Caldera Saute, part 2

Log Info

• Title: Caldera Saute, part 2
• Emitter: Cryosanthia
• Characters: Shalethiste, Thurid, Merek
• Place: Caldera Saute, the Sky Curtain Mountains
• Time: Tuesday, December 15, 2020, 5:03 PM
• Summary: Zanalilla has vanished inside her tree. The rest of the party returns with warnings that the scout escaped, some force will be coming. Captain Infalia decides to set the Airship for immenent departure, but will wait. One of her crew has 'the Bloody Fingers' and she wants a cure also. The group discusses Zanalilla, what she might be and how she sees others: As short-lived, crazy squirrels, mostly. The ponder what might draw her out, with Shalethiste deciding flowers or seeds might do it. Thurid wishes for some druids from Alexandria, perhaps a way to teleport there. Infalia gives Shale some of the galley fruit and veggies in the hopes this will draw the ancient dryad out of the tree again. It doesn't appear successful, until Thurid moves herself and Merek further away to give the two privacy. Zanalilla is happy to see Zharanvante again, as she calls Shalethiste, pets her, talks with her, and throws a pinecone off the volcano while examining all the 'fruits' she bears. She answers a few questions about curing the disease, her sap has a toxin for the fungus, and she could give some although she's very thirsty. While the group decides what to do next, the sentry's dragonspitter fires, indicating impending attack.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  Appearing, in Order  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Merek        5'10"    215 Lb     Human             Male      A black-haired, dusky male with golden eyes.
Thurid       7'1"     249 Lb     Giantborn         Female    Bright-eyed, muscular, blond Giantborn woman.
Shalethiste  4'6"     96 Lb      Shadow Elf        Female    A copper maned elf maiden, hued in the night sky.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  As the GM  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Cryosanthia  6'9"     291 Lb     Sith-Makar        Female    A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

Caldera Saute - Sky Curtain Mountains

It's night. Fat snowflakes drift down out of a dark grey sky. The skies, the stars, are obscured by the percipitation but there is light to see by. Brighter than moonlight, the side of the volcano is lit by the red glow of its cauldera. A glow that gives the snowflakes a fiery hue, as if the were cast sparks. Actual sparks mix in with them, thrown up by the boiling rock. Where the slope is wet, there is some glimmer of detail, but much of it is in shadow.

The Blar airship waits at the rim. Captain Infalia has been updated by the returning adventurers and set her crew to reinflating the Airship's bag. It will be ready to lift off in a hurry.

The Tree that was the purpose of the trip stands there. Patient, waiting. There's been no sign of the giant woman since she entered it. It's only been a few minutes. The adventurers have taken a moment to regroup.

After returning to the airship, Thurid will seek out Shale- to see what on earth it was the Paladin had been talking to the giant tree woman about. She is still quite hurt after her rather shocking encounter with the sniper's booby trap, but pays it no heed for now as she seeks out the Paladin amidst the hurried preperations to lift off.

Merek looks to the caldera and watches while it glows, then he's walking along to meet up with Thurid as well as Shalethiste, and nods a bit to the two when eventually coming upon them. He doesn't add anything, because he's waiting to see what Thurid will ask.

In the aftermath of the... odd encounter, Shalethiste of the Silver Guard has been absently, almost mechanically readjusting her armor, even as she tried to reassure the Cedar Woman that her incoming allies were neither a threat, not intending to plunder her pinecones. The grind of ash and gravel under a large foot brings the paladin around with a perplexed, torn expression that quickly turns into alarm on seeing her condition, "Thurid! Are you-?" She breaks off the stupid question a little above the root and moves toward the Jotun with the warm glow of her healing gift suffusing her palm, "Here, let me at that!"

Expecting that she missed something rather vital in her.... state, she glances to Merek as he draws up as well, probably about to get both ears full.

