forum Help me out- Running an experiment

Started November 22, 2023 by @EldritchHorror-Davadio health_and_safety emoji_events

tune

The snow was crisp and clean, that delightful blank white slate waiting for someone to write a story in it. The only mark was a long trail of footprints leading from the west. They ended at a young girl, stumbling through the deep snow. Across the flat plain, she could see the buildings of a small town nestled into the curve of the foothills of the mountains to the east. They looked like little dark blobs in a sea of white. To her, they were beacons of hope.
Perhaps it was because her vision was swimming, but at the moment, the snow covered ground seemed to be rolling and shifting. She did her best, but she'd been moving for too long, too far, and her body couldn't take it anymore. There was a soft crunch as she collapsed into the snow, squishing it beneath the weight of her exhausted body.
She lay there, completely still, unable to move further; the only sign of life was the slow, weak little cloud of steam in front of her face as she breathed.
Please, Antherias… give me strength… or send someone to find me…

……
You help me decide what happens next.
In a whisper, give me your vote for one of the following options:

1. Animal
2. Human

The Silver Peaks were home to a wide array of creatures, but some of the most well-known were the Wulves. They were similar to their cousins the wolves, canine, intelligent, with a pack structure. In other ways, they couldn't be more different. Standing easilysix or seven feet at the shoulder, weighing four or five hunder pounds, Wulves were often mistaken for bears… just more lethal. Any town built around the mountains had to make peace with the roving packs, or be ready to defend their homes and people from marauding predators.
Archetoth had long made peace with the Wulf pack nearest them, and had been long allies of the Redwater Pack. Their relationship had certainly been helped by the presence of a therian or two in the populace, and the Redwater Wulves were good neighbors.

The wide open plains to the west of the town served as farmland and grazing grounds for livestock during the warmer months. In the cold of winter, though, they were empty, and once or twice had been the center of battles with raiders, trying to steal land. The Wulves had taken to patrolling the plains in the winter, just as a favor to their neighbors in Archetoth.
Today, Kuri and Mirl were patrolling the snow covered plains. It had been a relatively calm winter, and today had been no different, until Kuri thought he spotted something or someone laying in the snow. The two young Wulves made their way over to the collapsed bundle, and found it was a young lady, maybe 23 or so. She wasn't moving, but as Mirl nuzzled her face, she could feel the human's breath across her muzzle. Weak, but still alive.
She mumbled something, and Mirl nuzzled her again, giving a small whine in compassion. Kuri was circling them, looking for other clues and traces, but the girl seemed to have just… walked across the plains for a long time in the snow. Alone.
Mirl huffed quietly, and Kuri looked up at her. The look in Mirl's eyes was clear. We have to do something.
She stuck her muzzle under the girl's stomach, pushing gently, and Kuri nudged from the other direction. A quick step, a moment of correcting balance, and girl was draped across Mirl's wide shoulders. The two Wulves turned towards Archetoth and took off through the snow, Kuri circling to check for threats, Mirl focused on keeping the limp girl on her back.

Somewhere in her half frozen haze, she felt the Wulf lift her onto its back. She wasn't sure who or what had picked her up, but it was soft and warm. She tried to hold on, but didn't have the strength in her arms to do so.
Still… Thank you, Antherias…

……
You help me decide what happens next.
In a whisper, give me your vote for one of the following options:

1. Power
2. Stealth
3. Stability
4. Youth
5. Wisdom
6. Intelligence
7. Comfort
8. Diplomacy

Mirl and Kuri kept moving, their precious cargo still not stirring. Mirl hoped she was warming up, but it would be easier if they could get her to a person. Blankets, hot tea, maybe a visit with Doc- all of those would be more helpful than just Mirl's fur.
There was a long low howl from off on one of the ridges coming out of the foothills, and Kuri looked up, his ears perked. That howl was distinctive for being just a little odd.
Sure enough, his glance was greeted by the sight of a shaggy black Wulf, smaller than he and Mirl, but still big enough to be seen at this distance. He immediately recognized Sixclaw and huffed in his direction.
Sixclaw came loping down out off the ridge, putting on a slight burst of speed to catch the two Wulves. He could see Mirl carrying something, a limp bundle that became a someone as he got closer. He gave them a quizzical look and rumbled quietly.
"Whatcha got there?"
Mirl slowed for a moment and rumbled back. "Found her collapsed in the snow, barely breathing. Trying to get her back to town."
Sixclaw slowed to a stop and shifted, his body folding and squeezing and deforming, until his was an average sized human with black hair and blazing green eyes. He stepped towards the girl, adjusting his cloak over his shoulders as he did. Deft hands touched her neck, checking her pulse. Weak, but consistent, same as her breathing. He gently opened one of her eyes, lifting the lid. "Hey there." he said quietly. The eye turned, just a little, to look at him, and Sixclaw smiled. "My name is Arthur. You're safe. Just keep breathing for me." He let her close her eye, before pulling his cloak off his shoulders and laying it over top of her.

She felt the warmth as something soft draped itself across her. The face she had just looked into seemed kind, though it was still a stranger, which made her nervous.

