Book the Second, Chapter the Second: An Unexpected Arrival

[SunlessNick]

"And I do not think we need to search beyond it. I cannot imagine anyone going to the trouble of conveying bodies across this instead of throwing them down. Lord Dunwich, your man's arm is probably the most steadfast of us all."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

"Old Lepus hears a flitter-flutter - bats mayhap?"

Still lying prone, he reaches down and runs his hand along the wall of the pit to see if it is layered with droppings, guano or suchlike.

"Either way, 'tis a suitable pit in which to throw down bones."

Unmistakable bat droppings -- a valuable fertilizer -- do indeed cover the walls.

Spoiler:

CON = 14[dice]0[/dice]

After a while, Lepus develops a slight fever and a soft cough, along with minor aches and pains, as if suffering from a mild case of ague. He realizes that contact with bat excrement does not always have a salubrious effect upon one's health. No doubt he will warn the others of this possibility.

Spoiler:

Basing this on the fact that bat guano can produce a fungal infection in the human respiratory system. Since this was a borderline failure on a CON roll -- success is supposed to be a roll lower than the number, not equal or greater -- I'll be lenient and rule that it won't have any further effects than the slight, temporary annoyance noted above. Anybody descending into the pit will run the same risk, based on CON; a failure other than borderline will have consequences to one's health.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

"And I do not think we need to search beyond it. I cannot imagine anyone going to the trouble of conveying bodies across this instead of throwing them down. Lord Dunwich, your man's arm is probably the most steadfast of us all."

Eager to be of service, the mighty Russian attaches a lantern to a length of rope and slowly lowers it into the pit.

Spoiler:

Both DEX and STR involved = 9 and 16, in that order[dice]0[/dice]

His muscular arms have no trouble supporting the weight of the lantern, but as he lowers it the rope sways a bit, back and forth, until the lantern shatters against the rock wall. The party suffers the loss of one lantern. Before it broke, sleeping bats, far too many to even estimate their number, were seen lining the walls at some distance below the point where the lantern shattered. They are so numerous that they seem like one solid mass of brown fur. Below them is the bottom of the pit, just barely visible before the light was lost, so that no details of what might or might not lie upon the ground were seen.

Each member of the party possesses his own lantern, if he wishes to make another attempt, or asks Ivan to do so in his stead.

[Mr. Handy]

"While as a physician I have somewhat steady hands," says Henry, "I lack the necessary strength. What we need is someone with both steady hands and a strong grip, and that is neither I nor Ivan."

[jp1885]

Lepus coughs and splutters, massaging aching limbs.

"Be wary of their spoor," he croaks. "'tis an ill miasma."

"Old Lepus shall try with his lantern. If it shatters, no matter - others can be fetched, else I have the wit to mend such things."

Being careful not to touch any more droppings, he attempts to lower his lantern down on a rope.

STR then DEX (both 15),[dice]0[/dice][dice]1[/dice]

Years of rough living have given the wanderer just enough strength to hold the lantern steady as it descends. Grunting with effort he attempts to guide the lantern down the pit without disturbing the bat colony.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Lepus proves to have a steady grip upon the rope. As the lantern draws near the bottom of the pit, which lies at a distance which would prevent even the greatest acrobat from jumping down to it without injury, its light reveals a jumble of human bones lying on the ground. There also appear to be some small metal objects scattered among the remains, judging by the glittering reflections the lantern produces, although their exact nature cannot be determined from this distance. Some of the bats stir slightly as the investigation proceeds, but for the most part they remain undisturbed in the arms of Hypnos.

[Mr. Handy]

"Well done," says Henry. "This must be the place. We'll need to climb down there, gather up the bones and bring them out for a proper burial."

[jp1885]

Lepus peers down the pit.

"Aye, yon pilgrims must be laid to rest, yesno? Such a venture be dangerous though - we must cover our faces, lest we be stricken wth ague. 'tis also a feat we cannot contrive without disturbing the bats, though mayhap old Lepus can compell them to leave."

Once the lantern has been hauled up, he steps back, considering a way of using the Banish Vermin incantation to move the bats further down the tunnel for a while.

[Rooter]

"Oui and if this fails, my spells are perhaps more effective to people but I will attempt to Beguile the bats to prevent them from stirring, non?" Vincent adds.

[SunlessNick]

William sets about anchoring ropes for the climb down.

