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Post by Shitakibo on Jul 27, 2023 14:38:45 GMT -5
Taki received the letter from the Mage's Guild in the early hours of the morning. It was asking her to look into an issue with an invasive fungus plaguing Zeinav, along side another member. She had been making breakfast for herself and her many companions, so she quickly finished and packed the meals aside from those for Rina, Kamina, and Keiga. While Zeinav could be accessed by sea, Hanehiko could travel faster and easier with her heavier companions as well as fly over landmasses instead of having to navigate around them. So long as the Celestial Manta was allowed time every so often to soak in a body of water, she could travel nearly anywhere in a relatively short time. While not as speedy as something like a Drake, the ride was comfortable and fairly safe.
Shuna, Shion and Taki all loaded up on Hanehiko. Yukina would fly with them, though she would occasionally perch on the Manta's back when they were traveling across large bodies of water to rest. The group made it to Zeinav late that afternoon, so Taki secured Hanehiko's gear and set her loose at sea until she might be needed again. Strolling up to the Dusty Refuge, she instructed her companions to wait at the stables around back and walked inside. After speaking to the attendant, she was lead to a table with a man waiting.
"Greetings, I am Shitakibo, or Taki if you prefer. I look forward to solving this dilemma with you."
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Post by Zak on Jul 28, 2023 16:34:33 GMT -5
Zak always enjoyed visiting Zeinav City with its palm trees and beautiful landscape, so different from the everpresent White Sand Sea to its west. A coastal city and large trading hub, the city brimmed with interesting characters from all across Charon, and had a lot to offer the intrepid traveler. This trip, however, was unexpected. The Mage’s Guild had contacted him to meet up with a fellow guild member and investigate an outbreak of a peculiar disease, so Zak had made his way here trekking along the coast after his encounter with the cultists in the Ash Lands.
At the moment, he was relaxing while sitting on a bench next to one of the beautiful ponds that dotted the central part of the city, watching the hubbub of activity around him. Unwittingly, Zak’s gaze kept returning to the giant white marble palace at the top of the hill. It was hard to miss. He never understood why people felt the need to create such ostentatious and decadent dwellings. Zak bedded down wherever he found himself on any given day, his nomadic upbringing and wanderlust inhibiting any desire to settle in one place. Although lately… Zak pushed down the thought. Now was not the time for deep contemplation. Meeting up with his Mage’s Guild comrade and figuring out this puzzle took first priority.
With a deep sigh, Zak stood and made his way to the Dusty Refuge. Memories of previous visits flooded his mind, some pleasant, others decidedly not. The outside of the gambling den was unassuming and nondescript, but when one entered, its lush decor and furnishings told a different story. What was in store for him today? Zak wondered as he entered.
Exotic scents assailed Zak as soon as he passed through the door. Colorful smoke hung in the air from the hookah pipes peppered throughout the room, and the smell of spicy food made his stomach rumble. Taking a seat at a table against the far wall, Zak surveyed the room. The communique from the guild had given him the name and description of the guild member he was to meet, but he didn’t notice a slender blue-scaled individual as of yet. Calling a wait-staff over, he ordered food and drink, and also let it be known that he was waiting for a colleague.
A short time later as he took the last spoonful of a delicious savory stew, a shadow fell across the table in front of him. Turning towards the voice, Zak stood, realizing this was his new partner. “Ah, Shi.. Shi… tak… ibo? …Taki. Nice to meet ya. I’m Z’Khrta Putok,” Zak replied, his voice deepening as he pronounced his given nomadic tribal name, emphasizing the consonants with clipped, guttural sounds. “But everyone calls me Zak,” he said with a warm smile. Gesturing to the seat across from him, he added, “Have a seat. Looks like we’re on the trail of some nasty purple mushrooms.” Zak chuckled wryly, not able to hide his incredulity. “Growing out of people's arms? It seems to me that lately Mage’s Guild assignments border on the outrageous. Charon..." Zak paused, shaking his head with a frown. "It's a whole new reality, eh?”
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Post by Shitakibo on Jul 29, 2023 14:52:40 GMT -5
"Oh, the world constantly is coming up with fun new ways to make our lives hectic and full of chaos." Taki pulled up to a seat, relaxing against the aged wooden craft. The bustling tables and various mechanical games made a raucous as people bustled about, each trying to beat the house and the odds for another rousing round of make more money. The smell of smoke and various dishes wafted out from the kitchen and fermented drinks of all kinds being poured and enjoyed all about at the various bars. Dice clattered, cards shuffled, and all manner of clanking, whirring mechanisms dinging at the lucky or skilled enough winners.
While the shaman herself could not possibly understand the fascination, she understood the desire enjoying games and having something on the line to encourage competition. A server came by and asked if the shaman might like anything, but she declined politely.
