19 Jul 2018, 10:33
Herbology Workshop
Isabella Hills
I guess we’re going over here then, Ami thought drily, letting herself get dragged over to a small cluster of students gathered around something. She spotted a couple of students heading off in the opposite direction, but otherwise, everyone else seemed to be crowded around Mia and someone else that she didn’t know.
Pushing forward through the group, and pulling Isabella along with her, Ami shouldered her way through the bodies to discover just exactly they were all looking at. “Blood!” Ami exclaimed happily, with a wide smile on her face. “And hoof prints. I like this already.”
Crouching down, she grabbed a stick off of the ground, poking the sticky red mess. Nothing about it seemed out of place, so the Hufflepuff straightened up, glancing at her partner. It wasn't anything she recognized, and she didn't want to mess around for twenty minutes tracking a magical rabbit.
“Do you want to go and actually collect plants? I don’t want to get in trouble with Wright or Valtome.” Looking at her grades in the two classes, staying on the professors’ good sides would definitely be preferable. "There's uh..." Looking around, Ami pointed at a cluster of thorny shrubbery. "There's some stuff over there, want to check it out?"
According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly.
stamina: 7 | evasion: 15 | strength: 21 | wisdom: 6 | arcane power: 3 | accuracy: 25
martial artist | spell spread | animagus
stamina: 7 | evasion: 15 | strength: 21 | wisdom: 6 | arcane power: 3 | accuracy: 25
martial artist | spell spread | animagus
19 Jul 2018, 16:19
Herbology Workshop
INTERACTION: Angela Silverberry
Amadea followed the group of students as they walked out of the cabin and toward the Forbidden Forest. Amadea tried to look as though she wasn't terrified. They were heading toward the Forbidden Forest that was most definitely forbidden for a reason. Amadea tried to be reasonable with herself. There were two professors overseeing this activity. Surely they knew what they were doing and would be able to help them if anything happened. Feeling reassured, Amadea walked with a newfound confidence.
It was an absolutely beautiful day out, perfect for collecting plants or whatever they were being tasked to do with today. Amadea hoped they would be safe. Even though there was broad daylight filtering through the trees, shadows were everywhere. The sunlight must have hit the trees in such a way that it cast very ominous shadows in every direction. Maybe it was just magic. Between that and the weird sensation of feeling moss squishing beneath her feet, Amadea was feeling very uncomfortable.
It was an absolutely beautiful day out, perfect for collecting plants or whatever they were being tasked to do with today. Amadea hoped they would be safe. Even though there was broad daylight filtering through the trees, shadows were everywhere. The sunlight must have hit the trees in such a way that it cast very ominous shadows in every direction. Maybe it was just magic. Between that and the weird sensation of feeling moss squishing beneath her feet, Amadea was feeling very uncomfortable.
Once they had arrived at the spot where they were to do their gathering, Professor Wright explained the basic directions to them: Find plants. Amadea thought that was straightforward enough. It would certainly be easy to find them here. Amadea led herself and Angela over to a large group of students that were exploring. It seemed as though people had found something, though what it was, Amadea had no idea what. She tied to peer over the shoulder of someone, but was too short and decided to move around them. She heard someone yell something about blood, and Amadea moved even farther away. She was purely here to discover some plants, not any blood. It wasn't like she was squeamish (even though she kind of was). She just didn't want to see anyone's blood at the current moment.
Turning to Angela, she spoke. "Why don't we go over there where there aren't as many people?" Amadea suggested, pointing to a spot where she saw only a few people picking some flowers. It seemed as though the rest of the people were too busy trying to figure out where the blood had come from. Amadea had no interest in it.
The group at the far side of the clearing consisted of Lucy O'Sullivan, fellow prefect as well as another student whom she didn't recognize. Amadea walked over to the clearing and was rewarded to find some flowers and shrubbery that looked perfect for picking. Amadea turned to Angela, holding up the basket. "Look! Some plants! Let's start collecting some!"
! ACTIONS:
❀ Drag Angela away from the group of people and to the clearing.
❀ Collect a white colored flower (like Lucy's)
23 Jul 2018, 05:03
Herbology Workshop
Open to interaction
A chill shot through December’s spine as they journeyed further into the forest. The way it got darker as they went on was unsettling. She followed a few feet behind the group, taking in all the sights and smells as they wandered down the path. If they were to get lost, it would be important to keep track of their surroundings to be able to find the way back, and she couldn’t necessarily rely on the adults to do this for them.
Once they had reached the clearing, all light was nearly absent. December really wished that she had perfected the lumos charm, but since she hadn’t, she supposed she would just have to wait for her eyes to adjust.
A few of her classmates were huddled around what appeared to be blood on the forest ground. A slight feeling of dread swept over her for a moment, but then she remembered that they were in a forest that had many different types of predators and prey alike. She reassured herself by assuming it probably just belonged to a ferret and moved on to examine the hoof prints. She’d heard that there were unicorns and centaurs in the woods, but she was unsure how to tell the different marks apart. She didn’t think that either of these animals were particularly violent towards humans, though, so she didn’t dwell too hard on it.
Though she knew that it was probably better this way, truthfully the white-haired girl was a bit peeved that nobody had even tried to buddy up with her. She hadn’t wanted a buddy from the very beginning, as she thought they would only hold her back, but that didn’t mean that she wouldn’t like for someone to want to be her partner. The feeling of rejection sparked a strong desire in her to outshine her classmates. She was now determined to find the most plants and impress both of the professors, simply to prove her own worth, to herself and her fellow campers.
