OOC: So Alric is heading back to Mal after explaining his own emergency. The same emergency Caden was trying to tell the women about, before the incident.

ooc - Yep



"I know things seem to be bad up here but something got Mal as well. Not sure with animals what would happen. He just froze up like he was scared near to death" He looks around sort of shouting so everyone can hear, spread out as we are. " So what did happen. I didn't see anything that made a lick of sense."

Karni will follow what the others are doing.

Hanalee accompanies Alric to check on poor Mal. "It was strange...I had this feeling like I wasn't myself. Thoughts that weren't mine, like Feather and Karnath were out to get me." She shakes her head and kicks the dirt.

"Never felt that way before, and never want to again!"

Base of the Sharp Slope, East & down-mountain of the New Graveyard. The Forgotten Claim Terrace

11:50 AM

OOC: I am assuming this party has been following Alric to help his friend Mal down the slope. If you are not, let me know ASAP.

Going down the sharp slope you all take it nice and slow, and even still there's a few heart-skipping skids. No one hurt, but definitely difficult terrain. Caden & Alric would feel astonishment at how fast they cleared this at such speed. Among Hanalee & Karnath, an unnerving thought of this slope and that race passes.

A notion that one is heading down and away from civilization pervades, the nature here seems less molested. Feels you're not just beyond the fringes of a cemetery, but on a bucolic, forgotten ledge of nature, just down-mountain. It seems a narrower ridge, averaging 100'~150', not immediately visibly connected to any more easy down-mountain access.

'Isolated' is a word that comes to mind.

Oh my, there's poor loyal Mal! Eyes wide open, small bits of froth as the animal is visibly breathing partially through its mouth, as from hyperventilation from fear or shock. Stiff as can be, not even a flinch or whimper as his master Alric returns. Bits of brush, and the pair of bone debris Alric collected, are nearby — the scene is heartbreaking.

Alric strokes Mal's fur not sure what he can do to help. "What could it be?"

Rolled animal handling with a mighty 2 + 4 so 6. So I know diddly

Alric

Mal's breathing calms, a shade so subtle only a long relationship like yours can tell. Your presence must comfort him amid his sheer panic. He's not alone.

Rest of Party

It's heartbreaking, your friend petting his dog who looks like in the last frightful stages of something just horrible. Rabies? Lockjaw? No, doesn't look like those familiar horrible diseases...

OOC: What does anyone do?

Alric nods his head in prayer as he continues petting Mal. Not sure what to do but beseech the great spirits to intervene

Hanalee is deeply affected seeing the dog lying so still and scared. She pats him on the shoulder gently and examines him, trying to remember what she did when her old master's dog would have seizures...what could the problem be?

(OOC: Rolled 13 total for Animal Handling, 12+1 from Hana's background)

Karnath

OOC: Your Medicine is just so high, it is obvious passively.
That larger bone next to Mal is a fragment of a human forearm bone. It's unmistakeable, even from here. What in the name of the celestial order is Alric and his dog doing with that?
--------------

Hanalee

Mal blows out his exhalation through his mouth a bit slower. Dogs don't normally breathe all that easily through their mouth, so it usually looks alarming. But Mal seems to be less panicked, which is good sign because you've seen humans and animals die from shock.

However, that's no seizure you've seen, that's outright stiff like a corpse! If it wasn't for the breathing... And it ain't rabies, or lockjaw; seen those horrible things, too.

This is beyond relating to the animal and calming it down. Someone knowledgeable about Nature or Medicine is necessary. You're wracking your brain about any local history stories that might even relate.

Bright Feather breaks out of her contentment...."Karni that bone doesn't look like it came from any animal what say you? C'mon Karni medicine isn't my thing but observation is"!

Quote from: Marleycat;791881Bright Feather breaks out of her contentment...."Karni that bone doesn't look like it came from any animal what say you? C'mon Karni medicine isn't my thing but observation is"!

Karni, drained, all cut up, squints at the bone, "uh, what do you think it's from?"

OOC: kee-rist, some of you have crazy high skills.

Bright Feather

That smaller bone, a fragment really, has been cut & shaped. And twined with a lone strand of hair, and rubbed with not completely random blotches of blood, how unnerving. It's not that it is noticeable detail from here to the untrained eye, but you can recognize worked bone for Arcane purposes.

That's a charm of some sort, a fetish — perhaps a consumable spell charge? Yet what did it store? And why in the bosom of Mother Bear's hibernation den would Alric have something like that?

You haven't taken him to be the type to dabble in the arcane. Historically and religiously you know body part components, like bone, blood, and hair, are powerful magical foci — and often morally dangerous. Alric seemed more upstanding than that. What is he trying to pull, or how ignorant is he of what he's leaving in plain sight?
---------

Caden

You've rather bonded with your little buddy over such a short while. Eats at you that you don't have much of a plan besides getting the rest of the group and hope they figure something out. You prefer being more prepared than this.

So, well, here you are. Waiting. Hmm. But after the craziness of the recent past, how much do you feel you can nudge your friends into doing something, anything, that might help?
----------

Karnath

You likely still feel raw and exposed. Might be woozy from the recent sacred bloodletting, too. Additional surprises, like that human bone chew toy, is really not helping you calm down and bond with your teammates. A calming moment of clarity would be nice.

Is someone or something out there taking advantage of poor, faithful Karnath? Great Goddess will provide, but is this a string of more tests, hidden with meaning? Or must be under the oppressive reach of the foul and mysterious underworld...
-----------

Hanalee

Oh, hey! Strange tracks around that nearby bush. Wonder if Alric already saw it. Something scurried around, went inside, then never came back out. Other different animal tracks did the same thing. But looking at it now it is as peaceful and as empty as can be, and it should be obviously full of critters. What a mystery!
------------

Alric

Ah, Hanalee is looking at that bush, the one which Mal made a fool out of you. It was interesting, but you were rather focused on waiting like a good hunter, so you didn't make much sense of it last time. Maybe you could have Hanalee give you a fresh perspective helping to make sense of it.

Or you could relate that funny story of Mal & that bush, now in retrospect as your buddy is in such distress. Things are a bit of a downer now. That tale might cheer all of you up in this maybe.... your last... shared moments.

Goodness, there's a lump in your throat. Telling that story might expose your heart on your sleeve to your new friends a little more than you're ready. Just hope your voice doesn't crack. Maybe it is too soon for story time.


What do you all do? Any priorities? Time will keep on ticking.

Alric noticing the attention everyone is giving to various things nearby thinks, he must have faith in his friends. Still stroking Mal to help in anyway it might.

"When you left to take the girl and child I came down looking for what might have caused her "illness". Mal snarled at that plant there and having heard legends and night fire tales of living plants I hacked the hell out of it." Alric gets quiet, a blush crossing his face "Embarrassing as hell standing there like a simpleton, sword in my hand, Plant defeated."

"Then we came further down here where I found the den I was watching. The bone came from there. I think Mal gnawed on it and spit it out. I think whatever it is, is in the den. And I sure as hell was not going in alone."

"Looks like animal trails disappeared into the plant."

OOC: At this point I expect you to talk amongst yourselves to figure out something to do. I'll wait. Picking up Mal and walking away together is also an option...