Peddler's Path is busy in the sunny, warm afternoon, though there are fewer people on the street than there might be on a siegeless day. This is where most of the reported cases of illness have occurred. A few merchants and tradesfolk live here, often above their shops, and some sick workers from the Boroughs work here as well. The House of Solace, of course, is interested in this illness, if that's what it is, but so is the Iron Guard, and there have been inquiries and requests for volunteers. In times like these, there is always reason to suspect a sinister hand behind each death.

It's not an epidemic, and it seems unlikely to be a plague, but at least one door is shuttered and painted with a mark to ward off visitors. A new victim. Sadly, the shop owner lived alone, and it wasn't until today that he was found by one of her workers. Inside, upstairs, is the room of the deceased, who hasn't yet been moved. The young assistant is downstairs, minding his business and despondently sifting through buttons and needles.

Sophie checked intellect + medicine at difficulty 40, rolling 7 higher.

Ann checked intellect + investigation at difficulty 40, rolling 12 lower.

Calaudrin checked command + investigation at difficulty 30, rolling 1 higher.

It's not hard to spot Ann Redrain in a crowd, and not for the usual reasons. Despite being a Princess, the woman easily blends in in this less than posh environment. She's wearing a plain brown gown of some indistinct origin, and her body odor doesn't scream 'Princess'. If anything, it whispers at not having seen the baths in several days. What picks her out is the stack of books in the crook of one arm and the overlarge satchel hanging from a shoulder. What's inside is anyone's guess, if they're brave. The look of perplexity on her face is also easy to spy as she approaches the dwelling.

Seva is walking through with her assistant following closely on her heels. Both carry small satchels over their shoulders as they make their way through Peddler's path, glancing at the doors of the businesses. The Princess doesn't stop until she reaches the marked door. With a small sigh, she knocks upon it.

1 Iron Guardsmen have been dismissed.

2 Iron Guardsmen have been dismissed.

The House of Solace is very much present in the form of one of Arx's Hands of Mercy, Sophie Valardin, and her Knight Commander of the Knights of Solace companion, Sir Armel Godsworn. Whether or not this proves to be a plague, they've come prepared for such, down to the medical masks they wear, covering their noses and mouths, lined with a secret Mercy blend of herbs and oil. There is, after all, a corpse to tend to, and one that might be infectious. Best get this autopsy out of the way, complete with taking samples, and then saying final rites before properly dealing with the remains.

Armel looks horribly out of place in this situation, really, and his manner is one of trepidation and anxiety. He follows along dutifully, however, in his silver-edged plate and wearing his helmet and mask, pretty well covered from head to toe with zero skin showing, his one eye squinting about for any threats to his charge, such as she is. Surely that's what his obvious agitation and stiff posture comes from, right?

Calaudrin looks like he's been pounding the pavement all day long. So has Thena. They both arrive at the door around the same time as the other three women and the one knight commander. "I see everyone has business here today." He remarks in a dry tone before waiting for someone to open the door from the inside. Sophie Valardin is given a particular look of interest and he tips his head towards the younger guard. "Perhaps you can tag along with her." There's a polite tip of his head in Armel's direction.

The assistant opens the door to the shop. There's a large window, often used to trade directly through the street, but that is shuttered, and it is slightly dark inside. The assistant is a young man, busy sorting through lengths of cord and needles and buttons at the counter. He looks somewhat pale, but healthy enough. Maybe. "Good afternoon. Mistress Durand... is upstairs." he explains with a nod to Seva and a look to the others arriving.

Ann finds the door just behind the others, gaze resting on each for a moment like she's categorizing them in a mental filing cabinet. Last of all, she spies Armel. "Oh, Sir Armel! It's been a duck's age. Good to see you again." Her books are shifted forward like proof she belongs there. "... your mask makes me nervous. I wasn't able to find anything in the records about this. Not in this area, anyway. I had hoped to see the symptoms of whatever it is, to see if anything jumps out at me. Not literally." She's quick to specify.

Thena looks right at home in this locale, following in her superior officer's wake with a lanky relaxed stride, hands stuffed into the pockets of her plain dark leather pants. Calaudrin gets a vaguely exasperated dark look from the woman at his suggestion and mutters, "I have to tail you all day and then when we finally get to the spot you scrape me off on someone else?" She'll just stick right here, thank you, though there's an intensity in her scrutiny of the assistant who answers the door.

Seva smiles politely at the assistant who opens the door. She spares a quick glance back at the other who are following, seemingly unperturbed by the medical masks. The healer has choose to go without one though a heavy scarf is pulled up to cover her mouth. "Thank you." She murmurs quietly before stepping past the assistant and briskly heading up the stairs.

"Aren't you some kind of medic? Wouldn't you want to hang around the other medicine person?" Calaudrin was trying to be helpful! He frowns in a sad way when she snipes at him, making a face and turning to eyeball the assistant when he opens the door. The guard steps inside, glancing around the room they're in. "Could I ask you some questions about Mistress Durand's routine?" He wonders of the man. For better or worse, he's not wearing any mask. Hopefully the Iron Guard has a greath health care plan.

The Mercies of Lagoma travel all over, and there is no mistaking Sophie's holy vocation if one were to even glance at her garb. From behind the mask, she smiles kindly at the assistant, which only may be evident in that it carries to her eyes. Eyes that keenly assess the young man's state, taking mental notes. "Good afternoon. Thank you for permitting access. Take comfort that blessed Lagoma will see to it Mistress Durand is made comfortable where she now is."

Oh, but then there is the sound of Ann calling to Armel, and that draws her attention -- right as Seva slips past. And the Iron Guard is here, too. Well, then. Sophie offers a cordial nod to the others but does not interrupt Calaudrin's questioning.

Armel blinks a couple times as he peers around at Ann as he is mentioned, dipping his head in a polite bow. "Lady Ann. A pleasure. No more falls lately?" His rumbling, gravely voice is tight still as he follows along gamely after his charge Sophie, murmuring to her, "If I get sick and die from this, you owe me, Sophie." He spots Seva and there is a brief, faint smile as he dips his head in silent greeting. Then it's back to business, reluctant as it is.

Thena just gives Calaudrin an exasperated 'you don't /get/ it' sort of look and crosses her arms over her chest, looking not a whit abashed for having given him attitude. She won't get in the way of the questioning, or the others with better credentials. She'll just stand to the side and breathe in the plague air blithely, though she's clearly paying attention.

