IC-Ep 2-The Doctor Is In(Elizabeth/Lucius/Caelia/Cavalrymen)

[Mr. Handy]

Scaevola's Villa- southwest of Rome, Italia
Midnight- March 15, 44 BC

After several minutes of waiting, Senator Scaevola entered the atrium the way Akana had left, followed by his servant Akana and Caelia Alba. Caelia saw that, in addition to Artemis and Spurius, the travelers Elizabeth and Lucius were waiting here for her. She could instantly tell that Lucius was injured, though it didn't really look that bad.

Spoiler:

Caelia, if you wish to treat Lucius's injury, please roll First Aid. If you are successful, he regains 1d3 hit points, up to a maximum of 2 (the amount he has lost).

[Ritterton]

"Senator, Lady Caelia, sorry to disturb you both, but the need was great," Artemis bowed to the Senator and rendered the salute of a soldier to a superior.

[aine]

Caelia immediately takes Lucius' hand and leads him to the light, she examines his injury. "You'll live." She says briefly. "Could you bring some hot water and clean cloths?" She says aloud. Once the servant has brought these, she cleans the wound and pulls out a valuable needle from a small pouch in her toga, threads it and deftly stitches Lucius up.

Spoiler:

70% roll:40

"No tricks for a few days or you'll open it right up again. What happened?" She looks a little haunted around the eyes although that could just be the light.

[Mr. Handy]

Scaevola returned Artemis's salute. "It's all right, soldier," he said. "If you require anything, you have but to ask."

Akana quickly fetched some hot water and clean cloths from the kitchen.

"It is somewhat embarrassing," said Lucius to Caelia. "I was up on the rooftop, and I fell off. I'm lucky it wasn't worse. Thank you, I feel much better!"

Spoiler:

HP recovered by Lucius (maximum of 2):

Mr. Handy rolled 1d3:
3

[Ritterton]

"Truly Senator, thank you for your continues hospitality, and for Akana's tour earlier. I hope that I can recall the lessons in spices and cooking, Akana." Artemis smiled at her when she returned and was done giving the Lady Caelia the requested materials. "Lady Caelia, we may need to return, the hour is late and we are to be attending some of the festivities tomorrow."

[aine]

"Yes, Artemis, you are right; we should go. It's been a long day and evening." Caelia turns to Scaevola, "Senator, thank you for a wonderful and enlightening evening. I will return another time if I may. But, as Artemis says, we have a long busy day tomorrow. If you need me for anything, please do not hesitate to send a message." She slips her hand into her toga briefly and then collects her small medical pouch and puts it away.

[yockenthwaite]

Elizabeth watches and listens quietly, saying nothing at the moment, but looking to see what is going on, and what is said, trying to make sense of what has happened. She is relieved that Lucius has been healed, and smiles warmly as Caelia tends expertly to her friend.

[Mr. Handy]

"You are always welcome back, Caelia Alba," said Scaevola, nodding as he straightened his toga, his fingertips vanishing under the fabric. "We all need to get some sleep. It has been a long night, and we will need our rest for the morrow. I bid you and your friends good night."

Spurius led the group back outside to where an Egyptian-style chariot pulled by two magnificent horses awaited. He climbed aboard first, taking the reins with one hand and holding out the other to help his four passengers aboard. There was enough room for all of them in the spacious chariot.

[yockenthwaite]

"Thank you for helping Lucius," says Elizabeth, smiling at Caelia. "His wounds were not life threatening, but nevertheless merited some attention. And we wanted to know that you were ok." She pauses for a moment, looking at the chariot. "Would you like to climb aboard next or shall we?" she asks the lady physician.

[Ritterton]

Ladies I suggest that you move to the front of the chariot. Artemis said as he indicated to the ladies. He turned and looked back at the Senator's villa and smiled. It had been a rather pleasant evening and he hoped that he could remember all of it in the years to come. He smiled as he hoped onto the rear of the chariot.

