Carnicle V: The Tainting of the Cabbage

Long after the banishment of Oompa and Loompa, in the pristine Carnian capitol, Carnival, laid the newfound House of Cabbage. Its caretakers went about their everyday business, going to and fro studying the little known secrets that lay within the crisp, sacred plant. Each morning, the fresh cabbage would arrive and be carried to the inspection room, where it would be carnie-searched, hog-tied, and pushed around. After it passed the freshness test, the cabbage would go through sprittzers filled with a secret solution to cleanse and sanitize before it was carted to the Nursery to be planted and observed. It was in this process that an unnamed shadow saw a flaw. Miles away from Carnia, he conjured his most malevolent plan…

On one rare gloomy and dank day in Carnia, the wagon which made the daily trip to and from the Nursery and carried the cabbage and cleansing solution was late. Never in recorded history had the delivery been tardy. The scientists and alchemists that worked in the House of Cabbage required daily shipments of cabbage, or the experiments could be delayed for months. It was at this time of mass hysteria that the wagon creaked to the delivery point at the Nursery. Every carnie in the House eagerly huddled inside, away from the beating rain. The door to the wagon swung open, and the driver jumped out. A gasp whispered through the crowd. Instead of the cheery smile of the normal delivery carnie, Hibbles, a dark, hooded figure stood at their feet.

The silent, stunned onlookers unloaded the baskets of cabbage, wearily eying the cloaked one. He apologized for his belated arrival in a voice that had the sound of burning cabbage. He stood at least a head taller than any of the others, making him a giant by carnie standards. His rain-soaked cloak hid his face well, but the carnies were sure that it must have been twisted and brooding. As the last basket was placed inside the House, the stranger reached into his cloak and pulled out the opaque vial of cleansing solution. He handed it to The Caretaker who readily and wearily accepted the vial, and hurried inside to begin the processes. The dark shadow flipped his cloak, mounted the wagon, and rode off into the fog, never to be seen again. The Caretaker popped the lid off of the vial and hastily poured the liquid into the machine, giving no heed to its slight lavender hue. The cabbages ran through the solution, and the scientists were content.

The days passed just as normal with a new, jolly delivery carnie who claimed that Hibbles had moved to a different route, and that no one had heard from him. The cabbages, however, seemed to be suffering from some type of malady. The new buds were not green, but purple. Blinded by their curiosity, the scientists continued to raise the cabbages. They studied them late into each night, documenting their growth and color. Intrigued with their new discoveries and eager to learn what lay under the indigo leaves, the cabbages were permitted to hatch. Little did the naïve scientists realize that this was exactly what the unnamed shadow had wanted.

On the expected hatching day, all the Highborne carnies stood round the Hatchery table. A bushel of new carnies would emerge that day; an event that had not happened in 200 years. The first movements from within the leaves silenced the crowd. A deep rumble shook the room. The onlookers wearily continued observing. As if by some great clock, the heads of purple cabbage all opened at the same time. The candles immediately gave out, and the hatchlings awoke…

Cries and screams were heard outside of the large oak door that closed the Hatchery. As the relentless wails ceased, clawing and gnashing began tearing the door apart. From within the soon-formed gaping hole leapt twisted, hunched and brooding creatures. They tore apart the Nursery and all the victims in it. They were eventually driven into the woods by the C-Army, were they dwell today, frequently kidnapping small bud-lings and terrorizing livestock. They were named Imps, for Improper Maturation Process.