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The Aroma of Tea

Scene details

Setting: Having gathered some mysterious plants from shadowed crevices in the isle's central desert, the Star Chasers seek to appease Wuther the wind elemental with something sufficiently tea-like to satisfy him such that he returns Reize's long-lost scarf... before our young hero succumbs again to Sea Madness.

Log


 A bead of sweat drips down Ivo's neck despite the mountain chill.
 "Well!? Is it ready!?"
 Here at the peak of the isle's central volcano, sheltered by sunrise-hued rocky cliffs from the sound and forrce of the winds that perpetually rage within the caldera, dwells Wuther the wind elemental and his mysterious "shop" (giant pile of trash). Kneeling before the entrance of Wuther's cavern, where a gorgeous view of the whole island stretches out beyond the cliff to their side, Ivo has kindled a campfire and has set a pot to boil above it. But the heat from that fire is not what is making him sweat. Floating behind him is Wuther himself, the little old man agitatedly twirling his preternaturally long white beard.
 "Almost," Ivo says, trying to sound cheerful with mixed success. "Laineth said that this plant is called 'ephedra' and has pleasant stimulant properties."
 "So it *isn't* tea!" Wuther barks.
 "Its common name is 'desert tea,'" Ivo quickly appends.
 "Hmmmm," Wuther replies. "HMMMMMM."
 Ivo isn't concerned about the taste or quality. He knows enough about what they've gathered -- if not nearly as much as he would like -- to know that this won't poison anyone, and indeed, might be quite nice. The problem is that, it seems, Wuther cannot taste, but can only smell the wind, and quite keenly at that. So as to if Wuther will find the aroma sufficiently akin to the tea for which he previously traded with visiting pirates, well--
 There's only one way to find out.

SLIGHTLY TENSE TEA PARTY BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoZ1RxA4QnA



 It is tea time.

 However, the old man is not the only one that is agitated. The young explorer is eyeing the old man as he keeps demanding and barking for the tea. Perhaps it is because it is the fact that his scarf is so close, yet so far, or perhaps it is due to being prolonged within a sea-form area, that Reize has thoughts in his head.

 Sea Madness-induced rage is lingering.

  Reize shakes it off, remembering the entire purpose for the trip. Get the old man's assistance, but more importantly, his scarf back.

 "Yeah!" The boy keeps a cheerful smile on his face, his eyes focused on admiring the beauty of the cliff and beyond. "We'll have your tea ready! It'll be a great 'desert tea'!"

 Now gimmie my scarf back, you stupid old---oh wait, that's Sea Madness talking.

 

Ruidosa La Crima is giving Ivo incredulous looks. Does he even know how to brew tea correctly!? Is he screwing it up!? She doesn't know. She's waiting with a tea cup in front of her on a silver tea plate.

Now, Lacrima gave her tea biscuits! Which also sit onn a silver tray. Ruidosa has no clue how her mom obtained these, but here they are. Maybe she just magically produces tea related things...

She looks over to Reize and agrees with the old man's rude behavior. "It'll be done soon. Hopefully, rightfully." she says.

Ivo Galvan rolls 1d20+3>=10.
Comment: Brewing unfamiliar tea (aristocratic bonus)
Roll(s): 13. Total result is 16. This is a success (by 6).


 Ivo seems blissfully unaware of the rage smoldering within his otherwise good-natured friend as he attends to the fire. Rui is reasonably concerned with his competence, but Ivo's aristocratic background and general dilettante curiosity means that he has a decent sense for temperature and duration of steeping, even with an unfamiliar plant. He carefully adjusts the height of the pot as it hangs about the campfire, doing well enough to control to distribution of heat and keeping time.
 "This should be good..."
 He dips a ladle hastily crafted from scrap metal the night before into the brew and begins to serve it into similar mugs (and Rui's much nicer tea cup). He had concluded that the coconut husks they typically use as drinking vessels here might pollute the aroma from Wuther's perspective with their otherwise pleasant sweet scent. The resulting amber liquid is clear and fragrant, reminiscent of a pine forest in the springtime, a far cry from the desert whence the leaves came. Once the party is served, Ivo raises his mug with a lopsided grin.
 "To prompt returns," he toasts, in reference both to Reize's scarf and to the party hopefully able to depart this isle once Scirocco is defeated and the winds within the caldera quelled. "Cheers!"
 He sips the steaming desert tea and then, a gentle smile spreading across his face, he sighs softly, his breath emerging as mist in the chill air. The ephedra tea is bracingly bitter, but Ivo's careful brewing has taken the edge off, and the overall effect is invigorating and charmingly rustic. It pairs very well with the buttery tea biscuits, one of which Ivo reaches for, already seeming to be in a better mood.
 "Thank you, Rui," he says. "Your mother is generous as ever. And always so... well-equipped." Careful, Ivo. He takes a bite as though to stop himself from saying any more--
 "Disgusting!!!!"
 --and then nearly chokes as Wuther shouts angrily.
 "This isn't like tea at all!" the grumpy old elemental cries as he hurls his mug on the ground. At least it isn't ceramic and simply rolls and bounces along. "It smells like a ship!"
 "Like a ship...?" Ivo looks down at the spilled tea, and then, shaking his head, looks over to his companions before lowering his voice. Fortunately, Wuther is distracted by his own tantrum. "We'll have to try one of the other plants we gathered," he murmurs. "But at this point, I don't really know how to decide what he'd most prefer. Do you two want to give choosing one a try...?"
 They've brought with them a bunch of the plants they've gathered in the desert, on the coast, and among the scraggly alpine forests of the cliffs up here. It is basically just as it looks: a motley assortment of random plants. Not all of them have been identified.
 "...Good luck."
 The party may need it.

