Bidden by Uproot to blend in and stand guard until the rest of the group returns, Prickles burrows into the ground near the orange-flagged message box to enjoy his treat. It's actually quite the clever disguise...well, except for the rather obvious sign draped over the cactus. Still, it's a rather good place to sit and watch village traffic go by...
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Uproot tags along to the temple, dragging something from the guest house that looks suspiciously like a soapbox, nattering Seedy’s ear off the whole way. “You know we haven’t talked much. I gathered that you like to be called Seedy, right? So why’d you pick that name? And where are you from? Do you follow a religion? How do you feel about …Veganism? What do you do in life? Have you ever thought about joining the Pathfinders? How’s…”
Seedy struggles to keep up with Uproot's exuberance, the shy little leshy fiddling nervously with his seedpods as he tries to squeeze in some answers in between questions. "Well, it's not that I don't like to talk, it's just don't always have something to...oh, what's that? Yes, Seedy's the name...oh no, I didn't pick it. The druid who made me, well he didn't have much of an imagination, I guess. Just saw that I had plenty of seeds and well...where am I from? Oh, I don't really know. One day I wasn't here and then next day I was. I guess I must have come from somewhere around. In the vines, in the trees, just watching, listening...isn't that how it's done? I don't really know!" Seedy's starting to open up, and is even getting on a roll, enjoying Uproot's friendly interrogation. "Oh, religion? Hmmm, not really, although I'm keen to learn about all sorts of things. I believe that we all have a purpose, but it's up to us to find it. Is that religion or is it...Veganism? Is that a religion? Is Vega a god or...hmm? What do I do? Oh I throw seeds and mix up potions and stuff with herbs and other bits and pieces. It's pretty fun...Pathfinder? Yeah, I'm already one. Got confirmed on my last mission with Janira Gavix? You met her, she's..."
As the group at the temple starts to grow a little, Seedy leans in and tries to talk to the vines. "Er, hey guys? Yeah, I'm Seedy, how's it...ah, hangin' and stuff? So, er, we were wonderin', do you know why this poor tree's not lookin' so good? Did somebody hurt him or somethin'?"
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Uproot's eyes go wide at the mention of Seedy already being a pathfinder. "You're a pathfinder?!? What are you doing here? Do you know where the group of leshies I was supposed to meet are? Are you on a mission? Or just travelling? If you're on a mission, can I help? Please? It might make the people higher up less mad that I didn't find my group quickly!"
Uproot looks over at the scroll that Vintner produced and gives a wide-eyed nod. "OOOOhhhhh, smart! That's a great idea! But most trees I've known were the greatest of conversationalists, they tend to take FOREVER to respond, but it's not a bad idea! I think I'll try talking to our closer relatives, the vines over here instead!"
He trundles over to the vines, and then slowly unwinds into a vine that stretches up next to the over vines, though the Uproot-vine is so heavily covered in homolog moss (Spanish moss) that it's impossible to tell what kind of vine he is. In the language of leaves shifting in the wind, feelers curling about and small nudges that compromise the language that all vines know he asks three questions.
"Do you know where the priestess is?"
"Do you know what is happening to Mr. Tree?"
"Do you know the religion people worship here?"
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Prickles contentedly consumes the rat under him, savoring the meal, but not completely closing off whatever sensory organs he uses to detect things around him. He notices the people and things moving back and forth, only really focusing on them if one of them tries to get into the house or happens to be small enough he could kill it and eat it without anyone noticing.
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Plum shrugs she knows nothing about engineering. She looks at the garden to see how long it might have been left untended. She's very unobservant today. She decides to wait for the others before going in. She heads over to the temple to see what's going on there.
She sets off at a brisk pace. She'll greet anyone who greets her, but keeps moving to the temple a leshy on a mission.
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Disappointed, Sticky gets directions to the well with the idea of seeing if it is surfable or failing that could lead him to a large more surfable body of water. He doesn't worry too much about swimming in other people's drinking water. I mean people go swimming all the time in the ocean and you don't see fish getting out to do their business on land behind some rocks, so how bad could it be?
"You comin'?" he asks Skarlit.
