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Post by Delaela Fenastra-Asiliari on Feb 14, 2023 11:49:13 GMT -5
Moving West from the Marsh Flats after her... adventure, and as far from Zeinav as she could be, Del did not expect to find anyone she knew here. She knew how close she was to the Crescent Isles now-- home-- but did not yet wish to return. For now, it was better to continue with her plan. Get passage on a ship (horrible) and get across the sea to Frost Gale.
Not that Moonglade itself didn't have a certain peace to it, but it made her feel alienated. This was supposed to be her culture, her people, and she felt no connection to any of it. She felt very much like an outsider, though whether that was part of her memory loss, or something else, more intrinsic, Del did not know. In either case, she knew she did not quite fit in here, and they knew it too. She acted different, sounded different. It was hard to fit in to a place when you felt like an imposter, no matter what you did.
Right now, however. it didn't matter. What Del needed was some coin to be able to pay for her transport across the sea, and she had been able to offer her crafting help in return. The job she had heard about involved a potential thief or angry soul destroying the gardens here, in the Lantern Light Wood. It paid well, and her recount of what had happened in the Zeinav desert had helped to solidify her hiring.
Hearing there would be a partner for this task that would meet her at the edge of the camp, Del could not help but make her way there as soon as the time to depart drew near.
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Feb 14, 2023 16:51:12 GMT -5
It is not hard to identify Fish in the crowd of the village ahead. While small compared to most humanoids, a 2 and a half foot tall crow is pretty strange. A 2 and a half foot tall crow armed to the beak with knives, bolts, and a bandolier of flasks is an entirely stranger sight all together. They sit, legs splayed out, on the table where they sketch in their notebook.
They had already taken care of bugs in this area once before, Fish was curious if a new species had moved in to take over in that vacuum or if this was something else entirely. If it was the same bugs, they would likely need to be eradicated if they could not be convinced to never return. If it was something else, even better. That means entirely new data sets to look over and analyze. Perhaps if it was big enough Fish could test their new poison....granted a bug is hardly a substitute for a god, but it was a start.
The kenku looks up from their notes to see Del approaching. Well, that solved the question of who was coming to help. They also knew the elf was probably thankful there was nothing to steal here. At least nothing that would draw the bird's interest.
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Post by Delaela Fenastra-Asiliari on Feb 15, 2023 16:28:42 GMT -5
Del keeps her head on a swivel, looking for whomever she was supposed to find, when her eyes fall on a familiar face. Or, beak, rather. Seeing the little Kenku, notebook in their lap, looking towards Del with their big eyes, Del finds herself smiling. It was rare she saw the same face twice, especially in her travels, and especially one that was as, well, rambunctious as Fish. It was unexpected, but welcome.
It had been a few weeks, maybe a month, since their delving into the ruins in the desert. That dragon had yet to be found, but it wouldn't be long before it would be seen again, she was sure, but Del hadn't heard much to that. Shortly after meeting Fish in the ruins, she had left the desert altogether to avoid any further pursuit. So far, she had been successful.
"I didn't expect to see you around here, Fish," she says as she walks up, smiling broadly. "I'm glad to see you again. I trust you've been well?" She offers her hand to them for a shake, if they so chose. "I only just picked up the missive and to meet you here. Do you have any information about what we're getting into?"
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Feb 15, 2023 19:11:34 GMT -5
Fish finishes a note before looking up once more, "Fish has been well." They wrap up the cord to tie up their notebook before putting it away. Popping to their feet, Fish tilts their head a bit.
"Fish has not done any scout work yet, Fish is unsure if these are the same pests that Fish had dealt with before. Previously owlbear pheromone was used to trick them into thinking a predator was near, but it seems there is another issue. Fish cannot be sure if it is these same bugs or something else entirely."
Little legs hop down of the table to a bench, then the ground, then over to Del. They are still as well armed as ever with even a few new things under their belt this time, so they certainly have been busy since their desert delving days. Only some of it was crime....most of it, but really who's counting?
"Fish can lead the way to the previous point of infestation. That can be a good starting point and allow Fish a chance to analyze the data on whether or not these could be the same creatures. Fish cannot make many other plans until more information is known."
