Research Gone Awry

Home to the wildest breeds of flora, Ninraih's entangled jungles cover southeastern Khy'eras. Ajteire, city of the Fae, is situated in the middle. Here, an overwhelming amount of magic and unexplained phenomenon has materialized. Read more...
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Roridula Lunatus
Character
"Where's the library?"
Level
01
23 / 23 HP
21 / 21 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Fae
Class: Wizard and Bard
Posts: 35
Joined: November 4th, 2019, 4:17 am
Has thanked: 1 time

Research Gone Awry

Post by Roridula Lunatus »

Roridula Lunatus knew many things; some things she’d learned from books, others from teachers, and some from experience. What she didn’t know right now was exactly where she was. Rory took the map she had, gave it a quarter turn, frowned, and turned it back. She was trying to find a path to the Lament of the Willow and had been told - of course - ‘you can’t miss it’ even in Ninraih’s vegetation.

Having been, ah, discouraged, from her pursuits on pyromancy in Ajteire for the time being, Rory wanted to investigate a tale she’d heard about a ghost. While she knew ghosts existed, she’d never seen one in the - well, flesh wasn’t right. Corporeal existence, she guessed. Anyway, there were supposedly ghosts who could do some sort of magic that attracted other spirits.

Rory shook the map and let it fall into a few folds before haphazardly crunching it in half and shoved it in her pack. It was still light, and would be for a little while yet, but she probably needed to find some place to set up a hammock for the night in a little while. She squinted and decided to fly above the pesky underbrush for a bit - although when did she get so heavy? Or were her wings just weak? She grunted, lifting herself a respectable distance off the ground.

Well, the Lament was off to the west. So if she headed that way, she should be going the right direction. Theoretically, at least. In any case the idea of a magic that either operated on a spirit level or that attracted like beings was worth investigating. Certainly it was worth a few uncomfortable nights in a hammock with firefly jars in the forests.

Rory tugged the map out of her pack again. She was heading west, right? Where was this river the map said should be around here somewhere? Groaning, Rory landed and sat on a log. She really hoped she wasn’t lost again. Last time she’d seen the Ajteire guides, they’d laughed for a full five minutes at her predicament before they’d managed to untangle her, fix her damaged wing, and get her back to the city. She doubted she’d live that down any time soon.

Rory opened her map, stared at the sun, then back at the map. All she needed was one person to double-check and make sure she was headed the right way. Just one! Then she could get on with her traveling and do her research and become the most knowledgeable wizard in the history of wizard. She huffed and shuffled her feet in the dirt in disappointment. A wizard shouldn’t be stymied by such a problem, but well, here she was.
Word count: 470
User avatar
Leiven Loramrai
Character
Doom of the Mountain
Level
01
26 / 26 HP
16 / 16 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Dwarf
Class: Fighter
Posts: 27
Joined: August 17th, 2019, 6:55 am
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Re: Research Gone Awry

Post by Leiven Loramrai »

Leiven felt absolutely ridiculous as he lumbered along the jungle path towards a place called Lament of the Willow. He’d gotten all trussed up, even worn his nice medium armor, for an escort job into the deep jungle that started with a boat on the river. The contract said they were leaving from the Lament in a month, and the earlier he arrived the better bunk he’d have on board. He’d given himself two weeks, figuring he could relax a bit and do some cleanup on his gear. Except, when he’d gotten off the train from Verdant Row, he’d discovered he was a full four days walk from the damn meetup point.

He mopped at his face with an equally soaked hand and growled in frustration. It was in that moment, as a bit of sweat trickled down his face and into his eye, he decided he hated the jungle. Everything was damp, and sticky, and hotter than a forgewife giving her drunken husband the business even in the early winter. He’d been told it would be warm, he’d even worn banded leathers, instead of his usual heavier mail, in a vain attempt to ward off the oppressive heat. Yet here he was, trudging through what was clearly mud and experiencing a personal damnation of grime and sweat.

Then he spotted a traveller, one of the Fae-folk, with the wings and the pixie dust bit, standing looking over what was clearly a map. He felt a second wind fill his lungs as he clomped over to the- well he couldn’t tell but it didn’t matter. “Ho there, are you perhaps carrying a map of this thrice-taken place? I’m looking for the Lament,” he shouted in his gruff rumble. He’d done his best to keep his irritation for the jungle out of his voice, but he’d only really half succeeded. He’d make sure he stopped a good distance out, no sense in charging up to someone loaded for bear when politeness could do well enough.
Word count: 347
User avatar
Roridula Lunatus
Character
"Where's the library?"
Level
01
23 / 23 HP
21 / 21 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Fae
Class: Wizard and Bard
Posts: 35
Joined: November 4th, 2019, 4:17 am
Has thanked: 1 time

Re: Research Gone Awry

Post by Roridula Lunatus »

Rory started as she heard the jingle of metal and tromping of another traveler. She stood and held up her map like a shield - a very flimsy shield, but one nonetheless. The traveler proved to be a - a dwarf in heavy leather armor and chainmail. Correction, a grumpy dwarf and lots of axes. He shouted what Rory guessed was a sort of greeting asking about her map.

