GLoG 90

[Gullara]

:smile: Please read as far as the line :smile:
before posting in this thread

The Good League of Good is a Nexus organization devoted to the care and support of those in need, a sanctuary for those that need it, and the redemption of evildoers. The organization strives to make the campsite a safe and welcoming environment for everyone.

If you are brand new to ffrp, please come to the Nexus OoC thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=279910) and introduce yourself. We all want to meet you! :smallsmile:

Charitable Activities
GLoG performs good works such as caring for distressed individuals in need, housing and feeding evacuees from the city during disasters, and healing sick and injured people in GLoG's infirmary - renowned as the most advanced place of healing in the Nexus.

Our Redemption Program
Individuals who come in search of redemption should be interviewed by a member to see how their needs can be best met, and then assigned to a mentor who will assist them. Graduation from the redemption program will occur when both the redemee and his/her mentor agree that they have made sufficient progress.

Attention Villains
Conflict is great! It's the heart of any story, and there isn't much to roleplay without it. However, as a player to player courtesy, please check in with the players who are active at any given time before launching an attack. Not everyone wants to roleplay combat scenes, and sometimes there are other things going on (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0497.html) that players don't want to interrupt for a random fight. Either a PM/IM to players, a short post in thread to say ((Mind if I introduce a villain here?)) or a longer post in the OOC thread if it's a larger plot is appreciated.

Also, please don't plan any villainy that will result in destroying the base or having the same effect (poisoning the lake, burning down the forest, etc.) without the consent of the majority of the players who would be affected.

Base Defences
he GLoG campsite is now under the effects of the spell Plaza of Downcast Eyes. Almost all teleportation and scrying spells are blocked.

A Spirit Charm has been placed on the GLoG grounds. A number of willing spirits serve to protect the grounds. See the Miscellaneous Inhabitants section for more information.

There is a perimeter of cactus plants to encourage anyone on foot to enter by one of the main entrance points.


If any of your characters add more defences, please PM them to Gulaghar so they can be added.




If you're a newbie, and you've read this far, you should know enough to join in the fun.
Everything beyond this point is Bonus Material.

Members/Residents

Please PM Gulaghar to be added to the list when you bring a character into the thread with the intention of redeeming or of having them reside here on a regular basis. IC, we'll assume there's a sign in log somewhere. :smalltongue:

Our IC leadership council
Andreas Emeral (played by Zefir)
Brand Applehill (played by happyturtle)
Quinn (played by The Bushranger)
Pathfinder (played by Wolfbane)
Reelshka (played by Morty)
Runner (played by KerfuffleMach2)
Shrike (played by The Bushranger)
Zamira (played by horngeek)

The leadership council exists so that any one member can make important decisions affecting all of GLoG. Basically, when someone shows up and says 'I need to speak to the person in charge', any one of the leadership council can handle it.


Members/Residents


Name
Player
Species
Gender
Position
Cabin


Andreas Emeral
Zefir
Human
Male
Council
Ironoak


Bramble
Earl of Purple
Human
Male

Balsa


Brand Applehill
Happyturtle
Halfling
Male
Cook, Council
Poplar


Cacame
Earl of Purple
Elf
Male




Cerridwen
Reinholdt
Catgirl
Female




Daffodil
Earl of Purple
Human
Male

Balsa


Daisy
Earl of Purple
Human
Male

Balsa


Eric
Harnel
Elf/Wolf
Male

Rowan


Jazirian
Kid Kris
Gold Dragon
Male




Julie Fiske
Slii Arhem
Succubus
Female

Rowan


Kate
Lost Deep
Human
Female




Khiansa
Kris on a Stick
Human
Male




Lichen
Earl of Purple
Lizardperson
Male

Balsa


Marley, Ebenezer
ThePhantom
Human
Male




Mark Two
LordDeathkeeper
Myr
None

Maple


Nishtar
Earl of Purple
Elf
Male




Pansy Applehill
Happyturtle
Halfling
Female
Cook, Child care
Poplar


Pansy
Earl of Purple
Human
Male

Balsa


Pathfinder
Wolfbane
Wolfen
Male
Council
Forest Hut


Quinn Druid
The Bushranger
Human
Female
Doctor, Council
Cedar(Infirmary)


Reelshka Trollfinger
Morty
Goblin
Female
Council
Mushroom


Renetta Oronar
Gulaghar
Elf/Wolfen
Female

Forest Hut


Ruth
Flaming Eagle
Nephilim
Female
Healer
Evergreen


Sattael
Earl of Purple
Elf
Male




Shrike
The Bushranger
Human
Female
Council



Sophie Mouchabiere
Morty
Human
Female

Maple


Taurus Russkij
The Bushranger
Human/Drow/Brass Dragon
Male
Gardener



Waterstrider
Wolfbane
Wolfen
Male

Forest Hut






Name
Player
Species
Gender
Position
Cabin


Bailey
qwertyu63
Human
Male
Healer



Emily
Lix Lorn
Human
Female

Denim


Friend
Keveak
Mortal Ex-Fae
Male




Krystal Jones
KerfuffleMach2
Mutant
Female
Infirmary Assistant



Runner
KerfuffleMach2
Autobot
Male
Council



Tanar Aerdoth
tman2nd
Half-elf
Male

Oak


Vidalia
Lex-Kat
Human/Plant
Female/Onion

Cherry


Zamira
horngeek
Human
Female
Council





Children


Name
Player
Species
Gender
Cabin


Brinika Sneergrim
Morty
Goblin
Female
Mushroom


Carth
LordDeathkeeper
Griffon
Male
Balsa


Dag
Happyturtle
Skydragon
Male



Flamecrest
Gulaghar
Welfen
Female
Forest Hut


Hadrian
Firefox
Human
Male
Cedar(Infirmary)


Jamie Druid/Mikani
The Bushranger
Human
Female
Cedar(Infirmary)


Keo
Lost Deep
Catperson
Female
Outdoors


Lily Applehill
Happyturtle
Halfling
Female
Poplar


Natalie
Earl of Purple
Human
Female
Cedar(Infirmary)


Prism
Slii Arhem
Succubus/Starspawn
Female
Rowan


Salix
Gulaghar
Dryad
Female
Off-Site


Scylla
Harnel
Succubus/Starspawn
Female
Rowan


Tito Applehill
Happyturtle
Halfling
Male
Poplar


Timmy Saunders
OrchestraHc
Human
Male
Maple


Asher
Flaming Eagle
Winged Nephilim
Male
Evergreen





Name
Player
Species
Gender
Cabin


Abigail Hayashi
horngeek
Human
Female



Holly/Chione
Hyozo
human
Female





Redeemees


Character
Player
Species
Gender
Why they're here
Being helped by
Cabin


Aurelia
Arkhosia
Daemonfae
Female
Assassin
Quinn
Infimary


Chessxenna Maeana
Arkhosia
Drow
Female
Poisoning, Causing Anarchy, Murder
Brand
Oak


Invidius
Murkus
Lantern Archon
Male?
Rebellion
Sophie
Main Lodge Wardrobe


Meddy
Beans
Human (+metal bits)
Female
Killing and cannibalism (originally under duress, but became habitual)
N/A
Cherry


Tobias Druid
FireFox
Human
Male
War criminal
Sophie
Cedar(Infirmary)


Valaira
The Alexandrian
Deathhand
Female
Mass-Devourer; Partial Viceduchess
Zero
Maple





Character
Player
Species
Gender
Why they're here
Being helped by
Cabin





Description of the GLoG Setting
Map
http://i749.photobucket.com/albums/xx135/oots12321/Other/GLoGMap7_zps7ebebcdb.png
By Gulaghar
After the original GLoG building was destroyed by an army of catpeople, the survivors took out a mortgage and purchased Phoenix Lake Campground. Facilities include the main lodge house, a bathhouse with separate male and female sections, a stable (one horse present, a chestnut mare named Fancy owned by Dr Burnett), various picnic shelters, and a few scattered cabins. It's set in the foothills of the Acro mountains, and mainly surrounded by woods. There are many hiking trails nearby leading to mountaintop vistas, waterfalls, seacoves, and various other locations, both within this thread, and in the Outside thread. The campground is also within easy walking distance of the city of Inside, though there is also a Riftline station just outside the campground for those who prefer to take the train or who have farther to go.

At the lake, there is a small dock with a little shed nearby where a few canoes and paddleboats are stored. The swimming area has a GIANT slide and a rope swing. Because GIANT slides and rope swings are awesome. :smallbiggrin: There is a sandy volleyball court not far from the slide, a playground under the trees, set back from the lake somewhat, and a set of horseshoe pits.

Main lodge:
http://www.campgreenville.org/myimages/img_1464.jpg

GIANT slide:
http://www.campgreenville.org/myimages/historical_4.jpg

The lake:
http://www.campgreenville.org/myimages/img_1545.jpg


Buildings
Main Lodge: This large building contains an industrial kitchen with a cafeteria style serving area, and an open space that was once used as the dining hall. The space is warmed by a massive fireplace. Bunk beds are lined up on one end of the hall, opposite the kitchen, and a few comfy chairs and sofas are beginning to appear around the fireplace as they are procured. The building itself is made of stone.

Infirmary: If no PC is present in the Infirmary, patients are tended to by Nurse Piper, a ghost NPC who haunts the infirmary. Despite being a ghost, she is solid enough when managing anything to do with nursing. She has a tyrannical bedside manner, but will always put the welfare of her patients first. She is able to generally stabilize patients and do general nursing care, but cannot provide magical healing or any type of advanced medicine that would normally be performed by a doctor.

Infirmary staff include:

Quinn (The Bushranger)
Tobias (Firefox)

(PM Gulaghar if you want your character to be added to this list)

The outside of the infirmary looks just like all the rest of the buildings. Nothing distinguishes it at all. But inside, everything is white, with silver highlighting. Even though it doesn't seem possible, when looking from outside, sunlight filters inside. Giving the place a warm feeling with natural light. A soft, soothing music filters through the whole building and voices can barely be heard saying words of healing and comfort, like: "You are going to be okay." "We'll take care of you." "You are dear to us." and so on.

Each room is walled off for a limited amount of privacy, because the pixies know that humans seem to need this. Strange. But it is limited. There are no doors. The wall's angles are severe, so that people on the other side of the hall can't see into anyone's room. Only someone intentionally looking in, can see you.

Somewhat like this:
______________________________________
|___/___/___/___/___/___/___/___/___/___|
|__/___/___/___/___/___/___/___/___/___/|
|__________________________________---|
|_\___\___\___\___\___\___\___\___\___\_|
|__\___\___\___\___\___\___\___\___\___\|

Cabins: Individuals can have their own room within a cabin, but they are unlikely to have a full cabin to themselves unless they come equipped with a family. Some of the cabins have been rebuilt, so may have more space than the 4 room cabins the campground came with, and a few cabins have had private bathrooms installed. All cabins are named after trees, and players are free to invent further details about their own cabins.

Main Lodge - Willow
Infirmary - Cedar
Nursery - Sapling
Visitor's Cabin - Apple

Cabin 1 - Oak
Cabin 2 - Ash
Cabin 3 - Redwood
Cabin 4 - Maple, full
Cabin 5 - Balsa, full
Cabin 6 - Cherry
Cabin 7 - Elm
Cabin 8 - Birch
Cabin 9 - Ironoak
Cabin 10 - Elm - full
Cabin 11 - Rowan, family
Cabin 12 - Poplar, family
Cabin 13 - Evergreen

Forest Hut 1, family
Forest Hut 2, family
Main Lodge Cellar - Mushroom, family
Cabin - Denim, family


New cabins can be added to this list as needed; just pick a tree name and start posting for it. PM Gulaghar to have it added to the official list.

Cabins coloured green are currently unavailable for new inhabitants, with the reason listed next to the cabin name. Typically this means a cabin is occupied by a family or has all its rooms filled.

The bolded buildings are not cabins of the usual sort and are not usually occupied by normal members. Few exceptions exist.

Visitor's Cabin - Apple is reserved for visitors who do not want to stay at the lodge. They are requested to check in at the main lodge, where any member can give them permission to stay for a few days. Longer than that, and unless they are in need, they would be requested to either join or move to their own place or one of the local inns.

Bathhouse: This building is divided into the men's and women's bathhouses, with entrances at either end. It has shower stalls, a line of sinks, and toilet stalls in each.

Workshop: A well built cabin designed by Reelshka, containing nothing at present but the Mainframe installation. It is locked. Drones fly in and out of a small entrance that opens for them when they send an encrypted signal.

Miscellaneous Inhabitants
The Spirits
Recently in the history of GLoG, a protective charm has been placed over the GLoG grounds. The shaman Pathfinder bid all the willing spirits that perished in and around GLoG to protect the grounds from those that would wish to do it and its inhabitants harm.

At the current time, Morty controls the spirits for the most part.

The Drones Mk 2
The drones are back at GLoG (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10099372#post10099372). Drones are NPCs who can be played by anyone, within the guidelines below:

Their Primary Function is member safety.
They no longer have teleport beams or alignment scanners.
They do have stun beams, little arms, and the ability to record what's going on around them.
They follow orders, unless those orders conflict with their Primary Function.
There are only 4-5 in operation at any one time.
They can be destroyed, but if so, they'll be restored from backup.
A few have been supplied with medical programming, and thus can be godmodded for infirmary duties.
They often have weird personality quirks and are prone to malfunctioning.
Statement: They speak in DarkOrange FixedSys
The only named drone (so far) is Caretaker, who is a private drone charged with protecting Brinika and controlled by Morty.


http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x280/kriskatarn/GLoGDrone.png

The Ghosts
Having been built on a Generic Ancient Burial Ground, Phoenix Lake Campground is haunted by various ghosts. They are generally harmless, and for the most part glad to have some company, though pranks and hijinks may occur. Ghosts can be NPC'd by anyone unless they are listed as PCs in the following list. They tend to speak in Gray, and mostly appear for comic purposes, but this is by no means a requirement.

