[OPEN] Everybody walk the dinosaur

[aquaveiled]

WHO: Himeka & you!
WHAT: Going Dinosaur-spotting in the forest to get to know the local fauna
WHERE: Lohkimareen, around Greentruth
WHEN: End of June
WARNINGS: Dinosaurs? Dinosaurs.

OOC; I'm setting up individual prompts foreach of the "dino-spotting" locations that were provided by the mods. Feel free to tag in and mingle! You are also free to create any closed starters or intermediary traveling prompts as you want.

This is open to any Pleroma A.K.A. anyone who has access to Greentruth/Tehri's portal. Even if you haven't explicitly spoken with Himeka you are more than welcome to hop in either by having your character just seeing the group trek out, a random run-in in the forest, etc. Alternatively if your character would need an invitation you are free to assume Himeka has extended it to you since she's that sort of person.

EDIT; Now that we have the bestiary I suppose anything that isn't rare is free game to find? Dinos!

Comments

GENTLE GIANTS

[aquaveiled]

The best time to begin a trek to meet their reptilian neighbors is early, early in the morning as far as Himeka is concerned. She's been keeping close to the settlement proper for so long she can barely contain her excitement to go out and do some good-natured exploring. They could use it after all that transpired in Venera, after all. And few things are as good for clearing the body and mind as spending some time out in nature.

Eager as she is, Himeka spent some time talking to the locals about some of the best places to get a better idea of the sorts of animals they would be dealing with. Dragons, they've learned, are a little more elusive, but the dinosaur scalekin are extremely abundant. Despite the few that are bred in the town proper, they apparently come in all sorts of shapes and sizes that even Eorzea has never seen. And as such, she was told that they needn't go far to find what they're looking for.

True to word, as they make their way from Greentruth's main hub to one of the areas where one can rent a mount, there is the sound of snapping branches and the rustling of underbrush. With the morning light peaking in through the thick canopy, the massive forms of one fo the largest species of dinosaur come into view. They seem completely unaware of the small caravan on the wooden platforms who have since come to a halt.

Their elongated necks stretch out to reach even above the raised platforms of the sprawling settlement.

"They're...enormous!" Himeka says in a loud whisper.

What a way to start the morning!

[sageguidance]

It goes without saying that Alphinaud is among those here; not because he's an avid watcher of nature's fauna, but rather, Himeka did insist... and it's difficult to say no when she grows eager with an idea. So, here he is.

As a long neck stretches through the leaves, gradually towering over even them in spite of how high up they already were, Alphinaud cannot help but watch on with an aura of awe.

"That... is certainly larger than most dragons. I had not thought scalekin could grow to such sizes."

[aquaveiled]

It's true--the First Brood were massive enough in their own right but this feels like it rivals the scale of Midgardsormr's true form. Except this is alive and moving right before them. She'd heard there were some giants in the forest but she had certainly not been prepared for the reality.

"Neither had I," she agrees, her voice containing no small amount of wonder.

And, expectedly, she starts to inch closer to the edge of the platform.

"They're...magnificent! How long do you think it takes them to get this big?"

[sageguidance]

Please, he thinks, do not get too close to the edge there.

Rather than voicing such thoughts aloud, Alphinaud gives a hum.

"Though their size rivals them, they cannot possibly have the lifespan of a dragon..."

One big dino head, meanwhile, goes to munch on a bundle of leaves not too far off from their sights.

"But that would mean they must have quite the rapid growth. Perhaps. I... have not studied scalekin before."

[aquaveiled]

She is getting much too close to the edge, but not teetering on it. Not quite yet. (Fall damage may be a thing but as long as you have one HP left you're fine.) For the variety of creatures they have seen in their travels, something like this still feels novel. Who wouldn't want to get a closer look?

"I suppose it's not too different than seeing a baby squid not more than an ilm long to one that could hug a ship."

Do giant squid exist? If they do she's not telling. Lore of the deep.

"Well, there's no time like the present?" she says with a smile over her shoulder. "See, that's why I knew this would do you some good. You normally like to get to know the locals, don't you?"

