Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 1720945" data-attributes="member: 1210">The Asylum for Advanced Mental TreatmentSee more pictures of the Asylum here: <a href="http://www.willowfox.furtopia.org/photos/artsyfartsy/asylum__worcester_state_hosp_for_the_insane/" target="_blank">link.</a>4 p.m., 5/24/368 O.L.G., the Asylum for Advanced Mental Treatment “What’s that?” Roscoe asks, gaping at the Asylum for Advanced Mental Treatment.The intimidating building rises before them, several stories high.  A number of smaller outbuildings are scattered around, and gardens of herbs and vegetables are in evidence as well.  The main building itself is a large and imposing edifice that looks fairly well-kept.“It’s an asylum,” Federico whimpers.  “And a friend of one of our clan mates is held here unjustly against his will.”“Who’s that?” Jawbreaker asks.“His name is Norman, but I don’t know him.  He’s a friend of Sandy’s.”  Federico’s brow furrows.  “Oh, no- how are we going to recognize him?” he whines.“Maybe Tim here knows him.  Do you know Norman, Timothy?” asks Martini.Timothy’s blank face turns to regard the ranger.  “Um, yeah.  He’s in the place.  He’s all right.  He was never mean to me.”“There we go,” Federico chirps.  “Timothy can help us find Norman.”“Let’s just go up to the front door and fight our way through the evil doctors,” Martini suggests.  It seems as good of a way to start as anything, so our heroes walk up and try the door, but it is locked.“We knock,” Jawbreaker grunts, pulling out his greataxe.  He delivers a tremendous blow to the front door.  There’s a booming sound as he wrenches the axe free.  “Nice door,” he comments approvingly, noting its thickness and quality.  He prepares to launch another blow, but suddenly a window above him on the wall opens up and a head pokes out.  “Who’s there?” cries the figure above.  “What do you want?”Before his companions can put their foot in their mouths, Federico does a quick, happy-looking somersault and cries out, “We’re performers!  We’ve come to put on a show for you!”  His friends keep their mouths shut, trusting the kobold to speak for them.“What- why did you chop into our door?  Who’s going to pay for that?!”“Why, that is our way of knocking.  It’s how we announce ourselves, with drama!  And we’ll gladly pay for repairs from the charges we render to you for our performance!”“But- what- ““Can we speak to someone in charge?”Confused by Federico’s sweet tongue and cordial manner, the man’s head withdraws into the building and the window shuts.  The kobold turns to his companions.  “Okay, so be ready to attack!” he exclaims.  “I don’t know,” Martini says.  “Are we sure these guys are evil?””They’re holding Norman unjustly against his will!” Federico retorts.“Are we sure about that?  I’m just saying that we shouldn’t be too rash-“The front door opens.  A human man, dressed in a doctor’s coat, stands there, flanked by two orderlies with saps and shortswords.  “I’m Doctor Zimmer,” the doctor declares.  “What’s going on here?”“Why, we’re a traveling show, a troupe of sorts, and we wish to perform for the inmates here, to ease the burden of their suffering!” Federico blathers.  He goes on at length for a few moments until finally Dr. Zimmer manages to get in a reply.“Unfortunately, the inmates here are not all in their right minds,” he says.  “Different triggers will cause different effects in some of their minds, some of which could be counterproductive to their treatment.  We are here to make them well, and you cannot possibly know what sorts of things would cause them distress.  I am afraid performing for them is out of the question.  However, I’ll be more than happy to allow you to put on your show for the staff this evening.”“Oh- but our show is light-hearted and harmless-““You cannot possibly understand the delicacy of the minds we are dealing with, and the treatments.  Some of the dangers are unspeakably subtle in this sort of work.  For example, we have a patient who is upset by certain loud noises.  We cannot risk an incident.  It is out of the question.”  “Very well, then the staff- we shall entertain your staff!”“Yes, this evening, once our tasks for the day are done.”  Dr. Zimmer smiles.  “It has been too long since we have seen performers here.  We appreciate your presence.  Feel free to set up there,” he gestures, “there should be plenty of room and you won’t be in the way of anything.  If you need anything let us know, we have stores of food and some drink.”“Why, that would be fantastic!” Federico answers.With that, the doctor and the orderlies withdraw.  Our heroes walk a hundred yards away, to their designated set-up area, and pitch their tents.  As they are finishing making their camp, a pair of workers come out carrying a wheeled table, set with fruits, pastries and cheese, and set it up near the camp site.  “Courtesy of Dr. Zimmer,” one of them calls.  Jawbreaker pokes a piece of fruit with his stick, then grunts and starts eating. “Was Dr. Zimmer nice, Timmy?” asks Martini.“No- no, don’t say that!  Don’t say Timmy!!”  The ex-inmate starts rocking back and forth.  “I’m Timothy- I’m Timothy!”“Okay, okay, I’m sorry, you’re Timothy!  Yes, Timothy!” Martini slowly calms the insane tallfellow.  “Now, what can you tell us about Dr. Zimmer?”Timothy gradually relates that Dr. Zimmer used to be nice, but things changed a while back.  He started to seem to enjoy cruelty.  Our heroes exchange worried glances.As the afternoon wears on, a group of inmates comes out of the asylum, led by another doctor into the garden, where they peacefully set about weeding after the doctor gives the patients a quiet talk.  “Oh, that’s the garden,” Timothy says simplistically.  “I like the garden.”  Federico wanders over towards the garden to get a closer look and a listen, and finds that it’s some sort of outdoor therapy used to try to connect the patients to the world around them.”I’m not so sure that they’re evil,” Martini says nervously after the kobold reports what he overheard.  “But I don’t like this place.  I don’t like the idea of people being locked up.”“Look,” grunts Jawbreaker, gesturing with his chin.  An orderly with a tea service is coming out of the asylum, walking towards them, and Dr. Zimmer is with him.“Oh, it’s tea time!” enthuses Federico.  The doctor has come to chat with them over tea, and chat they do, the party becoming increasingly uncertain about the kick-in-the-door-and-kill-everyone approach they had sort of been expecting to use.  Timothy stays hidden in the back of the party, clutching his dagger and torch.  Zimmer claims to have worked at the Asylum for Advanced Mental Treatment for 12 years. At one point he asks them if they know of psionics.Federico tells Dr. Zimmer about the crystals in Bellhold.  “They were c-creepy.  This goblin was putting them in the heads of children, and they would... freak out.  It gave them weird powers.”“Bellhold, eh?” Zimmer muses.  The conversation continues for a while longer, and then Zimmer, charmed by Federico’s eloquence, offers the group a tour.  Timothy declines faintly and Martini demurs as well, deciding that Timothy probably needs a watchdog.  But a tour of the Asylum of Advanced Mental Treatment?  Federico and Jawbreaker can’t resist, and a few minutes later they’ve left all weapons behind and passed through the front doors and into the locked asylum beyond.Next Time: What exactly is “advanced mental treatment,” anyway?</blockquote>

Verification