In the shadow of the University (Solo)

[Adnaj]

2nd of Summer 506AV

The humans were all so noisy. Adnaj was surprised by the racket that these humans could produce. In no way did he regret his decision to come to Zeltiva, the noise wasn't directly unpleasant. He just wasn't used to it. Sahova was such a quiet place. Furthermore, Zeltiva was supposed to be a city of scholarly pursuits. A city for the most learned among the living. On Sahova, that meant the quiet, isolated halls of The Great Library. Now, he could only assume that he would find that, in Zeltiva, it meant a rabid and apparently constant sharing of all of that knowledge.

Overall, however, he would gladly choose this city again. He'd choose the excited, dynamic, inquisitive streets of Zeltiva over the dull, deliberate, patient halls of Sahova any day. It wasn't that he shared the energy and the excitement of these humans. It was that he knew what it was to have a burning passion toward something. Nearly 200 years old it was only his medical curiosity which kept him going.

In the background of this new skyline stood the proud tower of the University. They would hate him if they knew he had the audacity to want to walk through their halls. That's what he thought, anyway. It was his operating assumption. Him, a "disease-ridden" Nuit being allowed to walk among the proudest and most honored scholars in all of Mizahar. The thought.

He didn't resent them for it. After all, how could he deny the fact that he had just sailed away from a massive weapon factory. Nuits had a reputation for being grim and untrustworthy. It wasn't an outrageous claim and Adnaj granted this. Adnaj didn't find himself concerned with taking life. Living creatures were frail, delicate, helpless little things. Making them stop moving was the easy part. Much more worthy of scholarly pursuit was the nearly futile task of keeping those poor, hapless creatures moving. He was not delusional enough to deny that the concept of the scheming, heartless Nuit was a sensible one. Still, Adnaj was determined to prove, to this Zeltiva, that Nuits were capable of trustworthy endeavors such as caring for living tissue.

[Adnaj]

15th of Winter 510AV

Adnaj loved to investigate the mechanisms and behavior of living tissue. He ponder all the ways in which he could manipulate living processes. His sentiment toward the living was overwhelmingly more welcoming than hateful. However, his desire to heal was not born of a desire to work toward a greater good.

This was purely academic. Outside the walls of a city (and within many) exploration meant danger, toil and the need for tiresome planning and preparation. Within his clinic, on the other hand, exploration meant rewarding discovery, enthralling mystery and impressive feats of intellect and knowledge.

In fact, this academic pursuit was, for the moment, the sole reason for the undead creature's existence. It was the motivation that drove him. He wanted to be a great healer and with a potentially limitless amount of time for study he could be the best.

Today, he had the privilege to walk through the halls of Hearthside Clinic. This was his very own center for healing. The echo of his sandals thumped throughout the tiny facility as he walked through its short hallway. The dull thudding was a testament to how lonely it was. The clinic was less than a month old so no one quite knew about it yet. Furthermore, he was a Nuit. For reason's which surpass obviousness, no one was too comfortable with the idea of trusting their health to a mysterious Nuit.

The clinic had a total of 5 treatment rooms in addition to the lobby, apothecary, herbal dispensary, medical supplies closet and office. Three rooms were meant for sterile, private examination and medical treatment. Two of these had special accommodations for long term inpatient care. The third room was reserved for group therapy and acupuncture. The last room was a large, private room for more vigorous physical, manual and movement based therapies.

Adnaj had no staff at present. The clinic wasn't even technically in the black so any concept of "hiring" was totally unreasonable for the near future. Adnaj wasn't bothered by this loneliness. He wasn't bothered by the darkness nor the lack of warm, frivolous decor. He didn't mind the lack of resources or even the cost of running his clinic.

He was simply happy to have the opportunity to open the doors of this clinic. The financial road that had led to this point had been both tedious and difficult. He had endured months of running small odd jobs (not all of them too safe...) before he had accumulated enough of an investment to float the clinic for a few months. Would it have been easier to simply acquire a business loan? Sure. Would it have been easier for a Nuit to acquire capitol for a commercial venture? In a human city? Well, certainly not.

For as much difficulty as Adnaj faced, he was given one luxury. Time. He had plenty of time to achieve his goals. And today he smiled as he walked through his clinic and reaped the benefit of dedicating a considerable amount of time to hard work.

[Adnaj]

Winter 32th 510AV
A robed figure walked, with purpose, through poorly lit, dusty corridors. The interior of the building was messy and its design was meager, nearly to the point of neglect. The poor state of the upkeep made this building a bit alien amongst the nearby structures in the Old Quarter. The exterior didn't appear run-down or dirty but it was plainly visible that its owner could scarcely afford the rent in this upscale part of town.

There were times when Adnaj regretted his decision to locate his clinic so close to the University. However, he knew that this was the only way for him to build any kind of reputation. If Adnaj had been content to launch his clinic where he could "afford it" then he would have ended up on East street. His would have appeared to be some slipshod clinic for the various drunkards, criminals and miscreants from the towns grimiest crevices.

