Spring 1
Weather: Windy
Morning
It started as a perfectly ordinary day for Coral. Life in Nuova was sometimes monotonous with all the modern conveniences that came with such a developed city. She got up, took a shower, went to work at the warehouse, and took a carriage home after a long day of manual labor tuckered her out.
Until something bizarre happened.
Just as she was walking down the street to catch the earth dragon hauling her ride up to the corner, a flash of light blinded her, filling her world with brilliant blue. If she were a more accomplished Space mage, she might have associated it with the feeling of crossing through a portal, but Coral wasn't that experienced. And this particular burst of Space energy was disorienting to say the least.
When her vision finally cleared, she was standing at the edge of a town nestled in a pristine forest.
Coral would eventually learn that this place was called Iron Valley. It played host to countless races she'd only read about in books, most notably atherians -- and if she knew anything about those, it's that they were almost never kind to humans.
Once the initial panic subsided, Coral took to putting together a meager shelter deeper into the forest. She'd have to venture into town sooner or later and meet the townsfolk, but for now, personal safety took priority.
Started promise: Learn the history of Iron Valley (6)
Started promise: Learn about the accident that stranded you here (3)
Started and progressed promise: Find a good place to make camp (1)
Afternoon
After some time to collect herself, Coral decided it would be best to at least go exploring and see what she was dealing with. She went in the opposite direction from town and wandered, hoping she wouldn't run into any danger. Thankfully, she found the opposite -- a stream full of fresh fish. Without any tools on hand, she couldn't do much, but somehow she managed to secure one of them with her bare hands after a while.
Gained: Fish (1)
Evening
The longer the day went on, the more hopeless the situation felt. Coral was definitely far from home, and she had no way of knowing how to return. It seemed the only option was to venture closer to town and try to get help there.
However, clearly the townspeople were more aware of her than she thought. She'd barely gotten anywhere near the town before she was stopped by an enormous atherian, a bull wearing a dirty gardener's uniform. He towered over her, and Coral was instantly on her guard.
"About time you decided to come our way," the bull said.
"Oh!" Coral said with a start. "You speak Terran..."
"New here, I take it?"
"You could say that." She went on to describe her situation, and the strange circumstances that found her here several hours ago. And she concluded by asking the bull if he knew absolutely anything about it, and how she could get back home.
"Hmm." He scratched at his chin. "Yeah, sounds familiar. One of our guys said somethin' similar when he showed up. I dunno much about it to be honest."
Coral perked up at the sound of a possible friend in all this madness. "Can you take me to meet him?"
"Maybe. You sit tight, alright? I've gotta go talk this out with the mayor. Be back soon, alright?"
Before Coral could protest, he turned around and went back in the direction of town. With a huff, Coral returned to her shelter, annoyed but wanting to follow the bull's instructions to stay on his good side.
Progressed promise: Learn about the accident that stranded you here
Night
To Coral's dismay, the bull did not return, at least not yet. It wasn't long before night fell, waking up all manner of insect and frog noises in the forest all around her. It seemed like she was stuck here at least through the night.
It took a good few hours of manual labor, but she managed to put together a meager shelter from branches and long, thick leaves. It wasn't glamorous, but it would keep her out of the elements, at least. Nothing to do but curl up and try to get some sleep.
Progressed promise: Find a good place to make camp
Spring 2
Weather: Sunny
Morning
"Hey! You alright down there?"
Coral was awoken early in the morning by a cheerful voice. She looked up to see a fox leaning over her shelter, staring in blatant curiosity. The fur around her eyes seemed to be dyed in intricate patterns, almost like face paint or a tattoo.
"My name's Telnith," said the fox. "What's yours?"
"Uh... Coral."
"Right, got it. Kex sent me to make sure you weren't anyone too suspicious."
"Kex...? Is that the big bull guy?"
"Yeah. Hope he didn't give you too much of a scare. You sleep okay?"
Despite the difficult situation, Telnith's easygoing demeanor helped to put Coral at ease somewhat. The two got to chatting, with Coral sharing her story and a little about herself, and Telnith offering some information about the town she now found herself in. The place was called Iron Valley, and while they were certainly being cautious, a human like Coral at least wouldn't be attacked on sight.
Telnith said that she had to leave Coral at her camp for just a little while longer while the town talked it out, but she would definitely vouch for her.
Progressed promise: Learn the history of Iron Valley
Gained favor: Telnith (1)
Afternoon
A few hours later, Telnith did indeed reappear. "Come on," she said. "We'll let you in, if you promise to behave, haha!"
Relieved, Coral packed up her modest collection of things so far and followed Telnith into Iron Valley proper.
The town was quite beautiful, even to her human sensibilities. The atherian residents lived in harmony with nature, wood houses nestled among countless greenery and flowers. The paths were well-maintained. Rivers and streams churned waterwheels. Farmers worked the land with their hands... er, paws? There was one other constant, though -- and that was everyone looking up to watch the strange new human walking by. Trying to make the best of it, Coral shot a few of them a smile.
