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[Playergamer]

Find the salt, purchase, and begin powdering.

[IcyTea31]

Seek the traders out. Bring up that I need 4-inch crystal plates, but don't negotiate yet.

[Harry Baldman]

Ah! Well then. Time to check for something else - do we have any trees that form clonal colonies with shared root systems around the area? Like aspens, for instance? If so, engage in Test 16.

Spoiler: Test 16: The Hive (click to show/hide)

Firstly, check if the trees of a found clonal colony have the necessary vascular formation, and if yes, does it seem like all of them have it?

If the vascular formation is present in at least one tree, embed it with the crystal with the horizontal slit method. Observe results across colony. If none, add more crystals until 20 are used or effects manifest.

And even if that doesn't work out, or if it does and I still have time, perform Test 17!

Spoiler: Test 17: What's Inside (click to show/hide)

Remove the crystal from the dead stump and check out the growths on its surface. How do they differ from regular vascular growths? Where do they proliferate? How are they spaced within the wood? Compare with similar stump.

Obtain a magnifying lens to perform second round of examination.

Check the cambium and the phloem of both stumps (crystal-compatible (CC) and not) for visible differences, as well as the differences in heartwood and sapwood proportions and general looks. Does the pith differ in any way?

[Samarkand]

Turn 25: Who Are You? Powder; Patent Pending

Iktaka Modri
[Have clonal colonies?: Luck=3] Modri couldn’t recall any plants of that particular behavior. ((If she had it would have been cool, I had a tree in mind! Also, Test 17 has been renumbered Test 16 to reflect this.))

Spoiler: Test 16 Rolls (click to show/hide)

• Step 1: Moderate = 7, 11, 8
• Step 2: Moderate= 10
• Step 3: Moderate= 11, 5, 4,

Modri had so many questions regarding the exact physiology of these trees. She got the crystal out of the stump easily, and examining the growth that was around it revealed there had been tiny tubes which met the crystals surface and then spread out to envelope the crystal in a chamber which had many small openings. There was a thin oily film on the crystal which had previously been unnoticed, but it was there. The creation of this chamber with various openings was the primary difference Modri noticed between these vascular growths and those of a tree forming a growth around something other than a crystal. Modri could see that the vessels contributing to this chamber originated from the highly ordered structures she had noticed earlier, and that these were spaced about a handswidth apart, fairly evenly, around the ring of the trunk, this observation being made possible by a 7 shilling investment in a magnifying glass. This appeared to occur within the phloem of the tree, while the cambium remained unchanged. No measurable difference occurred in the proportions of heartwood and sapwood, and with the exception of the aforementioned differences no visual cues became apparent.

Modri’s coinpurse was getting thin, but her results were good.

Spoiler: Research Notes (click to show/hide)

Abbreviations: Crystal Embedded Tree (CET), Unresponsive Crystal Embedded Tree (UCET)

Test 1, Tree Survivability:CET will move canopy to allow light to reach it, CET will react to perceived threats and push them away, trunk grows around crystal to rapidly enclose it, crystals should be kept safely away from the area where the trees can push, or at least be in a closed container

Test 2, Now With Less Danger, Hopefully!: Dead wood is unreactive to crystal insertion

Test 3, Let’s Appear Like We’re Doing Something Important: CET will draw water uphill to their roots, CET react slowly to thrown object, CET react to noise, some trees do not show any reaction to crystal embedding (UCET)

Test 4, The Fruits of our Labors: CET fruit appear to be larger

Test 5, Deprivation: Removal of crystals from CET returns tree to inert state, dense vascular growth occurs around crystal

Test 6, Preliminary Infection Test: CET can repel insects, no apparent effect on disease or mechanical damage

Test 7, Apple Examination: No apparent crystal formation in fruit of CET, no observed crystal sickness in pigs from eating CET fruit

Test 8, Escalation:Addition of crystals to UCET does not appear to generate response. It is the advice of this researcher that two crystals be applied in most cases, and no more.

