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ph_memes2023-12-10 08:04 am
December Mini-TDM - "The Dead of Winter"
[Mod Note: This is a Mini-TDM (previously just called an "Open" post) because we were technically due for a fresh bi-monthly TDM. However, due to the light-duty December schedule and the fact that a December-themed TDM that also works for January is kind of limiting, we're doing a single-month mini-TDM now with a new two-month TDM coming in January! This public post is open to both new and existing players/characters. Please mind the content warnings, and enjoy!]
Pumpkin Hollow Gazette
12/10/2023 | Mini-TDM - "The Dead of Winter"
Content Warnings: "Further Details" section has independent CW labels.
Pumpkin Hollow continues to welcome new residents!
HOLIDAY BAZAAR NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS
By Yorick Aberdeen
MAIN STREET - Splendid news, Pumpkin Hollowites! In preparation for Givingstide, the annual Main Street Holiday Bazaar is now open from now until the end of the month in Downtown Hollow! With the failed-then-rescheduled Dance of Celestine debacle behind us, we could all use a bit of festive cheer as Marrow Isle enters its most difficult season. Come down to Town Hall for a simple game that comes with fantastic prizes, then enjoy an afternoon on the town! Enjoy the spectacle of festive decorations amid snowy streets, and find any number of finely crafted gifts to share with your loved ones this Givingstide.
Long-time residents, please remember that for the first time in a long while we have residents who have never experienced a Pumpkin Hollow Givingstide before. It is important that we show our best and most festive hospitality to newer residents, and comfort anyone who might be homesick during this time. Have a Blessed Givingstide, and may your lantern always be lit!New Oven Installed; Pizza Feast Commences
By Cecil Gershwin Palmer
The oven in question.
NORTHWEST HOLLOW - Local blacksmith River LaCroix has built a free-standing pizza oven on the farm belonging to Arthur Morgan.
Pizza, first created by Francisco Pizarro in the early 1500s before his assassination by Gavrilo Princip, is a food celebrated for its flavor and the variety of possible topping combinations it has. It begins with a base of dough, traditionally made from wheat or wheat by-products. This is then topped with a sauce (tomato is traditional, though other varieties involve barbecue sauce or chocolate sauce) and a cheese that melts easily, along with any vegetables, fruit, meat or other vaguely edible ingredients one desires. Spicy sausages called pepperoni are very popular, as well as mushrooms, peppers and even chunks of pineapple. Anyone who tells you that pineapple doesn’t belong on pizza is simply incorrect and should not be trusted.
In celebration of the new oven’s creation, free personal-sized pizzas will be cooked and shared with all residents of Pumpkin Hollow, funded by local reporter Cecil Gershwin Palmer. Arthur Morgan’s farm is easily reached by trolley, or on foot if you’re scared of trolleys. But it really is a long walk, so just ride with a friend if you’re scared, really, they won’t hurt you. At least, we don’t think they will. Then again, considering how riding the train went in November, you never know…
Regardless! Pizza, Arthur Morgan’s farm, free food, perhaps even drinks? We look forward to seeing you there.
FESTIVE FIEND SIGHTED ACROSS MARROW ISLE
By Yorick Aberdeen
The jingling menace.
ISLAND-WIDE - Reports of a mysterious horned creature sporting strangely seasonally appropriate attire have come in from all over the island over the past week. Witnesses say that this apparently demonic holiday entity somewhat resembles our local Pine Devil, but has curled ram horns instead of antlers and is wingless. He is also apparently capable of speech, as victims claim to have heard him speaking about “wicked deeds” and “naughty behavior” and repeating a gibberish word occasionally--- “Christmas.” The reports detail multiple instances of harassment as well as public acts of violence that are definitely not comical in any way. It is absolutely in no way hilarious to see someone get smacked with a stick in broad daylight by an evil satyr wearing Givingstide getup and jingling festively, and this matter is extremely serious.
Despite resisting arrest and avoiding being detained by the constabulary on numerous occasions, the demon was strangely available for comment. He has identified himself as Krampus the “Christmas” Devil and had this to say of his crimes: “It’s my proud duty and a longstanding tradition that I punish the naughty and wicked every holiday season. It’s practically a civil service, if you ask me. Maybe if you didn’t want to be attacked, you might stop being such a troublemaker and be a blessing to your neighbor for a bit. Or don’t. More fun for me that way.” He then proceeded to take a large fistful of candies from the bowl on Miss Leeds' desk and disappeared in a puff of snow, leaving the carpet wet.
