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invisible smoke - Sohalia - 10-20-2024
If Longheat was hot, the Climb was hotter.
Sohalia disembarked from the Peregrine, climbing carefully down the ladder and setting foot on the dark soil of the region with a sigh. The heat was stifling, and as she waited for Tal to join her, she tied her hair up into a high bun off her neck. Fortunately, she'd come prepared for the heat: she wore a light shirt that she wouldn't mind getting dirty (they were here to mine, after all) and a pair of shorts. Granted, perhaps she should have worn something more suited to the task at hand, but then she might have died of heat stroke. No, shorts were definitely the way to go.
On her right shoulder was a leather pauldron, shaped and fastened in such a way that it was the perfect perch for Tarak. The little griffin currently circled overhead, enjoying the sun in a way that his bonded never quite would, for the heat generated thermals that lifted him higher and higher into the sky.
Shaking her head at her companion and shading her eyes as she looked up the ladder, she called up to Tal, [say]"Where do you think we should start?"[/say]
RE: invisible smoke - Talyson - 10-20-2024
Thanks to his Frostbite Cuff, Tal looked annoyingly unbothered by the heat as he followed Soh down the ladder. Boreal grabbed the last rung in her mouth once he was down and flew the ladder back up to the Peregrine's deck to prevent potential thieves from flying off with their ride. Sure, a particularly strong or determined thief could try and shimmy up the ground anchor rope, but that was a lot more effort and Tal had embedded some nasty surprises in the thick cable to deter those kinds of attempts.
Their tools had been packed carefully into his Bag of Holding, making it at least a little easier to traverse the unfriendly environment. A damp rag wrapped around the bottom half of his face made it a little easier to breathe through the ash, and his Goggles allowed him clear vision as he peered around, looking for a particular dip in the landscape...
"Th'Burrows," he said confidently. "I've mined rubies an' obsidian an' stuff down there before. Might run across some veins of ore runnin' through th'walls, too." He and Alys had made jewelry out of some of those stones, in fact. It seemed like a reasonable assumption that there would be metal just like there had been seams of fancy rocks in the past.
Boreal snorted as she glided overhead and then dove down towards a shadowed crack in the tortured stone of the Crust. The pale dragon disappeared into it a moment later and Tal started trotting after her. "Looks like she's found a way in. Let's go!"
RE: invisible smoke - Sohalia - 10-21-2024
Mining was not exactly Soh's forte, and she felt wildly out of her league as Tal joined her on the ground, their tools tucked away in his Bag of Holding and their companions high in the sky overhead. A trickle of sweat ran down Soh's temple, and she swiped at it with what we'll call an affectionately annoyed look at Tal, who looked as fresh as a spring breeze despite the heat. As the pair prepared to set off for the Burrows, Soh checked that the dagger she kept at her side was in place before gripping the staff she carried tightly. The Climb was supposed to be relatively safe, but she was taking no chances. She wasn't exactly armed to the teeth, but she was as prepared as she could be just in case they ran into trouble.
The Luminary hurried to keep up as Tal followed Boreal, Tarak soaring effortlessly behind. [say]"I never really thought about what kind of ore I wanted for these earrings,"[/say] she mused aloud. She and Jude had fallen apart not too long after she'd received her quest, after all, and she hadn't given it much thought since, the memories too painful to examine in any great detail. [say]"But I suppose I'll be happy with whatever we manage to find."[/say] Whatever would get them out of the heat more quickly!
RE: invisible smoke - Talyson - 10-21-2024
Tal was so used to his Cuff's protection that he didn't even think about why his friend was so much sweatier than he was, so he marched blithely on, oblivious to the opportunity for chivalry that he was missing. Maybe Soh could get an item that protected her from the heat after she finished her earrings? It would be as useful for a mapmaker as it was for a mailman!
But today's tasks had to do with earrings and Vests, and Tal ducked into the close, stifling heat of the Burrows in pursuit of his dragon, pausing to make sure Soh and Tarak were right behind him. After a few hundred feet the narrow crack widened into a tunnel and the temperature eased a few degrees; the courier looked back at his friend with a lopsided grin. "I'm better with wood than metal or stone," he admitted. "But if it's just hittin' th' wall with a pickaxe an' collectin' what falls out, hail, even I can do that!"
With Boreal in the lead - more because she wanted to be than because she had any idea where they were going or how to find metal ore in the rocks - Tal kept his Goggled eyes peeled as they headed deeper. "Only thing is, it's gotta be silver for mine. T'make my Vest zap harder when somethin' hits me," he explained, rapping his knuckles on the armored garment with a sharp grin. "That'll make 'em think twice about hittin' me again!"
RE: invisible smoke - Serendipity - 10-21-2024
That could be a black dragon: a pernicious beast of legend, ready, willing, and able to defend its home for little to no reason.
Maybe it would be best to go another way?
