Fated Leviathan Base Camp - Player Plot

[terriblepurpose]

Who: Open to all
What: Fated Leviathan Player Plot
When: Early to late February
Where: The Farther Shores

Content Warnings: Body horror, thalassophobia, violence, death, prophecy, not safe for work text



[Welcome to the base camp log post for the Fated Leviathan player plot. This is intended as a general mingling and sandbox post open to all who are interested, whether you've commented on the initial planning post or not!

For the in character group chat on DeerNet, please head right this way.

For the OOC battle finale planning post, go yonder.

Please use as much of the general information below (as well as any other setting details or any prompts from February's event) as you'd like to create your own toplevels, as well as adding to that information with things your characters might bring or set up. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me, Beth, via terriblepurpose or by DMing this journal!]

Comments

3.

[extinctive]

[ L is in luck -- a doctor is currently in, with his robe slung around his shoulder like a cape. figaro gives the other man a quizzical tilt of his head, before patting his hand onto the medical table for L to sit on. ]

Paul doesn't, but I do.

[ he chuckles. with a twirl of his fingers, a basin full of hot (but not scalding) water floats up from somewhere and lands on top of the table. ]

Now, what were you doing with a jellyfish in the first place, Mr...

[hearthebell]

[It's absurdly lucky. L wondered if, given the lateness of the odd hours he keeps, he'd be lucky to find a first aid kit in the tent. A person is better; a doctor is probably the best he could hope for.

L's also been to the doctor rarely in his life. The last time was probably over twenty years ago. He looks uncertainly at the table the man pats, then uncovers his hand and rests it there.]

Sauveterre. It's Lazarus Sauveterre.

[His is a soft voice clipped with the kind of terseness that can only come from fairly intense and distracting pain.]

The creature approaching Trench produces a neurotoxic venom. I've been working on an antivenom formulation... but someone left a bedroll by my chair.

[Him; it was his bedroll. L's spaces get messy fast when someone isn't constantly picking up after his "process."]

I tripped and when I caught myself, my hand came down on the barbs.

[extinctive]

[ yeah, this good doctor could tell that the guy hasn't gone for a checkup in decades. maybe it's not too late now that they're here...?

regardless, figaro sets down the basin of hot water onto the table and sits down in front of L, pouring a bottle of vinegar all over the affected area. ]

A neurotoxic venom, huh. That could be a way to disable one of its defense mechanisms... But here's hoping you aren't allergic to jellyfish stings. Do you have difficulty breathing or even nausea, for instance?

[ once that's done, he'll carefully lift L's arm and soak it into the basin. it should offer some relief from the pain for the time being. ]

[hearthebell]

[L stiffens and winces at the contact on the stings, breathing through his nose and squeezing his eyes shut. He's fairly stoic, generally speaking, but the rinse hurts like hell.

No pain, no gain.]

Sorry... you're not the first to have misunderstood. The creature's venom is neurotoxic; I'm trying to protect the Sleepers fighting it with a water-resistant prophylactic antivenom, meant to start counteracting the creature's venom on contact. It's not dissimilar to jellyfish venom, just... much stronger, so that was my starting point.

[He pauses, as though trying to gauge whether or not he is having trouble breathing or feeling nauseous. Now that he's thinking about it, of course both things are true.]

I came right here after, Dr...?

[There's something very surreptitious to the detective about fishing for a name, even though most people exchange them daily and affably under completely casual and appropriate circumstances. Weird upbringings do weird things to a person.]

[extinctive]

Dr. Figaro Garcia, at your service. And my mistake -- where I'm from, there are still so many things we do not know about marine life. So do forgive me if I make some oversights here and there.

[ he came from a rather medieval fantasy world, after all. no time to study the deep-sea life when there's constant trouble on land as it is.

well, at least this guy's arm didn't go numb judging from that reaction. it's all right, a few stings here and there are nothing compared to the very thing they'll be fighting against. gonna have to endure the soak for a few more minutes, though. ]

Well, so long as you know what you're doing. Are you a marine researcher, perhaps?

