Grasp Your Destiny

[Tengu_temp]

"Nope, we don't eat those! We save them up for the guests!" The stick person's explanation is accompanied by cheerful laughs from the other two, for some reason. "They don't really have a special name, they're just berries. But they're very tasty, believe me!"

Fu is not familiar with the berries - they must not be a part of the mortal world, but be created by spirits or some sorcery instead. Judging from the smell, however, they are edible, but hallucinogetic.

"Aw, you're not going to eat them here? Maybe your friends are hungry and would like you to share, too!"

[Fri]

"Sorry little dudes. My friends will be mad at me. Don't worry, I'll definitely eat them. Just not right now."

[Tengu_temp]

"Alright." The stick people sound only very slightly disappointed. "Hope you'll like the taste!"

Is there anything else you want to do around here, or will you heading back to Kalat's mansion? There should be enough time to investigate the webs, if anyone wishes to do that.

[Fri]

Fu scales down the cliff and looks for their mounts.

"So, time to get back to master kalat?"

[Terraoblivion]

Rather than trying to scale the cliff, Miko turned her attention to Nonamé. "Can i get a lift back down? I am not too confident in my ability to scale that thing."

[Tableface]

"Why did I even bother to pack it up," Nonamé mutters to himself as he pulls the swift rider out, sets it up, and prepares to ride it off a cliff. "It'll be a hell of a ride down, though."

[Fri]

Safe at the bottom of the cliff, and looking that their mounts are also still safe and sound, if maybe slightly disturbed by the commotion, Fu relaxes and mindlessly threw one of the berry to his mouth as he wait for the others to come down.

[kamikasei]

"Well, we can hope that the hard part is done with, though there may be more things drawn to the flower that haven't arrived yet. The question now is whether to return all together, or send the flower ahead with the swiftest two or three among us while the rest clean up the mess we've left - I for one would like to know those webs are being investigated, in case the spiders were being controlled by a spirit like the one that drove the bears, or some other creature." Gihren looks around at the others. "It's up to us all. Together we are stronger, but the extra time the journey will take is more time for some danger to show up."

((Do we need to roll to climb down?))

[Terraoblivion]

Miko just shrugged and sent Nonamé a faint smile as she takes a seat. "I dealt with the trip up, right?"

"And i think we should investigate as well, Gihren. Something was up with those spiders and i do not feel comfortable letting them stay without certain that they are not a danger to anyone. And i think i should head along with investigating, from what we have seen it seems likely that if something is up a spirit is behind it and you will need me to deal with that."

[kamikasei]

Gihren nods. "I'll join you then. Speed is not my forte. Who shall take the flower back, in that case?"

[inirlan]

Nagusa was relieved when they finally were preparing to leave. He had laid down in order to avoid frightenning the stick-thingies. That and to take a nap. He quickly stood up, revealing a patch of ground charred by his now extinguished anima banner(not sure how fast it goes away actually).

"Hm... Nonamé on his swiftrider is pretty much the fastest of us, though if he'll slow down a bit Gregorias or I could keep up with him, if we add a passenger on the swift rider we could split ourselves into two groups of three people. Bringing the flower back to master Kalat is more important, and since my anima is likely to flare up again as soon as there is trouble It would be safer to have Gregorias go with the group bringing the flower back."

[Tengu_temp]

After eating just one of the berries (it's very sweet and juicy) the world around Fu becomes brighter and more colorful. Nothing is waving to him or floating in the air yet, but the world will surely share some of its hidden secrets with him if he eats more.

(There is no need to roll for climbing down here. You can assume you reach your mounts safely.)

[Fri]

Ooh. This is something.

"Hey guys. this spirit berry stuff is deh lih cioush."

Fu eat another one and tries to look at his natural surroundings once more while in the effect of the berry that he named...

Wisdom berry.

Spoiler

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survival+perception(7d10)[5][8][1][5][6][8][4](37)

[Tengu_temp]

Things start to reveal their true colors for Fu - literally, it turns out that the plants around are all colors but green, the ground underneath his feet is blue, and the sky has swirling, changing colors. The clouds start to race each other, the trees some to get closer and closer when he's not looking, and the sun seems to wink at him approvingly - a sure sign he's doing a good job as a Solar. The horses aren't very talkative yet, though, they only mutter among themselves.

Spoiler

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You realize that most of what you see right now is probably not real, and just an effect of the berry. Probably.

[Terraoblivion]

Fu's words made Miko spin in place, eyes slightly widened in worry. "Did you actually eat any of those berries? Didn't you see i tried to warn you? Dump the rest and follow the rest of us. Hopefully the effect doesn't last too long." Moving towards the explorer stretching her hand out commandingly to make him give her the berries.

[Fri]

"But... but miko..."

Fu focused his sense toward the sight and sounds of his friend. Is that really her? What does she look like? Or it's just another tree.

Then he shrugs and silently pocket all of the berries. This is going to be useful sooner or later.

Spoiler

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survival+int (6d10)[5][10][10][1][8][4](38)


from what he tasted, fu want to know whether it's dangerous, poisonous or addicting, at least for normal people if not for solar.

