AD&D: The Association of Death and Dismemberment

The Association of Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) are a guild of incompassioned medical practitioners stationed in a remote community of northern Meridon. Their doctors are often the source of great medical advancement at the cost of the lives of many involuntary patients and cruel experimentation. Members of AD&D are quickly recognized by their dark cloth and bird-shaped masks.

Headquarters

AD&D is stationed in a large, three-storied building of dark gray stone. The obtrusive square building stands conspicuously as the only stone structure among a small goliath village, looming over their hunters' tents and fire spits. The Association's remote headquarters allow their often unethical operations and experimentation to continue unimpeded in the harsh, wintry tundra.

Organization

The guild is led by Head Doctor Ila Mycroft. The origin of doctors-in-training is unknown, but new doctors are trained almost exclusively at AD&D headquarters in northern Meridon. The guild operates via far-ranging doctoral agents sent to investigate and study emerging outbreaks. Such doctors are usually instructed to quash the outbreak only after they have exhausted every possible avenue of research concerning the disease, symptoms and mortality rates.

History

 

Sight Rot Epidemic of Year 300, Second Age

The organization was responsible both for causing and eradicating a vicious epidemic of sight rot that tore through the Arboreal elves of Melorn in the 300th year of the Second Age. The organization sent Doctors Jackie and Josi, separately, to the elven province of Melorn. Upon Doctor Jackie's return, he disclosed that Doctor Josi had been captured by an illithid colony and, in exchange for his life, aided his captors by afflicting the elven water supplies with sight rot. Doctor Jackie terminated the cowardly Doctor Josi and returned to report their collective findings to the Association in Meridon.

Cackle Fever epidemic of Year 281, Second Age

An unfortunate contagion of cackle fever afflicted the small village of Longdale, and the AD&D sent one Doctor Erwin in response. Within days of his arrival, the Doctor had found a reasonable facsimile of a cure and the population of Longdale had already devolved one fifth into indefinite madness. Doctor Erwin remained unsatisfied and convinced he had yet more to learn of this disease however, and thus kept his medical advice private for three long months. According to his correspondence, Doctor Erwin departed Longdale for headquarters some three months later, by which time the population of Longdale had gone entirely, and indefinitely, mad.
Regrettably, neither Doctor Erwin nor his antidote returned to AD&D. He is presumed dead, likely murdered by an afflicted madman of Longdale.

Members

Members of AD&D were typically well-versed in alchemy, necromancy and healing magics. Regrettably, as a result of repeated training with virulent compounds, the regularly reanimating of dead limbs and ingestion of experimental medicines, doctors rarely completed their training with their mental fortitude intact. Most descend into a state of instability well before their training is completed.

Type

Guildhall