Test 9, Location: Branches are particularly difficult to work with, focal point of magic dissociates from inserted crystal, horizontal slits for insertion appear easier on tree and researcher.

Test 10, Reintroduction: UCET remain unreactive under the removal and reintroduction of crystals, there is no obvious external signs of difference between UCET and CET

Test 11, Deadwood: Crystals will not repel termites if inserted into deadwood

Test 12, Transformation: There appears to be macroscopic structure of vascular tissue in reactive versus unreactive trees, this observation made after embedding of crystals, no data collected before crystal embedding on potentially reactive or unreactive trees

Test 13, Uppery: Each crystal allows for an additional simultaneous pushing or pulling action by the tree

Test 14, Stumped: Live stumps of trees with grow to envelop crystals, this is not enough to keep a trunk alive

Test 15, Prediction: Trees with highly ordered vascular structure will use embedded crystals, trees with disordered vascular structure will not

Test 16, What’s Inside: ((Not sure what of that you thought was redundant and what you thought was novel. Summarize the info as you’d like!))
 

- 7 shillings, + Magnifying Glass

Spoiler: Assets (click to show/hide)

Farrek
5 iron shillings
Vast supply of scrapwood
16  live trees
6 CET
3 UCET
1 Deprived Tree
Small Crate of Shards (270)
3 Apple Trees
2 CET (Apple)
2 Pigs
Apples
Crystal Tree Apples
1 Embedded Insect Infested Tree
Small Forestry Favor
Small Bowyer Favor
Tree Corer
Magnifying Glass

George Thain
George was having an adventure!

Spoiler: Items (click to show/hide)

Force crystal
200 iron shillings

Bane Willedhelm
[Hide Teeth and Crystal Masses: Moderate=8][Guild Help: Moderate=9] Hiding teeth and small lumps of flesh was much easier than a giant boulder. Bane found a cabinet which he shoved all of the valuable bits into, after which he put a small flower on top of the cabinet for good measure. He was going to search out interested Guild members, but he didn’t have to go looking. Word had spread of a giant carcass being taken in to shore, and there were already Marichemists looking for a chance to examine the novelty. After some lively discussion it was determined the behemoth had the soft-boned skeleton of sharks, but that its scales were closer to the composition of turtle shells than of the softer scales found in most sharks and fish. The interlocking scales led to a flexible but resistant exterior, and the skeletal composition allowed for a very flexible spine. The organs were identified as being primarily similar to a shark.

Spoiler:  Assets (click to show/hide)

10 iron shillings
Podri
Titanic Organs, Bones, and Meat
Large, Medium ,and Small Crystals in Flesh
Pile of Teeth

Herman Tongs
[Find Traders: Simple=8] Herman found the traders and mentioned his need for a 4-inch crystal plate. He was given a quizzical look at first, but the merchant decided not to ask the need for it. He said he may know of mages who cut crystals into particular shapes, mostly for the sake of identifying what it was that was important in crystal function.

Spoiler:  Assets (click to show/hide)

Access to bronze, iron, and sea silver
Wax for casting
81 iron shillings
Sketch of Hand-Crank Hammer

• Hammer
• Two Mechanisms
• Metal Frame
• Spring
• Crank

Intricate Sketch of Powered Hammer

• Columnar Hammer (Must be Iron)(Check: Great)
• Large Anvil (Must be Iron) (Check: Fine)
• Metal Frame (Check: Great)
• Four Mechanisms (Check: 2 Perfect, 2 Great)

Intricate Sketch of Magical Water Power Source

• 3 Rust-Proof Pipe (Check: Great, Well-Made, Fine)
• Rust-Proof Reservoir (Check: Perfect)
• Rust-Proof Corkscrew Rod (Difficult)(Check: Great)
• Mechanism (Check: Great)
• 4 inch diameter Crystal Plate

