Yang
Flea Market Artist
Posts: 1,001
|
Post by Yang on May 2, 2022 12:52:22 GMT -6
Something can be spotted,just out of the way and tucked into a small shadow...
|
|
Star
Full Member
Posts: 136
|
Post by Star on May 3, 2022 17:17:18 GMT -6
While I was busy musing away at the nature of my light elemental friend, Sapphire was busy finding a spot where it wanted to dig. I often thought about how strange it was that it could seek out gems so well, but I didn't question it too much. So long as it helped me, it didn't really matter what its motivations were. Unlike the golems, it didn't seem like content worthy of its own volumes, though there were many sketches of the crystalline cave creatures in my notes. Perhaps I would consider the possibility of an additional collection once the first one had run its course.
As expected, Sapphire found a place where it wanted to dig. Well, that was easy. I grabbed the sling Sha was in and set him down next to us so that he could participate, which really just meant that he was illuminating the area for us. Then I watched as Sapphire moved around, carefully touching the stone and scratching at it to see where exactly it wanted to start its dig. It pushed a rock aside and started to scratch away at the packed dirt underneath. It was too small for both of us, so I just let it chip away while I supervised.
60 [14.2, 13, 3] xe1HogQE
|
|
Yang
Flea Market Artist
Posts: 1,001
|
Post by Yang on May 3, 2022 22:08:25 GMT -6
Something can be gleaned not far from where you stand...
|
|
Star
Full Member
Posts: 136
|
Post by Star on May 4, 2022 0:44:03 GMT -6
Sha was more curious than I gave him credit for, and he pulled himself upright so that he could watch what Sapphire and I were doing. Perhaps some day he would be a great supervisor, and I wouldn't have to do it myself. Wouldn't that be nice? An entirely autonomous mining team. It seemed so obvious now that I was thinking about it, but I also had the distinct feeling that there would be some obstacle or another stopping such a thing from happening. Otherwise, everyone would do it and the mines would be bare.
As Sapphire chipped away at the thickened dirt under the rock it had pushed over, I had the idea to collect a sample. I reached into my bag for my sample kit and pulled out a small plastic vial. I brushed some of the chunks Sapphire had already broken loose into it and sealed the lid. If I could study enough of the kinds of soils that attracted Sapphire, perhaps I could gain some insight into why it chose the spots that it did. Materials science wasn't my strongest suit, but anything I could do to further my pursuit of gems was worth the time it took.
61 [14.25, 13.2, 3.2] gylWS0q0
|
|
Star
Full Member
Posts: 136
|
Post by Star on May 4, 2022 17:31:22 GMT -6
With my sample safely tucked away, I looked back to see how Sapphire was doing. It was putting in quite a bit of effort, but nothing exciting had happened yet. As it broke through the thickly packed soil and into the lower layers, the color and composition of it began to change. Should I take another sample? I considered it, but ultimately decided that it wasn't relevant enough to be worth the effort. I also did not want to inturrupt Sapphire's flow, as it seemed to be enjoying what it was doing.
Slowly the little hole grew bigger and bigger, starting with just a scratch and ending up big enough to fit all of Sapphire itself inside. It almost looked cozy, and I could imagine it curled up inside like a kitten in a bed of blankets. I felt like seeing this made me understand Sapphire a little better. It belonged here, and that was why it was always so eager to return. Digging and being underground, that's what it found natural and fulfilling.
If that were the case, then I wondered if I would find such a place for Sha and his brethern as well. Did he have a place where he belonged, as an artifical creature?
... and did I?
62 [14.3, 13.4, 3.4] a5dzVuP6
|
|
Star
Full Member
Posts: 136
|
Post by Star on May 4, 2022 23:47:25 GMT -6
That was an unpleasant train of thought, so I moved on to something more tangible and productive. Since Sapphire had been working in this spot for a while, I figured I might as well try to contribute. It was making good progress where it was, but I could easily double our efforts without too much trouble. I reached into my bag again, this time for a tool that I thought could help me. It was sharp on both ends which made it good for breaking up solid dirt like the kind we were standing on.
The tool was made for a person's hand, of course, but I could manage to swing it just fine, especially given how much stronger I was than the average human who would normally wield such a thing. As crude was it was, it was more effective than claws alone. Though Sapphite's claws were stiff competition. Sapphire seemed to cut through the dirt as if by magic, but its claws were literally made of some kind of special crystal. I simply could not compete in that regard. Not that it bothered me, really. It was smart to surround myself with creatures which could do things I could not. Otherwise there wasn't much of a point to raising them.
63 [14.35, 13.6, 3.6] 9aZoo_8D
|
|
Star
Full Member
Posts: 136
|
Post by Star on May 5, 2022 0:02:02 GMT -6
I started with a solid strike into the earth, and I could feel the tool quake in my claws. The stone below was stubborn and would require more work to get through than I initially thought. It would be tough, but with Sapphire reluctant to move, I was willing to try. Perhaps the people who originally dug out the abandoned tunnel skipped this area due to the toughness of the stone. That seemed a plausible explanation as any.
As I slowly picked away at the ground, I thought about the kinds of gems I knew could populate such an area. Different gemstones were created by a complex system of properties including the types of minerals available, the depth and pressure of the surrounding material, and whether there was exposure to gasses and liquids. Though I had yet to memorize all the patterns, I could make some guesses as to what we might see next.
Sha, ever patient and curious, merely blinked slowly as it watched. The first few strikes of the pickax against stone made it flinch a bit, pulling its tentacles in tightly for comfort (so I could assume), but it quickly got used to the repeated and monotonous noise.
