middaeg | [Closed] March Quest Catch All

[Standing outside the farmland, the night wind making her cloak ripple, Aymr casting distorted shadows all around her. Arms crossed, she eyes the grass and takes in the facts. The grass makes people hungry, and there's clearly some strange magic afoot here. It's not really her area of expertise, but she's willing to give it a look, since Hubert had seemed interested.

Turning to her bondmate, she lifts an eyebrow, sidling closer.]

So, are you sensing anything?

[Armed and armored for battle, with Aymr and her imperial war-plate ready at her side, Edelgard is prepared for far, far worse than what they've seen so far. Some infected plantlife, some afflicted wolves, but nothing as serious as the necromancers and the like. Good, that. Once was enough for a whole year, thank you.

Still, as night falls, she's ever vigilant, making certain to stay near Corrin. Yes, her bonded is a warrior capable of caring for herself, but it's become second nature to defend those around her.]

Stay alert, Corrin. I think...I heard movement up ahead.

[Edelgard is not really an expert on plants even at home, so when this opportunity had come into her sights, she'd known just who to turn to. Bernadetta, the girl obsessed with strange plant-life, would probably know what to look for, and so she'd brought her friend out of the city on hopefully what wasn't a wild goose chase.

Yes, it was night, but a nearly full moon and several magical lanterns Edelgard had acquired gave them plenty of light. It wasn't as though this was any more threatening at night than during the day...]

So, where did you say we could find these plants? [There's probably a Wilder station up ahead where they can ask, but Bernie might know already.]

[Ever since her change, Edelgard has been more restless at night, and she'd taken to leaving the city to patrol the outer city at dusk sometimes. Tonight happens to be one such a time. Clad in blood-red battleplate, with a dragonbone axe that glows an eerie orange slung over one shoulder, she cuts quite a strange figure as she heads out to relieve whoever had been stuck in this quadrant of town for the evening.

Waving politely to the stranger, a young man, she offers a small smile.]

Any trouble so far?

[Hubert doesn't answer immediately. His gaze was fixed out over the affected farmland, seemingly focused and distant at once. Finally, he shakes his head.]

...Were we in Fódlan, I would say without a doubt this was a working of dark magic—a curse. The air is thick with malevolence, and we aren't even upon the grounds.

[He cautiously lifts a hand, hovering just behind where the line of the grass would be, as if touching a window that was wasn't there.] I cannot truly explain why, but I do not think this is Cwyld. The Cwyld is lifeless. This... Why, I almost expect it to whisper, just as dark magic did.

[Hubert's wary, more so than usual—but he's also intrigued. This was different from his prior experiences with Geardeas' magic.]

Whisper...

[That's interesting.

Edelgard raises her axe high in the early night sky, casting shadows all around. Her other hand strays towards the flask of blood at her hip, just in case.]

Do you want to test the effects first, or should I? I'm well fed, and have both mundane and magical sustenance on me.

[His eyes slide over to Edelgard, protest sitting on his tongue that he knew well to be futile. Hubert didn't want to send her out there for a variety of predictable reasons, but...]

As reluctant as I am to suggest it, you should. If the effects are as severe as the request described... I should observe them first while my concentration is unafflicted.

[And boy does he hate to suggest it. But it's the most logical course of action, risks considered.]

I agree. If it's a trap, my armor will protect me as best it can.

[She takes another step forward. And then another, standing in the middle of the field.

The effect is slow, somewhat creeping, but she does feel the gnawing bite of hunger slide into her belly.]

...It feels...odd. Like I haven't eaten in a few hours...

[A faint worry gnaws at the back of his mind, but it's easily shoved aside in favor of that clinical, cold logic so common to him.]

Walk. Does it worsen with each step, or with time alone? Is it stronger in any one part of the field?

Alright.

[Edelgard takes a step, and then another, and doesn't feel anything immediate.

Just more of the same. At least, for the moment.]

So far, nothing. I think perhaps time?

[With a bit less caution, she moves a few more steps, feeling a gradual increase.]

Definitely time...

[Hm. Hubert begins stalking around the edge, skirting the affected land as if looking for something.]

Exit. Does it remain, like the reports claim?

[Hubert crouches by the grass, extending a hand over the field. He can feel... whatever this was tugging greedily at his hand, but not fully grasping—at least, not until he lowers his hand to dig gloved fingers into the grass, coming away with a fistful of dirt and roots. It's then the affliction bites him, settling hunger into his gut despite his full stomach.]

[Hubert rolls the dirt around his palm, examining it in the meantime.]

[Kor had been thankful for the patrol work he could take on. It wasn't his preferred line of work, considering he'd rather be out there fighting monsters, or ideally, solving the emotional distress of others, but in his current depowered state, neither of those were very feasible right now. At least this was money in his pocket.

When Edelgard approaches, he gives her a cheerful wave back.]

Honestly, you're about the most out of the ordinary thing I've seen all day.

['A strange figure' doesn't even begin to describe it. If it had been just a little darker out, there's a very real possibility that he might have mistaken her for an enemy. Thankfully, there was just enough light left in the day that he could tell she was no foe of his.]

