Dawn Mercy Clinic

Start-class article · First seen: s10 · Last seen: s10
Dawn Mercy Clinic
Dawn Mercy · Mercy Clinic · the Mercy convent
Portrait of Dawn Mercy Clinic.
Location
StatusActive
First seens10
Last seens10
FactionAurelian forces

The Dawn Mercy Clinic is a small charity clinic in Umbrafall and the place Risa’s sister is said to have died and been burned, leaving Risa an urn of white dust that smelled of lye [5][6]. In session 10 its orderly Drew, frightened by Caelumn’s flames, confessed that Aurelians with papers had come for one patient, Mira Hale, who had shown magical ability, and had forced him to burn the records [7]. Mira had gone out in a barrel to Dock 13 four days before [30]. Hugo’s guess that the body was aquamated, a lye-based water cremation, has never been confirmed [26].

Overview

The Dawn Mercy Clinic is a small clinic in Umbrafall that treats the poor. The Broker called it “just charity work”, a place that “sometimes hides people” [4]. It matters because of what happened to Risa’s sister. Risa was told that her sister had died there and been burned, and was given an urn of white dust that smelled of lye [5][6]. In session 10 the clinic’s orderly confessed that Aurelians had taken a patient, Mira Hale, and made him destroy the records [7].

Geography and appearance

A small clinic that smells of vinegar and herbs, with freshly scrubbed floors and a few shelves left half empty “like something has been removed in a hurry” [8]. The party never saw more of it than the front.

Layout

  • The front room. Clean beyond what one would expect [9]. A half-covered keg marked L-Y, which is how lye is spelled, stands half behind the counter under a tarp [10].
  • The counter. The orderly waits behind it at his desk [11].
  • The log. The clinic keeps a log of who was treated for what and where, which Drew would not show [12].

Inhabitants

  • Drew, the orderly. He had been manning the station “for the last two days” and said the clinic sold no healing potions [13][14]. Caelumn and Vasquez noticed him sweating when Hugo asked after patients [15].
  • Other staff are not described. The Aurelian cell that came for Mira Hale left the clinic with her [16].

Government / control

The clinic looks like a coerced cover rather than a willing conspirator. Drew said the Aurelians “forced me” [17], and that they asked him to destroy the records, which he burned [18]. The Nightwatch had been paid off by the Aurelians [19].

History in the campaign

Session 7: Maelis Falls, Vasquez Captured

Main article: Session 7

The clinic is not named yet. Leaving the Whisper Coil Emporium, the party came on two Nightwatch guards pulling a small bundle from a frightened woman of about twenty, who begged them to leave it: “It’s the last thing I have of her” [20]. It was an urn, and the guards called it “City property” [21]. Hugo wanted to keep clear of the Nightwatch [22], but Vasquez, reading that she was sincere about her sister’s remains, stepped forward [23].

Session 8: Bruise the Cellmate, the Succubus, and the Quarry Ghosts

Main article: Session 8

In a rain-soaked alley Risa lifted the lid on the urn: white dust that, on Hugo’s Perception of 22, smelled “unmistakably like lye” [5]. She said the Dawn Mercy Clinic had told her that her sister fell ill and died and had to be burned as infected [6], but its log showed someone checking on her twenty minutes after she was burned [24]. Hugo guessed that the body had been aquamated, “basically a water version of cremation” [25][26]. The DM said he did not know the process [27], and the theory has not been confirmed since.

Session 10: Ruin Joins, the Aurelian Conspiracy, the Plate Armour

Main article: Session 10

Risa sent the party to the clinic [28]. Drew, an orderly, refused to show the log [12]. Under Caelumn’s flames he broke: Aurelians had come with papers and “already had a name”, Mira Hale, who had shown magical capabilities, and had forced him to burn the records [7]. Hugo pointed at the lye barrel and asked if it was what went into the urn, and Drew said yes [29]. Mira had gone out in a barrel to Dock 13 four days before [30]. Drew ran from the clinic [31].

Status

As of session 23. Not revisited since session 10. Drew has not been seen since he ran [31], and who staffs the clinic now is unknown. The party’s lead on Mira Hale runs through Dock 13 and Aurelia.

See also

References

  1. ^ Session 7, line 1208: Risa first introduced, "It's the last thing I have of her" (sister's remains in dispute; clinic name and cremation-timeline anomaly are not surfaced until s8).
  2. ^ Session 8, line 117-148: Lye in the urn; Hugo's identification; clinic name confirmed.
  3. ^ Session 10, line 643-666: Drew confesses Aurelian abduction route; Mira Hale named.
  4. ^ Session 10, line 463-465: Inline citation.
  5. ^ Session 8, line 114-118: Inline citation.
  6. ^ Session 8, line 140: Inline citation.
  7. ^ Session 10, line 648-658: Inline citation.
  8. ^ Session 10, line 538: Inline citation.
  9. ^ Session 10, line 541: Inline citation.
  10. ^ Session 10, line 549-566: Inline citation.
  11. ^ Session 10, line 556-558: Inline citation.
  12. ^ Session 10, line 601: Inline citation.
  13. ^ Session 10, line 575: Inline citation.
  14. ^ Session 10, line 595: Inline citation.
  15. ^ Session 10, line 606-608: Inline citation.
  16. ^ Session 10, line 696: Inline citation.
  17. ^ Session 10, line 652: Inline citation.
  18. ^ Session 10, line 658: Inline citation.
  19. ^ Session 10, line 662-664: Inline citation.
  20. ^ Session 7, line 1207-1208: Inline citation.
  21. ^ Session 7, line 1215-1216: Inline citation.
  22. ^ Session 7, line 1213: Inline citation.
  23. ^ Session 7, line 1229-1231: Inline citation.
  24. ^ Session 8, line 146: Inline citation.
  25. ^ Session 8, line 158: Inline citation.
  26. ^ Session 8, line 163: Inline citation.
  27. ^ Session 8, line 155-159: Inline citation.
  28. ^ Session 10, line 523-525: Inline citation.
  29. ^ Session 10, line 659-660: Inline citation.
  30. ^ Session 10, line 688-692: Inline citation.
  31. ^ Session 10, line 713: Inline citation.