OOC: Find and collect four different herbs (3 rounds from each participant) that could reasonably be found in the land you intend to expand into. We will be looking for plants such as aloe vera, sea buckthorn, sea asparagus, beach rose, sea lavender, sea holly, glasswort, yarrow, rock samphire, sea purslane, cordgrass and seaweed.

When he'd been asked to come out here and see what was of worth for healers, he had quirked a brow in question. He knew what grew here, this had been his birthplace, but he supposed it might not be so evident to others, and if Gilgamesh was trying to make a point, it would help to be able to lay out the offerings on the table so to speak, so he gathered up a rag-tag little group to come and comb the beach with him. He gestured first to the spikey stand of aloe vera that had seemingly expanded in the time they had been away, “We'll want some of that but watch your paws on the edges...” and then he gestured further down the beach. “There should be some beach roses down that way, not sure if it's close enough to summer for them to have berries yet, but they're always worth having on hand...” He turned his own attention to the shallows.

There could be potential to expand their available resources if they fashioned some rockpools along the shore... A thought for another time. His attention had been caught by something orange in the corner of his eye. He hadn't noticed that before...

“Speech”

Sakana was basically part of the furniture as far as Kenway was concerned and it was nice to not be the only brown wolf in the party. The boy had little to no interest in plants but boy was he down for hanging out with his mum and big sister while she was still here to hang around with! When Deluge said they had lived here before, by golly there was no way he was being left behind! Even if it did mean picking flowers for whatever reason.

When Sakana pointed to the big plant with the fat leaves, the boy bounded off, eager to show he could do his part! He might have missed the part about watching his paws in his enthusiasm and batted the fleshy plant with his paw, pulling back quickly when the spikey edges of the leaves stabbed him! Taking very much after his mother in the dramatics department, his lips peeled back in a silent snarl. He was gonna get this plant, and get it good! They needed it for healin' or somethin'.

"speech"

It wasn't the first time Deluge had come herb collecting with Sakana, and for a sad moment she considered that it just might be the last though. The only one missing from their little scouting trip all those years ago now was Rheum, and Deluge wondered how the pink marked was going? Was she still all the way down in Auster, or had her wandering feet taken her far away? She was drawn from her musings by Sakana taking control of their expedition and splitting the troops so to speak. She smirked, it looked good on him, and she didn't worry so much about leaving him behind when she left when it seemed he had grown a backbone.

When he mentioned beach rose, she was sure she remembered what it looked like and gave a nod before heading towards what would pass as dunes on the black sand beach. Sure enough, the bush was there, but there were only 3 or 4 of the actual berries that he wanted. She set to work carefully reaching between the delicate branches to pluck them, maybe it would be worth collecting some leaves too, just to make sure she had gathered from the right plant?

“Speech”

With her children accounted for and Sakana distracted by something down by the waters edge, Modesty meandered along the shoreline. It was disgusting, but she would do the healer the courtesy of collecting anything she thought might be of use to replace some of the stores she had used up with her illness. After all, her lungs felt clearer today and while he had tried to chase her back to dry land, she wouldn't be dissuaded if Deluge and Kenway were coming too. She carefully gathered up the seaweed and sea grapes that had been washed in with the tide, walking them back to near where Kenway was fighting with an aloe vera plant so they could have a central gathering point.

But maybe there were some other plants around here too? After all, it wasn't that far from the shrine. She set her nose to the wind, catching scent of sage and verbena. Sakana may not have a use for the plants, but she would. She headed away from the water, eyes carefully searching between the beach edge sedges and tussocks for vibrant purple flowers, or the pale, almost white stalks of sage.

“Speech.”

As Sakana drew closer to the flash of orange he realised it was some sort of buckthorn. While he hadn't used this particular variety before, it wouldn't hurt him to see if it had similar properties to other varieties, hopefully the worst case scenario was that it would give someone the shits (sometimes they deserved it). He was sure if he asked the Wife if she could think of a guinea pig he could place money on her suggestion, but it was probably safer to start with rodents, or rabbits.

Careful to avoid the thorns, Sakana pushed the foliage aside to allow his capuchin the opportunity to gather some berries and leaves so they could have a closer look when they got home. With that done, he began to make his way back down the beach to see what the others had gathered.

“Speech”

Ken wasn't about to be beaten by a plant, no siree, so he bit, and gnawed, yelping when the spines poked his lips before diving back in again. The inside of the leaf was cold, and slimey and sticky and made him drool. It didn't even taste bad, but the texture was alien to the pup. Finally it was just a few fibrous threads holding the sprig on so he focused all his efforts on severing them.

