Argos: Angler's Spire

[Morkskittar]

Atus strode off from the feast before either Tharr or Tolliver can disentangle themselves from their conversational partners, both of them at least being somewhat more trapped by societal convention. Both mothryn and gau heard Biff start up and then head away.

Tharr found himself next to the ektus Sage, who he learned was the actually the ship's first officer, second in command to only the captain, and a former captain himself. Sage had not only experienced the creatures of the deeps with the Firefly, but also the skies, as captain of the Soaring Mantis. "The skies are much worse than the depths," Sage confided to Tharr, his hand resting in a bowl of sake his skin was absorbing rapidly. "There's no cover anywhere. The monsters up there see you the instant you see them. At least, down below, sometimes you see the beasts first. And then you get the first shot." He paused. "It can get a bit boring here up top, but it is nice to be able to breathe again. The air down below the leaves is so thick, and that up above is so thin. It's just right here."

Tolliver was not seated next to the quartermaster, and in fact could not even see him, and found himself instead next to a dour-faced ardent covered in scratches, who did not talk much but who kept a small bundle of saws and machetes by his side even as he ate. Tolliver recognize him as a fellow hacker fairly quickly, and by his smell and the fibers in his tools, he had been working probably until just before dinner.

 

---

 

Over on the Argos, Park inched forward, deftly sliced open the squirming mass, and then leapt backward, waiting for a parasite or something else to leap out.

Instead, a mechanical spider, about the size of Park's head, clawed its way through the salty, bloody wound, and then stood atop the Cuda. A glowing eyestalk extended up from its body, and it swiveled around. Its eyes locked onto Park for a moment, and the two stared at each other. Park faintly heard the sound of an engine, increasing in volume. Then, without further ceremony, the spider simply scuttled off the side of the carcass and vanished into the leafy green.

Park stared after it a moment, and then looked up as Biff pulled up alongside him, come to pick him up from the party. Atus spoke. "Hello Park. Do you need some assistance? There is food waiting on the Firefly and I have come to get you."

Park looked over his handiwork; he was nearly done rendering what was usable from the corpse, with just a few big chunks of meat left to chop down into easily packed pieces; that should not take much longer. The spider hiding in the Cuda's flesh worried him; where there more of them?

OOC

I have added the full Cuda's loot to the Argos' cargo sheet, and the venom sac into the "Conditions" section. All crewmembers also got individual samples of Cuda venom to do what you will with.

Park is essentially done with the corpse, as dawn approaches; there are just big hunks of meat left to be salted and stored for future further processing (this is represented in the form of the Cuda corpse cargo on the ship sheet), so Park is free to chase spiders through the foliage if he can find it or join the last part of the feast before setting off.

[Dr Jackal]

Tharr accepts the codex respectfully. "Below ... ? What kind of madmen would live below?” he says with a shudder. Then, realizing who he's speaking to, he coughs politely. "I thank you, good captain, and apologize. I am of a tallshank. I am already far closer to the waves than I would prefer."

 

 

 

 

[yxanthymir]

---

Park Stadium | AspectsBloodline: Ardent

- Tough as Nails (4-Track Trait) - You’re a natural survivor. Rolls made to treat or heal an injury you're suffering from treat conflicts as triumphs.

- Ironclad Mind (4-Track Trait) - You are immune to hallucinations, mesmerics and mental compulsions.

Origin: Ridgeback

- Archaeodermis (2-Track Trait) - Your skin (or whatever you have as an outer covering) mimics the mountain you were raised on. You're immune to keen damage, as well as bites and stings from small creatures.

- Shamanic Idol (4-Track Gear) - Holds a sliver of power from a not-quite-god. Deals LR salt damage.

Post: Char

- Taste Test (4-Track Trait) - You're immune to poisons, and can determine their presence and characteristics by taste alone.

- Seasoned Cleaver (2-Track Gear) - As useful on the battlefield as it is in the galley. Deals CQ hewing damage. Increase impact when acquiring dangerous or disruptive specimens. | EdgesGrace, Instinct & Tides | SkillsDelve: 0
Vault: 2
Wavewalk: 0
Hunt: 2
Study: 0
Sense: 3
Harvest: 3
Scavenge: 0
Tend: 2
Concoct: 0
Cook: 3
Rattle: 0
Flourish: 0
Outwit: 0
Sway: 0
Brace: 0
Break: 0
Hack: 0 | LanguagesLow Sour | ResourcesCook Utensils (Salvage)
Bag of Spices (Specimen)
Tonic of Health (Specimen)
Liquid Fire (Specimen)
Carrion Weed (Specimen)

---

 

Park gives an inquisitive look at the mechanical spider, but rapidly forgets about it. It is not edible, so he doesn't think it has much value, at least for him. And he is tired of working all night. A chase right now is the last thing he wants to do, specially for something worthless in his eyes.