Eventually, they made their way to what looked like a modest inn. The innkeeper, a toucan with an eyepatch and an angry scowl, nodded to Telnith as they approached but only glared at Coral.
"Hey, I know you said I won't be attacked, but..." Coral whispered as they went up a set of stairs.
"Oh, don't mind her. She's like that with pretty much everyone."
Finally, the two made it up to a vacant room. Coral asked about paying for it, but Telnith insisted that it would be perfectly fine in the short term. If she stayed here for longer, maybe she'd need to start working to make up for it, but in the meantime, it was no problem.
Progressed promise: Find a good place to make camp
Gained favor: Telnith (1)
Evening
Growing restless, Coral decided to go back downstairs and sit at the bar, where the toucan innkeeper stood cleaning plates.
"Hey, I was hoping you could--"
"No," the toucan said in a harsh, scratchy voice.
"But--"
"Beat it. You're scaring my customers."
Dejected, Coral decided to just go back up to her room. Maybe with time, the townsfolk would warm up to her. At least there were a few books in her room to keep her busy.
Night
As the night drew on, Coral started to get quite hungry. She was still nervous about ordering food from the inn, so instead she made her way back outside and had a look around in the woods.
She didn't find much in the way of food, but she did find some good-quality wood that may be useful if she found herself kicked out to her camp.
Gained: Wood (1)
Spring 3
Weather: Sunny
Morning
When Coral went downstairs to the inn's central hall, she found the staff preparing big vats of soup. The smell was incredible. She sat at the bar once more, and decided to try again with the toucan.
"So... what should I call you?" Coral asked.
The toucan eyed her, sighed, and set down the mug she was polishing. "Skaith."
"The soup everyone's making smells fantastic, Skaith."
"... Thanks."
Talking to her was a little difficult at first, but after a few more compliments, Coral managed to wrangle out information about the bizarre event that found her here in the first place. Apparently, she needed to talk to someone named Vindari. She even learned where the fellow lived.
Thanking Skaith profusely (to which she grumbled, but still smiled a little), Coral ran off to meet with this mysterious person.
Progressed promise (strong hit): Learn about the accident that stranded you here
Vindari's house was closer to the outskirts of town, but it did still look well-maintained. When Coral knocked on the door, the exan answered quickly. He had long, dark feathers with mottled white spots, bright green eyes, and a long leather coat with sleeves obviously stitched with extra-long arms. He was visibly shocked to see a human at his door.
Coral introduced herself and was soon invited inside. The house was kept darker than she was accustomed to, so it was hard to make out the details, but it seemed plenty lived-in. Vindari must have been here for a while already.
"You look worn out," Vindari said. "Are you alright? Can I make you some tea?"
"Oh-- No, that's okay," Coral said with a surprised shake of her head. "I just want to talk about how you wound up here in Iron Valley. I heard we might have similar stories."
Vindari was happy to share. Something very similar had indeed happened to him -- he'd been minding his own business when his vision was consumed by a disorienting flash of blue light, and before long he found himself here. He was surprised to hear that it was similar to Space magic; he'd never experienced it himself, and had heard that portals could only send one to a destination the caster was familiar with.
While Vindari didn't have much information himself, he suggested that Coral visit Irret, the mayor's assistant, who had some interest in the inner workings of Old Magic and other similar topics. If anyone in Iron Valley knew what happened to them, it would be him.
Progressed promise: Learn about the accident that stranded you here
Gained favor: Skaith (1)
Gained favor: Vindari (1)
Afternoon
It seemed like Coral was going to be here for a while, and the more people that warmed up to her, the easier it would be to get information and get access to creature comforts. After wandering the town looking for ideas, she came across the request board.
One that caught her eye was a request from Kex, the bull she'd met earlier. He needed help planting a garden around a new park that was being developed. Something physical like that suited Coral well, and it seemed like a great way to get on everyone's good side.
She found Kex trimming some tree branches hanging over a stone bench along the path. He gave her a nod in greeting, and when Coral explained that she was here about the request, he was happy to point her in the right direction and give her detailed instructions.
"There's spades 'n' other tools in the shed down there," he said, pointing down the path. "Take whatever you need. Keep some of it if you want, we got plenty of spares. Oh and, have some of these," he added, fishing a small pouch out of a pocket on his overalls and tossing it over. "Protein's good for ya. Gardening can be a workout sometimes, lemme tell ya." He grinned, and then went back to his work. Coral peeked in the pouch and found it full of what looked like small nuts.
"Huh. Thanks," she said, and went off to see what she could do with the garden.
Hauling the manure bags seemed like a great place to start with how physically demanding it was. Thankfully, Coral was plenty fit, and made great time with the work. After a good chunk of progress, she decided to go take a shower back at the inn, and see what else she could get done before sunset.
Gained access to gardening and farming tools
Started and progressed promise (strong hit): Plant flowers for Kex (3)
On her way downstairs, Coral was stopped by Skaith.
"Hey," the one-eyed toucan said. "Rinz was looking for you. Said he wanted to meet the human."
"Uh..." Coral tilted her head. "Rinz?"
"Rabbit rodin. Lives at the south side of town." She gave more specific instructions and sent Coral on her way, clearly eager to get back to helping other guests.
