Star
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Post by Star on Feb 6, 2023 19:44:41 GMT -6
The gem creatures slowly approached, allowing me to touch and eventually pick them up. I was pleased with my efforts, even if it did seem almost too easy. I always wondered why wild creatures would trust me, but perhaps they knew something that I didn't. Or, more likely, only the passive ones made themselves known and the more aggressive, less trusting ones were nowhere to be seen.
Now I had a handful of gems, a wiggly seedling, Sapphire, and two other gem creatures to keep in order. This would no doubt make searching for new gems difficult. It was time to head back to the lair to drop things off. While the trips had been brief, but I felt like the amount of gain was worth it.
"Sorry, Sapphire, but it looks like we will need to return. I will be sure to bring you back to explore soon," I said. I felt the need to apologize to it for changing plans so quickly, but I don't think it actually minded much.
Sha had long since fallen asleep, or whatever the equivalent for him was. He was still, at least, which made him easy enough to manage. I left him in the sling for now so he could continue to rest.
70 [18.55, 15, 5]
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Post by NPC on Feb 9, 2023 19:21:34 GMT -6
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Star
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Post by Star on Aug 13, 2023 6:42:54 GMT -6
Our last trip into the mines was short, yet fairly profitable. I could only hope for such luck this time around as well. My hoard was looking a bit light of gemstones lately, and there was really only one way to improve that situation. I managed to trade for some, but the best way by far was to dig them up myself. Well, with Sapphire’s help, of course. The strange little gem creature was a dutiful and competent companion. I liked having it around, and even started to feel like we were becoming friends, for as much as two very different beings could be. I was fairly sure that it liked me as well, even beyond my position as a provider of food. I had confidence that the two of us would continue to bond as we explored together. It seemed that I could never venture out into the world without some creature or another in tow. It was getting hard to keep track of them all. Perhaps I would invest in a new system of organizing them. My mind wandered toward what such a thing could potentially look like as I lazily floated on my way to the cavern entrance. 71[19.55, 15.2, 0.2]
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Star
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Post by Star on Aug 13, 2023 6:43:11 GMT -6
The odd squishy thing in my claw was, apparently, a baby Vespa. They were known as dragon eaters, impossibly fast and venomous as well. This one was just a little grub, and I at first had my doubts about its capabilities. Could such an unusual little thing really be a dragon killer?
With its impossibly cute gem-like eyes and unarmored body, dear Gwendolyn wasn’t much to look at now, but apparently she would grow into a huge wasp with a gem encrusted exoskeleton. That certainly seemed worth the effort of carrying her around while she was all, well, wiggly. If I raised her well, she would certainly learn not to regard me as a potential meal, as well. It was amusing how often that exact relationship came up in my life.
I supposed that there was a touch of irony in our relationship. My kin were connoisseurs of gemstones, while hers feasted on the flesh of dragons. Though it seemed like a bit of a barbaric word to refer to a Tat-lung, I was still smart enough to be wary of anything that killed large, intelligent creatures with scales, just in case. Still, I found it difficult to feel anything approaching fear when regarding the tiny, squishy worm and her needly little arms.
72 [19.6, 15.4, 0.4]
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Star
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Post by Star on Aug 13, 2023 6:43:34 GMT -6
There was not much time to consider the relationship between Vespa and Tat-lung, as we had arrived at our destination. I landed gently at an entrance to the gem rich caverns. More than one entry point existed, but this was a path I had come to favor. It was a bit out of the way, and clearly my ability to get there easily without climbing gave me an advantage. Now I could explore in peace, and hopefully away from the well worn walls of easier to access tunnels.
“I hope you are not afraid of the dark,” I said to the small creature in my claw. She blinked up at me with her big gem-like eyes. I couldn’t be sure what that meant, but she wasn’t showing any signs of distress at least. I took that as a good sign and slipped her into the sling so I could keep my claws free. Investing in the simple scrap of fabric was one of the best decisions I had made, as it made transporting small and helpless creatures very simple.
It occurred to me as I adjusted my sling that the need to carry a variety of different young and helpless creatures was an unusual problem to have.
