thebastion | Day 156 and 157, maybe even day 158 | The Mancer Observatory Part Deux

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Day 156 and 157, maybe even day 158 | The Mancer Observatory Part Deux

Who: Colin Starfury, and everyone else who wants to come.
Open: Open to all, but be warned, it's at least two in-game days of event.
When: Starts on day 156
Where: The Mancer Observatory
What: Time for round two! The observatory needs to get plundered, and a giant plant needs to be dealt with.
Format: Action by default, but prose won't be turned down.
Warnings: Don't get sloppy, this is a dangerous expedition. The wrong move can result in injury, maimery, or even death.

[The last time they'd come out here, they'd had to turn back before they'd gotten everything they wanted. This time was going to be different. This time, they had experience with what they were looking at. This time, their objectives weren't uncertain, they were quite well-defined. And this time... they had less of an exploratory force, and more of a solid strike team.

This time, Colin wasn't going to settle for the group coming back with their tail between their legs.

They had muscle, they had brains, they had information, and they had the tools they would need. So of course, Colin was just waiting for Murphy to rear his ugly head and cause trouble. He hadn't smacked Murphy around recently, and it was high time that the universe be reminded what a Starfury with allies was made of.]

THREAD LINKS

Day 156 - Getting started.
Day 156 - Settling into the hangar.
Day 157 - Plant Hunters
Day 157 - Salvage hunters
Day 157 - After the plant fight.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[After a night's sleep, everyone should be rested up and ready to do their best against whatever may come. The prior day had been mostly uneventful, which Colin is grateful for. Today is going to make up for that in spades.]

[He's got a little something special for the plant hunters, and the headset he's wearing this morning should give some indication of what he's prepped for them. He raises his voice, and the headset he's wearing seems to amplify it even more. When he speaks, he can be heard clearly throughout the hangar.]

All right, everyone! If you've come on this expedition to go looking for the giant plant, can you come here please? I want everyone to get together, I have a couple of things for you before you set out!

[A large, full backpack is open on the ground next to him.]

[Rosethorn heads over as soon as Colin calls them.

She has a much smaller pack of her own, in addition to the case of medicines and belt pouch of thorn seeds that she's keeping with her.]

I have something for you too. If we're splitting up, I want half of my supplies to stay. All the medicines are labeled, and Polka checked to make sure my writing was readable even for people who don't speak Imperial.

[Burn salve, disinfectants and healing accelerants for cuts, willowbark, painkilling salve, mixtures for sleeping draughts as well as keep awake tea and smoke inhalation treatment, plus a few other other plant-based treatments, all of which are magically enhanced for greater effectiveness. Then there are a couple mundane things like bandages, needles, and thread.]

[Alucard is also quick to respond to the call. He has nothing to contribute to the conversation at the moment, so he remains silent.]

[Here's Crona, quietly watching. That's a lot of supplies.

And of course, there's Ragnarok too.]

What's all that shit for? We aren't going camping for a month!

[Ryu springs up quickly to follow the group as they start getting ready for the plant. He has nothing really to contribute in terms of words, but his expression is serious.]

Okay, good, thank you Rosethorn. Having some more meds will certainly help. An abandoned hangar is just ripe with potential for minor accidents.

[Colin grins at her, and gestures around, before returning his attention to everyone coming over.]

What I've got here are radios, tracking beacons, and ear plugs.

You are ALL going to want the ear plugs, because Crona's told me that Ragnarok's attacks get loud, loud enough to be dangerous even to allies. They'll reduce the level of loud noise that gets through to your eardrums, but they'll also lower your ordinary hearing as well. So... keep them with you, and put them in when you're approaching the plant. It's going to be up to you to decide whether or not you want to listen to me, but please take my advice. Short term comfort is not worth long term hearing damage.

Next, the radios...

[He pauses, and looks around at everyone gathering, and he frowns slightly. Nobody he's observing yet has a good idea about how tech works. Fortunately, he's kept it simple... unfortunately, it's not primitive-proof.]