Coral found the place easily enough. It was absolutely covered in all sorts of decorations, from pinwheels to metal signs to a collection of... birdhouses, or something similar. The rabbit himself was around back, tinkering with some sort of metal scrap sculpture.
"Ah, there she is!" he crowed, turning from his work. His grey fur was a bit scraggly in places, but his eyes were bright and eager. "Was looking all over for ya. Coral, right? Heard it from ol' Skates. You're a busy bee, huh?"
"Uh... yeah, I guess. Why were you looking for me?"
"I had a proposition for ya. You need a place to stay, yeah? How'd you like to crash with me?"
Shocked, Coral asked why, and the reason was simple: Rinz wanted an assistant.
"I'm what I like to call a 'picker upper' around these parts. I pick up the stuff no one wants and make all sorts of things from it, like these sculptures and whatever else I think of. I'm not a spry little kid anymore, though. Could use someone to help me gather up stuff. And besides, we Valley folks oughta stick together, yeah?"
He went on to explain that Coral didn't have to copy his "picker upper" strategies. The residents of Iron Valley loved to trade, and anything she could get her hands on was up for offering. Rinz even had some farmland behind his house that no one was really using; Coral was welcome to use it to grow whatever she wanted. The Valley folks loved that stuff.
Coral was glad to be useful, but staying at Rinz's house seemed like a steep imposition. She might be there for quite a while.
"Eh, don't sweat it," Rinz said with a wave. "Here, if you're that worried about it, how about you do me a favor? I could use some stuff to finish this sculpture." He gestured at the one he was working on; it didn't seem to have a clear shape yet. "You bring me anything interesting you find, somethin' that'll go well on this. If it's enough for me to wrap this thing up, we'll call it square. Sound good?"
"Hm... Yeah, okay. That sounds reasonable. Thanks, Rinz."
"Don't sweat it, pleasure's all mine. Nice to meet you, by the way."
"Likewise."
Spent favor to pass action roll: Rinz (3)
Progressed promise: Find a good place to make camp
Started promise: Help Rinz finish his sculpture (3)
Gained favor: Kex (1)
Evening
Coral spent the evening moving what few things she had gathered to her new room in Rinz's house and helping him clear out his own possessions that he'd been storing there. She also took down the camp she'd made in the forest, figuring the townsfolk would appreciate her returning the area to its natural state. It was a job well done, and she felt like she was really warming up to everyone.
Finished promise: Find a good place to make camp
Gained: Satisfaction (1)
Night
Though it was getting dark, Coral decided to try looking through the forest for more pieces of wood that might be useful in Rinz's sculpture. Thankfully, it didn't take long at all for her to stumble on something, and Rinz seemed quite happy to see it when she hauled it back.
"Hey, the knots on this branch are crazy good," he said, turning it over and inspecting it closely. "Should make a great support. Here, I'll give you the old piece I was using. Won't be needing it anymore, that's for sure."
Progressed promise (strong hit): Help Rinz finish his sculpture
Gained: Wood (1)
The moon was high in the sky by that point, so Coral decided to head back inside. She wandered around a little, looking for any books that might help her better understand Iron Valley's history, but nothing really caught her eye.
Spring 4
Weather: Windy
Morning
Looking at the calendar posted in the center of town and overhearing some nearby conversation, Coral learned that Community Garden Day was coming up soon. It was too late to grow some spring crops to join in the gift-giving festivities, but maybe she could find some flowers or something out in the forest?
After some time wandering, she managed to gather up a lovely bouquet of wild peonies.
Gained: Peonies (1)
Afternoon
Maybe it was time to take Rinz's advice and start growing some crops. She'd never done any sort of farming before, so she had to get some tips from her rabbit host, but how hard could it be? And if she planted something for the summer, she could get a head-start on the next Community Garden Day.
After some deliberation, she decided to start relatively simple and try growing some poppies. She had a hard time finding all the proper tools and techniques for getting the seeds planted efficiently, but thankfully Kex was passing by and gave her some advice to get her going.
Started and progressed promise: Grow poppies (3)
Spent favor to pass action roll: Kex (1)
Evening
In an effort to get more peonies to add to the bouquet she put together, Coral found her way to Vindari's general store and asked if she could trade some of the resources she'd gathered. Happy to take some of it off her hands, both to help repair the shop and resell, he gave her a few flower bundles in exchange.
Traded Wood (2) and Fish (1) for Peonies (3)
Night
Coral went to the inn to see who was around, and surprisingly found someone who could only be the mayor's assistant, Irret, munching on a salad at the bar. Vindari had described the elder swan avin as "overdressed," but even that felt like an understatement -- he wore a black ruffled blouse that contrasted starkly with his feathers, a multilayered lace jabot, and even gem-laden cuffs around his wrists.
"Ah, you must be the human I've heard so much about," Irret said as Coral took a seat next to him. They introduced themselves properly, and he added, "Pleased to make your acquaintance. What can I do for you?"
