Rukhnis comes slowly and quietly through the doors of the Saving Grace, sliding her cloak from her shoulders and setting it aside on a table as she moves into the lobby. Her expression is both weary and sombre, and there's a certain subtle redness around the rims of her eyes as she observes the room and its patients.

The hospital is quiet in the early morning hours. The entire lobby has been reorganized, patient beds clustered in the middle, though there is a a screened off section in deference to the afflicted nobility. The healers and apprentices, by and large, remain at the periphery of the room, all the various stands, equipment and supplies set there, along with benches and chairs to rest on. Reigna is lingering near one of the herbal cabinets, grinding up a mix of herbs as she observes the room.

One of the patients sits up, clearly waking from a sleep, and begins speaking in Eurusi.

Looking obnoxiously rested, chipper and healthy, Evaristo enters - once cleared to do so assumedly. He's carrying a basket with some items in it, looks like various foodstuffs, some bottles containing some sort of drinks. Violet alert eyes scan the place, glittering with some excitement. He's also brought his lute, as if he might think everyone wants some entertainment. Bards, right? "Oh hello, hi," he tells any staff he sees, smiling charmingly. "I brought some little things to eat, oh think nothing of it, it's the least I can do for the ill," he babbles, without even waiting for someone to thank him. He waves a hand like really, it's no trouble. The patient sitting up, speaking? It makes his face turn blank.

Alessandro enters the hospital a little bit after Rukhnis and Evaristo, with the look of one who is maybe a little bit apprehensive about being here, but plainly curiosity has gotten the better of him. But at least he has something useful to add, because he's just in time to catch what the patient says. His eyebrows raise, and he responds in the same language, his own accent maybe not quite as good, but it's certainly passable. He turns to Evaristo then with a nod of greeting, looking a little more serious than he does generally, though he does say, "Captain, good to see you." Rukhnis, too, gets a polite nod before he turns back to the patient.

Amantha glances around the room but stays near the entrance for a moment before taking a few more steps inside.

Ahmar is sitting up in his bed, he coughs a few times, but when the man starts speaking a foreign tongue, he works hard to get his coughing under control.

Rukhnis's eyes immediately snap towards the awakening patient, and she swiftly moves towards his bed. She places one hand on his forehand and another on his wrist, checking his pulse as she looks into his eyes and says something quietly back in Eurusi.

Widening his eyes, the man looks between Alessandro and Rukhnis, though he lingers on the later, her features likely more familiar to him. He continues to speak, but his voice is hoarse, his lips chapped, clearly parched. He continues to speak, his eyes closing, head falling back on the pillow. There are tears that gather at the corner of his eyes as he speaks to the two by his bedside.

Reigna approaches with a glass of water and her mortar filled with a strong smelling paste.

Relieved to see Alessandro and that he speaks the language, Evaristo gives him a bow. "Good to see you too, Lord Greenmarch," he greets cheerfully. He gives Amantha a little wave, and Rukhnis is given a respectful nod as he steps a bit closer. He watches Reigna's actions with keen interest and she's also given a nod in greeting and respect. Then he focuses on the patients themselves, studying them for a moment. "So... what's he saying?" he asks quietly of Alessandro. "And just how sick are they?"

The reply has Alessandro's head tipping a little bit to the side, his expression thoughtful, laced with a hint of concern. Possibly due to Evaristo's last question. "He says that they made it to the city of the free," he says quietly as well. "As for how sick they are, I do not know." Reigna's approach has him nodding to her, both in greeting and to indicate that she would probably know better than he. His attention is caught by the arrival of Amantha, and he inclines his head to her as well, his eyes moving from her back to the Eurusi sailor, though they catch on Ahmar for a moment as well.

Rukhnis furrows her brow slightly, though her expression remains calm as she looks at the Eurusi man. Alessandro receives the briefest glance from her, but she gives a small nod of respect to both him and Reigna. Turning her attention fully back to the patient, she continues speaking to him in a low voice, her tone ending in a questioning note at the end.