"I'm fine." Thurid adds, a little brusquely to the Paladin. "You found the Dryad we had guessed about." she adds a moment later, "What of you? No wooden parts?" she asks as she takes a step clsoer to the paladin, "Did she tell you anything about this disease? About why she turned that hogboglins hand to wood?" she asks then, rather urgently. "We'll need to leave- soon, the scout got away and they will likely sent a unit to investigate." she explains her haste.

GAME: Shalethiste rolls 1d6: (2): 2
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "2 HP channeling"

"Zeg! Yes you Zeg, go stand down the trail and keep watch." Captain Infalia shouts instructions distantly, acting on the warning. "Take your dragonspitter, stay somewhere visible. Fire and come back if you see something."

Shalethiste sets her gentle touch on the large woman with the radiant wash of her, admittedly meager healing gift put toward knitting some of Thurid's wounds. She draws back and considers her still fleshy hand, then, the nails roughly trimmed back to the cuticle in comparison to the other, "What scout? What happened?"

A quick shake of her head and the Mul'niessa turns back toward the tree, "It's a fungus, she.... nibbled at my nails." she wipes the sweat from her brow, "It's sets in at the nailbuds, she said. She called herself Zanalilla, she.... knew my great grandmother's name, but... she thinks of us as squirrels...?"

"Your great grandmother?" Thurid asks, surprised by that, but then she shakes her head and dismisses the thought for now- the arrow wound at her thigh stops bleeding at the touch, but she still has burns from the explosion. "Yes, there was a scout- saw us. Fired silencing arrows." she explains succinctly. "A fungus?" she wonders, her head already going over what that information might do for helping find a cure. "Did she say anything at all about how we can treat it in those for whom it's taken deeper hold- reached their blood?" she asks then.

Merek looks between the two, "Ah, fungus? Like a fae?" he asks, lifting his brow in thought while he seems to think about it, "What do you think it all means?" the man asks.

Snowflakes continue to drift down, small fire-lights that wink out when they get far enough past the volcano's lip. They fall almost directly, only occasionally swirling. Infalia continues calling orders. Tighten everything down. Set the levitators to full sink.

Zeg is briefly visible, bounding away from the Airship to take up a watch position. He's in shadow, but there's enough of a reflection off his helmet he can be seen from the ship.

Shalethiste shakes her head, "She seemed disturbed by all of the company dropping in all of a sudden. Worried you'd come for her pinecones." she says softly, turning to look her comrades' way, "That must have been what she was pulling out when I reached her." A glance between the two, "She said she knew it, since before the volcano first erupted. Do either of you know the history of this place?" Merek's question warrants a moment's thought, then, "I think perhaps something primordial was chanced upon by our sharpshooting friend's masters."

Thurid curses under her breath at that, "I know little and less about this place's history." she admits then, and she looks back down towards the blinking lights of the camp in the distance. "Is there anything she wants? Anything we could use to get her to trust us, do you think?" she asks. "If it is a fungus, there might be some concoction they can come up with to target it, but some of thsoe back at the camp don't have much time left. It may already be too late. If we return empty handed..." she grits her teeth a bit, "Should have had them start the amputations. Damnit."

The volcano is a distant rumble of boiling rock and occasional sounds of fire bubbles popping. To this background is added a higher pitch vibration, the Airship's mana-engine has been powered up to a full idle.

Captain Infalia calls to the party, "We're as ready as k'n be. She's gonna pop like a cork when we go. Holdin', long as you need. Biggie has the bloody fingers, Ah want a cure fer her much as you do."

GAME: Merek rolls knowledge/geography: (9)+8: 17

Merek looks then to Thurid along with Shalethiste, "Well, she would be older than 50 to 100 Years, also the volcano has likely been around for quite a while," he mentions, nodding a bit to the two. "I don't know, it's possible that the woman might be a Fae."

Shalethiste hrm's, "She wants flowers. Gerfried had promised to bring some back to her, as did great-grams. She's been alone a long time, I think. Everyone's a she... and whatever she has to offer is 'pinecones'... her entire context regarding us is as little girl squirrels who keep getting into trouble." Apt, perhaps, but, "Are there any verdant areas about? Did we pass any on our way here? Perhaps she can be coaxed out with flowers, something that could grow here, ideally."

