well before we can do anything we have to see what's around the tree in the first place. Also those little white specks on the other side of the river bank, any clue to what those are?

Oh and keep an eye out for any new plants for yourself to absorb on the way to the tree. Not saying you should go out of your way to find them but do keep an eye open.

>How else will I start bearing fruit?
Unlike trees you have arm and legs, so manual pollination is possible (if relatively labor intensive).

Twyggdrasil Kaed 2015/03/16(Mon)21:33 No. 629550 ID: 9d4ab1
File 142656678281.png - (100.58KB , 275x460 , Oh my.png )

>>629429
No, just more waterb-

>Unlike trees you have arm and legs, so manual pollination is possible (if relatively labor intensive).

-excuse me?! Do you fondle your own stamens to self-pollinate? What a thing to suggest! Let's keep our minds within the realms of decency!

>>629550
WELL NOW. I guess that means bees are...

well obviously you wouldn't do that for no reason. but if one day you can grow a fruit that can save someone's life but have no bees, you will have to make some hard choices.

for now. back to home with you.

so when you come of age you have your own version of the bird and the bees, good to know.

speaking of bees, do you just need to find a hive and get them to build another hive on yourself or do you need to expand your flora branch more before that becomes an option?

Twyggdrasil Kaed 2015/03/18(Wed)22:07 No. 629868 ID: 9d4ab1
File 142674163151.jpg - (184.16KB , 1800x1080 , Plateau Impasse.jpg )

>so when you come of age you have your own version of the bird and the bees
Come of age? What are you talking about? I suppose I could make some birdseed later on to make avian friends, though they're more useful for spreading seeds than pollinating, generally speaking.

>>629553
>>629555
Moving swiftly onward from the subject of self-pollination!

>speaking of bees, do you just need to find a hive and get them to build another hive on yourself or do you need to expand your flora branch more before that becomes an option?

I'm fairly certain I will need to expand my flora branch more, simply for the reason that I would have difficulty supporting them with my currently withered abilities. It may surprise you to know that, while they are unlikely to injure me very much, the average insect hive becomes quite offended if you pull their hive down and jam it somewhere else. Such violent relocation can even cause fatal stress to the nesting queen or cause them to flee the hive entirely. No, I would need to attract a virgin queen ready to start a new hive and entice her to begin it on my branches. That will likely require special resources I don't have available as I am now.

>That sure is a pretty moon. I wonder why it's green.

Verdegris is always green, just as Aetheris is blue, and Hemos is red. Hemos is the smallest, though, and is not out tonight. I expect it will show up eventually - astronomy is not my strong point, but I believe all three moons orbit at their own pace and angle, from my limited knowledge on the matter.

>New flowers?

On the note of that, I do have a possible proposition that has just cropped up. There is a plateau on the way to the bower tree, and it looks like the foliage gets pretty dense as one goes upwards. Doing a thorough search of it would likely add at least another hour to my trip, but it might be worth it.

Alternatively, I could just take the clear path along the bottom and probably be there within another half hour. The hill isn't going anywhere, and it might be easier to search it during the day. Unless there is something night-blooming up there, I guess...

What do you think?

>>629868
Wait you're saying you need to romance a young queen bee?

Check the place for nighttime flowers, then come back again during the day to see if there are any new daylight flowers. I don't see any reason to treat time as a limited resource, at this point.

...ah, I figured out what that symbol on the top is. It's a sundial.

Is it normal for that tree to be shedding glowing stuff?

Didn't the other guy say four moons? Yeah, he did...

I wonder if that means they're on different worlds, or if a moon was somehow gained/lost at some point, or if one of them is purely mythical?

Anyway yes definitely explore the plateau. We've got no reason to hurry at this point.

Well you don't need to sleep so I don't see why you should take the quick path so forage a little

Twyggdrasil Kaed 2015/04/18(Sat)16:14 No. 635167 ID: 9d4ab1
File 142939885018.jpg - (653.88KB , 1800x1080 , Plateau forage.jpg )

>>629886

Those are just fireflies. They show up at night sometimes.

