spellbinders | mapping party redux

Entry tags:

mapping party redux

Who: mapping party! (late signups for mapping party can go here)
Where: the near western side of the island
When: Day 85
Open/Closed: semi-open! feel free to mingle/run into mapping party at any of the locations. if you would like to be in mapping party, signups are above!

[So maybe you were invited along on this expedition by Jay or a friend. Maybe you heard a telepathic message a couple days ago looking for people with scouting and mapping skills and answered the call. Maybe you just happened to be in the area. Whatever the reason, there's a small group of people and dragons assembling on the beach near the huts, and Jay appears to be in the center of it, checking that everyone he's expecting is accounted for.

They'll be going by air to map the near western coastline and circling back around to camp, touching down every so often to look for landmarks and other potentially useful areas on the way. You're welcome to come along, if you can bargain yourself space on dragonback.]

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I'll let go of it if shocks me.

[He leans forward and closes his jaws around the stone. He'd already done most of the work. It parts from the wall after a few tugs. Shiro drops down and walks slowly back out to present his prize.

It's inert. Or seems to be. His arm hadn't reacted and his magic hadn't gone haywire.]

...but it doesn't surprise me you've never seen a lion like the Black Lion. That I know of, only four other lions like this exist in my universe.

You look like one of Dirk's things mixed with a wildcat. Why are there only four?

[Geir waited eagerly while Shiro completed the extraction, and now he very carefully stretches his talons out to take the shining stone just with the tips. he brings the absurdly small thing up to his eyes to examine it carefully.]

...huh... after all that, it's just a pretty rock.

[he doesn't seem disappointed, though. pretty rocks are highly legit.]

There are a lot of them in there. I counted at least fifty from the wall I was looking at. I couldn't tell what it's like deeper inside.

[But it brings up questions. Gems are forged deep underground. To have them pushed this close to the surface suggests this area is very old. He lays down just outside the entrance to the cave with a flick of his tail.]

There are only five lions because there was only so much material to build them. Anyway, this is definitely a cave I'd like to revisit later. I wonder how deep it goes?

I don't think it goes back that far -- maybe five or six man-lengths.

[Geir peers into the crack in the wall again, but he still can't see past the wall about thirty feet deep. unless there really is a turn back there past where he can see, that's all they get. he sighs in disappointment.]

Too bad. I would like more gems...

I could get a few more out of the cave. It wouldn't be any trouble and I get practice out of it.

[He glances over his shoulder at the cave. They might need to use gems for other things at a later date. He'll keep that to himself for now.]

Have you seen any other caves around here that you might want to investigate? I thought I saw a smaller hole further down the mountain.

I'd like one... if you do, I mean.

[play it cool, Geir. don't let on how much you want a pile of those shiny rocks. he considers Shiro's question about the caves, as well.]

None of the caves I've seen are big enough for me. It's a shame... I wanted to find something here that was. Especially when it keeps raining!

[Geir is a bit aggrieved about that, to be honest. he was really hoping to secure a place for him and his summoner to stay during the course of this trip... oh, well. there's always tomorrow; he and Vern can come back and work their way further north.]

I'll come with you to look at the hole if you'd like, though. Do you need a lift?

Yeah. I'll change back; I'm a pretty heavy lion.

[Shiro returns to his normal self and breathes out slowly on his way back onto his feet. The world has a strange surreal quality whenever he changes.]

Okay. I'm ready when you are. We can come back here for a few more gems before we leave this mountain.

C'mon, then-- it's just a hop from here. It's easier if I carry you!

[everyone's been riding on his back, but it's a long climb up there just for one wing-assisted spring and glide. Geir extends his foreclaws for Shiro to climb into. it's an unusual chair, but it doesn't feel all that insecure to sit in once he's got his arm around one.]

You ready?

[He shakes his head to clear it. By the time he has his bearings back Geir's claws are held out to him. Shiro climbs in and holds on. He peers out at the view with a sharp indrawn breath. He's used to this picture of the sky...but not from so vulnerable a position.]

Ready.

Okay!

[it really does feel vulnerable; of course, Shiro doesn't have any control of Geir when he flies on his back either, but it's much more possible to maintain the illusion up there. here it's just the wind, the cage of Geir's talons, and the ground falling away from underneath him as Geir leaps into the air.]

[Despite how vulnerable it feels, he isn't afraid. It's the closest to normal he's felt since he got here. Keeping his grip he shifts so he can get a better look between Geir's claws.]

I'll change back when we land. ..if the hole is big enough.

[He has questions about the air currents but, that can wait for a while.]

[it really is just a short hop-- the view from above the treetops is stunning, especially with the later afternoon light starting to slant down. they're no sooner in the air than Geir has spread his wings to glide, and after only a very few moments of gliding, he's circling down into the next clearing over, targeting the other hole in the mountain.]

Looks pretty small...