Upstairs, it's a simple but sad scene. It is a small two room apartment above the shop, a main room and a bedroom, furnished with a copious amount of knick-knacks. The deceased is in the bedroom, still on her bed. The shutters are open, and the window lets in the afternoon light, and one cracked window lets in fresh air as well. There's an unpleasant smell in the air, though the gray-haired woman in her night gown must not have been dead for long. She is only partly covered by the sheets.

On the ground floor, the shop assistant shakes his head and takes a step back. "Questions? Yes. Of course. It's a shame. She's - she was a good woman, a good employer. What'll happen to the shop now?" he fiddles with some buttons.

Mariah, a nanny arrives, following Tikva.

Mariah, a nanny leaves, following Tikva.

Sophie checked intellect + medicine at difficulty 30, rolling 20 higher.

Seva checked intellect + medicine at difficulty 30, rolling 3 higher.

Armel checked intellect + medicine at difficulty 30, rolling 3 higher.

Ann checked intellect + occult at difficulty 30, rolling 2 higher.

Thena checked intellect + medicine at difficulty 30, rolling 9 lower.

Calaudrin checked command + investigation at difficulty 30, rolling 14 higher.

Calaudrin checked perception + empathy at difficulty 15, rolling 1 lower.

Calaudrin steps further inside, then draws the assistant off to the side so that they're out of the way. He does his best but his ability to condolences is rather brisk: "I'm sorry this happened to her. You have my condolences. Unfortunately I don't know what's going to happen to her shop." He frowns at Thena and her crossed arms. But he doesn't bother chiding her here. Returning to the man, "Could you tell me what her day is normally like? Is there anywhere she visits frequently? Had she made any complaints or mentioned something that seemed unusal? Does she know anyone that recently passed?" It's quite a few questions, but he seems content waiting patiently for him parse through them in whatever way comes naturally.

As the first to arrive upstairs, Seva takes a brief moment to bow her head in respect to the dead woman. Then, in a sec, she's all business again. The princess takes care to not disturb or directly touch the body but she makes careful note of it's condition. Any obvious symptoms like swelling, skin discoloration, popping veins, or blood are noted in a small journal she's carrying. Once the agents from Solace come up, she will step aside to let them work.

"I forbid you to get sick and die," Sophie idly quips to Armel, as if that solves everything. "Well met, Lady Ann. I am Sophie Valardin," she amiably offers the unknown Redrain before entering the makeshift morgue. "Oh." Blink-blink. "Hello." Blink-blink. "I am Sister Sophie and this is Sir Armel," she politely introduces herself and her companion to the unexpected sight of Seva before turning her attention to Mistress Durand. Clasping her hands together and drawing them to her chest, the Mercy bows her head, closes her eyes, and murmurs a prayer for the soul of the departed. Should Armel, as one of the Godsworn, wish to say some words, he may while she sets up shop to perform the autopsy.

While Calaudrin chats with the assistant, Thena slips up the stairs after the others, a silent shadow. She only gets a quick little peep at Mistress Durand before creeping back down the stairs again. Fetching up beside the other guard, she waits for what may or may not be an appropriate time to aside to Calaudrin, "She's definitely dead."

Ann smiles crookedly to Sophie, even as her eyes dance around the interior of the woman's shop. "Sister Sophie. A pleasure. Valardin, hm? I've been trying to corner one of your House lately. I have some questions with regards to history and lore. But," she subsides, "of course not here." Regretfully. She picks up a knick-knack briefly to examine it from several angles. "Superstitious sort, she was." And then falls silent for the prayers to be observed.

Armel approaches the body, remarking quietly aside to Sophie as he goes, "I know Princess Seva Thrax fairly well." That reassurance out of the way, he moves to stand before the body and bow his head, quietly reverent for a few seconds. "May Death take you into her loving embrace, your name known to her and her alone. May she set you upon the Wheel, to be born again anew, all the pains and injuries of this life washed away in a new, glorious adventure. For this, we pray." Priestly duties done! He examines her for a moment before he remarks, "No signs of violence, at least. Died...This morning? Judging from how she looks, anyway." He begins to peer around the room, leaving the more thorough exmaination to Sophie and the others with a snort at Thena's observation. "We'll have this solved in no time, detectives like us around."

The assistant nods to Calaudrin and looks around, "Probably to her sister's. She'll sell it, I'm sure. Might keep my job though, right? I might. Poor Mistress, hey? She'd been doing so well lately, too." the young man continues, then tries to focus on Calaudrin's question, though he looks slightly upset by the events. "Her day? Usually she opens the shop and comes down and she's here all day. I bring in food sometimes, or she goes out to eat at the tavern, the one just down the street, while I tend to the shop. That's for lunch, sometimes in the afternoon, too. Sometimes upstairs, with visitors. I don't know. She's had a bit of a cough, but she'd been doing better. I don't know, there's that washerwoman down the street, who got sick. She does - she did Mistress Durand's laundry. I don't know. Complained about her back, but I've been helping with the water, so she could rest."

Seva checked perception + investigation at difficulty 20, rolling 8 lower.

Ann wields Razor-Edged Scalpel.

Armel checked perception + investigation at difficulty 20, rolling 7 lower.

Thena checked perception + investigation at difficulty 20, rolling 12 lower.

Ann checked perception + investigation at difficulty 20, rolling 10 lower.

Calaudrin tips his head towards Thena when she speaks to him. "Uh huh..." He begins then lowers his voice to make a quick comment or two to her before focusing on the assistant again. He smiles tightly at the man. "Sure, you might." He doesn't really know anything about how any of that works. "So nothing that really gave you pause. How long ago did she see the washer woman?" He wonders curiously, giving him a long look and then glancing around the room thoughtfully. "And how are you feeling? And I mean that physically, do you feel healthy? Did you share any food or drink with Mistress Durand?"

Calaudrin checked perception + investigation at difficulty 20, rolling 5 higher.

Seva glances at Armel and Sophie with a slightly startled look, as if she's just really processed their presence. It looks a bit like the Princess is running on fumes. "Greeting Sir Armel. Sister Sophie." She bows slightly. Behind her, her assistant is already checking the room. Seva waits a moment to respect the prayers before moving to join her retainer. She seems to be looking for any medicine the woman might have taken, any odd herbs, and any strange objects. "She's dehydrated. Seems to had trouble breathing as well."

Calaudrin checked command + investigation at difficulty 30, rolling 16 higher.

"I was a bit under the weather last week. I'm fine, though." and other than looking pale, he's a strapping if lanky young man. He sigh a lot. "I don't know. The washer woman? Must've been just two or three days ago. Usually that's when." he rubs at his incipient moustache, "I don't usually eat with Mistress Durand, I go to a different tavern than she does, or I bring my own food with me from home. I like my ale, you know?" he explains, "Some fruit, I ate some of fruit I brought in the other day. But like I said, I'm fine."

