Nomen Infernale XXXVII: Many Are the Afflictions of the Righteous
General Summary
Once La Compagnia disentangls themselves of the revelry of the Eklena they head toward the Snetwa House of Healing. Brother Theo flags down a young urchin named Yahi and offers him a piece of silver up front and another when they arrive to act as a guide. Alexandru cautions him with a broad open smile in the tongue of La Mala Vida Loca "Boy, get us there without incident and he'll be better than his word. Do not find out what happens if there is an incident." The nods soberly and leads them into the city. They pass into the temple district and see the Naric juggernaut leading the Eklena revelers back to the shrines of Zer and Ylulla. A local beggar's guild clearly hoping to eat well on the revelers beneficence puts on a show over poverty and suffering near the temple. Yahi glances back at Alexandru, horrified that he had led them into what might be considered a trap, but the Oameni is too busy howling at Brother Theo not to slow down and not to look at them as Theo's kind heart obviously softens and his steps slow. Having found their mark beggars fill the space around Theo, arms upraised and eyes downcast. Alex tells Asbjørn to scoop the priest up and carry him away but his voice is lost in the commotion. Kegho steps in, his face covering hanging loosely so his grotesque features are fully visible and howls at the beggars who are momentarily shocked and scatter to look for easier marks.
Yahi takes them through the Oubasti Quarter, where Alex learned new tricks of his trade. The locals recognize him and give the party a wide berth. Riven notices eyes gazing out from shadows, furtive hand gestures and subtle bird noises as they pass through the streets, but files these things away as odd.
Near the edge of the Oubasti district closest to the Snetwa a potion merchant blocks their way with a cart. Alex prods Teleptyon to head to the front to scare the guy off, alchemist to alchemist, but Teleptyon is withdrawn and quiet after what he had seen in the sewers. Instead Theo haggles with the potion merchant while Alex yells "You don't need Xianese dick potions, you're celibate. Move on!" But they discuss draughts that would grant energy and alertness and the merchant has his undivided attention. when Theo finds out the side effects he demures, but Asbjørn makes the mistake of wondering aloud if the merchant has anything for strength. He comes away with an likely overpriced tonic which will make him "tired and hungry" after use. Asbjørn threatens to find and kill the merchant if the potion does not work. The merchant's laughter echoes down the narrow streets as he rounds a corner and disappears from view. Alex makes him promise to have Teleptyon examine it before he drinks it at least.
Yahi delivers them to the entrance of the Khemian Royal house of healers, The Snetwa. Two white robed attendants bear torches outside the three-storied adobe building. Theo thanks him for his work and gives him a gold instead of a silver. The boys eyes light up and he promises to spread word of Theo's goodness. Alex dryly suggests he not say anything that would cause them trouble and thanks the boy for his efforts before he leaves.
They enter the house of healing and first ask about the child and Elissa. The administrator tells them the boy is in the children's rooms and gives them directions. They then ask about healing services for Asbjørn, Riven and Alex and are taken for special examination by Clerical healers and are told that the Queen funds the Snetwa as a way to bring the very best clerical skills from all of the faiths of the kingdom into one place. The cleric who attends to them is of the indigenous Khemian Metdjen faith and explains the mechanics of drawing Ar from the fonts of life into their bodies to offset the miasmatic influences. He suggests that such healing is very costly and out of their price range, but Theo insists that they would be able to get the coin easily. The priest is a little taken aback and comments on how well the party must be doing with their "adventuring" but begins to make arrangements for the rituals to commence. Theo directs his attention to Alex and asks how it occurred. He seems unfamiliar with the necrotic ooze that Alex describes and suggests that it is likely a very advanced whore-pox. Theo intervenes to say the symptoms began only a few hours earlier and the shocked cleric says he'll include the healing in the cost of the restoration of Asbjørn and Riven. Alex grumbles that someone else is going to end up taking samples for study but is pleased to have the rot driven out of him.
Kegho and Teleptyon find Elissa sitting stiffly on a stool by the bed of the unconscious boy. Her face goes from joy, to confusion, to concern as she realizes that the rest of La Compagnia is not with them, but Kegho realizes her response and tells her they are fine but need healing of their own. Elissa tells him that his name is Amam and that due to the stupor of the drugs she has difficulty knowing what is dream and what is reality, but that she does not believe he has parents and that he was taken from swampland on the edge of the city. She becomes upset as she describes what he claims to have endured but hopefully only dreamt including children being kept in a pitch black area that smells of , some being eaten by trogolodytes, some being sliced open on altars with their innards unspooling on the floor as the child still lived and trogolodytes snacked on their organs, red mist and demons. Kegho hands Elissa some coin to cover costs to make the child more comfortable.
While Riven and Asbjørn lie on ritual biers surrounded by nine priests, Theo makes his report to the Abbot. He provides the ledger and journals and recounts their experiences. The Abbot opines on the perfidity of the Shemites and the Keb who distract Ouranic believers from their true faith and who whisper into the ear of the Khemian queen so that she might not be focused on the goals of the church, even as the queen sponsors the works of the same church. He recounts a plague that swept through 300 years prior and notes that it was the workings of those who wished the skills of the Necroskelotes much of which had been hidden under the sands of Khemia. He asks what Brother Theo would have him do and Theo simply asks that those on the list who remained in Anekhsemeru be punished.
As the ritual to restore Riven and Asbjørn finishes, Asbjørn awakes momentarily terrified at being surrounded by chanting priests again. He takes several deep breaths and realizes a weight he had not even notice has been lifted and he feels vigor running through his limbs. Riven sits up and stretches like a cat moving each finger and toe to feel the nimbleness having returned to her extremities. Her face remained impassive but for the tiniest hint of a smile at the corner of her eyes. Elsewhere the segments of the name burn in anger at the influx of Ar into the mortal realm.
Alex greets them, no longer rotting, and looking like a radiant young man in his 40s.
