RP: My Anaconda Don’t Want None Unless You’re Made Of Food, Hon

This is a Necromancer's Guild RP.

Synopsis: Pyde and Joan travel out to the swamps of Gualon in search of the hybrid enormous snake that has been terrorizing those that go through the swamp. Once found they trap it and extract its powerful neurotoxin.

Sinking City

Classification: Basic Arts: Poisons & Potions

Pyde scampers to the edge of the muddy bank. An old, abandoned city sinking below the muck, so Pyde figures that would have many hiding places for his and Joan's target to hide. The Mini-mancer reaches out with his hands and inky tendrils whip out as he feels for the corpses of those who couldn't escape the mud and drowned or faced other forms of death. Finding suitable bones beneath the mud, he crushes them with his magic removing the bone meal from the water and reinforcing his already summoned horde of skeletal rats increasing their density and strength to be able to take on this streamlined mass of muscle and fangs. Normally this would scare the daylight out of the Fermin taking out a natural enemy like this, but Pyde grins. This would be a chance of a lifetime, or many being a necromancer. Once he is satisfied with his prep work for the horde of rats, he sets down his life-sized bundle gently casting a spell over it to ensure it isn't noticed in the soon-to-be ruckus. Then he incants and waves a hand, and an enhancement spell boosts Pyde's strength. Some of the bone meal left over enters into small pores across his body to reinforce his own skeleton, painful as it is he needed to take what precautions he could to ensure success.

Joan followed behind Pyde, the vampiric healer doing her own prep work as soon as they arrived in the swampy marshland, she had changed her footwear beforehand. Wearing a sturdy pair of combat boots with very good traction, she had also enchanted them to the point they should not be sucked down into the mud and water. With these on she moves to the side of the Fermin as he comes to a stop, her voided light violet orbs begin to search the swampy marshlands about them, looking for any telltale signs of their target. With the snake reported to be huge and long as it is, she should be able to detect any small ripple in the reeds and cattails, all small water ripples are searched hard also. To prepare Joan had brought with her the skeleton familiar she was granted after she reached Thanadule rank. The skeleton familiar followed behind the undead woman, ready to do as commanded for its mistress. It was also enchanted to the point it would not be sucked down into the swampy wetlands, its boney hands flexing before it as its gaze scan the other side of Joan, it would detect rippling water movement and chatter its teeth together to indicate it saw what possible massive snake movement could be.

Pyde sends out his rats into the murky water to find any openings. He made a few special rats to form a rat king if they found a potential escape route that the snake could take enchanting them to be even more durable to take any ramming attacks to get past. "Are you ready, Joan? I'm going to have my rats draw out the snake." With a snap of his fingers, the rats that fanned out along the bottom to the swamp and among the drowned ruins start making their way back towards the two of them as if drawing a fishing net from the depths. Looking over and seeing Joan nod she was ready; he clenched a fist with the intention of commanding his horde to start disturbing the water. As soon as he does a giant snake rears its head out of the water as skeletal rats cling to its body by their teeth and claws. Spotting the necromancers at the bank, the snake heads for them. The skeletal rats biting even more, even digging into the snake's scaly body as the snake moves to lash out at the dark mages.

Joan moves into a square horse stance with her combat-booted feet planted into the mucky swampy muddy water, her arms coming together and outwards as she readies to try to tackle the massive charging snake hybrid. As the snake slithers closer to her and Pyde her skeleton familiar would rushes forward to slam its mass into the side of the snake's rearing head as it rises out of that swampy water. Dirty swamp water flew everywhere drenching Joan and possibly Pyde also, but the vampiric healer didn't mind as she got a good look at that massive slithering creature, her eyes widened a bit in alarm but she was game. That hybrid snake let out a loud low hiss of anger, as it thrashed side to side wildly, all of Pyde's horde of skeletal rats viciously tearing into the snake, this would increase the hybrid's snakes' anger at the two necromancers but with Joan's own skeleton familiar doing its best to put a boney strangling hold around its head on hopes of controlling it.

