ORE DRAKESOre drakes, or simply drakes, are egg-bearing creatures that are often found in large groups. They closely resemble dragons, but drakes are not predators in the traditional sense; they consume large quantities of rock and ore as the main component of their diet, and supplement this with bones, bark, and plants. Their island of origin, Odekka, has very few predatory threats, and as such drakes can be found in many fantastical colors and patterns! They are roughly the size of a large housecat, although individuals can vary greatly in size!
Drakes do not possess different reproductive organs, and any two drakes can be bred together, thereby greatly increasing the possibilities of the breeding program as we work to ensure that the drake gene pool does not become too small. Any names and genders associated with drakes may be assigned by their owners - drakes are not sapient, although they are quite intelligent and may be taught tricks and simple commands.The Drake Export Office (DEO) is extremely pleased to announce that, for the first time, the home of the ore drakes, Odekka Island, will be open for exploration! Certain parts of the island are off-limits, but there is plenty of terrain for you and your drakes to explore! We do ask that all drakes be collared with an identification tag so that, in the event that you are separated, the drake may be returned to its rightful owner.
There are, of course, some rules to help preserve the ore drakes and their home.
RULES
- You may only participate in one expedition at a time.
- You may begin an expedition at any time, provided this thread is open. Expeditions are meant to be a permanent feature!
- Expeditions can last for several days - it depends on the choices you make! If you choose to end an expedition early, you will not be awarded EXP. However, there is no time limit, so you can leave an expedition open and come back to it later!
- All rewards will be deposited to your inventory (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1N4bDXoWaPREKW-EQIXwK-i_fjbbP68Xy4SAm6YLs9ZA/edit#gid=1644463349)!
- As you adventure, you will be presented with different options. Each decision you make will shape your expedition, and may affect what you find!
- You do not have to participate in-character if you do not wish to! However, you will still need to provide all of the information requested to make your next move.
Curious about who owns what drake? See our records department!
Masterlist Records (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1N4bDXoWaPREKW-EQIXwK-i_fjbbP68Xy4SAm6YLs9ZA/edit?usp=sharing)
Credits
Original sketches by BronzeHalo @ dA
Lined, based, and colored by SeaCrest
HOW TO PLAY
New permits are currently not available!
First, fill out the Adventurer's Permit Application! You can create a character to explore with, or you can just put down your username. You can also select which drake(s) you would like to take with you on this expedition - this is solely for RP purposes, but you have to have at least one!
Next, please wait for a reply. This is the beginning of your journey! You will presented with some options. To continue, you will reply with your choice. Feel free to be as simple or elaborate as you want! As long as the appropriate information is there, you can continue.
Make sure you check out your Expedition Inventory! You might find useful things that will help you solve problems that would otherwise be insurmountable!
Sometimes, you will encounter an event! An event will almost always give you the option to ignore the event and move on, or to engage. Events can give you items or tokens, which you can use later! All items and tokens will be deposited to your inventory automatically as they are earned.
Eventually, your adventure will come to an end. You do not need to reply to the final post, as no more rewards can be gained, but you can wrap up your story if you like! This gives you the opportunity to start over with a new character, if you decide you don't like the previous one. These characters are for RP purposes only, and you don't need to maintain any continuity if you don't want to!
BEGIN YOUR EXPEDITION
Before you can even begin your expedition, you first need to apply for an adventurer's permit! This permit must be renewed every time you wish to go on an expedition to Odekka.ADVENTURER'S PERMIT APPLICATION
Name: The name of your character. This could be your username, or it could be a character of yours! This does not need to be the same for every expedition.
Drake(s): Please list your drakes using the format ID - NAME! [font=century gothic][b][color=#9933ff]ADVENTURER'S PERMIT APPLICATION[/color][/b]
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Drake(s):[/b] [/font]After waiting for your application to be approved, you are directed to the Drake Preserve, where you are met by a bright young woman with auburn hair - Dr. Mirielle Farrowstead, the founder of the DEO and head caretaker of the preserve. She gives you directions to meet your transport - a small propeller plane - at the runway not too far from the main office building, and wishes you good luck. One of her drakes, large and almost completely white, watches you from the reception desk as you leave.
The flight is long, and somewhat uncomfortable, but you bear with it, checking on your drakes from time to time to make sure that they are happy. At least drakes can be fed ores and other minerals, saving you the fuss of needing to provide them with fresh meat, but their food supplies are quite heavy. Once you land, they should be able to forage for themselves.
Upon arrival, you check in at the small Outpost building, the main expedition headquarters. A woman with short, curly black hair and fine laugh lines around her eyes and mouth greets you with a cheerful smile, introducing herself as Dr. Ellen Wong. She gives you a map of the known landmarks, as well as areas that are currently off-limits, cautioning you that these areas are patrolled regularly and trespassing will result in an immediate termination of your expedition.
"It's not that the local flora and fauna are necessarily dangerous to us," Dr. Wong explains. "But there are certain delicate populations that we would like to protect, as well as areas where the terrain is not particularly safe for the average explorer. They will require much more experience."
ACTIVE EXPEDITION INVENTORIES
The items listed here are for expedition purposes only and are not part of your regular inventory!
Ryuukokoro | Ryuu | 078 - Marbled Moss
077 - Cross | 1x Lantern
1x Coil of Rope
1x Machete
1x Emergency Radio
1x First Aid Kit
1x Water Bottle
1x Fish |
Sunchaser | | 051 - Silvestra
037 - Harun | 1x Map
1x Lantern
1x Coil of Rope
1x Machete
1x Emergency Radio
1x First Aid Kit
1x Water Bottle |
Saturnalia | Shaydra | 90 - Chemistry | 1x Map
1x Lantern
1x Coil of Rope
1x Machete
1x Emergency Radio
1x First Aid Kit
1x Water Bottle |
Ember | | 086 - Andromeda
094 - Rhea | 1x Map
1x Lantern
1x Coil of Rope
1x Machete
1x Emergency Radio
1x First Aid Kit
1x Water Bottle |
Country | | 114 - Haru | 1x Map
1x Lantern
1x Coil of Rope
1x Machete
1x Emergency Radio
1x First Aid Kit
1x Water Bottle |
Midnight Phantom | Ree | 108 - Dawn's Chirp | 1x Map
1x Lantern
1x Coil of Rope
1x Machete
1x Emergency Radio
1x First Aid Kit
1x Water Bottle |
YourLoveOnly | YLO | 009 - Poi | 1x Map
1x Lantern
1x Coil of Rope
1x Machete
1x Emergency Radio
1x First Aid Kit
1x Water Bottle |
How neat :D I would for sure like to do a more in-depth adventure sometime, but for now I'll go with brief responses XD
ADVENTURER'S PERMIT APPLICATION
Name: YLO
Drake(s): (https://i.imgur.com/ysqqGca.png)
ADVENTURER'S PERMIT APPLICATION
Name: Vayshedruvon
Drake(s): 061 - Cavaiya
(https://i.imgur.com/73oBBeS.png)
Yay! Love stuff like this :)
YourLoveOnly || YLOAfter Dr. Wong has given you your map, as well as checking over your supplies, she sends you out to meet a young man by the name of Barnaby, who shuttles you out to one of the expedition areas. After all, if everyone is exploring right next to the Outpost, there won't be much by the way of discovery, will there?
After Barnaby leaves you, you look around. The trees are tall and thick here, with no discernible path into the forest. Do you...
- Use your machete to hack your way through the undergrowth?
- Try to climb a tree to see if there is a path nearby?
- Follow the tree line left (north) to see if you can find a path that way?
- Follow the tree line right (south) to see if you can find a path that way?
- Turn around and go home?
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonAfter Dr. Wong has given you your map, as well as checking over your supplies, she sends you out to meet a young man by the name of Barnaby, who shuttles you out to one of the expedition areas. After all, if everyone is exploring right next to the Outpost, there won't be much by the way of discovery, will there?
After Barnaby leaves you, you look around. You are at the base of a rocky hill, and to the west you can see mountains. To the east, the forest is thick and dense. Do you...
- Climb the hill?
- Investigate the rocks at the base of the hill?
- Head west towards the mountains?
- Head east towards the forest?
- Turn around and go home?
ADVENTURER'S PERMIT APPLICATION
Name: Ember
Drake(s): 033 - Eldritch
(https://i.imgur.com/IPKAySr.png)
So excited for RP-y stuff!
EmberAfter Dr. Wong has given you your map, as well as checking over your supplies, she sends you out to meet a young man by the name of Barnaby, who shuttles you out to one of the expedition areas. After all, if everyone is exploring right next to the Outpost, there won't be much by the way of discovery, will there?
After Barnaby leaves you, you look around. You're on the bank of a wide river, which flows down from the mountains north of you. On the map, you can see that there is a dormant volcano in that direction. The river flows south. Do you...
- Head north to the mountains (and the volcano)?
- Follow the river south?
- Enter the forest to the west?
- Stay where you are and do a spot of fishing?
- Turn around and go home?
Vay is a girl of medium height, hair buzzed close to nearly-bald level, faint violet tattoos on her face. Her bone structure is just blocky enough to not be full elf, but her pointed ears make it clear that she isn't fully human, either. Lilac eyes, a trademark in her family, gaze out at her surroundings, mostly calmly, but with a subtly hard glint to them. She's no stranger to taking care of herself.
She looks around after Barnaby leaves, politely thanking him for taking the trouble to bring her out. The drake at her side is all darks and brights, quite striking, and gazes from side to side eagerly, clearly glad to be out and about.
Vay sighs, but the touch of exasperation to it can't fully hide that she is also excited to be exploring a new place. "Well, they wanted me to get out after the last incident, so I might as well make the best of it, eh, Cavaiya?"
In response, the drake looks up, tail slashing the air impatiently, and Vay laughs. "All right, all right, let's go. You choose the way."
Cavaiya doesn't waste another moment, and bounds forward, straight to the rocks at the bottom of the hill, clearly determined to investigate them.
(Option 2!)
Ember looks around as Barnaby leaves, taking in the area she was dropped off at as the eerie black drake twines around her legs. He spends some time sniffing the ground right around her feet before peeling away from her and following whatever interesting scent his nose has caught. Ember watches him go with a small smile before pulling the map out of her pocket and trying to think of where to go.
She's not exactly keen on the idea of climbing mountains but even despite that she is rather interested in a volcano. She decides to head north to the volcano and once she starts moving Eldritch's head comes up and his eyes follow her for a moment before he bounds after her with his dizzying eyes still pinned along his back.
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonThe rocks are uneven, some of them perched precariously on others, so that your explorations turn into an exercise of strength and balance. As you and your drake investigate the nooks and crannies, your drake notices what appears to be a very tiny entrance to a cave. Do you...
- Try to widen the mouth of the cave?
- Ignore the cave and continue your exploration?
- Send your drake in alone?
- Turn around and go home?
EmberThe trek to the mountains takes a long time. Along the way, you come across a grove of some strange fruit trees. Before you continue, what do you do?
- Take a piece of fruit.
- Leave the fruit. You don't know what it is, and whether or not it is poisonous.
- Stop and see if other creatures have been eating the fallen fruit.
- Turn around and go home.
I'd like to climb a tree and look for a path that way.
YourLoveOnly || YLOSelecting a sturdy-looking tree, you begin to climb. It is arduous work, and your drake reaches the top long before you do. By the time you reach the top, your original purpose in climbing the tree has been forgotten, in favor of the
Wild Egg that your drake is peering at with some incredulity. It is about the size of a duck's egg. Do you...
- Take the egg?
- Leave the egg and go back to looking for a path?
- See if you can locate the parents?
- Open your Encyclopedia to read about the nesting habits of ore drakes before you make a decision?
- Turn around and go home?
It has already been a long journey and Ember pauses to take a rest among a grove of trees. Eldritch seems especially pleased with the rest location, bounding around the trees. She laughs at the drake's antics and decides to stop for a while longer and see if anything else has eaten the fruit. Or intends to. She's not sure much will show up with an energetic drake on the loose and a human nearby but she thinks it's worth looking around herself to see if something has been munching on the fruit. Maybe it's safe to eat?
EmberUpon close examination of some fallen fruit, you note that several bear the teeth marks of what appears to be a drake, or several drakes. However, what is edible for drakes may not be edible for humans...
Will you...
- Offer the fruit to your drake?
- Taste the fruit yourself?
- Collect some fruit for further examination later?
- Leave the fruit and continue onwards?
- Turn around and go home?
"Well...looks like your kind have been into these things," Ember tells Eldritch. He tilts his head in her direction briefly at her words before resuming his cavorting. She considers seeing if he'll take one from her hands but ultimately decides he's been bouncing around them without much interest in them for the moment so she shrugs and collects some fruit for later. Maybe someone can tell her later what they are and if they're any good. She makes sure to grab ones that are not already nibbled on and shoves them into her pack.
EmberYou obtained 1x Sunfruit!You continue on your way, well rested and now burdened with fruit that may or may not be edible. Cresting a hill, you note that the river is fed by a series of small waterfalls. The waterfalls do not block your path, but they could be interesting. Do you...
- Continue north towards the mountains (and the volcano)?
- Change course and head towards the waterfalls?
- Explore the surrounding vegetation?
- Turn around and go home?
It was Eldritch that heard it first, some sound that caught his attention over the hill and Ember ran after him to keep up as he took to the air at last in his haste to find out what it was. She gasped when she saw the series of waterfalls and gleefully chased after her drake to head towards the waterfalls.
EmberUpon arrival at the waterfalls, you notice that the water is quite deep. You also notice that there appears to be something glittering below the surface...
Do you...
- Attempt to dive down yourself?
- Send your drake to investigate?
- Ignore the sparkles and continue looking around?
- Turn around and go home?
Vay follows Cavaiya, carefully climbing up and around and over the precarious rocks, careful not to twist an ankle. This would be a bad place for that, she thinks to herself. The drake, meanwhile, is adept at navigating the stones.
Vay notices Cavaiya peering intently, and joins her to see the mouth of the cave. Clearly, the drake is interestedin what's inside.
"Well, let's find out," the half-elf says, and begins trying to move rocks out of the way to widen the mouth of the cave.
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonCarefully, you begin widening the mouth of the cave. As soon as the hole is wide enough, your drake rushes inside, to your chagrin. Well, there's nothing for it but to keep digging.
By the time you have widened the hole enough to stick one arm and your head in, your drake is clearly much deeper into the cave than you had anticipated. Eventually, you manage to clear enough space to crawl in. Do you...
- Enter the cave to explore? (you have 1x Lantern in your pack for light)
- Stick your head in only enough to call your drake back?
Well, this isn't quite how I wanted this to go, Vay thinks to herself, as she hustles to clear more from the cave. It's hard to see how far in Cavaiya has gone, but there looks like there should be enough room in climb in after her...
Well, nothing risked, nothing gained; let's hope this isn't my worst idea.
Vay rummages in her pack for the lantern and enters the cave to explore, hoping she can get back out easily enough.
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonAlthough it's a tight fit, you only bump your head once as you wriggle inside. To your surprise, the narrow tunnel widens about one body length in, leaving you in a much bigger cave than you thought. Your drake is there, digging gleefully among the rocks to produce shiny objects that she proceeds to swallow or toss aside as she sees fit. Everything is somewhat grimy, so it's difficult to see what they are, exactly. There are seven or eight of these lumps scattered over the floor.
Do you...
- Pick up the first?
- Pick up the second?
- Pick up the third?
- Pick up the fourth?
- Pick up the fifth?
- Pick up the sixth?
- Pick up the seventh?
- Ignore your drake and examine the walls?
Vay takes a moment to watch Cavaiya as she digs and chomps. The girl assumes that her drake friend knows what she's doing and isn't going to eat anything she shouldn't, though she's pretty curious about what these things might be, and why some are being cast off.
"Whatcha find?" she murmurs as she walks forward a step, bending to pick up the fourth lump.
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonYou obtained 1x Rough Diamond!Polishing your chosen lump carefully, you realize that it is a
Rough Diamond! Pocketing it, you turn your attention to the cave walls, which aren't very interesting. They're somewhat damp, giving the whole place a rather musty, mildewy smell. It seems to be a dead end, but is it really? Do you...
- Look for another tunnel or cave?
- Go back outside?
- Take a nap?
"Ooh," Vay breathes, as the lump polishes up. "Good find, Vaiya," she says to the drake, carefully tucking the rough diamond away. "Think there's anything else to find?"
She turns in a circle, looking at all of the walls, trying to see if there are any other tunnels. She takes a slow walk around the cavern, trying to judge if there are any breezes or differences in the air that might denote another passageway, glancing at the drake to see if Cavaiya finds anything.
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonYour careful examination has paid off; there is a crack just large enough for you to slip through behind a fold in the rock. Do you...
- Squeeze through and explore further?
- Turn around and leave the cave?
"Whoa! Eldritch! Eldritch?" Ember spots something under the water and tries to share the discovery with the only other creature around. The drake in question turns his head to look at her at the sound of his name. He sees Ember pointing at some sparkling point beneath the waves and he begins an aerial dive towards the surface. "Oh...oops," Ember says as she accidentally sends her drake to investigate.
Vay spots the crack, assessing its size. It seemed a shame to leave now, when there might be more to discover!
"Cavaiya," she calls softly, not wanting to create too much echo. "Shall we explore this and see what we manage to find?"
She heads towards the crack, squeezing through to explore more, lantern held in front of her.
EmberYou obtained 1x Silver Ore!Your drake returns with something shiny in their mouth. When you finally coax them to drop their prize, you discover that it is a lump of
Silver Ore! Quickly, you pocket the ore and return to exploration. Do you...
- Go for a quick swim yourself?
- Continue looking around the falls?
- Look for another landmark to head towards?
- Turn around and go home?
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonAfter squeezing yourself through the crack, you find yourself in an eerie place lit by blue light filtering from somewhere up above. Based on the height of the ceiling, you assume that there's a small opening near the top of the hill through which light is coming, although that doesn't explain why it's blue.
Do you...
- Investigate the shallow pool at the center of the cavern?
- Investigate what appears to be a pile of giant bones...?
- Investigate what appears to be some kind of treasure chest? Didn't the DEO say that this island was uninhabited by sentient species?? Hmm...
- Turn around and leave?
Vay takes a moment to let her eyes adjust to the new light source and look around, keeping Cavaiya close to her for the moment. Pool of water, bones... treasure chest? Well, that seems rather out of place.
The chest is the most tempting to look at, but years of past adventuring and training has taught Vay that it's best to make certain there aren't any threats or dangers before grabbing for treasure. She eyes the bones, but ultimately approaches the shallow pool to inspect it and its contents, calling Cavaiya to come with her.
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonUpon examining the pool, all you find are a few blind cave-fish, their small white bodies darting around in the water - barely a foot deep, you think, although you don't feel like testing it. They flee from your light, sending ripples through the water. Strangely, you feel rather woozy...
Do you...
- Sit down for a little bit to see if the dizziness passes?
- Investigate what appears to be a pile of giant bones...?
- Investigate what appears to be some kind of treasure chest? Didn't the DEO say that this island was uninhabited by sentient species?? Hm...
- Turn around and leave?
That wooziness is worrisome. Vay wonders if maybe there's something in the cave causing it... she doesn't know enough about the flora and fauna of this place to make more than a guess, though. Perhaps it would be better to leave? But curiosity is also tugging at her. She looks to Cavaiya, wondering if the drake is showing any signs of not feeling well.
The bones are probably a bad sign. If something (or many things) have died in this cave, then it's probably not safe to linger in. The water had held no clues... she wasn't sure the bones would, and that chest was certainly curious.
Stubbornly, though, Vay decides to take a look at the bones, just to see if there are any clues about how they came to be here-- by violence or maybe just natural causes?
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonAs you stumble over to the bones, the dizziness suddenly gets much, much worse. You reach the bones just as it gets the best of you, sending you sprawling over the rough, cold floor. Darkness is creeping in at the corners of your vision, and you can see your drake flapping frantically at you as they try to figure out what is wrong. Propping yourself up blearily, you manage to hold onto consciousness to note that the bones look much like you imagine the skeleton of a drake might look, only much, much larger. Black spots obscure your vision before you can try to determine the cause of death, but you take hope in the fact that your drake, at least, appears to be unaffected by whatever is causing your weakness...
When you awaken, you are still in the cave, although you are now laid out on your back, with your pack beneath your head as a sort of rudimentary pillow. Squinting, you sit up, wincing as your head protests the change in orientation, and look around.
Your drake is in your lap, and extremely happy to see you alive and well. Surely your drake couldn't have arranged you like this, so the question remains - who did? You can't see anyone else, and the stone floor is hard enough that the only way you'd see footprints is if someone had something wet on their boots. Something white flickers at the corner of your vision, but as soon as you turn to look at it, it's gone...
Your head feels clear, and apart from the initial disorientation, you feel as healthy as you were when you first entered the cave.
Do you...
- Rest some more?
- Investigate the giant drake skeleton?
Investigate the treasure...chest...wait, where did the chest go?- Look for the chest?
- Leave the cave immediately?
That was incredibly bizarre, Vay thinks, getting her bearings as she regains her consciousness. She isn't sure which is more unsettling, that someone arranged her comfortably, or that the chest seems to have vanished. Clearly, she and Cavaiya are not alone, in any case.
"Care to tell me what happened when I passed out?" Vay askes the drake, though she knows she won't get much by way of an answer.
The chest moving, though... well. Vay has heard of some suspicious chests that weren't actually treasure chests, and would prefer to know that it hadn't sprouted legs and begun moving around. She decides to take a look around for the chest. If nothing else, maybe she'd see some drag marks or something if it had been pulled somewhere else...
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonYou approach the rocks where the chest was previously wedged, and notice that there are, in fact, marks that indicate someone dragged the chest somewhere else. Who that someone might be - and
what that someone might be - were yet to be determined.
Following the marks, however, you come to realize that they lead...into the pool?
Do you...
- Investigate the pool again?
- Investigate the giant drake skeleton?
- Turn around and leave the caves?
Last time Vay went to the pool was when the dizziness set in, making her slightly wary of getting too close again just yet. While she's certainly very curious about where that chest ended up-- especially given how shallow the pool looked-- she decides to carry through with her prior task and thoroughly investigate the skeleton.
"Some giant ancestor of yours, maybe?" she says to Cavaiya as she once again approaches the bones. She keeps an eye out as she does so, hoping to catch any movement in case there's someone else still around.
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonTo your rather inexperienced eye, the skeleton really does resemble that of a giant drake. It's difficult to tell, of course, given that the skeleton is clearly so old that any connective tissues are long gone, leaving all of the bones collapsed in a heap. Still, you think you see several long, thin bones that don't fit with legs or a tail that must be wing bones, and the proportions seem mostly familiar. Your drake, however, seems not to be particularly interested in the skeleton, and has approached the pool again.
The massive ribcage seems to have something wrapped in dark blue fabric nestled between the fourth and fifth ribs.
Do you...
- Try to reach the bundle without disturbing the bones?
- Reach for the bundle, disturbing the bones in the process?
- Leave the bundle alone and approach the pool again?
- Turn around and leave the caves?
I've seen Drake eggs without any parents around before and I also know Drakes have no gender, so I feel pretty safe in assuming there is no mother brooding a nest. I imagine they are more like turtles, where eggs get left somewhere and hatch independently. If I turn out to be wrong and we run into to the parents I'd be more than happy to give them their egg back, but for now I decide to take the egg. If assistance in hatching it would be needed I'm confident the people at the Preserve have the knowledge needed.
ADVENTURER'S PERMIT APPLICATION
Name: Ryuu (see my avatar for appearance)
Drake(s): 078 - Marbeled Moss
(https://i.imgur.com/7QBc5YD.png)
077 - Cross
(https://i.imgur.com/ZIAv1OU.png)
Vay studies the bones, intrigued by them even if she doesn't know a whole lot about drake skeleton anatomy. She tries to imagine how such a huge creature had even gotten into this cave, and glances upwards in an attempt to figure that out before turning back to the cloth bundle.
well, that's interesting, she thinks. Studying it for a moment longer, she makes up her mind and reaches in for the bundle, trying as hard as she can to not disturb the bones.
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou obtained 1x Wild Egg!You take the egg, careful to wrap it gently before tucking it into your pack. It's a bit tricky to maneuver at the top of the tree, but you manage. Do you...
- Go back to looking for a path?
- Climb back down?
Ryuukokoro || RyuuAfter Dr. Wong has given you your map, as well as checking over your supplies, she sends you out to meet a young man by the name of Barnaby, who shuttles you out to one of the expedition areas. After all, if everyone is exploring right next to the Outpost, there won't be much by the way of discovery, will there?
After Barnaby leaves you, you look around. You are on the shore of a small lake, with a sandy sort of beach and some reeds. Do you...
- Go for a swim?
- Look around some more?
- Investigate the reeds?
- Turn around and go home?
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonAs your fingers brush the bundle, without warning, the world goes black. You're still awake, you can feel the fabric beneath your fingers and the rocks pressing into your knees, but you can't see a thing. After a second, the darkness passes, and you can see again. As you blink, shaking your head a little, you catch that white flash out of the corner of your eye again, and turn, to find a nearly pure white drake perched on a nearby rock, wings spread for balance. There is a single spot of black on the drake's forehead as it stares at you, but you can't tell if it's threatening or not. You vaguely remember seeing this drake in the office at the preserve, just before you left. What is it doing here?
(https://i.imgur.com/Mjg9kn8.png)
Do you...
- Leave the bundle and back away?
- Hold onto the bundle and back away?
Stay where you are and try to offer something to eat to the drake? You have no food for the drake...
With the egg safely stored I continue looking for a path
Ember pets Eldritch's head after she puts away the silver ore. "Such a good boy, yes you are," she tells him, even knowing he doesn't really have a gender. He huffs pleasantly at her before bounding away and back into the water again. Apparently he's a fan of it? With a hum Ember decides to continue looking around the falls since she's already there.
YourLoveOnly || YLOHolding onto the branches tightly, you lean out until you can sort of see through the trees. They're still very thick, but you think you spot a sort of clearing that you think you could get to over to the north. There's also the telltale sparkle of sunlight on water to the west, although you're not sure what kind of body of water that might be. Both directions look like you'd be able to find your way to them without too much trouble, although you'll probably have to bushwhack or make detours around thick vegetation.
Do you...
- Climb down and head north?
- Climb down and head west?
- Stay where you are and take a nap?
- Climb down and go home?
