The Unbeating Heart - Chapter 12

Coccoon

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Previously: The Brood

PC Message
Nkosi

Nkosi dives to the side in an attempt to dodge the disgusting flesh, and dodges the deflating and descending flesh, stumbling out the door with Anton.

Stephan

Stephan, glancing up as the creature falls, tries to leap out the door with Nkosi. Time seems to be his ally this time, as he quickly throws himself out the door as the creature begins 'melting'.

Karyna

Karyna and Softpaw move to get out from under the falling creature. Both manage to find a niche in the wall to avoid the falling monstrosity.

Thurgood

Thurgood barely manages to land on his feet. For a moment, there is an expression of satisfaction on his face, just before the creature engulfs him, knocking him to the floor.

Karyna

Karyna moves over the creature, walking on it as it lands. She finds the spot where Thurgood is either fighting the blanket-like horror, or where she saw him land. Using her sword, she cuts through the hide of the creature (holding her breath in case there are spores or some such) to give Thurgood a way out.

DM

The scent of its begining decomposition makes her glad she is holding her breath. She sees the struggling heap that is Thurgood, and quickly cuts him free of the now spongy monstrosity.

Thurgood

Thurgood struggles free, taking a deep breath - something he immediately regrets.
He falls into a cough, meanwhile trying to stand up and get out of the matter.
"It. -cough- Is... Dead?"

Nkosi

As he watches Thurgood emerge victorious, Nkosi looks around to see if the creature's apparent death has had any effect on the "cocoons" or the ghouls.

DM

The ghouls were destroyed by Stephan, but the Cocoons are still attached to the ceiling. The silk attaching them to the ceiling seems to slowly be unraveling, gently lowering them to the ground.

Syn

"Oh My...." and the phrase was cut off with the sound of someone getting sick. There is a sound of some shuffling and then a muffled "Ok... That was a big mistake. The stench here is unbearable and thank goodness I did not have a big lunch."
Syn freed herself of the dead monster. She was covered head to toe in gunk and a cloth was held over her mouth and nose. She looked a little pale and wobbly.
Quickly looking around, she checked to see if everyone else was ok.

Stephan

Stephan turns after he picks himself up from the floor and looks in. He looks around at the creature spread out before him, and his allies struggling in its remains.
"Well that was...interesting."
He looks around again and then steps into the room to see if he can help at all.

DM

The Cocoons have begun to descend from the ceiling, the creature is dead and decomposing at your feet, but somehow you feel as though this is just the begining of something much deeper. This creature is not a creature of nature. Someone, somewhere created it, and the parasites as well.
"It is dead?" comes Anton's tremulous voice from the doorway, interupting your thoughts.
"I... I think so," Slim replies as he watches the first of the Cocoons drop to the floor atop a shattered pew. "At least it smells dead. The question is, what do we do with these?"

Thurgood

Thurgood staggers forward, dripping goo as he walks. He unhooks his cloak and tosses it aside. He presses the tip of his sword, which is left remarkably clean, against the surface of one of the cocoons. "Open it up?"

Nkosi

"Yes," says Nkosi, getting his dagger ready to cut one as well. "I also think we should find a secure position within these walls. If the journal is correct, a vampire may be waiting outside, and I currently have no spells left to cast. Do you have any suggestions, Thurgood?"

Karyna

"What about reconsecrating this place?" Karyna motions to the chapel around them. "It was once a holy place and might be able to be again. It would at least give us some defense against the vampire, if he indeed is coming back." The young ranger/cleric nocked an arrow, waiting for the cocoon to be opened.

Nkosi

Nkosi nods. "An excellent idea. However, we would likely need to find one of the monastery's inhabitants alive first to perform the necessary ceremony. We shall soon see what lies in the cocoons -- perhaps Anubis has not yet escorted them to the Land of the Dead..." He begins to cut carefully at one of the cocoons with his dagger.

DM

The threads of the cocoon are tough and fiberous, it takes moments before the re is enough of a cut to discover what lies within.
Inside is a man, his eyes wide and staring, glazed. His chest rises and falls in a slow measured pace, his skin so pale it is almost transparent. If he sees you there is no recognition in his eyes, nor does he move any at all...

Thurgood

Thurgood assists Nkosi in further cutting open the cocoon, checking for the presence of any other creatures.
"Maybe he is poisoned or drugged?"
As he cuts, he peels away the coccoon.
He checks the the skin of the man, touchiung it to sensde if it is unnaturally hot or cold, and whether there any parasites.
At a whim, he checks the man's neck. Though he would like to turn the man over, he doesn't, as he is not sure if this would harm him. He puts his hand behind the man's head and feels his neck.

DM

There is a larval parasite attached to his neck.