Pyde watches closely as the snake writes around with the weight of the skeletal rats and Joan's familiar, the mini-necro waits for the right time to make a few motions then pushes up with both hands' bones rise up out of the water of both rat and the unfortunate dead from the swamp like interlocking bars. They come together with a snap like a bear trap encloser the snake in a bone cage. The cage begins to shrink down making the mobility of the hybrid lessened. With a great lash it bangs against the cage cracking and breaking some of the bones, but Pyde makes an easy fix of that crumbling the bones and making others stronger for it. As the cage gets smaller the holes in the sides where the snake broke the bones close up. In a last-ditch effort, the snake lunges at the Necros just as Pyde calculated. Pyde turns to Joan with a wink and a salute before jumping into the open mouth and releasing a spell that shows he was just a corpse look-a-like. The corpse extends his arms as the snake lashes out for a strike and ends up not being able to close its mouth with a skeletally hardened fermin blocking it. Teeth locked in a strike position and venom drips from the fangs. The cage shrinks down all the way pinning the snake's head to the bank and its body to the ground in the water.

Joan had given her skeleton familiar a yell to let loose and jump backward as Pyde's bone cage snapped up against the snake hybrid. It had just barely made it back with the thrashing of its massive, muscled tail whipped into its departing figure. Back flew her skeleton familiar to land into the muddy bank in a heap of bone, giving its bony skull shake it would leap up partly damaged from the tail thrash, but it held together. With a jerk of her head, she commanded her skeleton familiar to amble up to the head of the hybrid snake, Joan herself digging into her low-slung satchel she wore about her side to search for a large glass beaker, it would have a rubber-like lid covered over the top of it, with this she hoped to have her skeleton familiar plunge it into those deadly fangs to begin milking the venom. Since this took a good bit of strength Joan would magically enforce her skeleton familiar with her own dark energies, seeking to repair the damage it had taken and strengthen it. The whole skeleton familiar began to glow with Joan's dark purple aura magic to show her powers working. She would hand off the glass beaker to her skeleton familiar, it would take the glass beaker from its mistress while moving in close to that held open maw and work on the venom extraction, one bony hand moving to apply gentle pressure to begin stimulating the flow from its venom dripping fangs.

Pyde: The bundle Pyde had stowed away and kept hidden begins to move. Wrappings loosen and fall to the ground as the real Pyde stands up dressed in his best due to always trying to look professional regardless of the situation. He locks his fingers into a position as he channels his magic to keep the cage-bound Snake locked tight. With his other hand, he reaches at his belt to unfasten a large bag containing the bonemeal of dragon bones. He focuses on recreating the dragon and the dust and bone fragments swirl through the air reforming into its old shape without ribs. The bone dragon wades into the swampy water and combines itself with the bone cage. The Rat kings that were earlier deployed to keep the snake from escaping were attached to the cage, and then to the dragon to create a movable prison that kept the snake from moving. The rest of the rats that were still out in the swamp returned and added their mass to the cage strengthening it. The rats that were still attached to the snake's body let go and blood oozes from the wounds where they used to be. "We'll have to hurry to get this guy to the Spire before he bleeds out, so we can heal him and not fail the quest." Pyde thinks for a moment then wings form on the back of the dragon. "How about we fly this back to the tower, so folks won't be alarmed on the roads when they see the dragon and the snake. Sound good?"

Joan had called back her skeleton familiar to her once it had milked as much possible venom from the hybrid snake, in its anger it did try to violently thrash against its ever-shrinking bone cage with its massive, muscled body. It was all in vain as Pyde had strengthened his bone cage, looking impressed Joan would take the held-out glass beaker from her magically repaired skeleton familiar, her dark purple aura energies being adsorbed into it and then slowly fading from view exposing it as whole once more. As the vampiric healer carefully stored the glass beaker of harvested venom into her satchel her skeleton familiar would clatter at her and then Pyde in excitement for having completed its task. Looking amused and somewhat proud the undead woman would listen and watch as Pyde created his skeleton dragon, now and then she'd glance at the caged hybrid snake taking notice of its condition. Her icy pale lips would purse as she nodded at Pyde's suggestion. "Yeah, I'm gonna need to heal it on the way mid-flight. We should be good as you and that dragon fly us there." She'd say as she would motion for her skeleton familiar to come close as she moved towards the fermin making ready to climb up on the creature after him.

