It is a rare thing for Nicora to be able to walk without having to waddle. While it's possible that feeding Blarf has temporarily exhausted her blessing, it may also have to do with the task ahead. Still, it's nice to not feel bloated or saggy for a change, and to be bathed with actual water instead of slime. As Sil towels her off, Nicora's skin feels almost tight again, and even her breasts seem firmer. And the nagging urges of the doe aren't overriding her mind anymore. Now she only has to deal with the regular nagging urges of Yodhgorphat Scourge.
The High Priestess stands and stretches upward while yawning. When her hands drop, she rubs at her still swollen, but not oozing, crotch to help ease the urge to have something large in it. "Right, I need to tend to Crabs and Penance' education," she murmurs and does something rare for her. She goes to the small wardrobe, extracts her bandages, and goes about dressing herself.
Sil hovers, and offers to help several times. But the basic bandaging is easy enough to do, and it lets Nicora ensure that those parts of her that need to 'breathe' are able to. "Do you need assistance with anything else, High Priestess?" the servant woman asks.
"Mmm, do you know where the Acolyte called Crabs is? And Penance?" Scourge asks.
"Penance is in one of the ritual chambers working on something that smells.. pungent," Sil explains. "Crabs asked me how to find Otto earlier, once he was recovered from the.. uh.. mass mating event. Gorphat's doe caused it."
"All right. That is all for now, Sil. If I need more I will call," she says as she runs her hands over her scarred scalp for a moment. "I will go to Penance first if you need to find me."
The tendrils atop her head squirm a bit as her hands run over them. "Of course, High Priestess," Sil says and bows her head. "Just call on me if you need anything more."
"I will," Scourge claims as she leaves the chamber and walks out towards the wing with the ritual rooms. Finding Penance should be easy, of course. She just has to follow the smell; one she should remember well since she swam through it. Racid urine smell, alas.
It is a solid plan, and leads her quickly to the proper room: which has a sunken sarcophagus-like bath pit. There are several cauldrons in the room, and Penance is mixing various things from jars and bottles into one of them while consulting a scroll covered in Yodh-script.
"Ah, there is a smell I know well," Scourge remarks after taking a deep breath. She heads over to peer over Penance's shoulder at the script. "Have you had any second thoughts about making this sacrifice?" she asks.
Penance squeaks in surprise, having been engrossed in her work. "Ah! High Priestess.. uh.. a few," the black-skinned Eeee admits. "I'm a little worried about the bleaching mix. It's hard to figure out some of the formulas."
Scourge tries to read the script to see if she can make anything of it. "You can, of course, decide not to go through this," she notes to Penance. "Sacrifices of this magnitude are difficult for all."
At first the script is gibberish, but focusing more on it makes it legible. The part that seems 'tricky' is in accounting for the darkness of the subject's skin. "I'm not sure how it will affect my mark," Penance says in a worried tone, and brushes stained figures over the Wound mark on her vulva, which has a glowing subdermal fungal infection incorporated into it. "I suppose I can have it renewed.."
"If it is damaged we renew it, yes. Subdermal worms, parasites, or just renew the fungus if necessary," Scourge agrees as she reads over the list for how to lighten dark skin, then tries to look at the bottles Penance has out to see if it looks roughly like she has at least used what looks correct. "They had lousy handwriting," she thinks.
Gauging by the number of empty bottles, the newer Yodh should have enough mixed in. Nicora had dark skin originally as well, but she didn't have to mix up the bath herself - it was already waiting for her.
"This looks right from what I can tell in the script," Scourge says. She furrows her bare brow, then actually sticks her left hand in it to see if it has the burning feeling she remembers!
It doesn't burn as much as it did the first time - but there's nothing to burn off anymore. Penance has some light fuzz, but since she's been shaving her fur there are probably plenty of tiny cuts that will burn quite a bit.
Scourge draws her hand out and wipes it off. "It seems right. Do you wish to go first, or would you prefer the rat to go first?" she asks, then sniffs her arm. Yes, it sure smells like the stuff.
"Oh.. does it matter?" Penance asks, as she looks at the cauldron. "I don't have enough to.. uh.. submerge myself in, so I assumed it would have to be applied by hand. But a Skreek could certain get his arms in up to the elbows.."
"Actually, I might be able to squeeze into the cauldron," the young Eeee admits after a moment. "Or should I just make enough to bathe in? Is that important?"
"Actually, I was going to have you lie in the depression and pour it over you," Scourge remarks as if it was no big thing. "So, if we do go that way, then he should probably go first. Then she pauses a moment and adds, "But yes, it would be better to completely submerge you in it for at least thirty seconds or so."
"I see that I should have a lot more ready for next time," Penance remarks. "I think it was Cassetri that also wanted to go through with it later. If I mix up a second cauldron, I think it will fill the bath enough that I could lie in it."
Scourge nods. "Then do so, Child of Gorphat," the High Priestess intones.
