Oshuamp - Episode 9: The Price of Heresy

Recap
Widow’s Wail is a parasitic plant that drains the life of the earth around it, and is primarily found in places where mass death has occurred. Ritora is confused because her home was a peaceful place and she does not know of anything like this; Nesgrim makes the connection to the mysterious death of his father in the woods near his hometown, Hrayek. His father was also quarantined and he was not permitted to visit him on his deathbed.

Ethir and Corin discuss the afterlife and how Ethir attempts to ferry lost souls across a river in his visions, or banishes those who he believes are wicked and do not deserve a chance at life. He also tells Corin of his ability to witness the last memories of a person by performing a ritual with their skull – Corin brings Ethir a skull of a man he says was cruel and wicked. Ethir enacts his ceremony, and sees a man fighting off small creatures as they feast on his face, concluding as one crawls into the open mouth, killing the man, who he tells them was named Bartholomew, and connected to the issues in North Slums.

On the walls of Corin’s room are phrases and names in Infernal script, a pair of symbols, and a poetic verse. He tells them that he is the man who hired mercenaries to break into the Orphanage because he believes there is something sinister occurring inside, and he is searching for the “entrance” and “names”. Yahlumlo is able to discern the script on the walls and a note that Corin found in a mausoleum at the Sight of Justice. They read his harrowing notes of overheard discussions, and learn the names: Grief, Agony, Despair, Torment, and Livid. The occurrences describe mounds of bodies, markings carved into flesh, and the fear of invocations. He also finds the initials S.o.S. They discern the last word Vermin accompanied by Filth.

They ask of the history of the Well Poisoning of 8,051 A.R., and he details the return of an expedition from the Mines. A crew of Dwarves was hired by the Cathedral to procure a lost holy relic that was stolen by a Brother who forsake his position and fled north of the city. Corin was pulled from his work at the Orphanage and tasked with caring for the diseased Dwarves, but he was unable to save them. To keep the existence of the Dwarves a secret from the rest of the city, a conspiracy was hatched that blamed a poisoned well for the spreading of a disease in North Slums.

In their delirium, some of the surviving dwarves spoke manically of a withered, rotten creature, elevated against a cave wall by roots and vines that extended into the black earth. Some of them walked towards the figure in a daze, and their flesh was flayed from their bodies, and the vines gripped it and covered the rotten creature with it.

His wife, Karoyln, unfortunately contracted the Rot and he abandoned his work to care exclusively for her. They hid in an abandoned home in North Slums. She deteriorated and her flesh began to rot, but was visited by Sister Isabel and the deterioration halted. He remembers that her skin grew pale and she began to stare at shadows in the house, whispering to them. Brothers, called “Awakened” were sent from the Cathedral to remove her and place her into quarantine in the Cathedral, ignoring Corin’s protests.

He reveals that he openly blasphemed against the Cathedral’s ordinances, and was charged with heresy. The people of North Slums gathered to peacefully protest his conviction, and clamored as he was hanged. Protestors present at the hanging were gathered up and executed, and those who fled were burned alive in their homes. He remarks remorsefully that he feels guilty for the death of so many people, his wife, and the father of Clark, the Pawn Man.

As they ask for help with Madeleine, they share the note from Desielle and confess their fears of a transformation for one of the young girls as her 13th birthday approaches. When they use the name Marybelle, he becomes extremely upset, and hurries to the door – he explains that Marybelle was the name Karolyn had chosen for their daughter, and she was pregnant when he was taken from her by the Awakened. He was led to believe that his child did not survive.

They follow him out towards the Orphanage, and he warns them to close their eyes if bloodshed begins. He knocks on the door and Lauren opens it slightly, and the crew announce that they brought the doctor to help Madeleine, so she invites them all inside, leading them up to the Sister’s Quarters. They ask her to collect Marybelle and she agrees, hurrying over to the Nursery to collect her. He enters the Quarters alone, and they anxiously await outside.

Marybelle and Lauren walk back, and he exits the Quarters, and Charms Lauren, telling her that he would like to take Marybelle with him. She understands and bids her goodbye, and stares at the walls. Marybelle is confused, and Corin’s eyes glisten with tears, seeing his daughter as the spitting image of his wife. He turns to leave, fearful of raising a child as he is now, but they convince him that she is safer with him than anywhere else. She embraces him, and he thanks them for their assistance and descends the stairs. Yahlumlo communicates with him telepathically once more, warning him of the potential future for Marybelle, and he mournfully says he understands, and would do what needs to be done, and simply wants to spend the eight days with his daughter that he can.

They enter the Quarters to check on Madeleine, and find her sitting in her bed. She is confused by the withered, scarred flesh on her chest, and clutches the locket on her neck. They ask her about her visions, and realize that she is the person who had the vision of the holy relic, and its location inside the Mines that lured the Dwarves to the hideous creature. Yahlumlo requests a closer look at the locket, and she reluctantly offers it to him; inside, he sees the infernal markings of S.o.S.

She feverishly tells of strange memories with Isabel and Sabrina, visiting her together, and lurches forward for the locket, murmuring to herself: “like fire, she is.” Her hands grasp at her head and she becomes confused, and asks for her coronet, and corrects herself, saying it is Sabrina’s. It is lined with orange and red jewels. Nesgrim and Yahlumlo ignite a torch, and hold the locket towards it. Madeleine tells them it is okay to open the seal. As the locket bathes in fire, the engravings bleed out, extending in a diagonal pattern, forming the words:

“Sisters of Sorrow.”

A Sister’s eyes are buried

A Sister’s eyes are closed

A Sister’s eyes will open

When Sabrina calls her Home.