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Post by Valerian on Sept 19, 2023 20:32:00 GMT -5
"I've had a good first adventure. I do think it's time to head home." Val said this to tree she had found just outside of Hearthside Village. The squat, sturdy oak canopy made her feel homesick. The journey here felt so short, but the return trip seemed to drag forever. She'd taken care to avoid places she'd already been in hopes of finding more people in need. Nope. Just the tail end of a wildfire and a lot of construction work. Feeling strangely useless, she shuffled along the road, unsure of how to pass the time. I'm very glad I'm not encountering disasters left and right, of course, but I would still like to be able to help the people I meet. How do you even "raise" a barn? Sounds like you'd need a necromancer, not a dryad.Just before she crossed into the desert, she stopped briefly for breakfast and some water. Still plenty left. I suppose it's a lot easier to keep filled when you don't cross paths with people working themselves to death in the scorching wake of the eruption "Ah well. I need to keep going if I ever want to arrive." This, she explained to the circle of wild grasses and flowers growing1 out of the ash-covered soil where she rested. As her gaze crossed the expanse of the desert, she marveled at how much she could see, yet how little was there. Hopefully, if anyone out there needed help, they'd be able to find her as she traveled. Not like she was expecting anyone to seek her out. The spring she'd visited on her way to the Ash Lands was choked with soot. By the time she'd dragged herself to the trees of her glade, she was fairly dehydrated. Frantically, she started towards the spring at the center, wondering why she didn't see any water anywhere. I can't even hear any water. What happened to the spring? 1Plant GrowthQuest Name: That's a nice boulder Participants: Two or more Location: Ashlands, Dragon's Cradle or Zeinav Desert Post Requirements: 5 post per person, 200 words per post Reward: +1 Renown Description: The recent eruption at Mt. Drakolt has caused hundreds of massive, flaming rocks to soar across the eastern coast of Charon. The primary roads and countryside around the Ashlands, Dragon's Cradle and Zeinav have all been littered with the giant rocks. They block travel and trade routes, as well as disrupt the local wildlife population. Some have landed in local farms, destroying important crops for the winter, and some have even landed on unsuspecting homes or wagons. Adventurers are needed to help rid the east of these giant stones, some still extremely hot from their time inside the volcano. How you get rid of them is entirely up to you, you can move them to a better suited area, or break them up into tiny, more manageable pieces. It does not matter how you dispose of the boulders, as long as they are removed.
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Post by aconite on Sept 21, 2023 10:12:11 GMT -5
Aconite was not happy. Of course, they're never happy. Such is the way of this teenager. But today was an extra unhappy day as they found themselves in the desert. They held a large thing of water, and some food in a backpack. Being sent to work on ridding the desert of some boulders seemed pointless to them. Cause like, who even cares? Honestly, it just seems like a way to get people to do something.
Whistling a tune, they continued striding forwards at a casual pace. It was incredibly hot out, and if Aconite didn't know they would dehydrate quickly without water, their pour it over their head to cool down. With a startled yelp they tripped over a root from some random plant. Without thinking, they bit it, and then got up and continued on their way. Only after a couple feet did they bother to think about if it was poisonous. Oh well, too late now.
Then they paused, seeing a little cluster of trees. What the? Aconite blinked, and then headed for it. If there were trees, there was water. And if there was water, they could cool down. See? They were smart. Although, their parents seemed to think otherwise with those looks. "You're the one that followed me out into the middle of nowhere, idiots!" Aconite snapped at them, looking like they were upset at the air.
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Post by Valerian on Sept 21, 2023 17:12:18 GMT -5
"You're the one that followed me out into the middle of nowhere, idiots!"
Things were getting worse! Now Val was hearing things. Certainly, she didn't follow anyone here, lest of all a mirage arriving after her. Or maybe.. Through the desert haze, Val saw something actual approaching her. She couldn't make out exactly what she was seeing- the way they moved suggested strength. I can only hope they're a kind soul. I'm in no state to defend the grove- not until I've unblocked the spring, anyway. I'm in the same boats as the plants 'til then: at the mercy of the desert. She shuddered at the thought of losing what she thought of as her home. How unfortunate.
