{Ore Drakes} The Expedition Outpost | OPEN

[Saturnalia]

Vay looks around, turning slowly in a full circle to get the lay of the land. She pulls out the map, glancing at it to consult, and then looks back up at the landscape.

Curious that I don't see that lake to the south, but maybe it's obscured by trees, she thinks. "Shall we go South?" she says aloud, and Cavaiya offers a little trill.

"South it is!"

[SeaCrest]

Saturnalia || Vayshedruvon
You head south through the forest, struggling with the thick vegetation for a time until you come across what you might call a deer path, although you aren't sure there are deer here on Odekka. Luckily for you, the path runs in a north-south direction, which means you can follow it for a while unmolested by plants.

The reason that the lake wasn't visible from your vantage point becomes clear; the lake is quite far away from where you were standing, and your hill wasn't particularly tall. With a few more feet in height, you might have been able to spot a glimmer of sunlight reflecting off the water. Before you reach the lake, you come across a grove of some strange fruit trees.

Do you...

• Take a piece of fruit.
• Leave the fruit. You don't know what it is, and whether or not it is poisonous.
• Stop and see if other creatures have been eating the fallen fruit.
• Turn around and go home.

[Ember]

"Oh boy," Ember says as she stands before vegetation clearly too thick to proceed through normally. Does she go the path of least resistance? Or does she pull out the machete she definitely has in her pack and try and hack her way through? "...this probably means no one has been through here in a long time, if ever, eh Eldritch?" The drake snorts and Ember laughs a bit before pulling the machete from her bag. Cutting a path it is!

[SeaCrest]

Ember
You raise your machete and begin to cut your way through the forest. As you do so, something white flickers in the corner of your vision. You turn, but you aren't fast enough. Whatever it is - a drake, you think fuzzily as a wing takes shape in your peripheral vision - swoops towards you, and darkness suddenly falls. You cannot see anything, not even a hint of light, and an agitated chattering echoes in your ears as you hear the sound of fighting drakes. Desperately, you try to feel around, but the ground seems to drop away under your feet, and you stumble, still completely blind. Your drake - you think it's your drake, at any rate - catches you by the shoulder, trying to pull you back to your feet. The strange drake is hissing at you, flapping about your head as you climb to your feet, and you can only stumble away as it drives you - somewhere.

Eventually, it seems satisfied, and leaves you. You realize that you have dropped your Machete somewhere, but your pack is safe. Fumbling, you first check your egg, which seems intact, and then find your radio.

By the time Barnaby locates you, the blindness has worn off, although you are still sitting in the same place, rather shaken by the ordeal. What triggered the attack? Was it the act of cutting through the vegetation, or were you encroaching on something the attacking drake didn't want you to find?

Either way, you won't be finding out today. Barnaby delivers you to Dr. Wong, who checks you and your drake over for injuries. She clucks her tongue at your story, and shakes her head.

"The wild drakes can be erratic in their behavior. We'll have to mark that area as high risk and close it to further expeditions until we can observe more closely. I'm glad you're safe, at least."

The daily flight back to Secundi is due any minute, so you accept her offer of a sandwich and head outside to wait on the bench outside the Outpost for your ride.

Expedition complete! You have gained 2 expedition EXP!

You may now apply for another expedition!

[Ember]

ADVENTURER'S PERMIT APPLICATION
Name: Ember
Drake(s):
086 - Andromeda

and 094 - Rhea

[SeaCrest]

Ember
After Dr. Wong has given you your map, as well as checking over your supplies, she sends you out to meet a young man by the name of Barnaby, who shuttles you out to one of the expedition areas. After all, if everyone is exploring right next to the Outpost, there won't be much by the way of discovery, will there?

After Barnaby leaves you, you look around.  The trees are tall and thick here, with no discernible path into the forest. Do you...

• Use your machete to hack your way through the undergrowth?
• Try to climb a tree to see if there is a path nearby?
• Follow the tree line left (north) to see if you can find a path that way?
• Follow the tree line right (south) to see if you can find a path that way?
• Turn around and go home?

