" He took a few steps forwards and peeked over the edge of the stream, watching it cascade into the ocean. His eyes squinted, trying to discern anything from the rocks and seawater, but not even his perception could pick up anything. Cayde stepped back and faced his allies, concern ripe in his voice, "You don't think he jumped off, do you? No one could take that fall."

His hand rubbed at his chin, "I don't know if this will help: but back in the office, the mayor was spouting something about a 'demon' and 'having someone's head.' It was probably just crazy talk, but maybe he ran off to deal with that 'demon' himself." He looked over to his side, spotting the city walls, "He could still be in the city, or perhaps around it. But that still doesn't explain why the trail ends here..." Cayde shrugged, diverting his gaze upstream, "Hm, maybe he went upstream instead?"

 

[Silent Angel]

Malerie

Malerie giggled as she was offered the tea. "Not for me, silly, for you! Have some and take a rest. Calm yourself down. No good having the best doctor in the city pass out from stress and overwork~" She reached down, using two fingers to lift the bunny lady's chin, bending down slightly as she looked into the doctor's eyes, making sure she got across the importance of what she said. "Take care of yourself. You can't help others if you aren't healthy." She smiled down at the mouse lady once more before giving her a small kiss on the forehead. "If you haven't rested when I get back, I'm gonna tuck you into bed and make sure you stay there for the rest of the day. And you know the big bad monster keeps her threats. Or, at least she does when it comes to making sure people are healthy~" She stuck her tongue out in a playful way at the doctor before standing, following the others out the door with a wave back.

She glanced around at the place his tracks had stopped, concern in her eyes. "I must admit, I only deal with medical issues. I'm not really good when it comes to this type of thing..." She paused, thinking as she looked at the stream. "But... We can check to see if any of the rocks are disturbed or something in the river. Or if there's a pattern of areas where they have been. The mayor's pretty big, even in a river he must have left some sort of clue..."​

 

[Elvario]

Miss Nana

​

Spoiler: Miss Nana

Mentions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse | Malerie/Malady Silent Angel

“Right...” Miss Nana was still a bit confused, but she was also alerted when Malerie started lifting her face. Whilst the bunny-woman hadn't yet realised Malerie's monstrous nature, she didn't fully feel comfortable being this close to her either, despite how helpful Malerie had been. The kiss on the forehead was also met with an instinctive pull-back, as for a split second, she could imagine that beak opening up to try swallowing her whole. The playful 'threats' didn't exactly help, but Malerie's actions thus far had spoken loud enough for miss Nana to know better, despite her instinctive reactions. “I guess.. it's indeed been a tough few days, with oh so little sleep.”

There was another thing that confused miss Nana. The dog-boy was still slumped against the bookcase, asking for his staff, but he didn't get a reply from either of the other two. Eventually, she took it upon herself to pick up the staff and hop over to him. It was clear he needed it, as he wouldn't have gotten up without considerable pain with those broken ribs of his, for which only his own healing power was sufficient enough to get them cured.

Ceylan
​

During their short trip, Ceylan was far more occupied by wondering what was going on in this city than by tracking, so he was glad Cayde was handling that part. When they arrived at the stream, however, he thought along with his companions. “He was pretty... insane, but I doubt it'd be to the point of him jumping off a cliff.” Ceylan wasn't sure what to think of the mayor's words, but he could confirm one thing; “It's likely not an actual demon, that much I know. Dealing with an actual demon would be... far worse, to say the least.”

Cayde, however, was spot-on when he diverted his gaze upstream. In fact, he'd spot several metal handles driven into the stone, which could be used to pull yourself along them when going against the current and into what seemed to be the city's sewer system. There was only one problem. A strong guy like the mayor might be able to do it, but for them, it would be a serious struggle. They'd have to get into waist-deep, fast-flowing water whilst being dragged along with it would flush them off a cliff and into a fall they weren't likely to survive. Whilst it was difficult to see any rocks that were disturbed, if one of them were to get close to the handles Cayde spotted, they would see those had indeed been disturbed, as parts of the layers of rust on them looked like they'd recently been rubbed off, such as by someone using them. It was very likely the mayor had gone into there, but it might not be the best idea to follow him...

