Private Eastern Brisshal Turnip Greens

[Nota Oldman]

Nota had been staring down towards the ground for a solid 30 seconds. He had one hand behind his rear, slightly supporting his lower back. There was a clear disjoint between his habits as an older gentleman and the youthful body he now wielded. Not only was this form shorter, but it was also healthy and flexible. Bending over would be no issue for him. Unfortunately, arriving at this conclusion would take a moment for a man who still vaguely suspected this wasn't a game.

"You smell it?"

Nota glanced over his shoulder towards the dark haired youth. His eyes meandered upwards towards the lad's face. It was strange having to actively look up to see someone's face. Redan wasn't even tall, Nota was just so short compared to the human. There was over a foot of difference between the two of them.

"That's sulfur. I'd know that eggy scent anywhere...."

Nota bent down to run his fingers through the detritus. He had finally overcome his aversion to bending over, and was now feeling slightly liberated by his mobility. His digits trailed through the fallen leaves and twigs, sliding them to the side and exposing the ground beneath. The soil was compact and noticeable moist.

Taking a three finger pinch of dirt, Nota began to rub it between his fingers. Moisture was easily squeezed from the soil, which was tacky to the touch. This ground was incredibly hydrated. They were either at a low elevation where groundwater was pooling beneath the surface, or there was a water source nearby. This in combination with the sulfur smell that was permeating the area had Nota convinced there was volcanic activity nearby, of course, his logic didn't account for the fantastic reality of this world.

"Let's take a look around, there's bound to be something cool. If we're lucky, we'll find some wild onions or garlic, this smelly stuff is great for 'em."

Nota lifted his muddy fingers as he spoke, indicating he was referring to the soil around here.

@Redan Darc

 

[Redan Darc]

There had been something off about the green-haired sprout since that fateful meeting in the starter area of Terrasphere. There was an odd quality to his words and actions that left Redan with an off taste. Something about family? He couldn't be one-hundred percent sure but he felt motivated to find out why someone would be so mysterious! Were they on a second account? If they knew all the great questing spots Redan had no issue following Nota around.

He was primed to let his mind wander to all the wrong places when the "scent of sulfur" was brought up. Was there some kind of hell dungeon? Or maybe there was a rare mob like a hell hound. It was entirely possible that they'd just run into some special hell imp encounter since he hadn't really left the starting zone. The lack of any map in the UI made daringly running towards harder areas a challenge.

"Yeah! Something cool like 'wild onions' or 'wild garlic.' Like they were made in that smell huh? I get where you're trying to go. You don't hafta let me know where you found all your secrets."

He tried to slyly wink (knowingly) to Nota while walking towards thicker mud and stronger smells. Carelessly enough to have both boots get stuck in the mud regularly. Redan had no issue showing his entire lack of any ability to exist in a proper untrod woodland.

"What plan do you have to 'get that wild garlic?' I think I could get it with plenty of my magic whatever but what'd you do?"

@Nota Oldman

 

[Nota Oldman]

The old man in youthful figure couldn't help but stare at his companion with sparkling anticipation in his eyes. Not only was this lad receptive of the information Nota was offering, he was also incredibly excited about it, from the looks of things. He even agreed that the onions and garlic would be cool!

"Hmph. I'm shocked you understood what I was saying. It's not... super common knowledge nowadays."

Nota flicked his nose and brushed at his upper lip. He was using his hand to mask a slight smile. He didn't mind the smudge of dirt he left on his face. It was far more uncomfortable trying to have social interactions with this youth Redan. It would definitely take some getting used to for Nota.

"Ah, watch your feet there. This layer of muck we're starting to cross could be hiding still-water underneath, like a bog. Don't want to end up slipping eight feet under."

This was an area of expertise that Nota wasn't confident of. He had been on a farm that managed a peat bog in order to make Islay whiskeys. He had heard the warnings, but didn't have hands on experience because this was a business venture, not a personal farming experience. Considering how realistic this place was, it was a genuine concern of his.

