@UltraCraftGamesWhen Peter left, the two goblins smirked to each other before cackling and pointing. They were apparently making fun of the other creature for giving up without a fight. But soon after that they turned back to their task--they began purposefully digging at the walls, pulling as many Mana Crystals out of the cluster as possible until they had depleted it entirely. Placing the crystals in a sack that looked to have been made out of some other creature's fur, they then began to haul it off. They noticed quite a bit of commotion going on over at the pool, and gave it a wide berth. It seemed they were headed for the
bonfire...
@KazemitsuAsura seemed to move at his own pace, simply taking things in and not worrying too much about what else might be in the area. He was a fair distance away, then, from all the hullabaloo going on near the pool.
Then suddenly--!A bright green light came shooting down at him, its magical trail making a sizzling sound in the air. The Wisp stopped just above the red slime, before firing a sphere of magic at him!
@RennyAs Yoda crept around the edge of the bonfire, it soon became clear that this was not a "campsite" for the goblins. It was some kind of...shrine? The cave wasn't that chilly, and the goblins seemed to stay well clear of the flames' radius, so they weren't using it for warmth. Nor were there any "beds" of smooth stone, dug out pits, or piles of dry herb leaves like the little green creatures seemed to prefer, so they didn't really "live" around the fire. Indeed, only one goblin ever got close to the fire--and he was clearly not like the others.
This goblin wore a basket-like hat of some sort made from woven cane, and a belt and loincloth made from vines and leaves. He even had sandals made from straw. All of his "clothing" was primitive, but the fact that he had it at all--and that it all seemed made of materials that did not exist here in the cave itself--placed him as a figure of some kind of importance. In one hand he carried a stick that had been dipped in what looked like pine resin, and then wrapped with straw. He shoved this into the fire until it lit, then began to wave his torch and cackle madly.
He turned, whirling in a mad dance, and Yoda saw his face.
At some point this Goblin had been burned--severely. One of his eyes had gone completely white, and the bubbly, purplish skin on that half of his face stretched down his neck, winding along one shoulder and then spreading across his chest like gnarled roots or infected veins. But then, around the edges of that scar tissue where it should have healed the most and faded back to green...instead, it was a bright, fiery red. Like a tattoo--despite there being nothing from which to make ink in these caves, so far as Yoda knew.
"More! More wood for Crispy's fire!" laughed the dancing goblin. A few others came onto the scene then, carrying bundles of sticks under their arms. They had come from the direction of that
distant light--from outside the cave? And not long after these, two more with a sack made of animal hide approached. They dumped the contents of the sack in front of "Crispy," and several handfuls of blue crystals tumbled out. The flame-touched goblin grabbed some of them in one fist, raising the torch high in the other. He crushed them to dust, snorted them, and then cackled even louder.
@Guy0fV4lor@Rune_AlchemistAsh's quick and intelligent action paid off, as upon instantly whirling to her back she saw the Mana Orb coming in time to dodge it. What was more, her counter attack was slightly faster--the Poison Spit doused the red Wisp with corrosive venom, and the glowing puffball let out a creening cry of pain.
And unexpectedly, the very slime she had been contemplating attacking now came to her aid. For who knew what reason, it decided to launch a rock at the attacking Wisp. Weakened as it was by the poison coating it, the foe couldn't get out of the way in time. The rock hit it with a soft impact, like punching a pillow--except the pillow was the Wisp's frail body. The puffball was pulverized, exploding into a cloud of sparks before something like a very thick dandelion head fell to the ground. The "head" in the middle seemed composed of white, featureless flesh, almost like the meat of a coconut.
And just like that, the Wisp was dead. Why had it attacked? For territory? For food? Who knew.
And who cared? But now the Fanged Lizard and the Slime were no longer alone...
As Eric armed himself, he too would experience the strange mental "screen" informing him of what he had just done with his own self awareness.
Sharp Rock added to Inventory.
Sharp Rock Equipped.
As he sneaked around the battle between the Wisp, the Lizard, and the Slime, he began examining the strange herbs. Once again a message appeared.
1 Healing Herb added to Inventory.
Used Skill: Plant Analysis I.
---Healing Herb---
This green herb does not thrive on sunlight, but on ambient Mana. With good nutrients and clean water in its surroundings, it will synthesize pure healing energy. Low-grade item.
---Analysis Complete---
@TatsuAs Nathaniel struggled to make sense of his surroundings, watching the other creatures moving around below his perch, he eventually came to a number of conclusions:
The various monsters seemed highly primitive, and if there was any communication at all between them it was mostly between those of the same species. If any form of “social interaction” existed among these beings, it was no more than what the earliest of cave men must have used to communicate the necessities of life and the willingness to kill in pursuit or defense of them. However, it seemed that a particular group near the pond was beginning to defy these things--had that Slime intentionally helped that Fanged Lizard? Or was it simply a free-for all? What would they do next?
In addition, the blue crystals seemed quite valuable. Here and there around the cave, the Pixies and Wisps especially seem to gather about them. But the Goblins also seem to be actively
mining them. And they always carry their spoils back to the bonfire. What could they be, and what were they used for? If he remembered the circumstances of his "childhood," so to speak, the energy inside these crystals had somehow sustained him as a substitute for mother's milk or actual food.
And finally, the cave was either very deep underground, or very large. The distant light only seemed to shine for a few hours out of each "day," and any shafts through the ceiling or walls seemed rare and far between. Just how far did this place stretch--and where was the exit?
@DuoyaA strange message inside his head interrupted Marc's vegetarian feast. Perhaps for the best, as it didn't seem to be the most filling thing for a Dire Rat to eat, and its minty flavor was almost overpowering to his sensitive nose.
Used 5 Healing Herbs. Your HP is full.
2 Healing Herbs added to Inventory.
But now he had realized he was not alone. As he watched, the Slime and the Fanged Lizard killed the red Wisp, while he and the Goblin looked on as hidden observers. Yet, how long would they stay hidden? Now that they had killed one creature, would the lizard and slime pair kill again? Meanwhile, the goblin seemed more enamored with the strange Healing Herbs, looking at them intently for several long, silent moments. And as Marc himself examined the creatures around him, another message appeared.
Used Skill: Monster Analysis I
---Slime---
A monster made of living bioplasm, able to adjust its shape and membranous forms at will to a limited extent. It is resistant to physical damage. This one is unusual.
---Fanged Lizard---
A reptilian monster with potent venom. When injected via a bite, it acts as a neurotoxin to paralyze the prey. When exposed to the air, it becomes a highly acidic liquid. The lizard can spit at a distance. This one is unusual.
---Goblin---
A semi-intelligent monster with the limb dexterity and mental capacity to use tools. By comparison, usually as large, strong, and intelligent as a human child, but far more vicious. This one is unusual.
---Analysis Complete---
@ReusableSwordDuring Ardur's little "training sessions," at one point he realized something had happened inside his head. And he wasn't the one that caused it.
You are experiencing a fast of rate of Skill Progression.
You have no MP remaining.
But just as he comprehended the meaning of that message, he dropped the blue crystal into the water. Down, down into the depths it went. With a small bubble of light around it, it illuminated simple walls of smooth stone, an occasional drifting mass of some kind of plant matter...
And then something large that flitted out from
under the rock wall at some point, across the open space of the pool, and then back into the wall. Or perhaps just a tunnel that opened up down there. It did
not look like a fish.
At this point, perhaps the sounds of battle would distract him from his little experiment. It seemed like a slime and a lizard had just ganged up on one of those little floating balls of light--and from his higher altitude, Ardur could see what looked like a mangy rat, and a green imp-like humanoid.
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