expiationlogs | The Making of a Bramble Patch

The Making of a Bramble Patch

Who: Erichthonios and friends, Erichthonios and ANYONE (CLOSED and OPEN prompts)
Where: Around Aldrip and the Pessiria Forest
What: Erichthonios seeks to build a natural shelter from predators for the fairy-like beings in the Pessiria Forest.
Warnings:Nothing at all! Just scheming to do good.

I. Plan Phase 1: the search for suitable flora (CLOSED to his close friends)

[Erichthonios’ plan is a simple one—to utilize the blessing granted to stimulate the rapid growth of plant life to create a briar thicket so dense and so bitterly barbed that few would be inclined to pursue anything into its depths. But even this simplest of plans has more than one step involved—to ensure that the environs would not be thrown into disarray by introducing new species using creation magicks, Erichthonios has opted to select from the plant life already present in these lands, meaning he must first search for a candidate plant to work with.

After explaining the basics of his plan to his companion, he turns to them, elaborating on what he has done thus far.]

I took the liberty of contacting Emet-Selch to ask him what knowledge of the local flora he had… Have you perchance seen any thorn-bearing plant about the area? The thornier, the better.

II. Plan Phase 2: Scoping out the location (SEMI-OPEN; friends and others replanting the forest)

[The selected thorny specimens and their seeds safely in hand, it is time to journey into the forest. Whether their journey is one pleasant or one of peril, luck shall decide. For the moment, however, Erichthonios’ pace is unhurried, and his confidence unflagging. Yet he is not unaware of the dangers, for he had been told of them before.]

Have you heard aught about the wayward limbs of the creation that damaged this forest? Have they been tracked down and dealt with… or do some yet remain unaccounted for?

III. Plan Phase 3: Help It Grow (CLOSED to his accomplices)

[At last they have reached a suitable place. Before them stretches a clearing—a swath of deforested land yet untouched by new plantings; a perfect starting point for their ambitious project, sunlit and with no competing specimens.]

Let us begin here, and work our way into the forest. The light should endow the new growth with vigor, but we need not stick only to clearings.

IV. The Deed Done (OPEN TO ALL)

[For dozens and dozens of yalms—or yards, or even meters depending on one’s measurement system—there are thorns. A great bramble patch has taken shape in the Pessiria Forest, the sprawling briars grown from the tiniest of plants and seeds. And it is not merely the work of nature. No, this massive tangle has been orchestrated. It has been planned for meticulously, seed and start spaced and placed to provide shelter and sustenance to wildlife and fairykind both.

Erichthonios stands at the edge of it all, the robed man standing with a hand braced upon his hip, surveying his work with an eminently pleased expression.]

It could be larger… but ‘tis a good start.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[There's an alarmed squawk from around the corner of one of the larger brambles. Med'an, armed with a bow and arrow, has stumbled upon the patch just as Erichthonios is admiring it.]

What happened?! Erichthonios, be careful - don't get too close to it!

Edited (lul html) 2023-06-28 01:30 (UTC)

[Erichthonios, on the other hand, is not in the least bit alarmed. If anything, his eyes brighten a little at the approach of the boy.]

Med'an! 'Tis good to see you.

[He is, at least, a respectful few feet from the thorns. He may have planned and helped create the tangle, but his robes are no more immune to the sharp barbs than anyone else's.]

You need not fear the thorns. Though they may be intimidating, I assure you they serve a purpose.

[He doesn't look convinced - though he's slightly lowered the hand he was reaching out to Erich with, since the danger seems less immediate than he originally thought. But he is thinking about the evil creature that the cultists had summoned - it hadn't been thorny, no, but it had been plant-like...]

Are you...sure? [He'd like to come closer to Erich, but he hesitates, eyeing the brambles suspiciously.] How can you be so sure?

[The boy looks worried. Why he is so, Erichthonios cannot yet tell, but... perhaps it is that he has been through a lot. Thoughtful, Erichthonios returns to looking over his work.]

...'Tis I who sought to plant them. You remember the creatures they call fairies, yes? The ones who shared their blessing that the forest could regrow.

[He closes his eyes, brows furrowing, the young man stressed at the memory of what he next imparts.]

Someone transmitted a message, indicating a wish... to dissect them, to glean knowledge from their bodies. I thought perhaps something like this would provide our benefactors refuge from those seeking to do them harm.

