It'd make sense if some of what's in here is what made all of us so ill. [ Even if it was only temporary, and considering not everyone seems to have experienced the same symptoms and that some were even worse - that adds more questions to his mind than it answers. ] There are some mushrooms back home which can also be used how you described because they're poisonous, but how much you use when adding it to a solution or food determines the outcome.

[ Some outcomes more favorable than others, though Claude's certain Istredd can read between the lines on that one without needing it explicitly said, especially considering the other man is the one who put this forward to start with. It's enough of a puzzle that more of the gears in Claude's mind begin turning at a faster pace in search of answers before he looks back to Istredd once more. ]

I'm pretty certain the stranger's the only one who wasn't here before because I don't recognize his face. I used to make a point of... tracking who was where, whenever I was somewhere new, and unless he was somehow wearing a mask before then he's new.

[ With the reveal of the masks thanks to a couple other Summoned - that seems unlikely, but there's still other leads. ]

The charms are supposed to work with the shrines somehow? I don't think I've seen one up close. What do they look like?