|
Post by Kristofor on Aug 5, 2023 3:15:10 GMT -6
Quest #31 "Greetings, There's something strange going on in my lovely garden. Could you assist me at your earliest convenience? Sincerely, Alura" Apparently, the shopkeeper at Herbologist's Delight needs some help in her garden. The note she left is short and lacking in detail. What would someone like her consider 'strange'? Perhaps it would be best to head over to her shop and ask her yourself. Once you arrive and mention the quest note, she cheerfully leads you out into the back garden. She hastily explains that some of her Nyssa saplings appear... strange. It's up to you to figure out what's going on and clear it up. The Quest Help Alura identify and remove the impostor creature that is pretending to be a Nyssa sapling. Note: Kristofor has 'wild speak' and 'verdant lord' as skills! Bold is a headline or wild speak body language. 'talking' is Kristofor's Laiyan speech. Oogwai 0/2 Stamina: 2 Strength: 2 Resistance: 4 Dexterity: 1 Mentality: 1 Abilities: Carapace Moves: Nip, Mist Burst
|
|
|
Post by Kristofor on Aug 5, 2023 3:28:09 GMT -6
Enclosed beside the 'reward' for finding the brown flowers during the winter was a stone that Kristofor found nice to put into his own garden out back. The stone is heavy, pebbly and kind of staticky to the touch. Probably the wild haired client who later on Kristofor found out had been gambling on his survival in that old place made light of the stone and did 'something' TO IT. Why? Because next time he had gone into the garden to water, there was no egg, but a... turtle, chilling out in his garden instead. The local newspaper is propped against the juice jug as he enjoys a late breakfast on a closed day. Only so many slow days he can handle before a case of burnout. An unusual note about a new quest posted, see the board for details pops up at him. Well, couldn't they just label what it wa- Imposter found in saplings shipment! Extra pair of eyes required. Go to Herb shop for details Well. Never mind on that part. He could do with the extra funds to help keep up with costs on the building; even if he doesn't have customers, grooming his own pets is a must on occasion. and take a creature for and outing. Although he considered taking Cabernet, why not...take the turtle. Were turtles even considered a pet? 1
|
|
|
Post by Kristofor on Aug 5, 2023 3:46:28 GMT -6
Its not the flyer off the quest board but having his newspaper about would be a smart idea. Random inquiries lead to awkward questions. But what about the turtle, he questions himself about that, descending the spiral staircase and leaving through the main entrance for his closed-up shop. Its Saturday, after all. Its BIG for something 'freshly hatched'. The...ok, he's seen little turtles when going river exploring with his cousins as a cub, and they weren't even the size of his paw. This one could be a small garden bench, or a boulder. Weight of one too, as lifting it up and over the fence wasn't easy. The voltitan HAD been sleeping. Then this...thing... had to go and wake them up, PICK them up, and then put them on cold stones. Do they have the energy to complain about it? Er, not the energy, the chargeup. The heat warmed their shell nicely. Grumpiness. Until the thing got a tundler, and they got a ride instead. Huh. Faster then feet. Thankfully, the herb shop has an address in the paper too with an advertisement for buying produce for a price. So navigating his way through the city with a turtle on a pull-cart made this easier. Small cottage, big yard, big sign for 'herb', sounds like the right place. 2
|
|
|
Post by Kristofor on Aug 5, 2023 3:49:45 GMT -6
The keeper is an elderly human woman; much nicer acting then the elderly wives of those nasty human farmers back home; though he does not drop his guard as any smart fox should. Leading him out into the yard to look at a gaggle of saplings; And these aren't just any saplings; they are nyssa; plant creatures, er, walking trees. But something is in the mix and just is avoiding their gaze. To find it, remove it, and he'd be paid for his work. A polite bit of information to be careful on when he reaches into the fenced off area, whatever is in there seems to like biting or scratching. They leave, and now Kristofor has a confined space of saplings, and a turtle, to take a look. Especially for a creature he's never heard of. What even is a nyssa, besides a talking tree. Looks like something out of a story book to be honest. 3
