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After helping put the kitchen back in pristine order, M'baba meets the group and suggests taking the sample back to the professor immediately. He says "If there's a magical effect, we want to get it to the professor so she can study it before it fades. If she wants to scold us for knocking on her door too much, I already don't like her, so what are you gonna do, right?"
After helping put the kitchen back in pristine order, M'baba meets the group and suggests taking the sample back to the professor immediately. He says "If there's a magical effect, we want to get it to the professor so she can study it before it fades. If she wants to scold us for knocking on her door too much, I already don't like her, so what are you gonna do, right?"
Ikto has painted designs on his body and smells of smoke and smudging.
"You talk sense, though I confess I am still convinced That pugawumpis back luck somehow has stuck to me and am hoping to clear it out. I also worry another battle will undo us at this rate if we don't rest, BUUUT... you're right we can't risk any usefulness fading. Fine. I'll go with you and the others if you like."
Za Minyahil nods at M'Baba's suggestion.
"I do not care for her haphazard and favoritist teaching style...though I can't afford to alienate her myself. If you wish to take the fall for annoying her, I won't argue."
Teacher Ulawa is in her laboratory reading what appears to be a rather compendious tome as you enter. "Done already?" she asks in a rather bored way, "Or did you fail to collect any specimens?"
When you show her the samples, she becomes very interested, dropping the snide subtext of most of her communication so far. "Tell me everything! Where is this sample from?"
"The dining hall. They had gotten a shipment of cassava that was infested with mites. The insects, not the fey. As they were dealing with that, thousands of centipedes showed up and ate the mites. They tried to eat us as well."
Unlike some of her classmates, Iovia doesn't mind Ulawa's typical style of speaking and relays the information they have quickly and concisely.
"After we caught some, we set the rest on fire and then I dropped a tree on them," Za Minyahil adds matter-of-factly. "And after we'd recovered, we went back to clean up and repair the damage."
Koride Ulawa's face pulls into a troubled frown as you relate the goings-on in the kitchen. "Last I knew, Lumusi has a minor warding spell in place against insects in the kitchen. But this sounds like the mites AND the centipedes ignored or overcame that." She seems genuinely worried by the news. "Good work, so far. Go and check the other reports of strange behavior. But leave your specimens here. Not in with the others creatures! They are carnivores after all...And bring back more specimens!"
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M'baba is surprised to hear the professor praise them and... nothing else. He decides to leave before she changes her mind.
Once outside her office, he is visibly more relaxed. He says "We're on a roll. You think it'd be a good idea to keep at it? Everyone recovered from that nasty poison?"
Thinking a bit more, he says "We should arm ourselves for that many insects. I don't think I'll be doing much with my rapier, stabbing one at a time. There has to be something to help us here."
"While we did defeat that one swarm of insects, it cost almost all of our healing resources to do so. We can investigate the stage or garden if you all want to, but I can't promise to keep you standing if there are hostiles.". Iovia warns.
"A fair warning, Iovia," He ponders "M'Baba, a non magical solution to aid you in case I or someone who does such magically goes down might be well. Perhaps a visit to the powderkeg to see what can be found there?"
"I agree," Za Minyahil replies with a nod.
The Powderpile has alchemist items of all sorts available. Alchemist's Fire(lesser) is 3gp. Healing potions are also available there, if you need a backup healing plan
Za Minyahil lays 4 coins on the counter.
"One healing draught please, Xhokan," they say politely.
Iovia does not buy anything at the Powder Keg. After the shopping is done, she asks "Shall we go to the garden or the stage?
"A healing draught for me as well, please."
He puts down his own coin.
at Iovia's question he says "I will go with which ever the rest of you decide."
The group acquires fire bombs and healing potions, and soon enough are at a crossroads to decide which recommended locations to go check out.
"The stage it is. Let's go." Iovia will lead the way to the stage area.
Ikto follows along trying to shake off his negativity.
Za Minyahil keeps apace with Ikto.
"Your grim demeanor is all the more foreboding because you're usually the most cheerful among us," they comment.
"I guess I am being superstitious, Za Minyahil. I know sometimes you feel frustrated when things don't go right so maybe you'll understand that I'm feeling very much like a .. a mess? A screw up? I don't know the terms they use in this city." Ikto shrugs "I thought maybe it was ill luck left over from the many gremlin encounters. That's why I was trying to get time to do a cleansing. If I really am still jinxed it might help it pass. If It is all in my head completing the ritual might at least make me FEEL better. But.. there was no time to finish it properly. I thought I might use the rest of this day for it, but no.. hurry hurry hurry, then wait, then Hurry. I know that is the nature of this school and I SHOULD adapt. I'm a Rain Scribe now as well as a Storm Druid. The storm hits when it hits and you deal. But this sense of always being off guard is only adding to my self doubt and fear of jinxing."