That is the moment he hears Atus speaking to him. For once, he understands his enigmatic companion.

The red Park, covered in dried blood, jumps onto the skiff and smiles to Atus, a heartening smile. Me good. I ate enouf to sleep a monf. He says tapping gently his belly and promptly collapses at deep sleep as soon as he sits.

 

Actions

 

 

[Moveslikejagger]

 

Atus looked down at a snoring Park, covered in blood and his belly full. He seemed happy enough to the Tempest. Moving as quietly as his metal forn would allow Atus made short work of loading up the cargo Park had prepared onto the skiff. He collected Park's tools and and loaded them as well. Lastly, the big chunks of meat he hefted onto his shoulder and loaded as best he could in the flatbed, before trundling over to the Argos at a slow pace, hoping the saws would not wake his companion from his well earned slumber.

With quiet efficiency he unloaded the cargo onto the Argos, storing everything neatly away and strapping down where necessary. He took the obvious items to the galley, including the big unprocessed haunches, but did not want to disturb the Ardent's space or touch his tools, so left most in plain sight for Park to deal with when he awoke. He cleaned Park's tools in the sink and left them to dry out on one of the counters.

That done he returned to Park, still snoring inside Biff and debated with himself whether to carry his companion to his sleeping chamber. After some thought he decided against it, going back to the ship and returning with a couple of sheets. One he bundled into a small pillow and with gentle hands slid it behind the Ardents head before draping the other across his body to give him some protection from the cool early morning air.

"Sleep well Park." Atus murmured. He stood on the prow of the Argos for a few minutes and watched the first golden rays of the sun rise over the waves, admiring the beauty, but still wistfully hoping for a good lightning storm.

With everything squared away to his satisfaction he returned to the Firefly to check on his other companions at the feast.

 

[Morkskittar]

On the Firefly, Sage nodded at Tharr's words. "There is not need for apology; I too think them mad. In this ship, we were only visitors there. One day I hope to return to the sky. As a shankling, I am sure you too understand that desire to see all around." A sigh. "But my heart is torn, for the beasts below are much fiercer and common than in the skies. So much so that every port collects tales of the leviathans they encounter into codices. We've seen a fair few of them; for a monster hunter, there is nothing like the depths."

Tharr and Sage talked for some time longer. The mothryn learned a fair bit about the beasts of the depths, and the people who were mad enough to dwell there. There were, apparently many more than he had thought. He also learned the name of the "central" lowportA term for ports in the tangle or drown, below the upper layers of the trees. in the Sepulcher: Pride's Folly. A fitting and poetic name for a port built below the waves. According to Sage, it was located near the borders of Lythea, Karaxes Range, and Blossomfall, in the upper Drown.

---

It took Atus longer than expected to load all of Park's work onto Biff, bit he did so, leaving hardly anything behind on the rustling leaves, and then headed back to the feast, which was beginning to wind down by the time Atus got back. The Tempest left Park sleeping on the rough deck of Biff, and walked back onto the Firefly as everyone began to head off to their beds for the night.

---

The feast began to break up as dawn approached, and as Atus arrived back. The Firefly's hacker headed off to finish unclogging the vessel's bite, and Atus and Tolliver were able to draft a pair of sleepy deckhands to help transfer Biff's culinary load onto the Argos itself, and parked the ship some distance from the Firefly, all of them having said farewell to their companions, and with a promise of friendship should they meet again. That done, Atus eased Biff back into its next between the two pontoons, and sent a sleepy Park to bed. Tharr and Tolliver soon followed suit, leaving Atus, who did not need sleep, alone to watch the dawn.

The tempest let his companions sleep in, and actually got the ship underway while they slept off the feast (or in Park's case, the butchery). He had noticed Park had done a stellar job of rendering the 'cuda down, and was very interested in experimenting with the beast's venom. As he mused, the Firefly slowly receded in the distance as he struck a course for Angler's Spire.

