epidemiology | EVENT ★ MAT GATHERING

http://www.joemichael.co.nz/photography/#/luminosity/

The investigations in the sungazing log have lead to a number of discoveries, including trace amounts of solar radiation and seemingly temporary lights in the sky that match no known star charts currently in Chantes. On the 15th, Rick will announce via the verdict over the network: the sun isn’t gone.

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Those of you who actually did your job instead of screwing off (and breaking my shit! Yes, I know all about it), congrats. We've made headway on our dumbass situation.

The sun isn't gone (obviously). There are radiation levels suggesting that it's still there somewhere, but it's weirdly faint. Concerning item number one. Concerning item number two: there are lights in the sky but they're not native stars. They're red in the west in the morning, and in the east in the evening. This suggests a solar cycle that we just can't observe (with a western sunrise apparently). There are no moons visible; supposedly there should be two. Go figure.

The most interesting observations came from the storm, during which the "star" readings went off the charts, dawg. All lit up like Christmas and shit.

Hypothesis: the darkness is not because homeboy made anything "vanish with magic," but because he stuck a big "blanket" between the planet and the sky. The "stars" are likely just holes in his dumb bullshit. So let's get this solution rolling so we can get off this godforsaken rock. This is where you losers come in. I need things . . .

The mystery of the disappearing sun might be clear, but that doesn’t mean the problem’s solved. Now’s the hard part: creating something that will dispel the darkness.

Fortunately, with the right ingredients, science might be able to win the daylight back. All recruits will be encouraged to help with some good, old-fashioned teamwork and fetch quests.

SCAVENGER HUNT

The list is as follows:

Iron ore. Collecting it seems easy enough, but a dangerous serpentine creature capable of breathing electricity known as a Behir lairs nearby. If hungry, it will ambush characters and will not stop unless it succeeds or is slain.
Following the rich iron supply, characters will also find a series of winding underground caves and caverns.

Inside are items such as glowing cave mushrooms that are likely radioactive. Blue mushrooms maintain their coloring due to a rare solute in the cave water, helpful for optimizing fuel. Green mushrooms are useless and if you collect them you should feel bad.
Bat guano. Bats indigenous to the caves also seem to be affected by the contaminated cave water, however -- they’re enormous, blood-sucking, and have developed a mild venom. While one bite won’t kill anyone, the bats have numbers, ultrasonic screeches, and bad tempers.
Plutonic rocks. The source of the odd cave life, an ancient scattering of some massive meteorite resides deep inside the cave. They’ve got rich veins and chunks of crystal, the bigger the better. (We’d tell you what these space oddities are for, but we think it’d blow your minds.)
Cave Minnows. The fish inside the cave lakes are easy to spot since they’re bioluminescent, but only the small, quick ones metabolize the correct oils for this project. The large ones will simply try to drag you into a death roll the -- surprisingly deep -- waters.
Glowworms. See those lights hanging overhead? They’re not bulbs, but bundles of strange, glowing cave worms. Reaching and handling them might be tricky, and keep careful watch of them. They’ll burrow into anything, including your packs, your collected materials, or worst of all, you.
Rock salt. Delicious!
Potassium nitrate. This one is easier to find in Chantes itself: an old woman in town has a giant jar of it that she uses for pickling. Recruits may attempt to wile her out of a cup, or steal from the elderly.
Wildcard. If you don't mind volatile reactions, go ahead and science on your own. Or see anything else that might be useful? Grab it and go.

As a side-mission for the cave items, it seems the 15th is also the only day of the year that the night-blooming cereus plants are open around the cavern entrances. These flowers must be handled very delicately or they’ll wither and die, and local insects of all shapes, sizes, and aggressiveness will be drawn to them, so collectors beware. These flowers will have no bearing on the sun solution, but the goblin church will ask outgoing adventurers to bring some back with them. These items may come into play in February depending on IC actions, but otherwise they make for some pretty decorations!

And finally, a big thanks to

ricksybusiness for submitting their player plot and working with us. You go, Rick Sanchez.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ A worm being capable of spitting acid is the least of his concerns, really.

Archer isn't a scientist by any stretch of the imagination, but he's watched Rin work in her own version of what some might call a "mad scientist's lab" (which was, in reality, simply a magical workshop) to know the look on Sieglinde's face as she evaluates the creature. He lets her do so, simply hovering near in case the thing does decide to be hostile. ]

If it does, we'll need the appropriate means to transport it.

[ Having it sizzle its way out of containment wouldn't be especially helpful, after all. ]

[It was ironic, in a way, that while Sieglinde worked in what some might call a "magical workshop", it was in reality more like a mad scientist's lab.

But perhaps that was part of why Rin and Sieglinde got on- and Sieglinde certainly wasn't about to complain about the perks of that relationship. The knowledge and the borrowing of certain attractive men both]

As much as I prefer live samples, they may not need to be...

