Chapter 2 - The Second Day of Pelor's Rest

[Caystodd]

"Keep cranking!"

Gert took her hands off the handle of the crank and let Aron take over completely. She grabbed the bag of incendiary powder from the outside pocket of her bag. She dropped the bag onto the platform and jammed the tip of an arrow down inside. The incendiary powder sparked as it clung to the tip of the arrow. Gert stood up straight, nocked the arrow, and fired. The arrow struck the nearest dire undead rabbit in the eye. The incendiary powder exploded in a fireball as the arrow sank deep into the creature's skull. The undead rabbit staggered sideways, lurched, and fell over the side into the chasm below.

"Dang," Gert said, surprised at her own success.

[Butchern]

The final undead rabbit turned all its antlered fury on the nearest caravaner, Celeg.

[matt_s]

Gert's arrow flew true and the spectacular effect was something that Celeg knew he would remember until the day he died and he hoped said day would be very far from now. The staggering demise of the rabbit was some respite but not enough.

After all, Celeg was in the thick of it. And deeper in that mess than he would have liked. Another blow landed hard upon him in the form of a sweeping antler dripping with mildew and rot. His sword was out of position so all he could do was redirect the blow down from his head where a strike even on the armor of his helm would have sent him dizzy and possibly unconscious. Down onto the armor of his chest, those layers of small steel rings upon a gambeson of fine quilted cloth. The blow did not split the rings although it almost did so. The wind was knocked out of him but his sword blow was steadfast and unerring as if guided by the hand of Pelor himself although to claim as much would be near to blasphemy... Nonetheless be it by Pelor's intercession or by the strength of arm bestowed upon him as Pelor's blessing as all good and just things in the world were his blessings the fine edge did its foul work severing fur, hide, flesh, and sinew.

But the rabbit still stood, as foul and menacing as ever.

[Butchern]

Most of the fight was out of the undead rabbit as it turned what was left of its antlers on Seresse. The creature lunged at the elf, trying to impale her and drive her over the edge into the darkness.

[matt_s]

As the creature swung at Seresse it turned its back to Celeg an error that he was determined not to go unpunished. Every master at arms had told Celeg that it was all but impossible for even the most skilled swordsman to win against two opponents at once. And this was why. Although Celeg could not see how Seresse fared for his view was obstructed by the ungainly and foul mass of his foe, he could see his quarry well light by the orange torchlight.

And Celeg drove the well honed edge of his blade home in a furious slash, cutting and breaking through the rib cage of the beast and as he drew out the sword at the culmination of the stroke out with it came inky black gore and pale white bone. He did not think the blacksmith who had forged and quenched and annealed and polished this blade mundane yet finely crafted so long ago had imagined it would be put to such an end in such a place but he knew that they would be happy it had kept them safe.

And the beast crumpled. They had won.

If you want samples - Gert I see you eyeing the corpse with a scholar's eye - now is the time. But I reckon we have little of it. I can lend a hand, but the surface calls us. And they are coming.

No need to specify what "they" was.

[Caystodd]

19 hours ago, matt_s said:

If you want samples - Gert I see you eyeing the corpse with a scholar's eye - now is the time.

Gert leaned around Celeg to get another look at the corpse.

"I got it. Everyone, get ready to start cranking."

Gert jumped off the platform and ran over to the carcass. She grabbed it by the nearest antler and pulled to dragging it toward the platform. It didn't budge. "A little help!" Gert grunted.

[matt_s]

Celeg wiped off the blade of his sword on the pelt of the creature with a hasty motion and sheathed it. Then, he wrapped his mailed hand around the other antler and braced himself.

Alright, one, two, heave!

If he had to make Greenleaves haul this corpse back to town he would owe that poor horse several bushels of fresh apples.

[Blue Firebird]

On 4/16/2024 at 6:26 PM, Butchern said:

Most of the fight was out of the undead rabbit as it turned what was left of its antlers on Seresse. The creature lunged at the elf, trying to impale her and drive her over the edge into the darkness.

 

On 4/17/2024 at 5:59 PM, matt_s said:

As the creature swung at Seresse it turned its back to Celeg an error that he was determined not to go unpunished. Every master at arms had told Celeg that it was all but impossible for even the most skilled swordsman to win against two opponents at once. And this was why. Although Celeg could not see how Seresse fared for his view was obstructed by the ungainly and foul mass of his foe, he could see his quarry well light by the orange torchlight.

And Celeg drove the well honed edge of his blade home in a furious slash, cutting and breaking through the rib cage of the beast and as he drew out the sword at the culmination of the stroke out with it came inky black gore and pale white bone. He did not think the blacksmith who had forged and quenched and annealed and polished this blade mundane yet finely crafted so long ago had imagined it would be put to such an end in such a place but he knew that they would be happy it had kept them safe.

