Hatchet Job Gone Wrong - 3/24/2021
(Special thanks to Ryan for his contribution on The Blades' interrogation)
The wailing sound faded to nothing while the group looked at each other apprehensively.
“Someone else is alive down here?” Doxx stated in disbelief.
“The cages implied capturing of people,” Sage noted. “Prisoners are therefore possible.”
Rosa frowned, “That…that would be strange for vegepygmies”
“Vege whats?” Mobad asked confused.
“They…are known to me. They feed off the weak and dying,” Rosa said quietly.
“How do you know this?” Bookshelf asked slowly.
“There…there is a sect of druids in the Eldeen known as the Children of Winter,” Rosa began. “And one of their sacred places is an area of the forest called The Gloaming. In that place you can find…tribes of them. They use a type of mold to…give birth to new ones,” and she pointed at the pits with the russet-colored slime. “But I thought I heard they were hostile to…everyone. Even the Children of Winter.”
“So why do you think it is strange they have prisoners?” The Blade asked.
“To make a new one, you throw the dead bodies into the…mold; it’s how they grow the tribe. The bigger the body, the more pygmies it creates. That seems to be their cycle; kill and multiply. They don’t trade or socialize otherwise, so why keep prisoners?”
“Something has altered the cycle somehow,” Bookshelf observed. He opened up part of his abdomen and started to type notes on a machine. “This is interesting, do you know more?”
Rosa thought a moment, “The tribes grow to certain size, and stabilize or collapse,” Rosa said. “Most likely because they…run out of dead things and living things with any sense run.”
“Wait…Adrissa,” The Blade said with a tone of alarm. “You said they led people and animals to the barn. How many are we talking about?”
Adrissa looked around in surprise at being asked a question, but she quickly answered. “Well…I saw ranch hands and others from outlying homesteads. But I saw a lot of cattle.”
“Cattle…” The Blade said thinking before Sage continued the questioning.
“The cattle here…they are magebred right?” To which Adrissa nodded. “How large is a cow?”
Adrissa frowned, “About twice your height…real passive, easy to herd with dogs.”
Rosa’s eyes widened, “A single head would create a lot of them. How many came through here?”
Adrissa grew alarmed, “Well our ranch had two hundred heads, and about half were magebred. But…but…they led
other ranches cattle here too!”
“Then…where are they?” Bookshelf asked. “If they slaughtered her fam…um… her herd, shouldn’t we have seen more?”
At the word slaughter Adrissa tensed up and looked at the slender warforged with hate.
Bookshelf looked at the girl coldly, “Don’t.”
“I agree there should be,” and Rosa stepped in between the pair. “Adrissa, if there are prisoners down here, what did your family look like?”
“I look like my mom…dad had grey hair and a beard, and a large tattoo across his back from his time in the war.”
“And who was the last ones you saw led to the barn?” Rosa pressed.
“Only that woman you asked about earlier and her Blademarks. And that was weeks ago.”
Rosa nodded, “We should finish our breather and start looking for them. They might be still alive,” and she glared looking at Bookshelf. “But we can’t afford to die down here; we need to get out and get to Denning and warn people.”
“Yes, and get the girl,” Doxx said pointing at Adrissa, “To family or someone to take care of her.”
“I can take care of myself,” Adrissa said her brow furrowed in anger as she looked at the old woman.
“She has the right to choose. And she chose to stand against the evil here. Good job by the way,” The Blade said, as he struggled to pat Adrissa on the shoulder as she squirmed away. He reached out and pulled on her shoulder to turn her around. “Listen, I’ll keep you safe. Just ignore him.”
“That…this... this is no way for a child to live!” Doxx said angrily at the elf.
“Don’t matter. She surviving. Better to help her do that, instead of being coward,” Mobad muttered.
“Or faster way to die and join her—” Bookshelf started before Rosa hissed at him to keep quiet.
“Let’s eat and move on before someone finds us,” Rosa said, still glaring at the warforged, who simply shrugged.
They sat and munched on the rations they brought, while the pair of warforged looked on. It was silent, with no sounds coming from beyond the barred doorway, and no repeats of the wail they heard. After they finished, Rosa checked everyone to make sure that there weren’t any injuries that needed treatment. After she was satisfied, she nodded at Mobad, who unbarred and pulled open the large wickerlike door.
