Mists over the Musarde, Chapter Four

[steveflam]

Looking around at the others, especially those who seem to have a hard time believing him, the dwarf adds.

"Lissen, ye may be sceptical, but when a stalagmite falls on ye an tries ta kill ye, then ye'll change yer tune, bub. Believe me when I sez they exists these beasties. They've killed a few o me folk cuz me folk was unprepared or uncautious. I think they be callin' them Shriekers or somethin like dat.

An so, we headin out to tha keep on the morrow ta git that bitch dead as a doornail?"

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Norzak listens to everyone before intejecting with his own thoughts. He lays a comforting hand on Jon's shoulder. "I think it's like was said afore. Van Dieks is prolly an undead freak now. Less' wprry bout that witch bitch and get ta the keep as soon as we kin. Git 'er ta ingest tha weed some way an git er done good.

Once we git er, then we kin concentrate on gittin back 'ome. I's achin fer some nice dwarvish ale me favorite pub. I thinks we bin 'ere long enough as it is."

When Norzak has a look at Wats book, he comments on one beast that the others seem sceptible[sp] about. "I seen that there beastie afore, in the caves o our great clan back in Darkon. Them's look like stalagmites but they's drop down n kill ye dead, fer sure! We used ta have us some clerics ta take care o them pointy basturds. So, they may seem unlikely ta you, Benn, but in fact they does exist, bub."


OOC: ewan I am presuming that Norzak has run into these Stalagmites before back in Darkon, if not I can edit my post.

Bennedict gives Norzak a doubtful arch of the eyebrow. "I'm sure, Norzak."

In response to Alain's question, Benn goes and fetches one of the books rescued from the keep. "Not exactly," he says, flipping to the page in question. "You'll note here, where it describes her plan to kill herself, rather than allow the Incabulites to take her. I have no doubt that she intended to drink it, as hemlock leaf is likely incredibly unpalatable. However, I have my doubts that she was fed it in a glass of wine at a dinner."

"I've had another thought," Benn says, stroking his mustache thoughtfully. "Dorgio may be more familiar with the practice, but I know some forms of undead are particularly vulnerable to having liquid holy water splashed on them. Perhaps a similar method, using the hemlock, could be used against her?"

He sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I really don't know. I need to get home, to a real bed. I can't think straight."

Dorgio furrows his brow. "Perhaps. I am trying to think back on how the leaf is made into a drink, but I am not remembering. I have mostly only used it to calm nerves. Perhaps we could be steeping it in strong drink, and be making some sort of tincture from it? I am not certain though, I am only guessing."

''Animals won't eat that leaf. It might taste bad, or maybe they just know that it is poisonous.''

"Yes, it is certainly poisonous on its own." Dorgio frowns and leafs through the bestiary some more, looking for any illustrations that resemble the plant. "What was that animal Cirdan found?" he wonders to nobody in particular. He continues thumbing through the book, scanning any illustrations.

[ewancummins]

Dorgio finds precious few plants in the bestiary, and all of these are quite fantastic: gigantic tree-men and such grotesqueries.


Wat now goes over top the stack of books on the table.

''Thes libra..books, uh...what is in them, Benn? I know the one Dorgio holds is about monsters and animals, but what about these other ones?''

He waves a hand over the small collection of tomes.

[Adam]

Benn walks over to the table. "This one is a a court chronicle, it details the history of the Witch's kingdom from before her death. It's...unpleasant reading."

He pulls out another. "This is a travelogue, a libram of maps." And another. "This is a book of hours. It...well it wasn't terribly helpful, but interesting reading all the same." Yet another. "This is a book of medicinal herbs. The passage for hemlock was underlined, this is where I made the deduction that she killed herself with the hemlock. You can see, here, on this page, where she underlined the passage about the herb." He flips to the page he had marked with a slip of paper, pointing at the ancient writing. He shows it to Dorgio. "It is possible that there are instructions on how to prepare the hemlock here." He pulls another book free. "This is a lexicon of old languages. I picked up a few phrases of your tongue while reading it, Wat, but I didn't see much else that was helpful." He picks up one last tome, this one made of wood. "And this is a portrait book." He flips to one of the pages, showing a blonde eyed girl with violet-blue eyes standing next to a tall, handsome man. Holding it up to the group he says "I trust you will find her familiar."