Well, maybe he knew the area better. Rory held her map out so that the dwarf could see too. “It’s supposed to be a map. I’m trying to get to the Lament,” she said, pointing to the spot she’d marked. “I’ve heard about ghosts with magic and I need to research them.” Let him think she was a formal student. It worked most of the time, if people thought you were ‘serious’ and scholarly.

Rory frowned. “I can’t seem to figure out where I am, though. I left Ajteire this morning. I was trying to find a path someone told me about, they said it should be here-ish,” she circled a small area on the map with her finger. “I haven’t been able to find any kind of a trail head or trail - or anything really.” She looked up at the dwarf hopefully. “Do you know where the trail to the Lament is?”
Word count: 229
User avatar
Leiven Loramrai
Character
Doom of the Mountain
Level
01
26 / 26 HP
16 / 16 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Dwarf
Class: Fighter
Posts: 27
Joined: August 17th, 2019, 6:55 am
Been thanked: 4 times

Re: Research Gone Awry

Post by Leiven Loramrai »

Leiven felt his spirits drop into the mud as he realized the Fae had no more idea where they were than he did. She was some kind of academic, foolishly out in the wilds by herself and with a possibly faulty map. He frowned intensely over the map beside her and followed her indications closely. It was a simple enough map, showing common trails, major destinations, and even good camping and water locations away from the large river that was supposed to be nearby.

When she looked to him to provide an answer for her predicament he felt a small sense of pride. At least he looked competent enough still, even if he was also apparently terribly lost. “I ain’t one fer guiding much these days. My guess? You’re on the right of it an' something went sideways. Either the entire river up an' shifted, or some sort of magic bullshit's ruining things,” he said with a shrug that made his armor clink and clatter. “'magine you flew up already,” he added, pointing at the Fae’s wings dismissively. “Means it’s likely bullshit, an' I specialize in wading through that.”

Leiven felt his pulse quicken ever so slightly. This was starting to sound like a problem he could solve. Magic did weird things all over the world, and no less so in the energy packed jungles. “Lemme look o’er the damn map more, because my reckon says I’m a whole day from where'n I should be an’ I don’t 'member walking naked in the dark.”
Word count: 261
User avatar
Tika
Character
The Tinker
Level
01
24 / 24 HP
20 / 20 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Human and Fae
Class: Alchemist
Posts: 32
Joined: October 30th, 2019, 9:05 pm
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Re: Research Gone Awry

Post by Tika »

Tika was having a grand time. She usually did in her walks. She had an affinity for animals and they seemed to trust her, especially when she already had Tok with her. She was convinced the fey squirrel spoke up for her a number of times while she was foraging and meeting other creatures. That is if her chittering was anything to go by.

Tika lived in Ajtiere with her family, though they preferred if she took her experiments and such out into the jungle to play with. Most of her alchemy was very useful, potions and the like, but occasionally she made things that went boom and her family was wary. Tika had a reputation for being much too curious and perhaps less cautious than she needed to be.

Today she was actually gathering ingredients for some of her most basic potions, but that didn't mean she didn't have several vials of alchemists fire on her just in case. Fire was frowned upon in the jungle, though the constant wetness kept fires from spreading terribly far. Still, no one wanted their city burned up just because some careless little gnome was experimenting.

As she walked she talked to Tok in her high pitched voice going a mile a minute. At the moment she was fiddling with a small machine that she'd taken out of one of her many pockets.

"So you see Tok that little wiring bit there will go over here once I've figured out a good power source. Then I'll have a floating light to go with me everywhere. I wonder if i could use the fireflies from home to power it? Nah, people would get mad, and if the trend caught on then the firefly harvest could be devastating. Though fireflies do reproduce rather quickly, especially here. I don't know. What do you think?"

The squirrel had no answer, as per usual, but talking out loud about her problems, both technical and otherwise, always made her feel better.

Up ahead she saw two people, tall for her, like everybody, looking at a large piece of paper. They both had furrowed brows and a confused scowl upon their faces. Tika walked right up to them.

"Hello! I'm Tika! Can i help you? I only ask because you look troubled and I'd like to help troubled people when and if i can."

She looked expectantly from one to the other, then at the paper. In the scant beams of sunlight through the heavy canopy she could make out markings on the paper.

"Oh! Is that a map? Can i see? I love maps. Does this mean you're lost? I can help with that!"

Her effusive and sometimes rambling self conversations were tolerated at home. She often asked questions and immediately answered them herself. It was a bad habit, but she was so pleasant about it that it often went overlooked. Still, these were strangers and she had no idea what to expect.
Word count: 494
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User avatar
Roridula Lunatus
Character
"Where's the library?"
Level
01
23 / 23 HP
21 / 21 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Fae
Class: Wizard and Bard
Posts: 35
Joined: November 4th, 2019, 4:17 am
Has thanked: 1 time

Re: Research Gone Awry

Post by Roridula Lunatus »

“Uh,” Rory said, a bit taken aback at this small, loud, colorful child approaching. But maybe she knew something more about the area; obviously she knew what maps were, and she was out here by herself. “Tika, was it? I’m Rory,” she said, pointing to herself.

