1.2 - In Search of Sanity - The Dead Don't Dream

Grim picks up the ring of keys and moves to the desk. He inserts each key, hoping to find one that opens the drawer.

Grim tries a couple of the smaller keys and quickly finds one that fits the desk drawer. He opens it to find quite a few items of interest, starting with a leather-bound journal on top.

The journal bears an inscription of the name Eliege Losandro. The journal bears a concise record of the man's daily duties and observations. Taking a few minutes to look at it more closely, you find it mostly mundane, the contents are largely filled with notes from staff meetings and interviews with the families of would-be patients.

However, in entries dated within the last year, the names Haserton Lowls and Count Lowls appear with increasing regularity. You recall hearing the name previously in reference to the current ruler of Versex County and reason Winter Klazcka and the Royal Accusers came to Thrushmoor and Briarstone Asylum in the first place. The final entries prove to be of particular interest:



You are reminded in reading these entries of the documents on Ulver Zandalus that was found near Grim's short sword and the locked box in the records room. Taking a few moments to skim over these papers, you see notes stretching back decade, to the man's initial committal as one of Losandro's first patients. There are more mundane notes regarding Zandalus's background that can be learned if you dig in more, but you find a helpful dossier that breaks down the patient and his condition:



Also inside the desk drawer, you find the following:

Treasure:
- Magnifying Glass
- 2x Vials of crystalline powder, labeled: 'Alchemist's Kindness'
- Vial labeled 'Smelling Salts'
- 2x of a viscous liquid labeled 'Soothe Syrup'
- 4 doses of antitoxin
- 2 doses of opium
- A scroll (Magic: Spellcraft DC 17 to Identify)
- 2x scrolls bearing identical markings (Magic: Spellcraft DC 17 to Identify)
- A candle of dull cream and green colors (Magic: Spellcraft DC 26 to Identify)
- a small tin with a block of chalky dark red material inside (Magic: Spellcraft DC 24 to Identify)
- A talisman on a thin silver chain (Magic: Spellcraft DC 21 to Identify)
- 2x talismans strung on a braided leather cord (Magic: Spellcraft DC 22 to Identify & Spellcraft DC 16 to Identify)

"Zandalus remains the linchpin to all this, him and his nightmares. Could the dream extraction have created this?" Axon suggested then waved a hand to encompass the room and fog-choked windows. "We must find that book, The Chain of Nights."

With no immediate answers to hand, Axon focused on the arcane esoterica.

Elias stands up, and shakes the last bits of sleep from his mind. Looking around, he finds his thoughts drifting to the dream. So vivid, yet was it...just a dream. Who is this..Ariadnah?

"I couldn't agree more," Iosef says, sliding his spectacles back up the bridge of his nose. The thought of getting his hand on a tome of this nature inspires a trickle of sweat to bead at the base of his neck and a thrilling shiver to travel down his spine. "I...would very much like to get my hands on this book, it may hold many answers for us. It is possible you're exactly right - what is Losandro's, uh, condition was the result of the dream extraction gone wrong?"

He steps close to Axon as the items from the drawer are set upon the desk. He works with Axon to discern any magical properties of the items they can.

Identified:
Scroll of Fox's Cunning
2x Scroll of Remove Paralysis
Greater Talisman of Beneficial Winds on silver chain
Leather Cord
----Lesser Talisman of Healing Power
----Lesser Talisman of Warrior's Courage

"Ariadnah?" Grim shrugs. "No idea. I'm still processing the discovery in those files we found in the office. Other than my name, most of that doesn't feel right to me. I came to this area to work with the Sleepless Agency, not some Hasterton guy."

Here glances about and up to the loft where the stack of books are. "I have no interest in spending the day in here. Anyone else ready to move on?"

Razhel raises her hand. "I am not much of a reader myself. I prefer punching monsters in the face."

Razhel moves over to the southwest door, ready to continue. She opens its and peers within.

Elias moves over and prepares to enter the room that Razhel peers in.

"We won't get out of this by trying to kill everything we stumble across. We need information. We need that book," Axon said as he followed the others. "Once we have a chance, let's look around in here some more."

You enter an L-shaped hallway, standing first in a small waiting room outside and just south of the room you just left. Grim is first to notice mucuslike smears on the tile floor beneath their feet. There is a nameplate next to the door you just exited from that reads "Administrator Eliege Losandro".

"Yes, definitely heading back in there."

You note that the antiseptic-smelling smears form a trail that runs between the various doors in this hallway, crossing to-and-fro over one another multiple times.

While searching the immediate area, Iosef casually opens the first door he comes to in the hallway.

Inside you find the ceiling of this room has collapsed, crushing a table and a well-worn couch.

"Oh my," he says, "another caved in-" He stops momentarily, "Do you see that?" he steps in and leans down, inspecting a pale forearm extending from the rubble, the sleeve of a doctor's coat extending to the wrist.

"Someone help me," he says as he starts to pull some of the rubble away from the body.

After several minutes, the torso becomes visible and a quick search of the pockets comes up 2with a capped syringe with a liquid inside. "Interesting," he says. "This is a stronger version of the healing potions we've previously found, but this appears to function only intravenously. Still, a small stick to receive immediately, magical healing wouldn't be a terrible trade-off."

Treasure:
Syringe of Cure Moderate Wounds (Heals 2d8+2hp, use as standard action in combat)