Anyone with any further information about this Krampus creature should reach out to the constabulary with tips. Any noteworthy reports are appreciated!
MOURNER’S NIGHT PROCESSION INFORMATION
By Yorick Aberdeen
The town's lone hearse, prepared for duty after annual maintenance.
FALL'S PROMISE CEMETERY - While it is always easy to get swept up in the jolly festivities of Givingstide, it is important that we also remember to pay homage to the spirits of those we have lost and the goddess who guides them, and whose protection we seek in this most difficult time of the year. Each winter, when the world is at its darkest and its coldest, we take to the streets and process to Fall’s Promise in the tradition of our age old funeral practices. Mayor Poe will have the honor of leading us this year.
To participate, join us in the streets at 6:00pm. Dress warmly, as it has been snowing quite a bit this past week and will not have melted. The procession will begin promptly once everyone has their candles lit, so please be timely and even early if you are able.
Please inquire at the Temple of Sacred Roots if you have any questions regarding Mourner’s Night.
Page 1
Holiday Bazaar
Main Street is beautifully decorated, each lamp post strung together with pine garlands and cranberry strings. The frigid air preserves them perfectly and coats them all in a light frost. Windows of shops glow warmly with festive decorations. Images of horses, either alone or drawing carriages or sleighs, can be seen everywhere. Advertisements for sales and specials dot the street corners and the air is full of delicious smells--- coffee, chocolate, sugar, fruit, roasted meat. Booths are also placed along the streets near Town Hall, and merchants hawk their wares. Artisan crafts and jarred preserves, decorations and novelties, all manner of thoughtful gifts. Givingstide approaches, they declare!
What is Givingstide, you ask? Why, any local will gladly tell you! It’s the festival of midwinter, anticipating the return of spring. Warmer weather, longer days, fresh food, all drawing ever nearer as Winter reaches its peak. Gifts are exchanged to share blessings with loved ones, appreciate them for all they’ve done for you this past year and wish them prosperity in the next one. Perhaps similar holidays are familiar to you.
kr
The holiday bazaar is the perfect place to buy a gift for Givingstide. It’s also a magical place for a walk with friends, or even a date. So many beautiful items for sale! And booths selling warm drinks and sweet treats! There are even carriage drivers offering rides up and down the street to take in the scenery, their steeds and vehicles garnished with silver bells and cedar boughs.
Also, right outside of Town Hall, there is a booth that is selling nothing. In fact, it is offering something for free--- a voucher that can be used to make purchases here! While it can only be used to make purchases from the holiday bazaar and expires after Givingstide, vouchers can be good for up to a whopping 500 Brass. All one needs to do to acquire it is win a trivia game! Ten questions, 50 Brass for each right answer. Perhaps you can earn yourself a bit of extra pocket change?
You'll Catch Your Death of Cold
[CW: manipulative language, hypothermia, starvation.]
There’s always something wrong with Lockwood Forest. From the Pine Devil to Brutoks, some manner of strange nonsense is always going on, and it is almost always dangerous. Less so when the cheerful spectral pocket monsters were here, but now that they’ve moved on and a blanket of snow has coated the leafy ground, the eerie quiet here has returned. Not only that, but the trails are covered. This isn’t a huge issue in areas of the forest with more traffic as there are plenty of footprints to follow, but deeper in, the forest becomes a maze.
Despite the danger, you’ve decided to go in. There are any number of reasons why you’ve done this: needing to hunt or forage to sustain your food supplies through the winter, searching for firewood in places that aren’t already picked over, seeking a quiet moment alone. Perhaps you simply got lost. These things happen, especially if you’re new to the island. No one will judge you, probably! Hopefully you at least didn’t come alone.