Beyond was a three-pace wide passage lit by torches in sconces, that curled around to the left. But ahead they saw a four-way intersection. They moved cautiously through the tunnel, and Doxx moved ahead and peered around one corner and then the other before waving them forward. When the group reached him, he pointed towards the right hand opening and whispered, “Look.” They all turned and entered a chamber.
The chamber was shaped like a kidney bean, with only the single exit, and a smoldering camp fire and it reeked with the smell of wet mold. The room was in a disarray, with cloth and what looked to be random bits of wood and bone all across the floor. On the walls was what a appeared to be a woven lattice work of fibers, that suspended small cubbies. Each one was an armlength wide and inside were visible small nests of rags and straw. But what stood out was the number of cubbies.
“It’s like a beehive,” Rosa said looking at the structure.
“Several hundred could nest in here,” Sage noted, and Bookshelf nodded in agreement.
“In the other direction crosswise is a similar chamber in size and it is also empty,” Doxx said.
“This is bad,” Rosa said. “Most tribes are small, like twenty or thirty.”
“I think big ones slept here too,” Sage said pointing out large nest like shapes on the ground. “Maybe ten or fifteen, based on the size.”
“We should continue on,” Doxx said. “And see if there are more.”
Returning to the passage, they continued and came to another intersection and once again they saw another pair of chambers, but these were larger than the prior two and equally empty of any vegepygmies.
“How many?” Rosa asked.
“I estimate now over a thousand now, and that is just the little ones,” Sage Redoubt said grimly.
“And a hundred of the larger ones,” Bookshelf added.
“But not here,” Mobad grunted.
Rosa sighed, “Let’s continue.”
The passage was now slopping upwards as it twisted around, finally it started to straighten out, and ahead was another thatchlike door. Rosa closed her eyes and fur and claws sprouted all over as she once again turned into a black bear. Nodding at each other, they quietly approached the door. As they did so The Blade began thinking to himself:
I was sure this was going to be a typical band of mercenaries. Just another group of shady individuals I'd have to tolerate in order to get a job done. But that farmhouse tonight changed everything. I saw what they were really made of. Faced with deadly enemies and an innocent in danger, they didn't run. Every one of them stayed and fought. Could it be that I've underestimated them? Could they have the potential to be heroes?
And under my expert tutelage, there's no telling how far they could go: how many innocents could be saved, how many families protected. A multi-city crime-fighting team isn't entirely out of the question. There would be trademark and franchise negotiations of course… monthly meetings… invention exchanges? Well, I suppose we should play that by ear…
The Blade has been studying a flimsy thatch door a bit too carefully, for a bit too long. “It's not trapped,” he assured the party waiting behind him.
With a look that was equal parts confusion and exasperation, the old woman asked with strained patience “And what exactly would a trap on this thing be?”
Oblivious to the question, The Blade pulled the door just far enough to slip inside. A few seconds later, the door is pushed wide open behind him, revealing to the party a room full of disturbing equipment. Two Vegepygmies were working on a frame where they were stretching a piece of leather across it. The Blade approached them with odd confidence.
All right, this is where I truly shine: interrogation. And now to squeeze every bit of vital information out of these hapless minions.
Facing the creature on the right, he began to display his masterful extraction technique. "Where are the rest of those bask—"
The creature suddenly burst into flames and dissolved into scattering ashes as a fiery blast hit it from over The Blade's shoulder. He sighed. The momentary expression of frustration on his face was immediately overwritten by a slight smirk.
Ah of course: destroy the first creature to let the second one know we mean business. Perhaps more aggressive than I'm used to, but an understandable tactic.
He turned his menacing gaze to the other creature, who must have been sufficiently worried by now. "Now then, where are the—" he started again, when the orc and the old woman brushed each of his shoulders as they ran past him to kill the remaining creature.
The Blade's smirk faltered slightly, but then returned as he slowly shook his head.
Ha! Overzealous. What a rookie mistake. These fledgling heroes have a lot to learn if they want to be revered champions in the endless battle against the forces of…
Turning to face the scene behind him, his cheeks went pale and his eyes glazed over.
…evil.
Lying on the floor, the dying girl's frozen form rested at the feet of a remorseless warforged. The desperate roar of a black bear filled the room as she leapt into the air. Two halfling feet landed next to the dying child, as Rosa attempted to keep her from the jaws of death.
