Redwall MUCK Forum

Because my road-trip was poorly timed and I'm not able to be on much during this, I offer up an idea contribution!

For contests, using the +roll-dice command can make things more interesting. It might be fun to have a javelin-throwing competition with the following mechanics:

Two lines are drawn in the sand - a start and an end point, approximately 50 - 100 feet away.

At the start of every round, players type "+roll-dice 1d20"; the number they get is the number of feet that their javelin goes. It is up to them to determine the circumstances that resulted in that number.

The players run to where their javelin has fallen and throw it from that point. The first player to reach the "end" line is the winner (i.e. the first player whose dice rolls add up to the decided end point). So if it is decided that 50 is the winning number, the first one to get to 50 wins.

I'm happy to run this if I'm able to get wifi and be around! But I can't promise anything.

Plans, Plants, and a Pain in the Neck
Ft. Lothar, Elbio, and Jinora as GM/Yerna
Location: Nova's Hall

--                    Nova's Hall- Garden Passage                       --
A long curved passageway stretches out in front of you leading towards the outside. The gardens of the hall lie in that direction, the tinkling sound of a waterfall can be heard echoing gently down the corridor. Gardens maintained by some of the best slaves the Hall has to offer. It really is well worth a visit to any visitors and various members of the Hall itself can usually be found enjoying themselves amidst the gardens.
In the opposite direction the passage leads to the Merchants Center, a cacophony of noise and voices drift along the passage during the day but silence holds sway during the later hours of the day as the merchants close up shop. About half way along the passage another corridor leads off to the right into an underground lake for the residents to use for water, swimming, all of course at their own risk.
--

"See less and less these days." Yerna sighs, though her voice remains a whisper. "Thanks t'you lot. Gotta hand it to ya, woulda taken me seasons longer if I kept pluggin' on me own. This way." She is leading her companions down a long tunnel with a small smile. "Ye'll enjoy this, but... S'also part of m'headache." Sunlight suddenly floods their vision as Yerna leads them... Outside? A giant opening in the roof of the cave has allowed a massive, circular garden. "Guess th'vermin that lived 'ere before had /some/ asthetics. Some of th'foods even good, still." A soft growl sounds, and she sighs, reaching for a pickaxe at her belt.

Elbio follows, he always has his longbow and a pickax at ready, and his dagger" Its nice..."He frowns at the growl"Thats....not good"

Lothar is not limping now but he is walking a little slow as he frowns at the sound and rolls his eyes "Need ta be..even less around, things are getting..annoying."His arm is bandaged but it's hidden under his shirt, above the elbow.He pats his blade and pick ax. "Well ready if need be"

"Yeah, nice." Yerna sighs, waving a paw at the two males as she crouches down and creeps forward. A bush rustles, the flowers on it - persisting long past the sanity of those that once tended them - swaying in the light. She lunges forward without a sound, and plunges her pickaxe into it - a spitting hiss of pain and then nothing. "Jus' a rat." She sighs as if it is nothing, peering at the body. "We should see if there are any more. Spread out an' look."

Elbio nods as he looks around, being careful and alert for danger,he has also learned lately being quiet can be good.
Lothar sighs as he gets his ax and glaces around slowly as he moves."Pity...this place likely once was very lovely to be in"

Turning towards Elbio, Yerna stares at him with that cold, hard expression of hers for a long moment. "Do y'know what 'spread out' means?" She hisses, rolling her eyes as she creeps away from the other two. She rounds a boulder and begins to pick her way through the lines of rose bushes.

Elbio frowns and backs away and heads to another area of the  garden, near the waterfall as he carefully listens and uses the ax to move a vine here and there, move a vine and leap back.Move a vine..leap back just in case.

Lothar shakes his head and sighs, he has a headache and no clue why, maybe its just this stupid garden as he is on the far side of the room near what may be or use to be flowers of some sort.He is alert but he could be more alert than he is.

It's just a vine... Just a vine... Just a vine - Elbio's ax bumps into something a little softer than the other vines. Something that snarls and turns, it's fur mangy and green as the wall of vines, crusted with moss and algae from its time spent in this damp space. It's a ferret that turns towards the hare, saliva dripping from an open, maw.
As Lothar strolls near the flowers, a twig snaps beneath his paw. There is a moments pause - perhaps the lapse in the quiet went unnoticed - but a paw suddenly juts out of the bushes, claws raking at the air near his foot.
Elbio screams and jumps back barely misses a likely snap of the jaw as he goes to slam down the pick axe at the ferret!He stays very alert now.

Lothar spins around and almost tumbles as he glares at the  beast and goes to stab it's paw and moves backwards, swinging the pick ax as well for good measure!

The ferrets jaws close on only air, but the scream seems to enrage him. He rushes towards Elbio! It catches Yerna's attention, too, and the female hare whirls around, pickaxes at the ready, and charges to Elbio's aid. But on the way? She sees movement where Lothar stands, and she groans - but the younger hare takes priority. She slams into the ferret's side before it can descend on the hare, and it stumbles to the ground, giving him an opening. Lothar isn't as lucky, as a large rat rushes him at the ground on all fours, leaping forward with claws outstretched!

Elbio gains some courage and goes to slam the pick ax down again towards the ferret.He is focused and paying attention to the ferret.

Lothar sidesteps the rat and goes to kick at the rat and flicks his knife at it, ok he is getting the idea stop trying to save the knofes he can lose this one already.The claws do mess up his boot but doesnt tear all the way into it, he is lucky.He pants a little as he sidesteps the rat again.

The ferret tries to scramble away from Elbio, but lets out an enraged screech as the pickaxe digs into his arm. The dirty, green streaks through his fur glisten as he manages to make it to his feet and let's out a crazed roar! The rat is having a hard time getting a lock onto Lothar, and his eyes grow wide with crazed frustration. Swipe! Swipe! It screeches and runs forward, arms outstretched. Yerna runs towards the wall of vines in an attempt to flank the ferret, weapons at the ready.

Elbio backs up and swings the pick ax again at the ferret, he sidesteps once just barely and breaths a sigh of relief. He is getting better at this fighting, though a bad way to gain soem skills.

Lothar galres at the rat and mutters something before he swings the axe again and seems to make an insane move to grab the rat's throat, if he does so he will slam it into the wall a couple times, if not he will just  swing the axe at it a 2nd time.His arm starts hurting some with movement, he pays it little mind right now.

The ferret swipes at Yerna, forcing her to take a step back, and rushes Elbio. It leaps, making it past the female's defenses in an attempt to sink its claws into his chest and knock the hare down. The rat is caught in Lothar's grasp and it continues to screech, the sounds coming out as wheezes and hisses, legs kicking as the air is stolen from its lungs. It is bashed against the wall once, twice, and slides down towards the floor, leaving a streak of blood. Its feet twitch slightly, tongue lolling. If it is alive, it is only barely so.

Elbio moves back and swings his pick ax again trying to not panic at the fact he is having a hard time getting the ferret to just die already.

Lothar breaths in and out and slams the pickaxe down, buries its point into the rat, and snorts as he moves away from it and looks over at the Ferret, yanks the knife from the rat and flicks it at the ferret's back! Ok he seems a bit..grumpy right now.Pick ax in paw he is ready  to hit anything else.

The ferret's rush at Elbio isn't calculated or strategic, and his pickax grazes across his muzzle, sending him spinning to the side, a chunk of flesh torn from his face. He snarls in rage, but doesn't seem too pained, as he stumbles on all fours to the side - where he meets Lothar's knife. It screams again, and Yerna rushes forward to swing her own pickaxe into it. She aims for the head, but it twists and she only meets the flesh of its shoulders as it continues to drag itself towards Elbio!

Elbio backs up and ok he is close enough to not hit anyone but that ferret, he quickly picks an arrow and fires it at the ferret as he backs up more and almost into a wall. But stays alert still.

Lothar shakes his head as he grumbles "This thing needs to die already like what the heck!" He has his pick axe at ready, ready to help it needed.

The arrow pierces through the ferret's eye, and with a snarl still on its bloodied face, it falls to the ground, dead. "Well." Yerna sighs, stooping to wipe the gore off of her pickaxes. "That makes three less..." She frowns at the ground for a moment, her expression unreadable. "You lot aren't entirely useless... I... Had an idea." She slumps to a seat on a boulder, crossing her arms. "Put an end t'this."

Elbio nods, course he is still alert"They all need dead so the bats are safe and never have to be in fear anymore"

Lothar nods frowns "You thought we were..useless at first?" He shakes his head and walks closer to them "We are helping ya you know"

"Get yer ears out yer scut an listen', will ya?" Yerna frowns at Lothar. She pauses as she looks at him, her eyes narrowing a fraction, but she doesn't say anything more. "I want t'try an'collapse th'lower tunnels. Keep 'em low, an' let 'em starve t'death down there. Just leaves us what's left up above t'deal with, an' then we're... Done. Free." There is another pause - that is a foreign thought to her. What would life even be /like/ without this... Purpose? Her muzzle twitches into an almost imperceptible frown.

Elbio smiles at teh idea "And the bats would be safe..won't that be good Lothar..our friends safe and there is places the tunnels could..collapse, so when?"

Lothar sighs as he rubs his arm and leans agasist the wall, he looks tried and rubs his forehead a little as he listens, "Ok the less..the better then, then we can leave this  place.."

"I'll need everyone's help." She nods, her expression as stony as ever. "Get back t'camp, I'll be there in... In a bit." She swallows, exhaling a long, deep breath. Her gaze lingers on Lothar. "An' you... Look like y'need th'rest." She adds before turning away from her companions and moving towards the pool of water. Their little group may pull this off, after all... If they can keep it together.

Elbio nods and frowns "Ya sure?" He asks the haremaid, he doesnt want her to be hurt, he decides to go ahead and head to camp like told, she has been here longer than they have.."Come on Lothar...lets go."

Lothar frowns as he looks at the ground and blinks , looking at the younger hare "Huh...oh..yeah.."And a rat shows up, he just swings the pickax at it and it dies when its hit in the throat, he yanks the pick axe out"4 less...ya welcome...." Then he slowly follows the other hare to base camp.

I am doing a small experiment with this plot: while our heroes remain in Nova's Hall, I have created a number of RP Prompts, which I have since hidden around the many rooms of this Mountain locale. Prompts contain either a simple statement to fuel a scene, or contain a set to start everything off - these are not GM'd scenes! These are for the players to find and use as they please. If this works out, this is a dynamic that I will configure into more TPs moving forward.

Keep it real,
Lutea

In the Below, Part One
Ft. Elbio, Lothar, Adrian, Monty, and Jinora as GM
Location: Within the Mountains

Bat Mountpit - Mushroom Cave
You step out into a cave that, while significantly smaller that the gallery caverns, is still very spacious. The first thing that hits you, long before your eyes adjust to the dimness, if an incredibly strong fungal odour. As ones eyes adjust - for there are very few glowworms in here, providing only the faintest of lights - it is rather astonishing to see its contents. The entire cavern, the walls, floor and ceiling, is covered in mushrooms. All different sorts of mushrooms. Big ones, small ones, white ones, brown ones, gray ones but all, to one with such knowledge, edible. After a moments thought, you realize there would be little else in the way of food that could be grown down underground.

When the Long Patrol hares arrive in the mushroom caves as they were instructed to do, Yerna is waiting. Elbio has met her already, and to him she offers a curt nod. To the others? "This is it, then?" She asks, eyeing the hares over and then giving a shrug. "Well. Ye'll need these -" She gestures to a bundle of pickaxes that lay in a rusty clutter atop a rock. "An' extra rope, jus' in case. Th'bats gave you torches, aye?" They did - the hares were all provided with bulging backpacks full of spelunking supplies before they made the journey down to the mushroom caves. "Follow me." Yerna isn't one for conversation, it seems, and without waiting for responses or introductions, she squeezes through a crack in the cave's wall and disappears from view.