Downstairs, not much seems to be amiss or out of place. There are haberdashery supplies, and fabrics, and small knick-knacks. There's a pair of large clay jars by the counter that don't seem to fit, but they may be decorative.

Overhearing (or just hearing), Thena glances sidelong at Armel and the corner of her mouth flickers in a wry smile at his words. "I'm planning to leave all that to Officer Estardes here." She whacks Calaudrin on the elbow, then tilts her head a little when he says something to her in an undertone. She nods and starts to mosey around the perimeter of the shop.

By large jars, they are fat and come up to just about knee height.

To those versed in such thing, it would be evident that Sophie is old hat at this kind of thing, which is both fortunate and unfortunate. She pauses for Armel's prayer, then replies to Ann, "Oh? My cousin Aurelian would be a good one to consult, although I am happy to answer any questions you may have to the best of my ability." When Thraxian princess is identified, however, the Mercy peers that way, eyes narrowing intently before widening with delight. "Seva! You grew your hair!" And whether or not her not-seen-in-years second cousin cares for displays of affection, the golden blonde is bound to offer such before the day's end. Alas, the joy of unexpected reunion must wait. There is work to be done.

With a puzzled brow, the Mercy briefly tugs down her mask and sniffs around the corpse, making certain she is not mistaken. "It's too early for this level of decomposition," she remarks about the corpse's odor before resettling the protective wear over her nose and mouth. "And the smell's not quite right. Too pungently sweet." Mark that in the abnormal column. Intently, Sophie then continues the external examination, concurring with Seva's finding, adding, "Slight yellow tint to the skin. Abdominal bloating, much like the others. Signs of physical discomfort. Difficulty breathing." Which she points out in the tint of the deceased lips and the ruddiness of her eyes. "Possibility of a lung ailment that has been there for some time."

"Two or three days ago? When was the last time you saw Mistress Durand alive?" He frowns, but his frown seems directed at the assistant's moustache rubbing. "What's your name again? I'm sorry, I didn't catch it. Calaudrin Estardes, with the Iron Guard." That would be him. He steps away from the man, "I'm just going to take a quick look around." His statement is informational rather than a request. He then proceeds to look through a whole bunch of stuff in an extremely nosy and unabashed fashion, including looking inside the large jars. "Thena, I think you could fit in here." She absolutely can't.

"Fulbert, Sir. And I saw her - must've been three days ago, like I said. It was my break yesterday, and the day before I'd stayed home 'cause I wasn't so well, and Mistress Durand said I could go, so, well I did." the young man answers with a nod, "Please, as you like, Sir." and steps back behind the counter to wait.

Upstairs, no one finds anything out of the ordinary. Not counting the body. The room is lived in, and there are signs of it all around, but nothing that stands out to any of the investigators.

Armel keeps away from the corpse for now, letting Sophie work as he stands watch over one corner of the room, fairly passive for now as he guards his charge. Otherwise he is rather silent, save for a slight downturn of his lips at the news about the oddities of the corpse.

"I did. Thought it might look better long." There is a gleam in the Princess' eyes that hints at a smile hidden beneath her mask. "I'm happy to see you again, cousin. A pity we met in this way." She gestures at the corpse as she continues to check in the woman's drawers and closet.

Thena has just moved past the jars herself; perhaps she has already determined she can't fit in them because her answer is an /awfully/ prompt, "No, sir," tossed back over her shoulder as she breezes past a display of ribbons. Her fingertips brush over them twitchily, nearly but not quite touching the bright baubles.

Calaudrin sticks his hand into the water and lifts it to his mouth to smell it and get a look at its clarity before letting it drip back into the jar. He doesn't drink any of it, his mouth seems to be set perpetually in a frown. To the assistant: "Did you bring this water in? Where did it come from?" Not seemingly satisfied, he wipes the water away on his pants before glancing towards Thena to see what she's up to.

"I did." young Fulbert nods with a look towards the jars, "The tap in the back's not working, so I get it from the fountain so Mistress Durand doesn't have to. It's heavy, see? Wouldn't be so bad if got the water from the fountain just down the street, but she doesn't - she didn't like it, said it - well, said it was too reflective. So I get it from this smaller one, close to the wall."

1 Grayson Guardsmen, Baron Archibald Chirpington, a Gyrfalcon, 1 Iron Guardsmen, Whisper, a Blue and Gold Macaw arrive, following Aiden.

1 Grayson Guardsmen, Baron Archibald Chirpington, a Gyrfalcon, 1 Iron Guardsmen, Whisper, a Blue and Gold Macaw leave, following Aiden.

Sophie checked intellect + alchemy at difficulty 40, rolling 7 lower.

"It looks lovely," Sophie concurs about Seva's now long hair, "although I like it the other way, too." Very companionably spoken as she further examines the corpse with gloved hands, taking samples from here and there for further analysis at the House of Solace. When she gets to the mouth swab, it's remarked, "Swollen tongue and further discoloration suggest a reaction to something ingested that did not at all agree with her. Possibly aggravated her lung condition, but some of these symptoms go beyond pulmonary failure. Signs that are consistent with some of the other cases." Scrutinizing more, the Mercy frowns. "I cannot deduce just what it is but I am confident it's the culprit. Seva, dear, care to take a look?"

Armel mumbles something about liking longer hair, personally, but honestly, he is wayyyy out of his depth here, and he knows it, just rocking back and forth on his heels as he keeps his eye on the proceedings, following Sophie about at a respectable distance.

Ann is picking objects up, setting them back down gingerly, moving about the room examining its contents and finding nothing out of the ordinary. She's got an ear cocked for the conversation around the body, though, and her messy curls snap up and she offers, "I'll head down to see if there's any kitchen stuffs that might be contaminated."

Seva checked intellect + alchemy at difficulty 35, rolling 9 higher.

Thena is just looking at these pretty ribbons, Cal. When she sees him looking her way she mouths, "Too reflective?" at him, incredulous.

The words from downstairs seems to be keeping her attention as she searches and occasionally, Seva jots down little notes. When Sophie speaks again, she straightens and stands. "Thank you." Her tone is warm and fond despite the circumstances. "Perhaps we should have the water from downstairs tested, if it seems to be something ingested." Seva moves over to the body once again and starts to examine the woman and her mouth.

