Monster Party Book One: I hunt therefore I am!
Chapter Nine: It's the circle of life!
"Where's Felix?" Alexander asked, as Orson was taxed with cutting the meat during next morning's breakfast.
"Oh I sent him out to hunt for extra supplies." Doctor Fran explained the absence of the most fastidious of his two servants.
(Scene Break)
Felix Unica stalked through the jungle bow and arrow in hand. Once he was certain that he was far enough away from the estate not to be seen he began to disrobe and cast aside the bow, neither fancy clothing nor human weapon would be required for this hunt.
Without his outfit getting in the way it was possible to make out some slight discoloration racing up and down Felix's back though the greater surprise was just how well muscled his body proved to be beneath his loose clothing.
He removed his white gloves revealing hands that end in wicked looking claws and had the same sort of marks as were on his back and dropped to all fours, He stalked through the thick jungle grass nostrils flaring till finally he found what he wanted.
In one swift motion he darted outward and his hand struck with lightning speed slicing through the hindquarters of a shocked rabbit. He let its blood drip out over his bare chest as a symbol of his victory.
(Scene Break)
"Did I say something amusing Mr. Diamondflaw?" Doctor Fran asked as Alexander suddenly had the look of one who was in on a very funny private joke.
"It is nothing, just that as much as I'm sure it upsets your lovely daughter, I sent James out to do the same."
(Scene Break)
The deer saw the creature just in time.
The size, the shape of the body, they all screamed one single word, run.
So it ran, it took off as fast as it could knowing that while it could not move faster than the beast it could outlast it. Now that the hunter knew it had been spotted most likely it would slink off and look for less alert prey.
Most likely was not a sure bet, and the predator took off running after its prey all the same.
The more fool it, how long would it have to lay broken and exhausted panting for breath having wasted its precious energy? All the deer needed to do was keep running, all it needed to do was keep running and wait for its pursuer to run out of energy.
All it needed to do was keep running, so why was it that the longer it ran, the closer it's hunter got? This wasn't correct, since when were cats able to...
Before the deer was able to finish that thought, such as it was capable of having thoughts, it's back right leg was struck by a vicious dewclaw.
Like a wagon that had suddenly lost a wheel the deer careened wildly and collapsed in a heap. A moment later its hunter positioned itself above it, resting a paw on its neck to help pin it in place.
"Funny story, you'll laugh when you here this... felines are ambush predators, they stalk, they pounced, they either catch their prey or it gets away. Humans, on the other hand are persistence predators, they will walk, and walk, and walk, and walk, and walk after their prey till it gets too tired and gives up.
So the reason that you are currently languishing under my paws is that I can achieve feline like sprinting speeds, but maintain them for the length of time that humans can jog. Personally I find that kind of thing so unfair it's funny!" The creature broke into a series of cackles more akin to a hyena than any normal cat.
"What's the matter? If you could laugh about your immanent demise than that would mean you're intelligent and you know what is going on. If you just lay there and stare at me stupidly... well that would mean you're just an animal... and that you're breakfast." The deer kept staring up at the creature blinking in terror.
"Tell you what it doesn't have to be laughter, I'll settle for some creative cursing. Is that more up your alley?" It offered.
Still nothing.
"Guess you're not the conversational type. Well I'm sure you have other virtues... like tastiness..."
(Scene Break)
"Well between the two of them hopefully we shan't want for fresh meat in the near future." Doctor Fran predicted happily.
(Scene Break)
"Nice kill, but mine is bigger." A voice called out to Felix from above just after he finished stabbing the rabbit a few times with an arrow to hide the true nature of its demise.
He looked up, and found it hard to describe what he saw there.
It was clearly feline in nature, it was speaking cat after all. It's body was twisted and not quite right, but that was no great shock to Felix who had seen more than his fair share of broken ones.
No, the greater shock came from its color.
It was bright red, since when did cats come in such an outrageous color?
At the moment it was perched on a tree limb, seemingly having dragged a deer carcass up there with it like a jaguar to dine at its leisure. It certainly seemed to be quite leisurely about its eating, he could spot a few small chunks torn from the dead deer's body, but those were all.
What was this creature doing here, how much had it seen? What was even was it? That bizarre pelt color, now that he stopped to think about it, it reminded him of something, not of the birds, but of the toads and frogs.
Poisoned reptiles whose skin took on bright colors as a warning that they were too deadly to have any need for subterfuge. Finally he managed to find his voice and shout a question up at the creature.