I've got two radios for each group. Plus one master control unit for myself. They're easy to use, just hold the big red button and talk, and everyone with a radio will be able to hear you. These things SHOULD be surface-penetrating to a depth of point five kilometers, but I haven't been able to test that, so... Here's hoping that works.

Finally, the tracking beacons. These are simple little pins I want everyone to wear. If you're wearing one, and you get lost, I'll be able to find you, simple as that. ... Only I can find them, though, I wasn't able to build a scanner to go with them yet. If anyone gets lost, call me or find me, and I'll come to track down our wayward friend.

[Roxas and his lesser Nobody join the group in time to hear Colin's explanation of his bag of wonders. Earplugs and radios, all right. After more than a year with Vatheon's communicators, Roxas can certainly manage what basically seems like a walky-talky.

Tracking beacons are a different story. Good intentions or no, it makes him uneasy.]

Isn't that a little much?

[Even Ragnarok is surprised at the earplugs. It's unexpected. People don't usually make that much of an effort to work with Crona. It's nice, being considered.

But...]

I'm not wearing a tracker.

[Colin looks between Crona and Sora, and he shrugs.]

I won't make anyone wear a tracker, but it will come in handy. This is a large facility, there's vines everywhere that have already shown they'll grab and pull, and I'd really rather not lose anyone on my watch.

But it's your call. I wouldn't be me if I told everyone to submit to authority blindly.

[Rosethorn accepts the tracker with no protest whatsoever, although she's not worried about her own safety. Vines are her weapon of choice.]

They probably won't grab me unless it's affectionately. I'll do what I can to keep vines off everyone else, but I'm not sure how long I can manage it given the limits on my magic here.

[Especially with the larger plant monster as an unknown, Rosethorn can't guarantee she'll have any power left afterward. She's reluctant to use too much now unless it proves necessary.]

[Ryu frowns, but takes a tracker and pins it to his shirt. He knows that sometimes he gets carried away, and... well. It's probably a good idea.]

I don't know if the earplugs will stay in when I transform... I might try to put them in after I do.

[His clothes disappear too so the tracker might not stay, but it's probably better not to talk about losing clothes. People don't like that, he's found.]

If worse comes to worse, Ryu, you can have someone else help you with that. I'll have a couple of extras passed out, just in case.

[He's got a couple of extras since he didn't know exactly how many people were coming...]

Also, when you're in the building, avoid stepping on black tiles, or tiles along walls. There's traps in there, turrets, the will fire if you step on the pressure plates. Avoid the plates, avoid the trap. If you've got any questions, I'll be happy to try and answer them. Otherwise? Ryu, Alucard, and Viola all know the way to the building where the plant is located, and Ryu and Viola both tangled with it before. Listen to their expertise.

Edited 2014-02-13 06:17 (UTC)

[Roxas glances at Ryu as he takes a pair of those earplugs for himself, leaving the tracking pins alone.]

Ah.. I could give you a hand if you need it.

[He didn't know about the guy transforming, but the only reason he sounds uncertain when he offers is because he doesn't know what Ryu will wind up looking like.

He just nods at what Colin says, exchanges glances with his Samurai (well, as much as he can when it has no eyes), and then looks to those who know the way. Are they ready?]

[Crona holds out a hand, fingers curled around nothing like the meister is holding a sword. Black blood flows down Crona's wrist, Ragnarok taking weapon form. The mouth near the hilt of the sword grins.

They're ready.]

[Ryu nods, hand on his sword. Ready as he'll ever be.]

[Earplugs and tracking device taken and stowed away, and one hand resting lightly on his sword, Alucard is ready.]

[The journey down is much the same as before. Nothing seems to have changed in here. The only difference, for anyone who is keeping track, is that the long, thick vines are in different places than before.

As with last time, the plant won't lash out at anyone unless the vines are touched. Be careful not to trip!