Reize Seatlan rolls 1d20+3>=10.
Comment: Resisting the Call of the Sea.......
Roll(s): 13. Total result is 16. This is a success (by 6).



  Reize takes the moment to look over ruidosa as she provides the tray of tea biscuits. "Oh! Nice job, Rui!" He cheerfully proclaims out to her.

 While watching Wuther, Reize has a smile that lets him just otherwise let things go----

 'DISGUSTING'

 There is an odd, uncharacteristically malevolent aura around Reize, despite his cheerful, upbeat smile. Ruidosa may feel that aura grow larger.

 The call of the sea.... scent of the sea calls out to Reize.

 'Break the old man. Break his back. Break the junk over his head. Drown him in the sea...'

 Reize grimaces and shakes his head, trying to keep his upbeat smile. However, the left eye is twitching. His scarf is on the line here, as well as his patience.

 He looks over towards the assortment of plants, then he looks over at Ruidosa.

 "Oi, Rui, this is more your alley... any of them look like they may make good tea?" He does lean over to sniff each one to try to get a sense of their fragrance.

 

Ruidosa La Crima rolls 1d20+3>=10.
Comment: Tea Detection, Knowledge Bonus.
Roll(s): 13. Total result is 16. This is a success (by 6).

Ruidosa La Crima is about to sip her tea when the old man bursts out as she gasps, placing a hand to her chest. "What an ostentatious outburst!" she says as she looks to Ivo, and says. "It smells ''fine''." she says as she storms over to Reize and frowns at all the plants.

She does two things. She pulls out her book and starts sniffing plants with her vampiric sense of smell. She eventually hones in on...!

"These are literarily tea leaves." she says, pointing to one of the bundle of plants. "So let's try these." she says looking back at the old man, shooting him a look as she storms back to her seat and sips her cooling tea finally. "It's ''fine''." she says matter of factly. "Hrmph."


 "Eh?"
 Ivo glances sidelong at Reize. He is no longer focused on the brewing and the ephedra has made him a little more alert, and so he notices his friend sporting an unusual grimace and seeming to shake off some ill effects. He opens his mouth to say something, only for Rui to interject at that moment.
 "Eh???"
 The Cosmopolitan looks baffled at her claim that literal tea is right there amongst the plants. He had hoped that they might find some in a shipwreck or something, but could not salvage anything still intact or preserved, so the idea that they just picked some tea growing on the isle sounds ridiculous. But it seems that the vampire girl is pointing to one of the random plants they scavenged upon the cliffs, and tea does grow wild in mountains, so he must concede it is not impossible.
 "You're sure?" he says. "But the leaf shape and color is... I mean, I suppose it could be some unusual local strain..."
 Though he sounds dubious at first, Ivo is rapidly revising his opinion. He trusts Rui's nose better than his own eyes. They might have discovered this just by brewing all the plants they'd fail to identify, but not by its look alone.
 "Then let's try it!"
 Having practiced on the ephedra, which was an unfamiliar plant, Ivo has no issues brewing up another pot of proper tea. As the leaves are plucked fresh, within minutes the liquid is grassy green and smelling similar. It is hardly a moment before the leaves are sufficiently steeped.
 "Now, then...!"
 Serving everyone again, Ivo takes a sip and, once more, sighs and smiles. The tea is unsophisticated, showing just how much cultivation goes into growing the high quality plants to which aristocrats are accustomed. Yet in its quaint freshness, it has a kind of vivacity that--
 "Wrong! All wrong!!!"
 Ivo's internal monologue is interrupted by Wuther hurling his mug again.
 "This isn't tea!" Wuther shouts. "You can't fool me!"
 "It is *literally* tea," Ivo replies, sounding less annoyed than just astonished. He looks to Reize and Ruidosa with an expression of sheer bafflement before his eyes slowly widen, then squint in pain, after which he raises a hand to cover his face.
 "Wuther, sir," he says slowly, "are you *certain* that what the sailors sold you was indeed tea?"
 "*Obviously*," Wuther replies, voice dripping with contempt.
 "Do you have the empty container, at least?"
 Huffing in irritation, Wuther hesitates before finally complying, retreating to his cavern for a moment before coming back with a small tin which he tosses upon the ground disdainfully. Ivo stares at it for a moment.
 "Wuther, sir," he says, "can you... read?"
 "What do you mean, *read*?"
 The tin is clearly labeled 'tobacco.'