...Oh.

[Well, that explains things. His body relaxes, but his expression turns sympathetic. It's clear that the conversation in question had disturbed Erich – and he can't really blame him for that.]

I saw that too. I think that person was just...trying to rile everyone up. [What a jerk, amirite? But anyway, now that he understands the idea behind the brambles, he can help Erich feel better by praising it!] I bet this will help. Have the fairies seen it yet?

I do not think so. We have but recently completed the framework of brambles. We may be working an irritant-secreting ivy into it as well, to discourage others from setting fire to the shelter.

[He's put a lot of thought into this, even getting help and ideas from others.]

Though they need not be only a deterrent. The brambles should bear fruit in time. So, if you ever become stranded in this forest... depending upon the season, you may find abundant sustenance here. As will those that dwell here.

[His gaze slowly drifts skyward, casting across the tops of the tallest of the woodland's vegetation.]

...Beautiful though they are, a forest that sustains life requires more than trees.

Oh, [he says again, now a touch impressed. Fruit and fire deterrents are both good ideas - he has put a lot of thought into it, huh? He turns towards the brambles again, this time with curiosity. He doesn’t recognize the plant, but that’s not too surprising; there must be millions of unknown species out there in the universe.] What kind of fruit? Is this something from your world?

[(pause.)]

I’ve been living on the outskirts of the woods, by the way. That’s why I was, uh, surprised by these. [lul.]

...Ah.

[That... definitely explained the somewhat panicked reaction the child had.]

Pray accept my apologies for startling you. The bramble is one of those native to this area. I believe it produces a... black berry? If a suitable rose can be found, we shall include those as well.

[Nature is varied. Variety is good.]

As for your other question, I sought to use that which was already here. I was concerned that introducing new species from our star could throw off the balance that exists here.

Edited 2023-06-30 18:24 (UTC)

[Well, that and the cultist plant monster thing, but hey, seems like neither worry is valid! This is just your friendly neighborhood Erich-made plant. That's cool with him.Wait.......hm....."star"? It's a kind of odd turn of phrase....that Med'an thinks he's heard before. The gears in his head have to turn for a few moments, but then he remembers. Emet-Selch used that word, didn't he? Huh.]

...What's it called again? Your world.

I do not believe we have spoken of it before.

[Slow as Erichthonios' thoughts may churn, his memory is quite good.]

'Tis known by the name Etheirys, so called for its abundance of aether. An abundance so profound that the sky itself shimmers from time to time.

Etheirys...[He stores the name away in his mind. Maybe he can catch Emet-Selch on a less-grumpy day and see if he recognizes it.] That's pretty. I think you're right – it might be dangerous to add in plants that aren't from around here.

[Did that happen with his ancestors on Draenor? He's not sure. He'll have to ask his uncle when he gets back home...anyway.]

By “aether”, do you mean...astral magic? Energies?

Aye. The energies of life that exist in all things. The energies with which we weave magicks both simple and complex.

[He would demonstrate... if he hadn't already used so much to help with making the massive bramble patch.]

[There's a bit of bemusement on Med'an's face. Erich said 'aye', but he's not entirely sure the description he's given matches what Med'an knows of aether. Although, he supposes he doesn't actually know much about it; at least not in comparison to what he knows of other forms of magic.]

We have ley lines on Azeroth. They're all underground, though. [...] I think. So is that what you study? [The robes are kind of mage-ish, right? He idly examines one of the smaller thorns while they talk, more at ease with it now that he knows why it's here.]

I do, although in a way... more informal than most.

[He doesn't exactly attend Akadaemia Anyder...]

[Med'an tilts his head slightly. The bemusement continues...maybe Erich means that he's home-schooled, as it were? Med'an is, technically, if you call being raised in isolation by a wizard "home-schooled".]

I'm...training to be a shaman. It's more nature magic than astral, but I'm learning about the Light too. - so I guess I'm kind of training in a lot of things. [Heheh...]

I would be glad to hear more about it sometime. Although I am not very skilled, I do enjoy broadening my horizons.

[He's a nerd like that.]

Erichthonios, do you plan to conjure a ring of thorns around just this patch of land, or fill the entire space with thorns? I can't help but be curious if the fairies would truly be able to live within the latter...