"...Too reflective." Calaudrin repeats and stares at Fulbert for a moment before exhaling loudly. He glances towards Thena when she repeats the same thing he does at the same and snorts. He dips into his pockets and pulls out something to smoke. But he doesn't light anything, he just taps the case against his palm impatiently. "You don't drink from these water jars? Do you happen to know if that fountain is connected to any source of water? Does it lead back to the Upper Boroughs?"

"That's right." Fulbert confirms, "Too much like a mirror, she'd say." and he sighs at the memory. "Not me. I like ale, like I was saying. I don't know. Connected? It's just a fountain. I suppose there's the aqueduct and the old reservoir there and - well I don't know." he doesn't know a lot of things.

"Thank you," is Sophie's grateful reply to Ann. "Perhaps her assistant knows what she likes to eat and drink, and from where such is procured." Then she is stepping aside to let Seva examine the deceased mouth. Armel is bestowed with a fond smile, obscured in all but the Mercy's blue eyes.

Armel looks around suddenly, catching some of the words being passed around downstairs. "No mirrors," he murmurs suddenly, his eye narrowing slightly as he looks to Sophie, his hand moving to the handle that protrudes behind his back. "Does anyone have a mirror?" He calls loudly enough that people downstairs would be certain to hear him. "We need to point it at the body...And the assistant too. Everywhere we can. Now." He seems suddenly stern and firm, far more firm than he has been since he arrived at the shop.

Loudly so he can be heard upstairs (which is only completely obnoxious), "Does anyone know anything about the water systems-" That's when Armel's voice filters down to Calaudrin. He frowns at the assistant in front of him and lifts his case of smokes, which happens to be a nice reflective metal case and points it at Fulbert's face. "Please don't be something undead, please? Or a demon. Okay? I've had a /really/ long day."

Ann's head snaps up as Armel calls that out. "Oh, no," the bookish Redrain mutters forebodingly, shifting her stack from one arm to the other so she might fish out a devilishly sharp... scalpel... from her satchel. "No, no. Not again. Not this again..."

"What?" Fulbert flinches away from the metal case. And looks warily around. "What? Undead? What's this about, Sir?"

Seva's brows furrow and she jerks away from the corpse. "Fungus." She mutters, voice full of disgust. "Spores or mold must have been in her food or water. They weakened her system and she likely passed from a mixture of other illnesses and the toxic nature of the fungus."

Truth be told, Sophie hasn't been paying attention to the conversation below. When Armel asks for a mirror, though, she's actually quick on the uptake, pulling out a small mirror on a chain worn around her neck and tucked underneath her Mercy's robe. Is she often performing reflection checks on corpses? Regardless, the Valardin braves looking. "She's fine." Beat. "Apart from being dead, that is." Thus concluded, the pendant in again tucked beneath the vestment. A nod, then, to Seva's findings. "Tainted supply somewhere, perhaps."

Thena moves smoothly from browsing the wares to rummaging for a mirror, trying to keep an eye on both her task, her commanding officer and the assistant. "What kind of shop like this doesn't have mirrors?"

"Thena. Are you absolutely certain that /this/ guy is alive?" Calaudrin asks, pointing at Fulbert while he's shining the metal case at him. He shines it at him some more. "Do me a favor, can you just look at your own reflection? Just for one second. I'm really curious, I'm an odd guy. Humor me."

Fulbert looks very alarmed, which is a kind of liveliness. He frowns at Calaudrin, then nods hesitantly and leans in to peer in the mirror, then look from the mirror to the Iron Guard. "What?"

Armel murmurs to Sophie, "When you are done, come downstairs, alright?" He begins to move for the stairs himself, still gripping the hilt of his warhammer casually as he moves, at odd with the obvious tension in his posture as he moves toward the small altercation downstairs, poking his head down. "Well, since you're not stabbing him, I assume he's alright? We need to track this water, looks like." Then he's kind of standing right on the stairs, trying to keep an eye on both situations to some extent.

2 Redoubt Buccaneers, Minnow, the Boarhound-Mastiff Mix, Koi, the Boarhound-Mastiff Mix, Edward arrive, following Ariel.

2 Redoubt Buccaneers, Minnow, the Boarhound-Mastiff Mix, Koi, the Boarhound-Mastiff Mix, Edward leave, following Ariel.

Ann looks vastly relieved, tucking the scalpel away and focusing her attention upon Armel. "Something in the water? That's a dangerous charge. Someone out to go straightaway to alert the authorities."

Waspishly, "Why no, Officer Estardes, it honestly didn't occur to me to see if the alive people were dead." Perhaps it should have! Thena trots over, one hand lingering near her hip, but as Fulbert apparently passes the mirror check she lets out a little huff of a sigh through her nostrils. Dry, "In my professional opinion he appears to be not dead, sir."

2 Redoubt Buccaneers, Minnow, the Boarhound-Mastiff Mix, Koi, the Boarhound-Mastiff Mix, Edward arrive, following Ariel.

2 Redoubt Buccaneers, Minnow, the Boarhound-Mastiff Mix, Koi, the Boarhound-Mastiff Mix, Edward leave, following Ariel.

"I think he needs to tan more." Calaudrin remarks to Armel when he sticks his head downstairs. "But other than that he seems fine." Since Fulbert is now looking alarmed, he smiles at him. "Sorry, just need to make sure. Strange times these are." He goes back to tapping the metal case again. "And I agree. He said she's been getting water from the fountain by the wall that seperates this area from the Upper Boroughs. Could be aqueducts or the reservoir system between the two areas?" He's not a water systems specialist so there's a bit of a hands in the air gesture for that information. To Thena he smirks. "Thank you. We should give you a raise."

Seva nods, glancing between Sophie and Armel. "Water would be easy to taint." She lets out a tiny sigh and wanders downstairs. The mirror business does not seem to phase her terribly.

Armel sighs quietly, nodding to both Ann and Calaudrin as he moves for the door. "With your permission, officer?" He waits for the Iron Guard to give permission before leaning out the door to call out to a couple guards he has stationed outside. Once they come closer, he murmurs to them, "Take a message to the Ministry, let them know there might be an issue with the water supply. And /keep/. /It/. /Quiet/. Do you hear me? Look at me. If you breath a word of this to /anyone/ besides the Ministry, I will have you lowered in front of the gate to distract the Bringers when they attack."

Is a more thorough autopsy necessary? Perhaps not. Will it happen anyway? Perhaps. Alas, germ theory does not exist in Arvum, so who knows if this is transmittable? Seva did mention fungus, which potentially means spores, so who knows? Sophie does not. She's prudent, though, and leaves nothing to chance. All which means the corpse is fastidiously wrapped up in the bed sheet, prepped for removal.