"As for the garlic, we're relying on luck. It won't be in this deep stuff, but there may be higher ground nearby. If you sneak under it, you can uproot it completely with no struggle. Easy peasy."

Once again this kid seemed interested in the information Nota provided. He couldn't be more please with the situation, though, he didn't see how magic was needed. He didn't understand the concept too well at this point, he had selected his masteries based on real world parallels. The in game application of skills and masteries wasn't immediately obvious to him.

@Redan Darc

 

[Redan Darc]

This was really going to be the jackpot. Redan was on the fast track to big levels and rare loot now. Even while fanciful dreams of besting grand beasts tried to occupy his mind he did his best to listen to the slight hints of Nota's leveling strategy. Just in time, probably, as he noticed just how alive the ground they were walking through was becoming. Bubbling rarely, "breathing" in minute increments. Any potential step being over a lethal sink pit as was only befitting a secret area.

"By the way, wouldn't know if you've tried but you can hold your breath a surprisingly long time. I couldn't get an oxygen or breath meter to appear but I saw my energy go down pretty fast when I was testing it out."

He casually gave the senior player a chance to flex their knowledge. Doing his best to copy the Faerin's steps for some measure of safety from any hazards. If Redan fell in it'd be a lot of work for Nota to pull him out. The brimstone smell and rising local temperature reminding him of the ultimate prize.

"I can make that easier. I'll keep the 'garlics'' attention on me if you've got a killer strategy for 'collecting' them. I don't think I have a specific 'Taunt' skill but I'm good at starting trouble..."

Redan Darc got distracted by the sudden wafting in of a particularly pure sulfur smell. Very little ash or burning for some reason. There was a distant sound like a tree falling ("Hell yeah!") and an accompanying increase of distant churning noises, bubbling pops. Sloshing too for good measure. A clear and apparent excitement as present on Redan's face as it was undeniable that a rare monster was near.

@Nota Oldman

 

[Nota Oldman]

The old fella' couldn't help but to shrug his shoulders and shake his head. He had a faint grin on his cheeks as he did so. This runt was cheeky, but in a dopey amusing sort of way. Nota wasn't worried about them holding their breath in a hidden bog, he was worried they wouldn't be able to extricate themselves from the muddy slurry. Holding your breath only mattered if they were able to willingly get their heads out of the muck.

"Yeah, yeah. You just hold your breath and let me know how that works for'ya. I don't know anything about a meter or energy though. That sounds like weird tech talk, I'm all manual."

Nota lifted an arm and grasped his bicep with his other hand, in a show of physical prowess. Considering his current stature, it wasn't very impressive. This didn't dissuade the old bloke who felt stronger than he had in years from showing off, though.

"Taunting and holding attention don't have anything to do with uprooting the garlic. I appreciate the excitement th--"

The green haired figure stood stock still as his ears twitched. He was listening to something in the distance. A deep rumble, as if the ground was shifting or a large object was falling. This was outside of his expectations for what they were walking into.

"Let's take this a little slower, make sure we get a good look at what that was. No need to rush and get hurt."

Nota walked a short distance further, brushing aside a bush and trudging through thicker and thicker mud. He was stepping gingerly, making sure he had a solid foothold before putting weight on it. He had already resigned himself to be covered in mud, so there was no thoughts of avoiding the mess. The smell of sulfur made Nota regret that choice. This stench was going to be rubbed into his skin and smell for days, at this rate.

"H-hold."

Stopping abruptly, Nota did that thing you see in movies. The thing where a tactical squad motions with their fingers and tries to convey some sort of message. Nota was acting this way because he had witnessed something extraordinary. There was a towering figure lumbering through the muck several feet in front of them. It was no doubt the entity that was producing the loud noises they had heard. Sprawling out in front of them was a broad open plane of bubbling mud, fumes rising from each squelching burst. In the distance, more of these tall beings could be seen wandering about.

@Redan Darc

 

[Redan Darc]

Redan seemingly picked up on Nota's intentions. He wasn't exactly watching the hand signs since looking up at a mud man and seeing what someone he had to look down at (honest) were somewhat exclusive head angles. There was an inkling at the back of his mind that the mud might not even see them if they don't move. But...