>>629888
There are only three moons, and no more, as far as I know. While it is theoretically possible a moon was added at some point between.. my dim memories of the past and now, I neither know how it would be possible nor what relevance it would have to me. There is no way for me to reach any of the moons.

>>629890
>>629874
Ahem. Bees aside for the moment you have a point. I will search the plateau. Travel is slow up here, but thankfully, most of the bushes only come up to my knees at bet.

~~~

Hmmn. This hill unfortunately seems to be so clogged with brush and trees that there is little room for other things to grow, but.. I think I found something...

Ah, yes. It's out of season, but I recognize that smell. Let me just sift it out of this bush...

Moondrop Entry Kaed 2015/04/18(Sat)16:43 No. 635169 ID: 9d4ab1
File 142940062310.gif - (177.85KB , 1152x1084 , Moondrop.gif )

This is quite a valuable find, actually, even if not much immediate use to me...
~~~~
Moondrops only bloom naturally in the cooler seasons, when the night is bright enough from all three moons being above. The rest of the year, they remain asleep and look much like dull weeds.

When they bloom, their stamen give off a faint glow that attracts night-flying insects (particularly fireflies) to spread their seeds. As a result of this very sparse period of blossoming, they are somewhat rare to find.

They are valued for their petals, which can be crushed into a paste or dried into a tea that relieves pain. The crushed petals are more valuable, however, for their assistance in healing burns. A moondrop salve, applied quickly enough to a fresh burn, can greatly reduce long-term suffering and encourages healing.

Moondrop honey is capable of completely healing all but the most severe burns, preventing scars from forming. As moondrops almost never bloom with enough numbers or commonality in location to create honey from, this makes it a nearly priceless commodity.

Nice. So if we need some money, we can produce and sell these. Would also make the forest a bit more pretty attracting the fireflies and all.

neat, this should help once we get to a point to grow lots of these either in the ground or off your back.

Twyggdrasil Kaed 2015/04/21(Tue)10:48 No. 635642 ID: 9d4ab1
File 142963849614.jpg - (163.17KB , 1800x1080 , Bad trip.jpg )

>>635171

I can understand increasing the aesthetics of the forest, but what is money? And how do you propose we convince the flowers to provide us with it? I admit that maybe communing with plants is something I'll be able to do later on, but I assure you that most plants - that are not me - have a very limited cognitive perception on their surroundings.

>>635172
Yes, I think Moondrops will be a nice addition, but too much of one thing can g-

"...shadows and... ghosties, aaaah! Go awaaaay, said you... can have my... yummies! -wheeze- Heeelp!"

Er, what? Oh, it's that guy, with the mushrooms. He's come a bit far afield. Looks like he's been running for a while, he can barely stand. Terrified out of his wits, from the sounds his making.

I don't see anything chasing him, though. He's got his back to the plateau now and is darting looks around like he's surrounded by attackers. Hasn't thought to look up, though, or he'd see me looking down at him.

"Get away leave please go no no no no....

I suspect whatever he's got going on has something to do with the mushrooms, but I suppose could go down and try and talk with him, though it would be somewhat hampered by me not understanding a word he's gibbering about. Mind you, in his current state, it could frighten him even more to have me show up. Might be better to just let him sleep it off for now, if we're still going for the low-key approach.

What do you think?

I say watch him for a few minutes just to make sure he doesn't hurt himself then head on towards the tree. He looks like he'll be fine once the mushrooms wear off but seeing as we helped that kid earlier might as well make sure trippy down there is going to be fine before we head off.

You got anything that can purge his system, maybe? Or a soporific to calm him down? From the sound of it he wouldn't mind either of those options. If not just keep an eye on him so he doesn't hurt himself.

