2020.12.29:When Zombeavers Attack!

When Zombeavers Attack!
Shieldbearers of Sigun are out on patrol around Stonecreek when they pick up the scent of something most foul and discover a swarm of Zombeavers.
IC Date	12/29/2020
Players	Detlef, Einar, Evonna, with Aldric as ST
Location	Patrolling around Stonecreek

Since the issues with the hunter's Ric has pushed for amped up Patrols. Its on one of these near the edge of Stonecreek's boundaries that the pack comes up on a bit of unusual; the forest just seems to be a bit quieter than usual. As though there is a line that the birds and animals just seem to not be crossing.

Blood Thorn usually will patrol in lupus, since her senses are keener in that form. Too much at stake lately to forgo that at all. She notices things seem off, but stops to take a better look and sniff around about it.

Spectre of Winter patrols regularly, and in lupus most of the time.. Today, its nice to have the pack with him. He trots along with the others attentively his nose moving along the ground. he pauses and his ears go up though as he sniffs something.. not sure what it is yet.

Einar insisted on the pack patrolling together tonight for no reason whatsoever, and it has nothing to do with the concern of more hunters out there, definitely not. The silvery grey wolf pads along with his nose low to the ground before letting his head bip and bob upwards again before he stiffens a bit. <<Something smells to the east. Too sweet...perhaps rot?>> he wonders but he's already veering off that direction.

Blood Thorn chuffs back in response >> I smell it too. We should check it out. << She'll follow along for now, but when they get closer, they can approach from different sides.

Spectre of Winter nods once in agreement, chuffing once "Its disgusting" he turns to move that direction with the others.

As the pack wanders towards the east the smell gets stronger...worse. Einar had it pegged right, the closer you get the more it becomes the odor of decay, and it is pungent on the air. Then, the whispers start. That's what it sounds like at first, lots of tiny little voices whispering on the breeze, but as you start to approach it firms up into...chewing. So much crunchy, wet sounding chewing. The forest crests into a rise, and the sound and smell seem to be coming from the other side of the hill.

Einar makes a face, even in wolf form that looks like he might gak a bit and he ends up making a sound in the back of his throat anyways. <<Blech. Too bad Fenrir did not bless us with iron stomachs for these occasions,>> he jokes with his pack even as they trot into certain danger or at the very least something gross. <<Be on guard.>>

Blood Thorn wishes that she could just plug her nose, since the overwhelming scent here does nothing but turn the stomach. >> Eyes open, ears listening. Got it. << She pads slow and carefully around to try to get a picture of what is going on here. The chewing sound is unsettling at best.

Spectre of Winter follows with his sister, his shadowy fur moving from darkness to darkness now, attentive, looking for the source of the stink, and the sound. He doesn't say anything now, but his ears flick in response to what the others say

Einar makes very little noise as he lowers himself into a semi-crawl along his belly as they crest the hill, his vibrantly blue eyes peering curiously as he sniffsniffs as well, trying to get a better picture of what they're dealing with.

Blood_Thorn gets low and carefully makes her way on the hill and peers around. She keeps a very short distance from the others, but just enough out to hopefully get a bit of a different angle. Although from the strength of the scent, it probably would not matter.

Spectre of Winter tops the hill, trying to space out a bit.. this unfortunately puts him in a backlit hole in the canopy, and he isnt all that quiet either. But he is focused on learning what is going on.

A tree top shakes on the other side, flapping in the breeze as though being shaken by the trunk. The groan that follows sounds as if the forest is crying in pain, and the tree slides through the few brothers and sisters that remain to fall towards the ground, hard enough to make the dirt under the pack's feet bounce. A break in the chewing comes, though it's followed by horrible chittering instead; manic little sounds of glee. As the group crests the little hill the decimated little hollow comes into view, as does the four beavers busy at their work.

Or they were beavers. They're well into advance stages of decay: Bodies rotting but still working some how, flesh hanging off of bones in places and the insect activity in the flesh is...impressive. Where they chew the wood seems to be rotting in response, shriveling and dying out, turning black. Oblivious to the group at first they seem to actually be congratulating each other on their work...until the sound comes. Then they fall silent, and all their little heads rotate to look up onto the hill. The biggest of the group, size of a medium dog, blinks the one eye it has left then screams. The sound is...terrifying. As is the other five heads that pop up to join the first group, screaming a chorus of battle cries at the wolves.

When Zombeavers Attack!

Einar flinches as the creatures turn towards them, a growl coming out of instinct at the unnatural state of things. <<Gaia's work be done,>> he says even as the beavers scream at them, which means stealth is out the window and it's time for a straight up fight. The Fenrir doesn't see a problem with that. He has faith in his pack working together.

Spectre of Winter looks down the hill his wolven eyes opening a bit wide in shock, he gruffs out "I thought Wood chucks where the ones that chucked wood.. " his eyes flick to Einar, and BT to see where they are, and ready himself to follow their lead.