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Post by Delaela Fenastra-Asiliari on Feb 16, 2023 23:30:30 GMT -5
"Oh, you've dealt with something similar recently?" Del's brows lift, following the hands as Fish signs. After meeting Fish the first time, she finds her ability to understand sign has improved again, practicing on the road to get back into the habit of it. It hadn't been of much use as yet, but for instances like meeting Fish, it was worth remembering.
Speaking of remembering, Fish was sure kitted out in a whole new way. Her brows raise a little higher. "Of course. Please lead the way. What was the infestation like last time?" A small smile crosses her face as she follows behind them; they were still precocious and happy to be in the lead, she could tell. Though not as a leader, she thought; that didn't seem their style. Fish seemed more like the type more apt to work from behind the curtain, so to speak. She wondered if this was how Fish contolled their environment.
Either way, Del does not fuss, calmly following the Kenku. Unlike them, Del looks mainly unchanged. Perhaps a bit less nervous, but at present, no new items or special garments to speak of. As Fish grew and advanced with alarming speed, Del proceeded at her own steady, sure pace.
"You look like you've been busy." Del comments, nodding to the array of things secured around their person. "Have you done anything interesting, lately?"
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Feb 17, 2023 17:09:18 GMT -5
Plip plap, plip plap, the sounds of the little talons hitting soft dirt are barely audible, but there if you have a very careful ear. Their gait is a strange thing to watch in some respects, they are aviankin so it makes sense they walk like a bird, it's just strange seeing such a large bird do it.
Fish is confident in the direction they are headed as the pair start off. "Overgrown grubs or larvae." They hand their notebook back to Del so she can get a look at the drawings. It is best if Del doesn't linger on the multitude of more dangerous designs inside of their notebook....Especially the underlined words POISON TO KILL GOD with a check mark next to it. That probably means nothing.
"If they were bugs in their larval stage, that could explain why the problem has resurfaced....though what they grew into could be troublesome." Fish is musing outloud and by musing, it's silent hand gestures.
They look back to Del when she asks about their business, most people don't follow up like that. "Fish nearly killed Morrigan's boyfriend because Morrigan tried to run two scams at once....It ended fine. Fish got flowers out of it.....Now Fish lives in a shed in the back of their house."
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Post by Delaela Fenastra-Asiliari on Feb 19, 2023 16:59:19 GMT -5
Del watches Fish walk with a little smile, their little slapping steps an almost adorable sound. She keeps that to herself, though, recalling the small kenku's fierce independence. Accepting the handbook, she looks at the drawings of the grubs, impressed with the detail in Fish's design-- and a little surprised by the alchemical formulas on the next page, detailing a 'Poison to Kill God'. Beside it was a check mark.
...there wasn't a whole lot of ways to interpret an entry like that. Suddenly, Del had many questions.
"Right... ah... pupated, correct?" She follows after them, looking up from the book to watch their hands. Fish pivoting to look at her and directly address her question, signing very matter-of-factly. Del blinks rapidly at the response. Stabbing someone... double scams... flowers... living in a shed?
.... Delaela had many, many questions.
"I... see," Del replied slowly. At least, she was trying to see. Fish's machinations were elusive at best, and this glimpse into what they had going on was like opening a door and seeing a whole other world. A smile forms on her face despite herself, bewildered and astonished. "Wow. You really have been busy. Whooo is Morrigan?" That seemed like a good place to start. "And does this have anything to do with the, ah, God Killer Poison in your journal?" She hands it back to them.
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Feb 19, 2023 17:40:48 GMT -5
"Morrigan pretends to be Fish's teacher so that Kvasir doesn't know that Morrigan does crimes with Fish sometimes....the poison is Fish's own design." They take the notebook back and tuck it back into their bag. "Fish likes to have solutions for everything."
The bird hasn't exactly been told that poison is not a solution for everything. As they come into a clearing, the pair see many of the lantern bulbs chewed and destroyed. There are also heavy and deep claw marks in some of the trees. Long dried blood and feathers are scattered everywhere as well. That unfolded about as Fish expected.
