Dark Swamp Goo - RPLOG
Participants
Date
6/10/476
Log
A cool evening on the coast - this time of year, the weather is keeping down the insect population to reasonable levels, but the atmosphere is still muggy as one enters the swamp, the boardwalks stretching south and away from the coast and into the depths of the swamp. In the distance lies the monolith proper, a dark silhouette against the shattered moon's light. Small pinpricks of green are visible even at this distance, floating about its base and sides, making it a bit of a light show.
At the entrance to the town of Scraggly Root, a small group of beings have assembled, about two to three handfuls, and they look a little worried as they wait for the team from Firmament to join them on this little investigative exploit.
Alef looks around in awe, having never been this far down the coast before, looking about curiously at the odd plants and nature growing around her, seeing the glowing wisps floating about makes her giggle at the view and show in the distance, having traded her robes in for a more swamp appropate pair of wadders and boots and a thick cotton long sleave shirt.
A swampy venture? No problem! The Iguana has chosen to be in his dragon form this time around! He can handle such sticky conditions without a poblem and he is one of the arrivals to meet with the clustered groups. He's not been out here before, so...yeah, he'll be needing a guide. Either way, he arrives just fine.
A swampy venture? No problem! The Iguana has chosen to be in his dragon form this time around! He can handle such sticky conditions without a poblem and he is one of the arrivals to meet with the clustered groups. He's not been out here before, so...yeah, he'll be needing a guide. Either way, he arrives just fine. He's outfitted as minimally as he tends to be anywhere, namely only the shorts he's known for and nothing else. Barefoot, go!
Mirana comes out along with Amy once more, a request for an investigation, and she had to be assigned to it. Her center of balance was way off, but she'd braught a good deal of supply and her 'all weather' leathers and boots, as close to all weather as these things can get at least. "Amy, when we get back, remind me to write a-" she eeps falling into the murk. Amy comes over to help her back up, taking out a cloth from her pack to help clean Mira's muzzle off, "Why.. in all the names of the Creators and Spirits, would they send me?" she asks no one in particular, hoping no one else saw that.
Ryusho mrphs softly as he makes his way up, investigation and..well, lets see, he brought his standard gear, though he would galance over to everyone, "Well, I hope I can keep gear in tact if needed here but.." he says softly, "Still feels like I am not properly set up for a investigation through land like this.." Though he is probably barefoot for himself since he is so large
The group from Firmament is greeted with nods and vague mumurs of agreement from the locals - those amongst the latter who're not soul gifted are all wearing stuffed cloth masks of some sort, from which emnates a sweet smell. One of them - a clever-clanned simian of rather indeterminate species - ambles up to the group and greets them with a small bow.
"Good evening. I'm Halder, Scraggly Root's alderman, and thank you for coming this quickly in response to my letter the Crown and Freeswords alike. You can see the problem we're having for yourselves.
"Swamp wisps are a naturally occurring phenomenon, and they've always been plentiful about the monolith. We don't really expect any trouble - and watching over the place is what the Crown's been paying us a stipend to do over the last few generations - but it's good to be prepared. Hopefully, Gordon who lives down by the base itself will have an answer for us - I haven't seen him in a while now.
"Here," he says, handing out chakra fragments to all those who need them. "It shouldn't be too much of a problem, since we're not going too deep into the murk, but these should protect you from any swamp gases about. If there's nothing else -" he gestures along the boardwalks - "we can start moving - you can ask questions along the way, if you'd like."
Alef crys out in supprise as the two dragons land, Gripping her staff and doing her best to stay upright as they land, making the ground shake, looking awed by the two Beings, looking at the Red Fox and nodding her head to the Simian as Halder introduces himself. "Alef, pleasure." Taking the chakra fragment and sliping it into place in her duel soul pendent. Looking at the dragon's and Fox hoping for names to be given, taking the moment before they head out to introduce herself to the three.
Mazurek shares the height of the other dragon, sharing the status of the tallest beings in the area. The slight issue with the red fox in the swampland attracts his attention but he only turns his head slightly to watch. He does have the urge to go help but would only get in the way of the female doing the assisting. After the natives explain things to the group he takes the offered fragment and attaches it to his pendant, "Interesting. This should prove quite useful, then. When we return I take it you would like to have them back?" The only one he does not know is the apparently jumpy fox, and the 11 foot dragon turns to her and settles into a bow, "Good day, miss. Private Lunch of the Lightbringers." No, he isn't going to tell anyone to eat him.