Coral explained how she'd heard from Vindari that Irret might know something about the magic that found her stranded here in Iron Valley. Irret had a bite of his food, looking thoughtful while Coral described it.
"Certainly sounds like Space magic to me," he said. "I've read tales of many others experiencing such a phenomenon, and not at all recently. Many were generations ago. I need to retire for the night soon, but if you visit me in the morning, I can lend you a journal you may find useful."
"That sounds great, thank you," Coral said, before leaving Irret to his meal.
Progressed promise (strong hit): Learn about the accident that stranded you here
Now in a more exploratory mood, Coral decided to head down to the beach south of town. Iron Valley was already a relatively quiet place, especially compared to Nuova, but out by the ocean, she was shocked at just how peaceful it was. The gentle sound of the ocean waves kept her company for a little while.
She looked around for anything that might go well with Rinz's sculpture, but came up empty in that department. At least she felt refreshed as she made her way back to his home.
Gained favor: Irret
Spring 5
Weather: Windy
Morning
The first thing on Coral's list was following up on Irret's offer to give her that journal. She found him just on the way out to work, all dressed up in a similar outfit to last night, and even chatted with him a little as he went to the town hall. Mundane things like how she was acclimating to the town and whether she was getting along with everyone so far. Irret noted that even on Rest Days, he could be quite busy indeed; helping run the city was a full-time job.
Progressed promise: Learn about the accident that stranded you here
Gained favor: Irret
Afternoon
Coral's poppies were coming along pretty well. The seeds she'd planted had all sprouted, thankfully. She gave them plenty of attention, adding fertilizer from the shed Kex had shown her.
Progressed promise: Grow poppies
Evening
As the sun started to hang low, Coral went back to the beach and had another look around. This time, she did come up with something -- a cracked lantern, with a metal frame that was slightly warped, but still looked usable. Rinz was happy to take it off her hands and promptly started dismantling it.
Progressed promise: Help Rinz finish his sculpture
Night
Back in her room, Coral started going through the journal Irret had given her. The leather was heavily worn and creased at the edges, and surprisingly, the text was written in ancient Terran that took some time to parse. She managed to glean a bit from it, though nothing she didn't already know. At least so far.
Progressed promise: Learn about the accident that stranded you here
Spring 6 - Community Garden Day
Weather: Flooding
Morning
When Coral had gone to sleep last night, she'd been eagerly looking forward to her first holiday in Iron Valley and the chance to better understand the culture it seemed she'd be staying in for a while. What she didn't expect, was the rain.
As soon as she woke up, she knew something was wrong. She could hear rain battering the sides of Rinz's house and thunder rolling in the distance. And as she got out of bed, got dressed, and stepped out of her room, Rinz caught her eye from across the hall. "Oh good, you're up," he said, sounding rushed. "C'mere and help a guy out."
"What's wrong?" Coral started. "What's--"
"No time to chat, Cor, there's a flood comin' and we need to get everything to the attic, stat."
In the flurry of hauling stuff and making other preparations, Coral learned that a seasonal flood or two wasn't too out of the ordinary for Iron Valley, so the townsfolk knew how to be ready. It was a real shame that it came on Community Garden Day, but everyone's safety took priority. If Coral had time, she should go help out some of the others; Rinz was sure they'd appreciate it.
Progressed promise (strong hit): Learn about the history of Iron Valley
Taking his advice to heart, Coral threw on some tough boots and ran out into the rain. Bad weather never bothered her much, but even she could tell this storm was going to get worse before it got better. Another peal of thunder rumbled through her chest. On impulse, she decided to head for the inn.
The normally-cozy building was just as busy as Rinz's house, filled with a flurry of activity. Skaith was busy barking orders to the other employees, but she was perfectly happy to have another set of hands.
With everyone working together, it wasn't long before the inn was secure, and they had a moment of calm, during which Coral tracked down Skaith again.
"Hey," Coral said, "I wanted to say thanks for helping me out. You work hard, and it can't be easy dealing with a stranger showing up." She took out the peonies she'd put together, and held them out to the one-eyed toucan.
She stared down at the bouquet in surprise. "Ah... Thank you. They're beautiful." A small smile crossed her beak as she fetched a vase from under the bar and slid the flowers in. "Happy Garden Day," she added with a nod.
Gave Peonies (4) to Skaith, for 5 favor
Afternoon
By now, the rain was really coming down. Lightning flashed outside and the thunder felt like it would shake the building down. Many townsfolk funneled into the inn, searching for shelter and a warm meal. They may have been stuck inside on a holiday, but at least they were together. Coral could really feel the sense of community. It was like she finally had an excuse to be herself, instead of worrying about being extra polite to what was essentially a town full of aliens.
She tracked down Rinz, finding the rabbit sitting on the floor in the corner. He was whittling what looked like a long wooden spike. "Oh, hey," he said, long ears perking up at Coral's approach. "Some storm, huh? Can't stand the rain myself."
"Really?" Coral said, taking a seat next to him. "I would've thought you'd love it. Makes all kinds of trash outside, right?"
"Eh, sure, but it's cold 'n' loud and I hate getting my fur wet." He shaved another length of wood off his little spike. "Wanna help?"
