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Post by Xentus on Oct 16, 2020 16:24:55 GMT -6
Current Quest:
| Xentus, | Currently Accompanied By...
| | Relevant Skills:
- Mason 3
- Feel the Node
- Rabbit's Luck
(Via Charm) |
| | | Equipment; |
      
| | Inventory; |     
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Another new venture awaited. This time, to descend into the cavernous earth to go spelunking for whatever riches it might offer. As was always the case when he went into the mountainside. But this time, there was some added incentive to go explore - to recover some missing item from a sarane's den. What exactly was unknown. Which was unfortunate, since this was normally a very important detail when going on a hunt to retrieve a missing item from a literal dragon's nest. But, the leopard didn't mind. If he was going to be crawling about the earth and darkness, he might as well see if he couldn't retrieve something out of place. If he had to sneak by the snout of a sleeping sarane, he might not be so inclined.. But what were the odds of that? He and his golem companion, Acidity, stood before the cave mouth, the looming darkness inviting them to venture inside.
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Post by Xentus on Oct 19, 2020 4:09:42 GMT -6
The golem wasn't the best choice to bring into the mountain cavern, he had to admit. It was somewhat out of its element (though somewhat in its element, being borne of earth and water) and it wasn't exactly trained to defend him should he actually come face to face with a snarling sarane. But it was small so he didn't have to worry about it being too big to fit in a crevice (like he would with his preferred choice of larger beasts) and it had an undying seed so he needn't worry about it getting killed somehow. So he felt it an adequate cave crawling companion. He'd rather not think about the potential better options which he could've chosen now that he was there before the cavern maw. With his crystal torch at the ready, the mammalian started into the dark, ears flicking at the occasional drip of liquid from the stalactites above.
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Post by Xentus on Oct 19, 2020 4:56:07 GMT -6
The torch washed the area in a dim yellow light as the leopard walked into the darkness. It would be enough to see where he was going once his eyes adjusted properly. The cave was damp, as he could already tell, with eroded stone flooring and walls laced with lumps of mineral deposit from countless years of water flow. An average cave, from his experience. The leopard beckoned for the golem to follow along closely, though it needed no such encouragement. It trotted on three limbs after its master quite happily, ready to service him as he needed and as its capabilities allowed. The knee-high creature had a certain confidence in its stride, marching along without a drop of worry for the potential dangers lurking within the cave. As with the many other walker golems the man raised, it was content to simply spend time with its master, no matter the setting.
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Post by Xentus on Nov 2, 2020 0:31:47 GMT -6
The creature was admittedly out of place here. Despite being borne from elements found here, its nature resembled neither of its heritage. For acid to result from the mix of earth and water was.. And odd one. Xentus didn't know what to expect from the mix, but this certainly wasn't it. The golem, who he'd taken to calling Acidity, was the first result from his trials in fusing the basic elements. He'd tried to reason the result out. That earth and water, being so fundamentally different, would clash and turn violent. Or that the mixture of certain chemicals found in earth with water could result in something corrosive? Ah, it was a difficult one to parse out. He waved the recurrent thought away and focused on their surroundings. The tunneling path offered a straight shot forward, with a gentle decline deeper into the earth. Along the wall to the left, he could make out what seemed to be an opening. Something to explore.
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Post by Xentus on Nov 2, 2020 2:02:42 GMT -6
With the walker trailing after him, the leopard curiously made his way to the opening, expecting to find tunneling offshoot. The beam from his flashlight lead the way, revealing a cavern room carved from stone. There was a pool in the center, seeming to collect from stalactites dripping water from above. The occasional drip.. Drip.. Was a fairly familiar sound. It seemed move of the caverns he ventured turned to be wet. It did add to the scenery, a distraction from solely dirt and stone. Xentus approached the pool, gazing into its shallow depth. The water was cloudy, laced with mineral deposits from years of collection. A curious toe was dipped in, sending ripples across the surface. Brisk, he assessed. Not too inviting for a swim, though. Finding no further interest in the water, the mammalian have another look about the lumpy cavern room before moving on. He wasn't sure what kind of tells to look out for when mining, but he still deemed the room to be much too dull to begin digging.