>>635642
Oh right
>what is money
So money is a thing that humans/anthros/whatever you would call the villagers use. Basically, you can get money from other people by providing services or objects, and then you can use it to get services or objects from other people. It has no intrinsic value (although sometimes it contains/represents gold or other precious metals) but because people agree that it has value, it does.
Kind of a tricky concept, but basically money is a general purpose bargaining chip with people.

Go feed him a Weeping Lily. That'll help him sleep.

Sleep while on mushrooms is kind of impossible, and he seems to be near peak right now. Approach him in a friendly way. The goal is to break him out of whatever pattern he's in by approaching in such a way that forces a new dynamic. An environment shift, if you will. Do you have any gifts you could offer him? Honey or something sweet like that?

Twyggdrasil Kaed 2015/06/22(Mon)16:51 No. 650181 ID: 9d4ab1
File 143501709294.jpg - (199.24KB , 1440x1440 , Shroom trip.jpg )

>>635653
>>635671

No, not really. No weeping lilies around here, and I'm currently growing snowbells, - which, incidentally, are nearly finished growing and will soon be ready for harvest - but they do not help with sleep.

>>635829
No, I haven't got any honey or.. anything. And somehow I suspect that he would not be interested in seeing a creature twice his size coming at him when he is under the effect of mind-altering mushrooms. Look at him down there. He's cowering against the cliff base, shouting at the air.

Get away from me! Noooo, it's after me! I want to go hoooome!

If I'm to make a peace overture, I need some kind of gift that is going to keep him from wanting to hurt himself trying to get away. Any particular ideas?

>any ideas
uhhhhh, maybe a crown of flowers? Honestly without really knowing what the guy likes other then mushrooms it's kinda hard to guess what would appease him and not have him freak out more at your sight. Or if you don't want to show yourself at all maybe try singing a calming/soothing song. I mean worse comes to worse he just runs off and as long as we can heard him back to the village he should be fine. Hey can you sing? and by that I mean sing well.

Twyggdrasil Kaed 2015/06/22(Mon)21:24 No. 650241 ID: 9d4ab1
File 143503344688.jpg - (199.15KB , 1440x1440 , Really bad trip.jpg )

>>650186

Well, I guess a crown of flowers might be something to try, though I wonder somewhat if that is an idea use of my maturing bouquet of snowbells.

As for singing... I don't know? Birds sing, but I'm not really a bird. I'm not sure I can make pretty twittering noises like that. My throat is too large. But, it might be worth a tr-

Wait.

What is going on down there?

Why is he... woah. That is a lot of red.

There's something down there with him, I think. I can't really make it out. It's like... a blur. Or a shadow?

I don't think, uhm, mushrooms do that normally, manifest themselves as physical harm. Unless things changed while I was sleeping?

Something shanked him. You better help or else he dies.

Well jump down and save him, then. It looks like some dark spot is on the ground, and part of it reached out underneath him. Try to stomp on the part that reached out. (that angle is deceptive, I thought that was the shadow of the treeline!)

OK something is attacking that guy and it sure as hell isn't natural. I suggest jumping down there and grabbing the guy and run. With that wound he isn't going to go far and without treatment he's going to be in a lot of trouble.

I say grab him and run to the river. Once your sure you lost whatever attacked the guy find vines or something to use as a bandage, crush the snowbells to make sure the guy doesn't get an infection or something from the wound, and we'll work on what to do next from there.

Twyggdrasil Kaed 2015/06/23(Tue)12:07 No. 650326 ID: 9d4ab1
File 143508647754.jpg - (83.18KB , 894x894 , Drag away.jpg )

>>650246
>>650248
>>650277

While heroism is doubtless a positive trait, I feel I should point out a few concerns with this plan. Whatever is attacking this khal is something I know not the size, capabilities, or nature of.

Since I can't see whatever it is beyond a vague shadowy blurring around the khal, what is impaling its chest could be a tentacle spine, or the claw of a massive hand. Or it could be a kind of predator that is only properly substantial or visible to people who are under the effects of mind-altering mushrooms. Such things are unlikely, but not impossible, though the world may have changed a lot.

