Cult of Hunger - Rescue - RPLOG
Participants
Date
1/8/479
Log
The heat of the day is hardly mitigated by the shadows under the sprawling mangroves of the Saltide Swamp. Foeted smells of rot and messy swamp life rise in the humid air and the dank atmosphere buzzes with the sound of insects. Otherwise, it is quiet here. As quiet as the swamp ever is, at least.
Dressed for adventure, a small salamander steps up an embankment to regard his surroundings. Exploratory trips into Saltide weren't unusual for the little guy, not only because he felt quite at home in this place by now, but also because it was a great place to search for opportunities to bring back to the Society. Always room for more adventure! He picks a direction to head in and starts off northwards, crinkling his little snout as a waft of fetid air brushes past him. -That- part of adventuring in the swamps he didn't like much.. but it was an unavoidable fact.
It is not so far into the swamps just yet. The ground underfoot is fairly stable and the only thing that has tried to eat the little salamander so far are the little blood sucking bugs common to warm, damp places everywhere.
There is a genteel cough from behind the little salamander. "I shouldn't go that way if I were you," comes a thick, wet voice from behind Zuri, "Nasty stuff that way." Standing in the spot that Zuri had just vacated is an enormously fat boar in well made traveling clothes!
Zuri pauses at hearing a rather familiar voice behind him. He turns on a dime, pivoting to smile up at the familiar porcine spirit. "Mister Olloch!" His tail flits about happily, the salamander taking a step forward to move closer to the spirit he is so fond of. "Huh. Nasty stuff?" He looks over his shoulder at where he was heading, before returning his attention to the spirit. "If you say so Mister Olloch! What kind of nasty stuff?"
Shira finally catches up with Zuri. She might be fast but information does not always reach everyone at the same time. She stops as she reaches salamander and boar and looks them up and down. Not having heard the conversation so far she gives a friendly wave and addresses the pair. "Hey! You two here because you heard about the caravan?"
Rokarion saunters around the swamp, hand busy jutting down words on his notebook as he explores the region. The youth stops as he arrives next to the unlikely party, raising a brow at the odd collection of beings, and others. "Ah, I didn't know that you were heading here today Zuri." the plant being says in a chirpy tone.
"Certainly nothing you want to involve yourself in, my fine little friend!" Olloch says pleasantly, waddling over to pat Zuri gently on the head with a ham sized hand. "If you want to try THIS direction," the boar snorts, "I can show you a most remarkable flower that-" The immense boar is interrupted by Shira's arrival and he turns a pleasant, tusk encapsuled smile on the mouse. "Caravan?" he asks, "No, I can't say that I was here about any sort of caravan. I was only about to show my friend Zuri here some interesting flora native to Saltide with some exceptional qualities." He looks at the newly arrived Rokarion, second and third chins jiggling with the movement. "Something I am sure taht our mutual friend her would appreciate," he finishes.
Zuri smiles brightly as Olloch steps up to his side, letting out a little giggle as he's patted on the head. He nibbles on his lip. "Huh. A fancy flower with exceptional qualities?" He beams a smile towards Rokarion. "Hi Roka! Yea, I was just off exploring, and look, Mister Olloch is here and he wants to show us something interesting! A flower of some kind! Maybe it will be like that mushroom we found that time, the blue glowy one." He smiles at Shira. "Hi there! Dunno about a caravan, I'm just exploring. Or was."
Shira raises her eyebrows at this. "Huh. I read something on the bounty board about a caravan being kidnapped by cultists in this area." Her eyes dart between the other three. "Am I the only one here for that?" She shuffles her feet. "This is kinda my first mercenary job...I mean I am great and all..but I thought I would be having backup on this."
Rokarion nods his head at Olloch before moving to stand next to the amphibian, "An interesting flower? Very well, I would not mind seeing if he is true." the plant being adds.
"I am sure you are mistaken, Miss," Olloch says with a damp sort of chuckle, "Come along, you are more than welcome to join us. I am sure that this will be an education for all of us." The obese boar indicates a little game trail. "Right this way," he says, then leads the way, waddling down the narrow track. "It is called a Carrion Flower," he explains as he rolls along, "Not like the strangle vines you usually find, it is named more for the smell it puts off than for any actual relationship with carrion." Seems that the boar is more than happy to avoid whatever conflict Shira thinks she is looking for.
In fact, he seems to be leading directly away from where the mouse was instructed to go.
Zuri follows along with the porcine spirit happily, his tail flitting behind him curiously. "Oh, Carrion Flower?" He blinks and makes a -bleh- face as it's scent wafts past her. "Ugh.. yea.. I can.. I can see why." He crinkles his snout as they slink past the flower. "I didn't know you liked exploring the wildnerness too Mister Olloch!" He smiles brightly at him before turning his attention to Shira. "Ah, your first mercenary job. Interesting! Well, if you need some help myself and Rokarion know a thing or two about mercenary thingies."
Shira stays a bit behind the others, but reluctantly follows so she can continue the conservation. "It would be much appreciated, I do not know their numbers, so I am reluctant to go there alone and risk being overwhelmed." She blinks, realizing something. "Oh! Them being a group or something that took a caravan hostage. Nasty stuff."
Rokarion rubs his chin, eyeing Shira. "A group of cultists have kidnapped a caravan around here?" the plant being asks, glancing over towards Olloch, then looking back at the would be mercenary, "Was that a Freesword contract?"
"Yes, Yes," Olloch says, waving a hand under his own nose with a grin, "Foul smelling thing, isn't it." The porcine Spirit does not seem to even acknowledge the talk of cults and mercenary work, instead indicating the enormous flower generating the smell of rot.
It is nearly the size of a cart wheel with broad, waxy leaves and long, triangular petals that curl outward from a central, flat knob. The petals are the reddish brown of rotting meat and shimmer with rather unhealthy looking oils. "The thing likes to attract carnivores and scavengers," he explains, "They take a chunk out of the nasty thing and haul it away. Leave spores behind when they pass it. Clever plant, eh?" He points at the glistening, waxy petals. "The oil it secretes also has a calming effect and is mildly narcotic, if you are interested in that sort of thing." Nothing at all about cultists or caravans.
