"Madam Ulawa, are you still making observations of Kurshkin's corpse? Is it doing anything unusual? I have committed much of my time to Mafika's training, but I would also be very interested to help you in your ... sciencing."
"Science. The word is science. And yes, there have been some interesting observations already regarding the corpse and it's decomposition," Koride says. "When Laesah brings you to inquire about my other task, I'll show you what I've found and we can see just how much help you can offer."
Haunt has and will continue to spend most of his off-hours preparing for and promoting the tournament.
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Laesah frowns to herself at Teacher Koride's response.
Great, she thinks, now Esi will think that I'm in cahoots with Teacher Koride. She takes a deep steadying breath as the class filters out, then heads for Esi's desk where the young lady finishes her notes and heavily thumps her notebook closed.
Garlic and butter, garlic and butter....
"Hey Esi..." She hesitates as her orientation guide turns a hollow look at her. "I know that Much and Haunt are excited about this self-defence course and Teacher Mafiki's upcoming tournament. I've been real nervous about it. I've seen enough violence and fighting where I come from; I don't want to see more. I might not have a choice."
She takes a deep breath.
"Do you wanna spar sometime?"
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Laesah re-enters the kitchens with a smile, humming a tune she heard Chizire playing on a flute as she passed the idle amurrun on the commons. At Madame Yao's cocked eyebrow, the anadi skips to her side.
"Garlic and butter, Madame Yao. I've got a bit of homework that could be helpful in continuing my culinary studies. Madame Koride gave us an assignment to bring a jar full of carnivorous insects to her next class. I thought that you could help me identify something that we could make into something scrummy. I'll go grab enough for both."
Laesah puts an apron on as she talks, tying it off behind her. She then digs into a pile of unpeeled tubers and begins prepping them.
"I was thinking that wolf beetles might be an interesting culinary challenge. They've got an amazing bright flavour but they're full of spines and spiky bits on their shells, so they'll be a challenge to clean. Alternately, we could always stew black-blood mites - my uncle used to mix them with flowering crocus and lemon grass. Those will be a devil to collect...."
Much, seeing Haunt busily preparing promotion materials for the tournament, approaches with an idea.
"Haunt, I'm a little worried that Mafiki has morphed our idea for training into a full-on tournament. You and I might be OK with that, but just imagine how any newcomers must feel.
'Come fight Mafiki, or 'Match yourself against the gnoll and the catfolk!' aren't going to draw in students that, with time, could have been solid fighters."
Much pauses for a moment, lost in thought.
"What if you and I plan a demonstration before that? Just something simple to whet students' appetites before Master Mafiki's event. 'Basic combat manuevers' or some such. We can set up in the quad and start showing off! I'm sure we garner some attention and can probably rope in some of the others to help as well."
Much follows the smell of garlic through the dorm, startled to find Laesah as the source of the reek.
"Laesah, if you're free, we could go visit Professor Koride tonight or tomorrow. I certainly wouldn't want to have to go see her alone." Much says with a shudder.
When Much finds him, Haunt is working on a poster that -- although he isn't particularly skilled at drawing -- shows him and his friends fighting two creatures recognizable as Kurshkin and Havvix on the stage; he has drawn the gremlins larger than they actually were. And with fangs. The upper half of the poster reads (in gigantic capital letters):
Much, seeing Haunt busily preparing promotion materials for the tournament, approaches with an idea.
"Haunt, I'm a little worried that Mafiki has morphed our idea for training into a full-on tournament. You and I might be OK with that, but just imagine how any newcomers must feel.
'Come fight Mafiki, or 'Match yourself against the gnoll and the catfolk!' aren't going to draw in students that, with time, could have been solid fighters."Much pauses for a moment, lost in thought.
"What if you and I plan a demonstration before that? Just something simple to whet students' appetites before Master Mafiki's event. 'Basic combat manuevers' or some such. We can set up in the quad and start showing off! I'm sure we garner some attention and can probably rope in some of the others to help as well."
The amurrun side-eyes his nearly-finished poster and slowly slides it partially under a loose pile of paper, the accumulated detritus of his earlier attempts. "Yeeeeessss, that sounds like an excellent idea. Because who comes to a wizard school because they want to learn to fight? That would be silly." He shoves the poster again and another few inches disappear. "Except for you and me. For us it makes sense. So I agree, us giving a demonstration first is a solid plan. Maybe the night before the big event? Tonight I was going to try to catch those bugs we need for class."
