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Post by Zenjesi on Sept 18, 2023 9:02:21 GMT -6
Creature Encounters: Off Seeking: Chaos Crystal
Character:
Relevant Skills: Mason III Gem Caller
Feel the Node Magical Awareness
Tools:
Creature(s):
** Note: one parent was a Diamond Dragon Familiar, which makes her a mining familiar. **
Vossa
Stamina: 2 Strength: 1 Resistance: 2 Dexterity: 4 Mentality: 1 Special Abilities: Mechanical Mind, Gleam, Fly, Mimic Moves: Light Spear, Shadow Strike, Vanish
Loot:
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Post by Zenjesi on Sept 18, 2023 10:10:07 GMT -6
The adventure had hardly begun, and Zenjesi was feeling exhausted. It had taken more time to travel out here than the satyr had expected, and all the while, their new houluh was underfoot, pulling on the leash, running circles... all while the couple of tools Zenjesi had managed to purchase clanked and bounced around on their person uncomfortably. They became more aware with every awkward, fumbling, tangled step that they were not prepared for this. Now, they stood in the ravine, squinting around in the midday light. They hadn't expected a guidebook, but there was really nothing indicating what to do from here. The houluh was sitting next to them, scratching his ear and, blessedly, otherwise still. Zenjesi drew in a long breath. They could pick out some little openings dotting the cliff walls, but to be honest, those seemed a bit precarious and maybe even foolish to choose first.
Zenjesi: 1/20 Spectral: 1/5
Mining: 1
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Post by Zenjesi on Sept 18, 2023 10:53:01 GMT -6
Well, perhaps bringing a rambunctious and entirely untrained houluh pup on their first expedition into very potentially dangerous mining tunnels was also foolish. But the pup and Zenjesi had to get to know one another somehow and the satyr was finding there was never enough time in the day to keep all of these tasks separate. A soft whine pulled their attention downwards. The houluh was looking up at Zenjesi hopefully, panting. "Of course. The journey was not easy," Zenjesi sympathized. They crouched and poured a bit of water from a canteen into a cupped hand for the pup to lap up. He did so eagerly, licking the satyr's hand dry and then quickly bounding off again, nose to the ground. Zenjesi stood, tucking the canteen back into their bag and began to trail after the houluh. It wasn't as if he had any mining expertise, but neither did Zenjesi.
Zenjesi: 2/20 Spectral: 2/5
Mining: 2
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Post by Zenjesi on Sept 18, 2023 12:25:50 GMT -6
The ravine was quiet and still at the moment, but the houluh seemed to be following the scent trail of something or someone. As he began to pull off to the side towards one of the larger openings in the cliff, Zenjesi nodded. It was a good idea to bring the pup after all! Now they knew where the people were, and thus, where to avoid. They smiled to themselves, tugging gently on the leash to redirect the untrained houluh. "Spectral, come. We have each other for company," they encouraged him. He looked after the trail for only one longing moment before obediently turning and following Zenjesi. They felt some relief in that. He did seem quite eager to please. Zenjesi paced onward, eyes scanning over the well-traveled paths. They did not have the tools, knowledge, or death wish to forge a completely new path, but what was the point in wandering around the best-used tunnels?
Zenjesi: 3/20 Spectral: 3/5
Mining: 3
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Post by Zenjesi on Sept 18, 2023 14:19:25 GMT -6
But the Labs (and these mines) had been here much longer than Zenjesi had. At least in their mind by continuing to walk they were decreasing the odds that others had bothered to come quite so far quite so often. Finally, it was the unrelenting late summer sun that encouraged the satyr to commit to entering. They paused, wiping a bead of sweat from their brow. They had predicted that the cave systems would be cold. Fanning themselves with their capelet, they hoped that was true. "Now you may have your choice," Zenjesi whispered to the houluh. Certainly, he did not understand, but he began to wander towards an opening in the cliffside the size of a modest doorway. That seemed as promising as any here, and so Zenjesi followed. "We will test your luck today," they chuckled, holding up a hand to ensure they didn't scrape their horns on the top of the passage. Into the darkness.