Knowing that she would never get what she needed by staying within the clearing, December distanced herself from the other children. She found a patch of interesting looking leaves and flowers several yards away. Without another thought, she excitedly knelt down and started picking whatever she could get her hands on. Her bundle included a plant with leaves shaped like hearts and bright pink flowers, one with black stems and white flowers, and several that were different shades of green and seemed to be fairly plain.
After collecting all she was comfortable taking from that particular spot, December stood up studied the surrounding areas once more before continuing to head west. She stayed alert, carefully observing the ground and listening for noises as she explored. Though she had been convincing herself there was relatively little to fear, she couldn’t deny the ominous vibe that permeated throughout the forest. The density of the trees in this particular spot made it challenging to see very far in either direction.
ACTIONS!
❄ Venture away with reckless abandon.
❄ Pick about 7 plants, including several generic ones, one with heart-shaped leaves and pink flowers and a couple with a black stems and white flowers (Moly).
❄ Stay alert while carefully observing her surroundings and journeying west.
STA: 6 | AGI: 7 | STR: 7 | CTL: 4 | ARC: 0 | ACC: 6
23 Jul 2018, 06:10
Herbology Workshop
Interacting with Serena Towers
Phaedra walked alongside the rest of the shuffling second years, her pace relaxed enough to stay within a comfortable distance ahead of her partner. She knew she wasn't exactly being too nice to the girl, not after leaving her behind to carry the basket alone, but there would be time to ignore that later - for now, they had work to do.
Following Professor Valtome, Phaedra passed through the barrier leading into the forest, the large canopy of leaves above them gracious enough to let trickles of light seep through. They walked for a bit where wet moss and mist were soon to encompass them and the deeper they walked, the trees seemed to bind together tighter and eventually, little sunlight was available and the girl had to squint to be able to see even a short distance in front of her. The group came to a clearing and Phaedra felt herself fiddle nervously with her shirt collar. She hated the dark and the clearing looked oddly suspicious. Why was there a clearing here, after all the trees they had walked through?
Professor Sorrel then urged the students on, encouraging them to stay in their pairs and search for flowers. Phaedra started to turn around to address Serena until she felt her foot dip slightly into something, and she whipped her head down to investigate.
Right at the toe of Phaedra's shoe was not a rock like she expected, but a quartet of round imprints that lead further away from where she stood. They were surprisingly clear in the environment and considering the blood, there was only one beast who such a thing could belong to.
Centaurs.
Phaedra felt her chest tighten and she moved to squat down towards the soil, hands on her knees, to get a closer look, almost as if in desperate denial of what truly lay before her. She was taught a lot about these beasts and their brutal ways but to think they'd be led straight into centaur territory was unbelievable. Concentrating harder, Phaedra's eyes went to the edge of the hoofprint closest to her and she brought a hand forward to brush a forefinger around the sides of the tracking, taking in the texture of the dirt around it.
It was an ancient human art and though she never had a use for it before, surely some useful information could come out of it. In the corner of her eye, from what she could see in the dim environment was a Gryffindor boy who seemed to have the same idea but with blood instead - it relieved her to know that she wasn't the only one who was totally bonkers in the lot.
Standing back up, Phaedra scowled and brushed her palms together to shake off any remaining grains of soil. No. There was no way she'd put herself at risk again. The professors were all incompetent and she herself was only a juvenile witch. If the centaurs came back, she and her peers would likely be left entirely at their mercy, and they were not beasts to meddle with. Additionally, the Ravenclaw girl had her own experience with Acromantulas in this very forest the year prior and she knew a counterspell against spiders - but was there one for centaurs? Doubtful. She wouldn't dare make another step forward until she was positive there was nothing to fear - flowers be damned.
"I don't know about this. I'd rather not die today," she muttered, turning around to face Serena. Frankly, she was shocked that a few students had continued on with their flower gathering. Sure, courage was an honourable trait, but without brains to overpower the impulsive nature, what good was it? She looked back to the edge of the clearing where the flowers and a few students stood and crossed her arms. "Do you know any spells? Think we're going to need them."
ACTIONS:
1. Follow Professor Valtome.
2. Feel the centaur tracking - check the size of the hoofprint & with this, possibly determine centaur's age/strength, how long hoofprint was there (if the tracking is cracked along the sides or newly made).
3. Perception Check around the edge of the clearing.
24 Jul 2018, 20:57
Herbology Workshop
___________________________________________________________
Location: The Forbidden Forest
Company: Sorrel Wright | A bunch of kids
Metamorph:
§
❝Finally, this little flower hunt could get underway. It was pleasing to see that they had at least known how to take a hint and follow very basic instructions. There was hope for them yet. The journey into the forest was uneventful at best, but we had managed to cover ground enough to make it to a clearing. One [Ami Procoppio], in all her childish exuberance, was the first to address me directly to ask an inane question. I spared her not a single ounce of my time or attention, maintaining my stride and posture through the trees. I had seen the WHAT and the SPECIFICS that had been written on the sign-up sheet for this workshop, and both clearly stated that we would be collecting plants for the duration of this little outing, after which a picnic would be enjoyed. De trop questions such as hers did nothing to gain my favour.