The only things I know with certainty right now are:

-It has not reacted to my presence, which means either I have been unnoticed, or deemed beneath its attention.
-It is dragging the now unconcious khal in the same direction I am heading - towards the bower tree.

With these notes in mind, I my options think either a possibly very risky attack on the mystery beast right now, or tracking it at a distance to gain more information while I head towards the bower tree with it. While the former poses a potential, unknown risk to me, I am fairly certain if I face it after gathering more information, it will be an act of vengeance, not a rescue. The khal is losing a lot of blood.

>>650326
I suggest just grabbing the guy and running but yeah. Kinda want to help the guy not because I really care about him but because if shit like this keeps happening the village is going to panic, and panicking Khals is rarely a good thing. If they come to belive the woods are hunted or cursed they could just burn it to the ground. But yeah for the unseen attacker, can you make out any tracks hear it walk away? If you can tell us and it will give us a clue to how big out unseen attacker is. Also yeah going to have to say follow. I would like to know what else are we sharing these woods with.

If it is moving towards the bower tree then it could be a threat to your plans to set up a base there...

I'm thinking the guy is basically dead already. You have no way of stopping the blood loss, and he may have suffered fatal organ damage from the attack. That is a DEEP and LARGE puncture wound. Follow the creature to get a better idea of what you're dealing with.

As long as there's a decent chance he can survive, I'd like to go with plan rescue. Not only does it save the guy, it gives you a likely in with the village if you nurse the guy back to health.

On the other hand, invisible foe is pretty scary.
On the third hand, if it's invisible it's not unlikely that its defenses are otherwise weak...

>>650326
If we decide on attacking I suggest jumping down on the blur from above, crushing it with our weight. At least the stabbing-part of the creature is probably small enough to be crushed by this, which should give us enough time to run away at least.

If it has physical matter that it can stab into people, chances are it's corporeal, which means you can smash it. Rescue is much better than vengeance. This thing could have gone after the entire village but (hopefully) it just went after this one guy, meaning you MIGHT be able to scare it away just by showing up and looking incredibly intimidating. The best part about that spike though is that it has to be connected to the main thing, so you know roughly where it is. Drop down and smash it as quickly as you can, at this point getting it to run off is ideal so you can help the poor guy.

Twyggdrasil Kaed 2017/08/07(Mon)22:39 No. 821054 ID: f9400c
File 150217076964.jpg - (101.36KB , 1554x1149 , Trail.jpg )

>>650331
>>650358
>>650366
>>650448
>>748738

Ah...

It feels like, somehow, a long time has passed. Time stretched out indefinitely as I watched the small khal mushroom eater dragged away toward the bower tree. I follow, but unaccountably, I find myself drawn to pause a few elongated in that eternal space between then and now, to reflect briefly on my adventures. It feels fitting, in that strange span of time, that I should go over the decisions that let me here, and perhaps reassess my options.

I woke, not too long ago, in a dark crypt, with few memories of my past, and only the vaguest sense of what I was. I escaped that crypt, and gradually, over time, began to regain my powers lost in the many years I lay withering in a dank, dark cave. During that time, I discovered a village, and met a young khal, whom I rescued from savage beasts, before turning them loose to return to his brethren.

I began the creation of my grove, and unlocked my floral and arboreal aspects, finding many flowers to attune myself to, along with gaining a lay of the forest around me. Earlier this evening, I made the choice to travel to the large bower tree in this forest, and along the way, discovered the mushroom eater khal. They were attacked while I watched them, and now, they are dragged away into the forest, towards the very bower tree I seek. Something has impaled their torso, and while I cannot much make it out, I can see a blur moving along, nearly as large as I, but longer rather than taller. I think it may not be bipedal, whatever it is. It makes no secret of where it goes, leaving a trail of bright, shining blood along the grass behind it.