Great Hand-Crank Hammer
Casting Basin
Fair Pipes
Powdered Sea Silver

Wol Fann
[Purchase Salt: Moderate=7] Wol found individuals who worked with the salt, but it was rather expensive. It was applied mostly in very particular treatments, and the fact that it was imported from the coast added to its value. Wol handed over 15 credits for enough of the salt to make sure he could produce the powder. [Powdering Process: Moderate=10] The powdering process was as easy as Wol remembered when it was first demonstrated to him. He took great care with his extract, and so he heated the mixture very slowly, driving off the liquid over a longer period of time, but without risk of degrading the toxin. Then it was back to his mortar and pestle where it was ground to a fine powder. Wol was careful not to inhale any of his powder as he enclosed it in a small vial.

- 15 credits, + Chalky Salt (1 Use), + Red Vine/Sage Powder   

Spoiler:  Assets (click to show/hide)

Access to gardens and swamp
Workbench with mortar, pestle, and alembic
15 Guild credits
33 iron shillings
Cowbane
Red Vine
Sage
White Crown
Untrained Recovered Rat (Cowbane/White Crown)
Untrained Recovered Rat (Red Vine/White Crown)
Trained Recovered Rat (Red Vine/White Crown)
2 Unpoisoned Trained Rats
Toxicologist   
Recovered Trained Pig
Pig
Dog
Human Volunteer
Red Vine/Sage Extract
Chalky Salt (1Use Remaining)
Red Vine/Sage Powder

[Playergamer]

Test powder on volunteer.

[_DivideByZero_]

Suggest materials testing on the scales for use as armor, and material tests on the bone to determine its structural strength.

[IcyTea31]

Ask if those mages might take a commission job, for, say, 20 shillings up front, 40 more upon delivery?

[Harry Baldman]

So, oily film on crystals, tubes forming around them, similar to an enclosure of any other object. Appropriate vascular structures are spaced evenly similar to the ring of primary meristems in the average dicot, if I've gathered correctly. Also happens in the extremely thin layer of phloem, evidently.

So!

Engage Test 17!

Spoiler: Test 17: The Alterations (click to show/hide)

Check what that oily film might be - is it sap, does it merely resemble sap, or is it something else entirely? Compare with standard tree sap in consistency and such.

Have Farrek test if... magical conductivity? Power? Well, whatever you call the usability of crystals - is noticeably different between a film-covered and a regular crystal.

Also, check what it is that the vascular tissues might conduct, exactly - try tapping one such vascular structure in a CET and seeing what sort of fluid, if any, we can obtain.

And after that, ask that forester I helped out before if he knows any clonal colony trees.

[Samarkand]

So, oily film on crystals, tubes forming around them, similar to an enclosure of any other object. Appropriate vascular structures are spaced evenly similar to the ring of primary meristems in the average dicot, if I've gathered correctly. Also happens in the extremely thin layer of phloem, evidently.

((You have correctly noted that I put them in an illogical layer. I had confused the size of the phloem and xylem. You can either interpret this to mean that the phloem layer is generally enlarged enough in CC trees to support larger structures, or I can edit it to be discussing the xylem.))

[Harry Baldman]

((You have correctly noted that I put them in an illogical layer. I had confused the size of the phloem and xylem. You can either interpret this to mean that the phloem layer is generally enlarged enough in CC trees to support larger structures, or I can edit it to be discussing the xylem.))

((Probably makes more sense if it's the xylem, considering how radical an alteration phloem that thick would be for a tree. Although it could theoretically be in the phloem as well, given how the horizontal slit method seems to work perfectly well on appropriate trees. Up to you, I suppose.))

[Samarkand]

((You have correctly noted that I put them in an illogical layer. I had confused the size of the phloem and xylem. You can either interpret this to mean that the phloem layer is generally enlarged enough in CC trees to support larger structures, or I can edit it to be discussing the xylem.))

