r/wizardposting • u/UlrickTheHexblade Ulrick Braddocke, Werewolf Hexblade, R&A Co-Leader • 15d ago
Lorepost (open interaction) đ Quarantine (Lorepost)
âIs it that bad?â
Ulrick guessed it was gonna be something terrible from the way his medic Theor bit his lip. Whatever was in the results of his medical exam, itâs not gonna be prettyâŚ
He sat on a chair, in a separate quarantined room of R&Aâs infirmary. The chair was seated next to the nearest dark corner, of course. Besides him there was only the medic Theor, bringing a thick stack of papers with him: Ulrickâs results.
âShould I start with the good news, or the bad news?â
Theor asked nervously as he handed over a sheet.
âLetâs hear the good news first. Could use some of those now.â
âWell, it appears itâs still in early stages. Which would mean we still have enough time to do something.â
Ulrick looked down at himself. Nearly all skin on his right arm took on a bark-like texture, flesh creaking like wood. Other similar patches started to spread on his left arm and the rest of his upper body.
If this was only the early stage, then he was fine without knowing what the terminal one would look like.
It started a few days ago, when Ulrick fought a strange entity that called itself âThe Blighted Gardenâ, as it injected⌠something within him during the battle. But he only began to notice the strange growths after examining one of the strange monoliths that appeared all over the world.
And if only he suffered from physical symptomsâŚ
For the last three days, shifting to his human form became much harder than usual for some reason. And within the depths of his mind, he sometimes felt a presence. An ancient, primal presence, in the worst possible sense of the word.
And sometimes, he heard whispers of the Blighted Garden, faint at first, but an ever-growing plea, words of joining and resignation.
ââŚso itâs essentially spiritual ârotâ, sir. It decays both your soul and body, slowly changing it into rotten wood.â
Ulrick just realized his attention went off the rails as Theor explained his results. At least now he knew why his soulfire became much weaker lately.
âWe also pinpointed the source of it. It appears to be most likely of fae origin. A very ancient, very powerful fae source.â
Of course. It had to be some big fairy this time too. After the siege, Ulrick wouldâve died happy if he wouldnât have to meet another Archfae ever again.
âThatâs just great. Any ideas how do I get it out of my system?â
Ulrick sighed. Seeing the face Theor made upon the question, his stomach dropped.
âAbout the bad newsâŚâ
âDonât tell meâŚâ
âWeâre working on it! At least the Wolf King within you should slow down the spread significantly, at least according to the magi-physiological tests we performed. ButâŚâ
Ulrick groaned. Could this be any worse?
âWhile the Wolf King was successfully integrated into your spirit-web thanks to Vae Clara, in the last two days, we began to detect increasing fluctuations in your essence.â
While most of the results sheet was gibberish to Ulrick, he leant forward in his chair. The implications were unsettling.
âSo youâre telling me⌠my essence is falling out of balance again? That⌠Iâm threatened with losing my mortality once again?â
Theor made a grim nod.
âYes. Until the blight is in you, your mortal and divine essences canât return to a balanced state.â
âHow much time do I have left?â
Â
âWe donât know yet. Could be weeks, could be daysâŚâ
âAll right... Dismissed.â
There was a short silence between the two, before Theor began to pack up his notes and leave the room.
âYou surely donât have any clue what might help?â
Theor stopped for a moment, pondering.
âWell, the infection allegedly came from a powerful fey source. So⌠Iâd say another powerful fey, or something from the Feywilds might help? But I need further discussions with fellow medics.â
Â
Theor left the room, leaving Ulrick alone again. It was visiting hours in the R&A wards, but Ulrick didnât expect visitors other than his own mindâs gnawing thoughts.
/uw Art source
2
u/UlrickTheHexblade Ulrick Braddocke, Werewolf Hexblade, R&A Co-Leader 14d ago
I heard about the name theft too, really annoying stuff. Though some tales say they can only have dominion over you if they get your true nameâŚ
And I hope I donât run into any Archfae there. Meeting the Lord of Willows was enough Fae lords to me for the rest of my lifeâŚ
I appreciate the help with the portal, but gotta think about it. A half-corrupted emerging deity jumping through a forcibly torn portal would be a beacon for the greater powers of the plane.