Amantha walks closer to the rest, nodding to each in turn while carrying a slight, forced smiles on her face, she tries to disturb anyone here the least she's able to. She looks towards Ahmar with a sympathetic smile before turning her attention towards the Eurusi sailer.

Finn the youthful northern puppy arrives, following Thea.

Ahmar coughs a bit, "A-ask him a bout those d-damn chests I r-rescued for them." More coughing and he tries to somehow be more under his blankets than he aready is.

Arcadia wakes, her cheeks flushed against some very pale skin. She pulls the blankets up around herself as if she can't get warm enough. Muttering in her stubborn way, if anyone gets close enough to her that she's "fine" and it's a "case of the sniffles."

Lygeia, a calligrapher and alchemist arrives, delivering a message to Arcadia before departing.

Thea checked intellect + medicine at difficulty 25, rolling 57 higher.

Thea checked intellect + medicine at difficulty 35, rolling 17 higher.

Rukhnis looks very intently at the man on the bed, her observation seeming to take in the look of his complexion, the colour of the whites his eyes, the wideness of his pupils, and any other signs visible in the sick man's visage, as well as listening to the sound of his breathing. There's the very faintest crease in her brow as she takes her hand from the man's head, but overall she has an expression that is reassuring in its serenity in spite of her generally sober mien.

The man on the bed is just one of nearly thirty individuals that have been taken in and put under care. They are all of a darker than pale complexion, in shades ranging from bronze to copper to gold. They all tend towards dark hair adn almondine eyes. The color of those eyes range from golden amber to dark black, one one has pale green eyes that are quite striking. They are all painfully thin, their wrists, neck and ankles showing signs of extensive and long-term chaffing in a manner that even medical laymen can recognize as evidence of frequent restraint. Some have visible scarring on their hands, arms or faces. The man speaking to Rukhnis reaches for the offered water and tries to gulp it. Reigna moves to the other side of the bed and begins applying the oil and herb mixture to his chest as he speaks.

There is a little subtle snorting sound coming from Evaristo, for whatever reason as he gets the translation of what the rescued Eurusi man is saying. "What's his name?" he asks, looking hopefully at those that speak the language, even as he moves closer to the patient's bed in a complete lack of fear of illness. Or, if he has any, he hides it well. "Probably nothing serious," he says cheerfully. "Everyone will be up and about in a few days, laughing it off. Story to tell the grand-kids later." He beams a wide friendly smile at the talking patient, but glances quickly at Ahmar when he speaks of 'chests'.

Rukhnis checked intellect + medicine at difficulty 25, rolling 27 higher.

Rukhnis checked intellect + medicine at difficulty 35, rolling 6 higher.

"He and his compatriots are quite ill." Reigna murmurs, looking to Evaristo. "They are all parched and in need of fluids. Some have been starved. All of them are experiencing fever and loose bowels. Vomitting. We are trying to keep them hydrated."

Evaristo squints. "Sounds like a hangover I had once," he murmurs.

Alessandro looks a little bit skeptically at Evaristo's pronouncement of relative health of the arrivals, but he does seem hopeful that might be the case, at least. The first words of the other man get a nod, though, and he turns back to the sailor, listening intently before he looks to Rukhnis briefly, then back to the sailor, and says something in Eurusi as well, though the name 'Alessandro' can be made out among the other language.

Amantha glances around again, now at every patient there. eye's catching on the one man standing out with his green eyes, she seems to think for a moment. "Is there anyone that's free and could translate for me?" she asks to the room, not really that pressing if she doesn't get a response.

Rukhnis gives the man an admonition as he attempts to gulp the water, gentle yet firm, and easy to figure out even for those who don't speak the language -- "Slowly!" She nods in agreement with whatever Alessandro's just said, and offers her own name as well, along with some other words. She then remarks to the other people in the room with a faint frown, "He is glad the ship is smashed to bits. He says it is.. a monster."

