[Game Thread] Lord Windos’ PokeRole Adventure 2: The Wild Lands

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

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Bernhard's tension was peaking as he stood there before the door to Saph's room with his client and fae steed, especially so upon noticing how the door was plastered with Anti-Spiritual Wards. And speaking of anything spiritual, Myra's vivid and unusual reaction to being summoned is very carefully noted - it also reinforced the first estimated guess of Bern on what in the world was WRONG with Mr.Gleam's precious daughter, very much so. That's not making it any less bad or such though, no... Once again, in a very short moment of weakness, the Sky-Scim was wondering (and mentally sighing) about what he has gotten himself into this time. But his determination and resolution to see things to the end (any end) are firm and rock-hard, no turning back or faltering allowed now.

Aforementioned tension was sky-rocketing into new heights upon finally and eventually on getting a first-person glance on Saph - it also caused Bernhard to almost cough on a puff of the smoked Sage incense stick (just 'almost' though). If it wasn't 100% clear by now that the situation was dire and serious, it was definitely so now, double so even. Clearly now Bernhard could indeed keenly understand and comprehend how riled up and desperate Mr.Gleam was over the state of his precious daughter... He managed to remain calm regardless though on the outside, even if the sheer sight of Saph's state caused him to pale and wanting to look away, swallowing a light curse of distress. Yeah indeed, Bernhard'd self-control, ability to keep cool in dire situations and stoic facade surely is something to behold.

For a bit, he just remained there and looking down at Saph. Observing her, all silently. Throwing glances over to Nirix, noting his vivid reaction, taking his anger as an important clue. Taking note of any detail and hint he managed to pick up so far. An avidly  concentrated expression on his face. Pondering, thinking, putting received puzzle pieces together one by one... If that faint tingling race up his gauntleted arm was of any hint... 

Yeah, THAT much be it, THAT must be what likely and probably was the issue, and that also explained why Mr.Gleam's effort put into curing Saph were in vain so far...

"Well there...", Bern broke the tense silence after what felt like hours (but not breaking his glance on Saph) "I do have good and perhaps not-so-good news for you, Mr. Gleam. It is up to you which one  you would like to hear first."

Good news

"If all what you have told me so far, dear Mr.Gleam, and if all what I have observed, seen and picked up by now is leading me and my train of thought into the right direction, I do have quite the good idea of what is wrong with your precious daughter. Of what is causing her current state, and what is causing you so much distress over her, yes... It does explain why you and any doctors you consulted having failed to cure her so far, for their take and route in this case is in vain and doomed to not help, as it doesn't take on the root of the problem. No, we need to take on a...different approach here."

Bernhard will spare Mr.Gleam the details however, unless he very directly and outright asks to know. For he fears Mr.Gleam won't take the news of there being powerful Dark Magic in Saph's system all too well...

Bad news

Bernhard hesitates at first to tell, needs a moment to ready himself to bring out the words. "Saph's state is serious. And I do mean 'serious' as in there is something vile and powerful pestering her, yes. Something I have not encountered or witnessed before, not yet - not in all my takes of alchemistic creations or client's requests so far I have been asked to find a remedy for something as DARK and POWERFUL as what I am detecting in your daughter's system..." 'Granted, I have also not ever yet had a need of Nirix's horn for tonics and medicine', Bernhard adds just in his mind.

"I dare to say that I am not certain whether I will be able to fully cure her, fully free her of her ailments. Neither are immediate positive results to be expected. *increase of strength in words, and a firm + certain glance directly into Mr.Gleam's face/eyes* HOWEVER, mark my words, I shall do ANYTHING I can to help her. I shall try ANYTHING that is possible in my books."

No faltering or turining back now. Bernhard will try and do whatever he can, even if it may take multiple attempts - if he's allowed another guess, he fears that the skill of being able to cure something as dark, vile and powerful is dully needed in the journey ahead. Just in case.

"Now then...", Bernhard motions Mr.Gleam to be calm once more (much much easier said that done, he fears!) "Please do give me a moment, for I need and desire to find out MORE about the vile and dark stuff within precious Saph in order to create a customized remedy... I will do so with utmost care and caution, no worries on that, Mr.Gleam. And if anything a does happen, I am right here to immediately intervene."