((Probably makes more sense if it's the xylem, considering how radical an alteration phloem that thick would be for a tree. Although it could theoretically be in the phloem as well, given how the horizontal slit method seems to work perfectly well on appropriate trees. Up to you, I suppose.))

((We'll leave it as phloem, and say that the larger structure is accompanied by an enlargement if phloem overall. This would also explain why its fairly easy to identify by coring: the difference in size would be fairly noticeable))

[Samarkand]

Turn 26: Scalemail

Iktaka Modri
[Have clonal colonies?: Luck=3] Modri couldn’t recall any plants of that particular behavior. ((If she had it would have been cool, I had a tree in mind! Also, Test 17 has been renumbered Test 16 to reflect this.))

Spoiler: Test 17 Rolls (click to show/hide)

• Step 1: Moderate = 4
• Step 2: Moderate= 3
• Step 3: Moderate= 7

There were no systematic ways of measuring viscosity of a fluid, so Modri had to more or less eyeball it. It seemed different from sap, although she had a very difficult time articulating how; she was much more comfortable with definitive results! Farrek tried to channel magic through the substance, but ended up nearly falling over. For the first time since meeting him Modri took a good look at the man. He was haggard, worn down from the constant use of his magic. Perhaps the man needed a vacation. At the very least he was clearly done for the day. Fortunately the day was not entirely without results. Modri was able to confirm that these structures in the phloem carried this new liquid, but also that this was not the case in trees without crystals. In fact, in CC trees without crystals these structures seemed empty, without any fluid. This would explain why earlier observers hadn't noted much about them; they did not appear to serve any purpose unless a crystal was present. The rest of the phloem carried sap as usual

[Forestry Favor: Luck=7+1] Modri called in her favor and discovered there is a tree which grows in clonal colonies of small clusters in the swamp near Paludan. It is named Traitor's Bean, though the name actually is derived from the earlier name of Traitorous Bean. It serves as a stimulant when cooked properly, a poison when uncooked, betraying the person consuming it.

Spoiler: Research Notes (click to show/hide)

Abbreviations: Crystal Embedded Tree (CET), Unresponsive Crystal Embedded Tree (UCET)

Test 1, Tree Survivability:CET will move canopy to allow light to reach it, CET will react to perceived threats and push them away, trunk grows around crystal to rapidly enclose it, crystals should be kept safely away from the area where the trees can push, or at least be in a closed container

Test 2, Now With Less Danger, Hopefully!: Dead wood is unreactive to crystal insertion

Test 3, Let’s Appear Like We’re Doing Something Important: CET will draw water uphill to their roots, CET react slowly to thrown object, CET react to noise, some trees do not show any reaction to crystal embedding (UCET)

Test 4, The Fruits of our Labors: CET fruit appear to be larger

Test 5, Deprivation: Removal of crystals from CET returns tree to inert state, dense vascular growth occurs around crystal

Test 6, Preliminary Infection Test: CET can repel insects, no apparent effect on disease or mechanical damage

Test 7, Apple Examination: No apparent crystal formation in fruit of CET, no observed crystal sickness in pigs from eating CET fruit

Test 8, Escalation:Addition of crystals to UCET does not appear to generate response. It is the advice of this researcher that two crystals be applied in most cases, and no more.

Test 9, Location: Branches are particularly difficult to work with, focal point of magic dissociates from inserted crystal, horizontal slits for insertion appear easier on tree and researcher.

Test 10, Reintroduction: UCET remain unreactive under the removal and reintroduction of crystals, there is no obvious external signs of difference between UCET and CET

Test 11, Deadwood: Crystals will not repel termites if inserted into deadwood

Test 12, Transformation: There appears to be macroscopic structure of vascular tissue in reactive versus unreactive trees, this observation made after embedding of crystals, no data collected before crystal embedding on potentially reactive or unreactive trees

Test 13, Uppery: Each crystal allows for an additional simultaneous pushing or pulling action by the tree

Test 14, Stumped: Live stumps of trees with grow to envelop crystals, this is not enough to keep a trunk alive

Test 15, Prediction: Trees with highly ordered vascular structure will use embedded crystals, trees with disordered vascular structure will not

Test 16, What’s Inside: oily film on crystals, tubes forming around them, similar to an enclosure of any other object. Appropriate vascular structures are spaced evenly similar to the ring of primary meristems in the average dicot. Also happens in the extremely thin layer of phloem, evidently.