[Saturnalia]

Vay looks at the fruit, curious but not enough to try it without some investigation. She glances to Cavaiya to see if she is showing any interest, but the drake is nosing around a little ways away.

The girl looks around for other evidence of whether creatures have been eating the fruit.

[SeaCrest]

Saturnalia || Vayshedruvon
Upon close examination of some fallen fruit, you note that several bear the teeth marks of what appears to be a drake, or several drakes. However, what is edible for drakes may not be edible for humans...

Will you...

• Offer the fruit to your drake?
• Taste the fruit yourself?
• Collect some fruit for further examination later?
• Leave the fruit and continue onwards?
• Turn around and go home?

[Ember]

Ember, flanked on either side by  drakes, stares at the forest for a few long moments before deciding that yes, she has indeed learned her lesson, and has no plans to hack her way through one again any time soon. She's also not particularly keen on heights so instead follows the tree line south.

[SeaCrest]

Ember
You follow the tree line south - or rather, you initially head south, but as you continue walking, the forest billows out, forcing you further east. Still, there is no sign of a place to enter the forest until you come across a stack of stones in a vaguely pyramidal shape, although the top stones have been knocked off. The stones mark some kind of trail head, perhaps a path that the local wildlife has forged over the years. Do you...

• Enter the forest using the trail?
• Continue following the tree line?
• Turn around and go home?

[Ember]

It was quite a detour but as Ember finally comes upon some sort of trail she smiles and proceeds to enter the forest using the trail. Andromeda and Rhea fly above her, seemingly dancing with each other as the loop around above Ember.

[Tarakona Ormr]

ADVENTURER'S PERMIT APPLICATION
Name: Sunchaser
Drake(s):051--Silvestra
037--Harun

[Saturnalia]

Vay doesn't fancy getting herself or her drake sick out here, so she decides best course of action would be to take some fruit for further examination. She can always ask the people studying the drakes if they're familiar with it when she gets back.

[SeaCrest]

Ember
You enter the forest using the trail and presently find yourself approaching a clearing where you can see a small building. Made of woven branches, stone, and mud brick, it blends in with the environment, but it is too large to be mistaken for anything but a man-made structure. It lines up with an Outpost rest stop marked on your map, and there seems to be nobody around. Do you...

• Enter the building to check it out?
• Move on?
• Turn around and go home?

Sunchaser
After Dr. Wong has given you your map, as well as checking over your supplies, she sends you out to meet a young man by the name of Barnaby, who shuttles you out to one of the expedition areas. After all, if everyone is exploring right next to the Outpost, there won't be much by the way of discovery, will there?

After Barnaby leaves you, you look around.  You are at the edge of a cliff, with plenty of open space around you. The river nearby falls over the cliff in a straight waterfall, all the way down to the ground below. A very narrow ladder has been secured at the edge of the cliff with two sturdy anchors. Do you...

• Go down the ladder?
• Follow the river upstream?

Saturnalia || Vayshedruvon
You have obtained 1x Sunfruit!
After stowing your fruit, you press on towards the lake. When you finally reach your destination, you note that another reason the lake wasn't visible is that it is relatively small, for a lake, although it's still much too big for you to swim across. The shore is quite muddy, as is the water, and you can see lots of algae floating on top and amongst the reeds. Do you...

• Investigate the reeds?
• Go wading in the lake?
• Look around some more?
• Head west?
• Head east?
• Turn around and go home?

[Saturnalia]

Vay carefully tucks the fruit away for later, and then presses on, eventually coming to the lake.

Doesn't look like the best water to go galivanting in, she notes to herself. Maybe I'll look around a bit more to see what else is of interest.

"Cavaiya, find anything?" she calls to her drake as she gazes around at the surroundings.