Thea eventually strides into the lobby, late but here. Properly covering herself, she stands to listens but does subtly shake her head at Amantha, a bit apologetic.

The man is somewhat animated in his speaking, looking like he is somewhat dessicated from his illness, the skin stretched gauntly over his skull. He rattles off a host of words, though there are pauses as he repeats Alessandro and Rukhnis' names.

"The monsters are those that kept these people as slaves," Evaristo says dramatically, sweeping an arm out towards all the bedridden Eurusi. He gives them all a respectful bow. "Welcome to Arx. On behalf of the Harlequins, and Bard's College, we wish you welcome and hope you will be happy here," he says, though they likely don't understand him, so he glances at Alessandro in the hopes he will translate. He puts a hand on his chest and declares, slowly; "Evaristo."

Alessandro nods in agreement to what Rukhnis says, then, after the sailor speaks again, he looks around at those present as he translates, "This is Jamid Nadim bin Musharraf. He says that he and his companions are fleeing for their lives." Evaristo's words, too, get a nod, and he turns back to the sailor, presumably to relay what the man has said in the patient's native tongue so that it can be understood.

Arcadia listens, no longer fighting the orderlies to let her go. "Fleeing from what?"

Rukhnis repeats the man's name, adding a few words afterwards as she makes a small, respectful bow to him. She then puts a question to him, looking at him with a searching gaze.

Thea lifts her eyebrow subtly,"A monster in what way? Because of what was on it?"she considers more,"And fleeing from exactly?"Curious with the man, she continues to listen.

Reigna moves back to circulate among the other patients, applying the salve to each.

Jamid looks to the others though his flushed cheeks and glassy eyes makes his illness obvious. He bows his head and repeats, "Evaristo," before looking between Alessandro and Rukhnis as they speak.

Ahmar coughs a bit more, trying to listen.

"Right... Very good questions," Evaristo agrees and he smiles once more at Jamid, nodding at him. "So, who are the monsters, what are they fleeing from, what are in those chests and why's everyone sick?" he sums up, counting on his fingers. "Seems to be the questions we all have, right?" he says cheerfully, glancing around at everyone. "Though I bet, living in Eurus isn't like, very nice. What with being a slave and all. Who wouldn't want to flee that?"

Abernathy, the big, bear-like dog arrives, following Cerdensulathara.

Cerdensulathara steps just inside of the front entrance and takes stock of the current mood. She points at a spot beside the door, and Abernathy obediently sits there. Austere with her air of business, she removes a small notepad and a clothbound stick of charcoal.

The man in the bed is reciting quite a tale, given how much he is saying to Alessandro and Rukhnis. Some of the others are waking up, though they are not quite as lucid as Jamid.

Alessandro looks over to Rukhnis, still with an expression of concentration, before he turns back to Jamid when the man speaks. The frown on his face depends, this time with more than just thought -- there's concern, obviously, with a hint of what might be anger, especially when he translates. "They are villagers from one of the kingdoms in Eurus -- Glor'ruus. The Emperor is raising taxes, forcing the villagers into slavery when they could not pay. They were put on the ship to be sold, but gained control of it."

Arcadia becomes quite fatigued again, sinking back into her pillow, she mentions "Mason Grayson just returned from Eurus. Was speaking about the state of things there. Said it was remarkably dangerous." With that, she expells and breath and let's her eyes close again.

Rukhnis rests one hand at the edge of the bed near Jamid's own, not quite touching but close enough to give the sense that the comfort of human contact is nearby. Her dark gaze remains fixed on the eyes of the patient, black pools of quiet assurance; eyes with a familiar colour and cast for anyone from the Dune Kingdoms. But then, at what the man says as he begins to speak once more, a smoulder of anger ignites in her eyes instead, even as the rest of her expression remains serene. She begins speaking to the man once more, in a soothing conversational tone, before that inflection of a question comes once again at the end.

