Third Chord - God Plot: The Poisonous Python

[fair_trouble]

Who: Emery-Apollo, Tsuyukusa, Link, Kaitlyn, Natalia, a giant poisonous lizard, potentially some sailors.
What: Emery has hired some Corsairs to kill a monster that is poisoning the land in Hesaeth.
Where: Above an abandoned Hesaeth mine.
When: In between various missions to gather steel and powder.
OOC Info: Here.

As the Spring turns more solidly to Summer, Emery has been going about approaching various Corsairs with a job offer.

As a byproduct of ether experimentation, the Imperials have made a monster nicknamed “Python.” Python, Emery explained, is a large quadruped reptile which continually creates and secretes poison. Python not only poisons its prey, but it also contaminates water, soil, or any living thing it comes into contact with. What’s more, it’s an aggressive predator that continually seeks out food.

With their typical levels of responsibility, the Imperials decided to deal with it by dumping the monster onto Hesaeth. Python has found an abandoned mine to take shelter in, but regularly leaves to go hunting. It’s surviving on the small, hardy birds and mammals that make the desert its home, but it’s only a matter of time until it moves on. If it reaches a source of water, or any active mines, the situation could be disastrous.

Emery has magic that can purify the monster’s poison, but he’s not confident in his ability to take it out by himself. Thus he has gathered together a small assortment of skilled fighters under the promise of modest repayment.

To get to Python’s hideout requires an overnight trip by boat and then a hike of a few hours, and then it’s a battle against a wild enemy that cannot be touched with bare skin.

Comments

[fair_trouble]

Emery himself is available to talk to, although he’s being uncharacteristically quiet, standing on the deck, gazing into the distance and idly stroking the frame of his lyre.

[heaven_rooted]

The kodama had more or less insisted on going once the matter had been brought to his attention. Perhaps it's unusual for someone who's more familiar as a healer to be so eager to commit violence, but at the same time, perhaps not, given his track record. But then it's not particularly his eagerness to do such things that has him here.

The news of some toxic creature engineered by the Imperials is one thing, but it being an active threat to the land and everything attached to it is a genuine concern. Not that Tau enjoys the prospect of having to ferret the thing out of the mines, he already dislikes being in the Vault any longer than he has to. Which is probably why he's out on the deck as well, enjoying what fresh air there is as they make way.

He looks over at Emery, walking over towards him. Tau doesn't know a whole lot about him, but then that goes for so many of the Corsairs, and it's not like he shares a whole lot about himself.

"Anything more we need to be aware of before we get there?"

[fair_trouble]

Emery glances over at the sound of Tau's approach.

"I think I've shared all the information I have," he says. "About the conditions and our opponent. Did you have any specific questions?"

[heaven_rooted]

"Is there the potential that this creature can be restored to whatever it was?" Tau asks, seeming almost hesitant before he continues. "Or it too far gone? I don't know what the Imperials do with their experiments but I know they don't hold back on atrocities if it churns out an edge for them in some way."

[fair_trouble]

Emery looks at Tau for a moment, then shakes his head. "No, I don't think so. I couldn't find out much about its creation, but I don't think it was a straightforward transformation anyway."

[heaven_rooted]

Tau's expression is neutral as he soaks that information in. He nods.

"So it's better to put it out of its misery." It's upsetting, but if killing the creature is a mercy, he won't hesitate. He knows the real party responsible.

"...do you know if there are others?"

[fair_trouble]

"Oh there are plenty of beings used for Imperial ether experiments," Emery says. "The Python's situation is special in that it got dumped in the below lands and by the amount of damage it can do if left alone."

Internally, Emery reflects that there are Imperial weapons that can annihilate people very easily, but Python's more of a potential long-term environmental concern.

[heaven_rooted]

"Tch."

It's not exactly a great answer to hear, but still largely unsurprising.

"Imperials are idiots," the kodama snorts, scrubbing a hand through his hair. They think that just because they live on their floating islands, they won't have to concern themselves with the world below.

[fair_trouble]

Emery huffs a laugh, the sound rueful. "To the point, aren't you?"

He's quiet for a bit longer, staring out at the water. Thinking about the Imperials he knows, and wondering if he still counts as one.

"-They don't expect to clean up their own messes," he says. "Most of the time, they don't have to. They see it as... There's them, and everyone else just exists to be used."

[heaven_rooted]

"Always," Tau replies, but then he's always been one to speak his mind.

His nose wrinkles as he steps over to the railing, leaning against it as he looks out at the skies. It's probably easy to overlook what isn't within their eyesight.

"Of course. Everything is a resource to them. Even people. If it didn't cost so much for everyone else, the clearest way to make them see how badly they're screwing themselves over would be to let them ruin themselves."