[PQ+] A scientific approach

Maea

It's not a demon at your door

Dawn was perhaps too early to expect cheerful demeanor from anyone. The air held a chill bite that made for an uncomfortable experience for the Ancient participants, while a lingering mist lent a damp to the fallow woodland that the Halovians might dislike in turn. And if someone despite it all found themself content with weather and time, location and the amassed company in general, their reason for gathering was serious enough to somber the mood all on its own.

Maea Valair was not smiling as she took count of those gathered. It was a motley assortment, some invited for their skills while others had volunteered; all would no doubt prove essential to completing this endeavor in a safe way. While she very much desired answers, the safety of everyone would take priority.

She had brought them outside the entrance to the Spire and watched as assistants handed out individual bags of protective gear, writing tools and a single plain dagger to each guest. Behind her were crates and cages filled with creatures that emitted a nasty aura tasting faintly of purple, and standing so close to them left a sour burn in the back of her throat – doubtlessly also negatively impacting the contingent of armed soldiers, who watched the crates like hawks.
On the other side of the tower another set of creature crates waited, untainted, likewise watched over by guards who nevertheless looked like they would rather be anywhere else.

She didn't blame them.

"Thank you all for coming," she began simply, as the assistant stepped back. "I am Maea Valair, Loreseeker and Ambassador of this region. Today we are going to perform a series of experiments in the hope of learning more about the Void infestation. While there is much we don't know, in this instance I want to focus on three questions.

"One; How does the infection spread?
Two, How fast does it spread,
And three, Do different types of magic have any noticeable effect on the infected creatures?

"Before we begin, please be aware that we will be handling infected specimen here today. They are dangerous. Make sure to protect yourselves at all times, wear the gear you have been given, and keep a close eye on one another to make sure no one is hurt. Should anything at all happen that derail this experiment and you don't feel confident in your ability to defend yourself, I ask that you immediately ensure your own safety and retreat into the first floor of the Spire. Should any Void infested creature escape it will be immediately killed; if the situation becomes unmanageable I will authorize the use of the Spire's weapon, as a member of the Hollowed Grounds council, to ensure the safety of everyone present."  

Pausing for a moment to catch her breath, Maea steeled herself; it was going to be a long and tense day. Speaking in front of so many made her nervous, and her face moved stiffly from the effort of keeping her concerns from showing through.

"Before we begin, please introduce yourself and let everyone know what your abilities are, if you posess any. If you have any questions, now is also the time to ask. I shall begin;

"I am, as I said, Maea. I have a Molten Tiger shift, upgraded Fire magic and basic Disintegration magic. I will function as the head of this project - thank you for cooperating."

Catching and releasing the gaze of everyone present, she hoped it was an encouraging look; hoped, too, that these accomplished and highly individual persons wouldn't mind leaving her in charge. It was only for this one event.

---

Welcome! This PQ+ will attempt to discover more about the spread and magic tolerance of Void Critters.

No post order.
Please reply within 48 hours as much as possible.
To be successful the quest need to be completed the 30th of April.

** UPDATE

I did an oops and forgot the character limit. Thanks to our benevolent Admin we can proceed with the extra number of participants anyway! Instead of the usual requirement of 4 pages we will be required to complete 1 page per character.

This means that we need to ensure as few holdups as possible to make it within 30 days, but I'm sure we can do this anyway!

I'm terribly sorry for any confusion, and thank you for your patience. <3

Participants:
1. Ellyra
2. Thalassa
3. Talyson
4. Sah
5. Edmund

Round 1: Please begin by having your character introduce themself and their abilities, if any. They have each been given a sack of protective gear, 1 plain dagger and writing equipment.

It's just your shadow on the floor

You steal the air out of my lungs, you make me feel it

Ellyra was more than willing to pick up packages these days, after having met a literal living legend on the docks just a few days prior. This endeavor, though, she hadn't prepared for before she jumped headlong into it. The murmur on the skyboat docks had been that a woman named Maea was hosting a science endeavor in her homeland. Ellyra, being familiar with that name, took note, and with her brave spirit took the first open seat on a skyboat towards the Hollowed Grounds. Parting ways with the captain that allowed her a seat, the man called her back and placed a rather large, sheathed knife in her hand and told her to be careful. She smiled and assured him with a nod, but as she made her way towards where the group was gathering, she felt the pit in her stomach begin to form.

Standing in the middle of Maea's gathering, Ellyra started to look more uncomfortable and less eager as the ancient gave details. But, it seemed that she would be useful. Maea's questions gave her some confidence as the ambassador went on. This would surely be good information to take back with her to the clinic in Stormbreak, and for that alone Ellyra began to steel herself against her own nerves. Stepping up, she introduced herself.

