RP:Getting Trolled by Flowers

Part of the I Got 99 Problems, and a Congenital Defect is One Arc

Synopsis: Unbeknownst to most intelligent creatures, the obsidian flowers in the swamp outside Gualon emit an airborne toxin strong enough to influence the behavior of mice and smaller prey. It attracts the prey to the swamp where they are eaten by swamp snakes. Halflings like Josleen should not be affected, and yet Josleen found herself oddly attracted to the putrid flowers. Arcos chances upon Josleen and finds her behavior odd. Although both Josleen and Arcos are too large to be eaten by the snake, their presence attracts a swamp troll! Arcos manages an escape, but in the process takes a blow to the leg and fractures his tibia.

This rp took place on March 16th, 2014.

Swamp Flowers

Josleen stands in calf-high swamp, protected by knee-high, hard leather boots. She dons a long-sleeved dress, matching gloves and scarf, and a deep green bowler hat with a black veil sewed to its brim. Not an inch of skin can be seen. She looks like a girly, vain bee-keeper, but that buzzing comes from mosquitos, not bees. The veil turns up partially towards thick gray clouds. With each passing second the rigidity in her back loosens. It’s difficult to perceive the subtle sway of her body which moves under a force not of her own make. She’s completely alone.

Arcos was lost. Being alone in this region was bad enough but this avian had gotten turned around in the middle of the swamp. Donned in a heavy leather coat and a wide brimmed leather hat, he pushed himself deeper into the mud and grime, ruining his own boots in the process. Luckily, Arcos always prepared for swarms. Casting a weak spell to repel vermin pushed them away in a small invisible bubble around his form. It kept him safe from hundreds of tiny bites and stings. However, he would soon stumble upon Josleen who would have no doubt heard his curses every time his foot got stuck in the mud.

Josleen is entranced by the heady, foul-smelling obsidian flowers. The flowers’ secrete an enchantment magic powerful enough to attract rodents, but usually too weak to ensnare the intelligent races of Hollow. At most, the sapient races would feel a sleepy calm settle over their bodies, very similar to the effect poppy has on humans, while still retaining their will. However for the bard, this doesn’t seem to be the case today. Josleen has a peculiar, unique vulnerability to enchantment magic. As an acutely social person, the bards social and emotional barriers are porous. As a result, she easily falls victim to the flowers’ enchantment, and while she could leave if she so willed, she struggles to find a reason to walk away. Normally, vermin are brought here to be eaten by black swamp snake. Josleen is too large a prey. They writhe around her boots without constricting. The magic has sunk into her joints like putrid sap, dulling her reaction and senses. She turns her veil towards Arcos, her expression hidden by the mesh. “Isn’t this place lovely?” She speaks on a dreamy sigh. The swamp’s humidity and rancid smell are suffocating on good days, tear-inducing on bad ones.

Arcos approached the woman, his scarlet eyes gazing around the area in wary disapproval. "Lovely?" He gave the flowers an examination and reached down to touch one, his pale fingers turning over the petals. He expression brightened a little bit. "Sure. There is something lovely about this particular area." Inhaling slowly, the dark avian brought his hand up to rub his sinuses. "It makes my head feel fuzzy though..."

Josleen lifts a hand, fingers curled slightly, before her veiled lips and giggles. “Mine too. Isn’t it nice? Like having just the right amount of white wine on a still summer day.” She trusts him too quickly for this to be normal. What woman giggles and shares pretty similes with strange swamp-stomping men? “My… I don’t know how long I’ve been here. Isn’t that strange? I don’t have to be anywhere. Isn’t that great?” Her questions repeat and ensnare as though she were an extension of the obsidian flowers’ power. “Oh look, the mosquitoes are afraid of you.” She points at a mosquito which retreats from Arcos’s weak forcefield. “Isn’t that strange?” Arcos looked over to her slowly, letting her continue to talk until she pointed out a mosquito that was reacting to his magical barrier. "Oh that? No, that's just a spell. Abjuration school. Learned it last month at the Larket Magic Academy." He looked Josleen over for a moment, just now wondering how long she had been out here with the flowers and bugs. "But I'm getting ahead of myself... The name is Arcos Adler, I'm a politician out of Rynvale." He gave her a slight bow of his head. "Forgive the informally but this is not the proper place for that." A smirk grew upon his face, "And who do I have the pleasure of meeting?"