……
You help me decide what happens next.
In a whisper, give me your vote for one of the following options:

1. Panacea
2. Revenancy

"We need to get her inside, there's a storm coming. My place is closer than town." Arthur looked up at Mirl, who nodded at him and changed directions, just slightly. Arthur's farm was outside of town, and the Wulves knew their way pretty well.
Arthur shifted back to Wulf form, and took off at a dead sprint for his farmhouse. He could move much faster on his own than the Wulves could with the poor girl, so he got there much faster, shifting back as he stamped snow off his boots on the porch. He went inside and got a fire going, before clearing a few things away and making room for a guest. He frantically stripped the sheets off his bed and grabbed a few clean blankets, suddenly very aware that he was bringing a girl into his typical bachelor space. It was one room, separated into two spaces by a staircase that stuck out halfway through the room and lead to a loft, where he stored stuff. Sparse furniture, single bed, not extremely clean… You're trying to help, it's fine…
A huffing noise from outside alerted him to the Wulves presence after a bit, and he stepped back out onto the porch. "I got her. Come around to the window." He gently slid the girl off Mirl's back, catching her in his arms and carrying her into the farmhouse. He laid her in his bed, where he'd spread towels first, since she had snow everywhere. The fire was blazing merrily in the stone fireplace, and as he gently pressed the towels over her clothes to absorb the moisture, the light frost on her hair and clothes was already melting.
Mirl and Kuri came around to the window on the side of the farmhouse where Arthur was. They wouldn't fit through the door, or he'd have let them in. They watched, concern in their eyes as Arthur did his best to tend to the girl.

The air around her suddenly lost the familiar tang of cold wind and the outside, and some part of her registered being in a building. Then she was tucked into something soft and warm, and good grief, that was such an odd sensation after so long without it…

Kuri looked up as he heard a noise, and gave a low rumble as he watched a young man on a horse ride up through the snow. He recognized the horse and rider, and nudged the glass of the window a moment before there was a knock at Arthur's door.
"It's not locked, come in!" If Kuri wasn't worried, Arthur was fine with whoever came through that door. He glanced up as a young man with wild blonde hair and the deep tan of a man out in the sun for long hours stepped into the farmhouse. "Oh, hey Lucky."
Lucky smiled at him, still stamping off his boots and setting down a package wrapped in brown paper. "Hey, I got those cuts of meat from Vale that you ordered-" he stopped short as he looked up and caught sight of the girl Arthur was trying to help. "Nahar's Hooves, what happened?? Who is that?" He stepped over, the package forgotten for the moment.
"I have no clue. Mirl and Kuri found her out on the plain, collapsed in the snow." Arthur toweled off her hair, which was a lovely red auburn color, and currently very wet with melting snow. "Closer to here than town, and Doc is making his rounds anyway at this time of day."

……
You help me decide what happens next.
In a whisper, give me your vote for one of the following options:

1. Beautiful Dreamer
2. Mr. Sandman

She wanted to come out of the stupor she was in, she really did. Someone sounded very nice, and now there seemed to be multiple voices, more hands…. or maybe she was just losing it. Her eyes were closed, but the space was spinning, and the voices began to seem further and further away….

"Yeah, Doc is over at Artie's place. Big guy got himself busted up down in the mines again." Lucky shook his head. "And the wind is starting to pick up. It was probably smart to bring her here."
Arthur stood up and looked out the window, watching the wind whipping snow across the open fields for a minute. "… What do you think I ought to do?"
"Well, I mean…" Lucky started to give advice, when something caught his eye. A dark stain, underneath the girl's back. "Arthur, she's bleeding. Did you check her for wounds?"
Arthur whipped around, his eyes wide. "I didn't, but… I didn't smell blood on her when Mirl was carrying her. How is she bleeding?"
Lucky very gently tipped the girl sideways, and sure enough, there was a bloodstain soaking the back of her shirt, seeming to be running from a wound on her back. "I don't know, but… can you fix this?"
Arthur knelt next to the bed, looking worried. "I-… I can try."
Lucky looked out the window, glancing over to where his horse, Sinjoro, was tethered to one of the posts on the porch. "Well… if you can get her stable enough, I'll run her in. Neither of the Wulves like being ridden, and she can't hold herself up very easily."
Arthur nodded, glancing at Mirl and Kuri, who were still looking through the window. Mirl was looking at him very intently. Save that kid, Sixclaw.
He swallowed hard, and nodded again. "Ok. I'll do my best."

Arthur was no ordinary werewulf. He was possessed of certain particular powers that made him just a bit uncanny. One of those powers became evident as he placed both hands on the girl's head, and focused for a second. There was no noise, no sudden shock, but his eyes blazed a bright green light, and then he groaned. Lucky was watching him, and noticed the moment when Arthur's nose began bleeding.
"She's not hurt…. she's sick… something is…. very wrong…" Arthur's voice became more of a groan as his eyes continued to blaze. "I can't heal her….. not entirely… but-" He let go, pulling his hands back as he lost his balance and fell backwards, chest heaving as he pulled in great gulps of air. "That… should at least…. stabilize her…. for now."
Lucky looked at the farmer in concern. Arthur had started to bleed from his left ear, as well as his nose, and that was… just problematic. But then again, the werewulf had never been completely normal.
"You think it's safe to move her?" A shaky nod from Arthur was all he needed, and Lucky was scooping her up and heading out the door. "I'll come check on you later!"
"Don't bother… I'll be out hunting in the storm anyway…" Arthur said quietly. He felt weak, after all that, and if Mirl and Kuri would go with him, he was going to go get some meat in his system.