Deciding to try and get information directly from the horse's mouth (or in this case, plant's), Vintner volunteers Seedy to attempt to speak with the great gnarled tree by way of the scroll they'd found while Uproot focuses on the honeysuckle vines that creep up said old tree...but Seedy can't help but say hello to the vines as well...
As your consciousness reaches out to communicate with the vine, you sense a feeling of surprise...and then delight.
"Hello! New sprout? Your light is different!" comes a response, something that you seem to 'feel' within yourself more than physically hear. "We live here, we like it here! We love the sun, warm and bright! But the old tree is mean!"
Meanwhile, Vintner stands by, watching as his two companions enter into some sort of silent communication with some of the plants of Mercy...
Reluctant to enter into Amenira's silent home on her own, Plumeria decides to leave the residence for the time being and makes her way towards the temple where she knows at least two of her fellow leshies should be. With the temple being situated in the center of the town, it does take her a few minutes to walk from the western edge of the town to her destination. Along the way, she occasionally gets an odd whiff of something that smells like...rotting vegetables?
Near one of these areas of stank, an empty lot piled with old wood and other junk, you notice something odd...dozens of small footprints.
Upon closer investigation you find something else that's perhaps even more odd - what appears to be a piece of yellowish folded skin, similar to the outer covering on an onion.
"Oh, right, right, let's see....ah, the nearest well's over near the carriage house," the woman offers. "That's where Sheriff Molume lives but everyone just calls it the carriage house."
She pauses and for a moment it seems as if the conversation will simply end right there. But then, she offers the pair of leshies a smile - a genuinely warm smile. "I...we don't get outsiders here very much and we've always heard about how strange most of you are - but I have to say that it's been nice talking to the two of you. You've both been very polite, more than I'd expected, to be honest."
"My name is Efua," she continues, tentatively reaching down over the fence and offering her hand. "If you do happen to make it to my Kato's shop, tell him that I sent you and he'll be sure to treat you right. And I hope the well water quenches your thirst!"
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Seedy is happy to make the acquaintance of the charming group of vines but concerned to hear that they think the tree is mean. Accepting the use of the scroll from Vintner and starts to talk to the tree. He's not really used to talking this much to strangers, especially weird looking old men like this tree!
"Ah, hi? My name's Seedy! I've just been talking to these lovely vines here. They said that you were a mean old tree! Why would they such a thing about you? I'm sure that you have your own story to tell!"
Bidding farewell to Efua (and perhaps secretly hoping that you've made a friend among the villagers) for now, Sticky and Skarlit eagerly make their way towards the nearest well. According to Efua it shouldn't be too far away - a few streets back towards the eastern side of town and located next to Sheriff Molume's home.
The walk there is blessedly uneventful, or perhaps terribly boring depending on who you ask, the worst thing the pair of leshies noticing is that some of the villagers they meet on the street stare at them with curiosity and wariness...but that's basically how Sheriff Molume and Efua reacted so at least Mercy's residents get marks for consistency.
It isn't long before Sticky and Skarlit emerge into a small open square featuring a small stone well as well as a few benches scattered here and there can be seen. On the far side of the square, as Efua had mentioned, sits a large carriage house with what appears to be a small bell tower attached to the building's southern side. An enormous, fenced-in garden runs the length of the carriage house's eastern side, similar to the other gardens you've seen scattered about the town, only much larger. This must be the home of Sheriff Molume.
Unable to keep from listening in on Uproot's conversation with the honeysuckle vines, Vintner jumps in with some questions of his own...
"No, no, no! We eat the food the earth gives to us!" the vines cheerfully respond. "And we like the sunlight, warm and bright! The old tree never talks to us! Mean, mean, mean!"
You're not sure with whom or with what, but you're positive that these vines are used to conversing even though they don't seem particularly bright.
Making use of Vintner's scroll, Seedy reaches out to touch the consciousness of the great, gnarled tree that sits before him...
...and where the honeysuckle vines greeted your presence with surprise and warmth, you get a flash of distrust as you brush the ancient consciousness that lives within this tree. Distrust...and pain.
"I am...Robori. That is...what they call me. That is...what they have called me...cycles upon cycles. I am Robori. Why...have you come, Little Seedling? No one...ever speaks to Robori. Only...the pain...speaks to Robori..."