Mirana cleans herself up as much as she can, rubbing on her belly a bit after, "Just a few more weeks.." she says, Amy the Lioness who is her deputy nods. She takes the opprotunity to quickly change out her soulgems though, making sure none notice her locket opening and closing swiftly. "Lady Mirana Solacious, Captain of the Guard, Corporal Bigtoes of the Light Bringers." she says looking over to Halder, then looking around to everyone else, eyes eventually falling on Maz, "Lunch, good to see you again." she says and looks about, "Some of those clothes for myself and Amy please." she asks, not taking a shard. "So, we should head down to see this Gordon? Anything between here and there we should look out for?" she asks. Amy just stays close to her for now.
Ryusho hums sofltly, as he shifts, slowly taking the fragment carefully, as he looks over to mazurek, "At least your still private lunch, I still miss being able to proudly state, that I am more then willing to be of aid as the lady Ironsoul's retainer." he says as he shifts, and stretches, attachign his shard to his pendant as needed as well.
"I don't think things should be very dangerous," Halder explains as the group starts moving along the boardwalks. "Our duty to the crown involves keeping the path safe for dedicants seeking the sacred family of the Basilisk atop the monolith, so this part of the swamp is comparatively tame. Gordon's the Academy's local liasion here, and he's chosen to live up close at the object of his study. Maybe we'll get more answers out of him when we see him."
What Halder speaks of immediately becomes quite apparent. Wisps of glowing light - about the size and shape of a being's head - become more and more numerous as everyone proceeds down the boardwalks, until they're practically swarming about everyone. The trees finally part at a mangrove island, on which sits a rocky outcropping, and on top of that, the monolith itself. The creator artifact is impressive, being a large, rectangular block of smooth grey stone about fifteen storeys high, and even in the darkness one can faintly see a flight of steps cut into one side. There's a small cave in the base of the outcropping, and Halder leads the group of locals and Freeswords alike to the mouth.
"Hello? Gordon? Gordon?" A few more tries, and the aged simian scowls. "He's not home. Odd."
Alef smiles at her compaions as they introduce herself, compared to Mirana her "A rookie freesword mage" is pritty puny, its obvious shes the fourth wheel in this group as she follows along with them. curiously studying the swarming wisps. "Earth mathemagic?" Tapping a finger on her staff quietly. looking at the wisps with a curious, studying expression till Halder speeks up. "Maybe hes up the Monolith?" Finally taking in the amazing tower of stone, jaw opening widely as she looks up and up trying to see the whole thing. "WoooooooW!"
Mazurek inclines his head slightly toward Mirana when she greets him, "It is good to see you as well, Corporal Bigtoes. I trust everything is going well with your...little issue there?" He nods down to her belly before returning his attention to their hosts. During the journey he can't help but stare at the wisps when they proceed to surround the group, his dark body ending up shining a bit thanks to the slight glossy nature of his unscaled frame, "No, they're quite natural I believe. No math involved." His gaze is soon drawn upward to survey the massive monolith, though he says nothing more even after the simian calls out to their contact.
Mazurek adds after a moment, "If you are wishing to be part of something, Ryusho, and don't want to hang around the Ironsouls, I don't see why you couldn't ask to join the Lightbringers." He shrugs, "Your choice in the end, of course, but you'll get to be around me more, right?" A wink to the Tegu-dragon.
Mirana looks about, and nods to Alef, "They are magic, earth math to be more peciese, though I'm more interested in how they are formed then what they are formed from." she says looking around. She thenn looks up the monolith. A year ago she would have been impressed, but now, she just looks at it. The comment from Maz makes her blush though, "It.. is going well enough, I can't wait for them to be out though." she says. "Not home... maybe we should climb?" She asks looking around to everyone a moment, leaning against her own staff.
Ryusho sighs softly, as he glances to mazurek, then looks up at the Monolith, "The Ironsouls are no more Mazurek..." he says softly, as he rubs his head, ".I don't know.." he says softly, rumbling int hought, "..and I might maz..".." he says as his scales darken in blush, as he shifts, and adjusts his position, if not a bit of clothing adjustment too as he mrphs in thought....
