Stone's Throw

[NPCs]

"Hmm." Cadmus ponders a moment, then nods. "You are youth, no child, in years. But child to our ways, yes. Shall I tell the first stories, to start the path as is custom?"

[Charon Tethras]

"Either that or... or tell me something real, that happened among us."

[NPCs]

"Something real..." Cadmus murmurs thoughtfully. "Would it be unwelcome to brag of my son?" Your father.

[Charon Tethras]

Please yes. "That'd be okay."

[NPCs]

"Good, good," he murmurs. "I ask forgiveness now for my slow words and faltering voice." Smiling at Charon's quick assurances, the oh so very old catfolk begins to speak of forbidden love, stolen family and damnable devils.

[Charon Tethras]

Charon takes a seat, listening intently even through the pauses. When he gets to the part where Beth turned up pregnant, Charon smiles despite himself. they sound like they were made to go together. I wonder what happened?

The trouble, at least in Cadmus's estimation, all started with the kidnapping of Don by rabid demonic cultists who tortured him. It takes a little bit of doing to get across what they did in euphemism, but Charon picks up finally and blanches. So he can't have any more kits?

[NPCs]

"Regrettably, my son took the injury, the shaming of it, into himself. It's apart of him now, and it would take rare, specialized magic to have a chance of healing," Cadmus concludes.

Less than a sentence into the story, he'd dropped his voice to a low whisper to spare his throat and lungs. Thankfully, his skill as a storyteller is such that he's able to keep Charon's mute attention, making even those soft words stand out in the still room.

[Charon Tethras]

"But... he's rich now, yah? Why not just... pay for expensive and rare healing?"

[NPCs]

"Rare and expensive for rich," Cadmus clarifies. "Enough he cannot pay with his salary. Refuses to dip into family money, tribe money, which so much else to fix."

[Charon Tethras]

"Hmm. I suppose that makes sense."

[NPCs]

"Yes," Cadmus says sadly. "Always such for him. Never Don, always Adonis, always Light." His eyes are closed, his words coming slower, softer. "Always guilt in his laugh, guilt in his grief, guilt whenever not working." Slower and slower, weariness catching him and drawing him into slumber.

[Charon Tethras]

Charon pats his hand gently. "Get some rest, Gr-- Cadmus. And thank you."

[GamesMaster]

Charon had told Dil and Andreas where and when he works. But he'd never told either of them exactly what it was he did, or the nature of the business. He just said he's a janitor, leaving Andreas to assume it was for one of the many trade schools or so on in town. 

It was not. Andreas turns up in front of a seedy, run-down looking building in a bad part of town, and it only gets worse from there. He's handed a mop and bucket, and turned loose on a room full of.. blood, urine, and sexual fluids. 

[Andreas Amell]

"I-- what is-- where is the rest of my-- my supplies?" Andreas blurts out in a sort of dazed horror.

[GamesMaster]

"Supply closet, endo f the hall, same as always." Relieved, he goes there, only to find... more buckets, sponges, and rags. That's all. Oh, and a spigot to the building's water reserves.