73 [19.65, 15.6, 0.6]
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Star
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Post by Star on Aug 13, 2023 6:45:31 GMT -6
Though I supposed that infant Tat-lung were really no different. A young Tat-lung might be self-sufficient in a pond, but they would hardly be able to carry themselves to the mines for an adventure. I supposed that it was just the nature of things, for the young ones to need a lot of care. I had long since learned that getting a creature while it was young was the best method of ending up with a loyal companion, so I foresaw this being an ongoing problem for some time to come.
Sapphire decided not to be patient and headed into the tunnel ahead of me. I considered that a sign that I should get moving, so I quickly followed after it. Sapphire had an incredible sense for where the best gem stashes were and I did not want to miss a hint. It was nice to have a creature to rely on for assistance for once, rather than all of them relying on me for everything. The more I learned about Sapphire, the better I understood the subtle hints of its personality and the better our mining spoils became. I found that I was fond of it, even beyond its usefulness as a mining companion.
74 [19.7, 15.8, 0.8]
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Star
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Post by Star on Aug 13, 2023 6:45:58 GMT -6
After a short trip down the tunnel, Sapphire stopped abruptly. It raked its claws across the stone slowly, feeling for some subtle signs that it had found what it was looking for. Then it flicked its tail in annoyance and continued to fly down the tunnel. This was not what it wanted, which saved us both the time of digging it up. I traced one of the scratch lines with my own claw, hoping it might give me some insight into what Sapphire had seen.
I could hardly expect to have the same level of expertise as a creature which spent its entire life within the mines. There were things Sapphire knew about the stone around here that took a lot of experience to truly master. I would continue to observe how it acted, so that I might learn the tricks for myself eventually.
I could feel Gwendolyn shifting around in the sling. Was she uncomfortable? I signaled for Sapphire to pause and adjusted the sling so that I could see the infant Vespa. “It’s alright, little one,” I chimed in a warm and soothing tone.
I could see her wiggling around, as if she was trying to accomplish some goal. After a moment of observing her, I noticed that she may want to see a bit better. She had sunk down into the fabric, which certainly obscured her vision.
75 [19.75, 16, 1]
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Aug 13, 2023 12:32:55 GMT -6
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Star
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Post by Star on Aug 20, 2023 23:19:39 GMT -6
“Here we go,” I said, gently lifting her up and adjusting the sling so it held her in place better. I noticed that I used my most gentle voice when speaking to very young creatures. It was not something I did on purpose, but it nonetheless happened. I made no effort to stop, as it was generally harmless. The babies might even like it
Gwendolyn did not get much time to settle, as a loud hiss interrupted our bonding. Knowing she was safely tucked into the sling, I took a low stance and scanned the tunnel for the imminent threat. That was not the hiss of a peaceful creature, and I did not want to put myself or my baby Vespa in harm’s way.
My eyes narrowed, locking in on a gem creature on the ground. It was one of the flightless ones with a pearlescent, colorful sheen to it. It was as if the creature was carved out of pure opal. Its hide shimmered in the weak light. There must have been a glint in my eye as I observed the creature, for it was perfect for my hoard. That meant that we would have to avoid scaring it off.
76 [19.8, 16.2, 1.2]
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Star
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Post by Star on Aug 20, 2023 23:20:14 GMT -6
“Sapphire,” I said in a low, sharp voice. It looked back at me briefly, clearly conflicted about whether to retreat. It wanted to protect me, clearly, but I did not want it to scare our new loot away. I gave it a look that said I was quite serious, and it quietly flew back toward me, landing gently at my side.
“Good,” I said quietly to Sapphire. It deserved praise for heeding my command. I did not want to speak too loudly and surprise the drake, so I kept all of my communication at a whisper.
Gwendolyn’s large eyes were fixated on the sparkling drake, which made me grin. Clearly she thought the gem creature was beautiful, the same way I did. She had a good eye for aesthetics, and I felt like she would fit in well among my allies. It was a shame that she couldn’t help me to lure the creature home.
I took a low, non-threatening posture and slowly approached the drake. I couldn’t appear completely harmless with our size difference, but I could try to give off as many signals as I could that I wouldn’t be a threat. If I recalled correctly, the wingless variety were a bit more instinctual and less clever than Sapphire, but they should still be able to evaluate the situation.
