His words bravely said, his reluctance obvious, "Lets cash this mutant out before it takes another or some other party takes the bounty."
Yet Mumbar does not move. He examines the allyscape for tracks or marks. It had to leave some residue behind, a print or direction.
Mumbar finds a small trail of blood from where it was wounded and manages to follow it for about an hour before he loses track of it again. At the end of the trail is another suit of human skin. Nearby they find a body of a man who appears to have his throat cut and his clothes taken. The trail ends here.
"What did it do here? It left behind a skin, but did not take another, despite having the chance. It took some clothes, but what good are they without a skin."
"Why? Perhaps... Um perhaps it was rushed? Or, um, two victims. I dunno. Need help to contain but how to avoid panic."
Mumbar stews over this as he looks for a second trail. Trailing a monster, who moves fast but stiffly. "Manacles"
Mumbar make an effort to change his coloration to black robe, brown skin.
As the others discuss the vile creature they pursue, Nari makes a mystic pass with the hands, her eyes glowing with a blue light.
Nari detects no magic.
Ashara does not find any open wounds beyond the lethal one made, nor any real sign of struggle. The man is malnutritioned but otherwise appears to have been healthy and not riddled with any particular disease.
Mumbar can start tracking the monster again when the group is ready.
Ashara is ready.
Mumbar clears his throat. *cough* I know what boots it is wearing, lets keep an eye out for odd mannerisms. Watch the crowd. Three, no four kills in a small amount of time. It may make a mistake yet.
He points to a gravely boot print and leads out of the underground alleyway at a quick pace. He moves less hastily and more predator-like, categorizing the populace by movement and dismissing with a glance at their footwear.
Guilt and angst mixed with urgent business can all be read on his face.
After another hour you track the creature into a large open natural cavern littered in all directions with small shaleters and tents made from whatever bits of wood and stone could be piled up into something resembling walls. All around you is the stench of plague and poverty among an odd landscape that descends below you in a sheet of stars made from candles, torches, lanterns, and small campfires. Among the myriad noises of people going about their business is the sound of a doomsayer crying out that the end of all sin is coming in a rain of blood at any moment.
Mumbars track.
After a good long trek the tracks suddenly end in a dark corner of the cave. Most people are here either sleeping or dying in their own private dark little tents. Ocassionally you hear the cough of someone trying to fight off an illness or simply clearing their throat before rolling over and going back to sleep.
The blackened half-orc pauses once more to get his bearings. He knows he has some skill tracking but he can't help but have a little doubt regarding his success thus far. Whether luck, desperation heightened skill or an unknowing uncaring predator leaving its mark, he has always just managed to catch a trace of blood or unnatural residue at each turn of the underground. *Harumph* "Probably a bit of both." Bringing his eyes up once again, he takes in his surroundings. Yes, he has been here before. A very sad place.
Following the gifted tracker, Nari takes in the scene of misery before them in silence.
"Shhh. Single file between the tents. Look for a set of discarded clothes, skin. Listen not for a dying cough but for silence or movement."
Stalking through the discarded society, Mumbar uses his spear tip to shift aside tent flaps to peek within the darkened spaces that aren't filled with wheezing, snoring or unanswered prayers.
*AWK* We up a creek! Up a creek! *AWK*
Ya, bird.
As mumbar tells Nari this information he feels a cold chill up his spine as he sees Vance and Asara missing.
And then in a voice perfectly matching Vance he hears right next to his ear. "It's dangerous here."
Claw attack
Claw Damage
BEfore he feels his back opened up by a sharp set of blades.
"NNnnnanaaargh! The sensation of icy hot with liquid warmth seeping into his hide armor, he is taken by surprise by the betrayal, No. Not betrayal. I lost another to this monster. Stumbling forward converting it to a turnabout, Mumbar thrusts his spear into his former friend.
He puts as much thrust into it as he can to give him some breathing room and away from those bloodied claws. Glaring at Not-Vance, Mumbar puts his will into changing Not-Vance bright red. "Demonspawn!"
With a startled cry Nari extends a hand letting loose a shimmering blast of pure force that fails to come anywhere near hitting the target.
Touch attack
Mumbar feels the spear impact and bite into flesh. Yet the vance skinned creature doesn't even register a grimace of pain as it steps into his guard and reaches for his throat....
Eyes widening, "Flock of Groetus!" Mumbar drops the useless spear, draws his falchion with an upwards crosswise motion. A panicked thought races through,Keep those claws..."...off of me! Nari! A little help here!"
Managing little more a simple rebuff but drawing no blood, no heroics come to mind only a tenacious sense of survival.
Twisting to follow the melee, Nari sends another blast of force forward, this one hammering home against the horrific creature.
As she yells in anger a burst of blood red flower petals wash over the fight.
Skinwalker is up. Blow me some kisses. ;-)
The creature stiffens as Nari's blast rips a hole through the skinsuit into the creature and out the other side. It then promptly falls to its knees its bloodied hands curling towards Mumbar before it gurgles and quietly dies.