[SeaCrest]

Saturnalia || Vayshedruvon
You look around, spotting a fallen tree that is lying half in the lake, its trunk quite thick around, an indicator of its age. It seems to have been washed up to shore, rather than falling into the lake here, as there are no signs of where it might have come from; its roots are submerged in the water, while the top half has been mostly broken off, leaving a few straggling nubs behind.

A glimmer in the shadows below the tree catches your eye...

Do you...

• Investigate the reeds?
• Go wading in the lake?
• Investigate the tree?
• Investigate the glimmer?
• Turn around and go home?

[Saturnalia]

Vay peers around, and Cavaiya seems to do the same, but perhaps she's just looking for tasty things to crunch. The tree catches Vay's eye, though, and she looks around, contemplating how it might have gotten where it is, when the glimmer catches her eye.

Ooh, what could that be? Vay wonders, slowly approaching the shadows beyond the tree to get a better look at the glimmer. She's cautious in the mud, not wanting to slip on it or any damp vegetation, but too curious not to investigate.

[SeaCrest]

Saturnalia || Vayshedruvon
You have obtained 1x Copper Ore!

In the murky water, you think you make out the shape of a lump of ore. Bracing yourself, you cautiously reach in and fumble around, finding the hard object quickly. Pulling it out of the muck, you give it a brisk rinse in the lake before holding it up to inspect it, revealing it to be a piece of Copper Ore! Quickly, you put it away before you can drop it in the lake by accident.

Do you...

• Head west?
• Head east?
• Turn around and go home?

[Saturnalia]

"Ahh, wonderful!" Vay shows the ore to Cavaiya, who looks pleased, before tucking it back into her bag. "Quite a haul, isn't it?" she comments, as her bag seems quite full now. She glances up at the sky, noting how much time has passed, and stretches her limbs. "I think it's about time we head back, don't you?"

The events of the adventure are starting to catch up with the pair, not the least of which being Vay's collapse in that cave early on. It seems prudent to head back home!

[Ember]

Ember decides to enter the building!

[SeaCrest]

Saturnalia || Vayshedruvon
You settle down comfortably in a nice dry spot by the lake and radio for Barnaby, giving your approximate coordinates so that he can come and fetch you. He arrives in the same rather beat-up old truck, and takes you and your drake back to the Outpost with little fanfare.

"I hope you had fun," he offers as you hop out of the truck.

Dr. Wong greets you and your observations with a bright smile. "I look forward to seeing you again soon!" she says after you recount your exploration and help her update the maps. The daily flight back to Secundi is due any minute, so you accept her offer of a sandwich and head outside to wait on the bench outside the Outpost for your ride.

Expedition complete! You have gained 3 expedition EXP!

You may now apply for another expedition!

Ember
Despite the crude nature of the building itself, it's very solid, and when you try to open the door, you realize need a key to get inside. Digging around in your pack, you realize that Dr. Wong or Barnaby has forgotten to give you a key.

Just as you start to move on, a young woman - more girl than adult, really - emerges from the trees. She's wearing a light sarong, its bright colors dulled by dust and old stains, and a tank top underneath a field vest covered in pockets. A utility belt is slung around her hips, and her feet are bare. She grins brightly at you, a flash of white teeth in a nut-brown face.

"Hello! Which explorer are you?" she asks. You give your name, somewhat hesitantly, and she nods. "Barnaby said you might end up here sooner rather than later. Name's Tea, I take care of this place 'cause Dr. Wong says I'm too wild to head back to the mainland with Dr. Farrowstead." As she speaks, she unlocks the door, gesturing you inside. "Hope you weren't waitin' too long, I did mean to be back right away but I ran into Hava, and boy, was she upset. Dunno what happened to her to get her all riled up but she's better now."

Inside, Tea fends off a pair of young drakes, probably only two or three weeks out of the shell, with an affectionate nudge of her foot. "Were you lookin' for me special or did you just happen by?" she asks. "I got supplies in case you need 'em. Banana?" she adds, holding one up.

Do you...

• Ask how Tea ended up here?
• Ask Tea about her name?
• Ask Tea for supplies?
• Ask Tea about the young drakes?
• Thank Tea and leave?

