One Mans Poison is Another Bugs Treasure - RPLOG

Participants

• Felix
• Rainer
• Sally
• Walden

Date

27/10/475

Log

The call had gone out for brave adventurers to meet up with this alleged alchemist at the docks. It appears a boat has been rented by... Walden the Armadillo? He's waiting nervously there, looking around to see if anyone's going to come now that the appointed time is here.

Sally arrives, with Rainer, "There seems to be no end of tasks needing doing to keep this good nation going in these hard times," she says towards him as they approach.

Felix doesn't take too long to arrive himself, just a few minutes late unfortunatly, but upon seeing that Walden is here the Deer releases an audible sigh of relief! "Heya! Walden!" He calls as he raises a hand to offer a sign that he has arrived.

"Mm." is the sound the wolf makes, a simple acknowledgement so she won't fall to the mistaken assumption that he's ignoring her. Rainer is almost approaching sullen as he pads alongside his CO, eyes on the sky and hands on his hips, only turning his attention landwards at the call of a familiar name. "...Walden? The alchemist is -Walden-?"

Walden raises a hand and wiggles his fingers in greeting, though he looks a little shy and nervous at Rainer's words. "Y-yes, that's right!" he says. "I can't help but think maybe there's more we could be doing, something to give us an edge. A-And I think... Potions and poisons, they... they can... I've been struggling with it, but I know that if I could get my hands on a certain flower, I could just- I read about it, and there's a nearby source of them." He points to the boat and explains: "The conditions have to be just right for it to thrive, and there's a seaside cave where they supposedly grow around here."

Sally inclines an ear at Walden curiously, "Well, it's always good to work with familiar faces," she decides, "If you know where something useful is, then we are at your disposal to retrieve it, especially if it might help with the wars."

"Wait...You're the alchemist?" Felix mirrors Rainer's suprise in his response, his eyes widening a touch "Ahh well, I'd be more than happy to help then." He would remark with a smile showing before he wanders over to peek down at the boat the Armadillo has procured "Well then I suppose we shall go get all the flowers there are in there!" He smiles to Walden again before giving nods to both Sally and Rainer "If anyone can, it's us!" He seems to be rather...Motivated.

Rainer puts up his hands and shoulders in a big ol' indifferent shrug. "I just thought your shtick was making people better, not making them sick, that's all." His arms flop back to his sides with a dull thump and he only stands there regarding Felix as if he'd very much like to roll his eyes at the deer. "Any excuse to get out of the city for a while, I guess. This seige has me going stir crazy."

Walden laughs nervously and steps into the boat. "I am glad it was folks like you," he says. "I won't feel as nervous. I know I can count on you folks; maybe even Rainer." He double checks his map and his notes just to be sure, then he says, "I can't just heal the bad guys to death. And unfortunately, they don't seem to be in any position to be diplomatic, so, you know... Besides, if they use any on us, maybe we can get some antidotes going." He takes one of the oars himself figuring he's probably one of the best suited for rowing.

Sally moves to board along with the others, "It is an important task," she says in agreement. So what properties does this flower have, that has drawn your attention to it to escape a siege to get at it?"

Felix nearly jumps into the boat, but restrains himself from doing so less he capsizes the thing. "Aye, we need to be breaking the siege as soon as we can, I hope at least this flower might have the potential...I'm a bit curious as to that myself." Felix remarks in regards to Sally's statement about what the flower is.

Rainer manages to crack a smile at Walden's teasing, but it doesn't survive for long against his prevailing dour disposition. He climbs into the boat last, sitting down next to Walden and picking up the remaining oar, mumbling, "Just ask next time... y'don't have to go posting on the board like some distressed farmer."

Walden motions to Rainer eastward, rowing the boat along the coast, past Shanty Town's outskirts, and past a place where the shoreline disappears. "This plant is -extremely- poisonous," he says. "I wouldn't recommend touching it without gloves due to the oils it produces. But the petals themselves, they have it in much higher concentrations. Don't eat 'em," he teases with a grin. "Apparently they're difficult to grow. Other plants can out-thrive them in good conditions, so they do better where it's too dark and moist for other plants. They really, really love the light from certain kinds of glowing moss." Ahead is a rocky outcropping coming with an arching sea cave tucked in near the cliff. "There, that's it."