How could I have been so stupid? I had every reason to know, every chance to expect it. Unlike most villains I've met, this one plainly announced his intentions. Like a fool, I dismissed his threat as bluster and cluelessness. I told her I'd protect her from him. But I turned my back.
The world around The Blade came back into focus, as his attention settled on an arrow sticking out of the warforged's torso, and then on the bow in his own hand. Gathering his senses, he subtly scans the faces of everyone around him, and it became clear: they're not going to help kill him.
These are mercenaries. I can't be sure they won't turn on me before I can destroy this monster. And if I fail to finish him off, she'll only be in more danger.
He lowered the bow. "That warforged is defective. Secure it. I don't care how.”
Doxx, and Mobad stepped in between Bookshelf and the fallen girl with Doxx already berating the slender warforged.
“Why did you do that?!?”
“She put a hatchet in my leg,” And Bookshelf pointed to their left knee at Adrissa’s axe sunk deeply into the wood between two metal plates.
“And
why did that happen?”
“I said out I found her father,” and he pointed back to the wooden frame. While the leather wasn’t fully stretched across it, one thing stood out clearly. The leather had a military campaign tattoo inscribed upon it.
“Human leather,” Mobad said grimly.
Rosa was on the floor comforting the unconscious girl, with the larger juggernaut standing at her side. Whether intended or not, his posture seems to be that of a protector. The Blade stepped to his side, the three of them now looking down over the girl.
"Sage. You're a mercenary, right?"
After a thoughtful pause, the warforged offered a tentative reply. "Sort of?"
"I'd like to hire you for a… side job. We can sort out payment later. But the job has to start now."
"What's the job?"
"Bodyguard. I need you to protect her." The Blade's eyes shift only briefly to the expressionless face of the child's assailant. "…from anything."
"Deal."
No hesitation. No question about the payment? There might be more to this one after all. No. If I overestimate them again… the consequences could get much worse. They're mercenaries. They're just doing a job.
But still. In a situation this precarious, fighting in an unfamiliar land with pure evil traveling at my side… true allies would be too valuable to ignore.
“I am sure she misunderstood my intent,” Bookshelf said as he wrenched the axe free from his leg and then started to work the arrow out of their chest.
“I doubt that,” Doxx said. “Stay away from her, and don’t talk to her.”
The Blade came up to the group around Bookshelf and simply glared at them. “Let’s look around, and we’ll ask her what happened when she wakes.”
The main room was rectangular in shape, with another thatch door opposite of the one they entered and on the long walls were four side chambers. In the main room, along with the tools, were bins on the sides. The four of them walked over and looked inside and saw they held various kinds of gear.
“This one has leather…belts, jerkins…even some armor.” Doxx said.
“This one has knives…swords…a mace…nothing quality,” Mobad remarked.
Bookshelf started to look into another one, when a glint caught their eye from a fourth bin. They walked over and stared for a long moment quietly into its contents.
“A Blademark baldric,” Doxx said. “They were here,”
Mobad looked at the third bin that Bookshelf passed by, “Bows and arrows here.”
“Parts,” Bookshelf said simply, and they reached in and pulled up a round metallic object and turned it in their hands. As the others turned to look it took a moment to realize that Bookshelf held a warforged head.
“How many?” Doxx asked with a tone of disgust.
“Five.” They said grimly looking between the bin, and the leatherworking station. “People for parts. All kinds.”
Sage and The Blade approached, both with grim looks.
“Will she—“Doxx started.
“—She’ll live.” Sage replied.
“You better hope she does,” Doxx said angrily glaring at Bookshelf.
“I’m supposed to just stand there and take an axe to the leg? It might have removed yours,” Bookshelf replied calmly.
“And I’m sure you needling her had nothing to do with it,” Doxx snapped.
“Enough! We have enough problems without creating one. We will deal with this later,” Sage said. “For now, we should watch the other door to make sure we aren’t disturbed.”
Mobad grunted, and walked to the far door, pushing his way past Bookshelf, nearly knocking him over. The rest then moved into one of the antechambers that flanked the room. Inside were two of the cages but set upright on their ends. A table nearby had sharp knives and tools, while on the ground two baskets sat half empty, each with an assortment of clothing and equipment. In the back corner, small cloth was spread out on the floor.
Doxx moved towards the cloth and realized that something was under it. Using their staff, they moved the cloth aside, and Doxx jumped back suddenly. There underneath was a pair of vegepygmies. The others whirled at the motion and were ready to attack when Bookshelf spoke.
