Recovery

After some time my men have recovered. They are still weak but from the dangers to their body they are free. After some testing it seems as though the culprit was an ingested poison. Now we work on something to prevent the effects of that...or alternatively to find out where it came from.

Still no word from the missing individuals. With all efforts poured into the illness, nothing has been done to locate my men. I hope they are well, though...

-Renford

Figuring out the Cause

In order to create proper medication we must first understand what is causing the illness. The men taken under observation have begun to show signs of getting better-even the ones with placebos. We begin to speculate that it is not something we need to cure but instead something we need to separate from the sick individuals-such as ones who drink contaminated milk will continue to get sick if they continue to drink it but will improve if they stop. However, it is too soon to tell. Instead they could begin to relapse-which would me the illness is still present. It's too hard to say.

-Renford

New Phase

A new emergency type phase is in effect. With Team Three completely segregated all of the effort of the other teams is to get the lost team back. We hope, with how many of us there are and with our background in research, science and the like we can make the cure that will save them. It is still unclear if this is an illness that leads to what is creating the undead.

To be sure we are using our resources in the best way possible. Although we will feed our attempts at a cure to those who are currently sick, two of the five will only get placebos. This will ensure many things. One-the sickness is not just in their head. Two-they will not feel as though they are being tested in this way but instead that they are not reacting properly to the medication [assuming the medication works for the others]. Most important is three; if this is the beginning of the undead disease then we will know now what causes it.

And if any of the cure's work for the others...we will have a preventative method-something much easier to facilitate than stopping the undead once they are created. If we stop the source we stop the invasion-well, not this invasion but anything happening in the future.

-Renford

Separation

The individuals who have come down with the flu in Team Three have been separated from the rest of the Team-to try to prevent spread of the virus. Teams One and Two have devoted a small amount of their time to researching and creating something to help with this illness. If this is the spread of the undead virus those who are sick now will be completely separated from the rest, the rest of Team Three will be made to observe those who are sick and we will begin work and research on the development of the virus from the early stages. Starting at the beginning of the infection we communicate only by messenger spell.

If my men are infected then there is a good chance Team Three will be completely lost-however, there is still hope. By watching the growth rate, the symptoms and such we can determine how the virus moves and how, hopefully, we can stop it.

Every person on this mission knew the risks associated with this journey-their potential loss of life could be the gain of the IHS and the key to solving the undead problem. It could also be an unrelated illness, only time will tell.

-Renford

Missing Members

Slowly, slowly things begin to spiral downwards.

The two Teams that left to do small group research have yet to send word. Two days ago was the first day of no messages. We thought it was the weather. Now, however, the weather has been clear for 28 hours straight and still, no word has come.

What's worse is that a small number of Team Three have begun to feel the effects of illness.

In total that makes eleven individuals lost from my group. For now we segregate the sick individuals...we send messenger spells to those missing...but soon we will have to step up our game and hope to fix everything; lest it be lost.

~Renford

Individual Movements

Team Three is devised of individuals who are skilled as a team and on their own. For this stage of the mission, multiple members of the team will be finding themselves with unique positions in Wolvenfang society. By collecting themselves as day to day workers or at least civilians, they will be able to gather more information than they would otherwise be able to. The duchy has a lot of variety among its citizens but they are always in constant contact.

Half of the team will fully integrate into the duchy-working as errand runners or staying at the inns, anything to secure themselves familiarity within the populous. The other half will continue as they were, trading goods and acting as travelers to understand what they can about the movements of the people. Hopefully this type of insight will help us understand them a little better.

-Renford

On Illness

Just a quick note today;

last week Team Three made note of a very small illness that effected a few individuals-nothing serious and very normal for this time of year. However, some eight days later [today] this illness seems to have spread quite a bit. A fair portion of citizens seem to be suffering from this...cold? Flu?

With the weather so damp and cold this type of occurrence is not unusual but with the fear of and undead invasion...it is wise to keep it looked after.

Hopefully it will pass and be nothing more than a note.

-Renford

Group Three Findings

Team Three has been moving a lot more than Teams One and Two. This is expected. The members that have left Team One and Two to go to the outpost have been making regular updates and their progress is steady.

The duchy of Wolvenfang has been doing very well so far. In small-but noticeable-waves the people move one way or the other. Some nobles have been making plans and one church in particular has been recruiting because of the undead. However, no large movements have been made.

One wonders what is happening with this undead invasion? Is there one, really? What does the word invasion mean to those who claim this as such? I don't doubt the severity of the undead or the risks one takes by being near them but as it is...as it is the science behind it is lacking for now.

