"Anchor Root did say to bring her any bones we could find, and she would tell us if they were the right sort she needed. She did mention something about energy, I think, but we should leave the determinations to her, as we have yet to learn about how to determine that." Iovia says as she adds her thoughts to the conversation. "Stopping at multiple places might be best for thoroughness, though maybe at just 1 or 2 for safety's sake. Or, once back in Nantambu, Mr. M'baba, Miss Anzaga, and myself could return to campus for treatment, and the other three of you could find bones."
"Food for M'Baba AND we get bones... I think a butcher shop stop then a meal?" He finds himself agreeing with most
"If you insist," Za Minyahil replies, not needing to eat food the way the others do. "Perhaps the bones must come from an auspicious animal, like how some Avistani carry the preserved paw of a rabbit as a good luck charm?" they idly muse.
"Why would we stop for a meal? Three of us are infected with something. As much as I would love to have the time to explore the local restaurants and shops some afternoon, this is not the time to do it. As for the bones, all we need to do is what Anchor Root told us to do, which is to bring her bones and she would choose the ones she needs. We do not need to overthink it. If she wanted bones from something specific, she would have said so."
As time passes since the infection, Iovia is becoming increasingly worried, and that may come through in hints of panic in her normally calm and refined tone of voice.
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M'baba's stomach rumbles and he is sad by Iovia's comment. He hoped they'd eat and fish for bones in the process. He says "We have more than 4 hours. We can eat, I think. Big mama Sarr always said that eating is healing. She was, of course, very fond of eating, but still." He thought they could think of this as a splitting up to find some bones.
He lightens up and says "We should split up. Finding bones in the city is not something that really needs us together. We'll cover more ground this way." He thinks some of them could ask around for bones, and others could try to find some leftover in the corners. Others could eat a chicken leg... with gravy, and hot potatoes with carrots and, maybe some mead to go with it.
M'baba didn't realize he was daydreaming.
Hearing the panic in Iovia's voice makes Nyandra shiver a bit. She's right, going to a restaurant wouldn't be a great idea given how sick so many of the group are. Everyone's so stubborn about finishing these tasks instead of going back to rest, though... Well, if I can't treat people, best I can do is comfort them, and agreeing tends to help with that.
"Miss Iovia is correct, we can enjoy the local hospitality some other time. I agree that focusing on the task we were given is best. Once we're finished, once everyone is feeling better, then we can explore the local restaurants and such--and we'll all be feeling better and able to focus on and savor those experiences! How's that sound? I'm going to start thinking of places where we can find some bones, like good but not the best hiding spots where a predator might have found a meal, that kind of thing. Anyone else is welcome to contribute ideas--but please remember to have some water with your thinking!"
Ikto's brow knits "My idea was that both a butcher and a place that serves meat might have bones? I do not think its overthinking to simply seek out likely sources for bones such as these. Still... if I were to think of where nature might leave bones.."
And he will share that
"IF we split up, I will happy to go where I am needed."
While working to transfer the caterpillars to the jars, Ntuni adds. "I think the butchers are our best idea."
Nyandra's best idea for finding bones in the wild is to find some predatory beast, like jungle cat, follow it to its lair, and see if there are bones there. Big cats eat the meat, but not the bones, she recollects, so they must be left somewhere nearby. Exactly how to find a major predator is still an open question.
Ikto is bit distracted by the thoughts of a gravy-covered chicken leg, so he's not quite sure of any ideas better than Nyandra's. His only thought, albeit a bad one, is to find a graveyard or burial plot.
While working to transfer the caterpillars to the jars, Ntuni adds. "I think the butchers are our best idea."
"Thought we'd agreed to go to a butcher shop... Why are you overcomplicate things?"
With enough patience and prodding, Ntuni is able to manipulate all 6 of the fuzzy caterpillars into the jar without touching them. It takes about 10 more minutes of your time, as she is being extra cautious and careful both not to crush the larvae, and not to touch them. But eventually, that part is accomplished.