"Sure, but what is it?"
"I'm makin' talons for my sculpture. Or maybe claws? Or horns? Eh, whatever. Point is I need a lot of 'em." He pulled a small piece of raw wood from his pocket, alongside another, smaller pocket knife, and handed them both to Coral. "Here, it's easy. Just make sure the end is nice and sharp."
It took some practice, but she got the hang of it quickly, and before long the two had gone through the few other pieces of wood Rinz had held onto.
Progressed promise (strong hit): Help Rinz finish his sculpture
A voice caught Coral's attention as she was getting up and leaving Rinz to his busywork. "Hey, Coral! Over here." It was Telnith, the fox canin who had invited Coral into town in the first place.
Sitting at the table with her was an enormous felin who reminded Coral of a Maine Coon. She towered over nearly everyone else in the room, her wide fluffy body seeming to almost take up two entire seats. It might have been intimidating, if she wasn't so hunched in on herself, hands tucked in close.
"This is Sachi," Telnith said, nodding to her companion. "Sachi, Coral."
"Hello," Sachi said with a nod.
"Uh... hi." Coral returned the nod. "How's the rain treating you?"
"Oh... not great. I'll be okay once it's all over."
"Sachi here's a friend of mine, right?" Telnith said. "We do a little alchemy together. It's felin magic, I know, but us canins never get to touch any of that stuff outside the valley. I was hoping you'd enjoy being our test subject for a bit."
Coral blinked, trying to parse the suggestion. "Like... drink potions? Won't hurt, will it?"
"Nah, stuff's harmless. Mostly."
"Mostly...?"
"I learned from the best," Sachi chimed in. "Well, just from books... but they're highly trustworthy. At worst, you might have some gastrointestinal discomfort."
"Then sure, why the heck not?" Coral said with a grin. She was always ready for a challenge.
"This is our first major crack at it," Telnith said. She opened her hand, which contained a small glass vial full of orange liquid. "Can't tell you what it does, by the way. That's the whole reason we want a third party -- gotta avoid the placebo effect. Should be pretty fast-acting, though."
Coral took the vial, eyed it, and threw caution to the wind as she uncorked it and downed the whole thing. It tasted sour and acidic, like lemon juice... or maybe battery acid. Aside from the taste, though, she couldn't say she felt any different.
"Nothing?" Telnith asked. "Hmm. Back to the drawing board, then. We'll grab you when we're ready to try again."
"Thank you," Sachi added.
Started and progressed promise: Be Telnith and Sachi's test subject (2)
Gained favor: Telnith
Gained favor: Sachi
Evening
As the evening rolled on, all the townsfolk had secured their homes and businesses, found shelter, and settled down to wait out the rainstorm. Those brave enough to venture out reported that the flooding was easing up, and the rain should calm down to a safe level by nightfall.
Wandering, Coral noticed a tiger felin in plain, unassuming clothes (contrasting with the bold stripes in their fur) sitting on the floor surrounded by a group of children of all sorts. They were reading a story that had the kids enraptured, so Coral decided to have a seat as well.
"... And so, to bring all atherians together, our great-great-grandparents founded Iron Valley. Though we live sequestered, we live in peace and harmony, sharing in nature's bounty as one."
The tiger closed the book they were reading from, answered a few questions from the precocious children, and eventually sent them all off for the night. They then approached Coral, holding the book tight to their chest. "Did you like the story?" they asked.
"Yeah, I haven't heard much about the history of this place yet either. I'm Coral, by the way."
"Telu. It's, um... it's nice to meet you." And with that, they ducked away, seeming nervous, or maybe just shy. Coral shrugged and let them leave, not wanting to bother them.
Progressed promise: Learn the history of Iron Valley
Gained favor: Telu
Night
"Rain's over!" Telnith's voice carried over all the chatter in the inn. In a rush, most of the townsfolk funneled out of the inn, eager to get outside and assess the damage the floods had caused.
A good chunk of the crowd made their way to the various community gardens; there was still time to celebrate the holiday, even with everything covered in mud. Coral chipped in at the new garden Kex asked her to help with, cleaning things up and hauling stones into place.
The mood was cheerful and optimistic. A few residents even started up a song, singing in a language Coral didn't recognize. They worked well into the night, eventually separating into crowds headed for the taverns, or for home. All in all, the season's Community Garden Day was a success, despite the harsh weather.
Progressed promise: Plant flowers for Kex
Spring 7
Weather: Windy
Morning
Thankfully, Coral's poppy planters managed to weather the storm. It took a bit of work to get them looking tidy again, but at least they wouldn't need watering any time soon, she thought to herself with a grin.
Progressed promise: Grow poppies
Afternoon
Though the rocks were still slippery, Coral ventured out to the river rapids in search of materials for Rinz's sculpture. It looked safe enough... but suddenly, she slipped on a particularly muck-covered rock, and found herself tumbling into the river.
Coral flailed in the icy cold, sputtering as it swiftly carried her away. Until one of her waving arms caught on something warm and soft, and she was hauled out of the water. Telnith stared down at her, a surprised smile on her face. "Careful!" she said, laughing a little. "Gotta have some respect for the river, y'know?"
