"Right," Hanalee agrees, eyeing the new graveyard suspiciously. "Just go as we normally would, no one rush..."

Downtown New Graveyard

11:56 AM

Almost Everyone

As you pass by this notorious graveyard, a general sense of reluctance pervades. But steeling your nerves you do not let panic override you. Your hypersensitivity to this place leaves you noticing the voices in your head a bit more clearly. But even that is fading fast as your bodies have been adjusting to the rush from mortal danger.

Karnath {Oh, you came back. Maybe next time you'll welcome a romp in the bordellos instead...}

Hanalee {Here comes the loser! Would rather keep fake friends than win...}

Bright Feather {Like a waddling idiot family of opossum, and you as the mom with the children riding your back...

Caden {You're gonna die! Your betrayed "friend" from that job will be the last face you'll see this month...

Alric {Your dog'll be mine...}

Almost Everyone

You notice that Mal starts to visibly relax & lick his lips. However relief does not last long, as you hear Mal growl and groggily turn to face the graveyard, back hair bristling. He alternates between licking his lips and shivering, as if from recovering from a bad flu, and growling at some unseen other.

Alric {Here doggie, doggie! See?, a nice juicy bone for you. Don't you want it?}

Mal flinches and jerks on the stretcher, growling and biting out at the empty air, just as you finish crossing into the Main Trail. He starts whimpering and looking for Alric for comfort. He's been through an ordeal, but it's over right? You have your buddy back, right?

OOC: I'm assuming you all continue at a normal pace back to the boomtown?

Indeed

11:25 AM

Almost Everyone

Passing by the Downtown New Graveyard along the moderately busy Main Trail (being midday and all), the contrast between starts to settle in. You pass by some miners, obviously returning to claims or the next camp, several of them looking at your group. You make quite the scene: banged & dusted up Hanalee carrying with Caden a dog on a litter; a halfling, Alric, scrambling to keep pace with this dog; a priestess, Karnath, covered in flecks of blood and drying blood on her hands; and an as you please wood elf, Bright Feather, besides them all.

Several of the miners do a double take because, well, a dog on a litter and blood flecked with blood-covered hands priestess is just weird. Some give a compassionate 'awww...' as they get a better look at Mal. Others look as if something weird transpired between the priestess & the dog — at a guess Easterners who don't cop to foreign religions and mistreating loyal dogs. Mal is soaking up the attention for all its worth, feigning even greater agonies as far as he's able on the litter, flicking out his tongue in kisses and blinking his eyes for sympathy.

Unless you otherwise agitate the onlookers (i.e. dare them to say something), your party's unusual yet somber composition will encourage them to leave well enough alone. OOC: Let me know if you decide to do something "dynamic!", like assault a pedestrian or whack at a hornet's nest. I'm assuming sensible, cautious play at the moment. But we all know what happens when we assume...

You may return essentially unmolested to uptown, where the Elder's Place & Geraldine's are. The ritual is still going on, however things are looking grim... An obvious read of the situation is that now may not be the best time for pressing questions.

Hanalee, as a local, you sense another crescendo coming. This one seems critical. Actual crying is going on among this Shoshone community. A woozy sense of being sucked in to the ritual passes again through you, though your pain and tiredness can help you fight it.

Bright Feather suggests a short rest would be in order for those in need (Karnath) then mentions... "while Mal is tended to I have a question or two maybe the elders can answer"... striding off.

"If they are still working on the young woman, I don't think Mal will rate much attention"

Alric sits and runs his hands over Mal comforting him as he can. "Them Elders don't know me from nothin' Can someone go talk to them for me"

OOC: I am assuming you all are relaxing by Geraldine's porch, at the very least, if not some of you inside. I also assume you are still discussing what to do and will not interfere until you tell me what you do. The crowd around the Elder's Place is huge as obviously the Shoshone community is gathering over a possible tragedy. The ritual is still going on.

Basic tact would inform just about everyone that 'now is not the time' for other inquiries. Background knowledge I thought I should share.

"Damn, bank's closed early today..."

"Someone caught a cold this time?"

/elbowed in side by woman he is escorting, "Lenny, that's just terrible. Someone could be really hurt!"

"Aw hell, why do we have to put up with their backward ways? People have things to do. Mixing banking and politics and clinic all in one spot is just dumb."

"Lenny's right, ma'am. They may have the power by numbers, but they're delaying the silver, and progress!"

"No heart at all, you two. They've welcomed us and left us mostly to our own ways in things..."