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Uproot smiles unconsciously at the jolly sweetness of the honeysuckle vines, happy to find such sunny plants living in the den of vegetable killers! He sends back a message, trying to answer some of their questions, before butting in with his own. "I, uh... We are... ummm I guess you could say we are vines that never forgot how to wander on the winds like a seed... But more importantly than that, how is Mr. Tree mean? Is it just 'cause he never talks to you?"
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When they reach the well Skarlit glances around to make sure that no one is watching and then transforms into vine form and wraps herself around one of the trestles of the well. Once she is certain that no one is watching, she turns to Sticky and says "I'm gonna go get us a drink - be right back" and then slowly but surely lowers herself into the well, climbing down the face of the wall and looking to see whether there is anything of interest to be seen.
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"Ah, his name is...Robori?" Seedy turns back to the group as he talks to the old gnarly tree. "He doesn't sound happy. He says he's in pain! He wants to know why we're here? Why are we here, again? Something about finding out if there's an artifact here or somethin'? Why the storms pass right by here and stuff?"
The little herbalist then turns back to continue his chat with the tree.
"Uh, hi Robori! Sorry to hear you're in pain. Where does the pain come from? Do the the people here treat you badly or somethin'? Is there some bad thing happenin' here? We're here to find out what's goin on in this town. Friends of ours think that there might be some powerful item or somethin' here. You know anythin' about stuff like that?"
Deciding to investigate the well further, Sticky pulls himself up onto the edge and bellows a greeting down below...and receives a greeting in return! Too bad it's his own, echoing back. Nearby, an old woman picking cashews in her garden glances over at the pair of leshies and gives them a sour look. Luckily, she turns back to her gardening and doesn't notice as Skarlit transforms into vine form for a closer peek inside the well.
Carefully inching her way down inside of the well, Skarlit is able to see that the well seems to be filled with cool, fresh water. Nothing appears out of the ordinary.
The leshy trio continue their interrogation of Mercy's flora...
"He's mean! He never talks to us! But the Warmth and the Light talks to us all the time! We like it, we like it a lot!" the vines respond cheerfully. "Like the sun! Warm and bright!"
Although the vines are quite enthusiastic, they don't seem to be gifted with the advanced intelligence that you and the rest of your leshy companions posses...
"The pain....biting snakes in the earth," the tree named Robori responds slowly. "It comes down...like the sky water from long ago. The Light...the Light does not speak to Robori...and I am Robori. I keep the husks...the husks of the ones who planted me...long ago. They sleep...forever in the earth...and I mark where they sleep. I, Robori..."
Though Robori seems somewhat more intelligent and 'aware' than the nearby vines that you briefly spoke with, it still seems to lack the ability to give 'voice' to its thoughts as a human or even a leshy does.
...and while Uproot, Seedy, and Vintner are conducting said interrogation, Plumeria arrives at the temple and the great tree in the center of the village. To her surprise, she finds three of her companions are already here and seem to be in deep conversation with each other and...the tree and vines?
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Seedy scratches the leaves on his head, a couple breaking loose and drifting to the ground at his feet. "Ah...yes, I mean no? I mean he's sayin' stuff about snakes in the earth and sky water and The Light! The Light doesn't speak to him...well, duh, everyone knows light doesn't speak. Oh, and he keeps lots of husks, nothin' weird about that, I guess, 'cept he says they belong to the ones who planted him long ago and that they sleep in the earth and he marks where they sleep. You don't think he means they're dead do you?" Seedy shudders and steps back a little. "Creepy ol' tree!"
Seedy then looks back up at the group. "I don't know what else ta ask 'im. What did you guys find, and where do we head next, do ya think?"
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Vintner looks really surprised Wait Wait wait little ones. It's liiiike the sun? So it isn't the sun? Then what is it? Where is it?
Vinter pulls out his wayfinder and focuses on some of the great explorers of the Society's history. His creator, Osprey. Eando Kline. Durvin Gest. He calls upon their prowess to give him a reasonable idea of the layout of the surrounding area to try and better communicate with the vines about where this...Warmth and Light lives.