Penance bows her head again, and goes to the second cauldron to begin repeating the mixing process.. still referring to the scroll at each step. With a second batch, the air in the chamber will definitely be eye-watering.
Scourge by herself is usually eye-watering, so this doesn't bother her! Instead, she tries to move the first cauldron over to pour into the bath pit.
It's heavy, but the base has stone wheels set into shallow carved tracks, and a pivot for dumping it. There weren't any bargorphat that Nicora remembers from Alptraum's original visit to the Temple on his birthday, so it shouldn't be too hard for a Yodhgorphat to handle.
There's some grunting from the High Priestess as she moves the cauldron (as well as a spurious release of gas from down below; but thankfully no slime. After some effort (for a Yodhgorphat) she manages to get it near the pit and proceeds to pivot-tip it to pour the contents into the bath.
The fumes that rise up make the air blurry. Penance reaches for a damp cloth to wipe her eyes with, which it makes sense to have handy when working with caustic substances. It fills the bath to several inches. There may need to be some rolling around in order to get all of Penance saturated in the mix.
"When your second batch is done, pour it in here," Scourge instructs and steps back. Her eyes burn and she wants to cough; but she has to keep a strong outward appearance for the new Yodh.
It takes several more minutes for the fresh batch. Assuming the pool that Nicora had to swim through had been sitting unused for years, then the potency of the brew isn't going to diminish over time. ".. four bottles of fire milk.." Penance mutters as she adds things to the mix, stirring it with a heavy stone ladle.
"You can decide not to go through with this," Scourge offers again.
Finally, with a few grunts of her own, the junior Yodh pushes the cauldron to the bath and adds its contents. "I'm sure they used men to move these in the past," Penance says, and has to wipe her nose and eyes. "I think it's important that I do, High Priestess. This is my second chance at life, so.. I need to be really reborn, I think. That way nobody who might recognize me can tell me who I was."
"Do you really want to never find out who you once were?" Scourge asks. "Afraid to?"
"I think my name tells me all I need to know," Penance claims, and eyes the depth of the fluid. "The Kindly Ones have judged me. I don't need to judge myself."
"Unless I already have, of course," the girl adds.
Scourge considers this, then nods. "As good of an answer as I think is possible," she agrees, satisfied. She does now go to the door and lean out a bit and call, "Crabs! Are you near?"
"I saw him in Otto's chamber in the residential section," Penance notes, still eyeing the pool. "Maybe I should do a third batch, just to be sure.."
"Then please do so. I will fetch the rat in the meantime," Scourge says and slips out the door. She knows where Otto lives, at least! She also sleeps with Otto often, for that matter. He's endowed enough to be uncomfortable for her, and that's the way she likes it.
Otto's cell is slightly more crowded than usual, but there's still plenty of room to move around. This is due to the big Skreek being up on the central examination-table-altar. Almost buried beneath him is Pixus, visible mostly by her limbs - since her wrists and ankles are strapped down to the corners of the altar. Otto does look up when Nicora enters though, even if he doesn't pause in his rutting of the recently transformed Pixus. "High Priestess!" he greets with a big grin. Huddled next to a candle in the corner is Crabs, squinting at a scroll with a bowl full of slimy blood next to him, with a familiar mass of maggots swimming through it.
"Good day, Otto. How is the skreek beneath you doing?" Scourge asks as she makes her way over to Crabs. "And you .... Crabs, was it? We are preparing the denuding ritual now, please follow me?" she tells the other skreek. she tries to not look at the bowl of blood and maggots, though. She sees that often enough herself.
"She's stopped complainin'" Otto says proudly. Crabs hops up to attention. He's still under the influence of the carefully applied Horrib venom though, as all the new bargorphat and barmabb are. Or else it's from being next to Otto and Pixus. "Ma'am!" he cries, almost saluting. "I mean.. Your High Priestessness! I'm ready, I think. My head feels a little funny from reading this.. this." He holds up the scroll, which presumably has something to say about the special maggots. He then says in a loud whisper, "I didn't know I could read!"
Scourge takes the paper and tries to read it herself, wondering if it's just gibberish and he really cannot read. "Is she nicely pregnant, Otto?" Scourge asks of the breeding rat. "Still plump with horrib maggots and such?"
"Pudgy!" Otto claims. Pixus doesn't say anything, since she's apparently got a gag in her mouth.
Scourge goes over and looks in Pixus' eyes. "Comfortable? Enjoying yourself?" she coos at the rat.
The scroll is in Yodh-script - which apparently only those who serve the Kindly Ones can read. It talks about the uses for the maggots and how to keep them in a larval state. Aside from cleaning wounds, they can be used for creating cures for certain diseases, ritual uses and special methods of preparing them for other uses..
Scourge is surprised that she can read this too, but doesn't show it. Instead, she just holds onto it to return to Crabs in a moment. She then leans down and whispers in Pixus' ear so just she can hear her say, "Eventually, you will love this. All girls love being raped and tormented, right? Isn't that what you believed once?" Yes, it may be a bit evil to do this to Pixus, but what Pixus did in her former life was far, far, worse. Pixus will live and be generally healthy; those she ... took didn't get that chance.