"Shall we get down to business? From the letter's details, people have been coming back from the desert with a strange purple fungal growth on various parts of their skin. It's source is as yet determined but all of the as yet afflicted have been determined to all be traveling in from the same trade route through the desert. Thus far no one has reported casualties or even injury, just inconvenience. The guild would like samples for study and a full report for the archive, otherwise we are free to handle this situation however necessary. Is there anything about me personally you would like to know?" She asked in conclusion, relaxed and ready to solve another crazy problem.
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Post by Zak on Jul 29, 2023 19:27:25 GMT -5
Zak studied his companion, not able to get a good read on the mage. Taki appeared composed and nonchalant, but certainly there was more behind her stoic persona than met the eye. There usually was. However, Zak wasn’t sure how to respond to her question. He was one who believed that you got to know people best by what they did, not their background or what they had to say. Zak figured he’d learn more about Taki by sharing the task before them than he would by asking any questions.
“Nah. Figure we’ll get to know each other well enough on our journey,” Zak replied, a sly smile spreading across his face. “Unless you have some hidden agenda I should know about.” He chuckled, but then his expression turned more serious and he added, “Well, I do have one question. Are you a healer? I don’t have any skills in that area unfortunately, I figure that our first step would be to speak with some of the infected and those who tended to them.” Zak paused to take a sip of his ale. “There’s a few medical tents throughout the city. Perhaps we start there.”
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Post by Shitakibo on Jul 29, 2023 21:44:59 GMT -5
"That does sounds like a wonderful place to start, let's pick up my companions and begin our investigation." Taki said, sliding her chair back as she stood. She carefully returned it and walked out to the stables to pick up her companions. The three were resting comfortably atop a pile of fresh straw, perking up as soon as they heard the door latch being drawn. They each greeted Taki in their own way, then peered beyond at the man standing behind her. Shion and Shuna gazed curiously, while Yukina remained poised on the railing waiting.
"This is Zak, he'll be joining us on our adventure. We're headed towards the hospital where those afflicted are being treated. If any of you wish to join us, feel free, otherwise you're welcome to stay here and relax while we're gone."
"I'll be joining Taki, of course."
"I'd like to stay."
"Same here."
"Very well, Shion and Yukina, enjoy your rest and keep each other company. I'll leave food and pay for your stay before we go. Shuna, with me."
Taki took out some of the food from her pack, setting it in the box to keep preserved while the shaman traveled. With Shuna, she returned to Zak a moment later.
"All set, let's go solve ourselves a mycelium mystery."
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Post by Zak on Jul 31, 2023 20:54:09 GMT -5
Zak stood back while Taki spoke with her animals, a smile on his face. He took in every detail, appreciating the magnificence of the snow owl, the luminescence of the spider, the cat in all its glory, and her obvious deep connection to them all. If he wasn’t mistaken, she was an accomplished Druid. Was she a healer too?
As usual, he was reminded that the other mages in the Mage’s Guild were much more powerful than him. If he was honest with himself, he wasn’t even sure how helpful he could be on this job. He had no healing power, nor any knowledge of nature that might be helpful in determining the cause of this disease. However, Zak didn’t dwell on his shortcomings. He figured he could find ways to pull his weight.
A mycelium mystery, eh? Exactly. Zak could at least ask questions like the best of them, and that was step one of this investigation.
“A mystery to be sure,” Zak replied, as he began walking down the path going to the right. “I believe one of the medical tents is this way.” Glancing at the sleek cat strolling beside them, Zak said with a smile, “Hello there, Shuna. …That’s their name, right? Shuna?”
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Post by Shitakibo on Aug 3, 2023 16:47:38 GMT -5
"Yes, this is Shuna." Taki replied, nodding slightly to the jungle cat. She sauntered over to Zak and stared curiously before rubbing against his leg for a moment and pawing at his boots. Chuckling softly, the shaman headed out towards the hospital. As the group were walking across town, she noticed more than a few people were rubbing their skin or staring at various parts of themeselves. Getting closer, she could see a few folks with strange patches of purple on their skin.
Approaching the hospital, she noticed more of the phenomenon, including sprouts of growth. Taki walked over to one person covered quite thoroughly, bowing politely.
"I know this might seem abrupt, but would you mind if I tried to cure your affliction?"
"Huh? Oh... umm... sure, I guess... who are you?"
"Apologies, my name is Shitakibo and I am an adventurer sent by the Mage's Guild to look into this fungus."
"Nice ta meet ya, as long as ya don't turn me into a frog or something..."
"I am not that kind of Mage, but I understand the hesitation. My only goal is to understand how I might help in ending this affliction. Could you tell me about your journey here?"
"We came from across the desert, on a caravan bringing goods from outside Zeinav. We stopped at several oases along the way, ran into a few unsavory desert creatures. Nothing out of the ordinary really, just another journey."
"I see... was there any strange plants or creatures, particularly near water?"