With Merek's observation, she notes, "She'd have to be much older than that, Seer. I'm in my twelth decade, and she thought I was my great grandmother, that's many centuries back. I expect she is Fae... but she's been isolated for so long..."

Thurid looks at Merek like he just sprouted another head, "You think the giant talking tree lady might be a fae and that the volcano might be quite old, alright. Useful to know." she says and then looks back towards Shale as she continues. "I'm not sure anything could grow here without magical assistance." she admits. "But I'm no expert. I'd hoped that Druid might have come along with us." she admits then. "It sounds as though she is lonely... but even I couldn't uproot such a large tree and bring it with us." she admits then, and scratches her cheek. "I wonder if she'd allow us to bring a seed or sapling?" she wonders then. "One of the druids could speed its growth once we take it back to the camp." she suggests. "And in return, We can promise to come and visit. Even if there's a war on. I would make an outh before Angoron to that effect." she says.

"Verdant?" Captain Infalia calls, she's listening in.

"Means growin'" A gobbo beside her says, "Green stuff."

"Thar's nothing green here," Infalia calls, "Nothin' I saw. We was high up and bookin' it, an' there's all the snow. It's winter too. Trees is probably growin' at the base of the volcano."

The Arvek Nar pauses a moment in thought, "We got some lemons, mebbe an apple or two, that help?"

"I don't know, there doesn't need to be verdant lands to generally find what you're looking for," Merek notes, "Flora and Fauna can begin well about anyplace," the man says, while he speaks to everyone, "Anyway, what's the plan? We could try to talk to her."

"I promised to bring her flowers, and some apples. I've been... trying to grow a tree." Shelly replies thoughtfully, "What about the Gardens in Alexandria? There are plants kept there from all over, season or not seems irrelvant, perhaps we could bring some cultivars here if we could get there more quickly, somehow?"

She looks to the Captain as she speaks up, somewhat crestfallen, at first, but lights up at the possibilities, "Yes! They aren't flowers as such, but they come from trees, yes? She could grow more trees to keep her company, and assure her we're being serious." She thinks more and, "Does anyone see any moss, or mushrooms about? Don't touch them, but, maybe look to see if there is something that could have turned into that fungal infection." She looks to Merek a moment, "Well, we can try offering her the fruit, and the seeds inside, and see if she takes an interest?" Hrm, "Maybe we should come up with a list of questions, I... don't think she's comfortable with a crowd of us."

Thurid nods her head a bit, "I think it would be best if you go speak to her again... if... you feel up to it?" she asks, glancing at the paladin again. "You only just recently got over this infection, yourself." she adds after a moment. "But a list of questions is good- ask her about when she replaced that other squirrel's hand, ask if that's the only way to cure it, and if it is, how we can do it for those who can't come to her." she suggests. "In the mean time, I'll take a look for samples." she agrees.

<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "roll perceptions for searching, DC30"
GAME: Thurid rolls perception: (19)+5: 24
GAME: Merek rolls perception: (12)+25: 37

There isn't much life here, the ground is warm through boots. That's bad for plants. There's some lichen, but not much in the rocks and soil. It's mostly rocks.

There is also something round and metal. It looks like a grenade.

"Well, I can look with you, if you would like," Merek notes, while he takes a moment to think on it, then he nods along to Thurid as well as to Shalethiste, "Well let's see about what we can find."

"Jubik, get her some fruit." Captain Infalia orders the gobbo beside her.

"Wha kind?" Jubik asks.

"Doan know, doan care, one of each, wha'ever we got. Go. GO! Zeg, you still out there?"

"Y'am." Comes a reply from downslope.

Shalethiste nods, "I can... it's warmer here than I would like, but I'm otherwise.. clearer than I was, earlier." she replies. She takes in the Jotun's list and nods, smiling, then reaching out to clap her and Merek's arms as they set off to find samples, "Remember not to touch them directly or.. breathe deeply!" she advises.