Ghosts:


Ghost
Player
Notes


Bloody Gentleman
Hyozo



Heather
Happyturtle
Drowned teenage girl


Irene
Reinholdt
Nymph


Ironbeard
NPC
A dwarven gentleman rake


Jase
Happyturtle
Teenage boy


Lady Anastasia Miranda Ophelia Stuart
Happyturtle
Former royal courtesan


Lady Phoenix
ThePhantom
The lady in the faded red dress


Nurse Piper
NPC
Former camp nurse, thinks of the GLoG infirmary as her domain


Palon
Hyozo
Teenage Prankster, seems to enjoy tormenting Charity



Archive
GLoG 89 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?347857-GLoG-89) 11May14
GLoG 88 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?313621-Nexus-GLoG-88) 9Nov13
GLoG 87 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=298945) 20Aug13
GLoG 86 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=282991) 10May13
GLoG 85 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=270408) 4Feb13
GLoG 84: Goblins and catgirls and dryads, oh my! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=258971) 20Oct12
GLoG 83 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=253377) 8July12
GLoG 82: So Many Babies! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=13356580#post13356580) 7June12
GLoG 81: Ghostbusters! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=240393) 20Apr12
GLoG LXXX: Continuation of a New Era! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=233890) 23Feb12
GLoG 79: So Lonely. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=229577) 20Jan12
Good League of Good 78: Druids of Mass Destruction and other bioweapons (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=224941) 06Dec11
Good League of Good LXXVII: Earth Vampires DON'T Sparkle! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219897) 22Oct11
GLoG 76: Now with a Decipherable OP! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=215507) 15Sep11
GLoG 75: Gazebos Gone Wild (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=210265) 05Aug11
GLoG LXXIV: Back to the Numerals! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=206628) 09Jul11
GloG 73 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=203491) 16Jun11
GLoG 72 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=199966) 20May11
GLoG 71: Redemption Equals Free Housing! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=195960) 19Apr11
GLoG 70 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=194177) 07Apr11
GLoG 69 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=191551) 19Mar11
GLoG 68 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=189891) 06Mar11
GLoG 67 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187067) 11Feb11
GloG 66: Coupon Redemption (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=184561) 23Jan11
GloG 65 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10122311#post10122311) 08Jan11
GLoG 64: Campsites, not Chessboards! (http://tinyurl.com/36v5yf2) 26Dec10
GLoG LXIII: Roman Numerals are back! (http://tinyurl.com/34r84po) 09Dec10
GLoG 62: Come for the paddleboats. Stay for the hawt shirtless catboy! (http://tinyurl.com/3xl5bym) 19Nov10
GLoG 61: Now with 100% More goblins (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=174011) 31Oct10
GLoG 60 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=172330) 18Oct10
GLoG LIX: Now with Trees! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=171051) 07Oct10
GLoG LVIII: Shaken, but not baked (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=166295) 30Aug10
GLoG LVII: Princess Power Trio Plus Protective Parents (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=162251) 31Jul10
GLoG LVI: I had a joke but I forgot it (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=158433) 02Jul10
GLoG LV: Witty Title And/Or Song Reference (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=155622) 10Jun10
GLoG LIV: Sleeping with the Lights On (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150343) 26Apr10
GLoG LIII: These are the Days of our Lives. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=147198) 30Mar10
GLoG LII: Home of the Next Generation (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=144489) 07Mar10
GLoG 51 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=140882) 05Feb10
GLoG 50: Rife with new Life. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=139052) 20Jan10
GLoG 49: Who Ya Gonna Call? (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=137536) 07Jan10
GLoG 48: From the Ashes (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=135587) 19Dec09


♫♪♫♪♪♫♫♪♫♪♪♫♫

GLoG XLVII: Nothing can stop us. Well, except that. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132715) 24Nov09
GLoG XLVI: With a Maraschino Cherry On Top. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130806) 06Nov09
GLoG XLV: The winds of change be darned! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7157132#post7157132) 20Oct09
GLoG 44: Continuity has no place here! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7083539#post7083539) 09Oct09
GLoG 43: Behave yourself, Dani! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126397) 27Sep09
GLoG XLII: Yes, curtains still get dropped here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6941877#post6941877) 17Sep09
GLoG XLI: When you're smiling, the world plots against you. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6846909#post6846909) 02Sep09
GLoG 40: Now one year old! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122892) 27Aug09
GLoG 39: And there was much rejoicing. (Yay!) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122072) 20Aug09
GLoG 38: Pay No Attention to the Computer's Paranoid Ramblings (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6705222) 12Aug09
GLoG 37: Dysfunction Junction (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6633791#post6633791) 02Aug09
GLoG XXXVI: Curse You, Dramatic Irony! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119462) 26Jul09
GLoG XXXV: There shall be happiness!!! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6534057#post6534057) 20Jul09
GLoG XXXIV: It gets worse! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6474253#post6474253) 11Jul09
GLoG XXXIII: Do you think you can handle it? (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=117222) 04Jul09
GLoG XXXII:The Loved and the Lost (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6374234#post6374234) 27Jun09
GLoG 31: To live defeated and inglorious is to die daily (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=115398) 19Jun09
GLoG 30: Defying Biology Since 2008! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=114665) 13Jun09
GLoG 29: Under New Management (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=114159) 09Jun09
GLoG 28: The People's Republic of Magtok (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=113550) 04Jun09
GLoG 27: Pay No Attention to the Thead Behind the Curtain! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=113096) 31May09
GLoG 26: Now With 100% More Things Trying to Nom You! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=112530) 25May09
GLoG XXV (that's 25!): Mapped out and everythin'! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6119687#post6119687) 20May09
GLoG XXIV: This Ain't No House of Cards (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6077066#post6077066) 08May09
GLoG XXIII: With malice towards none. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=110243) 27Apr09
GLoG XXII: Ahhhhhh!!!! They're after us!! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5984825#post5984825) 12Apr09
GLoG 21/XX1: Half of Life, the Universe, and Everything. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5928981#post5928981) 28Mar09
GLoG 20/XX: Twenty Times the Awesome (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5841981#post5841981) 03Mar09
GLoG 19: For those who can't make it over the rainbow (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=104568) 13Feb09
GLoG 18: It's A Brand New Day (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5718680#post5718680) 31Jan09
GLoG XVII: SMITE CONTINUITY! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102962) 23Jan09
GLoG XVI: Built out of 100% recycled babies. That's why we're good. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5627357#post5627357) 12Jan09
GLoG XV: Beware the Ides of GLoG. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5583710) 03Jan09
GLoG XIV: Where Bad Puns Go To Die. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5556061#post5556061) 29Dec08
GLoG XIII: Bring It On, Omnipotent Beings! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5515315#post5515315) 21Dec08
GLoG 12: (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5424241#post5424241) 06Dec08
GLoG XI: We Failed Our "Witty Title Check" (DC 3). (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97041) 23Nov08
GLoG X: More Like Good League Of... Of... Crazy (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95462) 03Nov08
GLoG IX: Death is no longer cheap (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5148912#post5148912) 22Oct08
GLoG VIII: Thread of Exalted Deeds (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5118364#post5118364) 17Oct08
GLoG VII: Now Vampire Free! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93071) 07Oct08
GLoG VI: Thread of One Thousand Plots (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=92304) 29Sep08
GLoG V: Where Everyone's a Hero (In Their Own Way) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91447) 20/09/2008
GLoG IV: Please refrain from kidnapping our members (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90630) 11Sep08
GLoG III: Albeit, we ate the cake with our sporks (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89767) 02Sep08
GLoG II: Now with 30% More Sporks (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88993) 26Aug08
The Good League of Good (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88624) 22Aug08

[I]This thread is managed by Gulaghar. He will create the new thread when this one reached 50 pages. Please contact him for updates to the OP.

[FireFox]

[Med Lab?]

An applicant appears! Well, really they dive down out of the sky, spread a pair of white-feathered wings, and touch down just outside the building. The sharp face and long pointed ears would her as some sort of elf. Her skin is white as the fluffiest clouds, and her eyes a hazelnut brown. She's dressed in a tight silvery-blue jumpsuit and a pair of goggles (just now flipped up on her forehead). Many tools and trinkets hang from loops and velcro patches.
Of course she's a spy here to steal his bioweapons.
She holds a paper copy of the wall advert in her hand on the way to knock or enter, as seems appropriate.

[Med Lab!]

The front door of the building is open and Toby's office is easily found. The Druid sits behind his cherry wood desk, wearing a pristine white labcoat over a light blue dress shirt and navy tie secured with a gold Rod of Asclepius pin. The desk is full of papers, folders, and various notepads, but everything seems meticulously organized. Two stacks of papers are weighted down by interesting, possibly important things: a multifaceted crystal that pulses with foxfire and a bronze pump handle. The wall behind Toby has a wide glass window to let in the sun. The wall to his right features a floor-to-ceiling chalkboard covered in runes. The wall to his left shows dozens of pictures of the Medical Director with doctors and patients throughout the Nexus, as well as myriad framed degrees, some of which are even in his name. The wall in front of him is bare, save for the door the applicant steps through and an impressive photograph of D.A. Henderson smiling down in triumph.

Hello! Toby greets the applicant with a smile, standing up to offer his hand as he closely examines her. He's particularly interested in her wings, her body language as well as her microexpressions, and all those tools. Please, take a seat and tell me what I can do for you, Ms. ...?

[Cyber Punk]

"I don't know. She hasn't visited me; I've got this through gossip with others." The campsite is protected by some spirits that Waterstrider summoned, and is haunted by a variety of ghosts which don't show up so often any more.

"And He has not given you further instruction? I am not familiar with this Allfather, nor these Nine." Stellax and the others like him were created with all the knowledge they need for their duties, which in turn keep them busy enough that they rarely get bored. When they do, typically they go socialise with other messengers, psychopomps, divine guardians, avatars and similar creatures.

Baccata's Yew

"And I'm not familiar with The Mother, or all those others you speak of. A side-effect of being from different worlds." Jinkei replies. "The Nine are the direct servants of the Allfather, of which my maternal grandmother is one. I have been offered a spot for my part in discovering lightmetal. It did something to me, as well, but I'm not sure what."

She nods to herself. "I see. So how's that list coming up, Baccata?"

[Gullara]

[Salix's Willow]

"Hi Salix!" Brinika squeaks, turning to the dryad with a big, toothy grin. "We brought Asher here because he wanted to meet you," she says, pointing to the angel boy. "This place has changed a lot!"


Salix's Tree

"I'm sorry we scared your rabbits. It is beautiful here, Salix." I have also remembered something I said earlier about Natalie. She smells like all the shapes she has available, but she smells the one that is least threatening to any animals around her. So the rabbits probably think she's a chickadee; a small, seed-eating bird that not only poses no direct threat but also pretty common in rabbit territory.


[Salix's Tree]

"H-hi!" Asher waves to the dryad, a look of wonder on his face. The dryad-like creatures he knows don't look like Salix at all. "Woah..." He squeaks out as he reaches out to feel her bark-skin.

[Salix's Tree]

"Oh, heya. Yeah everything's growing a whole bunch. Don't worry about the bunnies, being scared is how they stay safe." Salix beans at her friends, she's about to address the new person in particular, but then Asher tries to touch her. "What're you doing?" She takes a step back and wards off Asher's hand. She's not a plaything to be handled!

[Murkus]

"Who's Keo!" Cernunnos asks, furrowing his brow.

Gwydion merely manages to look shy. "I guess bein' a source-ress like Aunt Cessie wouldn't be so bad..."

Repost for Morty.

[Morty]

[Salix's Willow]

"Rabbits are kind of like goblins used to be, except smaller and fluffier," Brinika rambles. Her brain makes those leaps sometimes.

[Sapling Cabin]

"Keo is a cat-people," Tuskfang says. "She hunts wif my dad. An' she hunts mice too."

"Doing magic is cool," Brinika says with a nod. "I'm sure you can become a magician if you want to."

[Recaiden]

[Med Lab!]

The front door of the building is open and Toby's office is easily found. The Druid sits behind his cherry wood desk, wearing a pristine white labcoat over a light blue dress shirt and navy tie secured with a gold Rod of Asclepius pin. The desk is full of papers, folders, and various notepads, but everything seems meticulously organized. Two stacks of papers are weighted down by interesting, possibly important things: a multifaceted crystal that pulses with foxfire and a bronze pump handle. The wall behind Toby has a wide glass window to let in the sun. The wall to his right features a floor-to-ceiling chalkboard covered in runes. The wall to his left shows dozens of pictures of the Medical Director with doctors and patients throughout the Nexus, as well as myriad framed degrees, some of which are even in his name. The wall in front of him is bare, save for the door the applicant steps through and an impressive photograph of D.A. Henderson smiling down in triumph.

Hello! Toby greets the applicant with a smile, standing up to offer his hand as he closely examines her. He's particularly interested in her wings, her body language as well as her microexpressions, and all those tools. Please, take a seat and tell me what I can do for you, Ms. ...?

The applicant smiles politely and shakes Toby's hand with a firm grip. The smile gets a bit more reality as she looks at the well-organized desk, and she has a brief moment of surprise upon looking at the runes, and starts, unbidden, to try to decipher them.
"Omecha Herrienegoiakakoa."
She takes a seat in the chair, nervous and over-deliberate, leaning forward to not have the back on the chair in the way of her wings, which are slightly ruffled from the flight here. A few tools rattle. They include a tiny flashlight, a wrench, a packet of screwdrivers, a swiss army knife, a set of pens and pencils, a tape recorder, a compass, a little quartz-looking spar wrapped in leather, a small blowtorch, a bundle of rope.
"I'm here about the advertisement on the wall for a secretary. Amanuensis - the action of taking dictation and copying information, as well as interfacing with legal documents on behalf of another, as well as the person employed to do so and as a descriptor for such a person."

[Earl of Purple]

Baccata's Yew

"Stjornu-Skeggi is not the Mother. She is my Mother. I know not lightmetal, either." Stellax is intrigued by it, though. He often is, by new things.

"Um, let's see." Baccata runs her eyes over the document, and eventually nods. "Yep, all there. Here you go." The list includes many rare and exotic herbs, minerals and similar things. The list includes an albino mandrake root, a pinch of Dead Sea salt, the seeds from a black rose, a millilitre of a cockatrice's tears, and dew collected from the footprint of a mountain giant at the crack of dawn.

[Cyber Punk]

[Baccata's Yew]

"Well, lightmetal is a material that enables the use of magic in technological applications, bridging the gap between magic and science and making 'magitech' possible in my world. I've seen it in the Nexus, but such a thing didn't exist in my world until the lab accident."

Jinkei gestures to her tails as she speaks with Stellax, then her eyes. "My eyes are supposed to be green, and my tails aren't supposed to be blue-white and yellow-white. The accident did something to my soul... from what I've witnessed so far, I'm more attuned to lightmetal and can harness it's properties more effectively. The old laws of physics dictate that light travels in a straight line. Not anymore." She grins. Not that it's easy to control and weave light, for her it takes time. Because of it, she learned how to knit.

She collects the list from Baccata and goes through it. "Albino Mandrake, Dead Sea salt... what is the Dead Sea, exactly? Black Rose... never seen that before, but this is the Nexus. Cockatrice's tears... wait, what? How am I supposed to find that, Baccata? I'm not a fighter! I could try putting it to sleep with my magic, though..." She pauses. "Why do I need dew collected from mountain giant footprint?!"

[Salix's Willow]

Asher withdraws quickly. "I-I-I'm... I'm s-sorry." He mutters, looking down. "B-but you're p-pretty, so I wanted..." he trails off, then goes to hide behind Brinika.

[FireFox]

[Med Lab]

Fantastic. Why don't you tell me about yourself, Ms. Herrienegoiakakoa? It's a minor point of pride with him (but then again, what isn't?) that he pronounces her name correctly on the first try. He takes a legal pad from his desk, flips to an empty page, and prepares to take notes.

The runes are Druidic, of a scientific type that may or may not be unique to my created world. An additional set of complications is presented by Toby making up his own words and using transliterated Greek and Latin terms at random. Possibly a security measure. Probably a pathological impulse to overly complicate everything. If Omecha isn't already familiar with the Druidic language, deciphering should only be possible with magical or technological assistance.

[Earl of Purple]

Baccata's Yew

"I don't know. They're the ingredients needed for the potion. The Dead Sea is a really salty sea, so salty nothing lives in it. Hence the name. The water's so dense people float on it. And I think magic shops could have some of those things, if you know where to find them." Or they could source them, or perhaps simplify the recipe.

Stellax is unfamiliar with magitech, being a psychopomp he mostly deals with the deceased, so usually such devices are damaged beyond repair by whatever accident caused the death. He nods as if he understands anyway.

Salix' Willow

Natalie smiles at Asher's reaction and looks for somewhere to sit. She doesn't say anything at the moment, though.

[Recaiden]

[Med Lab]

Fantastic. Why don't you tell me about yourself, Ms. Herrienegoiakakoa? It's a minor point of pride with him (but then again, what isn't?) that he pronounces her name correctly on the first try. He takes a legal pad from his desk, flips to an empty page, and prepares to take notes.

The runes are Druidic, of a scientific type that may or may not be unique to my created world. An additional set of complications is presented by Toby making up his own words and using transliterated Greek and Latin terms at random. Possibly a security measure. Probably a pathological impulse to overly complicate everything. If Omecha isn't already familiar with the Druidic language, deciphering should only be possible with magical or technological assistance.

Magical assistance is provided by a crystal under the base of her collar, and on another level at the back of her mind she becomes aware that it's Druidic, with such and such meaning, with three groups of unknown words, one of which matches Latin forms, the other two unknown and with a best guess of their contextual meaning supplied.