Thurgood

Thurgood points out the parasite to the others. He looks at Nkosi.
"You have a knife. I can hold it while you cut it loose. Do you think we can kill it without harming the man?"

Nkosi

Nkosi looks carefully at the parasite.

DM

At this point it is hard to tell, without touching or completely removing the parasite, whetehr the creature has burrowed inside the neck or is simply attached.
"Guys," Slim adds. "A knife might injure the 'host' as well as the parasite. Maybe we should burn it off?"

Stephan

"Do you think a healing spell would work?" Stephan says.

Slim

"I don't know, but it wouldn't hurt," replies Slim

Nkosi

Nodding at Slim's suggestion of fire, Nkosi looks to see if he has anything small that can be lit and brought near the parasite.

DM

He does indeed have some candles, and after he lights them they cast a pale halo of light into the ruined chapel. Aside from the light from the red stainglass windows, it is the only light in the place.

Nkosi

As he glances at the twisting shadows created by the candlelight, a haunted look briefly appears on Nkosi's face. Composing himself, he brings the flame of the candle closer to the parasite. He looks at those closest and says, "Please be ready to hold this man down. He -- or the creature -- may react violently. And be careful: The parasite could flee and attempt to find a new host."
He then moves the flame toward the parasite.

Thurgood

Thurgood lies his sword down, so as to better hold the man, and lifts him up to make the parasite easier to reach. "Hold your blades ready."

DM

As the flame presses against the slug like creature there is a loud whine, as though it is screaming in agony. The smell of its putrid fleshy assaults your nostrils in a black cloud. The thing curls in on itself, dropping ike a bloated leech from the mans neck. It twitches on the ground, then moves no more.
The man blinks his eyes, then rolls them to face you, "Where am I?"

Thurgood

"This is the Monestary. We just awoken you. I'm Thurgood."

DM

"There are no monasteries near Pontamaseau!" He exclaims, "Where is this place? The last thing I remember is being set upon by bandits on my way home from the mill!"

Nkosi

"I know you are frightened, but try to stay calm," says Nkosi. "You were...kidnapped, and brought by unnamed people into this area. What do you remember about the bandits?"

Karyna

Karyna came nearer to hear the man's tale after getting Softpaw from under the now-dead creature. She kept a careful watch on their perimeter as she listened.

DM

"I... It happened so fast, I dont remember. I dont feel so well. Is there some place we can go that is away from this stink?"

Stephan

Stephan looks above to wher ethe creature once was and takes note of the ceiling, seeing if there's anything of interest, such as doors, etc.

DM

The ceiling is simply bare wooden rafters. There might be a door up there but from where you stand it is difficult to see.

Nkosi

"Of course," says Nkosi, helping the man gain his footing. "I'll help you over to the side of the room, but then we must free the others." Noticing Syn checking the area, he calls out to her, "Are we safe for the moment? Anything in the hallway?"

Syn

Syn surveys the scene in the room. She notices that the others seem to be cutting people out of the pods that were attached to the creature.
Deciding that the others could handle the removals without her help, Syn starts walking the perimeter of the room. She keeps an eye out for hidden or concealed doors, other entrances or exits, and/or creatures that might have been attracted by the fighting.

DM

Syn notices, just beneath the splintered ruin of a shattered lectern, a trap door in the floor.

Thurgood

Thurgood moves over to the next coccoon, grabbing hold of Anton on the way.
"You help me with this coccoon. Slim, can you get that other one there with Nkosi?"
He hastily proceeds to cut the second coccoon open, his eyes periodically flicking sideways at Syn or Stephan.

DM

Slim nods, and heads over to help N'kosi.

Syn

Syn looks at the trap door and then looks to see what the rest of the group is doing.
"Ummm. I think I found a trap door over here. Does someone want to help me clear some of the rubble away from it?"

Karyna

Karyna nods, "Sure. I think the guys have everything else in control." She moves over to the rubble and starts moving debris aside - watching for rats or other vermin in the pile. Better safe than bitten.

DM

The debris moves easily enough aside, the trap door is well maintained, and looks frequently used.

DM

Inside the Cocoon is an emaciated husk, the flesh thin and papery, clinging tightly to bones. It doesnt move, or draw breath. What ever it was, (male or female, human or elf, is difficult to tell) merely sits within, sunken eyes closed in death like those of a mummy...
"Gods!" Anton gasps, quickly turniing his head.

Thurgood

Thurgoods face has gone quite pale.
He had known something like this was to be expected, but still...
"Dead..." he mutters... "hopefully..."
He grabs Anton's shoulder.
"Be strong, man. I need you now to be on guard. I am going to see if one of those beasts is still attached."
He reaches down and turns the corpse over, his sword at the ready.

DM

As he does so the creatures eyes suddenly open, and with lightning speed, it grabs his hand and clamps its teeth down on his arm!