But I am sure that is only for now. Team Three has been making good progress, as I've mentioned. Every day they report of the town's movements and feelings and that is enough to keep this investigation going. Now that some from Team One and Two join it should move along more smoothly.

-Renford

Results of Frostbite Survey

As mentioned previously; I set out alone to visit Wolvenfang's winter event Frostbite. While there I observed but I also did a small questionnaire. In total I was able to question about 30% of the attendees to this fine event. Below I list the questions asked as well as the Mean and the Mode to each.

1) Have you ever been in contact with the undead? 
Mean: 6.24 Mode: 10
2) Has anyone you know ever been in contact with the undead? 
Mean: 7.88 Mode: 10
3) How much do you think the invasion effects you? 
Mean: 4.96 Mode: 1 and 4 tied
4) How involved were you in the last invasion? 
Mean: 5.4 Mode: 1
5) How big of an issue are rodents in your house?
Mean: 2.08 Mode: 1
6) Over the last few weeks have food/water tasted off? 
Mean: 2.76 Mode: 1
7) Do you have contact with animals on a day-to-day basis? 
Mean: 6 Mode: 10
8) How often do you find yourself needing to visit a healer? 
Mean: 2.84 Mode:1

I realize that 30% is but a small sample. However, I wanted to keep myself as inconspicuous as possible. Of the individuals I interviewed only one seemed really concerned about who I was and only two others asked for my name as way of greeting. Something is to be said about their trust, that is for sure.

These results will be added to the information Team Three has already been able to gather.

-Renford 

On Seperation

The selected members of Teams One, Two and Four have left. In total there are six of them going. This leaves thirty four of us in the Main Base [MB]. That takes a good chunk out of who is in the MB. We will have more space, which is always nice. If things continue as planned, we will need it as the next phases continue.
Team Three's progress is the most constant as of late-though this was expected. As they move to integrate people into the town they spread themselves out. There will also be key players in the outpost but it is prudent that we gain the trust of those citizens we hope to observe. I got word just today that one of the team was able to secure constant lodgings in the local inn; The Wolf's Den. This will make him more privy to the gossip and information traveling about town.

-Renford

A New Division

There is to be a new division made amongst the teams. Team One and Two [Ecology/biology and meteorology/kinesiology respectively) will have two of their members (each with a Team Four/security individual) head out for Team Three's outpost. There, they will make efforts to blend in with Wolvenfang and walking throughout and amongst the edges of, will collect data relevant to their cause.
Team Three has gone into their next phase; they will soon be integrating themselves into the community even further. Over the next week they will be obtaining positions that will help themselves gather information. More on that to come.

-Renford

Discoveries from Team One

Team One have already impressed myself and the IHS; but there is more. Over the last week they have uncovered some very interesting things. There are two main points of interest that I would like to mention here; time lapses and relativity.
After through testing, my team was able to put some numbers down to the undead samples. From the moment we tagged the bodies/parts the group had been dead for two to four weeks. This means that four weeks prior to our finding them, some of these cadavers were made undead. Or at least the life had gone out of the humans they once were.
Along with this information it seems as though the team have been unable to distinguish any difference between the undead cadavers and living or dead human samples. By our accounts there is absolutely no difference between one and the other.

I wonder about this last point...always more testing to be done, however! Maybe, with a live sample, we could get more information..?
~Renford

Just got back from my mission

It is as the title suggests. I have been back in the cave [which just doesn't sound right yet] for maybe an hour. My weekend went as such;

~Left to rendezvous with Team Three
~Went over the plan and readied everything
~Left early on Saturday, heading out in scattered groups
~Entered the Frostbite facilities
~Gathered research materials
~Observed
~Left Frostbite, returned to Team Three
~This morning I departed Team Three to return here, the Main Base [MB]

Here at MB there have been some breakthroughs with the studies. I will get to that and to my research/what I was looking for at Frostbite throughout the week.

~Renford

My First Solo Mission

Actually, the title is incorrect. In my early years at the IHS, after training was done, I did participate in a few solo missions. Those were a long time ago, though. Since I climbed the ranks I've been more of an organizer of individuals or groups; a leader. Therefor, working on my own has a sense of newness to it.

Tomorrow I leave Teams one, two, four and five to join up with Team three. They, having moved freely under the eyes of Wolvenfangers for some time, are familiar with their ways, their customs. Some of them will also be in Wolvenfang for this weekend but I am the only one attending the event. Through means of trading they have gathered a few clothing items and have gotten the exact whereabouts of the events. Although excited for the change of scenery, I admit I am also a bit nervous.

~Renford