"Does it have eyes? Ears?"

He spoke louder than he should have been comfortable. Enough that the golem ahead seemingly turned towards them before continuing to clear out some greenery encroaching into its clearing. This was clearly the secret farming spot Nota had been heading towards the whole time. The fact he had been so right kept Redan from hearing the experienced player's words to the contrary. There was no reason to lie to Darc anymore but he wasn't about to mind it.

"Hah! So cool! This guy looks like he's worth tons of experience points, just look at how strong he is. And there's probably more in the mud, what a classic encounter type."

With the smirk of a student that "totally knew" everything their teacher was about to cover he tried to meet Nota's gaze.

"You don't hafta tell me how you're going to beat that, and the rest of them, lets just party up first so we can share the ee-ex-py. Then we can start when you're good to go."

He then closed a fist in front of him, perhaps in the fashion of a youthful greeting or showing of "props."

@Nota Oldman

 

[Nota Oldman]

The green haired youth nearly shouted when the other lad spoke full volume and attracted the attention of whatever this 'entity' was. The shouting would have been counterintuitive, but they had already attracted the beings focus, so it didn't seem like such a terrible idea. Still though, Nota maintained his cool, took a deep breath, and organized his thoughts.

"First off, avoid deep breaths. Eghmmm. I just took one and it burns a bit."

Coughing slightly, Nota used a fanned hand to mask his mouth so he could spit to the side. There was no holding in that eggy caustic flavor. He then turned towards the lad as the youth continued to speak. Nota couldn't grasp a lick of what was being said. It was all terminology or seemingly random gobbledygook that eluded his knowledge base.

"Phew, let me address this in order. It definitely seems to have ears. It heard or noticed your... question.

Nota closed his eyes, a vein protruding from his temple as he straightened out his collar. He was already a mess from frolicking in the wilderness, but the act helped him compose himself.

"I don't know if it has eyes, but it seemed to look towards us. As for... experience points. This is definitely quite the experience. Luckily, they don't seem aggressive. The way they shove aside the trees is a great indicator as to their strength. Frankly, I'm a bit numb to seeing them out of surprise. They are very impressive."

Nota had turned towards the mud entity as he spoke to catch a more detailed look. Knowing they had a slight breath of safety gave him the relief he needed to come out of shock. The large amorphous entity seemed to stride about, but its 'legs' didn't seem to part. It had the motion of taking steps, but the cascade of mud filled in any gap that would form. It had long billowy arms that constantly flowed downwards, sloshing off onto the ground. Its head was round, undefined, and hard to read. Nota didn't see any ears or eyes, but the way it had noticed them indicated otherwise.

"Lastly, I don't understand this 'beating' business. I'm here for the fauna, and would like to avoid trouble. More importantly, this hardly seems like the time or location for a party. If not for this young frame, I'd likely have a heart attack by now. Beating, partying, and this eeyexpee you mentioned... Not a word of actual rational speech. Heh."

He wanted to take a seat and catch his breath in a relaxed manner, but there was no object to lean on. Nota could only shake his head and chuckle to himself. This cheeky lad had knocked a year off of his life with that scare, but it certainly was exciting. This was the first fantastical thing Nota had seen, and it was exhilarating to witness these creatures.

@Redan Darc

 

[Redan Darc]

"Yeah..."

Redan was a little confused. It would appear that Nota was seeing these monsters for the first time. Had he come here following second-hand accounts of rare encounters? Redan could accept that Nota was just startled by the sudden noise not genuinely surprised. The way the Faerin tried to assess what they were dealing with didn't feel like an experienced player's assessment. Of course Redan had never seen it but he was sure he could point it out.

He was starting to smell a stinker here (and it wasn't just the mud!) now that he'd been lead so far astray. The last clue that Redan picked up on was that Nota apparently didn't know what a party was! That was next to unexplainable! While Nota Oldman was twinkly-eyed(?) Redan's hopes were being dashed. Seeing a pile of mud garden or whatever was clearly not as impressive to him. Despite all the tactile fidelity of the situation. Looking for only his best ideas, Redan decided to expose this cad.