Indeed, with everyone's attention drawn to the creator relic, there's something not quite right about the top of the outcropping where the two join. At this distance, it appears to be shifting and squirming almost as if it's alive. The group isn't the only one to notice the movement - many of the locals have caught on as well, and look distinctly disturbed for people who've lived and interacted with a Creator relic for so generations. Perhaps this bears some closer investigation, although the locals appear to be more than a little worried at the idea. As everyone looks on, pulse after pulse of wisps emerge from the monolith's sides, each one bearing the distinct feel of earth math to anyone sensitive and trained enough to recognise it.
Alef frowns "Uh... Halder? is the Monolith suppost to be doing that?" Looking at the group "it looks like the Wisps are coming from the Monolith, could someone have tampered with the Monolith?" Looking conserned... and indecisive. "What should we do?"
Mazurek nods toward Ryusho, but says nothing further. Instead he actually starts to approach the Monolith with the intent to fly right up to the top with the aid of his air magics if needed. "The wisps do not concern me. What concerns me right now is whatever is happening on top. Neither of the other monoliths I've dedicated myself to have had anything odd like this moving up there." Yes, he's going to investigate, with or without approval. Impulsive much?
Mirana looks over the monolith a few times and then walks up to it herself, though Amy keeps her from getting too close. She looks over the creator device, though currently such knowledge is not currently acessible to her. "Yes, Halder, is this supposed to be churning out wisps like my family churns out crazies?" she asks, laughing at her own joke, "But no, seriously something is wrong, do you have any idea where your scholar... Lunch! Don't you dare fly up there without knowing the risk you will be in!" she shouts.
Ryusho hums quietly, as he glances over, "If you choose to go up there, You will have me come along, YOu shouldn't go alone with things being strange.." he says softly, though this is the first Monolith he has seen himself
Mazurek is already in the air by the time anyone tries to stop him. It wouldn't take very long for his voice to travel down to the group through the assistance of air maths, "The Monolith itself is under attack! The wisps surging forth from it are a reaction to something... Some sort of goo that is trying to engulf it!"
Alef watches the two dragons go flying upward, that being all she needed to go into action, summoning the winds beneath her with a rapidly solved equation, Alef starts floating up the side of the outcroping, her destination the stairs to start climbing, the bellowed warning of a goo making her pause in her accent, reaching the top of the outcroping and looking for a good spot to set down, on the monolith proper or the outcroping.
Mirana was about to follow after, but Amy puts a hand on her shoulder, shaking her head. Mira huffs slightly, but nods, it was too dangerious. Instead, she leans on her staff, and looks up to Maz, "Lunch, what else do you see!? Do you have any earth magic at your disposal to try and see if you can force the goo away from it?" she shouts up, using a dash of air math to help her voice carry.
Ryusho flew up to try to 'catch up' and land near mazurek as he makes a bit of a face, "..That..Just does not look right..to me anyway." he says softly as he quirks his brow, glancing to the other dragon then back to it, "...but that would explain why it looks so...odd...from down there." he says as he shifts slowly, "...That just does -not- look right..." he then says again with a face
"No, that isn't supposed to happen. And no, it doesn't look right, either," Halder says grimly, then gestures for the locals to start climbing before grabbing into a handhold himself. From the light cast upon it, it's clear that the sludge is unnaturally dark - even moreso than the black gops that dwell within the inner reaches of the swamp, and even if it weren't many, many times their size.
Perhaps it's the sheer presence of so many beings and the light they're bringing with them, or the knowledge that it's being watched now - if there's a space for a brain in the midst of all that muck. Whatever the case, the enormous puddle of black gop begins to beat a retreat after its lost its cover, beginning to ooze away from the monolith and down the other side of the outcropping towards the safety of the swamp waters.
Alef's eyes are fixated on the... blob, that is flowing out of the bowl. "By the Creators... what the HELL is that!?" Eyes wide as the blob retreats, "It's... leaving. does it know were here?" Too stunned to really summon up a equation to unleash a attack on the retreating blob, she studys it intently none the less.