Now at the edge of the oasis's shade, Val waved. "Hey, are you real? I need help!" Seeing Aconite a little closer up, she slumped against a tree in relief. They were someone, anyway. Maybe even someone good. Now sitting against a tree, she continued: "The glade's spring is blocked. I think something happened underground, further up the spring. And, please, if you have any water, I could really use some. I've been without for a day now, and I think I'm dying." Already, her dark green hair was turning brown at the ends, but the dryad looked steady overall, after a brief rest. "How long can a dryad survive without water, actually? I suppose I'm not keen to find out. I'm sorry to impose, but if you can help, may I lead you to the spring's cave?"
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Post by aconite on Sept 22, 2023 5:38:56 GMT -5
Aconite looked at the person. "I mean, sure, I guess?" They gave a half shrug. Whoever she was, if she was asking if Aconite was real then something must be wrong. Aconite wasn't above saying no and just leaving, but they figured something good could come out of this. Whatever this was.
"I was sent out here to deal with some rocks, so maybe thats it?" Aconite wondered aloud. Probably. If the spring is blocked and there are rocks out here, then one must've cut off the water. That sucks. Aconite changed their thoughts to be in their head.
After a brief moment, Aconite remembered they did have a pretty full water container. They held it out to the dryad, water sloshing around inside. They let her grab the container and drink from it, while glancing behind them to their parents. They scowled back at Aconite and Aconite stuck their tongue out at them. Then they turned back to the stranger and waiting for directions to the cave.
They picked out a little rock shard from their hand, where destroying a boulder had exploded the rock. Aconite tossed it aside and pulled out a bandaid to cover the little cut.
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Post by Valerian on Sept 23, 2023 11:57:08 GMT -5
As she sipped water from the kind young adventurer's container, Val's strength returned to her. "Thank you, stranger." Val rose to her feet with renewed grace as her hair began to return to its normal deep green. "Its only a short journey to the underground spring, but I'm not sure I would have made it alone." Its scary being the one in need of help. I got lucky this time, but what if the person who passed by wanted to pick a fight with me instead- I'd have been done for!
Holding out the stranger's water, she wondered at their behavior. Surely there was more here than met the eye. Seeing them up close, she pondered at her initial impression of them. Strength? They had an imposing frame, but they looked.. lanky? She wasn't entirely sure. In any case, she was thinking more clearly now. "Here. And hey, are you alright? It sounded like someone followed you to my glade. You're the only person still alive who knows where my home is. Is there someone else out there I have to kill?" Val's sly smile intended to convey the humor in her statement. Looking up at her new acquaintance, she quickly continued: "ANnyway we should get going. The plants here aren't looking good."
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Post by aconite on Sept 23, 2023 12:20:23 GMT -5
Aconite nodded and took the water. "Yeah, no problem. Death by no water sounds kinda sucky." At the joke, Aconite laughed and then realized they had no way to lie. They were technically alone, with only their ghostly parents there who they had yelled at. Not very keen on saying there was no one alive to kill, but yeah if you can kill a ghost go ahead, they just shook their head and let the stranger lead the way.
At the entrance to the cave, there was indeed some rocks. Not horribly big, but enough to block the entrance to outsiders. Aconite grinned widely, and decided to show off their strength. "Stand back!" They grinned at the person and then walked up to the rocks, kicking one and punching another. They broke into pieces, shattering as Aconite blocked the duos faces. After the rocks stopped shooting shards at them both, Aconite looked at the other and flexed their arm proudly. "Dunno what I'd do without my amazing strength, so great." They laughed, and then went into the cave. The ceiling looked a little shaky from the destruction of the rocks, but Aconite didn't notice it.
Deeper into the cave, there was a huge rock. It was blocking a water source, by the sounds of water behind it. Aconite stepped in front and placed their hands on the rock, closing their eyes and concentrating [1]. Slowly, it began to bend shape, until it was flattened into a large disc. Aconite picked it up and then snapped it, before chucking both pieces at a wall to shatter it. Water quickly began flowing out and down the tunnel towards the dryads home.
Suddenly, the cave shuddered and sounds of rocks falling could be heard. Some dust and small pieces of the ceiling came down. With a grunt, Aconite saw it was incredibly dark out now. "Well then."