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Post by Xentus on Nov 2, 2020 2:07:37 GMT -6
Normally in this kind of venture, he'd have some creature of the underground in his company. Gid, the gem dragon, was his usual companion. The creature did a good job pointing its nose in the direction of valuables and digging them up, but also had a habit of eating whatever it found if he wasn't quick enough. Lately, his choice companion was a gargoyle, who was a reserved being but had a similar affinity for gems and the like. Acidity on the other hand.. He looked to the bright green walker, patting its head as it trotted to his side. It cared not for anything but its master. So, he was on his own when it came to trying to garner himself anything of worth. Which.. He felt he was alright at doing, but nowhere near as resourceful as a familiar of the underground. Xentus traced back to the original tunnel path and carried on.
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Post by Xentus on Nov 2, 2020 2:15:28 GMT -6
It was hardly noticeable, but there seemed to be a stream of water washing its way down the path. It made the stone slick, causing the man to err on the side of caution. Xentus stuck close to the cavern wall and proceeded slowly so not to lose his footing. Acidity seemed to pick up on this change in behavior from its master, creeping along after the man at a slow pace. Its shell-head clattered quietly, as if voicing its inquiry for the sudden change.
"Tread lightly, little one", the leopard murmured to it, "The ground may be rather slick." It might not have understood his words, but it seemed to appreciate the explanation nonetheless. It wasn't long until the path opened up into a large, wide room. The area was decorated with a large boulder near the left wall and several stalagmites dotting the floor. The path was clear of the stony structure along the watery stream, quite literally carving the way forward.
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Post by Xentus on Nov 2, 2020 2:24:46 GMT -6
Aside from his own breathing, the pattering of the golem, and the occasional drip of water, there was little sound in the cavern. Still, his ears flicked toward any disturbance that he could detect. It was more out of caution than being on edge, but knowing that a sarane might dwell here, he didn't want to come face to face with a dragon's maw. As he didn't have much in terms of protecting himself, he'd decided to rely on stealth should there be any potential danger. He was feeling confident enough to continue on without facing any immediate danger, however. Perhaps the golem's company made him feel more safe, even knowing it couldn't do much to truly protect him. A sweep of light around the cavern revealed almost nothing of interest, save for an opening to the right. The ground leading up to the opening was unsteady, laced with dry bumpy outcroppings of stone which didn't look very inviting..
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Post by Xentus on Nov 2, 2020 2:32:55 GMT -6
To venture forward or explore the offshoot.. As much as he wanted to at least take a little look, he was much more interested in following along the stream. Xentus made a mental note of it and continued his descent into the murky dark. Soon, the widened room returned to a thin tunnel. It was more cramped than the earlier, tightening into a narrow path. He now stood within the stream, faced with a slim opening that looked like he'd hardly fit through. A frown curled his lip down. This would be a tight squeeze.. And he was not looking forward to it. He could see that the tunnel continued beyond this thin section, but he could also try to find another way. Or dig through.
"Squeeze or dig?", he asked the golem, turning his attention to it. Acidity's seed stared up at him through one of the pores in its shell, seeming to contemplate his question for a moment.
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Post by Xentus on Nov 2, 2020 2:40:11 GMT -6
Then, it walked to the tight tunnel and passed its head through the gap, body squeezing and sliding through the space in a fashion like a rat through sewer grates. Xentus blinked at it, a bit amazed with how easily its form shifted and oozed. He figured it mist have felt his desire to pass through here.. And it didn't make the path any easier to traverse through. Looking at it again, his pack probably wouldn't fit anyway. He was resigned to digging.
"Be careful over there, Acidity", he warned, "Rocks may fall, or something may stir from the noise." So much for wanting to be stealthy. After a quick rifle through his pack, his pick was retrieved and work began. This gap was tight, but not very long, so it would only be a matter of widening it to his needs. Shouldn't take too long with a few well-aimed strikes.