EmberYou continue looking around the falls. They're not very tall, maybe ten or twelve feet in height, but the spray is nice and refreshing as it wafts over you in the breeze. As you continue wandering around, you suddenly come across what appears to be a cage...the perfect size for an adult drake. There's even a shiny bit of bismuth inside as a lure. Carefully, you back away, and make sure that your drake doesn't go anywhere near the trap.
Do you...
- Find something to trip the trap so that it closes and no wild drakes will get trapped?
- Disarm the trap by destroying it or otherwise damaging it?
- Leave the trap alone and hurry away.
I like water :3 West please!
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou head west, fighting your way through the thick vegetation as best as you can, your drake flitting among the trees. You're quite thirsty, so you hope that the water source is drinkable. Before you reach it, however, you stumble across a bush full of small, rather oddly shaped berries. They're half deep purple, and half creamy green, with little individual globes clustered together, much like a blackberry. The colors are mixed together with no rhyme or reason, and if it weren't for the half-eaten fruits scattered on the ground, you probably would have assumed that they weren't ripe yet.
Do you...
- Sample the berries yourself?
- Offer one to your drake?
- Leave the berries and continue onwards?
Ember gasps upon finding a trap of all things - especially one that looks meant for drakes! She considers just tripping it and leaving it but with the lure still inside it she doesn't want to encourage any wild drakes to linger around trying to get at it despite the cage as a barrier. She quickly looks around trying to find some way to disarm it by damaging it.
EmberYou appear to have several options; a sturdy stick would allow you to pry open the mechanism that shuts the trap when it is triggered, a nearby rock looks like it is big enough to wedge the door open, or you could take the trap and drop it into the pool at the base of the waterfall. You could also try maneuvering a heavy rock to crush it, but you're not convinced that you can lift one that would do enough damage. Do you...
- Use the stick to render the trap harmless?
- Use a rock to wedge the door?
- Drop it into the water?
- Try to drop a rock on it to crush it enough to prevent a drake from crawling inside?
The day was proving to be fair with a light breeze, which I appreciated. Despite my adventurous spirit, I still never liked to sweat if I could possibly avoid it. I waved to Barnaby as he drove away and did a hasty check to make sure my two Drakes weren't still tucked inside the jeep, playing 'hide and go seek' without telling mom about it before hand. (Wouldn't be the first time.)
Cross was curled around my shoulders, ever the mama's boy, so he was easily accounted for. Marbled Moss, or Moss for short, was the more adventurous type. This wasn't very lucky for me personally, since his green patterned hide blended in perfectly with the forest foliage, and he was easy to lose. Luckily his scales had a sheen to them that caught the sunlight, so I was able to spot him as long as I searched carefully. I finally spotted the green Drake down by the edge of the lake, hovering over some reeds growing close to the edge of the water.
"What are you doing, Moss?" I asked, following the Drake down to the water's edge. Thinking maybe he had spotted something worth investigating, I started poking around in the reeds, not minding if my clawed feet got wet, since I had left my shoes at home anyway. Draconic feet rarely needed them.
Ryuukokoro || RyuuExploring the reeds, unfortunately, yields nothing more than some very muddy feet and a rather angry waterfowl - it's a breed you don't recognize, but it squawks indignantly at you and flaps in your face to drive you away from what you can only assume is a nest. Your drakes are displeased by this rough treatment of you, but you manage to calm them down and avoid further fracas. You doubt Dr. Farrowstead or Dr. Wong would appreciate a report consisting of "we terrified some local wildlife."
Well, since that was a bit disappointing, you decide to move on. Do you...
- Go for a swim?
- Look around some more?
- Turn around and go home?
Sputtering and spitting out a bronze-colored feather, I hastily backpeddled, almost tripping over my own wings as I hurried to vacate the animal's territory. Cross looked like he might consider leaping off my shoulder to teach the bird a thing or two, so I quickly calmed him by stroking down his back and twitching tail.
"We're guests," I reminded the multi-colored Drake with a gentle voice, while at the same time keeping an eye on the hovering Moss to make sure he didn't dive-bomb the nesting bird. Keeping track of two Drakes, I was quickly realizing, was not easy. I was thankful I had a lot of years of experience raising various adoptable critters. Small, agile, airborn Drakes had more complications than most!
Once I was out of the danger area, the bird ignored me and both Drakes calmed down. It was then I noticed my clawed feet had become covered in mud. Making a face, I looked around at the forest and then turned back to the lake. "Well, a little dip wouldn't hurt," I reasoned. "Just to wash off the mud." I was wearing shorts and a T-shirt, and the day was warm so I figured I would dry off quickly afterward.
Plus, I reasoned to myself as I walked to the lake and started wading in for a quick swim, I hadn't yet discovered if Drakes liked the water or not, so this was a good opportunity.
Ryuukokoro || RyuuYou added 1x Fish to your expedition inventory!Your drakes take to water as if they were born there, frolicking happily. As you wash off your feet, one of your drakes dives down, coming up with a silver fish as its prize. However, they have just eaten, so your drake brings the fish to you instead of eating it themself. There are no signs of any other wildlife around, except the fish and the angry bird. Do you...
- Look around some more?
- Head into the forest?
- Turn around and go home?
I had to laugh as Moss came up out of the water with a sparkling prize. "What are you doing, you silly beast?" I chuckled, my clawed hands raised to fend off the splashing as Moss flapped his wings and flopped over to me, showering me with not only water but also dropping the slippery fish into my palms. Instinctively I tightened my grip before it could fall back into the lake.
"Okay, okay, that's enough fun in the water," I told my two kiddos, before they got any more ideas of hunting the local wildlife. Taking the fish with me, I sloshed to shore, and both Drakes eagerly followed.
Since we had disturbed both the nesting bird and the aquatic life in the lake, I thought it would be best to head into the forest and give the wildlife in this area a break. First I took a moment to ring out my long, brown hair and give myself a good shake to get some of the water off my skin. Then, stowing the fish-prize with my other gear (Moss would be heartbroken if I left it behind), I whistled to my two Drakes and heading into the woods.
Ryuukokoro || RyuuIt's warm even in the shade of the trees, which tower above you like the ancient sentinels they must be. The vegetation isn't too thick here, mostly consisting of large, leafy plants that somewhat resemble monstera plants, but you proceed cautiously anyway. There are no predators here, but it seems prudent to be careful.
Presently, you come across what appears to be the Odekka equivalent of a deer path - what the "deer" might be, you aren't sure, but they probably are not the same deer you might meet at home. Do you...
- Head east?
- Head west?
- Ignore the path and continue in the same direction?
- Turn around and go home?
Exploring was one of my greatest hobbies, so being 'lost' in the forest only got my blood pumping for a real adventure. I kept an eye on the two Drakes as I walked, listening for the sounds of the forest and trying to guess what creatures or natural phenomenon might be making each one.
As I had known from our time together thus far, the two Drakes each had distinct personalities. Cross was no more cautious than Moss when he got excited, but he was much more laid back most of the time and was content to rest on me and save his energy. If not on my shoulder, he was happy to curl up on top of my pack as I trekked through the trees.
Moss, on the other claw, wanted to be in the center of all the action. I could see him flitting from one tree to the next, poking his snout into hollowed logs and through thick bushes, attempting to lick and chew the few exposed rocks we found that were uncovered on the forest floor. Thankfully he seemed happy to use me as the center of his compass, darting out to explore but always coming back to check on me before striking out in a new direction.
By the time we came across the natural path in the trees, I was ready for a new direction myself. Being left-handed, I automatically chose west, then took a moment first to make a mark for myself, should I need to find my way back to the lake. I didn't want to damage one of the trees, so instead I used the Machete in my pack to dig a deep 'X' on the ground at the base of a tree beside the path where I turned west, and then piled a small pyramid of stones beside it to be more eye-catching. Moss stole one of the pebbles to crunch on, but for the most part the marker was intact was we walked away down the path.
Ryuukokoro || RyuuTurning west, you find yourself climbing steadily. It is a very gentle slope, so you aren't sure how long you have been climbing when the trees begin to thin, revealing a curiously neat patch of tall fruit trees. They grew in mostly straight rows, and were evenly spaced, although there was no rhyme or reason to their patterns - some bear bright orange-yellow fruit, while others bear something more similar to apples, although it doesn't seem to be quite the right season for the apples that you know. Others are completely bare of fruit, although the different shape, color, and size of their leaves indicates that there are two or three different species that are not currently in fruit.
Do you...
- Take a yellow fruit.
- Take an "apple."
- Leave all the fruit. You don't know what it is, and whether or not it is poisonous.
- Stop and see if other creatures have been eating the fallen fruit.
- Turn around and go home.
Because I can see some half eaten ones, I deem them safe to eat. Although if only half eaten, maybe not very tasteful. Still, I sample them myself. Better risk myself not feeling well over risking Moridin's health.
YourLoveOnly || YLOThe berry is tart, drying out your mouth almost instantly after you swallow, confirming your suspicions that they are not particularly tasty. You give it a minute, but you feel no ill effects. If they're poisonous, they're not affecting you just yet, or perhaps it isn't in a large enough dosage.
Do you...
- Take some for later?
- Offer one to your drake?
- Continue onwards?
I will take some with me, just in case.
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou have obtained 1x Rissica Berry!You pocket some berries, and then continue on your way through the forest, batting at trailing vines that seem to try and deliberately tangle themselves around your feet. Presently, you arrive at the body of water you were eyeing earlier - it is, indeed, a lake, although it is rather on the small side, with a sandy, muddy sort of beach.
Do you...
- Go for a swim?
- Look around some more?
- Investigate the reeds?
- Turn around and go home?
Little brain dead right now so...
Ember uses the stick to render the trap harmless.
I can always explore later, for now I will take a swim!
Vay is startled by the fit of darkness, and not entirely sure she wants much more to do with this cave. At the same time, she's a stubborn girl.
Still, she isn't dumb, and she knows that there are some rules that should always be followed-- and greediness is never the right answer.
She sets the bundle down carefully, backing up a few steps with her empty hands palm-up. Speaking in a low tone, she murmurs, "Is this yours? Here you are. What are you doing here, anyway, lovely?"
Out of the corner of her eye she glances around to see where Cavaiya is.
EmberYou have obtained 1x Bismuth Crystal!After disarming the trap, you decide to take the bait, just in case. Pocketing the bait, and making sure in the process that the trap really is disarmed, you move away as quickly as you can. You'd rather not get caught by whoever set the trap. You make a mental note to tell Dr. Wong or Barnaby as soon as you see them that there seems to be a poacher on the island.
Do you...
- Go for a quick swim?
- Continue looking around the falls?
- Leave the area immediately and head north?
- Leave the area immediately and head west?
- Leave the area immediately and head east?
- Turn around and go home?
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou have obtained 1x Copper Ore!You wade into the water, which is surprisingly comfortable, and not as cold as you might have guessed. Your drake frolics happily in the lake, which tells you that drakes are pretty much comfortable on land, in the air, and in water.
The two of you spend some time just splashing around and relaxing in the lake, but eventually, you decide it's time to get back to work. As you wade your way back to shore, your drake rushes over with a shiny prize in its mouth. It's a
Copper Ore! You pocket the ore and think about what to do next.
Do you...
- Investigate the reeds?
- Look around some more?
- Leave the lake and head north?
- Leave the lake and head east?
- Turn around and go home?
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonThe white drake remains still as a statue as you put the bundle down and back away, the only indication that they notice you at all a slight tilt of their head as they consider you with eyes black as night. They seem to swallow the light of your lamp, giving no reflections whatsoever.
The drake looks you up and down as you speak, and, seeming somehow satisfied, spreads its wings and glides down to where you left the bundle, placing one claw on the knot that holds the fabric together. It's still looking at you, and you're unsure what it intends until it pushes the bundle towards you, clearly offering it to you.
Do you...
- Take the bundle and open it now?
- Take the bundle and open it later?
- Decline the gift?
Ember decides after putting the bait away ti make haste leaving the area. Calling for Eldritch, she quickly makes her way east.
Vay watches the drake, glad that it seems pleased with her choice. When it offers the bundle, she gives a little nod of her head to it. "Thank you," she says.
Her curiosity gets the better of her, and she carefully picks up the bundle. She'd like to know what's inside, in part to make sure that she can carry or pack it away appropriately, so that it won't get broken or roughed up on the adventure.
With another glance at the white drake, Vay slowly and gingerly unwraps the bundle.
EmberHeading east, you enter the forest once more, although the makeup of the forest is changing as you begin to descend down a gentle slope. A bird startles out of the bushes in your path, and you flinch, but recover quickly. Your drake scolds the bird briefly, but the two of you carry on without further interruptions until it becomes clear that you're leaving the forest again, emerging on a charred expanse. A few shoots of green speckle the blackened landscape, which stretches for several yards in either direction, but you can see trees at the far side still. Curiously, it looks almost as if a hot knife cut through the forest - the destruction is incredibly straight, and the trees at the edge of the ruin are lush and green, as if they were standing next to other green trees, and not their blackened husks.
Do you...
- Cross the fire damage and continue to the healthy forest?
- Travel north along the fire damage?
- Turn around?
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonTo your surprise, you unwrap the bundle only to find a
Wild Egg inside! Do you...
- Take it. The drake obviously wanted you to have it.
- Offer it back to the drake. This could be another test.
Vay looks in surprise at the egg within the bundle. She still has questions about how the bundle got here (and who had re-positioned her earlier!) but this was quite a find.
She looks back at the white drake. It had pretty clearly offered the gift to her, so she trusts in that she may keep the egg, hoping she isn't wrong. Still, she moves slowly, giving the lovely creature the chance to interrupt her in case she was mistaken and it had only wanted her to unwrap it.
"If you wish us to take it, we will care well for it," she promises, setting the egg carefully down near her as she rearranges her belongings to make a safe place for it.
How awesome of Moridin! -snuggles drake-
Now that I'm cooled off I am more curious, so let's investigate the reeds.
Ember stops in her tracks along the burnt land, staring at the shape of it curiously. That's no normal forest fire, to leave such a clear cut line of damage. Eldritch lands next to her and butts his head up against her hand and she absently gives his head a few pets. "What d'you say? Look into this some more? I hope it's not the work of a poacher again..." Eldritch makes an odd trilling sound that she takes as a yes because why not and heads north along the damage.
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonYou have obtained 1x Wild Egg!The white drake - nods, almost like a human, before spreading its wings and flapping away to parts unknown. You can't even tell where it went, because as soon as it leaves your peripheral vision, it's gone, even when you turn to look for it.
Do you...
- Investigate the pool again?
- Turn around and leave the caves?
YourLoveOnly || YLOExploring the reeds, unfortunately, yields nothing more than some very muddy feet and a rather angry waterfowl - it's a breed you don't recognize, but it squawks indignantly at you and flaps in your face to drive you away from what you can only assume is a nest. Your drake is displeased by this rough treatment of you, but you manage to calm them down and avoid further fracas. You doubt Dr. Farrowstead or Dr. Wong would appreciate a report consisting of "we terrified some local wildlife."
Well, since that was a bit disappointing, you decide to move on. Do you...
- Look around some more?
- Turn around and go home?
EmberAs you walk, you are forcibly reminded of the charred destruction with every step, as ash puffs up beneath your feet, making your eyes water. You have no idea what could have caused this, and so cleanly, but you're here to explore. After a while, you think you can see the end of the destruction, which ends at some kind of shrine built of wide, flat rocks that must have been tumbled in a river for years. They're smooth, and all the same shade of blue-grey with greenish black and white speckles. Some kind of granite, perhaps?
The top of the shrine contains the remains of an offering - what looks to be one of the yellow fruits you collected earlier - and is large enough that a drake would fit comfortably in the hollow, with room to spare. The whole structure is untouched by fire, although the blackened vegetation ends right at its base.
Do you...
- Leave an offering? Requires 1x Sunfruit. This will remove the item from your inventory!
- Look for something else to leave as an offering?
- Ignore the shrine and continue north?
- Turn around and go back the way you came?
Oops! If there is nothing more to explore here I guess I will head home. I have an egg to care for after all! I can explore another part some other day ^^
YourLoveOnly || YLO
You radio for Barnaby, letting him know your approximate location, and he directs you to wait at the lake, since that's a place he can access by truck. He arrives, and takes you and your drake back to the Outpost with little fanfare.
"I hope you had fun," he offers as you hop out of the truck.
Dr. Wong greets you and your observations with a bright smile. "I look forward to seeing you again soon!" she says after you recount your exploration and help her update the maps. The daily flight back to Secundi is due any minute, so you accept her offer of a sandwich and head outside to wait on the bench outside the Outpost for your ride.
Expedition complete! You have gained 2 expedition EXP!
You may now apply for another expedition!
Ember pulls up the edge of her shirt to cover her mouth and nose as she walks to avoid breathing in the ash that keeps irritating her eyes. She glances at Eldritch and is glad to see he has taken to the air again and guesses it was to avoid the same issues she's facing. Eventually she squints through the almost-tears to see some sort of shape in the distance and as she closes in on it realizes that it is untouched compared to the damage around it.
She examines it for a while, trying to make sense of it, while fending off Eldritch's curiosity about the remaining bits of a yellow fru- "Wait a minute! This is the same as the earlier stuff I picked up!" The realization leaves her giddy and she digs in her pack to pull out the fruit she collected ages ago. She hesitates for a moment before leaving an offering. She figures the shrine wasn't damaged and that seems like a good omen to her.
Well, that was very strange, Vay thinks, ensuring that the egg is tucked into a safe spot. She isn't sure how typical that was for drake behavior, but she's happy she got to observe it. Learning about the creatures intrigues her.
She turns back to the other thing of interest in the cave-- the pool.
Why not give it one more shot? she thinks. Cavaiya seemed interested, anyway.
She heads over to investigate the pool again.
Ember1x Sunfruit has been removed from your inventory!As you place the fruit down, a drake descends from the sky, landing on the top of the alter with outstretched wings.
Wings of
fire, burning blue and white and pink. Was this the cause of the destruction?
(https://i.imgur.com/6xovesu.png)
You have discovered Hava, a foundation drake! Hava has been left on Odekka to observe her behavior in the wild compared to the drakes taken to the Preserve.Do you...
- Back away slowly and leave the way you came?
- Back away slowly and continue north?
- Stay where you are and wait for the drake to make a move?
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonLet it not be said that you left stones unturned. Cautiously, you approach the pool, but this time, nothing untoward happens to you. You reach the water feeling fine, and the fish flee from the light of your lamp as they did before. But where is the chest?
Do you...
- Send your drake to dive and look for the chest?
- Look for the chest yourself?
- Turn around and leave the caves?
ADVENTURER'S PERMIT APPLICATION
Name: YLO
Drake(s): 046 - Kaesien, 053 - Nanu
YourLoveOnly || YLOAfter Dr. Wong has given you your map, as well as checking over your supplies, she sends you out to meet a young man by the name of Barnaby, who shuttles you out to one of the expedition areas. After all, if everyone is exploring right next to the Outpost, there won't be much by the way of discovery, will there?
After Barnaby leaves you, you look around. You are on a beach at the outer edge of the island, with soft white sand beneath your feet. The water is tropical and clear, and the beach is littered with things brought in by the tide - seaweed, kelp, driftwood, shells, and some beach glass. Do you...
- Spend some time walking along the beach?
- Take a dip in the ocean?
- Head away from the beach and into the forest?
Vay contemplates her options. The pool had appeared very shallow at first, so she's pretty baffled about where that chest went. Sending Cavaiya in might be a good idea, though the drake likely wouldn't be able to drag a chest up on her own if it was somewhere deeper in the water. Still...
Vay looks to her drake, who seems quite intrigued with the water, and had been over there since Vay went back to the bones. "Well, you seem determined to be in or near the water anyway, so let's see what you can find," she comments. "Don't put yourself in danger though, ok?" She isn't quite sure how much the drake understands, but hopes that the message gets across. "Not worth finding anything if you're hurt, but let's see if you discover anything I've missed."
Vay cautiously sends the drake into the pool.
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonAlas, your drake fails to find anything of interest in the pool. They emerge, wet and rather disappointed, and you do your best to reassure them. You appear to have exhausted all the possibilities in the cave, so you squish your way back through the crack, through the first cave, and back out into the open, blinking at the bright sunlight.
Do you...
- Climb the hill?
- Head west toward the mountains?
- Head east towards the forest?
- Turn around and head home?
"At least we won't be left wondering what was in there," Vay says cheerfully as they emerge back into the sunshine. She takes a moment to blow out the lantern and let her eyes readjust to daylight, and as she does so, she recalls the strange blue light from the cave.
"Let's climb this hill and see if there's anything interesting at the top, shall we?"
The two set off up the hill, Cavaiya drying her wings in the sunshine as they go.
Away at work this weekend so less RP-y responses sadly! Ember decides to stay where she is.
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonYou climb up the hill, relishing in the feel of the breeze against your face and the sun on your shoulders. Eventually, you reach the top of the hill. There seems to be a rather large hole near the peak of the hill. Do you...
- Investigate the hole carefully?
- Ignore the hole and take advantage of your higher vantage point to look around?
- Turn around and go home?
EmberThe drake stares at you with those oddly colored eyes, seeming to lack a pupil completely. The flaming wings abruptly dissipate, leaving behind a drake that resembles an oversized lizard rather than a small dragon. Still, you wait.
With a tilted head, the drake continues to examine you, and you can feel your own drake trembling as it presses against you. With a sudden movement that makes you flinch, the drake lights its wings again, spreading them in a bright flash of fire, and then it launches itself into the air, climbing until it clears the treetops before circling above you, once, and then heading north, straight for the mountains.
Do you...
- Continue heading north, nominally following the drake?
- Head west, into the forest at the far side of the destruction?
- Head east, back into the forest that you came from?
- Turn around and go home?
Yeah, Ember be following that drake north!
The climb is pleasant, and both Vay and her drake are happy for the good weather. The climb stretches the muscles without being too arduous, and the breeze is perfect.
"Aha!" Vay exclaims when the pair reaches the top of the hill. She makes her way carefully over to the hole to investigate it, cautious not to fall in. Cavaiya, more cheerful now, flutters along nearby to peek in.
EmberYou follow the drake north, and the curious thing is that the drake appears to be actively leading you somewhere. When you get stuck, or slow down, it circles back, waiting for you before it carries on northward.
Eventually, you come across a river that you cannot ford easily. It is wide as well as deep, and you aren't confident in your ability to swim against such a strong current. Do you...
- Follow the river northwest to try and find a safer place to cross?
- Follow the river southeast to try and find a safer place to cross?
- Try and cross here anyway?
- Give up following the drake and head back the way you came?
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonThe hole is quite wide; if you stretched across it, you wouldn't be able to reach the other side. Not that you're going to lean over it, of course; you know better than that. The ground might be unstable. Still, you're able to peer down a little bit into the hole, and you see that there are patches of some kind of shimmering blue substance lining the black rock that lies below the soil of the hill. That might account for the blue light in the cave; sunlight reflecting off of that blue surface might bounce back into the cave.
Do you...
- Try to investigate the hole further?
- Leave the hole and take advantage of your higher vantage point to look around?
- Turn around and go home?
I may want to go swimming later, but with the coast so littered with items I think I'll take a walk along the beach first. It seems like a good place to explore and I also want to make sure my drakes don't get into anything dangerous, they are curious critters!
YourLoveOnly || YLOThe sand is soft underfoot until you move closer to the water, where it is wet and more solid. The tide line is full of debris, and idly you poke around with your toe, disturbing a small crab in the process. It scuttles off to hide, and you leave it, continuing to walk leisurely along the beach until you come across a rather large chunk of driftwood, big enough and sturdy enough to sit on.
Do you...
- Sit and rest awhile?
- Continue walking?
- Turn around and go home?
Ember follows the river northwest!
EmberThe drake seems displeased with your decision to deviate from its dictated path, but it begrudgingly follows you until you find a safe place to cross. The water is much shallower here, although it is still fast-moving, and you manage to get across the river without any accidents. Mollified now, the drake heads north once more, circling back every so often to make sure you are still following. It's a struggle sometimes, as you have now entered the forest, and the trees are thick enough that sometimes you can only hope that you're headed in the same direction as the drake, which refuses to land.
Eventually, you come to a second shrine, deep in the forest, in an oddly perfect circular clearing. This one has no offerings of fruit, but it does contain a single
Wild Egg. Only now does the drake alight, perching on the top of the shrine as it did earlier, extinguishing its wings. It looks at you expectantly.
Do you...
- Reach for the wild egg?
- Try another offering? Requires 1x Bismuth Crystal, 1x Copper Ore, 1x Gold Ore, 1x Platinum Ore, 1x Rissica Berry, 1x Rough Diamond, 1x Rough Quartz, 1x Silver Ore, or 1x Sunfruit
- Do nothing.
Ember (very respectfully) reaches for the wild egg.
I will sit and rest for a while. Watching my drakes play with each other is enjoyable and it's not like we're in a rush.
Vay notes the blue substance, finding it interesting but not particularly wanting to press her luck with the hole.
"Let's see what we can see, shall we, 'Vaiya?" she says to the drake, who is pretty happily frolicking in the sunshine.
Vay uses the higher vantage point to look around, shading her eyes as she peers in all directions.
EmberYou have obtained 1x Wild Egg!You reach for the egg, and the drake doesn't stop you. In fact, it seems pleased. As soon as you are holding the egg in your hands, the drake ignites its wings and launches itself into the air, disappearing in moments with no sign of turning back or waiting for you. You are now, apparently, the caretaker of this egg. Stowing it carefully, you look around. Do you...
- Continue north, to the volcano?
- Head west?
- Head east, towards a lake marked on your map?
- Turn around?
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou and your drakes enjoy a nice hour spent relaxing. The sun is getting rather hot, however, so it's probably time to move on. Do you...
- Dip your feet in the ocean?
- Actually take a dip in the ocean?
- Continue walking along the beach?
- Head away from the beach and into the forest?
- Turn around and go home?
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonTo the northeast you can only see thick forest. To the north lies a mountain range, which includes a dormant volcano, according to your map. To the west is marked a small camp for explorers to rest and refuel, but it is pretty far away. To the south is more forest, although your map indicates that there should be a lake.
Do you...
- Head northeast?
- Head north?
- Head west?
- Head south?
- Turn around and go home?
Ember startles a little once the drake's wings light up again but it appears she really hasn't made a mistake in understanding its intentions as it only flies away. Well then. She shows the egg to the ever curious Eldritch though he only sniffs it for a moment before wandering away. Carefully she finds a place in her bag to bundle it in and pauses once that task is done.
She can see the volcano again and it still holds interest for her but she does have an egg to worry about now...Perhaps she'll go check it out but if things seem too dangerous she'll head home. North to the volcano it is!
