* The Mavis farmstead is like most of the farms throughout the Heartlands. A modest farmhouse made of fieldstone sits near one edge of several acres of farmland. Stalks of onions, beets, and carrots stretch off in nearly every direction; the east-west road to Evenor is quiet and empty. * A barn and a squat, three-tiered silo about six feet in height are near the farmhouse. Both are inside the fence that divides the farmland from the road, and only a few dozen yards from the farmhouse at the most. * The fence's gate is closed, as is the door, but earlier in the morning Craig had assured the young recruits of the Order that both would be unlocked. Speaking of the recruits, a fifth arrived at the Lonesome Tankard late the previous evening under written instructions from Colonel Glass... [A stern-looking, 5' tall kith with deep brown scales eyes the other inquisitively.] * LaughingBear stands on the road outside the farmhouse, leaning on his feather-decorated spear--butt-end toward the dirt--as if it were were a walking stick. * Dral1 looms in the middle of the road. Looming over what, it's hard to say, precisely, but he's -definitely- looming. A massive, looming dral, with a big chain wrapped around his waist, and a sturdy pack on his back. * LaughingBear is shorter than the kith by over a foot. [Said Kith is wearing comfortable leather armor and carries a longbow across her back.] * Klizurk eyes the other Kith, and smiles a short time after looking. * Fash nods approvingly. * Dral1 holds out one hand personably to Fash. "Hello, fellow cadet and/or private in the order of the Dragonsaint. I am pleased to meet you and/or make your acquaintance." * Fash returns the handshake. "Greetings, great one." * LaughingBear could be smiling, but it's hard to tell, since his beak isn't capable of such movements. He's dressed in a simple chain shirt and garments decorated sparsely with fur, beads, and feathers. * LaughingBear nods in Fash's direction. "Pleased to meet you, Kith. What's your name?" * Dral2 smiles at the new arrival. "Glad to have you along." You may call me Fash. * Klizurk is a little on the large size for a Kith, but still that doesn't mean much given female Kith tend to be about four and a quarter feet tall. Her scales are on the blue side, and while she doesn't have a beard, she has a crest marked with silver highlights on her head. Kith tend to be rather distinctive, even among themselves. "I'm Klizurk, good to have you on board." Well met, Fash. My name is best translated as Laughing Bear in modern Kaddei. I still do not understand a bear laughing. * LaughingBear cocks his head to one side. "And why not?" Bears do not laugh. Oh, I'm certain they could if you tickled them. Perhaps you simply don't know how to perceive it. I have never tried tickling a bear. I must remember to do that. Then how would you know if one could laugh? * Dral1 makes a note of it. * Klizurk snickers. * LaughingBear glances toward what appears to be empty air beside him. "Bear assures you that he laughs." * Dral1 walks towards the gate. We must dig. * Fash narrows her eyes. * LaughingBear moves toward the gate as well. * Fash follows. * Dral2 talks almost to himself. "If bears cannot laugh, then trees cannot walk." Dral2 steps closer to the fence. I have a good/fine/excellent plan. It is very simple. My teacher says that simple plans are the best plans. * Dral1 hops over the gate. What's your plan? We dig a big hole. * LaughingBear opens the gate carefully and holds it open for the others. Then I throw the zombie in the hole. It is a good plan. The Colonel advised against touching the cursed one... ... who needs to touch it? How do you plan on throwing him into the hole without touching him? What about luring it into the hole? * Dral1 points to the long spiked chain wrapped around his waist * LaughingBear eyes the chain and chuckles. "A good plan, indeed." First we need shovels. * Dral1 starts looking around for shovels. * LaughingBear helps look for shovels. Perhaps the barn. *Dral2 heads for the barn to search it for tools.* Where do you want the hole? Some place the zombie would walk, of course. * LaughingBear returns from his search with a pick in hand. * Dral1 grabs a shovel, mourns the fact that it's so small, and starts shoveling dirt in the direction the zombie should be coming from. * LaughingBear joins Dral1 in digging away. * Klizurk walks over and picks up a shovel, digging away as well. * Fash begins to dig as well. * Dral1 digs a nice big hole, and then stands by it, watching the forest, and hoping -somebody- spots the zombie incoming. * Klizurk is one of the first to stop digging, clearly itching for some action as she prepares for battle and looks for incomming zombies. * LaughingBear pats the dirt off himself when they finish digging, backs up behind the big dral, and waits patiently. * Fash finds a shady spot by the Dral and covers their backs. * LaughingBear scans the horizon alertly for any unusual movement, relying on Bear for support. * Dral2 walks out to a clearing and lifts his hand up to his leafy head. When it emerges, a small, brown barn owl sits perched on one finger. "Fly," he commands, as he lifts the bird into the air. It takes flight. * The owl flies southward, in the direction of the distant living wall that is Lerin Sangua. * Hours come and go, and the sun's rise across the southern sky becomes a sidle as the morning stretches into a midday meal. The day stretches on into the evening repast; even that meal has had time to settle, and the sun just beginning to disappear below the horizon, when finally a bird's shrill screeching can be faintly heard across the fields, from the direction of the forest. * Fash looks in the direction of