Adnaj eventually reached his destination and entered the room, appearing as a blur of robes and pale, dry skin.

"Morning, there, Doc," his first patient warmly greeted him.

"Good morning, Kandir. How are you feeling today?" Adnaj asked.

"Didn't seem to get a lot of good sleep last night. I haven't shaked off this grogginess that I've been experiencing for these last few days."

"That's because you're not back to your old self, yet," Adnaj replied. "Living alone and refusing to spend money on proper meals will do that to you. When you get out of here, splurge. Buy yourself some quality cuts of beef. Treat yourself to a bit of ale, every now and again!"

"I know, I know. I've learned my lesson, that's why I'm here," Kandir chastised, having been warned, yet again, about the need to change his habits.

"Well just take it easy and you'll recover from yesterday's collapse soon enough. I've got some work to do but I'll be back to check on you in an hour or two."

Kandir was, by no means, overweight but he had a larger build and a rounder, softer face. His hair was wiry and grey but showed signs of the hay-shade of yellow which it once possessed. He had collapsed on the previous day and, upon waking, decided to stumble into this very clinic.

When Kandir had first arrived, Adnaj was filled with excitement. Suddenly, Adnaj had a purpose and a channel through which to funnel all of his professional determination. His vision was finally beginning to manifest in a real, physical way.

[Adnaj]

Winter 34th 510AV
Kandir happily rested in his bed. He was quite content for a man with 12 needles sticking out of various parts of his body. These were, not thick gauge hypodermic needles, these were smaller, more comfortable acupuncture needles.

Adnaj's patient was feeling pretty good with the strategic placement of each needle.

"I learned this technique from a healer in Mura," Adnaj told the man as he placed the last needle. "They're the best healers in Mizahar, the Konti women."

"Interesting theory. Ya know, that stabbing people multiple times would help cure them," Kandir laughed.

"You're feeling good, are you not?" Adnaj smiled.

"Oh I certainly am!" Kandir admitted. "But what exactly is going on right now? What is this? What is happening right now?"

"Its called Qi," Adnaj cryptically replied. After another moment of silence he continued. "The needles alter the flow of the Qi through your body. Somewhere along the way, the typical flow became distorted. The needles stimulate very specific points along the Qi channels in order to regulate...er...normalize the Qi flow."

"Sure, doc, whatever you say," Kandir joked.

Following this interaction, the doctor decided to leave Kandir alone for a few hours. He had to leave him. He had to visit Halabin Clarke at his general store. After purchasing three different uncommon plants, he returned to his clinic in order to produce an herbal remedy. For all of his knowledge, Adnaj wasn't terribly familiar with the study of Herbalism. He was confident in what he had made but this not to say that he lacked any nervousness when prescribing the tea to his patient.

"Alright, drink this," Adnaj commanded as he handed Kandir a cup. "It's designed to provide you with a healthy and functional boost of energy."

Kandir happily took the cup and began to drink it.

"Gods above...really?" He looked up at Adnaj with a wry smile.

"I know it must taste like glassbeak leavings," Adnaj admitted. "But its good for you. Hold your nose if you have to."

"Alright, alright, alright," Kandir reluctantly...and slowly...finished the rest of the drink.

About 40 minutes later, Adnaj had returned to check on his patient. "Alright, so are you feeling any better?"

"I feel more lively but its also making me feel a bit restless..." Kandir admitted.

"Yeah, that's going to be a side-effect," Adnaj returned. "You'll get better though. The negative effects will start fading away as you need the remedy less."

Kandir didn't appear to hear this response, however. He seemed to be staring up at the ceiling. In fact, he was staring emptily at the ceiling with his eyes totally unfocused.

"Kandir?" Adnaj called. He shot up and out of his chair. "Kandir!" He shouted, approaching the bed.

His hands and feet were starting to lightly quiver. Adnaj put his ear to the man's mouth and looked down along his body. Kandir's chest wasn't rising. He wasn't breathing.

[Adnaj]

Winter 36th 510 AV

Adnaj had been convinced that his herbal remedy was what had sent Kandir into respiratory distress. Fortunately, Adnaj had been able to artificially inspirate Kandir until he normalized and was again able to breathe on his own. Today, he rested peacefully in his bed.

Four days had passed since Kandir's arrival. He continued to lay in this same bed, while Adnaj concentrated on charts at the foot. It very well may have been the loneliness of these past few months but Adnaj was starting to take a liking to his new patient.

"Kandir, pardon my blunt approach but why here? Why did you decide to come to my clinic and why did you stay here? I mean~" Adnaj paused for a moment. "Alone? With no one here but ourselves? You definitely have a very unique amount of patience for me in my lonely little hall, here."

Kandir simply laughed at the question. "Well yes, I could certainly find more established health clinics, here in Zeltiva," he answered, plainly. "But after the first day here, I recognized something in you... "

Adnaj waited in silence, not wanting to cut his patient off.