Pixus just makes a slight whimpering sound, but that could be in reply to the whisper or because Otto is really laying into her at that moment.
Scourge pats Pixus' cheek, then rises and returns the scroll to Crabs. "Come, let us strip your arms," she tells the rodent, then actually sashays out of the room, swaying those hips of hers.
The sashay may be a bit of torture for Crabs, given his constantly aroused state. "Otto really seems to enjoy mating," the man comments as he follows closely behind Nicora. "I don't know if I'll be interested at all after the girls' guardians are born."
Scourge reaches back and grabs the rat's arousal. "You're a male, of course you will. But if not, there are blessings from Mother Gorphat that can make you think of nothing else..." she notes, and she should know since she's been fighting those urges since she woke up.
The Skreek squeaks and goes up on his toes at the grab. Nicora can certainly feel his pulse spike! "Ah.. this is very hard to.. I mean, it is hard to think.. You really aren't upset with me for mating with you in the.. Blarf.. are you?"
"Of course not. I expect you to mate with me regularly," Scourge claims. "It is ... like mating with Gorphat Herself. It's a test of your faith you won't die."
"Die?" Crabs croaks as he skips to keep up (and try to keep high enough up that the High Priestess doesn't have to bend or anything to keep her grip). The fumes from the bathing chamber are already filling the halls of the ritual section of the Temple when they reach it.
Scourge at least finally lets go. "No mortals have ever survived an intimate encounter with Gorphat," she explains. "But, that doesn't matter now. We are almost to the chamber, can you not smell it?"
"Not for much longer," Crabs says, and covers his nose with his hands. "My eyes are burning.."
Scourge chuckles and continues on into the Ritual room. "You'll have to get used to worse than that," she claims.
Penance has filled the bath up a bit more, and is leaning against the third upturned cauldron trying to catch her breath - which is a bit wheezy from the burning fumes. "All.. ready.. High.." Penance tries to say, before going into a coughing fit. The fumes really do promote mucous production.
Aside from the ammonia smell, there's a sulfury, rotting component as well.
"Right. Crabs will go first," The High Priestess claims and heads over to the bath pit. She actually strips down to just her skin and steps into the pool! "Approach me," she tells Crabs, "And prepare to give yourself to Gorphat and show your faith in her." She may regret stepping in that pool, but it seemed appropriate.
It certainly tingles, but aside from the smell it doesn't burn. She's passed this challenge already, so has a good amount of immunity. Crabs twitches a bit as he approaches the edge. "Do I.. step in?" he asks. "Or just put my arms in?"
"Kneel beside the pool," Scourge instructs. "Unless you also want your feet and lower legs bare, you do not need to step in."
The Skreek kneels down, his eyes watering profusely now - such that he might not be able to see very clearly at the moment.
"Now, bow your head and put your arms into the pool up to your elbows," Scourge instructs, ready to place her hand upon his head.
Crabs hyper-ventilates a few times before holding his breath, then bows his head and quickly plunges his forearms into the brew. More foul odors erupt when he breaks through the surface, followed by bursts of bubbles as if the fluid were boiling.
Scourge places his hand upon the back of Crabs' head. "Mother Gorphat and Mother Mabb, Great Goddesses and protector of all those forgotten, this Skreek gives himself unto you and offers the fur of his arms in sacrifice to your honor," she intones strongly and with conviction. "Mark him with your touch and strip his arms to his skin, forever taking him unto you as a Son in servitude to Your will, and so that he can help protect others through his suffering."
The Skreek is openly weeping now. It takes a full minute before the bubbling stops, and clumps of melting fur float to the surface before dissolving. There are bits of skin as well - old scar tissue and lesions float up. It may be that Crab's knowledge of parasites came from very personal experience. But he does stop crying soon after.
Scourge removes her hand. "You may remove your arms from the pool. Penance, please clean his arms and bandage them," she instructs.
Penance hurries to get the water and bandages, while Crabs pulls his arms out. They're pale, translucent white now, the veins and arteries prominent against the white. They're perfectly smooth, as well, the skin free of any blemishes or scars. They also steam slightly, until Penance kneels down and begins washing them.
"Are you in any pain?" Scourge asks of the rat. "You did well."
"Feels.. burned.." Crabs whimpers. Penance reaches over and unceremoniously squeezes on of Nicora's upper breasts, collecting the somewhat slimy 'milk' in her other palm before slathering it onto the Skreek's arms as a balm.
The surprised squeeze makes Scourge squeak in shock. She rubs her chest soon after and says, "The burning feeling will pass quickly. Now Scourge has to step out of the pool and shake her legs off since Penance has to fully submerge herself soon.
There's some flaking away of the outer layer of dead skin from Scourge's lower legs once she's out of the pool, but no burning - still just a tingle, like an itch. If anything the areas exposed to the fluid are glowing a bit more green as they flush.
