Fantasy Cursed Island

[Darkling0096]

"Have fun, and check on Shuffle and Fia for me," Jerry waved the kobold off, sitting down near the phoenix to relieve Beri and work on getting what she needed from these stones. "You know, if you weren't such an ass we might have gotten along," she shook her head.

"Sod off," the tiny bird sneered. "You came into my home and attacked me."

"You struck first. Got your ass kicked. That chimera? His name's Asta, not a single thing we've found down here can beat him in a head on clash, and anything that can give him trouble bites the dust when the rest of us are backing him." She chuckled, "But you're immortal, you can learn from fatal mistakes. I trust you're not stupid enough to attack us again."

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"Well, everything looks alright, if a little singed," Veo stepped back from the chimera, "And you've got soot in your fur from the phoenix, but that's it." She looked around and listened for the sound of Shuffle and Fia playing so she could go keep an eye on them.

 

[Fangs9090]

Raine nodded and walked off.

Erina glanced over at Jerry and The Phoenix. “I wonder... Would a Phoenix count as a beast?”

—————

Asta nodded. “Another bath should resolve that.” He glanced around before going to find Jerry to see what she was doing.


Shuffle and Fia were a few terraces down, in a shallow pool. It was deep enough that Fia could float, but shallow enough that she could stand up in it if she wanted to. They were easy to find from the sound of them splashing in the water. Fia looked slightly different from just a while before. Specifically the difference between a small child and a preteen. Without a direct comparison, it was hard to tell what exactly was different.

 

[Darkling0096]

"Maybe?", Jerry shrugged, "But he's probably not as useful if he's dominated." She smiled at Asta when he reappeared, while the tiny phoenix fluffled up his downy feathers and puffed up his chest to try and appear larger, futilly.

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"You two having fun?", Veo asked as she rolled a stone onto a smooth side so she could sit down on it and keep an eye on the two, pushing over another for Emil.

 

[Fangs9090]

“Oh, no. That’s only if he steps out of line. Then I can tell him to sit.”

Asta immediately sat down, pausing before looking at Erina. “I would appreciate if you directed that ability better.”

—————

Shuffle and Fia stopped to look over and smile. Shuffle gave a nod. “Yeah!”

Emil sat next to Veo. He paused for a moment before shaking his head.

 

[Darkling0096]

Jerry frowned, glancing bat at Erina, then at Asta, and back at Erina. "First off, how are you doing that? Second off, don't do that to party members. Shuffle and Fia I get, they can get out of hand, but everyone else?"

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"You know what makes the water turn these colors?", Veo asked, pointing at the water in the pool that was dark blue in the middle and went through colors of the rainbow to yellow at the edges. "It's minerals dissolved in the water." On the surface, where these springs were much rarer, such rainbow hot pools were dangerous to swim in, but the healing properties of the mystic water countered that well enough that these pools were safe for the most part, as long as they were cool enough to not burn the skin.

 

[Fangs9090]

Erina nodded. “That was my mistake, yes. I’ll be more careful with my commands. As for how.” Erina held up her hands to show the chained bracelets. “A gift from Adran.”

—————

Emil nodded. “Normally these pools aren’t safe, but it seems the healing water counters that.”

Fia tilted her head. “Minerals are healthy, right?”

 

[Darkling0096]

"Adran!"

"Hey, I was making peace with her!"
----------------------

"Sometimes," Veo nodded, "They're good for your skin, at least."

 

[Fangs9090]

Erina rested her hands on her hips. “Come now, Jerry. Do you truly believe I would purposefully abuse this power against the group?”

—————

Shuffle glanced down. “I have skin. And fur. And scales.”

Fia spoke up. “I have feathers.”

 

[Darkling0096]

"Erina, you just tried to control a phoenix and you took control of Asta." Jerry crossed her arms, "So clearly you've got bad control of it, at best."
-------------------------

"Mmhmm," Veo nodded. "Lots of people in the group have fur and scales."

 

[Fangs9090]

“I believe that was because I wasn’t specific. If I direct it more at the Phoenix, or perhaps use a name, it should spare anyone else from being effected. I am still getting the hang of this.”

—————

Raine showed up at the shallow pool before long, on the terrace just up from them. “Oh, there you a- eep!” As she walked, she stepped on a slick stone and lost her footing, tumbling into the water. At least she’d left her equipment back at camp. Shuffle looked over before going to check on her, though she stood up in the water before she got there. “I’m okay!”