Ann, belatedly, asides to Thena, "This lady, Gods rest her soul, was superstitious in the extreme. No mirrors. Not surprising." She wanders towards the door with Armel, going so far as to step outside of it. "I ought to mosey home. Getting late. My cousins might be worried..." He didn't say /she/ couldn't tell anyone.

Armel would probably realize he doesn't have to authority to tell really much of anyone else not to say a word. Them's the breaks, as it were.

Thena flashes a syrup-sweet smile at Calaudrin. "I do what I can, sir." She relaxes by degrees, adrenalin having spiked during the brief Fulbert scare though she's determined to bury any trace of it under a nice thick coating of snark. This, even, she tamps down on at Ann's words. "Right. Superstitious. Yes."

Fulbert looks around at all the people, confused by the urgency of all this. "I can tell you where the fountain is, if your Lordships care for that. It's just a fountain, it's been there forever." he notes, then steps to the door and provides directions with a lot of pointing and gesturing.

Calaudrin moves out of the way so Armel can dispatch his orders. He looks around at the remaining people and drawls in a wry tone, "I would hope everyone here is able to have some discretion as well. It would be rather unhelpful to start a panic. I imagine the Lord Commander would frown upon it." Then he steps out of the room so he can hear Fulbert's directions. "Lets go hunt for a fountain."

Once she's all packed up, Sophie heads downstairs. Alone. Surely some Knights of Solace will be called to transport the corpse. For those paying attention, she still wears the mask. "Fountain?" She looks to Armel for answers.

Armel bobs his head to Sophie, the guard he sent off with the orders pale-faced and hustling, telling the other one, "Arrange to have the body taken to the usual location." Because they surely have a place for stuff like that, right? And then he is moving with Calaudrin and the others for that fountain, still looking tense and agitated, giving the assistant a loooong, suspicious glare as he leaves. Because he can.

Seva gives a small nod. "Of course, I won't say a word of it." She mills around Armel, seemingly unsure of how to help with the rest. She does look over the water to see if it's tainted.

It's not difficult to find the fountain, given the directions, though it is slightly out of the way. Not that it's in any way inaccessible, but it is set into a niche by an alley close to the wall. Thankfully, perhaps, it is not the most commonly used of all fountains nearby. If the main water supply was contaminated, the symptoms would be more widespread. Wouldn't they?

The fountain itself is nothing out of the ordinary. Up on a very slight dais, there's a stone wall bearing two sculpted stone fishes. Water pours out of their mouths, landing with a pleasant noise on a shallow basin below.

Armel has rolled a critical success!
Armel checked intellect + investigation at difficulty 20, rolling 1 higher.

When they finally arrive at the fountain, Calaudrin looks at the water. "Well. This is a fountain of water." He observes in a dead pan. There's a glance at Armel and company before he steps up and begins to inspect it. "I canvassed around before we came here. Some of them mentioned issues with plumbing and garbage. Maybe it's... backing up into this water source and contaminating it somehow?" He doesn't sound entirely certain, this isn't really his area of expertise.

Thena has rolled a critical success!
Thena checked intellect + streetwise at difficulty 20, rolling 127 higher.

Sophie checked intellect + investigation at difficulty 20, rolling 4 higher.

Calaudrin checked intellect + investigation at difficulty 20, rolling 10 higher.

Seva has rolled a critical success!
Seva checked intellect + investigation at difficulty 20, rolling 14 higher.

Seva seems to smile a little as Armel passes her. She and her retainer decide to follow along with the group. The princess has her eyes peeled for any signs of mold, mushrooms, or anything of the sort

What good fortune it is that the fountain isn't so tall that Sophie can't, eventually, manage to swab the insides of the fish mouths to examine what kinds of yuck are there. Are there spores? Let's find out.

There's the fountain. The water looks like water to the untrained eye, and likely to the trained one as well. It has to come from somewhere, of course. And given the placement of the fountain, the source of the water is obvious to anyone who knows the area or who has a look around. There's a reservoir, not far way, and an aqueduct along the wall through which the water flows to the city, behind the alleyways.

Nearby, there's an entrance to it, a plain wooden door. The aqueduct is only slightly elevated here, water pumped pumped from the reservoir elsewhere before it is distributed to fountains and homes throughout the neighborhood. The door is usually only used by maintenance, though -some- people know it is also used by smugglers.

And while she's at it, Thena also finds a stash of dust hidden behind a rock. And look, a knife, dry rust-colored blood on the blade, likely a murder weapon to a recent crime, with a notorious hired thug's initials helpfully carved on it.

Armel is, after a cursory examination of the area around the fountain, going to rumble to Calaudrin, "Next stop is obvious." He gestures with a jerk of his head to the door nearby. But he doesn't head there yet, beyond reluctant to leave Sophie's proximity while they are exposed and in the open like this, his eye scanning all the windows and rooftops with a squinted eye.

Thena heaves a sigh when everyone marches out to find the offending fountain and does what she's been doing all day today, trotting after Calaudrin with her hands in her pockets. As is her general habit, her dark eyes scan her surroundings despite the outward air of insouciance. Letting Officer Estardes make deadpan comments on the fountain-like nature of the fountain (maybe this shared penchant of stating the obvious is why she hasn't been fired yet), she ranges a little, finds the door, the dust, the blood. She looks at the scene for a long moment, expression unreadable, then looks up and calls, "I found something."

Also, the door is open. Which is odd.

Unlocked, at least!

Seva starts to drift off towards the door, with her retainer in tow. The Princess has no qualms about opening the door (or attempting to). Her retainer hangs back, looking more on edge and wary.

Calaudrin wanders over to where Thena is and looks down at all of the stuff. "Yep. Good job, you get to collect all of that stuff and deliver it to the Lord Commander when we're done here." He pats her on the back and nods once with an all too bright smile. At Armel's suggestion, he looks towards the mysterious, probably not safe, unlocked door. "Yes, I suppose you're right." Since the other man has a charge, he'll head that way. When Seva looks to open it, he holds out a hand. "May I?" He offers helpfully. "Sort of my job. Guard and all." But he won't tackle her to the ground if she's /that/ intent on getting in there first.

Sophie doesn't take that long to collect her samples from the fountainheads. A swabbing target out in the open. No one seeks to assassinate her, just now. Maybe Armel and his angry one eye scared them off. Before she can take water samples, though, Thena announces a discovery. So it is the Mercy moseys that way.

Armel follows Sophie over toward the knife and Dust, probably not looking so enthused about the (probably old) crime as he should, eye on the door to see if the Iron Guard man gets skewered or blasted to powder upon going inside.