77 [19.85, 16.4, 1.4]
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Star
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Post by Star on Aug 20, 2023 23:22:22 GMT -6
It looked right at me, standing defensively over its scales. Clearly it thought they were valuable enough to be worth protecting. I wasn’t particularly interested in the scales, but I would take them once we were done. If it agreed to come home with me, it could stay with them in my hoard. I was sure it would enjoy the experience.
The creatures who lived in the mines tended to covet gems, so I could only imagine how happy they were once they were given the chance to live among an entire bed made of them. It didn’t belong to them, of course, but they didn’t know that. It must be a nice life, to live in my lair with all of their needs attended to and plenty of gems and other trinkets to enjoy.
For just such an occasion, I made sure to carry around some of my less desirable gems. The dull ones, the lumpy ones, and those with a faded color lived in the bottom of my bag just in case I needed them for something while I was out. I loathed giving up any gems, but there were some that were worth more than others.
78 [19.9, 16.6, 1.6]
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Star
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Post by Star on Aug 20, 2023 23:22:50 GMT -6
I shifted my weight again, causing Gwendolyn to roll over in the sling. I rolled my eyes and gently set her right again before reaching back into my bag for bait. It was a pain to care for a baby while doing everything else I needed to do, but there was not much I could do about that now.
I grabbed a lumpy looking opal out of my bag. It was a chunk of rock with various bits of opal sticking out of it, but none of them were big enough to separate and do something with. Nonetheless, I thought the creature would appreciate a gem that looked like itself. I knew I loved startsone and sapphires for a similar reason.
“Heeeey little friend,” I said low and slow, as not to startle it. The creature took a brave step toward me, covering the scale fossil with its body. It squinted up at me, clearly wondering if it should bite me or run away. I felt bad for it. If only it knew that I was here to help.
“I have a present for you,” I said. I knew gem creatures didn’t understand common, but sometimes the soothing chime in my voice could make them feel more at ease. Could it tell from my tone that I wasn’t a threat? It wasn’t clear, and the creature’s face wasn’t terribly expressive.
79 [19.95, 16.8, 1.8]
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Star
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Post by Star on Aug 20, 2023 23:25:47 GMT -6
I set the gem on the ground in front of me, causing Sapphire to look up at me with a scowl. If it could speak, I imagined it would say something like, ‘Why are you giving something I found for you to this intruder?’. I brushed Sapphire off, knowing that it would get over being offended rather quickly once it observed my whole plan.
I kicked the gem forward a bit to show the opal creature that I was serious about my offer. I could see it eying the gem with envy. Sapphire’s eye holes were burning a hole into the floor. It was clearly so jealous that it struggled to contain itself. Thankfully it was well behaved.
Eventually, the standoff ended, and the creature briefly abandoned its scales to scoop up the opal cluster. It eagerly grabbed the gem in its mouth and looked up at me, as if it was seeing me again for the first time. Was it considering me in a new light now that I showed that the gift was not a trap? (Or, at least not the trap that it was worried about.)
"See? We are friends," I explained. I held out my claw to the creature, seeing if it would approach on its own. I had clearly proved I was not a threat, hadn't I?
80 [20, 17, 2] [Taming attempt complete!]
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Post by Nadia on Aug 22, 2023 0:24:01 GMT -6
It would appear that your offering is more than acceptable. The gem dragon is happy to approach your outstretched claw! [Congratulations, you have successfully tamed the creature!] Wow, check out that huge crystal...
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Star
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Post by Star on Mar 17, 2024 5:46:36 GMT -6
As I traveled back to the mines from my lair, it felt like I had been burdened by my own good fortune. Carrying spoils back and forth was becoming a bit of a hassle, but I could think of worse ways to spend my time. Hoards did not have a habit of building themselves, after all. The worst offenders were the odd little gem creatures buried among the rocks, which, though beautiful, took up a fair amount of space in my pack. Though it may seem odd to bring a creature made of pure light into a dark tunnel, I did have a good reason to do so. For one, Sha made an excellent light source, and he was also the most grown of all my golems. Setting him in a sunny spot every morning was clearly doing well for his growth. His physique had changed considerably in the time since he first emerged from his seed. 1[23, 5.2]
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