M'baba struggles through the haze in his mind, and considers that there are many ways to get bones in the jungle. They can capture their own prey, and bone it, they can just keep searching for a deceased creature or the like. But his best idea is perhaps the simplest, which is just to walk into town and ask someone. From your time in the market, there are all kinds of animals both live and edible for sale, all of which have some form of bones. While he may not know a butcher's shop, surely someone does. That's perhaps the easiest thing to do.
While working to transfer the caterpillars to the jars, Ntuni adds. "I think the butchers are our best idea."
"Thought we'd agreed to go to a butcher shop... Why are you overcomplicate things?"
"Once again, Ntuni, you bring wisdom," Za Minyahil replies. "A butchered animal IS a lucky one, you may say, having lived a life of safety, comfort and plentiful food as opposed to the uncertainty, fear and stress of surviving out in the wild."
"I would not necessarily agree that an animal raised on a farm is lucky."Iovia says. "It depends on the farm and the owners, but I believe that the reason that I, back on campus, and Mr. M'baba and Miss Anzaga have repeatedly suggested buying bones, is that it is simple. Butchers, tanners, craftspeople, and food providers may have access to various bones, rather than us spending hours that we do not have - the infection and the timing of the ritual have us on the clock - hoping to come across some out here at random."
"It IS probably best you do not wander around alone, M'baba."
It is about a half-hour walk back to the edges of Nantambu. The rain has, thankfully, stopped, but the jungle is still damp and humid, and even those without sickness are feeling the effects by the time your arrive.
M'baba, Ntuni, and Iovia are quite overcome with the illness raging inside them, and the pustules on their skin have spread to more areas, including a rash that is an ugly purple color like a bruise, but with raised ridges in it. There is a fever, but the worst is the cloudy mind-effects that make all your actions seem as if in a fog.
The school gates lie not far from where you stand, but if you are looking for a butcher's shop, none of you have any real sense of where one might be, except Nyandra, who does have some longer experience in the city than the others.
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M'baba feels horrible but wants to press on. However, he thinks he will probably need to cover his pustules, since walking like a sick person in town is probably not the best way to get people to help him. He covers his pustules with his cloak, then leads the others to ask around town.
Of course, his illness proves too much of a burden and he cannot make an impression in his rounds.
"We need to get treatment. We don't need all of us to find bones. Are you coming Mr. M'baba and Miss Anzaga?" Iovia heads for the school gates.
"Sure, sure. We'll take what we've got so far and look for some help with our... thing, while you three have fun with the butchers."
"Right. The infected can take the other items to Anchor Root as they get tended while the rest of us look for the bones."
Finally seeing the group see some sort of reason as their infections get worse, Nyandra lets out a breath she was holding. Not quite a sigh, not quite a normal breath, but in between.
She addresses those departing to issue some kindness, knowing that it has healing powers not discussed in any medical treatise. "I do hope you're able to rejoin us quickly! This has been quite a day and I'm looking forward to relaxing at the end of it. I'd like a bath under a roof, myself, and a nice, hot meal." She pauses, wipes the sweat from her brow. "Or maybe a cold one. Anyway. Mr. M'baba, I hope we get to share that meal together, and let that though carry you to the infirmary!"
Quietly, to Iovia and Ntuni, "Make sure he gets there, please; I'm more than a little worried!"
Then, as they set off, she tries to remember where she's seen a butcher, or something even vaguely related, but it seems the stress of the day is getting to her.
Za Minyahil takes point in seeking out the butchers, knowing time was of the essence now. They begin canvassing passers-by for directions.
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Iovia, M'Baba and Ntuni break off from the group, and head back towards the gates of Magaambya, their collective heads pounding and the purple pustules causing pain and irritation.
Before he leaves, M'Baba, cloak over his head to hide the disfiguring disease, attempts to ask a passerby for information, but the person makes the sign of the evil eye, and crosses to the other side of the street, spooked by the sight of cloaked man.