EmberThe volcano is dormant, so there are no signs of destruction or fresh lava as you approach the coordinates. The vegetation is thick and lush, in fact it is so thick that you soon find yourself unable to move forward freely.
Do you...
- Turn left?
- Turn right?
- Cut a path through the forest? Requires 1x Machete
- Turn around and go home?
Vay looks around, turning slowly in a full circle to get the lay of the land. She pulls out the map, glancing at it to consult, and then looks back up at the landscape.
Curious that I don't see that lake to the south, but maybe it's obscured by trees, she thinks. "Shall we go South?" she says aloud, and Cavaiya offers a little trill.
"South it is!"
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonYou head south through the forest, struggling with the thick vegetation for a time until you come across what you might call a deer path, although you aren't sure there are deer here on Odekka. Luckily for you, the path runs in a north-south direction, which means you can follow it for a while unmolested by plants.
The reason that the lake wasn't visible from your vantage point becomes clear; the lake is quite far away from where you were standing, and your hill wasn't particularly tall. With a few more feet in height, you might have been able to spot a glimmer of sunlight reflecting off the water. Before you reach the lake, you come across a grove of some strange fruit trees.
Do you...
- Take a piece of fruit.
- Leave the fruit. You don't know what it is, and whether or not it is poisonous.
- Stop and see if other creatures have been eating the fallen fruit.
- Turn around and go home.
"Oh boy," Ember says as she stands before vegetation clearly too thick to proceed through normally. Does she go the path of least resistance? Or does she pull out the machete she definitely has in her pack and try and hack her way through? "...this probably means no one has been through here in a long time, if ever, eh Eldritch?" The drake snorts and Ember laughs a bit before pulling the machete from her bag. Cutting a path it is!
Ember
You raise your machete and begin to cut your way through the forest. As you do so, something white flickers in the corner of your vision. You turn, but you aren't fast enough. Whatever it is - a drake, you think fuzzily as a wing takes shape in your peripheral vision - swoops towards you, and darkness suddenly falls. You cannot see anything, not even a hint of light, and an agitated chattering echoes in your ears as you hear the sound of fighting drakes. Desperately, you try to feel around, but the ground seems to drop away under your feet, and you stumble, still completely blind. Your drake - you think it's your drake, at any rate - catches you by the shoulder, trying to pull you back to your feet. The strange drake is hissing at you, flapping about your head as you climb to your feet, and you can only stumble away as it drives you - somewhere.
Eventually, it seems satisfied, and leaves you. You realize that you have dropped your Machete somewhere, but your pack is safe. Fumbling, you first check your egg, which seems intact, and then find your radio.
By the time Barnaby locates you, the blindness has worn off, although you are still sitting in the same place, rather shaken by the ordeal. What triggered the attack? Was it the act of cutting through the vegetation, or were you encroaching on something the attacking drake didn't want you to find?
Either way, you won't be finding out today. Barnaby delivers you to Dr. Wong, who checks you and your drake over for injuries. She clucks her tongue at your story, and shakes her head.
"The wild drakes can be erratic in their behavior. We'll have to mark that area as high risk and close it to further expeditions until we can observe more closely. I'm glad you're safe, at least."
The daily flight back to Secundi is due any minute, so you accept her offer of a sandwich and head outside to wait on the bench outside the Outpost for your ride.
Expedition complete! You have gained 2 expedition EXP!
You may now apply for another expedition!
ADVENTURER'S PERMIT APPLICATION
Name: Ember
Drake(s):
086 - Andromeda
(https://i.imgur.com/GEmPyPD.png)
and 094 - Rhea
(https://i.imgur.com/tkkRcr3.png)
EmberAfter Dr. Wong has given you your map, as well as checking over your supplies, she sends you out to meet a young man by the name of Barnaby, who shuttles you out to one of the expedition areas. After all, if everyone is exploring right next to the Outpost, there won't be much by the way of discovery, will there?
After Barnaby leaves you, you look around. The trees are tall and thick here, with no discernible path into the forest. Do you...
- Use your machete to hack your way through the undergrowth?
- Try to climb a tree to see if there is a path nearby?
- Follow the tree line left (north) to see if you can find a path that way?
- Follow the tree line right (south) to see if you can find a path that way?
- Turn around and go home?
Vay looks at the fruit, curious but not enough to try it without some investigation. She glances to Cavaiya to see if she is showing any interest, but the drake is nosing around a little ways away.
The girl looks around for other evidence of whether creatures have been eating the fruit.
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonUpon close examination of some fallen fruit, you note that several bear the teeth marks of what appears to be a drake, or several drakes. However, what is edible for drakes may not be edible for humans...
Will you...
- Offer the fruit to your drake?
- Taste the fruit yourself?
- Collect some fruit for further examination later?
- Leave the fruit and continue onwards?
- Turn around and go home?
Ember, flanked on either side by drakes, stares at the forest for a few long moments before deciding that yes, she has indeed learned her lesson, and has no plans to hack her way through one again any time soon. She's also not particularly keen on heights so instead follows the tree line south.
EmberYou follow the tree line south - or rather, you initially head south, but as you continue walking, the forest billows out, forcing you further east. Still, there is no sign of a place to enter the forest until you come across a stack of stones in a vaguely pyramidal shape, although the top stones have been knocked off. The stones mark some kind of trail head, perhaps a path that the local wildlife has forged over the years. Do you...
- Enter the forest using the trail?
- Continue following the tree line?
- Turn around and go home?
It was quite a detour but as Ember finally comes upon some sort of trail she smiles and proceeds to enter the forest using the trail. Andromeda and Rhea fly above her, seemingly dancing with each other as the loop around above Ember.
ADVENTURER'S PERMIT APPLICATION
Name: Sunchaser
Drake(s):051--Silvestra
037--Harun
Vay doesn't fancy getting herself or her drake sick out here, so she decides best course of action would be to take some fruit for further examination. She can always ask the people studying the drakes if they're familiar with it when she gets back.
EmberYou enter the forest using the trail and presently find yourself approaching a clearing where you can see a small building. Made of woven branches, stone, and mud brick, it blends in with the environment, but it is too large to be mistaken for anything but a man-made structure. It lines up with an Outpost rest stop marked on your map, and there seems to be nobody around. Do you...
- Enter the building to check it out?
- Move on?
- Turn around and go home?
SunchaserAfter Dr. Wong has given you your map, as well as checking over your supplies, she sends you out to meet a young man by the name of Barnaby, who shuttles you out to one of the expedition areas. After all, if everyone is exploring right next to the Outpost, there won't be much by the way of discovery, will there?
After Barnaby leaves you, you look around. You are at the edge of a cliff, with plenty of open space around you. The river nearby falls over the cliff in a straight waterfall, all the way down to the ground below. A very narrow ladder has been secured at the edge of the cliff with two sturdy anchors. Do you...
- Go down the ladder?
- Follow the river upstream?
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonYou have obtained 1x Sunfruit!After stowing your fruit, you press on towards the lake. When you finally reach your destination, you note that another reason the lake wasn't visible is that it is relatively small, for a lake, although it's still much too big for you to swim across. The shore is quite muddy, as is the water, and you can see lots of algae floating on top and amongst the reeds. Do you...
- Investigate the reeds?
- Go wading in the lake?
- Look around some more?
- Head west?
- Head east?
- Turn around and go home?
Vay carefully tucks the fruit away for later, and then presses on, eventually coming to the lake.
Doesn't look like the best water to go galivanting in, she notes to herself. Maybe I'll look around a bit more to see what else is of interest.
"Cavaiya, find anything?" she calls to her drake as she gazes around at the surroundings.
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonYou look around, spotting a fallen tree that is lying half in the lake, its trunk quite thick around, an indicator of its age. It seems to have been washed up to shore, rather than falling into the lake here, as there are no signs of where it might have come from; its roots are submerged in the water, while the top half has been mostly broken off, leaving a few straggling nubs behind.
A glimmer in the shadows below the tree catches your eye...
Do you...
- Investigate the reeds?
- Go wading in the lake?
- Investigate the tree?
- Investigate the glimmer?
- Turn around and go home?
Vay peers around, and Cavaiya seems to do the same, but perhaps she's just looking for tasty things to crunch. The tree catches Vay's eye, though, and she looks around, contemplating how it might have gotten where it is, when the glimmer catches her eye.
Ooh, what could that be? Vay wonders, slowly approaching the shadows beyond the tree to get a better look at the glimmer. She's cautious in the mud, not wanting to slip on it or any damp vegetation, but too curious not to investigate.
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonYou have obtained 1x Copper Ore!In the murky water, you think you make out the shape of a lump of ore. Bracing yourself, you cautiously reach in and fumble around, finding the hard object quickly. Pulling it out of the muck, you give it a brisk rinse in the lake before holding it up to inspect it, revealing it to be a piece of
Copper Ore! Quickly, you put it away before you can drop it in the lake by accident.
Do you...
- Head west?
- Head east?
- Turn around and go home?
"Ahh, wonderful!" Vay shows the ore to Cavaiya, who looks pleased, before tucking it back into her bag. "Quite a haul, isn't it?" she comments, as her bag seems quite full now. She glances up at the sky, noting how much time has passed, and stretches her limbs. "I think it's about time we head back, don't you?"
The events of the adventure are starting to catch up with the pair, not the least of which being Vay's collapse in that cave early on. It seems prudent to head back home!
Ember decides to enter the building!
Saturnalia || VayshedruvonYou settle down comfortably in a nice dry spot by the lake and radio for Barnaby, giving your approximate coordinates so that he can come and fetch you. He arrives in the same rather beat-up old truck, and takes you and your drake back to the Outpost with little fanfare.
"I hope you had fun," he offers as you hop out of the truck.
Dr. Wong greets you and your observations with a bright smile. "I look forward to seeing you again soon!" she says after you recount your exploration and help her update the maps. The daily flight back to Secundi is due any minute, so you accept her offer of a sandwich and head outside to wait on the bench outside the Outpost for your ride.
Expedition complete! You have gained 3 expedition EXP!
You may now apply for another expedition!EmberDespite the crude nature of the building itself, it's very solid, and when you try to open the door, you realize need a key to get inside. Digging around in your pack, you realize that Dr. Wong or Barnaby has forgotten to give you a key.
Just as you start to move on, a young woman - more girl than adult, really - emerges from the trees. She's wearing a light sarong, its bright colors dulled by dust and old stains, and a tank top underneath a field vest covered in pockets. A utility belt is slung around her hips, and her feet are bare. She grins brightly at you, a flash of white teeth in a nut-brown face.
"Hello! Which explorer are you?" she asks. You give your name, somewhat hesitantly, and she nods. "Barnaby said you might end up here sooner rather than later. Name's Tea, I take care of this place 'cause Dr. Wong says I'm too wild to head back to the mainland with Dr. Farrowstead." As she speaks, she unlocks the door, gesturing you inside. "Hope you weren't waitin' too long, I did mean to be back right away but I ran into Hava, and boy, was she upset. Dunno what happened to her to get her all riled up but she's better now."
Inside, Tea fends off a pair of young drakes, probably only two or three weeks out of the shell, with an affectionate nudge of her foot. "Were you lookin' for me special or did you just happen by?" she asks. "I got supplies in case you need 'em. Banana?" she adds, holding one up.
Do you...
- Ask how Tea ended up here?
- Ask Tea about her name?
- Ask Tea for supplies?
- Ask Tea about the young drakes?
- Thank Tea and leave?
ADVENTURER'S PERMIT APPLICATION
Name: Shaydra
Drake(s): 90 - Chemistry
(https://i.imgur.com/2O8SPTb.png)
Saturnalia || ShaydraAfter Dr. Wong has given you your map, as well as checking over your supplies, she sends you out to meet a young man by the name of Barnaby, who shuttles you out to one of the expedition areas. After all, if everyone is exploring right next to the Outpost, there won't be much by the way of discovery, will there?
After Barnaby leaves you, you look around. You are at the edge of the forest, near what appears to be a deer path or a trail head. Do you...
- Use the deer path to enter the forest?
- Strike out on your own path using your Machete?
- Go northwest along the tree line towards a rocky hill?
- Turn around and go home?
The pair struck out. They were a strange duo, though their colors matched quite well. Shaydra was a tall, feline humanoid, purple-eyed and black furred, with a subtle leopard print pattern occasionally seen on the parts of her not covered by her clothing. All of her clothing and accessories were shades of black, gray, or dark purple; even the hoops through one ear were a darker gunmetal gray.
The drake accompanying her was a rather unique mix of patterns, but also featured a lot of black and purple, with the addition of white. A bit of leopard print, some strange striping, and piercing blue eyes were pretty eye-catching in the sunlight.
After getting dropped off, the two take a moment to look around before the drake's eyes settled on the forest.
"Shall we check out that deer path, then, Chem?" Shaydra asks, and the drake heads that way, the leopard-girl a step behind.
Saturnalia || ShaydraThe forest quickly swallows you as you walk down the path, feeling the slight strain as the surface beneath your feet begins to descend slowly. The path winds back and forth, but given that there are no predators, it's less to make use of ground cover and more to ease the strain of the descent, which you appreciate.
Presently, you find yourself at the bottom of a steep valley, through which a small river (or a large stream) cuts through. It must have been bigger once upon a time, but now it's quite tame.
Do you...
- Head upstream?
- Head downstream?
- Cross the stream and continue up the far side of the valley?
- Turn around and go home?
Ember decides to ask about how Tea ended up there.
Shayda and Chem enjoy the walk, glad to be in some shade as they prowl together through the forest.
Upon reaching the stream, Shaydra takes a look in both directions, up and down it, as well as peering to the far side. There's not a whole lot to help her make up her mind on where to go, but she finally settles on going upstream. Maybe she'll find the source of the water, or something else of interest.
"Let's go this way, why don't we?" she calls to the drake, who is exploring at the water's edge, and they head off in the new direction.
EmberTea's smile abruptly vanishes. "I'm the only survivor of a shipwreck that landed here. I was the first human being to ever set foot on this island." She looks down at the drakes, who swarm up her legs and curl around her shoulders, jostling for position. "Dr. Farrowstead heard about my experiences, and she managed to get barring order on the island to anyone except the DEO."
She pushes the banana in your hand and turns away, busying herself with a contraption that looks rather like a tap. "She gussied up my little shack when I told her I wanted to come back, so I've got a rain catcher and filter, and some modern supplies, but really, I'm comfortable here. I've got to look out for you explorers but so far you've been a self-sufficient lot. You're the first one to come by, actually."
Do you...
- Ask Tea about her name?
- Ask Tea for supplies?
- Ask Tea about the young drakes?
- Thank Tea and leave?
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou head upstream, batting away low-hanging branches as you begin the slight incline that indicates that either you're ascending the side of the valley or the valley itself is ending. There seems to be nothing interesting here, but you keep going, hoping to find something worth investigating.
You come to a place where two streams combine to form the one you have been following. Do you...
- Follow the stream to the left?
- Follow the stream to the right?
- Head straight up the middle?
- Leave the stream and climb up the valley?
- Turn around and go home?
Shaydra and her drake companion continue their journey. The cat-girl manages to blend into the patches of shadow better than one might think for such a tall humanoid, but she's relaxed, not particularly trying to be sneaky... for a rare moment in her life. This is the vacation I needed, she thinks to herself.
Coming to the fork in the streams, she looks to the left, and then to the right. She would prefer to stay with water, but which?
"Chem," she calls to the drake, "pick one."
Without hesitation, the drake follows the stream to the right, and Shay follows.
Saturnalia || ShaydraThe terrain becomes steadily steeper, until it becomes clear you're climbing either a foothill or a mountain itself, although the vegetation is still thick and lush.
Your drake alerts you to what looks like a beehive in a nearby tree, with bees or bee-like insects buzzing gently around it. Do you...
- Cross the stream to pass by?
- Pass under the hive?
- Head into the forest, perpendicular to your current path?
- Turn around and go home?
With her drakes by her side she looked at the surroundings. Tilting her head at the choices in front of her she looked towards the river. "Down or Up?" Looking between the two drakes who waited for her to make the decision she smiled and pointed towards the river. "Lets try this way first then we can go down the waterfall."
Hefting her bag she started toward the river, following along the shore line, her drakes lazily flying around her head. Sometimes one would fly forward and then back with rocks that they knew she liked. Hopefully she wouldn't have too much to carry back with her but heck why not have fun with a hobby at the same time you are on a expedition?
Shaydra thanks Chem for the alert, and takes a moment to contemplate the bee-like insects from a safe distance. She certainly doesn't fancy getting stung, and she doesn't know enough about the specific bugs of this area to make a guess about how hostile they might be.
"C'mon, Chem, let's cross the stream to pass them. It'll feel nice to cool our legs a bit, anyway."
((OOC: Ahhh, the weekend is almost over but I have time left to do some replies!))
I can't help but look around the orchard and feel my mouth water. It'd been a while since we've eaten, and walking through the woods definitely worked up an appetite. I wasn't quite to the point where the fish looked inviting to me, since I didn't have anything to make a fire with, but seeing a host of free fruit in front of me was another matter altogether.
On the other hand, the fruit wasn't that recognizable to me, and was it really free? In my experience trees didn't come planted in straight rows with even spaces by nature, and I didn't want to take someone's livelihood.
My grumbling stomach and the gurgling from the stomach area of the Drake on my shoulder added their two cents to the argument. There was no fence or keep out sign around this orchard, so probably wild animals sampled from it now and again. If me and the Drakes each took one, it probably wouldn't be missed. But I didn't even know if the fruit was edible for humans and Drakes. I decided to stop and see if I noticed any other animals eating the fallen fruit.
SunchaserFollowing the river, you eventually come across a series of rapids, although you've been forced to leave the shore of the river by the increasingly difficult to navigate rocky terrain. Glad you didn't try wading in the river at any point, you continue.
Do you...
- Continue following the river?
- Turn into the forest along a natural pathway?
- Turn around and go home?
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou have obtained 1x Copper Ore!You cross the river with no trouble, and your drake picks up a
Copper Ore from the bottom of the stream bed, presenting it to you with pride. Pocketing it, you shake off the excess water and continue on your way, passing by the hive at a safe distance. The plants on this side of the stream include a thick mass of some odd-looking berries, almost like large raspberries or blackberries, with both red and pale green, almost cream, nodules. Do you...
- Take some berries for later?
- Try some of the berries for yourself?
- Offer some of the berries to your drake?
- See if other animals have eaten the berries?
- Leave the berries and move on?
Ryuukokoro || RyuuLooking around, you note the remains of several fruit. As you had initially assumed, the red fruits were enough like apples that you felt comfortable calling them by that name, but the yellow fruits are still puzzling and unfamiliar. They appear to consist of a tough outer peel, but the insides are soft, and almost creamy. Nearly all of the fallen fruits, red and yellow, have been consumed down to the peel, but some overripe ones that must have fallen late have been left half-eaten.
Do you...
- Take a yellow fruit.
- Take an "apple."
- Leave all the fruit and continue on your way.
- Turn around and go home.
Glad that she didn't go into the river, even though it was tempting at some points she looked at the rapids. The sound of the water always made her calm. She looked towards the forest as well as the way she came from. As her thoughts swirled around her head she shrugged and decided she was calm enough, lets go ahead and have some fun in the forest shall we? Rubbing Silvstra's head she followed her other drake into the forest, her feet following the natural path.
As they cross the stream, Chem splashes around in the middle, and Shay is mildly surprised when the drake presents her with a piece of ore. "Good find!" she praises, giving her companion a scritch on the head.
Shay gives one last glance at the hive, glad to have not disturbed the insects, and turns her attention to the berries. She glances at Chem, who hasn't seemed to notice them yet, and then inspects the area to see if other animals seem to have eaten any.
SunchaserThe sounds of the river are muffled by the thick vegetation as you pick your way through the forest, trying to keep to the path. It's somewhat difficult, because it's narrow and winding, and clearly not often used by anything as big as yourself, but you manage. Eventually, however, you find that your path has disappeared, leaving you to fend for yourself. Do you...
- Backtrack the way you came?
- Use your machete to cut a path for yourself?
- Forge onwards as best as you can, without cutting a path?
Saturnalia || ShaydraThere are several half-eaten berries on the ground, some of them overripe and starting to rot. Do you...
- Take some berries for later?
- Try some of the berries for yourself?
- Offer some of the berries to your drake?
- Leave the berries and move on?
Intrigued by the more interesting fruit (I mean, who would go with boring apples when there was a weird mystery fruit to choose?), I picked up a yellow fruit and stashed it with my other supplies.
Shay decides that it's probably not the best to try eating anything strange out on the trail (and, truth be told, she's not much of an herbivore by choice...) or having the drake try it just yet, lest it make either of them ill. But she's too curious to just leave it, so she decides to take some berries for later.
"Oh...oh no I'm sorry that happened to you. This place is pretty nice though, and you're obviously in good company even if not many adventurers have come this way yet! What about the young drakes?" Ember asks, gesturing at the ones her own drakes are keen on playing with.
Ryuukokoro || RyuuYou have obtained 1x Sunfruit!You stash the fruit for later, hoping that you might be able to get Dr. Wong or someone else to identify it for you. Moving along, you continue west, hiking through the forest until you come to a broad plateau, which is sparsely populated with leafy scrubs and some tall grass. It is at this point that you notice a small fawn, creamy brown, with spots still dotting its back. It seems to be alone. Do you...
- Approach the fawn?
- Give the fawn a wide berth and continue onward?
- Look around to see if there is a mother around?
- Turn around and go home?
SaturnaliaYou have obtained 1x Rissica Berry!You take some berries for later and continue on, following the stream. You come to a tall stag tree, its dead branches starkly colorless amidst the other bright colors of the forest. Do you...
- Continue following the stream?
- Enter the forest?
- Examine the tree?
- Turn around and go home?
EmberTea smiles. "Yes, it's nice out here, especially now that I have a support system. I know Dr. Farrowstead, Dr. Wong, and Barnaby would never let me starve or suffer." She presents a mug of water to you as the young drakes try to trip her up, but she avoids them with the neat grace of long practice.
"I've been hand-raising them," Tea answers, settling against the table with her own mug. "They're born from the flock that helped save me, really, guiding me to shelter and good water, and teaching me what was good to eat and what wasn't. They laid a clutch in my bed when I wasn't looking, so here we are." She obliges one of the drakes with a scratch between its wings. "They'll be ready to go out into the wild soon, if they don't decide to stick around. Their home flock isn't tame, although they like me and visit often."
Do you...
- Ask Tea about her name?
- Ask Tea for supplies?
- Thank Tea and leave?
Shay carefully tucks the berries away, not wanting to squish them, and then the pair moves on. The temperature under the trees is perfect, and the two aren't in much of a hurry, enjoying time out where they don't have to worry about too much. More relaxing than a city, for sure, Shaydra thinks.
Upon coming to the tree, the cat-girl and her drake both stop and look up at it, contemplating the dead branches as compared to all the life around them.
"Strange," Shay mutters. "Let's take a closer look at this tree, Chem."
"They sound a bit like cats, sort of," Ember says laughingly. She glances at her own drakes for a moment, who seem to be getting quite restless, and decides that as pleasant as talking to tea is maybe it's time to move on. She debates asking for some supplies but she's fairly well-stocked right now so ultimately she just says, "thanks for talking with me. I hope if I find that flock of yours they're as welcoming to me." It's time to leave and find some of her own adventure!
Saturnalia || ShaydraAs you approach the tree, you hear an ominous creaking. Looking up, you realize with some horror that the tree is listing - towards you! You leap aside just as the whole thing comes crashing down, missing you and your drake by mere inches. As the dust and debris settles, you note that the tree has split down the middle, revealing a blackened inside that has been rotting away from within for goodness knows how long. At the roots, the wood turns white and hard, almost like...bone? Has the tree calcified, perhaps? But then why is nothing else in the vicinity affected?
Do you...
- Investigate the blackened bark more closely?
- Investigate the white base more closely?
- Investigate the hole where the tree was rooted?
- Continue following the stream?
- Enter the forest?
EmberTea sees you off with a cheerful wave and some advice.
"If you head west from here you'll run into one of the main rivers. It's good fishing and you can follow it upstream a good ways. East is mostly dense forest, so it's hard to make much headway. North is the coast. You'll probably run into the delta first, but I'd keep an eye out for wild drakes. They're less friendly up that way."
Do you...
- Head west?
- Head east?
- Head north?
The advice is good and Ember gives Tea a cheerful waves as she calls over her drakes to continue on their way. Heading west does seem like the best bet and rivers usually eventually connect to the ocean so if Ember decides to head that way eventually she could always just try following the river when she gets there.
EmberAccording to the map, the river you eventually come across is quite long and winding, eventually ending up at the northern shore after much meandering. Here, it's quite wide and deep. Do you...
- Try to cross the river?
- Do a spot of fishing?
- Follow the river downstream?
- Follow the river upstream?
- Turn around and go home?
"Oh wow! Andromeda, Rhea, it goes on forever, doesn't it?" Ember exclaims as she comes to the river. Tea had mentioned it was a good fishing spot right? Ember decides that why not, time to give fishing a try.
EmberYou added 2x fish to your expedition inventory!Lacking a fishing rod, you end up watching as your drakes fish on your behalf. They are both victorious, presenting you with a large rainbow trout each, and looking quite proud of themselves. Hoping that you can use them before they start to smell, you add the fish to your supplies.
Do you...
- Try to cross the river?
- Follow the river downstream?
- Follow the river upstream?
- Turn around and go home?
It's really warm and I'm not sure how well my drakes can handle the continued heat of the sun, but I learned on my last expedition that they can swim. I decide we should all take a dip in the ocean to cool off before continuing our adventure.
Shaydra leaps back, Chem with her. and she's thankful that they're both quick on their feet. She waits for everything to settle and stop moving, and then studies the tree and the manner of its split.
Rotten black inside... strange white roots? Shay narrows her feline eyes. "Seems out of place, doesn't it?"
She peers at the white base more closely.
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou have obtained 1x Rough Quartz!You and your drakes spend a good half an hour in the water, which is cool enough to be refreshing but not cold enough that you regret getting wet. You emerge, dripping, and shake off the water best as you can before heading back to your supplies, which you cached in a nice, dry spot further up the beach in the shelter of a driftwood log. As you get ready to continue, one of your drakes presents you with a piece
Rough Quartz! It's somewhat smoothed by the ocean waves, and you rub your finger along one of the blunted edges as you put it away. Straightening up, you consider your next options.
Do you...
- Continue walking along the beach?