"Because I'm unlikely to volunteer exactly the information you're looking for."
It wasn't really a question, of course.
"Seventeen years of age, more experience with bureaucratic documents than medical ones, but this is such a unique opportunity."
"From Skyside, because, uh, where else, being who I am? The Event didn't bother me much but it was certainly a sign to get out."

[Gullara]

[Salix's Willow]

"Rabbits are kind of like goblins used to be, except smaller and fluffier," Brinika rambles. Her brain makes those leaps sometimes.


[Salix's Willow]

Asher withdraws quickly. "I-I-I'm... I'm s-sorry." He mutters, looking down. "B-but you're p-pretty, so I wanted..." he trails off, then goes to hide behind Brinika.


Salix' Willow

Natalie smiles at Asher's reaction and looks for somewhere to sit. She doesn't say anything at the moment, though.

[Salix's Willow]

Salix scratches the back of her head.. That reaction was a bit more than she was expecting. "Uh, it's okay. Just ask first or something." She leans over to look at Asher past Brinika. "Why do you talk like that anyway?" She asks bluntly.

[Cyber Punk]

[Baccata's Yew]

Jinkei nods once. "I'll head to Mallside immediately." She can hardly contain her guarded excitement, though she's still slightly weirded out by the specificness of some of the items.

She smiles at Salix. "Forgive me, but I could talk about that all day." She says, going slightly red, assuming it can be seen under all that fur.

[Earl of Purple]

Baccata's Yew

"I can tell. It went right over my head. I shall bring it to Stjornu-Skeggi's attention, however. Such could be of interest to Her." Alas, I can't recall how I got the Skeggi when on Google Translate, and it won't translate back from Icelandic. So I'm not certain what She actually represents at this stage.

[Morty]

[Salix's Willow]

Brinika pulls her attention away from thinking about the similarities between rabbits and goblins. Her ears twitch.

"Be nicer, Salix. Asher is just a little shy," she says.

[Murkus]

[Sapling Cabin]

"Auntie says it's hard, though," Gwydion says, glancing away. "An' she's special. Smart."

"A cat-people?" Cernunnos looks at his dad. "Cat-people?" He can't voice it right, but he's incredulous. There is such a thing as cats that are people?!

"Yea, Cern," Adir explains, leaning against the wall of the cabin. His arms are crossed over his chest. "There are all kinds of different people. They aren't just like you, or mommy, or Aunt Cessie's kinda people. There's more different kinds of people than anyone could ever count." Adir is smiling, grinning almost, which seems to be his default setting if the kids haven't noticed already.

"Woaaah!" Cernunnos's eyes shine. He is just about to open his mouth to babble something when Gwydion voices his thoughts.

"What kinda people are we, daddy?"

Cernunnos looks from his brother to his old man, who is trying to think of something rapidly. "Yeah, daddy, wha' kind?"

"Well, uhh, I don't..." Adir unfolds his arms. None of Sakura's parenting books he's been sneak-reading say anything about this. "I don't think anyone has a name for people like you kids. You're special."

Cern looks at him a moment. Then squeaks, a little more shrilly, "I want a people-name!"

[FireFox]

Magical assistance is provided by a crystal under the base of her collar, and on another level at the back of her mind she becomes aware that it's Druidic, with such and such meaning, with three groups of unknown words, one of which matches Latin forms, the other two unknown and with a best guess of their contextual meaning supplied.

"Because I'm unlikely to volunteer exactly the information you're looking for."
It wasn't really a question, of course.
"Seventeen years of age, more experience with bureaucratic documents than medical ones, but this is such a unique opportunity."
"From Skyside, because, uh, where else, being who I am? The Event didn't bother me much but it was certainly a sign to get out."

[Med Lab]

Hmm... You had a job in Government, then? Toby finds, to his surprise, that he's a little uncomfortable with her examining his chalkboard. Surely she isn't able to read it, though. I'm sorry, what Event?

The first part appears to be the framework for a spell, one designed to administer drugs at a distance. There are three options contemplated below, identified by the words the Druid would plug into the first part to complete the spell. A sedative, which would hopefully tranquilize a combative patient at a safe range. A mass vaccine skeleton, with blanks to be filled by whichever specific one was needed, that could be administered to groups at a time. The last one isn't an injection so much as it targets the adrenal gland and forces it to produce additional adrenaline. The notes below this one caution that it has yet to be properly tested, but theorizes that plunging someone into a fight-or-flight reaction could nullify cognitive based magic. It's hard to concentrate on casting spells when one's having a panic attack.

[Morty]

[Sapling Cabin]

Tuskfang gnaws on his stuffed wolf in thought. Does he have a people-name?

"I'm a... uh..." he looks to his cousin for help, who grins toothily.

"You're a woblin! Because your dad is a wolfen and your mum is a goblin!" she declares. The obvious pride in the portmanteau species name suggests she came up with it herself. She then looks between Cern and Gwydion.

"Isn't your mum a dryad?" she asks. "And your dad is, uh..." she looks up at Adir. "A deer person?"

[Recaiden]

[Med Lab]

Omecha nods, looking back from the chalkboard to Toby. "I was a junior clerk in the Urban Developmental Committee, while I studied to try to become a Magos Genetress like the family Head, but, oh, the Event, right."
"I guess you wouldn't know down here. Someone went back in time to rewrite the history of the city, and a little bit of the whole world. Part of the Family was in a different level of reality, or something, and able to step us out of it, so not much changed. The Event was when our native time-stream got wiped out and the battle for the crown started."

That's curious, the spell. Only one of those seem to be for treatment. The others are clearly for combat, incapacitating someone, with possible medical applications on the side.

[Cyber Punk]

"I can tell. It went right over my head. I shall bring it to Stjornu-Skeggi's attention, however. Such could be of interest to Her." Alas, I can't recall how I got the Skeggi when on Google Translate, and it won't translate back from Icelandic. So I'm not certain what She actually represents at this stage.

Baccata's Yew

"I would like to meet her, too. Purely in the interest of knowledge-seeking, though." Jinkei curtsies once more, preparing to leave to find the ingredents. "I would like to know of your kind, though. Psychopomps of the different worlds, planes and cultures, but perhaps that will happen after I return."

She pauses for a moment and addresses Baccata, glancing at the list. "Any chance you could come with me?"

[Murkus]

[Sapling Cabin]

Tuskfang gnaws on his stuffed wolf in thought. Does he have a people-name?

"I'm a... uh..." he looks to his cousin for help, who grins toothily.

"You're a woblin! Because your dad is a wolfen and your mum is a goblin!" she declares. The obvious pride in the portmanteau species name suggests she came up with it herself. She then looks between Cern and Gwydion.

"Isn't your mum a dryad?" she asks. "And your dad is, uh..." she looks up at Adir. "A deer person?"

Adir chuckles, and Cern can't help but giggle at the word 'woblin'. "Das' a good people name."

The elder Frescot looks at Brinika, saying, "I guess you could call me that. My father is a stag lord, my mother is a human..."

[Morty]

[Sapling Cabin]

"It is! 'M the only woblin there is!" Tuskfang declares proudly.

Brinika nibbles on her braid.

"We could say dryadeer. But that doesn't mention the human part. This is hard," she says.

[Earl of Purple]

Salix's Willow

"He's not been here long, and wants to make friends." Also to gawk at the dryad, and learn some magic. But the friends is the most important part.

Baccata's Yew

"Gods rarely acknowledge the followers of unknown deities. Followers of allied divinities are warmly welcomed, whilst those of diametrically opposed deities are destroyed." In other words, I'm not sure I'd be willing to RP a god directly. God-like characters I'll do, demigods and demon lords and daedric princes, but my true gods are typically aloof and uncaring of their mortal (or mostly-mortal) followers.

"I'd love to. But I can't, unless you can give my hoary old yew legs. I can't wander far from him, and he cannot move on his own." I do have some dryads whose soul-tree is Yggdrasil, and they serve as taproots anchoring the World Tree to a given realm. They can visit anywhere in either world, but physically cannot enter another plane of reality besides Yggdrasil and the world to which they link.

[FireFox]

[Med Lab]

How interesting. I don't suppose you'd have a phone number for this committee, perhaps an address? As a job reference. He apologetically smiles at her as if to say one must adhere to the formalities of the job interview. Even if one has but a single applicant. And as for your studies, they certainly sound pertinent. What is that, magic or genetics?

[Cyber Punk]

[Salix's Willow]

Gawk at the dryad he does, a look of wonder on his face as he continues to hide behind Brinika. After Natalie finishes speaking, he stretches out a hand. "C-can we b-be f-friends?"

[Baccata's Yew]

(Yvette is also linked to a version of Yggdrasil, but she's not a dryad, she's merely marked. Also, she's evil.)

Jinkei nods slowly in understanding. "I see. Maybe we can skip the meeting of your deity, then."

"We could keep in contact, then, by magic. I have these screens that I can use as some sort of spy cam, but for one person at a time. We can keep in touch even as I go out into the world to search for these things... unless..." She searches her pockets. "Do you have a phone?"

[Earl of Purple]

Baccata's Yew

"No, I don't have a phone. I have a pair of skulls, though. I could try to enthuse them with linked life, so they repeat what the other skull heard. I'd limit it, so they only pick up sound when held." Both skulls are human, the remains of men who upset Baccata enough for her to kill them.

[Cyber Punk]

Baccata's Yew

"That could work, though I wouldn't want to take a skull away, what if you need it for some reason?"

Jinkei had started to ask about the source of the skulls, but then thinks better of it. "I could supply the both of us with a linked walkie-talkie? Perhaps, reverse-engineer the functionality of the skulls?"

[Earl of Purple]

Baccata's Yew

"They're just sitting on a shelf looking pretty. I'm not likely to need it for anything else. A walkie-talkie would be good. What do I need to charge it?" She can probably get the electricity from one of the cabins, but she doesn't have any cables at the moment.

What possible use could she suddenly gain for a skull, when she's had them five years?

[Murkus]

[Sapling Cabin]

"It is! 'M the only woblin there is!" Tuskfang declares proudly.

Brinika nibbles on her braid.

"We could say dryadeer. But that doesn't mention the human part. This is hard," she says.

"Deeryads?" Adir says with a silly grin. "Don't worry, you don't gotta mention the human part."

"Deerdrads!" Cern spouts.

"Dradeer?" Gwydion postulates.

They seem poised to go on like this quite a while.

[Cyber Punk]

"They're just sitting on a shelf looking pretty. I'm not likely to need it for anything else. A walkie-talkie would be good. What do I need to charge it?" She can probably get the electricity from one of the cabins, but she doesn't have any cables at the moment.

What possible use could she suddenly gain for a skull, when she's had them five years?

Baccata's Yew

"Well, I'm not really comfortable holding human skulls, so the walkie-talkies it is." She's never killed anyone before, and doesn't intend to start. Of course, that doesn't stop her from filling the heads of people who cross her with bad dreams until they come back and apologize/return what was stolen.

Jinkei hands Baccata a yellow walkie-talkie with texting functionality, as well as a yellow cable with black and green stripes. "You can use these to charge it. I got an old friend to help me modify it, so mine is linked to yours, no interference. As long as we're in the same plane, we should be able to contact each other."

She copies the list onto another sheet of paper, then hums a few tunes, causing a small winged creature to appear beside her. "Oh, it's the mistress!" The winged creature exclaims in a deep voice. Seeing Jinkei's frown at being called 'mistress', he clears his throat. "I mean, Jinkei. What can I do for you today?"

"Felix, can you please help me fetch the materials in these list? You don't have to find everything, just the things that can be found. Tell you what: find half of them, please."

"Anything for you, Jinkei. Okay, not anything, but what are friends for?" The two exchange a smile, then the Tengu flies off.

Many rare and exotic herbs, minerals and similar things.

albino mandrake root
a pinch of Dead Sea salt
the seeds from a black rose
a millilitre of a cockatrice's tears
dew collected from the footprint of a mountain giant at the crack of dawn.



"There. That should make it easier..." She smiles at Baccata.

[Earl of Purple]

Baccata's Yew

Baccata isn't a dreamherald, and cannot work within that realm. And bad dreams wouldn't have helped her in the situation in which she slew the men.

Stellax watches the Tengu hungrily. He doesn't need to eat, but some things trigger the response within him, and small flying things are one of them.

"I don't know how to brew them, so you'll have to look into that as well. It's helpful, but not complete. Sorry I couldn't be more useful. Thanks for the walkie-talkie, Jinkei." Baccata smiles at Jinkei, much appreciative of the communication device. It'll go on the shelf next to the skulls when she's not using it.

[Cyber Punk]

[Baccata's Yew]

Jinkei nods. "I'll be sure to do so. It was lovely meeting you, Baccata, Salix." She curtsies once more to the both of them, then turns around to leave.

[Gullara]

[Salix's Willow]

Brinika pulls her attention away from thinking about the similarities between rabbits and goblins. Her ears twitch.

"Be nicer, Salix. Asher is just a little shy," she says.


Salix's Willow

"He's not been here long, and wants to make friends." Also to gawk at the dryad, and learn some magic. But the friends is the most important part.


[Salix's Willow]

Gawk at the dryad he does, a look of wonder on his face as he continues to hide behind Brinika. After Natalie finishes speaking, he stretches out a hand. "C-can we b-be f-friends?"

[Salix's Willow]

"I'm not being mean! He talks weird." Salix points at Asher. What's mean about that? Salix looks at the boy's outstretched hand and looks slightly puzzled. She's supposed to do something with that, right? She's not sure, so she just says, "Uh, sure I guess?" She's pretty sure no one's asked to be her friend before.

[Recaiden]

[Med Lab]

How interesting. I don't suppose you'd have a phone number for this committee, perhaps an address? As a job reference. He apologetically smiles at her as if to say one must adhere to the formalities of the job interview. Even if one has but a single applicant. And as for your studies, they certainly sound pertinent. What is that, magic or genetics?

"Of course." Omecha gets a pen and pad from her pocket and scribbles down a line - name and phone number. "Here." She offers a matching smile.

"It's genetics. I've heard of this place for a long time; why are you just now looking for an assistant? Did something happen to the last guy?"

[Morty]

[Salix's Willow]

Brinika's ears twitch. She forgets, sometimes, that Salix an be rough around the edges if people don't know her well. She decides to change the topic.

"When do you think your rabbit friends are going to come out? There seems to be a lot of them now."

[Earl of Purple]

Salix's Willow

"I suppose they've been... Well, breeding like rabbits." Natalie looks around, and tries to count how many rabbitholes she can see. It doesn't give an accurate read on the population, I don't think, but it does let her know how large the warren is and therefore how likely a large population is.

[Cyber Punk]

[Salix's Willow]

Asher decides he doesn't like Salix. "N-no, you're m-mean!" He withdraws his hand and clings to Brinika for dear life, looking at the dryad with big golden eyes. His eyes are moist, and he's looking at her with a mix of sadness and anger.

Luckily, the rabbits become a topic again! "I l-like rabbits!" He says, stuttering less at Brinika and Natalie, seeing as he's become more comfortable with their presence. "B-but momma says t-they are into-varted!"

Letting go of Brinika, he walks towards a warren, stopping until he's several paces away. Then he sits on the ground cross-legged, takes out his harp and starts to sing, partially to impress Brinika and partially to try and calm the rabbits with a soothing melody. His voice is dreamy, but his timing is rather off, which should be obvious to Brinika. He pauses for a bit to say: "M-music helps!"

[Gullara]

[Salix's Willow]

"...Huh?" Salix frowns at Asher. What is his problem anyway? Well fine, he can be like that if he wants. Salix will just answer Brinika and Natalie.

"Uh, there's a bunch more now. It's safe here by my tree so less of them get eaten." The dryad sure doesn't skirt around that topic. As for how many there are, Natalie will have a hard time getting a count, but she might be better off counting the warren entrances. There are a lot of those. "They don't come out till they want to, though. Standing outside their holes won't make them want to come out." Even so, a couple do peak their heads out to look at Asher. It at least gets them curious even if they're not coming right out.

