A Storm, Different troubles, and a Ghostly Visitor?
--Got part of this log from Leon and part of from my logging, so do enjoy it has parts of whats happening to each character..like what happens to an evil rat, what happens to Caleb and what happens to Zee ---
In Mossflower Woods somewhere, snow falling all around and slowly getting worse as time goes by
Caleb has been watching the rat appear to almost doze off and then not. The rat wants him to be a thief so much, well fine; he listened yesterday when they went to the market place of Ferravale. Yes he stole a couple bottles of ale from the tavern, but he also stole a packet of valerian, an herb used to help with sleep. He keep the herb in his pocket and when he went to make dinner he slipped it into the rats potato soup, and gave him some of the ale and bread to go with it. Hey it pays to have a Master Healer as a father and one as a grandma as you tend to pick up things here and there.
Kyran has indeed eaten all the soup, in fact he ate Caleb’s soup as well. He drank a tall glass of ale and ate two rolls. He now rubs his eyes as he looks over at the mouse “Don’t dare think I will let you close to the fire again, you were only by it to good dinner,” He smirks “For me”
Caleb nods “Of course sir. I will not sleep by the fire tonight.” He speaks quietly and frowns, he is starting to worry the sleeping herb isn’t working.
Kyran yawns and nods as he lies down and is soon asleep and fairly deep asleep also. Yep the sleeping herbs worked it seems but for how long it’s hard to tell.
Caleb isn’t taking any chances and quickly goes to check the rat to see if it’s asleep and then he runs, but he trips over a loose vine and hurts his ankle some. He gets loose and then runs, not really picking a direction, he just runs as snow starts to fall around him. He runs till he gets tried, and lost and frowns as the wind and snow swirl around him ”Help…..HELP!” He calls out, weather that’s a good or bad idea he doesn’t know. He walks on shivering “Look….Familiar path maybe?”.. And then trips on some ice once, then twice and then crawls towards a overturn tree…”Rest..rest…just a small one.” He is starting to slip into a dangerous unconcious state….
--The rat Kyran has woken up by then and finds his own troubles--
Kyran walks in the snow and cusses into the snow filled sky loudly, "When I find the brat he is dead..DEAD!" He scans around and sees an old den and quickly ducks into it. It seems dark, but warm and like no beast would ever live here, he chuckles to himself "I will just wait out the storm here...yes"
The den invites the rat inside like an alligator invites prey to the water. The cave itself is shaped almost like a beast’s maw in the way it opens from the earth. The cave continues to weave inward, away from the snow. It is...unusually warm and there is an unusual smell.
Several beasts have passed this way. Mice, stoats, weasels, even fox. And something else.
There is light appearing from down the cave. The flicker of a flame.
The rat is not alone...
Kyran walks further into the old den as he is drawn by the light and lays a paw on his dagger as he ventures in "Who is in here?" He asks, as if that’s a good plan, "This den is now mine whoever you are..come out I can make this quick." He smirks, maybe it’s that stupid mouse.
Something in the cave shuffles across the ground. "Vissitors? Here? At this time of night?" There is a loud cackle, "Well helllooOOOoOOoo! Come on in, come on in. I wash jusht making shome shtew! Come in! Come in!" The voice is higher pitched, female, with an obvious lisp.
Kyran narrows his eyes as he walks further in, well it's not the brat that’s for sure but maybe this beast would make a good slave, yes that would be great. "Where are you?" He about bumps into a wall and snorts as he looks around eyes adjusting to low light.
The rat comes to a larger dome shaped room. There is a hole in the top to let smoke from a camp fire drift through. The fire is rather large and highlights the remnants of a camp. Pots, pans, a trio of sleeping bags. It looks like some bandits had made a camp here. There are however, no signs of the bandits. Their weapons lay scattered about, some twisted at odd angles. There is also no sign of the beast who speaks to the rat...that is until one should happen to look up...
Coiled around the room with her body outlining the door the rat just entered through is a very large, green scaled snake. An adder.
The snake grins at the rat pleasantly from where her head is coiled against the upper wall, "Hai!"
She says as her thick body falls behind him, trapping the rat inside. "Welcome! You are jusht in time for dinner..."
