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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Jan 15, 2023 20:46:02 GMT -5
A trip to the Marsh Flats was a mixed bag for the kenku. On the one hand, these places often had lots of alchemical ingredients that sold well because no one likes traveling to the swamp to forage or trade for them. On the other hand, the last part of that sentence. For someone of low strength and an affinity for traveling at speed, having to pull your talons out of the muck every step was a hassle. Though Fish's relatively low weight meant they never sunk too deep.
Kvasir and Morrigan had convinced Fish that some honest work for the Golden Consortium could be a good outlet for them, Morrigan also promised on the side this would be a good avenue for crime in the future. The tiefling did fail to mention Fish would need to actually traverse the swamp and find it instead of just stealing it, and for that he would add another line in the 'Reasons to Stab Morrigan Moonweaver' page of their not book.
They look to the woman who is supposedly joining them on the journey. Now there was someone who was really going to struggle in this swamp it seemed. The incense would do nicely to keep the strong swamp smell away, but they didn't imagine the armor would help while walking.
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Post by Gwendolyn on Jan 16, 2023 20:46:09 GMT -5
"Don't look at me" Gwen spat, already annoyed at the prospect of trudging through the swamp. The Golden Consortium was a prestigious institution indeed, but at what lengths would she need to go to join. The mud and grime and already found its way into the boots she had so carefully wrapped, and now each step was like wading through a smelly pile of wet laundry. The weight of her armour and maul did little to prevent further sinkage, especially in the deeper parts of the marsh where she found herself wading waist deep in mud to make progress. On top of that, the whole place stank to high heaven, Gwendolyn resorting to stuffing her nose to keep the smells her heavy incense would not keep at bay. Even her perfume laden veil did little to keep the swamp stench out of her nostrils, her acute sense of smell overwhelmed with the scent of rot and decay. "Bird, how far are we from the moss. It would seem as though we've been walking in circles for hours." She was not an adept, or even a novice tracker or outdoorsman. To her, all these marshlands and puddles were one long never ending nightmare of grime and disease that on top of it all, looked exactly the same no matter how far they went. Nevertheless, it was a necessary journey. The spike moss they sought emitted a toxic gas that may indeed be harmful, but would increase the potency of perfumes by several orders of magnitude.
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Jan 17, 2023 17:08:53 GMT -5
Fish referred to their notes a few times as they walked, looking out for different signs of their current quarry. You would think a plant wouldn't be hard to find, but this wouldn't be a very good introductory quest if it was an easy to acquire ingredient. Once more Fish regrets agreeing to do actual work. It's not made any easier given the company it seems. By the mix of scents Fish could make an assumption about their interest in the guild, but that shouldn't matter. At least they looked tough which could keep predators away.
"Fish is looking for signs of animals that may eat the moss.....though the noise may be keeping them away." Fish would immediately go to their chalk and slate, gathering the woman wouldn't know sign language. Spike Moss was poisonous to most humanoids, but there's likely more than a few animals out here that have adapted to it. In particular, Fish was interested in finding a couple of swamp snails. Not only do they gorge themselves on the moss, they were pretty distinct and expensive. Apparently they break down the moss in just the right way that makes them a 'delicacy.'
What Fish hoped they wouldn't find was a swamp elk, a dangerously large elk that also liked to eat the moss for the special feeling it gave them. Snails would be easy to collect and gather. The elk could trample them both to death. Fish knew which they preferred.
"Look for snails, purple bodies, brown shells should be about the size of a walnut."
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Post by Gwendolyn on Jan 17, 2023 21:45:59 GMT -5
The birdman held up his slate, covered in white marks indiscernible to Gwendolyns ill functioning vision. It probably was not important enough to waste any of her precious smelling salts on to actually decode it, probably just some inane rambling about how beautiful she was. Regardless, she squinted and leaned forward far enough that some of the marks actually began to take form, albeit marginally. She stopped learning script at a relatively young age, her vision leaving her at around eleven, and it's not like she received alot of practice.
Fish....Animals....Moss...Noise....Purple....Shells.....Walnut? It became apparent that Fsshh was trying to tell her how to find the Moss, though it was hardly sensible. Fish animals moss, so it was presumably near water. Great, that was helpful. Noise, purple shells walnut. What did a purple walnut have to do with this at all, maybe a plant where the moss could be found? All she knew was that this Fsshh, whoever he may be, absolutely could not know that she had no idea what she was doing. Her alchemical knowledge was focused more on smoke and the mixture of chemicals with air than botany.