Course of Action:

Take Saph's hand into his once more, into his Gauntlet hand to be specific. Bernhard expects and awaits that faint tingling run up his arm once more, and this time he'll concentrate on it and keep her hand in his regardless of it. The goal is to find out more about it, pick up further details of the powerful dark magic pestering Saph - say, where does it come from/where is the root of it, is it a curse or is it something different, how does it react to being near/being connected to Scimitar Magic. 
To aid with that, Bernhard will also make use of Myra's own spiritual and psychic might, aka create a careful direct connection between her and the dark magic within Saph - if no rebound or resistance is encountered and if it anything done so far hasn't visibly worsened Saph's state, Bernhard will even go so far as to direct a careful non-damaging Extrasensory towards the Dark Magic to see how it reacts and to tickle it to the surface.

We'll also spend a Willpoint here to increase the chances of success. (If Fortune Rolls occur, these are revealed as I've spent a Willpoint already to do so at the beginning of Day 2. At the end of this 2nd Encounter of the Day Bern and Zephy wil also receive 1 Willpoint thanks to Zephy's Ever Spirited plotdevice)

Furthermore, in response to Nirix being riled up: Quietly talk to him, cradle his head with his natural hand while the Gauntlet hand remains a hold of Saph's hand. trying to find out more about what it is about Saph's condition that is incensing him that much. "You are able to feel it to, now aren't you...? It is...dark, and powerful too, is it not...? But...is it indeed and truely a curse, or is it something different? How far has it progressed within the poor girl's system? ...And is it not cowardly and wrongful to inflict an innocent young girl with something as evil as this...?" There's not a little bit of anger within Bernhard's voice on the last phrase, as he indeed wonders how someone/something can be as mean to target something like Mr.Gleam's precious daughter aka an innocent young girl. Perhaps whoever inflicted it aims to give as much harm and distress to him as possible, knowing that his daughter is his everything...?

Through your Bond with her, you get the feeling that your spiritual fox would very much like to be comforted a bit, the feeling she sensed giving her a mild case of the heebie jeebies. Outwardly, however, she remains prim. proper, and Alert, the very picture of a Magus' Mighty Magical Fox. If allowed, she'd also want to remain out and about with you; she would go back to her Ball if requested, disappointed but understanding.

The fragrant smoke almost reminds you of the mists and aromas your witchy friend so often loved to beguile you and other poor souls with, though nowhere near intense or unbalancing. In fact, you feel a bit purified breathing it in; not enough to count as an actual cleansing, but enough to make you feel a bit lighter. Not that it helps when you witness poor Saph's condition, but still.

Speaking of her, you now notice she's wearing a baby blue sleeping gown, and she was wearing a pendant adored with a bright and clear Sapphire. She also remained (metaphorically!) dead to the world - all the commotion not enough to rouse her from whatever plagues her so...

Mr. Gleam's control wavers as he sees you and Nirix's clearly unnerved and shocked reactions, fearing the worst automatically; your prefacing warning only magnified his growing dread.

"W-What?! Oh...oh no. Pl-please, don't tell me it's something truly vile?!"

Oh boy, he's panicking AGAIN. You decide to start with the Good News in a hurry, hoping to calm him down. It works, for a spell, with him lightening up just a tad....until he hesistantly asked for more details. Your clear reluctance to divulge them did not help matters, making them grow more anxious and fretful than ever, so you decided to Bug Bite the Bullet Punch and just laid it all out for him in the hopes of getting to the end of this spiralling sooner rather than later.

What you had to say....it caused him to put both hands to his mouth, his eyes blown wide with pure, unadulterated mortal terror for his beloved daughter. Something...something evil was inside her?! Oh no...oh NO...OH NO NO NO!!!

Then, like a stack of papers pushed off a desk, he folds in on himself, Fainting from the Bad News. 

Well....shit. Your bedside manner remains wanting, sadly. 

Now you got a quick decision: Trying to Revive him and continue to have his direct aid and assistance, but potentially have to deal with his Panicking and own Health as you tried to Cure Saph, or letting him remained Fainted so you can get work done quicker without having to micromanage him too.