Closed Establishing A Mine

[Engill]

October 30th, 124

Engill was outside the entrance of the mine, sweating while he was admiring the latest mining structure made by her. Before her was the treant construct she came to make, a huge ugly being whose arms and legs were an oak and it's eyes gleaming with the enchantments she put inside the treant's soul.

This was the eighth and the last one, the last of the tremendous constructions that she intended to construct to help with Kage's mine. The sensation of pride unfolded in her breast as she turned and gazed at the beauty of her hard work. They had done it together.

It was only halfway through the season since she had officially become Kage's mate, and in that time, she had thrown herself not only behind him but also behind his agenda. The idea of having his child, the creation of something more permanent than the treants they had been designing had been her motivation every day. She had been trying for conceiving over and over, several times a day.

However, having a child was only part of her passion. She wanted his mine to succeed and for him to train her to be just like him someday. It was like an internship in a way. Now that the mine was up and running they might be able to focus on building up his army again.

 

[Kage]

Kage watched intently as Engill worked to create the last mining treant that he would need for a while. When she was done, he would walk over and raise it and latch tethers to it. This would make ten thousand tethers that he had dedicated to his mining operation – ten colossal treants that would mine aetherite relentlessly.

He didn't exactly need her help, given how cheap it was for him to shape treants in the comfort of his grove, but she'd wanted to help so he'd let her. She was just as good at him at druidism, if not better. Her carpentry was much more refined as well, so he supposed there was a very slight edge to having her assist.

He sent a mental command to the treant to join the rest that he'd commanded over the season. There was a persistent rumble as the ten massive treants walked around and struck the mountain.

"At last, we're done," Kage said with a smile as he walked up to Engill. "I estimate that the mine should bring in about a globe's worth of aetherite per season now. There's still a lot more that can be done... but until I can manage a larger workforce, this will have to do for now."

He'd heard of operations that were capable of producing multiple globes per season, but he didn't think he would be able to get to that point in his current state. He could only manage so many tethers. Even if he used every last bit of saol at his disposal, he doubted he could raise the hundred necessary colossal treants. He mused that he might be able to raise forty total, but even that wouldn't be enough without tools. A lack of artificed tools was really the only thing holding him back, but it couldn't be helped.

"There exist tools that can help with mining," he said to Engill, "but they are artificed, and effectively banned in Aelheim. That being said, I may be able to move this operation to Arcanis and increase alkahest output considerably. But for now, I think we will have to be happy with what we have."

He paused and wrapped an arm around her tiny frame. "Now that our work is done, let us retire."

 

[Engill]

"No," Engill told him unexpectedly as a thought came to mind. She was very exhausted but there was something she had wanted to bring up for the past two weeks.

"I still need to search for something before we go home. It's Death's Kiss. I heard of it from a friend many years ago and I was thinking that it will be helpful."

She supposed that he had heard of it since it was well known of and discussed in school. It's also supposed to be a powerful poison which I could make use of if I'm in danger.

"I think it's found in the forest so it can't be that hard to find," she went on, and her tone was now definitely that of one who is eagerly interested.

"We can go ask someone who already has the plant if you want. We don't have to look for it."

 

[Kage]

Kage looked down at Engill, curious as to why she would even want to bind to such a plant. It was a dangerous thing to be around. Who was she planning on poisoning? Alas he shook the worries from his head. It was a valid request and he ought not to question her reasoning. Every powerful druid had their fair share of odd plants that they were bound to, and he had no doubt that her having access to a deadly poison could only be a benefit for her safety. So long as she didn't try to use it against him…

"No, she isn't like that," he thought as he pushed the thoughts from his mind.

He looked down at her and said, "I've heard of it, yes, but I do not know exactly where to find one. I'll have to talk to White – this is one of her specialties."

Thankfully she was with them, or rather she was helping to collect some aetherite and pack it up for their trip home. Kage waved her over and she hurried over with a grim look on her face.

"White, we are in need of Death's Kiss. Help us find it."

White looked down at her feet then out at the landscapes. "I should be able to find some… I read about it, and I know what it looks like."

"Good little pet," Kage said, patting her on the head. "See, this is why you keep your pets well trained. This one has been studying for hundreds of years and is finally getting to be useful." His words were directed towards Engill, as if he were giving a lesson in how to raise a good animal.

"Alright, lead the way, White. And if you let us down, I will take you in for some… reconditioning." It was his generic threat of having his pets treated at a maltrician's office. He rarely actually had to do it, but it conveyed that he was expecting success from his pets.

White's face turned paler than normal and she nodded. "Uhm, this way." She would lead them out of the mountainous area and into the forest. She did seem to know where she was going and within a few hours they would happen upon a section of dying trees that were being drained of life by several Death's Kiss vines.