Scourge wipes her legs clean. "Penance, are you ready?" she asks the other Eeee. "You can still back out."
"Thank you," Crabs mutters, and brings his arms up to really look at them, even if his vision is still blurry.
"I.." Penance starts say, then looks up into Scourge's eyes. "I'm scared. It's going to hurt. But.. I wouldn't be much of a Yodhgorphat if I didn't get over my fear of pain. A little pain now isn't that bad."
"I know. I was terrified too," Scourge admits and places a hand upon her shoulder. "And you can choose not to and I will not think less of you if you decide not to. This is wholly your choice and act of faith."
"If I'm going to think well of myself I have to do this," Penance claims, straightening up a big and pulling her wings against her back instead of letting them wrap around her. "I've lived with the horribs, given birth to the Bargorphat, gone through all sorts of things." She steps forward into the bath, and her legs nearly buckle from the burning. There aren't as many bubbles as with Crabs, but Penance's fur has barely started growing back in since her last shave.
"Then lie down, Daughter of Gorphat," Scourge says, solemn and strong. "Mother Gorphat, your new Daughter takes another step into your arms; sacrificing all that remains of her old life, to become scarred and disfigured. Terrifying in the eyes of some Eeee, but gloriously beautiful in Your Honor. Accept her sacrifice and help her be strong!"
Penance sits in the fluid, and stretches out as best she can. Her eyes are closed tightly as she takes a gasping breath and lies back to completely submerge herself.
"When do we pull her up?" Crabs asks as the fluid bubbles.
Scourge kneels down and holds Penance under the liquid! She needs to remain submerged for at least thirty seconds or more for it to work well, like it worked on her. She can't help but be impressed by the willingness of Penance to do this. Scourge herself didn't have as much of a choice at the time. "I will say when," Scourge notes. And indeed, she waits over thirty seconds before she says, "Time to bring her up..." and then pulls on Penance to draw her out.
Penance gasps for breath as soon as she's sat up, and Crabs helps Scourge pull her from the bath. He's also quick with the wet cloth to wipe her now white face clean of the stuff.
"Do not open your eyes until you are cleaned off," Scourge instructs and helps wipe the Eeee down. Scourge actually does find Penance oddly attractive like this. So pristine, untattooed, and untouched. Well, except for her vulva-mark, which she checks to see if the bath removed.
It does look as if the mark will need to be completely re-applied. Of course now that Penance is a proper canvas, there is plenty of space for more.
"High Priestess, if you.. uh.. bend over her.. I can.." Crabs says, and makes milking motions with his hands.
Scourge nods slightly and then laughs at Crab's motions. She finds something to place her arms on and then leans forward so all of her teats hand down and sway a little. Time to feel like a sow again, it seems!
Crabs is gentle at least, but can't help but constantly lick his lips as he milks Scourge, pausing only to smear the results over Penance (and clearly feeling her up in the process). At least her face is soothed, and she's able to open her eyes. "How do I look?" she croaks.
"Beautiful. Pale and perfect. How do you feel?" Scourge asks from where she still is bent over. She's actually turned on by the bald female Eeee. Maybe it's Mordecai flashbacks.
"A bit raw," Penance admits. "But.. purified," she adds. Only a Yodhgorphat would associate the smell clinging to them as pure.
"You will feel fine in a few days," Scourge claims, "And you did very well. You may have that scent on your for a month or more, though. It tends to linger."
Even after all the milk-slime has been smeared, Crabs is still kneading Scourge's breasts even if he's not milking them. They're pretty slimy now too.
"You can stop now," Scourge notes as she rises up and gently puses Crab's hands from her chest. She wants to wipe them off if he does stop.
"Are you sure?" Crabs.. pleads? He's still throbbing after all. The horribs have really done a number on him!
Scourge smirks. She turns around and bends back over, presetting her very swollen nethers and Gorphat's mouth. "Go ahead," she offers.
Crabs goes for the swollen part, of course, hoping it will quench him better. He pretty much lays across Scourge's back as he goes at it, reaching around to squeeze her breasts some more, as if not wanting to let her clean them. But Skreek seem to like messy things.
Penance stretches her wings and twists to try and see all of herself. "Is this how you looked before you were painted?" she asks.
Scourge is used to being slimy, so doesn't bother to clean anymore. She does grunt, though, because penetration is always painful to her now! Painful and pleasurable, that is. "Yes, I looked very much like that," Scourge agrees, moaning, "It took time for me to get used to it, but I came to love it."
"It's so smooth.. oh, that's from your milk.." Penance says while stroking her own arm, and then blushes. It's very visible now, but still pink instead of green.
"You could bottle it as a first aid cream," Crabs suggests, and then licks the back of Scourge's neck.
"We will add green later," Scourge groans, "But you need to tend to the parasite room first so Crabs can begin his lessons." Her hips buck and rolls. Her insides cramp a few times in warning about having sex, but her urges to continue keeps her going.