[Tengu_temp]

Spoiler

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No, the berries are not poisonous and most likely not addicting. They just make you very high. Too many of them might knock a mortal out, though.

[Tableface]

Nonamé stares slack-jawed at everyone, a dull--at times, disbelieving--look on his face. He shakes himself out of it and flaps his mouth, not even sure where to start.

"I- you- this..." he closes his eyes and presses hard on his eyeballs, "... let's start at the first part.

"Why do any of you think the spiders are controlled by any spirits? Why can't they just be your normal giant spiders who've set themselves up someplace like I'd assume a giant spider would? Playing exterminator is fine, by why are you trying to dress it up like some serious inquiry?

"Speaking of dressing up, Gregorias in that invisible suit of his was the last thing I 'saw' with the flower, and why by Venus's sagging teats are you all yammering about splitting up? It's in the stupid jar, it's preserved, we have time! Splitting up is what the stupid and desperate do, and I'd like to hope we at least aren't desperate.

"And you," he jabs a finger at Fu, "stop eating those berries!" He glares for a moment, quietly realizing he'd just abandoned any hope of maintaining the appearance of a laconic gunman. "Or give me some. Because if we're going to be wasting our time as glorious champions of the heavens chasing spirits-cursed flowers and such at the command of an old enigmatic bastard who breaks us from the arduous task of lounging around in his mansion, I might as well have the excuse of having been high!"

He ends his rant, out of breath and looking about ready to invent a power that allows him to throw spears from his scowling eyes.

[Fri]

"I'd give you some, but Miko will kill me if I do that. Anyway, these berries are precious speciments. And currently in limited quantities. I'm going to try to deal with that problem later at our place.

Aanyway, let's get back now. I'm curious on what master kalat want to do with these flowers. And then we can get back to do more heavenly champion stuffs that's more fitting than picking flowers. Like exterminating giant spiders or something. But first, let's get back to master kalat."

[kamikasei]

Gihren blinks at Noname, slowly, patiently. "The spiders were behaving oddly to my eyes, and to Miss Shirogane's as well. There's no need for a spirit to be behind it, except parsimony. Now, since we are all going that way anyway it seems better to me to look in to it en route rather than waiting for Master Kalat to send us back out after we return, but if you think you need the whole group of us to defend you as you and Gregorias return with the flower, we can accommodate you."

[Tableface]

Nonamé's hand flies to his holster, reflexively poised over Grassfire. He fixes his intense, angry gaze at Gihren. "You," he raises a finger and waves it slightly in the warrior's face, taking a moment to run his tongue over his teeth, "you don't get to put words in my mouth." His voice is low, and surprisingly even. "I am saying flowers and bugs are not things worth dividing over.

"And in case you missed my point, we are the Chosen champions of that." He poins a finger skyward. "You," the finger moves to Miko, "can see and slay spirits without any rituals or pomp, you," he points to Gihren and then Nagusa, "between the both of you could probably kill just about anything. You," this time Fu, "... probably have some amazing talent, and Gregorias," he gestures all around him, not sure where the Night Caste is, "can turn invisible and run up walls. I ride around on a flying bicycle, by Hesiah's fire, and I have talents of my own that don't just involve shooting things and being pissy.

"We spend all our time sitting in a mysterious man's house, waiting for him to give us orders which amount to 'kill this thing or retrieve that object' while the world outside screams and cringes. Does this strike none of you as irresponsible?"

[Fri]

"Actually, he's kinda right. I kinda long the days when I travel the road and the wilderness... finding new places for men to live....

But I'm sure Master Kalat have some reason." He continues as he opens and closes his fist, as if he's trying to test his own strength. "Plus he's a funny old coot.

After this, we can annoy the old guy together if you want to. It's almost the time for my next travel anyway. Staying too long in one place makes me itchy. This hat is made for walking you know" He grins and taps his hard hat.

[Terraoblivion]

Having heard Nonamé accusations, Miko sighed slightly before turning to him, her voice still in the calm tones she normally uses, though with an edge to it that was usually lacking. "I don't know how you have been spending your time. But i have not been lounging around the mansion since meeting Master Kalat. I have been spending most of my time on the road, serving to help the people deal with the spirits of their dead." She looked across the rest of the group, before her eyes returned to focus on Nonamé. "In my experience everyone here has been similarly occupied. We have all had our own tasks and concerns that have occupied us, including training and learning to better be able to content with the very real dangers in this world."

Flashing a small, morbid smile, the sense of superiority in which was clear, she continued. "Or you think we are ready to compete with the Deathlords and unruly spirit courts already? I can tell you about what they will do to you if you try. How many details do you want?" She dropped the smile and shrugged. "There is much in this world that we are not ready to contend with yet and to do that we must learn and improve our abilities. If we have to fetch flowers in return i think that's a cheap payment."

[kamikasei]

Gihren remains impassive - Nonamé would have to be looking closely and well to see the anger he's keeping throttled back. "It strikes me that if you think your talents are wasted under Kalat's tutelage, you can leave. So long as you're here and pledging to do as he asks, it strikes me as irresponsible to waste time on complaints."

He walks past the other man toward the cliff edge. "I will accompany Lady Shirogane to the webs, then, unless you have some actual reason to offer why we should all return together."