[Morty]

[Salix's Willow]

"Salix isn't mean, she's just..." Brinika looks for an appropriate word or phrase. "...rough around the edges."

She then looks at the rabbits.

"You've got a pretty voice, Asher. The bunnies seem to like it too. Music always helps," she says. "I'd never even seen a rabbit before Salix showed me one."

[Earl of Purple]

Salix's Willow

"What keeps the predators away? Why is it safe here? I'd have thought the camp would have attracted foxes, if anything. They do like to scavenge from people." Warren entrances are what I meant by 'rabbitholes', and what Natalie was counting. She's aware she doesn't detect them all, though; there's many she can't see.

Also, urban foxes scavenge from people. In the countryside, the foxes tend to be shyer and more elusive, with less dependence upon bins and rubbish.

[Cyber Punk]

[Salix's Willow]

Rough around the edges? What does that mean? Asher doesn't know. Maybe it means she's ugly.

"R-rough a-round th-the edges? B-but she's s-so pretty!"

The little angel boy smiles brightly when Brinika complements his voice. "T-thank you!" He bows, then continues singing to the bunnies at a lower and softer tone this time, locking eyes with them as his tone becomes soothing.

[Gullara]

[Salix's Willow]

((I totally misread you post, Earl. Oops. :smalltongue:))

"I'm not rough around the edges." Salix says quietly, crossing her arms and pouting. But she's already focusing on Natalie's question. "I keep them away. I like my bunnies to be safe when they're home. I never knew there was so many foxes by the camp, though." They're actually a fair distance from the camp, though not incredibly far either.

Asheer might notice that the rabbits he locks eyes with behave nervously, while the others grow a bit more bold, moving just out of their warrens. The music is soothing, and Salix's scent is in the air.

[Morty]

[Salix's Willow]

"That just means she's nice but doesn't always get along with people," Brinika explains. Then, the rabbits come out. She takes Asher's hand to make sure he doesn't get overexcited again and scare them.

[Earl of Purple]

Salix's Willow

"Well, I can't say I've seen any, but I've smelt a few around, when I've been swimming in the lake. They don't stay for long, from what I've been able to determine." Her otter sense of smell is slightly better than that of her human sense of smell, and works underwater as well. It's not as good as a fox's, however.

I also just read on Wikipedia that the Eurasian otter will, in winter and colder climates, prey on small mammals. Perhaps the rabbits are more nervous of her than she realises.

[Cyber Punk]

[Salix's Willow]

Asher notices that the rabbits don't like him looking at them, so he looks up at Brinika instead when she takes his hand, stopping him from playing his little harp.

"I c-can h-help her." He responds, smiling up at Brinika. Salix's scent is in the air, and it smells earthy and nice.

Deciding to do just that, he gets up slowly so the rabbits don't run away and walks up to Salix once more, looking at her and reaching up to take her hand.

[Infirmary]

Ruth decides to head over to the infirmary, as she has decided to help out there.

[Morty]

[Infirmary]

Sophie is there, as it happens, putting a bandage on the knee of Carth the griffin cub. He seems to have scraped it somewhere.

[Cyber Punk]

[Infirmary]

((You know, I was thinking of replacing Ruth with Asher's cousin i.e. Ruth goes away, but Asher wouldn't let me. :smallbiggrin:))

Ruth walks towards Sophia, her arms at her front. "Greetings, fellow healer." Then her eyes go to the griffin. It's still marvellous to her how griffins exist in this plane.

Without a word, she watches Sophie work.

[Morty]

[Infirmary]

Sophie is a little puzzled.

"I wouldn't say I'm a healer. I was just administering some first aid."

[Cyber Punk]

[Infirmary]

Ruth smiles. "Do not sell yourself short. If you had not been here, the injury could have been infected or worse. Your timely intervention might have well saved this cub's life."

Deciding it's probably time to start work, she offers to help. "Might I help you with that?"

[Deathkeeper]

Infirmary

"Thanks Miss Sophie!" says the cub dutifully, and will almost immediately attempt to squirm back to the floor and out of the door, scraped knee already nearly forgotten.

[Morty]

[Infirmary]

"Take care of yourself, Carth," Sophie says as the griffon leaves. "I was just finishing, like you saw. He'd only scraped his knee while playing. I'm Sophie, by the way."

[Cyber Punk]

[Infirmary]

"Greetings, Sophie. You may call me Ruth." She bows slightly. "I very recently joined this organization with my little boy, Asher, and offered to work here. Is there more to be done at present?"

[Morty]

[Infirmary]

"It doesn't look like it," Sophie says. "No more than usual. By 'here' do you mean the infirmary, specifically?" she asks.

[Cyber Punk]

[Infirmary]

"Yes, Sophie. The Infirmary." Ruth nods in the affirmative. "Reelshka informed me I could start as soon as is possible. Who shall I have to see, as well?"

[Morty]

[Infirmary]

"If one of the camp councillors says you can work here, then that's all there is to it. One of the other two people who normally take care of the infirmary is on leave and the other is.... hmm. Preoccupied," Sophie says after a pause. "Family matters, you see."

[Cyber Punk]

[Infirmary]

Ruth nods in understanding. "I understand fully. Very well, I shall begin immediately. Is there anything else I would need to know to work more effectively?"

[Morty]

[Infirmary]

"The place is surprisingly well-stocked and well-equipped, as you can see," Sophie says. "I understand it can treat even serious injuries and diseases. Which, I suppose, is necessary in the Nexus. Also, don't be alarmed if you see a ghost nurse. She's one of the resident ghosts who helps out in the infirmary."

[Cyber Punk]

[Infirmary]

"Ghost?" Ruth blinks twice. "Ah, you mean disembodied spirits. Reelshka informed me about that. Is this place averse to using light energy to heal?" She raises up a finger, which glows.

"Using my lightforming should help preserve some of the materials available. They will last longer, then."

[Morty]

[Infirmary]

"I don't think anyone here particularly cares about the methods used for healing," Sophie says with a shrug. "Also, the ghosts and spirits here aren't... quite the same. The spirits were summoned here by Pathfinder. The ghosts were already here when the League moved in, as I understand it."

[Cyber Punk]

[Infirmary]

"As long as it get results, then. Very well, I shall use both methods interchangeably." Ruth mutters to herself, nodding.

"I shall like to know the history of The League, if it's not too much trouble." She responds after listening to Sophie talk.

[Morty]

[Infirmary]

"The way I've heard it told, it was founded by a group of people as a place for redeeming evildoers. I've never met any of the people who did it... they were gone by the time I appeared here. It was originally in a different place, but it was destroyed in a war. They moved to this campsite and continued their work. Although it was extended to charity as well," Sophie explains. "They were already based here when I came."

[Cyber Punk]

[Infirmary]

Ruth smiles brightly. "A place for redeeming evildoers. I happen to specialize in that. I suppose there is a section here dedicated to that?" Perhaps she could visit the area and offer her services, as well.

She chuckles to herself. The things mortals are capable of achieving with what they have...

[Gullara]

[Salix's Willow]

"That just means she's nice but doesn't always get along with people," Brinika explains. Then, the rabbits come out. She takes Asher's hand to make sure he doesn't get overexcited again and scare them.


Salix's Willow

"Well, I can't say I've seen any, but I've smelt a few around, when I've been swimming in the lake. They don't stay for long, from what I've been able to determine." Her otter sense of smell is slightly better than that of her human sense of smell, and works underwater as well. It's not as good as a fox's, however.

I also just read on Wikipedia that the Eurasian otter will, in winter and colder climates, prey on small mammals. Perhaps the rabbits are more nervous of her than she realises.


[Salix's Willow]

Asher notices that the rabbits don't like him looking at them, so he looks up at Brinika instead when she takes his hand, stopping him from playing his little harp.

"I c-can h-help her." He responds, smiling up at Brinika. Salix's scent is in the air, and it smells earthy and nice.

Deciding to do just that, he gets up slowly so the rabbits don't run away and walks up to Salix once more, looking at her and reaching up to take her hand.

[Salix's Willow]

"Uh..." Salix's hand is taken and she looks a bit perplexed as to what to do in this situation. "I guess they're feeling better about coming out now." She says lamely. Though not totally comfortable. Something smells like predator nearby, so they won't stray far from their warrens entrances.

[Morty]

[Infirmary]

"The way it works is that when someone who needs this kind of help arrives, we assign them to a member," Sophie says. "For individual guidance. They can seek help from others too, of course. I've focused on a particular person for a while now, but also gave advice to others."

[Salix's Willow]

"Do they have names?" Brinika asks. "I know they'll run away if we get closer, but it's fun to watch them."

[Cyber Punk]

[Infirmary]

"I see." Ruth replies. "So anyone deemed suitable can help? Even my son?"

[Morty]

[Infirmary]

Sophie quirks an eyebrow.

"Perhaps. That depends on who your son is. And how old."

[Cyber Punk]

[Infirmary]

"Oh! Well he is six in human years." Ruth responds, beaming. "They grow up so fast. Our species ages slower, but they still grow up so fast."

[Morty]

[Infirmary]

Sophie smiles. She does like children.

"They do, don't they? But it doesn't sound like he's old enough to really help with redemption. Except in an indirect way of providing people with a safe environment."

[FireFox]

"Of course." Omecha gets a pen and pad from her pocket and scribbles down a line - name and phone number. "Here." She offers a matching smile.

"It's genetics. I've heard of this place for a long time; why are you just now looking for an assistant? Did something happen to the last guy?"

[Med Lab]

Toby looks at the information and makes a mental note. The last Research Assistant disappeared right after I gave her a preliminary assignment. Something that could have been done in any library or access to online medical journals and not in any way dangerous, which is the puzzling bit. I guess I should have looked into it, but... people disappear around here all the time. I think I'm one of only a few people left who lived in the original base... His smile falters and fades. Anyway, the Infirmary attracts quite a bit of expert healers and brilliant doctors from all around the Nexus, but none of them have ever really approached me about using this laboratory or helping me teach classes. Still, I recently came to the realization that I need to take more days off more often. Spend time with my children, go on adventures, put away the ashes and sackcloth and my self-pitying attitude of this past year and actually have fun. I think he's having a midlife crisis.


[Later]

Mr. Druid walks out of his Medical Laboratory, taking care to carefully weave between the ring of posts set up outside the building's perimeter. He walks out towards the lake and waits for something to happen to him. He hopes someone tries to kill him. It's been forever since anyone has tried and he's feeling very depressed and unappreciated about that fact.

[Cyber Punk]

[Infirmary]

Ruth mentally notes that down. "I see. Only the adults, and those truly suited to help." She smiles. "You have been most helpful, Sophie. I look forward to working together with you."

Then she taps her chin in thought. "You know, I have not actually had a proper tour of the place."

[Morty]

[Infirmary]

"I can show you around, if you want. There's not that much to see, so it shouldn't take long," Sophie says.

[Cyber Punk]

[Infirmary]

Ruth smiles and nods. "Very well, then. Lead on, dear colleague." She gestures to the entrance, then prepares to follow Sophie.

[Morty]

[Infirmary]

Sophie leads Ruth out of the infirmary and takes a look around.

"Well, here we are. Have you been to the main lodge yet?"

[Cyber Punk]

[Infirmary]

"Yes, I have. We have also acquired a cabin: the Evergreen Cabin. You should come and see us sometime." Ruth smiles. "But for now, I have only been to the Main Lodge, our cabin and this place."

[Morty]

[Infirmary]

"We also have some stables, the nursery... you can leave your son there if you need and he'll be looked after," Sophie explains. "Then there's the med lab. One of our residents does his research there, as well as teach medicine and first aid. And you've seen the lake by now, of course."

[Cyber Punk]

[Infirmary]

Ruth listens attentively, nodding occasionally as Sophie makes her explanation. "The med lab sounds interesting. Tell me about it."

[Morty]

[Infirmary]

"It's operated by one of our residents, Tobias Druid," Sophie says. "I've been there on occasion. It contains a lot of advanced technological and magical medical equipment that is quite beyond me," she adds. "Tobias does his research there, and teaches people from towns and villages of the Nexus about medicine."

[Cyber Punk]

[Infirmary]

"I see. I shall have to trade notes one of these days with him. Shall we continue the tour?"

Ruth points at the direction of the forest. "Asher would like the forest very much. Are there many animal types?"

[Recaiden]

[Med Lab]

Toby looks at the information and makes a mental note. The last Research Assistant disappeared right after I gave her a preliminary assignment. Something that could have been done in any library or access to online medical journals and not in any way dangerous, which is the puzzling bit. I guess I should have looked into it, but... people disappear around here all the time. I think I'm one of only a few people left who lived in the original base... His smile falters and fades. Anyway, the Infirmary attracts quite a bit of expert healers and brilliant doctors from all around the Nexus, but none of them have ever really approached me about using this laboratory or helping me teach classes. Still, I recently came to the realization that I need to take more days off more often. Spend time with my children, go on adventures, put away the ashes and sackcloth and my self-pitying attitude of this past year and actually have fun. I think he's having a midlife crisis.

"They simply moved on."
That's a little concerning, that they wouldn't make an effort to find her if she disappeared. But it's nothing out of the ordinary.

Omecha nods with an understanding smile.
"But the basic work needs to go on even if you're busy elsewhere."

[Morty]

[Infirmary]

Sophie rubs the back of her head.

"I'm not really an expert on forest animals. Rabbits, deer and such, I suppose."

[Cyber Punk]

[Infirmary]

"Come to think of it, if we are going to be working together, we should get to know each other. I will be very much interested in hearing about you, Sophie." Ruth says.

[Earl of Purple]

Salix's Willow ((Sorry for the delay, guys. I forgot it was my turn.))

"As an addendum to Brinika's question, are they names that can be used by humans, or are they more like unique scents?" Rabbits are very different from most people, and don't tend to make much noise, as I vaguely recall. It's been years since I had any major contact with rabbits.

Campsite, Somewhere

Natalie is here! The fourteen-year-old girl is wearing a pair of jeans and a sleeveless yellow t-shirt, and as usual she's barefoot. For some reason, she can't find a cobbler that provides for shape-shifters. One her back is her battered red rucksack, and she carries a paper bag. The bag contains the reason for her quest; a mysterious stone she would like identified, which is why she's looking for Reelshka.

[Morty]

[Infirmary]

Sophie tilts her head.

"Well. I've lived and worked here for a while now. Apart from helping here, I also work in an orphanage in Riverside, and other facilities my religion organizes. I'd already had experience providing guidance and advice before I was sent here."

[Ironoak Cabin]

Natalie will find Reelshka there, giving Tuskfang a bath. The little woblin is sitting in a washbasin as his mother scrubs him thoroughly. He appears to be very grumpy about it.

[Cyber Punk]

"Uh..." Salix's hand is taken and she looks a bit perplexed as to what to do in this situation. "I guess they're feeling better about coming out now." She says lamely. Though not totally comfortable. Something smells like predator nearby, so they won't stray far from their warrens entrances.


"Do they have names?" Brinika asks. "I know they'll run away if we get closer, but it's fun to watch them."


"As an addendum to Brinika's question, are they names that can be used by humans, or are they more like unique scents?" Rabbits are very different from most people, and don't tend to make much noise, as I vaguely recall. It's been years since I had any major contact with rabbits.

Salix's Willow

Asher beams back up at Salix. "I c-can talk t-t-to b-bunnies! A-and o-ther a-animals!" He turns to the bunnies. <Hi I'm Asher. Can we be friends?> Asher chirps in bunny-speak, to the hearing of the bunnies.

Then he attempts to tug her towards the direction of the bunnies. He's not that strong (or at least, he can't access his enhanced strength at will), so if Salix doesn't move, then Asher isn't going anywhere.




Sophie tilts her head.