"It's all around! Warmth and light and love! We talk talk talk, all of us - except the old tree! He's mean! He never talks with the Warmth and the Light and the Love!"
Meanwhile, Vintner suddenly gets an idea and pulls out his wayfinder, channeling the greatest explorers of the Pathfinder Society's long and storied history, calling on them to grant him insight of the terrain that surrounds Mercy...
You get a mental flash of Mercy's outlying fields and orchards, rows and rows of cashew and apple trees, pumpkins, corn, nearly anything that you can think of - it all seems to grow equally well here. Then, your sight moves beyond that...the further away from Mercy you go, the land grows wilder and wilder, plants and trees flourishing where they have no right to exist. Unfortunately, your sight only extends in a two mile radius from the center of Mercy (your current location) but before your vision fades you see something odd - a lone bat (why is it out during the day?) winging through the sky.
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Vintner turns somewhat grimly over to Plumeria Actually I may have just learned something very interesting. The plants seem to be getting their feed and sustenance not from the sun and the rain but from some...Warmth down below, that extends all around.
And as I just did a scan of the area, it looks as though this all may be radiating from a point outside of town where more unnatural plant growth lies. It's reach extends even to here - I wonder what sort of effect its having on these people - aside from the obvious vegetarianism.
As Vintner shares what he thinks might be a very important piece of information with his present companions, a middle-aged woman dressed in robes of bright orange - much like a pumpkin - pokes her head out of the door of the temple. For a split second there's the same look of surprise that everyone else seems to have when they first see one of you, but then it's gone and she smiles politely.
"Hello, travelers! Are you here to learn more of the great Robori, God of Trees?" she calls out to you.
The woman, presumably a priestess of some sort, approaches the group of leshies gathered at the base of the great tree. "Ah...The Warmth and the Light? No, I haven't heard of any such being. I know that other places outside of Mercy might worship other heathen gods but this place...this place is Robori's domain alone."
She gives the group a rather sympathetic look. "You folks are all new to town, so it's understandable that you might not know any better. But...did I understand you correctly that you said the vines here...speak?"
While Sticky remains balanced on the lip of the well, hollering down at the Skarlit Vine...an odd odor suddenly catches his attention. It's faint, but reminiscent of rotting vegetables.
As you glance around, you spot a pair of small figures peeking at you from around the corner of a nearby house. It's difficult to make out their features from the center of the clearing but it almost looks as though they're wrapped in bandages.
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Vintner nods They are our close relatives. We are as you can see, merely vines given voice and sentience and a purpose by our masters - though with a lot more freedom than your typical creations you usually see get. Anyway yeah, they were talking - apparently Robori is a mean old coot who doesn't like the Warmth and the Light! And they do! I can't help but notice all of the vegatation in town too! Its a wasteland out there, how did this happen?
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While Sticky remains balanced on the lip of the well, hollering down at the Skarlit Vine...an odd odor suddenly catches his attention. It's faint, but reminiscent of rotting vegetables.
*sniff, sniff* "Whoa, is that me? I gotta change this shirt." Vaguely remembering a clothesline somewhere in his immediate past and idea coalesces and he shouts back down the hole. "So, is it like wet enough that I could wash my shirt in it?"
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Skarlit shouts back up to Sticky, "Well, from the perspective of water, I'd have to say that this just about some of the wettest water I've ever seen. It's really, really, REALLY wet. I mean, no one will believe what an amazing job of being wet this water is doing! And it's wet all the time, it's so wet, I bet it's getting tired of being wet... But then, something, I don't know what, just keeps making it wet again."
Skarlit climbs back up to rejoin Sticky. "I'll tell you, how wet that water is, it's a genuine mystery. Once we get done with the rest of this business, we should come back here and investigate!"
Skarlit sniffs once or twice. "Huh, there's a bit of a funny smell around here, but I can't really tell what it is. So, what have you been doing while I was down in the well?"
Glancing around, Skarlit adds, "It's been awhile, we should probably rejoin the others and see what they've learned. Hard to imagine that any of them will have found anything to compare with this wet water, but you never know..."