the noise. She has spotted something. We should be ready. * LaughingBear rises to his feet and takes the spear from where it's leaning against the side of the farmhouse. * Dral2 turns to Dral1. This is your plan. Where do you want us? * Dral1 stirs from his rest, quickly unlooping his chain and letting it swing freely from his hands. Behind me and the pit. * Fash does as she is told. I have two opportunities to get him in the pit, at most. If those fail, I will retreat to your position. * LaughingBear takes position behind Dral1 and the pit. The feather crest on his head rises and falls. * A small brown owl glides low and fast across the fields and flutters its wings rapidly as it approaches the barn. It finds a safe spot against the outer wall, underneath the peak of the roof, and watches. * Dral2 firmly plants himself next to LaughingBear, staff at the ready. * A couple of minutes later, a distant figure staggers into view at the far end of the field. * Fash notches an arrow and waits. * LaughingBear narrows his eyes. "Something's not right about that figure moving toward us. Either he's bigger than we'd expected, or he's moving very fast. Maybe both." * LaughingBear readies his spear. * Klizurk pulls her shield out and draws her bastard sword. "Quite possibly both. Zombies don't move quickly, I don't think." * The figure continues to weave an erratic pattern across the distant fields until it's about a hundred yards distant, just past the point where the onion stalks give way to carrots. There, it stops weaving and pauses to scream a very human--and extremely agnoized--wail. It appears to be beating itself in the head, or perhaps pulling at its hair. * LaughingBear winces in spite of himself. * The figure breaks into a run. Clothes flapping behind it like tiny pennants, it rushes toward the recruits and their hole at a sprint, fast even for an athletic human. * Dral1 drops back into a defensive stance. * LaughingBear stands his ground at the ready behind Dral1. * Klizurk steps forward, shield and sword at the ready. * Fash pulls the bowstring tight. * Dral2 focuses on the enemy. * As he draws close enough to see more clearly, the figure appears to be a filthy, bedraggled human. His clothes are torn and his hands and scalp are bloody and scab-ridden. He's a bit larger than the average human, and a good deal faster. He screams again when he's about thirty yards away, but keeps on running. "Geddawaaugh!" He brandishes what appears to be a broken limb over his head as though it were a much more formidable weapon. Come on! Come and get it! * LaughingBear mumbles, "Grandfather's tailfeathers..." * The man continues his unintelligible scream as he rushes directly at the dral standing in front of the others, he raises his club high over one shoulder as he runs, swinging with all the weight of him behind it as he gets within reach of the dral. * Dral1 brings his chain up and about as the man closes in, wrapping it once around his extended arm. He pivots, twisting the chain as he turns, and heaves the zombie past him into the pit, all without ever touching the thing. * LaughingBear watches with his breath caught in his throat, the spear still clutched tightly in his hands. * The man's scream turns into a muffled grunt as all the wind is knocked of him and into the side of the hole. * Dral1 whips the chain quickly away from the pit and backs off a bit, hoping that it's deep enough. * Klizurk steps near the pit, but not so close she can get pulled in, and gets ready for the zombie to try and get out. "Nice job." I'm amazed. Master told me that no plan ever goes right. * After a moment, he gasps for breath and flings his club uselessly at the dral. It twirls end over end, well overhead, and lands several yards beyond. Then the man begins screaming again. Screaming, and bleeding. His skin splits and cracks as if chapped to bursting, and unnatural bulges push outward from nearly every visible surface of his skin. That's because it's best to be prepared if they do go wrong. * LaughingBear 's beak hangs open in horror. "What--?" ... oh dear. I don't think humans normally do such a thing. This is most unnatural. ... They don't. * In a single, sudden motion the man seems to leap. Not upward, though, so much as outward. His entire body expands with a horrific tearing sound, and his scream ends abruptly. Goodman Mavis could no longer be called human after that strange jump. * It has a humanoid shape, but its limbs are elongated and its hands and feet are ape-like and webbed. Its skin is firm and plated like a lobster or scorpion's exoskeleton, but broken by patches of fur that cover softer, more flexible skin. It has a dorsal ridge similar to a fin, and webbing connects its upper arms to its torso. Its face is stretched into a bestial maw like that of a baboon (if any of the recruits had ever seen a baboon before, they'd appreciate the similarities). What in the name of the great forest is THAT? Something NOT natural. ... Never seen one before. * Perhaps most importantly, the... thing... is well over ten feet tall. It hops out of the hole quickly and with ease, and turns its bloodshot eyes on the recruits with a snarl. * LaughingBear's beak opens and closes soundlessly. * Fash hisses. ... that's not in the plan. * Klizurk roars with a larger-than-size voice and charges the foe, scoring a solid hit against the creature, throwing it off-balance for her allies to take advantage of the break in the creature's guard. "Get back!" * Dral1 whirls his chain about his head, and it abruptly doubles, becoming two chains spinning perpendicular to each other. An instant later, they ignite with bright red flame, and he lashes forward, slicing into the monster with both