Before the cordons, three senior healers arrive beneath royal summons. The remaining clerks watch from behind the classification lines, uneasy and short-handed, while Doku stands with the quarantine warden and palace examiner.
Master Oren, his lined face and pale skin visible, an elderly elf man with silver-braided hair and a narrow blue robe, carries a crystal rod. He studies every seal before taking a step.
Mistress Vale, her dark skin and close-cropped black hair framing a scarred cheek, a broad-shouldered middle-aged woman in layered green leathers, wears bone-handled instruments at her belt. Healer Tamsin, slim, with close-cropped black hair and a long-jawed face, a young adult man with warm brown skin and white linen robes, cradles a lacquered case.
the quarantine warden
Three marked containers await. Each bears a harmless sigil, but their handling reflects the hazards beyond these lines. Lady Nohara, assess their methods.
Master Oren
A proper examination begins with resonance, not touch. The container will reveal whether it accepts my warding.
Mistress Vale
Resonance is elegant until a patient worsens. I would isolate the containers, test their coverings, and trust what survives repeated handling.
Healer Tamsin
I would follow the written sequence, record every change, and ask before improvising. A successor should be reliable before becoming clever.
“"Let's test your capabilities. I want to see if any of you fit under my hospital. Tell me, do you all know the philosophy of the scalpel? How do you best cure both a patient and the world?"”
SUCCESS (Superb Diplomacy, rolled -2)
Doku Nohara
Let us test your capabilities. Do you know the philosophy of the scalpel? Tell me how you cure both a patient and the world.
The question settles over the cordons. Doku’s closed parasol rests against her shoulder while the three healers face her, each weighing medicine against authority.
Master Oren
The scalpel reveals imbalance. I would excise the corrupt influence, preserve what remains harmonious, and bind the patient to a warded order. The world heals through disciplined balance.
Mistress Vale
I cure the patient by isolating the cause, cutting away what cannot be saved, and testing every remedy twice. I cure the world by stopping preventable harm, even when nobles dislike the treatment.
Healer Tamsin
I begin with the patient’s condition, not my doctrine. I follow evidence, record consequences, and teach others the method. A healthier world is made from reliable hands, not one brilliant surgeon.
A faint crackle rises from Doku’s parasol mechanism as her grip tightens, spending one needle cartridge to reset its spring. The sound draws wary glances, but none of the healers breaks composure.
Their answers separate cleanly: Oren offers containment and hierarchy, Vale practical excision and nerve, while Tamsin offers reproducible care. Doku now has a clear measure of each candidate’s fit.
“"By removing the tumor you cure the patient. This is a philosophy I follow to the end. Applies both in real life and in the medical field. When someone is far too cancerous as a person that it harms society. You remove them. Just as one would remove the tumor with the same precision a scalpel does. Is not just about imbalance is not just about following protocol is about making sure the patient survives. Vale you got the job."”
SUCCESS (Superb Diplomacy, rolled -1)
Doku Nohara
By removing the tumor, you cure the patient. I follow that philosophy to the end, in life and in medicine. When a person harms society like a cancer, you remove them with the precision of a scalpel. Survival matters more than balance or protocol. Mistress Vale, you have the job.
The cordons fall silent. Doku’s appointment lands with surgical finality, while the three marked containers remain untouched beneath their harmless sigils.
Mistress Vale
Understood, Lady Nohara. I will isolate threats, cut away what endangers the ward, and leave a method others can repeat.
Master Oren
A severe doctrine, though not without clarity. You place survival above harmony, and judgment above tradition.
Healer Tamsin
Then I will learn from Mistress Vale and record the standard she establishes. Reliable hands still require reliable instruction.
The quarantine warden takes up her slate again and enters Vale’s appointment beside the intake authority. The palace examiner watches, then presses a royal seal into the amended record.
the palace examiner
Mistress Vale is appointed successor to the medical command, under Lady Nohara’s authority. The palace will recognize the transfer and supply the requested staff.
✓ Quest Accepted
Establish Mistress Vale as a capable medical deputy
“"Good. I have a feeling Vale you will make a great ataff here. It would do me wonderful to have you around. It alleviates my burden in constantly running the place while I focus on more important things that require my legendary medical skills. I look forward in working with you."”
SUCCESS (Superb Diplomacy, rolled +1)
Doku Nohara
Good. Vale, I believe you will make a great staff member here. Having you beside me will ease my burden while I focus on matters requiring my legendary medical skills. I look forward to working with you.
Doku offers Mistress Mistress Vale a measured welcome, her parasol resting against her shoulder as the royal seal cools upon the amended record.
Mistress Vale
Then I will make that confidence useful, Lady Nohara. Give me the ward’s standards, and I will enforce them without wasting your attention.
Mistress Vale steps to the cordons and studies the marked containers with a soldier’s patience. The waiting clerks straighten, recognizing her appointment as immediate command rather than ceremonial favor.
the palace examiner
The appointment is witnessed and accepted. Mistress Vale may begin her duties at once, while Lady Nohara retains final medical authority.
Healer Tamsin
I will prepare the records and learn Mistress Vale’s procedures. Her standards will be written clearly enough for every successor to follow.
Master Oren inclines his head, conceding the decision. Around Mistress Vale, the intake reorganizes with purpose, leaving Doku free to turn her legendary expertise toward greater matters.
“Now with Vale officially hired. I turn my attention to other matters. Specifically going back to my lab and create the poisons I need.”
SUCCESS (Great Agility, rolled -1)