Her last point is to the Captain, "Thank you, captain. I'm sorry you've been put so out of your way, but i'm grateful for all your help." she waits, then for the fruit to arrive. Knock-knock, I have candy may work better than Knock-knock, candy is on the way,

Merek walks along to take a look at the wildlife in thought, then he nods along to the two when he comes back upon them, feeling the soil, "It doesn't look like anything will really grow in this, I am not sure we'll find what we're looking for."

Thurid searches for a while amongst the warm gravel and stony soil, but comes up empty handed. "Didn't think so, reckon the caldera kills all the plants around. Besides, if there's a fungus growing under fingernails it'd need to be tiny." she says then, "Can't imagine it'd be easy to find... even if it is still here." she sighs a bit.

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+2: (13)+2: 15

Jubik is motivated. He'd like to leave the boiling ring of fire. It's less than a minute and he's hotfooting it across the slope towards Shalethiste. Arriving, the glow for the snow illuminates his face and a small basket.

A lemon, a lime, an onion, a potato, an apple, a plum, a fig and a roll of bread. "Here's yer emergency picnic."

He's fast on his feet at least.

Infalia doesn't reply to the mul'niessa, settling on a distant salute in her direction.

Shalethiste seems somewhat diappointed that nothing more concrete could be found, but relieved that she won't be prying either of them off of the tree. She turns as the young one and takes the offersings carefully with a grateful smile, "Thank you very much."

She turns then and starts to make her way back to the tree with her passel of (she hopes) goodies, "Zanalilla...? I'm sorry to bother you, but, I have some fruit here, if you're interested?"

Sky Dancer light our path, the Mul'niessa is negotiating.

<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "roll diplomacy please"
<OOC> Shalethiste says, "this should be precious"
GAME: Shalethiste rolls diplomacy: (7)+1: 8
<OOC> Shalethiste says, "reroll >.>"
GAME: Shalethiste rolls diplomacy: (7)+1: 8
GAME: Thurid rolls diplomacy: (15)+2: 17
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "and that's the assist. with seeds it was DC10."

Merek begins walking along to where Shalethiste was speaking, when he's finished up with that he would nod to Thurid while he thinks, listening.

As Merek begins heading towards the tree lady, Thurid will yoink him back- or at least make the attempt, "Remember where, five minutes ago, we mentioned that the nice tree lady does not like crowds and only trusts her? We will wait here, so as not to spook her." Thurid says, sternly.

Trees are not known to be conversational. Only a select few talk to the trees. The fey that live within them, may be more social.

Except, as there is no response to Shalethiste's call, it seems like this may be a task for great grandchildren. Silence, stoic silence.

Until the Jotun yanks the Seer away to a good distance.

Head and shoulders pop out first, looking around, then the rest of the large woman emerges from the tree and crouches down. "Zharanvante! Are you messing with me? You haven't been gone near long enough."

Her head twists with a creaking, she spots the other pair, then pulls the Mul'niessa closer and shields her with a leg, "Look out, there's some other squirrels over there."

Merek is pulled back easy enough, with a nod along to Thurid, "Alright." The man watches from afar, while he seems to think to himself, wrapping his scarf up while beginning to shift that along his features.

Jubik has also ended up beside Thurid. He edges back, carefully sneaking over to the Airship to get back on board.

Shalethiste is a little disappointed, visibly, that that didn't seem to have the desired-Whoop!

As Zanalilla once again emerges from her tree, the Mul feels a little better about herself until there is clearly something amiss behind...?

Like that, she is drawn into safety by the large dryad, managing to hold onto things comparatively well in the doing. Ahem, in the Sildanyari tongue, she starts to speak calmly, but as her hands are full, the most reassuring gesture she can offer is to lightly lean against that leg, "We had some fruit with us, Zanalilla, I have a nice plum, a fig, apple, a lemon... a... uh... green lemon." Then, more sheepishly, "I even have an onion and a potato, but I'm not sure how interested you would be with those. Or this bread?"