"I'm alone too. Disease took my wife long ago and my two sons ran off to find adventure and riches outside of Zeltiva. I've been working, day in and day out, at the docks for 27 years, by myself," he flashed Adnaj a grin that was not bittersweet and was not any fight through tears or angst. It was more simple than that, just a grin of unity and acceptance.

Once again, Adnaj remained silent. He forced a smile back at his patient. Adnaj's smile revealed something more than an attempt at bedside manner. It revealed an emotional distance and an unwillingness to connect. It also revealed a secretive sense of frustration and helplessness. Kandir was right.

"Doc, this isn't just a simple case of exhaustion, is it?" he finally asked.

The question quickly pulled Adnaj back into the moment. "Hmmm, well," Adnaj muttered. "You aren't responding to your treatments as quickly as we would have hoped. I'm going to monitor your condition over the next day or two and if you don't respond we will undergo a different course of treatment."

The problem wasn't that Adnaj was confused. It was that Kandir could have had one of two conditions. Kandir was a fifty-something year old man who was mildly heavier than average. He was experiencing tingling sensations in his extremities which were accompanied by muscular weakness and fatigue. Furthermore, Adnaj had begun to notice the eyelids drooping lower than normally and the occasional eye twitch.

This was either a simple nutritional deficiency or it was a disease process which ended with chest muscle paralysis and suffocation. So far, Kandir hadn't improved after 3 days of proper nutrition.

The next few days would confirm Adnaj's grim suspicion. The good news was that Adnaj's herbal remedy was viable and did not poison his patient. The bad news was that that patient was dying. Kandir would slowly lose function of his muscles until he would no longer be able to expand his lungs. Adnaj had the materials to make the coming events virtually painless. Understandably, this news did little to make either man feel much better.

Eventually, the day came. Adnaj was by his patient's bed and watched the last bit of light flicker from Kandir's eyes. Adnaj did not permit his patient to experience any of the pain or the panic in his last hours. Before Adnaj lulled Kandir into peaceful unconsciousness, Kandir made sure to pull the doctor close.

"I know what you are. Don't try to hide the fact that you are Nuit, I knew immediately. I had a feeling that you were a trustworthy doctor and I was right. That's all that matters. I know that you need another vessel. I want you to use my body. Consider it a... donation to medical science."

Adnaj was taken aback. He was left dumbfounded as Kandir drifted away into a drug induced forfeit of consciousness.

That night Adnaj stared at his patient, not in the warm light shining in from the window, but by the weak flickering of a single candle. He remembered the corpses at Palsa Hydrasa. How they were treated like simple tools by the various apprentices. He even remembered cutting into and dissecting a plethora of corpses. Tearing them apart and slicing them open for the purpose of gaining practical knowledge.

He couldn't help but to laugh at how easily the coin was flipped. An hour ago, there was a thinking, speaking man named Kandir lying on this bed. Now, Adnaj was preparing a shell for the ritual. An hour ago, Adnaj had to tiptoe around the clinic and second guess every decision. He had to make absolutely sure that no mistake could sneak past his clinical observations. He had to be absolutely perfect because the slightest mistake could have sent his patient out of control and into a world of unnecessary pain. Now...he was only preparing his new shell.

This delicate sense of 'life.' This strange paradigm, this fickle timeline...this was why Adnaj was interested in medicine and it was why he was interested in the living.

He began the tedious preparatory work required for the ritual. First, he quickly undressed Kandir and left him exposed on top of the bed. Adnaj's rune looked more like an academic seal than part of any djed tradition. It was comprised of a medical cross with an open hand on the bottom left side and a clock face with no hands on the bottom right side. The top left contained a book and a quill pen while the top right featured an open eye. He carefully used a scalpel to superficially inscribe this across Kandir's body.

Next, Adnaj climbed awkwardly upon the shell with which he'd been having long conversations with on the prior day. He opened his mouth began the slow transfer of ichor.

Staring into Kandir's eyes during the transfer seemed to take painfully long. Finally, it was over and Adnaj lost consciousness. He woke up a few moments later and pushed his expired shell off of his new one.

Kandir was weak and slow. Attempts to move were almost entirely ineffectual. The ichor allowed him to operate the shell outside of pathophysiological constraints but it would be a few more days before he could really pilot the shell with any sense of sophistication. Living in this shell would have been a nightmare if he would have had to rely on traditional actin-myosin cross linking in this thing. This, of course, was due to the neuromuscular dysfunction that had taken Kandir's life.

This was another perk of being a Nuit. Afterall, if Adnaj had needed to simply wait for healthy people to spontaneously drop dead...than he would quickly find himself without any shell whatsoever.

[Arcane]

Rewards and Treasure! Experience Points +3 Medicine +2 Acupuncture +1 Embalming +1 Herbalism Lores Outpatient clinical diagnosis An introductory encounter with herbalism Point location in Acupuncture The Flow of Qi Neuromusculoskeletal pathology Emergency Care Protocols Priorities differ for living patients and their lifeless shells Miscellaneous New Body! Comments Well that was one entertaining thread! I like medical dramas o_o