"Right, I'll keep an eye out." The pair trudged through the mud for several minutes, parting the tall grass and cattails to discover a small clearing with what seemed to be a swampy pond. The water was thick with lily pads and scum, surrounded by several old boulders on the other side. The grass shuddered with fleeing toads and small game stirred by the sudden disturbances.
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Jan 18, 2023 15:43:36 GMT -5
This will be an issue....Fish cannot talk and this woman cannot read. Perhaps Fish will make them glasses sometime in the future or at least ask about it, but that was a problem for the future. Fish would concern themselves with the task at hand before worrying about anything else. Not like they could do much for it at the current moment anyways, swamps make for poor places to do optometry.
Thick lily pads and lots of animals nearby would be good, it meant there was a lot of biodiversity which meant there would be a lot of plant life. Fish scans around once more trying to find their quarry.
It seems another annoyingly fruitless search until Fish spots it. The excited little chirp they make is seemingly the first noise they've made that Gwen could hear. Fish points just ahead to a patch of spiky looking moss. It lines a few tree trunks and rocks like little sea urchins.
The kenku is about to sprint towards it when a sharp and shrill bleat pierces the calm of the swamp. The high and long call is accompanied by the galumphing of large hooves, a swamp elk coming into view of the trees. It stands about the same distance away from the moss as the would-be alchemists, staring at them. It's massive antlers look thicker than the trees themselves, the mega-fauna would be a challenge to deal with.
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Post by Gwendolyn on Jan 18, 2023 17:55:49 GMT -5
A chirp from the bird causes Gwen to look, seeing the excitement she could gather that the Spike moss had been spotted. A quick sniff revealed it's noxious fume, apparent and decadent behind the lingering scent of rot and decay surrounding them. Though something else...musty... also revealed itself in the air, and not a moment later the source would reveal itself as well. A humungous creature of muscle and antler outlined its silhouette against the duller green surroundings. "Fsshh, no sudden movements... I'm sure it'll be fine." She muttered, eyes meeting what was presumably the face of the Swamp Thing. Its hooves stamped into the peat with soggy squelches, defiant snorts through its nostrils as it marked the challenge to its territory. Slowly, Gwendolyn reached her right arm down to her waistbelt, maul still on her left shoulder, and withdrew an hourglass shaped vial. With great care, never taking her eyes off the stamping beast, she brought the vial up to her nostrils, and snapped it in half with her fingers. The smelling salts cleared her vision enough to make out the blood vessels coursing through the Swamp Elks angry eyes as it charged. Water splashed out in all directions as it made its way across the pond, with frogs, lizards, and weird purple snails all making a run for it all at once. "Shit!" She exclaimed, only having enough time to unshoulder Redolence, and brace for a two and a half ton impact.
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Jan 18, 2023 21:08:09 GMT -5
This is why Fish was happy to have bigger people. Animals tended to go for the bigger things, especially if they are clad in shiny armor for some reason. Fish dives to the side along with the frogs. The kenku skids to the side and gets behind a tree. A blackened crossbow is unclipped from the belt clasp they holds it, bolt quickly socketed into place and string drawn back.
They take aim at the elk and fire off a crossbow bolt to their front flank hoping an injury might at least slow it down. The bolt sinks pretty deep into the side of it, but it does little to slow it down. Perhaps this was not a beast to try and get clever with, just go for the kill. Fish would work on quickly trying to reload their crossbow.
As the bird reloads, the elk lets out a loud bellow. It was not happy to be shot, but it couldn't exactly turn on a dime. It bared down on Gwendolyn, head bent ready to gore the knight if she didn't have anything planned. Each hoof clomp sent up sprays of dirt and mud behind it, this would not be a clean fight much to her chagrin most likely.
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Post by Gwendolyn on Jan 18, 2023 21:33:33 GMT -5
Millicent Donwen was a maid, Loyal servant of House Mystwud and personal servant of Lady Gwendolyn. She had lagged behind the two adventurers due to the amount of luggage Gwendolyn had decided to bring, mounted on the maidens back. A cigarette lit dimly on her lips as she braced the bag with her free hands, trudging through the swamp and hoping she did not lag far enough behind the pair to become lost. Luckily, Her lady could be smelled for miles, having quite the unique scent compared to current surroundings. Up ahead, there could be heard the sound of stamping and stomping, lots of water splashing. Had the bird man fallen into a puddle or something?
Her answer came in the form of her lady being thrown through the brush in front of her, landing with a roll through the thick mud and tall grass. Interesting. She put the pack on a nearby rock, and assisted her lady out of the muck. She would certainly be upset about this after the fact, but for right now seemed to focus her anger on the creature that had dirtied her armour in the first place.