The clearing, as we spilt forth, soon appeared much smaller than it might ever be used to. Sorrel wasted no time giving them their instructions, and I mentally gave her my approbation for keeping it succinct. I felt no need to add my own voice to the mix, for what she had said would suffice. Hopefully, they would gather as much as they could and not waste precious daylight, as is the wont of these children. Without a word, I stepped away from Sorrel to venture a short distance to the left into a shade cast by a tall tree. I pressed my back against the trunk and watched them carefully. [Mia Alexander] and [Mary Brown] were the first to make a discovery, though where I had expected them to take an interest in plants of some sort, they had instead seemed to take an interest in one of the many hoof prints that dotted the forest. Was it truly so fascinating?
Then there was [Kaegen Deathmote]; strange young lad. As my eyes came to rest on him I noticed that he was staring holes into my perfect visage, looking for something that he would never find. Or was he so spellbound by my pulchritude that he could do nothing else? Regardless, I spared him as much time as everyone else. Which is to say, a derisory amount. A crowd was quickly starting to gather around Mia and Mary, and I wondered for a moment what could be so fascinating so as to garner so much attention when I took note of [Lucy O'Sullivan] being the only one doing what we had come here to do. She, with her partner not far behind, went to gather the flowers as they had been tasked to do.
Lucy O'Sullivan - Collects Asphodel x3 and Mistletoe w/ Berries x4 | Takes [ -20HP ] damage and a subsequent loss of [ -10HP ] for two posts from unwittingly reaching through a growth of Poison Ivy.
All along her arm, she would feel a persistent itch that soon devolved into an intense burn intermingled with the itch. The skin along her arm would become slightly pink as a few rashes started to form along the surface.
Unaware of what was happening, I smiled a small smile as I watched her busy herself collecting the plants. At least one person had their head on straight. The Prefects of the school; I spared another glance back at Kaegen and revised my thought process. Some of the Prefects gave me hope for the rest of the student body. A thought held true by [Max Avery] who was suggesting to his partner that they ignore what the others are doing and collect plants, as had been the objective from the very start. Others reached down and started testing.
Paracelsus Myth - Tracking [ 16 ]
He was rather studious and had a knowledge beyond his years, aware of what to look for at a given time and place. Paracelsus could feel the warm, cooling blood between his fingers, slightly congealed from exposure to the sun and the air.
Ami seemed excited by the scenery before her, grabbing a stick and poking at the ground before pointing at a random bush not far away. Had she seen something that the others hadn't? Whatever it was, it was ripe for the taking. No plant in the forest was off-limits as far as Sorrel's instructions had not mentioned.
[Amadea Campbell] was one of few who did what they had come here to do; collect plants. She found something similar to what Lucy was collecting.
Amadea Campbell - Collects Asphodel x3 | Takes [ -25HP ] damage and a subsequent loss of [ -15HP ] for two posts from unwittingly reaching through a throng of Rose Thorns.
[December Hale] had the same idea as Lucy and Amadea, though her methods could be viewed as slightly more reckless. She had ventured further away from the group despite the fact that she was partnerless and within the Forbidden Forest, a place heavily shrouded in rumours of malice and ill-content.
December Hale - Collects Moly x2, Peppermint x1, Knotgrass x1, Thyme x1, Sage x1, and Ipomea x1.
It was all going perfectly until she started to collect the heart-shaped leaves. It was an encounter with a large web that was funnel-like in appearance and very adhesive. Her hand would get caught in the thing as she disturbed the resting place of one Funnelweb Spider that was now quickly crawling toward her hand. Two choices were open to her: take the leaf and risk a bite from the spider with the massive fangs, or abandon the plant and avoid injury.
She would then continue west, further away from the group and away from the safety of the clearing. The further she went, the more prominent a faint scent that she had been smelling the entire time would become. If she could differentiate between the scents, unlikely as such a feat was, she would notice the sweet hints of Sage and Mallowsweet wafting through the air. It is almost sickening at first, but the longer she inhaled it the more pleasant the scent would become. She would soon arrive near a tall thicket barring her path forward, and through this dense cluster of bushes and trees, she would be able to hear the sound of voices, many of them, talking heatedly about something she would not understand. They were faint, but she would be able to hear two very prominent words. "Humans" and "No".
Phaedra Stavrou - Tracking [ 16 ]
[Phaedra Stavrou] knew her stuff. Wherever she learned the skill from, it was certainly coming in handy now as she found herself able to glean basic yet uncommon knowledge from investigating the print. As with the blood that Parcel had found, she would learn that the prints were fresh, having been made within the day. Possibly the last couple of hours or so. It was fairly large, at least a quarter size larger than a grown male horse, and the impression it left in the ground caused a steep depression, adding to the knowledge that the owner of the print was at least marginally sturdier than the rest, as a glance at the other hoof impressions would show. She would be able to differentiate between the different sizes to ascertain a general number ranging from seven to ten. As a bonus, she would clearly see through the trail of confused prints and be able to pinpoint a common direction through the mess. They headed west away from the clearing.
Phaedra Stavrou - Perception [ 19 ]
Phaedra is a master at this! Not only would she be able to tell so much from her assessment of the prints, but her keen aptitude would also bring her attention to the stray in the group. One December Hale. She would be the only one aware of the girl venturing off on her own to find more than her peers could hope to find here, and on the breeze, Phaedra would also be able to catch a hint of...something. A scent like burning bush. It was fragrant, though she would be unable to differentiate between the scents or pinpoint their source.