---

[X]-[ ]-[ ]

Journey to Angler's Spire

Atus – At the Helm (Cut a Path or Forge Ahead)

Tharr – ??? (not watch)

Tolliver – ???

Park – ???

 

 

 

---

The others woke up, one by one, and fell back into their usual routines around the ship as Atus kept the Argos steady. They had achieved a victory, acquired some valuable resources, and made friends.

OOC

It's journey time again! Someone needs to take watch (aside from Tharr, who did so last time). Atus, who claimed the helm, can choose whether they want to Cut a Path (one mark, but can react better to danger) or Forge Ahead (two marks, but less time to react). The others can do something else during the journey. Let me know what your characters are doing!

You all have acquired quite a few resources from your encounters, which should all be in your character sheets, as well as communal resources listed on the ship sheet you can all have access to.

Lastly, you have all earned a Minor Milestone! I have put rough milestone names on each of your sheets, but please feel free to change them if you'd prefer something different. I realized I never gave you edit permission on the virtual play surface for the sheet, but you should all have it now I think. Play nice in there. :P

Milestones are used to advance; you can, during a montage, begin a special project using 1 to 3 milestones to begin the process of gaining new abilities and skills by spending them. Generally, you can add a box to an aspect, modify an aspect, or gain +1 in a skill by spending 3 milestones, or gain a new aspect entirely by spending 6. For now, you don't need to worry about this, but as you gain more milestones you can start using them to develop your character.

Edited February 17 by Morkskittar (see edit history)

[Moveslikejagger]

With all the other crew sleeping or resting, Atus took the helm once the sun guided a path. With a friendly wave towards the Firefly, he kept a slow pace. The lives of his companions were in his hands while they slept and he would not betray that trust by running the ship hard. And running slow keeps the engines as quiet as possible until they are rested.

Prior to taking the helm, he broughr with him a stylus and board from his workshop. Whilst he would do his utmost to keep watch as well as drive the ship, he knew himself. Driving the ship would not capture all his attention. He knew that idea's would come to him with the mediative shifting of the green sea.

He scratched down several ideas in greater detail, first all an idea for a dead man switch, to keep the Argos on a straight path without the need for anyone to actually hold the controls. Secondly he began thinking about the cudaskin. Would his wild idea in the midst of battle of mimicking the Cuda's camouflage ability actually work? He knew he'd need some time to test the theory, but he'd have to somehow process the skin so it didn't rot, yet retain its colour changing quality. Making the skin a soft leather might work. He'd need some kind of preservative. Salt would dessicate the skin too much. He'd need to give it some study and experimentation.

He also thought deeply about how to make the Argos a submersible. They would need to enclose the upper deck, and possibly even have another set of saws on the top. And maybe a drill at the front and harpoon winch at the back.

"But maybe if I bolster the attachment to Biff, he can become the drill head." Atus said. He gteatly enjoyed the quiet time at the helm, slowly putting along in the direction of Anglers Spire amid the green and flowers as more ideas came to him.

OOC - Atus will cut a path, not forge ahead.

 

[CraterShip]

 

Following the day's excitement and the rest of the evening with the crew of the Firefly, Tolliver finds himself back aboard the Argos, which had gotten underway at some point in the night. He vaguely remembered making it back to his room below deck, and Atus volunteering to take first watch, but little more after that.

As he becomes fully awake, he makes his way through the ship to the top deck, stopping briefly at the mess to grab whatever provision is handy as a form of breakfast. On the top deck, his thoughts cease for a moment as he takes in the rolling waves of green foliage all around and he is transported back to his tallshank home, where he would sit in the high branches just watching the sea of limbs and leaves. Their rustle pulsing like a giant's heartbeat.

Tolliver pulls himself back to the real world and makes his way to the ship's wheel to find Atus.

"Good morning, my friend. How are the seas?" he asks as way of greeting, "do you need anything while we are underway?" He offers a bite of his food, unsure if the barely-contained-lightning-coil of a man actually eats anything at all.

He then volunteers to take watch, heading to the stern of the ship, and perches atop the lightning rail, which he pats lovingly as a sort of thanks for its service in the fight against the Chameleocuda.

OOC

Taking watch

 

[Moveslikejagger]

Atus smiled at Tolliver as he approached.

"You find me in fine fettle my fungoid friend, despite nary a hint of a storm in any direction. There is no dancing lightning to cheer us on our way, but the quiet movement of the green sea I find restful nonetheless." Atus said. He nonchalantly waved away the offer of food with a nod of thanks. A few moments of conversation later and Atus watched as Tolliver climbed atop the lightning rail and began scrutinising the horizon.