[sageguidance]

And he would like to continue not thinking about giant squids hugging ships, thanks. Sirens were bad enough.

Instead, Alphinaud manages to take his eyes off the massive dinosaur to give her a sidelong glance.

"These are not quite the locals I had in mind, truth be told. Normally, 'tis with those who can hold a conversation."

[aquaveiled]

Surely they will get those water wings off of you soon, Alphinaud. You just have to trust in yourself to float.

She tilts her head to the side and raises a brow as she regards him. He has to know what she's about to say.

"Have you tried?"

THE "HORNY" ONES

[aquaveiled]

What really began the initial inspiration for this venture was, of course, that...fated moon that brought the newest group of Aions to Greentruth. The forest has always been dangerous even with the soothing ambient sounds of nature to create a sense of security in the treetops. (At least Himeka found it soothing, even with the occasional sudden growls in the distance. Greentruth itself has been seemingly above the danger both literally and figuratively thus far.)

But the ambient sounds that the newest Aions were welcomed with were far from soothing. Instead the incessant trumpeting of some very randy dinosaurs kept everyone within earshot for miles up all night and day. Really, it was a test of patience for any staying in the forest but also strangely impressive for how long the whole thing went on with little to no reprieve. The forest almost seemed too quiet when the mating season supposedly ended. Himeka didn't exactly miss it.

All the same when she asked about what sort of creature could produce these sounds she had been provided with a very detailed description of large striped dinosaurs with long backwards facing horns on their heads. So as the group moves towards one of the many streams that stretch through the forest for a break fo their own, it seems like fate once again has brought them together with their previous tormentors.

"It's them!" she exclaims as the stream comes into view, dotted with several dinosaurs drinking at its banks. "They're the...erm...Tara...-something! They're the ones who were insatiable the other moon."

[chronosynthesis]

Syrlya's had a similar sort of idea as the incident in Venera gets further behind them: the forest is dangerous, but if they can learn that territory it's something to their advantage. Or, at least, it'd be good to know what resources are really available and what supply routes they can take.

He doesn't leave with Himeka's group, but he finds them along the way and decides to accept the cover of many instead of the cover of magic stealth.

"Them?" He draws his attention away from staring at some oddly-shaped plant in the distance, to the bulky saurians ahead. "Oh. That awful honking noise."

Yeah, he remembers that.

[aquaveiled]

Can he still hear it in his sleep? Sometimes Himeka thinks that she hears phantom honking ringing in her horns. Nothing quite like it. She does wonder how they make a noise that ghastly.

Himeka nods. "Yes! Though...I never imagined they were this big. I guess that explains why they were so loud."

It does not.

[chronosynthesis]

Big = loud makes enough sense to him, anyway. And he's definitely noticed how big the wild life is around here (but at least there's no pocket raptors).

He leans forward, trying to gauge their size from a respectable difference. "What do you know about them?"

He hadn't asked around at the time, as he was still fresh off of... whatever the hell was going on since hatching out of a crystal pod.

[aquaveiled]

No pocket raptors that they know of. Don't write it all of yet, Syrlya. Dream big! (Or small, as it were.)

What does she know about them, though? Himeka tries to remember what she was told earlier, she hadn't been expecting to run into these guys now that their, erm, "season" was over.

"Um...they're herbivores and live in big groups? But their nosiness is their claim to fame, apparently."

[chronosynthesis]

"Nosiness?" Syrlya pulls back, turning to give Himeka a raised eyebrow. He can't say that was the description he was expecting. "All right, what happens if we accidentally catch their attention?"

Are they going to have unwilling dino members of this excursion?

FANCIFUL FEATHERS

[aquaveiled]

As the journey continues, they find just as much if not more evidence of the presence of other creatures than seeing them all outright. Though it's not always obvious what creature is responsible, there are clear indication of nesting grounds, carcasses that have been picked over by predators of various sizes, and even broken underbrush that has shown the movement patterns of some larger species.