[Moving near Edelgard in her black leather armor, Corrin felt decidedly underdressed for the danger they were going into. She was sure she could never have learned to move or fight in the kind of plate mail that Edelgard wore, but she still felt like she wasn't exactly going to protect the older woman if things got bad. If anything, Edelgard was a walking wall, and Corrin was more of a...sword?]

[Eh, she didn't mind that comparison as much.]

[She had the yato out, the formerly magic sword hanging loose from her left hand, and her grip tensed at Edelgard's command, coming to a stop next to her.]

We were bound to run into something eventually.

[She whispered. It was sort of the point, right?]

[She can't really help the need to travel at dusk, with an enchanted veil to ward off the last rays of the sun, and her axe is...what it is. The Emperor isn't exactly someone that needs to hide often, either, so her armor was cut in such a way to draw the eye of friend and foe alike.]

That means you've had an eventful afternoon then. Is there anything I should be aware of?

[Lingering problems were something she was used to.]

[Edelgard does so, and her stomach burbles immediately, almost comically. There was no telling what might have happened were she not prepared.

Before responding, she immediately gulps down a mouthful of her flask, and a handful of walnuts from her belt pouch.]

It does. I'm...going to need a minute to fill myself up before I try that again.

Unfortunately, yes.

[She'd have liked an easy evening heading to the next outpost. But, fine. This wasn't great, but it was something they could handle. She wished she had her wyvern with her, but alas, that wasn't to be.

So, she unslung her axe.]

Have you experience working with armored partners?

Some. I tended to be more of a hit and run person during battles.

[Corrin was definitely faster than she was durable.]

What do you have in mind?

[Hubert doesn't look up from the sample in his palm, but it's impossible to hide the way his mental focus turns her way.]

[Regardless, he nods.] Whatever time you need. I have a starting point.

[Hubert pulls out a tin container encircled by runes, dumping the little sample of dirt and grass clump inside. Then he stands, dusting his gloves off, and strides out into the patch, feeling whatever this was sink into him.]

[How unpleasant. Yes, there is certainly something malicious here. Something miserable, almost.]

In Fódlan, magic was either a construct of the mind, or of faith. You know that. [He's musing aloud as much as he was informing Edelgard.] Here... it can contain aspects of either, but first and foremost it is a construct of will. Intent can hold powerful sway, even if you are not the caster of a spell. This... misery, lingering about—it's almost as if it's steeped into the very soil, staining the earth. [His gaze turns to the grass.]

I think there is something here. This is too precise to be random, and too poor of a location to be deliberately inflicted. Barring a rival farmer dabbling too far into things they don't understand, of course.

I'll move forward, draw it's attention. You stay behind me, come out and flank it.

[She's not concerned about her safety, not with anything short of a mutant dragon.]

Hmm.

[She moves closer, taking her time eating both the food and drinking the blood. She's not in any rush, since he's clearly working on something that she can't assist with in an active way. It's galling, but she hasn't bothered to study much of the local magics because she'd never be able to touch them.]

You think something happened here that left a stain on the ground? A battle, perhaps? Or a clash between two mages that hated one another?

[That would certainly cover the 'intent' portion of things.]

Or whatever it is, it's still here. Something is creating this. Even stained as the earth is, something sustains it—and there is no leyline here.

[He shakes his head, the hunger growing sharper. It's unpleasant, but not yet unbearable. This really was a bother. Hubert holds up his palm to create a dim orb of light; as comfortable as he was working in the dark, his nightvision wasn't good enough to go searching for details or clues, let alone anything that might be obscured by the greenery.]

[Hubert starts on his way to the center. The patch was roughly an even shape, and the center was the most likely origin.]

Nothing too out of the ordinary from what I've heard about this area. I was hoping I'd get to see a little more action, if I'm gonna be honest. [So just your usual pickpocket and thievery cases. No serial killers or drug trafficking rings to report here.

And yet when Kor says that, he doesn't look too happy about any of what he'd seen here.]

...I can't believe the people here live like this.

I'm more appalled that the government hasn't tried to expand the Bright Wall to help these people, personally, but I understand the sentiment.

[Edelgard's nose twitches slightly.]

Though, there's plenty of Shades lurking on the fringes, if you're bored. I would not recommend going alone though.

[Edelgard doesn't step back out, but she does raise her weapon higher to light as much of the field as she can. Him being hungry isn't potentially dangerous, after all. She could be driven to frenzy and that would be bad.]

Do...be careful.

[Concern for him hangs in the bond, heavy and unfocused.]

Am I anything but?

[Really, even if the farmlands were generally a safe spot outside the wall, having Edelgard here to take care of any stray creatures while he worked did a lot. He couldn't imagine fighting off something after having been on this patch for a while.]

[Hubert's search is thorough. He even passes over it the first time, so well obscured and largely buried as it was. The toasted grains and nuts does well to delay the curse at first, but after a few minutes, it's grown incredibly distracting. Even a little dizzying, but not dire.]

[But it's not a search in vain.]

Mm. It's difficult to tell under the roots of the grass, but I believe I have found remains.

[Closed] March Quest Catch All

For Hubert (The Hungry Grass)

For Corrin (Continuing Conquest)

For Bernadetta (Strae)

For Kor (Outside the City)

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