Josleen brightens at the mention of the Larket Magic Academy. “Oh, it’s good to see the Academy is teaching students such useful skills. Headmaster Lydrain is my friend. Isn’t that lovely? Isn’t he a wonderful person?” She speaks slowly and sweetly, unlike any native of any place in Hollow. “Arcos Adler. I like Rynvale. I like this place better. Don’t you agree?” Her speaking cadence reminds her of a song which she now hums as she turns her attention down to a snake writhing by her boots. The humming ceases and she continues to stare at the snake for far too long before turning her attention back to Arcos. “Oh, you’re still here. Isn’t Lydrain great?”

Arcos stared at her for a moment before he gazed down at the flowers again and then back again. "Right. Lovely." He narrowed his eyes a bit at her. "How long have you been out here? Can you take me to Gualon City?" He crossed his arms and glanced up at the sky. He could fly out of here if he needed to. "Or maybe somewhere else where the air isn't so... thick?" The pleasant ring in his voice was starting to fade quickly.

“Hmm? How long have I… oh. I don’t know.” Her nose slowly wrinkles until she is grinning from ear to ear, not that he can see her expression. “Isn’t that strange?” To his second question, she nods. “Of course I can. I’d be happy to take you to Gualon City. Let us just enjoy this wonderful place a little longer. Wouldn’t you like that?” She’s high as a kite and she’s drowning in what supplied that high. “Have you smelled the flowers up close yet?” Who in their right mind would do that? Josleen, who is not in her right mind, bends down over a flower and inhales its rotten smell then laughs really loudly for a full 10 seconds. As she comes down from her hysteria, she asks sweetly “Isn’t it weird no one else is here to enjoy this?”

Arcos watches her with a bemused expression, his scarlet hued eyes flittering from her to the flowers. His curiosity was too much to bear. This avian had always had an escapist mentality and trying to experience whatever Josleen was experiencing seemed like a worthwhile investment of his time. He leaned down close enough to get a good sniff of the flower and inhaled deeply. Too deeply. He reeled back, choking on the powerful scent. Immediately, he became lightheaded. " Ugh... this stuff. They put this in pixie honey..."

Josleen's head leans towards one side, eyes closed. “I wish I had a hammock.” She hums a new song then sings softly. “If I had a hammock… I’d hammock in the morning. I’d hammock in the evening. All over this swamp.” It’s unlikely Arcos will get the magical enchantment buzz. Josleen should also have natural defenses strong enough to resist these flowers, but alas, something short-circuited in Josleen’s development. When we’re all still fetuses, a lot of things need to go right for us to come out whole. If someone can be born with a heart murmur, or a low platelet counts, then what is to prohibit an abnormally low enchantment magic defense? For Josleen, this could even be a congenital disorder. Her vulnerability will soon attract predators than munch on prey larger than mice, on Josleen-sized prey.

Arcos indeed had no such deficiency. Like most avians, his physiological makeup gave him natural resistance against magic. A simple flower's enchanting aura wouldn't be strong enough to affect him with much success. Rubbing his nose a little, the dark avian turned to look back in the direction he came from. "Trust me, Miss... whoever you are. This would not be a good place to 'hammock'. I'd like to 'hammock' anywhere but here, but you see I was trying to get to Gualon City and..." he stopped. There wasn't any point of explaining. "We should really leave this place... I get this really funny feeling here."

“I know. Isn’t it lovely?” She laughs softly at Arcos’s premonition. Suddenly, the snakes slither away to the east, sending soft ripples through the swamp muck. Counter to those ripples is a stronger set of widening, radial waves which signal a much larger creature lurks beneath the opaque sludge. If Arcos were to look west he would see the source of the ripples moving quickly towards them beneath the murky water. Before he’d be able to speak or warn Josleen, the beast would be on them. Swiftly, and with eerie silence, a swamp troll bursts through the swamp’s meniscus armed with a scythe in each hand. It rises to its full 9-foot height, arms already crossed so that the scythes form an ‘x’ with Arcos dangerously poised between the curved blades. The troll thrusts its arms wide as it leans forward, threatening to slice Arcos’s mid-section. The trolls wears bone armor over its blood-colored hide, with a pair of skulls hanging from its crotch. Josleen screams and flees north, deeper into the thick forest of obsidian swamp flowers.

