A.S.S.: Plant Logistics

General Summary

In which our titular heroes source a new supply of a completely legal plant and find their true calling

A Problem of Supply

Following up on an recommendation from Messelum, our heroes decided to head over to Grumble's Munch & Meow in Tronksburg to meet Orvolkai, who might have some work for them.
And, indeed, Orv does have some work for our adventurers. But, being as that Orv is a cat, Dryadleaf was required for conversation. All brave explorers (with the notable exception of Sir Courtois, who is "not about that life") sampled this product and learned that Orv has a problem of supply--namely, dryadleaf supply. The warehouse that housed both the growing and curing operations of dryadleaf for Grumble's was Displaced. Orv needs our adventurers to locate, preferably, a new stable supply of dryadleaf. Failing that, he would very much appreciate an immediate "re-up." After a confusing back and forth about the legalities of this clearly legal substance, everyone agreed to do this for Orv and the cats.
The biggest hurdle to cross with this particular endeavor was where, exactly, to find this supply. Orv was no help in this regard, so Haemic, Sir Courtois, Lenny and Kavra needed to do their own legwork to discover clues. It was determined that a visit to the Pollinators, a "Science-Gang" of The Reactor might be fruitful. And, indeed it was, as they got deep into some tasty fruit elixirs and discovered that wild dryadleaf might be found in Swallows, a bog-like environs between New Carydam and Halfpeach.
More than that, however, they also gained another possible lead. An interested observer overheard their heavy-handed questioning of the bartender vis a vis dryadleaf and offered them another way to perhaps procure a supply of this valuable (and legal) commodity. He offered them a sigil of a bleeding blue flower to present to the person staffing the door at The Dewy Dancer tavern in Quayz. If they did this at midnight, they might find themselves escorted to a band of individuals who could provide what they need. Neat!

Armed with these options, our adventurers decided to head to Swallows to see if they could find any wild dryadleaf before making it back to New Carydam in time for the Dewy Dancer rendezvous

To Swallows

It didn't take long for our heroes to reach Swallows after leaving New Carydam, and it was exactly as advertised--a large wetland eco-system. Careful investigation lead them not only to a small batch of wild dryad, but also to the druid tending that batch, one Brackfeem. They asked Brackfeem if he would be amenable to supplying Orv with dryadleaf, and he agreed, but on one condition--they needed to remove the Bloody Blossoms, an enterprise that harvests dryadleaf without a care toward stewardship or sustainability, from Swallows. Hey! That sounds a lot like the gang they were to be escorted to from The Dewy Dancer! Huh.

Of course they agreed, so it was off to the Bloody Blossoms operation in the west part of Swallows. On the way there, they tangled with some horny stirge (as it was prime mating season for these bloodsucking entities) and dealt with some exploding giant crocodiles (which were decidedly not from this particular plane of existence). Soon enough, they arrived at the Blossoms camp and were greeted by an very dour individual named Sunshine, the presumed leader of the band. They talked their way into the camp as potential buyers of dryadleaf, and Sunshine was prepared to offer them just that with the condition that they killed the pesky druid meddling with their business.

After talking it over, it became clear that our crew had no intention of doing that. Instead, they were going to deliver...

Tree Justice

So, a fight commenced. Sunshine and his scouts joined the fray, along with a tiger and vulture, somehow connected to the Blossoms. It was, as expected, a bloody affair, but our adventurers proved to be tougher than a bunch of rogue capitalist farmers.

In the midst of all of this, it seems our heroes discovered a fulfilling purpose--they could serve this land (and themselves) through a commitment to enforcing ecological justice and balance. They could become the Arboreal Security Service (A.S.S.). And so they did.

Sir Courtois wasted little time of announcing their newfound identity to all those who threaten the wilds through crafting an elaborate emblem to strike fear into the hearts of eco-destroyers. It was somewhat effective.

Leaving the Blossom operation in ruins, A.S.S. returned to Brackfeem to report it. He was very happy with their success, and happier still that they recognized the gift of dryadleaf. Thus, he offered not just a single emergency re-up, but an ongoing supply to Orv.

A.S.S. then reported to Orv of a job well done and were rewarded for their efforts. Gold and justice? What's not to like?

And That's Where We Left It

We'll see what other restorative eco-justice A.S.S. can deliver as their journey continues

Varied & Sundry Details

• During their time in Swallows, A.S.S came across a shrine to Vallik. They left an offering and were greeted with the presence of a bloody, one-eyed wolf--an avatar of Vallik. It guided them to a cache of treasures for their offering. Perhaps it keeps its bloody eye on them still?

Rewards Granted

• One-Eye's Revenge
• Angler's Wand
• Level 4!

Character(s) interacted with

• Orvolkai, manager of Grumble's Munch & Meow, a "cat"
• Brackfeem, druid of Swallows
• Sunshine, leader of the Bloody Blossoms

Report Date

17 Jul 2022

Primary Location

Swallows

Secondary Location

New Carydam