Madam, your cheeks are flushed, your eyes are strained, and your step is lighter than normal. You are really quite ill— now I insist, take your medicine.— Doc. Yoli
Doc. Yoli is a strange case— one those who have encountered believe to be not a man but some
creature. Regardless of exactly what sort of being he is— he is
feared, and possesses strange, deadly magics. He has been spotted throughout Umqwam— leaving a trail of bodies in his wake, yet he always manages to disappear without a trace. Some believe he is naught but a myth— but the loved ones of his victims would argue vehemently on the contrary.
The Doctor is In
Doc. Yoli will, without warning, announce himself as such— knocking on the door of a family residence.
Can't you recall? I am here to look after the ill one— would you kindly allow me inside? Listen, I beg you— listen, good sir! What a terrible fit of coughing! It emanates from somewhere within— please, you must allow me to see to them at once, or this could prove fatal to your beloved!— Doc. Yoli
He will insist on entering the residence, claiming that he has been called upon to look after an ill person— but cannot do so until invited. As if to bolster his argument, the sounds of one of the home's resident's suffering a horrid coughing fit will emanate from another room. He will claim that this is a sign of a deadly illness, and plead once more for entry— claiming that he is only there to save their life. If permitted entry, he will rush to the location of the cough— to find it ceased, and his patient confused— not recalling their fit.
Oh my— this is worse than I had thought! Memory loss! Please, allow me a moment with the patient.— Doc. Yoli
He will insist on being alone with the patient for an examination, during which he will claim that any visible issues on their body are symptoms of an unnamed deadly illness.
Often, he will even make up symptoms, utilizing fake medical terminology that he expects his victim to simply accept.
All the signs are here— dry lips, pale skin, halitosis, coughing, and now memory loss! I insist, you must take this medicine once nightly— that is, of course, if you wish to go on living.— Doc. Yoli
He will produce an unlabeled glass bottle from his bag, with its neck twisted into a loop, filled with a slightly opaque brown-green liquid which smells of alcohol and burning cedar— insisting that it is a medicine to cure the patient's ailment. He will continue to insist that they take it then and there, and will not leave unless removed by force until they do so.
Victims fall asleep shortly after, allowing Yoli to finally achieve his true goal— taking their
spirit. The "medicine" given to the victim is in truth a strange potion that causes their spirit to coalesce into liquid which is quickly excreted by their pores.
Yoli will take a small white cloth from his bag and begin to collect as much of this spirit as he can, wringing the cloth over a glass jar before putting away his things and leaving the victim with the bottle of medicine. He will ask the other residents to remind his patient to take their medicine each night, and take his leave.
Following this, the victim will develop the very same cough that had been falsely heard the previous day. From then on, their condition will worsen each day, and Yoli will visit each night to— as he claims— "see to it that they make it through." Of course, this will only continue the trend as the victim's spirit is slowly but surely taken away. After three days they will be bedridden. After five, they can no longer speak. After a week the victim dies, often following Yoli's final visit.
Appearance
Doc. Yoli always appears as an extraordinarily tall
Votaw man with sunken cheeks, unusually yellow eyes, and a well-polished beak. Always, he will be seen wearing a red-stained wicker vest, black pants, and a pale-blue dress shirt— all of
Sotikaaput make and design— rare sights outside of their reclusive country.
Damn. This is one well done article! Seriously, this is fantastic. The quotes are masterfully woven into the main descriptive text. This is the kind of work that is impossible to pull my eyes away from once I begin reading. What kind of magic have you woven into this, Doc. Timepool?? What does Yoli do with the spirits he collects? Does he work alone? Why can he only enter if invited? I have so many questions! I honestly think the article works perfectly as is, with questions such as those left unanswered. The mystery in this piece is wonderful. Really, excellent writing here!
Thank you! Yeah, it's more fun to leave some blanks. However— I am debating the idea of writing an article on The Apple, which would go into her hunt for him. Unsure though, as it could just end up as a retread. Could do best as prose perhaps?