Thena is a sneak and stab-type guard, not one of the ones who go charging into the mouth of danger. She's of the mind of Seva's retainers, and puts a hand out though does not touch the woman. "My lady, we should wait for the others at least." Oh good, there's Calaudrin offering to do the charging. With a hand on one of her daggers she kneels down, looking over the objects behind the rock. "Gods, someone dealing in dust. Or someone who was." Because there's that blood-crusted knife there.

Seva takes a step back, gesturing for the guard to step in front of her and open the door. "You two offer a fair point. I'm simply anxious to see this mystery at an end."

The door creaks open, but it opens easily. Inside, there are a few steps leading up. Nothing suspicious.

Sophie is a good charge. Usually. This is one such time, too, positioning herself in such a manner so as to not make Armel's life worse. If the man is going to meat shield for her, he least she can do is stand somewhere that doesn't make his job more difficult.

Calaudrin isn't put at ease by there being nothing suspicious. The street wasn't suspicious but yet Thena stumbled on a crime spree just laying around on the ground. That's all to say, that he slowly opens the door and goes up the steps with significant levels of caution. His hand is on sword, the one he doesn't often use. And his eyes are adjusting to the dimness. "Nothing exciting so far..."

It starts out pleasantly enough. The stairs are dark, but after climbing them there are slits along the stone wall and light pours in and, for a while, the path is well lit, though the floor seems glossy with vague damp. Further ahead, however, as the hallway widens, it grows darker. First, the running water is audible, then visible, coursing down a channel in the center of the tunnel before it disappears into a round hole into darkness. This, no doubt, leads to the fountain, and possibly to other plumbing nearby.

Ahead, towards the source of the water, the light dims, the floor grows slightly wetter, and the channel deepens slightly. There's room for two abreast to either side of it, if only barely, and it is -just- possible to leap across. Further ahead, the darkness is not quite complete, but there are sconces on the walls for a reason. There are even torches on a few of these, though they seem to have largely burned out to nothing. There's a faint but pungently sweet scent in the air.

Armel murmurs softly to Sophie, "Come along with me to the entrance please? Just out of view?" Now assured nothing is going to instantly destroy the people entering, he feels safe enough to move to join Calaudrin, unholstering his warhammer to hold in one meaty, armor-clad hand. "I've got you," he assures the man firmly, utter certainty in his voice as he moves his armored bulk inside, good for this part at least. Even if the dark does him no favors.

Thena carefully gathers up the dust stash and tucks it in her belt, then gets to her feet and follows carefully on Calaudrin's heels, this time nothing but quiet alertness with both hands resting on the hilts of her daggers, one on each hip. "What if this is a trap? What if someone knew we'd figure it out and come here? Who leaves /dust/ out?" Sure, she's probably overreacting, but forgive a reformed street rat. As they move further into the passage she nearly disappears into the shadows with her black leather armor. Her nose twitches as a familiar sweet smell reaches her nostrils.

Armel wields a tactical warhammer with a brutal spike.

Thena wields a sleek steel dagger with carmine leather handle.

Seva slinks in after the others, with no real weapon. She seems wary but alert. Her retainer follow closely.

Calaudrin wrinkles his nose when the smell hits it. "Remind you of something?" He asks outloud to the two of them. When Armel makes with wielding his big warhammer, he lets go of the hilt of his sword and moves to pull his bow off of his back. "I'm not sure what will get me dead faster if there's something unfriendly down there. Shooting in the dark or swinging this metal stick." He mutters, running his hand along the wall and touching every scone to try and find one with a torch that isn't entirely burned down to nothing. "Remind me to talk to you the next time I'm feeling uneasy." He mutters to Thena after her series of questions.

Sophie does as Armel instructs her. Then, to run the risk of stating the obvious, she notes, "The contaminant is here." She does not, however, seek to put the Knight Commander into an early grave via heart attack caused by her wandering off to investigate.

Stating the obvious. Sometimes, it just needs to be done.

An opening in the ceiling sheds a faint halo of light below but, beyond that, darkness. There's at least one torch that seems fit to light, though it slightly damp and likely to go out at the very worst possible moment.

The slick path ascends very, very subtly, though at one point there are a few rusty metal rungs to climb to reach a higher platform.

In the distance, another faint source of light.

Armel checked perception at difficulty 10, rolling 2 lower.

Thena checked perception at difficulty 10, rolling 13 higher.

Calaudrin checked perception at difficulty 10, rolling 16 higher.

Seva checked perception at difficulty 10, rolling 2 higher.

Sophie checked perception at difficulty 10, rolling 9 higher.

There is definitely a very vague, pale glow in the distance. And some noise, something behind the slow bubbly rushing of water down the central channel.

"I honestly can't tell if you're fucking with me right now," Thena murmurs to Calaudrin as they move along the path. She touches the guard's arm lightly when he reaches for a torch. "Do we want a light right now?" Then the girl pauses and cocks her head. Still in something just barely over a whisper, "Gross, I think I hear rats or something."

Calaudrin's fingers grip the possibly really shitty torch and tucks it under his arm while he fights with his case of smokes again. He's about to try lighting that thing when Thena puts her hand on his arm. He frowns but pauses in his attempt to make fire happen. The noise filters through the sound of the bubbling water and he sighs tiredly, "Great. I always wanted to play target practice with rats." This also comes out deadpan. It's possible, he might want to!

Armel sighs, staring at the pale glow as he mutters, "This is the part in the story where the reader is screaming that they are all idiots and to turn around." He closes his eye, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly before he chuffs, still in a whisper. "Too bad we can't listen to them." But he's carrying on, that last chuff probably aimed for Calaudrin's comment.

Seva looks interesting concerned at the idea of rats. But she presses on, trying to listen.

Sophie checked perception + alchemy at difficulty 20, rolling 8 higher.

Seva has rolled a critical success!
Seva checked perception + alchemy at difficulty 20, rolling 68 higher.

As they draw closer, Seva stops abruptly. "Pull your shirts over your mouths." She hisses. "If you exposure yourselves for too long, this may be fatal. The light is the fungus."

Armel is thankfully still wearing his mask!

As they press on, the scene becomes clearer, if only slightly slow. A section of the wall and floor appear to have deep cracks in them, and around it, overhanging and dipping along the edge of the water, a small forest of mushrooms, long stalks with glowing caps like pock-marked eggs.

There's a lumpy shape on the ground, a lumpy shape wearing ragged clothes, likely human once, half fallen into the channel. Now it's mostly bones, and the dome of its skull gleams in the blue-green light.