Still not letting my guard down, I place my falchion at its neck, with my other hand I grab and twist the imbedded spearhead around, confirming death. Sheathing my falchion, "Thanks, very timely that. Death by flower petals?" My hands reach up to stop the flow of blood, the worst of it anyway. Wiping my own hands on my robes and stretching out the painful kink in my backside with a fresh wash of agony. "There is a reward for bringing back the ears, but I'd prefer to bring the whole body. Never saw one of these before. Would've been very bad if we did not give chase. I'd like to learn more or at least let some folk know what they face."
Mumbar extracts his 8' spear and motions to Nari to help bind the body to it. "Probably prudent to wrap it up before carrying it back to the Marshal." He checks the nearest tent for occupants and strips the fabric off, putting action to his words.
Another thought comes to his mind which drains the blood from his face. Agitated miniature whirlwinds spring up and flit about his feet. "What of the other hunters? Will they return as imposters as well."
Twin little storms of magical agitation swirl around the two of you as you tie the creature still wearing the vance skin around the long spear.
Where to?
There ya go Tark, plan accordingly ya cackling mad bastard. ;)
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Nari assists in tying and carrying the corpse of the monster to the Shield Marshal office, gathering the discarded skins as they pass them.
I'll get this updated either tomorrow or monday. Sorry about the wait I have to contemplate what happens next since you guys managed to pilot this so far off the rails you're currently in orbit around Titan. This is exasperated by having only one of the original characters left before the first actual part even started. :P
In any case we can get Noonan in.
Noonan wakes up hungover, pantless, and tied to a pole in what appears to be a jail cell. Outside of it is a rather dusty and surly looking dwarf with a rather large axe leaned against a table beside him. Twin guns, the likes of which you've never seen nor imagined before are tucked into his belt. They look rather heavy and for a short moment you wonder if the dwarf doesn't shoot them so much as club people to death with them.
Noonan blinks and smacks his lips, the last thing he really remembered was celebrating on the Wormwood after sacking another ship with lots of rum and something called curry. Very spicy and mixed kinda badly with his rum.
Noonan tilted his head, trying to focus. he remembered the goblin, kobold and some blue skinned woman, they were good friends(or at least he didn't want to kill him.) Syl..yes, she was ok. Gave him extra rum and food. Crazy but nice.
Plus his parrot, where was his parrot? Noonan looked around looking for Pluck, who usually was perched on Noonan's head or shoulders, blissfully unaware that claws and skin weren't supposed to go together well.
Noonan might as well ask that dwarf.
Hey. Where am I?
The dwarf shrugs. "In a deep dark hole at the a*!++#@@ of the world. The better question is Where the heel are you from boy? DEputies said you dropped out of the godadamned ceiling of the tavern screamin out a song bout loose women and gold just before ya punched out a rather stunned half orc fer spillin yer drink."
Mumbar and fellow victims:
You get a wide berth going through the various crowds. You're carrying a body after all.
You also get stopped a couple of times by deputies. You're carrying a body afterall and you're armed.
Soon though you make it to the shield marshal's office an imposing underground fortress that represents the hub of authority in this part of the tunnels. Lanterns with continual flame illuminate the signs and doorways of this building. PEople are entering and exiting it with relative regularity.
Noonan's brow crinkled as he attempted to get his rather simple thought process working. Fell out of ceiling? The pungent barbarian had no idea how that could happen unless..
Wizard did it, I dunno.
Getting in trouble for bar brawls was something he could understand. He guessed he would be let out after a day or so. He was pretty sure that he didn't have a job anymore.
Still wished he had his parrot to keep him company.
"Uh, huh, I'm sure yer mother's proud. But ya didn't answer my question. Whar are ya from?"
Shackles. Ship called Wormwood.
See a parrot around here?
The dwarf arches an eyebrow. "Ship? Son yer about a thousand miles from the nearest body of water bigger then a pond. Ain't no parrots here either last more then five seconds with as many starvin folks as there are here."
The last words pretty much overshadowed anything else.
Somebody ATE PLUCK?!
Noonan rips up the pole and swings it down, clonking the dwarf on the head!
PLUCKKKKKK! Noonan wails in anguish and his mighty beefy arms pummel the door so he can knock it down and find ANYTHING remaining of his beloved pet.
Strength check.
Noonan futily struggles and attempts to rip the pole out of the wall and ceiling. Calmly getting out of his chair and lighting a pipe the Dwarf shakes his head sadly.
"Welp, seems yer still drunk out yer mind. You kin go when yer nice and sober er just plain sober whichever comes first."
And with that he walks out of the jail leaving you to wallow in rage and despair.
Noonan blubbers.
Having never visited this section so close to the peacekeepers, willingly anyway, much less a personal visit to the Shield Marshal office... That's a story I hope doesn't haunt me. Mumbar has a general idea but mostly he observes official looking deputized and exceptionally well-cared for weaponry and backtracks from their path. Anytime another peacekeeper eyeballs his prize, he locks gaze on him/her, demanding escort and location to the marshal's hidey hole. "Not going to steal my reward money..."