Reize Seatlan rolls 1d20>=12.
Comment: Resist the Madness
Roll(s): 6. Total result is 6. This is a failure (by 6).

Reize Seatlan rolls 1d20>=10.
Comment: Pick up > Geezer
Roll(s): 14. Total result is 14. This is a success (by 4).



 His scarf is so close. He can taste it. Wait, why is he tasting it? Why is that a thing? No. This is his goal. They need to get out of the---SCARF--- and figure out---SCARF-- what?

 Reize takes a moment to see Ruidosa picking out the tea, "I knew you had a good knack for tea, Rui!"

 He watches as Ivo finally works on the new batch, now waiting for the man to be satisfied.

 All wrong? ... Seriously? Reize furrows his eyebrows. "Wh--- what do you mean?! That -is- tea!" The boy blanches out. "If anyone can pick out tea, Rui can! She and the others drink it constantly!"

 When Wuther finally goes out to retrieve the container from the cavern, Reize lets out a sigh. He looks over towards Ivo and the old man.

 '....tobacco...'? Not 'tea'?

 *TWITCH* The sea calls out to Reize... once more. The beautiful siren calls out her song, who is in the middle of --SCARF- trying to remember his purpose.

 'Destroy him'.

> Reize has succumbed to Sea Madness!

 Suddenly, the old elemental will find himself lifted up by Reize, who erupts with both hands over his head. His eyes are swirling, as if driven mad like once before. "GIMMIE BACK MY FRIEND! GAHAHAHAHA!"

 

Ruidosa La Crima looks at the tobacco tin and then throws up in her mouth a little before re-swallowing with a gulp because she just imagined tea made with it. Disgusting and awful smelling and tastes like you're drinking a whole smoking pipe.

Suddenly... Reize goes mad with SEA MADNESS and she blinks as he lifts the old man and she facepalms with two hands, moving them down her face as she stares at Ivo

"Well...do something!?" she says.


 Ivo sips tea. This is, technically, doing something.
 "Aaaahh!" Wuther cries out, the old elemental kicking his stubby legs and emitting panicked gusts of wind that do nothing to shake off the berserk Reize, though it does threaten to put out the campfire and certainly ruffles everyone's hair. "He's lost it!! Get him off me!!"
 "Alas, I'm afraid there's nothing we can do," Ivo remarks with a mournful sigh. "Do you think one so incompetent as myself, who has failed to acquire the 'tea' you seek, could stop him now? Only the scarf will cure him..."
 "Fine! Fine!!" the wind elemental wails. It seems he is not in any state to offer up a boss fight. Whatever encounter he and Reize, Hero of the Vultures, had in the past seems to have still left him drained. "I'll... lend it to you on credit! But you come back and give me real tea, you hear!?"
 "Of *course*," Ivo lies, smiling. "You are *oh* so reasonable. Do keep an eye on Reizey, would you, Rui?" He takes his time finishing his mug of actual tea before sauntering into the cavern and returning with Reize's scarf in tow, which he shakes like a toy before a dog. "Reize! Reize! I've got your scarf!"
 And then he tosses it some distance away, as though he were playing fetch, just to try to avoid getting tackled himself.
 ...Quest complete-ish!



  In an instant, one can see dog-ears appear on a wide-eyed Reize as he spots the scarf. Perked up by the sight of the scarf, he immediately drops the old man.

  ZOOM!

  Quickly past Ruidosa and blows past Ivo. Luckily for Ivo, he threw the scarf away from his vicinity in the nick of time, for he probably would have been bowled over.

  The boy snatches the scarf from mid-air with his mouth, then he rolls along the ground and hugs the scarf.

  "My friend... my precious friend..." A comical river of tears run down his cheeks as his voice becomes joyous. "We've been re-united."

 


 "What a touching scene," Ivo remarks, refilling his mug and taking another sip of tea before sighing with satisfaction. Next to him, Wuther has been dropped on his head and, perhaps because of the wind that latently wreathes him, just stays like that somehow without falling over, his eyes swirls.
 Ivo doesn't even look.
 "Well," he says, "if we happen to meet some of those pirates in the future, once the raging tempest dies down and we can depart, maybe we can bring Wuther some of that... tea... that he so craves."

> The party has a new Side Quest: "Acquire Smoking Tea."

> ...It is marked "Very Optional."

 "Ah, Rui..."
 Ivo now eyes the still sea-mad Reize nuzzling his scarf.
 "Would you happen to... have a leash?"
 It's going to be a long trip back to camp.