- Head away from the beach and into the forest?
Saturnalia || ShaydraTo your shock and horror, upon closer inspection, the roots really do look calcified. A cautious prod reveals that they're brittle, though, and they flake away easily with a gentle knock of your boot. That would be why the tree fell over, you think. In the center of the root ball is an irregularly shaped black object as big around as two fists. Do you...
- Try to pry the object loose?
- Leave it and continue following the stream?
Ember smiles and pets the drakes after their successful fishing. "Good job, you're so great, well done," she praises as she does so, though she wonders just how long the fish will last. Maybe wild drakes are fond of fish? She's not sure she'll run into another altar or anything but if some of the wild drakes aren't always so friendly a gift of food might be helpful. Either way she decides to follow the river upstream.
Shaydra investigates the tree's roots, Chem sniffing around nearby. The bizarre state of the tree has her intrigued, but while she has druids in her family, she took a different path and didn't learn much about nature that would help her figure out what had happened.
Still, she peers deeper, seeing the strange, black object. She wonders if perhaps a nearby stick or something would help her pry the object loose.
EmberYou head upstream, meandering with the river. After a short while, you come across fallen tree, which serves as a haphazard bridge across the water. It's slippery, and you'll probably get wet trying to get on and off, but it is a possibility. Do you...
- Cross the river on the tree?
- Continue upstream?
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou find a stick, but it doesn't really help, as the surface is just smooth enough that your stick can't get a purchase on it. Do you...
- Try some other way to pry it loose?
- Leave it and continue following the stream?
Shaydra sighs as her stick fails to assist her in loosening the object, but she's too committed now.
Curiosity killed the cat, she thinks wryly to herself, as she contemplates other ways to pry it loose. She has a coil of rope in her inventory... maybe there's some way to tie some of the rope around the object and tug it free? It's a bit of a bizarre method, maybe, but she'd rather not resort to just snapping all of the roots, brittle as they may be...
Having spent a lot of time hiking in the woods, it wasn't my first time stumbling across a young fawn. I knew they stayed put a lot of the time while mom was usually nearby. I was prepared to continue on my way, stepping lightly so I didn't spook the baby from its resting place.
Moss, of course, had other ideas.
The mischievious Drake circled in the air above the spot where the fawn was laying, proudly proclaiming "look what I found!" in a series of loud, chittering hoots.
"Moss!" I hissed, waving my hands. "No! Bad! Come here!"
Indignant, Moss did a little twirl in mid-air, by flaring his wings out. Like a preteen blowing a raspberry. He did not come any closer.
I groaned. Anxiously I looked around to see if I could spot the fawn's mother nearby, hoping our loud noises hadn't scared her off.
Ember comes to a stop next to a fallen tree that leads over the river. Given her drakes have already crossed over she simply shrugs and decides a little water won't hurt and crosses the river on the tree.
Saturnalia || ShaydraTry as you might, you cannot find a way to get the rope tied securely around the object - it's too round, and you can't get to enough of the surface to get a good grip on it. The roots aren't helping, either, impeding you as you try to work around them. As you try to lever a root out of the way to tuck the rope around the object, your fingers brush against it, and you pull away with a sharp hiss. It zapped you! Or something. Maybe you should leave it alone?
Suddenly, the world tilts, and you have a moment of nausea as your brain tries to right itself. When the world settles back into place, nothing seems amiss...
Do you...
Ryuukokoro || RyuuA rustle in the bushes might be the fawn's mother - or it might not be. Remembering there are no predators here to threaten a drake, you assume that any predator that does exist is probably no threat to a deer, either. A fawn, on the other hand...
Do you...
- Follow the rustling?
- Approach the fawn?
- Give the fawn a wide berth and continue onward?
EmberJust as you near the bank, your foot slips. Unable to find purchase, you tumble down, catching yourself with one hand on the rough bark of the tree only to be wrenched free as the water grabs your feet. Into the river you go, banging up against rocks and submerged trees as the current carries you swiftly downstream. You hit your head on something, and unconsciousness takes you...
You awaken to the anxious sound of drake chirping, and open your eyes painfully to see your drakes next to you, nudging your face gently. You're lying in the shallows of a bend in the river. How did you not drown? Sitting up, you wince as your many bumps and bruises make themselves known. Your lungs are raw, too, and you cough up some water, but not nearly as much as you might have expected. Your pack is soaked, your map a pulpy mess, and your food not much better. Your lantern is cracked, but serviceable as long as you get it thoroughly dry before trying to turn it on.
Wait, where are your fish? That's too bad...at least you're on the side of the river you were trying to get to when you fell off that tree.
Do you...
- Try to figure out how to get back to Tea's shelter to nurse your wounds for a bit?
- Wring out your belongings as best as you can and continue upstream?
- Rest for a while?
"How...am I alive? Did you two save me?" Ember asks her drakes, and if she's got tears in her eyes and her whole body seems to ache, well there's no other witnesses besides them. And actually that's a terrifying thought all on its own.
Overwhelmed and not quite ready to move on just yet after her scary experience, Ember stays to rest.
Shaydra might not be familiar with nature, but she's certainly experienced with the effects of toxins and poisons due to her... past excursions. This startling experience was unlike anything she was familiar with, though.
She gives herself a moment to readjust after the bizarre sensation, then glances around to see where Chem is. Finally, without any desire to touch it again, she takes a quick peek towards the weird object to see if anything has changed with it.
EmberSomehow, Tea knows that you're in trouble and where you are. She shows up shortly after you settle down in the shade of a nearby tree with a backpack full of supplies.
"Hey," she says, startling you a little. You weren't expecting to see anyone. She's got a lovely tricolored drake with her. "Are you okay?"
She pulls out some fruit, boiled eggs, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, pushing them into your hands as she gets out a bottle of rubbing alcohol and some bandages. "Eat something while I clean out your cuts. Did you hit your head? There's blood on your face."
Do you...
- Thank her and start eating?
- Thank her, start eating, and ask how she knew?
- Offer some food to your drakes first?
Saturnalia || ShaydraThe object is gone.
Do you...
- Look around to see if it fell somewhere?
- Leave. Immediately. No more hocus pocus!
Ember wipes tears from her eyes as Tea arrives though it does little to stem the tide of them. She manages to hiccup a drained, "s-somehow. Sort of," in answer to Tea's question about how she's doing. At least of all the people to see her, Tea might kind of understand.
Ember's drakes curl up either on Ember's lap or nearby which would have made reaching for the food a little difficult but thankfully Tea hands them directly to her and Ember wastes little time in taking a bite of the sandwich, even if she is a bit tentative about it. "I must have...I can't remember too clearly," Ember admits, alarmed at both the prospect and the blood. "How...did you know? To come find me?"
Option number 2!
EmberTea tuts as she turns your head gently to take a look. "Vili came and got me," she answers, letting you go with one hand to gesture at the tricolor drake, who is watching proceedings from afar. "He must have seen you fall in. I don't think you need stitches," she says thoughtfully, "but this might sting."
It does, indeed, sting as she washes out your cut, but she pronounces the cut itself to be superficial, although ideally you should get some ice on it and get a real doctor to look at it. You probably have a concussion.
"Do you want me to call Barnaby to come pick you up? We can go back to base camp if you want so you'll be more comfortable while you wait."
Do you...
- Agree to go back to Tea's house?
- Decide to stay here to wait for Barnaby?
- Decline to call Barnaby?
"Thanks Vili," Ember says, and the tears are finally starting to stop, "and thank you, Tea." She winces through the cleaning of the cut but otherwise bears it without complaint. With a shaky sigh and a pat to the drake on her lap she nods very lightly and agrees, "Yes, that's probably best. I'll head back with you and wait for Barnaby there."
Ember
After radioing Barnaby to ask for a pickup at her house, Tea helps you up, and the pair of you move slowly downstream, the three drakes in tow. You cross at a very shallow, wide stretch of the river, and you think ruefully that this is definitely much safer. Back at Tea's, she gets you set up on a comfy rug (she doesn't have much by the way of furniture, and the table and chairs in the kitchen area are a bit too hard for you at the moment) with some hot tea with herbs in it that are supposed to help with bruising.
Barnaby picks you up in his truck, and Dr. Wong checks you over, but she thinks that Tea did a decent job of patching you up. Still, you shouldn't be going out again with a head injury, so she gets you on the next supply plane so you can get some actual medical care.
As you're convalescing (doctor's orders), a package arrives for you in the mail. It's a piece of Platinum Ore! Attached is a note;
I hope you're feeling better! The hatchlings found this, I thought it might cheer you up! Hope to see you again soon!
Tea
You have obtained 1x Platinum Ore!
Expedition complete! You have gained 2 expedition EXP!
You may now apply for another expedition!
With the heat it seems best to find some more shade so let's head into the forest
ADVENTURER'S PERMIT APPLICATION
Name: Ember
Drake(s):
086 - Andromeda
(https://i.imgur.com/GEmPyPD.png)
and 094 - Rhea
(https://i.imgur.com/tkkRcr3.png)
Shaydra, not seeing the object anymore, dusts herself off. "Well, that's that," she says to Chem, and the drake seems to nod once in agreement. "If we had 'Ven or Vay with us, maybe they'd know what to make of it, but..." the feline-girl shakes her head and trails off. "Magic and all that is not my forte."
The two set off once more, with only one more suspicious glance at the strange, dead tree.
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou head into the forest, sighing with relief at the immediate cooling effect of the shade. The vegetation isn't too thick yet, and it's quite pleasant, although the insects seem to be out in full force today.
Do you...
EmberAfter Dr. Wong has given you your map, as well as checking over your supplies, she sends you out to meet a young man by the name of Barnaby, who shuttles you out to one of the expedition areas. After all, if everyone is exploring right next to the Outpost, there won't be much by the way of discovery, will there?
After Barnaby leaves you, you look around. The trees are tall and thick here, with no discernible path into the forest. Do you...
- Use your machete to hack your way through the undergrowth?
- Try to climb a tree to see if there is a path nearby?
- Head west along the tree line?
- Head southeast along the tree line?
- Turn around and go home?
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou leave, electing to follow the stream. At least this time you didn't pass out and get rescued by a mysterious being.
The trees thin out somewhat up ahead. Do you...
- Continue following the stream?
- Enter the forest?
- Cross the stream?
I will go east.
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou head east, picking your way through the undergrowth carefully. Eventually, you realize that you are climbing, and probably have been for a while. The slope has been quite gentle up until now, but it's getting steeper as you go.
Do you...
- Continue uphill?
- Head back downhill?
- Turn left?
- Turn right?
Turn left!
Ember's...not really sure how she convinced herself to come back out again, but here she is staring at a vast expanse of trees with a strange feeling of deja vu. She decides that she still isn't keen on incurring the wrath of anything if she chops through the underbrush so she goes west instead.
I froze in place as I noticed rustling in the nearby bushes. It was hard to tell how large the creature was by the sound alone, but it definitely seemed to be enough noise for a creature of some substantial size. Cross chirped on my shoulder, directly behind my ear, a sound of interest that meant he must have noticed it too. That was fine, I could depend on my cuddly boy to stay with me pretty much no matter what. My other Drake, however... If I could just keep Moss from noticing...
Too late. With a shriek of challenge, Moss pitched his wings into a dive directly toward the bushes where the rustling came from.
"Moss, no!" Worried for the little guy who always stuck his snout into trouble, I broke into a run and followed the Drake as we both followed the rustling.
As the trees thin out, Shaydra and her drake friend take a moment to contemplate their options. Shaydra glances from the stream to the trees. They'd been following the stream for some time, so maybe it was time to take a bit of a different path.
Shaydra and Chem decide to enter the forest.
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou turn left, feeling the unevenness in your muscles as you walk across the slope of the hill. Soon enough, however, it evens out a little, and you find yourself on the bank of a narrow river, deep and swift-moving.
Do you...
- Try to ford the river?
- Turn downriver?
- Turn upriver?
EmberHeading west, you eventually find that the forest has thinned out enough that you could walk under the trees. Do you...
- Enter the forest?
- Continue along the tree line?
- Head south, where your map says there is a lake?
Ryuukokoro || RyuuWhen you catch a glimpse of the cause of the rustling, you recognize the deer mother, or at the very least a doe, but she flees away from the fawn, pursued by your drake. Do you...
- Call back your drake and leave?
- Follow her?
- Go back to the fawn?
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou enter the forest, listening for the sounds of wild animals, but hearing none. Despite Odekka being the home of the drakes, you haven't seen any sign of them, really.
Do you...
- Head north?
- Head west?
- Head south?
Without much outside influence to help with the decision, Shaydra looks around, turning, and then shrugging.
"Up to you, Chem," she says, and the drake heads west, Shay following behind.
Ember enters the forest.
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou head west, avoiding thorny vines and clumps of dense berry bushes full of unripe fruit. After a while, you come to a clearing, where the remains of a campfire still smoke. There is nobody here at the moment.
Do you...
- Look around?
- Douse the fire first, then look around?
- Circle the campfire and leave the clearing?
EmberYou enter the forest, and are promptly glad you did so, because the clouds that have been looming up above finally release their contents in a torrential downpour. You are quite well protected by the trees, and so you continue until you come across a sunfruit tree. Do you...
- Pick a sunfruit for later?
- Leave the fruit and continue?
Shadra's eyes narrow at the sights of the campfire. Wasn't there not supposed to be anyone else out here? She supposes there could be fellow adventurers, or... well, it's a big enough area that someone else could have slipped through without the staff at the Outpost knowing.
Shaydra's time spent sneaking through cities kicks in, and she moves relatively quietly, though she's not quite as accustomed to being stealthy in forests. She decides to look around before touching anything, unwilling to disturb things until she knows a bit more about the situation and who might have been stopped here.
Ember recognizes the fruit from before and smiles as she picks one for later. It came in rather handy before so why not?
Saturnalia || Shaydra"Hands up. Now." You turn to find yourself looking down the barrel of a rifle, a hard-faced woman at the other end. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
Do you...
- Introduce yourself and your drake, and explain you're explorers?
- Ask her what she's doing here?
- Fight back?
EmberYou have obtained 1x Sunfruit!You pick a ripe sunfruit and stow it carefully before continuing on your way.
Eventually, you encounter a tree stump that you swear you saw before. Do you...
- Mark the spot somehow and continue on your way?
- Consult the map?
- Shrug it off and keep going?
Trying to cross it doesn't seem too safe with its perceived depth and speed, so let's go downriver.
Sunchaser looks at the path as it stops being a easy path. With a sigh she started to trudge forward even slower. She did not want to hurt the vegetation here because this was not her home so she did not use her machete.... yet. She looked at her drakes and smiled as they tried to help too.
Ember marks the spot and keeps going.
In the blink of a few moments, a handful of thoughts flash across Shaydra's mind.
Firstly, how on earth had this woman snuck up on her like that? Ears of a cat, and she hadn't been listening for the right sounds. She mentally kicks herself.
The second thoughts are some choice words aimed at Saturn, who had a) been the one to send her out, and b) had insisted that she leave all of her best daggers at home, even the ones that weren't poison-tipped. The conversation had included phrases like "It will be fun; you need to relax more" and "You don't need to assassinate every problematic thing you come across" and "Sometimes stabbing isn't the answer". Shaydra generally disagreed.
The third thought revolves around the present situation. She knew how she stacked up, speed-wise, against arrows and crossbow bolts, but not guns. Treat her like an unhinged wizard about to cast Fire Bolt; she thinks.
And then proceeds to open her mouth. All of her training had gone into shadier learnings, and diplomacy was, unfortunately, not high on her skills list. She cannot quite contain the growl that accompanies her words, or the flash of fangs that talking tended to show off. Her tail flicks back and forth in typical agitated-feline mode.
"Asked by a woman holding a rifle on an island with no known large predators", she snaps back. "I can only think of one reason for that, and it's not flattering. Plan on adding my coat to your collection, poacher?"
She wonders how the balance of her provided machete was, and whether she could get to it if need be...
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou head downriver, your pace a little faster thanks to the downward slope. At the base of the hill, the river becomes slower and wider. Do you...
- Continue downriver?
- Try to ford the river?
SunchaserYou push onwards, wincing as plants catch at your clothes and skin. Eventually, your persistence is rewarded, and you emerge at the edge of a narrow gulley with grassy banks. It's not a canyon, but more like a valley on a small scale. There's a stream at the bottom of the steep bank.
Do you...
- Head downhill?
- Head left along the edge of the bank?
- Head right along the edge of the bank?
EmberYou mark the spot and keep going. Presently, you see another stump ahead, and forge onwards until you reach it...
Only to find that it is, indeed, the same stump. You've been going in circles!
Do you...
- Pick a different direction to go this time?
- Mark your path somehow to try and keep going in a straight line?
- Sit down and have some lunch?
Saturnalia || ShaydraThe woman raises an eyebrow, the rifle never wavering. "It's not the island predators I'm here for," she replies. "Odekka's creatures are my care. I could ask the same of you; are you a poacher?"
If she's here to protect the island, why didn't Dr. Wong tell her about you? Or you about her?
Do you...
- Respond indignantly?
- Respond politely?
- Respond fearfully?
"I'd be a pretty garbage poacher traveling mostly unarmed and with a drake in my care," Shaydra responds dryly. "Oh, and, you know, filling out a permit to be here, informing the Outpost in charge of expeditions that I was coming, getting flown and driven out by them..." Her tail continues to flick back and forth, her eyes narrow. Her tone isn't outright rude, at this point, but it's certainly not friendly, given the rifle still pointed at her. "Strangly," she continues, the growly accent to her voice drawing the word out, "no one at the Outpost mentioned you."
From the corner of her eye, Shay can see Chem, off to the side and out of reach of the woman. The drake is crouched, eyes narrowed in a reptilian echo of Shaydra's, though what she understands of the situation is questionable.
At this speed maybe I can get across, even if I need to swim. I don't see anything dangerous coming up. Let's try to ford the river.
Saturnalia || ShaydraThe woman snorts, but she lowers her rifle and sticks her hand in her pocket. You tense, but she only brings out a laminated card, flicking it at you. She doesn't throw it hard, not an attack, and you catch it easily, scanning it with one eye while keeping the other on the woman.
"You might have filled out a permit, but even Farrowstead isn't perfect. They've had trouble before with people abusing their right to be here. Ellen called in a favor, so here I am."
The card bears the DEO stamp and Dr. Wong's signature. It states that the woman's name is Clara Woods, and she's an environmental protection agent of the DEO.
"Vili hasn't attacked you yet, so that's one point in your favor. Your drake also trusts you, so that's another point." The corner of her mouth lifts up in a half-smile. "And your first reaction wasn't to reach for a weapon."
What do you do next?
YourLoveOnly || YLOThe river is very cold, coming up to your waist as you wade in. The current is strong enough to pull at you, but you manage to cross without drifting too far away. Once you're out of the water though, you quickly realize that you are very chilled.
Do you...
- Stop and make a fire to dry yourself off?
- Lie down in the sun for a bit, and hope that's enough?
- Keep moving?
Let's try making a fire, careful not to set any part of the forest ablaze!
Shaydra reads the card and relaxes, tail ceasing its twitches. She hands the ID back, and offers a half-smile of her own.
"Fair enough; I can imagine it pays to be cautious out here. Shaydra, by the way," she says as introduction. "You managed to sneak up on me, so my respect for that. Doesn't happen much, though I'm a bit out of my element." A flash of a full, toothy grin passes across her face. "It's good to have reminders to not get too comfortable."
She laughs a little in response to the comment about reaching for a weapon. "I've been told my first reaction should be to shut up in more situations, but..." she shrugs. "There's a reason I'd rather spend my time on my own than attempting small talk in high society."
She looks around, noting that Chem is no longer on the alert, but lounging in a patch of sunlight.
"I'll move along and get out of your hair," Shay says to Clara, "though if you've any suggestions on what direction I should travel in, I'd be glad to hear them."
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou make a fire, despite the warmth of the day, and by the time jyou get it going, you've warmed up a little. With the heat from the fire, you stop shivering, and soon enough you're (mostly) dry. Do you...
- Sit until you're fully dry?
- Douse the fire and move on?
Saturnalia || ShaydraClara snorts. "If you think I'm sneaky, you wait until you meet Tea. You'd never know she was right behind you unless she touched you." She taps a finger against her rifle thoughtfully.
"West of here's the mountains. It gets pretty cold up there, and it's not cleared for outsiders yet, just me and Tea. You could get a decent hike out of it until you hit the barrier line Farrowstead draw, you can't cross that unless she lets you. North's got some good sun for fruit, and the wild drakes like that in the afternoon. South's more forest than's worth thinking about, but you could maybe find the old copper vein where one of the big flocks hangs about."
Do you...
- Head west?
- Head north?
- Head south?
Ember starts to wonder if she is either truly that bad with directions or if maybe she's meant to keep coming back to this spot. Either way staying for lunch doesn't mean she can't continue on later.
Douse the fire and move on. The sun will dry the last bits!
EmberYou sit down for some lunch on the stump. As you're finishing off your food, you notice that there seem to be faint chirping noises coming from somewhere near your feet. Looking down, you are perplexed to notice a pair of drake hatchlings, not long out of the shell, shuffling around in the grass at your feet.
Do you...
- Pick them up to examine them?
- Offer them something to eat?
- Leave in a hurry. You don't know where their parents are, and if they might be annoyed with you or not.
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou douse the fire and move on, shouldering your pack and setting out with your drakes. The day is getting warmer as the sun rises to the apex of its path, and the shade of the trees is much appreciated once you've dried off.
You come to a rocky outcrop of ground that seems to lead up to a similarly rocky hill, bare of trees and dotted with low scrubs.
Do you...
- Head uphill?
- Stay in the forest?
With the current heat it doesn't seem smart to head out into a place without cover, especially not one that involves a climb. Let's stay in the forest.
Ember startles a little as she notices the baby drakes hanging out by her feet. "Oh...hello there!" They. Are. Adorable. Ember smiles at them and digs in her pack to see if she has anything to offer them to eat.
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou turn away from the hill, staying in the shade of the trees. You can hear the rustling of something winged in the trees - probably a drake, although you're not fast enough to spot them. Presently you come across a fallen tree. It seems to be quite old, as the tree has been hollowed out by time and insects, and as you go to step around it, something shiny catches your eye.
Do you...
- Crawl in and pick it up?
- Send one of your drakes in to fetch it?
- Leave it and move on?
EmberYou manage to scrounge up some dried fruit and some pebbles for the hatchlings, and they gobble both offerings down happily. One climbs up your leg, its little claws pricking you through the fabric of your pants, and makes a rather demanding-sounding squawking noise.
Do you...
- Pick it up?
- Offer it more food?
- Gently dislodge it and look for a parent?
Ember laughs a little as the hatchlings eat and laughs a little more as one of them scrambles up her leg with a clearly demanding sound. "Now, now, I don't want to feed you more in case it bothers your parents. Let's look for them, hm? You should probably go back to them," she says, trying to dislodge the hatchling and looking for a parent lurking around somewhere.
EmberWhen you look up, there are suddenly over a dozen drakes perched in the trees above you. Just watching.
Do you...
- Wait for them to make the first move?
- Put the hatchling down and back away?
"Yeeeeah, should have seen that coming," Ember mutters to herself. Maybe this exploring thing is not that great. Now she's faced with two choices: put the hatchling down or simply wait it out. On the one hand, they probably won't attack if she's holding their hatchling but on the other they definitely won't trust her if she keeps it hostage. Ember puts the hatchling down and backs away very quickly, hands held up and empty.
EmberA striped drake in a rainbow of colors glides down, spreading its wings protectively over the hatchlings. Another drake, this one the color of the sky at dusk and patterned with silvery swirls, swoops down, bearing something shiny in its jaws, which it deposits at your feet. Two more spiral down, all holding something that they put down in front of you. Your drakes press close to you, somewhat cowed by all these strange, wild drakes.
Do you...
- Take the gifts?
- Decline the gifts?
Okay...not being attacked is good. Ember feels some guilt over the very colourful striped drakes display of protectiveness but overall...yeah, not being attacked. Key point there. The gifting is a little strange though and she's a bit alarmed that her drakes are pressing into her, clearly not really comfortable with all the other drakes. Which begs the question of if the gifts are safe to take or not. The last time she took something offered it led to her taking home an egg and so far no repercussions. Is it rude to accept more gifts? Probably...not? Ember warily reaches to take the gifts.
I will sent one of my drakes in to fetch it, afraid I may get stuck myself.
Shaydra contemplates the options laid out before her, head tilted slightly to the side.
"Sun sounds pretty good," she finally says. "I think we'll head north." Chem stretches languidly and rises, ready to be off.
"Thanks," Shaydra says before heading out. "May your job out here be blessedly easy!"
EmberThe drakes appear pleased with your choice. They gather up their hatchlings and leave as quickly as they appeared, leaving you with your gifts.
You have obtained 2x Copper Ore and 1x Silver Ore!You put away your loot and look around. Do you...
- Mark a new direction and head out?
- Follow your previous mark and try to take a different path this time?
YourLoveOnly || YLOYour drake returns with a
Copper Ore! You add it to your pack.
You have obtained 1x Copper Ore!You move on, until you come to a small creek. Do you...
- Cross the creek?
- Follow the creek upstream?
- Follow the creek downstream?
Saturnalia || ShaydraClara waves lazily before disappearing back into the trees as soundlessly as she'd appeared.
You head north, enjoying the warmth of the sun as the trees begin to thin out. Fruit trees and bushes loaded with berries are abundant here, as are signs of drake habitation; claw marks on trees, footprints in the soft dirt, the occasional piece of eggshell.
You come to a sunfruit tree that is heavy with ripe fruit. Do you...
- Pick one for later?
- Move on?
Shay and Chem enjoy the warmth as they travel north, and Shay notes all of the signs of drake activity. They strike her as good omens, though the drakes themselves don't yet show themselves.
Coming to the fruit trees, she recognizes the Sunfruit and decides to pick one for later. She figures it could come in useful if the drakes enjoy it.
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou have obtained 1x Sunfruit!You pick a fruit, stowing it carefully before continuing. You can smell the ocean, and a quick look at your map indicates that there's a circular bay at the north end of the island, near where you think you are. You forge on ahead, until the trees end abruptly at the edge of a sandy expanse.
Do you...
- Head out onto the beach?
- Stay in the trees?
Follow the creek downstream!
I Head left along the edge of the bank
Shaydra packs the sunfruit away and heads onward, sniffing the air as the scent of salt creeps into it. As she and chem break free of the trees, she makes a satisfied little sound, taking a moment to survey the scene, before heading towards the beach.