Sally nods her head slowly, "Fascinating. Do you plan to cultivate it yourself then?" she asks with a raised brow, "Very detailed maths would be involved in making it just right for it, but possibly rewarding," she pauses to think, "What do you intend to do with it?"

"Extermely hmmm, suppose we'll even have to walk carefully in there if it grows on the floor." Felix remarks as he sits nearer the rear of the boat "It would be such a good chance to test the antidote, though!" The deer adds in regards to Walden's teasing, laughing softly as he does so. As they come upon the outcropping Felix merely nods slightly "Have spare gloves?"

Rainer just keeps his mouth shut and rows, for the bulk of the trip. Only at the sight of the cave does he finally throw out his two crowns, observing, "That wasn't such a terribly long trip, you could have just swam it."

Walden points to a bag near his feet and nods to Felix. "Plenty of gloves right in there. I don't imagine we'll need terribly much of this plant, but I wanted to be prepared. I don't want anyone breaking out in itchy blisters or anything," he says with a little chuckle. "And Rainer, I'm a -terrible- swimmer. Well, I'd like to try to cultivate it if it does turn out to be useful. And by useful, well... Obvious uses are that it could be efficient for scouts on the field of battle for darts, a coating for blades, a 'food additive', who knows. Maybe we could make an efficient pesticide. But also, there's a chance it could have some interesting medicinal properties. If nothing else, it could expand our understanding of poisons and venoms, alchemical concoctions in general, who knows." He guides Rainer to help him dock the boat at the entrance to the cave, and he attaches a rope to a stake. "Alright. ..." He stares into the darkness, trembling. "...This is as far as I've gotten. ..."

Sally bobs her head lightly, "Fair enough. We are your soldiers for this operation. Enough questions, more motion." She waves a hand, and it begins to glow softly, the other glowing moments after as she performs the math in her head, "Shall we proceed?"

"Aye, we are all here to keep you safe, Walden, from whatever might be in here besides your flowers, if anything." Felix chimes in with a quick nod, although he'd probably snag a pair of gloves just in case as well, most likely to help gathering if needed. "So, lot's of uses then, worth getting for sure."

Rainer waits to get out of the boat last, giving the dillo a sideways glance. "You mean you've been out here before? Just what stopped you from grabbing some samples for yourself then?" Donning a pair of gloves, he shoves his thumbs into the waistline of his pants and follows in after Sally, taking on a more lighthearted tone, perhaps aware that he's being something of a sourpuss, when he adds, "You're a little old to be scared of the dark."

Walden picks up a torch from his other bag leaving an empty box inside it. He waves a hand over it as he chants some numbers quietly, sparking it to ignite. Then he takes the bag in hand. "...W-well, it has that oppressive feeling, you know? I- I didn't want to be alone," he says with a nervous chuckle as he starts to go inside. It's difficult to tell, but there's a faint glow deeper inside the cave. There's the sound of dew drops dripping from stalactites, and occasionally a skittering sound can be heard if one is quiet. From the entrance chamber, there's two branches, one straight ahead and one to the right. Walden bites his lip. "Umm..."

Sally kneels down at the branching path and begins to trace a soft pattern there, tracing formulas towards one path, then the other as she mutters numbers and relations under her breath. A bunch of seemingly nonsensical computation at a glance, but soon enough she looks quite certain, pointing, "I think the moss this way," she points to the right, "But both have a draw of light, it's just stronger this way, so either there's something with a bonfire there, or it's our moss."

"Well, more light equals more moss, most likely! I doubt anyone is in here, there was no other boat." Felix murmurs softly as he watches Sally finish up her magic and point the right direction "And I can understand, Walden, it's dangerous to go alone so taking friends is wise." He nods briefly at that and looks down the rightmost path.

Walden stares down at Sally's formulas curiously. This is a new one to him, but then again, no one's ever seen him do much more than light a torch with fire magic before. "That's really amazing if you're right. Okay... let's try that," he says. He swallows hard and shudders for a moment; the darkness seems just a touch unnatural and unsettling, something all four of the people here ought to be familiar with by now. But, thankfully, it's not TOO bad, but it does explain why this flower's probably been untouched for years. The footing down the right path is steady enough; the floor is smooth and polished, likely from the influence of water. There's little puddles and trickles of water that can be seen here and there. Sally was right; a bit more of a glow can be seen in the distance lighting up the path far ahead. Soon, a new chamber is reached. To the right is a short path with a bit of an incline; to the left a corridor weaves through stalagmites, but it's difficult to tell where it leads. Straight ahead is a third path, and there's an even louder skittering sound from that direction. "Oh dear," the armadillo says with a gulp.