Regardless, the trails are covered. It’s hard to tell which gaps between trees are part of the path or just formed naturally. Animal footprints sprawl out in all directions like a spider’s web, which only serves to make things more confusing. Soon you begin to feel turned around somehow. Is it just you, or have the past five trees you walked by looked really similar? Haven’t you seen this holly bush before? You could swear you’ve been this way three times already… Oh dear. It’s so hard to tell. Even if you’re otherwise good at navigating the woods, something about this expanse of white snow and imposing pine trees is throwing you off. Almost as if there is some kind of magic at work here…
You wander the forest for a long time. For a while, your cold tolerance had peaked at that point where you’d been out long enough that you were used to it but not so long that it was starting to wear you down, but that peak is waning quickly. It’s freezing, and you’ve been out in it for a long time now. It sinks into your bones, making you feel sluggish. The chill bites at your face and the wind stings your eyes. Unless you have a traveling companion who is lost with you, there’s a strong chance you haven’t seen another person in… How long has it been? Hours? Days? Surely it can’t have been days. It certainly feels like days. Everything hurts and you are very hungry.
”You look so tired.” You have no idea where the voice comes from, but it’s clearly not just in your head. The echo through the trees causes a startled bird to fly off nearby. Maybe it’s just the haze that’s come over you from the shivering chill and deep exhaustion you feel that is making you so disoriented by the sound of the voice. All you know is that it is close, and it is beautiful and sweet. ”It must have been exhausting, walking all this way. Did you come to see me, or for something else?” You don’t remember the answer.
”Here, follow me. I’ll take you to safety.”
The sound of the voice guides you to a clearing in the forest, and it is the most beautiful clearing you have ever seen. Everything is covered in thick, plush pillows of fluffy white snow that look like billowing clouds and the silvery moonlight causes the icicles in the trees to sparkle and shine. (When did it become night time?) The sky is a deep plummy purple and above you there is a veritable explosion of stars like you’ve never seen before. You feel like you could fall in, dwarfed by the slice of night sky that peeks in through the trees. (The stars, are they closer than usual?)”Come, lie down. Rest your weary bones. The snow here is softer than any bed.” Looking at those mounds of pristine, untouched snow, you begin to feel like whoever this is might be right. And you are so tired. ”You are safe here. You are loved. The world is beautiful and peaceful here. No more monsters, no more pain. Just rest in the arms of someone who loves you. Can’t you feel the warmth of my love?”
As the voice says this, you do notice that you start to feel warmer. Almost uncomfortably warm in your clothes, and you’re tempted to shed them. In the depths of your exhaustion, it is hard to tell if this is the warmth of a loving embrace or something else. But your shivering stops and you feel held. It’s so quiet here, so far away from the town of ghosts and monsters and people and work that you know.
”I promise you are safe here. I will take care of you. Just sleep now, my darling. I love you. Stay with me and you will want for nothing.”
The desire to lie down becomes nearly irresistible.
[ You are entering severe hypothermia. If you sleep here, you will die. If you came here alone, there is a chance someone else could find and rescue you. If you came with a traveling companion, you may be able to overcome the trance and the chill together. Or, if you like, you could write about the aftermath of dying. See our Death page for details! ]
Krampusnacht
[CW: Harassment (tone of comic mischief) ]
Have you been naughty or nice this year? In Pumpkin Hollow, there are no such tales--- but you and your extradimensional neighbors are hardly the first things here to be snatched from other worlds. And there is no better reminder than the mysterious horned figure that has been lurking about town.
If perhaps you’ve been up to some mischief this year, you may begin to see him out of the corner of your eye as the snows of December begin to fall. Did you hurt someone’s feelings? Take the last muffin without asking? Commit unspeakable evils in your former life? Sounds like you’re due for a visit from Krampus!
It all starts with a lump of coal, left out in the open in a place it should not be. Then, out of the corner of your eye, you’ll spot a horned and furry figure (that is decidedly not the Pine Devil) in the distance wielding a bundle of bound sticks in one hand and a sack in the other, wearing a wicked grin. Incongruous with his ghastly, beast-like appearance, he sometimes wears a red cloak lined with white fur or golden jingle bells on red ribbons tied to his ankle. He’ll disappear behind a snow drift and you will think your mind is playing tricks on you.
Next, you’ll begin to find your personal items missing. Wherever you left them, they’ll just be gone, and in their place will be a candy cane. In case you were worried that it might be a nice little treat, fear not! It tastes utterly foul.
The final stage is more direct visits from the Christmas Devil. He will ambush you at any time of day to attack you with sticks regardless of how public the location is, that way everyone can know what a troublemaker you are! He will also occasionally stuff you into his sack and abandon you at random locations, typically unpleasant ones. He cannot be killed--- indeed, he cannot even be struck, dodging quickly or disappearing and reappearing in puffs of snow every time you try and cackling all the while. So how do you get rid of him?