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Post by Valerian on Sept 23, 2023 13:59:38 GMT -5
"Stand back!"I was right- they certainly are strong! Even with my recent power spike, it would have taken me so long to move the rocks, let alone to break them!
"Dunno what I'd do without my amazing strength, so great." "I'm not sure where I'd be, either! Probably way back there, clearing the cave slowly! That was awesome!" Val heard something shift in the cave. They must have been strong indeed! "The spring flows from just down here." Val led the way. As she watched them shape the large rock down to a manageable shape, she was in awe. "That would be so useful- you have to show me how you do that, once we're out of here!" Though they were young, strength clearly came easily to them. Hopefully, the wisdom to wield it came just as easily. Such wisdom had a way of evading the young, though, and misfortune soon followed. Retracing their trip through the cave, they found their way blocked by loose stones and shifting sands. How would they escape? Val was at a loss- she'd only been down here once, and only to poke her head in the cave. She'd never even been deep enough to see the spring before. She had to think of something; she had to be able to defend her home from the elements. "We need to do something, and fast. The sand must stop flowing before the entire desert above pours in. I can't grow anything to help us.. Hey, how quickly can you teach me how to shape this earth?"Val put her hand on the dirt wall of the cave and tried her best to focus on it and her impromptu teacher. If she was going to defend her home, it was now or never.
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Post by aconite on Sept 23, 2023 16:28:28 GMT -5
Aconite squinted at her thoughtfully. "I mean, lemme think." They looked down and thought for a couple moments, remembering how they did it. It was so easy to them, it was hard to actually break it down into steps. "Alright, uh, just like... put your hands on it and imagine moving it into the shape you want? Thats what I've been doing, I guess." Aconite gave a shrug and looked at the walls, the sand slowly pouring in. If the sand didn't end up smothering them, Aconite could probably move the stones out of the way. But no, that'd probably bring the ground onto them. "It's gonna be a lot to move this all." Aconite warned, glancing back over to the stranger. "I'd probably need you to stop the sand from sinking in before I can make a little web to keep it from continuing in, and then we can break the rocks and get out. That sound good?" Aconite was probably gonna end up doing something like this even if she didn't agree, because Aconite was not a great team player. They took a deep breath and let the dryad attempt something to keep them from being squished to death by sand.
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Post by Valerian on Sept 24, 2023 17:32:33 GMT -5
She felt the earth that made up the cave wall. Certainly, she felt the sand piling up around her calves. Okay, just imagine the shape you want. Like, I want a ceiling. Just imagine a ceiling. Nothing was happening. She kept feeling.
So her partner in peril can stop what she forms from collapsing. They were strong of heart as well as of body. She could only hope to do her best. The fissure threatened to worsen as she stood there, waiting to feel something. She kept trying.
Something gave way in the soil, and it began to flow. She forced the idea of a ceiling at the cave wall, and the whole cave shuddered. A piece of the wall collapsed, allowing more sand to spill in. She kept trying. The earth wasn't responding well to her demands, but she was too frantic to realize she should soften her methods. With a sudden lurch, Val pulled a shaky slab of earth from the walls and blocked the sand.
Even as she managed to reform the ceiling, it was collapsing. Val turned to her hopeful savior. "Look, something happened!" She quickly returned her hand to the wall as a stream of sand broke through the thin, crumbling slab of dirt. Her eyes sparkled in the darkness as she did her best. "I have no idea what I'm doing but its working!"
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Post by aconite on Sept 25, 2023 5:35:22 GMT -5
"Yeah yeah yeah thats great and all but we're really running out of time here dude." There still wasn't enough space for Aconite to shoot the web. They could try to shoot it at the walls, but then that would prevent more slabs to be shot out of them to block the sand. But they could still try to get the other wall, a little less to deal with. Taking another deep breath, they spit at the wall [1]. A web formed and held that section in place, keeping one side secure.
They turned to the wall where their companion was trying to get a ceiling and walked up to her, placing their hands on the wall as well to harden it. They squeezed the sand together into a wall, so now the only problem was the ceiling. "Alright dude, you got this. I think." Aconite said, incredibly encouraging. They were gonna let the other do this, only stepping in if Aconite decided they were going to die. Which, Aconite being Aconite, they decided was likely if their partner in this didn't learn very very fast.