Ikto chuckles, "Sorry to unload on you, my friend."
"You are not alone," Za Minyahil replies. "I was seemingly haunted by ill luck and insects now that I think of it before I even arrived here."
They shrug.
"I suppose part of me feels like the only way out of a jinx is going through it, being so stubborn and persistent that something has to go your way eventually...some of the teachers here, they give their lessons as stories, yes? And there are many stories of cursed people who stoically undergo hardships and become the kind of people the curse can't break, so the curse breaks on them. I...admittedly hadn't thought of it much that way before our classes began: Nexian arcane pedagogy is much more formal and uses much less metaphor. But hearing a lesson as a story, it helps make connections that may seem trivial to the brightest student in Ecanus or Quantium. I suppose that's what I'm doing here, telling you a story to reframe things? I'm not sure where I'm going with this..."
Ikto smiles, "I'm not sure either but a lot of it makes sense. Outlast the curse? It sounds stubborn and willful. I can do that." The Storm Druid chuckles, then ponders, "You're right though. Lots of bug troubles. Maybe we should work on repellents and the like when we get some free time."
He seems bolstered by his friend's courage.
The Speaker's Stage is at the far west end of the Magaambya grounds. There an artificial island has been constructed in the canal that separates the school from the rest of Nantambu. Several large stone basins form a ring around a grand stage on top of this artificial island, magically illuminating it and causing the sounds spoken their to reverberate and be clearly heard in the city beyond. The Speaker's Stage was designed to be a place where representatives of the school could make pronouncements to Nantambu, but just as often students at Magaambya put on concerts, plays, or other performances. Such shows are quite a treat for the more mundane in the adjacent city.
Today, hundreds of delicate water striders crowd around the island, skating back and forth on the water's surface. The insects are plainly agitated as they dart quickly to and fro randomly. They don't seem aggressive or trying to fight, like the centipedes, but they may be hard to capture a sample of.
Iovia turns to Ikto. "Mr. Banashee, nature is your specialty. Do you have any suggestions as to how we can safely obtain a specimen of these insects?". After she asks, she also combs through her own memories to see if she can think of anything.
Iovia watches the water striders for a few moments. She knows they eat small bugs from the surface of the water, and that they are able to move deftly on the surface tension from the water without sinking due to their very light frame and delicate nature. However, you choose to grab one, you'll have to be very gentle. The movement seem random and confusing, so its hard to predict where they will go next.
On the far bank of the canal, a voice calls out "Hallo students! What kind of show are you putting on today?" You look up and there are a half-dozen townsfolk scattered along the bank who have stopped to watch you, and now with that shout even more are coming...
"There is no show today, good people, I'm sorry." Iovia calls out. "We are here to study these water striders."
Iovia's words don't seem to dampen the growing crowd's enthusiasm for a show, and as she calls out they cheer and clap, appreciative to be recognized by the performers on the stage.
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M'baba feels weird to do tasks with an audience. But he thinks to try and kill two birds with one stone. He takes one of the vials that the group brought thinking to capture insects. After a quick look at it, he decides he's not going to chase the insects randomly with it.
Instead, he raises his voice so the gathering crowd hears him. He speaks as though reciting a rehearsed speech "Magic! Magic! You've surely heard of the great feats of conjuring, learned and performed by the great Magaambya professors and students. But, magic is just another craft! A great spellcaster is no different from a great artist, woodsworker or smith."
He pulls out his backpack and takes out his rope. From the tip, he starts disentangling the rope into smaller and smaller threads. He does so a bit dramatically so everyone can both laugh at him but also be curious about what he's doing.
He proclaims "Today you do not see a performance of a drama or a comedy. But you do see a feat that is not different from magic if you think of the results. I am going to capture a handful of insects!"
He uses the fine thread to improvise a net using his rapier as a pole.
Although the net is awkward and doesn't close properly, M'baba is able to capture a handful of insects. He promptly puts them in the jar and closes it, poking tiny holes for the insects to breathe.
He doesn't care if people don't like his performance. If they get disinterested, all the better, so he can work in peace.
Ikto moves to help capture the insects putting his knowledge of nature and bug lore to use in guiding them into M'Baba's net and trap.
As he does this, he makes dancing like motions, mimicking the movements of the water skippers on the side of the water to both keep the insects at peace if possible, and entertain the crowd, "River of souls, river of time, gives what is yours, gives what is mine, River of life, lifter of death, we give it back when we take our last breath."