And the beast crumpled. They had won.

If you want samples - Gert I see you eyeing the corpse with a scholar's eye - now is the time. But I reckon we have little of it. I can lend a hand, but the surface calls us. And they are coming.

No need to specify what "they" was.

Seresse parries the creature's clumsy attack, her sword singing with the impact. She looks down at the beast down mingled disgust and pity. The necromantic energies holding its body together and binding it to attack are failing, like a cord stretched to its breaking point—only to snap when Celeg delivers the killing blow. Seresse watches the beast fall with contempt.

She wants more. Glancing to the yawning darkness of the mine, she knows more are coming. Seresse feels their presence, like cold drafts issuing up from deep underground. A part of her wants to wait, to face them in bloody, glorious hatred made manifest. Without realizing it, she takes several steps away from the platform, as if to intercept the approaching monsters.

Or join them in the fetid darkness of their subterranean tomb....

[Butchern]

With a little help, Gert pulled the remains of the carcass onto the platform. When all the caravaners were aboard, they cranked the platform up into the cave and then back to the surface. On the surface the light was growing dim. It was afternoon and more snow clouds had moved in. It was snowing heavily. Assuming they could retrace their steps, the would be back in town by sundown even if they took the time to rig up a sled for their newfound trophy.

[matt_s]

It was with no small effort that Celeg and Gert wrangled the somewhat misshapen and wholly foul smelling corpse onto the platform. And once again a twang of pity was felt for Greenleaves. A strong horse of course but even for the few hours of the journey this would be no small burden.

Celeg was mostly occupied with this task and questions like whether the mechanism could bear the weight of all of them and the corpse but he looked at the still sturdy pulley mechanism and in his crude estimation this assembly built to handle the hauling of tons of raw material and dozens of laborers alike in its heyday would be able to suffer such a load they were going to foist upon it even in a degraded state. But then he looked up and saw Seresse take a few almost hesitant steps into the black pitch of the cave.

Oi! Can't you see those wicked eyes gleaming? It's going to be close as it is, and Gert's about to start hauling! Quickly now, back to the light!

If Seresse's wandering caused them to have to fight another one of those rabbits he would make her haul back the trophy instead of Greenleaves.

[Butchern]

Several hungry and cold hours later, the caravaners rode back into town, dragging their undead treasure behind them. It was a sight to see, and several of the townies braved the cold and the snow to see it.

They rode up to the inn. It stood tall, just off the road to the east, and the warm light from its windows was visible through the now-lightly-blowing snow. The two-story structure boasted stout timber timber walls and thick glass windows, both of which were frosted with a layer of white. The smell of bred and stew filled the street.

Tore stood on the porch and bellowed, "What . . . is that?"

[matt_s]

Evening, said Celeg as a manner of greeting somewhat understated given the circumstances. The mist of his breath blew forth from his mouth, a reminder of the winter cold and that he still lived with hot blood in his veins. Not as hot as he would have liked, given said winter cold.

By my understanding which is not much better than yours to be sure it is or rather was some sort of undead giant rabbit moose ... miscreation? There's a bunch of them in that old dwarf mine a few miles out. But three less than there were this morning.

Think of it as a sibling of sorts to the one you got mounted on your wall. Impressive specimen, that, I have to say if I have not said so already.

If you want this one you'll have to argue with Gert for it or so I think. I'd advise not being in bowshot for that conversation, hah!

Oh, we did check on the rest of the caravan. High spirits and good health, all.

If I could trouble you for something warm to get the chill out of my bones and a bag of apples or the like.

Celeg paused, realizing the slight unusual nature of the back half of that request.

It's uh, for the horse. Greenleaves has been put to it pretty hard the last few miles.

[Caystodd]

Gert spent the next few hours in the stable collecting samples from the undead rabbit corpse and storing them in little vials that she carried in her pack. She was elbow deep in rabbit guts, looking for any signs that the creatures had been animated by the warp stone when Clara appeared at the barn door to call her to dinner.

Clara went wide-eyed when she saw Gert's arms covered in gore.

"I'll run you a bath. You can take dinner in your room. Master Tore will never let you in the main hall smelling like that."

"Thanks," Gert said as she stood up. "I wanted to—"

Clara interrupted the apology Gert was trying to formulate. "Just doing my job. You want to thank me? Leave a tip." Then she turned and hurried out of the barn and back into the warmth of the inn.

Gert shook the gore from her hands and sniffed at her shirt sleeve. "I do need a bath."