Elbio smiles as he goes to follow "See I told ya all she was nice...well sort of nice...she seems nice and...lets go" He catches up to her, good grief he is...he needs work on his words sometimes.
Lothar chuckles a little and goes to carefully follow, where he has no clue but its likely they stay close as he frowns a little, they have supplies at least for what ever this is leading them, for now he is quiet.Let others ask questions he decides.

Adrian has largely recovered from his fight with the hawks less than a week ago, though were he still at Salamandastron, the healer would likely have insisted he got a few more days rest. His chest is pretty heavily bandaged, and it's also apparent he's still got pain on his left side where his ribs were cracked, but the Corporal has decided to grit his teeth and bear with it. "'Seems nice.' 'Seems nice,' 'e says... I mean... Tha's a glowin' recommendation if I evah 'eard one, wot. C'mon... Let's find out wot this is about... 'M damn keen ta get out o' this bloody mountain, wot..."

Monty had been a hare of few words ever since recovering from his own injuries, and he'd spent a majority of said time by himself. The fight with the hawks had weighed heavily upon him for one reason or another, and as he finally appears to join the others, his expression is a blank and generally unreadable one. Carrying his pack over a shoulder, he gives Yerna a firm nod as she gives them instruction. Giving a glance over at Adrian and the others, he nods a little, before wordlessly grabbing a pickax and moving to follow Yerna into wherever it is she had disappeared.

'Super nice' Yerna leads the hares through the crack in the wall, never turning around to see if they are following - not that she could if she decided to. It's far too tight for that; the walls press against them as they walk through. They grow closer together, and soon they are crouched - and then crawling. And still the walls press closer. And /closer/ - and it feels as if they will never breathe again, they will never move freely again, there could never be an end to this - they are going to die pressed between the rocks, crushed by the weight of the mountain atop them and around them and -
Then they are free. The tunnel opens to a spire of rock and earth, and they can breathe fresh air where it whistles through the cracks and windows in the stone walls. There are torches that hang from sconces, but they are all rotted and cobwebbed, cold and lifeless. Yerna waits for them in this room, looking bored and a little dusty.

Elbio seems glad to be free "I'm alive, aia live....I can breath,I think I almost died but I keep going and going and we are...where is here?" He looks around the large room curious."Whoa.."
Lothar grunts what is all this, was this even a good plan but he decides to just relax best he can and then sort of stumbles out and shakes his head "Was that path....really needed lass?" He dusts off and frowns.

Adrian has to stop and lean against the wall once he gets through. It is readily apparent that the extremely tight squeeze put undue pressure on his still-healing ribs and the pain was excruciating. "I...second wot 'e said... Bit tight... Gotta be anothah way out..."

Monty didn't have nearly as much trouble getting through the tight section being that he was a little on the smaller side. It wasn't exactly easy, however, and his own injuries were jostled just a little. "Complainin' about it's not gonna make th'path wider on th'way back, lads..." he mutters as he passes, heading towards the front of the group and towards wherever it was they would be going. He eyes Yerna for a moment or two. "Ready to go. Let's go whatever it is we're here t'do..."

As soon as they are out and start talking, Yerna holds a finger to her muzzle, not seeming very sympathetic to their complaints. "Used t'be called Nova's Hall." She whispers with a glare, motioning for the hares to follow her as she slinks towards the stairs, her posture noticeably stiffer and more cautious. . There are strange instruments that seem to re-direct the daylight down the tunnels, providing them with light to travel down, down, down... And somewhere, echoing through the tunnels and caverns, there is an otherwordly, chilling screech. Yerna pulls one of the pickaxes from her belt. They are led down the staircase, creeping quietly in the light that the engineers of this forgotten realm designed. Further down the stairs, there are shadows - long and drawn across the stone walls, hunched but stretched, twitching in a way that doesn't seem... Right. Yerna gestures towards the shadows with her pickaxe, her grip tightening as she crouches a little lower. "Don't -" She whispers, her voice hardly audible. "- Let them bite ye'."

Elbio frowns "Bite"He whispers and decides to not ask further, he decides to be serious quiet and just follow the haremaid closely to not get lost here, where ever here is.

Lothar nods as he quietly follows her, staying alert while they travel. he just wants to get out of this strsnge mountain soon as he can.

Adrian would very much dispute Elbio's assertion that Yerna seems nice. Shady and suspicious is more like it. Indeed, he's kicking himself mentally that he just blithely allowed everybody to get into whatever this mess is. He is the superior here, after all. Perhaps he was just feeling overly charitable after saving baby bats from certain death. Gripping his pickaxe, he reminds himself not to visit anymore mountains for the next several weeks.

Monty continues to follow after Yerna, the hare still not exactly being what one would call 'talkative'. He knows that he has to focus on the business at hand, and there was no time for any other nonsense. Gripping the pickaxe he is holding with a paw, he pauses upon hearing that screech. Taking a glance back at the others, the hare puts a paw to his muzzle. "Shhh." Turning attention back to Yerna, he merely waits for her to instruct what they should do next. "Just let em try," he mutters, about being bitten.

Yerna creeps along the wall leading them down the stairs. Closer to the shadows - they can hear labored breathing, soft growls... They don't sound friendly. The hare holds up a paw for them to pause as the shadows slink closer, growing smaller as they approach. It's obvious that they are right around the corner, when Yerna leaps from around the corner and with a wet 'squealch' buries her pickaxe into the back of a stoat's head. There are three others that spin around, snarling wordlessly, and charge.
The beasts are just... Wrong. A weasel and two rats remain, Foam dripping from their muzzles, their eyes red, bodies thin and gaunt. Their teeth and claws are overgrown, their fur patched and dirty - they roar and growl and lumber at whatever they see move.

Elbio eyes widely and acts fast! He selects an arrow an aims, fires at one of those things! What ever one is closer!And after fireing that arrow he will quickly get another arrow ready!

Lothar backs up a little and has his couple throwing daggers, and his short sword still, if he loses a dagger thats fine.He narrows his eyes and ..well something is wrong with these beasts thats for sure, he flicks one of his daggers at a rat and grips the pickaxe he has.He can usethe other blades later if needed.

Adrian might have known to expect something like this. These sorts of expeditions never end in bloody teatime, after all. As the feral-looking vermin charge the group, he readies his...pickaxe. Will do some damage, but he's much more suited to the rapier. Still, he smashes a weasel in the forehead, and he goes down with a crazed, slavering expression on its face. "When I get outta this damn mountain, it won't be soon enough..."

Monty for one reason or another doesn't really flinch as the strange beasts come into view. He watches as Yarna leaps after one of them and buries her axe in its head. Taking the cue from her, the young hare turns his attention to one of the rats. Hefting his own axe, he runs forward and aims to bury it in the chest of said rat before hopping back...hopefully in time before the creature is able to counterattack.

The weasel Adrian felled lies twitching on the floor for a moment before he goes still. Yerna throws her paws over her head as an arrow goes zipping past, and she turns a glare on Elbio - they are in a tunnel, after all. "Careful!" She hisses, spinning out of the way of the second rat as they try to snap at her. With her evading, the rat instead focuses its crazed attention on Elbio and rushes him - teeth bared! Monty's rat lets out a shriek as it tries to stumble backwards, avoiding a pickaxe to the head... And taking it to the stomach instead.

Elbio eeks and, ok ok think, think..he has his pick axe yes and goes to slam it into the oncoming rat, also staying alert and quick on his footpaws to sidesteps to best avoid any attcks from the rat.

Lothar holds his pickaxe and snorts "I..hate this place, this is not my idea of a plesent get outta here"

NH: Spire- Upper Level
--                   Nova's Hall- Spire: Upper Level                    --
This Corridor is cold, much colder then the rest of the Hall's caverns and passageways. A biting cold wind seems to at times blow gently along it as cracks and holes drilled in to the walls let in shafts of light here and there but also let in the bitterly cold mountain weather.
The torches in this passageway sputter and stream gently in the frosty breeze from outside and what little light they give seems inadequate against the biting cold but the holes for the light all appear to be carefully positioned to aim light at large brass disks around the room, providing a better source of light during the day and taking that light down to the lower levels.

Adrian pauses only long enough to retrieve his axe, before he takes aim at another rat, swinging with both paws. He's well aware that he's not fully recovered yet, and he's not exactly keen on getting himself injured any further, so he hangs back just a bit, letting Monty take most of the lead. "I don't suppose ya c'n tell us exactly *why* these beasts are actin' all mindless, marm?" If he didn't know any better, he'd almost think it was the Bloodwrath, but this seems far more extreme than any case of that he's seen before.

And take care of it, he is more than willing to do. Monty releases the handle to the pickaxe as he feels it striking home. It wasn't the area he'd been aiming for, but it worked well enough. He quickly draws his short sword as the rat stumbles backwards, his expression as serious as its ever been as he leaps at the injured rat. He attempts to stab downward at the rat's neck with his blade, aiming to try and put the creature out of its misery.

Jaws open wide, the rat's over-long, yellowing incisors glisten wetly in the strange lighting, ready to clamp down on Elbio's face - and then with a 'hrk!' he freezes. Slowly, the rat slumps to the ground, Elbio's pickaxe still stuck in the side of his head. Monty's rat is dispatched of cleanly, and with the beasts dead, Yerna stoops to wipe her pickaxe off on the weasle's tattered vest. "These're th'Others." She whispers in reply to Adrian, ears twisting this way and that, trying to catch any more sneaking up on the group. "Aren't many left now, bu' if just one makes it up to th'bats, whatever demons it is posessin' 'em cin spread." She doesn't seem to heed the continued complaints from the Long Patrol hares, and straightens. "If I cin clear 'em out once an' for all..." She continues, her voice still low. "Th'bats'll be safe, an' I cin move on." It's the most she's spoken since meeting the hares, but it seems that the moment has passed quickly. She turns and continues to creep down the tunnel, sloping ever downward. Something clatters further down the tunnel and out of sight, and she freezes. "I'll explain more when we get to m'safe place."

--                   Nova's Hall- Spire: Third Level                    --
The stairs continue round and round in a spiral though there is a little space for a guard to stand sometimes. Open windows with no glass in them have been carved in to the walls of the spire and looking out of them reveals the spire stands in the middle of a huge cavern lit by oil torches or reflective disks which can be seen around the cavern walls. Buildings fill the cavern floor of various styles and sizes, some carved in to the cave edges, some made of wood or stone bricks.

Elbio frowns as he listens, they can't let that happen, they have to help her get rid of these...things, these cretures that are, well clearly insane.He just slightly nods and seems even more serious now, he will NOT let this get to his friend, his bat friend is up there and needs to be safe and sound and not worry.He is ready.
Lothar nods, he will not ask how many he will just follow and keep his eyes and ears open for sounds, for movement of any sort.

Adrian frowns, and wonders why the bats neglected to mention the crazy beasts in the basement. Barrel of fun the bats are turning out to be. "Ehhh... Right-o. Onwahd..." He picks up his axe, wincing again as the pain in his side flares up. He'll be glad when those ribs of his are fully healed.

Monty had simply resheathed his blade after cleaning it off on the body of the fallen rat. Retrieving the pickaxe from the rat's body, he hefts it on a shoulder as he follows after the others, curious as to what might follow next. He pauses a moment to make sure Adrian is alright, before he turns back to follow the hare that is leading them on this unusual journey.

The stairs continue to spiral downwards; if they are attacked here, it will be a tight and dangerous scuffle. But they manage to slink further without another attack. For now. Every now and then, a bone can be seen on the stairs; a skull here, a femur there - scattered carelessly. Yerna ignores them. She pauses by one of the windows in the spire and motions for the hares to look through, offering them a better idea of where they are... It looks as if the entire mountain has been hollowed out into a grandiose keep. Clearly, this was once a bustling hold - but now? In the distance, far below them, movement can be detected. Every once in awhile, two shuffling beasts will attack each other, using only their claws and their teeth. Yerna shakes her head. "I know this was once called 'Nova's Hall'." She whispers. "A vermin cult 'at messed wi' forces they shouldn't've. S'best they be put out of their misery 'fore they figure a way o-" A snarl, too close for comfort, can be heard about ten feet further down the spiral stairs, just out of sight.

