Welcome to Gaia! ::

Many people have come to me complaining of similar symptoms. They suffer from belly ache, they vomit, and face fatigue. Most of those coming to me hold up in the mountains or near the river; I do not know if the Weyr has been affected. I hope you are fortunate enough to avoid this plague. None of our usual remedies for these symptoms have worked. I insisted on resting, and taking fluids; instead of recovering, however, their health has only further deteriorated. I will share this information with the rest of the Healerhall. As of yet, I have found no cure.

Einion, MasterHealer

So said the message the Weyrleader had received that morning. A journeyman healer had come with the message, and had made himself quite at home in the weyr. For the most part, R'yn ignored him, instead, reading and rereading the message. People were becoming ill; reliable remedies weren't working. Those affected lived in the mountain range, or near the river. Was there a clue as to where this illness was coming from in the healer's message? And if so, had the healer discovered the source? He studied the message once more; it had been written quickly, the healer hadn't taken the time to find even a proper piece of parchment, opting for hide instead. He turned it around, hoping to find the answer on the back.

No such luck. The Weyrleader, at last, turned to the journeyman. "You," he said. "Tell me what's going on. When, exactly, did people start getting sick?" Was there something that had occurred around the same time? The Journeyman didn't know the answer; he was only able to tell R'yn that people had started coming into the hall about two sevendays ago.

They sent word through Gereth; effectively warning every rider in the Weyr of the mysterious illness; while still requesting their aid. He wanted to know the source of this, and if there was a way to stop it. If nothing else, together, they would find a cure. They had to.

---
What could be causing this? Do you think the Journeyman is hiding something? Did something happen before people started complaining of these symptoms?

Kaila of Green Maith paused in the middle of trying to get dirt off the green dragon's hide. Sometimes she wondered if Maith loved mud or something. However the dragonhealer listened to Maith as she relied what Gereth had said about a strange illness. Maith glanced at her rider, seeing an composed expression on the woman's face.

Causes of the illness went through her head, considering food and soil issue. If it was just the soil, then others would be sick from food or herbs. She doubted it could be related to food. Mine? Kaila looked at Maith for a moment. She then went back to bathing her dragon while planning to go see the healers later.

Wher in a China Shop (Ismi)

Ismi sauntered through the hallways of the Weyr, smelling distinctly alien to the typical smells of those who resided there. Sure, she smelled just slightly of firestone, but it was not the acrid smell of the stuff once it was burnt. Instead it was an acrid, minerally smell that was typically linked to mining it. Instead of spicy dragon hide, she smelled of a more earthy musk of wher. On top of that was an overtone of ale drifting from her breath.

For all that she smelled like she'd been drinking all day, she walked with a certain sure footedness, her face scrunched up in displeasure, and her handless arm brandishing an angry hook that she swung by her side as if she were carrying a dagger ready to do some unsavory deed… or perhaps just take a swipe at anyone who dared get too close.

Regardless of the air she put off, everyone managed to get away from her unscathed, shouldering past a drudge made anxious by her passing as if he weren't even there. She was out to find someone important.. though something like that was hard to do around these parts, obviously. The winding tunnels of the mines in which she worked posed little to no issue to her. These Weyrs? A whole other animal. A veritable hive of lodgings, wrong turns and accidentally opening doors on green riders who were in states of undress. Heh. Well, perhaps that hadn't been so bad, aside from having a boot thrown at her head.

She was growing bored of being lost, and amused herself by banging on several dragonrider's doors as she passed. "Oi! Oi! Who's about, eh? I need to talk to someone of some important standing around here!"

Becka nodded and mused to herself "If the mountain people got sick first, it's probable that something near the source of the rivers is affecting them and going down with the water" she thought about it again, putting a hand on his arm as he fiddled with his knots nervously. "Worrying isn't going to help" she said gently.

"Are the mountain people sicker than the river people?" she asked again "could you ask?..... do...do they have enough healers?" she asked "What are the symptoms?"

While all this was going on, Tanzith was keeping Aila informed, who was hurrying from her infirmary post to the to see if there was anything in the records that could help them.

Gyafrith's suspects it may be the water that is causing it. Gareth's has sent riders to look for anything unusual along the river. Tanzith informed her.

A fair assumption. Aila said, looking up from the text she was reading to ponder it. It would explain why it only affected those that lived by the river. Tell them to look for any sick animals that may have drunken the water, that would confirm it.

Aila turned over the page idly, but she was no longer reading, she was lost in thought. Another classic case where illness followed the water was when the infection was spread by insects. Of course, that usually applied more to standing water, but if the river was slow moving enough, it was a possibility. Still, that wouldn't explain why the people on the Mountain were affected. Try looking for anything on the mountain that may be toxic. Pollutants can be dissolved by rain and then carried down by the river.

Very well. Gareth, mine suggests that while your riders are there, they should check the mountain for anything that could cause pollution. This poison may have been carried by the river to the others.