Hanalee feels the familiar swell of emotion as she hears the ritual reach its height. At the same time, she hears Alric entreat his fellows to help get the Elders' attention. Hanalee decides to throw herself into both impulses, and rushes towards the ritual.

Throwing herself to her knees, she thrusts her arms into the air. "Please! I bring you another who needs your aid!" she tells the Shoshone, unsure if they quite get her meaning. She points back towards Mal and Almost Everyone.

Prostrating herself before the group, she takes up the ritual once again, joining the choir of wailing. It feels different than the first time, more natural, at least slightly...

Karnath, will try to get a short rest when she can. Otherwise, hearing the commotion, she whispers under her breath, "accursed place."

OOC: Anyone else Short Rest for lunch at Geraldine's, or another nearby upscale tavern/luncheon hall?

12:05 PM

Elder's Place

Hanalee

Several look back to you and then to Almost Everyone and Mal. Some look confused, others slightly insulted, however several mothers in the outskirts ring welcome you. By seemingly eye and head gestures alone, none interrupting the singing ritual with words, the info is relayed deeper into the gathering.

As you are on your knees a few women join to hug you, singing and sobbing, caressing your head like a lost babe and clutching you to their chests alternately. You see an acolyte leave from the building and cross past you towards Geraldine's, you are guessing to see to your friend. It all feels like a sense of coming home, and then the crescendo comes stabbing through your heart with exquisite loving agony.

A knowing comes over you: her life rides on this, she must answer Brother Snake faithfully now or travel with Him to learn better.

Bright Feather

Crossing the street you reach the ritual's outer rim, where the community is outside the building pauses singing for the crescendo. You pass Hanalee obviously beside herself with emotion of the whole event. Several weeping women try to console her, but merely join in a shared sob.

An older Shoshone woman guards the front, stopping your entrance with merely a look and hand gesture and then returning her gaze to the snakebite victim. A piercing cry, an indescribable "discordant harmony" of the elders and a sprinkling of truly talented acolytes, seizes your very heart, leaving you breathless. (Roll better of CON or WIS save to resist being temporarily stunned, 1 round) The grandmother guarding the door closes her eyes and looks up in relief, then turns to you (giving you a round to collect yourself if needed).

Leaning in to speak softly, in a soft voice she asks, "First water, we barely avoided a funeral ceremony now. May we all succeed until Brother Snake's questioning passes. We are still occupied and of limited help, but what is it you need?"
----------------

Geraldine's

Alric (and Caden?)

A Shoshone acolyte tears himself away from the ritual and comes deliberately for you. He seems older than his years, young face but tired yet smiling eyes — a bit of a limp as well. Coming up to you and Mal, he looks at you both one at a time and then asks, "Your friend is beside herself with concern. I come to help, even though we are currently stretched. Let me listen and see what we can do. Who here is in mortal danger?"

Karnath

Coming into the place you have a few places still open to eat. There's a few spots at the bar, one table left (but you seem to have no one really with you yet for lunch), and there's one private conference room with both doors thrown open for the large crowd today and a lone booth free. A dwarf with a bartender's apron passes by you and asks, "Need rest? Bar, table, or booth?"

"It's Mal" Alric gesture to the Mastiff. "He has an affliction of the spirit. He bit on this bone then became frozen in fear, At least I think he did." Alric will draw forth the bone wrapped in his remaining canvas. "Our friend, Bright feather thought it was different"

Karnath goes into a bar?

Geraldine's Porch

Alric (Caden?)

The acolyte's eyes squint with confusion and curiosity at your explanation. Taking a look at the bone as you unwrap it, he makes no move to touch it but moves his head around it for inspection. His eyes go wide from recognition, then straight at Alric with great severity.

"Creator, preserve us. Why does your animal have a human arm bone to chew? Exactly where have you been?"
-----------

Geraldine's

Karnath

Grabbing one of the few seats left at the bar, you rub elbows with a miner and a trapper. They eye you uncomfortably as you disarm, propping your shield and weapons belt between your stool and the bar. You look to them like you've seen something serious, as you can easily recognize from their now slower pace of eating lunch and uncomfortable avoiding looks.

"Whiskey shot to start?" the same bartender dwarf asks, as he passes by to unload a bucket of dishes at the nearest bar-to-kitchens entrance.

He's starting to come back. Anything in mind for lunch or drink?

"Just beyond the new Graveyard. There is something dark brewing there. As soon as Mal is better we may take another look. Something was talkin in our heads.  Evil Spirits!" Alric says in a rush.

"How is the Woman, mother?" He gestures toward the ritual.

Caden nods in agreement with Alric, "There is something foul going on out there" he tells the acolyte.