"Hello, everyone," Ellyra gave a half wave, "I am Ellyra Fox, I grew up here in the Grounds and I have a lion shift. Oh, and I'm a nurse."

---

Ellyra has everything on her profile, a knife from a skyboat captain, and whatever Maea has given them.

Ellyra

Code blatantly stolen from the fantastical, wonderful Odd

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.

The chill of the air was nothing compared to the cold sense of dread settling in her stomach. Although she had volunteered to assist in the experiments, the thoughts of finally seeing a void creature up close was disconcerting; however, she kept her face stoic, refusing to show vulnerability. Pain and fear were appropriate responses to dangerous threats, but they were things to be acknowledged and pushed aside. She would not let them control or weaken her.

After listening to Maea spiel, the hesitancy within vanished. This was important and they were relying on her to help solve the mysteries. After all, a little danger sounded like something right up her alley. She had been starting to feel a little bored.

Pulling her hood down, Thal glanced at the surrounding group consisting of a myriad of different people and smiled. She nodded to Maea before stepping into the front to solidify her role in the experiment. "Captain Thalassa Sanguis. I have a lava wyrm shift but currently no magical abilities. Although don't underestimate my physical capabilities. I will do everything in my power to see this experiment through." Satisfied that she had said her piece, Thal retreated back to the group with her head high, her bag thrown over her shoulder.

---

Thalassa only holds the bag of items Maea has given them.

Thalassa

Tal had also offered to help out with the experiments, in one of his moments of reluctant generosity. Or had it been gratitude? Hail, he couldn't even remember why, but he knew he'd done it, even if he was uncomfortably regretting it now.

Only a little, sure, but there was plenty of time for that to change.

The Peregrine was docked with Boreal guarding it (aka asleep in the rigging) back at the skyport and he'd made his local deliveries first before heading out to the Spire to join the others trailing in that direction. He wrinkled his nose at the sight of the void-touched critters that had already been gathered, and his hand fell uneasily to his knife and stayed there during the whole of Maea's explanation of the day's activities.

Well, he was already here, so he might as well see it through. He listened to the introductions of the other two. He visibly perked up to hear that Ellyra was a nurse - chances were good they'd need one of those before it was all over - but he wasn't sure what to think about the Captain. Then he realized it was his turn and cleared his throat awkwardly, scowling instinctively at realizing that everyone was looking at him.

"Tal Seawright," he said, almost belligerently. "From Ha--uh, King's End. Courier an' captain o' th'Peregrine." He gave Thalassa the nod of equals. "Got no shifts, but I can call down a god if it all goes t'shit, an' I've got some items. Magic armor an' a dagger that can hit things thirty feet away, Goggles that c'n see through darkness an' illusions, an' I can Heal someone in a pinch." He didn't see what good his other items might do in the current circumstances so he left it at that, jamming his other hand in his pocket and trying not to hunch his shoulders as he met the eyes of the others.

---

Tal has the provided bag and brings his armor, weapons, healing ring, fancy goggles - and his Bag of Holding, with food, fuel, and woodworking tools, as well as various bits of odds and ends that sometimes come in useful in a pinch.

Sah

I am a being
of Heaven and Earth

When Sah was invited to join an investigation into the Void creatures by someone he'd never met, he was wary. But after confirming her identity and hearing more about the plan, the Wild Thunder eagerly agreed to help. He arrived on time and collected the offered gear. Spotting @Talsyon, he joined the man as he listened to the rest of Maea's instructions.

When it was his turn to introduce himself, the Wild Thunder did so with a nod at those gathered, "I'm Sah Lovi, of Halo. It's good to meet you all." The Abandoned took a breath to ground himself, "I have mastery over all of the core elements, lightning, telekinesis, and creation magic. I can also create temporary magical armor for others and myself within certain limitations. I also have my own weaponry." It felt...odd. to lay his cards out on the table like that. Nearly reckless, as he usually only revealed a few of his magics at a time. But this situation was unique and Sah pushed back his unease to play his part.

~
Sah has everything on his profile (except his companions) and the gear provided by Maea.