“Let’s sit on that log over there and I can show you the map - I’m trying to go to the Lament, if you know where that is.” Rory pointed to the log she’d been sitting on a few minutes before. “Someone told me there’s supposed to be a trail around here,” she circled a spot on the map with her finger. “I can’t find it though.”

“You come too - uh, mister-?” Rory looked at the dwarf whose name she didn’t know. He’d sounded like he understood woods if nothing else. “And you said something about trees using magic-?” she asked curiously. She settled onto the log and patted the spot next to her for Tika.
Word count: 171
User avatar
Tika
Character
The Tinker
Level
01
24 / 24 HP
20 / 20 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Human and Fae
Class: Alchemist
Posts: 32
Joined: October 30th, 2019, 9:05 pm
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Research Gone Awry

Post by Tika »

"Nice to meet you!"

Tika nodded and came to sit with Rory on the log. She looked at the map, sort of reorienting it a little too get a better idea of the symbolism. Not everyone made maps the same, whichwas part of why she liked them so much.

"Oh yeah! Well you're definitely going the right direction, but you're right, the path should be here and it isn't! I wonder why? Hmm...you know, there's a river and i didn't cross it to get here. Did you cross the river already?"

Tika was trying to figure out where exactly on the course of the path they should be. Of course if neither of them crossed the river, her coming from the Lament and then coming from elsewhere then she wasn't sure what to do. Shed been wandering petty far but she was sure she'd have noticed if she crossed the river. It was definitely a conundrum, one she wasn't sure she was equipped to figure out.
Word count: 167
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User avatar
Leiven Loramrai
Character
Doom of the Mountain
Level
01
26 / 26 HP
16 / 16 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Dwarf
Class: Fighter
Posts: 27
Joined: August 17th, 2019, 6:55 am
Been thanked: 4 times

Re: Research Gone Awry

Post by Leiven Loramrai »

Leiven jumped slightly when another Fae, though without wings, appeared. This one could be a child, or an ancient woman as far as the dwarf knew. He decided to just stay quiet and let the student take over whatever situation was developing while he glared at the woods. He kept an ear open to their conversation and turned to pay attention when he was mentioned.

"Leiven," he said with a prideful grin as he moved to slump down onto the indicated log. He watched the possible-child examine the map and felt his frown deepen significantly. "Didn't cross no river, unless it's made of sweat," he said to Tika's questions. "It's probably the cursed trees. Luring folks to their death. Heard that sort of thing happens here," he waved one gauntleted hand around and stroked the head of an axe with the other. He didn't like when the terrain got tricky. It was one thing to deal with landslides and lightning storms, an entirely different bit of weird when the woods could move around.
Word count: 173
User avatar
Tika
Character
The Tinker
Level
01
24 / 24 HP
20 / 20 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Human and Fae
Class: Alchemist
Posts: 32
Joined: October 30th, 2019, 9:05 pm
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Research Gone Awry

Post by Tika »

Tika considered what the dwarf had said. Ajtiere was steeped in magic. It was not unthinkable that the very trees had developed a certain sentience. The problem came when you didn't know what they wanted. She piped up in her high pitched voice an agreement to the situation.

"It is very possible you are right. How do we find out what the trees want? At the moment they're obviously obscuring the path, which might seem like they want us to go somewhere else. I recommend trying to go back the same way i came in. Maybe that's the path out." Tika looked around and her head dropped.

"I don't suppose either of you are good at tracking? It's only because i don't remember where i came in exactly. I wasn't paying attention."

The little fae looked very disappointed in herself. She was supposed to be helping and instead seemed now as lost as they were. It was definitely something to be embarrassed about, in her opinion.

"Some help i am," she muttered.
Word count: 172
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User avatar
Roridula Lunatus
Character
"Where's the library?"
Level
01
23 / 23 HP
21 / 21 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Fae
Class: Wizard and Bard
Posts: 35
Joined: November 4th, 2019, 4:17 am
Has thanked: 1 time

Re: Research Gone Awry

Post by Roridula Lunatus »

Rory scrunched her face in confusion. “I didn’t cross a river either. And yeah, there should’ve been one.” She stared at the map as though it had lied to her. “What’s this now about cursed trees though?” That at least sounded interesting.

“Are the trees actually moving? Is it some sort of illusion magic? Or is it a kind of spirit magic?” Rory pulled out a notebook and started jotting down questions, looking up every so often to make sure she hadn’t missed anything that might be relevant. “What triggers it?” She looked up at Leiven and over at Tika, studying their faces. “I want to know! A good wizard does her research - and I want to be a great wizard!”
Word count: 126
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