Paracelsus Myth - Perception [ 1 ]
Parcel did not have much luck in this field as Phaedra, for his attempt at gathering insight from his surroundings would prove uneventful. He would notice a slight rustling in some thin bushes off to the side, and before his imagination could run wild he would see what looked like a ferret zipping from bush to bush. Aside from the blood and the prints, nothing seemed amiss. ❞
The clearing, as we spilt forth, soon appeared much smaller than it might ever be used to. Sorrel wasted no time giving them their instructions, and I mentally gave her my approbation for keeping it succinct. I felt no need to add my own voice to the mix, for what she had said would suffice. Hopefully, they would gather as much as they could and not waste precious daylight, as is the wont of these children. Without a word, I stepped away from Sorrel to venture a short distance to the left into a shade cast by a tall tree. I pressed my back against the trunk and watched them carefully. [Mia Alexander] and [Mary Brown] were the first to make a discovery, though where I had expected them to take an interest in plants of some sort, they had instead seemed to take an interest in one of the many hoof prints that dotted the forest. Was it truly so fascinating?
Then there was [Kaegen Deathmote]; strange young lad. As my eyes came to rest on him I noticed that he was staring holes into my perfect visage, looking for something that he would never find. Or was he so spellbound by my pulchritude that he could do nothing else? Regardless, I spared him as much time as everyone else. Which is to say, a derisory amount. A crowd was quickly starting to gather around Mia and Mary, and I wondered for a moment what could be so fascinating so as to garner so much attention when I took note of [Lucy O'Sullivan] being the only one doing what we had come here to do. She, with her partner not far behind, went to gather the flowers as they had been tasked to do.
Lucy O'Sullivan - Collects Asphodel x3 and Mistletoe w/ Berries x4 | Takes [ -20HP ] damage and a subsequent loss of [ -10HP ] for two posts from unwittingly reaching through a growth of Poison Ivy.
All along her arm, she would feel a persistent itch that soon devolved into an intense burn intermingled with the itch. The skin along her arm would become slightly pink as a few rashes started to form along the surface.
Unaware of what was happening, I smiled a small smile as I watched her busy herself collecting the plants. At least one person had their head on straight. The Prefects of the school; I spared another glance back at Kaegen and revised my thought process. Some of the Prefects gave me hope for the rest of the student body. A thought held true by [Max Avery] who was suggesting to his partner that they ignore what the others are doing and collect plants, as had been the objective from the very start. Others reached down and started testing.
Paracelsus Myth - Tracking [ 16 ]
He was rather studious and had a knowledge beyond his years, aware of what to look for at a given time and place. Paracelsus could feel the warm, cooling blood between his fingers, slightly congealed from exposure to the sun and the air.
Ami seemed excited by the scenery before her, grabbing a stick and poking at the ground before pointing at a random bush not far away. Had she seen something that the others hadn't? Whatever it was, it was ripe for the taking. No plant in the forest was off-limits as far as Sorrel's instructions had not mentioned.
[Amadea Campbell] was one of few who did what they had come here to do; collect plants. She found something similar to what Lucy was collecting.
Amadea Campbell - Collects Asphodel x3 | Takes [ -25HP ] damage and a subsequent loss of [ -15HP ] for two posts from unwittingly reaching through a throng of Rose Thorns.
[December Hale] had the same idea as Lucy and Amadea, though her methods could be viewed as slightly more reckless. She had ventured further away from the group despite the fact that she was partnerless and within the Forbidden Forest, a place heavily shrouded in rumours of malice and ill-content.
December Hale - Collects Moly x2, Peppermint x1, Knotgrass x1, Thyme x1, Sage x1, and Ipomea x1.
It was all going perfectly until she started to collect the heart-shaped leaves. It was an encounter with a large web that was funnel-like in appearance and very adhesive. Her hand would get caught in the thing as she disturbed the resting place of one Funnelweb Spider that was now quickly crawling toward her hand. Two choices were open to her: take the leaf and risk a bite from the spider with the massive fangs, or abandon the plant and avoid injury.
She would then continue west, further away from the group and away from the safety of the clearing. The further she went, the more prominent a faint scent that she had been smelling the entire time would become. If she could differentiate between the scents, unlikely as such a feat was, she would notice the sweet hints of Sage and Mallowsweet wafting through the air. It is almost sickening at first, but the longer she inhaled it the more pleasant the scent would become. She would soon arrive near a tall thicket barring her path forward, and through this dense cluster of bushes and trees, she would be able to hear the sound of voices, many of them, talking heatedly about something she would not understand. They were faint, but she would be able to hear two very prominent words. "Humans" and "No".
Phaedra Stavrou - Tracking [ 16 ]
[Phaedra Stavrou] knew her stuff. Wherever she learned the skill from, it was certainly coming in handy now as she found herself able to glean basic yet uncommon knowledge from investigating the print. As with the blood that Parcel had found, she would learn that the prints were fresh, having been made within the day. Possibly the last couple of hours or so. It was fairly large, at least a quarter size larger than a grown male horse, and the impression it left in the ground caused a steep depression, adding to the knowledge that the owner of the print was at least marginally sturdier than the rest, as a glance at the other hoof impressions would show. She would be able to differentiate between the different sizes to ascertain a general number ranging from seven to ten. As a bonus, she would clearly see through the trail of confused prints and be able to pinpoint a common direction through the mess. They headed west away from the clearing.