64 [14.4, 13.8, 3.8] KEsnahuE
|
|
|
Post by Jack on Jun 11, 2022 19:25:13 GMT -6
A wyrm and a drake are fighting down the tunnel, just a little ways away. They seem to be fighting over a lone gem, maybe to start their own hoard? If you show you can help provide, maybe they'll come with you! (Make at least 3-5 RP posts interacting with the creature and trying to tame it. At the end of your taming attempt, make your last post with [done] and wait for staff approval.)
|
|
Star
Full Member
Posts: 136
|
Post by Star on Jun 13, 2022 0:42:31 GMT -6
The clicking and clacking of the tools against stone was a cadance that quickly became familiar. It was like a song of its own, made up of many small strikes. Consistency was key, and once the rhyhtm was found, it was important to maintain. It was of little surprise, then, when I heard something out of tune. Like the scraping of claws against slate. Actually, that was exactly what it sounded like. I held my pickax still and lifted my ears to listen.
A scrambling, scraping sound came echoing from down the tunnel. I held my claw out to Sapphire, asking it to be quiet for a moment. It held still, not sure why I was pointing at it, but taking the hint nonetheless.
"Watch Sha," I instrcuted as I crept slowly forward. Sha was still laying in his sling, and I didn't want to bother picking him up. I wasn't sure what he could possibly get up to that Sapphire needed to watch out for, but I wanted to be as cautious as possible. I had begun to really trust Sapphire, so I put it in charge without really considering how useful it would be if anything actually happened.
65 [15.9, 14, 4]
|
|
Star
Full Member
Posts: 136
|
Post by Star on Jun 13, 2022 0:59:01 GMT -6
As I made my way down the tunnel a short way, I could see the glimmer of a gemstone. I was instantly excited to see the sparkle, finally feeling like I had really found something worthwhile. I was taken aback to see that it was actually a pair of gem creatures. They were just like Sapphire, except a wingless and a legless variety. Which really meant that they were not much like Sapphire at all, other than being made of pure crystal like it was. I had a few of these scuttling around the hoard at home already, as I liked the look of them and they were easy to care for.
The ones with the wings were the smartest on average. It was one of the reasons why I chose Sapphire as an accomplice rather than a decorative addition to the hoard. These two were having a petty spat of some kind. It took me a moment to figure it out, but they appeared to be arguing over a gem. It wasn't even a very nice one. If they fought over something so dull, I could just imagine what they would do when faced with a truly beautiful gem.
66 [16.05, 14.2, 4.2]
|
|
Star
Full Member
Posts: 136
|
Post by Star on Jun 13, 2022 1:19:08 GMT -6
There were some gems in my bag that I had picked up along the way, and a few that I used as baselines to compare to new gems I found, but I was reluctant to pull them out of the bag. If I showed these two a lovely, sparkling gemstone, that may well cease their fighting, but was it worth the risk? I would never give them up, of course, but I could just tempt the creatures with it and take it back. There were plenty more where that came from in the hoard where they would soon live, if they didn't run off in a hurry as soon as they noticed me, that is.
"Hello new friends," I said in a soft, chiming voice. It was meant to be soothing, and had been practiced on my own creatures as what they responded to best. "I can see that you have come to a disagreement. Now, I do not want to inturrupt such an important meeting, but I do have a proposal. I have these other gems here, you see," I continued to speak softly as I moved my hands around, hoping not to make any sudden or loud movements that might scare them away.
67 [16.1, 14.4, 4.4]
|
|
Star
Full Member
Posts: 136
|
Post by Star on Jun 14, 2022 1:18:38 GMT -6
I pulled four shimmering gems from my pack and held them out for my new companions to see. I moved them around so that any light being cast by my torch would catch them and sparkle just so. I could see both creatures were immediately interested in what I had to offer, the one with legs dropping its hold on the gem instantly. That left the dull purple charolite in the jaws of the legless dragon.
"I can see that you are a creature of great taste," I said. I smiled, holding out the gem a little closer so that it might be tempted to come closer.
"All of these gems and more could be yours to roll around in, if only you came with me," I explained, continuing to use the utterly sweet voice I had come to master.
It seemed as if the legless worm was interested in my offer as well. It crept closer and I pushed the pile of gems along the ground so that it could see them clearly. It still held tight to its hard-won prize, but it also was tempted by the promise of something more. We were very different creatures, but we had at least that in common.
68 [16.15, 14.6, 4.6]
|
|
Star
Full Member
Posts: 136
|
Post by Star on Jun 14, 2022 1:28:43 GMT -6
It felt a bit rude to promise them gems only to snatch them up and toss them into my hoard, but I knew it was in their best interests. They could live a happy and plesant life with me, and they would not need to struggle to find food or entertainment. Of course, the choice was still ultimately theirs - I wasn't in the business of taking prisoners. I was, however, completely confident that they would choose the easy life and that it would be no trouble to convince them to stay.
I flinched as the green gem creature clawed at my precious tiny hoard. I wanted to growl and swat it away, but I did not. I had to stay calm and enticing. I could always take the gems back later, once we got home.
"What do you think?" I asked, not expecting an answer. "You want to come with me, don't you? Of course you do."
I slid the gems back a bit, and took a wide step backwards. I left them still barely within reach, just close enough that they could still feel like it was an achievable goal. Once they came forward and showed interest, I did the same again and again until they were so close that I could touch them. I gently reached out my claw, holding it out in a non-threatening way to see if they had indeed accepted me.
69 [16.2, 14.8, 4.8] [Taming attempt - done!]
|
|
|
Post by Jack on Jun 14, 2022 13:21:14 GMT -6
Congratulations, the creatures have decided to come with you! Luckily enough it seems you've found another gem behind them!
|
|
Yang
Flea Market Artist
Posts: 1,001
|
Post by Yang on Jun 16, 2022 16:43:17 GMT -6
Something can be gleaned, not far from where you are...
|
|