Talk with Ark about Branch [8/8] Full Accursed Dev

[15:52] Ardith trots back out of her home, carrying a little box under one arm. She opens her mouth to speak, then closes it. Instead she opts to demonstrate her progress so far to the Kaor.

'You can prolly tell, but I've been making real great strides here. Another step in my evolution if you wanna call it that. But I'm still missing something...'

She clears her throat, then speaks aloud instead. Sometimes the telepathy makes her head fuzzy.

"So. You're real good with nature magic. And I was gonna see what all you could do with it. Maybe ask a quick favor."
(Ardith)
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[15:55] Arkgvunde emitted a psionic ping in response to Ardith's attempt at utilizing telepathic powers. They'd already witnessed a high-tier Accursed do this before during the Ipos/late Vampire incursion era, so, no big surprise.

The Demon opted to reply normally,

"I am capable of touching just about every facet of Nature magic, but I don't master any one particular part of it. What did you have in mind?"
(Arkgvunde Vel'heim)
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[15:59] "That'll do then. Great."

Ardith removes the box from beneath her arm and pulls back the hinged lid. Inside is what looks to be a tree branch, exuding a malign energy that matches the surrounding Dreadwoods. It also seeps a strange poison from its many thorns.

"I'm gonna incorporate this into my evolution probably after some testing. The problem is it's a lil'...rigid. Brittle. You think you could alter those properties maybe? Make it more supple and wrappable, like a vine? After I test the poison and what it does with Esh, provided it ain't melt my organs, I'll probably end up tying it around my arm."
(Ardith)
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[15:59] {Item} You drop Dread Ebony x1.
[15:59] Ardith says, "I got it from old man Tot. He said he got it from Tih, I think."
[16:00] Arkgvunde Vel'heim says, "Give me a minute to try and remember where i've seen this before."
[16:01] Arkgvunde Vel'heim says, "... It may not seem like it, but that's a fairly rare bit of bark, even for the Dreadwoods."
[16:01] Arkgvunde Vel'heim says, "Unfortunately, the last time I saw someone trying to 'bend' it, it almost broke, so... Hmm..."
[16:01] Ardith asks, "...Yeah?"
[16:01] Ardith asks, "Is it /from/ the Dreadwoods even?"
[16:02] Arkgvunde Vel'heim says, "Not necessarily."
[16:03] Arkgvunde Vel'heim says, "I'm not sure I could alter it without risking its usefulness."
[16:03] Arkgvunde Vel'heim asks, "... Have you considered incorporating it into, say, your armor?"
[16:04] Ardith asks, "I...Guess I could. But would I be able to bend my arm with it like that?"
[16:04] Ardith asks, "Is it hard to break?"
[16:04] Ardith says, "I've been /real/ careful about fucking with it too much."
[16:04] Ardith says, "I ain't sure what the poison'd do to me."
[16:04] Arkgvunde Vel'heim says, "It's hard to break, it's just not happy with bending."
[16:04] Arkgvunde Vel'heim asks, "Oh, the poison sap?"
[16:05] Ardith says, "I could try putting it in a sleeve of my armor, I guess."
[16:05] Ardith says, "Yeah."
[16:05] Ardith says, "It hisses and looks real angry."
[16:05] Ardith says, "I was gonna test it with Esh."
[16:05] Ardith says, "He's an alchemist and all"
[16:05] Arkgvunde Vel'heim says, "Maybe you and Esh could set up a potion out of it."
[16:06] Ardith says, "I guess..."
[16:06] Ardith says, "It's possible."
[16:06] Ardith asks, "Kind of wanted to...fuck. Absorb it, I guess?"
[16:06] Ardith asks, "If that makes sense?"
[16:06] Ardith says, "That's what I did to get the telepathy. I took the energy from this doodad and absorbed it."
[16:07] Ardith holds up a pretty, sparkly, purple gem that's set in a gold setting.
(Ardith)
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[16:07] Arkgvunde Vel'heim says, "... If you were saying, 'I want to absorb a Kaor', it would make sense, but not for a chunk of Dark wood."
[16:07] Ardith says, "I don't mean, like, literally the whole thing."
[16:07] Ardith asks, "More like its essence?"
[16:07] Arkgvunde Vel'heim says, "Distilling it into a potion is your best bet then."
[16:08] Ardith says, "Hmm...Alright. I got you."
[16:08] Ardith says, "I was gonna use runes, like I did with this bad boy here. But I appreciate the advice, Ark."
[16:09] {Item} You picked up Dread Ebony. Dropped by Ardith. .
[16:09] Arkgvunde Vel'heim says, "Runes and wood mix less than potions and wood."
[16:09] Ardith asks, "Do...do they?"
[16:09] Arkgvunde Vel'heim says, "See."
[16:09] Arkgvunde Vel'heim says, "The thing is."
[16:10] Arkgvunde Vel'heim says, "Different material types will always have a category that they belong to."
[16:10] Ardith asks, "Y'know...He /could/ distill it down into a potion. And then I could use that in an ink, maybe?"
[16:10] Ardith says, "Or just a potion. He'd be the expert with potions anyway."
[16:10] Arkgvunde Vel'heim says, "Maybe. Maybe not. If you're thinking of rune-tattooing yourself, understand that very few people do that, and for good reason."
[16:11] Ardith asks, "Why's that?"
[16:11] Arkgvunde Vel'heim says, "If you aren't the top of your class in runes, you will explode in magic and cause everything within a mile of you to be uninhabitable for months."
[16:11] Ardith says, "..."
[16:11] Ardith says, "Haha. Cool."
[16:11] Ardith says, "-I mean. Shit."
[16:11] Ardith says, "That's rough."
[16:12] Arkgvunde Vel'heim says, "Heh."
[16:12] Ardith says, "I've gotten great with my runes though."
[16:12] Ardith says, "Ain't you worry."
[16:12] Ardith says, "If I'm gonna blow up? I'll let you know so you don't come to town that day."
[16:13] Arkgvunde Vel'heim says, "I appreciate it."
[16:13] Ardith says, "This does give me some great fuckin' ideas. Thanks, Ark."