(( This thread moves so fast! :o I feel like I'm always behind! ))
The sight of a beautiful red-coated deer bounding away from us caused my breath to freeze in my chest. I came to a halt but Moss wasn't interested in copying my actions, still pursuing the fleeing creature. I put my lips together and blew a sharp whistle.
The green-shaded Drake turned back to look in my direction. He seemed to be considering, then he turned back toward me and fluttered quickly to my spot. I stood still and held out my arm as a landing post.
This was chancy. That was the whistle I used when I had a treat for the Drakes. It wouldn't put us in a very good relationship if I used it too many times without having treats for him. But desperate times called for desperate measures. As soon as Moss landed, I tucked him under my arm and took off in the other direction, away from the fleeing deer. I didn't come out to the woods to harass wildlife!
Moss wiggled but I kept a good hold on him as I quickly retraced my steps. Cross made little chortling sounds in my ear that sounded amused.
I worried about the fawn, but I knew if I went back to it and waited to see if the doe returned, Moss would just continue to try to interact with the baby and make it more anxious. Leading intruders away from their babies by running away was a standard doe tactic, so I knew she would go back to the baby after I left. I decided to take my Drakes and leave the area.
Ember breathes a sigh of relief as the drakes leave and gratefully puts away their gifts. That went better than she expected, overall, and she happily gives her accompanying drakes pats to settle them now that the...flock? is gone. Humming a pleasant tune, Ember marks a new direction and heads out.
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou follow the creek downstream, ducking under a sweeping willow-like tree with vaguely purple leaves. In the shade you notice a small box that looks like it might have fallen out of someone's pack.
Do you...
- Investigate the box?
- Leave the box and continue downstream?
- Climb the tree?
- Cross the creek?
SunchaserThe ground is quite uneven as you head left, lumpy under the grass. Small yellow flowers dot the green carpet in little clusters. Presently, you come to a young tree that is growing just at the edge of the bank, its trunk curving upwards at the base.
Do you...
- Continue in this direction?
- Head downhill?
- Go back into the forest?
Saturnalia || ShaydraThe sand is warm beneath your toes, and bright white in the sunlight. You can clearly see the curve of the bay as the sand slopes gently down to the bright blue water. The tide is out, and the tide line is full of seaweed, kelp, driftwood, and other debris. Do you...
- Take a dip in the ocean?
- Do some beachcombing?
- Take a nap in the sun?
Ryuukokoro || RyuuYou leave the area, reasonably sure that the mother will go back to her fawn once you've left. The trees thin as the incline increases, and you find yourself heading up into the foothills of the mountains. The mountains themselves are marked as off-limits for explorers at the moment, but the foothills are fair game.
Do you...
- Head up into the foothills?
- Move parallel to the barrier line and explore the edge of the forest?
- Turn around and go home?
EmberFortunately, picking a new direction seems to do the trick. With everything being unfamiliar, you don't get turned around when you think you recognize something, and you find yourself wandering a grove of trees with deep red leaves and purple-streaked bark where the dark brown outer layer has fallen off.
Do you...
- Head northwest?
- Head north?
- Head northeast?
- Head east?
Ember spends a bit of time marvelling over the grove of trees she finds herself in. Purple bark! How interesting! To say nothing of the colour of the leaves! Without quite meaning to, Ember finds herself going northeast.
Shaydra hasn't had a lot of opportunities to spend time on a beach. There are a lot of tempting options while she's here with nowhere in particular to go and no schedule to keep to. All that driftwood and debris is so tempting, though, so she decides to do some beachcombing.
Chem happily comes along, investigating as well.
I am a curious person, so there is one option.. Investigate the box! XD
EmberYou drift northeast under the cover of the trees, until they shift from purple-barked and red-leafed to something a bit more familiar; tall white birches, the dark stripes of their bark striking against the white outer layer.
Below the trees, the grass is quite dark, an unfamiliar variety that is almost blue in the light, speckled with tiny white flowers.
Do you...
- Climb a tree?
- Pick some flowers?
- Take a nap?
- Continue onwards?
Saturnalia || ShaydraSome things you discover are less than pleasing, like the rotting clump of seaweed covered in flies, but others are interesting; some nice shells, a piece of agate, some beach glass.
The biggest prize, however, is a piece of petrified wood, sparkling with firey, opalescent colors.
Do you...
- Continue beachcombing?
- Take a dip in the ocean?
- Take a nap in the sun?
- Head west along the bay?
- Head east along the bay?
- Head back into the forest?
Ember decides to take a nap.
EmberYou lay down to take a nap on the plush grass below the trees, reasonably sure that there should be nothing on Odekka that can harm you to any great degree.
While you sleep, something has come by and rooted in your pack. It didn't take anything, but when you wake up, you find that your belongings are strewn all over the place. It's going to take some time to find and gather them all.
Do you...
- Get up and collect your things right away?
- Look to see if you can find the culprit?
Ember can't help but laugh a little after she's woken up enough to process that her stuff is everywhere! With a quiet snort to herself she tries not to disturb her drakes as they continue to nap and gets up to collect her stuff right away. She's guessing some critter - drake or otherwise - had gone rooting in her pack.
Shaydra enjoys the time beachcombing; it's not something she's ever had the luxury of doing much of. The petrified wood is a particularly exciting find; she's never seen anything quite like it.
After a while, she turns her attention to the water itself. Chem also stops investigating some seaweed and stares out at the bay.
Shaydra sets aside her packs and anything else the saltwater might damage while swimming, and then turns back to Chem. The drake is just staring at her, waiting.
With a flash of fang-filled grin, Shay bursts into motion, sprinting towards the water, the drake at her heels.
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou open the box, and find a
dye Kit!
You have obtained 1x Dye Kit!Do you...
- Head downstream?
- Climb the tree?
- Cross the creek?
EmberYou collect your things with no further issues, and soon you have everything organized and put away again. Shouldering your pack, you consider what to do next.
Do you...
- Climb a tree?
- Pick some flowers?
- Head northeast?
- Head northwest?
- Head west?
- Head east?
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou spend some time splashing around happily in the water with your drake. When you return to shore, you find that a wild drake is investigating your packs.
Do you...
- Wait for it to leave?
- Approach carefully?
- Try to scare it off?
Shaydra cautiously and carefully approaches the drake and her packs, trying not to scare it, and stopping a little ways away. She wonders if maybe it can smell the sunfruit inside one of the bags, or if it's after something else. She's less worried about what's in the packs, and more curious about what the drake is after. And, after all, she'd wanted to see some wild drakes doing what they do!
Yay! Now let's climb the tree to get a better idea of my surroundings.
Ember decides to pick a couple flowers as a small souvenir of the place. Not too many, just a few.
Saturnalia || ShaydraThe drake freezes when it spots you, and immediately whips around and flees, taking wing and disappearing into the trees.
Do you...
- Check your pack?
- Eye the trees to see if you can still see the drake?
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou climb the tree, but it's difficult to make anything out beyond the drooping branches. It's not a very tall tree, either, and eventually, you have to concede that you can't see anything useful.
Do you...
- Head downstream?
- Cross the creek?
EmberYou pick a few of the tiny flowers and store them carefully. That done, you straighten up, only to find that Vili is watching you from the trees, along with another, pale gold drake.
Do you...
- Nod to them and move on?
- Offer them something to eat?
- Wait to see what they do?
"Oh," Ember breathes as she looks up to see she has company. "Look Rhea, Andromeda, we've found some more friends, apparently, or have they found us?" Curiously, Ember watches them, waiting to see what they do.
EmberYou wait, and are rewarded when Vili swoops down to land in front of you, his friend following. Vili is as gorgeous as you remember, bright orange and black patches on a white base, golden eyes looking up at you with recognition.
The other drake, pale gold, with greeny-blue swirls on its wings, almost like the crests of waves seen from above, circles you warily, although Vili seems to feel no such compunction and examines you from head to toe before turning his attention to your drakes. They, too, receive a thorough examination. Seemingly satisfied, Vili folds his wings, taking up a sitting position on a nearby tree root protruding from the ground.
His beachy friend, seeming somewhat disgruntled, takes herself off into the branches of a tree, peering down at you cautiously.
After another minute of examination, the two drakes leave as suddenly as they appeared, leaving you rather confused.
Do you...
- Climb a tree?
- Head northeast?
- Head northwest?
- Head west?
- Head east?
Let's continue to head downstream then!
Alas, Shaydra thinks, watching the drake take off. Still, it was nice to see one all the same. She scans the trees to see if she can still spot it.
Riiight that was weird. Ember turns to the west, still wondering what the drakes could have wanted.
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou head downstream, and find yourself at the edge of a swamp. There's no good way to cross it on foot, unless you fancy taking a chance and trying to hop across on the logs floating in the murky water.
Do you...
- Go left around the swamp?
- Go right around the swamp?
- Try to cross the swamp using the fallen trees?
- Build a raft?
- Turn around and go home?
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou scan the trees, but eventually you have to concede that the drake is long gone. Do you...
- Head west along the bay?
- Head east along the bay?
- Head back into the forest?
EmberYou head west, noting that the terrain here is quite rocky, despite the dense forest and ground cover. It soon becomes apparent why when you emerge from the tree line to see what must have once been a glacier, but now is only a dry riverbed dotted with plants. The rich silt from the glacier must have given the forest a head start.
Do you...
- Continue west, uphill?
- Cross the riverbed and head north?
- Turn east, following the riverbed?
Ember marvels at the dried river bed for a bit before crossing it and heading north.
Being part of the scouts for a few years has to be good for something! Let's build a raft.
EmberYou head north, leaving the riverbed behind. The terrain is still hilly and rough, and you come across a small cave while hiking over another hill. Do you...
- Enter the cave?
- Send one or both of your drakes in to investigate?
- Leave the cave and continue uphill?
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou manage to piece together a rather ugly-looking raft, although it's a stable as you can possibly make it. Do you...
- Put the raft on the water and get on?
- Find something to use as a punt first?
Ember peers into the cave before gently nudging at her drakes. "Would you two mind taking a look in this cave for me?" She asks, sending her two drakes into the cave.
Find something to use! Or well, attempt anyway XD
Shaydra takes stock of her options and grabs her packs and things. She looks to either side, and then, more or less at random, heads east along the bay, Chem at her side.
(( I'mma try to keep things brief so I can get in more responses with my limited free time! We'll see if that works...))
Having already spent quite a bit of time in the forest, and having had to keep my Drakes out of trouble one too many times, I decide to head up into the foothills.
EmberYour drakes return in short order, spirits high, and although they can't exactly speak to you, they seem unperturbed by their foray into the cave. Do you...
- Enter the cave?
- Leave the cave and continue uphill?
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou find a long branch that might work to push you around. Hopefully it's long enough to reach the bottom, or wide enough that you can try to use it as an oar.
You get on your raft, and although it bobs rather ominously, it stabilizes quickly. Do you...
- Head straight across?
- Veer left?
- Veer right?
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou head east along the bay, feeling the warm sand beneath your feet as the sun beats down on your head. Something sparkles, catching your eye from a pile of seaweed heaped at the tide line. Do you...
- Investigate the sparkles?
- Continue east?
Ryuukokoro || RyuuYou head up into the foothills, feeling the slight burn in your calves as you hike up the incline. The shadow of something in the air passes over you, and you look up just in time to see a pale drake with flaming wings disappear into the mountains. The terrain here is rocky and uneven, with pockets of hardy-looking scrubs and rather stumpy-looking trees, but there are bushes heavy with red and pale green berries that look a bit like strangely half-ripened raspberries or blackberries.
Do you...
- Try to follow the drake?
- Pick some berries for later?
- Look to see if anyone has eaten some of the berries?
- Continue west?
Let's try to head straight across. With my primitive transportation it is not unlikely that I'll get thrown off course so the middle seems like the safest place to be. Hopefully I can get further this way and not get stuck by running into one of the sides right away.
YourLoveOnly || YLO
You try to head straight across, but your raft catches on something underwater and starts to turn. Despite your best efforts, you end up drifting sideways, spinning until you end up facing the direction you came from. Your drakes flutter anxiously at you, while you think with some asperity that at least they can get themselves across the swamp with no problem. Concerted effort on your part only produces more spinning. Your oar isn't wide enough to provide enough propulsion, and it's not long enough to touch the bottom of the swamp, either.
You might be stuck.
What do you try now?
Ember enters the cave.
My jaw drops and almost stumble headfirst into a prickly bush as the shadow passes over us. I'm hardly an expert in the ways of Drakes, but the sight of the one above me brings me to a screeching halt. I've never seen one with wings that look like magical flame. Perhaps there is something special about the wild Drake, because Cross curls tight around my shoulders and even Moss is still, watching the shape pass over us.
Without conscious thought I start to follow the Drake. As I trot forward, trying to keep the Drake in sight, I tug my Map out of my pocket and make a quick X where I think I am. After all, when I'm done exploring the others who study the Drakes might want to know where I was when I saw such a probably-rare beauty. With that task done, I push the map back into my pocket and hurry after the Drake.
EmberYou enter the cave, and find that the ceiling is quite low, but the cave itself is very deep. Thankful that you have a new, uncracked lantern, you illuminate the initial cave. There is fine, multicolored sand on the floor, in small patches. A shard of eggshell indicates that this may be a regular clutching ground for wild drakes, and that the multicolored "sand" might very well be old eggshells. There are no eggs here currently, though.
Do you...
- Proceed deeper into the cave?
- Go back outside?
Ryuukokoro || RyuuYou follow the drake as best as you can, but eventually, it outpaces you, ducking behind a ridge and disappearing into the mountains. You are near the border marked on your map, which means you probably can't follow the drake where it's gone now.
Do you...
- Continue in the direction you last saw the drake until you hit the boundary?
- Head east?
- Head west?
Ember marvels at the sight of what appears to be an old nesting ground, one potentially still occasionally used, and decides to proceed deeper into the cave.
Disappointed that I lost sight of such a majestic creature, but glad that I got some potentially new information to share with the others out there learning about Drakes, I head west.
EmberCautiously, you proceed deeper into the cave, scanning your surroundings as you move forward. The light of your lantern throws every nook and cranny into sharp relief, shadows elongating and shifting as you move. The sound of falling rock makes you flinch, but you realize it is only one of your drakes, knocking some gravel from the wall as they cling to the rock, poking their nose into a hole.
This is, evidently, a poor choice, as a swarm of tiny bats floods out, surprising your drake, who loses their grip and skids down the wall. The bats flutter, filling the air in a panicked cyclone, before they flee outside. Turning back to your path, you find that the cave splits off into two tunnels.
Do you...
- Take the left tunnel?
- Take the right tunnel?
- Turn around and leave the cave?
Ryuukokoro || RyuuYou head west, steering clear of the boundary. Presently, you come to the edge of a cliff, with no visible way down.
Do you...
- Head left?
- Head right?
- Head back the way you came?
- Call Barnaby for a pickup and go home?
"Eep!" Ember exclaims as a flood of bats surrounds her and her drakes until they manage to sort out their bearings and flee the cave. As her breathing slowly returns to normal she finds herself laughing at both the situation and the reaction of her nosy drake. "Not quite the find we expected, eh?" She asks the tan and green drake who blinks at her, still somewhat dazed.
Still chuckling a little, Ember turns back the way she was heading and notes she has a choice between two tunnels. "Well then, Rhea, since your nose apparently can't be trusted let's leave this choice to Andromeda for now." She affectionately shoos the drake in question forward and as Andromeda trots off down the right tunnel, Ember follows.
I stopped when it became very apparent I could proceed forward no further. "Well," I sighed, glancing at Moss. He was hovering out over the edge of the cliff, investigating how far down it went. "I'm afraid not all of us in the party can follow you, Moss." I looked left and right, not yet ready to go home. "Which way, I wonder?"
This time, to my surprise, it was Cross who decided he had an opinion on our travel. He launched himself off my shoulder and headed right, appearing almost determined.
"Well then," I said with a shrug. Making sure Moss was following, I followed my Drake and we went right.
EmberYou turn right, and the tunnel quickly becomes much wider than you'd expect, opening up into a cave filled with stalagmites and stalactites that gleam wetly in the light of your lantern. There are three tunnels here.
Do you...
- Go down the tunnel on the left?
- Go down the tunnel in the middle?
- Go down the tunnel on the right?
- Leave the caves?
Ryuukokoro || RyuuYou head right, ducking under the cover of some trees, but not entering the forest. All too soon, you find that the cliff edge stretches over this way, too, cut by a river that waterfalls off of the edge and down to the water far below. You could try to cross the river, but it's awfully strong here.
Do you...
- Try to cross the river?
- Turn around?
- Turn into the forest?
- Call Barnaby for a pickup and go home?
The breathtaking sight of the river tumbling over the cliff face is mesmerizing, but I try not to delay too long. I know both myself and the two Drakes have been out for a long time. Still... there's something so tantalizing about the way the sun sparkles on the water....
I have some experience with swift water, so I try to cross the river, watching where I place my feet.
Ember goes down the middle path.
Ryuukokoro || RyuuThe current is incredibly strong, and despite your care and experience, a loose rock turns out to be your undoing. The river sweeps you off your feet, and you are carried inexorably towards the edge of the cliff. Before you can get a good handle on what's going on, you're falling, and although your drake tries to slow your fall, they're not strong enough to carry you. Mercifully, the water below is deep, but it's still a long fall, and very painful. At least you didn't dash your head to pieces on some rocks.
Do you...
- Float around in the pool for a bit while you catalog your aches and pains?
- Swim to the edge and climb out to assess the damage?
EmberYou find yourself in a cave that sparkles wherever you look in the light of your lantern. Do you...
- Try to pry one out from the wall with your hands?
- Look around to see if maybe there are some loose on the ground?
- Investigate what appears to be a nest?
- Turn around and leave the caves?
Ember's jaw drops in awe as she comes into a sparkly cavern. It's so dazzling it's mesmerizing for a moment. She spends a few moments examining the ones embedded still in the wall but figures she'll just tear up her fingers doing that. Maybe there are a few loose ones...to say nothing of her interest in what may be a nest. She doesn't exactly want to disturb the nest if it would worry any parents or freshly hatched babies...Maybe she'll focus on the shiny things first and take a peek at the nest after. Choice made, Ember looks for loose shinies on the ground, heading vaguely towards the nest.
The world is blackness, noise, and blackness again. Consciousness tries to remain allusive, but I cling to it with all I have left. What happened!? Think, think!
I find myself at the bottom of the falls, and while I'm worried about my Drakes and my gear, the first thing I have to do is make sure I'm safe. The treacherous water doesn't seem like the best place to be, so I swim to the edge and try to climb out. I try to call to the Drakes, but my voice is hoarse from water and (probably) a lot of screaming. All I can manage is a shaky whistle.
EmberYou're in luck; you find two shinies on the dusty, rocky ground of the cave. A quick rinse and wipe on your pants reveals two
Rough Diamonds! What a find!
You have obtained 2x Rough Diamond!Do you...
- Investigate the nest?
- Investigate a small crack in the cave wall that might be just big enough to let you through?
- Turn around and leave the caves?
Ryuukokoro || RyuuYou kind of flop around in the water for a bit before you manage to crawl out onto the bank, groaning as you lay there for a moment before rolling over painfully and fighting your way out of your soggy pack. Your map is an unreadable mess, and you probably shouldn't turn on your electronics anytime soon, but everything else seems mostly intact. Your food is kind of soggy, but that's all right. You can always find more.
Your drakes fuss over you in concern as you cough up water and ease your way into a sitting position.
Do you...
- Get up and head into the forest?
- Get up and head downriver?
- Sit and eat your soggy lunch?
- Call Barnaby for pickup and go home?
Grinning with her lucky find, Ember decides to take that peek of the nest after all. She inches towards it, really keen on investigating the nest. Just a little bit at least.
I'm glad to see Cross and Moss are in one piece. They must have taken the much safer way down to the bottom of the falls, by air -- not the water way. "Well that was unlucky," I mutter to myself. So much for that. Still, the concern the Drakes show is touching.
Since I'll need to wait a while for the electronics -- and everything else -- to dry out, I decide to move away from the falls. (The roaring of the water isn't doing anything for my headache.) I get up and head downriver.
EmberIn the nest are three
Wild Drake Eggs. Do you...
- Take one?
- Take two?
- Take all three?
- Look around for wild drakes first?
- Back away and investigate the crack in the cave wall?
- Turn around and leave the caves?
Ryuukokoro || RyuuYou head downriver, and are pleasantly surprised by the gentle slope and lush grass beneath your feet as the roaring of the waterfall fades away. You come to a tall willow tree, its sweeping branches forming a sort of curtain against the world. Do you...
- Sit down beneath the willow to rest?
- Continue onward?
- Call Barnaby for a pickup and go home?
Ember breathes out a quiet groan at seeing the eggs. So it was a nest! She...cannot deny that the eggs are tempting. She's awfully fond of drakes - she glances at her own accompanying two at the thought - and wouldn't mind more but it's a wild clutch and stealing eggs would be very mean if they weren't abandoned. If they were though...she's equally unsure if leaving them would be kind either. At the very least she can look around for wild drakes first.
EmberYou come face to face with a white drake that you swear you've seen before...
(https://i.imgur.com/Mjg9kn8.png)
Do you...
- Back away slowly?
- Grab an egg and run?
- Wait for the drake to move?
Ember pauses as something white moves in the lower light of the cave and it takes her a few moments to figure out that it's a drake...and one she is certain she saw somewhere....Clearing her throat gently she asks, "Are these eggs yours, then?" She doesn't really expect a true answer but either way she waits for the drake to move.
Shaydra, thoroughly enjoying her calm, peaceful walk along the bay, walks along, soaking in the sun. She keeps her eyes peeled for anything of interest, and is rewarded by the sparkles. She certainly can't just ignore then, so she heads over to see seaweed to investigate.
It's been a very long day... I decide to sit down and rest.
EmberThe drake leaps forward, landing behind the nest and turning to cover the eggs with its outstretched wings, eyes steady on you as if in challenge.
Do you...
- Back away slowly?
- Offer it something to eat? Requires an edible item from your Inventory or expedition inventory. Includes minerals.
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou find a piece of
Rough Quartz in the seaweed! After rinsing off the sand and dirt, you add it to your pack.
You have obtained 1x Rough Quartz!Do you...
- Continue east?
- Enter the forest?
- Call Barnaby for pickup and go home?
Ryuukokoro || RyuuYou sit down in the shade of the willow to rest, groaning as your abused muscles complain. The grass is soft and surprisingly plush, almost like sitting on a rug, and there is a light breeze that stirs the curtain of willow branches as you lay back. One of your drakes presents you with a river pebble, although they look disappointed when you don't try to eat it.
The sun is starting to sink lower in the sky; dusk will be here in a couple hours.
Do you...
- Continue downriver?
- Turn into the forest?
- Call Barnaby for a pickup and go home?
Right. See. This is why you don't just steal random eggs. Ember takes a step backwards, hands low and splayed palm up just a few inches in front of her body in a hopefully placating gesture. "No harm meant to them. Have you been guarding them long? Are you hungry? I think I still have a sunfruit somewhere in my bag..." With slow movements in an attempt not to startle the drake, Ember takes off her pack and digs out a sunfruit to offer it to the drake. The fiery one seemed to approve of the sunfruit before so she figures its a safe bet.
I keep my rest short, as the sun is setting and it's been a long day. Giving Moss a scratch on his head for the pebble gift, I climb to my feet and continue downriver, wondering if the river will eventually take me back to the beginning of our journey.
EmberThe white drake eyes the proffered fruit with some disdain before ignoring it completely, continuing to stare at you.
Apparently it's not hungry.
What do you do now?
Ryuukokoro || RyuuYou head downriver, careful to steer clear of the slippery mud at the bottom of the bank and staying on dry land. You've had quite enough water for the day, you think. Eventually, the sun starts to set in earnest, and you have to decide if you're going to camp for the night out here or call Barnaby before it gets too dark.
Do you...
- Set up camp?
- Call Barnaby?
"Oookay...not a fan. Do you like these shiny things? That why you're here? If you really want you can have one I guess," Ember says, uncertainly offering a rough diamond in the same moment she put the sunfruit away.
I didn't expect for exhaustion to catch up with me so quickly, but suddenly I find myself stumbling over my own claws. I realize I'm not going to make it all the way back, even with a ride. I decide to set up camp for the night.
EmberThe drake still doesn't appear inclined to take the rough diamond, but it seems somewhat mollified by your continued offerings. It folds its wings slightly and settles down around the eggs, still shielding them with one outstretched wing.
You decide to leave while the drake appears, if not friendly, at least no longer outwardly hostile.
Emerging from the cave mouth, you blink at the brightness of the sunlight after so long spent with the lantern as your only source of light. You can turn uphill, or you can head north. Turning back the way you came is also an option.
Do you...
- Head uphill?
- Head north?
- Head back downhill?
- Go home?
Ryuukokoro || RyuuYou set up camp for the night, settling down in a protected knoll under another sweeping willow tree.
When you awaken in the morning, you find that you were visited in the night by some curious nocturnal creature. There are tiny, clawed footprints in the soft dirt beyond the grass where you were sleeping. Nothing seems to be disturbed, however.
Do you...
- Continue downriver?
- Head east?
- Head west?
"Huh, well alright, fair enough, I'll leave you be," she tells the drake with a friendly little wave goodbye, stuffing the rough diamond back into her pack. "I hope they hatch well! You must be proud!"
She tries her best to herd her two drakes back out of the cave - is it just her or they as interested in shiny things and strange nests as she is? - and ends up shielding her eyes against the light. She takes a bit to get her bearings back before deciding to head uphill.
In the morning I have to do a few stretching and warm up exercises to get the kinks out of my aching body, which has stiffened up in the night. Amusingly, my Drakes seem to copy my movements, stretching out their wings and tails. The little footprints intrigue me, but I can't find any evidence of animals still nearby, other than Cross and Moss.
After I pick up camp, making sure to not leave any of my supplies behind, I head east.
Shaydra tucks the find away somewhere safe; it will go to good use down the line! She then continues east, with Chem prowling nearby at the water's edge.
EmberYou head uphill, breathing deeply as the air suddenly cools. Clouds race across the sky, heavy with rain, and to your inexperienced weather eye it looks like a storm.
Do you...
- Look for a place to shelter?
- Keep moving?
- Call Barnaby and hope he can get to you before the storm hits?