Sally huffs softly and kneels down, apparently about to restart the divining process, "Let me know if that noise gets any closer than it already is," she mutters as she gets to work.

"We're in luck. The way doesn't appear to be going towards that noise," she announces, moving towards the left, "But move lightly. They could try to come in behind us for a visit, hmm. Keep a back guard."

Rainer is just following along in his grumpy gus silence, pausing when the group pauses, doing not much else but scanning the environs. He keeps tilting his head towards the skittering sounds that occasionally echo through the caverns, but doesn't come across as intimidated by them. He does keep his eyes trained on that middle passage, though, while Sally is working, and when she calls for a rear guard he raises his hand, silently volunteering.

It's a much longer corridor than the ones before. It almost seems straight at first, but the path starts to curve sharply to the left, then gradually more toward the light. Walden's eyes brighten gleefully as he notices a distinct green glow being cast on the walls of the cave. "That's it, isn't it?" he asks quietly. Skitter. Skitter. This sound is heard from ahead as the group turns the corner, and what they see is amazing: a HUGE chamber with a very high ceiling full of beautiful stalactites of varying sizes. The room is broken up by a massive chasm running through the middle; it's perhaps twenty feet across! Most of the bioluminescence is coming from there as the moss appears to be thriving on the walls of the chasm. It does, however, line the walls of this room on both sides and even further back. And before you is a Skrith radiating darkness and shadow, munching on a red and yellow flower... the only one on this side of the chasm. Skrrrrk!

Felix was almost too entranced with the large, magnificant chamber the group had entered into to notice the shadow-posessed Skrith in the room, but as it makes it's noise Felix's attention would have turned directly towards it, his warhammer being drawn forth at the same time as he moves to engage it! Engage he does, and using brilliant blasts of light with some of his strikes upon the creature, and defensive fighter techniques, manages to deal greats amounts of damage to the creature!

The shadowy Skrith did not like being disrupted from its flowery meal! It attacks the party, but it proves to be no match for their combined might. The body fizzles and the shadows dissipate as it collapses, dead. Without the rather weak threat the beast posed, the group can see clearly that there is an abundance of flowers on the other side of the mossy chasm. The walls are steep though, and there doesn't appear to be any obvious path to cross from here. Walden just looks devastated at finding nothing more than a leaf of this plant; he takes it in his gloved hand and stores it in his box. "How do we get over there?" he asks nervously.

Sally considers over the quandary as she lifts her lantern-staff, allowing for a bit more light, though not all that much needed, "I don't know enough air magic to fly, but..." she tries to gauge the distance for jumping.

Rainer gives his swords a shake to dislodge shadow goop clinging to their blades, giving each a twirl before finally returning them to their scabbards. He gives the remains of the Skrith a looking over, an air of disappointment about him, giving the beast a gentle kick before moving off to join Sally by the chasm, leaning waaay forward to peer down into it and ... spitting into it. "Hm."

"Well, jumping may work." Felix begins as he eyes the gap before the group, a frown showing for a moment "But it's not worth risking falling into the chasm, there could be another way around though, maybe?" He ponders with a glance beyond the gap, to see if there's any other tunnels.

Walden peers at the twenty foot wide chasm himself, and he shakes his head. "No way I could jump that," the armadillo says. Felix catches on to something though: there is indeed a passage in the back of the other side of the room, visible due to the excess of glowing moss in here.

Sally decides against the jump with a soft huff, shaking her head a moment before she looks around, "We look for another way, if we can't find it, we try to rope our way across directly. One or the other."

Rainer gestures with both hands at the pit, in a manner that suggests he wasn't particularly enthused by the concept of trying to jump that distance, himself. "I think we should give that centre path a try, if only because it sounded like something big and ferocious was hiding down it, heh."

"It's something we could do, I suppose, not the best of ideas though, rope could give easily." Felix remarks with a shrug "Anyone know about exploring caves at all? That can maybe try to figure out what will lead over there?" He smirks a bit as Rainer suggests the center path merely for the danger "Well, this guy was eating the flowers here, maybe that's what the other beasties are doing."