"Well. I've lived and worked here for a while now. Apart from helping here, I also work in an orphanage in Riverside, and other facilities my religion organizes. I'd already had experience providing guidance and advice before I was sent here."

[Infirmary]

Ruth nods. "I myself has had quite a lot of experience in that front. My son and I are from the heavens, and our people help tend to the workings of the world. I am of light, and he is of earth. I'm here to explore the Nexus, it seems it will be a fun opportunity for gathering knowledge. Besides, my son needs to learn the ways of worlds different from our own."

It's tradition.

[FireFox]

[Inside Med Lab]

Exactly. What the League does is more important than any one of us. He believes that, but there's still a hint of selfishness in his sigh. All work and no play makes Toby a dull boy, but this isn't the time or person for that talk. Well, that's the job at any rate. When can you start?


[Outside Med Lab]

Toby raises a hand to wave hello to Sophie, glad to see her after his absence. He studies the woman with her at a distance, unwilling to walk up and interrupt what is presumably a very important conversation. Then he turns to the lake and allows his mind to wander.

[Morty]

[Infirmary]

"I was brought here against my will," Sophie says. "But I made the most of it. I probably wouldn't have live long of I'd stayed home," she adds. Then she spots Tobias by the lake. "And as it happens, the person responsible for the med lab is over there."

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

Natalie will knock on the door, unless it's open. If it's open, she'll call out to see if anyone's home and that everything is OK. She's not often visited Reelshka's cabin, since often she and Brinika meet outside in the everywhere of the cab.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

"Come in," says Reelshka's voice from the inside. Once Natalie enters, she'll be greeted with the scene described above.

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

"Hi, Reelshka. Um, am I interrupting anything?" Natalie wipes her feet on the grass outside, to make sure she's not carrying in any dirt or mud within the cabin. She also avoids standard doormats, since they're particularly unpleasant to bare feet. She does smile at the goblin and her son.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

"Oh, no. I was just finishing giving this little gentleman a bath," Reelshka says, as she scrubs behind Tuskfang's ears. The woblin looks up at Natalie with his big, yellow eyes.

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

Natalie looks back at the woblin with green ones. "I don't think I've properly met him. Hello, there. I'm Natalie." She smiles at the child and gives a little wave.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

"Hi 'Talie. 'M Tuskfang," the child says, perking up a little.

"He's quite the talker already," Reelshka says with pride. "Let me just towel him off and then we can talk."

[Cyber Punk]

"I was brought here against my will," Sophie says. "But I made the most of it. I probably wouldn't have live long of I'd stayed home," she adds. Then she spots Tobias by the lake. "And as it happens, the person responsible for the med lab is over there."

[Infirmary]

"It all turned out well in the end." She nods her understanding.

Ruth looks over at Tobias and notes it down. "I see. Perhaps another time, let us continue with the tour."

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

"Okay, Reelshka. Can I do anything to help?" Natalie smiles, but has little experience with small children. She doesn't know if there is anything to help with.

[Morty]

[Infirmary]

"Hmm." Sophie ponders it. "I feel like I should point out that I'm less... normal than I look, so to speak. Back on my homeworld I was endowed with powers. Against my consent, mind you. But they do come in handy sometimes."

[Ironoak Cabin]

"Thank you, but I'll get it done quickly." Reelshka takes her son out of the water, towels him off and puts his clothes on. The woblin toddles away to get his favourite stuffed wolf. He then unsteadily walks over to Natalie and sniffs at her. Reelshka smiles.

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

Natalie has an interesting smell. She smells of human, with otter, monkey, chameleon and chickadee mixed in, with lemon-scented soap over the top. It's unlikely Tuskfang's smelt anybody quite like her before.

"I bought a rock whilst I was Inside getting some new clothing, and the person at the stall didn't know what it was. I thought you might, since, well... You're a goblin, who lived underground surrounded by rocks, and an architect, which might know more about which rocks are useful for building and which aren't." Natalie reaches into the paper bag, and pulls out a lump of pyrolusite, a globular mass of shiny black spheres all compressed into each other to make an amorphous chunk the size of Natalie's fist.

Pyrolusite is an ore of manganese, so it's not used in building. Looks quite cool, though. Might see if I can get a bit.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

Tuskfang seems pretty excited by Natalie's strange smell. He keeps sniffing at her and his little tail wags.

"You smell funny," he says.

"Well then, let me see it," Reelshka says, reaching out with her hand to take the rock from Natalie.

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

"That's because I'm an otter, Tuskfang." Natalie smiles at the little woblin and hands the chunk of mineral over. I don't have any, so I don't know how heavy it is. But it is the rough size of Natalie's fist, so it isn't a small piece of stone.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

Tuskfang blinks and stares at Natalie. He doesn't know what an otter is.

"Wha's an otir?" he asks. His mother is silent for a while, examining the chunk of rock.

[Cyber Punk]

"Hmm." Sophie ponders it. "I feel like I should point out that I'm less... normal than I look, so to speak. Back on my homeworld I was endowed with powers. Against my consent, mind you. But they do come in handy sometimes."

[Infirmary]

"I see. May I ask what they are?" Ruth inquires.

[Recaiden]

[Inside Med Lab]

Omecha pauses for a second, thinks, and nods.
"Two days from now. Anything I need to know or do in preparation?"

[Morty]

[Infirmary]

Sophie begins counting on her fingers.

"I can stop people from violent acts briefly. I once managed to project a larger calming aura around myself, but I don't know if I could do it again. I can also heal people by breathing into their mouths. Useful, if awkward," she says jokingly. "I also get brief flashes of precognition sometimes... usually in tense situations like a fight."

((I'm actually sort of thinking about rearranging Sophie's power list, so what she just said might not remain accurate. >.>))

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

"I'm an otter, Tuskfang. Do you want me to show you?" She doesn't really want to turn into an otter whilst Reelshka's turned away, because then the person Natalie came to talk to might not know where she's gone.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

"Yeah!" Tuskfang squeaks, his tail wagging.

"I think I recognize it," his mother meanwhile says. "It's called pyrolusite. Goblins have their own name for it, but you'd twist your tongue into a knot trying to say it. It's used for making some kinds of paint. Alchemists have their own uses for it, but I don't know about those."

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

"Thank you, Reelshka. It's very pretty, all nice and shiny." She then puts her rucksack down before she starts to change. Short brown hair grows all over her body as she shrinks, a tail growing from the base of her spine. Her clothes merge into her body and her entire shape changes. When the process is complete, she's a Eurasian otter, standing on all four legs upon the cabin's floor. She tilts her head and looks at Tuskfang.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

Tuskfang squeals in excitement and jumps up and down. He's never seen anything like that before. A person turned into a fuzzy animal! He toddles over to Natalie and tries to touch her nose. Reelshka watches it with a smile.

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

Natalie's scent has changed, too- she smells of otter, mixed with human and all the other things. Otter, not human, is the main underlying scent.

She lets Tuskfang touch her noise before bounding off a few feet, turning to look at him and tilt her head to one side, inviting him to a game of chase.

[Cyber Punk]

Sophie begins counting on her fingers.

"I can stop people from violent acts briefly. I once managed to project a larger calming aura around myself, but I don't know if I could do it again. I can also heal people by breathing into their mouths. Useful, if awkward," she says jokingly. "I also get brief flashes of precognition sometimes... usually in tense situations like a fight."

((I'm actually sort of thinking about rearranging Sophie's power list, so what she just said might not remain accurate. >.>))

[Infirmary]

((It's alright. After all, I rearranged Asher's, now, didn't I? :smallsmile:))

"Very useful. With your abilities, the League is safer and all the better for it." Ruth responds with a chuckle. "Mine are primarily based around bending light and taking on its properties." She's being modest, she can do much more than that.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

Tuskfang does pick up on it, and isn't sure what to make of it. Shapeshifting is confusing to someone so young. However, he happily gives chase after Natalie, giggling. Reelshka watches with amusement.

[Infirmary]

"I have a... complicated relationship with my powers," Sophie says. "Like I said, they weren't given to me with my consent. What do you mean, taking on the properties of light?"

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

Natalie will keep herself a pace ahead of Tuskfang for a few minutes, though after that she'll slow down so he can catch her.

Natalie needs to be careful, or she'll be one of his favourite people and expected to do this every time. Like how I'm expected to pick up various small cousins because I'm the tallest person I'm related to.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

Turning into an otter and letting him chase you is a very good way to become one of Tuskfang's favourite people. He squeals with joy once he catches her, and tries to give her a big hug.

"You're like Bouncy!" he proclaims.

[Gullara]

[Salix's Willow]

"Do they have names?" Brinika asks. "I know they'll run away if we get closer, but it's fun to watch them."


Salix's Willow ((Sorry for the delay, guys. I forgot it was my turn.))

"As an addendum to Brinika's question, are they names that can be used by humans, or are they more like unique scents?" Rabbits are very different from most people, and don't tend to make much noise, as I vaguely recall. It's been years since I had any major contact with rabbits.


Salix's Willow

Asher beams back up at Salix. "I c-can talk t-t-to b-bunnies! A-and o-ther a-animals!" He turns to the bunnies. <Hi I'm Asher. Can we be friends?> Asher chirps in bunny-speak, to the hearing of the bunnies.

Then he attempts to tug her towards the direction of the bunnies. He's not that strong (or at least, he can't access his enhanced strength at will), so if Salix doesn't move, then Asher isn't going anywhere.

[Salix's Willow]

"I named all of them I think, but they don't really listen to their names. Maybe some of the younger ones don't have names. I can ta-" Salix just lets go of Asher's hand, since she wasn't expecting that, but she wishes she hadn't when the rabbit's scatter. They were still a bit on edge already, and they weren't sticking around for that sudden movement. "Hey, what're you doing?!" Salix scolds.

[Cyber Punk]

"I have a... complicated relationship with my powers," Sophie says. "Like I said, they weren't given to me with my consent. What do you mean, taking on the properties of light?"

[Infirmary]

"They are difficult to use?" Ruth asks, a bit confused.

"I can create, mold and manipulate light, and in return it has shaped and modified me. As my son ages and improves, he will learn to harden his skin like granite. I am the same, I can become light for a time. Even when I don't appear to be light, I can move accordingly."

[Morty]

[Salix's Willow]

Brinika sighs and her ears droop. This isn't going well.

"They don't like it when things move suddenly," she says to Asher. "They're kind of like rats that way. All little animals learn to run away when something moves."

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

Natalie doesn't know who Bouncy is, but accepts the hug, attempting to hug back. Otters aren't really built for hugging back, though, so she'll just rub her face against him instead. If Tuskfang tries squeezing too tight, she'll squeak and start to wriggle.

Salix's Willow

"It's called the fight-or-flight response, with flight meaning 'running away', rather than literal flight. Rabbits, rats, squirrels, mice and so on rely on running away to stay alive. Wolves, bears, rhinos and so on are more likely to pick fighting than fleeing." Though rhinos have very poor eyesight, and a very good sense of smell, making them more dangerous because they won't see the sudden movement until it is close enough to them that whatever making it will have a very hard time escaping.

[Cyber Punk]

"I named all of them I think, but they don't really listen to their names. Maybe some of the younger ones don't have names. I can ta-" Salix just lets go of Asher's hand, since she wasn't expecting that, but she wishes she hadn't when the rabbit's scatter. They were still a bit on edge already, and they weren't sticking around for that sudden movement. "Hey, what're you doing?!" Salix scolds.


Brinika sighs and her ears droop. This isn't going well.

"They don't like it when things move suddenly," she says to Asher. "They're kind of like rats that way. All little animals learn to run away when something moves."


"It's called the fight-or-flight response, with flight meaning 'running away', rather than literal flight. Rabbits, rats, squirrels, mice and so on rely on running away to stay alive. Wolves, bears, rhinos and so on are more likely to pick fighting than fleeing." Though rhinos have very poor eyesight, and a very good sense of smell, making them more dangerous because they won't see the sudden movement until it is close enough to them that whatever making it will have a very hard time escaping.

[Salix's Willow]

Asher flinches at the scolding, and for a moment it appears as though he'll start crying again. Then he sees Brinika's ears droop and instead goes to her and hugs her. "I'm s-s-sorry for m-making you s-sad." That's what it means, right? Her ears drooping?

He nods as Natalie speaks, smiling. Natalie is real smart! "Y-you know l-lots of t-things, Nata-lee!" He squeaks out. He wants to be cool like her at her age.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

Tuskfang keeps giggling happily. His pudgy little arms aren't really capable of hugging too hard yet. He's larger than a goblin his age would be, but still small.

"I like you, 'Talie!" he squeaks. Seems he recognizes that the otter is the same person as the girl.

[Infirmary]

"What I mean is that I didn't ask for them," Sophie says. "I was suddenly granted them at one point in my life."

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

Since Natalie's got a physical transformation rather than simply disappearing in a flash and reappearing as an otter, the continuation of self is easy to watch.

Natalie licks Tuskfang's cheek. Her tongue's rough, and fortunately as she brushes her teeth regularly, and lacks the otter's diet of raw fish, her breath smells of mostly mint toothpaste. Otherwise, it'd stink. Otters are some of the smelliest animals I've had the pleasure of working with.

[Cyber Punk]

"What I mean is that I didn't ask for them," Sophie says. "I was suddenly granted them at one point in my life."

[Infirmary]

"Yet you seem to have made the most of it. I recall a saying about life and lemons, though I know not how it relates to such a situation." Mortals and their sayings with hidden meanings.

Ruth begins to look around the infirmary, where she'll be working. Curious, she decides to check out the materials and supplies the hospital has. "Fascinating. When shall I get to meet this 'ghost'?"

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

Tuskfang giggles. He looks as though he wants to lick Natalie himself, but his parents taught him not to lick people, and he thinks of Natalie as a person even if she looks like an otter now. Instead, he lets go and toddles over to where a stuffed wolf and a plush owl are lying around. He grabs them and returns to Natalie.

"This is Fuzzy 'n Flutter," he says.

[Infirmary]

"The gist of the saying is that if life gives you something unpleasant, like lemons are on their own, you should make something good out of it. Like lemonade," Sophie says. "If you just complain about having lemons, you won't get anywhere. Nurse Piper appears when she's needed, but maybe I could call on her."

((She's an NPC, though, so I'm not sure who'd control her.))

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

Natalie-the-otter takes the advantage of Tuskfang's departure to turn back into a human, growing in size and losing the hair as her skin turns back into clothing. She adopts a bipedal stance and stretches once the transformation is complete, then sits on the floor.

"Hello, Fuzzy. Hello, Flutter. Pleased to meet you." Natalie smiles, and attempts to shake the toy's hand-like appendages.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

"Do you have any aminals, Talie?" Tuskfang asks.

"It's 'animals', Tuskfang," Reelshka says, then sighs. ""I have no idea where he learned to spell it this way."

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

"I have a teddy. His name is Sir Hairy. He's... at home, so I haven't seen him in a while." Meaning not at GLoG, and possibly destroyed in the fire that destroyed her house and killed her father.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

Awww. Tuskfan's ears droop a little. Natalie doesn't have her aminal. That's sad.

"Wha's a teddy?" he asks.

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

"A cuddly bear, one that hugs back and listens to all your secrets and dreams and desires." Natalie had forgotten about him, but now she misses her aminal too. Especially since she's got some new secrets, dreams and desires to whisper. Her diary's a fairly adequate replacement, but doesn't really listen. And Natalie writes the secretest bits in a simple code; she grew up in a large house were servants were a fact of life, so privacy was personally obtainable, but even the best-hidden things eventually were found. Besides, codes are the most fun part of keeping a diary.

[Cyber Punk]

"The gist of the saying is that if life gives you something unpleasant, like lemons are on their own, you should make something good out of it. Like lemonade," Sophie says. "If you just complain about having lemons, you won't get anywhere. Nurse Piper appears when she's needed, but maybe I could call on her."

