brazil ♔ even just a sound and all your cards are down

[luthir]

WHO || Belle, Luthir, Koraith, Violet, Robin, Reynard [closed]
WHAT || Settling into the mission HQ
WHERE || The Atlantic rainforest of Brazil
WHEN || April 5th (superbackdating go)
HOW || Actionspam

The Knight's plane touches down outside of the forest perimeter, as there's no accessible clearing anywhere close enough to the site that's not choked with machinery responsible for... making more clearings. And landing on top of them all might be dramatic, but perhaps not the subtle touch this mission calls for.

They disembark and head out through the rainforest in a little buggy, until they can't drive much further without being entirely conspicuous, so they pull it over and get out, about a ten minute walk from the site.

Koraith turns to them, his massive form annoyed by fronds brushing against his head, which he's forced to repeatedly brush back.

"Well! I suppose this is as good a place as any to suggest splitting up. In some ways, our problem is three-fold: we must stop the machines as soon as possible, contact the dryads to make certain they know help has arrived and don't escalate things prematurely, and, of course, speak to the foreman."

Comments

[luthir]

[ "Then we welcome you to help us destroy these intruders," she replies, her voice fell and grim. "For we will not stand for the slaughter they have commenced."

Luthir steps forward, cutting one hand to the side. ]

That is what we have come here to prevent, arwen en amin. Battle will only draw more of them here, in greater numbers.

[ She turns her gaze to him, yellow eyes narrowing.

"Then their greater numbers will fall as well." ]

[graveflowers]

No, they won't. [She says it quietly, but forcefully. (Diplomacy nat 20) Maybe she just means it that much, or maybe, maybe, there is something credible to her divine heritage. She is a Roman Centurion, the daughter of Spring. And you know what? She is the god damned Princess of Hades. For once, she actually sounds like it.]

I know how hard nature can fight back, but those machines have already done enough damage. They won't stop until they win and if you go to war with them, you will be sending your family, your children to slaughter. Please. Let us help, but not like that, not until that is the last resort.

[luthir]

[ luthir looks impressed by the speech but it's harder to read the dryad's wooden expression.

however, when she speaks, she sounds less furious. ] You have some other course of action to suggest, child?

[graveflowers]

[Uh...

You know she should be an expert tactician considering her background, but since 99% of her plans involve winging it with duct tape (no seriously, that's the entire plan), she's coming up blank.]

Well, do you have any wounded? I might be able to help.

[luthir]

[ it's alright, luthir got yo back. diplomacy 28 as he adds: ] We did not come to these woods alone. Our allies are working even now to negotiate with these trespassers - and to put an instant stop to their machinery in the meantime.

[ she looks between them, and then nods, once.

"We have many who are almost lost to us. Your gift may be sufficient to keep them strong enough to survive." ]

[graveflowers]

[At least one of them can claim good social skills. Violet flashes him a grateful smile for the back up. True bro.]

I'll do my best.

[luthir]

[ without hesitation, she turns and melds back into the forest, her path barely visible except by the shivering of leaves as she passes.

"Follow."

luthir moves forward instantly to violet's side and starts after the dryad, saying quietly: ]

Impressive.

[graveflowers]

[Glancing over for a moment, Vi shrugs before turning back to watch the path.]

Someone told me I was a princess, figured I might as well act like it.

[luthir]

[ GUURRRRRRL

he smirks - yes, the elf can smirk - and they head off after the dryad wordlessly. though i guess they better roll a 14+ spot check to follow it or y'all gonna get lost. ]

[graveflowers]

[Get the smelling salts. Swoon. Also, stop.

Luckily, Vi has a really stupendous 15, scraping by, but enough to tiptoe after the scary Amazon dryad. Probably. Enough that she thinks she can do it, and voice some nervousness at the same time.]

What if I screw up? [And ruin everything...]

[luthir]

[ luthir offers a very comforting: ] You won't. [ after a beat, and stalks forward through the brush. they travel a little while before coming out into a grove, where the sun streams down through trees... which are actually moving about. many dryads, several wounded, are gathered here, and the leader stops and looks back at them solemnly. ]

[graveflowers]

[Not really that comforted, her face falls when she sees the dryads, lunching forward when she notices the wounded before forcing herself to stop. These aren't the kids in Rome, she can't just attend to them willy nilly. There might be rules or some shit. She looks to the boss.]

May I?

[luthir]

[ she gestures forward with a branch-like arm, granting her permission. luthir nods to vi to go on. ] I'll speak with her about their... situation here. See what I can learn.

[graveflowers]

You got it, el Capitan.

[She mock salutes with two fingers before moving forward to the injured treefolk -- are they treefolk? Hmm. -- and crouching down next to one of them, smiling gently.]

Hi. I'm Violet. Lets see if we can't patch you up, hmm?

[luthir]

[ make a treat injury check? and yep, all tree folk, much like the nice tree-lady they made friends with ]

[graveflowers]

[Treat injury 17. Violet runs her fingers gently over the nearest wound, trying to suss out the best way to fix it since... she's never done this before that she can recall. Oops.]

[luthir]

[ it seems entirely natural to her, as if the beings really are more plant than person. she just has to pour her will into healing and growth and their leaves begin to turn greener, their 'wounds' smoothing over under her touch. ]

[graveflowers]

[It's strange, because these are very obviously sentient beings, but once she let's go, it's easy and when she opens her eyes to see her handiwork, her smile is damn near blinding. There is something so much better in healing dryads than just plants.

She rocks back on her heels and looks up.]

Wow. Okay, who's next?

[luthir]

[ several leafy arms motion her in the direction of a small grove... which she would realize upon approaching serves as a nursery for young ones of their kind. beings that look like walking saplings lay in various states of injury - cut off 'limbs' and looks of agony on their little faces. several of the older dryads press in around her, their concern palpable. ]

[graveflowers]

Oh... [Once she sees the babies, she lurches forward, there is nothing graceful in the way she moves forward because the sight of them obliterates anything else from her mind. She can't stand children in pain, it was the worst part of the legion. But she pastes a friendly look on her face and speaks softly.]

Hey, don't worry, I've got you. Lets get this fixed, huh? [She is an gentle as she can be, fingers pressed to their fragile little bodies. (Treat injury 14.) The sight of all their broken parts and their pain makes her furious though. How could anyone hurt such helpless little creatures?]

[luthir]

[ it's a little harder to heal them, as they're so fragile, but with patience, violet manages, and the little dears curl up in leafy balls and go to sleep. and vi would see that luthir has returned, leaning up against a tree and watching her. ] I'll never cease to find your gift extraordinary.

You've done their kind a great service, for which the lady wished me to extend her gratitude.

[graveflowers]

[She looks up, but doesn't seem to be reveling in that extraordinary. Giving one of the children a gentle pat, she straightens up and quickly swipes a hand across her cheeks, smudging dirt into tear tracks.]

I wish I could have done... [She shrugs, she doesn't even know.] More.

[luthir]

We each have a role to play. Hopefully, Reynard and Robin will stop those machines and end anymore bloodshed today. And if Koraith and Belle manage to get the foreman to see some sort of reason, perhaps we can arrange a conversation between his people and the dryads now.

[graveflowers]

Can I punch him in the face first or would that be slightly counter productive to our goal?

[luthir]

[ he actually can't even stop the sly smile that spreads up his cheek, and doesn't even try hard ] It might set us back a bit in terms of negotiations, but forward somewhat in satisfaction.