Hopping forward, they look over some of the plants, moving the petals with a knife to avoid touching them directly. Fresh bite marks, this wasn't just the lingering damage from the first round of grubs. They look around trying to discern if the bugs have returned or if this is something new.
"Fish is not sure what has changed...whatever is here now is much bigger than the grubs. Fish advises remaining wary." They return to the monk's side, keeping an eye and ear out for anything that might have changed. It was quiet at the moment, but that could change if they wandered into a feeding ground.
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Post by Delaela Fenastra-Asiliari on Feb 20, 2023 21:01:08 GMT -5
Del watches Fish's signing with an increasing furrow in her brow as they detail more things about this... Morrigan. And Kvasir? That is also a new name. Del files these away in her mind, sure if she meets Fish again that this will come up. "So Morrigan is doing, ah, business with you, and Kvasir, their... parent? Partner? Who you almost killed because of some sort of overlap is in the dark about this. And you are staying with them, but in a shed near their house, while Morrigan pretends to teach you so that you and them can do... things." Mainly, she reiterates all this to make sure she had that right. It sounded convoluted.
A look of slight concern and amusement is offered to Fish. "Not that it's any business of mine, but as long as you're confident that you're safe and they have some of your best interest, then I look forward to perhaps visiting you one day. Congratulations on getting yourself a little home as well, that is quite an accomplishment."
The clearing as they enter it looks to be in a sorry state. Del hisses through her teeth as she follows Fish in. There is blood and feathers and talon marks on a lot of the trees. "What happened here...?" Whatever it was, it didn't appear all that recent.
Except for what Fish was looking at. Del stands sentinel while they go to check the plants themselves. A frown appears as she watches Fish's hands and nods. "Right." she agrees. As if Del had any other mode.
"What exactly did you do to get rid of the infestation last time?" she asks, looking around with a stern expression. She listens carefully to the sound of the forest around them, for any partiuclar insect noises.
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Feb 20, 2023 21:18:36 GMT -5
"Fish likes privacy when working, Morrigan does not offer privacy. They are nosy....Also Morrigan is sloppy, Fish is not. Fish refuses to work off a dirty and disorganized work space. Alchemy is a science and Fish will not have unknown contaminents in a potion because someone forgets to wash out their flasks and confuses them with drinking glasses."
They look back to Del as she surveys the scene. "Previously Koryn used owlbear pheromones to scare off the grubs, Fish doused them in an itching powder as well to help scare them off. Understandbly it seemed to attract competing owlbears after we had left......but it does not explain the fresh bit marks."
Fish points out how a few of the bulbs have barely dried bug goo on them. There are no foot prints on the ground which would means this new bug probably can fly which would be troublesome. The question was, where were they now? Did they leave for another clearing with more food? The chase was on it seemed.
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Post by Delaela Fenastra-Asiliari on Feb 22, 2023 13:08:37 GMT -5
Del's brow presses again in concern as Fish details more about this Morrigan person, though it's tempered by Fish's apparent fastidiousness when it comes to their craft. She can't help but chuckle quietly to herself; a true artist frustrated by a more casual work setting than preferred. "It sounds like you have some good points to show them. Is this Morrigan character alright?" She asks, a little concerned for this unknown scam-artists well-being.
But, back on task, there is yet more concern as the idea of avianbear pheromones and itching powder to scare away grubs. That... seemed unconventional, but Del didn't know enough about horticulture to make an informed opinion either way. That method did seem extreme, though, and seemed that it would invite a few problems, vis a vis Avianbears.
"...hmm." Del approaches and looks at the plants in question, chewed on and then abandoned. Weird. "A couple possibilities, perhaps. They are in the soil; they are in the trees; or, something else came and ate them. It's odd for insects to leave a plant half consumed, isn't it?" She looks to Fish, brows pressed together quizzically. "And if that's the case, then what ate the insects and where is it now?"
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Feb 22, 2023 16:57:34 GMT -5
"Whether or not someone is all right is relative and Fish only measures people by how they affect Fish's ability to do business......If you mean physical health, Kvasir keeps Morrigan alive, Fish knows that much. Fish has tried several poisons, but none have been enough to stop Kvasir's healing."