"Are you a broken one?" He demanded. The mysterious feline's brown eyes filled with confusion for just a moment.
"Broken? No... I'm not broken... I am mended." It answered.
Then it sunk its jaws deeply into its fallen prey jumped down from the tree and racing off into the jungle. Felix watched it go then slowly redonned his cloak. He wouldn't bother with hunting more creatures today, his master needed to be informed about what was going on.
(Scene Break)
"Still, there are more important matters than food for us to discuss. You showed great interest in Akanga at lunch yesterday and I've been considering what you've told me along with some quite frankly disturbing news my daughter made me aware of last night.
You might not have noticed the hole my main hall's roof, but it seems one of Akanga's followers was willing to shatter the unsteady peace which had come to exist between us. I don't know why, it could be he grows bold because of some turn events I know nothing of. It is equally likely of course that his broken one spies have reported to him of your arrival and like cornered animal he lashes out in fear that you might upset the balance in my favor.
Either way, steps must be taken and to be perfectly honest your arrival offers a thin glimmer of opportunity to do what would otherwise be impossible.
You may have noticed on my map that there was a monastery to the south of this Estate..." He rumbled sounding tired beyond his years.
"It's a dark and evil placed, infested with monks who worship a vile magical device. It is called, say better miscalled, the Table of Life. Life not as you and I know it of course, for consider which are more numerous, the number of humans or the number of maggots, rats, and other carriers of disease?
After reviewing all the documents I still have to hand, and my somewhat tattered memory, I have come to the hypothesis that this Table could be responsible for the foul state of my adopted island home. If this horrid turn of events is true, then sadly all my efforts up until now have been the ultimate example of treating the symptoms rather than the disease.
I fear only when the Table itself is sundered will there be only hope for curing the plague and freeing the broken ones from Akanga's grip.
I have talked with some of the broken ones who travel near the monastery in the past, but they do not travel very near it. From what they have told me, it is as though a palpable force drives them away should they every seek to approach.
Like the eye in a hurricane the monastery may be enchanted by magic to keep all who have been transformed by the mystical plague from entering it though this is naught but conjecture on my part.
What I am sure of is that the Table will not be easy to destroy. It could be that only the monks themselves know the secret of its undoing, but we must try none the less. If you could bring it back to my laboratory I would study it with every hour of the day and night to try and put an end to its evil once and for all.
Sadly much as it gals me to say this, if you choose to undertake this task, neither I, nor my servants could accompany you." He declared solemnly.
"I could..." Delphi began but her father quickly cut her off.
"You could do naught but risk your life for little in the way of gain my precious daughter. The dark monastery which contains the Table of Life is no place for one such as you, and what true aid could you offer our guests?
They are men and women of some resource when it comes to adventure and you know of battles and war only through my books. I have raised you with enough wisdom to realize the truth when it is right before your eyes, your place is here where there is at least some measure of safety.
You all must understand, though it would be wondrous to break this curse, plans must be made for the dark days that lay ahead if it can not be. If am mistaken, if the Table of Life is unrelated to this plague, if its mystical protection and unholy minions can not be overcome, this estate must be further fortified with all possible haste.
To that task we will apply ourselves Delphi. Come what may, my laboratory must remain secure, for what good will the Table of Life do us if we have no place to study it?" He admonished his ward before returning his attention to his guests.
"There is no great reward I can offer you should you succeed, no treasures of gold, or items of mystical energy, all that I have, I have already shared with you. I have opened my home to you, fed you, and protected you as best I can. Will you now help me to help all the poor people of this island?" He beseeched them.
Alexander rose from his chair and walked to his host's side.
"Doctor, if it is true that the Table of Life is root cause of the plague which infects this island, you can be certain that my blade stands ready for surgery." Alexander promised.
Doctor Fran's already wide eyed expression somehow grew wider still as if he could not believe what he was hearing. Then slowly a slight chuckle from his throat grew into a great booming laugh.
"Ah yes... what a charmingly medical and yet also martial turn of phrase! Thank you for assisting me in my hour of greatest need, you truly have the heart of a Paladin." Doctor Fran praised.
Alexander repaid his charity with a wry grin. "That's kind of you to say, kinder still if you don't try to figure out what other parts went into making me." He informed the Francis Vaster
(Scene Break)
"Boss a question if I might..." Cal Wright raised his voice as the six adventurers left Doctor Fran's estate well behind them.