"My mark!" Penance says, when she realizes her infection mark is gone. "I need that back. Since we'll be there anyway.."
"Well, of course. Or we could give you a new one that is ... more trying," Scourge says, rather distracted now.
"Most of yours come directly from Gorphat, don't they?" Penance asks, getting to her feet and stretching. This act makes Crabs move even faster against Scourge.
"Mine do, yes," Scourge agrees. "I am Gorphat's ... special canvas," she adds, shuddering as she gets a wave of pleasure from just saying that. She's a freak.
"You are the High Priestess though," Penance says. "You should be able to bless people too."
"Yes, this is also true," Scourge agrees, eyes closed a bit.
Crabs finishes.. with a sneeze for some reason. Without his horrib around to sting him, he'll hopefully be able to relax a bit now. "Thank you, High Priestess," he says. "I should be able to focus better now!"
"I've been trying to catalog the rest of the Archive," Penance says. "I think I've found all of the expired samples."
Scourge is, of course, cramping up a bit inside, but also feels fairly good! "I live to serve," she claims as she rises ... and doesn't bother wiping her chest off again. She's relegated to just being, well, slimy. "How many samples have expired?" she asks of Penance, "And how many need to be bred to replenish stock?"
"I've found 33 that aren't viable anymore," Penance says. "They were ones that couldn't form spores. There are dried examples of them though, and notes on breeding. I suppose they can be found and replenished that way then? Mostly bugs, but a few lichens and fungi too."
"Possibly. Did they seem useful to keep in supply? What were their effects?" Scourge inquires as she goes to check over Penance a bit too.
Penance stands still for the inspection. "Well, most were nasty things. The molds were for destroying specific crops, or fabric."
"But others made stuff used to kill other molds," she adds.
"Those could be handy in some cases, but I am not sure we need to replenish them anytime soon," Scourge muses, then reaches around Penance in an odd sort of hug. Why, though, is because she uses her claws to cut thin scratches over the Eeee's nethers, making a slightly bloody re-mark of the Wound down there. "And there, we can now expose that area to just about anything to ... remark you," she whispers in Penance' ear.
The Eeee squeaks in pain from the scratches, and blushes afterwards. "It should be something that glows," Penance replies quietly. "I liked the glow, once the itching stopped."
"As you like," Scourge says, then licks Penance's nude ear. "Now, I would like you to show me your work in the archives."
"Follow me, High Prietess," Penance says, but waits until Scourge actually releases her.
"You're coming too, Crabs," Scourge notes, then lets go of Penance. "Lead on."
The Archive isn't that far from the ritual chambers. It's been cleaned up a bit since Scourge's last visit, with most of the catalogs and ledgers open on the tables. The shelves holding jars have been dusted off, and some of the labels rewritten to be clearer. The drawers of the spore archive have been opened up, and lots of markers inserted between the envelopes.
"It's a bit chaotic still," Penance apologizes. "There are a jars that I haven't identified yet."
"I am impressed. You have been busy. Far more busy in the Temple than I have been as of late," Scourge admits as she looks around, taking a slow circuit of the room to read over the bottles and a few of the notes in the drawers. "Which jars haven't you identified yet?"
"Well.. those shelves there.." Penance admits, gesturing to an entire side of the hall. "And.. about half from the other side too. Maybe a hundred or so samples? Some of the jars are tied to others.. special nutrients or growth inhibitors, and a few of the jars are dead preserved specimens."
Scourge goes and peers at them. "Well, you could test them on yourself to see what they do," she remarks, half-joking. "Still, for as little time as you have been here, this is impressive work. It is more organized now than I suspect in many a year."
"I don't know if anyone's been down here in years before we visited," Penance admits. "The plague vats dried up too, but.. uh.. I haven't really looked closely in there."
"It's a wonderland!" Crabs squeaks, as he runs about sticking his nose into every drawer and looking into the jars of murky liquid.
"Best if you not. Unless we intend to grow some vaccines, we should take care with the vats," Scourge advises. "While we should be generally immune, we could accidentally spread things."
"I'm sure some of these are uncategorized.. just things taken from mysteriously sick people or animals," Penance notes. "The notes are really rough."
"Likely," Scourge agrees and sighs. "So much work, so few to do it."
"Well.. is there anything we should focus on?" Penance asks. "If we don't care about nasty stuff for now, we could probably figure out the useful things faster. There can't be as much of that, after all."
"Things that can be used to treat other ailments or help treat wounds, prevent infections, and such. Start there. The bad stuff is good to study so that we can identify it. Inflicting it will be saved for those who deserve it," Scourge explains as she goes to look for that, well, glowing fungus. May as well use that for Penance' mark; she liked it.
The drawer is still open for it, the fungus stored as sand-like spores. Given how popular it was, there's plenty of it (and more growing over the walls within the Temple itself). "Some parasites are good for treating diseases," Crabs notes. "It seems bizarre, but a disease that seems resistant can be wiped out when a parasite antagonizes the body."