As his expressions moved from frightened to disheartened, resting on conniving, and finally landing at a sly grin he formed a master plan. He opened his palm menu and tapped at an icon that looked like a handshake. Of course the "tap" was just poking a finger at air above the open hand.

"Well considering we're not in danger do you see any of that wild radish or whatever? I'm starting to wonder if it was all worth it..."

He tried to maintain eye contact with Nota all while carefully timing his devious plan. Right as his question was being answered he would send a party invite to "Nota Oldman." Normally it would only be rude, and that was all Redan wanted to be. If Nota really had no idea what a party was though Redan had a responsibility to show him. Even in a petty way.

@Nota Oldman

 

[Nota Oldman]

Scratching his chin, Nota surveyed the surroundings. It seemed Redan was more enthused by this vegetal exploration than Nota had anticipated. Not only were they searching for onions and garlic of the wild variety, they were adding radish to their list. Hell, if they were broadening their hunt, they may as well search for all cruciferous vegetables. No reason to turn away good produce.

"Kid, I like the cut of your jib. You've got aspirations. I was going to consider us lucky if we found something usable, and you're already adding new things to the list. Now you've got me more excited. I'm practically salivating."

Rubbing his hands together greedily, Nota was grinning with childish glee. This had been a fruitful adventure. Sure, they hadn't found anything yet, but the companionship was great. Two people out endeavoring to find something that they were both passionate about. It was a good fulfilling sensation that Nota had long forgotten. He was fortunate to have such a synergistic compatriot.

"Because the muck is so deep, it'll be unlikely for veges to be growing in the deeper area, especially with those goobers stomping about. If we stay near the peripheries, we'll be sure to find quite the bounty, well, if anything's growing."

Shooting a thumbs up towards Redan, Nota was smirking when he noticed something odd. There was a little blip in the corner of his vision. He had noticed the strange markings in his sight before, but they didn't really obtrude in his vision so he had ignored them. Random floaters and whatnot. This blip, though, was new. It was prominent enough to catch his eye, and because it recently appeared, it was much more noticeable.

Swinging his hand in the direction of the blip, Nota found he couldn't touch it. It was moving when he turned his head as if it was on his eye, or worse yet, in it. A few swings more thoroughly confirmed it wasn't something he could grasp. Blinking and rubbing were not fruitful, so Nota was suspecting the worst. It must be a clout, or other protrusion from the inside of his eye.

"Lad... I'm not feeling so hot. My heart is racing, I think I have a tumor in my eye. Little flashy thing is driving me nuts, and I don't know how bad it is yet..."

From the direction he indicated, another player might be able to realize what he was referring to.

@Redan Darc

 

[Redan Darc]

With very little effort being used to hide his emotions Redan put on many faces as Nota talked completely unperturbed by his devilish trickery. His grin slowly widened until what was once a sly expression felt glum. Then he couldn't keep himself from frowning as he couldn't even get Nota to react to his fake poor listening skills. It only got worse for Redan next.

Suddenly Nota was on the verge of a medical emergency. The way his body convulsed left Redan uneasy and trying hard to remember all that cpr training he was forced to finish. Luckily the pieces clicked for him eventually. As slow as it was for him to pick up on he had a good idea for how to handle it. It just meant abandoning the dream of the experienced player Nota he had felt so lucky to find.

"I don't think it's a tumor, sorry. I was trying to test you or something so I sent you a party invite. I had thought you knew more than your were letting on. Like, you found what looked like a secret place with rare mobs... Sorry, back to you: you just need to accept or decline it. Just go into your menu like I did."

Redan stooped over to bring his eyes level with Nota's. Trying to gauge his recovery armed with the knowledge of nothing being wrong. It occurred to him after a few minutes that opening the palm menu might have been easily missed in all the stuff that had just gone done so he repeated the gesture once more with the intent of educating.

"Sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen. But I'm sorry anyway."

@Nota Oldman