[OMGWTFBBQ, deadlines and busy and shit, whoa. Still have part of the weekend off, and I'm not gonna go much more than a week without poking this if I can help it.]
With extreme caution and an investigative process involving lobbing a nearby singed groundhog at the thing- it bounces harmlessly off one of the lower stalks and, looking quite disgruntled, runs away over Chaotic's legs -, Porkins approaches the plant and cuts off three of the quite ripe-looking seed bulb-pod-things. Their stalks rapidly atrophy and are reabsorbed.
Some examination reveals the things have thin, tough casings, and appear to have a good number of solid seeds within, which rattle when shaken.
The plant appears to have settled down for the night, with even the residual sunlight quite gone.
Patham notes that the seed pods appear quite magically charged, with a reasonable amount of energy tied up in them. Unlike the mother plant, they do seem to be quite inactive, however.
Chaotic, having recovered enough to raise himself, moves with some help to a bedroll.
For a moment, Patham is haloed in a worryingly Cherenkov-esque blue light, unsprained arm moving in a complex gesture of healing. Then the light flares to a painful brilliance and he twists violently, grunting in pain and curling around his hand. A palpable arcane backwash sizzles outward as the failed spell dumps its accumulated energy into the environment. It would appear that the good Magus is currently indisposed with regards to the use of magic, given the severe hand cramps and sharp headache.
His Lordship regards Murdoc for a moment.
"You, sir, were raised in no hall under the auspices of the Mountainhome."
He seems to be struggling with something.
"...Ah, well. Such is the way of things, I suppose. The world cannot always make things simple, and you are right that to turn these wayfarers out is not the action of an honorable dwarf. I suppose they might constitute an intelligence asset, if nothing else."
"They cannot be allowed free reign of my installation, you understand? I hold you partly responsible for any dangerous trespass."
On the one hand, you doubt that this was his original opinion on the matter. On the other, he cannot be a true fool, at such a rank, and this was a delicate situation.
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Topic: If Bay 12 was a fortress Part 3: RETURN OF THE CHAOS (Read 235129 times)