Atus nodded in apparent satisfaction and idly wondered if Park was serious last night when he said he'd eaten enough to sleep for a month. No sign yet of Tharr either, yet Atus did not mind. The quiet gave him time to think and idly sketch designs between keeping glowing eyes on the waves ahead.

[yxanthymir]

---

Park Stadium | AspectsBloodline: Ardent

- Tough as Nails (4-Track Trait) - You’re a natural survivor. Rolls made to treat or heal an injury you're suffering from treat conflicts as triumphs.

- Ironclad Mind (4-Track Trait) - You are immune to hallucinations, mesmerics and mental compulsions.

Origin: Ridgeback

- Archaeodermis (2-Track Trait) - Your skin (or whatever you have as an outer covering) mimics the mountain you were raised on. You're immune to keen damage, as well as bites and stings from small creatures.

- Shamanic Idol (4-Track Gear) - Holds a sliver of power from a not-quite-god. Deals LR salt damage.

Post: Char

- Taste Test (4-Track Trait) - You're immune to poisons, and can determine their presence and characteristics by taste alone.

- Seasoned Cleaver (2-Track Gear) - As useful on the battlefield as it is in the galley. Deals CQ hewing damage. Increase impact when acquiring dangerous or disruptive specimens. | EdgesGrace, Instinct & Tides | SkillsDelve: 0
Vault: 2
Wavewalk: 0
Hunt: 2
Study: 0
Sense: 3
Harvest: 3
Scavenge: 0
Tend: 2
Concoct: 0
Cook: 3
Rattle: 0
Flourish: 0
Outwit: 0
Sway: 0
Brace: 0
Break: 0
Hack: 0 | LanguagesLow Sour | ResourcesCook Utensils (Salvage)
Bag of Spices (Specimen)
Tonic of Health (Specimen)
Liquid Fire (Specimen)
Carrion Weed (Specimen)

---

 

After sleeping for what he thought was an entire month, but actually just a few hours, Park wakes up. He still feels packed to the core with food, so he avoids dilly dallying at the galley for fear of overextending his intestinal capacity.

He feels overjoyed today. He killed a legendary beast, acquired new ingredients for a new recipe, and he stuffed himself with meat, what more he possibly could aspire from life? He steps on the deck with a wide and stupid grin on his semblance.

Hey! - he says to announce his presence.

Actions

 

 

[Dr Jackal]

Tharr seems resigned when Atus offers to take the helm, convinced that the Tempest will send them recklessly blazing across the treetops. He is pleasantly surprised at the more moderate speed that the helmsman chooses, and seems to be in a hopeful mood for once -- although this makes him doubly careful of stepping only on the planks with odd numbers of nails, so that he doesn't break the good luck.

Tharr spends most of his time at the prow, hunting small game.

 

 

 

 

 

[Morkskittar]

 

[X]-[X]-[ ]

Journey to Angler's Spire

Atus – At the Helm (Cut a Path)

Tharr – Squirrel Hunting

Tolliver – On Watch

Park – Enjoying Life

 

 

 

---

The sun continued to shine brightly upon their merry crew, with Atus keeping the ship steadily heading westward. When they awoke, Tolliver took up watch, scanning the horizon and admiring the view. Tharr got up next and kept vigil beside Tolliver for a while before focusing on watching movement in the waves around them, tracking the movements of the spring-foxes. He managed to sight, hunt, and catch several squirrels before the foxes got to them, and it became something of a game between them, at least for the foxes.

Park came up much later, having spent the previous night working, not partying, and as such requiring more rest than the others. He enjoyed the sun with the others, and was the one who checked the skapp-beetle hive and unrolled the bark with a message from their companions, the crew of the Slipfang.

So that all of them could read it, Atus briefly anchored the ship, and they enjoyed a brief meal of 'cuda jerky while they read the report that Ham had written them. It seemed that the Slipfang had hit hard luck; a half-sunken ruin that had promised great treasure had instead revealed itself to be the host of a burgeoning hornet hivemind that had crippled K and killed Duo. Though most of them did not know Duo well, as the tzelicrae had not been one of the original group, they were all quieted by the news that the mothryn wordbearer was in a coma. They thought briefly about what messageIf you want to send a message to your sister ship via the beetles, you can simply write one in your post(s). You can send as many as you want. they should send back, if any, for words did not seem sufficient.