Lucky stepped out the door, and in a smooth motion that should have been impossible, stepped up into his saddle with the girl still in his arms. "Let's get moving. Home, Sinj!" There was a flurry of hooves, and then they were gone, streaking across the snow covered plains towards Archetoth.

……
You help me decide what happens next.
In a whisper, give me your vote for one of the following options:

1. Machine
2. Nature

Lucky and Sinjoro raced back across the fields of Arthur's farm, blitzing towards the main road of Archetoth. The town wasn't very large, really just one long street with windy side streets criss-crossing it, and… had felt smaller ever since the Vexing.
He could hear the wind whistling behind him, as the snowstorm picked up steam coming across the plains towards the town. As he got closer, he could see some of his neighbors double checking windows and securing barn doors.
He came around the livery, where he usually stayed as Imperial Courier, and blitzed towards Doc's office. The Doc was likely still at Artie's place, but there was someone walking across the street that Lucky knew would help.
"Arcturus! Arcturus, get Doc from Artie's, I got someone who needs help. We'll be in his office, hurry!" He kept riding as the tall blonde elf took off sprinting down the street, his feet leaving no sign in the snow as he seemed to fly across the top.
Doc's office was down towards the end of the long main road, but Sinjoro's flailing hooves made short work of the distance. Lucky slid out of the saddle and pushed open the door. He laid the girl out on the padded exam table, where she'd likely rest for a while, and checked her for more blood. She didn't seem to be bleeding more from whatever wound had appeared on her back, but he was sure Doc would know more about it.

A minute passed, and Lucky couldn't help his pacing. He felt better as soon as the short doctor came hurrying in. "Doc! You gotta help her. Arthur and some of the Wulves found her out in the snow, she's unconscious and bleeding from something."
Doc Berg was an extremely young doctor. He was just past his 19th birthday, rail thin and pail, with floofy brown hair and soft brown eyes. Those eyes flashed with a deep intelligence that regularly put other people to shame.
He didn't look up at Lucky as he immediately began working. "You don't know what the wound is?"
"No. Just that she was bleeding a lot. Arthur absorbed some of it, I think, doing that Revenant thing he does."
Doc did look up then, his short stature adding to the look of a young child working on his patient. "Arthur worked on her?"
Lucky nodded again, and the doctor's hands kept moving. "Well… that's a help. Lucky, get me some hot water, there should be a pot boiling in my kitchen." Lucky moved to fetch the water, and Doc Berg rolled up his sleeves, before quickly beginning to undress the girl with the professional manner of a man who had done this for years.
Arcturus was in the doorway, looking at the girl. Pale skinned, auburn hair, scars visible to his eyes only… shed been through a lot. But the thing catching his attention just now was the smell.
"Franklyn… she smells of carathiniasis." Arcturus' Elvish senses were more attuned than the young doctor, and as soon as he said it, Doc nodded.
"I'll need to check if she's wounded, but if it's not that… you might be right."
Arcturus turned away, preserving the girl's privacy as much as he could as the doctor began examining her body for wounds that might be the cause of the bleeding. He did hear Franklyn's soft cursing as nothing became apparent. Lucky came back into the exam room with the water, also looking away as much as he could as Doc wiped the blood off her skin, making doubly sure there was no wound.

After a couple minutes, Doc Berg stepped back, thinking. "Arcturus, you're sure you can smell the sickness?"
The Elf turned and nodded at him, taking a deep breath just to be sure. "It's settled in there deep. She doesn't have long."
Lucky spoke quietly from where he was looking out the curtained window. "Arthur did say she had some kind of sickness he couldn't outright cure…"
The settled it for Doc Berg. He hurried into one of his side rooms, the counters in this room littered with bottles and powders and tinctures and all kinds of things. He was looking for a very specific bottle, and found it after only a moment of searching. "Good thing I had extra on hand."
He began working to get the tincture down her throat, opening her mouth, pouring a little in, and stroking her neck to simulate swallowing.
"Athelas extract?" Arcturus said quietly. Doc nodded.
"It should work to burn out the disease, but with a curse-induced sickness like this, we may need more." He glanced at Lucky. "This late in the winter, I'm out. This is the last I have. Any chance you could run to Varakun for me? The apothecary there should have more."
Lucky was watching the storm blow in. Already the snow was beginning to whip, but… he turned and looked at the girl, still lying unconscious, her modesty preserved by a blanket laid over her.
One glance was all it took.
"I'll be back as soon as I can." He was out the door, in the saddle, and down the road before he had time to talk himself out of it.

….……
You help me decide what happens next.
In a whisper, give me your vote for one of the following options:

1. Exposition by conversation
2. Exposition by dream