Of Thunder and Lightning...
But mostly Lightning

Edmund had heard about Maea's plan and instantly volunteered. Mother wanted him to get to know and help his fellow Ancients, and what better way to do so than to help one of his kin with a task that was clearly important to them? As he arrived, a group was already gathered. He sent Talyson a grin, pleased to see one of his guildmates. Moving efficiently, Edmund retrieved his offered sack, gave everyone else present a small smile, and turned his attention to Maea to hear her instructions. The others took their turns introducing themselves and Edmund eyed Sah as he realized that the man was Soleil's father. He could see the resemblance to his friend and resolved to introduce himself when he had the chance. It was only polite, as Soleil was a dear friend and a member of his guild. He'd need to make a good impression on the man, though the Abandoned's list of magics was rather intimidating. On his turn, Edmund cleared his throat and, "Good day, I am Edmund Ansel. It's a pleasure to meet you all. have a molten tiger and gore crow shift as well as upgraded fire magic." ~ Edmund arrives with everything on his profile, a dagger, flint and steel, bow and arrows, the items given by Maea, and a canteen of water. Edmund Reborn In Fire

Maea

It's not a demon at your door

Nodding politely as each person introduced themselves, Maea took note of their individual skills. They would only really become important in the last part of the experiment, so once they had gone a round she folded up the paper and tucked it securely into an inside pocket.

"Thank you. Now, this is what we are going to do. I have split up the experiments into three stages, each attempting to answer one of the questions I mentioned.

"The first experiment is to try and figure out how the Void taint spreads. For this, please split up into three teams of two, and follow the instructions on this document." An assistant handed over a stack of papers, and Maea passed them out between the others. The instructions were laid out in simple terms, easy to grasp if perhaps not always easy to follow. "Make sure to spread out and keep a good distance between the groups. Assistants will help you build and bring any materials you may need; once the testing begins however, they will stand back, for their safety."

A grateful nod was passed to the people she had brought to help; they nodded back in turn, some offering tense smiles while others steeled themselves with deep breaths. She did the same, and straightenedher back.

"I will be joining in with the rest of you where I'm needed. Good luck, stay safe, and let's get started."

---

Round 2!

Experiment 1 consists of 4 rounds.
Team up in three groups of two and pick a task! Maea will join any group you wish.


Group 1:
Construct an enclosure with the help of available assistants. Release a choice of Sweetgrass plants or Snow Moss clusters, and Hanging snakes or Humming Bats. They are not infected.
Your task is to ensure that they remain in the enclosure, while taking notes of their behavior and health.
Difficulty: Easy

Group 2:
Construct two pens within sight but out of touch of one another. Release one Tangleweed and one Void Tangleweed into each.
Your task is to prevent them from coming into contact with one another, while monitoring and taking notes of their behavior and health.
Difficulty: Difficult

Group 3:
Construct one large container. Release an equal amount of Wine spiders and Voidweaver Spiders into the same container.
Your task is to prevent them from escaping while monitoring and taking notes of their behavior and health.
Difficulty: Medium




Flora/Fauna descriptions

Snow Moss (common): This species of moss appears at the base of many trees in the Woodland, possessing one very interesting trait: it is almost always cold. Creatures can be seen laying on it during the warmer months to relieve the heat, and it has been used as a compress by weary travellers more than a few times.

Sweetgrass (common) - A tall green grass that lines riverbanks. It produces a slightly sweet, vanilla smell that attracts bugs to pollinate its light purple flowers. It is a common substitute to sugar in baking and can be found in many teas as well for its calming effect.

Hanging Snakes (common): A fairly curious and intelligent species of snake that hang from branches such that they often look like vines. Beware, though - they are fond of slithering down innocuously to lay themselves over the shoulders of those who wander through, like to curl up inside of bags, and otherwise participate in exploring through the woods.

Humming Bats (common): A large colony of bats live in the rooftops of the domiciles. Coming out only at night as they are wont to do, this species of bat uses both echolocation to determine their surroundings as well as an oral phenomena that sounds to human ears like humming. They are roughly hand-sized, are easily frightened, and happily eat away the bugs that would otherwise linger near your doors and windows.

Wine Spiders (common): These friendly arachnids can grow up to the size of a small housecat. With fuzzy bodies and spindly legs, they are often found lurking around wine racks or kegs of beer. They are almost always drunk, hiccuping and stumbling about. It is said that finding a baby wine spider in your drink is a lucky omen!

Tangleweed (common): Appearing like nothing more than an amalgamation of sticks, the Tangleweed is actually an arguably sentient creature. For the most part it appears spherical in nature, keeping its many limbs tightly pulled against itself to form a round shape. It moves as if blown by the wind, suddenly rolling forward on the hard packed earth and then stopping just as suddenly. Having almost no natural predators, these creatures are found in great numbers especially close to the magnetic field. It is often impossible to tell if a Tangleweed is dead or alive unless they are touched. If interacted with, the branch-like limbs will lash out and close quick effectively on whatever they can grasp, at which point a poison is released which causes the skin to numb. Then, quite like other species of carnivorous plants, the Tangleweed slowly begins to digest its prey.