Elbio nods, he grips his pickaxe and is ready to strike with all his might when needed.Maybe the beasts will enjure each so there is that to help fight them.

Lothar whispers "Then we stop em lass...."He nods and backs up slightly, well looks like another battle is about to begin,he seems to debate on useing a throwing dagger, no it will wait.

Adrian listens carefully, and frowns. If he didn't know any better, he could almost swear the crazed beasts look almost diseased... He's no healer, but the possibility of some sort of unknown sickness is distinctly unsettling. "'Ow many would ya wagah are out there, Mont? While I agree we need ta cleah this out, I'm not sure wot us five c'n do against potentially 'undreds of insane beasts..."

Monty glances to Adrian and gives him a look, before he shakes his head. "...honestly, Adj, I have no idea. But we're in it this deep so far, looks like there's no turnin' back now..." He turns back to stand beside Yerna, and he looks to her for a moment or two. "So, what is it exactly we can do at this point?" He takes a look out the window, a frown upon his muzzle.

Another rat slowly lumbers into view, his eyes as dead and expression as feral as the other beasts they've seen. It freezes when it spies the hares, head jerking from beast to beast, before it throws itself at Lothar with a scream. If anyone is still paying attention to the view outside the spire, they will notice a few of the other beasts below start to run towards the sound of this new noise... They need to move fast! "I hope ye cin climb!" Yerna growls, partly answering Monty's question, not bothering to keep her voice as low - they know they're there, now. Luckily, the glimpse out the cavern window showed only a dozen beasts, no more than fifteen, all scattered and shuffling aimlessly through the stone hall.

Elbio frowns and quickly decides weather he can use his longbow "Arrows?" He asks and gaps as one gets a little too close to them.

Lothar backs up and swings his axe forwards at the cretur thats coming at him, yep he is likely to hit that insane beast fairly well and speaks "Lets do this"

Adrian can most certainly climb, and climb he does, retreating up the stairs backward. "If this is a gambit to lure those madbeasts up th' stairs ta pick off at our leisure, I 'eartily approve, wot... An' no arrows, Elbio... This space is entirely too enclosed... That's an ordah."

With the rat felled, Yerna is running down the stairs, her pickaxe at the ready and her teeth gritted. "Follow me!" She calls, running ahead. "We don't want them going up the stairs, there are too many ways out!" If following Yerna further down, they will continue to spiral downward for several stories. The crazed vermin can be heard ahead of them and approaching fast - as a weasel rounds one curve, she buries her pickaxe into its temple and keeps running, dragging it a solid foot before managing to shake it off her weapon. Another pair of rats are quick after it, and Yerna ducks, pressing herself to the wall as they barely miss her with their claws. This means that the pair are going to be an issue for the beasts behind her!

--                   Nova's Hall- Merchant Center                       --
Around you stands a vast cavern, the sides stretch far off in each direction and the ceiling has been lost into the gloom. Despite it's size it is well light and in the waking hours usually very busy with the merchants that visit and live at the Hall all coming here to sell their goods and to buy others. The lighting consists of many fish oil torches around the walls which burn during the night, in the day time however sun light can be seen in this cavern as large highly polished copper dishes reflect it around the area from the tall central rock spire which has been left in the middle of the cavern when it was hollowed out.
The central spire gives the impression of an ancient stalagmite and stalactite that met halfway up as it seems to be thinner in the middle, all the way up it though windows have been calved to show the staircase that has been cut though it's middle. About a third of the way up though the biggest of the windows a large bell can be seen, this is used to call gatherings and to warn against danger. Around the spire several raised beds of various plants can be seen surrounding a ring of water which encircles the spire, made by water that runs down the rock from far above.
Beyond this small garden area is the more permanent of the merchants selling points, a few pubs and shops arranged in a circle, some made from wood, more made from stone though, three gaps in the circle let others have access to the spire. Further out it is a little less organized, permanent shops as well as several temporary stalls have been set up around the place, all trying to get the attention of buyers.
A number of passages lead off from this cavern, one to the merchants homes, if they don't live in their shop, another more dismal looking one leads to the cells where the slaves are kept, another passage leads outside to the gardens of the Hall while another much grander passage appears blocked by a large set of doors and leads to the Nova's cavern.

Elbio frowns and just follows, he gasps as a rat barely misses him and he slams his pickaxe into the rat, killing it easyly. He angles the axe to get ready to hit another one "They will not get to my friend!"

Lothar frowns and sidesteps one insane beast, was it a weasel or a ferret, who cares "Have a gift!" He stabs his dagger into it's chest and frowns as he backs away from another beast "Yeah ya friend can keep me dagger, thats fine...he swings his axe at the rat aiming to behead it!

Adrian lets the others take on most of the vermin, as he provides cleanup for and beasts that get by, swinging his axe with expert precision, taking down a pathetic stoat and a rat in quick succession. "I suppose it goes wi'out sayin', but I don't suggest you lot get any o' their blood on ya... I 'ave mah suspicion they may be infected wi' somethin'!"

They are forced to dispatch of beasts left and right as they make their way down the tight stairs. As soon as they clamber free of the stairs, Yerna spins to the left and rushes to one of the cavernous walls of the mighty keep they now find themselves in. She is moving quietly again, or as quietly as she can, as she runs and takes a leap, pulling her second pickaxe from her belt. She buries both into the stone with a metallic 'DING', that will certainly turn some heads. A distant grunt announces that that, at least, was heard. "/Quickly/." She urges the hares, her voice a soft hiss as she begins to climb, planting her feet against the rock wall, yanking one pickaxe loose, and burying it a little higher in the wall only to repeat the motion. It is incredibly grueling work, and it's apparent that seasons of doing just this have hardened the hare's musculature unbelievably. Yerna is /solid/. "Quick!" If there are any beasts left on the floor, they will soon have to content with a pair of slobbering ferrets rush the group!

Elbio frowns, but dont those ferrets have to die! He whimpers and grips the axe and swings it at a ferret tahts gets to close to them.Maybe though if he climbs and they are all clinmbibf he can fire off a couple arrows, He swings a 2nd time to the ferrets.

Lothar rushes to the wall, he wouldnt argue with the idea of arrows right now, "We need ta climb....but also these things need dead remember lass!"

Adrian won't bother with trying to take down the ferrets for now, burying his axe in the wall. "Elbio... Hit those things wi' arrows... An' get up 'ere!" His climbing is unfortunately slower. He really is overexerting himself with all this, but he can hear his Father in his head, criticising him for being weak, and thus the Corporal forcers himself upward through the pain.

"I know better'n you they 'need dead'." Yerna replies over her shoulder to Lothar, breathing heavily as the climbs the wall. "Trust me, better t'climb an' take 'em unawares!" This is the only breath she seems willing to waste, though - she keeps climbing. The first ferret is taken out by Elbio's swings, and the other rushes forward to take its place, seemingly unperturbed by the death of a beast that looked... So similar to it. In another life, they may have been sisters. Snarling can be heard as a rat rounds the corner of a dilapidated vendor's stall, and once it sees Elbio it too starts charging!

Elbio screams and starts climbing like he will die if he doesn't and...yeah likely a good plan as he looks down and sees two rats well...kill each other and climbs faster, almost sliping once, yeah fire arrows from above maybe, we will see.

Lothar is climbing, having some trouble and almost slips a little as well, he slams the axe into a rats head and then gets back to climbing, it can't be too far to climb right?

Adrian pulls himself upward with grim determination. He's almost convinced now that the beasts are infected with some kind of mysterious disease, something he's never seen before. He doesn't think for a minute that the unfortunate creatures conjured up forces from beyond. "We're almost there, it looks like... A few more feet, c'mon..."
The climb is exhausting and dangerous, but it leads to a wide, flat ledge high above the dead, ruined city below them. Yerna is panting heavily when she pulls herself over and takes a moment to sit, wiping sweat from her brow. "Welcome t'camp." She whispers once everyone has made their way up and over, gesturing behind her. The ledge has been transformed into as cozy a base camp as the resources provide: there are two tents, a cooking pit, and crates of supplies littered over the space. "This is, uh, home. Not used t'guests, I'll beg y'pardon." She clears her throat and leans back against a large rock, letting her pack drop to the ground beside her. "I'll answer any of yer questions, best I can. There's a lot I dunno about th'place, but I s'pose I know it better'n most."

Elbio frowns as he makes it and looks down "Can I..fire at them with arrows, I bet I can make more arrows if needed? How many are there and..if ya were worried about them getting to the bats why...why are we still not doing something to..to finish them off?"

Lothar looks around and catches his breath "Why are ya here and how long been here? I am guess there is a way out of this place to a...well more level ground, like totally away frrom this mountain and once these things are gone a way to tell ya friends they are gone and they are safe."

Adrian leans against a rock, his chest heaving. "They're diseased, I tell ya. Badly diseased... I've nevah seen th' like, an' I'd kill ta be able ta check th' Salamandastron Library... There's plenty of ol' medical manuscripts there... One of 'em might describe this...this madness..."

"Aye, fire away. S'a nice past-time durin' the day when th'light is good." She answers Elbio. "Used t'be hundreds, but I've been 'ere... Guess 3 or 4 seasons now, been clearin' 'em out best I can. I'd say there's about fifty left, but th'place is so big. S'hard t'go room by room an' clear 'em out, 'specially when it's been just me." She waves a paw at the massive cavern to demonstrate her point. "There's more levels' than this one, just as big." At Elbio's final question, she raises an eyebrow. "What more would ye have me do?" To Lothar, she sighs. "Th'bats saved me life as a dibbun. I decided t'stay here until th'favor was repaid. Once th'last of these freaks is dead, I'd like t'move on." To Adrian, she simply shrugs. "From what I've found, th'vermin here used t'be some sort'a cult. They were messin' with things wot they shouldn't of. Maybe they got cursed fer it, maybe they're possessed, maybe just sick." She allows, nodding to Adrian. "Dunno, don't care. Jus' need 'em dead."

Elbio frowns and sits by her "I want to help...Slit is my friend I dont want these..these things hurting her and her family of bats, I am staying"Yeah..wise or unwise he is staying.

Lothar looks to Monty and Adrain and then to the haremaid and nods "He is right, we...its the long patrol way ta help others, and maybe ya can join us lass, be a long Patroler..I am sure they can surely use ya skills"

Adrian sighs a bit. He wants to leave the mountain, but he can't leave this mess. "I guess we stay. But we need ta learn more about wot we're fightin', wot. Wotevah that entails..."

"Dunno about no Long Patrol." Yerna groans, standing and stretching. "But rest long as y'need. Once night hits, goes dark as th'Dark Forest itself down 'ere. Tends t'be the better time t'catch 'em slackin', though. Long as yer quiet." She moves towards one of the tents. "Ye'll be safe up here, no need fer watches this 'igh up. Jus' don't go rollin' off th' edge in yer sleep." With that, their guide disappears inside her tent. The echo of the occasional screech or growl drifts up to the beasts on the ledge, safe as they can be in the pits of this cursed place...

6/13/2019

Elbio met the mysterious Yerna, a hare that lives in the Mountain and helps the bats of Bat Mountpit. He and Lother were told that they had three days to gather supplies before venturing into the Below - what dangers wait for the Long Patrol in the shadows of the mountain's caves?

Log found here

In the Below, Part One

While the hares have been in their care, the bats have often spoken of beasts they call 'The Others'. The Others live within the mountain, in the wide, tangled expanse of caves and ruins beneath the bat's home and, before their friend Yerna came to help them, would often find their way to Bat Mountpit and wreak havoc. Silt, the young bat maiden who took a liking to Elbio, talks of Yerna often, and has explained that she can be found in the Mushroom Caves of Bat Mountpit, where she brings supplies and news to her winged friends. Perhaps the Long Patrol should meet this Yerna, and see for themselves what dangers are lurking in the Below...