"The Doctor said it'd be something like half a day's journey to the monastery, so we've got plenty of time for questions, ask away." Alexander answered.
"All of us, especially one of us in particular know what created that hole in Doctor Fran's roof." Cal pointed out, his eyes none to subtly glancing in James Firecat's direction.
"Correct." Alexander confirmed.
"We know why something that looked like neither man nor beast broke into the Doctor's menagerie and made off with one of his giant rats."
"Right again." Alexander agreed.
"We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it wasn't a broken one and it doesn't serve Akanga." Cal continued.
"A valid observation." Alexander admitted.
"So everything that Doctor Fran told us this morning about how Akanga might be getting ready to try and overrun the estate was a wrong headed, a** backwards conclusion drawn form incorrect information." Cal concluded.
"You're four for four." The silver haired man pointed out with a small touch of pride.
"So given all that... why are we still going after this Table of Life thing that the Doctor felt was so important if the reasons he wanted it so desperately in the first place are completely incorrect?" Cal demanded.
Alexander sighed heavily.
"The reason we're going after it is that I'm smart enough to know that I'm not the only smart person in the world and Doctor Fran has had access to long destroyed manuscripts from the previous occupants of this island that none of us will ever get a chance to read.
He knows more about this place than any of us do, possibly more than any of us ever could know.
He might think it is only an urgent mater because of James' nocturnal romps, but his reasons for thinking it is an important one, that it could help end the plague... I have no reason to believe right out of the gate that he is incorrect on that matter.
Besides, I place more faith in the ability of mystic trinkets to thwart Darklords than creative use of props, no mater how clever the base idea was. Given that I have no reason to consider time truly of the essence, if the Table of Life really does turn out to be of no use, well we're still not that much worse of.
If we try my plan first and it fails, then it will doubtlessly be seen as a direct assault on Akanga himself and just as doubtlessly lead to the very escalation Doctor Fran was so worried about this morning.
No, if open warfare is going to break out, we'll let Akanga make the first move. Besides, if my original plan was going to have much chance of success we'd need probably convince the broken ones that James was more than just another of them from lion stock. He'd have a veritably divine figure who walked among them in feline flesh, that plan's sole virtue its raw audacity!" Alexander pointed out.
As he spoke James' left hand dove into one of the many pockets of his outfit and from it removed a small statue of black stone. It was cut into the image of a cat seated sitting erect upon all four of its paws.
He stroked it for reassurance as he considered Alexander's words.
"Yeah, and honestly I don't think Bastet looks kindly on that sort of thing. I'm not completely sure because she's pretty laid back as far as goddesses go, and I don't see any priestess of her around to ask for confirmation on the mater. Still, it's usually a good bet that like most gods she doesn't like it when mortals pretend to be divine, even if it's for a very good reason." He pondered as he continued to caress the statue as of hoping that it would voice its thoughts on the matter.
At least he did until a sibilant hiss rang in his ears.
"Oh yeah, whoops, sorry about that Mirri." James returned the cat statue to whichever pocket it had come from, heedful of how much the sight of his goddess' holy symbol upset the vampiress.
"Try to be more careful, you could give a girl a bad case of stigmata with that thing." Mirri reminded him.
(Scene Break)
They eventually made their way to the monastery in question, or at least its general area.
"You know, Doctor Fran drew a lot of jagged lines on his map, but it still doesn't convey just how bad it is..." Cal muttered in irritation as his gaze shifted between his copied map and the monastery itself.
The monastery simply put sat atop a "small" (at least as such things were judged geographically speaking) mountain. It loomed over them at a height such that only the more keened eyed members of the party were able to see that there actually was a building up there for them to possibly reach.
Mirri held out her hands taking measurements and estimating figures.
"Well, between Devi's magic chain, and her almost fetishistic interest in rope, maybe toss in some vines Florence has worked with, we might have enough material for me to tie a line for the predeceased members of the group to climb up after me.
The risk of course being that you'll have to actually do the climbing I won't be able to catch any of you who fall." She pointed out.
There was a slight pause in the conversation as everyone present (well everyone except James) cast a sidelong glance in Cal's direction.
"Oh so you think I don't have what it takes to climb straight up the side of a mountain, all several hundred feet of it in one go? Well shows you what you know because I'm too smart to try!" He boasted rather questionably.
"Okay one single climb is out of the question. We'd either need to build a couple dozen safe points on the way up or find another path that can lead us to the top of the mountain. With any luck somewhere around here will be a small trail we can use. After all, it's not like the monks themselves flew to the top of the cliff to begin with." Alexander reminded the group.