Ryuukokoro || RyuuYou strike out east, moving away from the river. The weather is a little warmer today, and it's early enough that birds are chirping cheerfully among the trees, although you can't see any. The ground is thick with crawling, thorny vines, bearing something that looks very much like blackberries, down to the small white flowers that are fading away as the fruit comes in.
You come across a deer path. Do you...
- Head southeast along the deer path?
- Head southwest along the deer path?
- Continue east?
Ember looks up at the gathering clouds and sighs. She doesn't really feel like pressing her luck against a storm so regretfully she calls Barnaby for a pick up.
Ember
The rain begins before Barnaby manages to locate you, and by the time he pulls up, you're soaked through. He's brought you a thermos of soup and some towels, though, so by the time you arrive at the Outpost you are warm and somewhat dry. Dr. Wong ushers you inside to use the staff shower while she sets up one of the rooms in the temporary lodging area, since there won't be a plane coming in until tomorrow.
Expedition complete! You have gained 2 expedition EXP!
You may now apply for another expedition!
I'm determined to take it easy today and not push myself, so walking on a deerpath sounds like a good idea after working up a morning sweat pushing through the forest. I decide to follow the deerpath southwest.
ADVENTURER'S PERMIT APPLICATION
Name: Ember
Drake(s):
086 - Andromeda
(https://i.imgur.com/GEmPyPD.png)
and 094 - Rhea
(https://i.imgur.com/tkkRcr3.png)
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou continue east, until you begin to approach the spit of land that juts out into the ocean. Do you...
- Head out onto the spit?
- Turn back around?
- Cross over the spit and continue around the island?
Ryuukokoro || RyuuYou follow the deer path southwest as it curves. The lack of predators is evident in the way the path meanders, not to make the most of cover, but to the best grazing areas and the easiest climbs. You come to a fallen tree across the path, although it looks like a new one is being made around it. Do you...
- Climb over the tree and follow the old path?
- Follow the new path?
EmberAfter Dr. Wong has given you your map, as well as checking over your supplies, she sends you out to meet Barnaby, who shuttles you out to one of the expedition areas. After all, if everyone is exploring right next to the Outpost, there won't be much by the way of discovery, will there?
After Barnaby leaves you, you look around. You're on the bank of a wide river, which flows down from the mountains north of you. The river flows west. Do you...
- Head north to the mountains?
- Head downriver?
- Head upriver?
- Cross the river?
Ember heads north to the mountains.
I tend to be stubborn and don't like to give up if it looks like I can keep going. I climb over the tree and continue.
Shaydra continues to admire the view, reveling in the salt-tinged breeze. There's a hint of nostalgia with that smell, but this place is so new and different from where she'd been in the past.
She decides to head out onto the spit of land to see what she can see.
EmberYou head north towards the mountains, picking your way carefully over the riverbank, which is littered with thorny vines and stubby bushes full of rissica berries, before moving away from the river as it veers away from your due-north heading. The weather is cool and rather misty, but it's not so thick that you can't make out the mountains in the distance. When you come to a marshy area that feels very unsafe underfoot, you pause.
Do you...
- Attempt to walk across the marsh?
- Go left around the marsh?
- Go right around the marsh?
Ryuukokoro || RyuuYou climb over the tree, landing on the other side none the worse for the wear, although you have picked up some dirt, but that's easily brushed away. It's clearly been some time since it fell, as the path here is starting to be reclaimed by the grass and other undergrowth, but it's clear enough that you can continue for a while. Eventually, you come to another fallen tree, this one snapped in half, as if by a great weight or a storm. Do you...
- Inspect the tree?
- Continue onward along the faint path?
- Head towards what appears to be a clearing on your left?
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou head out onto the spit, careful about where you put your feet, and note that this bit of land is probably underwater at high tide, based on the wetness of the sand beneath your feet, but there is a ridge of more solid land in the middle that might not be completely submerged. As you reach the end, several winged shadows swoop over you, and you look up to see half a dozen drakes wheeling lazily in the air above you, apparently unconcerned with your presence.
Do you...
- Sit and observe them for a while?
- Take another dip in the ocean?
- Go back the way you came?
- Turn and go back along the other side of the spit?
Ember has very unpleasant memories of marshes. Canoeing trips and such, trying to get back in a canoe when the most stable footing is the gross sucking feeling of a marsh underneath. With a face of distaste and an envious glance at her flying drakes, Ember goes to the left of the marsh.
EmberYou turn left, giving the marsh a wide berth as you do so. It turns out to be a lot wider than you'd initially thought, and it takes some time before you find a place that's dry enough you feel comfortable crossing. A rustle in the bushes startles you, and you pause.
Do you...
- Wait for your drakes to investigate?
- Investigate yourself?
- Arm yourself with your machete?
Shaydra makes the observations about the spit of land, and then turns her gaze skyward to watch the drakes for a few moments. She contemplates whether or not she's going to be stuck out here if the tide rises-- she'd rather not have to swim back with all of her gear-- but the solid bit of land in the middle bodes well. She decides to sit and watch the drakes for a little while. Chem seems content to sit and do the same.
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou sit down on a dry patch of ground and watch the drakes for a while. There are seven of them, three brightly colored and four more neutrally colored, and from what you can observe, there doesn't seem to be a strict social hierarchy. They ride the air currents and dive into the water at their whim, sometimes coming up with a shiny fish, which the hunter then proceeds to consume alone, unless it is particularly large, in which case whoever is nearest shares with them.
The one indicator of a social order is when a lone white drake soars overhead from inland, bringing the number of drakes in the air up to eight. This white drake seems to be some kind of leader, as it circles once, twice, herding the others together. One of the drakes, picking at a fish at the edge of the water, abandons its prize, taking to the air as the drakes move as a unit, heading inland.
Odd.
Do you...
- Continue to sit awhile?
- Take another dip in the ocean?
- Go back the way you came?
- Turn and go back along the other side of the spit?
Ember waits for her drakes to investigate.
Shaydra takes not of the drake behavior, wondering where they are going, and if there is a purpose to their return flight inland. It's interesting, either way, and she enjoys getting to see them in their natural habitat.
As they head off, she decides to turn and go back along the other side of the spit.
EmberYour drakes investigate the rustling bushes, and a large, rather grumpy bird that looks something like a tiny turkey (it's only as large as a small chicken) flutters out, squawking indignantly at them as they back away. Once they've left its immediate vicinity, however, it subsides, ducking back into the shelter of the bushes.
Well then. Do you...
- Continue walking?
- Backtrack the way you came?
- Try to cut across the marsh?
- Strike out to the left into the forest?
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou head back along the other side of the spit, noticing that this shore is rockier, with less sand, than the shore on the opposite side of the spit, rising steeply to jagged cliffs. As you hike up, you notice that there seem to be drakes nesting in small holes and caves in the cliff face above the reach of the waves, darting in and out of sight or clinging to the rock wall.
Do you...
- Continue uphill?
- Try to descend down the cliff face?
- Head back toward the forest by the bay?
Ember snickers at the reactions of her drakes to a glorified turkey-chicken before continuing walking.
EmberYou finally finish circumnavigating the marsh, leaving behind the clouds of mosquitoes and midges along with the murky waters and strange turkey-chickens. Do you...
- Head north from here?
- Head back to a spot opposite to where you think you were when you first encountered the marsh?
- Continue west?
Ember peers across the marsh she has just left behind and frowns a little. She wants to properly get her bearings so she heads to a spot opposite of where she thinks she was before the marsh.
EmberYou head back to (roughly) where you think you would have been if you'd simply crossed straight over the marsh, picking your way around a dense bank of blackberries before ending up at a lone apple tree and scratching your head. As you consider your next move, one of your drakes screeches a warning.
"Name and identification, if you please," a hard-faced woman says when you spin around. She's aiming a rifle at you.
Before you can do anything else, a tricolored drake bursts from the trees, swooping through the air to land squarely on the barrel of the woman's rifle, forcing it down. You recognize him as Vili, the drake who brought Tea to you when you fell in the river.
The woman raises an eyebrow. "That's more of a reaction than you've given me all week," she tells the drake, giving the rifle a bit of a wiggle to dislodge him. He takes off, circling once before landing in the tree to observe.
The woman holds her hand out. "Name's Clara Woods. See you've met Tea. She didn't warn me about you. Sorry about that. I'm here for poachers, not friends of Odekka."
Do you...
- Respond angrily?
- Respond in annoyance?
- Respond in confusion?
- Respond politely?
Ember jumps when Rhea gives a screech and as soon as she notices the rifle aimed at her she does her best to try and shoo her drakes behind her so they can't get hurt (though of course trying to herd creatures with wings is easier said than done). She opens her mouth to provide her name when the trees explode with a drake she knows by name - Vili.
She's equal parts amazed and graceful when he lands on the rifle and she's not at quite as much risk of being fired at. Ember watches him take off again though her eyes quickly track back to the gun-toting woman. Thankfully said woman no longer seems keen on keeping her at gunpoint.
"Ember," she says politely, "and yeah, not a poacher. They must have nerves of steel if they still make attempts to poach."
EmberClara snorts. "Most of the wild drakes are too smart for them, but they keep trying." She glances up at Vili. "Didn't see him tailing you or I would've been a bit nicer. He's pretty good at sniffing out the bad ones, and he makes a fuss when he does. He doesn't usually stick his neck out like that though. You've met Tea, I take it? Tough girl. Don't know if I'd survive out here alone with no gear for months." She seems to realize she's babbling and stops talking. "I'll be on my way then, unless you've got questions for me."
Do you...
- Ask about the trap you found on your first expedition?
- Ask about the terrain?
- Thank her and say your goodbyes?
Ember glances over at Vili with a small smile. "I didn't know he was tailing me but it's definitely not his first time looking out for me. He and Tea saved me after I...uh...fell into a river. Bumped my head. She really is very tough, and very kind." She gives the drake a little wave, grateful for him helping her out.
"Actually! I did wonder...I found a trap the first time I was out here, do you know anything about it? Is that a poacher thing?" She couldn't resist asking about the trap.
EmberClara frowns, shifting her weight. "Yeah, it's a poacher thing. Dumb f*cks think the drakes'll take anything shiny, even if it's an obvious trap. I try to get rid of them as I find them but Odekka's huge and I'm only one person. Ellen was talking about hiring more rangers but it'd be a pity to have more humans running around on the island. The drakes don't deserve it. Where'd you find it? If it's been a while it's probably not there anymore but I'd appreciate it if you reported any other traps you find. I guess you could handle them yourself if you want but don't make any danger for yourself. We've got at least one poacher still on the loose, I haven't caught them yet. Pretty tall, probably north of six feet, and got a thing for sweets. Littering all over the place, d*mn them. If you find any wrappers I'm sure Ellen would appreciate it if you picked them up. Not your job, nor mine, but we've gotta do what we gotta do. Anything else?"
Do you...
- Ask about the terrain?
- Thank her and say your goodbyes?
Ember frowns and shakes her head in disgust. Poachers are some of the literal worst. She describes where she found the trap and what she did with it. "If I see any more I'll let you know for sure, even if I deal with them it's probably good to know where they're setting them at least. Speaking of, anything I should know about the terrain?"
Shaydra makes her observations about the shore, and notes the nesting drakes. It seems that they really can adapt to living in a great many places, which is admirable.
While the cliff face might be a tempting challenge, Shaydra doesn't particularly feel like injuring herself by trying to climb down it, so she continues uphill.
EmberClara thinks for a moment. "If Barnaby dropped you off where I think he did, you've already found the marsh. Steer clear of it, if you haven't. There's a series of caves west of here. I recommend making yourself a map or marking your trail, or Barnaby will never find your bones. Tea said there's open fields out east, with room to run, if you're into that. Other than that, we're pretty well surrounded by forest here. It's a decent trek to the caves."
Do you...
- Head west?
- Head east?
- Head north?
- Head south?
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou continue uphill, coming to a rocky plateau that seems quite deserted. Some goat or sheep tracks, and their dung, tell you that the animals were here earlier, possibly even yesterday. Fragrant herbs dot the plateau, some of them leafy, some of them grassy, some of them flowering.
Do you...
- Continue northwest?
- Head west?
- Head northeast?
Ember thanks Clara for her time and decides to set out once again with her drakes in tow. There wasn't much mentioned about the north or south which makes her almost more interested in them so she heads north.
Shaydra reaches the plateau, taking a moment to get her bearings and look around. Chem sniffs around a bit at things, but there doesn't seem to be anything overly exciting right here, so the pair decide to continue northwest.
EmberYou head north into the forest, quickly losing sight of the marsh. The vegetation is quite thick here, and you eventually are forced to change direction. Do you...
- Try to go left?
- Try to go right?
- Go back the way you came?
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou continue northwest, coming to a small group of rissica berry bushes. Do you...
- Pick some berries?
- Continue northwest?
- Head west?
- Head northeast?
Shaydra recognizes the berries. "Ahh, these can be useful," she comments aloud, glancing at Chem. She decides to pick a small quantity of the berries, assuming they'll go to good use at some point in the future.
Ember tries to go right.
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou have obtained 2x Rissica Berry!You pick some berries and stow them carefully before moving on. The forest begins again at the far side of the plateau ahead of you, but it seems a long way away, and there is little cover here. If you feel threatened, there's nowhere to hide. Do you...
- Continue northwest?
- Head west?
- Head northeast?
EmberYou head right, fighting through the vegetation until you stumble, quite literally, into a pond, just inside a clearing in the forest. You're lucky; of all the places where you could have entered the clearing, you had to end up where the edge of the pond was. There seems to be something shiny in the mud beneath your feet...
Do you...
- Dig for the shiny object?
- Get out of the pond and try to wash off your feet?
Ember digs for that shiny!
Shaydra tucks away the berries and then considers her options. She glances up at the sun overhead, and at the lack of trees, shade, and cover in general. She glances to Chem, who sits, stoically staring around and patiently waiting for someone else to make the decision.
With another look to either side, Shaydra decides to veer west.
EmberYou have obtained 1x Gold Ore!You pick up the shiny object and rinse it off to reveal a
Gold Ore! A nice find. You put it away carefully after wading out of the pond and washing off your feet. Straightening up, you consider your options. There are several "paths" leading out of the clearing, although they may not lead anywhere. They could just be dead ends.
Do you...
- Take the northern path?
- Take the eastern path?
- Take the southeastern path?
- Take the southern
- Take the western path?
- Take the northwestern path?
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou veer west, crossing over the plateau and coming to a lone, twisted tree, gnarled with age and saltwater. Threaded through its branches is some kind of tattered silk remnant, faded with age but definitely some kind of blue or purple solid, with one edge picked out with gold thread that sparkles in the sunlight.
Do you...
- Pull the remnant down?
- Leave it and continue west?
Ember takes the northern path.
Shaydra regards the remnant, wondering what it could be from. There isn't a lot of human (or humanoid) articles around the island, so it certainly stands out as being rather different. Carefully, she reaches up and retrieves the remnant from the branches to look it over.
EmberYou take the northern path, feeling the slight in your calves as the ground beneath your feet slopes up slightly, then evens back out. Everything looks very similar, and you hope you won't get lost wandering in circles this time. Maybe you should mark your path. Do you...
- Make little piles of pebbles as trail markers?
- Use your machete to score a mark into the trees?
- Draw in the dirt?
- Leave no marks and carry on?
Saturnalia || ShaydraExamining the scrap, it appears to be the remains of a light dress or overrobe, the silk stained by saltwater and what appears to be dried blood. An article of clothing worn by someone aboard a ship that wrecked nearby, perhaps?
Do you...
- Head back toward the beach to see if you can find the wreck?
- Take the remnant and continue west?
- Bury the remnant and continue west?
Ember has very recent memories of getting turned around repeatedly and frankly the terrain doesn't look all that different from then. Probably time to mark her way again. Scoring the trees would be one of the best ways but she doesn't like carving into them as an idea. The piles of pebbles could be disturbed but it's a start so she does that.
EmberCarefully, you make little piles of pebbles at regular intervals, hoping that if you mark your path you'll be able to tell if you're doubling back or veering off course. Your drakes knock over a couple as you leave them behind, but enough remain standing that you don't bother turning back to fix them up.
It seems to work, and you end up at the edge of a copse of oddly white trees, their slender trunks completely white, as if they have been leeched of all color. Their leaves are somewhat spade-shaped and quite plush, but they, too, are pure white.
Do you...
- Go around the copse?
- Go through the copse?
"Those...are not birch trees," Ember says to her drakes as she marvels at the pure white trees she discovers. "Not quaking aspens either since they're...too white. Maybe some kind of aspen though?" Her mumbling about the trees done, Ember starts making her way through the copse.
Uh-oh! Well, only one sensible solution now, I guess, since I don't really fancy another full on swim. I lay down on my stomach and put my hands on either side of the raft, which luckily isn't too big. I'll try to use my hands to peddle the raft in the right direction, although I guess any direction is a step in the right direction at this point XD
EmberAs you make your way through the copse, you realize that there are no creature sounds surrounding you. It appears that the creatures of the forest avoid this place. You wonder why.
You're beginning to grow sleepy. Do you...
- Stop and take a nap?
- Go back the way you came?
- Keep going?
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou manage to paddle yourself enough that the raft drifts to your right while spinning slightly, bumping into a thick cluster of reeds before you suddenly notice what appears to be a large yellow eye staring at you from a scant two feet away.
Do you...
- Get out your machete?
- Keep paddling?
- Try to jump to shore, which is reasonably close enough if your raft doesn't move while you get up?
Eek! However I am reluctant to try and attack or kill something, so the machete is not an option. Sudden movements don't seem too smart either, so let's just keep paddling.. Fingers crossed!
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou keep paddling, trying to get yourself to the edge of the swamp while keeping an eye on the...eye.
It takes you a few minutes before you realize that it hasn't moved, or blinked, since you first spotted it. Maybe it's not actually an alligator? Dr. Farrowstead did say there were no large predators on the island...
You manage to paddle away from the eye and back towards the center of the swamp, which is not, precisely, what you had intended, but it's progress nonetheless. Eventually, after many exhausting minutes, you manage to guide your craft to shore. It's not where you intended to end up, but you're tired and want to get off the water.
You climb up onto the bank, wincing as your feet sink down into the mud before you move to more solid ground, and look around. There is an open bank to your left, littered with leaves and branches below a sweeping willow. To your right, the swamp curves around. Ahead, the forest is thick and you can't really see anything.
Do you...
- Go left?
- Go straight?
- Go right?
ADVENTURER'S PERMIT APPLICATION
Name: Country
Drake(s):114 - Haru
(https://i.imgur.com/UgIpjd7.png)
CountryAfter Dr. Wong has given you your map, as well as checking over your supplies, she sends you out to meet a young man by the name of Barnaby, who shuttles you out to one of the expedition areas. After all, if everyone is exploring right next to the Outpost, there won't be much by the way of discovery, will there?
After Barnaby leaves you, you look around. The trees are tall and thick here, with no discernible path into the forest. Do you...
- Use your machete to hack your way through the undergrowth?
- Try to climb a tree to see if there is a path nearby?
- Follow the tree line left (north) to see if you can find a path that way?
- Follow the tree line right (south) to see if you can find a path that way?
- Turn around and go home?
Ember shivers. It's unnaturally quiet in the copse and despite her tiredness there's no way she's stopping for a rest there. Backtracking might take just as long as going forward, so she decides to keep going.
Country looks around at the thick trees, might as well dive in and make my own path. Country begins hacking her way through the heavy undergrowth with her machete.
EmberAt some point, you end up on the forest floor, sprawled beneath the white trees in a deep sleep as your drakes join you in slumber. Minutes, hours, days - it isn't clear how long you lay there, since nothing moves in this white thicket, and no leaves catch in your clothes or hair, no insects crawl on you, no animals pick at your pack.
You are woken some undetermined time later by a black drake with white eyes and a white circle on its forehead, prodding at you with a pointed wingtip. Blearily, you open your eyes, fighting against the fatigue - and then the soreness as your muscles protest your prolonged stay in an uncomfortable position. You have grass in your mouth.
The drake beckons to you, having apparently already woken up your drakes.
Do you...
- Follow the drake?
- Lay back down?
- Grab your stuff and run?
CountryAfter the first couple of whacks, a gunshot rings out, a bullet embedding itself in the tree next to you. You spin around.
"I don't recommend harming anything on this island," a hard-faced woman informs you sternly, a rifle trained on you. "Didn't Ellen give you the rundown? This is a protected area."
Do you...
- Respond angrily?
- Respond politely?
How. How did she end up falling asleep? Ember's really not sure and she groans as she gets to her feet, blearily following the drake. It woke her up after all and that seems to be a very good thing right now.
EmberWith the drake periodically prodding you, you make it to the edge of the grove, where suddenly you feel revitalized in a way you hadn't even after your prolonged nap as you leave the strange white trees behind. The drake circles you once, appearing to be examining you, and, seemingly satisfied, leaves immediately. You make a note on your map to have Dr. Wong mark this area as off-limits. Who knows how long you would have lain there if the black drake hadn't woken you up?
Do you...
- Head north?
- Head west?
- Head east?
"Okaaaaay, white trees bad, thank you," Ember comments, and appreciates, the black drake before it flies away. "They are pretty though...even if they are creepy." Her drakes nose at her and she laughs as Andromeda finds a ticklish spot. "Yeah, yeah, moving away from them now. Further north, then?"
I'll go left towards the willow :)
EmberYou head north, picking your way through low shrubs and birch trees as you approach a river. Do you...
- Head upriver?
- Head downriver?
- Cross the river?
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou head left, ducking easily under the willow tree's sweeping branches. Twigs crunch underfoot as you make your way through, only to stop when you notice something shiny at the foot of the willow. Do you...
- Pick up the shiny?
- Leave the shiny and continue on?
- Climb the tree?
Pick up the shiny!
Ember heads upriver.
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou pick up the shiny, and find a
Gold Ore!
You have obtained 1x Gold Ore!Carrying on, you come to a series of strange rocks that look a bit like giant plant sprouts, vaguely conical in shape and coming up to nearly your waist. They're quite thick at their base, and a patchy grey color that indicates that they're some kind of uneven mix of minerals.
Do you...
- Examine the rocks more closely?
- Mark them on your map and move on?
EmberYou head upriver, although it's quite flat here and the only way to tell that you're headed inland is the direction of the slow-moving waters of the river. Because it's so flat here, the river is quite lazy, winding gently. At some points it's so shallow that you could cross and get no more wet than if you'd stepped into a puddle.
Do you...
- Continue upriver?
- Cross the river at one of these shallow points?
Ember figures she may regret it later but for now a safe way to cross a river is a blessing so she finds a shallow point to cross at.
I'd like to examine them more closely :)
EmberYou cross the river, and as you step onto dry land on the other side, something sparkly catches your eye. Before you can grab it, one of your drakes swallows it.
Well. So much for that.
You can continue heading upstream, or you can head into the forest on this side of the river. Do you...
- Continue upstream?
- Head north into the forest?
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou examine the rocks more closely, noting that they look similar to a certain type of tree you're vaguely familiar with, with bark that peels off in patchy layers. You circle them, finding nothing else of interest. Do you...
- Touch a stone?
- Mark the rocks on your map and move on?
Continue upstream!
EmberYou continue upstream, enjoying the sunshine and the light breeze. Presently, you find yourself climbing a steep hill, and when you reach the top, you realize that you are now at the bottom of a sheer cliff face. You heard the roaring of the waterfall, but you'd thought it was only rapids. There's no heading upstream now, not without climbing gear; the wall is much too sheer and slippery to scale safely.
Do you...
- Turn right and look for a path at the base of the cliff?
- Turn right and head into the forest?
Ember glances up the sheer face of the cliff and sighs. So much for continuing that way. She turns right to see if there's a path.
Shaydra takes a moment to study the remnant of cloth, attempting to figure out just what (or who) it could have been from. It's hard to tell just how old it might be.
With a glance back to the trees, she heads back towards the beach, curious if there's a wreck somewhere.
EmberAfter a while, you find what appears to be a narrow, natural path that slopes up the side of the cliff, steep and, in some places, broken through. Do you...
- Climb the path?
- Look for a more reliable way up the cliff?
- Head into the forest?
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou head back toward the beach, taking a more direct route and cutting across the plateau to where you know you can get back down to the beach. Once there, you can see no obvious signs of a shipwreck. Do you...
- Head left, back around the curve of the bay?
- Head right, around the back of the beach to the base of the cliffs you saw earlier, where the drakes are nesting?
Touch a stone!
Let's be real, Ember's been on so many adventures and lived so YOLO she goes up that path.
YourLoveOnly || YLOSomewhat disappointingly, touching the stone does absolutely nothing. They're a normal temperature, slightly cool from the shade, and rough to the touch, but otherwise unremarkable. You shake your head, mark them on your map, and move on, coming to a wide swathe of rocky ground cutting straight through the forest.
Do you...
- Head uphill?
- Head downhill?
- Cut across and continue into the forest?
EmberThe path is narrow, uneven, and
right next to a long fall. Carefully, you sidle up the path, muscles tense as you come to the first break in the rock. It's small, and luckily for you, easily spanned with a slightly larger step. It's the ones further up that give you trouble. You're trying not to look down too much, but you kind of have to now.
There's a tiny, tiny lip that you might be able to balance on briefly instead of trying to leap sideways across the chasm. Do you...
- Pretend you're a spider and try to cling to the wall as you sidle across?
- Jump! What could possibly go wrong?
- Go back down and find a safer route?
Time to attempt to be spider-man.
EmberHolding on - barely - by your fingertips and toetips, somewhat off-balance due to your pack, you start to shift your weight to the center of the gap, with the intention of making a second step across to the other side.
You don't make it.
Something slips, and you're unable to recover. Despite the valiant attempts of your drakes to slow your fall, you slide down several feet until you end up wedged between two rocks, your limbs contorted oddly, but, thankfully, nothing broken. You should really buy a lottery ticket.
You're unable to see the ground from where you're wedged. Do you...
- Take a risk and try to just jump down?
- See if your drakes can tell you how far you have to go?
- Wiggle until you can get yourself re-situated for a climb and try to climb/slide down to the ground?
- Against all common sense, try to climb back up?
Common sense? What common sense? Ember doesn't even know why but it amuses her writer, so up she goes!
Cut across and continue into the forest!
Shaydra, mildly disappoiinted that she didn't find anything, figures she'll just have to keep an eye out for any future signs of where the fabric might have come from. It's an interesting little mysery, anyway.
Since she's already not far, she decides to head to the base of the cliffs where the drakes were nesting.
