The Madness of Men in a World of Monsters (D&D 5e IC)

[purepolarpanzer]

The Pipe Room

Vargath's last minute twice-over of the room proves fruitful. There is a mug that had rolled into a corner of the floor, and when he scoops it up it proves to be full of liquid. Simply water, but it mists with steam. On a reflex, Vargath wishes it cool so he could dump it out, and immediately the water chills to a tepid temperature. The water simply refuses to leave the mug until Vargath wills it and pours (or sips, if he is brave). Stamped into the bottom of the mug is a seal that reads "Merry Mug Co. Harumburg" with a date four human generations ago burned into the wood and the number "1".

No one notices Esai lifting silverware and plates. Or more likely no one cares.

The Cells

The Abydossian man sobs when Set slaps him, and he tries to look away when Set clamps onto his head, but something about the bastard prince's words reach into this man and stir both his shame and his pride. He takes the spear, awkwardly and fumbling at first but in a practiced motion he brings the spear into the "alert" stance taught to his people in their earliest games as children and maintained as adults serving their leader and their land. His chin shudders for a moment, but he closes his eyes forcefully for a moment, then meet's Set's gaze head on. "I am Mido Mostaf, son of Mahmoud. My spear and my life for the First among us." This man is no soldier, but he has a soldier's training, and a willingness to follow orders.

The Lab

When the group reconvenes, with Mido Mostaf in tow, Maus has just finished reading rites to the last victim. He closes a religious tome and slides it into his bag. When Set brings his addled countryman to the former elder, Maus frowns before sticking his thumb in his own mouth. He then draws a half circle across the Abydossian man's forehead with his slicked thumb. There is a flash of vibrant green light, and when it fades away Mido is blinking rapidly, as though he were rudely awakened.

"It's... not a cure. But this should keep him... together... until we get him out of here. Half a day, if he's lucky. It also gives him a fresh chance to fight off whatever fragmented his mind. I've hidden the trauma from him, but it will return over time. I wish I could do more..." Maus shakes the blinking man on the shoulder, which seems to bring him around. Mido approaches Set, looks him up and down, and says a common idiom from their home. "I would fight beside you, but I'd rather fill both our cups with someone else's wine." It is in that moment, as the poor broken man smiles, that Set realizes that the man is surprisingly handsome and genial. There is still a tremble deep in Mido's eyes, a look of vague uncertainty that looks dangerous, but it appears, either through Maus' magic or Set's force of personality, that Mido is as prepared as he possibly could be for whatever comes down that tunnel next.