Test 17, The Alterations:

- Forestry Favor

Spoiler: Assets (click to show/hide)

Farrek
5 iron shillings
Vast supply of scrapwood
16  live trees
6 CET
3 UCET
1 Deprived Tree
Small Crate of Shards (270)
3 Apple Trees
2 CET (Apple)
2 Pigs
Apples
Crystal Tree Apples
1 Embedded Insect Infested Tree
Small Bowyer Favor
Tree Corer
Magnifying Glass

George Thain
George was having an adventure!

Spoiler: Items (click to show/hide)

Force crystal
200 iron shillings

Bane Willedhelm
[Material Test Scales: Luck=12][Material Test Bones: Luck=7] Bane convinced fellow guild members to conduct tests on the material properties of the bones and scales. The bones were mostly cartilage, offering greater flexibility at the cost of strength, and no use was immediately apparent to those conducting the tests. The scales were another story. They were incredibly difficult to break, and were layered in such a way as to prevent most piercing or slashing weapons from making contact with whatever lay beneath. At this point the Admiral came in with a couple of the city guard and ushered everyone except Bane and Podri out, and Podri only stayed at Bane's insistence.

"What was discovered here is to remain here. Do you understand? There's a lockdown on all arms and armor not owned by Varisport right now, each city gets just enough to protect their guards. If Varisportian authorities found out about this scale it'd be taken from us in a heartbeat, allies or not. Now, I need to know how you found and killed this thing."

Bane recounted the entire story, starting with recruiting Podri and the theft. He slipped into storytelling mode as he reached the description of the tension as the beast approached, describing in detail the flurry of action that occurred as it broke the surface of the sea. Gesturing as to the size of the beast was entirely superfluous, the massive carcass served as a backdrop for the story. This was high fisherman drama; it didn't get any better than this.

"Damn, so we do need the Mages Guild for this. This thing doesn't look like it can be brought down with harpoons easily. You, Podly, you're gonna be a liaison for this entire project. You'll be in charge, from our perspective. From the Mages Guild perspective you're a young member who got lucky and stole Guild property. You understand? We need to decide what to tell them mages. Just enough that they'll be interested in helping us kill more of these beasts, but little enough that we don't give them our whole damn catch… You have anything for them aside from these scales?"

Spoiler:  Assets (click to show/hide)

10 iron shillings
Podri
Titanic Organs, Bones, and Meat
Large, Medium ,and Small Crystals in Flesh
Pile of Teeth

Herman Tongs
[60 shillings?: Luck=7] The merchants seem to think that these mages have had little enough success in creating any new effects with different geometries that they would be happy to do commissioned work, though another 10 shillings would probably need to be added up front to allow for the purchase of a sufficiently large and pure crystal.

Spoiler:  Assets (click to show/hide)

Access to bronze, iron, and sea silver
Wax for casting
81 iron shillings
Sketch of Hand-Crank Hammer

• Hammer
• Two Mechanisms
• Metal Frame
• Spring
• Crank

Intricate Sketch of Powered Hammer

• Columnar Hammer (Must be Iron)(Check: Great)
• Large Anvil (Must be Iron) (Check: Fine)
• Metal Frame (Check: Great)
• Four Mechanisms (Check: 2 Perfect, 2 Great)

Intricate Sketch of Magical Water Power Source

• 3 Rust-Proof Pipe (Check: Great, Well-Made, Fine)
• Rust-Proof Reservoir (Check: Perfect)
• Rust-Proof Corkscrew Rod (Difficult)(Check: Great)
• Mechanism (Check: Great)
• 4 inch diameter Crystal Plate