[Saturnalia]

ADVENTURER'S PERMIT APPLICATION
Name: Shaydra
Drake(s): 90 - Chemistry

[SeaCrest]

Saturnalia || Shaydra
After Dr. Wong has given you your map, as well as checking over your supplies, she sends you out to meet a young man by the name of Barnaby, who shuttles you out to one of the expedition areas. After all, if everyone is exploring right next to the Outpost, there won't be much by the way of discovery, will there?

After Barnaby leaves you, you look around. You are at the edge of the forest, near what appears to be a deer path or a trail head. Do you...

• Use the deer path to enter the forest?
• Strike out on your own path using your Machete?
• Go northwest along the tree line towards a rocky hill?
• Turn around and go home?

[Saturnalia]

The pair struck out. They were a strange duo, though their colors matched quite well. Shaydra was a tall, feline humanoid, purple-eyed and black furred, with a subtle leopard print pattern occasionally seen on the parts of her not covered by her clothing. All of her clothing and accessories were shades of black, gray, or dark purple; even the hoops through one ear were a darker gunmetal gray.

The drake accompanying her was a rather unique mix of patterns, but also featured a lot of black and purple, with the addition of white. A bit of leopard print, some strange striping, and piercing blue eyes were pretty eye-catching in the sunlight.

After getting dropped off, the two take a moment to look around before the drake's eyes settled on the forest.

"Shall we check out that deer path, then, Chem?" Shaydra asks, and the drake heads that way, the leopard-girl a step behind.

[SeaCrest]

Saturnalia || Shaydra
The forest quickly swallows you as you walk down the path, feeling the slight strain as the surface beneath your feet begins to descend slowly. The path winds back and forth, but given that there are no predators, it's less to make use of ground cover and more to ease the strain of the descent, which you appreciate.

Presently, you find yourself at the bottom of a steep valley, through which a small river (or a large stream) cuts through. It must have been bigger once upon a time, but now it's quite tame.

Do you...

• Head upstream?
• Head downstream?
• Cross the stream and continue up the far side of the valley?
• Turn around and go home?

[Ember]

Ember decides to ask about how Tea ended up there.

[Saturnalia]

Shayda and Chem enjoy the walk, glad to be in some shade as they prowl together through the forest.

Upon reaching the stream, Shaydra takes a look in both directions, up and down it, as well as peering to the far side. There's not a whole lot to help her make up her mind on where to go, but she finally settles on going upstream. Maybe she'll find the source of the water, or something else of interest.

"Let's go this way, why don't we?" she calls to the drake, who is exploring at the water's edge, and they head off in the new direction.

[SeaCrest]

Ember
Tea's smile abruptly vanishes. "I'm the only survivor of a shipwreck that landed here. I was the first human being to ever set foot on this island." She looks down at the drakes, who swarm up her legs and curl around her shoulders, jostling for position. "Dr. Farrowstead heard about my experiences, and she managed to get barring order on the island to anyone except the DEO."

She pushes the banana in your hand and turns away, busying herself with a contraption that looks rather like a tap. "She gussied up my little shack when I told her I wanted to come back, so I've got a rain catcher and filter, and some modern supplies, but really, I'm comfortable here. I've got to look out for you explorers but so far you've been a self-sufficient lot. You're the first one to come by, actually."

Do you...

• Ask Tea about her name?
• Ask Tea for supplies?
• Ask Tea about the young drakes?
• Thank Tea and leave?

Saturnalia || Shaydra
You head upstream, batting away low-hanging branches as you begin the slight incline that indicates that either you're ascending the side of the valley or the valley itself is ending. There seems to be nothing interesting here, but you keep going, hoping to find something worth investigating.

You come to a place where two streams combine to form the one you have been following. Do you...

• Follow the stream to the left?
• Follow the stream to the right?
• Head straight up the middle?
• Leave the stream and climb up the valley?
• Turn around and go home?