EmberSomehow, you manage to climb your way back up. It's precarious and uncomfortable, but you finally drag yourself onto the ledge you were aiming for earlier. No way to to go but up now, you suppose. You continue up the path, only to come to another break in the path, only this one is wet with runoff from somewhere up above. Do you...
- Try to climb across the wall to reach the other side?
- Try to jump across?
- Purposefully slide down the cliff?
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou cut across the rocky ground, nearly twisting an ankle, and continue into the forest on the far side, immediately filling your lungs with the scent of ripe fruit. There's a sunfruit tree with fruit hanging low enough for you to pick one. Do you...
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou head back to the base of the cliffs, where the drakes are nesting, although you can't get too close, as the cliffs fall straight into the sea, with no beach whatsoever below. As you pause, watching the drakes, you notice a path up the lower hills that edge the beach here, before you hit the cliffs proper. Do you...
- Head up the path?
- Head back the way you came?
I am hungry so let's pick a sunfruit.
Shaydra sees the path and figures, why not? It's as good a choice on where to go as any other! So she and Chem head up the path.
Extremely startled by the gunshot, Country turns and looks at woman. She studies the gun wearily, and notices that Haru has taken refuge behind her. "Lot of help you'll be", Country mutters to Haru.
She turns her attention back to the rifle wielding woman, "No ma'am, Ellen apparently forgot to mention this rather important bit of information. Please forgive me for my ignorance; I meant no harm, I was just exploring."
Continuing the insanity with trying to climb across!
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou pick a sunfruit, but before you can take a bite, one of your drakes suddenly flees in apparent panic, with no provocation whatsoever. Lowering the fruit, you squint quizzically at your other drake, who appears to be equally confused. Do you...
- Put the sunfruit away for later and head after your drake?
- Eat the sunfruit while looking for your drake?
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou head up the path, panting a little at the exertion by the time you finally reach the top. The ground beneath your feet is grassy under the stray gravel from the cliff path, and you note that there are human footprints in the softer mud where the grass is sparse. The walker isn't wearing shoes.
Do you...
- Try to find this human?
- Ignore the footprints and head south?
- Ignore the footprints and head east?
CountryThe woman snorts, apparently not buying it. Her rifle remains trained on you. "You're here to explore and observe, not hack apart the island. Where's your permit?"
Do you...
- Hand over your adventurer's permit for her inspection?
- Respond angrily?
EmberYou manage to climb across without falling this time. This is the last big obstacle, although near the top it gets rather tricky as the rock shelf is strewn with loose rocks and gravel. Still, you make it safely to the top. Do you...
- Head upriver?
- Head into the forest?
Ember, rather amazed that she made it up alive, goes upriver.
Country fumbles with her pack and comes up with the adventurer's permit for exploration. Reading over quickly before she sheepishly hands it over to the woman. "I guess I should have read that better. Please, forgive me."
EmberYou head upriver, but stop shortly after you begin walking because one of your drakes is making...well, retching noises.
Your drake coughs up the shiny they swallowed earlier, looking somewhat put out, but your other drake prevents them from trying to eat it again. You pick it up gingerly, and find a
Platinum Ore!
You have obtained 1x Platinum Ore!You continue upriver until you come to a set of tire tracks in the mud. They're probably Barnaby's.
Do you...
- Investigate the tire tracks?
- Continue upriver?
- Enter the forest?
CountryClara eyes you, her rifle unwavering as she takes the permit, eyes flicking down to examine it. She huffs, handing it back. "I'll be sure to tell Ellen - Dr. Wong, you probably call her - to step up her briefing procedures. If you can help it, don't do anything permanent to anything on the island. Odekka is protected by international status as a haven for a unique species." She turns and disappears into the trees, moving so quickly and soundlessly that within seconds you might question if she'd ever been there at all.
Well. That was a somewhat unwelcome scare.
Do you...
- Continue chopping away despite the warnings?
- Try to climb a tree to see if there is a path nearby?
- Follow the tree line north to see if you can find a path that way?
- Follow the tree line south to see if you can find a path that way?
Let's put the sunfruit away for later and head after my drake.
Ember pats her poor drake who just coughed up a gem. She doesn't imagine that being a particularly pleasant sensation. She continues onward after that though she keeps an eye on her drake just to make sure they aren't sick again. Eventually she comes to tire tracks and she frowns a bit. They're very likely Barnaby's but...what if they're poachers again? Not that she really wants to mess with poachers but if they are around it would probably be helpful to pass on any info she can get. So thinking, Ember investigates the tracks.
Shaydra notes the tracks, taking a moment to glance around and see what's nearby. Clearly, the person isn't likely to be standing right nearby, but best to check the surroundings all the same. Shaydra doesn't think a poacher is likely to be walking around barefoot, but one never knows.
Shay is about to head off in another direction, figuring it might be best not to seek out company, but Chem apparently disagrees with this choice and begins to follow the footprints, trying to find the human.
With a shrug, Shay follows the drake.
Blowing out the inhaled breath she was unaware that she was holding she turned to look at Haru who peaked up at her and stared at her blankly. Country shook her head and returned the machete and permit to her pack.
She looked back at Haru, "ok, what now?" The drake chirps and chortles and turns to look towards the north. "North it is then."
She shoulders her pack and they begin making their way in a meandering path north along the tree line.
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou have obtained 1x Sunfruit!You rush after your drake, almost tripping in your haste as you slide to a stop. Your drake is staring at a young woman - more girl than adult, really - who is eyeing them back with some amusement. She's wearing a light sarong, its bright colors dulled by dust and old stains, and a tank top underneath a field vest covered in pockets. A utility belt is slung around her hips, and her feet are bare. She grins brightly at you, a flash of white teeth in a nut-brown face.
"Hello! Which explorer are you?" she asks. You give your name, somewhat hesitantly, and she nods. "Barnaby said you might end up here sooner rather than later. Name's Tea. I live here," she adds. "Dr. Farrowstead says I'd scare off all her visitors on the mainland."
Do you...
- Ask Tea who she is and what she's doing here?
- Ask Tea for proof that she's supposed to be here?
- Attack Tea?
EmberYou investigate the tracks, noting that they're fairly old, and there's a set of footprints - maybe human, maybe not - along with the marks of at least one drake. That fits the sketch of someone here with a permit, but it's not
proof.
Do you...
- Follow the tire tracks?
- Follow the footprints?
- Head upriver?
- Enter the forest?
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou hear a female voice - youthful, cheerful, you note - as you approach. Entering the trees, you find a young woman chatting with a tricolored drake as she picks herbs. She's wearing a light sarong, its bright colors dulled by dust and old stains, and a tank top underneath a field vest covered in pockets. A utility belt is slung around her hips, and her feet are bare. Hooked over one shoulder is a woven bag, not rigid enough to be called a basket, but somewhat basket-shaped. Despite your stealthy approach, she turns before you can make a sound.
After a moment of shock, she smiles. "Hello! You must be one of the adventurer's Barnaby mentioned. If you're a poacher or here with malicious intent, you won't find it easy." Then she chuckles. "Clara mentioned you, don't worry. I don't have a gun like her. Just Vili. Name's Tea. What's yours?"
Do you...
- Respond politely?
- Respond curtly?
- Respond in annoyance?
- Ignore her?
CountryYou follow the tree line north, noting that several of the plants here look familiar. Presently, you find yourself approaching a stream.
Do you...
- Head upstream, into the forest?
- Head downstream?
- Cross the stream and continue northeast?
Well, old implies that they're not necessarily still around and drake tracks imply one that isn't trapped in a cage or anything so Ember decides to leave well enough alone. She's certain enough that it's not a poacher but she makes a note to mention it when she's picked up later. Instead she decides to continue upriver.
Ask Tea who she is and what she's doing here!
Shaydra follows Chem to find the woman and her drake, and offers a smile when Tea turns and greets her. "I think Clara mentioned you briefly, as well," she responds politely. "I'm Shaydra, and this is Chem," she says, gesturing to her drake. "They were insistent that we follow your tracks." She gives a little laugh and a shrug. "What the drake wants, the drake gets!"
She peeks at the herbs, curious to see if she'd recognize any. She's not much of a botanist, but she does have some interest in plants.
Country stops to admire the plant life and the beauty of the stream for a moment. Haru seems to be very interested in the stream and the forest so she decides to go Upstream and into the forest.
EmberYou head upriver, enjoying a nice northern breeze as you wander along the flat. The river is still pretty shallow, drifting in graceful curves as you continue. As you pass by a clump of reeds, a metallic flash in your periphery snags your attention.
Do you...
- Investigate the source?
- Continue upriver?
- Enter the forest?
YourLoveOnly || YLO"Oh!" Tea looks abashed. "I guess I'm Dr. Farrowstead's ward...?" She looks down, briefly. "I washed up here after a shipwreck. As far as I know I'm the first one to meet the drakes. Dr. Farrowstead and Dr. Wong heard my story after I was rescued, and set up the DEO." She looks back up with a wan smile. "I was here for several months. Vili and his flock looked after me, in their way. Dr. Farrowstead thought I'd do better staying here, but with resources and support this time. I take care of the shelter on the east side of the island. I've got supplies for any adventurers who come my way there, and everything I need to live properly. Dr. Farrowstead even made sure I got a solar powered generator."
Do you...
- Ask Tea for directions?
- Ask Tea about the local drakes?
- Say goodbye and move on?
Saturnalia || ShaydraTea smiles. "Yes, they do, don't they? Is there anything you need? Or questions you have? We're a bit far from the shelter so I can't offer you much by way of supplies right now, but it looks like you're doing all right."
Do you...
- Ask Tea for directions?
- Ask Tea about the local drakes?
- Say goodbye and move on?
CountryYou head upstream, entering the shade of the forest as you pick your way across protruding tree roots and half-buried stones. A flash of something metallic catches your eye in the water. Do you...
- Investigate the shiny?
- Continue upstream?
Shaydra ponders this for a moment, and then asks about the local drakes. "I saw them nesting a little ways back on the cliffs... they really are adaptable to living in a variety of places, it seems," she remarks with admiration, giving Chem a scritch on the head.
Investigate the source of that shiny like a magpie!
Saturnalia || ShaydraTea nods in agreement. "They're a bit more aloof than the forest drakes, but that might also be because I don't come around this side very often, and they don't know me well. The holes they use are natural, as far as I can tell, but they build their nests in the same way everywhere, with grasses and mud and pretty things. All drakes like shiny things, especially gemstones, but there aren't many on the island, so they tend to fight over them. I can't tell how they decide which ones to hoard and which ones to eat."
Do you...
- Ask Tea for directions?
- Say goodbye and move on?
EmberIt is not, as you had hoped, some ore or other mineral. It's another trap, only this time, there's a young drake inside! Do you...
- Try to pry open the trap?
- Look for the latch you assume must be somewhere?
- Offer it some food first?
"Oh no," Ember says as she see the young drake in the trap. She's really, really glad she came this way to let it out but now she's wondering again if those tracks are a poacher's after all. First things first though! She checks the trap for a latch.
Shaydra absorbs the information, always interested in learning more about her companion's kind. She had, more or less, been flung headfirst into caring for the drakes, and while she loved their company, they were still new and intriguing to her.
She's about to ask for directions when something else comes to mind. "I found a bit of fabric hung up on a plateau," she comments. "Looked like it had been out there for some time, but..." she shrugs. "After talking with Clara, I just figure it's good to mention anything out of the ordinary that might mean other people are around, even if it didn't seem overly recent."
EmberAs you check the trap for a latch, you hear a rustling. Before you can react, you hear the sound of a safety being lifted, and a hard, masculine voice saying, "Hands in the air. Now."
Do you...
Saturnalia || ShaydraTea hums. "Do you still have it? There's a lot of scraps left over from the shipwreck, and some of the explorers aren't as careful as they should be. It could be harmless, but if you have it I'll take a look and see if Vili knows anything about it." The tricolor drake hops up to her shoulders, settling across them like a cat as Tea shifts her weight to accommodate him.
Do you...
- Produce the scrap for Tea and Vili to examine?
- Explain where you left it?
Shaydra is pretty sure she took the scrap with her, so she digs around in her bag for a moment. "Let's see... pretty sure I tucked it in here..." She produces the fabric for Tea and Vili to examine.
That...is not Clara. And Clara kind of implied that she was one of, if not the, only one out there taking care of poachers. Ember complies with the demand even as she tries to surreptitiously nudge her drakes. At the very least she hopes they'll take the hint and get away...or even better get some help.
Saturnalia || ShaydraTea takes the scrap, examining it closely as she turns it over in her hands and gives it a tug. She then proceeds to offer it to Vili, who sniffs it delicately and gives a strangely human shrug.
"I don't recognize it," Tea reports, "but silk like this is hardly exploring gear, and Vili doesn't seem to think it carries any threats. It's probably from the wreck."
She offers it back to you. "If you want to use it to tie something up, or whatever. If you don't want it, I'll take it."
Do you...
- Take it back, thank her, and carry on?
- Decline it, thank her, and carry on?
EmberYour drakes flee, and your mysterious captor swears. "Call them back!" he demands, jabbing you in the shoulder blades with the barrel of his gun.
You try, but either your drakes have gone to find Clara and/or Tea, or they've abandoned you to your fate. You're hoping for the former.
He shoves you to your knees, gun still pressed to your back as he looks at the trap and grunts in satisfaction. Fumbling with one hand, he produces a rope that he uses to bind your hands and feet together, shoving your face in the dirt unceremoniously as he does so. From what you can see, he's stocky, broad-shouldered and tough-looking, with weathered skin and a nose that has definitely seen some fighting.
As you try to keep dirt from your nose and mouth, you turn your head to the side, scanning the trees and hoping that help is coming. You hear, rather than see, the poacher pick up the trap, the frightened cries of the young drake, and you bite down on your lip rather hard. This was supposed to be a nice,
relaxing trip, after the last ones!
Suddenly, the sound of wingbeats thrums through the air, and you hear the poacher swear as you roll your eyes, trying to see the sky without moving too much and drawing his attention.
It's an incredible sight. Over two dozen drakes fill the sky, led by, to your relief, your drakes and Vili. With a shout, the poacher, brandishes his gun, and the drakes swoop aside, circling, but not attacking just yet.
The poacher kicks you furiously, swearing. "What have you done?" Abruptly, he stops kicking you and starts howling in pain. Rolling away, you see that it's Tea, flicking sharp rocks at the poacher. When he draws his gun, the drakes descend, pecking, clawing, biting, tearing, screaming, blinding him and ripping the gun from his hands as Tea rushes to you, murmuring apologies for being late. She unties you, then draws a lethally sharp, scalloped knife, her face fierce. It's a startling change from the cheerful, easygoing Tea you met previously.
The drakes part as she kicks the gun aside and shoves the blade of her knife against the poacher's throat. He's got nearly a foot and a half on her, but you don't like his odds. Tea looks
terrifying. Clearly, he doesn't agree, because he tries to punch her in the gut, but she ducks, coming up behind him and jabbing her heel into the back of his knee, forcing him to the ground.
Vili descends, flanked by a yellow-and-purple drake and a drake the color of slate, and the three of them perch upon his head and shoulders, looking as if they picked their seats completely by accident. Tea sheathes the knife and takes a coil of woven rope from her belt, tying him with more efficiency than you might have expected before rolling him over with a disdainful foot and shoving a gag in his mouth, tying that, too.
"Did he hurt you?" she asks, turning to you, one bare foot pressing against the man's throat to hold him down. She looks down at him. "Stupid, greedy berk. We have more eyes than you'll ever know." With a chirp, your drakes rush over to you, the rest of the flock settling down as half a dozen of them fly off, presumably to find Clara or Barnaby.
What do you do?
A gleam catches Country's eye, she bends down and investigates the source of the shine.
Ember's really glad hat her drakes didn't return at her call. For several reasons, not the least of which is that they did get help. There's a flurry of activity as Tea arrives with what just might be the island's population of drakes along with her own and while there is a bit of pain it's nothing she can't walk off now that she's free of her bindings. With a small laugh and many affectionate head rubs Ember greets her heroic drakes.
"A bit," she admits to Tea, rubbing at her lip which she managed to bite to blood though it's not too bad. "He was here for a...oh!" Ember scrambles up from her crouched position with her drakes to look at the trap the young drake was in. "He had a drake in a trap, poor thing!"
CountryYou have obtained 1x Copper Ore!You pick up the shiny to find a
Copper Ore. Drying it off quickly, you put it away. Do you...
- Continue upstream?
- Head into the forest?
EmberTea shoots the poacher a withering glare before joining you next to the trap, frowning down at it. "This isn't even a good trap," she says disdainfully. "Do you really think we're that stupid?" she asks him, although clearly she isn't expecting an answer with him bound and gagged. With a quick motion, Tea has the trap open and the young drake in her arms, checking it over for injury.
"It's healthy enough," she says, glancing up at you. "A little undernourished and dehydrated but nothing I can't fix. I need to call Barnaby or Clara to get this berk back to base so Dr. Wong can call the authorities. You can keep going if you want, if you're not hurt."
Do you...
- Offer to stay and help watch the poacher?
- Thank her for coming to your rescue (again) and head out?
"That's good," Ember sighs in relief. "I could probably go on but...I'll stay and watch this...berk, did you call him?"
Shaydra tucks the scrap bag into her bag after Tea offers it back to her, thinking of she finds more she can compare them.
"Thank you," she says with a little bow of her head. "I suppose I should get back to exploring!" She grins, glancing up at the sun and then to Chem. "Ready, little friend?" She then pauses, glancing a bit sheepishly back to Tea. "I don't suppose you have a suggestion on which way we should head?"
After putting away the ore Country dries her hands off and looks around. Haru is happily playing in the water of the stream so she decides to continue moving upstream.
EmberTea grins. "Yes, a berk. It means...jerk, or fool. Or both, I suppose." She pulls out a radio. "If you're sure you don't mind, it'll be easier if he tries to make a run for it. The drakes can only do so much."
She radios both Barnaby and Clara, but neither are close by. Barnaby has a truck, however, while Clara does not, so they arrange for him to come and pick up the poacher while Clara continues her patrols.
The poacher doesn't seem to be inclined to try and escape, not with both of you and the remaining half-dozen wild drakes that are watching him. The little drake that he caught in the trap gulps down several berries and half an apple that Tea offers, and then a fish that Vili brings.
After the poacher is picked up, Barnaby asks if you're planning to head back or keep going.
Do you...
- Keep exploring?
- Head back to the Outpost?
Saturnalia || ShaydraTea purses her lips, thinking. "If you've just come from the beach, you can head south into the forest. There's some fruit tree groves there that the drakes like to hang about, and a bit of a lake. It's pretty small. West of here you'll run into one of the big rivers. It's not a good idea to cross that further south so if you want to cross that you should do it now. East's mostly more beach."
Do you...
- Head west?
- Head south?
- Head east?
CountryYou continue upstream until you reach a series of small "rapids," although they really don't pose much of a threat. It's the uphill climb that's the toughest, and even then it's not too bad. As the incline flattens out, you find yourself in the midst of several blooming trees, the air thick with pollen that makes your eyes itch. Do you...
- Head left?
- Cross the stream and head right?
- Examine the trees?
- Continue upstream?
Ember will keep going!
Shaydra listens, making note and nodding as Tea finishes. "Thanks; that's quite helpful!" With a last farewell, she and Chem depart from Tea and make their way west. Seems like a good idea to cross that river where it's safe!
After rubbing her eyes and sneezing several times, Country walks over to examine the trees, the glutton for punishment that she is.
EmberYou keep going, entering the forest and coming to a rocky shelf that protrudes from the ground at an angle. It's large enough for you to climb up, but it's not flat enough that you could stand easily on top. In the shadow of the rock is a pile of fruit remains, mostly cores and seeds, with drake teeth marks.
Do you...
- Head west?
- Head east?
- Head north?
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou head west, finding the river easily. It's about knee-height and wide, but it's relatively slow-moving here. Do you...
- Cross the river?
- Head upstream?
- Head downstream?
CountryYour nose itches and your eyes water as you examine the trees, noting that their blossoms are heavy with a powdery pollen that, when you brush a flower in curiosity, puffs up in a cloud of dust, causing you to cough and sneeze at the same time, a somewhat uncomfortable maneuver. When you can see again, you note that the bark is marked by drake claws.
Do you...
- Get out of there?
- Climb a tree?
Ember shooes her drakes away from the clearly nibbled on food remnants and heads west.
With a good opportunity to do so, Shaydra figures that she and Chem should cross the river. She hasn't yet seen what lies to the land on the other side, and now, while it seems easy and safe, is the best bet for getting there. "In we go," she says to Chem as she begins to wade across.
Looking closer at the drake claw marks Country looks around to see if she can spot any other signs of the drake responsible for it. Not finding any other sign on the ground she decides to climb the tree to see if she can spot anything else while Haru bumbles around chasing flowers that occasionally drift down from the trees.
EmberYou head west, walking through a grove of fruit trees with small orange blossoms flecking their branches. Apparently it's not their season quite yet. At the edge of the grove is a dense group of blackberry bushes, all tangled together. You can't walk through it. Do you...
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou cross the river, getting a bit wet, but thankfully not falling in or anything else untoward. At the far side, you find what could be one of Tea's markers for herself. It makes absolutely no sense, just some symbols carved into a wooden post that's haphazardly wedged between two rocks. There aren't even any arrows. Do you...
- Head upstream?
- Head downstream?
- Head into the forest?
CountryYou climb the tree, but your eyes water so much that you miss your intended handhold and slip, coming crashing down as your other hand fails to hold your weight. You sit in a heap at the base of the tree, eyes watering from pain and also itchiness, and take stock of yourself. Nothing broken, just some bruises and what feels like a splinter in one hand, but you can't see clearly enough to pull it out. Maybe it's time to leave? Do you...
- Head left?
- Cross the stream and head right?
- Continue upstream?
Shaydra and Chem take a moment to look around, noting the marker but not really understanding. With a glance up, down, and then at the forest, Shay offers a shrug and then the pair heads downstream.
Looks like it's time to head north!
Mumbling, grumbling, and rubbing now sore, aching spots; Country decides to rince her eyes in the stream and then continue upstream.
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou head downstream, finding a tiny waterfall where the stream flows over a rocky lip. Just a little further on, the stream becomes choked with waterlilies as it feeds into a small pond. Do you...
- Stop to admire the lilies?
- Head west?
- Head north?
- Head east?
EmberYou head north, successfully circumventing the blackberries and coming to a rocky stretch littered with old, broken eggshells in a rainbow of colors. The ground here is flecked with tiny, shiny bits of ore, none of them big enough to be of any use. You come to a scar in the dirt, where it looks like the drakes have been digging. You might find some good-sized pieces of ore if you did some digging too. Do you...
- Do a bit of light digging?
- Continue north?
- Investigate the area to look for wild drakes or eggs?
CountryYou continue upstream, sighing with relief as the itchiness begins to dissipate, although it doesn't fade away completely. At least you can see clearly now, and you've stopped sneezing. A fallen tree blocks your path, although it doesn't impede the stream. You could climb over, or you could walk around. Do you...
- Climb over?
- Walk around?
- Cross the stream?
Country walks around the tree looking around it to see if there is anything of interest laying around it.
Let's dig!
Shaydra enjoys the walk, and Chem splashes around at the edge of the water as they head downstream. The sound of the small waterfall is a calming, pleasant noise as they approach and pass it, and Shay finds herself feeling quite peaceful. Coming to the pond, she stops to admire the lilies.
ADVENTURER'S PERMIT APPLICATION
Name: Ree ((6 foot tall humanoid with three pair of large black/blue wings. Glowing pale blue cat like eyes, white hair with an aqua aura necklace. He has clothes! ... I am lazy XD ))
Drake(s): 108-Dawn's Chirp
(https://imgur.com/WuUxUYx.png)
Ask Tea for directions.
CountryYou walk around the tree, but find nothing of interest as you do so. Continuing upstream, you encounter a small, rather fierce looking drake with a white face. It appears to be guarding something - possibly an egg? - in the tall grass behind it.
Do you...
- Give it a wide berth and continue upstream?
- Attempt to offer it something to eat? Requires 1x any ore or mineral, 1x sunfruit, or 1x rissica berry
EmberYou start to dig, and come up immediately with a
Copper Ore! You pocket it.
You have obtained 1x Copper Ore!Do you...
- Keep digging?
- Continue north?
- Investigate the area to look for wild drakes or eggs?
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou stop to admire the lilies. As you do so, something sparkly catches your eye in the water below. Do you...
- Fish it out of the water?
- Head west?
- Head north?
- Head east?
Midnight Phantom || ReeAfter Dr. Wong has given you your map, as well as checking over your supplies, she sends you out to meet a young man by the name of Barnaby, who shuttles you out to one of the expedition areas. After all, if everyone is exploring right next to the Outpost, there won't be much by the way of discovery, will there? He mentions that you might meet a Tea, the only authorized permanent resident of Odekka and the one in charge of the shelter on the east side of the island, or a Clara Woods, tasked with law enforcement, preservation, and anti-poaching measures. Both of them are authorized to be on the island, and are to be treated as DEO officers.
After Barnaby leaves you, you look around. You are on the bank of a wide, lazy river. To the east you can see the glitter of the ocean. Do you...
- Head west, upriver?
- Head east, downriver?
- Head north, into the forest?
- Head south, into the forest?
YourLoveOnly || YLOTea looks thoughtful. "If you head east now, you'll be heading towards the coast. There's a flock that hangs out around the salt licks that way, although this time of year you might not find them there. West's the mountains, you're not allowed up there just yet, but there's some caves that way. I recommend you be really careful, though. They're a maze. We're pretty far north, so if you head north you'll hit the coast sooner rather than later. Not much between here and there, but you might enjoy the lake. If you head south, it's mostly forest for a long while, although there's an exposed ore vein if you want to try watching for wild drakes. They spend a lot of time there."
Do you...
- Head east?
- Head west?
- Head north?
- Head south?
Ember will keep digging, just a bit more!
EmberYou keep digging, and come up with nothing. How unfortunate! Do you...
- Continue north?
- Investigate the area to look for wild drakes or eggs?
Well, why not investigate the area.
Ree watched as Barnaby faded into the distance and chuckled to himself as they were finally alone after the long trip. "Well then..." he muttered to no one i particular as he took a moment to pulled his pack off and readjust the contents so it wasn't slamming into the back of his wing and his kidney with each step, something he was reluctant to do when everyone seemed to be in a hurry.
Once that was done he turned to look for his drake, the little lizard was chasing something through the grass followed by wild movement and finally soft crunch crunch crunch of an unfortunate insect.