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario Silent Angel ​

After the group finished chatting, Cayde decided to investigate upstream, finding more clues on the mayor's whereabouts. On his way, he spotted several rusty handles leading farther into the city's sewers. Though he would've paid them no mind, he did notice something off: some of them appeared to be recently used. Cayde didn't see anyone else go in beforehand, and considering the mayor's tracks ended just downstream of the sewers, he had to be in there. However, Cayde hesitated on entering. While the mayor could've easily pulled himself against the current, Cayde doubted he had the strength to follow. "Now we just need another way in..."

Cayde turned around and approached his companions, "Ceylan, Malerie. I think I know where the mayor went." He said, pointing up towards the sewer's mouth, "I checked up there and saw some handles leading into the sewer, and from what I could tell, someone used them recently." Cayde nodded, his hand rubbing his chin, "That's why the tracks ended so abruptly - he didn't jump off, he just ran off into the sewers!" Though this finding was a significant step, there was still one more issue he had to address, "There's still one more problem though: the mayor went against the current, and no offense but, uh..." Cayde paused, trying to find the most polite words to say, "I don't think any of us are capable of that."

Cayde tried to think of a solution, but without knowledge of the city, nothing came up. However, as he looked at Malerie, he got an idea, "Hey, Malerie. You've been in this city longer than us, yeah? So have you seen any sewer grates, openings, or any sort around here?" From his time in Ryken, Cayde knew very well that city sewers always had other entrances; this city had to be no different, "If we find one, we can hop in, follow the stream up the sewers, and then catch the mayor."

 

[Silent Angel]

Malerie

The monster frowned, looking at the sewer entrance with no small bit of disgust, with her mind wandering to the mayor. If whatever had happened to this town had made the people immunocompromised, some place like that would be the last place she would want one of her patients to go to. However, with the group seeming to be healthy, she decided that there would be no point in not going in.

She perked up at the question she was asked, her face swiveling from the man in the plague doctor's mask back to the town. "There are manholes everywhere in the city. The mayor would have been too small to fit in any, but I think we all can. Though, do you want to enter further into the city so we can go either way without fighting the tide still, or enter the closest one?" Her eyes turned to the other two quizzically, waiting on their thoughts on the matter.​

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan
​

Mentions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse | Malerie/Malady Silent Angel

Ceylan felt a shiver run down his spine when Cayde told them of his findings. “That... does not look pleasant.” The fact that it was a sewer was one thing, but jumping into a stream and risk getting dragged off of a deadly cliff by the water was a next level of a bad idea. It's why he immediately agreed with Cayde. “It would be suicidal.”

Luckily enough, Malerie knew where to find an alternative entrance. As for her question, Ceylan debated it for a moment. “I doubt the entire sewer system is without proper walkways, so I don't think we'd have to fight the currents if we enter it somewhere near this place. It might also help us track the mayor if we enter the sewers as close to him as possible.”

Assuming Cayde and Malarie were to agree, they'd be able to make their way to the nearest manhole cover. It was situated on the level above them, so they had to make a slight detour to get up (as they wouldn't be able to just climb the wall), but they'd find it without too much trouble.

That said, once they were there, they'd realise a few things short after removing the manhole cover and staring down. The good thing was that it'd been raining a fair bit lately. The water was now slowly coming down the cliffs above, gathering into the sewer system where it got together in bigger volume and where its currents picked up due to being channelled through the smaller streams. As a result, the sewer wasn't as badly smelling as it might be during other days.

The bad thing was that this also meant that the walkways were partly flooded. The flooded part was neither deep nor flowing strongly enough to really hinder them, but it'd probably prevent any tracks the mayor might have otherwise left on the walkways. It also meant they'd need to carefully watch their footing as to not accidentally step besides the small walkway that covered the deeper parts of the sewer channel.

The final thing they'd notice was that the sewers were pretty dark. How the mayor was dealing with it was a mysteries, but they'd need a source of light, especially if they didn't wish to risk stepping besides the partially flooded walkways. As for the latter, Ceylan spoke up. “I've brought some candles for ceremonies, but they won't give off a whole lot of light. We'd have to stick close or find a better source of light.”

Regardless of what option they'd chose, one thing was clear about Ceylan. He wasn't eager to go first, as for all his lack of social ability, he was making it pretty clear that he was really hoping one of the other two would volunteer themselves climbing down first.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario Silent Angel ​

After the group removed the manhole cover, Cayde stepped forward and peered inside. Undoubtedly, the sewers were dark, but with the aid of Ceylan's candles, it hopefully wouldn't be much of an issue. Still, Cayde had to figure out who would go down first. He looked at Malerie and Ceylan, his eyes darting between them and the opening, "So, who's gonna...?" Cayde waited for a couple of seconds until he realized what he had to do, "Oh... Well, I'll go on first then." Then, with a short grunt, he got down and slowly descended the manhole.