[Though given how attuned they are to the forest and plant life, perhaps they will be able to work with the plants in question so that they are left unscathed by any thorns or irritants -- and only them.]

[Already bending down to dig, Erichthonios straightens as he hears Themis begin to speak, giving his friend his full attention. He listens carefully, taking in each word; advice he takes immediately to heart.

Excitable as he is about his whole project, Themis' trepidation gives him pause.]

A-ah... Well, my thought was to leave some several clearings within, yet not so close to the edge as to be readily observable.

[And the ivy, when they get to it later, only to be used near the outer edges.]

That seems reasonable enough. They do have an affinity to plant life, after all.

[However, there is one thing that troubles him about the plan that he has yet to think of a solution to...]

Do you have any plans in place for if someone does make the ill-advised decision to set fire to the patch? It will not put itself out even if the perpetrators are driven away, after all. Unless... do you suppose the fairies themselves have a means to deal with it?

[Themis... brings up a very good point.]

That I do not know. Though Emet-Selch suggested looking into fire-resistant plants, even those would be affected after a time...

[Deeply, deeply he sinks into thought.]

I had expressed concerns about employing our more dangerous creations to guard the area, but should the fairies lack for the capacity themselves, mayhap a creation capable of utilizing water magicks would protect them from at least that much...

[Hmnn... but how to facilitate that...]

I'd agree that a water-aspected creature may be a good answer to that, particularly when it comes to upkeep. One with a predisposition to protecting the forest and the fairies, of course.

[A pause. He knows plenty of water-aspected creations, but what would serve the purpose best... perhaps something that flies, that it might deliver water from the air rather than be bound to the ground.

Hmm...]

What about a megaloambystoma? Its gentle disposition will ensure it does not wreak havoc in the rest of the forest, and I recall they can be made to fly as well. Just give it a nearby body of water and I'm sure it will be happy enough to do its duty.

A megaloambystoma... Aye. Aye, that could work.

[Their course determined, Erichthonios cannot help but feel elated at their progress.]

You never cease to amaze me, my friend. I doubt I could have arrived as such a conclusion on my own, let alone so quickly.

Come now, you mustn't be so hard on yourself. We have yet to see if it truly works out the way we think it will.

[It's an ingrained thing, one he knows full well the reason for, but all the same, it's hard to hear him put himself down in favor of raising Themis up. A part of him wonders if his mother used to say such things, causing him to adopt the habit without realizing...]

But I hope it works nonetheless. If we're gathered here for unfavorable reasons, perhaps doing more favorable things will help change the judgment of those in power. Whether what they say is true or not.

[Indeed, it is a product of his mother's conditioning... in combination with various experiences with others more well-meaning, and their exasperated remarks. Though he is not truly a fool, his thoughts churn slowly... and that is often enough for others to jump to the wrong conclusion.

After so many times of it, he'd internalized their opinion of him.]

Ah, I honestly hadn't even thought that far into it.

[Though Themis makes a good point. Even if a wrong was done, perhaps choosing a better path and putting it into action would go a ways to demonstrating one's ability to change...]

Nevertheless... I hope it works, too.

[ Much like he had done in another life, G'raha had set out to get a lay of the land, so to speak. Visiting what locations he can. Attempting to get a feel for the place. That's how he's come to find himself here.

Someone is approaching behind him, but G'raha hasn't turned around to look. Not just yet. He's still trying to figure out what he is to make of the place. ]

Nay, but then I suppose I wouldn't have. I've only but recently arrived myself.

[Ah. A new voice; one Erichthonios has not yet heard before. Then again, he is also new to this place, and there are many he has yet to meet.]

In that case... it would be best to take a cautious approach in entering these woods. They may yet be lurking.

The fact that you mention it...

[ Now he turns around and in doing so... Well it's difficult to be unable to identify those robes. That mask. Though G'raha will refrain from judgement or bringing anything related to the star up. For the moment, anyway. ]

Does that mean to say you have heard aught of it?

Aye, that I have. Though not much, I am afraid. I do not even know the range of its capabilities.

[Though by how damaged the forest is, he would guess it a being of considerable power.]

Yet, there does not appear to be any sense of widespread panic, so perhaps the remaining limbs are a fair measure weaker...

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The Making of a Bramble Patch

iv

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

III

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

II

no subject

no subject

no subject