Atus got the ship moving again shortly thereafter, and the crew took back up their tasks, although with a more somber mood.

Despite not being on watch, it was actually Tharr who noticed the first sign of trouble. Park pondered what he could cook from the growing pile of squirrels Tharr was collecting when he noticed the squirrels had stopped coming. He asked what was the matter, and Tharr pointed out that the springfoxes had stopped their playful hunting, and had all fallen back behind the ship.

Tolliver wasn't too far behind, though, and the gau, from his perch near the storm-rail, noticed something unusual ahead, and called out to the others. Tharr and Park joined him on the starboard prow as he signaled for Atus to slow.

Well ahead of them were scattered patches of densely clustered bright red flowers, and a deeply unsettling silence. The wind blew gently still, but the constant chatter of birds and insects had ceased entirely. The stench of decay reached their noses, or whatever passed for noses among the organic crew, shortly after.

It was fortunate then that Tolliver was on watch, as he also noticed the greenery between the red patches; the gau had a special dislike of such greenery, and as such a greater awareness of it than most. The treetops between flower patches were covered in thick, ropy, occasionally thorny vines that Tolliver judged their longjaw might have some trouble with. However, the vines were thinner near the flowers. Tolliver thought they could probably mark an easier path by hopping from flower patch to flower patch, but the Argos had stopped a ways away, so it was hard to make out details quite yet.

Of course, they could also go around this odd stretch of sea, but that would lose them time.

OOC

Most encounters on your journey will not be as long as your encounter with the 'cuda and the Firefly. Here, you first have a simple choice to make:

• Sail through the patch ahead, avoiding the red flowers (this will require a straight Saws test from the helmsperson to avoid damaging the ship's bite).
• Sail through the patch ahead hopping from flower patch to flower patch (this will require a straight Tilt test from the helmsperson to avoid damaging the ship's tilt)
• Sail through willy-nilly and try to go as fast as possible (this will require a straight Speed test from the helmsperson, but a failure will damage the ship's bite and potentially speed as well)
• Sail around the patches entirely, though this will add 1 or 2 boxes to your journey track depending on a Speed test.

Or if you want to take further actions, investigative or otherwise, you can do that as well.

Edited February 17 by Morkskittar (see edit history)

[Moveslikejagger]

Atus greeted Park and Tharr as they emerged from their cabins into the bright shining sunlight nd exchanged a few words with them before they made themselves useful hunting squirrels. When the message came from the Slipfang Atus appeared to hang his head, muttering to himself something that no one understood. The news seemed to hit him hard, something about the set of his shoulders and the movement of sparks across his closed hands. He spent a few moments taking his writing utensils back to his workshop before writing a message in reply to the Slipfang before returning to the helm ad getting the ship underway. When the Argos came upon this new and unpleasant area of wildsea he stopped the engines entirely. While he could not smell the foul stench that arose, the lack of birds, insects and other forms of life gave him pause.

"What do we think my friends? Shall we proceed or go around? I've a mind to try and rip through it. Momentum may be our friend here and I can help the saws bite with my spark if necessary." Atus said. "But I am unfamiliar with this type of green, perhaps those of you more travelled than myself know what this is and have a better idea."

Message

Message to the Slipfang.

I am sorry to hear of your troubles my friends. The news about K and Duo is disheartening. If you need us, you knew you can call us at any time and we will come. If you meet a submersible ship called the Firefly, mention the Argos, they will probably help you. The parts of the Cuda beast has become most of our cargo to Angler's Spire, where I hope to make good trade and make improvements to the Argos, possibly to make the ship a submersible. I feel our next port is Inkspell, but we shall see if that is where our journey takes us. Tharr seems like he wants to visit the pirates for some reason that escapes me. The weather in this part of the wildsea remains depressingly mild, so unlike the beautiful storm under which we all met. Wishing K a speedy recovery, I remain your good friend, Atus.

 

(below the message, Atus has sketched Tharr and Park surrounded by dead squirrels, a Spring Fox looking sleepy and well fed, and Tolliver perched upon the Lightning rail keeping watch.)

 

 

[yxanthymir]

---

Park Stadium | AspectsBloodline: Ardent

- Tough as Nails (4-Track Trait) - You’re a natural survivor. Rolls made to treat or heal an injury you're suffering from treat conflicts as triumphs.