[Saturnalia]

Shaydra and her drake companion continue their journey. The cat-girl manages to blend into the patches of shadow better than one might think for such a tall humanoid, but she's relaxed, not particularly trying to be sneaky... for a rare moment in her life. This is the vacation I needed, she thinks to herself.

Coming to the fork in the streams, she looks to the left, and then to the right. She would prefer to stay with water, but which?

"Chem," she calls to the drake, "pick one."

Without hesitation, the drake follows the stream to the right, and Shay follows.

[SeaCrest]

Saturnalia || Shaydra
The terrain becomes steadily steeper, until it becomes clear you're climbing either a foothill or a mountain itself, although the vegetation is still thick and lush.

Your drake alerts you to what looks like a beehive in a nearby tree, with bees or bee-like insects buzzing gently around it. Do you...

• Cross the stream to pass by?
• Pass under the hive?
• Head into the forest, perpendicular to your current path?
• Turn around and go home?

[Tarakona Ormr]

With her drakes by her side she looked at the surroundings. Tilting her head at the choices in front of her she looked towards the river. "Down or Up?" Looking between the two drakes who waited for her to make the decision she smiled and pointed towards the river. "Lets try this way first then we can go down the waterfall."

Hefting her bag she started toward the river, following along the shore line, her drakes lazily flying around her head. Sometimes one would fly forward and then back with rocks that they knew she liked. Hopefully she wouldn't have too much to carry back with her but heck why not have fun with a hobby at the same time you are on a expedition?

[Saturnalia]

Shaydra thanks Chem for the alert, and takes a moment to contemplate the bee-like insects from a safe distance. She certainly doesn't fancy getting stung, and she doesn't know enough about the specific bugs of this area to make a guess about how hostile they might be.

"C'mon, Chem, let's cross the stream to pass them. It'll feel nice to cool our legs a bit, anyway."

[Ryuukokoro]

((OOC: Ahhh, the weekend is almost over but I have time left to do some replies!))

I can't help but look around the orchard and feel my mouth water. It'd been a while since we've eaten, and walking through the woods definitely worked up an appetite. I wasn't quite to the point where the fish looked inviting to me, since I didn't have anything to make a fire with, but seeing a host of free fruit in front of me was another matter altogether.

On the other hand, the fruit wasn't that recognizable to me, and was it really free? In my experience trees didn't come planted in straight rows with even spaces by nature, and I didn't want to take someone's livelihood.

My grumbling stomach and the gurgling from the stomach area of the Drake on my shoulder added their two cents to the argument. There was no fence or keep out sign around this orchard, so probably wild animals sampled from it now and again. If me and the Drakes each took one, it probably wouldn't be missed. But I didn't even know if the fruit was edible for humans and Drakes. I decided to stop and see if I noticed any other animals eating the fallen fruit.

[SeaCrest]

Sunchaser
Following the river, you eventually come across a series of rapids, although you've been forced to leave the shore of the river by the increasingly difficult to navigate rocky terrain. Glad you didn't try wading in the river at any point, you continue.

Do you...

• Continue following the river?
• Turn into the forest along a natural pathway?
• Turn around and go home?

Saturnalia || Shaydra
You have obtained 1x Copper Ore!
You cross the river with no trouble, and your drake picks up a Copper Ore from the bottom of the stream bed, presenting it to you with pride. Pocketing it, you shake off the excess water and continue on your way, passing by the hive at a safe distance. The plants on this side of the stream include a thick mass of some odd-looking berries, almost like large raspberries or blackberries, with both red and pale green, almost cream, nodules. Do you...

• Take some berries for later?
• Try some of the berries for yourself?
• Offer some of the berries to your drake?
• See if other animals have eaten the berries?
• Leave the berries and move on?

Ryuukokoro || Ryuu
Looking around, you note the remains of several fruit. As you had initially assumed, the red fruits were enough like apples that you felt comfortable calling them by that name, but the yellow fruits are still puzzling and unfamiliar. They appear to consist of a tough outer peel, but the insides are soft, and almost creamy. Nearly all of the fallen fruits, red and yellow, have been consumed down to the peel, but some overripe ones that must have fallen late have been left half-eaten.