Phaedra Stavrou - Perception [ 19 ]
Phaedra is a master at this! Not only would she be able to tell so much from her assessment of the prints, but her keen aptitude would also bring her attention to the stray in the group. One December Hale. She would be the only one aware of the girl venturing off on her own to find more than her peers could hope to find here, and on the breeze, Phaedra would also be able to catch a hint of...something. A scent like burning bush. It was fragrant, though she would be unable to differentiate between the scents or pinpoint their source.
Paracelsus Myth - Perception [ 1 ]
Parcel did not have much luck in this field as Phaedra, for his attempt at gathering insight from his surroundings would prove uneventful. He would notice a slight rustling in some thin bushes off to the side, and before his imagination could run wild he would see what looked like a ferret zipping from bush to bush. Aside from the blood and the prints, nothing seemed amiss. ❞
"𝔳𝔞𝔫𝔦𝔱𝔞𝔰 𝔳𝔞𝔫𝔦𝔱𝔞𝔱𝔲𝔪 𝔬𝔪𝔫𝔦𝔞 𝔳𝔞𝔫𝔦𝔱𝔞𝔰"
24 Jul 2018, 22:08
Herbology Workshop
Serena followed behind Phaedra, rolling her eyes behind her as they walked. She really had to question her decision of partnering up with such a girl at this point in time. But, she honestly did not expect more from the Ravenclaw. At least she could say that she tried, where the Ravenclaw had not. Following the group, they made their way into the forest. Serena looked around as they walked. A small shiver went down her spine. The trees in the forest blocked out so much light. It was darker and more... well, let's be frank, creepier, in the forest than on the grounds. She gulped inaudibly. If there was one thing Serena had learnt from the darkness this year, it was that the darkness was full of nasty creatures. The darkness had the capabilities to kill. The darkness was something to fear. Serena knew this all too well. Her pace became a little hesitant. The truth was, she really did not want to be here. Unfortunately, her partner was Phaedra - the youngest daughter of the Stavrou family. There was no way that Serena could afford to look weak in front of her. Her mother would kill her if she looked weak now.
Braving herself, she followed the group silently. They stopped after a while, Professor Wright instructed the students to continue. Serena noticed Phaedra turn to her face, before suddenly getting distracted by something else. She paused for a moment, following her line of sight. The Hufflepuff watched her partner, suddenly squatting down onto the ground. She appeared to be examining something. Allowing her eyes to fall onto the ground beneath her, Serena followed the girl's fingers to what looked like hoofprints. Instantly, Serena's head snapped back up and scanned the area more thoroughly. Centaurs. Only Centaurs were capable of having footprints like that. She did not know much about them, to be honest. She did, however, know that they hated humans. Or at least, that was what her older brother would tell her. Perhaps it was just to scare her, perhaps it was the truth... Serena did not and would not know this. But she was instantly more weary.
One hand let go off the basket that she was holding onto. It moved to the pocket of her robes, checking that her wand was still there. Better to be safe than sorry. She moved her hand back to the basket for now. Placing it nearby, Serena examined the soil near them. Her eyes spotted something. Not the hoofprint, but rather the blood. Leaving the analysis of the prints to her partner, Serena moved towards the blood. She visually examined it for a moment, checking to see if it was dried or not. Were these recent prints? Perhaps a centaur had been injured nearby... Perhaps it had injured. Was it even a Centaur's blood? Half was human... they probably did have similar blood to them. It would be hard to tell if it was from a different animal but at least she could see if it was recent or not.
Composing herself as she heard Phaedra's voice, Serena stood up and looked over to her. Did she know any spells? Yeah, sure, first year spells that everyone else knew... She could levitate a bloody feather or unlock a damn door but that wouldn't be any use here. Serena paused for a moment. She mentally reminded herself that Phaedra was not trying to be condescending - even though it sounded like she was. She was trying to figure out if either of them were able to do anything here. "Nothing that would take down a Centaur... Unless you want me to burn the damn forest down." Serena replied, quite frankly and honestly. There was little she knew that would help if a Centaur attacked them. The Dancing Spell, the Sneezing Hex, all of these might work for a while but if they were in dire need, the best she could offer would be the same one that the Hufflepuffs were famous for. Sadly, it was also the very same one she wanted to avoid using at all costs: Incendio. Starting another fire was not the desired reputation the Hufflepuff wanted, "But I'd rather avoid that for today..." She continued.
Serena sighed softly, as she scanned the area again. This time, she was looking at something specific. She was not looking out for centaurs or other students. Rather, she was focused on the plants. The centaur was here for some reason, close to the school. If they hated humans so much, would they really venture so close to the school? Without a reason, it was unlikely. Perhaps it was just bored and strayed from its usual location. But perhaps, there was a chance it came looking for something. A special type of plant, a nest of an animal, something this area of the forest offered that another did not. "Come, we have a task to do." Serena said simply to Phaedra, before explaining her decision, "They don't seem to be here anymore but... I wonder why they were, in the first place. Perhaps there's something here?" She walked up towards some plants and started to examine them.