"Huh...I hope you'll share next time. Lets go Chip" Ree called the drake and picked a direction pretty easily, glancing back as they headed east toward the ocean.
The ore vein and Wild drakes sound nice so let's head south.
OOC: I'm quoting my last bit of story since it's been so long. ^_^;; I'm sorry!
Quote from: SeaCrest on June 02, 2019, 01:24:28 AM
Ryuukokoro || Ryuu
You climb over the tree, landing on the other side none the worse for the wear, although you have picked up some dirt, but that's easily brushed away. It's clearly been some time since it fell, as the path here is starting to be reclaimed by the grass and other undergrowth, but it's clear enough that you can continue for a while. Eventually, you come to another fallen tree, this one snapped in half, as if by a great weight or a storm. Do you...
- Inspect the tree?
- Continue onward along the faint path?
- Head towards what appears to be a clearing on your left?
My two Drakes have no trouble, of course, watching me from the air as I scramble over the fallen tree. "Thanks for the help," I mutter at them. Cross finds a comfortable place on my shoulder once I'm done, and Moss flutters off to inspect a bush, both completely ignoring me.
Although it wasn't a hard climb, I'm still bruised from yesterday so I decide I want to keep things easy. I
head towards what I think is a clearing on my left.
Shaydra takes a moment to look at the flowers, and notices the sparkle. Carefully, she tries to fish it out of the water.
Country stops dead in her tracks in front of the little drake, who looks rather disgruntled. Haru peaks out from behind her and then begins to nudge her bag. Puzzled and rather annoyed at the insistent nudging and pestering, Country removes her bag which Haru promptly knocks from her hands and dives into.
Country frowns at her drake and bends over to retrieve her bag as Haru knocks out the copper ore they found earlier. Country looks from Haru to the ore to the drake. Haru gently nudges the ore in the direction of the drake, who has caught sight of the shiny and seems like it might be interested in investigating it.
Country picks up the ore and looks at Haru, "You want me to give this to the drake?"
Haru chirps and bobs her head up and down.
Country takes a step towards the drake and extends her hand with the Copper Ore in it, "would you like this?"
EmberYou wander around a bit, poking at old nests and broken eggshells, until you come across what appears to be a freshly laid nest - the two eggs look relatively soft, their colors marbled together underneath bright patterns. Do you...
- Touch one?
- Look around for an adult drake?
- Leave the nest and continue north?
Midnight Phantom || ReeYou head east toward the ocean, coming to the wide deltas that precede the saltwater. It's sandy and shallow, the water somewhat murky thanks to the fine particles that make up the mud here. Do you...
- Continue east?
- Stop to do some digging?
- Head north, into the forest?
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou head south, pushing your way through thick forest as you try to keep your heading. You come to a clearing that looks as if it has been burned from the center out; there is ash floating in the breeze and charred grass beneath your feet. Do you...
- Hurry past and continue south?
- Stop to try and investigate?
Ryuukokoro || RyuuYou head towards what appears to be a clearing, coming to an irregular semicircle of open space among the trees. A small pool of water lays at one end, with no obvious source leading to it. Do you...
- Investigate the pool?
- Head south?
- Head east?
- Head west?
Saturnalia || ShaydraWhen you fish the sparkly object out of the water, you find that it is a Rough Diamond! After drying it off, you put it away.
You have obtained 1x Rough Diamond!Do you...
- Head west?
- Head north?
- Head east?
CountryThe drake eyes you warily before darting forward in a quick motion and seizing the copper ore in its jaws, tucking it behind itself as it settles back into the tall grass, looking much more friendly.
1x Copper Ore has been removed from your inventory!Do you...
- Try to approach the drake further?
- Continue upstream?
Stop to try and investigate!
Though you would think I had enough of water for a lifetime, the scientific part of me is intrigued by a pool with no apparent source or runoff. Curiously I approach the pool, keeping a wary eye out for anything else strange in the area.
Shaydra, pleased with the find, packs it away and then takes a moment to look around. She's somewhat at a loss for which direction to go in, and turns to Chem, who's investigating the edge of the lily pond.
"What do you think? Any particular direction you'd like to go in?"
Chem looks up, looks around, and then trots off in a generally west-ish direction.
Country cooks at the new drake and tells it how pretty it is and how majestic it is while slowly trying to approach closer
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou stop to investigate, noting that there are drake footprints in the ashes, as well as ruffled marks that look like they were created when a drake took off.
At the center of the clearing, you find a charred black ball, nestled in the dirt. Do you...
- Try to pick it up?
- Leave it alone and continue on your way?
Ryuukokoro || RyuuYou approach the pool, and find that it seems to be a stagnant puddle, albeit a very large puddle - the water is murky and green with accumulated algae, and there are no fish or insects in the water. Do you...
- Stick a hand in the water?
- Head south?
- Head east?
- Head west?
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou head west through the trees, needing to duck as some low-hanging branches block your way. The chatter of wild drakes sounds above your head, but try as you might, you can't spot them. Do you...
- Continue west?
- Climb a tree to try and spot the drakes?
CountryThe drake seems displeased by your approach, spreading its wings in a mantling gesture and baring its small teeth at you. You pause, and just in time, too, as another drake, this one big and black, with green wings, descends from the trees, much closer to you, with a warning hiss.
Do you...
- Back away slowly?
- Try to offer this drake something to eat as well? Requires 1x any ore or mineral, 1x sunfruit, or 1x rissica berry.
Try to pick it up! :O
Take not without asking (or checking if it's abandoned! Ember checks for an adult drake.
Country reaches in her pocket and produces another copper ore and offers it to the angry drake.
((I know I have another ore in my inventory, I dunno if I can use it or if it is only limited to what I have found here))
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou go to pick it up, but as soon as you do so, the ball flares white-hot, and you drop it in shock and pain. As the ball falls, it ignites into flames, but with nothing left to burn, it quickly putters out again.
Do you...
- Touch the ball again?
- Pour the contents of your water bottle over it?
- Tend to your burnt hand?
EmberThere appears to be no adult drake nearby - by now you think one would have shown up, since you're so close to the nest. Perhaps they're off looking for food?
Do you...
- Touch one?
- Leave the nest and continue north?
CountryThis drake does not seem inclined to take your peace offering, snapping tiny, sharp teeth at you and extending its wings further as the tip of its tail twitches in agitation. Maybe you should leave...
You back away slowly, pocketing the ore and holding up both hands to show that they're empty. The drake watches you until you leave, eyes fixed on you even as it vanishes behind the trees as you hurry away.
Do you...
((all items in your inventory and your expedition inventory are fair game! I don't track what you got when, so it would be a headache and a half to limit you to only things you found during this particular expedition!))
As tempted as Ember is to touch the eggs, they do look a bit too soft for that to be safe to do. Better that she doesn't hurt them just because of her curiosity, especially with no adult drake to defend them. With a longing sigh she scoots her drakes away from the nest and continues north.
Ree paused by the delta's edge sweeping his wings behind him as he knelt to take a closer look at the mesh of water and silt. "Odd...." he muttered softly as he pulled back his sleeve and dipped his hand into the shallow murky water and started digging a little out of curiosity.
Chirp moved closer watching him then moving to the water's edge to see what he was doing.
EmberYou head north, hoping that you might find other eggs later. Soon you come to a copse of sunfruit trees by an open meadow. Do you...
- Pick a sunfruit?
- Cross the meadow?
Midnight Phantom || ReeAt first, you find nothing, just more silt and mud, but eventually, your fingers catch on something hard. Pulling it out of the water, you find that it's a piece of
Rough Quartz. After rinsing it off and drying it, you tuck it into your pocket for later.
You have obtained 1x Rough Quartz!Do you...
- Continue east?
- Head north, into the forest?
Startled by how angry the drake became, Country quickly moves away to leave them in peace. She looks around and then decides to head North.
Shaydra is, after all, a leopard. Sort of. She's good at climbing... well, usually, at least. She decides to climb a tree to see if she can spot the drakes.
Ember happily picks a sunfruit.
Although the sight of a boggy marsh might turn off some people, I found it quite fascinating. Wondering if any little frogs or turtles were under the surface (and if Cross and Miss would like to play with them) I stuck a hand into the pond.
Let's tend to my burnt hand first. I'll figure out an alternative to investigate the ball later.
CountryYou head north, coming to a small, irregular circle of rocks, some of them wide and flat enough to sit or stand on, others to pointy or jagged to sit on comfortably. Do you...
- Stop for lunch?
- Continue north?
- Head west?
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou climb a tree, and come face to face with a curious drake with rainbow wings. Do you...
- Say hello?
- Offer it something to eat? Requires 1x any ore or mineral, 1x sunfruit, or 1x rissica berry.
- Climb back down?
EmberYou have obtained 1x Sunfruit!After putting away your newly acquired sunfruit, do you...
- Head north across the meadow?
- Head south again?
- Head northwest across the meadow?
- Head northeast across the meadow?
Ryuukokoro || RyuuYou stick a hand in the water and feel around for a bit, you're somewhat startled when a frog leaps out at you, quickly bounding away. In that moment of panic, however, your fingers brushed against something rather hard...
Do you...
- Try to pick it up?
- Head south?
- Head east?
- Head west?
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou tend to your burned hand. While you do so, the ball continues to smoke, but by the time you've finished, it appears to be just a black ball once more. Do you...
- Touch the ball again?
- Pour water over it?
- Leave?
I doubt repeating the same action will get a much better result, so let's try some water!
Time to continue north across the meadow!
Surprised, I curled my taloned hand around something hard. Now I wasn't expecting that! With a curious frown I tried to pull it out.
Shaydra, slightly startled by suddenly being face-to-face with the drake, is glad for her claws and retains her grip on the tree. "What a lovely thing you are," she murmurs quietly. "Hungry?" Certainly, food is a good way for people to make friends with her, so she hopes for similar results with the drake. She carefully reaches into one of her packs, feeling around, and pulls out a Sunfruit to offer it.
Ree blinked and looked pleased at the stone he found, shifting it in the light to catch the subtle play of light along some of the rougher edges before a nudge drew his attention away. Chip was already moving away deciding it was bored, heading east. .
Ree raised a brow "So impatient... and you eat this like this silly drake" pocketing and moving after Chirp.
Finding a nice comfy rock, Country sits and has lunch and admires the view.
YourLoveOnly || YLOWhen you pour water over the ball, it immediately is obscured by thick, black smoke. Your eyes water as you cough, but when you can finally see again, the ball appears to have dissolved, leaving a small, white seed behind.
Do you...
- Pick up the seed?
- Cover the seed in dirt and ash?
- Leave?
EmberYou head north across the meadow, breathing in the smell of grass and flowers as the wind ruffles your hair. A high cry echoes somewhere to your right, followed by raucous bawling, and you look up to see an unfamiliar drake with black and gold markings chasing a flock of crows, one of whom has a brightly colored object clutched in its claws. A drake hatchling, perhaps?
Do you...
- Send your drakes after the crows to try and help?
- Continue north?
Ryuukokoro || RyuuYou pull the object out, and after rinsing it off, find that it is a
Bismuth Crystal! It's somewhat dulled by its extended time in the water, but your drakes still eye it with interest.
You have obtained 1x Bismuth Crystal!Do you...
- Head south?
- Head east?
- Head west?
Saturnalia || ShaydraThe drake accepts your gift, taking a dainty bite before seizing the fruit in its foreclaws and backing up so that it can balance it on the branch while it eats.
1x Sunfruit removed!Do you...
- Try to pet it?
- Just watch while it eats?
- Climb down?
Midnight Phantom || ReeYou head east, coming to the ocean proper as the dirt beneath your feet turns to golden sand. The water laps at the shore gently, a tide line clear well above the edge of the water, dotted with seaweed, driftwood, shells, and other ocean debris. Do you...
- Head north along the beach?
- Head south along the beach?
- Take a swim?
CountryYou eat some lunch, but when you go to leave, you realize that you cannot get up. You can shift around on the rock, but when you try to stand up, your muscles won't obey. Do you...
- Call Barnaby for assistance?
- Send your drake for assistance?
- Take a nap, since you can't get up anyway?
Country struggles to get up, but can't, after several minutes of fighting with the stone she gives up and looks over at Haru who is looking at her like she has lost her mind but is highly amused by the situation.
"Are you just going to sit there and look at me or are you gonna go get help?" She asks the perplexed drake.
Ember startles at the abrupt cry she hears and turns in the direction of it. It only takes a moment of her observing the scene before she says, "Andromeda, Rhea, go help out please?" Hopefully sending her drakes after the crows too will do some good.
Shaydra is content to sit and watch the Drake eat, not wanting to bother it while it enjoys the Sunfruit. She admires its markings, intrigued by how many different patterns and colors the creatures come in. "Each of you certainly is unique," she murmurs quietly to the drake as it eats.
Pick up the seed
CountryYour drake flies off, leaving you to sit and twiddle your thumbs, hoping that your drake has actually gone to find help, and can bring said help back to you.
They're gone for over an hour before you hear the sound of something large approaching through the trees. Given that there are no large predators on the island, you're not particularly frightened.
A slender, compact girl with nut-brown skin and oddly reddish brown hair falling in a wild, curly mass to her hips emerges through the trees, barefoot, although she's wearing a utility belt over a many-pocketed khaki vest and khaki shorts. A long-bladed bushknife is strapped to her thigh, and a pair of drakes seem to be following her.
She crinkles her nose when she sees you sitting there. "I was afraid this was the case. This is your drake, I take it?" gesturing to your drake, who is sitting at your feet now. "I'm Tea. I'm a caretaker of this island, I s'pose. How long have you been sitting there? I'm not great at magic myself so if you've got an emergency maybe I should call Dr. Wong and get Bracken out here, but if not I can get you loose. It'll just take me a bit."
Do you...
- Respond politely?
- Respond in annoyance?
EmberYour drakes dart after the crows, joining the black and gold drake as it chases the black birds. The three of them are wary of attacking the birds and harming its burden, but with three of them, they manage to drive the crow to the ground, long enough for the black and gold drake to seize the hatchling and wrap protective wings around it. The crow flaps off, indignant, while its flock-mates jeer at it for losing its prize. They disappear into the trees.
Do you...
- Hurry over to try and offer help?
- Call your drakes back now that the danger has passed?
Saturnalia || ShaydraThe drake polishes off the sunfruit, apparently happy to let you stay in its personal space, and when it is finished, seed and all, it even butts up against your cheek in a friendly manner. Then it spreads its wings and takes off, disappearing into the trees.
Do you...
- Climb down?
- Sit for a while and enjoy the quiet?
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou pick up the seed, which is now cool to the touch. It doesn't seem dangerous anymore...
Do you...
- Plant it somewhere?
- Take it back to Dr. Wong?
- Have your drake sniff it and watch for a reaction?
Ember heaves a sigh of relief as the crows leave. Birds are, in her experience, utterly terrifying. She hurries over to try and offer help to the black and gold drake now clearly guarding something. "Hey there, they're gone now. Are you okay? Is uh...is whatever they took okay?"
I am very curious about this strange seed and doubt I will find out much more on my own, so let's take it back to Dr. Wong.
Ree paused in front of the water, watching it lap along his shoes as he just took it all in with a hint of wonder and amusement because Chirp was trying to decide why there was so much water and ran to and from the wave. For a moment the though of taking a swim crossed his mind but he quickly dispose of that as he took a running leap into the air and hovered above the water a little before flying north, whistling a little for Chirp still on the ground.
Shaydra is glad that the drake seems friendly and is a little sad to see it go. Still, it was a unique experience to briefly bond with one of the wild drakes! She decides to sit for a while longer to enjoy the quiet up in the tree.
My eyes lit up. "Well that was not what I expected to see at all!" I said, holding up the crystal for my Drakes to get a look at. Both of them eagerly pushed their snouts toward the crystal, but I tucked it away before they could get any ideas.
Once I had it safely stowed away where the two Drakes couldn't nibble on it without my knowing, I decided to continue on our exploration. I chose south randomly and struck out.
Relieved to see help arrive she gratefully replied, "I am in no rush at all, I'm just happy to see you!"
Ree lands finally and waits for chirp who gives him an annoyed look before climbing onto his shoulders, her intent clear.
"Oww.." he muttered and waited though, taking a deep breath as he moved North, not risking a swim alone with his wings.
Sorry about the wait, everyone!
EmberThe black and gold drake eyes you for a moment before slowly pulling back a wing to reveal a pink, red, and white hatchling curled in a protective ball, a set of nasty-looking scratches visible along its ribs. Do you...
- Reach out to examine the hatchling?
- Offer both parent and hatchling something to eat? Requires 1x fruit, mineral, or ore.
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou decide that it would be best to take the seed back to Dr. Wong or Barnaby for identification. You're no botanist, after all. Do you...
- Call Barnaby for pickup now?
- Save the seed and continue exploring?
Midnight Phantom || ReeYou head north, over the water, but soon an irate drake appears, scolding, and a half dozen more soon follow, all of them darting at you and trying to drive you to the ground. It could be an attempt at defense, given that they don't have large, flying creatures here. Do you...
- Head down to the sand?
- Go for a swim?
- Try to outfly them?
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou sit for a bit, eyelids drooping as you start to get sleepy. Perhaps a brief nap is in order?
Do you...
- Take a snort nap?
- Climb down and continue exploring?
Ryuukokoro || RyuuYou head south, back into the forest. After a while, you stop, looking at a tree stump that you could have sworn you passed earlier. Do you...
- Continue walking?
- Continue walking, but leave yourself trail signs?
- Try to go back the way you came?
CountryTea hums to herself as she pulls bundles of herbs from her various pouches and pockets, apparently none of which are suitable. Eventually, she unearths a rough clay jar sealed with wax, which she pops open, wrinkling her nose at the smell.
"Sorry, this is a bit pungent," she tells you as she smears some of the black paste on the stone around you. "Don't touch it, now." That done, she closes the jar and draws some glyphs in the paste with the end of a branch, squinting at her work. The stuff really does smell, and you fight the urge to sneeze as Tea locates a bundle of herbs and pulls two stems from it holding them between her teeth as she hunts for something else. She comes up with a lighter, which she uses to set the herbs on fire, waving the smoking, quickly burning stems above you. You try to stand up, but you're still stuck fast.
Tea scowls. "Oh, all right," she mutters. "I hate it when this happens." She digs in yet another pocket, and comes up with a small white egg, too small to be a chicken or drake egg. Perhaps something like a quail? She smashes the egg on the stone, making a satisfied noise as it immediately turns black and starts to smoke. Using her thumb, she takes the ash from the burned herbs and draws a circle through the smoking egg remains, and as she closes the circle, you feel a great rush, as if something is shoving you to your feet.
"There," Tea announces, grabbing you before you fall over. "They usually don't mind me, but you're a newcomer, so I s'pose they think it's funny."
Do you...
- Thank her and move on?
- Ask her who she means by "they"?
- Ask what she did, exactly?
Midnight Phantom || ReePlease wait for a response before posting again! This ensures that replies are processed smoothly. Thanks!
Country rights herself and turns to look at what she had assumed was a rock, obviously she was mistaken, "Thank you for helping me. What or who are they exactly?" Country asks Tea.
Let's call Barnaby for pickup now. This seed seems really odd and I don't want anything to happen to it!
CountryTea taps her fingers on her belt thoughtfully as she considers her answer. "They're...well, I guess you'd have to call them sentient rocks?" she says, somewhat hesitantly before nodding to herself. "Yes, sentient rocks, although they can move, too, so they're a bit like little rock trolls but without eyes, hands, feet, mouths, and so on. They don't really talk, but they sort of...hum. The drakes seem to understand them a bit better than I do. They're quite curious, and you'll sometimes find them in odd places around the island because they like to explore. Mostly, though, they kind of just...sit there. I'm not sure if they're actually sentient or if they're leftovers from some great spell. Dr. Farrowstead seems to have an idea, but since they're not malicious she's let them be for now."
Do you...
- Thank her and move on?
- Ask what she did, exactly?
YourLoveOnlyYou radio for Barnaby, who instructs you to strike out west so he can meet you past the edge of the forest - by his reckoning you're only an hour or two away, and he can't reach you in the truck where you are. He still beats you there, and you find one of Dr. Farrowstead's drakes swooping through the trees to peer at you before Barnaby meets you halfway. He takes you back to the truck, and listens as you explain the strange clearing and the seed you're carrying. Barnaby doesn't seem to know what it is, but he tells you that if Dr. Wong doesn't know either, they'll contact Dr. Farrowstead and Tea, to see if either of them have an idea.
As it turns out, Dr. Wong doesn't know what it is, although she's heard something about it; she instructs you to hand the seed off to Dr. Farrowstead when you return to the mainland. In the meantime, it's rather late, and the next plane won't be coming until tomorrow, so she sets you up in one of the temporary lodging rooms for the night.
Expedition complete! You have gained 3 expedition EXP!
You may now apply for another expedition!
ADVENTURER'S PERMIT APPLICATION
Name: YLO
Drake(s): 009 - Poi
YourLoveOnly || YLOAfter Dr. Wong has given you your map, as well as checking over your supplies, she sends you out to meet Barnaby, who shuttles you out to one of the expedition areas. After all, if everyone is exploring right next to the Outpost, there won't be much by the way of discovery, will there?
After Barnaby leaves you, you look around. You're on the bank of a wide river, which flows down from the mountains north of you. The river flows west. Do you...
- Head north to the mountains?
- Head downriver?
- Head upriver?
- Cross the river?
I don't really fancy a climb, so let's head away from the mountains and head downriver.
((ah sorry! I check every few days and just saw the response and not my own post XD yeaa need to make an icon...eventually::facepalms :: ))
Ree backed wing in alarm, taking a moment to realize a drake had tried to divebomb him. "Hey... " he started softly trying to calm the drake down as Chip flew up and started scolding back. "It's okay.......No, Itss not okay ... not okay at all" he muttered spotting 6 more drakes coming and moving to bombard them.
"Don't think that is going to work" he said urgently, plucking his own drake out of the sky and and diving only to slide his wings out again after a second or two and tried to use his momentum to gain speed as he tried to escape the mob of drakes. Out-flying them was his first thought as Chirp squirmed in his arms, still scolding. "Shh" he muttered softly, feeling a few burning scratches and hits on his side and back from where some drakes did manage to score him.
Ember freezes when the drake reveals the hatchling it was protecting. "Oh the poor thing," she says. "Can I- I don't want to hurt them, but those look bad and I'd need a better look?" She's sort of asking permission as she reaches out to examine the hatchling. Rhea and Andromeda coo quietly from beside her.
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou head downriver, cognizant of the gentle slope of the terrain as you move further away from the mountains. The riverbank is populated with tall reeds and cattails, with the occasional cluster of some yellow-gold flowers with small petals and spiky leaves; in some areas, the bank is nonexistent, flattening out into a muddy stretch before it meets the water.
As the river curves gently, you spot something that doesn't seem like it belongs here, something uniformly square. Do you...
- Investigate?
- Continue downriver?
- Head south?
Midnight Phantom || ReeYour greater wingspan works in your favor, and you manage to outpace the attacking drakes and flee. They give up once you're away from the beach, but now you're not quite sure where you are. Do you...
- Land and try to navigate on foot?
- Try to look for a landmark?
EmberThe black and gold drake eyes you keenly, but shifts enough that you can gently pick up the hatchling to examine it. The scratches aren't insignificant, but they're probably not deep enough to require stitches. They are covered in dirt, however, and should be washed.
Do you...
- Use your water bottle to wash off the worst of the dirt first?
- Go for your first aid kit?
Investigate!
Use the water bottle to wash them out first!
"Interesting," Country says more to herself than anyone else. "What exactly did you do to get them to let me go?"
Shaydra is, after all, part leopard. She decides that, comfy as she is, wedged nicely in this tree, it's as good a time as any to take a short nap.
Ree finally slowed and looked back when he stopped hearing the sound of wing beats other than his own. He stared and slowly moved to a hover waiting a little longer before starting to laugh, somehow he should have expected that but really he didn't.
Chirp did as her name and made a sound almost like a chirp still squirming before lightly biting his hand and looking up waiting.
"No." he looked down at her and shifted her grip so she could cling to his clothes as he held her one handed. "Let me find where we are first " he said with a grin still plastered on his mouth as he went up higher and a little back along the island looking for a landmark.
YourLoveOnly || YLOYou move closer to investigate, finding yourself staring down at something dull brown and square embedded in the mud. Or perhaps not embedded, merely covered...
Do you...
- Wash off the mud?
- Continue downriver?
EmberThe hatchling squalls at you as you pour water on it, but the dirt comes off easily. You can see the scratches better now, and note that the hatchling's blood appears to be golden in color, rather than the expected red. It turns to try and lick its own wounds, nearly rolling itself out of your hands.
Do you...
- Offer it some food? Requires 1x any ore or mineral, 1x sunfruit, or 1x rissica berry
- Disinfect the wounds?
CountryTea smiles as she packs up her things. "I'm not actually sure. Dr. Farrowstead developed the recipe and the process, and taught it to me. I had a...different way of dealing with them. Less pleasant. This is much better for the both of us, but when they get stubborn I have to use an egg. Something about sealing their power, I think? That's what the herbs are for, and the circle."
You thank her, brushing yourself off as she waves at you cheerfully before disappearing into the trees. Eyeing the rocks warily, you consider your options.
Do you...
- Continue north?
- Head west?
Saturnalia || ShaydraYou take a quick nap to refresh yourself. When you wake up, there's an egg in your lap that wasn't there before.
You have obtained 1x Wild Egg!Cradling it carefully, you look around, but there are no drakes to be seen. Is this a gift?
Do you...
- Take the egg?
- Leave the egg?
Midnight Phantom || ReeThere's a large lake to the west, and mountains to the east. You could also head southwest towards the beach.
Do you...
- Head to the lake?
- Head to the mountains?
- Head to the beach?
Wash off the mud!
Keeping a good deal of space between myself and the rocks I decided to continue heading North.
Hi guys, I have an important update here:
I have to shut down the expedition thread for the foreseeable future without finishing the current ongoing expeditions. I'm really sorry guys, it's been so long that I don't remember a lot of my intended story paths for the existing expeditions & I'm struggling to keep everything straight in my head. I'm going to be redoing the system & writing predetermined story paths so it's more like a Choose Your Own Adventure game & I don't have to think up entirely new responses to everyone. There'll also be an actual map for reference, with coordinates. Everyone who has an ongoing expedition will receive a randomly drawn Silver Ore, Gold Ore, or Wild Egg. Again, I'm really sorry!