Pyde grins and takes his pilot seat inside the skull of the dragon, being is it was large enough to fit him after all. "I'll be flying in here in case we get attacked mid-flight. I can cast spells and make it look like the dragon is attacking after all. It's kinda fun." Pyde casts a spell over the dragon to be able to lighten everything to make flying a bit easier. Once everyone was on board the dragon, the mini-mancer pats the dragon, with a few wingbeats the dragon takes off leaving the swamp far below. Soon everyone is passing over the gorge and he zips through the portal that leads to the woods near Vailkrin. Upon spying the Black Spire through the eye socket of the dragon, Pyde has the dragon land gently. As they land Pyde has the Rat Kings anchor the cage to the ground after they detach from the dragon. The bone cage didn't suffer too much in the flight, though the Snake looked like it needed a good healing before anything further. It was a little cold from flying in the wind so it may not have been terribly aware it had touched ground again. "Joan, what do you think? Will it survive?"

Joan was helped down via her skeleton familiar once Pyde's skeleton dragon landed by the Black Spire, she'd scramble up towards the caged hybrid snake's side reaching between the bone meal-enforced bars to place her hand against it. She'd close her voided light violet orbs as she sent out a magical prod into the snake, her lips pressed together in a tight line as she focused on it with her healer senses. "It's not too badly wounded, it's more pissed than anything, and lucky for us that adds to its will to live if only it wants to get revenge against us." She'd chuckle darkly as she opened her eyes and gave the snake a measuring look while her skeleton familiar jumped off Pyde's dragon to land next to Joan, giving her familiar a look Joan would rattle off what she would need to treat the snake to the skeleton familiar, it would nod its skull and hurry off into the Black Spire and the nearest supply cabinets to gather everything Joan had request to bring back to her so she can treat the snake. It came back with its arms full, and Joan would take each item in turn, applying bandages and such in a quick fashion to most of its nasty bite and clawed wounds, where the bigger chucks of flesh were missing, she'd move to magically patch those up with her cold swirling healing energies. The missing chunks of snake flesh and tissue began to heal and repair under Joan's watchful eyes, yes it was a cold-blooded creature, but it still needed warmth in the long run and the flight did give it an extra chill. Knowing this Joan would try to ask Pyde if he could do something to warm up the snake hybrid.

Pyde nods then begins rubbing his hands together creating friction and heating up his hands. Then with a snap of his fingers, he sparks a fire spell strong enough to warm at the touch. He gets in between the skeletal bars of the cage to press his hand against the snake and a warm orange glow wraps itself around the serpent slowly spreading from its middle to either end. The snake shudders back to life after that freezing trip, and an eye rolls back to glare at Pyde with pure malice. "Um, I'm going to leave this guy pinned like this in the cage with his mouth open for more materials to be collected as needed. It looks like it doesn't need feeding for a while so it shouldn't starve. What are your thoughts?"

Joan strokes at her chin with her icy pale fingertip, the clear gloss topcoat of nail polish can be seen by the shine of the torch lights shining out about the front of the Black Spire she and Pyde stood near the bone-caged hybrid snake they have now captured and brought back. Pursing her lips together the vampiric healer does a slow walking circle about the caged large reptile looking it over as she thinks out loud, "We need to try to concoct a non-lethal potion with the snake's venom that can be used to subdue some of the more powerful humanoid races." She made a gesture towards her satchel where she stored the venom she milked from the snake hybrid earlier, "Shall we go into one of the classrooms and try our hand at it Pyde?" She'd lead the way into the Black Spire and into the correct classroom that was outfitted for potion and poison making. She'd browse the long shelves and pick out a few things here and there. These she'd bring over to a bench and lay out what she grabbed before going to a cabinet and removing a couple of glass beakers, small clear dishes, and other utensils they would need. She'd return to the bench and add the other objects she picked out waiting to see what Pyde would add and do.