She picked a few different plants from the area, trying to find something of interest. She had no idea if they were something a centaur would care for but Serena was trying to figure out its purpose, if it even had one. She tried to get a range of different plants from the nearby area, perhaps they could identify the plants and figure something out. The Hufflepuff was definitely on edge, but she had not ventured too far away from the Professors yet. They were still very close by, enough to scream and be saved should anything happen... But perhaps if they collected enough varieties of plants, there would be something that Professor Wright would be able to analyse. A part of her wondered if the centaur was simply hurt, out looking for a plant to heal their wounds... And with their Herbology and Potions Professor here, she was sure that if she collected all of the varieties she could in this area then they could be able to tell them if the plants had any sort of healing properties or could be used in a potion.
Braving herself, she followed the group silently. They stopped after a while, Professor Wright instructed the students to continue. Serena noticed Phaedra turn to her face, before suddenly getting distracted by something else. She paused for a moment, following her line of sight. The Hufflepuff watched her partner, suddenly squatting down onto the ground. She appeared to be examining something. Allowing her eyes to fall onto the ground beneath her, Serena followed the girl's fingers to what looked like hoofprints. Instantly, Serena's head snapped back up and scanned the area more thoroughly. Centaurs. Only Centaurs were capable of having footprints like that. She did not know much about them, to be honest. She did, however, know that they hated humans. Or at least, that was what her older brother would tell her. Perhaps it was just to scare her, perhaps it was the truth... Serena did not and would not know this. But she was instantly more weary.
One hand let go off the basket that she was holding onto. It moved to the pocket of her robes, checking that her wand was still there. Better to be safe than sorry. She moved her hand back to the basket for now. Placing it nearby, Serena examined the soil near them. Her eyes spotted something. Not the hoofprint, but rather the blood. Leaving the analysis of the prints to her partner, Serena moved towards the blood. She visually examined it for a moment, checking to see if it was dried or not. Were these recent prints? Perhaps a centaur had been injured nearby... Perhaps it had injured. Was it even a Centaur's blood? Half was human... they probably did have similar blood to them. It would be hard to tell if it was from a different animal but at least she could see if it was recent or not.
Composing herself as she heard Phaedra's voice, Serena stood up and looked over to her. Did she know any spells? Yeah, sure, first year spells that everyone else knew... She could levitate a bloody feather or unlock a damn door but that wouldn't be any use here. Serena paused for a moment. She mentally reminded herself that Phaedra was not trying to be condescending - even though it sounded like she was. She was trying to figure out if either of them were able to do anything here. "Nothing that would take down a Centaur... Unless you want me to burn the damn forest down." Serena replied, quite frankly and honestly. There was little she knew that would help if a Centaur attacked them. The Dancing Spell, the Sneezing Hex, all of these might work for a while but if they were in dire need, the best she could offer would be the same one that the Hufflepuffs were famous for. Sadly, it was also the very same one she wanted to avoid using at all costs: Incendio. Starting another fire was not the desired reputation the Hufflepuff wanted, "But I'd rather avoid that for today..." She continued.
Serena sighed softly, as she scanned the area again. This time, she was looking at something specific. She was not looking out for centaurs or other students. Rather, she was focused on the plants. The centaur was here for some reason, close to the school. If they hated humans so much, would they really venture so close to the school? Without a reason, it was unlikely. Perhaps it was just bored and strayed from its usual location. But perhaps, there was a chance it came looking for something. A special type of plant, a nest of an animal, something this area of the forest offered that another did not. "Come, we have a task to do." Serena said simply to Phaedra, before explaining her decision, "They don't seem to be here anymore but... I wonder why they were, in the first place. Perhaps there's something here?" She walked up towards some plants and started to examine them.
She picked a few different plants from the area, trying to find something of interest. She had no idea if they were something a centaur would care for but Serena was trying to figure out its purpose, if it even had one. She tried to get a range of different plants from the nearby area, perhaps they could identify the plants and figure something out. The Hufflepuff was definitely on edge, but she had not ventured too far away from the Professors yet. They were still very close by, enough to scream and be saved should anything happen... But perhaps if they collected enough varieties of plants, there would be something that Professor Wright would be able to analyse. A part of her wondered if the centaur was simply hurt, out looking for a plant to heal their wounds... And with their Herbology and Potions Professor here, she was sure that if she collected all of the varieties she could in this area then they could be able to tell them if the plants had any sort of healing properties or could be used in a potion.
ACTIONS:
1. Examine blood, checking to see if she could get any information from there such as age.
2. Perception check around the area, specifically looking at the plants and nests or signs of other animals.
3. Pick several nearby plants
OOC: Got permission from Sorrel to post before she did this round.
PC: Serena Towers | iNPC: Arjan Oberoi | Other: Hjørdis Jensen & Xiomara Torres
Part-Goblin | Evasive Maneuvers | Beastmaster | Paragon of Health
Sta: 10 | Eva: 17 | Str: 3 | Wis: 15 | Arc Power: 10 | Acc: 15
Part-Goblin | Evasive Maneuvers | Beastmaster | Paragon of Health
Sta: 10 | Eva: 17 | Str: 3 | Wis: 15 | Arc Power: 10 | Acc: 15
25 Jul 2018, 00:17
Herbology Workshop
Addresses: Maxwell Avery
So this is what the forbidden forest looked like? Honestly, it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Tall trees twisted upwards, crowned with claw-like branches. Moss clung to dark wood and lichen hung from tall limbs. The ground was covered in rotten leaves and strange plants. In this certain area, some soil was turned up as if it had been trodden on in a careless or erratic manner. Pretty boring really, if not a little disappointing. Had the werewolves all gone to dinner together? And what of the centaurs and dark creatures? This was not lining up with the tales of daring escapes and wild adventures whispered in the corridors by mischievous first years. Still, it was satisfying to finally be able to observe the forest with her own eyes. This little trip would put an end to many occasions of curious pondering, on her part.