Event Date: 6/18/2019
Time: 7:30 PM EST

Only Rumors
Ft. Skylark

It is dark when the battered canoe finally sloshes into the sands of the Western Shore. For a long moment it is quiet and still, save for the seawater sloshing liberally at its bottom; it’s a miracle that the tiny vessel made it to shore at all.

And then there is movement.

The sailor is ragged and thin, her fur patchy and lips cracked and dry. She doesn’t want to believe that she’s reached land, convinced that this is just another hallucination, another dream laid out in salt and wind… But it’s not.

The mountain is there.

Slowly, the bedraggled sailor struggles to her feet. She falls, sinking into the sea water that fills the canoe, barking her elbows against the wood of the her exhausted vessel, and finally - finally stumbles free of it and into the sand. She lays there for an eternity, or so it seems. Simply breathing, simply feeling something solid and unmoving beneath her broken, ruined body. She stands.

She falls.

She stands again.

It takes the sailor hours to struggle to the docks of Halyard, alive with activity even at this hour. The lights beckon her, but when she tries to cry out, she finds that her voice is hoarse and broken from weeks of disuse and dehydration. She is lucky that an otter spies her, just as she stumbles into the light of the lanterns swinging at the docks, and he rushes forward to catch her. “Hoi, got some… Ah, gods be - HOI!” He hollers to his crew mates, and more otters rush forward to join him.

“Issa squirrel, innit? Hoi, lass, what’s yer name? What ‘appened to ya?” The sailor’s mouth moves, unable to reply, her eyes full of tears, her voice a raspy ghost of salt and fear.

“Get’er somethin’ t’drink - don’t ya know that look, Rud? She’s sea-cast she is, lookit ‘er eyes. Her furs rubbed off from th’sea - get’er a drink. We’ll bring’er to th’Tavern, get’er a room.” She was found by goodbeasts. After all the death, the red-crested waves, the long weeks alone under an unrelenting sun, the mountains of sea that threatened to swallow her with each storm - alone, herself, in a canoe… Goodbeasts.

She loses consciousness soon enough.

---

The sailor flails awake, nestled in clouds - no… It’s a bed. A real bed. The lack of motion sets her to vertigo, and the world churns within her. The otters knew her look - they knew what she would awake to… There’s a bucket there, conveniently placed, and she is ever grateful for it as she retches to wakefulness over the side of the bed. She hasn’t had anything in her stomach to lose for some time, but there is a ladle and a bowl of… She sniffs it. Broth? It’s broth - somebeast had set to filling her stomach while she slept, best they could.

Hunger.

Sunlight streams in through the open windows, and she can smell salt on the breeze, hear the bustle of a town - of /beasts/. Of families, merchants, the distant din of dock workers… Life all around her, after so much death and solitude.

There is a fresh set of clothes folded at the end of the tavern bed, and her entire body aches as she pulls herself into them. They feel foreign against her scarred and patched fur… And when she spies herself in the looking glass, she hardly recognizes the feral squirrel that squints back at her.

The unrelenting sun and sea water had taken its toll her. Pink flesh shows through the patches in her once brilliant, red fur. Below the knees, where there was rarely a dry moment, are the worst - her feet may never fully heal, and she is grateful for the pair of long trousers that were provided. At least the wound across her face hadn’t festered, but it’s left an ugly scar across one cheek, and she touches it with a wince. Her bones show at every angle, any fat stripped away by her time without rations… She barely survived, thanking the rains for the water they brought, and cursing them for the storms that threatened to drown her tiny vessel each time…

But she is here. She made it. Alive.

She has to lean against the walls as she makes her shaky way out into the hallway. The stairs… Are tricky, but she manages them eventually. She is almost brought to her knees by the sights and smells of the bustling tavern; it’s breakfast time, and the air is thick with the smell of honey and ale. She can see porridge and greensap milk steaming in bowls, globs of jams and jellies in every color imaginable heaped beside brick-thick slices of bread, plates of fish from the previous night’s catch cooked, steamed in wraps of seaweed, dried and offered on sticks, baked into pies... Ambient chatter fills the room as a low, comforting buzz, and the squirrel takes it all in with an awed, open mouth for a long moment. Her stomach rumbles, and the world threatens to turn her onto her side once more.

"Oop!" The sound of an already doting voice swoops in through the crowd of mostly-fisher working beasts looking for a hit of food before a long day.

"There you are, luff! Woz wondering if you'd eventually just decide yeh wanted tah sleep away the rest of your new chance at life, eh?" The haremaid that pops up beside her is a bright, golden sand colored doe, her cream white ears leaning forward in anticipation of the squirrels well being."Come now. Let's get you somewhere comfy where you can nip a bite, hmm?" Skylark the barmaid holds out a paw, offering support to the squirrel as she leads the dear towards a comfy booth.

"Yeh've been done fer half an hour, Aart. Scram, willya? Dun' yeh got mussels tah farm?" The grizzled old otter in the wide booth by his lonesome begins to protest, but hefting up his mug he finds it easy. Grumbling, the fisher otter heaves himself up and out of the booth. Skylark glances to the squirrel as she cleans up the table.

"Now. Wot'll it be, luff? Tea? We have honey 'n' bilberry scones.”

The squirrel is still wide-eyed, her mouth agape, as the barmaid descends upon her. She nods, dumbly, and allows herself to be swept along through the currents of the Halyard tavern, one paw always propped against a chair, a booth, a table, afraid that at any moment the ground could buckle beneath her. That she could awake, sputtering sea water, fending off another gull - but the world remains intact, and her weak legs manage to carry her in Skylark's wake to the indicated booth. She settles in, and with watery eyes, merely nods in response to the hare's questions.

Near the bar, a pair of sailors whisper to each other, nodding their way. They aren’t the only hushed voices that turn their subjects towards the squirrel.

"That's th'one, aye? That Rudd pulled off th'beach?"

"Aye, surprised she's still alive. Buy'er an ale on my tab, will ya? When 'Lark spins back this way."

“Lass looks dead on ‘er feet, bless ‘er heart. Put one’a bowl of porridge to her on our coin, Cleft.”

“That’s th’beast they found on the beach?”

“Pirates, I ‘eard. Poor thing - can’t believe she made it.”

And so on.

This, it isn't just scones on the plate when the barkeep returns. The platter set up has a whole plate of scones, still steamy hot. Along with a little tray of jams, a bowl of porridge, a slice of root pie, and a mug of tea with a dish of honey next to it. Not to mention a little plate of dried and sweetened mackerel strips for a kick of protein should she want it.

"Jus' go easy. Yeh've been through somethin' rough. No use makin' yer stomach upset. Dun' need t'eat all of it!" Skylark brushes off the apron she wears over her clothes. Her head tilts a little at the squirrelmaid. "Wot should I call yeh, luff?"

There is a long moment spent in wide-eyed wonder as the castaway sailor simply... Stares. She opens her mouth to answer, and it only comes out as a rasp, her eyes glistening as she looks in wonder between Skylark and the steaming plate... She clears her throat, rasps again, and then shakes her head and holds up a single finger; but the squirrel can't focus on manners for long, as both paws dive forward at the plate. A long moment is spent in simple gluttony, both paws clutching the tea and, finally, breathing heavily, she looks up at Skylark and a small smile breaks her muzzle.

"C- Caillte." She manages, barely a whisper, tears streaked down her red-furred cheeks.

"Thank you."

The barmaid's ears flip backwards, revealing the much more golden color that floods along the back of them. "Easy now," she cautions, but Sky's muzzle is already twisted up as if trying not to laugh. She takes it upon herself to dip a decent amount of honey into the tea and stir it in. While the girl scoffs, her ear turns back as one of the locals offers an ale.

"In a bit, mate. Dun' want the little thing losing her vittles, do we?" Sky pushes the mug of honeyed tea over and nods.

"Caillte," she repeats warmly. "Welcome to Halyard. Have some tea. It'll help that bee in your throat."

Caillte nods, slowing now to a crawl, but still unable to stop eating. She sips at the tea and sets it back on the table with a shaky 'clink' so that she can turn a small, satisfied smile up at the hare. But as she smiles at her, something behind her eyes comes loose with the clatter of a distant plate. Abruptly, she reaches towards Skylark.

"Get away from the sea." She warns, her grip desperate and her quiet, raspy voice low and intense.

"You are a good beast, get away from the s-sea, get away from the /sea/ they are /coming/ they are coming for /all/ of us -" she is getting worked up, her breath ragged. "They will come for you, they will burn /everything/ - it was red, all red, the sea was /red/ -!"

Her belly full, the squirrel, Caillte, continues to drink water (and the occasional cider and ale bought by sympathetic sailors) and the nourishment does work wonders. Her raspy, broken voice creaks out as only a whisper, but her story does finally begin to leak out into the Halyard Tavern…

Skylark is ready to turn and attend to other customers when Caillte grabs her. The hare blanches a little, ears slicked back against her skull.

"I--" she begins, watching the squirrel with a touch of fear in her eyes. "Shh, shh," she attempts to coo and calm. But dismissal? No. The barmaid places a paw to the squirrels shoulder and eases her back down.

"Dun' you worry, lass. I'll have a Long Patrol beast here t'day t'talk to you. They're good hares. Brave hares. They'll protect Halyard." The paw at Caillte's shoulder pats it softly. "An' we'll evacuate if we need, all right? No need tah panic jus' yet." Still. There is a /twinge/ of fear in Skylark's voice.

The break slowly eases from Caillte's eyes at Skylark's reassurances, her breathing slows, her grip relaxes... Slowly, she comes back to herself - what little of herself is left after her ordeal. "Yes... Right..." She nods slowly.

"S-Sorry." A small knot of beasts approach the table, giving a gentle nod to Skylark.

"Lark, we cin handle it." By their rough paws, sun-bleached fur, and hard manners it seems that they are sailors, all of them. An otter gives the barmaid a gentle smile. "We've seen 'er like before." He drops into a seat across from the squirrel.

"Tell us yer tale, sailor." He urges

And she does.

---

The ship flew two flags and took no prisoners. They were ruthless, well organized, and she swears that she heard tell of a ‘Queen’. She escaped alone, hiding in an overturned canoe until she was sure the pirates had finally abandoned the broken merchant vessel. She began to paddle West, knowing she would hit the Mist Isles eventually… Halyard, if she got lucky.

She had been slashed across the face before leaping from the doomed ship to the sea, but thanks to the sea water and a grace of good luck, her wound didn’t succumb to infection. She was weakened by the attack, made more so by the lack of rations or freshwater, but she lived. She made it - she had only a soggy length of driftwood with which to row herself but she escaped.

But the pirates… They were different… They flew two flags, the first was a white flag with a red-etched skull of some sort - it wasn’t any beast she was familiar with - but the other… Black with a pair of eyes: one gold, and one red. They were ruthless, they… Were different. It was different - they weren’t the pirates they were used to… They had fought pirates before… She keeps seeing those eyes...

---

And on her tale went. A spooked sailor, after four weeks adrift at sea following the death of her shipmates, would spout any manner of madness. Still, her story spreads: ruthless pirates, two flags, no quarter taken… Not a wholly uncommon tale at that, though, hushed voices note in the Tavern, whispered over ales: it’s one they’re hearing more often these days, is it not? Bold, these pirates. Certainly worrisome, best wishes out at sea - but did you hear that the fruit vendor raised his prices again? The knave. And the cod tonight, over salted, yeah?

The interest in her tale diminishes as the bar begins to thin, patrons returning to their own lives. The occasional beast offers the sea-cast sailor an empathetic paw - sometimes, sailors are lost. Sometimes, they are found again - she isn’t the only one, but she is of a rare breed. An otter, her face hidden by a hood, offers her shelter until she can find a new job,  or the courage (or desperation?) to return to her old one. Caillte accepts - what else is she to do?

Life in Halyard bustles on; some heads ponder a ship that flew two flags, but most sleep soundly. Pirates are not a novelty in these parts.

In Salamandastron, the Badger Lord stirs from a dream, watched by eyes that didn’t see, and Ciocan swipes a massive paw across his brow. They didn’t belong to any beast he knows - he would remember that glare: one eye gold and the other a deep, blood red.