As it turned out, she had been out gathering herbs for her café and happened to see Coral fall in. The pair wound up looking around together, quickly finding what they needed working as a team. Telnith even shared some of her spoils -- the bones of some tiny animal. Coral took them as a gift; she found it odd, but Telnith's excitement over them was infectious.
Progressed promise (strong hit): Help Rinz finish his sculpture
Gained: Tiny Bones (2)
Spent favor to pass action roll: Telnith (2)
After Coral dropped off the materials she'd found at Rinz's place, Telnith pointed out that she and Sachi had finished their next batch of the potion they were working on, if Coral wanted to dry off at Telnith's place. She happily agreed and followed the fox to her cottage.
The next version of the potion was more spicy than sour, and though it made Coral feel a bit warm inside, she couldn't pinpoint any strong effects this time either. Telnith seemed happy with the progression, though, and sent her on her way.
Progressed promise (strong hit): Be Telnith and Sachi's test subject
Gained favor: Telnith
As Coral walked by the community calendar, she noticed Telnith's birthday was coming up. The fox had been quite nice to her so far, so it seemed worthwhile to put together a gift for her. Maybe she would like something strange, like those bones she was so excited about...? A necklace made from them might be cool. If Coral got ahold of some good quality wood, she could make beads that fit the aesthetic.
Thankfully, she managed to find a couple good-looking pieces out in the forest, though it took a while.
Gained: Wood (1)
Evening
Coral spent some more time searching for good wood before calling it quits. She wanted this gift to be special.
Gained: Wood (1)
Night
Retiring to her room, Coral set out the materials she'd gathered and got to work. Loose string was easy to find in the house of a packrat like Rinz; the hard part was getting everything carved properly.
While she was hard at work, Rinz happened to stop by. "Hey, workin' hard?" he asked. "Found some old rope, bet it'd be good for a necklace."
Coral eyed the length of rope Rinz was holding in his hands and shot him an incredulous grin. "That's way too thick for a necklace, y'know," she said.
"Oh. Well, you can still have it, I can't find a good spot for it."
Started and progressed promise (strong hit): Craft bone necklace (6)
Gained: Old Rope (1)
Coral worked well into the night on the necklace, cutting and carving the wood into as many roughly bead-like shapes she could make before she had to call it quits and get some sleep.
Progressed promise: Craft bone necklace
Spring 8
Weather: Flooding
Morning
Though everyone had a break the day before, the rainy season was far from done with the valley. At least this time, Coral knew what to expect when she opened her eyes to yet more increasingly torrential rain. Most of the buildings were still protected, belongings still safely tucked away; few people had found the time to unpack everything, and the older residents knew not to rest on their laurels just yet.
Coral went ahead and holed up at the inn again, not wanting to be stranded at Rinz's house without much company. She brought the materials to work on her necklace, and secured herself a private room so she could work on it without Telnith seeing.
This time, Coral focused on chipping holes in the ends of the bones. It took some muscle to break through the tough material, but she made great progress.
Progressed promise (strong hit): Craft bone necklace
Unfortunately, her rougher handling managed to crack a couple of the animal bones beyond repair. Dejected, she decided to call it for the morning and head downstairs for some breakfast.
Lost: Tiny Bones (1)
Afternoon
Not to be deterred for too long, Coral headed back up after she'd scrounged up some grub and tried again, this time with a softer hand. Things went much more smoothly this time.
Progressed promise (strong hit): Craft bone necklace
She was starting to wear herself out after a while, though, and eventually forced herself to take another break.
Evening
With the rain still battering at the inn, but the walls holding steady enough, Coral tucked into the journal she'd gotten from Irret. She was getting used to the esoteric language it was written in, and learned something important: not only were many people experiencing the same phenomenon, they all had a single cause. The author had been a well-learned Space mage, and recognized the patterns of a single cataclysmic event. As to what that event was, exactly... well, it was all very technical, and would take a bit more time for Coral to sort through. She was nearing the end, though.
Progressed promise (strong hit): Learn about the accident that stranded you here
Feeling somewhat energized, she went back to working on the necklace. It would've gone poorly if not for Skaith noticing she'd been holed up in her room for a while and bringing up supper for her.
Progressed promise: Craft bone necklace
Spent favor to pass action roll: Skaith (3)
Night
One more push for the night almost ended with Coral breaking another set of bones, but this time, she put her Space magic to use. It wasn't strong, but she could create small portals here and there, and managed to redirect a tool when it had slipped too far. Whew!
Progressed promise: Craft bone necklace
Spring 9
Weather: Storm
Morning
Coral almost didn't realize she'd fallen asleep at the inn, until she woke up the next morning in the less-familiar bed. From the sound of things, it was still pouring rain outside, the occasional thunder and lightning breaking up the inn's morning chatter. Well, all the more reason to stay inside and make one last push to finish Telnith's gift. She could get more food downstairs whenever she felt like it.