There has been some debate about whether to try rescuing the potentially doomed khal, or to simply follow and gain a better understanding about this threat. The time comes again to choose, unless there is a better option.

>>821054
Just follow. The dude's very likely dead and you shouldn't put yourself at risk trying to save a complete stranger that you can't even talk to.

He's probably gone by this point, but yeah I still would like to follow the thing to learn more about this thing

Twyggdrasil Kaed 2017/08/12(Sat)16:31 No. 822264 ID: f9400c
File 150258069650.jpg - (39.37KB , 699x642 , Mistyry.jpg )

>>821062
>>821073

Seems like a plan to me.

I will hold back for now, and follow the blood trail, trying to keep out of sight of whatever creature is responsible for this.

Hmm. It seems this part of the forest has a significant mistbank tree population. It's the right time of night for them to be releasing mist, too, so it will probably be harder for the creature to see me than it will be for me to follow the blood trail.

>>822264
Well that is a good sign, just don't get caught by the thing while following the blood trail. Keep an eye out.

Twyggdrasil Kaed 2017/08/12(Sat)18:56 No. 822299 ID: f9400c
File 150258939167.jpg - (56.81KB , 814x743 , Wounded.jpg )

>>822279

It was a bit of a walk, but the blood trail lead me right to the bower tree, which I can see clearly now the mists are thinning. It is a magnificent thing, vast and ancient... hang on.

Something is wrong.

These mistbank trees. They're dying. Look how discolored they are, and the way their needles are falling out. There's something on the trunk, too. I'm going to get a closer look, the khal can wait.

Hmmm... something clawed this tree, and it has afflicted.. a disease, or something like it. I can feel the tree's pain, and the bark is practically rotting around the claw mark. Looking at the others nearby.. I think something has been marking its territory, and the poor trees suffer for it.

I don't think.. I can heal this right now. I'm not strong enough to cure whatever is going on with them. Perhaps later one, but..

.. I think I would like to have a talk with the creature that did this, and I suspect it is at the end of this blood trail.

Whatever it is, I think the khal's fate is only a minor concern compared to the damage it is doing to this forest.

Somehow I doubt it is amenable to reason, if even capable of speech. Perhaps a battle plan of some kind is needed, when I face it under the leaves of the bower tree.

Well, if its claws can afflict trees with disease, it will be able to do the same to you. Since you can't cure the disease, all it will take is one hit and you're screwed. I don't think you can kill it. You know where it is for now, and the forest won't die if you delay killing it for a couple more days. I think you should just try to gain strength until you're strong enough to cure the disease. At that point, the fight will be far less dangerous.

Or perhaps... can you climb trees and move from tree to tree along the branches? You're heavy but some of these trees are quite large... If the creature cannot reach you then it cannot claw you. It might also be possible to craft a crossbow strong enough to take it out in one hit, and simply kill it with a surprise attack.

maybe whatever is effecting this creature has something to do with whatever made those strange flowers we found awhile ago. You said they weren't natural and whatever is doing this doesn't seem to be natural either.

Twyggdrasil Kaed 2017/08/25(Fri)20:24 No. 825153 ID: 7dc587
File 150371786083.jpg - (21.43KB , 305x365 , Confus.jpg )

>>822302

That's a very good point. I might just make things worse for myself by trying to fight it. And yet... is it right to not even try? Whatever that thing is, it doesn't belong in nature, and that khal is as much a victim as these trees. Maybe it's already dead, and maybe it's going to die if I leave it down there to be eaten or something.

Maybe I've been being too cautious.

While I'm not sure what a crossbow, I can climb up the bower tree. It is far larger than I am and could easily support my weight. There is no guarantee that this creature cannot also climb trees, though. It obviously has claws of some kind.

>>822317

You're probably right, they might be connected. Maybe those quillbeasts from before also went mad because of that beast, somehow. There's a lot of maybes to work with here.