((She's an NPC, though, so I'm not sure who'd control her.))

[Infirmary]

((I see. Let's ix-nay that, then.))

"I see, though I like lemons on their own. The taste, I mean." Ruth replies. "Let us not disturb the Nurse's rest. I am sure there will be plenty of other chances to meet her. How often does the Infirmary receive patients?"

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

Tuskfang's ears droop some more and he toddles over to give Natalie a hug. Losing a cuddly bear sounds very sad.

"Can you get a new teddy?" he asks.

Reelshka sits back, letting her son talk to Natalie.

[Infirmary]

"We usually have a steady stream of people who need medical care and can't get it elsewhere," Sophie says. "It's fairly routine. Now and then someone comes with an emergency, or some serious injury. Or a curse, even. There hasn't been a disaster in a while, but when one strikes somewhere, we tend to have an influx of refugees and survivors."

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

"I probably should, but I haven't yet. Besides, it might make poor Sir Hairy jealous, and that would not be a very happy thing." Natalie will hug back, as she logs getting Sir Hairy the Second a priority next time she goes shopping or leaves GLoG.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

Tuskfang raises his wolf and then his owl to his ear.

"Fuzzy 'n Flutter said aminals aren't jealous. You can have two teddies."

[Cyber Punk]

[Infirmary]

"I see. I shall remain here for the time being, in case of any emergency."

Ruth clasps her arms in front of her and smiles at Sophie. "It has been lovely meeting you, Sophie. I hope that we become very dear friends. However, I need to meditate. I shall use the corner if that is alright?" It'll ensure that she remains in the Infirmary, just in case.

[Morty]

[Infirmary]

"Of course. No one will mind," Sophie says. "I'll leave you to it. I live in Maple Cabin if you ever need me." With that, she takes her leave.

[Cyber Punk]

[Infirmary]

Ruth smiles and nods, then goes over to one corner and begins to meditate.

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

Natalie smiles. "That's good. I'll have to get a new one, then. I'll come bring him here to show you when I've got him, yeah?" Now I need to decide if the teddy becomes possessed by some form of animating spirit or is from the Toy Story universe or not.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

"Yeah! Then me and you and him and Fuzzy and Flutter can all play together!" Tuskfang squeaks enthusiastically. Reelshka chuckles and goes to stand next to him.

"You're handling him well, Natalie. His endless enthusiasm can be hard to keep up with."

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

"That sounds awesome, Tuskfang!" Natalie smiles at the little woblin. "It's OK, Reelshka. We otters are pretty playful creatures." Since that's what she told Tuskfang she was, rather than a human. She's Talie the Otir.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

"Do all otirs look like humans too?" Tuskfang asks. Shapeshifting seems to confuse him a little. Reelshka shakes her head with a smile.

[Evergreen Cabin]

At another time, Reelshka is leading Tuskfang by hand towards the cabin. The woblin is looking around and sniffing curiously.

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

"Just the magic ones, Tuskfang. Oh, wait, is that something in your ear? Hold still a moment, please." If Tuskfang does as asked, Natalie will demonstrate her magical nature by pulling a bright red handkerchief out of Tuskfang's ear. Well, no, it's not out of Tuskfang's ear, but the whole idea of the trick is to make it seem like it was.

"Reelshka, do goblins naturally come with handkerchiefs in their ears?" She'll wave the article in question around, to demonstrate it.

[Cyber Punk]

[Evergreen Cabin]

Inside the cabin, Asher wakes up and yawns, covering his mouth with one hand.

"Momma?"

He can't find his mum. She must be working, then. He knows she's around because he can feel her closeness around. If Tuskfang is able, he'll smell Asher. He smells earthy, in a pleasing sort of way.

Asher also does sense the duo arriving at the cabin and opens the door, shielding his eyes from the sunlight.

((My headcanon is that it's always day in GLoG and always night in AMEN.))

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

Tuskfang's eyes go wide as saucers and he tries to grab the handkerchief. Reelshka grins.

"They don't. Must be magic, then."

[Evergreen Cabin]

"Hello, Asher," Reelshka says. "I've come to introduce you to my son. This is Tuskfang. Tuskfang, this is Asher," she adds, looking between the two boys. The little woblin says nothing for now, but his tail wags excitedly.

[Cyber Punk]

[Evergreen Cabin]

"H-hi Rilshka!" Asher says, excitedly. "Momma isn't h-home!"

Then his golden eyes fall on the little woblin and he smiles really big. "H-hi!" Another kid his age. He's so happy he starts to jump up and down. "C-can we b-be f-friends?"

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

Natalie happily gives the hankie to Tuskfang. It's clean, used for tricks, rather than anything else. "Okay Reelshka. I am a magic otter, so I think finding handkerchiefs in little boy's ears is a perfectly normal thing for me to do." She could repeat the trick, but one of the things her book on sleight-of-hand says is that tricks are most spectacular the first time, though most of her friends have probably had things pulled from their ears, noses and mouths simply to help Natalie practice.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

Tuskfang grabs the handkerchief an promptly tries to insert it into his ear. He blinks in confusion when it doesn't work.

"How's it work?" he asks, perplexed. Reelshka laughs.

"You shouldn't ask a magician to explain her tricks, Tuskfang."

[Evergreen Cabin]

"Well then, I'll keep an eye on you both," Reelshka says.

Tuskfang, meanwhile, stares back at the angel boy and grins widely.

"Yeah! We can be friends! Are you a griffin?"

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

"It wasn't my ear, Tuskfang. I don't know how it got there." Natalie's pretty happy to teach those of her friends that want to learn, as Reelshka may find out if I'm remembering the Tree scene correctly.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

Reelshka probably knows. Tuskfang, of course, doesn't. He keeps fiddling with the handkerchief.

"How'd it get there, mom?" he asks, craning his head back to look at his mother. Reelshka smiles. "It was magic, Tuskfang. Magic is weird. Like spirits." Tuskfang nods. He knows spirits.

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

"I could always put it back, Tuskfang. Maybe you'll notice how it's done that way." Natalie smiles, quite enjoying Tuskfang's bafflement and amusement. It's the whole point of stage-magic, and something she's lost with most of her friends since they see it done so often.

[Gullara]

[Salix's Willow]

Brinika sighs and her ears droop. This isn't going well.

"They don't like it when things move suddenly," she says to Asher. "They're kind of like rats that way. All little animals learn to run away when something moves."


Salix's Willow

"It's called the fight-or-flight response, with flight meaning 'running away', rather than literal flight. Rabbits, rats, squirrels, mice and so on rely on running away to stay alive. Wolves, bears, rhinos and so on are more likely to pick fighting than fleeing." Though rhinos have very poor eyesight, and a very good sense of smell, making them more dangerous because they won't see the sudden movement until it is close enough to them that whatever making it will have a very hard time escaping.


[Salix's Willow]

Asher flinches at the scolding, and for a moment it appears as though he'll start crying again. Then he sees Brinika's ears droop and instead goes to her and hugs her. "I'm s-s-sorry for m-making you s-sad." That's what it means, right? Her ears drooping?

He nods as Natalie speaks, smiling. Natalie is real smart! "Y-you know l-lots of t-things, Nata-lee!" He squeaks out. He wants to be cool like her at her age.

((Sorry about the delay. Couldn't post all Thanksgiving weekend.))

[Salix's Willow]

"Be more careful. This is their safe place, but they still know when to be scared." Salix adds. She walks right up to a couple rabbits who are just inside their holes. They don't even flinch, even as she reaches out and pets the top of their heads. The same rules don't apply to the children of the forest, of course. There's nothing scary about her.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

Tuskfang nods.

"Yeah! Puttit back!" he asks Natalie.

[Salix's Willow]

"It's okay, Asher. I'm not sad," Brinika says, as she hugs him back. "Handling wild animals is hard if you're not a dryad like Salix. And Natalie does know a whole lot." She nods.

[Cyber Punk]

"Well then, I'll keep an eye on you both," Reelshka says.

Tuskfang, meanwhile, stares back at the angel boy and grins widely.

"Yeah! We can be friends! Are you a griffin?"

[Evergreen Cabin]

"W-what's a griffin?" Asher asks confusedly, still grinning. It's like a contest of who can grin the widest! "M-momma says w-we are neffy-lim! I'm not s-sure w-what it means!"

[Morty]

[Evergreen Cabin]

"Carth has wings. An' he's a griffin," Tuskfang says, looking up at his mother. Reelshka shakes his head. "Not everything that has wings is a griffin like Carth, Tuskfang." She then looks at Asher. "A griffin looks like a cat with the head and wings of a bird."

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

Natalie smiles, takes the handkerchief and reaches over to put it in Tuskfang's ear. Actually, she's hiding it through sleight-of-hand, and it's going back where she took it from. Not necessarily up her sleeve; I can't remember if she's wearing sleeves in this scene, but she tends to favour t-shirts. "There we go. Now, don't try pulling it out yourself. You probably won't find it, and do some damage accidentally."

Salix's Willow

"Every Friday, Dad invited one of his colleagues to supper at our house. The conversations which interested me the most were the ones Dad had with the staff from the Nature and Exploration departments. I learnt a lot from that." Natalie's father, as some here might know, was the head master of a prestigious university. Also he's dead, but Natalie talks about that less often; he sent her to GLoG to make her safe, but refused to leave his students and staff in danger from the revolutionaries which recently overthrew her homeland's monarchy and aristocratic system.

[Cyber Punk]

[Evergreen Cabin]

"I've n-never seen a g-gh-griffin! C-can I meet C-Carth too?" Asher looks up at Reelshka, as well. "W-we can all be f-friends!"

(Not now, probably, but Asher would ask, of course. :smallsmile:)

[Salix's Willow]

Asher smiles up at Brinika, and marvels when Salix so easily pats the rabbits without them running away. He gets an idea, and sits down on the ground, starting to mold a miniature sand Salix from the sand. At his touch, the sand grains clump together to make the dryad's vague shape, a sand silhouette.

Then the hard part, working on the details. As he works, he explains his reasoning. "R-rabbits like S-salix!"

[Morty]

[Evergreen Cabin]

"Carth is fluffy!" Tuskfang declares. Reelshka nods with a smile. "I'm sure you'll get to meet him soon enough. He's a bit younger than you, I think."

[Ironoak Cabin]

Tuskfang puts his palms to his ears and his eyes go wide again.

"It's gone. Wooow," he says. "Magic is so cool!"

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

"I know it is. Magic makes the world go round." Her understanding is that spirits are naturally occurring magical constructs, and wouldn't exist without magic. Tuskfang's understanding might be different, since Waterstrider I think thought the smell of magic unnatural, yet think spirits are completely natural.

[Cyber Punk]

[Evergreen Cabin]

"I l-l-like f-fluffy!" Asher squeals, still holding on to Tuskfang's hands. "W-what of y-you? You l-look like a w-wolf! W-wolves are c-cute!"

[Morty]

[Evergreen Cabin]

"I'm a woblin!" Tuskfang declares. "His father is a wolfen, and I'm a goblin. He's one of a kind," Reelshka says. "Brinika came up with that name for him."

[Ironoak Cabin]

"Can you do more magic?" Tuskfang asks. He can see spirits himself, but he's only got a vague notion that not everyone can, since both his parents do.

[Cyber Punk]

[Evergreen Cabin]

((There's something inherently cute about the term: woblin. Say it out loud.))

Asher beams at the mention of Brinika. He likes her. "B-Brinika is f-fun!"

He realizes he's leaving them standing outside. That's not nice, and he wants to be nice, so he opens the door to the cabin wider and runs in, trying to pull Tuskfang along, who'll probably pull his mother as well. A sand sculpture of his mother and father sits on a tray on the table. As it happens, his father has wings, as well.

[Morty]

[Evergreen Cabin]

"She is!" Tuskfang squeaks, before being led inside. His attention is quickly caught by the sculptures. He toddles over to them. "What're those?"

[Cyber Punk]

[Evergreen Cabin]

"I-it's momma a-and poppa!" Asher declares triumphantly. "I m-made it f-for momma, so s-she won't m-miss poppa too m-much!"

He points out his father's wings. "L-look! Poppa has w-wings, too!"

[Morty]

[Evergreen Cabin]

"Woow. Do you fly?" Tuskfang asks, looking up at Asher and wagging his tail.

"Those are very good sculptures, Asher," Reelshka says.

[Cyber Punk]

[Evergreen Cabin]

"Th-thank you!" Asher replies, bowing a little bit.

He nods his head enthusiastically. "Y-yes! I c-can f-fly! Wanna s-see?"

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

"Well, I have the transformation, but that's natural to me. There's the stage magic, which is how I pulled the hankie out of your ear. And there's the conjuration I practice, but that relies on teleportation, which is blocked at GLoG, so I do that in the woods." The conjuration mostly mimics the stage magic, but some of it is actually useful.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

Tuskfang stares at Natalie for a moment. "Whassat meant?" he asks. Reelshka chuckles again. "I think you're using too long words for him, Natalie."

[Evergreen Cabin]

"Yeah! I wanna!" Tuskfang declares, jumping up and down a little. "Just be careful, Asher," Reelshka adds.

[Gullara]

[Salix's Willow]

"It's okay, Asher. I'm not sad," Brinika says, as she hugs him back. "Handling wild animals is hard if you're not a dryad like Salix. And Natalie does know a whole lot." She nods.


Salix's Willow

"Every Friday, Dad invited one of his colleagues to supper at our house. The conversations which interested me the most were the ones Dad had with the staff from the Nature and Exploration departments. I learnt a lot from that." Natalie's father, as some here might know, was the head master of a prestigious university. Also he's dead, but Natalie talks about that less often; he sent her to GLoG to make her safe, but refused to leave his students and staff in danger from the revolutionaries which recently overthrew her homeland's monarchy and aristocratic system.


[Salix's Willow]

Asher smiles up at Brinika, and marvels when Salix so easily pats the rabbits without them running away. He gets an idea, and sits down on the ground, starting to mold a miniature sand Salix from the sand. At his touch, the sand grains clump together to make the dryad's vague shape, a sand silhouette.

Then the hard part, working on the details. As he works, he explains his reasoning. "R-rabbits like S-salix!"

[Salix's Willow]

Salix sits down next to the borrow and looks back toward the other children. "Uh, what're you doing?" She asks, looking slightly puzzled by Asher's creation so far. Is that supposed to be her? it's becoming more clear as he adds detail.

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

"I can change shape, I can perform magic like I just showed you, and I can move things without touching them, but the things that keep GLoG safe stop most of those from working here." Hopefully that's easier for Tuskfang to understand. "Whilst my shape change is magic-based, it is classed as a natural ability since it can't be learnt by most people." Whereas anyone with sufficient training and discipline can perform magic. Also, Natalie can't learn how to change shape on her own. She needs to be forced into a shape before she can use it on her own.

[Cyber Punk]

"Yeah! I wanna!" Tuskfang declares, jumping up and down a little. "Just be careful, Asher," Reelshka adds.

[Evergreen Cabin]

Asher nods and nods at Reelshka and begins to tug Tuskfang back outside. Once they get outside, the little winged nephilim will begin to fly round the cottage, always remaining in Tuskfang's sight. "Wheeee!"

[Morty]

[Salix's Willow]

Brinika blinks and watches Asher's sculpture. She's wondering if it'll work.

[Ironoak Cabin]

Tuskfang nods.

"That's cool. My dad says I'll get to talk to 'pirits when I'm grown up. Like he does."

[Evergreen Cabin]

The little woblin watches Asher with a big grin. Fortunately, he doesn't try to fly himself, although it looks like he's tempted to.

[Cyber Punk]

[Evergreen Cabin]

Soon enough, Asher lands in front of Tuskfang and bows. "I'd t-try to c-carry you, but I'm n-not s-strong enough!" He says, somewhat sadly. "B-but we c-can still p-play!"