Late in the afternoon, Haunt strolls out of his room. He knocks on Laesah's door, but she isn't home, so he leaves her a note.
Haunt checks Maddox's room as well, to ask the android if he wants to collect bugs; if he isn't there, he leaves a note to the same effect. On his way to the dining hall, he stops at the Powderpile to buys a sample jar. At dinner, Haunt wraps a few scraps of leftover meat in a rag tries to remember if there are any carnivorous insects in the area and where he might be able to find them. Afterwards, he stops back at Spire Dorm to hang up his poster in the lounge area and goes for a run around the campus before it gets dark enough to really hunt for carnivorous bugs.
"Do you wanna spar sometime?"
Esi eyes Laesah as she approaches. There's a bit of sullen skepticism visible. That evaporates into a smile when Laesah asks to spar.
"Oh... I'd love to, yes. I know this isn't something you enjoy, and that you'd rather avoid it, but if it matters, think of how you will help me by being a training partner. I can tell already that those wonderfully long limbs of yours will give me trouble."
The smile stops, and Esi tilts her head down slightly, speaking seriously. "I have experience with being surrounded by violence. I chose a different path because of it, but I understand and respect you wanting to be away from it. I will happily train with you, but I'm here to talk as well, should you want to."
She stands up, and rummages through her Book Bag of Holding and produces a practice sword.
"So what do you say? No time like the present, right?"
Esi and Laesah spar, taking things slowly for this first go round. Esi teleports around the field never staying where she's expected, but Laesah's reach and speed keep her evenly matched. Esi shows some forms and stances that have a flowing quality she thinks would translate well into Laesah's open-hand style.
"I was thinking that wolf beetles might be an interesting culinary challenge. They've got an amazing bright flavour but they're full of spines and spiky bits on their shells, so they'll be a challenge to clean. Alternately, we could always stew black-blood mites - my uncle used to mix them with flowering crocus and lemon grass. Those will be a devil to collect...."
"I think the wolf spiders would be marvelous," Yao says. "And they are in abundance within the fern patches east of the campus. Preparation is key with those, and I think your delicate fingers could do wonders."
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"I think I'm going to go off grounds tonight to go complete some of the homework that Teacher Koride has set us, Esi. You could join if you want. I'm going to need to get some jars from Xhokan first. I'll see ya later."
"I think the wolf spiders would be marvellous..."
"Uh, wolf beetles, Madame Yao. Not my benign and diminutive brethren."
"I think I'm going to go foraging for wolf beetles this evening, Much. Haunt is coming too, I think. You're more than welcome to join us. Madame Yao has informed me that there would be plenty of them to the east of the grounds...though, now come to think of it, she referred to them as wolf spiders, so maybe they're not what she was thinking I was referring to.....but nevertheless you're welcome to join!"
"I have no clue why they attacked. Kurshkin, the one that was killed, has been here before, so says Teacher Ot. He thought that there was something more twisted and depraved about it than when he had seen it previously." Laesah gesticulates with a fork full of eggplant. "I mean, obviously, it tried to kill us. Almost succeeded with me."
"...but nevertheless you're welcome to join!"
Much looks up at Laesah from her stretch on the dorm floor. With leg pulled up perpendicular to the floor, Much smiles.
"As long as we get to Koride's some time this week, I'm game for whatever the pack wants to do.Anything to keep my mind off this tournament. I keep catching myself appraising all the students for weakness! If another student catches me staring daggers at them, I bound to get some kind of reputation..."
With a sigh Much releases the bola she's repurposed as a stretching aid and rolls up to her feet.
The pack, followed by a thankful Esi, follows Laesah and Haunt into the nearby jungle. With Laesah's direction and Haunt's knowledge, they are able to find the bushes that contain the wolf beetles relatively quickly. Getting enough to put into jars for everyone is going to be another story.
Much approaches a bush, lays a bedroll out beneath it, and begins to shake the bush vigorously.
"Give me beetles, bush, give me all of your beetles!"
Much is enjoying herself a great deal.
While Much shakes one bush, Haunt unwraps the leftover scraps of meat that he brought from the dining hall and gives them a quick sniff.
"Oh yeah, warm night like this? These are already starting to stink. Here, beetle beetle beetle..."
He scatters the rotting meat around the base of a bush some distance from Much's.
Much is struggling, but Haunt seems to have better luck with his bush. Everyone fills up their jars with ease, except for Esi. You here a gasp, and look over to see her clutching her wrist, face strained in agony.