It is fun to try and fill in the gaps of their knowledge and imagine up what could have been responsible. Goals for next time, perhaps? After all the forest is vast and they have only ventured out an hour or two outside of the main settlement in search of the true locals of Lohkimareen.

Yet as they start to make the turn back for the evening, Himeka does have to give the group pause. In a small clearing, the grass pressed down to the ground to give reason to believe something had been through there recently, stray colorful feathers litter the ground. They're different sizes, some more small and downy while others are long and rigid.

She bends down to pick up one of the longer feathers; a magnificent red that bleeds into a cool green.

"What do you suppose dropped this?"

[dragon_rider]

Hiccup's spent the better part of the month on a number of journeys and adventures — The height of the moon may have passed, but he still feels he can't sit still. Especially not when others are going out in search of their reptilian neighbors. Wherein he'd initially been hesitant to talk about them, his own experiences with those in his world, he's mostly forgone it now and returned to active interest.

He's shown no fear in the forest outside of Greentruth, but he's felt no reason to, either. Dragons — even dinosaurs — he still feels is where his expertise most lies... Especially with new benefits to the matter that he's still trying to wrap his head around. First the long-necked dinosaurs and then the rowdier ones. There's still so many to see. He's spent a good half of the day dedicated to studying them, stopping to pull out a journal to sketch them or write notes.

He's not ready to leave even as the evening ticks forward. His attention on the ground, avoidant of what looked where something once laid. Attention moving upwards to the woman with a slight shake of his head. "A giant bird?" He said off-handedly, not believing it himself as he turns away, "but a bird would make its nest somewhere high. The fact that everything is lower to the ground means they're not fliers or something that can climb very high."

Which means it's most likely not a bird or, if it is, it's a flightless bird but those are few and far between. He shifts, half swinging his arms by his side, "But this doesn't look like a place we'd be invited." He gestures to a nest, "animals are usually pretty territorial so we shouldn't stay unless we want to find out what did it." And despite the overall light-heartedness of his tone, more investigative than not, he definitely sounds like they don't want to find out.

[aquaveiled]

A bird makes the most sense from what she understands, though she hasn't seen a single bird in the moons they have spent in the forest. Hiccup does raise a good point though--with so many animals on the lower rungs of the trees, it would make the most sense that they would find evidence of birds further up. Himeka takes a pause, looking upwards as she squints towards the canopy.

"I mean I want to find out what it did.."

Which is probably not surprising, she's been fairly enthusiastic even when things have taken a turn for the more dangerous.

"We haven't really seen any birds, have we? It would be pretty novel if they are around. I was under the impression everything here was some sort of scalekin."

[dragon_rider]

"Of course you would," Hiccup agrees immediately, with no severity. He has the air of someone who agrees that he would too. He glances over his shoulder with a released breath, "But some of our companions may not understand a creature's desire to protect their nesting ground." Which is what it's clear it's supposed to be to Hiccup — And so far he's learned some of Pleroma aren't aware of how intelligent their reptilian neighbors can be (a fact he wants to change).

"There haven't been any this deep in the forest. It's possibly they're prey," he thinks outloud, glancing over his shoulder, "but these would need to be pretty big birds... Maybe there are reptiles with feathers? There's deep sea dragons, so bird-like reptiles aren't entirely impossible, I suppose."

[aquaveiled]

She shrugs shamelessly. They are out here to learn, aren't they? But she does understand that not all of their companions have the same draw to doing things they ought not. Which is fair. The world definitely needs a healthy amount of those people to keep everyone else in check.

Himeka grabs a few more feathers before standing, stuffing them into her leather satchel. Normally for snacks, it'll work to keep any "evidence" she collects as well.

"By the size they would definitely at least be as tall as you or I, right?"

[dragon_rider]

Hiccup nodded knowingly. Being the literal Berk poster child of running off to find and save dangerous animals he's never learned quite how to scale that nature back. He's glancing up into the canopy and thinking he should fly up there for a better look while he listen's on.

"Possibly bigger, even," he agrees, an arm raising and lowering in a half wave, "and that's not even taking into account any potential wingspan or tail length." He moves forward closer to one of the footprints as he considers.