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

"I don't know much about spirits. My magic doesn't directly interact with them, from what I've learnt." What Tuskfang is taught by Waterstrider (or the other Wolfen of GLoG; I've forgotten his name, and which one Reelshka married) may be different, due to cultural and religious differences, plus different theories of magic. Natalie's homeworld has many different types of magic, and in most cases the theory of how it all works conflicts.

[Morty]

[Evergreen Cabin]

Tuskfang turns to his mother.

"Didja bring Fuzzy 'n Flutter?"

Reelshka nods and reaches into her bag. She produces a stuffed wolf and a plush owl, which she hands to Tuskfang. The woblin grins and turns back to Asher.

"These are my aminals!"

"Animals, Tuskfang," Reelshka says with a sigh. It seems he picked up that habit from some new friends me made, according to Brinika.

[Ironoak Cabin]

Tuskfang's father is Pathfinder. But he and Reelshka aren't actually married. His status as a shaman prevents it, I think.

"'Pirits are important. Dad talks to them. He's a shaman. They're like aminals but blurry."

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

"I know, I saw one once. It was cat-like, and skeletal. It put its hand on my shoulder." That was a long time ago, when Pathfinder hosted a story session and the spirits manifested to take part. "They've got magic of their own, I know that. I don't know what exactly they can do, though." She can't interact with them directly, after all. Not unless they make efforts to do so, or she figures out how to summon her own.

[Cyber Punk]

[Evergreen Cabin]

Asher's eyes widen as he sights the stuffed and plush animals. "I l-li-like animals!" He squeals, then turns to the toys and speaks to them.

<Hello!> He chirps, first in wolf, then in owl, expecting them to answer, and when they presumably don't, tilts his head quizzically.

((B'Sod! Earl didn't post for Ghar's scene.))

[Morty]

[Evergreen Cabin]

"They only talk to me," Tuskfang says, a little apologetically. Reelshka chuckles. "They're toy animals, Asher."

[Ironoak Cabin]

"They can do lots. My favourite 'pirit is Bouncy. He plays wif me," Tuskfang says.

[Cyber Punk]

[Evergreen Cabin]

"Awww." Asher frowns for a moment, until Reelshka speaks. "Toy? M-momma s-says t-toys are f-fun! We d-don't have t-that type at h-home." He says, pointing up at the sky.

[Morty]

[Evergreen Cabin]

Tuskfang's eyes go wide.

"You don't have toys! Everyone should have toys! I have Fuzzy and Flutter and lots of others."

[Cyber Punk]

[Evergreen Cabin]

Asher shakes his head. "No! We h-h-have t-toys! M-made of e-earth or l-light, o-or c-clouds o-or o-ther t-things! I h-help some t-times!" He points to the sculpture of his parents, then claps his hands.

"B-but not t-th-that t-type!"

[Morty]

[Evergreen Cabin]

Tuskfang blinks, confused.

"How do you make a toy outta cloud?"

[Cyber Punk]

[Evergreen Cabin]

"W-Well c-cloud is w-water! It b-becomes like ice s-smoke! Th-then we d-do s-something an' it n-never m-melts! O-or c-combine it w-with earth an' it b-becomes l-like s-stone!" Asher declares.

[Morty]

[Evergreen Cabin]

Tuskfang opens his mouth wide.

"Whaaaaa."

Reelshka chuckles.

"I think he's a little too young to understand that, Asher."

[Cyber Punk]

[Evergreen Cabin]

Asher can't help but giggle at Tuskfang's reaction. "S-sorrie!" He says, gently hugging the other boy. "Ermmm..." He begins to look around thinking of what to do. Then he looks up and sees some clouds. "L-look! T-those! W-what if it was c-clay?"

[Morty]

[Evergreen Cabin]

"They'd be brown and on the ground," Tuskfang says slowly, after a moment. Reelshka just smiles and watches.

[Cyber Punk]

[Evergreen Cabin]

Asher scratches his green head of hair for a bit. "W-well..." Then he looks to Reelshka for help.

Just then Ruth arrives and Asher goes to hug her. "Momma!" He screams as they hug. Then he points to Reelshka and Tuskfang and talks about 'cloud-clay'.

In response, Ruth reaches into her robe and fetches a little piece of hand-formed cloud, which she gives the children: one for Asher and one for Tuskfang. It's visibly cloud, but feels like (and has the consistency of) plasticine. It's also cold to the touch.

"Greetings, Reelshka. I just came to check on my boy." She says, smiling.

[Morty]

[Evergreen Cabin]

Tuskfang begins eagerly fiddling with the cloud-clay. He squeezes it, tugs it, pulls it and shakes it. He grins and giggles all the while.

"Hello, Ruth. I brought Tuskfang here to meet Asher. They seem to be getting along splendidly."

[Cyber Punk]

[Evergreen Cabin]

Asher also follows suit. It's harder, since his power is earth manipulation, not cloud manipulation, but he succeeds in making a smiley face. "L-look! I made a s-smiley!" He says, showing Tuskfang. "W-what are you m-making?"

Meanwhile, Ruth smiles at the two kids and nods. "Indeed they do, dear Reelshka. Better than expected, and I expected a lot. I am just coming from the medical bay, myself."

[FireFox]

[Inside Med Lab]

Omecha pauses for a second, thinks, and nods.
"Two days from now. Anything I need to know or do in preparation?"

I can't think of anything you won't be able to learn or do on the job. This shouldn't be a huge challenge here. She can use whatever time not spent putting her affairs in order and making her will to deal with some idiot (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=19984472&postcount=108) who thinks he's living in Film Noir or a Chandler story snooping around, trying to figure out if she's who she says she is. Toby stands up and, smiling, reaches across his desk to shake Omecha's hand. I'll see you in two days!

[Recaiden]

[Inside Med Lab]

"Good."

Omecha stands and shakes his hand and then swiftly departs, heading outside before flying up, up, and away.

[Deathkeeper]

Front Gate

A large black griffin flies in to the front gate with a fancy woven basket in his beak. There is a baby in the basket, but that isn't visibly obvious due to being safely tucked in for the ride.
Said griffin goes looking for responsible adults to talk to.

[Earl of Purple]

Salix's Willow ((Sorry about the missed post, guys!))

Natalie sits and watches Asher sculpt sand-Salix silently, always interested in observing magic of any kind. And a small boy creating an accurate likeness out of loose sand kind of has to be magic.

Ironoak Cabin

"I'm glad to hear one is your friend, Tuskfang. Why are they called Bouncy?" Natalie's unsure as to the spirit's nature or gender, and the one she remembers the best is only just child-friendly.

[Morty]

[Evergreen Cabin]

"I dunno," Tuskfang says. He's simply been fiddling with the cloud-clay. "What could I make?"

"Kids their age make friends easily," Reelshka points out. "And Tuskfang is really outgoing. Maybe Brinika rubbed off on him."

[Ironoak Cabin]

"He bounces around!" Tuskfang proclaims. Reelshka chuckles.

"Bouncy is a weasel spirit that took a shine to him."

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

"A weasel? Nice. They're related to otters, y'know. And ferrets, badgers, stoats and skunks. Other stuff, too, like pine martens, but that pretty much covers the whole group." Natalie's done some research into otters and their relatives, which is where she picked up knowledge of mustelids. Natalie smiles, glad to have an answer.

[Cyber Punk]

[Salix's Willow]

Salix sits down next to the borrow and looks back toward the other children. "Uh, what're you doing?" She asks, looking slightly puzzled by Asher's creation so far. Is that supposed to be her? it's becoming more clear as he adds detail.


Brinika blinks and watches Asher's sculpture. She's wondering if it'll work.


Natalie sits and watches Asher sculpt sand-Salix silently, always interested in observing magic of any kind. And a small boy creating an accurate likeness out of loose sand kind of has to be magic.

[Salix's Willow]

"Y-you!" He responds eagerly as he works!

Asher continues his work diligently and skillfully, and in a few moments a sand version of Salix is standing in front of him. He continues to add some finishing touches, but by now it's clearly Salix, immortalized in sand (for the time being).


"I dunno," Tuskfang says. He's simply been fiddling with the cloud-clay. "What could I make?"

"Kids their age make friends easily," Reelshka points out. "And Tuskfang is really outgoing. Maybe Brinika rubbed off on him."

[Evergreen Cabin]

"Any-thing! M-make any-thing! E-even a b-bunny rabbit! Or a t-toy p-plane!" Asher declares, beginning to toy with his cloud-clay. "I'll make a d-doll!"

"Kids their age are rather active too, dear friend." Ruth notes. "So much energy in them. I really must meet Brinika sometime."

[Gullara]

[Salix's Willow]

"...Huh, that's really good." Salix has to admit. How in the world did he do that, though? The dryad steps forward to take a closer look at the sculpture. Two of the rabbits she was near even follow her, apparently comfortable enough to move further away from their burrows when they're close to Salix.

[Morty]

[Salix's Willow]

Brinika puts her finger to her lips and takes Asher's hand, to prevent him from getting overeager and scaring the rabbits again.

[Ironoak Cabin]

"Yeah! He looks like you," Tuskfang says. He turns to look at his mother. "Can Bouncy come here now, mommy?" he asks.

"I don't know, dear," Reelshka says. "Spirits come and go."

[Evergreen Cabin]

Tuskfang stares at the clay-cloud with a look of intense concentration. He fiddles with it in his chubby, furry hands and makes something that looks vaguely like a big-eared goblin.

"I'm sure she'd like that. She's... special in more ways than one," Reelshka says, proudly. She takes almost as much pride in her niece as she does in her son.

[Front Gate]

The griffin may spot Sophie nearby. She counts as a responsible adult. Most of the time.

[Deathkeeper]

Front Gate

Nick pads over to Sophie and sets the basket down.
"Excuse me, Miss. Someone left a baby at my door along with a death threat. It's not exactly something that I'm in a place to handle, and I was wondering if you were the right people to go to about this?" he asks politely.

[Cyber Punk]

[Evergreen Cabin]

Asher works on his clay-cloud as well, fiddling with it until it starts to look like a tiny hat. He looks over at Tuskfang's hands and begins to giggle.

Ruth smiles broadly at Reelshka's pride. "She must be really gifted. Just like my boy." She rubs Asher's head of hair, causing him to smile.

[Morty]

[Front Gate]

Sophie looks down at the baby with a mixture of feelings. Mostly concern and shock.

"We do help anyone who comes to us. If you leave this child here, we'll do our best to care for it. I expect you have no idea about where it came from and why you got it?"

[Evergreen Cabin]

"She is very gifted. As well as curious, exuberant and mercurial. Her parents have her hands full with her, and so do I when she's here," Reelshka says.

Tuskfang waves his crude sculpture.

"'S a goblin!"

[Recaiden]

[Front Gate]

The baby stirs in his basket, squirming around with no clear idea where he is or how his limbs even work, and looks up at Sophie in a blank, interested way.

[Earl of Purple]

Salix's Willow

Natalie will sit down nearby, and shuffle forwards to get a closer look, without (hopefully) scaring the rabbits. She says nothing, though her scent of human overlying otter, bird, monkey and chameleon is unusual and potentially worrying for them.

Ironoak Cabin

"Where do you usually see Bouncy?" Natalie doesn't know much about spirits, but picked up somewhere the idea that they're tied to a specific geographical area, which may or may not be accurate and might refer to a different category of natural magical entities.

[Deathkeeper]

Front Gate

The baby, for the record, is a male human save for his leathery wings.
"No, the note was a threat telling me to use my time while I had it. I have no idea how it has anything to do with him." Nick says simply.

[Cyber Punk]

[Evergreen Cabin]

Asher squeals and goes to try and hug Tuskfang, jumping up and down in the process. "T-told'ja."

((I had a dream in which Tuskfang and Asher meet about 15 years after this point, and Tuskfang keeps playfully making fun of Asher for being a 21-year old that looks like he's 12.))

"Now, I simply must meet her. She and Asher should get along just fine. He's always looking to make friends. Isn't that right, son?" Ruth glances at Asher, only to see him attempting to celebrate with Tuskfang.

[Morty]

[Front Gate]

Sophie sighs.

"This is very suspicious. We'll do what we can to help, but first let me examine the child more closely."

The Hunter looks down at the baby, and activates her Second Sight. She tries to examine the child and see there are no illusions, or perhaps if it's not his true shape.

[Evergreen Cabin]

Tuskfang hugs Asher back exuberantly.

"I'll need more fer a Wolfen," he says.

"I think those two little gents are a bit preoccupied," Reelshka says with a chuckle.

[Ironoak Cabin]

Tuskfang thinks deeply for a moment.

"When I'm outside on the grass."

[Recaiden]

[Front Gate]

No illusions, no false shapes. It's a baby with wings and some internal modifications.
But it is not just a baby. There is something else here, inside it. A formless shining something, not quite aware enough to be a possessing spirit. Just listening, waiting, allowing the infant to act as it wants. For now.

[Cyber Punk]

[Evergreen Cabin]

Asher nods and stares at his own cloud-clay for a bit. Then suddenly, he thrusts it in front of Tuskfang. "H-here, have it. Y-you can use m-my own." He's smiling, urging his new friend to take it. Sharing is caring, and if he needs more he'll play with the sand. He prefers the sand.

"Perhaps we should leave them alone? We can watch from a safe distance while we get acquainted."

[Morty]

[Evergreen Cabin]

"That sounds like a good idea. They seem to be doing fine," Reelshka says. Tuskfang, meanwhile, grabs the cloud-clay with a grin.

"Thanks!" he squeaks and starts trying to mould it into something that looks like a wolfen.

[Front Gate]

"The baby is normal, but there's something in him," Sophie says in a concerned voice. "Like a dormant spirit. It's not affecting him yet, but it's there."

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

"Is it always the same bit of grass? Because if that's Bouncy's house, he might not be able to leave." Which would also explain why Bouncy is so friendly- he's bored, since little happens that he can actually interact with.

[Deathkeeper]

Front Gate

Nick shakes his head.
"Well, I guess that'd make sense, given the threat. But I'm a soldier, Miss, I don't know much t'all about spirits." he says sheepishly. They'd know how to handle it, right?

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

Tuskfang shakes his head.

"No. Sometimes it happens there, an' sometimes there," he says, waving his chubby hand in different directions.

[Front Gate]

"My knowledge of them is a little haphazard. But there are people here who know more about them than I do. Do you know who might be trying to threaten you and why?"

[Deathkeeper]

Front Gate

"I'm with the Union, Ma'am. That's no small list. Though I have personally assaulted the servants of some sort of Corrupter, verbally called out an alien apocalypse sun for being a sociopathic monster, I think I pissed off Pazuzu a few years ago. So, ah, no, it's not enough to narrow it down, though I don't think it's Sunny, and P has had plenty of time. I'd say it's someone I don't know about." he explains.

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

"Well, that's that theory out the window. I really don't know about spirits." She got that slightly mistaken, as she really doesn't know about spirits. Mostly her summoning is small creatures and inanimate objects, rather than anything more powerful.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

"The spirits Pathfinder summoned are bound to the campsite, Natalie," Reelshka explains. "But they don't enter the cabins and other buildings unless they have to. Just like physical animals."

"Daddy knows ev'ryfing about 'pirits!" Tuskfang says proudly.

[Front Gate]

Sophie runs her hand through her hair.

"Troubling. We'll take the child in, and I'll try to find out what the presence in him is. Do you also want help investigating who sent him and why?"

[Deathkeeper]

Front Gate

Nick nods.
"I'd like that, but you don't need to get to intensive. He's a baby, after all. If you find any information while examining him and his spirit, tell me, or if someone finds out where he came from. I would very much like to know what all of this is about, but you don't need to overexert yourself on my behalf." he says sincerely. Whatever this is, he doesn't need to drag people into it.

[Cyber Punk]

"That sounds like a good idea. They seem to be doing fine," Reelshka says. Tuskfang, meanwhile, grabs the cloud-clay with a grin.