chains. * LaughingBear flanks the creature and manages to jab it in the side of the calf with his spear. * Dral2 strikes the creature in the chest with a quick thrust. * The beast snarls; although bleeding, scorched, and frostbitten it still has some strength left, but apparently its sense of self-preservation hasn't completely disappeared. It turns toward the one opening left to it and leaps... * Klizurk swings her sword up, leaping in time to take an attack at the opening it left up its side, landing a solid blow but not downing it. * Dral1 whips his chain out and casts almost like a fisherman, deftly wrapping it around the thing's legs. He gives it a powerful yank, sending the thing ass-over-ears back into the pit. * The creature lands with a yelp--head down--at the bottom of the pit. Although it scrabbles to get back to its feet, it is clearly dazed and in a great deal of pain. It snarls up at the edge of the hole, casting its gaze around for a way out. ...stay. Um... surrender or die in obscurity! * Dral1 heads around the pit to the other side and calls out, "Quickly, surround the pit! * LaughingBear helps surround the pit and keeps his spear ready in his hands. * Fash stays out of the creatures reach and readies to shoot it should it try to leave the pit. * Dral2 stands in a wide stance at one side of the pit. * Klizurk walks near the pit to one of the surrounding locations glances down into it. "Where *is* the colonel?" Did he say that he'd meet us here after his meeting? * The thing snarls its frustration, and makes a few feints upward at the edge of the pit. After it becomes obvious that such lunges will not help it escape, it finally sits down at the bottom of the hole, holds its head in its hands, and sobs. Could you send that bird to fetch the Colonel? * Fash studies the creature intently. How is it fairing after the fight? * LaughingBear cocks his head to one side in an inquisitive and birdlike manner. He feels a little sorry for the creature, but he stays on his guard. * The creature in the pit is still every bit as monstrous as it was at the beginning of the fight, perhaps moreso now that it is covered with wounds. * Dral2 shakes his head. "No, but she could tell us if someone was approaching." He calls up to the owl and points back in the direction of the village, "Fly!" * The owl hoots softly and flutters away toward Evenor. After it leaves, the sun slowly sets and, some time later, the creature in the pit appears to fall into a fitful sleep. * Fash watches to make sure no one is sneaking up on the group. * The night passes slowly, and wearily. Shortly before dawn, the owl returns. The creature in the pit whimpers and shrivels as if on that cue. It writhes in pain as its body slowly shrinks like that of a man aging a hundred years in a matter of seconds, until only a bloodied and burned Goodman Mavis is left in pain-wracked slumber. * LaughingBear blinks a few times. * Not long after that, Colonel Glass calls out from the front of the farm. Four nervous-looking guardsmen follow him, although they stop short when Glass opens the gate and approaches his recruits. Colonel Glass seems to be as proud as a new father when he looks at the recruits, but the guardsmen only watch the forest and the road warily and pass their longspears from one hand to the other. * LaughingBear raises his hand in greeting when he sees the Colonel and guardsmen. "Morning, sir!" * Dral1 salutes. * Fash bows SIR! We captured the Goodman! * Klizurk salutes the Colonel crisply, despite having been on watch much of the night. "Good morning, sir." I knew you could do it, soldiers! Let's have a look at him... * Dral2 bows his head in welcome. He's, ah, changed a bit since we captured him, sir. * Fash relates the whole turned into a giant angry baboon-lobster man thing and the fight. If his skin starts rumbling again, back away, sir. * Klizurk nods. Some kind of shapechanging, probably supernatural. I don't know if it's magic or some form of lycanthropism or other such thing though, sir. My plan worked beautifully. Except for the part where it grew bigger than the hole and jumped out. Well, some of the Serpent's creations did have the ability to change their forms.... * The Colonel approaches the pit and looks down at the now feeble-looking man there. He listens to his recruits' story, his expression changing from pride to grim concern. At the end of it, he nods. "Sounds a bit like the curse from back in the War. The Serpent's curse, indeed." It was a good plan, don't beat yourself over it. Regardless, we captured him anyways. * LaughingBear nods. Well, there's nothing more we can do today but get this poor man into a prison cell. The baroness has a new assignment for us, and it's going to be a lot easier since you managed to capture Goodman Mavis alive. I'm proud of you all. * LaughingBear bows his head humbly. * Klizurk salutes again. "Thank you sir." * Dral1 salutes! Thank you sir! * Dral2 bows his head. "Dral1 did have a very good plan." * Col. Glass smiles. "Come on, then. Let's escort him back to Evenor and get some sleep." * LaughingBear nods eagerly. "Yes, sir!" He salutes and does as he is told. How are we going to do that without touching him sir? I think I saw some canvas in the toolshed. And rope. Excellent. * The Colonel nods. "That'll work. Gather it up, and I'll help bind him." * LaughingBear heads to the toolshed and returns with rope and canvas. * Fash helps LaughingBear prepare to bind the prisoner. * Klizurk assists in the matter where she can. * It takes little time to bind the sleeping man, as he's really not more than dead weight at this point. Because the guards refuse to get anywhere near Mavis, it falls to the Order to carry him back to Evenor.