[five feet tall is a little small even for a full-grown human, but it's obviously much too small for a dragon. Geir finishes folding his wings and dropping down onto the soft ground on his hind legs first, before he sets Shiro down again.]

It does...we can at least glance inside.

[Shiro takes a glance around the area and changes back into a lion. He takes another glance around and prowls towards the cave opening. Even as a human he'd have had to duck down to get inside it.

As a lion, he wouldn't even get past the entrance. He's at least half a foot too tall.]

Can you think of any way to mark this spot? I think we'll have to return here with someone smaller.

From the ground or from the air? I could find it easily enough again if I was flying here.

[Geir glances around curiously for something to use as a marker. what would humans even think to look at...?]

From the ground.

...let's get some rocks. If we arrange them in a circle in an open space. They'll know it's been looked at recently.

[He backs away from the entrance and scans the area. There are some rocks of various sizes. He grabs the largest in his jaws and places it a little way away from the opening of the cave.]

Do you think it would serve as a good marker?

Sure. If humans would notice it and realize that a human looked at it, I think that's all that we need!

[Geir wanders a bit closer to the mouth of the cave and sniffs at the rock that Shiro deposited curiously. it might have been set there by chance, of course... he wonders if his claws are strong enough on this strange, powerless world to make the offer he usually would.]

You want me to scratch a mark on it so people can see that you put it here on purpose?

Yes. You could also scratch one on the southernmost stone I'll put down. One mark could be seen as an accident, two isn't.

[He picks up another stone and sets it by the first. It's slow going but one by one the rocks are put down in a small ring. Shiro glances at the sky. He can't get the feeling of the wind and sense of open space out of his head.]

What...are the winds like here? Are they always the same or do they change?

You mean, over the whole island? ...they feel pretty normal, but they just end in space, and turn into dead air... that part is really strange.

[Geir puts his chin down on the ground to watch Shiro complete his circle of stones. now that Shiro's brought it up, he wonders how the winds do sustain themselves on this strange little world. shouldn't the air be stagnant on this bizarre rock? there's nowhere for them to come from or go to... but for that matter, the rains don't make sense, either.]

I suppose they might ride in on the waves, in that little bit of ocean...

That’s...that shouldn’t be possible.

[He isn’t a man of science but he knows about wind and gravity. No pilot worth their salt ignores either subject. He completes the circle and stares at the sky over their heads. If he only knew how to switch from land to sky. He’d ask to go see for himself.]

What do you see when you get to the dead air? Nothing?

[The waves could account for some of it. But not all of the winds. To be normal...]

This island gets more and more mysteries. Even the smallest planets I’ve been to haven’t been this confusing.

Edited 2017-10-15 23:41 (UTC)

Have you ever gone off the edge? I did once-- you just stop flying and go weightless. It's awful! And there's nothing off the edge except empty space and stars. I don't think there's even much air, after you get away from the island.

[Geir isn't planning to go careening out into the stars to see more any time soon, at least not without some kind of tether to get back and some way to propel himself forward. he got lucky enough to be able to twitch himself back over solid ground the last time; he might not be so lucky again, and he doesn't trust Qri or Genette to rescue something as big as he is.]

It's not a world like we're used to, that's for sure. I don't even know if it is a world. It feels like a little piece tossed off of something bigger...

[He jerks his head up so fast he knocks a rock out of the circle. He snaps a paw out and guides the stone back into place while he mills over what he just heard. He has to see the edge for himself. As a robotic lion he dorsn’t need to breathe. It would have to be later and he wouldn’t ask Geir, large as he is to, take that risk.]

It definitely doesn’t sound like a world. You might be right. The Qri could have broken this place of land off a world. Either way, to have no transition between space and the air. That suggests no atomosphere but that doesn’t make any sense! I can’t imagine the kind of power is would take to make that work.

One more thing that we wish we could ask Qri about, huh? ...if I ever get a chance to talk to her, I'll ask for you.

[Geir reaches over and picks up a larger stone to set in the middle of the circle once Shiro is done. they're going to have to do a lot more than mark off places they've visited to really understand what's happening -- and what happened -- here, he thinks.]

Either way, it's going to take a lot more exploring to see what's on this weird rock.

Hopefully we’ll get the chance to ask our questions of her. Thank you. If I get the chance first. I’ll ask and tell you whatever answer we get.

[He returns to human shape and sets his hands on the rocks of the circle. This should do just fine. Next time he’d bring markers with him. The sort they used to use back at the Garrison.]

Let’s head back to the others. Let them know what we found.

All right!

[there's one more thing worth repeating: Geir ducks his head happily, looking at the gemstone they retrieved.]

...thanks for looking at the shiny rock cave for me, too.

[he holds his claws out for Shiro to climb into. it won't take them long to get back to the rest of the party.]

Always glad to check things out.

[He grins and climbs into Geir's held out claws. They've made some progress with their mapping. It gives him a sense of accomplishment.]

And I was curious about it too.

mapping party redux

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