That’s easy! Just get yourself onto the Nice List by any means necessary. Time to start doing some good deeds around town and hope you aren’t subject to any more attacks in the meantime. If you do a good enough job, you may even get your missing items back! Gruß vom Krampus!
Mourner’s Night
[CW: grief and past death in the context of the holiday season]
As the early dark of high winter begins to fall, people begin to gather on the streets. A somewhat odd sight, but this isn’t the first time that people have come together under lantern light for an event that is in defiance of the danger posed by darkness. They are bundled tightly, wearing mostly black if it is available in clothes warm enough, and many people have donned veils which cover their faces with black lace.
From the streets, there is an informal procession. At intervals, there are men in uniform black military peacoats and black caps carrying tall poles with bright lanterns on top, swaying in the frigid air. Their faces are painted to look like skulls. Yorick is among them. Despite the difference in gender, River is invited to take up this role, implying something about what these lantern-bearers are meant to symbolize. The rest of the townsfolk are asked to follow along as they please, each bearing a long white candle stuck into a paper cup meant to catch its wax. The candles are in no danger of blowing out— the wind is eerily still.
The procession is largely silent. The people who do speak do so only in whispers. It winds through the streets of the town, converging on one of the main roads. Once it is clear of buildings, the front of the solemn parade becomes visible. A black funeral carriage, like one that may have once conveyed caskets, bearing lanterns at each corner. The two black horses are marked with skeletons using white chalk on their fur, and it is driven by a woman in garb representative of deepest mourning. This is Hellen Poe, playing the role of Mortanne.
It has been a long time, what feels like ages, since the people of this town have had a funeral procession outside the context of Mourner's Night. But they remember well their traditions and follow them with reverence. This, for you outsiders, is a unique glimpse at something you might not otherwise see due to the effects of the barrier. Each and every person in town follows the trail left by carriage wheels in the fresh snow and arrives at Fall's Promise Cemetery.Beyond the wrought iron gate, there is more silence. Locals gather around the graves of their friends and loved ones, saying silent prayers and spending time in contemplative remembrance. You see Dahlia stand outside the central mausoleum, looking grimly up at her own name carved into the stone.
Degas has made his way over to a grave. He is here as himself, not as a reverend, and he does not leave the side of the headstone he gravitated toward. Melly Clayton.
Meanwhile, Dr. West is loitering at the back near a gargoyle. For once even he is present. And far off in the shadows, a small figure looms outside the fringes of lantern light, looking off into the sea. Silvery hairs catch the light occasionally. Elsie.
The candlelight vigil remains silent for a long time as people recall and honor their loved ones. Any sound of shuffling or movement is dampened further by soft, fluffy snow, creating a deep and heavy hush that is almost loud in its soundlessness. Perhaps, deep in the Season of Spirits, the presence of the fallen can be felt in the quiet dark.
Your mind drifts as the somber reverence beckons your mind to your memories. Who do you honor? A lost lover, a passed parent, someone you left behind in your life before?
Or perhaps you honor yourself. You did die to get here, after all. And it’s probable that you aren’t the only one to think so.
In the distance, the bell tower chimes. Then, rising up from the snow, soft at first and then louder, a song. The locals are beginning to sing a hymn about Mortanne sharing carriage rides with passengers, reminiscing about their lives as her carriage drives them to the afterlife. Did you learn it from a local before the festival? Do you sing, hum, or remain silent?
As the song finally comes to a close, all at once the locals blow out their candles, leaving the graveyard in darkness aside from the lantern poles. The silence now broken, people shuffle along, meeting up to mingle and hug or heading home for an early night. Some of them are crying.
Additional Note:
If you have any form of ESP, you notice something while attending Mourner’s Night. This includes people who have a special connection with spirits or death, or any sort of true sight that allows them to see things others cannot.
Toward the end of the hymn, a person you hadn’t seen before catches your eye. She is a young woman, with long black hair and a tattered white gown. Her eyes are sunken and her skin is marred with contusions and scars. She looks very, very tired. She is sitting on the boarded-up well that is on the far end of the cemetery. Even in the orange glow of candlelight, you can tell she is quite pale.