Dame Rosario Nevarre of the Oathlands, Anouk Ardennes, Anais Ardennes, Triage, The white dove of Mercy, 3 Valardin Knights, 1 Templar Knight guards arrive, following Sophie.

Evaristo looks sharply at Arcadia at that, but makes no comment. Instead, he gives her a comforting enough smile before her eyes close. "Well, alright. But would the Eurusi come here and try to... take them back? That would be remarkably bold. Oh wait," he says and snaps his fingers. "Can they DEMAND to get them back? Can we expect some sort of diplomatic tension?"

Arcadia luckily misses that look. She's already fallen back asleep. A slight wheeze and the very occassional cough can be heard from her direction.

Jamid looks to Rukhnis as she speaks, but his eyes seem to be getting heavy and his breathing slows. He shakes himself awake and tries to answer Rukhnis' questions, but it is clear he is starting to fade.

Sophie wanders into the Hospital, with a stream of very worried looking guards and assistants behind her. She's got her braid piled upon her head and pinned up there, and even with the snow outside she seems warm and sweaty. The redness in her cheeks could be windburn from the cold weather. She's walking slower, with less pep in her step than there normally is, but she makes her way inside and looks around to get an idea of where she might be helpful.

Amantha cants her head slightly "You would, sail a ship half way around the known world or so to get.." she looks around "A few dozen slaves back. well it's possible if they want an excuse." she shrughs slightly as she centers her head again.

Ahmar coughs a bit, "S-so I am g-guessing the chests are p-property of someone f-far more dangerous than these people..."

Alessandro listens to Rukhnis as she speaks, before he translates quietly, though certainly loud enough for those around to hear, "She asked whether he knows how they came to be so ill." He pauses briefly when Jamid speaks, still with a little frown, before he continues, "The sailors on the ship were ill first, and then it spread to them." He looks to Evaristo then, and it clearly isn't a comforting thought, but he says, "I would imagine there would be some, though how much?" He shrugs, turning as Sophie enters and inclining his head to her in greeting.

Cerdensulathara keeps her distance from Jamid, and out of the way of the other healers. She writes in her notes as if taking an account of everything happening, all with a calm and blank expression. She pauses in her writing to approach Reigna when she seems distracted for a moment, and withdraws a tighly rolled scroll from her backpack. Extending it to Reigna, she says, with a hint of Western Shav in her accent, "Praise Keaton, we shall never forget. This is for the self-freed... Eurusi." Only a twinge of questioning in her voice at the last word, with a glance to Jamid then those others being treated.

Cerdensulathara Without waiting for a response from Reigna, she moves to stand out of the way again, and seems to copy down some of Alessandro's words.

Evaristo makes a hand-wobble. "I don't know," he tells Amantha, "but they're afraid of /something/." He crosses his arms over his chest, and looks thoughtful, seemingly taking this more seriously now - he nods slowly at Alessandro. He looks at Cerdensulathara curiously, gives her a smile in greeting, before his attention drifts to Sophie. "Princess Sophie!" he says, perking up. "Err. I mean, Sister sophie."

Rukhnis nods slowly to Jamid as he replies to her question and she looks as if she would definitely like to know more, but the man's fatigue is obvious, and she's clearly more concerned with his health than receiving more answers. This being the case, she makes a quiet hushing sound at him and speaks a few final words in Eurusi.

Reigna peers at Cerdensulathara with a somewhat startled expression. "Praise Keaton?" She seems both pleased and confused by the sentiment, though what is given to her has her eyes widening further. "Er.. Miss?"

Sophie smiles and returns Alessandro's nod, before smiling to Evaristo. She makes her way to her cousin and when she approaches Reigna she says, "I meant to come by earlier, but I was just so tired..." Sophie looks tired too, and sweaty, and pink. Very pink. "Is there anything I can do to help?" Sophie lifts a hand to fan herself.

Jamid looks relieved in teh wake of Rukhnis' words and his eyes close. He seems ready to drift off when a coughing fit steals his breath. One of the healers grabs a bucket. Apparently this doesn't end well, as she hurries to the bedside.