|
|
|
Post by Kristofor on Aug 6, 2023 6:04:08 GMT -6
Like some of the other ...unusual creatures he's encountered in this human city, Kristofor's logical mind encounters a speed bump or two when hearing the term 'walking tree'. The nyssa 'saplings' are cordoned off for their 'inspection' and there's more then he's expecting. However, logic dictates that if the elder had been able to tell apart two or three from a suspicious one, why reach out for others to help. There's more then meets the eyes here. But he's being watched. For this outer area has many trees, and most of them are awake to the new 'one' here. Unlike the one who spoke for the trees, this one has no idea what it has walked into. It, and its noisy little earthmover...and on top... is most unusual. For Blue has never been seen off the ground except for water pools for the surrounding grove. The Blue in Green is very interesting indeed. Perhaps a closer look? 4
|
|
|
Post by Kristofor on Aug 6, 2023 6:12:45 GMT -6
At one point, a younger Kristofor was told that if he listened hard enough to the trees as he walked through the forest, it would speak to him. He never actually heard them. Just the wind rustling through leaves and branches. The 'voice' that he was supposed to hear? Wind. Just wind. Maybe it was just for those who specifically lived in the forest rather than on the outskirts and on the river. Needless to say, to hear the low groan of branches without the wind ruffling his fur, caught his attention. His posture tenses, ready to twist around and throw a kick if necessary. Ears moving like satellite dishes, eyes darting around. The groan seems close... but its not beside him. ...BEHIND. He turns, and the tree has moved several feet to be in front of him now. And its BIG. Like encountering a bear instead of a tree; with a tree growing off of it. The turtle is momentarily forgotten unless it gets up on its own here. 5
|
|
|
Post by Kristofor on Aug 7, 2023 4:24:14 GMT -6
The fox may have forgotten the turtle...tortoise, whatever... but the trees didn't forget the pull cart. There's more then one, and it moves quicker then the rest, nearly half the size with half the branches growing from its back, lumbering on its 'branch knuckles' like some sort of gorilla in a picture book. The pull-moving metal thingy is not an uncommon sight for the grove; their elderly caretaker uses one frequently to ease the pain of carrying things like fertilizer for themselves. Unlike the larger fellows, its a bit more expressive on finding such a shiny object on top of the pull-moving metal thingy. Or the blinking eyes of something alive sitting atop it. The tree branch knuckles fold over the edge of the wagon's walls as it peers over into it. Big stone...has head. Head blinks back. Clack-clack. The 'not-a-sapling' clacks its jaws in surprise. Not a stone! It has moved again, and the voltitan isn't pleased. In the corner of its vision, the land turtle, more tortoise but who cares at this moment, they can see the one with statick'd paws being surrounded by big moving things. In the other corner of its vision, a variety of shaking leaves and branches peek over the confinement. and the Imposter among them can see it from this angle. 6
|
|
|
Post by Kristofor on Aug 7, 2023 4:45:19 GMT -6
Quite an accident really. Stomping right into the ring of little branches to eat the bugs landing on those leaves, but suddenly trapped! What's a little imposter plant supposed to do, but blend until time to escape. But the several startled bites and such; it doesn't even want to move among the branches, for beneath are hard hitting things with...ARMS. May or may not have bitten one to taste it...and got a faceful of ouch instead. Only the splinters inside its maw say there might be a few snapped teeth from biting one of these. Those twigs look tasty. Quicker then expected, the voltitan's head darts forward to take a bite of the wrapped tree knuckles around the wall of moving thingy. Hm. Earthy. Woody. CRACK; its beak is quite tough and cracks the wooden finger. OOOOOOOOOH Creak groan...and suddenly there is nothing but air as the cart is overturned by a shocked, angered and pained walking tree. Attracting the attention of literally everything around it, including the grown grove and the fox they were bearing down upon. 7