[ he sure doesn't look like it, though. more like a cat who got dragged in after a stormy day out. ]

[hearthebell]

No forgiveness necessary... it's unreasonable to expect expertise, from everyone in every subject.

[Some people just come closer than others.]

I'm not a scientist or a doctor. Just a fast learner, with a good memory and an interest in figuring things out.

[It's an understatement, but L doesn't want everyone in Trench knowing the things he was conditioned his whole life to keep close.]

But I do know what I'm doing. Almost always, however it might look.

[extinctive]

Fast learners wouldn't usually know how to extract venom from jellyfish from just a few glances off a textbook, but as you say, it's unreasonable to expect expertise in every subject. I'm just glad that you are thinking of protecting our combatants at sea.

[ must be a genius. an ordinary human genius at that. no skin off figaro's nose.

speaking of skin, he'll carefully lift L's arm off the water and set it on the table, uncap the tube of cream before spreading its contents onto the affected area, giving off a nice soothing relief once applied. ]

There we go. Does it still hurt? Might give you some sugar just to lessen the pain...

[hearthebell]

I came with some knowledge, and acquired more. Some of it from a different world than mine, or Trench... dream magic can be useful for this sort of shared understanding that makes progress possible.

[He winces. The sting remains painful, but he has to give the good doctor's remedies some credit; whatever salve he puts over the caterpillar-shaped lines on his hand and wrist does a quick job at alleviating the pain.]

That's actually much better, but... you're right, sugar would probably help a lot.

[extinctive]

[ he hums in agreement. ] And with our current predicament, you'd be able to glean more knowledge. But at the end of the day, you still have to watch where you're going. It's a good thing these jellyfish aren't too toxic.

[ just saying. but yes, yes, isn't modern medicine great? this wizard doesn't even have to apply magic this time. ]

Now then. If you could open your free hand, please.

[ because figaro will literally make sugar out of magic, holding a closed fist over l's hand once opened and dumping a palmful of sugar crystals there. it's as sweet as sugar can be, and when l takes a lick, he will feel a tad reenergized as the soreness on his affected arm greatly lessens. ]

[hearthebell]

No... they're not. But the creature approaching this beach will be more to reckon with, which is why the antivenom relies on a certain amount of concentration to be effective in the least.

[He looks slightly quizzical at that, but does as he's asked, bringing his other hand to the rest beside his injured one and opening his long fingers and letting Figaro cover it with his fist. He startles when his hand starts to fill with thick and lovely sugar crystals.

He tastes it, of course, and is somewhat stunned that the effect is greater than the placebo one a child might receive from the proverbial spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down.]

I was just glad to see a doctor tonight... is the healing magic from your world, or due to your blood's magic?

[extinctive]

It's from my own world. I'm a wizard! Creating sugar to help alleviate the pain and clear one's mind is one of the most basic forms of magic there is.

[ so, you know. nothing to it. ]

It just so happens that I'm around at this hour. It's a beautiful night out, you know?

Now then, that will be all. Would you like an ice-pack for when your arm acts up again? If you're not one for sweets, that is.

[hearthebell]

I thought you were joking... or just offering something sweet. I didn't think it was literal.

[In spite of his confusion and slight disquiet, L is not disappointed or unhappy about it in the least.]

I'm absolutely one for sweets. I'd prefer them to the ice pack... and thank you, truly, Dr. Garcia.

[extinctive]

Call it my brand of wizard humor.

[ he winks and laughs. ]

But yes, there's more where that come from! You're welcome and do come again, Mr. Sauveterre.

[ probably not the best way to put it with a patient, but... you get the point. ]

/that's a wrap I think!

[hearthebell]

I'll be sure to, the next time I get overconfident working with jellyfish venom. Have a pleasant... day, I suppose.

[Because, well, it's almost morning.]