Void Tangleweed(uncommon - Hollowed Grounds): The normally spherical and sentient Tangleweed has been corrupted by the void. Its limbs, once resembling branches, now writhe with shadowy tendrils. Touching the Void Tangleweed not only induces numbness but also opens a temporary connection to the void, causing unsettling visions and hallucinations.

Voidweaver Spiders (Common): The once-useful Wine Spiders have become Voidweavers, their once-drunk demeanor replaced with a malevolent hunger. They spin webs of void energy, ensnaring anything that comes too close. Their venom induces nightmares, trapping victims in a perpetual state of terror.

It's just your shadow on the floor

Tal gave Ellyra a little wave and returned Edmund's grin with tight nod for his guildmaster. Not that he wasn't happy to see him there! But the situation was pretty serious and his gaze kept wandering to the caged Void critters that had been gathered nearby, making it hard to summon a smile.

He would never admit it, but he was relieved when Sah joined them, though he raised his brows at the mage in surprise at seeing him in the Grounds. "Little far from home, aren't you?" he whispered, nudging his frenemy in the ribs with an elbow as everyone got settled. Then Maea was explaining the plan and Tal straightened up, paying attention to the handout he'd been given. A frown threatened as his brows beetled together and he took a surreptitious glance around the gathered group. He knew everyone here, more or less, and from what he knew of them...

"C'mon, Jester," he decided, snagging Sah's elbow and tugging the Abandoned towards the Tangleweeds. "Time t'build th'best fuckin' pen you've ever made."

He headed for the pile of construction materials first and got to work making the first of two enclosures for the stupid Weeds and their stupid poisons and hallucinations, grumbling the whole time. He chose the thickest wood posts and panels and wasn't shy about staking claim to some lengths of metal rebar to strengthen the pens.

---

Tal claims Sah and chooses Group 2, then gets to work making enclosures using thick wood and metal rebar to ensure they'll be as sturdy as possible!

You steal the air out of my lungs, you make me feel it

There was a lot going on, and Ellyra was impressed with the amount of work that Maea had put in to setting this experiment up. She took the papers as they were handed out and scanned them quickly, commiting things she thought noteworthy to memory, but keeping the paper close by tucking it in her back pocket should she need to reference it again.

Stepping towards Edmund, Ellyra asked, "Would you mind?" Then the lioness motioned towards the cages and supplies gathered. Hopefully the -- rather handsome -- man would be more than willing to be in a group with her. Offering him a small smile of encouragement, Ellyra then set off to begin the task by collecting materials and begin the building of the container.

---

Ellyra tries to pair up with Edmund and suggests they work on Group 3.

Construct one large container. Release an equal amount of Wine spiders and Voidweaver Spiders into the same container.
Your task is to prevent them from escaping while monitoring and taking notes of their behavior and health.

Ellyra

Code blatantly stolen from the fantastical, wonderful Odd

Sah

I am a being
of Heaven and Earth

Sah chuckled lightly at Talyson, "I was asked to come." He listened silently as Maea explained the first set of experiments. Making no complaints, he allowed the courier to drag him along, "Alright, Errand Boy." Collecting materials, the Abandoned paused as his partner grumbled, picking up every few words as they painted a concerning picture. He'd heard that Talyson, Alys, and Noah had come into contact with void flora and that there'd been effects. They must have been worse than he expected.

Doubling down his efforts, Sah used creation magic to ensure that they had plenty of strong wood and rebar to craft the pens.

~
Sah uses creation magic, thick wood and metal rebar to work on the pens with Talyson in Group 2!

Magic: Creation | When combined with Mastered Air, Mastered Earth, Mastered Water, and Mastered fire, can create 2 magical items per season (with admin approval). Without mastering the four elements, can create well-made complex machines, and an unlimited number of regular items per thread limited by endurance stat. Small items last their natural lifespan. Medium and large items degrade after a season. Complex machines (a telescope, music box, etc) must be created with the knowledge of the character (i.e., cannot create a machine you don't understand/wouldn't be able to build with relevant tools)
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered

Of Thunder and Lightning...
But mostly Lightning

It was time to split into groups, and apart from Maea and Talyson, the rest were otherwise strangers. Talyson had quickly paired with Soleil's father, and Maea was busy running their experiments, so Edmund was happy to have been invited to join a group. He hadn't met Ellyra outside of today, but she seemed nice enough. Being a nurse and having a feline shift were certainly points in her favor and the young Ancient smiled softly, "I'd be delighted to." Edmund gathered thick wood and glass to begin building before pausing to ask his teammate, "What are your thoughts about using glass paneling on one of the sides to make observing them easier?" They needed to contain the creatures, but visibility was also key.  It would be a balancing act, one that had his tail flicking with unease. ~ Edmund joins Ellyra in Group 3 and gets to work! Edmund Reborn In Fire

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.