Across the graveyard, her eyes meet yours. Then the song ends, the candlelight dies, and she seems to blink out of existence.
no subject
"Fascinating... Sir, I've been joining in on miss Zelda's expeditions out into the surrounding ocean and keeping my own notes separate from these - these are just my own personal notes derived from my memory of the world I was on previously, if you would like I can certainly bring them for you to see," he offers, nearly hugging the papers against himself just to keep them secure. "Perhaps you might join us and point us in a new direction!"
no subject
Elias takes the notes he's given eagerly, flipping through them. He scans the pages, wishing he had more time to properly sit down and digest the information presented, though he does take a moment to linger on one page with a specimen named Reginald. What fascinating creatures Bart had seen - and what thorough notes! He could nearly imagine the creatures in life, simply from what he read at a first glance.
He only tears his eyes away from the notes when Bart speaks, his expression bright and alight with interest, though an air of nervousness settles on him at the offer of joining an expedition.
"I can only imagine the things you're finding, out on those waters. These notes are--- positively brilliant, might I say before I forget to, and I would give anything for an opportunity to read them at length! We'll have to take an opportunity to exchange notes, and I'll gladly provide any copies of whatever you'd like," He enthuses, and takes the opportunity to pass Bart back his notebook back, tempted as he may be to continue flipping through it. "I've not been back in a boat in some time, though, and I'd hardly want to stumble in the way of your research or the crews' work from the rust in my experience. The sea and I have a history, and she is a crueler mistress than usual when it comes to my expeditions."
no subject
He perks up when Elias' attention is drawn away from the notes. "Goodness, I appreciate you saying so, I've been trying to get down as much as I could remember for the last few weeks, and without the assistance of the mental augments father insisted on, it's been much harder than I anticipated. But at least the bulk of it is done, and I can build an appropriate bestiary for this world too!" Carefully, he takes the book back to tuck into his satchel. Then he gestures toward the Oak & Iron, figuring that if they were going to talk more, it might as well be somewhere warm, where they would have drinks available. "Please, if you would like to join me, I would love to hear about your experiences out there. Perhaps you could enlighten me about this barrier? I would love to see if there might be a way to explore past it one day."
no subject
He's quick to perk up at the invitation, though, and eagerly steps in that direction, waving Bart along with an enthusiasm unlike he'd felt in years.
"Yes, please, I would love that! I've been working on bestiaries of my own, and I think you and I could combine our efforts into something magnificent! But you're absolutely right, there's no reason to stand around and freeze. Care for some food and drink? I'd be happy to buy, and I can tell you all I know! I've been trying to look into any way around it, and I've not found anyhting yet, but what I have found is... strange, and fascinating. Horrifying, of course, but that goes without say!"
no subject
"Absolutely! I really think with our coordinated effort we could put together a proper journal on the ecology of the islands, something that might shed some light on the way this place has changed since the inception of this barrier of yours." He gestures for Elias to follow along with him on his way to the inn, already thinking that he might like something warm and sweet to sip while they talked. "I've recently moved into a home of my own and am going to be working on setting myself up a proper laboratory, and I've got help in machining the appropriate parts that will let me conduct the observations that I might normally have done back in my own time. Have you ever heard of an electron microscope? Brilliant machines, really, allowing you to see things like bacterium going about their lives."
no subject
A brief pause in conversation was taken as Elias pushed open the heavy wooden door of the Oak & Iron, and gave a wave to the barkeep. It was easy enough to get a food order in and give Bart some time to choose his own drink, but he was eager to get back into things - though he was clearly trying to reel himself in. (Goddesses have mercy, though, how long had it been since he'd had another scientific peer to ramble at?)
"If you don't mind my asking, how has the island treated you, since your arrival? Have you seen anything of interest?"
no subject
He's been chattering the whole time that they've been headed inside and finding their seats. He only pauses to ask after a warmed cider and some home fries before answering Elias, his hands folded neatly on the table in front of him.
"I find this place absolutely fascinating. I've spent a good amount of time out in the forest exploring and getting to know the native flora. I've also come across several different species of spider that I've never seen before but bear a resemblance to some species that I'd only read about over the course of my studies. Marvelous really, the way the ecosystem here seems to keep largely to itself even as the population grows. I'm thinking on the possibility of instituting a sort of conservation program so that further industrialization doesn't destroy your natural environment here."
no subject
"You'll have to tell me about the spiders you read on! Even the insects here are fascinating, and bear some differences from those of the mainland," He enthuses. "One of the most miraculous things about this island's ecosystem is the strange turns that deathlessness has put on it. The fauna is abundant, animals go through breeding seasons, they age--- but none cease to be! Weak members of flocks don't flourish, but they don't fall, either! It's not resulted in any deformities in creatures that I've seen, but I wouldn't be surprised if they did. Imagine, though, if a species would have gone extinct, and we're none the wiser! If only marks were left on creatures after they died and returned to life, I'd try to work with hunters to see what's been felled and what hasn't."