In the same room as before, there is the huge, bulbous plant. It seems a bit bigger than before, and a little bulgy.]

[The plant is... quieter... than Rosethorn expected. Almost any plant leans toward her or reaches for her on her approach, and for one known to actively attack intruders, the lack of obvious movement seems a little strange.

She stretches out a small tendril of green magic, waiting for a sense of some sort of emotion from the plant. Most are happy to see her, but she doesn't know what this one will feel. She's braced for attack, ready to shout a warning or use her magic in her least favorite way. When she speaks, it isn't aloud, and only the plant can hear her.] Hello.

[Rosethorn waits for an idea of where the plant stands before saying anything of significance.]

[Ryu watches the vines carefully, standing close to Rosethorn in case something goes wrong. He doesn't really know what her magic is like, but he does know that the plant is tougher than it looks.]

[Hole Plant Jesus, this person can talk to it!

It is surprised more than anything, it honestly didn't expect any non-plant to be able to speak to it. The answer comes across in a kind of confused, though not unfriendly, way.]

Yes? Are you a foodthing that can speak?

[That greeting doesn't bode well. No one in this group is food. Rosethorn has heard of small carnivorous plants, but she's never met one before. Even if she had, she assumes they'd see her as half plant anyway, the sense of her power resembling a towering pine tree. Then there's the fact that they are all far too small to eat humans.

Her companions may notice a frown flicker across Rosethorn's face.]

Of course I can speak, but I am not a foodthing at all. Nor are those who accompany me. There are plenty of other options if you need something to eat. I could help you find some.

[A treaty with the plant might be possible if they bring it meat, but Rosethorn won't consider making one unless she's sure it won't kill the bearer of its meals.]

[Unless that person can speak to plants, that is not a safe bet. This plant isn't necessarily malicious, but it does get hungry. A lot. And it has poor control over its urges.]

That is a very kind offer. I am not hungry at the moment though, I have just eaten this morning. I will not eat you or those with you today.

Why are you here in my domain? foodthings come here often, but not in a group.

[Rosethorn looks at the plant again. It's oddly shaped, and while plants don't always grow straight and even, the fact that it's eaten today makes her eye the bulges suspiciously. Having been told that the plant doesn't understand human speech, Rosethorn addresses her companions aloud as it responds, keeping most of her attention on the plant rather than on her own words or those she's speaking to.]

Was it the same size and shape last time you were here? It's carnivorous, and it eats people. It doesn't want us today because it's not hungry.

[She lets the significance of that sink in for a minute as she turns back to the plant. The reason things aren't hungry is because they've already eaten.]

We are here to gather some items that we need, and to talk to you. We might have to return for more items later, but we do not want to be your food.

I understand you need to eat, but I would prefer you not eat my companions, today or in the future.

[The plant is a bit miffed that someone would come into its domain and say who it can and cannot eat, but Rosethorn is being nice enough about it, so it will let the transgression go.

This thing has quite an ego, by the way. If it wasn't noticeable already.]

There are many places near here that have things in them. you may go there and take whatever you need, so long as you do not chase away my food or take my shiny stone.

[Yes, she's getting an impression of that ego.

Rosethorn doesn't know what the shiny stone is, but she's betting it's one of the cores she's heard mentioned. In which case, she doesn't think negotiation is going to be possible. They need those.]

It says we can have anything we want as long as we don't chase away any of its food or take its shiny stone, which I would assume is a core it's guarding.

[Rosethorn looks at the plant. It's so odd, to see a plant caring about a stone and eating meat. She's dealt with parasitic plants before, ones that choke out other local vegetation, but this is something new. Its ego, its personality, are different. And it's possessive, materialistic, in a way that is equally unfamiliar.]

Thank you. [Rosethorn is stalling for time now as much as anything else.] Would you extend the same offer in the future, or would you consider my friends food when they return on another day?

Day 157 - Plant Group

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plant whispering time

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