Progressed promise: Craft bone necklace
Afternoon
Progressed promise (strong hit): Craft bone necklace
Progressed promise (strong hit): Craft bone necklace
It took Skaith bringing her up some grub for Coral to remember to eat lunch, but at least she scrounged up some leftovers, too.
Progressed promise (strong hit): Craft bone necklace
Spent favor to pass action roll: Skaith (1)
Gained: Pretzels (2)
Progressed promise: Craft bone necklace
Evening
Progressed promise (strong hit): Craft bone necklace
Progressed promise: Craft bone necklace
Night
Alright... that was probably enough. She didn't get quite as many beads done as she wanted, but Coral was getting tired of looking at this thing, and Telnith would surely enjoy it as-is. She strung up all the beads she'd made, carefully arranging them in a manner she hoped was pleasing enough, and tied it all together. Not bad, for something she'd made on her own! At least this time, the rain had let up enough for her to head back home.
Huh... when had she started thinking of Rinz's place as "home," she wondered.
Finished promise early: Craft bone necklace
Crafted Wood (2) and Tiny Bones (1) into Bone Necklace (15)
Spring 10 - Telnith's Birthday
Weather: Flooding
Morning
Though the sky was overcast when Coral got out of bed, she held out hope that the weather would improve as she headed for Telnith's house, present wrapped up and tucked away in her bag. She knocked on the door, and the fox canin answered. "Hey, Coral!" she said. "What's up?"
"I heard it was your birthday, wanted to swing around and help make it a great one."
"Heheh, figured it'd be something like that. Want to come in? I got some really fancy donuts I was just about to dig into."
Not about to pass up a free donut, Coral stepped inside. She'd been inside the cottage once before, but didn't get the chance to have a closer look around. It was warm and inviting, but a little cluttered, evidence of many different hobbies strewn all around every room. Telnith seemed to know exactly where everything was as she dug through the pantry for donuts and drinks. The two of them took seats on a couple floor cushions and made some small talk.
"Oh, by the way," Coral said during a lull in conversation, taking out the present. "I got something for you. Happy birthday."
"Aw, you shouldn't have." Telnith took it in her hands and immediately started to unwrap it, clearly more excited than her words would indicate. As she held out the necklace, letting the carved bone pendant drop, her eyes went wide. "Are these the bones I found you? Lady above, that's amazing. Didn't know you were good with your hands, Coral."
"So, you like it?"
"Of course I do. Thanks a ton." She put it on promptly, wearing a wide grin.
Gave Bone Necklace (15) to Telnith for 30 favor
Afternoon
As the day went on, the weather unfortunately took a turn for the worse. The overcast sky from the morning took on a dark, angry shade, and yet another wave of rain came pouring in.
"Well," Telnith said, looking up, ears pointed towards the water-battered roof. "Hope you don't mind sticking around a little longer."
"Is this... normal?" Coral asked.
"Yeah, more or less. Some years are worse than others. But man, I'm more worried about Sachi. She was going to host a party for me and some of the other felins, but we'll have to do that another day if this rain doesn't let up soon."
"You two are great friends, huh?"
"Pretty much. We got along real well, ever since I showed up here."
"Huh, so you moved in here? I got the feeling most of you guys were born here, with how tight-knit everyone is."
"Heh, keen eye. Most of us were, yeah. Not me though. Want some tea while I tell you the story?"
"Sure, thanks."
While she ducked off into the kitchen and started preparing their drinks, Telnith was oddly silent. At first, Coral thought maybe she'd pried too much, but Telnith caught her eyes and flashed her a smile. Maybe she just wanted to make sure they were both settled first?
At any rate, she soon returned with a couple mugs of steaming tea. The mugs themselves were chipped and scratched in many places, but the tea was heavenly, just the right amount of sweetness. Coral said as much after taking a big sip, and Telnith smiled before continuing her tale.
"So anyway, like I was saying, I haven't been here that long compared to some of the others. Grew up in this village called Lordsfield. All canins, as you might've guessed. I never really felt like I belonged, though. Everyone was always so..." She scratched at her ear. "... Loud. It was so chaotic and busy. Once we got in a huge war with another settlement over something stupid, and I decided I'd had enough. Ran away from home a couple nights later."
"And you wound up here?"
"Basically. This was years and years ago, by the way. I'd never seen half the races here. We saw hooflin herds sometimes, maybe a few rodins here and there, but nothing like this. Everyone was just working together, treating each other with all this kindness without expecting much out of each other. I just fit in better here, y'know?"
"Yeah... You all have been really welcoming to me. It's scary not knowing if I'm ever gonna see home again, but it is pretty peaceful here. A lot better than where I come from, at least."
"Heh, what's it like out there? We don't exactly see many humans, so I'm sure you came from really far away."
Glad to have someone to talk to about it, Coral shared her story as well -- how she'd lived in the bustling city of Nuova most of her life, and while everything was exciting and new by local standards, it all felt so boring sometimes. The daily grind had admittedly been wearing her down. Staying out here in Iron Valley had been quite refreshing, all things considered.
It was especially nice knowing she'd made a friend, too!