Ahem, "The nasty fungus, is there a way to treat the victims ourselves? Some herb that may stop the spread?"

"You are a good little squirrel, showing up with your cheeks so full." Zanalilla says, petting Shalethiste on the head, woody fingers stroking through her hair. She reaches into the basket first, pulling out the bread roll. She breaks it open, peering through it as it pulls apart, picking away, possibly looking for seeds. Finally she bites it. An odd look crosses her face, it's difficult to categorize her expression.

"Wow, my sisters' have some strange ideas of fruit." She sets the broken bread roll on the ground. This seems to spark a different memory. She crouches low, feeling around the rocks with both hands. She picks something up, then drops two pinecones in the basket.

"No. It's my sap. I grew a toxin for it." She picks up the potato next, stares at it, "You squirrels have such fun names for things. I suppose I could give you some sap."

<OOC> Thurid says, "It's fine, I don't have much to add for now, but I'll keep a look out along with our shiny helmed friend."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "roll perception DC20"
GAME: Thurid rolls perception: (3)+5: 8

Thurid turns her gaze away from the tree and the mul'niesa who speaks with its occupant, and back down the slope. She squints a bit, trying to get a look, incase anyone else is coming. But the glow of the magma far below has made her night blind, so she raises a hand to shield her eyes as she tries to get a better view.

She's starting to feel like a pet.

Shalethiste is very patiently letting herself be petted like a housecat by the large Dryad.

Ahem, "Well that was the bread." she explains, still in the mother(great-grandmother) tongue, "What you have now is a potato." She smiles hopefully up to the Cedar Woman, lightly setting a hand on her leg, "Thank you, gentle Zanalilla, you are most kind to share. Would the druids of our lands be able to make more of the sap, enough to treat all of the infected? They would need to keep their paws. We were also worried.. are you lonely, here? Would you like proper, polite company now and then?"

"It's not like I don't get VERY THIRSTY here with all the heat." Zanalilla shouts over her shoulder at the volcano. She sets the potato down, picks out the onion next. Perhaps she's leaving the more obvious fruit for last and exploring the strange ones. She pulls off a dry outer layer, then another, ripping apart a juicy layer. "Oh this one's fun. I like this idea."

Shrrk, slice, the sharp ends of her fingers slice through the onion as she opens it up to the core. "Where's the seed? I'm really starting to wonder. Did they look sick to you?"

Zanalilla pauses, looking at Shalethiste. She smiles in a way that makes it obvious she has no idea how a smile should work, beyond a gross mimicry. A similar effect would be a hand-puppet attempting to emote at the animal it resembled. Part leer, part grin, part smile, part snarl she beams at Shalethiste. "Squirrels... no... I don't think you could make it. If you had proper magic maybe. One of my sisters might be able to. If they haven't gone crazy. They might have, with fruit like this."

She waves the split open onion close enough to water eyes.

Merek looks along to where Zanalilla is at, then to Shalethiste. The man nods along to Thurid while he crosses his arms, for the time being waiting to see what the conversation will shift along to, and waits.

<OOC> Thurid says, "Spontaniously cast CMW, In place of Align Weapon"
GAME: Thurid casts Align Weapon. Caster Level: 4 DC: 15
GAME: Thurid rolls 2d8+4: (13)+4: 17

While shelly speaks with the true, and Thurid is turned away from the caldera to allow her eyes to re-adjust to the night, she holds her icon and murmurs a prayer to Angoron, to finish up sealing her wounds. She'd like to be in fighting shape, if the fight comes to them before they are finished. Her wounds knit themselves closed, and the spiderweb burn of the electricity on her skin fades to a blotchy red spot. Still sore, but largely healed.

Wow... that's vaguely unsettling. Did she look like that when she learned, too?

Hrm....