After the last refusal, Q&A and dismissal, Mumbar turns to Nari, "What's the difference between bandits and peacekeepers?"
Noting their final arrival, "Remind to tell you later." Mumbar walks in, fully expecting a path to open up not only for his rolling boulder bulk but also for his personal delivery.
Knock knock.
Entering the office it's a rather busy place as more than a few hunters from the tunnels are there as well many of them are nursing injuries but wear broad smiles as they hold bloodied bags full of small mutants. Seeing you come in with a body tied to a stick man heads are turned. AS you present the body to the mousy dwarven secretary at the front she gives a small nod of acjnowledgement and says.
"Five gold per head. As promised."
And she presents you with 5 gold pieces.
Right now Noonan is feeling like Marc Anthony when this happened.
Page down slightly
Looking at the measly 5 gp in his possession, "As promised." Clearly Mumbar wants to say more, yet he turns a deadly colm gaze with a very neutral tone towards the dwarven secretary, "Do you have someone on your staff, who knows more about mutants? I have a few questions regarding this one. It is why I brought the whole body not just the head." A horrifying thought wraps its tentacled claws into his brain. He turns to Nari, "All these other hunters just came from the same place as him. Watch them." He shifts his bulk so as not to expose his bloody back anymore then he has to while he waits for an answer.
With a nod, Nari scans the area seeking any telltale signs of something unnatural.
Without looking up the secretary nods and passes a wooden pass with a quick charcoal rune and gives you brief directions.
"The moargue is down the stairs on the right. You won't be able to miss it."
Following her direction you find the dwarven woman was right. The room here is chilly. Almost ice cold. Several bodies on smooth granite slabs are in the room their insides carefully removed and laid next to them.
As you enter a half elf in a thick leather apron is elbows deep into an orc with his back turned to you. "Just leave him on an empty slab I'll get to it when I can."
"Harumph. Leading the jury-rigged stretcher to a slab, Mumbar can't help but get the heebie-jeebies. "Every one of you bodies stay dead." Still, he needed answers and at least here there wouldn't be interference. His head on a pivot every 20 seconds undead check, yep still dead or so, he unties the canvas-covered body from the tent pole and spear. "Mine. Thanks Nari." Then he continues his frugal habit or perhaps being helpful and unwraps the body from the canvas. undead check, yep still dead Rolls that up too, places alongside spear.
"Nari, help me figure out how this beast got inside Vance." undead check, yep still dead Motioning him to rotate the body, stripping it of incidentals in the process but trying to find the seam/hole/whatever. "I want to see what this is when not wearing a skin. You got a knife, we need to cut off the clothes."undead check, yep still dead
He ignores the half-elf, unless physically stopped.
With a quiet shrug Nari produces a sharp dagger and begins cutting away at the corpse's clothing as Mumbar inspects the thing's skin.
Feelings, nothing more than feelings.
The half elf is quietly humming a tune to himself. PEriodically you hear a squish noise and a metallic clink as a vital orcish organ joins the rest next to the dead orc.
Te body itself has changed quite a bit since you first killed him. The skin itself is now dry and surprisingly brittle. It also appears stretched thin as if the creature inside it is bigger than the skin.
Peeling the skin off the creature appears to be a skinless humanoid, lithe and muscular with rows of sharp fangs and dangerouslhy sharp claws. The only thing odd about the skin is that the only apparent cut in it is the long smooth cut down the back. A single line.
@Weep Not: You were arrested for trespassing and are spending the night in jail. You weren't trespassing (really) but you unnerved the restaraunt owner quite a bit. You were told you were going to be let go with a warning in the morning.
Now you find that someone else has been dragged itno the cell with you. While you were left relatively unbound this massive man was tied to a metal pipe in the wall. You hear the brief and intriguing conversation between him and the high marshal before the dwarf walks away and the large man attempts to pull the pipe out of the wall impotently.
*sniff Noonan doesn't have any friends anymore. *sniff* Little blue guy, where are you and little green guy?
Weep Not flinched when she saw the man try to rip the pole out of the wall, and was a little relieved to see it stay put. Staring at him with equal parts curiosity and unease for a moment, she piped up, "I hope they didn't eat my book too." Though she were speaking more to herself than him, she was loud enough for him to hear.
Noonan looks up. Eat books? Eating books is dumb, use for kindling of wiping is better.
Stumped. Mumbar does not know what to make of this. With a lifted eyebrow towards Nari, his silent entreaty for You have any clue?. Turning away, he surveys the morgue for animated bodies, sees only the morgue elf in motion and humming. Humming. A simple shrug, he coughs loud enough to announce his presence, trying to be as diplomatic as he can, because any person working daily among the dead is obviously a formidable person. "Good sir, have you ever encountered a body wearing the skin of another?" [I]Tiny purple spiders drop out of the sleeve of nearest slabbed body, only to disappear before touching the floor. Startling Mumbar briefly before he concentrates to stop the effect.
A stage whisper to Nari, "We'll need to go back. Preferably with backup. I don't trust the returned bounty hunters. Any one of them could be just like this."