"I'm not the right person to ask, plants all look the same to me. I'm no scholar miss, my job is to keep the wagon safe." The man patted his pack, a muffled metallic clank coming from within. Nodding, Taki took a closer look at the fungus, holding the man's arm gently in a pair of her own. She took a deep breath, one hand waving over the arm as a gentle light enveloped her palm. Nothing changed, though this didn't seem to surprise Taki much. The man looked concerned for a moment, as the shaman began casting a different spell. With a few arcane words in Druidic, a softer, greenish glow coated her hands before drifting down onto his arm. As her hands passed, the stalks fell off and the purple discoloration subsided. The green glow enveloped the man after a few moments, clearing up his affliction. His eyes lit up, and he jumped up excitedly.
"Thank ya so much miss, now I can get back to work in a couple days. I have no way to repay ya though miss..."
"There's no need for that, I mearly wished to help. Thank you for the information and safe travels."
Taki looked up and smiled, while healing had little effect, remove poison seemed to be a potent counter. Waving to Zak, she walked across the plaza to him.
"Seems we need to venture out into the desert, do you need to make any further preparations?"
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Post by Zak on Aug 13, 2023 14:22:37 GMT -5
Shuna approves, Zak thought as the cat pawed at his boots. A good omen for the beginning of their quest, he supposed as they made their way through the village. When Taki stopped on the way to the hospital and introduced herself to a man with obvious growths sprouting from his arm, Zak held back and looked around at the other people milling about the plaza. A few of them appeared to also be afflicted by this strange phenomenon. Zak approached one of them; a young man vigorously rubbing his forearm. “Excuse me. I couldn’t help but notice your rash. So many here in the city have that cursed thing now. More every day from what I hear. …Uh, I’m Zak. And…We’ve been sent here to help,” Zak explained. “We’re trying to find the source of the affliction. Can I ask you when the rash started? Anything you can tell me would be of great help.”
The young man appeared thoughtful, the hand rubbing his arm slowing some. “Well, uh, …I guess my skin started itching right before we arrived here in the city. We traveled up from King’s Valley across the desert. Stopped at one of them oases along the way.” He frowned, fidgeting. “I’ve been wondering myself, ya know. How did I get this? Well, I have to say, der was some crazy large plant I ain’t never seen before growing out der at the oasis. Of course, lots of strange things be showing up lately, so what do I know?”
Before Zak could ask more, the young man mumbled, “Hope that helps,” and walked away.
“Well, thank you sir. You’ve been a great help,” Zak said as the young man entered the hospital tent. Turning, Zak noticed Taki wave at him from across the plaza. “Taki,” Zak said as she approached. “We have to go out to the desert. There’s some strange plant growing at one of the oases we need to investigate.”
Zak chuckled as they spoke of the desert almost in unison. “I guess we’re off to the desert.”
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Post by Shitakibo on Aug 16, 2023 1:10:38 GMT -5
Taki did a quick final check on her gear, ensuring she had enough supplies for herself, Shuna, and the others if need be, as well as clean water from an untainted supply. Tightening her pack to a comfortable position, she and Shuna set out into the dry, arid dunes of Zeinav. They had a rough direction from the pair of afflicted they'd stopped to help, so the shaman concentrated a moment and her outfit shifted to what looked like priestess robes. A sandy brown cloak with full sleeves for each of her arms, it was accented with druidic runes embroidered along the seams. While it seemed counterintuitive to wear more clothing in the desert, the fabric was cool and provided protection from sun, sand and wind alike.
Her feet and hands were bare, though she could easily tuck them into their partner sleeve. Reaching out with Geomagnetic Sense, the shaman navigated their way across the treacherous terrain, avoiding sand traps and all manner of hazards with a calm that often seemed alien to others. While this terrain offered different challenges than her home, the methods she used to survive were the same. They would have to check several oases along the way, but knowing what they were looking for would make the search much easier. As night began to fall, Taki located an outcropping in the striated rock of compacted sand along a crumbling desert canyon. While it was being swallowed by sand and erosion, there were places where defiant pillars of stone stood against the onslaught of time. After setting camp and making a simple meal, she relaxed near the entrance to keep watch.
"We've made remarkable progress for the first day, but there's a good deal still to go. Rest up, second watch is yours in a few hours. Well done so far Zak."
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Post by Zak on Aug 19, 2023 15:21:18 GMT -5
Taki and Zak hadn’t wasted any time getting ready for their trek across the desert. Waterskins filled and needed supplies stowed away, they set out for the first oasis. Zak wore a loose white blouse and trousers with a shemagh wrapped around his head and neck. The desert sun was relentless. Taki quietly strode in front of him, flanked by her faithful Shuna. Not one for small talk, Zak remained silent as well, respecting her obvious preference for silence.
When they stopped at an outcropping, Zak worked alongside Taki preparing camp, conversing sparingly. Zak had spent many a night in the desert over the years, and was familiar with the sounds and shadows of the desert night. Other than the sounds of critters minding their own business, the night went by without incident.
At sunrise, the three of them set out into the desert again. After an hour or so, an oasis could be seen on the horizon. From what Zak had been told back in Zeinav City, this oasis might just be the source of the mushroom problem.
–TO BE CONTINUED–
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