Mining Opportunities III[job/solo]

Job Details:

Items brought:

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Ari stopped by the foreman’s office again, hoping for an update on whether more of the creatures had been found hoping to possibly report back to Remano with news of a new species that could possibly be tamed. The foreman seemed excited and less morose than last time.

“Ah, Ms. Ari! Just in time! We have explored into that branch a bit more. Turns out, there is ice back there! Probably means there is a way to the surface through it, if I had to guess. It opens up into a series of caves.”

Ari smiled and nodded in interest, glad they had found something further into the branch.

“Only one problem. After running into that creature you destroyed, the men are a bit spooked. I don’t suppose you would be willing to go in there and have a look around? I know it is asking a lot, but it would mean a lot to us. You seem to handle yourself better than these guys would. They are great for mining, but aside from smashing rocks, they do not know much about combat.”

Ari chuckled at the irony of the situation. They were basically asking her to go up and smash rock-creatures, because the men that smashed rocks were scared to smash moving rocks. Hiding her small laugh, she gave a nod to indicate she would be happy to help. The foreman assured her she would be rewarded for her efforts and even offered her some warmer clothing. Graciously, she accepted the fur-lined cloak and heavy boots before heading to her inn to prepare for her third trip into the caves.

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Ari ventured back into the cave, the entrance now familiar to her. As she moved along the main shaft, she took note of the veins that had been fastidiously removed by the miners and others that had been revealed in their excavations. In such a short time, so much had been accomplished. It was quite apparent these men were good at their jobs. As she moved carefully through the mine, she was cautious and avoided the swinging pick-axes. Several of the miners shouted a brief greeting to her, both to say hello and also to let miners further down the chain know that there was a civilian to be careful around. She returned their greetings with a quick wave and grin, not wanting to interrupt their work. She admired these men, spending hours upon hours under the earth to dig up metals that were precious to humans and turned into so many different things. They wrecked their bodies, forcefully pulling the minerals from the earth and then hauling it out of the mines, all with minimal light and stale air. She certainly did not envy them their tasks and was happy to make them feel a bit safer by taking care of any possible creatures they might encounter. With how much she used refined metals, it almost seemed like a civic duty to assist them in any way she could.

She deftly moved past the miners as she slipped into the newly opened branch, the remains of the Mine Guardian still in a pile where she had left it. The miners had, however, removed the deceased man, which she was glad for. Perhaps they had laid him to rest in a respectable manner, so his family would have a place to go and reminisce. She followed the path back, glad they had at least taken the time to light up her way to the ice caves. When she arrived at the chilly, iced entrance to a cave, she grabbed a lantern so she could investigate further in. At least this time, she would have a better idea of what she was looking for so she was not as likely to be ambushed by thrown rocks.

The cave opened up into a wider area and she could barely glimpse another ice cave towards the rear of this one. She made her way carefully through the slippery rocks, her eyes sharply watching for any possible danger. The area looked like it had never been touched by humans before, so signs of tools or wear as she progressed a bit further into the icy expanse. The second ice cave opened up a bit wider and she saw a small path at the end of that as well. It seemed this whole pathway was a series of connected caves, probably worn into the cold stones by the melting and refreezing of the ice. The power of nature, unhindered by human life, was incredible and she took a moment to admire the glimmering ice and stone.

As she rounded the next corner, she looked around quickly, jumping back as she immediately spotted the Rock Throw being lobbed at her. This one moved much faster than the last one she had encountered, but she used Leaping Steps to get out of the way in time to avoid more than just some dust brushing against her. After having seen what kind of damage the creatures could inflict with the deceased miner, she had no plans to get in range of the behemoth made of stone. Murmuring to the rukh, she cast Electric Cage II hoping that it would keep the creature in one place. The guardian used his Double Smash to bring down the entrapment, but managed to paralyze himself at the same time. She used the opportunity to reach into a small pouch in her cloak and tossing out a small handful of seeds. Using Blossoming Visions she encouraged the flowers to grow around the creature and the effects were apparent almost immediately. The Mine Guardian ambled around in circles, swinging at invisible enemies, completely forgetting her existence. With her immediate danger dealt with, she murmured to the rukh, directing it to cast Impaling Root at the feet of the stumbling creature. A vine shot up between the feet of the creature and impaled it. Feeling a bit more confident, she moved closer until she was within three meters of the creature, just out of its arm reach and used Slice and Dice, her dagger swinging around and chopping away at the stony exterior. The damage brought the guardian back to its senses and she jumped back and grabbed for the throwing knives Lexi had given her. She looped two around her fingers and let them fly at the creature, both striking the Mine Guardian in the face.