Nyandra wracks her brain but can't think of any good place in the city to find bones or a butcher that hasn't already been mentioned. Maybe the wandering Kafesi Market, she thinks, but the location of that outdoor bazaar is always shifting, and she doesn't know its location today, when it matters.
Despite his strange appearance (the city is used to exotic students from the Academy), Za Minyahil makes some progress. A wizened old woman tells him the location of a pair of butcher's not far away, and when he mentions he is looking for bones she tells him of the nearest garbage heap, which is sure to have bones in it somewhere, if you don't mind getting dirty in the process. She also says, "I heard the story of a cow carcass just outside the main gate. What I heard was a farmer was bringing his prize heifer to market, when the cow stood stock still, uttered the words 'A market in the city? Death would be better!' and dropped dead on the spot. Far as I know the carcass is still just sitting there along the main road, if you have a mind."
Despite his strange appearance (the city is used to exotic students from the Academy), Za Minyahil makes some progress. A wizened old woman tells him the location of a pair of butcher's not far away, and when he mentions he is looking for bones she tells him of the nearest garbage heap, which is sure to have bones in it somewhere, if you don't mind getting dirty in the process. She also says, "I heard the story of a cow carcass just outside the main gate. What I heard was a farmer was bringing his prize heifer to market, when the cow stood stock still, uttered the words 'A market in the city? Death would be better!' and dropped dead on the spot. Far as I know the carcass is still just sitting there along the main road, if you have a mind."
"A wonderful story, and I thank you." He looks to the others to see if they agree to pursue that
M'Baba (and the other sick initiates?) find Anchor Root in the common room of the Spire Dormitory. She looks aghast at the splotches of purple pustules across your faces. And when you hand her the jars of caterpillars and the mushrooms, she blinks at you then says softly, [smaller]"Thank you, M'Baba, but I need you to make the oil too, not just bring the ingredients. Are you doing that now, or going to get your face looked at?"
She agrees to tell you how ot make the oils needed if you want to spend the time working on it while the others are away, rather than going to the infirmary.
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Not sure what to make of the tail of the talking cow, Nyandra shrugs. "I'm altogether not enthused about pursuing what sounds like a drunk taverncrawler's tale. The two butchers are our best hope so far for the bones. How about we head to the butchers and see what they have to say?"
Without waiting for an answer, Nyandra starts off in that direction.
While Iovia heads off for treatment, M'Baba listens to Anchor Root's explanations about how to make the scarlet cap oil. In fact, it seems quite easy to do, but it requires gradual squeezing of the mushrooms to extract the oil.
At the infirmary, Iovia is checked out by the the healing staff. "How did you contract the purple pox?" the gnomish physician says with a grimace. "We can clean it up but its ultimately fatal if not treated. Turns you into a mushroom all on your own it does, in the later stages. This antiplague will stop it from getting worse while the magic should cure it outright." He gives you a concoction to drink, and casts a spell over Iovia.
Nyandra leads the others to the nearest butcher shop following the crone's directions. Inside, there are 4-5 customers waiting, and the butcher looks quite busy tending to his customers. There are several choice cuts of meat on display here, but no bones, lucky or not, are easily visible.
Iovia tells the gnome how the pox was contracted, and once she is treated, she goes to look for M'baba and helps with the mushroom oil. Then, she says quite firmly.
"You are going for treatment now. This disease is fatal. I know you are trying to impress Miss Djana, but if this continues, the only impression you will make is by being a tasty garnish on her salad! After you are being treated, I will handle the next oil."
If needed, she will call for school faculty to get him to the infirmary. Once that is done, she will ask Anchor Root for instructions on how to make the caterpillar oil.
"We may have to wait awhile," Ikto says "Or perhaps I can wait here in line while you check the other butcher?"