"Really? Then please, record all you know about that. Dictate to Penance if you need to," Scourge says as she pulls out that envelope and heads over to Penance. "And you need to sit down so I can ... apply this to your Wound's wound."
Penance sits on the edge of a table.. and spreads her legs. Crabs comes up close to observe.. either because of the area of interest, or the process itself. "If it persists, there must be a benefit to the fungus and to the host," he claims.
Since there is blood and an open wound, Scourge collects some of the spores into her hand and carefully rubs them into that thin cut. "This one tends to itch for a while, then leaves a glowing mark. It's one of the fungus we use in the temple for light," she explains to the rat. "What parasites are actually good to be infected with that you know of?"
"Worms mostly," Crabs notes as we watches. "They make you sick, but when you get over it, the other illness is gone too. I wonder if this fungus works specifically with Eeee. There's a lot of stuff that seems to be made just for Eeee, since it doesn't cause a reaction. I'll have to put some of this under my skin and see if it glows of just causes a cyst.."
Scourge offers the envelope over and says, "Go ahead." She also thinks for a moment and adds, "I would like to try some of these worms. Can you identify them?"
"I know where to find them," Crabs says as he scratches at the back of his now bare arm. "Uh.. you have look through.. crap," he admits. "Some you have to eat, others go under the skin.. it depends on what the illness is that you want to treat. Some are mild but do a lot of damage over time.. just not enough at once to make the body fight back."
"Ah. Well, write up what you know?" Scourge requests as she finishes treating Penance' wound. She sounds a little disappointed, but doesn't press it.
Penances winces, since the wound it fresh and her skin is still sensitive. The spores are pretty gritty too.
"It will start itching in a day or two, but it should flourish and glow by the end of the week," Scourge says as she cleans her hands off afterward. She then rises ad goes to look over how much Penance has improved the notes.
For an amnesiac, Penance has very clear writing - and is writing in standard Babelite instead of the Yodh-script. Which helps, since it isn't likely that Crabs knows how to write. A lot of the work is transcription from scribbled notes, with some basic drawings.
Scourge keeps flipping pages. "This is really impressive," Scourge notes, but isn't that surprised since the Eeee was technically from noble upbringing and thus had a good education. "So, Scabs, can you see about collecting samples of things you know were helpful and bringing them here for Penance to catalog?"
"Of course!" Crabs says, puffing out his chest. "I know where all sorts of useful junk is."
"Good. Will you need help or can you manage it on your own? Also, try not to get too infected? We want to catalog the effects of each separately. Too many and we won't be able to know which did what," Scourge notes.
"Oh, I'll need help, especially for big stuff," Crabs says. "Like the giant leeches. You want spears and nets for those. And the legendary sewer worm that.. uh.. looks like a sewer pipe, until you're already inside of it.."
"I don't have a lot of official duties, so I spend time sorting through all of this when I can," Penance says.
Scourge considers this and rubs her chin. "Just get small stuff for now. We don't have enough of a staff to dedicate to collecting anything large yet," she says. To Penance she notes, "Well, this seems to have become one of your official duties, I think. Is there something else you wish to do?"
"Well.. do you want me to do anything with the new acolytes?" Penance asks. "Right now it's all about getting the guardians birthed, but should I do anything after that?"
Scourge rubs her head, thinking. "Someone will need to be assigned to managing the pool. Another will need to be assigned to helping clean up and prepare more rooms here. Another should probably work on helping make safe food storage for the town outside. Then another few to go out with some of the patrols to identify areas we should try to clean and reclaim."
Penance grabs one of the scraps of note paper and a pencil to write things down. "And the rest help out with the sick?" she asks. "I've been doing that when the Yodhrinala need help."
"Yes. Though we may want to send a couple to the other camp near Mount Blakat to help out there," Scourge suggests.
"I have your recommendations from the interviews," Penance says. Crabs is pulling a big glass jar out from a lower shelf, and says, "I can help too, once I've got my bugs ready.. huh.. this looks alive, whatever it is."
"What is it?" Scourge has to ask and go look. "And yes, you can help out as well."
"I've never seen things like this before," the Skreek says, and carries the big jar to the nearest table, where the light is better. The insides are murky pink, but there are eddies in the murk and shadows moving around.
"Any ideas on this, Penance? You have been in here the most," Scourge says as she peers at the odd pink, then back from where it came. She checks to see if there are any notes in drawers or on the shelf near where it came from.
"The top is just cloth, so there's air gettin' in," Crabs notes, and sniffs at it. "Smells a bit like blood.."
There's a leather case where the jar rested - probably what it was sitting on.
"I haven't gotten to that area yet," Penance admits and peers into the murk. "I thought it was all preserved stuff in the jars.."
Scourge takes the case and brings it back to the table, where light is better, to take a look.
"It couldn't be blood, it would have clotted by now," Scourge points out.
There are parchments on the inside, which have drawings of Eeee anatomy on them. There are markers on the abdomen, neck and chest indicated - three circles in a triangular configuration. The drawings look copied from something with a lot more detail. Beneath the drawings is a sheet with Yodh-script on it.