[jp1885]

Excited at the prospect of testing his magical skills with Vincent, Lepus waits for William to finish securing the rope. When everything is ready he motions everyone to stand back, lest his plan go awry.

Muttering an apology to the bats, he begins a gutteral incantation. He feels his energy sapping as the Banish Vermin spell leaves his lips.

OOC,Minus 1 HP non-lethal damage to cast Banish Vermin.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

As if night had fallen, and their nocturnal instincts sent them in search of their insect prey in the dimness of the crepuscular light, the bats stir themselves, emitting many a high-pitched shriek -- much of which, natural philosophers tell us, unknown to Man, but familiar to Dog -- and fluttering their leather wings so rapidly that they appear only as a blur. Suddenly, all at once, the colony, like one mighty organism, lifts itself from its resting place and flies over the heads of the adventurers with extraordinary speed and grace, no single member doing so much as even grazing the persons who have invaded their home. Whether their eyesight be unusually keen, or whether they possess some other form of perception, they avoid all obstacles as they make their way through the rocky passages into the open air. If there be any witness to their emergence into daylight, no doubt the event will be recorded as an extraordinary phenomenon.

It occurs to Vincent that, these being, as far as one can tell, natural creatures, and thus not possessed of rational thought, preternatural beguilement would have no more effect upon them than, say, the reading of poetry.

Once they have passed by, William continues his labors. Kneeling down, bending over and straining his arms to reach a proper securing point, it is a task which requires much caution and skilled fingers.

Spoiler:

DEX = 12; + 1 for Profession of Soldier (not specifically listed in the long catalog of Everyman professions, but the other military professions seem to be related to Dexterity.) [dice]0[/dice]

No doubt because he has made use of similar stratagems in his many military ventures, he is able to secure a rope firmly to the wall of the pits. Testing it with a good, firm tug, it appears that it could easily support the weight of even one as great in body as Ivan (although not more than one person at a time.) Climbing down it will, of course, require steady nerves and a firm grip.

[SunlessNick]

"Well then," says William. "I tied the rope, so it is fitting that I should be the first to test its efficacy. So let us be about it. Monsieur, would you kind enough to direct that remarkable light of yours into the pit?" William covers his mouth and nose against the smell and begins to descend.

OOC:   Strength 12, Dexerity 12 Rolled: 3

Perhaps Providence is smiling on efforts to finally bring these poor souls to their rest.

[Mr. Handy]

Henry shines the light of his Illuminator down the pit to ease William's descent.

[jp1885]

Lepus grins, pleased that he was able to show off his skills before the mighty sorcerer Vincent. As William climbs down, the gypsy stands ready to assist in case he gets into trouble.

"We have sacks, yesno?" He asks Henry, seemingly oblivious to his marvellous device.

[Mr. Handy]

Henry gets the sacks from Ivan, who had been carrying the group's heavier supplies, and prepares to lower them down.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

William discovers a jumble of bones, some still attached to scraps of clothing, covering the floor of the pit. The metal objects prove to be small religious medallions, generally of pewter and of no great monetary value. Evidence that the remains have lain here for quite some time is the fact that they are covered with a heavy layer of bat droppings.

Spoiler:

close enough to risk fungal infection from the guano CON = 11[dice]0[/dice]

The environment is clearly less than salubrious to the body's health. Fortunately, William has the resistance to disease which is so helpful to a soldier; Plague being the horseman who carries off far more fighting men than War. He is able to safely receive the sacks lowered down to him and fill them as he sees fit.

[SunlessNick]

William fills the sacks with the bones as he finds them - he had begun the enterprise with the idea of using the sacks to keep the bones of the different victims separate, but this seems impossible under the circumstances of their rest - and in truth, he is loath to spend the necessary time in this stinking pit. He adds the religious medallions to the contents of the sacks - they can be buried with these too. As each one is filled, he passes it off to be raised.

[Mr. Handy]

Henry instructs Ivan to haul up the sack.

[jp1885]

Lepus hops impatiently from one foot to the other as the sacks are hauled up, occasionally casting nervous glances back down the tunnel.

"Yesyes, bring up the pilgrims before our friends flitter-flutter back!"

"A place must we find to bury them and a procure a parson to do the deed, yesno? Old Lepus knows there be a family plot, but wouldst the fine folk therein be willing to share with such humble bones? Mayhap there's a graveyard at the chapel? Failing that, a village church nearby, hmm?"