 

[Darkling0096]

"Trying to control something intelligent is way harder than controlling an animal or an imp," Adran called, "The effect's gotta go somewhere, so it goes to the closest thing to the original target that isn't prepared to resist." Humanoids were harder to control than beasts like the Phoenix, or Monstrosities like Asta, so it defaulted to the closest non-humanoid at the time, Asta, since the phoenix was prepared to refuse commands.

"I don't care what's harder to control, if we're in the middle of a fight and she tells a goblin to kill himself and instead I find myself cutting my own throat against my will, we've got an issue!"
----------------------

Veo got up when Raine fell, shin deep in the water to go tend to the kobold before she announced she was unharmed. "Be more careful!"

 

[Fangs9090]

"You can at least rest assured I won't give that command, whatever we're fighting. If anything I would try to make them stop combat or attack other enemies."

----------

Raine gave a nod. "Sorry. Not the worst fall I've had though. At least there's water."

 

[Darkling0096]

"Yeah, that's real reassuring, the point I'm making is you have crap control and this thing can affect group members when you don't have that control."
---------------------

"Just be careful, I can't heal you from drowning," Veo smiled waded back out of the water. The hem of her dress was wet now, but at least no one was hurt.

 

[Fangs9090]

"Well, I received no training with this thing. I was simply told how to use it, and I have to figure it out from there."

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Raine nodded. "I'm always careful. Er, generally speaking."

Emil spoke up. "I have noticed you have a knack for vanishing very quickly."

 

[Darkling0096]

"That's because there's no way to train with it," Adran shook his head, "Your patron drops it on your lap, it's up to you to figure it out." He shrugged, "I told you how it works. Focus and be forceful about what you want. Make a gesture, point, or make a fist. It helps if your hand is pointing at what you want to chain."

----------------
"So does Jerry," Veo shrugged, "I guess that explains why they get along so well."

 

[Fangs9090]

"Mm. I suppose it's a matter of practice then."

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Raine nodded. "I feel like there's a lot I could learn from her, but she always seems so busy, I don't want to bother her about it."

 

[Darkling0096]

"For now," Jerry re-entered the conversation, "Don't go flinging that around until you have a handle on it."

---------------
"She wishes she was busy," Veo smiled, "She keeps busy so she doesn't have to think about things, it's part of why she always finds something to complain about."

 

[Fangs9090]

"It would help if I had something to practice on."

----------

"Oh. Should I ask her about training then?"

Shuffle spoke up. "She started training me, too. I wanna know how to use my maker's weapons."

 

[Darkling0096]

"Urodor's still in his cage, Adran's got demons, you've got stuff."

--------------------
Veo shrugged, "Maybe later, have fun, you guys earned a break."

 

[Fangs9090]

"Hm, a fair point. I will take the time to practice then, when I've finished my work here."

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Emil nodded. "We have a rare chance to relax here. We should make good use of it."

 

[Darkling0096]

"Sure thing," Jerry nodded and pulled her hand back from what she'd been scratching around the sulfur rocks with her stylus. Adding water, and the rocks started to crumble. "Frasch processing, learned that trick from the dwarf." Pour superheated water into the sulfur ore, and the sulfur melts and floats to the surface.

---------------
Veo leaned back against the rock and smiled. "Even in the forge it was just too hot to relax outside the tents."

 

[Fangs9090]

Erina continued her work for a bit before she stopped and looked around for Lyak.

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Emil nodded. "Not to mention too loud..."

 

[Darkling0096]

Lyak had found her way around to Erina's loom, attempting to make a weaving of her own out of the magic thread on it by copying the movements she'd seen Erina make. The resulting fabric was definitely sturdier than the thread she'd been able to copy so far, it didn't vanish when she panicked like she'd done something wrong when she spotted Erina.

-----------------
"Heh," Veo smiled and stroked one of Emil's large ears. "It is nice here."

 

[Fangs9090]

Erina smiled at her. "There you are. I've finished your dress."

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Emil smiled. "Yes, it is. I nice dip in a hot spring will do us all some good."

 

[Darkling0096]

"You're not mad?", Lyak looked confused.

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"That sounds like a lovely idea, we could all do with a bath tonight."