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio strikes his forehead with the tips of his fingers. "<i>Fene.</i> Of course. He takes the herbalism book and the lexicon, and begins going over the recipe, trying to match the unfamiliar words with the entries in the lexicon.

He flips to one of the pages, showing a blonde eyed girl with violet-blue eyes standing next to a tall, handsome man. Holding it up to the group he says "I trust you will find her familiar."

"Are any other faces looking familiar? The Rider, or anybody else we've met?"

[ewancummins]

Using the herbal book and the lexicon together, Dorgio is able to slowly puzzle out the recipe for a posionous drinkable solution of hemlock.


[OOC It will take a couple of hours to finish the translation and actually make the stuff. ]

[steveflam]

While the others toil over the books, Norzak keeps to himself. Having time to actually think things through he speaks up "Oi. When we be gittin' back ta tha keep, I kin cast me Detect Creature spell on ta look fer tha Bitch Witch. Ye be sayin' she be a ghost? Then tha be what I cast fer, an me shadow be lookin' roun' jess' tha same fer tha type o creature. Sound good?"

[Adam]

Bennedict looks up from assisting Dorgio with the translation. "Yes, that sounds more than reasonable."

[ewancummins]

two and a half hours later...

The translation and the actual work of perparing the deadly solution of hemlock are finished. The poisonous brew is now safely stored in a small clay jug [courtesy of Wat] with a leather stopper snugly in place.


{All of you have had a chance to eat, rest, etc.
It's perhaps four hours past noon, but this being summer, the day is far from ended. There is more than enough time to reach the Keep before darkness falls, should anyone wish to depart. }

[Le Noir Faineant]

Yeeeee-aaah, we enter the enemy's keep at nightfall. VERY smart. S-M-R-T.


Finishing the work on his armor, Cirdan will take first opportunity to rest.
He's not very talkative lately,
though as he sits next to the fire eating the stew that Ben has cooked for him,
you can hear him sigh and whisper "Evangeline"...

[Adam]

Bennedict spends what time he has free running over his notes again, looking for anything he may have missed more out of habit rather than expecting anything to be there, before giving his equipment a casual check and donning his armor.

[ewancummins]

Wat speaks-

''Will you all be going, then, together? ''

[steveflam]

Norzak spends the afternoon resting, wondering how he the evening will turn out for all of them. He keeps near Jon and they both have small talk while they pass the afternoon quietly.

To Wats he responds, "I be thinkin so, yeah."

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

With the work with the hemlock finished at last, Dorgio wipes the sweat from his brow--careful that no trace of the poison touches him, then takes a place by the fire beside Cirdan. He lights a cigarillo, his last one, and breaths deeply. "Ahh yes, that is better than a <i>baszd</i>" Looking at the knight, he says, "You are missing her, yes? Who could be blaming you, she is a good woman." He reaches into his belt pouch and pulls out the small music box. "She gave this to me. And after it was stolen, Norzak found it in Wolutha's bedchamber. A thing so beautiful, that even a ghost would covet it, perhaps?" He blinks. "Forgive me, I am rambling. Cirdan, one way or the other we'll be back. My friend, I just watched an undead knight kick you through the door, and then you were punching a horse to death. Whatever happens, I am thinking you will be fine."

He takes another puff of his cigarillo, loathe to let it burn out. "Shall we go, my friends? Miles to cover before the shadows are lengthening into night."

[steveflam]

"I dun be thinkin me wand be good now thet she knows about it," Norzak talks about strategy in his own way. "What should we be doin a differen'ly? I still think I kin use me spell to detect 'er through meself an me shadow. Benn 'n' Dorgio, do ye be thinkin this weed gonna do tha trick? I also got a feelin' mebbe Van Dieks be aroun' there too. We should keep an eye out fer 'im too. I checked me inventory1, so anythin' we kin use from there is fine too."


1 =Smokesticks, Alch Fires, Thunderstones, Caltrops, Tanglefoot bag