Book 1: plague's beginning

  If you ever found yourself in the town of Woodlowe and took some food or ale at the local Crow Inn, be mindful. That funny aftertaste may leave you with some… unpredictable aftereffects. The unintentional courtesy of the owner’s daughter, one Abigail Winters.

With a fiery mane of ginger hair and freckled face, Abigail is the single child of Cobb Winters. Though she is expected to take over from her father someday, her true calling lies in medicine. Based on what she’s learned from the local herbal healer of the town, she can often be found exploring the surrounding woodland for various plants and mixing them up in her room. The results vary wildly and she’s notorious for sometimes using the bowls and tankards of the Inn for her experiments. Don’t worry, she remembers to wash them! Usually.

Passion is what defines Abigail, though she very often lets her heart (and her mouth) run away with her head. She’s not the best at reading social cues and is very often overwhelmed when there’s too much going on. She is coded as autistic, though the word doesn’t exist in the world she lives in. Her odd mannerisms and experimental tendencies have earned her much gossip and scorn from the townsfolk. However, she is driven, steadfast and determined to the point of stubbornness. If there is a cause, she dedicates herself completely. 

Plague Doctors are a group that are viewed with great apprehension. Their strange clothes, unique abilities and association with the Plague engender suspicion and fear from those they encounter. Something that doesn’t appear to bother this particular doctor in the slightest.

Dressed in a black robe and his features obscured by a white beaked mask, Caurinus’s mannerisms belie his bizarre appearance. He’s polite, well-spoken and courteous to others. When it comes to combating and treating the Plague, he is diligent and professional, never shying away from has to be done in order to keep others safe. When he needs to fight the foul monsters the Plague spawns, the winged hourglass topper of his staff morphs and changes into menacing scythe blade. He wields this weapon with practiced skill as it boosts his natural speed and strength.

But the mask is more than a symbol of his station. As much as he is willing to divulge, there is also a great deal he keeps to himself. He is never seen without his mask, something he claims is a rule of his organisation. He spent a long time sequestered away in a shack concealed in the woods, with only the local healer knowing he was there. And despite his friendly demeanour, even his mask and robes can only do so much to hide a deep pain that lies just below the surface.