Reigna looks over as Sophie's name is said and she finds her cousin and her eyes widen at the state of the Mother Mercy. "Sister Sophie!" She hurries to the Mercy's side, offering an arm, "Gigi, prepare a bed for the sister, please!" Reigna hovers at her cousin's side. "Sophie... how long have you been ill?"

Amantha turns to Alessandro "Will you be asking the other patients here more questions?" she bites her lips slightly seeming before her attention is grabbed towards Sophie

Alessandro says something to the man as well, his tone still quiet, though when the coughing starts he does take a step back to allow the healers better access should they need it, and not get in the way. It's then that he notices Sophie's condition, and the concern deepens, but he says nothing more for the moment, looking from her to Reigna, and then to Evaristo as he murmurs something quietly to the other man. Amantha's words have him looking around to judge whether any more would answer, before he shakes his head, though he does look to Rukhnis then as if to confirm. "I am no healer," he admits, "but I do not believe any are in a fit state to reply. Perhaps when they are more rested and healed." Hope springs eternal.

"Me?" Sophie blinks. "No no.. I'm just tired. Last night... I've been really tired since last night." Sophie turns her gaze to Reigna. Her eyes are glassy and she says, "After the surgery, on Dame Imi.. I started to feel very tired." Sophie sways slightly and Rosario, her assistant, steps forward. "She began behaving oddly late last night."

Rukhnis makes way for the healer with the bucket, a pained expression crossing her face -- for the Eurusi man's suffering, most likely, and not for the messiness of his illness, which, being a healer, she's probably used to. Letting out a short breath of a sigh, she slowly turns her gaze away from Jamid and looks over the other patients in the ward, finally glancing to Alessandro and spreading her hands. "If more awaken on their own, we may speak to them, but I think it strongly inadvisable to rouse any who are not awake already. Even if it were not cruel, they would likely not be able to answer well."

"Yes, you." Reigna has that tone, that mother/healer tone as she looks at Sophie. She lifts a hand to press the inside of her wrist against Sophie's forehead. "You are burning up." She looks to Rosario and asks, "I know she came to treat some of the patients for a few hours, did she come back later as well?"

Cerdensulathara glances up distractedly at Reigna, only to have her attention drawn to Sophie. As the interview with Jamid seems to have been cut short, Cerden approaches Alessandro and curtsies. Her keen gaze dips to his hand, then back to her face as she practices a measured smile. "Lord Greenmarch, do you believe you have the full story of what has happened here? Soon-to-be slaves fight for freedom fleeing Eurusi, contract the self-same sickness their sailor slash jailors suffered?"

Ahmar shrugs a bit seeing as no one seems to be worried about the chests, who the might have originally belonged to. He doesn't speak the language so he just lays back down.

Amantha nods slightly "You're right, they need their rest. We can only hope, gods keep them." she takes a look around, seeing if any of the patients need attention before turning around and walking out, solemnly.

Sophie checked intellect + medicine at difficulty 25, rolling 47 higher.

Sophie checked intellect + medicine at difficulty 35, rolling 20 higher.

Thea straightens, tending to whom she can. Precision in everything she does but surprising there is a slight gentleness there. Eirene may or may not be proud.

Reigna checked intellect + medicine at difficulty 25, rolling 52 higher.

Reigna checked intellect + medicine at difficulty 35, rolling 13 higher.

Cerdensulathara checked intellect + medicine at difficulty 25, rolling 6 higher.

Cerdensulathara checked intellect + medicine at difficulty 35, rolling 18 lower.

Evaristo blinks a little at Alessandro, as if whatever he's quietly telling him surprises him. Then his eyes widen and he nods again, expression so far from his usual carefree self it might actually surprise those that know him. And when hearing that Sophie might have taken ill, too? He lets out a few very colorful curses in something that sounds like Lowers slang, Arvani sounding but weird. "May the Queen watch over us," he says and gives his skull pendant a little squeeze for a moment. Yes, pray to the queen of DEATH right now, why don't you, Evaristo. "Anyone /do/ know what happened to those chests? Did the Iron Guard take them?"