"You mean the bounty of crops and vegetation? Those are Robori's blessings," the woman replies. She smiles. "I should introduce myself properly. I am Zuri, High Priestess of the Church of Robori. If the very plants have their own...sentience, their own consciousness, as you say, then that too is surely a blessing that Robori has granted them!"
But then she pauses for a moment, frowning. "I'm afraid that I do not know what this 'Warmth and Light' that you say the vines here speak of, as I said. But, ah...if they are of a similar nature to yourselves, well...you did say that most such creations are not gifted with as much freedom. Could it also be that they are not gifted with as much intellect? Perhaps they are simply confused or misunderstood your questions?"
As Sticky and Skarlit ruminate on the wetness of water - of which the town water displays in an exemplary manner - and discuss meeting back up with their companions...
*psst*
*psst* *psst*
*pssssssssssssst*
Though at first it sounds like a spitting cat or perhaps someone with a bad case of flatulence, the pair of leshies soon become aware that someone or something is trying to get their attention. Looking around, they soon spot a pair of small figures standing in a nearby alleyway. One of them waves at the leshies, but the other ducks behind the first, as though afraid of the little plant people.
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Skarlit sniffs once or twice. "Huh, there's a bit of a funny smell around here, but I can't really tell what it is. So, what have you been doing while I was down in the well?"[/b]
"Just airing out the shirt, man."
As Sticky and Skarlit ruminate on the wetness of water - of which the town water displays in an exemplary manner - and discuss meeting back up with their companions...
*psst*
*psst* *psst*
*pssssssssssssst*
Though at first it sounds like a spitting cat or perhaps someone with a bad case of flatulence, the pair of leshies soon become aware that someone or something is trying to get their attention. Looking around, they soon spot a pair of small figures standing in a nearby alleyway. One of them waves at the leshies, but the other ducks behind the first, as though afraid of the little plant people.
"It must be my beach bod." says the shirtless leshy. He makes a show of flexing the wiry muscles that run like (very, very much like) vines along his trunk. He looks well-sculpted--almost chiseled in places. "You would be surprised how much pruning it takes to get this trim."
Noting that people are noting his leafless chest, Sticky feels compelled to add. "I wax. Oh, and I lacquer a bit too. Cuts down on drag in the water, and the lady plants find it easier to cling to." He winks.
"Let's go see what they want."
He amiably tottles over and sticks out a little gnarled hand. "Hey man! This is Skarlit, and I'm Sticky! Put 'er there!"
As Sticky and Skarlit approach the two figures in the alley, they can see that they're dressed in orange like the other villagers. More disturbingly, they also seem to be covered head to toe in bandages, with only their eyes and noses peeking out. When Sticky waltzes up and sticks his hand out for a shake, the lead figure giggles - the giggling of a child.
"Hi," the child - a little boy judging by the voice - says a bit shyly, shaking the leshy's hand. "I'm Caleb and this is my sissy Joanna," he continues, indicating the other child standing behind him, peeking out at the two leshies. "You're new, right? Why didn't your parents make you wrap up? Aren't you all itchy?"
Still confused, Vintner attempts to get more information from the vines - if nothing else, to perhaps narrow down where this 'being' might be found...
"It's warmth and light and love! Warm, warm, warm, like the sun! It talks with us, talks with us all...except the mean tree! The mean tree doesn't talk to anyone and the Warmth and Light doesn't talk to it either! Serves it right, for being so mean!"
Then, a pause.
"Winter? What's winter?"
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Vintner gestures There, did you not here that - The Warmth is warm warm warm, it talks to them....but not to the MEAN TREE, aka Robori. In fact, MEAN TREE doesn't talk to anyone. Simplistic, but very certain.
Vinter shrugs and asks the vines, now curious What does the Warmth and Light talk to you about?
"Love! It loves us! We are its children!" the vines respond enthusiastically. "And we talk about the warm sun and the yummy earth and the blue blue sky and the singing insects and everything!"
Meanwhile, Zuri continues to listen to the bits and pieces of the conversation that Vintner translates, still quite puzzled. "Hmm...perhaps Robori prefers to maintain a distance from the blessings he bestows? Much like a stern but well-meaning parent might."