Pyde stares at the shelves thinking deeply on the possibilities that could be made to thin out the poison. "Since the nature of the venom is to attack the nerves and prevent victims from moving, how about we work on that, with the added effect of boosting folks' energy, so that the heart won't stop when the poison takes effect? I am trying to narrow down what we need to make. Your thoughts?" The fermin hops to a sliding ladder made for someone of his stature to access the shelves, selecting a few ingredients, then sliding down the ladder and heading over to the table to deposit his choices.

Joan raised a brow, "Okay...but we are trying to make a potion from the venom to keep people sedated...why would we want to give people a boost of energy?! Extra energy might wake them up and speed up the spread of venom." She frowns as she pulls the glass vial of collected venom from her side satchel and uncorks the vial, she tips the vial over two different small dishes, pouring a small amount of venom into each, once done she corks the vial back closed then pushes one of the small glass venom filled dish towards the fermin. "You work on your idea, and I'll work on mine then we submit each one to Quintessa, she would be the better judge of which one would work better, yeah?" With that Joan set to work on mixing a small bit of the of a few ingredients she had with a small sliver of that deadly venom, muttering under her breath, "We want to keep the person lulled and sedated with a small sliver of venom."

Pyde takes his tools out he used to work on his skeletal rats to en-venomize them. Pulling out a few ingredients from what he selected from the shelf, he starts looking at what he has and then starts formulating an idea for the end goal. "Hmmm... let's mix in some cave mold, and a couple of fizzy potions, I think that could work." He sets down his mortar and pestle and starts grinding down the lichen to a fine powder. Add a bit of the fizzy potion and he creates a paste to a slurry. Then add those into a retort to mix together and heat over a small flame to ensure the mixture blends well. Pyde takes a small amount of the venom and adds that to the mixture after lowering the flame a tad. Holding out a beaker and adds the venom to the fizzy cave mold, and a cloud bursts out of it, filling the fermin's area with purple smoke. His eyes turn red, due to exposure, not the venom, and a coughing fit happens. "Oops. Let's try that again. More careful this time."

Joan dropped that small sliver of venom in her own little mortar and pestle, into hers followed by bits of white fyre herb, elerium powder, along with sirensnare flower petals, these she grinds and crushes down into a fine wet paste since the bit of venom was liquid after all. In it goes tiny amounts of valerian, chamomile, lavender, lemon balm, passionflower, and finally blooms of the tilia tree. Grinding it all together the paste needed a bit more of liquid and Joan added a couple of spoonfuls of goopy concoction. All these together should knock out a being and keep them in a sedated state. Feeling alright about her paste mixture she would now scoop up and prepare in a glass beaker which she finished up putting a cork on it. Once done she moved to clean up and put away what she had used while giving Pyde a questionable glance at the poof of purple smoke. "Purple smoke surprise, eh?! She joked to the fermin.

Pyde smirks, "As serious as I should be handling the venom. I can't help but laugh at the mistakes I made. Definitely not the famous last words I would want folks to know I said before I go out. "Oops." Anyway, I need to try again. I think I heated up the mixture too much and the venom decayed too fast, and the fizzy potion quickly expanded releasing its fizz too soon." The fermin tries again with the same ingredients. This time he uses a bit of ice magic to cool the potion down as he mixes things together. There is a slight bubbling as he stirs the items due to the fizzy potion, but after a while things smooth out and blend rather well. "Ok, so cave mold for a slight increase in stamina, 3 fizzy potions this time to heal any health or damage from the vemon, and it has been diluted enough to make the poison make someone sleep instead of just die. I sure hope this works for the quest." Putting a stopper in a vial he put his potion in, he carefully stows it away awaiting review.