Arcos turned just in time to see the troll upon them, followed swiftly by the curved blades that swished through the air threatening to cut Arcos down here and there. Reflexively, the dark avian gave a quick beat of his large wings, providing enough force to avoid a deadly strike through his body. He wasn't accustomed to fighting in a swamp against large foes, but he knew he had to act fast. His aura exploded with energy as his illusions took hold, his ring of distortion causing him to appear displaced. Then, the illusionist took the offensive, throwing his hand forward as a torrent of flames swirled down his arm to wrap around the troll in a small cone. Hopefully this would serve as a deterrent. Destroying swamp trolls was not on his planned list of events. Neither was getting lost in the swamp, though.

Josleen wasn’t planning on getting lost in a swamp today either, but she’s accomplishing just that. She battles through black flower shrubs to put distance between herself and the troll, and in the process loses track of where she is. All she can see around her is swamp flora and the west setting soon will soon stop telling her which way is west. As for the combatants, Arcos is very lucky that trolls are dull of wit. A combat of average intelligence or higher would immediately dive under the water and swim free of the cone of fire. This troll however requires a full two seconds (which in combat is embarrassingly long), before realizing that he can do just that - swim free. When he resurfaces, he doesn’t see the master illusionist and dives back under the water to chase after Josleen, who unknowingly treads into deeper water. It is now by her hips, making it easier for the troll to swim.

Arcos reached up to rip his eye patch from his face, allowing the magic of his artificial optic to activate. Turning quickly in the water, he searched for that foul troll. He spotted Josleen but couldn't make out where the troll was; the water was too violent. "Hey!" He called after her, his wings starting to beat heavily to give him a little extra mobility. The density of the swamp was still a problem for him, though. "Get out of the water!"

Josleen yanks thorny bushes to propel herself forward faster. Her gloves protect her a bit from the thorns, but the larger spikes pierce through her gloves and poke at her flesh. “Where is it?!” She shouts up at Acros, her voice shrill and panicked. Her movements aren’t swift and practiced. She is clearly not a combatant. The only thing keeping her going is adrenaline; there is no courage in the face of danger to be found here. Logistically, even if Josleen could figure out which way to dry land, she doesn’t move fast enough to get there before the troll gets her. She treads water as quickly as possible towards Arcos, splashing foul water in every direction. One hand reaches up towards the avian as she screams, “Get me out of there! PLEASE!” The troll suddenly emerges several feet behind Josleen wielding a large rock with both hands and hurls it down towards Josleen’s head.

Arcos only had seconds to react. He had spent too much time searching for the troll to think about what he might do when he actually resurfaced. Arcos wasn't much of a combatant either but he could keep himself alive. Suddenly, he was faced with the choice between self-preservation or his fragile sense of personal morality. Reaching forward, the dark avian gripped her hand and pulled her forcefully to his chest as his large wings projected them both into the air. However, the added weight caused him to ascend slower than he had predicted and while Josleen had been lifted to safety, both of Arcos' legs were left to take the blunt of the boulder that was hurled at them. The rock struck mostly below the knees, his right leg absorbing most of the shock as the force knocked their bodies backwards. The pain was awful, but his mind didn't have time to process it right now. It was mostly just an acknowledgement until his escape had been achieved. A low groan passed through his lips as they realigned in midair, his wings flapping faster in order to gain speed. He wanted no more of this troll or his swamp.