Scourge offers the drawings to Penance and takes up the Yodh-script pages next to look at them. She also decides to sniff at the jar, too. She should know what blood smells like.
"It's awfully thick," Penance complains, and leans over the top of the jar to send sonar chirps through the cloth. The smell is like blood.. but blood that's mixed with something else. Of all things, it reminds Scourge of blood and wine.
"It smells like booze. Well, wine with some blood in it. Odd," Scourge notes. She tries to read the yodh-script next to see if it has any clues.
The text resolves with some concentration. "For concussion, apply as shown to back of neck," the text reads. "When bulb becomes purple, remove with vinegar. Soak in warm water until fluids are expelled. For abdominal bleeding..." It continues to describe what conditions each of the indicated locations on the drawings relate to, and what colors to watch for on the 'bulb' and how to remove whatever it is - it never actually names it. And the removal and 'purging' methods vary depending on what is being treated.
"It doesn't say what it is, just what it can be used for when treating specific conditions. Concussion is mentioned, as is abdominal bleeding. So, I guess sort of like a leech?" Scourge says, "That would explain the blood smell, and alcohol or vinegar is often used to remove them."
A few more chirps bring something to the surface of the liquid. At first it looks like a bubble, but then it deflates and some feathery things go up and wave around.
"That is vaguely disturbing," Scourge admits. And if a Yodhgorphat says something is disturbing...
"What kind of leech has three thingies?" Crabs asks, pointing to the diagrams. "Or does it mean you use three of them at a time?"
"They're dark, but that part was transparent," Penance says, and tries to get one to come up again. "I can't even tell how big it is."
"That is showing using them is specific areas, for specific things," Scourge explains. "I can try to take one out."
The diagrams don't help much.. the neck 'spots' are closer together than the abdominal ones, which are spaced farther than the chest ones..
"They stay in the liquid, so shouldn't jump out!" Crabs says, and starts to untie the cord that holds the cheesecloth cover on.
Scourge decides she may as well do something dumb and waits for Crabs to untie the top. Then she carefully removes the cloth ... and like a crazy Eeee, sticks her hand into the jar.
Something grabs onto it, of course. Several somethings.
And Scourge slowly draws her hand out, resisting the urge to yank it fast.
As the pink goo drips off, three dark green creatures are seen clinging to the hand. Lighter green veins pulsate across their skins, and on each one's back is a transparent sack that inflates and deflates once they're in their air. They range in size from something that fit across a palm to the big one that nearly covers half of the hand.
They look like baby Creepers.
"These are ... I've seen these before. They come from the Tower. Creatures bred for various tasks. Inala has some for pleasure. Rephath for punishment," Scourge explains. "They can be very useful, and will lay dormant in this goo until needed."
Penance is reading through the written notes now. "Bleeding.. concussion.. kidney failure? Even headaches. And bruising, like a regular leech.." she says. "There are things here I have never heard of. What is a kidney for?"
"So they're super leeches?" Crabs asks, and reaches out to touch one. "Not as slimy as you'd expect."
Each of the three 'limbs' seems to have a separate mouth. It isn't clear what the feathery antennae on the backs of them are for though.
"I don't really know. I know what I told you of the creepers, and that's more or less it," Scourge apologizes. "The doctor at the other camp may be able to explain these notes better. She may know what a kidney is."
"I guess they didn't have a Blarf, so needed these," Penance says. "But the other settlement doesn't have a Blarf.."
"And these may be useful there," Scourge says and nods her head. She peers at the odd creature for a bit, wondering if she should put it back or, well, play with it more.
They just seem to be sticking to Scourge's hand for now. Occasionally the 'feathers' stick up, then lie flat again.
"This can't be all of the instructions," Penance says. "How do they know what to do? Maybe the you touch the feathers to tell them? Or maybe they can sense what's wrong."
Scourge pokes one of the feathers.
The mouth on that limb bites into Scourge's hand. It doesn't hurt after the initial sting.
"Ow! Okay, so yes, you poke the feathers to get it to do stuff," Scourge admits. Now she is trying to get it to let go of her hand.
It's easy to peal off the ones that aren't biting. And two of the biter's limbs come free as well.. just not the limb that's biting.
"Let's see.. wine, vinegar.. salt?" Penance reads. "I don't know which you use if it's biting your hand."
Scourge grumbles. "Lets try what is close at hand first. So probably the vinegar?" she suggests and sicks her hand back into te bottle to see if it lets go.
Once submerged in the pink stuff for a minute, the single mouth lets go.
Scourge pulls her hand out and checks where it bit.
There's a circular wound, with lots of little pinpricks along the outer ring, and three larger ones in the center that are still bleeding.
"Your blood really is green!" Crabs gasps.
"Well, they likely drink blood. Ow," Scourge notes and shakes her hand a bit. Then she gives Crabs an odd look. "Well, yes? I thought that was obvious. My veins glow."