Do you...

• Take a yellow fruit.
• Take an "apple."
• Leave all the fruit and continue on your way.
• Turn around and go home.

[Sunchaser]

Glad that she didn't go into the river, even though it was tempting at some points she looked at the rapids. The sound of the water always made her calm. She looked towards the forest as well as the way she came from. As her thoughts swirled around her head she shrugged and decided she was calm enough, lets go ahead and have some fun in the forest shall we? Rubbing Silvstra's head she followed her other drake into the forest, her feet following the natural path.

[Saturnalia]

As they cross the stream, Chem splashes around in the middle, and Shay is mildly surprised when the drake presents her with a piece of ore. "Good find!" she praises, giving her companion a scritch on the head.

Shay gives one last glance at the hive, glad to have not disturbed the insects, and turns her attention to the berries. She glances at Chem, who hasn't seemed to notice them yet, and then inspects the area to see if other animals seem to have eaten any.

[SeaCrest]

Sunchaser
The sounds of the river are muffled by the thick vegetation as you pick your way through the forest, trying to keep to the path. It's somewhat difficult, because it's narrow and winding, and clearly not often used by anything as big as yourself, but you manage. Eventually, however, you find that your path has disappeared, leaving you to fend for yourself. Do you...

• Backtrack the way you came?
• Use your machete to cut a path for yourself?
• Forge onwards as best as you can, without cutting a path?

Saturnalia || Shaydra
There are several half-eaten berries on the ground, some of them overripe and starting to rot. Do you...

• Take some berries for later?
• Try some of the berries for yourself?
• Offer some of the berries to your drake?
• Leave the berries and move on?

[Ryuukokoro]

Intrigued by the more interesting fruit (I mean, who would go with boring apples when there was a weird mystery fruit to choose?), I picked up a yellow fruit and stashed it with my other supplies.

[Saturnalia]

Shay decides that it's probably not the best to try eating anything strange out on the trail (and, truth be told, she's not much of an herbivore by choice...) or having the drake try it just yet, lest it make either of them ill. But she's too curious to just leave it, so she decides to take some berries for later.

[Ember]

"Oh...oh no I'm sorry that happened to you. This place is pretty nice though, and you're obviously in good company even if not many adventurers have come this way yet! What about the young drakes?" Ember asks, gesturing at the ones her own drakes are keen on  playing with.

[SeaCrest]

Ryuukokoro || Ryuu
You have obtained 1x Sunfruit!

You stash the fruit for later, hoping that you might be able to get Dr. Wong or someone else to identify it for you. Moving along, you continue west, hiking through the forest until you come to a broad plateau, which is sparsely populated with leafy scrubs and some tall grass. It is at this point that you notice a small fawn, creamy brown, with spots still dotting its back. It seems to be alone. Do you...

• Approach the fawn?
• Give the fawn a wide berth and continue onward?
• Look around to see if there is a mother around?
• Turn around and go home?

Saturnalia
You have obtained 1x Rissica Berry!
You take some berries for later and continue on, following the stream. You come to a tall stag tree, its dead branches starkly colorless amidst the other bright colors of the forest. Do you...

• Continue following the stream?
• Enter the forest?
• Examine the tree?
• Turn around and go home?

Ember
Tea smiles. "Yes, it's nice out here, especially now that I have a support system. I know Dr. Farrowstead, Dr. Wong, and Barnaby would never let me starve or suffer." She presents a mug of water to you as the young drakes try to trip her up, but she avoids them with the neat grace of long practice.

"I've been hand-raising them," Tea answers, settling against the table with her own mug. "They're born from the flock that helped save me, really, guiding me to shelter and good water, and teaching me what was good to eat and what wasn't. They laid a clutch in my bed when I wasn't looking, so here we are." She obliges one of the drakes with a scratch between its wings. "They'll be ready to go out into the wild soon, if they don't decide to stick around. Their home flock isn't tame, although they like me and visit often."