Bat Mountpit
Ft. Adrian, Elbio, Lothar, Monty, and Jinora as GM
Location: High in the Mountains

With the whistle of strong winds, the cloud finishes its pass over the mountaintop, bathing those at the mountain's precipice in sudden clarity and light. The aggressive female hawk has slammed into the ground, an arrow sprouted from the meat of her leg, her wings curled protectively around her where she fell, and an angered scream still ripping from her throat. Another hawk has narrowly missed Monty with its talons, though his wing may yet smash into him, and the final - the hawk on the ground, guarding a recess in the stone - has jerked aside, narrowly avoiding Adrian's rapier, and now stands beside the hare, a sickening grin stretched over his beak. "Mistake, landling!" He laughs, and lunges for the hare.   

Adrian only has enough time to spot the hawk to his side, no time to counterattack, no time to anything but throw his right arm up in a defensive posture. It won't likely do much good. "Oh, da..."   

Elbio eyes go wide...whoa he hit the hawk, now what as he starts to back off, wait that could end up a very bad idea.He gulps and gets anotherarrow trying to figure out the best one to fire at, he decides to shoot the closest one!   

Lothar stays where he is and has a blade, he isnt sure which hawk to try and attck either!"Ok...best to be careful with this, very carefull" He looks for any throwing daggers, he does have a knife he uses to gut fish and flicks that at the side of the bird close to Adrian   

Monty had been paying attention to the talons, and as a result, the young hare gets nicely buffeted by the wing of the hawk. He tumbles backwards head over paws, finally coming to a stop and lying there dazedly peering up at the sky. Blinking, he sits up, paw going to his head as he does his best to recover and regain his bearings. Looking over, he sees his best friend being attacked, and this spurs him to action. He draws his sling, and grabs a nearby stone. With a quick whirl, he slings it in the direction of Adrian's attacker. "Adj, look out!" he manages to shout, at the same time not paying attention to his own attacker.   

"Tell your darkforest that you fell to Grando!" The hawk, Grando, attacking Adrian cries out as he rushes to slash at him with his talons - but instead lets out a screech of pain as Lothar catches him in the side with his dagger! Grando whirls, snapping his wings out to the sides in an attempt to buffet Lothar and Adrian. "Laika! Stand!" He calls out towards the downed female.   
The female hawk, Laika, manages to stand just as Elbio's arrow soars her way. The wind from her wings is just barely enough to throw it off target as she takes to the skies once more, barely missing her as she gains altitude.   
Finally, the last hawk - Bloodtalon - takes Monty's distraction in stride, lunging forward to snap his beak at the hare's back with a mighty screech!   

Adrian hears both Monty call out, and sees Grando gets hit with a dagger. He has the presence of mind to duck, so as not to be brained by Monty's slingstone. Crouched on the ground, he misses most of the buffeting from the bird's wings, and he takes that as an opportunity to slash away at Grando's lower body and legs with his blade.
   
Elbio frowns, who to shoot, who to shoot! He angles and aims, then fires off trying to stay clam towards Bloodtalon!   

Lothar smirks as he diestracted the hawk, course he only has his one blade now as he holds it in a defense position and takes a chance to look up to find the femal hawk as the others are most likely focusing on the two on the ground, someone has to make sure to know where the female is.   
Monty gives a satisfied nod as he notices Adrian avoiding the attack just barely, the hare even grinning a bit as his friend ducks the stone he'd flung. "Eh, sorry bout that, bucko. His head was right where yours was for a second! I...GAH!!!" he calls over, his words cut off with a shout of pain as Bloodtalon's attack strikes him in the back. His hooded cloak is likely what ends up saving his life, as the material is rather thick...though it is still torn into by the hawk's beak, the hawk penetrating through to sink his beak a little into his back. ...ohforth'loveof..." he mutters, tumbling forward and onto his face in the process from the force of the strike. That's what you get for being distracted, Monty.   

Grando screeches in rage and pain as Adrian's blade hacks into his lower torso. With Lothar's knife in his side, and the hare attacking him from below, he quickly amends his strategy, struggling to back up and put enough distance between himself and the defending hares in order to take off. "Landlings! Grando will kill!" He screams, hopping forward twice and then running forward, wings flapping as he tries to take off - charging straight at Lothar. He wants nothing to do with Adrian's weapon.   
Laika gains altitude quickly, taking this moment to retreat and regain her advanage while her companions struggle on the mountainside. Why won't the fools fly?!   
Bloodtalon, standing victoriously atop Monty, prepares to end this silly landling - and then gives a cry of shock and anger as an arrow rips a chunk of arrows from his outstretched wing. Luckily, it doesn't strike flesh, but he will be struggling to stay airborne for weeks. "You have marred Bloodtalon's plumage!" He screams at Elbio, rushing the archer and leaving Monty on the ground.   

Adrian takes advantage of Grando's retreat to back away himself, rushing over to check his friend. "Mont! Hey, you okay?" He holds out his paw toward the fallen hare, at the same time eyeing the hawks, making sure to keep aware of their surroundings. "Elbio, keep firin'! Now!"    Jun 4, 2019 at

Elbio tenses up in fear but quickly comes to his senses and takes aim, he gulps snd takes a calm breath and then fires off the arrow aiming at the bird's chest as it comes towards him!   
Lothar backs up quickly and swings his blade at the bird, going to do a quick, almost falling , side step sort of move.He may be a little bit older than the other hares but he still has a few good moves agaist these birds and he is focused and alert.   

Monty is lying facedown, the initial prognosis not a good one as the hare doesn't stir at first as Adrian approaches. The tear in his cloak is quite obvious, as is the blood beginning to seep into it from the wound he'd sustained on his back, right between the shoulderblades...but it mainly seems as if Monty had simply had the wind knocked out of him and his doing his best to recover. He finally turns his head to the side and peeks open an eye, the young hare wincing at Adrian as he holds his paw out to him. "Erf. Jus'...jus' gimme a sec, mate. Seems I got...knocked a bit loopy, I did..." he gasps, still getting his breath back. He finally accepts Adrian's help up, a frown on his muzzle as he cranes his neck back to try and see the damage. He can most definitely feel it, at least. "Yeah so...about th'baby bats...." he mutters, gaze lifting in search of them.   

Grando cries out again as Lothar gains a slashing blow against his stomach, but he has taken flight! He circles around with a cry, gaining sky, until he spins and dives towards Lothar, talons outstretched!   
For the moment, Adrian and Monty are allowed space to breathe as Bloodtalon rushes their newest party member - his eyes alight with rage and hate. His wings drum the viscious beat that sings the bloody tale of this battle, and his beak opens to strike, to clamp down on this useless landling and end him and all of his stick-throwing - and then his breath leaves him with a 'hrk'! His talons tangle within themselves as he stumbles, eyes wide in shock, until he falls with a THUD, Elbio's arrow sprouting from his chest.   
From the air, Laika cannot be seen... Maybe she has retreated? They may have gotten lucky.
   
Adrian grimaces as he spots Monty bleeding. He idly wonders how severe the wound might be. He's only got a rudimentary knowledge of first aid, so this could be iffy. "Ya look fine, mate," he lies, "Certainly jus' a bloomin' flesh wound, wot..." He shades his eyes with a paw, scanning the sky and surroundings. "The female... Where is she?" Hearing Bloodtalon fall with a thud, he smiles at Elbio, but only for a moment. "Shoot th' othah one, too!"   

Elbio is shivering as he just killed a..did he kill it? He looks slowly to Adrian.."S..S..Shoot..other..bird, hawk...I..yes sur!!" He has two arrows left and quickly aims and shoots at the other hawk on the ground!If he is gonna stay in this group it is good to listen after all   

Lothar eyes go wide "Oh bloody..."He quickly rolls to the side, but the edge of one of the talons does get his lower leg and leaves a claw mark.He yelps in pain and looks to see how bad the wound is, he does have his boot that caught some of the talon, but not all of it he still has a rather good claw mark but not deep enough to where it hit bone at least.   

Monty doesn't really FEEL fine, but...it's not as if it'd been the first time he'd been injured and it more than likely wouldn't be the last. He lifts his gaze to the sky, scanning it as well as Adrian mentions the disappearance of the female. "M'fine...had worse, mate." he mutters, shaking his head with a wince. "...good question. M'thinkin' we should use th'opportunity t'try an' find wot we're here t'find, while we can..." Taking no heed of his wound, Monty trudges forward in the direction he'd heard the baby bats crying out from a little earlier. He hadn't exactly pinpointed their location, but...he could certainly hear them well enough to get a good idea. "Keep an' eye out for th'bird, I'm gonna look for th'kiddos!" he calls back to his friend, before turning his attention to finding the young bats.   

Grando is no longer on the ground, but he is fast approaching it! He crashes into Lothar, delivering a glancing blow to the hare's leg. His wings snap open to whisk him along the ground as he shifts his momentum, moving to spin in a slow circle to come back at Lothar. He is forced to pull up, rapidly, as Elbio fires at him! He flaps upwards once more, screeching at the hares before diving once more, this time at Elbio.   
The sounds of voices had come from a recess in the mountain which, as Monty approaches it, becomes clearer. It is a nest, of sorts, but not the sort that any sane mother would make for their young - these hawk have no young of their own. Their 'nest' is a bundle of straw and cloth and knick knacks that cover a deep divet in the ground, like someone took a great spoon to the mountain's top. It is full of a manner of baubles: gold, silver, clothes, bits of painted wood, and, more distrubingly, so many bones... And something moving within all of it.   
It is now that, silently, Laika descends once more from the side of the mountain, straight for Adrian. They killed Bloodtalon! These disgusting landlings will die screaming! She will show them the meaning of fear! She will drop them from the sky, one by one, and leave them to be ruined across the rocks!   

Elbio whimpers as he treis to sidestep Grando, maybe the hawk will just crash into the ground.But he does catch movement out of the corner of his eyes and gasps, the female hakw is..is gonna kill one of his new Freinds and he selects an arrow and aims carefully and quickly fires hopeing and praying it hits the bird, a wind..a chest...neck..somewhere on the bird to make her crash!   

Adrian follows his friend, gasping as he finds the hellish "nest". Before he can inspect it further, he can hear movement, and a screech from above, and he looks up, spotting the female hawk diving toward him. He's well and truly screwed, unless he can dive out of the way, though he's backed up against a sheer rockface. There's little more he can do other than yell to his friend, "Monty! Get the bats, and get outta here!" He raises his rapier, closes his eyes, and hopes that he can at least kill Laika at the same time.   

Lothar frowns as the bird heads towars the youngest member "Kid look out!!" He looks back to the other two and frowns, well the bats were found maybe now they have to act fast as he gets his blade and tries to think fast, who to attck, well lets equal it out two agiast one bird so he attcks the one after Elbio! Leaves the other bird for Adrain and Monty.   

Monty's ears flatten against his neck as he approaches the strange 'nest' that the hawks had made. His eyes slowly scan over the various trinkets and other collected things, a frown crossing his muzzle as he notes the bones scattered about. "Bunch o'unlucky blokes if y'ask me," he mutters. "Ain't gonna be us, though, I c'n tell ya that." Finally, his eyes land upon the things moving, and he quickly scrambles across the makeshift nest, heading in that direction with intent. Upon reaching the moving things, he shifts a few things about here and there in an attempt to uncover whatever it is that might be there. With Monty currently being distracted, he was unable to warn Adrian of the incoming attack....hopefully one of his comrades was paying attention and could do something about it. His ears perk at Adrian's shout, and he shifts his gaze in that direction. "Adj!" Looking around, he finds a nice sized silver goblet, and he picks it up in a paw. He flings it as hard as he can in the direction of the hawk attacking Adrian. Not sure if it will really do anything, but...it was the only thing he could think to do in the moment. Said throw didn't really help his injury at all, as the back of his cloak is now soaked red all the way through.   