Sophie is indeed burning up when Reigna feels her forehead and she says, "No, when I left here I was called to the Shrine of Gild. Jeffeth and Dame Imi were injured. I treated them." Sophie closes her eyes and she says, "Then I was in surgery. Her legs.. it's not good." She lifts her eyes to Reigna, and starts to sway on her feet slightly. Rosario reaches out to steady her, and Sophie blinks again slowly. "Bliss, Jeffeth, Imi.. the three of them should be watched for symptoms."

Thea speaks then, answering the room,"I believe the chests are with Master Salvador. I could be wrong however..."

Alessandro drags his gaze away from Jamid to Cerdensulathara, and the summary she gives draws a shrug, and he spreads his hands out to the sides as well. "That is my understanding," he says, "but there may well be context with which I am unfamiliar. She, I believe, has more of that than I do." There's a respectful gesture as well as a nod toward Rukhnis at that. His eyes move back to Evaristo then, and despite the mood in the room, the prayer to the Queen of Endings has a smile of rather dark amusement touching his face.

Rukhnis moves to a nearby table and begins washing her hands thoroughly in a basin of clean water, her gaze settled on Sophie as she does so. Her brow is tightly knitted, showing a much stronger hint of the concern that she was likely feeling during the whole of her conversation with Jamid. Pressing her lips together briefly, she takes up a drying cloth and begins wiping her hands with a tense, brisk motion. "The chests have not been taken somewhere secure, along with everything else that was pulled from the ship?" she asks with another frown towards Thea.

Cerdensulathara wrinkles her nose, worry painting her features as she surveys the room, then Sophie. She murmurs the word 'Symptoms' in obvious fear then stuff her notes away. She shaps her fingers to draw her guard dog's attention and head for the door with him on her heel, leaving with only "Gods bless..." spoke in parting.

Across the room one of the patients begins convulsing. Her entire body is in spasm, back arching, body quivering, and distressingly, blood begins dripping from her eyes, ears and mouth. Choking sounds soon follow, and despite the fact that many healers immediately run to her bedside, none of them are able to prevent her passing. Several other patients, awakened by the noise begin moaning in terror.

Ahmar sits up again, "I have the chests. Hidden. No one knows but me and Peeps, and peeps isn't talking. I wanted more information before I proceeded with them."

Thea flicks her green eyes toward Rukhnis,"I was only informed last night. He has plans to bring them to--,"she pause her words as the choking and coughs of more patients invades her ears.

Abernathy, the big, bear-like dog leaves, following Cerdensulathara.

"Who the heck is Master Salvador?" Evaristo asks, looking mighty confused. "Is he in the Guards? I mean, this sounds like Iron Guard stuff. Or Inquisition. Yes, definitely Inquisition, and-" And then someone's convulsing, and he's wincing. He stays though, staring expectantly at Thea, to hear the rest. So... not helpful here.

Sophie pulls a scrap of paper from her pocket, and she starts to write on it. The convulsing patient draws a brief glance from Sophie, but she doesn't stop writing. When she finishes she passes the paper to Reigna. "This.. should help with the vomitting I think. If you'll brew some up..." Sophie looks at the other patients with worry and she murmurs, "How long has he been sick? How many days do we have? Is he the first that passed?"

Thea lifts a hand,"As I said, I could be wrong--and it sounds I was. But Master Salvador knows plenty, so I would suggest speaking to him."

Reigna takes the paper from Sophie and says, "I will brew it myself, cousin." When the patient goes down, there is a grimness to Reigna's expression. She nods to Sophie and says, "She was in the worst condition. Thin, we could not get her to keep even water down. She is the first." As more of the patients wake up, some moaning and wailing, Reigna's voice lowers, "I'm afraid she'll not be the last."