Shalethiste looks up at her new friend, explaining, "The bread is actually made from grain, like wheat, some water, and some other ingrediants." She scritches at the lock of her jaw, and goes on, "The potato, and the onion are actually grown in the ground, like roots." Ahem, yeah... the eyes start to moisten as she gets a good faceful of onion vapors, perhaps enough paladin tears to quench the dryad's volcanic thirst, but, perhaps not?

Instead, she glances down into the basket, rubbing at an eye with her knuckle so she can at least see clearly with one, then holds up the, "The green lemon, perhaps? I haven't seen one before now, I'm not sure what it's called." She looks to Merek as the others are on lookout and wonders in Trade, "Seer Merek? What is this green lemon thing called?" Then, back to Sildanyari, "Can that squirrel come closer? He knows magic, he has been trying to help cure the infected."

"It is lonely. Wait here." The giant, wooden woman says, standing and leaving the mul'niessa with a view of her shins. Zanalilla looks down, one hand splayed, "Stay Zharanvante. Stay. I'm looking away for a minute. Don't go."

She twists around the trunk of her tree, reaching behind to the damaged upslope side where there's a large mound of volcanic rock, cracked with age. She digs and scrapes, then turns back holding two handfulls of pinecones. She dumps all but one into Shalethiste's basket.

The remaining one, she reaches an arm back and pitches it as high and far as she can trying to get it clear of the volcano's rim and as far away as possible. "LIVE a better life!"

Zanalilla crouches back down, surrounding the dark elf with herself, and takes the offered lime. She glances in Merek's direction, "Oh, that squirrel is your friend? Ok."

Merek looks then to Shalethiste and to Zanalilla, while he nods a bit from where he's at with Thurid, "It is called a lime," he notes.

GAME: Thurid rolls perception: (3)+5: 8

Thurid peers back down the slope, but it's no good- there's something about the combination of snow and the distant glow of the magma that is messing with her eyes, making it hard for her to make out much of anything. She blinks a few times, and then gives up on keeping lookout, turning her attention back to watching Shale and the tree lady.

Shalethiste waits for Zanalilla to turn back around like a good squirrel, eyes already wet for the onion make a good justification for the glimmer therein as she realizes that the Dryad is trying to get her children away from her fate. "Would it be possible to bring you and your tree somewhere less thirsty?" she asks, her voice coached from the sorrow she feels for the ancient being, wanting to find a way to help, if there is one. Ahem, "Lime, thank you, Merek." She gingerly plucks the rest of the fruits from the basket to offer the dryad's way, trusting that Thurid would raise alarm if the enemy was sighted.

"Oh she's shy, that's so cute." The giant woodsy woman smiles in Merek and Thurid's direction. She has the same unsettling visage she shared with Shalethiste, "It's okay, you can come over. I won't bite."

She looks like she might bite.

Her fingers are also unsettlingly sharp as she peels the rind off the lime, then breaks open the segments. She pops one into her mouth, chewing, then carefully spits the seed into her hand, "Lime. This is a great idea. And she remembered the seeds. Juicy." Zanalilla bores a hole with a long finger into the ground in front of her, and pops the seed in. She taps the ground around it. "If you need to make fertilizer, do it right there."

Her flitting mind works around to Shalethiste's request. It gives her pause, "You know, I never thought about moving. It seems unnatural. This is my home. My sisters are here." She pats the huge mound of rock pressing up against the trunk of her tree. "I'm determined to beat this damned mountain that thinks it CAN UP AND MOVE AROUND. My roots go deep. SOOO deep."

There's that grin-grimace again. "So maybe?"

And more creaking as the ancient dryad twists to look towards Merek and Thurid, "Those other squirrels your friends too Zharanvante?"

Before the mul'niessa can answer, there is an answer of sorts.

>>BANG<<

Zeg's dragonspitter fires in the dark distance.

<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "World-Map wise, this is the best link I've got. Start in the centre at 'inmost sea' and go straight up. You'll see 'The Skycurtain mountains' near 'The Savage North' http://www.tenebraemush.net/images/5/5c/Worldmap.jpg"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "you're... around near the 'T' of 'The Skycurtain Mountains'"