Blood from Stone [AU]

[NPCs]

Wynne frowns, thinking. "As I said, she sleep an hour or so past her norm, but she went to bed as normal." She pauses, thinking. "She has been having trouble sleeping this last week. One of her friends had a bad set-back after a... unproductive family visit and Leandra seems to have taken it poorly as well. Their... issues are similar, in regards to family, and I think it's been making her think of her own mistakes."

She gives him a careful look then. "What do you mean, curses and exorcists?"

[Carver Amell]

He balls his hand into a fist, wipes angrily at his tears. "Damn, damn! Throw out anything over a month old, any tonics. No, wait. A paladin. Get a paladin. Any tonics that detect evil, pitch them out. There was a problem with some tainted tonics a few months back -- I'm sure they told you -- it's a curse, or something like a curse, but... Damn it. Damn it! Get whatever exorcist you can, the best you can find, I'll pay whatever it takes. She's possessed."

[NPCs]

Wynne frowns, expression growing severe. "We test and scan all of our potions, tonics and medicine... If one of them is cursed, then..." Behind her, a spectral knight shimmers into view for a pair of heartbeats "Might I impose upon you to ask the guard to send a squad here? I think we might have an oathbreaker. As for your mother... I can break curses, but we'll need to call in Lelldorin to ensure a proper exorcism." This will be a very tricky case, given the vector and Leandra's condition. Best to have the best we can.

[Carver Amell]

"Yeah, I'll stop by and let Aveline know on my way home. She's not-- I don't think she's in her right mind. She didn't even notice about Marian, when I-- it's just, she's so lucid today, when she's this lucid she doesn't talk of Marian. Only when she's deep in her delusions. So.. yes, get Father L. I'll send the guard."

So said, he turns to go. It'll be nice to run -- and with any luck, it'll be raining, so he won't have to show Aveline his tears.

[Tethras Clan]

When Carver reaches the guard station where Aveline is working these days- the Crystalline Songbird station, in Aurora, much to Aveline's dismay and mostly hidden shame- it's to find the place in an uproar. The place is shockingly empty, with maybe half the staff normally keep in-station during a shift, but there's so much activity it fills crowded anyway. Clearly, today has more going on than just the affair at SummerHill. The desk sergeant, a mere Fledge, which should never be the case, especially in Aurora district, seems entirely overwhelmed and doesn't challenge Carver's right to go back into the offices for more than thirty seconds. 

He hears Aveline well before he sees her, roaring out orders and demands for information. Strangely, he also hears a pair of familiar voices- Sgt. Phenni, a weathered gnome veteran from Coalside and Staff Sergeant Brockside, Aveline's assistant when she was Captaining Coalside. The hells are they doing here?

"-I need to know, right the fuck now, who Acting Captain Coral is putting on calming duty. If it isn't Yellers, Locke, Gregmond or Santos, then do whatever has to happen to get them in charge. What's the latest at Crystalwing?" Aveline sounds both in her element and massively harried, the response her question getting from an unknown voice not acting to soothe anything.

"The Lord Merchant is still insisting that he be present for every step of the investigation. It's slowing everything down to a crawl, ma'am." 

[Carver Amell]

"Crystalwing? Dad?" asks Carver, stepping up to Aveline. "Captain Vallen, there's a situation at Summerhill, they're requesting an armed escort, and I've a private matter to discuss. Ah, I mean, Light private, not..." 

[Tethras Clan]

The skin around her eyes tightens as he starts to speak and her expression only darkens more as he finishes. More? What the hells is wrong with this week? "What kind of situation?" she asks wearily, then squares her shoulders. She looks over at another person present, an elf Carver doesn't know. "What do we still have in reserve?"

"We're going to have to pull from Meadows or Grey ma'am," she replies instantly. "We're down to bare bones already. Should I put out a call for adventurers?" Aveline winces, then nods.

[Carver Amell]

"Ah, if you can use the adventurers for your other things, there's likely to be patient contact," he points out. And adventurers are... well some of us are good folks. But a lot of them don't see civvies as important. 

"They've had, you recall, there's been a bad batch of their drugs. At least one patient is infected." Meaning possessed. "I told them to send for a paladin to test the stores and a specialist to handle the infection, but they're short on manpower and there's an oathbreaker involved if this got past them."

[Tethras Clan]

Strangely, that gets a faint look of relief. "Peony, contact Words of Unsundered Steel and let them know that SummerHill has an Oath Violation in play. That will get some paladins over there. Some troops too, given the weight of that contract. C- Hawke, will you accept a temporary commission to supervise that?" Is that too close? Will you be okay with something so personal?

[Carver Amell]

"Yes," he says with a glower. A moment later his look softens. "I can supervise and help check the other patients." I can't face her again until I've made good, until she's free. "Can I borrow some of the Special Gear? I'll need a Mercy Baton and any Cold Iron and Silver you have handy, or blessed, offensive or defensive."

[NPCs]

"Encanted gear cannot be le-'

[Tethras Clan]

"Approved. His father is a Merchant Light, if he loses or breaks it," Aveline's tone makes it clear she thinks the chance of that remote to say the least, "it will be made good. Sign out what you need and-" 

[Bethany]

"Carver! Thank the Great Cat. Don said there was a poisioning attempt and there's maybe another purhe happening and I got blocked from reaching Dad!" Liz a few steps behind her, Beth bulls past a guard with naught but the heat of her glare.

[Carver Amell]

Carver turns then, a dark look on his face. "There's a situation at Summerhill, too. Dad hasn't been handling it. I am taking in some troops to clear the out. Are you safe here? Can you stay out of cattown?"

[Marian Hawke]

"We'll be fine," says Liz bluntly. "But I'm worried Varric might be missing. Nobody's seen him since the ball..."