"Thanks!" he squeaks and starts trying to mould it into something that looks like a wolfen.

[Evergreen Cabin]

"Let's all go inside, then." Ruth says, and begins to lead both boys into the cabin: Tuskfang with his fiddling of the clay and Asher with his enthusiastic expectation of seeing Tuskfang's wolfen.

Once inside, Ruth will lead Reelshka to one corner of the room with chairs where they'll be able to see the kids and the rest of the room easily.

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

"How did he summon them? Most of my attempts are blocked when I'm in the campsite." Due to the tele-blocker that I think GLoG has. Even if it isn't mentioned in the opening post. Huh.

[Morty]

[Front Gate]

"Helping people is what we do here," Sophie says. She tries to pick up the basket. "How can we contact you if we find anything?"

[Evergreen Cabin]

Tuskfang toddles eagerly into the cabin, fiddling with his clay all the while. The result of his work only resembles a wolfen in very broad term, but it doesn't deter him. Reelshka sits down near Ruth. The furniture is probably too big for her.

[Ironoak Cabin]

"The spirits were actually summoned here before the campsite was blocked against teleportation," Reelshka explains. "Pathfinder performed a ritual that drew them there. Eventually it turned out it's not enough, so we asked someone else to add an additional measure." The ritual actually happened very shortly before Reelshka asked Pathfinder out on a date, which led to their close relationship.

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

"None of my books have any information on how to create areas to block teleportation or conjuring, so I thought the effect had always been here. Sorry." Her world's teleportation is too risky to make blocking it necessary. After a mile, there's a chance of not reappearing at the other end. Those who can teleport only use it for short distances, and in emergencies.

[Cyber Punk]

[Evergreen Cabin]

Ruth will politely attempt to aid Reelshka in any way she can. The room is spartan on one side, obviously Ruth's, and there's a play area with all sorts of odds and ends, obviously Asher's.

Asher grabs a ball of sandclay and begins to work on it, trying to make a miniature Tuskfang. He routinely glances up to see Tuskfang's progress.

"I miss my husband already." Ruth says, sighing.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

"Maybe if we go on the grass, we can meet Bouncy," Tuskfang says. He looks up at his mother. "Can we go on the grass?"

"Well, you seem to be mostly dry after your bath," Reelshka says, running her hand through his hair. "So you can, if Natalie wants to."

[Evergreen Cabin]

Tuskfang appears to have produced a mostly humanoid-shaped piece of clay, with an elongated head and ears. He seems pretty proud of it.

"I'm sorry to hear it," Reelshka says sympathetically. "You two seem to be close."

[Deathkeeper]

Front Gate

Nick will record his phone number for Sophie on whatever medium she has on hand. Preferably something electronic, but his talon-writing isn't that bad.
"I should respond within a day or so unless I'm on a pretty lengthy assignment. I don't always have a consistent schedule, so that's the best I can do." he says apologetically.

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

"That sounds good to me, Reelshka. Thank you for your help with the stone." Natalie smiles at Reelshka and stands up.

[Cyber Punk]

[Salix's Willow]

Asher looks up at Brinika and nods a big nod once, smiling widely. His latent earth manipulation powers make him proficient at molding sand and making it stick together.

Then he slowly gets up and points to it, grinning. "Ta-da!' He whispers in a soft voice.

[Evergreen Cabin]

"Yay! L-look, I m-made youuu!" Asher replies, showing his own miniature Tuskfang doll.

"Yes, and I love him deeply. I insisted on coming here, though. My usual pilgrimage. He couldn't come, he is a busy man." Ruth says, smiling. "Asher's sister is taking my place for the time being. She's quite proficient in her work, though rather naughty."

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

Reelshka puts some more clothes on Tuskfang and the little boy enthusiastically leads the way outside.

"Bouncy! Are you here, Bouncy?" he cries.

[Evergreen Cabin]

Tuskfang's eyes go wide and he tries to touch his sandy facsimile.

"Your pilgrimage?" Reelshka asks, raising her eyebrow.

[Front Gate]

"Thank you. I'll do my best to learn what this is all about," Sophie says.

[Cyber Punk]

[Evergreen Cabin]

Asher hands it over to him and smiles at his new friend as he examines his sandy self. After a while, he asks: "C-can I play with F-fluffy and F-flutter?"

"I apologize, Reelshka. That was an attempt at a simile, or whatever it's called. I just usually come to this realm on a sort of holiday. Besides, tradition demands that we give our young a chance to experience other realms." Ruth replies, gesturing to Asher.

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin

Natalie follows behind Tuskfang, possibly in front of Reelshka if the goblin wishes to lock her front door. If not, then she'll probably be behind Tuskfang and his aunt. She's smiling from Tuskfang's exuberance.

[Morty]

[Evergreen Cabin]

"Sure! They like making friends!" Tuskfang squeaks. He grabs his toys and hands them to Asher.

"Oh. Well, that makes sense, I suppose. Asher seems to be learning a lot here," Reelshka says.

[Ironoak Cabin]

After a while, Tuskfang squeals in joy and hops up and down. The reason for his mirth seems to be an indistinct shape scurrying towards him. Upon closer inspection, it's a translucent, incorporeal weasel. It runs up to Tuskfang and, true to its name, bounces around him.

"Here he is," Reelshka says to Natalie. "Can you see him? I forget sometimes what it's like not to see spirits. Tuskfang seems to have been able to see them since birth."

[Earl of Purple]

Ironoak Cabin to Outside

"Just about, like a weasel-shaped blur. I'll have to see if my books have anything that might help me see them." She knows she can't smell them as an animal, because there's lots of spirits around GLoG but the camp site smells very similar to the surrounding forest.

[Cyber Punk]

[Evergreen Cabin]

"Y-yay!" Asher squeaks and begins to, well, play with the toys, making them play with each other like children play with their toys. The fascination on his face is clear.

"Thankfully." Ruth smiles. "So, is there anything interesting to see on the campgrounds?"

[Morty]

[Outside Ironoak Cabin]

Tuskfang squeals and laughs as he cuddles the spirit animal. Then he toddles over to Natalie. The weasel spirit follows him, shimmering in the sun.

"This is Talie, Bouncy. She's an otir," he says, pointing at the girl. Natalie will see the ephemeral weasel walk over to her. It's easier to see now that it's right under her feet.

[Evergreen Cabin]

Tuskfang sits and watches Asher play with his stuffed animals.

"Fuzzy and Flutter go on 'ventures," he finally says.

"That depends on how you define interesting, I suppose," Reelshka says. "This place is unique for being more... stable than most of the Nexus. Calmer. You haven't been here long, but life here can be hectic."

[Earl of Purple]

Outside Ironoak Cabin

Natalie looks down at Bouncy, before sitting cross-legged to get on a similar level with the spirit. "Hello, Bouncy. Pleased to meet you." She smiles, and attempts to stroke the translucent spirit. Natalie can see Bouncy much better now, though still has some difficulty.

[Cyber Punk]

[Evergreen Cabin]

"R-really? S-show me!" Asher squeaks, handing the toys back to him.

Ruth nods, a bit of concern on her face. "I have seen a bit. I met with Civiron... Civvy at HALO, and... let's just say I know." She frowns when she remembers the darkness within Anchor. She removed the physical darkness, but not the darkness of her heart. "I hope that I can help to lighten the load, one person at a time."

[Morty]

[Outside Ironoak Cabin]

Natalie's fingers do meet some resistance, although it's light. The weasel spirit seems to enjoy the caress. Tuskfang giggles.

"Bouncy likes you!"

[Evergreen Cabin]

"They go climbin'. Or they hunt fer treasure," Tuskfang explains.

"Every little bit helps," Reelshka says with a nod. "It's what we do here, really. Make the Nexus just a little bit more calm and comfortable."

[Earl of Purple]

Outside Ironoak Cabin

"There's a secret to that, Tuskfang. Most fluffy creatures, otters, weasels, cats and many others, like being stroked. It feels nice." I'm sure Natalie's probably been stroked as an otter before, even if it hasn't occurred on-screen. Natalie will continue to stroke Bouncy, finding the spirit's semi-corporeal texture fascinating.

[Morty]

[Outside Ironoak Cabin]

Bouncy squirms and tries to run up Natalie's shoulders. It's hard to say if he's really touching her or just floating close to her. His claws are cold to touch.

"Wolfen are fuzzy too. And Welfen. And I'm fuzzy but not as much as them," Tuskfang observes.

[Gullara]

[Salix's Willow]

Asher looks up at Brinika and nods a big nod once, smiling widely. His latent earth manipulation powers make him proficient at molding sand and making it stick together.

Then he slowly gets up and points to it, grinning. "Ta-da!' He whispers in a soft voice.

[Salix's Willow]

"That's pretty good." Salix has to admit. Very good even. "How'd you do that anyway?"

The rabbits are still pretty calm now. The few that are nearest are, of course, staying right near Salix. They don't really pay the sculpture any mind, but they're not running away!

[Cyber Punk]

"They go climbin'. Or they hunt fer treasure," Tuskfang explains.

"Every little bit helps," Reelshka says with a nod. "It's what we do here, really. Make the Nexus just a little bit more calm and comfortable."

[Evergreen Cabin]

"L-let's hunt for t-treasure!" Asher says, picking Flutter, because it can fly, like him. "I'll be F-Flutter!" He carries the owl and starts to run around Tuskfang, in circles. "PFFFSSSHHHHH" He says, trying to mimic the sounds of wind blowing past your ears while flying. He already loves the sound.

Ruth nods, smiling. "I shall have to walk around the premises, though I'd prefer if I had company. After the boys are asleep, maybe. Take in the rivers, formations and such around the campgrounds." An invitation.

She glances at Asher. "Careful now, boys!" She raises up a finger and wags it, looking at Asher. The boy nods once and smiles, then continues his play.

[Earl of Purple]

Outside Ironoak Cabin

Since I'm assuming there's no weight associated with Bouncy's scamper (since it's hard to tell if he's floating or not), Natalie giggles as he runs up and when he reaches her shoulder, turns to face him and strokes him again. "Do you want to see if you enjoy being stroked, too?" Natalie thinks Reelshka has a good idea of whether wolfen enjoy being stroked, but doesn't quite dare ask.

[Morty]

[Evergreen Cabin]

Tuskfang starts making woofing sounds as he waves Fuzzy around. Since he's half-wolfen, they're actually rather authentic.

"Brinika hides things for them to find. But she's not here now."

"I could show you around, maybe," Reelshka says. "I don't think those two are at any risk. This cabin is pretty child-proof. Tuskfang can be hard to keep an eye on sometimes."

[Outside Ironoak Cabin]

Tuskfang nods and toddles over to Natalie. He does enjoy having his head and ears scratched.

[Salix's Willow]

"It's hard to sculpt sand," Brinika says. "It shifts and gets away. I prefer rocks. Or dirt."

[Earl of Purple]

Outside Ironoak Cabin

Natalie will happily comply, stroking Tuskfang's head and ears. Her other hand continues stroking Bouncy the weasel.

Salix's Willow

"I prefer collecting rocks. The pretty ones, anyway, with crystals and cubes and facets and nice colours. Like this one." Natalie reaches into her bag and pulls out a piece of malachite the size of her thumb. Malachite is one of the few minerals I really like but don't actually own. Got a bit of natural copper, though.

[Morty]

[Outside Ironoak Cabin]

Tuskfang happily nuzzles into Natalie's hand, as does Bouncy. Reelshka chuckles.

"He's definitely like a Wolfen cub this way. We need to discover it as we go along, since there's never been anyone like him before."

[Earl of Purple]

Outside Ironoak Cabin

"Nobody cuter, that I know." Natalie smiles, and continues stroking into the nuzzling of both parties. Though as Bouncy is only partially there, she wonders how much he gets out of it, since she can barely feel him.

[Morty]

[Outside Ironoak Cabin]

Bouncy enjoys the scratching for a while more, before hopping off Natalie's shoulders to play with Tuskfang some more. While the woblin's attention is occupied by the weasel, Reelshka asks:

"And what's new with you, Natalie? People shouldn't let me become one of those mothers who forget everything else when talking about their child," she adds jokingly.

[Earl of Purple]

Outside Ironoak Cabin

"Oh, not much really. I found some old cabins in the forest, long abandoned I think. Stone walls, no roofs, only bits of furniture. What's left is pretty sturdy, though. I use them for conjuration practice, since they're outside the block on my spells. Only just, though. I can see them from where the magic is blocked." Natalie smiles and watches Bouncy and Tuskfang play.

[Cyber Punk]

[Salix's Willow]

"I've always b-been g-good at it!" Asher announces quietly. He gets up and stares at the sand Salix he's made, grinning widely. "M-momma s-says I c-can f-form the earth!"

Then Natalie pulls out the Malachite with her. "Wow!" He advances upon her, his eyes on the pretty mineral.

[Evergreen Cabin]

"Debbie h-helps me, b-but she didn't c-come with us!" Asher declares. "L-let's go c-climbing, then!"

Ruth glances at the kids, then back at Reelshka. "I suppose so, as long as they remain in the cabin. Besides, Asher knows how to find me if need be." She smiles. "So, shall we go, then?"

[Morty]

[Outside Ironoak Cabin]

"That's curious. I had no idea where were any cabins out there," Reelshka says. "I wonder who built them. Be careful when you go exploring, will you?"

[Evergreen Cabin]

Reelshka's ears twitch.

"I'm not sure, given that they started to talk about climbing. Tuskfang needs careful watching when he decides to do that."

Tuskfang laughs and crawls over to the nearest couch or armchair. There he starts having his stuffed wolf climb it exaggeratedly.

[Earl of Purple]

Outside Ironoak Cabin

"Of course, Reelshka. They're old, I know that, but... They might not have gotten old where they are now. I've heard odd things about the Nexus and that sort of thing." Meaning they were there because Natalie went out looking to find something interesting, and wouldn't investigate a cave alone.

[Morty]

[Outside Ironoak Cabin]

Reelshka rests her chin on her hand.

"The Nexus does draw things from different times and places. Did they look similar to the cabins here? I suppose it can be hard to tell if there's so little left."

[Earl of Purple]

Outside Ironoak Cabin

"Not really. They were stone, not wood like the ones here. Looks like blocks of rough granite, but I could be wrong." Natalie collects stone, so she recognises the flecks of quartz in it, and know that granite has quartz and guesses on that.

[Morty]

[Outside Ironoak Cabin]

"Curious. I've never heard of them before, so maybe the Nexus did bring them here. I haven't explored the woods much myself, but Pathfinder has, and he's never said anything about them," Reelska says. "I don't think a goblin will ever feel at home in a forest. Brinika is almost as adventurous as you or Jamie, but she still prefers not to go there."

[Earl of Purple]

Outside Ironoak Cabin

"I would probably be much less comfortable in the woods were it not for my shapeshifting. Most of the creatures I can turn into are quite at home in the woodlands." The spider monkey, the chameleon and the chickadee-bird, and to my knowledge otters don't actively avoid woodland when they live along a river.

[Morty]

[Outside Ironoak Cabin]

"That must come in handy," Reelshka says. "I suppose a goblin can never be entirely at home in the woods. There's just something about trees that make us uneasy. Maybe even more than open sky does. Thankfully it seems woblins are free from it," she adds, smiling at Tuskfang.

[Earl of Purple]

Outside Ironoak Cabin

"I didn't know the sky made you uneasy, Miss Reelshka. The monkey is great for travelling through the forest, and the bird is exhilarating to be, and the otter's really fun in the lake, but I'd really like something that wasn't hampered by darkness. The otter is the least bothered by darkness, and has the best night-vision, but when I see a hole I check my torch for batteries before I enter. And only the monkey can carry anything." The monkey is also awkward on the ground, so it's all a matter of knowing what is best for when, and human is best for many things.