Zenjesi: 4/20 Spectral: 4/5
Mining: 4
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Post by Zenjesi on Sept 18, 2023 14:39:47 GMT -6
Immediately, their suspicion was confirmed. It was quite cold in here. The sweat that lightly covered their skin instantly chilled and they shivered involuntarily, drawing the capelet back around their shoulders. That didn't exactly help. Now they were just cold and damp. The sounds of Spectral's nose working over the ground were amplified here. And... where exactly was here? Zenjesi reached down to their belt, plucking the flashlight out and flicking it on. It was a small room with two tunnels leading off of it. One descended slightly and one, at least initially, stayed level. More decisions would have to be made based on nothing but hunches. Zenjesi drew another breath, glancing down to the houluh. "Do you detect anything?" they asked. It seemed unlikely that gemstones would be the thing to catch his nose, but who knew what else could be in here? Zenjesi began to work a careful lap around the chamber, shining the flashlight along the walls, floor, ceiling...
Zenjesi: 5/20 Spectral: 1 0/5, 2 0/5
Mining: 5
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Post by Zenjesi on Sept 19, 2023 14:30:13 GMT -6
Nothing caught their eye, no gemstones glinted in the beam of light. It occurred to the satyr then that it would have been pertinent to do a bit more research on what they were seeking before embarking on this journey. Ah. Well it was not as if this was a lone opportunity. In fact... Zenjesi took a couple steps back out into the ravine, glancing to each side, then across, then up. They committed the surrounding terrain to memory before ducking back inside. If this proved to be a promising location, best to make mental note. Spectral seemed to have grown bored with the barren floor here (Zenjesi could hardly blame him), and was tugging on the end of the leash. "Very well. Then you must make the choice," the satyr decided, turning back and allowing the houluh to sniff out each of the tunnels ahead. The pup seemed immediately wary of the descending tunnel.
Zenjesi: 6/20 Spectral: 1 1/5, 2 1/5
Mining: 6
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Post by Zenjesi on Sept 19, 2023 15:02:00 GMT -6
In all likelihood, Zenjesi figured, that was simply because the path descended, and delving into the depths of the earth was not a natural habit of a houluh. At the same time, even as Spectral was scrabbling towards the other path... they lingered at the fork, straining their ears and eyes for just a moment down the descending path. It curved too quickly to see anything of note. After a quiet moment (or as quiet a moment as they could reasonably get, with Spectral's claws clicking on the stone), they decided that if there was a sound to be heard, their ears were not sensitive enough to detect it. Still... they felt a bit of prickling on the back of their neck as they accepted Spectral's choice, and left the descending tunnel behind. "You are being skittish," they chided themselves, shaking their head. But... they did spare one glance over their shoulder.
Zenjesi: 7/20 Spectral: 1 2/5, 2 2/5
Mining: 7
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Post by Zenjesi on Sept 19, 2023 17:23:12 GMT -6
There was nothing there. Of course there was nothing. Well, nothing except for receding daylight. Zenjesi turned around, following the houluh into the mines and inclining their chin a bit as they did so. They would not say they were afraid. Cautious. Alert. Not afraid. On the other hand, the houluh seemed to be very uncomfortable. Again, Zenjesi could understand that. He would be quite accustomed to living in a kennel and, nice though it had been, romping around with other puppies in a small, fenced-in grassy yard was a world apart from wandering into a dimly lit dank mineshaft with an unusually strange stranger. "Spectral, slow yourself," Zenjesi tried to urge the houluh, but he was straining against the leash, tangling himself on little piles of rubble, trying to round the next bend as if that would be the one to open up onto a more familiar grassy knoll...
Zenjesi: 8/20 Spectral: 1 3/5, 2 3/5
Mining: 8
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Post by Zenjesi on Sept 19, 2023 18:30:23 GMT -6
Zenjesi stopped short. They had only traveled around a few bends in the tunnel, but Spectral was showing no signs of wanting to slow down. Thankfully, he was only a pup and thus was not going to beat the satyr in a strength contest if it came to it. "Nothing is going to change," they whispered to the houluh. "Spectral." The pup reached the end of the leash promptly and whined upon realizing Zenjesi was not going to indulge him. "The purpose is to search." They crouched down, setting the flashlight to the side such that it illuminated one wall. It reflected off of the stone and lit the entire narrow space brightly. "You cannot be panicking." Zenjesi patted the ground beside themselves, but the houluh was not paying them any mind. With a soft sigh, they began to slowly and gently reel the pup in with the leash. "Let us calm ourselves."