Maxwell Avery had retrieved a basket and they had exited the hut together. Now, they stood side by side under the twisting forest. Neither had said much, though it wasn't due to awkwardness. Dorothy saw no need for conversation presently, and decided to wait until they had begun their task. The rotten leaves made a weak crunching/squishing sound under Dorothy's thick rubber boots as they walked further into the forest. She slowed her steps a moment to put on a pair of gardening gloves given to her by Aljasus, the house elf, as requested by her stepmother. As she glanced down at her hands, a glint in the leaves caught her eye. It was... blood. Some of the other children 'Ooed' and 'Ahhed', following the trial of red fluid deeper into the forest. Idiots. Dorothy continued walking, keeping pace with Max as they went along. She had no doubt that he too had seen the blood, and her suspicions were confirmed by his guarded comment.
"I hope you know some offensive spells, because I have no doubt something will go wrong,"
Dorothy turned to him and smiled slightly. "I know enough to defend myself." Barely. She had learned a few spells that would be useful in a tussle, but hadn't been as devoted in her studies as she could be. That would change over the summer. She planned to devote a good deal of her free time to her studies. Especially since things at Hogwarts hadn't exactly been peachy lately. Things kept going horrifically wrong. Like the Lock in. Dorothy absentmindedly touched the bandage on her right arm, a souvenir from a nightmare come true. She still didn't know how it had happened. If the Lock in had taught her anything, it was that the professors couldn't be trusted to keep her safe, and they wouldn't hesitate to put her in danger.
They came to a clearing in the forest and students began splitting up, keeping their pairs but disappearing into the forest. Max stopped suddenly, and Dorothy halted with him. "Shall we at least gather up some of the herbs here before going deeper to look for more? What do you think? Left or right side?" He questioned her before falling silent. Max was giving her choices. How polite. "I agree wholeheartedly. Let's go right. Less bugs that way." She swatted at a mosquito before moving towards a clump of yarrow. "Achillea millefolium. This stuff is good for healing potions." Dorothy gripped the yarrow's thin stem and pulled it out of the rich earth, causing little clumps of dirt to spray into the air as the roots gave out with a satisfying crunch. She dropped it into the basket and began gathering more. Now seemed a good time for conversations. "You, Sir, have quite the reputation." A stern expression reached her face before fading into a small, mischievous smile. "Got any tips? My stepmother would worship me if I was as influential as you." She gave him a sideways glance without turning from the thick plants. "So how are you enjoying summer camp so far?"
Action: - Begin gathering yarrow plants
- converse with Max Avery
Stamina: 4 - Agility: 5 - Strength: 7 - Control: 3 - Arcane Power: 6 - Accuracy: 5
28 Jul 2018, 23:29
Herbology Workshop
SERENA TOWERS - Perception [ 11]
Ms Towers was a smart girl, that much was for sure. Her eyes scanned the clearing, looking for plants and hoof prints, as she prepared to deal with the centaurs. Unlike her partner, who had already spotted the form of a blonde haired girl, Serena was only able to see the shadow. She knew something was there, but what? Along with that, she was able to spot plants scattering the ground, ripe for the picking. Any spiders or thorns on the plants were impossible to see, but Serena could easily stare at the plants.
She would pick the plants, missing any thorns that might of lingered on their stems. Three of the flowers came off, and Serena had her prize to put in her basket.
[Collected Asphodel x3]
While the children gathered, Sorrel noticed the blood, and the group that had gathered around it. The absentminded professor swung her basket up higher, taking a step towards the blood and the children, as the groups cleared away to (hopefully) gather plants. Her face paled, a frown gracing her lips, as Sorrel stepped back and turned to the other Professor.
They were out of earshot of the other children, and Sorrel's shyness faded away, replaced by her hunger to protect the children of the school. She might have been known for disliking children, but Sorrel had a soft spot for any child who decided to sign up for a herbology workshop. Not only that, children didn't deserve to die or get hurt. They might of been little monsters most of the time, but they grew up and gained common sense. Sorrel was no fool, or at least, she didn't believe herself to be one.
She knew plenty about the other adventures of the school, and wouldn't let this one go just as badly. No, this was meant for fun, and it would be fun. Hopefully. If something went wrong, Sorrel was prepared to get the kids out of trouble as fast as she could.
"Valtome, do you think the kids will be safe? The blood looks fresh." Sorrel spoke up, in a low whisper to make sure no prying ears could hear. "I don't wnat to ruin their fun, but if they're in any danger, we might have to cancel this, and just go back to the campgrounds."
this is information your character will not know.
Meanwhile, in the forest, away from Sorrel or Valtome's ears, a herd of centaurs stood. Some were bleeding, while others stomped their hooves angrily, ears turned towards the clearing they had just ran from. The eldest of the centaurs, a man with the body of a silver stallion, with white blonde hair, sneered, a look of disgust on his wrinkled face.