You’ve encountered a Black Dragon. This counts as an uncommon creature encounter for the purposes of levelling, but does not count as a Random Event for levelling or MP. There will be no further admin/re intervention. If you choose to follow this creature, you do so at your own risk, however, just having it in this thread is enough to satisfy your levelling requirements. (You may not kill this creature without admin permission. )
Black Dragon (uncommon/mythical) - Black dragons of average size. Highly aggressive with fiery breath that can instantly melt most substances.
RE: invisible smoke - Sohalia - 10-22-2024
As they made their way into the tunnels and caverns, the heat lessened to a manageable degree. Relieved by the change, Sohalia loosed a soft sigh. Tarak, having followed them into the Burrows, landed neatly on Soh's leather-clad shoulder, content to be along for the ride now that they were in a smaller space. Soh was just saying, [say]"I'm sure we'll find some silver somewhere,"[/say] when they came to a fork in the tunnels. Suddenly, a distant roar shook the caves, loosing some rubble from a nearby wall. As it seemed to come from the right-hand fork, Soh blinked nervously and pointed left. [say]"I vote that way."[/say]
The pair and their companions continued into the darkness, their eyes peeled for any sign of ore or minerals that might indicate they were going the right direction - although, in Soh's opinion, any direction away from the roar was the right one. As they rounded a bend in the tunnel, something on a wall caught her eye, and Soh gestured toward the discoloration. [say]"Is that something?"[/say] she asked, and led the way closer to take a look.
RE: invisible smoke - Talyson - 10-22-2024
Ooooh no no no, fuck that noise!
"No argument!" Tal agreed in a hoarse whisper. Boreal's head had come up, cocked to the side as she stared to the right. And bristled, a low growl just starting to rumble through her broad chest. "Don't start that!" the courier admonished her, grabbing one of her horns on the way past and tugging her along after them. She dug her talons in at first, but eventually gave in and trotted along at her human's side.
Not without looking back a few times and snorting smoke as if to say I could have taken him.
Tal's attention was split between keeping up with Soh and making sure Boreal didn't go back to start a fight for Queen of the Climb, so he missed the clues. It was pretty lucky that the Luminary was with him, then, because as she paused near a faint, lighter smudge Tal came over to join her.
"That... looks like it could be," he agreed. He wasn't entirely confident, but it seemed like a good place to take a stab, so he pulled out their tools and handed Soh hers. "Ladies first?" he offered her with a crooked grin, stepping out of the way of her swings - and shooing Boreal out of the way, too.
RE: invisible smoke - Sohalia - 10-23-2024
Of course Boreal wanted to go fight the roaring creature deep within the Burrows, but thankfully, Tal wasn't having it. He tugged the dragon by a horn and practically dragged her in the opposite direction. Tarak, fortunately, was not particularly keen to hunt down the creature, so at least she didn't have a similar battle with her own companion. No, Tarak was perfectly content to sit upon her shoulder, surveying their surroundings like the little king he was.
Soh's keen eyes caught a smudge of something lighter against the rock and the pair paused, looking at the stone and wondering if what she'd found was silver indeed. The girl accepted a pickaxe from Tal, turning the tool over in her hands. She wasn't particularly strong, but maybe, if she could hit it the right way... So she checked to make sure Tal was far enough back that she wouldn't hit him on accident, drew back, and struck at the light patch as hard as she could.
RE: invisible smoke - Talyson - 10-23-2024
Tal's Goggles protected him from any stray chips of rock that went flying from Sohalia's strikes. His own technique for mining went pretty much like his friend's did: hit it hard and hit it lots and hopefully whatever he was looking for - be it shiny rocks or ore or metal - would fall out of the wall eventually.
The dark walls of the Burrows cracked beneath Soh's pickaxe, fractures spiderwebbing away and flaking off to reveal a larger patch of paleness behind. In the light of their lantern it had a faint glitter to it, though it was rough and unpolished. "That looks promisin'!" Tal encouraged her, and Boreal snorted agreement. Did she have any idea what raw silver looked like? Not a clue! But the dragon was nothing if not supportive of her friends. She picked a section of wall a little ways away and began to dig at it with her talons, 'helping' the humans with whatever strange and silly things they were up to now.
"...Boreal..." Tal sighed fondly and shook his head - and then blinked and peered closer as her talons revealed a second seam of pale metallic stone. "...Hail. Good girl!" He groped for dried elk jerky and offered a piece to her - and a smaller one to Tarak - as he knelt down to fuss her horns and chin. "How much d'y'think y'need?" he called over to Soh as Boreal rumbled happily beneath the attention.
RE: invisible smoke - Sohalia - 10-25-2024
Fortunately, Tal's Goggles were protective enough that any flying shards bounced harmlessly off, and Soh had packed some protective eyewear as well, so the two of them managed to start chipping away at the rock without any problems. Actually getting usable ore out was going to be more interesting - exposing it seemed to require only brute force, but getting pieces big enough to use might need more finesse than either of them were currently utilizing, what with their hit it hard and hit it lots strategy.