Do you...

• Ask Tea about her name?
• Ask Tea for supplies?
• Thank Tea and leave?

[Saturnalia]

Shay carefully tucks the berries away, not wanting to squish them, and then the pair moves on. The temperature under the trees is perfect, and the two aren't in much of a hurry, enjoying time out where they don't have to worry about too much. More relaxing than a city, for sure, Shaydra thinks.

Upon coming to the tree, the cat-girl and her drake both stop and look up at it, contemplating the dead branches as compared to all the life around them.

"Strange," Shay mutters. "Let's take a closer look at this tree, Chem."

[Ember]

"They sound a bit like cats, sort of," Ember says laughingly. She glances at her own drakes for a moment, who seem to be getting quite restless, and decides that as pleasant as talking to tea is maybe it's time to move on. She debates asking for some supplies but she's fairly well-stocked right now so ultimately she just says, "thanks for talking with me. I hope if I find that flock of yours they're as welcoming to me." It's time to leave and find some of her own adventure!

[SeaCrest]

Saturnalia || Shaydra
As you approach the tree, you hear an ominous creaking. Looking up, you realize with some horror that the tree is listing - towards you! You leap aside just as the whole thing comes crashing down, missing you and your drake by mere inches. As the dust and debris settles, you note that the tree has split down the middle, revealing a blackened inside that has been rotting away from within for goodness knows how long. At the roots, the wood turns white and hard, almost like...bone? Has the tree calcified, perhaps? But then why is nothing else in the vicinity affected?

Do you...

• Investigate the blackened bark more closely?
• Investigate the white base more closely?
• Investigate the hole where the tree was rooted?
• Continue following the stream?
• Enter the forest?

Ember
Tea sees you off with a cheerful wave and some advice.

"If you head west from here you'll run into one of the main rivers. It's good fishing and you can follow it upstream a good ways. East is mostly dense forest, so it's hard to make much headway. North is the coast. You'll probably run into the delta first, but I'd keep an eye out for wild drakes. They're less friendly up that way."

Do you...

• Head west?
• Head east?
• Head north?

[Ember]

The advice is good and Ember gives Tea a cheerful waves as she calls over her drakes to continue on their way. Heading west does seem like the best bet and rivers usually eventually connect to the ocean so if Ember decides to head that way eventually she could always just try following the river when she gets there.

[SeaCrest]

Ember
According to the map, the river you eventually come across is quite long and winding, eventually ending up at the northern shore after much meandering. Here, it's quite wide and deep. Do you...

• Try to cross the river?
• Do a spot of fishing?
• Follow the river downstream?
• Follow the river upstream?
• Turn around and go home?

[Ember]

"Oh wow! Andromeda, Rhea, it goes on forever, doesn't it?" Ember exclaims as she comes to the river. Tea had mentioned it was a good fishing spot right? Ember decides that why not, time to give fishing a try.

[SeaCrest]

Ember
You added 2x fish to your expedition inventory!

Lacking a fishing rod, you end up watching as your drakes fish on your behalf. They are both victorious, presenting you with a large rainbow trout each, and looking quite proud of themselves. Hoping that you can use them before they start to smell, you add the fish to your supplies.

Do you...

• Try to cross the river?
• Follow the river downstream?
• Follow the river upstream?
• Turn around and go home?

[YourLoveOnly]

It's really warm and I'm not sure how well my drakes can handle the continued heat of the sun, but I learned on my last expedition that they can swim. I decide we should all take a dip in the ocean to cool off before continuing our adventure.

[Saturnalia]

Shaydra leaps back, Chem with her. and she's thankful that they're both quick on their feet. She waits for everything to settle and stop moving, and then studies the tree and the manner of its split.

Rotten black inside... strange white roots? Shay narrows her feline eyes. "Seems out of place, doesn't it?"

She peers at the white base more closely.