"It's... It's in my HAND!" she cries. You look and see a bulge writhing under her skin, between the knuckles of left index and middle finger. Blood seeps out, occasionally spurting. "Help! How do you get it out???"
The horrific scene immediately kills Much's mirth. She moves to help Laesah however possible.
Laesah smartly lets Much immobilize the arm and hand while she works to extract the beetle that to burrowing up Esi's flesh. Unable to push the insect out backwards, Laesah is forced to make a small incision to remove it. Esi's face is pale the whole time.
"My thanks to you both," she says, once the work is done. "I've been in pain before, and been injured much worse, but I've never had anything eating me. That was horrifying. And that can't be normal, can it?"
Esi is still bleeding slightly through her wraps, but not enough to put her in any danger from the blood loss.
"Thank you, but I am OK, I believe," she says. "I hate to say this, but I think we should return to Koride with these findings. She might be able to make sure there's nothing wrong with me from the bug, and know what to do next."
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"Yeah, I think you're right," Laesah agrees, packing up her healer's tools. "Anything else y'all need?" She looks around at the others.
Once ready, the team heads back to the campus and - at Esi's suggestion - seeks out Teacher Koride. As they prepare to knock on her door, Laesah recalls something.
"Oh....I'll bet she's thinking that we've come by enquiring about the job that she wanted...."
Laesah trails off as the door opens.
"Right! And I wanted to talk to her about her observations about Kurshkin's body, anyway. And maybe get a peek at it. For science!"
But is it normal for these wolf beetles to try to burrow into living people?
Considering Esi's question, Haunt tries to recall what he may have heard somewhere about wolf beetles' dietary habits.
But is it normal for these wolf beetles to try to burrow into living people?
Haunt knows with certainty that this is almost unprecedented behavior. Wolf beetles are carrion feeders, and there's no history of them attacking living creatures as individuals or swarms. They can take a bite out of a person if they get stepped on, or as a similar defensive mechanism, but that's it. They also don't burrow into the flesh, they just eat from the outside down to the bones.
The door opens, and Koride greets you with a raised eyebrow, and a cup of tea in her hand.
"What are you doing here?" She says, with genuine curiosity.
"Hello Professor Koride. We're here for two reasons. First, to follow up on your request to see you this week. Second, because we have some questions related to a strange situation with some wolf beetles, but my packmates are likely a better source of information on that."
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Laesah nods at Much’s words.
”Greetings and apologies for bothering you. We were getting on to your homework by attempting to gather some wolf beetles this evening. Esi got attacked by one and it burrowed under her skin. After Much and I extracted it from her arm, Esi thought that you might need to know about it. We’ve got the beetle in question here,” Laesah gestures at Esi and the jar she carrries.
”Much didn’t think wolf beetles attacked people, or burrowed into live flesh. I have to agree with her.”
Much leans over and whispers into Laesah's ear.
"Hmmm, let me see that." Koride says, releasing her tea, which hovers in place. She carefully unwraps Esi's bandage, gently clears away the dried blood, and uses both hands to make a rectangular shape with her forefingers and thumbs. Those of you that steal a peek through the window formed by those fingers see the wound magnified.
Koride starts muttering. "Wound conclusively made by adult Wolf Beetle. Bite width consistent with full mandibular spread. Signs of capillary shattering as beetle looked to ascend dorsal metacarpal veins... Truly aberrant behavior."
She replaces the bandages and grabs her tea again, looking up at Esi. "Well, congratulations, you are finally interesting."
Esi makes a gasping sound and Koride continues, now addressing Laesah. "I'm guessing you did the medical work here? It's very good. Nicely done." She turns to walk back into her office and says, "Follow me," over her shoulder, without looking to see if you are coming or not. After a few quick steps she seats herself at her desk and turns to face the group.
Heavy curtains cover the windows in Teacher Koride Ulawa’s large office, with several oil lamps emitting a low light. A dizzying variety of glass encasements feature insects and reptiles, and a large cage hanging in a corner holds a small and surly vulture. Bookshelves are stuffed with papers, scrolls, and tomes in orderly piles. Shadow boxes on the walls hold dead insects pinned open to display their inner anatomy.
“You might have heard I’m the insect expert here,” says Teacher Ulawa, tucking an errant piece of her headscarf back into place. “That means when the school has bug problems, they like to make it my problem. And since the group of you are still in your Perquisite period, I’m making it your problem."
