Missing Orphans

[*DarkArc]

"He never said. Alleyways in the Hive and such, maybe small taverns? Don't know but Bross got too close. Don't want to get that close. Maybe he's dead now? I don't know." Ruben collected a stack of the papers and hastily made his way toward the exit. "You shouldn't want to either!"

[*DarkArc]

Orphans coming and going to the Gatehouse orphanage isn't usually a concern for many. Whether adopted or the simple fact the orphan has reached the age they wish to leave, the children of the Gatehouse come and go every once in a while.

But lately it's been different. A number of female orphans roughly the age of twelve and older disappeared in the last few months. Those that worked at the orphanage hadn't been too concerned about it at first as most of these orphans took their belongings and left to what the Bleakers assumed was a new meaning to exist in life. Yet they never checked back in, never went to the soup kitchen for a free meal, and those that work at the Gatehouse and live in the Hive never saw them again.

Bross Sable and Ruben Guynan, two fellow workers at the orphanage, noticed the disappearances getting stranger. Bross, a tall weak-framed middle-aged man with curly salt and pepper hair wrote a few reports about the ordeal and decided it was meaningful enough to pursue just where these orphans went. Those in the Gatehouse would have seen him wandering the halls, digging into old records, and traversing the grounds surrounding the Bleaker headquarters.

Then he too disappeared.

[*Kari_Shadowfox]

The gap in workers left by Bross's disappearance had to be filled by someone, and that someone ended up being Isolde quite a lot. Bross had always been a reliable worker, so she began asking around the Gatehouse as to what happened to him, snooping around in what little records the Gatehouse kept when asking didn't work. She still had her work with Tessali in the Asylum, but it didn't seem to effect the amount of time she spent in the Gatehouse, besides making it longer.

[*DarkArc]

Isolde would get quite a lot of shrugs when she asked about Bross. A few noticed the Bleaker was often digging into records and making frequent trips to the courtyard. He'd often stay at the Gatehouse until the mornings before returning to his home in the Hive.

Isolde would find Ruben Guynan in Bross's old office, papers covering the missing and normally very tidy Bleaker's desk. Ruben sifted through the papers, muttering to himself. "No link, nothing links. Where's the link?" He quickly turned when he noticed Isolde and waved. "Hi! No time to talk. Find the link."

The Bleaker sorted the papers on Bross's desk into several neat piles perfectly spaced apart from one another in the shape of a square, then he sorted through them again. Ruben was usually a rather calm fellow, unless he was stressed. When anxious, he always seemed to act erratic, never sitting still for long as if the multiverse itself depended on him. "Bross went looking. Now he's gone. Fire burns when you get too close. Burned him away, did it? M-Maybe."

[*Kari_Shadowfox]

Isolde quirked an eyebrow curiously at her fellow Bleaker, recognizing his anxiety. She glanced over the stacks of papers, attempting to see how he was organizing and what exactly Bross had been dealing with prior to his absence. An ill feeling was growing in her gut as she asked Ruben, "What was 'e lookin' fer? What link?"

[*DarkArc]

"Orphans leaving," Ruben pointed at one stack and sorted through it. They were records of the children that had been handed over to the Gatehouse. "Asylum residents increasing." Ruben shoved another stack into Isolde's hands that were admittance papers to the Asylum, all suffering from symptoms of delirium and prone to violence. "Bross found something connecting, but nothing solid. Thought something odd. I do too. M-Maybe."

Ruben rubbed his chin. "Ah! Bross thought children that left were happy, didn't want to leave. But they did! Just took belongings and disappeared. Never seen again. Same time delirium increase. Oh, but no link. Nothing? Could be."

[*Kari_Shadowfox]

That ill feeling began to settle into a dark pit in her stomach as she looked over the sorts of orphans going missing, sifting through the folders Ruben had handed her carefully. She also looks over the case studies of those admitted to the Asylum, looking for similarities and other small details others might miss. They didn't want to leave, but picked up everything and left anyway? It just didn't make sense....unless...those forcing them to leave made sure they took thier things along? Why? That dark pit was getting deeper, starting to bleed into mild paranoia as she began to remember certain memories, her breathing strained. Fighting to take control of her mind again, she takes a few deep breaths, though her hands are still clenched around the papers tightly. She can't jump willy-nilly to conclusions. That was a long time ago. It might be something else.

"When'd ye last see Bross, Ruben? He say anythin' t'ye?"

[*DarkArc]

Isolde noticed that three patients had been admitted into the Gatehouse due to delirium and prone to violence just in the past week:

Ann Brightbee: Female halfling.
Residence: Hive, 5th Street
Symptoms: Intense delirium. Found chewing on deceased husband's face, claiming he was a tender steak.

Levo Bensley: Male air-gensai
Residence: Hive, 3rd Street
Symptoms: Intense delirium. Claimed to be the leader of a non-existent tribe called the Hubawasha and clubbed a patron at the Bottle & Jug to death with a table leg before being dragged to the Gatehouse.

Yans Tully: Male Human
Residence: Hive, 6th Street
Symptoms: Intense delirium. Was found by the Harmonium biting the horse belonging to a merchant

All three were treated with sedatives throughout the week, their symptoms only worsening. A few healers within the Asylum mentioned that it appeared as if their bodies were recovering from a toxin or drug and suffering from intense withdrawal symptoms. The healers haven't figured out what type of toxin or drug they might have been exposed to or how long.

As for the orphans, Ruben didn't know much else aside the paperwork before them.

[*Kari_Shadowfox]

Looks over he cases with a frown. Tyvold was a genius when it came to medicine, it was odd he and his team hadn't come up with what the patients had been dosed with, or at last how to ease the symptoms. She examined the papers detailing which orphans came in and left. She also repeats her question from earlier.

"Ruben, when'd ye last see Bross? He say anythin' t'ye?"

[*DarkArc]

"Last time I see Bross?" Ruben tapped his chin. "Oh, the other night when we were at the soup kitchen. He didn't say much outside warning me about some berks harassing him for loitering around places in the Hive. He said he thought he saw one of the orphans hanging out near the Bottle and Jug one day before they disappeared."