- Ironclad Mind (4-Track Trait) - You are immune to hallucinations, mesmerics and mental compulsions.

Origin: Ridgeback

- Archaeodermis (2-Track Trait) - Your skin (or whatever you have as an outer covering) mimics the mountain you were raised on. You're immune to keen damage, as well as bites and stings from small creatures.

- Shamanic Idol (4-Track Gear) - Holds a sliver of power from a not-quite-god. Deals LR salt damage.

Post: Char

- Taste Test (4-Track Trait) - You're immune to poisons, and can determine their presence and characteristics by taste alone.

- Seasoned Cleaver (2-Track Gear) - As useful on the battlefield as it is in the galley. Deals CQ hewing damage. Increase impact when acquiring dangerous or disruptive specimens. | EdgesGrace, Instinct & Tides | SkillsDelve: 0
Vault: 2
Wavewalk: 0
Hunt: 2
Study: 0
Sense: 3
Harvest: 3
Scavenge: 0
Tend: 2
Concoct: 0
Cook: 3
Rattle: 0
Flourish: 0
Outwit: 0
Sway: 0
Brace: 0
Break: 0
Hack: 0 | LanguagesLow Sour | ResourcesCook Utensils (Salvage)
Bag of Spices (Specimen)
Tonic of Health (Specimen)
Liquid Fire (Specimen)
Carrion Weed (Specimen)

---

 

Me, finks we go ahead. No courage, no adventure. - He says, but gets timid to complement what he really wants to say. He spends some time almost opening his mouth only to close it again.

After much back and forth, between his both sides fighting for the privilege of dictating his actions, he finally gets enough courage to open his mouth and say something, almost a whisper.

And I want to taste it. De red flower. - Then he says in a normal tone. - But be cautious. Go slow and test de flower first.

Actions

 

 

[Dr Jackal]

Tharr steps to the prow and holds a hand up to indicate he does not want to be interrupted for a moment.

Crouching down to a waiting position, he studies the flower patch intently, his feathery antennae wafting in the breeze.

 

OOC: Tharr has Hawksight and Prismatic Antennae. He'd like to take a couple minutes to study the patch.

 

 

 

Edited February 21 by Dr Jackal (see edit history)

[Morkskittar]

Tharr's eyesAs Tharr has two different vision abilities, I rolled an extra d6 for him (which was a 5), still making this a conflict... but with a twist. swept the patchwork sea before them, missing nothing. The thick vines between the islands of red flowers are wickedly sharp and thorny, but the vines themselves have no flowers. The red flowers that have so enthralled Park are likely an entirely separate species.

Dismissing the vines as nothing more than particularly nasty greenery growing in their way, the mothryn turned his attention to the flowers. Their red shone brilliantly, their brightness enough to make a more color-sensitive mothryn weep. Tharr was about to dismiss the red flowers as simply that when he remembered to look at what they were growing on. All non-trees (and many trees) on the rustling waves were parasitic; they had to be, with soil almost nonexistent save in larger ports like Verdurance, forcing them to grow on trees, other plants, or...

...in the case of the red flower, on corpses. Each patch of red flowers was growing from the corpse of something; in some cases, Tharr could not make out the original creature beneath the bed of flowers, but he identified chariot beetles, gantipedes, pinwolves, and even what looked like a large ektus, all trapped in the vines. More distantly, he thought he could make out the once-proud sawprow of a wavecutter jutting above the leaves, flowers growing from something lying on it. That distant flower-laden mass seemed to twitch with some kind of movement.

He brought his focus back closer to them, and registered one more uncanny sight. He moved as close to one of the prows as he could, and stared at the nearest patch of flowers. He had found the insects, as well as a squirrel. In the nearest flower-patch, which was growing from the corpse of a pinwolf that had become entangled in the vines, he could make out a small host of ants, bees, beetles, and dragonflies, along with a squirrel crowned with a small red flower, dancing in unison around and through the patch of flowers. Now that he was looking for it, he could see similar movement around the other flower patches.

There was a light breeze, and a red haze fell over much of the sea ahead for a few moments, accompanied by a heavenly aroma. Next to Tharr, a spring-fox leapt up onto the deck, licking a wounded paw pricked by thorns. A tiny red flower was blooming on the tip of its nose, and the tip of its tail was twitching rhythmically.

Edited February 21 by Morkskittar (see edit history)