Tests and Trials

[spiderwrangler]

"Didn't the trail look old though? Whatever it is must be long gone."

[Dlover]

"A week, probably, but that doesn't mean it's gone. Might have shelter nearby... How long ago was the battle here? Three or four days?"

[Rodgeir]

((The fight here happened before you came out of the forest from the undead adventure. It was about ten days ago, possibly a couple more, you didn't really get a clear timeline from anyone. Ten days to two weeks would line up with the approximate age of the trail.))

[NotStickFigures]

Jaq nods, "Yes, if we can find out who the rider is from what the horse was carrying, that would probably make the army happy. And yes, Let's get a move on it so we do this during the daylight."
Jaq doublechecks the string on his bow and does a test of pulling it back with his new arm. (How does that feel for him, strengthwise?)

[spiderwrangler]

Kroshav nods.

[Rodgeir]

Dama gives a nod and heads back to the horse, along with everyone else (?). The smell quickly tells you you're getting close as the mess of once was a horse comes into view again. Dama pulls a dagger and, arms stretched as far as she can, cuts the visible saddle bag free and drags it clear bringing along long stretches of rotting horse flesh. She blinks rapidly, eyes watering, and then turns and vomits over her shoulder.

► Show Spoiler

Dama con save: 1D20+1 = [3]+2 = 5

She wipes her mouth with a hand and says with a sickly grin,

"Ain't that embarrassing. Usually don't bother me but gods is that thing rotten. The bag on the other side someone else can get."

((The other bag is under the horse's rotting flank and with require it to be lifted up or rolled over to get. Or whatever else creative you gots! You'll also need to give con saves if you're messing with the horse.

Jaq's arm is still weak, and his finger tips are sore from the practice as no calluses have formed yet.))

[spiderwrangler]

Kroshav will toss his pick to Lurn or Jolly.

"Yank it out when I get it lifted."

He'll find a limb or branch he can use as a lever, jamming it under the horse and heaving.

Athletics, Con: 1D20+8 = [15]+8 = 23
1D20+2 = [9]+2 = 11

[Rodgeir]

((Dex check from whomever is making the grab + the con save.))

[Dlover]

Lurn can do it.
Dex: 1D20+1 = [9]+1 = 10
Con: 1D20+4 = [4]+4 = 8

[Rodgeir]

Kroshav tosses his warpick to Lurn and finds a suitable branch to try and lever up the horse's remains. He lifts and finds that, if anything, the underside of the horse is worse than the top as the smell and sight of maggots and dropping horse bits makes his stomach turn but he just manages to keep his grip with watering eyes.

Lurn moves in and gets low, pick in hand. Just as gets close enough to make his swipe a foul wave makes his eyes water and blurs his vision. He feels the pick connect with something solid and jerks back. It comes with a disturbing squelch and then a popping sound and warm, wet gush of air. Then the smell that was bad before gets worse, much worse.

Kroshav watches as Lurn hooks the stomach of the horse and rips it open and pulls along a large stretch of skin as the bloated gut bursts and the colorful slurry of the contents gush out.

Luckily enough, Lurn managed to drag the saddle bag with the skin he snatched. Unluckily enough, both he and Kroshav are now covered in a fine misting of horse insides and Lurn is feeling distinctly queasy.

Jolly pukes in the bushes and Dama makes a coughing gag as they both flee upwind.

((You got the bag but you both stink. Real bad.

Con save from Jaq please!))

[spiderwrangler]

"Good job.", Kroshav says weakly, letting the horse drop and staggering to the stream to wash up.

[NotStickFigures]

Con: 1D20 = [1] = 1


Yikes.

[Rodgeir]

Jaq joins Jolly as the wave of warm, putrid air washes over him. He is violently ill as he follows them away from the remains. There was just so much of it...

Kroshav allows the horse drop with a squelch and heads back to the ankle deep stream to try and clean the film of horse goop off himself. His entire front side is coated and while he starts smelling better to himself that may just be him getting used to it.

((You have the saddle bags woohoo!

I am basing this on my experience with a dead cow my brothers and I found out in a field. It was bloated and nasty but we popped it (cus that's what you do) and all I can say is I was standing far too close.))

[NotStickFigures]

(We need Joe back with us for her prestidigitational magic cleansing!)

[spiderwrangler]

((Grew up on the farm it's a smell I've experienced before. One of those smells you can taste in the back your throat.))

[Rodgeir]

((It really is. Sometimes I can still sometimes get phantom whiffs of it. Lurn and Kroshav have probably both been around things like that before but it's never nice.))

[Dlover]

Lurn retches, and starts making for the river, trying to avoid breathing too much, "I'm going to clean off as much as I can, then bury that horse with my magic."

[Rodgeir]

((Okay! You going through the bags before heading back to camp? Or are you going to try some more tracking before that?))

[Dlover]

((I'm guessing it will be near to nightfall by the time Lurn and Kroshav have the stink off?))

[spiderwrangler]

((Check bags, then tracking if the tracker feels up for it.))

[Rodgeir]

After a solid ten minutes scrubbing in the stream most of the nasty is off but Dama, Jolly and Jaq are still keeping their distances. The three spend the time the pair are cleaning themselves, upwind, to go through the bags.

From a good distance away Dama tells Kroshav and Lurn,

"Horse belonged to a guy in the patrol. Name was Almin. Jaq said ya had met him? Some of his stuff in the bags, not much more useful though. We dunno if he was the one on the horse."

To everyone she asks,

"Got little under an hour of daylight. We going to check either of those trails? Otherwise we might as well take this stuff back and let those soldiers know."

[Dlover]

It's going to be hard to find anything once it's dark, and finding out way back would be hard too. Don't want to be gone from camp and show up after dark either, give the guards any reason for worry."

[Rodgeir]

Dama shakes her head,

"Nah, probably right. I can find my way round okay in the dark and Jaq probably can do just fine but the rest of you will be stumbling round. 'Sides you and Kroshav need to burn your clothes. Hells."

You begin heading back a shortly find yourselves on the edge of the clearing. You are quickly marked by a trio of soldiers who approach quickly with weapons ready then recognize you and give a wave before moving on.

Dama and Jolly peel off and head back to camp, Jolly saying,

"Wonder what Celus made up... Gods I hope it gets that smell outta my throat."

((Who is reporting the bags, etc. and to whom?))

[spiderwrangler]

If none of the others seem keen, Kroshav will take them to the officer he helped sort stories for.

[Dlover]

Lurn's willing to report to whoever is in charge of the soldiers, but I have a feeling they'll not be comfortable with the smell. Proof that it came from a rotten horse, at least. XD