"Mil, grab it's attention again""Sure..." Gwendolyn patted the dent in her Cuirass where the Swamp Elk slammed into her. It didnt make it through the armour, but it would certainly need some work after this. Her hair dripped down and stuck to the side of her face, now covered in mud. She was pissed. Clearing the brush between them and the pond with a swing of her maul, she gave Millicent a clear line of sight. Only a moment later, the wind knocked out of her lungs as a powerful arc of lightning lept from her maids pointed finger to the rear of the Elk. A long high pitch yelp echoed through the swamp as it reared before Fish, bands of residual electricity arcing throughout the pond.
The Swamp Elk landed to a charge, racing towards Gwendolyn once again. This time, however, she was ready. She whipped Enlightened Redolence upwards and connected with the creatures jaw, sending it crashing into the brush behind her and to the left. Not nearly even.
"Bird, you alright?" She shouted, meeting Fsshh's beady eyes from across the pond. -Lightning Bolt: By pointing your finger, you send forth a thin, quick beam of lighting shooting out. It will crackle and course through the air in a straight line, blasting through anything in the path of your finger. While it is a thin, easy to dodge beam, it delivers a high amount of damage.
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Jan 18, 2023 21:55:29 GMT -5
Fish took off and weaved through trees and muck, hoping that never giving the elk a good running charge on them would prevent it from coming straight at them. They fire off another shot, this time aiming for its neck. The huffs and bellowing made it hard to find the jugular, but this was another good shot.
A little chirp lets Gwendolyn know that the bird is at least safe for now. The lightning bolt certainly wasn't something they expected to see, but this would definitely be needed. Every bit of help they could get to either dissuade or kill the beast was going to make the difference here. It was certainly hurt, but not quite down for the count.
The elk recenters itself having been sent stumbling off to the side. It shook its head and let out a heated huff, once more stamping the ground. There was no persuading this elk to run away it seemed. This time it aimed to stomp down on top of the woman, rearing back and trying to flatten Gwendolyn and the woman who dared to hurt the majestic swamp elk. Such a proud creature would not just accept such insolence from lowly hand-havers.
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Post by Gwendolyn on Jan 18, 2023 22:30:40 GMT -5
It landed on her, its weight pushing her already heavy frame into the muck and pining her. It's weight held only by her fuming maul, wedged against a rock, It attempted to maneuver its head and antlers down to the woman and gore her. Either that, or she would drown in mud in but a few seconds. She noticed a bolt sticking out of the creatures neck, in between its frenzied thrashing. Millicent would be holding back, more fearful of injuring her master than anything, She retreated back into the brush to dig through the bag for a weapon while Gwendolyn fought. Gritting her teeth, she pushed upwards on the steel bar, bringing the smoldering head of the maul into contact with the Elks muscle and fur. The smell of burning flesh and hair filled her nostrils, as the Elk once more reared up it's head to release a terrible high pitched peal. With a significant amount of effort, and the small amount of leeway that it's rearing afforded her on the weight front, she reached up, ensuring a grip on the crossbow bolt, and pulled. Now instead of mud threatening to choke her, it was replaced with blood. It poured from the wound, having apparently landed very close to something important. The elk released it's weight and began thrashing about in the pond and mud, the water slowly turning a dark crimson as it rubbed it's neck on anything it could. Crashing through the underbrush, it rushed back into the deep swamps. Gwendolyn spat out the effluvia and detritus, rubbing the muck from her eyes to see her maiden standing above her, holding a frying pan. With an outreached hand she was pulled up, and absolutely drenched in all manner of filth. "Not a word, where is that damn moss"
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Jan 18, 2023 22:43:09 GMT -5
Fish was beyond impressed to see Gwendolyn push back this elk in such a fashion. There were plenty of feats of strength at shows and carnivals in Zeinav City, but this was near enough to a miracle that for a moment Fish might believe in the gods.
They are a little hesitant for a moment to approach Gwen, letting the adrenaline exit her system before slipping across the swamp. Fish offers a hand towel up to the towering woman. It wouldn't be enough to completely clean themselves up, but enough that it wouldn't be drenching them anymore.
The kenku skitters away to start cutting away at the pods of moss. It takes a slow and gentle hand so as not to disturb the buds into releasing the toxic spores. It would be incredibly regretful to come through all of this and screw it up at the very end by getting poisoned and dying. Fish took their time, eventually coming away with just enough of a sample for the two of them.
When they rejoin the woman and her maid, Fish offers up the sample. "Good work."
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