"Well, looks like that wasn't so bad," Kage said, extending a palm to the vine.

"Don't touch the fruits," White said suddenly.

"Yes, I assumed that much," Kage said with a chuckle. He started to bind to the plant, not because he wanted to, but out of the suspicion that it might be used against him. He simply could not shake the possibility that Engill might betray him.

"Your turn," he'd say to Engill.

 

[Engill]

Engill looked at White and almost laughed out loud as Kage continued to fawn over his 'pet'. The manner in which he dealt with White was sometimes funny but she always felt that such ill treatment could one day be extended to her. He had been nice, even caring at some point but she wasn't stupid.

Engill raised an eyebrow but said nothing. She was not going to become one of his "pets", and she reckoned Kage understood that too. She wasn't here to please; she was here to create something for herself, to gain her own strength as well as his.

Engill noticed the slight tensing of muscles in White's body. The reconditioning the maltrician received was not something that anyone would wish for themselves. Engill had never asked for details, but she'd heard enough to grasp that it was quite effective at punishment.

White walked them into the forest, deeper into the thick and away from the mines and through the territories that were less inhabited. Going further to where they were heading the tension rose high and Engill felt the thrill coming on to her.

They strode for several hours through thick growth reaching a grove of the deceased trees whose trunks were dark as coal.
There, like vines on the dying trees, were the tendrils of Death's Kiss.

When it was her turn she stepped forward and placed her hand on the vine to bind to it as well. When she was done, she produced some fruit in her hand and tossed it the ground.

"Okay, we can go home now," she said before giving Kage a hug.

 

[Kage]

Kage smiled at Engill and hugged her back. It was moments like those that made him glad she was around, even if he did have trouble trusting her. He turned to look back at White who was standing a safe distance away from the fruits. She had a good feeling that she wouldn't get healed if she accidentally got poisoned.

"Actually, you've got me thinking about other plants that I might want to bind to. White, where might we find Luminpetal?" he asked curiously.

"Luminpetal – it grows in cold climates or in the shade. I don't think we could find any here, but maybe back towards the mountains..." Her voice was tired from all the walking and all the labor she'd done throughout the day. It was times like this where she was sick of even being alive. She was supposed to be a Jin'Norai, proud and free in the desert but she was here wasting her life away.

Kage noticed her trail off then shook his head. "No point, I don't want to walk all the way back there. We'll continue onward and maybe we'll find an aelf that has bound to the plant. Besides, I'm not in any rush to get it, though I think it would make my treants more capable of flight."

He stretched then started off towards where he believed some aelves lived. It was a long walk, but he enjoyed it. Today felt like one of those days where he wanted to enjoy every minute instead of rushing to a destination.

They would eventually run into some aelves. Kage would wave to them and ask if they knew anyone bound to the flower he was after and from there it was a simple matter of binding to the plant. Once he was done, he asked Engill, "do you want to bind to it too? Or is this not really your taste?" He supposed there was no real reason to rush. She was only 100. She had thousands of years to pick which plants she wanted. He was seventeen thousand and had barely learned half of what he was capable of.

 

[Engill]

Engill, slowly shook her head from side to side, a faint smile on her lips. No, I don't want to bind to it. "I don't plan on doing any flying anytime soon,'" she told him more bluntly than she intended. She looked at the green forest around her.

Exhaustion following long walk and the day's work overwhelmed her. She breathed out and she felt the tiredness seeping through her bones. "I am tired Fadir," she said, massaging the back of her neck. "I need to rest and you do too. I'll make us a place."

Without waiting for a reply, Engill dropped to her knees, and with her eyes shut, placed her hands on the ground. Slowly fibre like structures began to emerge and twine themselves around them and form a shelter like formation. The building was very basic, but strong. Just enough to protect them for the daylight hours.

totals:
me: 800
kage: 1200

 

[Engill]

Thread Title: Establishing A Mine

Thread Summary: Engill has helped make 8 collossal treants for Kage to animate over the past couple months. They go and bind to Death's Kiss (CR5) and then Kage binds to Luminpetal (CR4).

Expected Rewards: Engill: 8 xp, Death's Kiss Bind
Kage: 12 xp, Luminpetal and Death's Kiss Bind

Thread Link: https://antarok.net/threads/establishing-a-mine.402/#post-2157
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[Vicissitude]

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❀ Rewards ❀

Requested rewards granted!

❀ Comments ❀

Nice to see two druids working together like this! Be sure to notate any relevant changes on y'alls respective CSes prior to using them in future content & you're good to go.

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