Josleen is also ready to be out of that swamp now. What a remarkable change of heart! She has no problem being hoisted in the air and reflexively clings to Arcos’s torso. The troll jumps after them with impressive lift, and manages to grab hold of Josleen’s boot. She yelps reflexively and twists her heel to free her foot of the boot and troll. The troll falls back into the swamp without a half-elf and/or an avian on the menu for tonight’s dinner, but with a fashionable knee-high lady’s boot. Free from the enchanting magic of the swamp flowers, Josleen’s senses slowly return to her. Her voice loses its saccharine affectation, and she takes a few breaths to clear her fogged mind so that there is nothing left but excess adrenaline. “There.” She points in the direction of Gualon. “That’s Gualon. We’ll be safe there. I’m a guest of the governor’s.” Arcos nodded his head silently as he flew them closer to the city. Why he even bothered walking anywhere was now what he kept asking himself. It at least took his mind off the pain. He was certain he had broken something when that rock struck him. His wings shifted to guide them southward and as he be gain a slight decent he parted his lips to speak. "Guest of the Governor, huh?" His voice, while pained, still came off sly, "I guess I know which damsel in distress I should rescue."

Josleen's mind is still too groggy to understand what Arcos is insinuating about her and the governor. In her addled haze she ignores the comment and tone altogether. “Hm? Are you hurt? I can take a look at your leg. I was trained as a nurse up in Frostmaw. I’m Josleen, by the way.” She rubs at her eyes and blinks them several times before looking over the city scape. She points to one building on Arena Avenue, “That’s the Clinic” and then at the castle “That’s Methany Manor. We can go to either. I have a suite at the manor if you need to rest.”

Arcos looked down at her for a moment. He wouldn't admit how much pain he was really in but he still nodded his head at her. "Yes, I've suffered a severe leg injury." He informed her, trying to hide his discomfort, "But I'll still take you to the manor first... I can deal with it on my own time." Clearly, he was trying to act the part of the tough and mysterious stranger, though he picked a bad time to put on airs. As they neared the ground he spoke up again. "Josleen, was it? When I hit the ground I probably won't be able to land... so be advised. And brace yourself."

“Whoa whoa!” She tries to put the brakes on his crash landing plan. It is not a very good plan. “No, no, set me down first and then I’ll help you down. You can lean on me.” All five feet and two inches of her. If the idea of needing help to land is embarrassing to his race, Josleen is quite clueless. “Don’t put weight on the foot. ...Or just keep flying? Is that tiring?” Does that hurt his avian man pride? She’s already extending one foot downwards in anticipation of being put down on the ground before he lands.

Arcos started to beat his wings furiously, trying to slow down as much as he could. "Um, this is still going to be difficult." They still had a good 30 feet to go but they were descending fast. "I'm going to drop you off first but you have to jump down or I'll crash anyway." 20 feet of room was left. "Your added weight, while not much, still makes a slow landing impossible. Got it?" Their time was running short. They had less than ten feet before the avian made the landing he originally planned for.

Ten feet is close enough! Josleen releases Arcos, and hopefully he releases her back. Covered in swamp grime, the woman contrasts sharply against Methany Manor’s luxurious decor and painstakingly manicured garden. She stays low to avoid collision with Arcos as he finishes his descent, and once he has landed (or more likely crashed), she runs over to him, her lone boot clicking against the courtyard’s flagstones arhythmically. “Are you okay?” If he stands, she stands and offers her slight body as a crutch; if he lies on the ground, she kneels beside him. Curiously, she never reveals her hat and veil. He still sees only an expressionless mesh.

Arcos sensed when Josleen was about to make her leap and he let her go without concern of her landing. He was much too focused on how his own would go. His wings spread out to cause him to glide and he lowered slowly, gingerly putting out his feet to land. He already knew this would be bad. He went left foot first, his heel dragging the ground to slow him further. This worked until he put the other foot down. With an audible 'crack' the avian's right leg gave out and he tumbled to the ground with a cry of pain. His body rolled to a stop, one of his wings propping him up on his side as it folded underneath him. His eyes opened up to view Josleen and he chuckled. "I've had better diplomatic visits to Gualon, but I think I'll live..." he winced in pain, clutching his right thigh in an attempt to ease the pain. "But seriously... I think it may be bad." And it was bad. Fractured tibia bad.

Arcos isn’t going anywhere for a while. Tristram spends big coin on guests. Jos sends Manor staff to call a doctor from the clinic. Arcos will be seen to in Jos’s suite, but not bedroom because boundaries. She never shows him her face.