“Something—or, more likely, several unrelated and coincident things—have been disturbing insects around the Magaambya, enough to threaten the ecological balance if left unchecked. Anchor Root and a few others have told me that something seems to be agitating them.” For a moment, genuine concern crosses Teacher Ulawa’s face, proof that she’s perhaps not as dismissive or disaffected as she seems. The look quickly fades. “Now that I see that you aren't helpless at this, go to the places on this list, take note of any strange activity, and collect insect samples for me. Take immense care in collecting samples—further disruptions could cause the very problems I prefer to avoid.”
She takes the jars from you and quickly inspects the lids and the contents, nodding in satisfaction before she flaps a dismissive hand and returns to her work. “Oh, Esi, you should probably stay out of it, with that bad hand and all.”
Esi gives a silent nod of acknowledgement. She turns to Laesah and says, "Thank you so much for your help. That was frightening in a way I will never acknowledge after this moment," she says in a fake serious/totally serious way. "Your grace under pressure was amazing. Come spar with me again some time, when you can. I have something I'd like to share with you." She waves a friendly goodbye to the whole group and leaves, headed in the direction of the dorm.
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Laesah corrects herself at Much's words. "Oops. I misspoke, Teacher. Haunt figured out that the wolf beetles were acting oddly. My mistake." She nods with a smile at the amurrun.
“Now that I see that you aren't helpless at this, go to the places on this list, take note of any strange activity, and collect insect samples for me. Take immense care in collecting samples—further disruptions could cause the very problems I prefer to avoid.”
Laesah glances at the list and raises her delicate eyebrows at Madame Yao's name on the list.
"That's odd," Laesah reasons, "Madame Yao hadn't mentioned an insect problem before and I've been in the kitchens with her a lot."
"Your grace under pressure was amazing. Come spar with me again some time, when you can. I have something I'd like to share with you."
The anadi blushes and tugs on her long braid. "Aw, thanks. You were pretty brave yourself."
Pretty.... The word echoes in Laesah's brain as her blush deepens. She recalls the first time she met Esi.
"You have lovely teeth."
Laesah stares with a vacant smile on her face as Esi leaves.
Laesah corrects herself at Much's words. "Oops. I misspoke, Teacher. Haunt figured out that the wolf beetles were acting oddly. My mistake." She nods with a smile at the amurrun.
"Hmmm--So you know a thing or two, eh? I'd heard you were a curious sort" She says to Haunt. "Well, if you bring me these bugs, and any information to go with it, I can show you some of what I've learned so far from that corpse you all made for me. See if that piques your curiosity." She looks back to the papers on your desk, not even waiting to see if you have more to say.
"Hmmm--So you know a thing or two, eh? I'd heard you were a curious sort" She says to Haunt. "Well, if you bring me these bugs, and any information to go with it, I can show you some of what I've learned so far from that corpse you all made for me. See if that piques your curiosity." She looks back to the papers on your desk, not even waiting to see if you have more to say.
"Neat, thanks!" Haunt waits awkwardly for a moment, then runs out after the others.
You arrive back at the dorm and find Anchor Root in her room. There have always been signs of bugs, especially in the first couple days in the dorm, but it didn't seem that overwhelming, given that the school is in the jungle.
Anchor Root greets you all with a little more confidence, but still gives Much her customary deferential throat baring. "There are c-c-c-centipedes in the walls," Anchor Root says. "We'd see l-l-lots more, but Pelaksana is a mighty hunter." The chicken struts and puffs out her chest. Anchor Root gives her an appreciative scratch on the head.
A look of concern crosses the small gnoll's face. "I worry about her some. Those bugs are p-p-p-poisonous, and she's eaten s-s-s-so many. Chezire and Ignaci helped me make some medicine for her. She gestures over to a pot in the corner of her room, filled with a reddish liquid. "You should have some. It'll h-h-help if you run into any centipedes."
Much downs her portion of the antidote. Braced for an unpleasant experience, she surprised to find it smells a bit like lilacs.
Newly protected and fresh, Much brings her muzzle to the floor and begins the search for centipedes.
Sniff, sniff, sniff...
Much hunts around the grounds, Anchor Root and Pelaksana following close behind. Spotting a bit of dampness around the baseboard in the hallway near the hatch, Much finds a few centipedes and scoops them up into a sample jar. Pelaksana lets out a war BWALK and dives in to gobble up the rest. Once she's had her fill she walks over to Much, gives her two affectionate pecks on foot, and a quick head bob.