With the branch? Frond? Leaf? Finally free, he scooped it up and triumphantly dragged the carcass of his opponent plant down to where Sakana was waiting, tail waving proudly over his back. He was pretty sure he had done good!

"speech"

Deluge had been about to return to the beach with her berries when she spotted some Yarrow. Sakana could hardly walk past the shit without stopping to grab some just in case, so Deluge figured she would save him the walk up the beach and grab it for him while she was here.

The pollen from the red flowers tickled her nose, and she'd upset a few bees in the process but after a bit of angry buzzing they moved onto the next flower and got back to their ceaseless job. Careful not to swallow the berries she was carrying, she deposited her collection on the seaweed her mother had previously gathered, refusing to save her brother from himself, and glad she hadn't intervened when she saw how bloody proud he looked dragging the aloe back down to their group. Now they just had to wait for Modesty to join them.

“Speech”

She had wandered a ways from the beach, to where grass was more plentiful than sand, but there it was. The bright purple flowers stood out against the shades of green that surrounded them and she carefully collected the flowers, placing them in one of her saddlebags. Just a bit further up and onto level ground she found the sage, and treated it with the same reverence. Supposing she had best get back to the group, this wasn't a whole day excursion after all, just proving a point if nothing else, she joined the small gathering and took a seat. “I found sand verbena, and white sage too.” She mentioned to the healer, just in case he had a use for the plants as well. Otherwise, they could pack away what they had gathered into her bags and she would make sure they got at least as far as the Archipelago.

“Speech.”

With everyone gathered back on the beach with their findings, Sakana looked each over. The aloe was mangled to shit, but it was only for illustrative purposes at this point, and he was just impressed the boy hadn't yet gotten his paws on a knife. Modesty's gods save them when he did. There weren't many rosehips from Deluge, but the leaves were for the right plant, and she'd gathered some yarrow too (after all the shit she gave him when they were kids, she had obviously been paying some sort of attention).

Modesty had found seaweed and sea grapes, to be expected, but then she mentioned verbena and sage too, both had anti-inflammatory properties, and it would be good to show there was a source here if this was the way they decided to come. He still wasn't sure about his own find, but time would tell. “Alright then, lets head back, I'll present our findings to the Raid King.” He didn't dare say Gilgamesh's name in present company after seeing how Modesty had tried to rip his heart out of his ribcage.

“Speech”

It seemed like they wanted to put the stuff into his mother's saddle bags but Kenway snatched up his Aloe protectively and growled when his sister reached for it. He had gathered it, so he would carry it home for dad. He didn't need mother, who still wasn't very well, to carry it for him. He wasn't a baby! He made his way to the waters edge, ready to make the swim to the nearest of the islands on the archipelago. Sure it was a looooong way back to Daager Isle, but he could make it, and he'd carry his medicine all the way!

"speech"

Deluge had seen the look on Sakana's face when he spotted the yarrow and she smirked, it was practically an inside joke at this point. When he nodded and said they should get their gathered supplies home, she began to pack the supplies into Modesty's saddle bags. Kenway growled and snatched his aloe and she chuckled to herself before hauling the packs off her mother's hips and slinging them over her own. She looked like she was about to protest until Deluge gave her a look that was far sharper than any words that might come off her tongue. Her mother rolled her eyes and grimaced but didn't complain. Deluge was half expecting to have to swim her across to the archipelago too, but she wouldn't intervene unless she had to. She kinda wished Sakana had bought the orange ring from the resort with them.

“Speech”

Based on the look Sakana gave when she mentioned the verbena and sage, she wouldn't be able to take these ones immediately, but at least she now knew where they grew so could come and get more when she wasn't being watched by so many worrying eyes. Her nostrils flared when he mentioned her not-husband by title, but she appreciated the delicacy he was showing for her current fragile (like a bomb, not a flower) state. She allowed her bags to be packed and prepared to make her way to the waters edge when Deluge removed her cargo. She would have fought under other circumstances, but she knew she still wasn't at her best, and they had a long swim ahead of them to get home. She rolled her eyes, who was supposed to be the mother here? But a quiet part of her heart was also proud of her daughter for stepping up. She would be off forging her own path soon. Perhaps, Modesty could handle being doted on by her child, just this once.

“Speech.”