Kyran eyes widen, he then snorts as he draws his dagger "No reptile scares me, your stay back or else die. I have outwit many...even a wolverine once" He smiles coldly “The fool died rather slow but hey so goes life and his is gone"
"Oh! A brave one! I do like brave onessss. They tasSsT extra ssspicy! Don't worry, fear comesss later..." The adder chimes. In this light it is easy to see a slight bulge upon her midriff, the ultimate fate of the bandits revealed, and possibly the rat! "We go off on the wrong ssside of the tail. I'm Tulip. I will be the one to eat you tonight!" She chuckles, sliding closer to the rat, "What's your name oh brave and fearlesssss rat?"
Kyran narrows his eyes "Your eat no one tonight, and I am Kyran...your worst nightmare if you cross me." He looks to the exit as it was close right?
Not as close as the reptile blocking it. "Heh, such a fluffy rat. Kind of sskinny. And Fiessty. Maybe you would make a good pet?" The snake taps her tail to her chin as she ponders, "Hmmmmmm nah."
With sudden and un natural speed the serpent lunges forward, jaws wide to wrap around the rat's torso and dig her fangs into his back!
Kyran goes to flick the dagger, but the comment of pet slows his reaction and as he is grabbed by fangs he gets a look of surprise that only last maybe a few seconds, seems he is the one dying today not the snake as he feels the fangs do deep and it messes up his aim of the dagger as panic sets in and he struggles to get free, this only makes it worse as his struggling slows and his eyes start to shut slowly, he tries to keep them open but he fails.
With the camp fire displaying the shadow of his end on the walls of the cave the snake begins to...consume her meal. First his torso, then hips, and finally feet disappear down her gullet. The last is his tail which is slurped up like a noodle. Only a slight bulge in her scales marks the beast’s final resting place as Tulip smacks her chops, a smile of deep content. "Ah, yessss...skinny, but spicy, with a touch of assasssin. It wassss a pleassure meeting you Kyran." Tulip giggles curling around the fire and falling asleep...
--Meanwhile close by, well maybe not so by the dangerous den and that’s good, but maybe close to Caleb--
Zee looks back and forth and covers his face as snow blows around and about falls on some ice, but he does manage to keep his balance, just barely. He rarely gets lost in snow as he is use to it, but at times snow can get deadly. He is moving a little slower and the storm did come out of nowhere. He groans as he takes another step “Just..littlle…further..” He then collapses in a large pile of snow and his eyes flutter shut. He is briefly unconcious, which is not a good thing at a time like this.
A misty shape appears beside the badger. The shape lays a paw on Zee’s shoulder “ You Must Wake Zee Winters!” A female voice, yet deep, powerful and commanding. She is a badger maid that’s fairly old and a crown of weaved flowers on her forehead and a light violet colored cloak around her.( Pictue here: [1] )
Zee’s eyes slowly open as he stares at the misty ghost badger and blinks slowly “I..don’t know you.” His voice is weak and tried, he has no strength to do much right now.
The badger maid is indeed a misty ghost and again orders “Wake up Zee Winters..Get Up!”
Zee’s groans weakly and slowly stands,”Your..demanding” His eyes focus on her and he rubs his forehead “I just gotta gets ta de abbey…which way?”
The badger maid frowns “You will not make it to the abbey.” She points to a path that seems less likely to go down.
Zee follows the path and frowns, he still moves slowly and slips on the ice a couple times. ”Lass?” He calls out.
The badger maid appears again and she looks towards a small creek where a figure lays unmoving. The storm looks to be getting worse as she frowns and looks at Zee again and then off to a path.
The unmoving figure is Caleb half buried in the snow, he managed to break free of Kyran but got lost in the process, he had remembered an area of the woods and tried to find his way to where he thought he be safe from harm, but then passed out.
Zee gasps and manages to get a burst of energy and rushes forwards to scoop up the young lad “Caleb?!..Lad?”
Caleb is barely conscious and groans, he is also shivering. His tunic is semi-wet but his cloak is a lot more wet from the snow.
Zee is not in that great a shape himself as he takes off his own cloak thick cloak and gets Caleb’s wet cloak off, and wraps the mouse in his own warm thick cloak. The cloak is clearly way too large for the mouse but Zee can fold the cloak up so it is like 3 layers of thick cloth and he wraps the mouse in that and starts to shiver some himself, the cold getting to him worse now. His cloak is very warm as he had it in the northlands.
The misty badger maid has watched and points to the path again, “Take the path…now time is not to waste the storm grows worse”
Caleb groans and leans into the badger.