“They’re dead.” They walked forward and drew a dagger and used it to move limbs and roll their heads side to side. “No wounds, no fire, no frost. Something else killed them.”
“And no one noticed?” Doxx exclaimed.
“Apparently they aren’t very bright.” Safe noted.
The Blade in the meantime looked over the cage when something drew his attention. High on it, stuck on fragment of wooden thatch was a strand of long golden hair.. Frowning he looked down and saw that the cage was set upon a basin. Sniffing the air, he was certain from the scent that it held blood. He then frowned and leaned closer and looked inside. The basin was filled to the brim with the all too familiar liquid. He was about the straighten up, when he thought he felt something on his cheek. He reached out his hand towards the basin and realized what it was.
“It’s warm. Someone was exsanguinated here very recently,” The Blade said, then noticing something else on the floor and moved to pick them up.
“If that was the case, who left this?” Sage had squatted down and pointed to a set of red smears on the stone floor. Doxx and The Blade moved over to look, and it was clear that the smears were a set of bloody footprints.
Doxx squinted at it a moment, “A woman’s footprint based on the size…or a male elf.”
“It must be Myrai’s. And I suspect she is a wizard of some kind.” The Blade said, holding out a bit of black fur, “A black cat—” and then he produced a black feather in the other hand, “—with wings.”
Doxx blinked in confusion, “I…thought the girl was telling a tale. But I suppose with a familiar of some kind anything is possible.”
“So, her familiar got her free?” Sage asked.
“Yes, she used magic then to kill the guards, and—” The Blade moved over to the bins in the room, “Got dressed…I don’t see anything in here that a woman could wear.”
Doxx looked closer at the ground near the entrance to the side chamber, “That seems to be the right of it. There is a boot print her against the wall. I bet she sneaked out. Perhaps she distracted the others and is ahead of us now.”
Bookshelf had been quiet, but now they looked at the basin of warm blood, “But this…this basin is full. The amount of blood here…a human shouldn’t be alive after shedding this much blood.”
“I agree,” The Blade said somberly. “But, the lack of a woman’s body, and two pygmies’ corpses tell a different tale.”
The four stepped back into the main room, and Rosa moved towards them with Adrissa rubbing her head. “She doesn’t remember what happened in the fight with vegepygmies here,” and she leveled a gaze at Bookshelf, “Nor how she got knocked out, but I told her it wasn’t important right now.”
The Blade looked at Sage Redoubt and the juggernaut nodded, “I will stay closer to her and keep her safe.”
“She’ll be safer in Denn—” Doxx began to start his tirade again.
“Nowhere is safe. No one is safe,” Adrissa said quietly, bringing Doxx up short. “Not my home. Not Denning. Not the ranchers.,” and she pointed to the leather frame with the tattooed skin stretched across it. “Not my father. And not me, so save your sermon Doxx. Just get me out of here.”
The Blade was about to respond, when he closed his mouth, and moved to the third bin, and found a shortbow and a quiver of arrows. He brought them over to the dead eyed girl and offered them out. “Perhaps not. But that doesn’t mean you have to accept it. It’s your life.”
Doxx sighed looking at the girl, and her innocence lost, “Well…at least we know Myrai was here, and is ahead of us. Might as well follow her.”
The rest nodded and moved towards the barred passage out. Mobad slid the bar back and pulled the wicker door a little, peeked through, looking for trouble, before he opened it and entered the passage way. As the group moved through the doorway, the girl stopped by the leatherworking station, with her father’s flayed skin on the frame. She reached over with a shaking hand and touched it gently before saying softly for the last time.
“Goodbye Daddy.”
Session notes:
So, The Blade's player kindly allowed me to adapt his original piece into the story, and thanks again Ryan. However, there is a small thing that happened at this point. After Adrissa was hit by the Ray of Frost, there was an interesting change. That change was that my daughter started to play Adrissa as a character. Her personality changed a bit from the frightened passive girl that originally appeared, to something quite different. Originally it was just going to be temporary as well; it was the first time she had ever played Dungeons and Dragons with her father (Myrai) and her brother (Sage Redoubt). And instead, she became a permanent member of the group that plays today.
So what was a side character became something more important, and has hooked my daughter into the Pen and Paper world, and she has even dm'd a group of my friends recently for the first time. So this story has a lot of personal memories for me, beyond just the game.