After arriving on the rocky shore of the island, Zagan spent an hour laying in the sun, warming his body after riding on his panther’s back in the frigid, northern sea. The obsidian felt nice beneath his belly, warming him to the core - at least, that’s how it felt to him - until he was thawed enough to start his investigation of the beach. This was his first time visiting the island, and so far, it wasn’t very inviting- especially the shoreline. The smooth, glassy texture of the obsidian felt like polished glass, but it was uneven and hard to navigate. Even with his claws unsheathed and digging into the stone, he nearly slipped with every couple of steps.

But there was a goal behind his adventuring here. He’d heard rumors of colorful rocks being concealed in the obsidian- stones that could use for projects, if he could find them. And so, he was walking along the rocky beach, searching for any abnormal gleams of light, any prisms of color that stood out against the black stone.


1/3 Collect an item to be used in crafting unrelated to other skills

0/3 Craft an item not related to any other skill

"Speech"

Watching from a distance, Sericea admired the incredible focus and determination of her adoptive brother. Her acidic gaze lingering on him as her thoughts drifted elsewhere. Where was her own calling? What was it that drove her towards a target with such unwavering purpose? And why, she pondered, was it that she felt an unexplainable pull towards aiding Zagan in this peculiar quest of his? Whatever it may be. If he was on one at all … but he looked like he was walking with intention. She could practically hear his feline-like claws scraping against the glossy obsidian shoreline from her vantage.

While the wind nipped at her smaller frame, her sanguine-and-white tail curled tightly around her. Sitting with the grace and patience of a cat- in her own likeness, she watched Zagan carefully comb through the obsidian rocks. Or at least until she could watch no more. In a swift, fluid movement, Sericea rose from her spot, her vibrant coat dancing in the salty sea breeze. She trotted towards Zagan, her padded paws navigating the slippery obsidian shore with ease. Each rhythmic tap was like a tiny drumbeat echoing off the glassy rocks beneath her. "Zagan," she called out when she was close enough, her voice melodic- almost sweetly innocent in tone. “What are you doing?”

"Sericea Praetor-Inferos"

Zagan heard her footfall before she appeared, which drew his attention away from his scouting. Soon after, Sericea’s vibrant, crimson coat materialized before him, her pelt swaying in the gentle seaside breeze. Her wide, acidic eyes were settled on him and gleaming with curiosity, her voice melodic and sweet, as she called out to him. Wanting to know what he was doing. Something about her screamed naivety, more so than their other siblings- and for some reason, Zagan liked that about her. “Sericea.” He says, to return her greeting. At the same time, his eyes are scouring across her, inspecting her for abnormalities. A simple assessment really.

“I’m looking for colorful stones.” With a flick of his muzzle, he invites her to join him in his hunt, motioning towards the obsidian at their paws with a tap of a claw. “If I can find enough, I’ll show you why I want them.” Sauntering away, he assumes she will follow him and help, if only to satiate her own curiosity.

Walking several yards to the East, Zagan finds his first treasure. A small, emerald gemstone is wedged between two slabs of obsidian, reflecting prisms of light beneath the midday sun. “Look.” He says, calling her over. “This is what I want. Several of these.” Unsheathing his claws, Zagan digs at the stone, trying to pop the emerald out of its obsidian cage.

"Zagan Saxe"

2/3 Collect an item to be used in crafting unrelated to other skills

0/3 Craft an item not related to any other skill

A shimmer of delight sparks in Sericea's luminescent green eyes, reflecting the vibrant summer sun overhead. "Colorful stones?" She repeats, a hint of playful mischief in her tone. Her tail unfurls and sways behind her like a lively pendulum. With a sweeping gaze toward the ground, she mimicks him- catching sight of a scattered multitude of stones — from jet black to iridescent shimmer — nestled within the obsidian rocks. But of course, she isn’t able to search for long before her brother declares his discovery. Casting a curious glance in his direction, she is immediately taken by surprise.

Sericea's eyes widen as the emerald gleams in the sunlight, her lips curling upward in a beam. "It's beautiful," she breathes out, entranced by its sheer luminescence. A pang of jealousy cuts through her, a longing look given to the gleaming stone that Zagan had unerringly found. After a final lingering glance, her attention shifts back toward the ground as she searches for her own treasure. Paws aflutter with a newfound determination, Sericea embarks on her pursuit, each step taken with a keen awareness. Her gaze meticulously scans the obsidian terrain, hued eyes exhibiting a focused glint that rivals Zagan's. A mirthful gasp escapes her as her search bears fruit. Nestled within the shimmering black rocks, a fiery red gemstone catches her eye. Its radiant glow contrasts vividly with the surrounding obsidian, captivating her attention entirely.