He only pauses once their drinks arrive, takes a short drink, before he clears his throat, trying to reel himself in.
"This is certainly one of the most offensive ecosystems I've ever seen, rather than defensive, of course. The Pine Devil, the Riverwalker, other megafauna of the likes... some may have spectral origins, of course, but they do play a role in the ecosystem! Any lost souls to either become food for other creatures, even if temporarily. And yet, there's no competition for the role of--- king of the forest, for lack of better words! Apex predators seem to compete very scarcely, and from what I've documented, hardly ever cross paths, even unintentionally. It's strange, isn't it? Have you seen anything like it before?"
no subject
"That was one of the aspects that I'd most wanted to try and tease apart! Without the cycle of life and death, how is the fungal growth sustained? Are there simply no carrion feeders because there's no carrion? But that can't be right, the undergrowth is so lush, sometimes it's difficult to get around! I need to know more about how it's all sustained, especially if I'm going to be working with a proper greenhouse when I've got a bit more funding. This place doesn't operate the same way that other worlds I've seen do. I need so much more data..."
When their drinks and food arrive, Bart occupies himself with that for just a moment, listening intently.
"Oh, like this Pine Devil that I've heard about? I would love to be able to observe it out in the wild some day. If they've all out-competed one another and left one reigning champion, so to speak, it must be a sight. Before I'd come here, I observed these enormous predatory snakes that were the largest thing in their little microcosm of a cave system. Big enough to chew apart a grown man in a couple of bites, they were! They would feed on the little fish that were isolated within that biome, and their remains would make the mushrooms that the snakes laid their eggs in grow to immense sizes in turn. The entire little ecosystem developed to co-evolve, and it seems like it might be a similar situation here!"
no subject
A sip of his cider is taken, and his attention is trained to Bart's words - even if he seems stunned at the descriptions of the creatures. Pumpkin Hollow had megafauna, but nothing quite so extreme--- what he wouldn't have given to see it.
"Do you have sketches of these snakes, or the mushrooms? They sound incredible!" He enthuses, all but vibrating in his seat. "I've not yet had much opportunity to check our sea to see if there's any serpents, but there's nothing even remotely so large to occupy a space like that. The area you were investigating must have been massive! I saw many notes of fish, were these aquatic snakes, or were they shore-dwelling?"
no subject
There are books in the library that have given him a decent idea of how things used to behave before the barrier cut the island off from, apparently, the linear flow of life itself, but they could only give him so much to work with.
Bart has a mouth full of fry when he's asked about the snakes, and he wipes his hands and grabs his notebook to be able to flip it open and show the creature in question. "Under the water. This cave was about...a hundred meters below sea level? It was isolated from the rest of the surrounding sea bed and had a long time to develop into its own internal system. When we made a base down there to be able to collect materials and work on fabricating more sophisticated equipment, I set up my own reinforced enameled glass observation chamber and just...sat up there for hours at a time, just watching them play out their lives. I wanted to do that where the leviathans were nested as well but by the time I learned we were sick, it was far too late for that. Unfortunate, really. I would have loved to be able to set up a remote drone to be able to observe them at the very least. You always hear them roaring off in the distance while they hunt but they're so well camouflaged from a distance that observing their behavior is difficult."
no subject
"It's a shame that you didn't get to witness it... but to even see one at all, what a treat that is," Elias is practically beaming, passing it back over. "I hope, someday, you can see some of the fauna that exists beyond this island. I think it would speak to you similarly. Marrow Isle doesn't host any dragons or drakes that I'm aware of--- and trust me, I've looked! But they're impressive creatures, and I know you'd be immediately charmed by them. We do have some sea serpents, but they're an aquatic wyrm, so I imagine they're a far cry from these beauties!"
no subject
"Perhaps it's foolish to think of it like this, but I feel like if there was a chance for me to have ended up here to study this place as well, what if there's a chance to leave this world and go back to 4546b? I would be able to look in on the crabsnakes and see how they're getting on." He can't help but laugh at himself and the silly notion. "Nonetheless, while I'm here, I would love to be able to find what might be out there around the islands. Perhaps visit other landmasses in the chain. I'm sure the wildlife out there is just as fascinating. Perhaps you could join me on an expedition out there!"
no subject
He brightens at the notion, and gives Bart an enthusiastic pat to the arm.
