Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 1760574" data-attributes="member: 1210">12:30 a.m., 5/25/368 O.L.G., inside the Asylum for Advanced Mental TreatmentBelow them the halflings can hear screams and cries as total chaos breaks out.  Between slain orderlies and a doppelganger’s head bouncing down the stairs, the staff has panicked (or at least most of them have).  How many insane people are running around out there tonight?  They didn’t keep track- even Jawbreaker didn’t bother to count.  The short answer, then, is all of them.  Meanwhile, our heroes have crept up the stairs back to the asylum’s third level and to the door that leads up to the attic.”Oh, that?  That leads to the fourth floor, but nobody really goes there.  It’s just used for old storage and things like that.”  That’s what the ersatz Dr. Zimmer had claimed while giving Federico and Jawbreaker their tour of the place.  But now that Zimmer has been revealed as a doppelganger, our heroes no longer believe him.When they throw open the door, however, they find that he was at least partially honest.  The uppermost floor of the place is indeed full of musty boxes of paper, old hospital gowns, stored wooden cups and bowls and more.“Is it worth a search?” Martini wonders.”A quick one,” Federico answers nervously. “It’s always worth a search,” Norman says.   Timothy, former inmate of the asylum, hanging back near the entrance, urges, “Come on, you guys, let’s go.  I don’t like the place.”Ignoring him, the party starts a quick, cursory search.  Roscoe’s fingers pry open chests, check boxes, move things to look under and behind them.  Jawbreaker grunts and keeps watch, one eye on Timothy to make certain he doesn’t flee in fear.  The kid has been very helpful, and Jawbreaker has already decided that he won’t let the lad be taken back by these evil ‘doctors.’Roscoe gulps as he opens a chest.  His nose wrinkles as the smell hits him.“The real Dr. Zimmer,” he says quietly.***1:10 a.m., 5/25/368 O.L.GEnough is enough.  They could spend hours searching up there, and they aren’t even entirely certain what they’re looking for.  The bound and withered corpse of Dr. Zimmer was unsettling enough; really, what they ought to be doing now (thinks Martini firmly) is getting the hell out of here.The first floor spills out at the bottom of the stairs.  A grey-colored, weird head- that of the doppelganger Jawbreaker slew- lies against the wall.  A female gnomish doctor is in the room, under a table; she turns, a look of despair crossed with anger in her eyes, and spots them.”How dare you!” she shouts, but before she has a chance to say more Jawbreaker cuts her down.“Jawbreaker, no!” cries Federico.  “She didn’t do anything!  She doesn’t even have a weapon!”The barbarian shrugs and points at her uniform.  “Bad doctors,” he grunts.  “They cut open heads and pour things in.  BAD DOCTORS!”“But that was Dr. Zimmer, we already defeated him,” the kobold protests as he uses his bardic magic to stop the gnome’s bleeding and heal some of her wounds.  With a groan she opens her eyes.“Leave!” roars Jawbreaker.The gnome scrambles to her feet and backs away.  With a glare, she cries, “You’ll regret this!”  And she rushes away.  “Let’s go, you guys,” Timothy moans.“Okay, okay- we’re coming, Timmy,” Federico sighs.”No!  Not Timmy!”  Timothy starts rocking back and forth and moaning.  “I’m Timothy!  No, no, no, not Timmy, Timothy, Timothy...”Martini groans and helps shepherd the lad outside, all the while reassuring him.  “Come on, Timothy, you’re a big boy now... come on, we’re leaving the place, don’t you want to leave the place?”  Shivering and groaning, the insane tallfellow stumbles outside with his friends.They move away from the Asylum for Advanced Mental Treatment as quickly as their little feet will carry them.  They pick up their companions, still sick with the Buzzing Bowels, and try to make the best time they can.  Much to their unease, Thelonious is nowhere to be found.  According to a very sick Airhead Ed, he had gone to the asylum to find them.  The group reasons that he’ll keep up and doesn’t even stop to eat; instead, Martini pulls out some scraps of jerky and passes them around as they travel.“Oh, is it time for breakfast?”  Timothy looks at the sky, still black and full of stars, and looks confused.”No, this is just a snack,” Martini answers.“But we were only supposed to eat at meal times,” Timothy protests.  “On schedule, three meals a day.”“Only three meals a day?” exclaims Federico.  “Oh, that’s t-torture!”  He shakes his head sadly.  “Oh, Timothy, no halfling should have to go through things like that!  Have a snack.”“But I’m not a halfling, I’m a human,” the insane halfling protests.Nonetheless, he learns how to snack after some urging from his new friends.  The group stops to rest in the very early morning, then continues along a few hours later.”Distance,” comments Roscoe, “that’s what we need.  Distance and clothes for Timmy.”  Timothy is still wearing his backless hospital robe.  He’s clutching his torch and dagger tightly.  Fortunately, he did not hear the name that triggers his fits.Clothes come two nights later, in a small thorp called Thantle.  There are just enough goods for sale for the party to get him a shirt, pants and boots.  They hurriedly leave the thorp behind; they are still perilously close to the asylum.  None of them mind the idea of a few more miles between it and them.  ***5/27/369, 10 a.m., in the Brown Hills“This is where they were camped,” Martini notes.  “Oh, man,” Federico moans.The night before the party had seen a campfire in the distance, and a group of humans that looked like mercenaries.  The halflings had wisely kept their distance and decided to scavenge the campsite after the others had moved on.  But they hadn’t figured on finding a wanted poster for “a band of halflings and a kobold.”Next Time: Sandy wakes up wondering where the hell he is!</blockquote>

Verification