"Zagan!" She calls over her shoulder, her voice rich with the thrill of discovery. "I've found one!" Swiftly, she moves toward the gem, her lithe form maneuvering easily through the uneven terrain. Gentle paws carefully scrape away the sharp obsidian encasing the stone. A few painstaking moments later, she manages to pry the gem out, holding it up triumphantly for Zagan to see.

"Sericea Praetor-Inferos"

Gravitating toward his treasure, Sericea is in awe. The gem's brilliance made her eyes widen, a soft smile pulling at her lips, as she became captivated by the gem's otherworldly allure. Zagan felt himself straighten up, his chest puffing slightly, as if she were admiring his brilliance. “Yes. Beautiful.” He resounded her words, motioning towards the emerald once more, emphasizing its importance and his desire to collect it. She seemed to understand, because she went on her way to collect a few gemstones herself.

While Sericea searches, Zagan finishes his extraction of the gemstone. After some time, he’s able to slip a claw beneath the emerald, popping it out of the obsidian in a fluid motion. It rolls several feet away, almost falling into another crack in the stone but he catches it just in time. Phew. Holding it between his paws, he inspects it and is happy with his prize. Now he needed to find several more.

Zagan! Sericea’s voice calls to him, and Zagan whirls around to face her, swiveling his large ears in her direction. She’s moving toward something, and Zagan chases after her, wanting to witness her discovery. By the time he reaches her side, she’s scraping at the obsidian, prying out a fiery red gemstone that matches her fur. “Oh.” He says, tilting his head slightly, a gleam of mischief shimmering in his eyes. “It looks like you.” Not necessarily a jest, but there’s a playful tone in his voice as he regards the stone's characteristics. How fitting for her to find a red gemstone. “We have two now. I need…” He brings a claw to his chin, and taps it while he thinks. “Four more.” His gaze shifts back to her, waiting to see if she’s up for the challenge.

"Zagan Saxe"

3/3 Collect an item to be used in crafting unrelated to other skills

0/3 Craft an item not related to any other skill

Her tongue lolls out in a canine grin at his teasing remark, her tail swishing with renewed enthusiasm. The gem does indeed look like her, its fire-like brilliance mirroring the scarlet hues of her coat. Her vibrant eyes sparkle with anticipation as she sets aside the ruby gem. A warm flush sweeps across her face at Zagan's words and she sticks out her tongue playfully at him. "Four more, huh?" She murmurs to herself, a self-congratulatory growl reverberating in her chest at the successful discovery of her gemstone. Instantly, she springs back to her feet, a tangible energy radiating from her sanguine form. "Consider it done," she calls over her shoulder, already bounding off towards another patch of obsidian rocks.

Her acid green eyes scan the ground, catching a glimpse of something sparkling beneath the harsh sun. There it is—the third gemstone. She can see that it’s a bit smaller than the others, the glimpse of it glittering in the direct sunlight proving it to be a brilliant blue. It's wedged in between two larger chunks of obsidian, and it takes a bit of careful maneuvering for Sericea to extricate it without damaging the precious stone.

"Sericea Praetor-Inferos"

Sericea seemed quite enthusiastic- as if finding four more gems in the obsidian would be an easy feat. And perhaps it would be, with the two of them searching together. With a nod, Zagan watches Sericea bound away, before he turns and starts his hunt for another gem. Together, they would scour the beach for their treasures, and after some time, the duo gathered a nice collection of vibrant, shimmering stones.

“Over here, Sericea.” He says, summoning her to his side while his paws diligently sort their treasures. They’d found an array of colored stones, ranging from topaz, ruby, sapphire, emerald, and amethyst. Six in total. Feeling content, he moves on to the next part of his plan. “Here.” He says, turning to Sericea to reveal two, long pieces of leather he’d brought. He slides one toward her, allowing her to have it. “Make indents in the leather. The gems will sit in them.” He instructs, and briefly demonstrates for her. Then, he goes to work on his piece of leather, using his claws to smooth out three, equally spaced indents, without poking through the leather.


"Zagan Saxe"

1/3 Craft an item not related to any other skill

Sericea squints at the leather Zagan has given her, a puzzled frown playing at the corners of her mouth. She's never worked with this material before, and she can't help but feel a touch of apprehension as she considers the task at hand. But of course, she doesn't voice her uncertainty. Instead, she watches Zagan's demonstration closely, her green eyes never leaving his alleged project.

Once certain she has grasped the gist of it, Sericea picks up the piece of leather with renewed determination and a wry grin playing on her lips. Her first attempts are clumsy, the indentations she makes too shallow or uneven, but she catches on quickly enough. Soon, the leather under her careful attention houses three neat little hollows in which the gemstones would rest. “Like that?” She asked, offering up her work for her adoptive brother to examine.