Looking around, Thal realized that the others had already paired up, leaving her alone. Mostly. She looked to Maea and gave her an unconcerned shrug. "I should be able to do the first on my own, but if you feel the need to help, you're welcome to join me." Knowing that Maea probably wanted to observe the other groups, Thal got to work.

She decided that if she was going to be working with hanging snakes, it would probably be easiest to just dig a pit. That way she could observe from above without fears of holes or other escape routes. Summoning a nearby attendant, she pointed a few feet ahead of her. "We'll dig out to here. Send someone to get the Sweetgrass." It wouldn't be easy without a shovel, but the dagger seemed a good start and she started stabbing the ground to soften the dirt.

---

Thalassa is claiming Group 1, leaving it open for Maea to join if she wishes.

Thalassa

Maea

It's not a demon at your door

Thalassa's offer was generous, but Maea wouldn't let her do all the work alone. Seeing the others get to work, she smiled at the Captain and came over to join her as part of Group 1. "I believe you more than capable enough for the task, but it would feel better for me to join in the actual work."
She watched for a moment as the assistants and Thal got to work on digging, and considered how to add to the structure.
"Let's add a fence as a perimeter," she suggested, "and make it slant inward. If we add Hanging Snakes they should not be able to leave so easily."
It was a fairly easy task to braid a fence, the only issue with it being the time it took. Maea joined the assistants with a knife in hand to split the wicker they would braid together, telling herself that it was better to be thorough and make it properly.
Thalassa would find the Sweetgrass plants easier to manage than the Hanging Snakes. The moment they were ready to release, the serpents realized that she was far warmer than the ground and attempted to wriggle their way into her sleeves, climb her legs and in general make a perch out of her. Noticing, Maea wavered between the urge to help and trusting her companion. "Uhm, are you... alright?"

In Group 2, Sah and Talyson made a good enough team despite their apparently shaky relation. Unfortunately they were perhaps a bit hasty in planning, because even though they completed their construction swiftly and efficiently, once they were finished and it was time to fetch their tumbleweeds, it was only to find the plantimals a good size bigger than they perhaps had expected. And while the regular one was fine with rocking gently in its crate, the Void Tumbleweed kept rolling and bouncing against the reinforced bars of its prison, reaching eerie branches through the gaps as if to search for weaknesses. The nearby guards watched it anxiously, only too eager to be relieved of their duty.

Group 3 meanwhile had a slow start. Edmund's idea to use glass was good, if a bit unexpected, and it took the assistants a long while to procure the exact dimensions he wanted. Ellyra meanwhile was provided with the hastily scribbled sketch of the container from an assisting architect, only to be met with a handwriting so abysmally poor that it was nearly illegible.

---

Round 3!

Experiment 1, Round 2.

Group 1 has finished their construction. Hanging Snakes are trying to get cozy with Thalassa - do you need some help?

Group 2 finished their construction too, but the Tumbleweeds are a bit bigger than normal, and the Void one seems to be on the verge of escaping its crate. Decide whether to enlargen the pens or release the critters before the Void Tumbleweed escapes!

Group 3 is beset with delays. Describe how they solve the issues in order to complete the construction!

It's just your shadow on the floor

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.

While they finished the construction of the pit, Thal was satisfied to see Maea helping by forming the woven fence. It would be a good way to keep things more contained in addition to the slanted sides of the pit. Luckily the dirt wasn't too hard and they were done quickly. Admiring their work, Thal placed the Sweetgrass into the middle. While she was placing the last bit, she felt the slithering sensation of a Hanging Snake wrapping itself around her leg and creeping its way into her pantleg.

Sighing loudly, she looked down to see another handful of them performing similarly. Shaking and flinging her arms did nothing to dislodge the creatures, only serving to make her look a fool. Apparently, her body heat had attracted them to her. That thought sparked the start of an idea. Glancing at Maea, she waved her hand. "That's okay. I don't want them to start latching onto you as well. Instead, can you bring me a lantern?" The contained warmth of fire should be enough to tempt them away from her and let her escape. She had no doubt there was one hanging around the sites or with another pair.

---

Thalassa is attempting to use a lantern to get the Hanging Snakes off of her.

Thalassa