Zenjesi: 9/20 Spectral: 1 4/5, 2 4/5
Mining: 9
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Post by Zenjesi on Sept 19, 2023 19:46:20 GMT -6
When Spectral was within reach, Zenjesi scooped him up, settling him in on their thighs. They stroked his head and ears with both hands. He seemed to be calming, and then the shovel strapped to Zenjesi's back clanked noisily off of the stone wall behind. The sound rebounded off down the tunnel, and the puppy yiped and began squirming wildly, trying to break free from Zenjesi's grasp. The satyr heaved a sigh. "Change of plan," they decided. "It is time for eating." They slipped the end of the leash around their ankle, planted their hoof firmly on the stone, and released the houluh. He leaped off of Zenjesi's legs and confidently started off on his own again down the tunnel. Just as promptly, the sound of packaging rustling reversed him in his tracks. Zenjesi had pulled a packed meal out of their bag for the pup and poured it into a small pile on the ground.
Zenjesi: 10/20 Spectral: 2 0/5, 4 0/5
Mining: 10
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Post by Jack on Sept 20, 2023 18:56:23 GMT -6
That's a pretty pink stone you're next to.
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Post by Zenjesi on Sept 20, 2023 20:59:21 GMT -6
It seemed sort of a sad circumstance, but at least Spectral didn't seem to mind it. In fact, he bounded up and began to devour the food as Zenjesi was still pouring, knocking into the bag and spilling the kibble out all over the stony hall. The satyr sighed, tucking the empty container back into their bag. It was alright, it would give them more time to eat undisturbed while the houluh scrounged for his meal. They pulled out their own packed lunch and found it was strangely warm to the touch from the long trek in, especially against the cold cave air. A meal would fuel them for the task ahead, whatever that would be exactly. They still weren't even sure what they were doing here. Their thoughts were interrupted by the clanging of the shovel against stone as they settled in, the clatter of the flashlight as they accidentally jostled it with their hoof -- and a glint of pink caught their eye.
Zenjesi: 11/20 Spectral: 2 1/5, 4 1/5
Mining: 11
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Post by Zenjesi on Sept 21, 2023 11:01:12 GMT -6
The satyr froze in place, the squished, too-warm sandwich touching their lips. Was that...? They set their lunch aside again, all thoughts of the meal completely leaving their mind. They grasped the flashlight, crawling forward on hands and knees and fixing the beam on the glinting spot. So it was: a gemstone. It had a pinkish hue and was mostly buried in the wall, near the seam with the floor, where a normal person could have easily overlooked it. "How lucky for Zenjesi," they mumbled aloud. They spared a glance over at Spectral, but he was still munching away, tethered to the satyr's ankle. Fumbling awkwardly with the unfamiliar tools, Zenjesi extracted the shovel and the mallet from their person, lay the flashlight so that it illuminated the spot in question and... then hesitated. They were beginning to understand the function of some of those other tools in The Underground.
Zenjesi: 12/20 Spectral: 2 2/5, 4 2/5
Mining: 12
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Post by Zenjesi on Sept 22, 2023 9:08:09 GMT -6
These two tools seemed far too awkward and bulky to extract such a little stone from the clutches of a much bigger stone. Well, even if the gem shattered or scuffed in the process of removing it, that was preferable to not extracting it at all, Zenjesi decided. There was only one way to build their skills anyway. They set the mallet aside, then stood and carefully positioned the edge of the shovel underneath where they estimated the gemstone may lie. Then, raising their hoof, the satyr brought it down on the shovel. A crack and a clang rang off of the walls, and a piece of kibble fell out of Spectral's mouth as he looked on at what Zenjesi was doing, clearly confused and mildly alarmed. "It is alright," Zenjesi reassured their houluh. "Continue to eat," they tried to encourage him. But it seemed his eagerness to please (and lack of understanding of Common) took priority then.
Zenjesi: 13/20 Spectral: 2 3/5, 4 3/5
Mining: 13
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