Then there are the other lumpy shapes, smaller than the human. Yet not quite small enough to be reassuring. These are very, very large rats. Apparently, they aren't bothered by the light, and scamper and run playfully around, squeaking and rubbing little gnarled paws together.

Still wearing the mask over her nose and mouth, Sophie pauses behind Armel and peers about. A soft gasp escapes her when she sees the corpse, and she makes a mudra and bows her head in prayer for the soul of the departed.

Meanwhile, those rats don't at all seem nefarious, cackling as they rub their gnarled paws together, do they?

Calaudrin pulls his shirt over his mouth, covering it well. When they come upon the scene of the crime, he makes a face. You can't see his face because of his shirt pulled over half of it, but rest assured. It's there. And unhappy. "Those are some big fucking rats. Also another dead person." His shoulders slump and he hefts the unlit torch in his hand. He's probably thinking about lighting it again. "And thus we discovered what was contaminating the water."

Well at least it's not a bunch of infamous characters on a dust high. Instead it's killer fungus and giant rats? Nefarious rats? With a look darted at Seva, Thena tugs the collar of her shirt up over her mouth and nose. "That is revolting." Muffledly.

Armel looks at the corpse. Looks at the rats. Decides 'well, I haven't done anything crazy in a while' apparently...And picks up a small rock or bit of rubble or something else suitably hard...And chucks it near the rats. Not /at/ one, just close to one.

"Why?" Calaudrin asks, looking over at Armel.

The rock clatters as it lands on the cracked stone, bounces and rattles off before tumbling into the water with a plop. The nearest rat perks up, and turns beady eyes towards Armel, gleaming strangely in the eerie fungal light. From there, it's as if the rock landed on a pond, as the ripples go through the rest of the large rats, and a couple dozen pairs of beady eyes turn. The chorus of chittering and squeaking rises above the sound of running water. The first rat starts running closer, its greasy gray fur almost seeming to glow. The others follow soon after.

Armel turns to Calaudrin and shrugs. "It was going to happen sooner or later," is the explanation he provides, readying his warhammer like he's about to do some medieval golfing. "We need to get over there, right?"

Seva takes a few steps back, eyeing the rats and sucking in a breath. "Great." She mutters. "A day before I got that sword." She glances around for a rock or something vaguely sharp.

What do you know, they were nefarious. At least if Armel riled the rats he seems large enough to whack some rats, an Thena just lets out a little bitty sigh, adjusting her grip on her dagger. She glances over at Seva. "I can loan you a dagger if you like."

Of all the ways Sophie could die, this scenario was never conceived. So much for keeping her safe, Armel. Nonetheless, the Mercy scans the room to see if there isn't a plank or a pipe or something long -- really, she should just cave and get a staff, already -- to keep those rats away.

Armel would, of course, be standing between Sophie and the rats. He's not /that/ awful.

"Someone was going to throw a rock sooner or later?" But, the forces of darkness are moving on them and he's not going to stand around and complain. Calaudrin whips his case of smokes out again, pulls out the matches and starts hurriedly lighting the torch before they're overrun by a rat army. Once he gets that thing going, he'll hand it off to Sophie along with his matches. "I doubt they're going to like you shoving fire in their face or throwing it at them." Then he pulls out his bow and gets to going with rat-archery practice.

Seva smiles at Thena before realizing her scarf hides her expression. "Yes, please!" She says quietly, extending a hand.

Sophie seems to know her way around a torch in combat scenarios. Is this a side effect of being a faithful disciple of the Goddess of change and positive growth, of seasons and cycles, of healing and purification, and of **fire**? Alas, no, but experience is experience, so may it be put to good use.

Armel checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 32 higher.

Thena has rolled a critical success!
Thena checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 86 higher.

Seva checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 4 higher.

Calaudrin checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 35, rolling 6 higher.

Sophie checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 18 lower.

Seva checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 6 lower.

Okay, in all fairness, Sophie was wielding fire against much larger foes.

Armel just lines himself up directly in front of Seva and Sophie if he can manage it, holding his warhammer in both hands and letting out a murmured prayer to Gild as he makes ready to play whack-a-rat.

Leta GM Roll checked dexterity(5) + brawl(1) at difficulty 30, rolling 0 higher.

Calaudrin steps to the other side of the water channel, just making it without falling into the poison water of death. He lifts his bow and nocks an arrow. He's going to try and knock these things off before they can get to them, as many as he can. And in general, work to cover Armel and his warhammer as well as Thena and her daggers.

Seva readies the dagger he's been handed. It doesn't look like she's really used one before. Or like she's holding it correctly.

The horde of gray fur and gleaming beady eyes charges, oversized incisors chattering as the rats jostle and climb over each other in a fleshy, noisy wave, most of them rushing up one side of the channel, a few straying alongside the other, a couple even tossing themselves into the water. Yet it seems the mass of filthy rodents just crashes upon the wielded blades and hammers, and every rat that seems to come within biting range is skewered or knocked away, and the onslaught falters for a moment. The giant rats are fewer and easier to hit. But harder to kill.

Thena does the dagger hand-off blindly, all of her focus on the glowing weirdo rats approaching, though at least she does it hilt-first! Then it occurs to her that she has no concept of Seva's familiarity with knives and glances at her grip on the blade, then sidles over quickly to murmur, "My lady, you need to brace your thumb here-" Alas, the rats don't give her time to finish her instructions and her focus is yanked to rat-kebabs. The little ones go down easy, but after stabbing vigourously at a larger one the guard notes grimly, "This is not how rats are meant to act, is it?"

"I will be sure to confer with Mistress Leola later, but I feel confident in saying no. It isn't," quips Sophie as she tries (and fails) to figure out how to fend off such tiny assailants.

Armel is thankfully armored in thick steel and chainmail, with heavy cloth padding underneath. It's hot, heavy, cumbersome, and many other things. It's also /great/ for keeping tiny, pointy things from latching into your fleshy bits. He wields his hammer with an expert focus, even if it is against larger foes, usually. "This is the weirdest fucking thing I've done all week," he rumbles out, making sure to keep an eye on Sophie. Always.

Thena checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 15 higher.

Calaudrin checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 35, rolling 40 higher.

Armel checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 17 higher.

Seva checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 4 lower.

Sophie checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 9 lower.

"Week's not over yet, alas," replies Sophie, not missing a beat, "so let's hope it stays the weirdest."

Leta GM Roll checked dexterity(5) + brawl(1) at difficulty 30, rolling 0 higher.