"Sericea Praetor-Inferos"

Having carved out three, equally spaced indents in his piece of leather, Zagan sits back to inspect his work. It wasn’t professional by any means- it was a bit clumsy, just like Sericea’s work, but it would do. “Yes, like that.” He says with a nod, and motions to the pine forest at the dome of the dormant volcano. “Now, we need tree sap.” It would be a journey, but the adults had done a well enough job at carving out a suitable trail- they could reach the top in an hour, if they moved quickly.

-Journeying to the forest-

Arriving at the base of the growing pine forest, Zagan pauses to test the environment. So far, it seemed they were the only pack members here- the usual symphony of the forest was echoing around them, and intertwined, was the occasional bleat of the pack's herd of sheep. “Over here.” He says, herding Sericea toward one of the towering pine trees. Once they were standing in front of it, Zagan raised onto his hind legs, placing his forepaws on the trunk to use his claws to scrape the bark. After a few tries, droplets of amber-colored sap started to ooze from the markings. “We will use the sap to stick the gems in the indents.” With a flick of his tail, he motions for her to collect some of the sap onto her piece of leather.


"Zagan Saxe"

2/3 Craft an item not related to any other skill

Eagerly determined to impress her brother, Sericea mimics her brother's movements with determination. She leans her lithe frame against the towering pine tree, her delicate paws deftly navigating the rough bark. It takes her a few tries to get the hang of it, but soon enough, small droplets of resin start to gleam on the scarred surface of the tree. With careful precision, she collects the sticky substance and carefully applies it into the crevices of the worn leather piece. Her intense expression shows her focus as she meticulously fills each hollow with rich golden sap. After completing the first round, she goes back over them, ensuring that every gemstone will stay firmly in place for their special project together.

"Sericea Praetor-Inferos"

Sericea is eager to follow his instructions. It takes her a few tries, but after clawing at the bark several times, she manages to break through the seal and collect the sap within.

Together, they collect the droplets of resin, using it to adhere the stones to the leather. The gems fit perfectly in the crevices- leaving them with a bedazzled strand that they could use as bargaining chips.

“The ravens.” He says as he holds up his piece of jewelry, admiring his work. “They like shiny things like this.” He’s thinking back to Mother Absinth’s teachings- how to secure a companion for yourself, with some effort. “If you offer this to one of the ravens, it might become your companion.” His tail twitches behind him, his elongated ears swiveling toward his adoptive sister.

She didn’t have any companions yet. Nothing to command. They were useful tools, and something worth crafting a piece of jewelry for. An extra pair of eyes watching from the sky was a necessity in this unstable world.


"Zagan Saxe"

3/3 Craft an item not related to any other skill

Sericea's emerald eyes widen with excitement at Zagan's suggestion. "A raven?" She echoes, her voice brimming with intrigue as she examines the glimmering band of gems and leather in her paws. Of course, their mother had tamed lots of them, but it wasn’t something that necessarily appealed to her. But now … perhaps she could see the benefit.

It didn’t take her long to finish assembling her own piece of jewelry, the vibrant gemstones sparkling against the golden sap, their colors reflecting the sunlight filtering through the branches above. They were easily set in place, and as she finally admired her work, a wave of pride washed over her. With a bright smile, she presented her creation to Zagan, pride shining in her acidic green gaze. “Do you think the ravens will really like it?” she asked, her voice laced with anticipation. The thrill of possibility ignited a flicker of mischief in her spirit.

"Sericea Praetor-Inferos"

Zagan smirks at Sericea’s excitement- the way her face lit up, and the beaming smile that spread across her face- it was a welcoming contrast to the stoic expression his pack mates often wore. Something about her nativity was… addicting. Zagan found himself shifting in place, an odd sensation bubbling inside his belly- as if he became lost in her whirlwind of excitement, and suddenly became oblivious to the world around them.

Clearing his throat, he glances at Sericea, focusing on her acidic, green eyes. "Yes, a raven.” He confirms with a tilt of his skull, as he motions to a nearby tree. His raven companion was perched nearby, watching the duo with its beady, inquisitive eyes. “Mother Absinth says they like shiny things.” He recalls her teachings. “She claims they choose their companions, because they are intelligent beings.” At that moment, his panther emerged from the treeline, and started prowling toward them with a predator's grace. It wasn’t trying to protect the young Saxe from his sister- it was simply making its presence known.

“My panther doesn’t care for shiny things- but my raven-“ As if on cue, his raven flew down from its perch, and landed on the ground beside him, hopping its way to his side. “It appreciates my work.” The bird started inspecting the gemstones as he spoke, using its beak to test the bond between the sap and the leather, before giving a croak of approval.

"Zagan Saxe"