"Considering you're here, perhaps it's possible! Should Mortanne will it, when your time yet comes next, maybe you'd even come back. I'd love to hear about the crabsnakes' development," He draws his hand back, only taking a short moment to have a drink. "But I think I would like that very much, to join you for an expedition! Truth be told, there's even a wealth to see on this island that I've not even yet fully scoured. Perhaps, if you're to drag me onto a boat again, I'll drag you into these woods?"
The last part is offered with a playful grin and a nudge.
no subject
"Perhaps one day it will happen then. If she has control over our arrivals, then certainly she could have control over our exits from this plane." It makes sense to him, at least! His hands fold against the open journal page, and he nods along excitedly. "Certainly! I've made so much headway in documenting the forest ecology immediately around the village proper, having others to go out further with would be essential in case of any trouble."
no subject
There was an edge of desperation to his enthusiasm - as embarrassing as it would be for him to admit this, it'd been some time since someone believed in what he was doing.
"Have you found anything of note, just outside the town? There's nothing like a fresh pair of eyes that can find things that I may have never noticed, walking past it every day for all these years!"
no subject
"Just lately I've been documenting the different species of arachnid that I'd never seen before. I'd found this tiny, bioluminescent spider that made its home high up in the trees. You'd think that that would make it a prime target for any of the birds, but it must be primarily something that shows up in the winter because it blends in so well with the snow on the branches." He really does seem delighted to be talking about small spiders, but he also gets the feeling that Elias might be referring to other things that might be wholly unique to the area around Pumpkin Hollow. "I know I'm going to need to touch base with some of the others that spend more of their time out in the wood to compare notes, but I would like to perhaps conduct a survey on the megafauna out there. This Pine Devil seems like quite the interesting specimen!"
no subject
"I know just the ones! They're beautiful critters, are they not? Their shine and ease of traversing the cold, when so many other spiders die to the freezes, is incredible! I've never been anywhere with insect life so well-adapted to the winter months!" He grins. "The Pine Devil hasn't yet been something I've had much opportunity to study, but I'll have to pass you what notes I have been able to get. I've had a few, ah--- much-too-close encounters with it, and it's unlike anything I've ever studied before. Did you know that it has the capacity to use tools? I've seen it use snapping twigs left on paths to determine where prey is! How incredible is that?"
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"I've been fortunate enough in my trips out into the forest that I haven't come into direct contact with it, but I've seen its shape out there a time or two. It reminds me very much of the old folklore from Earth about cryptids out in the forest. Those are almost always proven to be either mere cautionary tales, hoaxes, or just sightings of animals with unfortunate mutations and diseases, but in a world like this who knows what it could be! I know I've only just scratched the surface here, and really, I worry that the influx of people from other worlds may upset the balance of the environment here if we don't handle it carefully. Human beings are...industrious creatures. I'd hate for us to inadvertently destroy your island here, especially when it's so cut off from the rest of the world."
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At that note, he seems fully serious, even thoughtful about the idea.
"Any building that's been done in the edge of the woods, save for the railway--- which was built at the island's inception, of course--- has collapsed within some years. I've heard rumor that there's some nature of curse, but... well, not to disbelieve in curses, but I think if it were something more expected, such as bears, we'd be less inclined to try to build within their territory. Imagine someone falling victim to grizzly bears, and proclaiming the failure of their settlement being a curse! It just doesn't add up to me. But, I suppose, if nothing else, it's a good way to keep our city and the forest habitat separate."
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Bart frowns thoughtfully as he listens, nodding some at a thought. "I've never lived in a situation where curses were truly a thing I had to worry about. It was labeled as superstition in my time. Being here though, I've seen things that make no sense in any familiar framework that have been referred to as magic and I am inclined to believe it. Besides, there is an adage that I tend to abide by in these circumstances: any significantly strange or advanced technology is akin to magic, to the outside observer. I simply don't know how it all works yet."