Soon enough, Cayde would find himself standing on the sewer's wet walkways. Though he'd never been in one himself, the sewer smelled oddly fresh - or at least, as fresh as a sewer could be. Cayde thought it must've been recently flushed out, and as he looked around to survey the scene, it seemed he was partly correct. Behind him, he could faintly see a section of the walkway flooded with water, not enough to cause concern, but just enough to cause a slip if he wasn't careful enough. Cayde sighed; not only had he and his companions had to find the mayor in a dark sewer, but they also had to find him in a flooded dark sewer.

Otherwise, the landing looked fine, and Cayde looked up towards to manhole, "It's dark, but I think we're all clear here." He called out, his voice reverberating against the walls, "The floor's a bit slippery, and I'm sure some parts might be flooded. But if we find the main channel, we can continue the search."

 

[Silent Angel]

Malerie

The monster watched him go down. At what he said, she shuddered, not liking the trip she would have to make, but she steeled herself up and got on the ladder, sliding down before splashing into the water below. She shuddered as her stockings were completely soaked, knowing that she would have to wash them as soon as she got out of this place, as well as all the rest of her clothes and her body. Probably multiple times. She didn't want to take any chances.

"Mayor, why couldn't you have run off to somewhere more... sanitary?" She knew the mayor couldn't hear her, but she needed to get the question out of her head. She slowly sloshed through the water, moving to the side so the ladder was open as she peered down the tunnel, trying to catch a glimpse of where the minotaur could have run off to.​

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan
​

Mentions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse | Malerie/Malady Silent Angel

Ceylan didn't speak it aloud, but he was surely thinking 'thank you for your sacrifice' when Cayde went down first. Upon Cayde's signal, Ceylan climbed down as well. It was indeed dark, so with the light coming down from the manhole, Ceylan took out three candles and lit them, handing one to Cayde and Malerie as well. With how little light the candles gave off, they'd need their own ones.

A shiver went through his spine and all the way up to the tip of his tail when he felt the cold water run along his feet and shins, instantly soaking them both. He didn't exactly have shoes for this occasions, after all. “This was definitely not a part of the city I was hoping to visit either.” Ceylan replied in response to Malerie's remark. Then, after looking around for a bit, he continued on a more serious tone. “I think... the sewer pipe we saw leading outside should be in that direction?” Ceylan pointed to their left.

Holy City of Vegard - Sewers

​

The path through the sewers was relatively 'simple' for as long as they made sure not to accidentally step into the middle part, which was where the water would usually flow through if it wasn't for the fact that the side-walks were now also flooded. However, finding the mayor was a much bigger challenge. Ceylan's direction was most likely correct, but upon having went in it, they'd soon realise there were very few signs of anyone having gone through here. There was something, however, that Ceylan was still bothered by. “It must be pitch black in these parts without a source of light, how in the world did the mayor find his way through here?”

Upon looking around, Cayde, with his slightly higher perception and survival knowledge, was likely to be the first to spot it. Some of the moss on the walls was wiped off recently. The mayor had likely made his way through by dragging one of his hands across the walls to make sure he'd stuck close enough to them. The latter had definitely left its marks. A bit of moss rubbed away where, some dirt rubbed off there... It wasn't a lot, but with only a few tunnels making up this entire sewer, it'd be enough to track down the mayor.

However, not too far into doing so, they'd get a clear signal that they were heading in the right direction. “BEGONE YOU DEMON!!!” The mayor's voice boomed through the sewers, echoing past them thanks to its surprising volume. He couldn't be too far off, perhaps just around a corner or two... A second voice could be heard. “Sir … calm … please!” Not all words could be made out, as he was a lot less loud than the mayor, but it was clearly a 'he' and likely on the older side.

Ceylan was anxiously holding his candle, having no clue how to approach the situation. All he knew was one thing; “I should be able to cure him if I can touch him and say a prayer, but I'm not sure if he'd let me close for long enough in his condition.”