[Human life she held precious, but... there was no scientific advancement without the lives of quite a few of the lesser creatures, that had always held true. She examined it best she could visually, watching it squirm on the ground and definitely there seemed to be something slimy at its mandibles, which seemed considerable in size for a creature that length, but it wasn't spitting, absently reaching out to gro-

Put a hand on his thigh. For balance.]

I do not have anything that would not be damaged by acid, I'm afraid, if that is the mechanism of its actions...

[ A "mutually beneficial" relationship, indeed.

Archer considers the creature with a critical eye, but he doesn't comment or even move at the hand on his thigh. She might as well be touching a brick wall given his lack of a reaction.

He simply looks at her with a businesslike expression. ]

Do you have a container?

[ He might be able to finagle a solution to their problem. ]

[For Sieglinde, she's just glad enough it's a very attractive brick. It's not often enough she gets to be around bricks not the manservant she's known all her life, and that... well.

Even she has a certain sense of propriety, and though she'd occasionally thought that in the future she may need to conceive a child with him for the sake of continuing the line of the Green Witch... Wolfram wasn't exactly a prime subject for her girlish fantasies.

Stoic as he was, Archer would do.]

Here-

[She pulled out a glass jar with a ceramic stopper, offering it up to Archer for perusal.]

[ It's unfortunate for Sieglinde, really, that Archer suffers the same issue as Gilgamesh. As Heroic Spirits (dead men, ghosts, whichever), having children isn't really feasible.

He takes the glass jar without comment and considers it for a moment. Nothing appears to transpire, at first, but then, with two soft words (trace on) threads of green light lace up from his fingers into the object itself. It glows brightly for a moment before fading back to normal. There seems to be no change, but he hands it back to her, apparently satisfied. ]

It should hold now.

[See, that's a real shame. And once she knows it, she'll scratch them off her mental "potential future sperm donors" list but until then...

She hands over the jar readily, watching curiously while her hand curls in the fabric of Archer's clothing, (actually for balance now), craning so she can get a good look at what he's doing, eyes wide with wonder as she memorized every motion and word. It was so simple sometimes, a spell, but surely so much was happening beneath the surface of what she could see with eyes not of their world, and their magic...

She longed to see it, but if wishes were horses...]

My thanks.

[As it was, Sieglinde accepted it back with a fervent nod, finally releasing the man to sway her way the few steps over to the wriggling worm and...]

Ha- !

[Slamming the jar down over it, slipping the lid underneath to shove it not so kindly inside and flip the jar back right ways up and secure the lid, quite pleased with herself as she held up their prize and marveled at the acid and teeth it was now smearing and grinding futily against the side.]

In what way did you reinforce the jar?

[ Sieglinde is certainly a unique one, he will give her that much. Even not knowing the full scope of her thoughts, he can tell that simply by observation.

Watching her snare the small creature, he eyes it with a hint of satisfaction when the worm is unsuccessful at escaping.

As to how he did what he did...well. ]

I traced its basic structure and composition and strengthened it.

[ Hence the words 'trace on'. ]

It is not considered the most useful of skills, where I'm from, but at times, it can be helpful.

Hoh... a reinforcement spell... !

[She looked at the jar in a new light, nodding enthusiastically as the worm wriggled about with enough force to shake the container in her hands.]

That could be quite useful if used creatively, though... !

[After all, if it could reinforce anything... maybe not a dramatic spell, but it was quite handy seeming!]

[ Well...she isn't wrong about that. Reinforcement could be used in unique, unusual ways, but mostly, he uses it in relation to his projection, and of course, his affinity there is swords.

A faint smirk lightly touches his lips. ]

Possibly.

[ Rolls of paper have been weaponized in the past, after all. ]

It seems to have gotten you your specimen, at least.

[See- rolls of paper turning into weapons... Reinforcing hard to hold glow worms on steroids... That's a myriad of used already!]

Mm. Once it dies, I shall dissect it so that we can determine the best way to extract the needed liquids...

[She was young, but the prospects of such a nasty task didn't seem to bother her, instead putting the jar back in her satchel and lifting her arms in request to be picked up again.]

I shall ask you to return with me to harvest more once I determine the best way to continue.

[ Don't get too carried away, Sieglinde...

In any case, he doesn't seem disturbed by all this talk of dissection from someone so young. Rin is only a few years older, after all, and mage children are raised with certain expectations. Sieglinde, he thinks, may very well have a similar background. ]

Of course.

[ She raises his arms expectantly, and quite naturally, he picks her up with ease. ]

As long as Rin has no objections, I'll assist you, as needed.

[Too late...

Archer was right about one thing, though, and that was that Rin and Sieglinde's childhoods... or lack thereof, perhaps, had been similar in many ways. For better or for worse.]

I shall handle speaking with Rin.

[Sieglinde adjusts herself in his hold to get comfortable, moving her satchel to her lap, and... pats his bicep.

Once more for good measure.

... Good man.]

EVENT ★ MAT GATHERING

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