It seems that despite Thena's attempt at a lesson, Seva manages to entirely miss every single rat she tries to hit.

Calaudrin GM Roll checked dexterity(5) + brawl(1) at difficulty 30, rolling 4 lower.

Shoot. Shoot. Shoot. There's a lot of rats. Calaudrin stops now and then to yank some of his arrows out of the rats that die near his feet. Then he proceeds to start shooting at them again. He mutters, "You're telling me. I kind of wish Fulbert was an undead boss poisoning henchmen right around now."

The rats keep coming, though now they have to climb over each other's corpses to get at the invaders. The tasty invaders. Not that they've managed to have a bite. Sharp incisors gnaw at boots and padding here and there, or try to climb up a leg to find purchase somewhere higher and closer to the vitals, but each time they do they're picked off, by hammer or arrow or dagger. Even the rats that manage to scamper past to rush at Sophie and Seva, and a few do, are killed by one of the warriors before they manage to feast the on non-combatants. Desperate squeaks of pain ring on down the tunnel.

It was a terrible attempt at a lesson though, circumstances being what they are. In a brief break in the rat stream, Thena wipes some sweat from her hairline, adorning herself with rat blood before one of the big strange ones tries to juke past her. "Oh no you don't, you little plaguey fucker," the dark girl mutters grimly, going for it with a dagger that is now nearly crimson all over.

Armel checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 5 higher.

Sophie checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 16 lower.

Seva checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 17 lower.

Calaudrin has rolled a critical success!
Calaudrin checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 35, rolling 55 higher.

Thena checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 12 higher.

Leta GM Roll checked dexterity(5) + brawl(1) at difficulty 30, rolling 5 higher.

Seva's composure seems to be giving way as she tries to frantically stab down at the rats. It doesn't help her aim at all.

Sophie checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 20, rolling 7 lower.

Thena checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 20, rolling 24 higher.

Armel checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 20, rolling 33 higher.

Calaudrin checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 20, rolling 2 lower.

Leta GM Roll checked strength(2) + brawl(1) at difficulty 15, rolling 1 higher.

Seva checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 4 higher.

Seva has rolled a critical success!
Seva checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 20, rolling 13 higher.

The rats are too many, though their will is breaking, such as it is. Many rats lie dead, cluttering the tunnel, and many others have started to flee, but a few break through and manage to latch onto legs and dresses, little gnarled paws and tail, clambering up bodies and tripping up legs. The damp, slick stone floor doesn't help, and soon both Sophie and Calaudrin are covered in the things, and likely to be tripped over or dragged down, hopefully not into the cold, tainted waters of the channel. Fortunately, only few rats got through. They find it hard to bite through Calaudrin's gear, steel being slightly too tough even for those vicious teeth. Sophie is not so lucky, but even Sophie is, at the very worst, lightly scratched and bitten. And what are the chances these rats are diseased, anyway?

Armel checked dexterity + brawl at difficulty 20, rolling 19 higher.

Sophie checked dexterity + brawl at difficulty 15, rolling 0 higher.

"This is ridiculous." Calaudrin announces as the first rat climbs up his leg. Then another, then another. THEN ANOTHER AND ANOTHER. They're really hampering his ability to move, so forget shooting at anything else. He tries shaking them off, smacking them, cursing them off.

Thena checked dexterity + brawl at difficulty 20, rolling 21 higher.

Calaudrin checked dexterity + brawl at difficulty 15, rolling 15 higher.

Seva checked dexterity + brawl at difficulty 30, rolling 13 lower.

"Mother of-...please don't shoot me in the face, yeah?" Thena grits, slogging through the rat corpses to Calaudrin and, trusting the protection of her gauntlets, starts pulling rats off of him with her bare hands and flinging them. She actually does work for him, as it turns out.

Armel is doing his level best to kill every rat in this room, and making good progress....But then he see's Sophie get attacked. Sees her get bitten. And he he...Loses his shit. He howls out in anger and lunges toward the rats, grasping one in his armored fist and squeezing hard enough to crunch the thing dead on the spot and hurling it aside, aiming to do the same or worse to the others and completely heedless of being bitten himself in his haste to defend his charge.

Calaudrin is mildly successful at removing some of the rats from his person. Flinging them far away from himself and hopefully /not/ at any of his companions. When Thena begins helping peel the others off, he makes a distinct sound of relief as well disgust. Because this is digusting.

Seva spots Sophie struggling with the rats and tries to stumble over to help her. She stashes the knife on her belt, trying desperately to pull rats off of her cousin.

Clearly, these rats either didn't read the memo that Mercies have a protected status of the field of battle or they don't care. Sophie does her best to defend herself from the three sizable assailants, with a fourth seeking to climb up (the outside, thankfully) of her robe. And, yes, that is an alarmed squeak as she tries to shake them off, but not before one manages to bite her gloved hand enough that there will be bruising.

Some of the oversized rats are crushed, others slammed into walls, squeaking on impact, others yet drown in the waters they're tossed into. The ones still living squeak and scurry off in a hurry of clicking little paws across stone, darting deeper into the darkness further up the tunnel, or into the crumbling crevice of stone work and out of sight, past the mushrooms.

The mushrooms aren't going anywhere, however, and neither are the human bones resting nearby.

Thena does get beaned with a rat at some point; it's impossible to tell who lobbed it and anyway, who could blame them? One final victim is peeled from Calaudrin and thrown to the ground, then dispatched with a swift crunch of her boot heel. "You all right? Did they bite you? Pretty sure you're going to turn into a rat if one did." She does look mildly shaken underneath the tart words, then turns to check on the others.

"I've never been so glad to have this heavy ass armor on me as I am right now." Calaudrin tells Thena, breathing heavily. He's not a coward. But he was just covered in rats. "None of this stuff is going anywhere. I think we should get back to barracks, report in." Maybe drink an entire bottle of whiskey. Two bottles of whiskey.

It takes some careful looking around, without touching the mushrooms or getting too close, to guess at what happened here. The ragged pile of bones wears, on its tattered clothes, a pin marking his service to the Crown, likely a maintenance worker. People die, and sometimes, in times of war, people die without anyone noticing. Then the tunnel crumbles, and if there is any truth to the rumors of strange digger beasts sent by Brand to locate the catacombs, one such beast's passing could have weakened the ground and opened some crack into stranger passageways, deeper underground.

Then the giant rats move in, and the toxic mushrooms, growing in the dark quiet, rodent and fungus feeding on dead flesh alike, and their poison seeps into the drinking water.