What I am pretty sure about, though, is I need an actual goal right now. Not an ambiguous list of bulletpoints it would be nice to at one point reach, such as communicating with the khal village, and taking care of this semi-invisible monster, or just 'getting stronger', which isn't really a goal, but more of a path.

I suppose I could just wander around collecting flowers, but... hey, speaking of flowers. I think my snowbells are done. This seems like a good time to start deciding what I'm going to do with them, and what I should start growing next. Letting them stay there until later is also an option, because I do not think they will last very long once I take them off.

Unless I replant them somewhere, but I'm not sure that would be very effective. They don't actually have roots when I grow them this way, since I sort of am their root already.

Once that is decided, I need to figure out what to do next.

I could fight the monster anyway, and take my chances that I'll win, and the khal will still be alive to save.

I could continue exploring the forest, though I'll need a general direction to go now, since I've been sort of aimless for a while.

Maybe there's something else I can do, that I'm not thinking of. I'm feeling a little directionless right now, since the bower tree is guarded by a monster. More problems to solve than I have goals...

Do you benefit from the analgesic effect of eating snowbells? Regardless, they'll be useful quite soon. Either as a painkiller for you, or a painkiller for the monster's victim.

A long term goal for you should be to find out more about your creators, and maybe if there's a reason you were awoken.

Let's go fight the monster. Find a big rock to smash it with, or the heaviest branch/treetrunk you can wield. Attacking it unarmed seems unwise. If you can sharpen the point of a sturdy branch that would make a crude spear.

well we're going to have to deal with this beasty at some point and it might be growing stronger as well. Either way I say find a large branch or something to use as a club and see if we can't take this son of a bitch down here and now. I still want to make the bower tree our second home in these woods and am a little afraid that the beast might kill the tree if we give it enough time.

Oh, can you use your tree sight to scout ahead, see what it's doing and where it is?

>>825166
Definitely scout ahead, yes.

And if you feel you have time, or find them on your way, several large stones/small boulders for throwing, and perhaps a middling tree limb (From one of these dieing mistbanks) to extend your reach will be useful.

We can educate you in the technology of advanced death, bows, attle-attles, axes and otherwise, later.

Twyggdrasil Kaed 2019/08/03(Sat)18:41 No. 941297 ID: 9ba167
File 156488288935.gif - (81.45KB , 750x750 , TreePing.gif )

>>825200
>>825166
>we're going to have to deal with this beasty at some point and it might be growing stronger as well

Yes, I've been stalling on this decision too long, and wandering off after it blindly in the dark will just make things harder on the khal who has been injured. I don't know how long he has until he bleeds out, that was a very serious wound.

I still don't have a lot of energy to spare, but it should more than be enough...

Twyggdrasil Kaed 2019/08/03(Sat)18:42 No. 941298 ID: 9ba167
File 156488289949.gif - (341.86KB , 1000x1000 , FarSight.gif )

... to do a search this section of Mistbanks for the creature.

However, this will take a few minutes to do, as without knowing the precise location, I can only search all of them for vision of the creature, whatever it is.

So, now would be a good time to plan out some general battle tactics. It may be surprising, but I have very little concept of effective combat beyond 'hit something with a heavy object'. That might work for a feral quillbeast and a rock, but this creature can move quickly, and is intelligent enough to use some form of camoflague for hunting. And it appears to be diseased or venomous in some fashion.

A large stick or log does seem to be the best option as a weapon, though, if only because there is some inherent humorous irony in beating it down with a piece of its victims.

>>941298
Since it can move quickly and you can't, the best option for you is to take it by surprise and eliminate it before it can do anything.

Optimally you want a very large sharp stick to throw at it and impale it from a distance. You could also chase/lure it into traps you've constructed ahead of time, but I doubt we have time to set up any traps.
Aside from that you've already listed several problems with attempting any kind of tactical non-brute force approach: we don't know where it is, you don't have any weapon skills or equipment or even any powers beyond growing flowers on your body, it might be hard to see, and it moves faster than you.

What options do we have, exactly? We need options to form a plan.