The creature seemed to lose its will as it lost the ability to see after all of the damage it had sustained. Ari carefully approached the guardian, taking note of the metallic sheen of the stones around the middle. Crouching down, she ran a finger over the ‘body’ of the creature, the stones had been under such immense pressure, and they had seemed to form their own ore veins around the mid-section of the guardian. Excited by the discovery, she knew the miners would find some use for the corpses of the creatures, so at least that much would not go to waste. She idly wondered if the metal would be a unique composition or if it was just the iron that was riddled through the newly discovered cave systems. If it was a unique composition, maybe they could come up with new weapons to use.

Tired after the fight and the long trip this far into the caves, Ari decided to sit down and rest beside her lantern. The view was actually very pretty, with icicles hanging from the ceiling and aiding in the creation of stalactites and stalagmites. She would never cease to be amazed at the wonderful creations Mother Nature could come up with when it was left alone. She felt almost guilty invading this untouched paradise that had been crafted over years or centuries. While she understood the need for precious metals, it still seemed a shame to just rip them out of the ground in such a callous way. Feeling a bit refreshed and inspired by the dimly lit beauty, she decided to venture further into the cave systems to see what she could find. Perhaps, if she spent more time in the picturesque environment, she could just convince the miners that the area was best left untouched, due to an ‘infestation of creatures.’ Certainly a little white lie would not hurt. Then again, it might come back to bite her in the ass. For now, she just wanted to explore further, loving the quiet serenity of the caves.

As she slipped along the slick path, she began to notice more and more life forms, unlike the entrance of the cave. Tiny bats flapped and screeched at her approach and tiny rodents scurried away from her steps. It still seemed very odd to her that the entrance to the mine had absolutely zero animal life, especially with the deeper stretches containing such a wide variety. Coming out into a much larger cave area, she noticed a chasm and edged closer to the lip, being cautious of the slippery ice. She could not see the bottom of the chasm, but the walls glimmered as the light from the lantern bounced off the ice. Sitting down at the edge, she dangled her feet over the side and giggled like a small child, finding the place offered her peace and quiet and made her feel much younger than she had been feeling recently. With all of the drama in Remano and with the Grumptoes, it was nice to feel less like an adult and more like a teenager slipping away to have an adventure.

[1600/1500]
[120/250 magoi]

Abilities Used:

DM Post (Take or leave your extra reward. If you leave it, the next player to go through this job chain may choose to take it):

As the woman sat at the crevice, a strange sensation of warmth would slowly spread throughout the cavern. The sensation began from deep within, and began to spread about the room. The flowers that had blossomed earlier suddenly took on a great vibrancy of life, though the woman's spell had been finished for some time.

These flowers did not reproduce illusions, but gave off a beautiful glow that could not be replicated by any known flora. The walls began to glow as well. A moss began to grow about, and slowly covered the walls. What was the source of this magic?

Was this how the creatures within this cave had managed to survive, to live, and to thrive for so long without being close to the entrance?

A light appeared from within the crevice, and it began to get brighter and brighter. It soon stopped, less than 20 centimeters from Ariella's face. A beautiful orb of green light was sitting right in front of her.

What was it? What could it do? If she were to inspect it carefully, she would note strange and ancient runic carvings on the object. Whether or not she could recognize the Toran language would determine if she was aware of its origins. Yet even with that knowledge, the truth behind its abilities were unknown.

Green Toran Orb:

Ariella was filled with a sense of calm and peace, despite the rather odd occurrence of the small green orb appearing before her. Carefully, she reached out for it, the item settling into her palm comfortably. The runic carvings drew her attention and she frowned in concentration. They were vaguely familiar, like something she had seen at the Academy. Too tired to try and decipher the runes, she carefully stepped up from the ledge of the cavern, making it as far as the field of flowers that should have faded by now before she sat back down, her attention solely on the orb. The sense of calm and relaxation penetrated her tired and sore muscles and she practically melted as she fell asleep on the soft petals of her flowers.

[exit]

((I will totally take the orb))