Grando twists in the air as Elbio rolls, and slams his full weight against the archer. Elbio is left to crumple, unconscious, to the ground. Standing over his prize, the hawk turns a savage grin on Lothar. "Should I eat you or this one first?" He asks, before he takes off at a hopping, flapping charge towards the dagger-wielding hare.   
Laika sees the landlings metal stick in time to veer wildly to the side, but she doesn't abandon her attack on the two hares, yet! "Mine!" She screeches as they examine her nest. "Mine, mine, mine! No take!" Moving past Monty and his metal stick, she dives for the nest and Monty. She is descending, fury and death, when Monty throws the goblet - it smacks her in the beak, sending her reeling to the side. "MINE!" She screeches again, forced to fly upwards again to avoid crashing into the rock wall Adrian is pressed against. From behind Monty that another voice squeaks out: "Dig down, down!" And a thick mash of bone and stolen goods parts to reveal a small, furry, bat dibbun. "She cannot get you if you dig, dig!"   

Lothar frowns and , he grips the blade and glares at large bird "Your do..neither, maybe your dye, that sound like a good idea!" He is brave yes, maybe a fool but he takes a chance and slices at the large bird with his blade!   

Adrian dares to open his eyes when he doesn't feel the crunch of smashed bones and the cold embrace of death. Sighing with relief, he starts to yell at Elbio to shoot Laika, but the hare in question is down for the count. Growling with annoyance, he pushes himself away from the rock face, to try and shield his friend from further attack. "Where's a bloody badgah when y' need one, wot?" Charging at the hawk, he yells again, "Private, get those bats, an' go! Lothar an' I'll try ta keep these birds distracted! That's an ordah!" He can't hear the young bats' voices over the din, unfortunately, unaware of their suggestion to dig down. "Lothar... A little 'elp 'ere!" he calls out, as he picks up a good sized rock and lobs it at Laika's head. "Once yah've dispatched that one, o' course!"   

Monty gives a nod of satisfaction as his throw seems to hit the mark, likely saving his friend in a stroke of luck. Ear perks as he hears the voice of the bats, and his attention turns back down towards the nest. He spots the bat dibbun, and he begins to dig himself down to get closer. "Yeah, not a bad idea, kiddo!" he replies with a grin. "I'm sorry t'spoil all th'fun y'might be havin' here, but I'm thinkin' it's time t'go home!" Monty lifts his head as he hears Adrian's shouted command, and he gives a nod to his superior. "Aye, sir, doin' m'best!" He reaches down to scoop up the small bat, in the process searching for the other two. "If y'can hear me, jus' grab onto m'cloak where ya can, I c'n carry one of ya!" he calls down into the pile, hoping the other bats can hear him and will follow his instructions.   

Grando rises a few feet off the ground for his attack on Lothar, swinging and swaying and flapping to keep out of range of the sword, hissing in anger and frustration. "Die, landling! I tire of this!" Throwing caution to the wind, he throws himself at Lothar - the sword slashes at a spot beneath his wing, and another near his neck, but the hawk is large and bears his bulky form against the defending hare, slashing and snapping!   
Laika is crazed with anger at these intruders. "That is all mine!" She screams as she rounds on Adrian and Monty once more. Now that Adrian has moved from his position, she targets him and soars, talons outstretched, at a breakneck pace. "MINE!" The rock catches her in the chest, and she veers aside, the breath knocked from her momentarily, but she regains quickly and rushes Adrian from the side.   
"No, no! Dig, dig!" The dibbuns are hysterical in their fear, scrambling away from Monty as he tries to extricate them. "She comes back, back! Always comes back!" The dibbun speaking throws themselves at the pile, a pair of clawed, strange feet just poking up from the mass and fast disappearing as they attempt to bury themselves once more.   

Adrian curses under his breath, though he did essentially get what he wanted. Unfortunately, he's currently facing the crazed female alone. He has to do something extreme, so he throws down his rapier, and draws his only remaining dagger, stands his ground, and waits for the bird to hit, aiming to stab her in the chest, risking severe injury or death in the process.   

Lothar slashes again and ducks into a sort of roll and then tries to stab a secound time at the large bird!He is in a battle of his own, still trying to make the one large bird fall over and die already!   

Monty curses softly to himself as the bats dig themselves deeper into the pile. "Nooo, wrong way, you guys! We need to get outta here!" He glances back over his shoulder as he feels the presence of the hawk just above him, and he turns back to the Dibbuns. "...if we can help it, she won't. Jus'...jus' stay there, we'll take care o'this!" he gives a frustrated sigh as he gestures to the Dibbuns to remain in the pile. Turning back towards Adrian, Monty's expression shifts to one that the hare hadn't had in quite awhile, and it was one that likely would have been feared by anyone else who knew what it meant. Drawing his short sword, Monty clambers over the pile of things in the nest, making his way towards Adrian. "Mfff. Wanna steal innocent Dibbuns, do ya?" he growls. "Wanna attack innocent bats who wanna do nothin' but live in peace? Well...yer gonna rue th'day y'crossed th'bloody Long Patrol!" Seeing the hawk soaring back at his friend, Monty takes aim with his dagger, then flings it as hard as he can at the    descending bird with a loud shout. "EULALIAAAAAAA!" He then falls to a knee, head lowering as his injury affects him. Still, he struggles his way back up, eyes shifting in the direction of Adrian and the hawk.   

SHNK! Monty's dagger takes Laika in the side of the neck, but she still slams into Adrian at full force, talons out; hare and avian tumble in a flailing, screeching mass of feathers and limbs. Laika's momentum carries the attack several feet, rolled and battered against the ground and each other... And then all is still.   

Grando screams as Lothar slashes at his face, his chest, his stomach - and all the while, he continues to attack with his wings, his talons, and beak!   
Adrian had kept his dagger pointed out, and is rewarded with the sensation of it burying deeply into the hawk's chest. He doesn't have long to appreciate it, however, as her talons likewise hit true, gouging into his chest. The wind is knocked out of him, and he's bleeding even more heavily than Monty was. The Corporal lacks the strength to move, what with Laika sprawled across him. Dead? He has no idea. He feels... Lightheaded, the world starting to go white. Is he dying? No, surely not. Just a minor flesh wound, surely. He'll walk it off, certainly... But first... Why not sleep? Yes, sleep... Within moments, Adrian is out cold, his breathing shallow, and his torn jacket soaked with blood.   

Lothar takes a deep breath and kciks and slashes at the large bird with all his might! He seems to gain some sort of rush of energy, the not gonna die like this kind !   

Monty watches as his blade strikes the bird, and at the same time watches as his best friend is taken out as well as the two of them tumble across the ground. He is torn between wanting to help his friend and finishing off the remaining hawk, which still posed a danger to them all. Pulling himself together as best he can, he picks up a nearby discarded metal pole of some type that lies amongst the rubble. Gripping it in a paw, he stalks toward where the remaining hawk is attacking Lothar. Approaching from behind, Monty begins to thwack at the hawk with the pole as hard as he is able, his blows still containing force despite the hare's weakening condition. Something seems to have taken Monty over, the hare's eyes containing a crazed look as he beats at the attacker. "Ngggh! I said...get...away....from him!" he shouts, his voice hoarse. "AHHHHHH!!!!!'   

Grando rears back, blood streaked through his already red feathers. "Landling will come with me!" His talons grasp, seeking purchase as he begins to flap mightily - he is trying to carry Lothar into the sky! Luckily, he doesn't get very high, as Monty approaches from behind. Severely weakened by Lothar's viscious battle, Grando gives a scream as one wing is broken by the pole and he crashes to the ground, his cries growing weaker as the life is beaten and slashed from him, and he finally lies still...   

Adrian finds himself back at... Salamandastron? That's not possible... He's on the crater at the top, and the sky is blindingly white. "Well, I always try to give you the benefit of the doubt, but you always find new ways to disappoint me..." An older hare approaches... His father, Major Varus. "Killed by a bloomin' 'awk? Yah gotta do bettah th'n that!" "But... Fathah..." "No buts! No excuses..."   

Lothar starts to panic as he is lifted up and then gasps in pain when the bird sort of drops him and he rolls to the side and slowly sits up, stands with a slight wobble.He looks at the other hares and almsot falls as he limps a little, "Please...dont say someone other than birds died.."He knows how to check for a pulse which he will on Elbio and one on Adrain, at the same time staying alert...did they win? Are the birds dead or...what?
   
Monty continues to thwack at the body of the bird even as it eventually falls still, the young hare still taken over by whatever it is that had suddenly possessed him. "NHHHAAAAHH! DIE! DIIIE!!!!" One isn't quite sure if this is a huge backwards step considering all the progress he'd made so far...this journey was supposed to help with that and help him come to terms with what had happened to him on that day long ago. He begins to pant with exhaustion, his blows slowing eventually, and finally, the pole clanks as it hits the ground, falling out of his paw as Monty sinks down to a knee. He leans forward, forehead touching the ground as he struggles mightily to fight back against those feelings of anger and hate that have built up inside him. Gritting his teeth and trying to regain his breath, the hare just kneels there, his back bleeding still, though he tries his best to ignore it. They had a mission to do, and it wasn't over yet til those Dibbuns were back safely with their families. Struggling back up to his footpaws, Monty slowly slogs his way over towards where Adrian and the bird are tangled together.   

The mighty hawks of Bat Mountpit, Bloodtalon, Laika, and Grando, lie still and lifeless. From the nest, a soft, small voice calls out: "is it... Safe? Safe?" Then a small gasp of terror and fear as a small face peers over the edge of the nest and sees the carnage.   

Adrian clenches his paws, and whirls on the shade of his father. "No! Enough! I've busted mah butt ta please *you*, but yah've nevah been quite bloody satisfied! I don't 'ave ta explain mah life choices to *you*!" He jabs his finger at the Major's chest, even as the surroundings begin to fade into darkness. "No... I don't have to please you... An' 'm not dead... I don't think..." His father starts to fade out as well, until Adrian finds himself alone. In the real world Lothar finds he does have a pulse, albeit weakened. He's still bleeding out from his chest wounds, after all. Maybe the bats have a good healer.   

Lothar frowns, he looks around for something to hold agaist the wound, even it its some torn sleeve and frowns, "The kid needs..bandaged too.."Yeah so does he and Monty as he sighs, yep they won it seems but no one escaped injury so hopefully there is a bat healer as he does his best to keep his eyes open but he is tried and worn out as he basically foces himself to stay awake, even if barely awake.He looks towards the tiny voices..."Hey..ya safe...safe now..."Yeah bit dizzy now   

Monty notes Adrian moving a little; that means his friend is alive. Glancing to Lothar, Monty nods towards him. "See if you can get 'im up, we gotta get back to th'bats. M'think' he's in a bit o'bad shape. They gotta have healers. I'll do m'best t'get these guys t'where they need t'be..." He makes his way slowly over to where the bats are peeking out of the nest. Despite his bloodied and disheveled condition, Monty tries his best to smile to the young ones. "Aye, about as safe as anyplace c'n be. Y'can come out now. We're takin' y'home, we are..." The young hare gestures towards the mountain, before he stumbles a little and falls to a knee again. "Just...maybe after...a bit o'rest. M'a bit tired y'see, fightin' those featherbags...takes a lot outta a beast...." With that, Monty pitches forward, landing on his face as the hare finally passes out.   

The hawks aren't the only ones with wings - and a beady pair of jet black eyes have spied on the heroic battle. Silt rushes word back to the other bats - the hares have won, and they need help! Within moments, the mountain's peak is swarmed with bats - any unconscious hares are carried on nets by dozens of claws.   

Once they've returned to the cave, the hares are met with joyous cheers and applause - and immediate medical attention. The wounded tended to, the Long Patrol heros are, after days of healing and bedrest, treated to a feast of massive proportions. Of course... Delicacies for the bats of Bat Mountpit aren't quite what they're used to, but not /all/ of the dishes contain insects. "Heroes, heroes!" The king announces at the head of a table. It seems that it was put together just for the hares, as the bats don't typically use them. Dressed in a headdress made of hawk feathers, the king strides forward, his wings outstretched. "We owe you a great debt, debt. Wherever you go in the night, you will have us, and we will have you in our hearts. Please accept these gifts, gifts."   