|
|
|
Post by Kristofor on Aug 7, 2023 22:05:46 GMT -6
It doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened; Kristofor's concern shifts from 'oh no the trees are moving on their own' to 'oh no the turtle is being attacked by an angry tree'. His ears are assaulted with the banging wooden fists upon the cart, trying to reach the turtle for who knows why. 'Stop stop!' he calls, racing to try and pull the smaller walking tree off of the wrecking of his pull cart. 'Stop!' The blows are relentless on the cart until he tries to grasp the creature's shoulders to pull it off of the cart. Until it turns those little fists into wailing on HIM instead? If he didn't catch its woody little fist in his own. 'Don't do that.' he says, in a forced calm voice. The tree thing doesn't understand his words, but throws another punch, which he catches, again. taking those fists up over its head and bringing them behind its back. The limbs groan from the wrongful yanking. 'I said, don't do that.' he hisses. Everything is staring at the fox who has a nyssa in an armlock. 8
|
|
|
Post by Kristofor on Aug 7, 2023 22:17:47 GMT -6
His own stance is intimidating, although being lean and furry. Back off Its a standoff between himself and the grove that has formed a semicircle around him, the fenced yard and the overturned cart. He can't see if the turtle had been crushed or not by the overturned cart. Hopes it isn't. Creak... Creak... a few of the greener species of walking trees thump the ground with their clawed fists. BAM. BAM. fight! Fight! They would rather hit and protect the saplings then stand here. BAM. BAM. Little forest creature is stick. No threat. Those glowing knotholes of a large and impressively colored autumn maple walking tree hasn't moved, and the rest havent' moved around it. The little forest creature...smells of the trees. Of cedar and wood. A friend of the forest? Of the trees? But it is not marked... ? The overturning served as a second shell. Those little fists would've put a dent in that rocky shell if it had done a proper punch instead of pounding. 9
|
|
|
Post by Kristofor on Aug 7, 2023 22:36:55 GMT -6
It's difficult to avoid the confrontation. Nothing moves except for the occasional shaking branches and creaks of wooden limbs or rustling of leaves. Slowly, Kristofor opens his fist on the smaller tree's tensed fist. One of the fingers is splintered but not broken. Ah, that's the problem. The turtle thing must've bitten it. Apparently, these tree things feel pain from damaged wood. His sensitive paw pads gently rub the wooden finger from the tip to meet the fist. It struggles and groans, trying to free itself to hit him again. Instead, he tries to grip the pair of small fists together and knife-strikes the area between its limb and its head limb. The tree thing stiffens, and its limb goes limp, at least as much as a tree limb can be. 'Not broken' he mutters, picking the splinters free. The bark is cracked but the wood beneath appears to be ok? But the creature's reaction makes him concerned. Like it's IN pain. He takes a small thick pawful of his own loose fur, pulls it free to little discomfort to him, and ties the long hairs to the finger to immobilize it. Sort of like binding his cousin's finger when he'd slammed it in the door once while he was a cub. Raising the fist in the proper direction for the grove to see. 'Not broken.' No hurt. He can't see his turtle right now. But it must be safe, right? Over the crest of the fence surrounding the trap, the imposter can see the funny not-tree thing, doing weird things. Its... intriguing. Much curious. Must get closer! It waddles a sapling or two closer. 10
|
|
|
Post by Kristofor on Aug 7, 2023 22:47:56 GMT -6
