EVENT ★ MAT GATHERING

[futurologists]

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. un: 82736775 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.

Comments

[mightymax]

[ Max wastes no time in following his lead. Despite her near "accident" (which hadn't been an accident at all), she's right near Graham and the surfacing wolf, and as it climbs back onto solid ground, she collapses next to it with relief.

She ruffles the wolf's (very wet) hair, letting out a small laugh. It's . . . rather comforting. ]

At least he gets a decent sized meal for his trouble.

[ Her voice is shaky still, but steadying now with the excitement over. ]

Sorry. Both of you . . . I should've been more careful.

[dishearten]

( the wolf looks between the two humans and decides they seem to be well, and gingerly places his catch on the cave floor to grin up at them as if he didn't just jump into killer fish infested waters. Graham has to sigh at his nonchalance, but it does seem he's all right, despite a bite or too. )

I'll say.

( that's more fish than one wolf needs and gods above he'll be stinking of it for days, now. still, that both of them are safe is more important than wet wolf smell, and oh will there be wet wolf smell. he feels bad for his roommate already. )

I don't suppose you could have been much more careful, not unless you'd stayed out of the cave in the first place. ( she doesn't have to be sorry, neither he nor the wolf are angry with her. ) I'm glad you're all right.

[mightymax]

[ Max stands back up just then. Looking at the dead minnow reminded her a little of the beached whales. She actually felt sorry for them then, but she thinks this fish got what it deserved. She's definitely glad she's not six feet under. ]

Me, too.

Maybe we should work on collecting stuff that won't fight back . . .

[dishearten]

( animals attacking is sadly a fact of life. they would do what they needed to, to survive. he finds the minnow attacking a bit odd — perhaps their environment wasn't the best, though one would think that it'd be impossible for the fish to get so large if that were the case. no doubt it was more a case of defending territory, even fish could vigorously defend their home.

in the end, there's nothing wrong with fighting for survival, and that's what they did. the wolf shows no remorse for the dead minnow, Graham can't find it in him to feel badly for it, either. )

That's a good idea. ( the wolf could likely use a bit of a break after all that, too. )

[mightymax]

[ She's on her feet, but is patient in waiting until her companions are ready. She'll even grab the bucket to help carry it as she thinks about everything else that weird guy said he needed. ]

To be perfectly honest, I have no idea how he plans to use this stuff.

[dishearten]

Can't say I do, either.

( it doesn't sound like any science he's heard of. he's not even sure it will work, but in the end, it's good to have something to do with himself. )

If he thinks it'll work, it's worth a try.

[mightymax]

[ Science is one of her weaknesses of sorts. It makes her wish Warren or Ms. Grant were here, but if it's just collecting, she can do that. She gives a quiet sigh, giving his brother another idle pat on the head as they go. ]

Right.

[ Thinking about it, though, the list is pretty extensive. They're definitely going to have to make multiple trips. ]

Well, if we're going for things that aren't alive, we can choose between rocks, and . . . [ A pause. She thinks, before adding: ] . . . more rocks. [ How exciting. ]

[dishearten]

( science isn't his strength either. there's at least a mild understanding of it beamed into his head thanks to the curse, but he has little connection to it. science wasn't much of a thought in the enchanted forest, and even if it had been? it wouldn't have been to the man raised by wolves.

the wolf trots beside them with the fish still hanging out of his maw as he walks. he'll not see the end of that fish until it starts to stink, he's sure. )

That's slightly better than collecting guano.

( it's not alive anymore but it's also fecal matter, so... not the most fun thing to collect, even to the wilderness man. and... this is a joke, apparently. poor Max, how would anyone ever tell? )