Spent 10 favor for 1 heart: Telnith
Evening
Telnith hadn't gotten the chance to finish another batch of the potion she and Sachi were working on, but she did have some of her equipment here at her place, and offered to show Coral the ropes in exchange for a little help brewing.
Alchemy wasn't easy for Coral to get her head around. It was very meticulous, and the magical properties of all the different ingredients were hard to keep straight in her head. Still, though, it was a whole new way of looking at magic, and she appreciated the perspective. And she even managed to not break any of the tiny fragile vials.
Progressed promise: Be Telnith and Sachi's test subject
Gained favor: Telnith
Night
The rain hadn't let up completely, but it eased enough for Telnith and Coral to finally get to stretch their legs outside without being completely drenched. They split for the night, with Telnith running off to check on Sachi and Coral heading back home.
Her poppies were again looking a little worse for wear, but it was nothing a little elbow grease couldn't fix before she turned in for the night.
Progressed promise: Grow poppies
Spring 11
Weather: Windy
Morning
As Coral was getting ready for the day, surprisingly, there was a knock at the door. She left Rinz to answer it -- it was his house, after all -- but even more surprisingly, he shouted out that it was for her.
Curious, Coral came up to the door to find Skaith waiting for her. And behind the toucan was... well, some kind of bird?
"Heard from Rinz that you were starting a farm," Skaith said.
"Uh... I guess? It's not much of a farm yet, but..."
"Want this one?" She nodded to the creature behind her. How it was staying in the air wasn't clear, but it had a round blue body and was surrounded by some kind of fluffy cocoon, like a cloud made of cotton.
"Why?" Rinz asked, popping his head around the corner. "What's wrong with it?"
"Nothing. It wandered into the inn and doesn't want to leave."
As if in agreement, the bird let out a happy-sounding chirp. When Coral asked what the heck it even was, Rinz stepped in to explain, telling her about the "nubelli" and how its cocoon could be trimmed and squeezed to get a tasty drink called "blue melk."
Coral had kept pets before, so she wasn't completely clueless, but livestock would be a new experience. It couldn't hurt, though, could it? She could at least watch over the nubelli until she found a way back home.
"What are you gonna call it?" Rinz asked as Coral led the bird around back, situating it in the old lean-to left on the farmland.
She shrugged, looked at it, and just said, "Fluffy?"
The nubelli chirped as if in agreement.
Rinz snickered. "Not much of a creative type, are you? Alright, Fluffy the nubelli. Get us lots of melk, yeah?"
Coral spent most of the morning reading up on nubellis and how to take care of them. Thankfully Fluffy would be pretty self-sufficient, happy to eat wild fruit, berries, and bugs.
Started promise: Care for Fluffy the nubelli (2)
Gained favor: Skaith
Afternoon
Blossom Day was fast approaching, but it was too late to put together a proper bento for contributing to the picnic. Maybe she could prepare for something for the town-wide Spring Cleaning a few days later? Apparently people liked to bring drinks, and it just so happened Coral had just acquired an animal who could help her with that.
First, though, the lean-to Fluffy was using as shelter could use some work. Apparently no one had used it in years, and it showed -- the wood was rotted out in places and starting to fall apart. Coral spent the afternoon hauling in new wood boards and fixing everything up, with Fluffy happily peeping at her side the entire time.
Hm... was it a boy nubelli or a girl, she wondered. Maybe she'd just call it a "he" until she learned otherwise.
Progressed promise: Care for Fluffy the nubelli
Evening
Once the lean-to was fixed up, Coral set to looking over Fluffy's cocoon. As far as she could tell, he really was wild; it wasn't especially well-groomed. She could fix that with some brushing, but it would take a while to get it all nice and neat. He seemed grateful for the attention, at least.
Progressed promise: Care for Fluffy the nubelli
Night
Progressed promise: Care for Fluffy the nubelli
Spring 12 - Blossom Day
Weather: Windy
Morning
It had been a rough few days with all the pouring rain, so the gardens weren't all as neat and tidy as Coral was sure everyone wanted, but at least things were looking clear enough for her second holiday in the valley. She wanted to spend some time this morning taking care of her own flowers, but Rinz invited her to help put together some picnic supplies, and she got pretty sidetracked. Oh well.
Afternoon
As the day went on, Blossom Day was in full swing. Everyone had done a fantastic job of cleaning up the community gardens, and all the trees intertwining the buildings were in full bloom. Many of the townsfolk had taken to setting up their own picnics all over the valley, with plenty of rocks, books, and other heavy items to keep their blankets and tarps from blowing away.
There was one picnic in particular that caught Coral's attention, though. In the center of a colorful blanket sat an elderly iguana reptin wearing a pastel dress and glasses so thick they obscured her eyes. She appeared to be telling a story to a group of kids and teenagers, all munching from their own picnic baskets. Curious, Coral joined them and spent a while listening in. As it turned out, this was Mayor Zakia, teaching the others about Iron Valley's origins.
Progressed promise (strong hit): Learn the history of Iron Valley
Spent favor to pass action roll: Zakia (3)
Started promise: Find books for the library (3)
Gained: Bento Box (5)