Carefully, Kristofor turns his back briefly to bring the littler tree's arms back properly around its body, still holding the fists together; if the fists were meatier.. er, woodier, he'd not be able to pull this off. No hurt. He shows the creature its 'bound' finger. It does the 'fascinated' manner of turning its bound finger around and around. Releasing its clawed fists, He pats its shoulder and walks backward from it. No harm. For he's here to find an imposter among then. The big thing he sees between the littler tree and the much larger trees, is they have a canopy. So whatever isn't...probably has no canopy. Right? Stepping over the cart, the fox heaves a bit to right the battered metal pull-cart. The turtle is laying on its back, legs waggling helplessly on its rounded shell. 'Hang on, hang on, here we go' he murmurs, heaving the turtle back onto four legs again, then back onto the pull cart. The apparatus groans from the abuse and the extra weight. 'Much better.' The land turtle snaps its beak at him. Not happy. Ok. Turtle is safe, the tree isn't hurt, far as he can assume. Cracked wood he can't figure out, but cracked bark grows back? He approaches the fenced off area again. Looking back. 11
|
|
|
Post by Kristofor on Aug 7, 2023 23:02:22 GMT -6
He's noticing another feature of the nyssa that both little, slightly bigger, and the biggest nyssa show off. Head branches. The saplings have leaves but the grown ones no longer have leaves on those 'hornllike' branches topping its head. But there are TWO, specifically. Kristofor looks back into the pen of saplings. Opinionatedly, observation is the strongest skill in the puzzles he likes for 'find differences'; or at least he liked them as a kid because his cousins would play with him. The leaves are mostly two shades of green, one richer then the other, each with a leafy marking on its chest. One had a cherry, being smaller, but the others seem to be crowded around it. Why? One of its leaf branches is snapped, dangling like a sad puppy's ear over its face. But a craggy jawed face like that is...uh...HARD to tell much emotion on it. But going by the reaction of the older one, it was hurt. But this time, he doesn't think he'll be able to fur bind its branch and soothe its ruffled leaves. Among the colors though, is a lovely red blossom. Huh, was it a potted plant? Avoiding the pull cart and a grumpy tort-le, whichever, he steps into the place. 12
|
|
|
Post by Kristofor on Aug 7, 2023 23:10:22 GMT -6
The saplings see the fox step into their pen. Another strange thing! Like a moving moss, they shuffle away from him. Staggering over a few 'dumber' saplings in their wake, attempting to get away from him, mostly because of surprise and unwilling to come closer. Too young or too dense to see he'd not harmed the bigger, little tree. However their sudden shuffle trips up something of a more unusual sizing. The creature is sitting on its rear... but instead of a branch on its head... there's a beautiful red flower. The eyes, which are not knotholes unlike the trees, are gleaming, clever amber. It blinks at him, the fox blinks back. Surprised. Its face splits into a smile, unfolding several sharp wooden spines; teeth. Lots of teeth. Three or four of them are snapped, with a discoloration to its 'cheek' teeth area. One of the saplings must've hit it? Huh. "Found you." Kristofor points at the sitting, flower topped imposter. From the place on the cart, the turtle sees the trees shy away, but expose their own imposter. Huh. 13
|
|
|
Post by Kristofor on Aug 7, 2023 23:17:27 GMT -6
Kristofor's no idiot; he isn't a risk taker. He does have his venison jerky strips for himself... was it hungry? Was that why it was hiding among trees? Fishing around in the satchel across his back, the fox brings out a few squares of jerky, flicking a few before him. The fanged flower monster tilts its head down to look at the offered food. Up at him. Down at food. Shuffling up onto its feet, and he can see it a bit more specifically. Leaves crown either side of its potatolike head, spreading down the legs and across its tail. There are no twiggy arms though. Glancing up at him, as the fox waits, hands out of reach. He likes his fingers, thanks. Snapping up the food. Smacking its damaged mouth a few times although the thing has no..tongue? Well, it looks like one of those tropical plants. Eats bugs, orw whatever it does. Looking at him. He steps back, limbs bumping against the fence. The creature lumbers forward, like some sort of bird-plant. Making a weird croaking sound. "More?" He carefully navigates his way, without turning his back OR his tail towards it, back over the fence. If it wants more, it has to follow him. There's a carcophany of creaking and groaning, and pounding fists. The grown trees do not like the bird-plant monster with teeth. 14
|
|