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Post by Xentus on Nov 2, 2020 4:05:02 GMT -6
The golem on the other side watched as its master heaved, swigging the metal axe head upon the stone. The sound pinged, reverberating through the tunnel with an astounding clarity. The rock cracked and chipped, but not yet dislodged from the damage which he inflicted. The leopard gave a nervous glance about the cave, wondering if anything was going to stir as a result of his work. He gave himself a moment before trying again, listening intently for any disturbances aside from his own. But nothing revealed itself. The quicker he got this done, though, the better. Another strike upon the same spot widened the crack and sent shards of stone tumbling to the ground. And again, the sound echoed along the damp chamber. Xentus did his best to strike precisely and quickly so that he could move on. The idea that something was going to stir and awaken as a result of his noise loomed over him.
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Post by Xentus on Nov 2, 2020 4:10:10 GMT -6
If there was anything which was alerted to his presence here, it would likely come up from behind - there was no way a grand sarane was going to squeeze through this crack. The thought hardly brought him any reassurance, but he could keep his ears pinned backward to listen for anything creeping up after him. There was that opening he didn't bother to search.. And he might've missed something more. The dark of the cave, while tamed by his torch and flashlight, could still obscure hidden passages from him. Being careful and being thorough weren't exactly the same thing. He'd been more attentive to the path ahead rather than keeping a lookout for anything not-so obvious. With another couple of strikes against the rocky passage, the leopard felt satisfied enough with his work. What was once a narrow gap suited only for something small had now become large enough for him to pass through with a bit of finesse.
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Post by Xentus on Nov 2, 2020 4:15:58 GMT -6
Acidity on the other side scuttled out of the way as its master's foot tentatively tapped through the widened hole. Its feet splashed about a deepened stream, its master's own joining it soon enough. With a groan and twist, Xentus passed himself through. But not without a scrape along his upper left arm. A lowly muttered curse escaped him, a clawed hand grasping at the fresh wound. The scratch wasn't deep, but the blood still trickled down all the same. A grimace plastered itself on his face, despite his best to remain composed. The golem clattered and pressed itself on his leg, seed looking worriedly at thin stream of blood.
"This one is fine. Simple scrape, do not fret little one", he told the creature quietly, giving it a small smile in an attempt to reassure it. The golem seemed to insist, but it couldn't offer any means of helping.
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Post by Xentus on Nov 2, 2020 4:21:38 GMT -6
The leopard's other hand reached to pat the creature's head-shell. It was worried, wasn't it? Ah, he had to be more careful. At least it didn't feel the need to take revenge for him upon the stony cavern. Its acid could most certainly melt away the rock. An idea which.. Hadn't crossed his mind to utilize. Though that probably wouldn't have been the most environmentally friendly anyway. Xentus shook his head to remove such a thought from his mind and rifled through his pack for anything to tend to his wound with. He had an awfully bad habit of leaving out a first aid kit in his spelunking preparations.. The most he had was a strip of fabric to use as a bandage. After treating the cut the best he could, he washed his hand off in the shallow stream. Didn't want to be smelling too heavily of blood in a dragon's den.
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Post by Xentus on Nov 2, 2020 4:35:46 GMT -6
Though, making the cavern smell of his blood probably wasn't the best idea either. He was stuck in an odd spot, he felt, but the deed had already been done. If there were dragons, they'd probably have noticed his presence by now in any case. With how quiet things have been, perhaps he was the only visitor here. At the moment, at least. He could probably come facing a sarane on his way out or in the midst of his snooping about. While he was in no hurry to meet a wild drake or hen, the idea was also somewhat exciting. To observe a sarane in the wild.. Perhaps he could gain some insight on the dragons. He kept four in his keep, but they were all young save for the mild mannered striped hen. He knew the hens were not nearly as temperamental as drakes, but could be raised to fight for dominance apparently..
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