In Fish's mind this is not an admittance of attempted Morrigan-icide, but just diligent experimentation. They continue about the investigation without a concern, looking around as Del points out other things. They look along the ground, careful eyes picking at every odd detail.
"If they went underground we would see signs in the dirt. Fish would surmise then they are likely in the trees." As Fish mentions that a slow buzzing starts to fill the trees as oversized torchbugs start to descend, their swollen abdomens lighting up the sky.
Their intent wasn't clear at first, they didn't seem to be diving in to attack, but the buzzing didn't exactly sound friendly either. Were these from the same grubs? It's possible, but this is quite the metamorphosis to see......This would explain why the targeted the bulbs though. Those plants probably provide some of the bioluminescence the torch bugs use to light themselves up.
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Post by Delaela Fenastra-Asiliari on Feb 23, 2023 19:17:48 GMT -5
Now Del looks a little alarmed, hearing that, but she emits a soft snort of amusement regardless. The candid way they anncounced what they did was almost funny. Almost. "Fish, I don't know that it's especially friendly to be poisoning people you consider..." friends might be too strong of a word, "--companions. Even as a means of testing?" She tries to offer that gentle bit of advice, unwelcome though it may be. The last thing she wanted was to see her small friend here wind up on some wanted poster for accidental murder of someone they seemed to like.
She doesn't have too much more time to offer any other words on that. As the bugs are not in the ground or eaten, that left only one option, as Fish had surmised. The loud drone of a hundred wings beating in unison drowns out everything else as they descend, large and unfriendly torchbugs beginning to swarm-- but not attack yet. Del lifts her hands, ready, as she looks to Fish. Punching bugs was not the most effective way to get rid of them, but she had no other option but to try.
"I don't imagine you have anything on your belt that's especially effective against insects?" she speaks loudly to try and be heard over the droning, carefully watching the insects movements. Are they flashing their abdomens in a rhythm? "Are these anything like the ones you fought?"
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Feb 23, 2023 20:54:05 GMT -5
"Fish did not fight the last ones, scared them off....Fish can shoot them, but." Fish is about to offer a scientific guess about the liquid inside the bugs before one shoots the viscous liquid at them. The kenku rolls out of the way, the attack hitting the tree behind them with a hiss.
"Fish can confirm they are acidic and hostile....Ranged attacks are suggested." With that the kenku disappears into the underbrush. Fish's disappearance does unfortunately mean the bugs begin to focus on Del, a few globules of acid thrown her way.
The bird has not escaped and abandoned Del though, taking a pot shot through one. Puncturing the glowing abdomen does seem to instantly kill the buzzing beasts, but it does send out a spray of acid.....Interesting. Would they explode if Fish hit something other than the abdomen? The head will be a tight shot to hit, but for science Fish will try most things.
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Post by Delaela Fenastra-Asiliari on Feb 25, 2023 20:29:35 GMT -5
Del looks skeptically at the bugs as Fish says they had scared them off last time, also wary of the phosphorescent glow within their abdomens. It spits at Fish and she shifts to the side, grimacing. Great.
"Ranged--??" Del calls after Fish incredulously as they vanish, taking evasive manuvers. Del looks at her hands, that are decidedly not ranged and quirks an eyebrow at herself. Well. This couldn't hurt worse than hot metal, right?
Rolling out of the way, Del makes sure to keep the insects in front of her, so they cannot blindside her with a spray of... whatever that acid mixture was. She can see one explode, taking a hit from Fishs weapon wherever they were hidden. One at a time against a swarm like this would be painful, in more ways than one, but she was sorely lacking in ways to crush a swarm of bugs all at one time...
"Fish! They probably have a nest or hive of some kind!" Del calls out, swerving out of the way of another glob of acid. One flies too close and Del reaches out to spike it out of the air like a sports ball, and into the ground. It leaves a smear of acid behind on her hand that she is quick to wipe away against a tree as she dodges another few attacks. "Is there a way we can trap them all in one place somehow?"
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