Karybna

Karyna wonders who or what could be using it the trapdoor so much. She searches for any clues. Tracks, fur, skin, clothing, fingerprints...

DM

No clues present themselves, as she is searching she hears Anton cry out, and Thurgood swear.

Thurgood

Half having expected it, Thurgood is nonetheless startled by the speed of the attack.
"Strike it! Anton! Now!" he yells.
Instead of pulling his arm back, he thrusts it forward, pinning the creature to the bottom of the coccoon, bringing his sword down on it.

Nkosi

Hearing Thurgood's shout, Nkosi turns away from the cocoon that he and Slim were opening and runs over to help.

DM

The creature has grabbed Thurgoods other arm and is pulling 'him in as though it wants to give him a rotten lipped kiss.
Meanwhile Anton is looking around hastily for some sort of weapon, anything to use against the creature. Grasping about his hand comes across a piece of a shattered pew.
He hoists it overhead, just as the undead fiend pulls Thrugood close, it almost seems to be gagging on something, and he sees its throat swell...
Slim follows close behind Nkosi. They arrive just as Anton is hoisting the piece of pew.

Thurgood

Thurgood abandons his attempt to pin the creature down, trying to back away from it, pushing it away with all it's might.

DM

He dodges aside just as something shoots from the creatures mouth, flying over his shoulder and scurrying through the rubble when it lands.

Karyna

Karyna draws a dagger, and throws it at the creature.

Nkosi

Nkosi runs over to Thrurgood and tries to pull the creature off of him.

DM

The creature starts to slump after launching the seed, and a blow From Anton's improvised club powders the head.

Thurgood

Thurgood pulls back, grabs his sword and turns to face the parasite.

DM

The Parasite has vanished into the ruble of the pews.

Syn

As the parasite runs into the rubble, Syn drops the boards she was moving and moves away from the trap door.
"Guys, Whatever this creature is, for the size it might have had a caretaker or two. The Parasite might be heading for the caretaker. I have a strange feeling that it might come towards me and try to get through the trap door."
As Syn says that, She draws her sword and keeps an eye on the rubble around her and the trap door.

Nkosi

Nkosi says to Syn, with his typical eerie calm, "I think that what the creature spat out was a seed, or younger form of itself. It's possible that it might not be a threat to us until it grows larger. Still, if you and perhaps Thurgood stand guard, then Karyna, myself, and the others can open the trap door and see what lies beneath."

Karyna

"Sounds good to me," Karyna replied.
DM

After a minute or so of no sign of the spawn, Anton looks around nervously and says, "What if there are others? And what of the man we rescued?" He says in a whisper that is perhaps too loud.

Nkosi

Nkosi glances around uncertainly. He hadn't forgotten the other victims. But, while there may yet be additional survivors among the cocoons, they'll likely be in no shape to defend themselves. No, better to open the trap door, and -- with Osiris' guidance -- destroy the evil that remains. Then they can free the others...

Thurgood

"What about the other coccoons?" Thurgood says, eyeing the rubble for any signs of the beast.

DM

The man you just freed from the cocoon looks over at you, but says nothing, but his face says it all. There is fear and horror in his eyes. His face is pale, paler even than when first he came out of the cocoon, and in his eyes you read the fear of death. His eyes flicker oever each of you, and then to the door. And then goes even paler as his eyes flicker to a slight shifting in the rubble right behind Karyna's feet.
Suddenly it bursts forth from the rubble, tackling her from behind. She feels a searing pain in her leg, followed by a numbness that causes her to stumble and fall to her knees...

Nkosi

Nkosi rushes forward with his dagger, hoping to pry the creature off Karyna. Perhaps his own flesh will not be the fiend's liking...

DM

The slender blade slips between the many legged abomination and the woman's flesh and the creature pops free. Its many legs propel it faster than you could imagine and soon it is scurrying up you!

Nkosi

Nkosi, his eyes widening in horror, calls out, "By Anubis! Help me!" He wraps his free hand in the folds of his thick robe to grab the creature while avoiding its numbing touch, and his other hand jabs at it with his dagger.

Thurgood

Thurgood stumbles towards Nkosi and makes grab at the creature, but it evades his grip.

DM

The gods seem to hear Nkosi's plea as his dagger slides home, slaying the creature.

Nkosi

Nkosi lets the dead thing slide off his wide dagger, then wipes the ichor on his robes. Pausing, he bows and whispers a prayer of thanks to the gods, then turns to the others.
"Let us deal with the trap door now. If we spend the time to release more people from the cocoons, we risk releasing more of the creatures as well, and any persons we DO find alive will be unable to defend themselves. Destroy the larger evil that still dwells here first, then attend to the others."

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