They were not given long to examine their surroundings before they ended up being distracted once more.
"GONNNNGGGGGGG!" James Firecat had noticed a great hollow bronze tube some teen feet tall that was partially buried in the ground, canted slightly at the base of the mountain.
The tube bore a raised impression of a figure in robes with a high collar carrying a box. The face of the figure itself however had been worn away. A large iron bar had been left carefully propped up against the tube, so the werecat had picked it up and promptly dealt the tube a great blow.
"Did you really need to do that?" Alexander asked hands gripped tightly to ears that had yet to stop ringing.
James dropped the iron bar and it clattered to the ground.
"Sorry Alex, I just figured it couldn't hurt. Besides, it was laying there like it wanted to be used." He protested.
"It hurt my ears that's for sure." Mirri muttered in anger. James thoroughly abashed straight away rushed to the vampire's side to offer her what comfort he could.
Even as the ringing of the strange metal tube he had struck wore away, movement began overhead. Slowly but surely a large basket was lowered down from above.
"Huh... awfully considerate off them for crazed religious types." Cal reflected as it looked like the task of reaching the monastery had just been greatly simplified.
End Chapter.
Chapter Nine Notes: Just to clear up maters, when Mirri talks about stigmata she does not mean the human condition where blood leaks spontaneously from the palms. She is instead referring to the vampire condition of the same name (don't blame me that's what it's called in the Van Richten's Guide to Vampires!) where physical contact with a holy symbol leaves marks upon a vampire's flesh in the shape of said holy symbol that can last for months/years despite vampire's normal regenerative abilities and their bodies tendency to revert back to whatever state it was in at the moment of death (IE a vampire who had tattoos while they were alive will keep them but if they try to get new ones after they die they'll fade away pretty quickly). Given that it seems to only require physical contact with a holy symbol not having said symbol be wielded by a priest/priestess she is entirely reasonable to consider it a possible result of James being absentminded with his icon of Bastet.
Once again apologies to any Bastet worshipers out there in the extremely unlikely event that there are any reading this story and took offense to it. For those unfamiliar, with her, Bastet/Bast/a few other different spellings is a real world goddess from the Egyptian Pantheon who also shows up in Ravenloft every so often, though they often do that "no it looks like Godzilla but due to international copyright laws, it isn't!" thing every so often where they'll change the spelling of her name but not what she represents.
To pick an example at random in the Gazetteer V (five) section on Nova Vaasa they they talk about the cat god Bubahkaa, but they're fooling nobody because they also mention another cat goddess named Sehkmaa as well.
For those who aren't aware of such things (which is probably most of you) there are two main cat goddesses in the Egyptian Pantheon, Bastet who is often depicted as a woman with the head of a housecat, and Sekhmet (spelling fluctuates as with Bastet of course) who is often depicted as a woman with the head of a lioness. If you couldn't figure out how their personalities break down from the above, Bastet tends towards representing the more soft and fluffy kittenish side of felinity (though she'll still totally lay the smack-down on any rats, snakes, or other pests which threaten her domain) and Sekhmet is more the "oh god the claws are ripping my face off!" side. (Bastet is Chaotic Good, Sekhmet is Chaotic Neutral)
Another example of this can be found with the Paka (weird shape-shifters that can go between looking like people and looking like people with some decidedly feline traits) who based on some of the information I can find online have a two faced goddess named Syekhmaa-Ubahsty, that's Seykhmaa who has a lioness head and does war power and destruction and Ubahsty who has the head of a housecat and is associated with protection and cunning. In the interest streamlining such maters, I'm rolling all such pairs of feline goddesses/twin aspected single feline goddesses into being Bastet or Sekhmet as appropriate.
For the most part Bastet's preachings in a D&D setting tend to break down to "treat cats with the reverence they deserve, have fun, fight evil, be excellent to each other and don't be that guy who bogarts the catnip, nobody likes that guy." I am of course exaggerating a bit for effect but honestly not that much.
As mentioned previously Mirri doesn't get along well with holy symbols of good deities even if the owner has no intention of harming her (or quite the opposite intention) which is why James carries his symbol of Bastet it in a pocket rather than more prominently displaying it.
So yeah, James being a follower of Bastet, honestly it fits so well that if you knew about her existence in the Ravenloft setting ahead of time you probably could have already pegged James as one of her followers.