Each hare is offered a strange collection of goods: a necklace, made from the talons of the hawks, a cloak, black as the night and stitched into a bat wing design, and two vials of a small, purple liqiud - the same formula the bats used to put them to sleep. "We thank you for your help, we will return this someday. Maybe you should speak to Yerna, in the Below, Below! She is a hare like you - she fights the... The Others." He gives a shudder. "But for now, you rest, rest."

Yes! What they said ^-^ no account needed unless you want to yell at my face in real time.

Part Two of the current plot will take place on Monday, May 27th at 5:30 EST.

The next hook will actually come pretty soon after the completion of the Bat's Mission, so stay tuned; it will be an exciting one!

If you're looking to make a new recruit for the Long Patrol, please page Jinora and we will work up a plot for your character's entry.

The Hares, the Hawks, and a Long Way Down
Ft. Adrian, Elbio, Lothar, Monty, and Jinora as GM
Location: Bat Mountpit

It is customary for two seasoned Patrollers (and one on the way to becomming one), by this point well-travelled beasts, to make camp just as it dusk kisses the horizon - and that is what these hares have done. Monty, Adrian, and Lothar have gone far, and still have so much further left to go, but at the end of the day, nothing beats a hot meal and banter around a warm fire. As night wraps the trio in its cloak, it is possible that they heard the soft, distant flutter of wings above and around them. It is possible that they didn't - but it was more difficult to miss the sudden FWOOSH of their campfire leaping four feet high and spurting bright, purple smoke. But after that, things get... Fuzzy. There are no visible assailants to battle off, and the Patrollers are just... So... Sleepy...
The place in which the hares wake up is wholly unlike that where they last remember falling asleep. Monty, Adrian, and Lothar are in a cave - their paws are not bound, and daylight streams through the exit just behind them... But it is what stands in front of them that is far more interesting. They are bats - hundreds of them! All coming, maybe, waist high on the hares if that. Two bats at the front step forward, leading a hare between them, his paws bound in front of him with rope woven from soft moss. "Noble beasts!" One bat declares; he is dressed in a colorful poncho and wears a crown of moss and small pebbles. "We are sorry to be bringing you here in this way, way. But it was a necessary evil!"
At a flourish of his wing, the bats untie Elbio and allow him to join the others, should he choose. "I will sing you our woe - you must help us, you must! Our dibbuns were taken. The hawks from the mountaintop swooped down while they were playing, and stole them away, away! Please, noble hares. We cannot fight them - but if you can go to the top of the mountain and return us our dibbuns, we will be forever in your debt, debt." Here, the king looks sheepish. "And we are sorry again for how we brought you to us." It seems that the drug had more of an effect on Monty, and the king eyes the still unconscious hare with concern. "We will keep this one safe, safe." It doesn't feel like a threat, persay, but... You never know.

Adrian, before anything else, immediately checks to see if he is still armed. He checks for his sheathed rapier. "Yah lot 'ave a ruddy way o' askin' for 'elp, wot! Where I come from, that doesn't involve bloody kidnappin'..." He huffs, standing and brushing his still-somehow-immaculate uniform jacket clean of dust.

Elbio frowns, he has had enough of bats the past..what 2-3 days, he sighs as he is lead to yet another location.He blinks when he sees other hares and then sort of sits down with them and blinks "Ya flyin' mice collecting hares or sumthing ?"

Lothar frowns and lets the Corpal do the talking for now, he watches as Elbio is brought in and gives a nod,he looks to the sleeping Monty and frowns again.

The last thing he could remember, Monty was laughing and joking around with his traveling companions; then suddenly, their fire seemed to almost explode, and then darkness gradually followed. Always one to enjoy sleeping in, so to speak, Monty had likely gotten a larger dose of the knockout drug due to being closer to the fire than the others, and so he still lies there unconscious, hardly stirring. Floating around in a hazy darkness, the young hare can hear bits and snippets of the strange creatures' tale of woe, but he cannot be sure if it is within his dream, or if it is something actually occurring. Murmuring in his sleep, Monty finally begins to shift on the ground where he lies...his eyes open groggily, and he finds himself staring at a group of....bats? "...wot ...wot n'th'bloody..." He tries sitting up, but is still quite woozy, and he immediately flumps back onto his side again. "...mice with wings...? Wot'd I have t'drink last night, mates...?"

"Yes, we are most sorry, sorry." The king repeats, his thumb joints hooking together nervously as he bounces from foot to foot. "But please... We had no choice - if your dibbuns were taken by the hawks, you would do the same!" The mass of bats behind the king nods, eagerly, and one tiny female hobbles forward. "My brother is one." She says, shooting an apologetic look to Elbio. It's Silt, the bat he met before. "We tried to make you comfortable, we certainly did! But... But..." Her face twists up. "Please help us, help us." The king steps forward again, laying his wing across her shoulders. "We will reward you with everything we can offer, offer... Please."

Satisfied at last that his beloved rapier has not disappeared, nor the two smaller daggers he also keeps concealed on his person, Adrian finally turns to check on Monty, slapping his face lightly once the other hare begins to stir. "It's nothin' yah drank, mate... They're real, alrigh'... An' it seems they want help..." He declines to comment that he actually *wouldn't* kidnap somebeast if dibbuns were missing, deciding it's best to just change the subject. "Right... An' jus' where are th' bloomin' birds that stole yahr kids hidin'?"

Elbio frowns, he doesnt know thw other hares, least yet so right now he is just sort of, kind of..here.He frowns at Slit "Wouldnt like..asking fer help be better."

Lothar says, "I think they are..bats, seen a picture in a book somewhere, not ever meet one till now though" "Wot sort of birds we talkin' bout?"

Monty stares wide-eyed at the king bat as he still lies there on the ground, his good ear flopping in his face. It seems the hare is still taking in the situation, and he also notices that their number has increased by one. "So. So wait, lemmegetthisstraight..." he drawls, a huge grin slowly forming upon his muzzle. In a way, he actually likes the odd floaty feeling he is experiencing. It was very calming, in a way, and it wasn't a feeling the hare is used to at all. Lifting a paw, he points. "...we...we were sittin' by th'fire, havin' a good chat n'carryin' on, right? Then...ow! Ow, wouldja stop it, ya fuzzy lug, I'm awaked already!" He flails a paw at Adrian as his friend tries slapping sense into him. "Yer gonna knock m'bloody bonce off, y'soddin'..." He blinks, as he slowly sits up, a paw going to his head. "So then...th'fire turns colors, an' next thing I know I'm talkin' to Micey McWingtips ovah here..." He wiggles an ear at the king bat. "An' e's talkin' about birds an' whatnot. Oh, then we also seem t'be mysteriously multiplyin'." Monty waves towards Elbio. His gaze turns back to Adrian. "Y'sure we were drinkin' last night, mate? Jus'...jus' gimmie a sec t'get m'bearins. I'll be right with ye." The hare rubs his eyes with a paw, shaking his head to try and stave off the effects of the drug. "Y'blokes got any water?"

The bats, feeling the tides turn towards a helpful reprieve on the hare's good graces, grow excited. The cave fills with little titters. "They are at the top, top! That is where they nest. The hawks, they take us sometimes and make... Games. Then..." The king loses his nerve here, and cannot finish his sentence - but it doesn't take much imagination to figure out the gristly fate awaiting those that fall victim to the birds of prey. The mouth of the cave, behind the hares, allows the daylight to pool across the floor. It is easy to leave, and upon doing so they would have two very distinct options... They can climb down the mountain or up it. The wind is strong here, and even inside the cave they can hear its pained howls. "There is still time... Our dibbuns might still be..." He falters again, his grip tightening around Silt as she draws in a shuddered breath. "We can provide you with water... Whatever you need, need."
Adrian punctuates his attempts to get Monty back straight again by shaking his shoulders. "I'll admit this could be a *very* lucid 'allucination, wot, but I 'ighly doubt it... Now come on... Up on yahr feet, Friend. We seem ta be quite a ways up... An' I don't suppose ya happened ta pack some climbin' gear? By chance?"

Elbio stands, slowly and frowns.He has nothing as he walks over and clears his throat "Umm..yes hallo chaps..I know I am not part of the..umm..wait a secound.."He studies them and his eyes widen "Oh my..goodness..your..your..."He tris to not get too excited "Your the jolly Long Patrol hares..you are, you are...oh my goodness...you are, I am here and your here ..."

Lothar looks in pack and blinks "Calm down kid...will ya, we have serious bussiness ta tend to 'ere."

Monty turns and stares at Adrian. "Fer th'bloody life o'me, mate, yer gonna shake m'stuffins right outta me if y'keep that up, I said m'fine!" He moves to shove at his friend and ends up toppling over again. "M'fine," his reply comes back, muffled with a face full of earth. "Totally wanted t'have a snack," he mutters, as he turns his head to spit out dirt. "Ptoo. Ptooie. Bleh." The young hare finally manages to sit up again, giving Adrian another glare, before his attention turns to the plight of their 'captors'. Monty stares up at the top of the mountain, his eyes squinting as he takes in what the king bat is saying. He seems to be in the process of formulating some sort of plan, judging by his thoughtful expression, though his ear still flops down in his face. "Th'way y'got our attention's a bit odd, wingmice, but th'reason for it seems t'be legit. We'll help ya," he agrees. "Can't let young uns have such a 'orrible fate, no matter what kinda younguns they are." He nods his head. His gaze shifts to Elbio, the unfamiliar one, and Monty's expression shifts to one of amusement. He elbows Adrian with a pleased grin. "Eh. Wouldja lissen t'that, Adj? We're bloody famous, we are. Hmm. I could get used t'that sorta thing, y'know?" He points a paw at Elbio. "I like him." Grin.
The excitement of Elbio, and the equally cool energy from Lothar, are lost on the bats. They just saw lots of hares and decided that they would be perfect for their rescue mission. The king dances from foot to foot. "We have some ropes, ropes." What with all the kidnapping. "Fetch it, Blackwing!" A stir among the huddle of bats announces the exit and re-entry of one individual; he returns weighted down with coils of rope that require three other bat's assistance in carrying before they are laid down at the hare's collective feet. "They will help!" The king declares in a squeaky voice, and a rattling, chattering, tittering cheer arises from the congregation of dark, furry 'wingmice'. "They will help, help!" Is heard more than a dozen times. Silt rushes forward to tug tearily at Elbio's clothing. "Thank you, thank you." She whispers. They have been given rope, the cave's exit is behind them, and the way 'up' is clearly defined... And decidedly treacherous. This should be fun.

High in the Mountains
The air is thin and the view breathtaking here in the heart of the mountain range.  Clouds swirl around the jagged peaks, you realize just how high you are.  It doesn't look like you can go any higher.  Over one side stretches the cracked flatlands, joining grassland further back. Off to the other side there is a lot of mist, it is hard to tell what is below.  Well, now there's only one way out, down!
Exits: [C]limb up to a [L]edge, [D]own the [M]ountains, [T]hrough the [M]ountains

It had taken Monty a little while to finally come to terms with what they had agreed to do. It was certainly an unusual task, one that the young hare hadn't really ever undertaken before...namely because Monty had always had a slight bit of fear of heights. Funny, being that he lives in a giant mountain, of all things. Still, with young ones at risk in the manner they were, it was an easy decision for Monty...despite everything, he still was a good hare at heart. And so, here he finds himself, a rope tied securely around his waist as he carefully ventures towards who-knows-what. Glancing towards Elbio, Monty gives a nervous grin, his fear slightly palpable though he does his best to hide it as he chances a glance downwards. "So, er. Well. Just, eh...just stick with me, mate. T'will be fine. Got some little 'uns t'rescue n'such." The hare hehs, before returning to the task at hand. He takes a deep breath...especially as the wind howls. "HOOO boy. Yep."