Sand was still piling in, going up to Aconites knees. Fighting their panic, they looked expectantly as the one who would get them out of here, hopefully.
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Post by Valerian on Sept 26, 2023 13:20:09 GMT -5
As her spider friend encouraged her, Val focused. How had he done it before? Slowly, right? That's something I was impressed by, actually: It was like he just thought about the boulder flattening and it practically melted. Approaching the situation again, Val took a deep breath and tried feeling the wall as slowly and carefully as she could, given the circumstances.
Along the edges, the sand started coagulating and flowing slowly upwards. Val was up to her knees in sand now, staring directly up a the sandflow. The air around Val crackled with energy as she shaped earth as inefficiently as possible. As the shell grew across the sandflow, Val's face became fully visible again. "I think I can hold the cave up like this." The sand had temporarily stopped piling in. The cave wasn't stable, though. For a moment, everything held still. Val hardly dared to breathe. All too soon- before she could even free herself- it began to trickle in again.
"That didn't do it all the way! Can you help? I think-" She looked straight up while talking and sand interrupted her. "pflblbflflp gross." At this rate, Val isn't freeing herself from the sand any time soon.
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Post by aconite on Sept 28, 2023 13:51:34 GMT -5
Aconite sighed and waded through the sand, yanking their legs up and out of it. They put their hands on the walls and focused, gripping into it. The sand came to a halt and started to go back up and out of the way [1], making a very small clearing for them. Aconite didn't dare risk it and try to make it bigger, instead taking a breath and spitting a web at it to hold it in place.
"C'mon!" Aconite grabbed their companions hand and yanked them up out of the sand, before flattening themselves and crawling through the hole. The sand wasn't stable at all, only a few more moments before it would collapse. Aconite reached a hand in to help the dryad out, pulling her through. As she got out of the cave, the sand collapsed, leaving the entrance blocked. "Welp, thats done now." Aconite stated casually.
With a glance around, they could see their parents watching from a bit away. Aconite stared at them for a moment, before turning back to the stranger. "Should we go see if that fixed it or if we made it even worse?" Aconite grinned slightly, before reaching down and sitting to pull off their boots and get rid of the sand in them. They shook them out and put them back on and stood up, letting their companion lead the way.
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Post by Valerian on Oct 1, 2023 0:27:30 GMT -5
"Well," Val responded, out of breath, "I think we can take a minute to appreciate how alive we are- and how untrapped!" She sat down a short distance from Aconite and started shaking sand out of her hair. "Ugh, this stuff gets everywhere." After the two had rested for a moment, they began the short walk back to the oasis.
"Hey, friend, do you hear that? I think I hear a trickle of water!" Val bounded across the short stretch of desert left between her and her home. "We did it! At least somewhat! There's water! And," having reached the spring, Val scoops up some water with her hands and drinks it, "it tastes great! I can't believe we did it! Check it out, we saved my oasis!"
Val was all smiles as she spun rapidly once around- her robe billowed about her and twisted as she came to a stop. "Oh, hey I don't think I caught your name. I'm Valerian ^-^"
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Post by aconite on Oct 1, 2023 11:38:29 GMT -5
Aconite nodded. "Yup. We are alive." They replied, getting back up and walking to the oasis with the other. As they heard the water, Aconite had a tiny smile on their face as Valerian twirled around. "I'm Aconite." Came their casual reply. They walked over to the edge of the spring and plopped down, taking a sip of their water from the container and ruffling their hair to get the sand out of it. "You're right. This stupid stuff gets everywhere." They grumbled.
They continued to sit there for another couple moments, slowly drinking their water and trying to rid themselves of the blasted sand. After a little bit, they stood back up and nodded at Valerian. "Well. I'll, like, see you around, I guess?" Aconite shrugged and brushed their pants off. They gave a smile to Valerian and grabbed their water, turning and walking off with a wave.
It was a peaceful walk back. They did encounter more rocks to destroy on the return, and quickly did so. Still didn't understand why they needed to go out into the middle of nowhere to break some rocks that no one would mind seeing, but they were hopefully getting paid after.
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