"These aren't small footprints either. Not too big, but there's a decent imprint. Definitely bigger than either of us, then," Hiccup mumbles, more to himself. Then with little more fanfare moves to size up a tree and how climbable it is. "They're probably waiting for us to leave, which means they might be close by. A better vantage point could be the way to go."

[comelately]

It was only a matter of time before he ended up out here, looking for a critter suited for riding around Greentruth - or, well, more suited than the kocsigyik, one of which he's currently seated upon in lieu of trying to maneuver his wheelchair around in the woods. (It's not his first time on one of them, fortunately, and he picked up the technique quickly.) He wasn't expecting to have company. He and Himeka had discussed the dinosaurs in passing, sure - but it was a pleasant surprise to know she was actually serious about it. This is one of those things that he could do on his own, but would be way easier with two people.

Besides, wandering around in the jungle alone is dangerous. Case in point: the various scavenged animals they've seen on the way here, some of which were a lot bigger than the two of them. Not the sort of place you'd want to get caught alone in.

"A bird? Maybe a parrot?"

He's leaning over from where he's sitting, squinting at the feather in her hand. Naturally, he doesn't even consider that it might belong to a dinosaur. Because dinosaurs are reptiles, right? He's never heard of a lizard with feathers.

"It must have been a pretty big one."

[aquaveiled]

Himeka had considered renting one of the kocsigyik herself, missing the familiarity of having mounts at her beck-and-call. In the end she had opted on travelling on foot simply for the mobility and the fact that she enjoyed the feeling of mosses beneath her feet. She's been finding that despite the potential dangers, going without shoes has felt more satisfying. Who would have thought?

"A parrot?" A curious thought. "Those are colorful, aren't they?"

She holds the feather out to Johnny so he can take a closer look for himself if he'd like.

"I'd say so. A beak that fearsome would bite a man's head off."

She's not being serious. Probably.

[comelately]

"Yeah, probably."

Johnny answers completely seriously - or, at least, completely straight-facedly - as he leans down from between the dinosaur's plates to take the feather, squinting at it analytically. As if he could tell anything by looking at it. He doesn't know that much about birds, so the only information he can really glean from it is that it is, indeed, a feather. After a moment, he shrugs, tucking it into his hat as he continues.

"Well, parrots are friendly, right? You said folks ride birds where you're from, so maybe we can befriend 'em."

[aquaveiled]

She starts to pick up a few more stray feathers she can find dotted along the ground. Most are similar to the one she'd given Johnny but she wants to be certain...maybe they can find out from the locals? Or maybe they can just make for some nice accessories? It's a win either way.

"Friendly? If by that you mean they sometimes work with pirate captains who are guilty of trafficking women or attacking you when you escort a goblin through the forest, then...yes they're exceedingly friendly."

She rattles of her exploits rather easily, then stands.

"But they aren't large enough to ride. Are the parrots in your star that big?"

[comelately]

At this point, he has to wonder if she keeps saying crazy things purely to get a reaction out of him. By now, at least, he's experienced enough of them to react to this new set of crazy things with little more than a raised eyebrow.

"No. Obviously. But the critters here get huge. You've seen those long-necked ones."

Johnny gives his mount a brisk pat on the side of the neck, urging it to start slowly plodding forward again. It seems a little uneasy, though - something he picks up on easily. Better keep his wits about him in case the "parrots" come back.

"...What's your job back home, exactly? I thought you were a cook."

TRASH DINOS

[aquaveiled]

They are thankfully able to make it back to the main settlement by nightfall, which given the nature of the forest is really for the best. The forest is unforgiving even in the daytime but at night they are safest up in the trees, away from the predators who use the cover of darkness to stalk unsuspecting prey. (Or honestly the plants that, apparently, will just kill you no matter what.)

Of course they need to get up into the trees first. A series of platforms and bridges will bring them home. But as they approach the proper entrance, there's the sound of rustling in the brush nearby.

Reason would say that it's an animal, and yet...

"Hello~?" She has to ask. As if they will respond.