The going is... Well, it's tough. Loose rocks constantly come loose beneath the hare's feet, the climb is painfully steep, and the /wind/. Gods, the wind - it threatens to rip them loose again at every slip. This will not do much for Monty's fear of heights - but at least they have a path to follow... Until they don't. A rock face blocks them from further progress - straight up and down. But, luckily, the rock (or cliff, depending on your perspective) is uneven, and shouldn't be /too/ tricky to free-climb...

Adrian has tied a rope around his waist, too, and peers upward. "Don't worry, Mont, if you die, I'll tell Ciocan you did yer best, wot..."

Elbio is doing fairly well so far as he stays close , well best he can he almost slips one, he blinks "Who's Ciocan..is he a hare? Wouldnt he be sad if anyone like died and I clearly dont wanna die ok?"

Lothar is..ok with heights, for now as he has decided to not look down but the wind he is hateing"Why..did we..decide to do this again?" He gasps and holds on tighter and frowns, he looks up..so how close are they now?"Just do this..save some wee ones...and leave."

Monty is doing remarkably well, all things considered, and despite one or two near-misses, he finds himself finally at the rock face. Clinging to the mountainside for dear life, Monty presses his cheek to the rock, staring at the path that lies before them and contemplating what the next step is going to be as he tries not to let that feeling of vertigo stop him from continuing. That wind is absolutely ridiculous, threatening to tear all of the hares free of the mountainside to an unpleasant splattery fate far below. Monty does his best to not look down, since their path is forward, and upon hearing Adrian's words, the hare has to stop himself from reaching over and bopping him a good one. "Adj, if I wasn't clingin' fer dear life t'this giant pebble, I'd bonk ya right between yer bloody ears," he yells, over the wind. Turning back to the task at hand, he takes a deep breath, then begins to slowly and carefully climb the rock face. He searches out every small foothold and pawhold, finally managing to make it out a good distance. "Okay, follow th'path I'm goin'!" he yells to the others. "It's...it's not so bad, if y'don't look dOHHHGEEZ..." With that, Monty happened to look down, and he presses himself tightly to the rock surface, eyes squeezing shut. "M'gonna lose m'lunch I haven't even eaten yet!"

The going is not easy, because they are free-climbing a large rock formation near the top of a mountain amidst heavy winds after awaking from a drugged-stupor - but it isn't terrible. At least, not until the hares that are climbing make it about half-way up and they hear a shriek in the distance. It is hard to tell where it came from, somewhere upwind surely, but it is unmistakably the scream of a hawk. They do not have to wonder long where the bird is, because it drops from the sky, talons outstretched, swooping towards where Monty hangs on the rock face!

Adrian looks up and sees the bird swooping down toward his friend, and he only has time to yell, "Monty, look out!" The Corporal curses that he can't do anything more.

Elbio frowns as he sees the bird too and gulps, ok this is no longer exciteing, its now terror filled adventure.He grips onto his rope and just frowns as he is not sure what to do, he can't really fire off an arrow after all.
Lothar sees movement"HAWK!" He shouts a warning and goes to get closer to Monty , he isnt sure what to do, maybe try and kick the hawk? He could maybe throw a lose dagger at it, he tries to think quickly.

Monty is a good distance away from where the others are following. Despite his utter fear of what they are currently undertaking, the hare recognized that saving those young bats was much more important than a dumb, irrational fear of heights. Pausing to rest once he reaches a small foothold that allows him to stand without slipping, Monty takes a deep breath, eyes closed as he tries his best to focus. "Don'tlookdowndon'tlookdowndon'tlookdown..." he mutters to himself. It is then that the hawk's shriek rends the air, and Monty carefully peeks open an eye to see the large bird swooping down in his direction, talons outstretched. "Oh fur n'feathers," he sighs, never figuring in a million years that this is the way he'd go...in probably his least favorite place ever in history. Up in the air. He can't really draw his weapon or swing at the bird since doing that would make him lose his grip, and he most certainly cannot use his footpaws either. Monty is forced to merely remain there stuck against the rock face, hoping that the bird had no coordination and would simply miss him. "Shoo! SHOO! Get outta m'face, y'giant pitiful excuse for a flyin' pillow! GERROUTTAHERE!" He meekly swipes at the bird with a paw before quickly clinging to the rockface again. "OH I'm lookin'!" He yells back to Adrian. "Ohhhh geez..."

At the last moment, it's the cursed wind that saves Monty. A screaming gust slams into the hawk, its outstretched wings dragging it off course. Its talons smash into the rock just by the hare's head, leaving 6 gouges in the stone - he got lucky. With another scream, the bird gains altitude... And disappears. It's disconcerting, but they are almost at the top.

Adrian has watched it all with wide eyes, and sighs with relief once the hawk disappears from view. "You alrigh' up there, Mont?" He starts to pick up his pace to get closer to his friend.

Elbio frowns and climbs, faster as well and wants to get to the top" I'm not dying climbing a mountain...no one is gonna die right? Right and we get back ta whom ever..umm wot was the name..Ciocan and he like has a victory feast and everyone is happy and..so so happy and not scared outta their mind with birds and possible death!"

Lothar frowns "Calm down...ok, no one is dead...yet"He had to add yet it seems as maybe he is uncertain of a fate.He carefully gets the last little bit of the climb and hmms "Where is this..nest and these dibbuns at then and...wait dont bats fly?"

Monty peeks opens his eyes as the talons slam into the rock just above his head, then he watches in relief as the bird swoops back into the air and disappears again. He stares at the holes the hawk's talons made in the rock, knowing that could have been his face had it not been so bloody windy up here. It takes him a few moments to get going again, every now and then he looks at the gouges and shakes his head as he gradually begins to climb again. "...wot?" he shouts back to Adrian. "...oh! Oh, uh...yeah! Yeah, I'm...I'm...fine. I'm...totally an' utterly fine, Adj! Almost got some new holes in m'noggin' that I didn't really need, th'ones I got are fine...but yeah. I'm aces, mate." If he could turn any whiter, he'd likely be a ghost. Focusing his concentration on making it to the top, the young hare finally does...and he collapses on the surface, pressing his face into it as he lies there breathing heavily. "Oh thank th'Gates o'Dark Forest..." he gasps, trying to hug the ground. "I will nevah, evah, evah take y'fer granted evah again, ground! Mwah!" He kisses the rock, then makes a face and spits out dirt. "Bleh."

As, one by one, the hares reach the top of the rock face, they are faced with a steep, but unabated, hike to the mountain's peak. The wind is still strong, but they are on solid ground - which Monty promptly makes out with. Gross. Moving on. The peak of the mountain does offer a stunning view: the flatlands, the swamp... If they squint to the North, they may even be able to catch the suggestion of Salamandastron's outline. But none of the stunning scenery is what really catches the eye - no, that would be the trio of hawks. One steps forward, obviously larger than the others; they wear a necklace of bone around their neck and the bleached white stands out against the rusty red of the feathers. "Tresspassers!" They screech, the voice feminine. It's a lady hawk. "Landbeasts know nothing of fear, but fear is good! Fear is healthy." She grins, taking a step forward with each assertion. The two behind her chuckle and advance as well. "We will do you a favor, what you say, eh? We teach you fear - you will learn it while you fall from the clouds." She crouches, her wings stretching as she prepares to take flight. The other two do the same. "And then you hit the ground!" They all cackle, and as one take off.

Adrian had not expected to run into the feathered ruffians quite this soon, and as he faces them, he draws his blade. "Orrr... 'Ow 'bout we *don't* do that, an' we all just 'ave a nice, calm chat? Like civilized beasts?" Hey, you can't say Adrian isn't ever willing to try diplomacy.

Elbio blinks, hey he has his longbow still and, let's see...5 arrows as he is ready to start fireing if needed.He just gets away fro the edge of the cliffside,"I can shot them, can I shoot them?Can I?..Do I wait or..one flew away I dont think they jolly well want to chat, they mentioned hitting the ground and that will hurt, like a lot"
Lothar stays clam amd frowns at Elbio, "Long bow could be good though..nice long distance weapon"He looks at the others "So...we got a plan B, just in case?"He makes sure to know where the hawks are and scans the area for those dibbuns, they have to be somewhere close.

Monty finally pushes himself back up to his footpaws. He tests each one to make sure they both still work, his legs still wobbly from the strain of the climb. Falling down to a knee, Monty's ear perks as he hears the voice, and he slowly lifts his head to see the large hawks standing before them. His expression shifts into '...you've got to be kidding me' territory, and he sighs heavily. "Nope. Gotta say, you're abso-balley-lutely wrong there, Beakface..." he mutters. "I'm -pretty- sure what that was back there was somethin' kinda like fear. Cuz I know bloody well I ain't never doin' it again!" He glances to Adrian, who seems to have the right idea...nodding to him, he turns his attention to the two newcomers. "At ease," he replies to them. "Put th'weapons down..." he holds a paw out to them. Turning back to the hawks, Monty slowly approaches them. "Lissen, we don't want any trouble from you even though yer obviously th'ones askin' for it." He smirks. "We jus' want th'little wingmice, that's all, then we'll be outta yer feathers an' you can pick up an' drop whoever ya like t'yer heart's content, if that's wot yer into..." Monty too chances a look around to try and find the young bats. "We don't wanna hurt ya. But we will if we have to."

Two of the hawks make it clear, immediately, that they have no inclinations to diplomacy. The large female and one of the smaller hawks are gone - but Elbio will be able to see them come screeching back down shortly. The last one hovers protectively near a depression in the mountain's peak, his wings outstretched to keep something from sight. "Stay back! Is ours!" He barks out at them, his beak snapping. The large female, meanwhile, lunges from the sky down at Elbio as the other airborn bird does the same at Lothar.

Adrian didn't really think it would work, but it did seem to buy them a little time to improvise something of a plan. Taking advantage of the fact that the two airborne hawks are focused on Lothar and Elbio, he presses his luck and dashes toward the one guarding what he surmises to the young bats. With his rapier raised, he lunges at it, swinging his blade with practiced precision. "Wot ya got here, eh?"

Elbio tenses, who to fire at, who to fire at.He chooses goes to roll outta the way and fires off his arrow at the hawk heading to Lothar!

Lothar doesn't see where the hawks went and frowns as he slips out his blade and looks around, alert. He then looks up and pales"Oh....that is...not good.." He backs up and trips on some loose stones.

Monty stops his slow advance as the birds make it obvious they're not in the mood to have tea and a discussion about the situation. In his current position, Monty can't really do much about the birds attacking Elbio and Lothar. Perhaps this is their chance to prove they are Patrol material...and it more than likely would not be the last chance they'd have on this journey. Monty approaches the remaining hawk, drawing his sling as he does so. He fits a stone into it, beginning to whirl it as he gets closer. Eyeing the depression, Monty smirks. "Y'coulda hid em in a less obvious spot, birdbrain..." he mutters. "I gave y'the chance t'talk it out and have a peaceful resolution...us Long Patrol hares really don't like t'fight." He pauses, thinking about that statement. "Oh, wait. Yeah, we do. Who was I thinkin' of?" He lets the stone fly from his sling at the bird, before slapping his forehead with a paw. He watches Adrian as his best friend runs at the hawk and attacks, and he draws his short sword, running right behind him to back him up. "Eulalia n'blood n'vinegar'n'all those fun phrases we like t'yell!"

This high above sea level, wind and hawks are not the only factors the hares need to contend with. They, quite literally, have their heads in the clouds; this is something that Adrian and Monty are, perhaps, used to already, living atop Salamandastron. Even still, in the heat of action, the cloud that suddenly envelopes the mountaintop in a damp, wispy maw likely still comes as a surprise. In the moment before Adrian's rapier meets the guarder-hawk, before Elbio's arrow finds its mark, and before the last hawk's claws close around Lothar - visibility is ripped away, plunging them into confusion and grayscale. Something screeches, another something crashes into stone and clatters aside with a sickening 'CRUNCH' - all in the fog, all out of sight.

And, somewhere, three small voices cry out in fear.

To be continued...