Zee frowns and coughs roughly as he shivers “Need de..abbey lass…” He looks around as snow blows harder and faster and all around him.
The badger maid frowns “You will not make it to the abbey, the path you must go is before you Zee Winters…if you follow another path, Redwall you and the novice will never lay eyes on again…”
Zee frowns but goes down the path she points out, even if it seems rougher and more narrow, he walks half an hour keeping Caleb close to his chest, he shivers but he knows the thick cloak is keeping the young one warm and he knows any body heat he has is helping keep the young one warm as well, but not for much longer as he can feel his own fingers becoming numb and he is growing tried, sleep would be nice and after a little while he oddly seems to not feel the cold as much as before.
Caleb groans as he opens his eyes and looks around…well sort of as it’s a bit blurry but he feels a lot warmer than he was..”Where?” He asks in a tried voice.
Zee answers, his own voice weak and a little slurred now”Ya..ya safe lad.”
The badger maid stands beside a large tree and nods to Zee, she lays a misty paw on a strange panel covered in thick moss and blends in well with the tree, it’s also high up along an area of the truck and requires getting through thick vines and placing a paw..a large one just right.
Zee is already confused but he lays the mouse down on the ground long enough to reach up and copy the badger maids movement, using a last bit of energy to do so.
The badger’s paw meets with a pressure plate of sorts that press in, it’s designed only for a badger in fact and sinks, then requires a slight turn to the left and press down…a hidden door opens, and will close just as quickly once the process is repeated backwards.
Brockhall: Annex
- -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Brockhall Annex *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
This chamber, lit with soft-glowing lanterns, is the very hollowed trunk of
Brockhall and serves as an annex for a host of adjacent rooms and a grand
entrance hall. The room's ceiling is lost overhead in the darkness of the
mighty oak trunk. The tree's thick roots, that twist their way around the
chamber, have been honed and polished to resemble simple furnishings -- the
chairs, tables, and shelves are all part of the rustic decor, as much a
part of the tree as the beings who dwell here. A great stone fireplace
dominates the far wall, encircled by small stumps and even a large, comfy
chair. Carved into the living walls, a staircase with a sturdy railing runs
around the chamber, ascending gracefully into darkness. Another smaller,
darkened stairwell, the steps worn with age, leads to the woodlands. Above
the stairwell, a brightly polished, bronze plaque reads: Brockhall.
*-*-* Entrances/Exits *-*-*
[Fo]yer [C]entral [S]tairs [R]ear [E]xit
[I]nfirmary [M]ain [H]all [S]tudy
[T]rapdoor [W]ar [R]oom
- -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Brockhall Annex *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Zee seems to understand this somehow and slips in after picking up Caleb and looks around as he goes down a long tunnel and then finds himself by a forge like room, he turns to a hallway and a main room and blinks slowly “Brock Hall?” He then falls to his knees and almost drops Caleb. The inside of here is warm, or lest warmer than the outside and there is a stone fireplace but Zee only briefly wonders before he passes out a 2nd time this night, this time it’s a lot more deeply.
Caleb is jolted awake and looks around, still wrapped in the thick cloak he manages to wiggle free of most of it and wrap it round himself as a very oversize cloak. He trips over it and frowns as he stands and looks around and his eyes land on the unconcious badger and he frowns,”Mr..Mr. Winters?” He coughs a little and looks for a pause
The misty badger maid watches and disappears as if she was never there.
Zee has a pulse but it’s very weak and he is deeply unconcious, only time will say how well he is. One fact remains and that’s if he had not followed the badger maid he never would of found Caleb, and if he had not gone down a path pointed out by the badger maid he would of gotten even more lost…and instead of finding Brockhall in this storm he would have been finding the Dark Forest tonight. Even now he seems to hover close to the Dark Forest, will he make it through the night? Will he and Caleb be alright? The storm may be settling down now, but what the future holds remains to be seen….
Caleb finds flint and stone as there is wood inside the stone fireplace, and he finds a couple large badger size blankets. He covers the badger up with a large blanket he found. He then lies beside Zee and makes sure they are both under a warm cloak and a blanket he found, he sniffs a little as he has a bit of a cold that hopefully will not get worse. But he feels safer and warmer now as he drifts into a semi-restless sleep.
Well no one is having a good night it seems. What will happen? Only time will tell? And the next Role play maybe.
Intresting links of Brockhall info :