"They think that a group of human children can protect those traitors from our wrath?"
Another centaur chimed in, chestnut in color, with a matching sneer on his face. "What have the humans ever done for us? They are the cause of this chaos in the sky,
if they die, so be it. We have all seen the future in the planets, we must stop it. Who cares about a child or two? Those traitors did, and we are not traitors. We are not common mules, we will not care for the humans when they have cared nothing of us. They haven't even bothered to alert us to the adventures or the bloodshed taking place in our forest. They expect us to flee from a fire they started. They have done nothing but wrong to us, and I, for one, will not have it."
A third centaur spoke, quiet and thoughtful. "We don't kill fillies or colts. That is not our way. The planets have willed it so."
The first centaur talked again, the rest of the small herd nodding their approval, hands taunt on the bows they all possessed. "These humans are all guilty. They have left us with their problems, and expected us to be meek and obedient like a common mule. That ends now. Our kin who have refused to follow our orders will be punished, and so will any human that stands in our way, child or not. My tolerance, for you, Kentarous is waning. Speak no more."
The rest of the conversation was cut off, as the main centaur turned and trotted away, the rest of the group following behind him.
you may now post once again.
Sorrel Wright
hopeless chocolate addict & head of gryffindor house. tarapoto tree-skimmers fan.
31 Jul 2018, 00:39
Herbology Workshop
The plant with heart-shaped leaves had hooked December in so quickly that she didn’t realize there was actually a large funnel-shaped web in the way. She reached to grab the plant, and her hand immediately got stuck onto the web. She attempted to escape it and get the leaves, but it was like trying to move her hand through glue. As she struggled, it seemed she had awoken the spider that lived there and it was heading straight towards her hand. She paused for a moment, weighing her options. I’m so close - I bet I can get it in time before it reaches me, she thought in desperation. She looked back over at the spider once more. It was huge and black in color, but it was sleek and shiny, unlike a fuzzy tarantula. Something about the spider seemed wild, violent even.
Filled with a sense of foreboding, she freed her hand with a rough yank and scurried away from the spider and its web, heart racing. Not only a moment later, she felt a deep sense of regret. So stupid, she scolded herself. You’re going to let a silly spider stop you from being the best? You’re worthless. She was ashamed to have given up so easily. She was a Gryffindor - she was supposed to be brave.
Her head continued to buzz with thoughts of self-deprecation and self-loathing as she head deeper into the forest. As she moved forward, she became more distracted by the notion that there was something different about the air here. There was a particular aroma, one that she couldn’t quite place. It was sweet but it was almost a bit too much, as if she had set foot into a candle shop. Why would there be a scent like this out in the woods? she wondered. She felt a sense of deja vu, as though she had smelled something like it before, but couldn’t remember when. She paused for a moment to get a good whiff, attempting to distinguish what it might be.
Not long after, she reached a tall thicket that prevented her from continuing in the same direction. It seemed odd for it to be there, as if it was placed purposely with the intent of isolation. An aura of thrill mixed with a drop of terror coursed through her. The familiar rush of adrenaline called to her, pushing her closer to the thicket.
The tone of quarreling voices could be faintly heard from where she stood. She concentrated hard to try and hear what they were saying, but the only words she could recognize were “humans” and “no”. She pressed her ear against, that thicket, but that did nothing to help her case.
Based on the hoove marks by the clearing and the fact they were talking about humans as if they were not humans, December assumed there to be centuars beyond the thicket. She was able to sense the danger in what she was doing, but she didn’t want to stop. She was much too curious, and she didn’t want to make another lame decision like she had with the spider. She crouched low and crept along the side of the brush, hoping she would find a spot where she would be able to see or hear something else.
ACTIONS!
❄ Escape the spider and do not pick up the plant with heart-shaped leaves.
❄ Attempt to discern what the smell is.
❄ Move cautiously along the side of the thicket to attempt to see or hear something.
STA: 6 | AGI: 7 | STR: 7 | CTL: 4 | ARC: 0 | ACC: 6
31 Jul 2018, 16:14
Herbology Workshop
Amanda had started to become bored of the blood. It was only intriguing for so long. She walked away from the blood and motioned for Alaska to follow her. “I guess we’d better start doing what we came out here to do, which is gathering plants,” Amanda said as she walked deeper into the forest. She felt slightly uncomfortable as she walked through the forest with her partner, as if some hostile being was watching her every move. Shaking that feeling aside, Amanda quietly walked around, careful not to step on anything of value.Interactions: Alaska Remillae
Amanda didn’t see, however, the tree root in front of her and tripped over it. She fell forward and felt a stinging pain on her hands and knees. She sat up and looked at her hands. They were all scratched up from the fall since she had landed on several small rocks. Her knees were the same, a little blood peeping out in certain places. Amanda sighed and stood up. Couldn’t she do anything without injuring herself? She stooped down, noticing a plant that she believed she recognized from class. Amanda picked it and put it in her and Alaska’s basket. She walked a couple feet away and picked some more plants and placed them in the basket. Amanda heard hoof steps and straightened up, straining to hear more, but the sound had already faded away.
Actions:
walk away from the blood
“Oh, I may be on the side of the angels, but don't think for one second that I am one of them.”
~ Amanda Sparrow ~