maudKAOS IC

[Earl of Purple]

Carl

Carl follows Charles towards the screaming. "I hope the screamer likes beetles. If they do not, hopefully they won't try to kill me. I don't like people who try to kill me. Still, it could be an entomologist." Carl is traveling as quietly as he can, and is still humanoid in shape, and the hood is down allowing Carl's multiple eyes to see everywhere, but the beetles of his head are scurrying more than usual.

[Rutskarn]

You journey deeper into the forest, moving towards the location of the scream...and abruptly, come onto a stone pathway that cuts like a canyon through the jungle.

The road slopes slightly downhill, bearing down towards an unknown destination. On the path directly in front of you, you see an empty leather backpack, torn badly to pieces. You can see droplets of black, viscous liquid beaded on the leather.

The black liquid continues off, leftwards down the trail, one droplet every foot or so. A little down the road, you see a sign pointing rightwards marked Fort Sessenwaft.

[Gourtox]

Vel

He had remained quiet because of the shock, but now that he saw the liquid he spoke up. "What is that? It almost looks like blood. This is probably where the scream came from." "What made you think that? The torn backpack or the blood stuff?" His eyes are following the trail of 'blood' when he notices the sign. "Fort Sessenwaft? That's an odd name for a Fort,"Stupid is what it is." but it looks like that's where the trail leads."[/COLOR] "must you be so obnoxious all the time?" "Yes. I get bored otherwise." "What do you think we should do?" "Follow the trail." "I wasn't talking to you." "I don't care."

[Earl of Purple]

Carl

"I think we should carry on down the trail. But carefully, there could be anything at any point of this trail. There could be insecticides." Carl has put his hood up so his pseudoface is covered in shadow. He doesn't want anybody he doesn't know to know what he is.

[pingcode20]

At the Old Wolf and Jury

The small building slowly clomped along a little behind the others, groans emanating from within. Happy hour was over, now it was hangover hour.

"Sure hope there aren't any. Insecticides! More like hangover-in-a-can." replied someone from within - it sounded like Mr. Kazoo again.

"Ooogh... There's a trail? Well, nowhere else to go..."

[Rutskarn]

((So, to clarify--you guys heading down the BLOOD trail, or the FORT trail?))

[Gourtox]

((So, to clarify--you guys heading down the BLOOD trail, or the FORT trail?))

((I was under the impression it was the same trail. I vote Blood trail))

[Selrahc]

((Blood trail is fine with me))

[Rutskarn]

((One more vote makes it a consensus))

[Bryn]

Charles wanders towards the blood trail, wondering what sort of travelling song to best sing as he follows the blood trail, checking the blood on the trail as he goes for any sign of... blood trailiness? ... blood trail blood trail trail for the trail god blood trail blood blood blood



((I'm sure you can guess which one I'm voting for here. The fort trail, obviously))

[Earl of Purple]

((Blood trail for me. Less chance of insecticides))
Carl

Carl is still following Charles, as quietly as is possible for a beetle colony.

[Rutskarn]

You follow the trail of blood.

After about fifteen feet, it moves off the stone path, moving into the jungle. It's still barely perceptible to some of your number, and is thus possible to follow further, but you don't know how far off it continues into the darkness.

[Earl of Purple]

Carl

"If people want, I could scout ahead." Carl has removed his hood, allowing him to look around better, but if any humanoids approach, his hood will be back to hiding his appearance from them.

[pingcode20]

At the Old Wolf and Jury

"Yes, yes... that would be good." came a mumble from inside. It would still be at least a few more minutes before the crew of the battle tavern were back into shape.

[Earl of Purple]

Carl

"Well, if somebody would mind to pick up my cloak, I will." With that, Carl takes off his cloak, abandons his humanoid shape and follows the trail of blood deeper into the jungle. If he sees anybody he doesn't know, then he will hide in the jungle.

[Rutskarn]

Carl breaks apart like water, rushing in a black stream into the darkness of the jungle.

He follows the scent of the trail, the blood smell tantalizing to his beetle sensibilities. He grows closer and closer...

...until the trail stops.

At first, Carl doesn't quite know where it's gone...until he picks up a sound above him.

Looking up, he sees what appear to be dozens and dozens of gnarled, wicker cages that dangle from the powerful limbs of the low-hanging trees. The cages are painted, ritualistically, with what looks like red and black paint.

Suddenly, above the cages, the thin light from the treetops are blacked out by a massive and swooping silhouette. The branches shake, as if something heavy had lofted onto them...

[Earl of Purple]

Carl

Carl scuttles off back to where the rest of the group are standing, reassumes humanoid form and puts the cloak back on and pulls the hood up. "There's a big flying creature at the trail's end and lots of cages in the trees. Red and black cages."

[Selrahc]

Story hesitates a moment, he'd been about to suggest that the group launches an attack, but thought better of it. "Perhaps we should see what the fort has to offer. They may be able to help us when we rescue the people from the cages."

((Um.. assuming there were people in the cages?))