"Truly, the spirits guide you. Anchor Root says to Much with a serene smile, a steady voice, and another baring of the throat. "Good luck with the rest of your hunt, pejuang yang bijaksana.
Much holds up her jar and stares intently at the centipedes inside.
What is going on with these bugs?" Much thinks.
"...pejuang yang bijaksana."
"Dan bagi Anda juga, penatua yang terhormat." Much replies, exposing her own neck in return.
”I’m sure Madame Yao would appreciate extermination services in the kitchens sooner, rather than later"
"I'd prefer my food only contain bugs that are supposed to be in there, so I'm happy to move to the kitchen first!" Much says as she pockets her jar of centipedes.
Haunt quickly drinks the antidote, then makes some notes about the centipedes in his journal (it has a brown cover, with "HAUNT'S mONstEr BoOk" scrawled in yellow paint across the front):
TIL that the very walls of our rooms here are infested with poisonous insects, and are only kept at bay by predatory poultry.
He picks up a couple of Pelaksana's feathers that had dropped to the floor, tucks them in one of the pockets of his vest, and follows along, happy to let Much take the lead to find the centipedes massing unseen throughout their dorm.
The dining hall is closed when the party arrives, even though it should be the start of lunch. Lumosi is at the front of the hall, keeping anyone from entering. She has a basket of mangoes and bread under her arm and is sending students away with impromptu lunch packages so they don't go hungry. She looks dismayed. When she sees Laesah dismay turns to relief, but also shame.
“I'm so glad you are here, Laesah, but I can't believe this is happening... I can tell you, then, even though I don’t want this to get out among the other students. We’ve been seeing a lot of mites recently. Many more than usual, and usual is none at all -- not in my kitchen. Just a short time ago, I received a large basket of fresh cassava. When I opened it, there were so many mites on it that I dropped the basket, spilling the cassava and the mites across the floor. I asked my new assistant to sweep up the mess while I shooed everyone away. Can you go find her and help her out? She was back in the main kitchen prep area. You know the way, dear.”
She doesn't turn her back or dismiss you, but Yao does go back to giving much of her attention to the students that need food.
"Just the tiny bugs, thank the gods."
"Just the tiny bugs, thank the gods."
"I'm probably walking straight into some Great Gnoll stereotype here, but I'm honestly better outfitted to deal with bigger mites." Much sighs and gestures to the hefty stone rope on her belt, a bit abashed.
"Regardless. Laesah, please lead the way! I've never been in the kitchen."
"Just the tiny bugs, thank the gods.""I'm probably walking straight into some Great Gnoll stereotype here, but I'm honestly better outfitted to deal with bigger mites." Much sighs and gestures to the hefty stone rope on her belt, a bit abashed.
"Regardless. Laesah, please lead the way! I've never been in the kitchen."
Haunt laughs and follows along. "I don't think it's just you, or because you're a gnoll, Much. I don't think my blade will be more useful against the swarm than your rope. Maybe Lumosi's assistant has extra brooms for us."
You hear a scream from the kitchen, followed by faint pleading. "somebody please help i'm stuck and these things are going to get in and i don't want to be eaten by bugs that's disgusting."
Lumusi looks at you, eyes wide with concern, imploring you to go find out the cause of this call for help.
"Somebody please help! I'm stuck and these things are going to get in. I don't want to be eaten by bugs, that's disgusting."
Hearing the cry for help, Much runs (heedlessly, natch) into the kitchen.
Grabbing his amulet from beneath his vest, Haunt follows closely at Much’s heels.
As the group enters the room, they hear "help help help" from a pot sitting near the corner. A swarm of centipedes writhes around the base of the pot, looking for cracks so they can make a meal out of whomever is hiding within.
Much vaults over the table to clear space for her friends.
Unspooling her stone-rope, Much lashes out at the swarm.
* Vault
* Unsheathe
* Strike (To-hit and DMG in Roll20)
The stone rope crashes down, smearing some of the swarm underneath it, but because of how amorphous the mass is, the damage done doesn't match how solid the impact felt.
Laesah's blast of water knocks the centipedes all over, but they quickly reform, looking no worse for the wear.
The swarm chitters and charges towards Much, flowing over her and biting into her flesh.
Initiative
1. Laesah - X
2. Much - 17/32 HP - X
3. Swarm - 10 damage taken - X
4. Haunt
5. Maddox