Great Hand-Crank Hammer
Casting Basin
Fair Pipes
Powdered Sea Silver

Wol Fann
[Test Powder: Moderate=12] Wol decided that he ought to test the powder the way it was intended to be used. He waited for his volunteer to go to the market, and followed. As the man was walking home Wol jumped out from around the corner of a building and threw a handful of powder in the man's face. He went down like a rock, and broke an arm that was caught under him. Wol dragged the man into the small space he had jumped from, and with the help of the toxicologist carried him back to their workspace. When he came to Wol explained he had tried to leave while still dizzy and tripped, falling and breaking his arm. Wol had then bandaged him and monitored him. The man thanked Wol for his care, and left to go to the market. Wol just hoped the merchants were happy enough with a repeat customer to not mention anything…

Spoiler:  Assets (click to show/hide)

Access to gardens and swamp
Workbench with mortar, pestle, and alembic
15 Guild credits
33 iron shillings
Cowbane
Red Vine
Sage
White Crown
Untrained Recovered Rat (Cowbane/White Crown)
Untrained Recovered Rat (Red Vine/White Crown)
Trained Recovered Rat (Red Vine/White Crown)
2 Unpoisoned Trained Rats
Toxicologist   
Recovered Trained Pig
Pig
Dog
Human Volunteer
Red Vine/Sage Extract
Chalky Salt (1Use Remaining)
Red Vine/Sage Powder

[IcyTea31]

It's a deal. Give them the money and the exact proportions and other specifications of the crystal plates needed.

[Harry Baldman]

"Farrek, I think you should take a couple weeks off, just saying. The next stretch of time, a bit in all likelihood, will probably be anatomical examination."

First of all, request more assets, showing the results already obtained as proof of concept. Give Farrek about half of what I get, up to 20 shillings, to properly enjoy himself with, since he's done some really good work.

Second of all, obtain a more powerful magnifying lens, if one exists. Enlist a glassmaker to construct one if none are available.

Then it's time for Test 18!

Spoiler: Test 18: Mysteries of the CC Tissue! (click to show/hide)

Obtain several samples from a CC tree, compare to a non-CC tree, in this order:

The leaves: do they differ in external shape? Can I see any peculiar structures on their surface when using more or less powerful methods of magnification? Is it possible for me to study their internal tissues to any degree?

The roots: do they have any differences in internal tissues, such as the phloem, pith or xylem?

The branches - are there any peculiar formations on them? Study a cross section of a branch with a magnifying lens, find out tissue proportions and if there are any peculiarities.

Above all, try to figure out if the CC network (since it's obviously not actual phloem) runs through the whole tree, and if it manifests any anatomical peculiarities. Study several trees of different species.

Finally, tap the CC tissue of several CET's to obtain a larger amount of the curious sap, and determine its scent, its density (whether it's denser than water, for instance), its taste (feed a bit of it to the experimental pigs, and if it seems safe (wait a while to see if the pigs react adversely), have both of my helpers try it before having a go myself - the three of us can then work out what the taste is, exactly - don't allow them to tell me, or each other, for that matter, what it tastes like before everyone's tried it.

After that, take the CC tissue sap and boil a certain quantity of it. See how it changes.

Check how well a certain portion of CC sap mixes with water, if it does so at all.

And then, once Farrek's recuperated (if he hasn't, just keep waiting), go and visit the Traitor Bean groves of the outskirts of Paludan with him, and engage Test 19.

Spoiler: Test 19: Inheritance (click to show/hide)

Check if a tree in a single grove is CC or not CC by tissue examination with the aid of a tree corer.

If yes, check if all the trees (a random sampling of them, anyway) have CC tissue in common or not.

If not, check if all of them are not CC instead.

Then do the same for two other groves, hoping for adequate representation.

[Playergamer]

"Perfect!"

Show it to the Grandmaster.