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario Silent Angel ​

As the group progressed forward, Cayde began to look for more tracks. His eyes scanned the walls and the floors for any abnormality, but the dim candlelight did him no justice. As he continued his search, Cayde heard Ceylan speak out behind him. Not wanting to miss any clues, Cayde didn't turn to face him, but he would still try to answer Ceylan's question. "I'd say he's been in here before; I doubt he just wandered in here." He said, squinting at the walls as he continued, "I don't know what was going through his head, but why'd he pick this place specifically?. There has to be something in here. I just know it."

As soon as he finished, Cayde would finally spot something peculiar. Beside him was a wall covered in ordinary green moss, but on closer inspection, Cayde saw long horizontal markings etched into it - almost as if something was dragged against it. Curious, Cayde placed his hand on the wall and slowly moved forwards, dragging it along. Then, after a few steps, he looked back to the wall, comparing the two patterns. Interestingly, they were almost identical, though the markings he found were way larger. Only one person could've made those prints: the mayor.

Reassured from finding some new tracks, Cayde gave a low chuckle, "Finally..." He turned to Ceylan and Malerie and pointed over to the wall, showing them the strange patterns in the moss, "Check the wall. The mayor left some more tracks for us." He began to follow the marking, all while wiping the moss off his hands, "I'm going to take a guess and say these were made pretty recently. So, he should be around-" Before he could finish his sentence, a familiar voice boomed through the sewers, making Cayde jump in response. He cleared his throat and adjusted his mask, trying to seem as if the sudden noise hadn't frightened him, "Uh, there he is."

Interestingly enough, Cayde heard another voice follow, likely speaking to the mayor. He turned to face Ceylan, who was planning their approach, "Right. So we'll need to find a way to distract him, or at least get him to stop moving for a bit." He scratched at his chin, "I heard another person in here, so maybe the mayor's distracted. We should sneak up and get a better look."

 

[Silent Angel]

Malerie

Malerie thought about the first question both of them posed for a few moments, which helped take her mind off the liquid they were wading through. "Maybe it's something instinctual? Like, the mayor was able to sense where the magic was coming from, but could only follow the trail when lowered to base instincts?" She shrugged. "Or maybe it's something else. I don't know for sure. All I k-"

She was quickly cut off by a loud bellowing down the tunnel, and a man's voice to accompany. Her brows furrowed as she started to do her best to run down the hall, knowing that they were near the end of their journey and hoping that would also mean getting out of the sewers. She turned her head and called back in a lower voice, "Considering how loud those yells are, I highly doubt he'll be able to hear us coming. Come on. Sounds like he's trying to kill someone."​

 

[Elvario]

Holy City of Vegard - Sewers

​

Mentions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse | Malerie/Malady Silent Angel

As the group hurried towards the source of the sound, at least for as far as they could do so silently enough to avoid being noticed, they would find a place where the sewer opened up a bit more. It was difficult to estimate under which part of the city they were by now, but it was likely somewhere near or at the centre. A dim light shone through the ceiling as well, as there seemed to be a small iron raster.

Mayor Wallace

​

Spoiler: Mayor Wallace

The mayor's large form could be spotted almost immediately. He was standing near the back of the room, hulking over a much smaller figure. He looked ready to attack, but was abstaining from doing so for an unclear reason.

???

​

Spoiler: Harley

The figure behind him was an older looking beast, of the hare variety, who was slumped down on the ground whilst clutching his chest with both hands. A poleaxe lay besides him in the shallow water. “That's it sir, please snap out of it...” He spoke through heavy breathing. Malerie would almost instantly hear that this breathing was that of someone who had gotten some serious issues with their lungs, possibly a form of pneumonia. If he'd be focussing upon it, Cayde would reach the same conclusion a bit later.

The distance between them and the mayor, in the open part of the room, could be crossed in a quick sprint, but not before the mayor would be able to hear them and turn around. The water had flooded parts of this room as well, but the elevation was generally higher and the middle part of it was mostly dry.

Ceylan
​

As Ceylan observed the situation along with the others, he suppressed an urge to groan when he felt something wet, warm and slimy brush past his leg. He didn't want to know what type of stuff that could've been, not when they were in a sewer. Instead, he tried to focus on the more urgent situation ahead of him, but he could only think of one thing. He whispered to share it. “He already got me once, but I'd be willing to try sprinting or sneaking up to him again if you two could just distract him for a little. It seems like he's a little more talkative, or aware, perhaps?”