Mazurek does not send an attack out to the blob, instead watching it begin to flow away from the group as a whole. While the natives are busy climbing, he remains in the air flapping his wings hard while calling down to the ground, "I think this blob thing is partially sentient! It has ended its attack on the Monolith and is retreating into the swamp! I think we're safe for the moment!"
Ryusho would shift, and...half ready a weapon but then stop, as it was backing off, "...Maybe it is us being here, Maybe it's all the light, but it doesn't like something about us coming up here." he says quietly, "...Part of me thinks we should make -sure- it leaves...." he says softly, but he does not attack, since he doesn't have any magic that is very good, or ...want to get into melee range..
Mirana looks as the goo moves away, cursing for a moment her soul combonation that she didn't have full control of her math magic to try and capture it, not that Amy would let her anyway. Instead she just rubs on her belly a moment and looks up toeveryone flying there, "Is there any of it left? Can we collect a sample of any kind?" she asks, slightly annoyed.
Mazurek's words are acknowledged, but the folk keep climbing anyway - and with good reason. Eventually, someone steps down from the top, climbing down the steps to meet them halfway - a cougar in simple long-sleeved robes.
"Gordon? What was that thing? Where did it come from?"
"It just came straight out of the water, Halder. I hadn't any idea what it was, but considering how it'd ringed the island, the only way for me to escape was up," Gordon explains with a shake of his head. "At least it appears that the monolith's capable of defending itself. I'm as puzzled as you are, Halder...but I get the feeling that this isn't the last we've seen of that thing."
Mirana's suggestion is met with a little less enthusiasm from the locals, though. Although there is indeed a slime trail left behind by the creature as it finally sinks into the swampwater, the stench that rises from the midnight-black goo is positively foul and nauseating, making those with weaker stomachs feel positively ill just be being near it. Perhaps one of the dragons would be better suited to getting some for her, if they're willing.
Alef frowns as she watches it flow away, but at the sight of gordon she smiles, glad that he was ok. turning to Mirana she frowns "The power of earth is amazingly strong around the monolith... but that... Thing, was pritty strongly feeling of magic, the only other place I felt something like that at all... was a store in the Shanty town covered in dark math symbols..." Shaking lightly, just the thought of going out after a sample making her stomich turn in rebellion. She wont beable to go get the sample requested.
Mazurek braves the stench of the puddle of goo, but needs to collect the vial or other container that it is to be stored in. If he is given it he goes to collect it without hesitation. Dragons have strong stomachs after all, so... it shouldn't take much to collect.
Ryusho would aid in collection as well, though making a face and looking like he would much rather not be there, I mean his stoumach turns but he is strong stoumached, just..the stench really makes him gag in a way for a moment, before he regains himself, and can help, though he is able to pull some scrap metal and the like from his pouch, that he will use to help collect if he needs to, so that way he..doesn't have to risk getting it directly upon his scales, incase it might have a negative effect..
Mirana looks up to Maz as he looks to get ready to collect the requested sample, and digs in her pack a moment, emptying out the chemicals from it and flying over to Maz now that most of the danger is done. "Here, go collect it real quick, don't put yourself in danger though private." she says before letting herself float gently back down. "The shadow's magic... I or Selena should study it if we can." she says.
Ryusho would hum softly, as he just helps on the collection as he can..before he mrphs and..was glad he used a few smalll scrap bits that..were not that useful if he did have to use them to help collect for her anyway.....though well, he can't really throw them out, so he will try to clean and use them for something maybe later
Mazurek nods, "Our fox friend there has mentioned that she sensed something very similar down in Shanty Town. You don't think that that one group is behind this sort of thing, do you? I forget the name that was suspected of starting that fire, the one making those drugs?" He takes the container from Mirana and adds, "I doubt it will do anything to me since it was so intent on escaping in the first place." With the container he rushes over to collect what samples he can, scooping it all into the container and closing it tightly before returning. If he was given nothing to scoop with, he'll be using his bare hands for it.
At last, everything's over. The stuff does smell foul, but it doesn't hurt Mazurek, and eventually there's enough for Mirana to work with - although most others do keep their distance from the dragons on the trek back. A small guard is left out there with Gordon, although it's now more a formality than anything else.
"I'll have to write back to the Crown about this," Halder says. "It could prove worrying."