Despite his strange appearance (the city is used to exotic students from the Academy), Za Minyahil makes some progress. A wizened old woman tells him the location of a pair of butcher's not far away, and when he mentions he is looking for bones she tells him of the nearest garbage heap, which is sure to have bones in it somewhere, if you don't mind getting dirty in the process. She also says, "I heard the story of a cow carcass just outside the main gate. What I heard was a farmer was bringing his prize heifer to market, when the cow stood stock still, uttered the words 'A market in the city? Death would be better!' and dropped dead on the spot. Far as I know the carcass is still just sitting there along the main road, if you have a mind.""A wonderful story, and I thank you." He looks to the others to see if they agree to pursue that
Za Minyahil nods.
"If that's not an auspicious beast, I do not know what is."
After curing the Purple Pox in the infirmary, Ntuni and Iovia take over squeezing mushrooms for the oil, while M'baba goes for his round of curative magic. After an hour from the start, the oil is made, and all the initiates are free from disease once again.
At the butcher's shop the team waits patiently in the queue, and when its their turn, the butcher indicates the bones are kept in a bin in the back. You can help yourselves to whatever you'd like. You find the bin, dig through, pick out some bones, and head back to the Magaambya. It takes almost exactly the same hour to do this chore and get back to the school.
When you return with the bones, Anchor Root sorts out the correct "lucky" ones for you to start the bone oil, and Mariama indicates you need to carbonize the bones by burning them and then pulverizing the gooey remains to make the final product. "It will take you an hour to get the bones good and soft and sludgy, so you'd better get started."
While the bone oil is being prepared, Anchor Root tells you "The cute fuzzy little caterpillars have to be made into oil also.". You can see the thought causes her some significant distress, and she covers her eyes when the deed is to be carried out.
"You just have to squash them into paste, but be careful of touching them, or you'll be back in the infirmary," Mariama says, giving her friend a much-needed hug.
"You are almost as good as Chizire," says Mariama, motioning at the sleeping catfolk upperclassman. "Glad we didn't have to wake him up, this bone oil looks perfect!"
Assuming someone squishes the caterpillars up with a modicum of care, that admixture is also done as the 6th hour ends. Those two vials along with the previously squeezed mushroom oil are taken by Mariama. You she she also has a string of tiny bells which are made of cold iron. "You might have learned in your last task, but old stories tell us that gremlins like the pugwampis that invaded the storeroom are fear and shun hanging bells of semiprecious metals, such as gold or silver. Although most bells lack any real gremlin-repelling power, the gremlins seem to believe this superstition and avoid strings of valuable-looking bells."
"In this case,"- she continues, "We are using cold iron bells, which the gremlins also seem to shun, and we will attempt a magical ritual that may actually make these bells really repel gremlins, instead of just tricking them. We shall see if we can successfully complete the ritual, its not easy, even for experienced magicians."
"Anchor Root is well versed in Nature and could serve as primary caster, if none of you wish to attempt. I suggest you try, there is no penalty for failing, you already passed this test. It's just for experience and experimentation. We also need secondary casters, if you have skill in crafting objects, performing arts, the occult, or intimidating foes -- which we channel into the bells -- then you should participate, even if you can't normally cast much magic. As much as we can get secondary casters involved, we should."
She leads you back to the storage barn where you faced the pugwampis the day before, unbars the door, and begins laying out the bells around the door, and the hatch in the floor you cleverly found last time.
"The casting takes about 1 hour. Now, who wants to be primary, and who can support with secondary roles?"
Ikto is fascinated as this all unfolds "Gremlins hate bells? How very useful."
"Unless Anchor Root wishes to be primary, I will try it."
With the ingredients secured and Mariama's explanation, Za Minyahil's brow furrows. Clearly this was one of the other options Esi had been hinting at that they'd missed, and the reminder of yesterday makes their leaves rustle.
Despite this, they listen to Mariama and nod.
"I can aid however you wish: while my greatest experience is in the natural world, obviously, I have studied the occult and am good with my hands."
"You are welcome." Iovia says to M'baba and she notes the information about the bells in the back of her mind.
When it comes time for the ritual, she defers to those that are better suited for it in this case, but if there are pencils and paper in the storeroom, she will take notes on how it is done that they all can study later.