"I didn't think that through," the Skreek admits. "If it was leech, you'd stick it on vein or artery. But this thing.. has three mouths. So.. uh.. one for input, one for outflow.. one for something else?"
"Pain control, perhaps?" Scourge suggests.
"Or medicine.." Penance says. "The bulb fills up with something that changes color. So.. maybe it needs one for expelling waste?"
Scourge picks up the notes and reads through them again. "Maybe," she admits, "But without experimenting we won't know for sure."
"Well.. we have the diagrams.." Penance says.
The bleeding is finally stopping.. so there must be a blood thinning agent involved in the bites.
Scourge goes back to the diagrams and tries to figure out what the mouths are for based on position.
Since the Creeper is arranged with two 'arms' and a 'tail' it should be clear on the diagram which way they go. The only clue is in the shape of the actual marks for the attachment points. Two are more oval and the third is slightly triangular.
"Well, the ovals are the arms with mouths. The third is ... well a tail, sort of," Scourge explains and taps on the drawings. "The ones in the Temple of Inala are more obvious what they are for."
"Are they bigger?" Crabs asks.
"These come in three sizes, and there are three different sizes of connections in the diagram," Penance notes. "So.. at least we have all of them?"
"Yes, we do, so in theory we can treat certain injuries with them," Scourge agrees. "But I'm wary to use these on people without knowing exactly what they do and how to use them."
"All it says is what to treat at each point, how to know when to remove them.. and how to do that," Penance says. Then she blinks and smacks her forehead. "I see why the removal techniques are different now! They're different for each size of creature."
"Maybe you should be the High Priestess," Scourge remarks a bit dryly. "I didn't realize that, but it makes sense."
"It's just that there's nothing in the writing that talks about size, it's just in the diagrams.." Penance says. "I think. Maybe need to make a chart. But this is also just for Eeee anatomy it seems."
"If they came from the tower, that would make sense. All the old stuff in there was for Eeee and Eeee anatomy. Ask the Barsunala, he saw some of it," Scourge remarks. "As for which is for what, looking at the chart spacings should make it more clear what is small, medium, and large."
"I think the little one is for inflammation, maybe.." Crabs suggests. "Neck and head stuff.. headache, concussion and.. uh.." He looks at the diagrams and says, "Chest. What is that one for?" he asks, pointing to the small cluster on the chest.
"Breathing problems, I suspect," Scourge notes, "Or heart."
"Heart-something?" Penance says after looking at the paper. "I need to make a chart before we can figure this out. There's bound to be injuries we understand that they can treat."
Scourge nods. "Please do, Penance," she requests as she returns the cloth over the top of the jar, then re-secures its tie.
"I wanna look at the other jars," Crabs says with excitement. "If these things are still good, could be others."
Scourge also tries to read the writing about the heart-something to see if she can make it out.
It seems to say 'Heart Tremor' - which could be a heart attack or something less severe. But if the small one produces an anti-inflammatory or sedative it might be appropriate.
"Heart problems. Tremor? Maybe irregular beat?" Scourge suggests. "Something like that."
"I suppose it's something you can hear," Penance concludes. "And must be common." She takes the diagrams and notes to the table where she's doing her transcriptions. "I'll make the chart. But I wonder what else is on the shelves now.."
Scourge gets up. "I am glad you found that. These can be likely very useful from what I know of similar creatures. We just need to decipher their meaning," she states. "And finds like this show why we need to check everything here, and not just in this room."
"How big is the Temple of Gorphat?" Crabs asks.
"Most of the interior of the lower part of the mountain," Scourge explains. "Lots of areas are very dangerous, though."
"How dangerous?" Penance asks. "I mean.. what kind of danger?"
"Traps, for one. Just unstable architecture, for the other," Scourge notes. "This Temple is old, and it was not taken care of very well. There may also be monsters further in."
Both Penance and Crabs stare at Scourge. "Monsters?" Penance asks. Considering the creatures that are considered normal in the main parts of the Temple.. like the Horrib Queen and Hoshim and Blarf.. something that Scourge would consider a monster must be pretty frightening.
"It's possible. I don't know how likely. Even I have not gone everywhere here," Scourge points out. "I am sorry, I am not being a very good High Priestess, am I?"
"I think you've done a lot," Penance says. "People are more important, and you've seen that they're taken care of."
"There are monsters out in the Streets Below," Crabs whispers, rubbing his hand where he infected himself. "Supposedly caverns and tunnels and ancient stuff below the city.."
"There are very old Temples in the deep undercity. I know of a couple down there," Scourge admits. "The real monsters are those people that look normal and prey on others."
"There can't be many of those left now," Crabs says. "Right?" he then asks nervously.
"Oh, not likely. Enough have been dealt with that the others are likely to flee if they haven't already," Scourge says and then actually smiles. "And I am proud of you both. You have done much, and very well, in difficult circumstances. You are shining examples of people who care, and will sacrifice for others. Thank you."