The seam that she'd begun to uncover did indeed look promising, and she continued hacking away at it until she'd tired herself out and stepped away, reaching for a flask of water. Sweat beaded on her forehead and drenched her back; it might have been cooler in the Burrows, but cool was a relative term today. Tarak, who had leapt from Soh's shoulder to watch regally from the floor nearby, was content to oversee the activities - that is, until Boreal found another seam, earning a piece of dried elk jerky that obviously had to be shared with the little griffin, who scarfed it down as though he hadn't eaten a meal in months.
[say]"Not much,"[/say] Soh said after taking a sip of water. [say]"I was thinking that the earrings would just be studs - so not much metal at all, really. A few small chunks should do. What about you? Maybe I should take the smaller seam and you the larger?"[/say]
RE: invisible smoke - Talyson - 10-26-2024
As Soh kept working away so did Tal. Once Boreal had been suitably rewarded (and Tarak too; if one companion got a treat, both had to have one!) and he was sure that his friend had the hang of swinging a pickaxe, the courier unlimbered his own and got to work enthusiastically bashing away at his own small seam. The hardened dark lava of the Burrow wall cracked and broke away in chunks, revealing the shape of his own, smaller seam.
He was just contemplating the best angle to attack it when Soh stopped for a drink, which suddenly seemed like a great idea. Tal took a break as well, unstoppering his own waterskin as he admired their progress. "Nah, it won't matter much," he assured her with a wave of his hand. "Most quests, if y'just need t'get raw material, it doesn't have t'make sense." He paused, realizing he was being about as clear as mud. "Um... or, more like, y'don't need th'real amount o'it that a human crafter would need? Th'important thing is that y'put in th'effort. As long as y'have even a little bit, th'gods'll make up th'rest." He grinned at his friend wryly as he restoppered the skin and hefted his pickaxe again. "Now, if part o'th'quest is usin th'material y'gathered yourself t'make your item, or gettin' a smith or someone t'make it, that's a different story. Me? I just need t' bring Safrin some silver, so if I can get a few chunks out o'th'wall it'll be fine. How about you?"
RE: invisible smoke - Sohalia - 10-26-2024
Tal's explanation was simple enough - and deeply appreciated. As this was Soh's first quest, she had no idea how these things usually worked, and having someone experienced to teach her was something she'd never expected. Why she'd never thought to ask her friend for help or expertise, she wasn't sure - perhaps she'd always thought she'd have to complete the quest herself, that asking for assistance would make her somehow less worthy.
Regardless, she nodded as she tucked her flask back into the Bag of Holding. [say]"That makes sense,"[/say] she said, picking up her pickaxe once more and turning back to the stone wall and the seam of silver that ran there. [say]"I suppose the gods can do whatever they like. So are our tasks more... symbolic, I guess? If they don't really need materials the same way we would?"[/say] A few swings later, Tal had asked her a question. [say]"Oh, I just need to bring the ore back to Frey. I'm allowed to choose what kind, but silver works as well as anything else."[/say]
RE: invisible smoke - Talyson - 10-27-2024
"Yeah, symbolic," he agreed. He hefted his pickaxe and started swinging against the pale section of his own seam. A few small chips flew away and Tal winced as the haft of the tool vibrated against his hands, but didn't give up. He shifted his grip and swung again, aiming for a little crack that he saw running across the line of ore. This time a chunk fell out, large enough to fit comfortably in Sohalia's hand. "They'll help us but we gotta show that it's... it's important enough for us t'put th'effort in, too, y'know?" He swing a few more times, hard and sharp, and a second, larger chunk came free. He paused to lift the two chunks and consider them with satisfaction.
He looked over as she answered him, and he didn't hide the flicker of relief that passed over his expression. "That's good! It's a lot easier that way," he admitted with a wry lift of his grin. "An' at least silver's a lot easier t'mine for'n diamonds! I had t'get a diamond for my Dagger, way back when I first asked Frey for it. Gettin' that out o' th'rock in th'Fangs was no joke!" He tucked his silver chunks into his Bag of Holding and carefully slipped the pickaxe back in as well. He knelt to scratch Boreal's chin while Soh kept working. "So what's your next task after this?"
RE: invisible smoke - Sohalia - 10-30-2024
Soh swung at the rock with what felt like all her strength, gritting her teeth as her pickaxe collided with the stone. The force of the impact reverberated through her hands, and after a few more swings, she paused to shake them out. Fortunately, she'd begun to make some headway, and it looked like it would only take a little bit longer to break a few chunks free.
[say]"Oh, of course,"[/say] she said of gods and quests. [say]"It totally makes sense that they wouldn't want to give things away for free. We should put in the effort. Otherwise it seems like it wouldn't be fair, to go and ask for things all the time without doing anything to earn it."[/say]
With a few more carefully placed strikes, a chunk of silver ore tumbled free, and Soh bent to scoop it up into her still-vibrating hands. It looked big enough to her, and she pocketed it with a small sigh of relief. [say]"I can't imagine mining for diamond,"[/say] she admitted. [say]"That must have been a challenge!"[/say] She wasn't sure she'd have even been able to complete that quest. She just wasn't physically strong enough.
[say]"The last thing I need is to catch a whisper fish,"[/say] she said. [say]"But I'm not sure I'm brave enough to go back to the Greatwood."[/say]