Za Minyahil crouches at the water's edge, and lowers their face close to the surface. Their petals rustle as they let their scent carry on the breeze. While water striders were predators and not pollinators, they hoped the sweet scent would draw their attention, or possibly draw the insects the striders ate, and thus would do the luring.
When it looks like some are approaching and calmed by their presence, they gently try to lure them to the bank.
The crowd is perhaps not so impressed with M'Baba's flair for the dramatic, but his improvised net seems up to the task. While Za Minyahil coaxes the water bugs near, and Ikto plays up to the crowd a bit, M'Baba is able to capture several bugs and get them in the sample jar without issue.
The crowd catcalls and whistles in playful derision, but the initiates aren't really there to put on a show, and they have successfully got what they came for.
"Let us return these. In case our visit to the Gardens is more like our visit to the Kitchens than our success here," Za Minyahil advises.
"Excellent job, everyone. I agree with Za Minyahil. Let's drop these off and then head to the Leshy Garden." Iovia is amused by the catcalls, as she did tell them there wasn't a show today.
Ikto nods to the others at the mention of dropping them off and kindly does not critique M'Baba's less than amazing performance.
M'baba bows to the crowd and thinks "Could I be a performer?", oblivious to his lack of stage flair. He agrees with Za and tells them "Your neat trick with the leaves is completely alien to me. Do insects get... in you often?" He doesn't mean to be intrusive, but he ends up not realizing it.
"I'm careful with my grooming," Za Minyahil replies matter-of-factly. "Usually the occasional curious pollinator will leave when they realize there's no nectar to be found in my face. It IS happening more often recently, though, given the phenomenon we're currently examining. More insects congregating on the Magaambya's grounds, means more insects are drawn to my scent, means I have to spend more time brushing them out of my petals."
As you work your way across the campus grounds back towards Teacher Ulawa's lab, your dorm mate Chizire, the catfolk potion brewer, shouts at you to stop for a moment.
"I have an idea for a new brew, and I know you are doing special projects for Koride. Want to help me out?" he grins at you with obvious mischief in mind.
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M'baba listens to to Za and tries hard not to show emotions in his face. He wants to know if they can squish insects with their leaves by flexing them like he does it with his butt cheeks, but he cannot for the life of him put this question in a non-offending way. He just says "Thanks for explaining. Let me know if you need help getting hard to reach places."
Later, as Chizire shows up, M'baba is curious about what the new brew would be, but he doesn't want to screw up his task and just says "We'll just drop something off and will be on our way to complete our task. After that, I'll help no problem, you got me curious." He tries ushering the group forward and not engage.
While Iovia gives Chizire a warm smile and a wave, she feels the M'baba's statement covers the group's intentions, and doesn't feel that she needs to add to it, and continues on the way to drop off the second sample.
However, should Chizire walk with them and explain his request, she will listen curiously.
As you work your way across the campus grounds back towards Teacher Ulawa's lab, your dorm mate Chizire, the catfolk potion brewer, shouts at you to stop for a moment.
"I have an idea for a new brew, and I know you are doing special projects for Koride. Want to help me out?" he grins at you with obvious mischief in mind.
"You have piqued my interest, Chizire," Za Minyahil replies.
"The old brush-off for your pal Chizire, eh?" he says laughing. "If you are going to see Teacher Ulawa, then that's where I need help."
He does walk and talk with you along the way. "You see, I am working on a new formula for a potion of leaping. The ingredients are a bit hard to come by, and well..I know Koride has a collection of magical crickets in her lab. I don't need them all, just two or three will do the trick, I think. Any chance you can pilfer a couple magical bugs for me form there and bring them to my room? I'll make it worth your while..." He gives an almost comical toothy smile, trying his best to look charming, but coming across more as a hungry predator.
"Play it your way, friend. Just bring the crickets eh?" Chizire says, laughing and jogging off to some other kind of mischief.
Soon enough you are at the insect lab of Teacher Ulawa. She listens intently to your story and description of the strange behavior of the water bugs and directs you to leave the specimens in an aquarium. "Clearly the reports of strange insect behaviors around the Magaambya are accurate, but why? Go and see what you can at the Leshy Garden, and maybe there will be something that connects all these incidents. Good works so far!"
She then turns back to her work, peering through a magnifying lens at a den of ants.
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"Thank you professor.", says M'baba, looking at her firmly. Before we go, I have a request on behalf of another student. Chizire, initiate of the Cascade Bearers claims he is crafting a potion of leaping. Is it ok if I take... two of these crickets to him?"[/b], pointing to crickets that he feels best fit Chizire's description. He doesn't put much effort in the request.
Ikto will join in on that. He likes Chizire somewhat though he's sure the fellow is sometimes trouble to known, "Chizire definitely thinks he is onto something."