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

"Two more questions from me, ratling, then we discuss the terms of your release... and I never did get your name. Firstly... The master you mentioned, what do you know of him?"

"We keep you here for now so you don't harm us. What about banishing this Nightmare Lord? Do you have any idea how or where we can find out more? Like from the Witch, for example."

Grim can only shake his head after listening to conversation between Axon and the Rat. He exits the room and heads south.

"I hope the book we really want is still in the library once the ratlings are through," Axon said as he followed Grim.

Razhel crosses the library and moves to the double doors. She opens them and takes a look around. Spending hours in a musty old library has never been of interest to her. That, she was of a certain.

Grim follows suit and heads for the southern doors with Razhel. "With the ratlings no longer ransacking the library, I want to check in with the survivors and share our findings so far with Winter."

"I'd like to stay and start looking over these tomes. I'll hopefully find something to help us, if Blon... er... Elias doesn't mind lending me a hand and a sword. With me here and Glass... Iosef with you, we'll be able to see if we are who we say we are once we regroup."

Elias nods and agrees to stay behind with Axon while the robed man begins his studies in the library. Iosef speaks up and offers to stick around as well, his scholarly bent too ingrained to eschew in favor of social interaction. "Better safe in numbers out here," he suggests, "Plus I'd like to see what we can find out about this place and the danger we face."

---

Meanwhile, Grim and Razhel make their way back to the chapel ahead of the scholars and look to find Winter.

"Hoy there!" York says as the door opens, his hand quickly moves from the hilt of his sword. "Oh, it's you! Good to see you still live, but...just the two of you? Where are your friends?" You explain where the others are and York, pleased to hear this much of your success smiles, "Good, good. Let's get you folks to Winter and you can fill her in." He quickly leads you to the chapel proper where Winter and most of the other survivors are holed up.

Winter quickly takes note your entrance. "Welcome back," she says in a tone that is warm but hints of exhaustion, "What did you find out there? Are your companions alright?"
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Iosef busies himself looking through the books trying to learn anything more he can of the aforementioned Briarstone Witch, Ariadnah and anything as to how she ties to the history of the island.

Axon focused on finding any information on Valhadis, the Chain of Night, and dream manifestation or extraction.

"The others of our little group are sequestered in the library doing research." He tells Winter and pulls out a stack of files from his backpack. "We found files on each of us hidden in the wall of one of the offices. I am leery of the details within these, but apparently my name is Grimjack Harrow and this is Razhel. We were supposedly working for Hasterton Lowls and incarcerated here at his authority. Some of the staff here at the asylum were conducting questionable experiments on the patients. One of these was this fellow the psychotic weirdos keep mentioning. Zandalus. Oh..and there's apparently some horror beneath the facility that's been disturbed by all the questionable things going on up here and that's what's caused the earth tremors. We've heard it was brought here long ago by the Briarstone Witch."

Elias busies himself studying the various texts in the library, trying to help with the topics Axon and Iosef mention.
Located on briarstone Isle, Briarstone Asylum was founded in with the support of Counter Haserton Lowls I and Rozenport's Sincomakti School of Sciences. The asylum devotes itse3lf to the treatment of patients with mental diseases and those in need of pscyhological treatments of such disorders. With the exception of restraints, most physical and surgical treatment methods were phased out of Briarstone over a century ago.

"There is some evidence that suggests the fog was summoned by a dark ritual from a tome that, our companions believe, is somewhere on the premises of the asylum." Razhel interjects. "That's partly the reason that the others remain in the library—to locate this book."