Blood Thorn blinks a couple of times. >> For real? REAL? INCOMING! << Here they come at them, and there is not much time do anything but shift and be ready for the offensive!

Blood Thorn snarls as the zombeavers attack! While three of them attack her, she is able to bite and rip into one of them, kick another away, but one of them scratches her. >> RRRAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR NOT TODAY BEAVER SCUM! << she growls before ripping the first one into what is now a puddle of beaver mush, and is ready to take on the rest around her!

Einar rocks right up to the first beaver he comes across with all the confidence of a Rotagar Fenrir. Then he chomp chomps on it and almost gaks all over again. <<FUCK it's gross!>> He's hacking and dancing away while the beavers snatch at his hide, thankfully fast enough to pull his limbs out of gnawing jaws just in time to skate away with just a bit of damage. <<Claws it is!>>

Spectre of Winter grins "Bowling for beavers?" he quips as he shifts to crinos and the first one he swats to the side in one rapid flick of his claws.. a minor scratch from the other two doesn't slow down his return stroke.. but it doesn't find purchase through the thick fur of the larger of the three Beavers.

As Spectre's claw rips across the face of the second beaver its milky eye pops...but the goo that slides out is black. Black and...moving. It bellows again, the sound utterly unholy, and something seems to ripple under its skin in response.

Blood Thorn is pissed at these beavers - especially the one that attacked her. She goes after that one growling, >> Oh no you didn't! TIME TO DIE! << She grabs it with her teeth and shakes and shakes until it is falling apart! It takes another chomp and the thing makes another puddle of beaver mush. She snarls at the last one, >> Let's dance. <<

Spectre of Winter is moving fast now, his claws flash out.. and miss the Lightning fast zombeaver (Is that even possible) More cuts and slices on his own hide just make him more determinedly angry, and he is done with this.. he flicks his claw side, and then thrusts with his other hand, driving his claws straight into its impertinent brain. Only one left!"

Einar snarls and snaps as his form shifts from wolf to warform and when he comes down he comes hard at the beavers, though he only manages to fell his first while his packmates tear through their problems like proper werewolves. The Rotagar will chalk it up to being worried for his pack.

You'd think that it just couldn't smell any worse, but the insides are...apocolyptic. These animals have been in decay for a long time, it's surprising the damage they've caused is relatively limited to this area. As the larger Zombeaver goes squish the writhing inside starts to slow and die as well; but it is absolutely infested with something unpleasant and Wyrmy looking.

Einar is testing his luck it seems, as he claws viciously at the zombie things and looks more like a toddler trying to golf, whoosh, whiff, scrape! He gets at least a little piece!

Blood Thorn is down to one zombeaver and this is going to get icky. She snarls again and just roars at the beaver and then digs her teeth into it! She's ripping it up! Another big CHOMP ans that sucker is down - for the count! She's pleased with the squishy mess - even if it stinks like hell. Her attention turns to her packmates now and any way to destroy more. Noting her brother and Einar both still have zombeavers on them, she shifts toward Detlef and her teeth rip into the one attacking him.

Spectre of Winter is enjoying his little dance, ignoring the wounds and perhaps not taking it quiet seriously enough.. as his sister swoops in and smacks his last beaver around "Hey thats mine!" he purposefully teases her, not really seriously upset by it.

Einar manages to finally tear down his second beaver leaving one left. He's heaving and mad at this point, but his claws are bloodied and he hasn't made the mistake of biting any of these things. <<Don't make me turn this fight around, children!>> he calls out with a hyena-wheeze laugh.

The bodies fall, the mess piles up and that's... all there is to smell, to feel...bathing will be a priority. So will brushing teeth. Nobody's getting any kisses ever again.

Blood Thorn goes after this slippery zombeaver, that just escaped her brother's claws. But her teeth do /not/ miss. And with it, she turns it into a puddle of zombeaver mush. >> Mess with my brother, you die! << She watches as the last one with Einar dies and she chuffs >> We need to get cleansed and then cleanse this place. Investigate further as to what caused this, you think? <<

Spectre of Winter doesnt get a chance to make the final stroke on the last one, as his sister finishes it, and he nods "yes.. Clean the filth , then we can investigate further, Yuck this stinks."

Einar snarls as his claws tear through the zombeaver, it's a satisfying crunch and wet squish afterwards, but then he's wringing his hands out with a wrinkle of his nose. With the last of them down and his pack mostly unharmed, he chuffs. <<Burn and cleanse, it's too dark to investigate right now. But we can cleanse tonight and then return when there is light to see what there is to be seen.>>

It's going to take a while, but once the critters are dealt with the sounds of life do start to trickle back in. It was really, really quiet other than the beavers before. Even the bugs had noped out of the area. The trees look rotted where they lay, despite having been alive right before being chewed. The smell will likely linger for days even after a good cleansing.