[aine]

Caelia climbs onto the chariot and settles on a bench. She looks up at the night sky which is dusty with stars and sits there lost in thought, oblivious to the bustle of the others climbing aboard.

[Mr. Handy]

Soon, everyone was aboard the chariot, and Spurius got the horses moving. The chariot rumbled out of the gate and back onto the road to Rome.

Spoiler:

Feel free to talk to each other during the journey, and please let me know when you're ready to arrive. Are you going back to Cleopatra's palace, or do you have another destination in mind?

[Ritterton]

"Lady Caelia, is everthing alright? Did you learn anything about the plot that is afoot?" Artemis asked the realized that she was looking at the stars.

[aine]

"Do you think there are other beings up there, amongst the stars?" Caelia asks and then drops her eyes back to the present. "Forgive me, Artemis, I've had an unusual evening but yes, I'm fine other than tired. I'm afraid Scaevola gave nothing away that might link him to the plot. He is up to his political eyeballs in plots abound but not necessarily this one; I'm sorry, I've failed to come up with anything." Caelia brushes some dust off her toga thoughtfully.

"Any news from the palace or Germanicus? Or should we get some rest? We'll need to be about early tomorrow."

[Mr. Handy]

"I sent a messenger from the palace to inform Germanicus," said Spurius. "I thought it was more important to return to you quickly than to convey it personally to him."

[yockenthwaite]

"We have all been tasked by Cleopatra with hunting for the conspiracy and this mysterious Brotherhood," says Elizabeth, looking towards Caelia and the cavalrymen, and speaking calmly and levelly. "Can we perhaps coordinate our efforts from now on? I'm afraid that Lucius here and I have had little success tonight. We followed a promising lead to check the House of Gaius Cassius Longinus. As you say, there is much intrigue in that level and upwards of Roman society, but we found nothing clear or definitive pointing to the conspiracy. Nor did we find any trace of the Brotherhood. I hope our other friends, Story and Brook, may be having more luck." She smiles thoughtfully as she finishes, hoping her words might be well received, and perhaps lead to a thawing of any cool relations between the fellow investigators.

[Mr. Handy]

"You're right," said Lucius. "We all need to compare notes and decide on the next step together. Should we return to the palace? That is where everyone knows to meet, and this is their chariot."

[Ritterton]

Artemis looked at Lady Caelia and then up to the stars."Beyond the Gods? I wonder, it could be that there are other places and other lands far away. "

He fell silent and looked back up to the heavens and the twinkling light of the stars. As he listend to Caelia and Elizabeth talk, he sighed as well.

"While I too fear we have failed to discover a needed lead, I can say that I at least learned something new this evening. How to cook with the spices of Egypt. Yet, that won't help protect our General.

[aine]

Caelia looks back at the stars; Gods, denziens beyond heaven; it is all so far fetched and so far in time too, if Scaevola is to be believed. What is important is the here and now. She comes to a decision.

"I think we were all right in following our noses in the upper society." She smiles at Elizabeth. "This is where the leaders of the plot will be, I'm sure. Senator Scaevola did talk about a brotherhood; now I know there must be many brotherhoods, but if this is the same one then I may have a lead to it tomorrow - if Scaevola trusts me enough that is." She arches an eyebrow. "He was very kind this evening but he is a dangerous man, I'm sure; I would not like to be the object of his ire. His servants seem loyal beyond question and many must be part of his brotherhood, if not all."

She sighs, "He also gave a fairly convincing argument why Caesar should not be in such a position of power anymore. And I don't know how much we should trust the Queen either; she has her own agenda and it is unlikely to benefit Rome, she is a foreign power after all.
I want to stop the murder of Caesar but I'm afraid of acting for the wrong side too. It's very difficult."

[Ritterton]

"Good Lady, he's loved by the army and veterans. I can't see who in the military would be so involved. His death could lead to chaos in the street. Maybe we should be trying to see who might be gathering men together in anticipation of such a nightmare. " Artemis said and turned back to looking at the star's and the torch lights of passing buildings.