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Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 7:47 am
by Jennalyn
Welcome to the second RP expedition! I'm your host, Jenn, and I hope you'll have some fun today with your Sams! Chances are you'll find a fun item or two.

Before we get started, here are some rules and info!

- The items that will be given out are based partly on effort, partly on creativity, and are also partly random. Unlike the completely random expedition, everyone who participates will receive at least one item!
- Remember that you'll only know what your Samanayr has found after you've written your RP response and I've gone through and responded. As nice as it would be to get your Samanayr to find a nice big cache of modiems, unfortunately that's not going to happen. *grin*
- In your response, please include where your Samanayr goes to search. They can only go to one of the locations.
- If you post your response within 24 hours of this post, I'll be making another post not too long after that which will give you an opportunity to do more searching!

Here are the people signed up to participate in this expedition. If you don't get a chance to post for the first round, you can still post for the second.

- Yuiven
- Kagari
- AranelSaraphim
- LvSoulFriend
- Bluestarwolf12
- Kendarath
- Britain
- Orasteele

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Summer sits heavy on the yellowy-green grasses of the meadow, a light breeze sending a sigh through the blades as they ripple and wave across the field. The afternoon sun warms the air, tempting the unwary into an unexpected nap in the sluggish daylight.

Taking advantage of the pleasant summer day, a group of eight Samanayr explorers have gathered for the day's expedition. Each has a pair of carry-baskets strapped snugly on, one lying along each of their sides and ready to receive whatever trinkets or objects of interest they might find. The Sharians, having finished checking straps and donig one last check of the area for stray Oquiesas, have left the group to their own devices. They await the results of the expedition.

Things are starting in a flattened patch of grasses close to the middle of the field. The area is currently unclaimed by any Samanayr, chosen as a neutral zone much as the territory near the Song of the Rainbow Hotsprings had been for the prior expedition. From here, there's several places where a Samanayr might search.

- The grasses of the meadow are a good place to look if you don't want to go too far. Objects could be caught on a waving strand, buried in the loamy soil beneath your hooves, or hidden in a dense cluster of weeds. Searching the area requires a keen eye and a spot of intuition on the most likely places for items to squirrel themselves away.
- To the south of the meadow, a dying tree marks the beginning of a small copse of trees. Some of them are thick with summer fruit, while others are the sturdy pines that last throughout the year. There is a small path already flattened for anyone interested in visiting the area.
- A little to the east, splashing can be heard from an algae-covered pond as fish break the greenish surface of the water. It's uncertain how deep the water gets near the middle, but the algae clears in spots near the edges to show a shallow incline to the shore. The muck around the water looks like it might be treacherous to unsuspecting hooves, though.

Re: Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 8:42 am
by Bluestarwolf12
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Abundance of the Cool Summer took in a deep breath of air, then let it out slowly. She had waited so long for her first expedition, and now that it had finally come to fruition, she could barely contain her excitement. A little tune that had been stuck in her head all morning had forced it's way back into her excited mind, and she subconciously began humming it. She double-checked her baskets, making absolutely certain that they were on snugly. Once she was certain, and she got the 'OK' from the Sharians, Abundance bounded off toward the dying tree, and the small copse of trees that it marked. She had decided on this area before-hand, having been certain that something would be burried in amongst the roots and branches.

It did not take long before Abundance of the Cool Summer arrived at her destination, and she instantly began searching through the roots of the closest trees. She checked each tree over until she was absolutely certain the there was nothing there before moving on to the next one and repeating the process. Then she looked to the branches, checking those over as best she could without wings. She quickly found that she couldn't check the branches as thuroughly as she could the roots and hollows of the trunks, but Abundance gave it her best shot. She maneuvered around the trees as best she could to get a good look at the higher branches. Then it dawned on her that even if Abundance did see something higher in the trees, there would be no way for her to reach it. She let out a frustrated sigh at the unforseen complacation. Her mind began searching for ways to reach anything she saw up higher, but could come up with nothing that did not involve sprouting wings. "Oh well." She shrugged and moved on to continue searching the hollows and roots of the trees.

Re: Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 9:23 am
by Kagari
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As the Sharians leave, another breeze wafts through the area, weaving its way through the long fur of a blueish Lamanayr. With it comes a whole array of scents and smells, enough to distract the mare for a second and make her lift her nose into the air, inhaling happily with a slight flutter of her wings despite the baskets. She closes her eyes, and it takes her a moment to process the different things the wind brings to her. There's the scent of grass as well as the scent of fresh pine, but the most prevelant and intriguing to her is the faint scent of fish inhabited water.

After a bit, the Lamanayr, Flow, lowers her head from its investigative sniffing and turns southeast, the direction from which the wind had come. She doesn't look around to see what anyone else is doing, but instead, she starts off in her intended direction, wanting to see what's there.

Despite her wings, Flow decides to go by foot. There's no hurry; it's very nice out with enough breezes to keep it comfortably warm instead of too hot. She shakes herself slightly, adjusting the baskets to keep them from sticking to her fur and making her warmer than need be. Once she finishes, she begins to trot.

Soon, she finds herself at a pond covered in algae. Except for the occasional leaping fish, the green surface of the water looks peaceful and undisturbed. The mare smiles to herself; it was a picture perfect scene. Looking around, she stops. Was it just her, or had something moved at the edge of the pond?

Flow tilts her head before deciding to go in for a closer look. Carefully, she makes her way to the spot where she thought she had seen the movement. She pauses and peers around some reeds to see what might be there...

"Oh!" she exclaims in surprise, jerking back as a fish flops helplessly on the bank. The Lamanayr doesn't take long to decide what to do. Making her way into the muck, she uses her nose and a hoof to help guide the poor creature back into the safety of the pond, during which she can't help but sneeze a little. Pond muck up the nose isn't fun at all.

Once the fish is back swimming with its friends, she tries to make her way out of the muck, only to find herself unable to go too far. She looks down to see her hooves and fluffy fur around them sunk deep into the goop.

"Oh, botheyr. This isn't a good stayrt to things," she says to herself with a sigh.

Heaving a heavy breath, Flow slowly begins to make her way out of the muck, and after fifteen or so minutes, she's standing on the path, free and probably a bit smelly. The mare turns back towards the pond, deciding to go around the other side to begin her search. And off she trots!

Re: Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 9:46 am
by LvSoulFriend
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Bounty wriggles a bit, attempting to settle the baskets a bit better on his pudgy sides. Sadly, they refused to budge, and he sighed a bit, resigning himself to having the baskets be a bit higher than he'd like them to be. Eying the others, he watches as two of them trot off to search in different areas. One of them is his mare, Abundance. Ears perking, he trots after her, as best as he can. Bounty only manages a few feet of trotting before he starts panting, and slows down to a walk.

Arriving at the dying tree and the corpse of woods after Abundance, he pauses to catch his breath, and watches her search. Looking up at the trees, Bounty flutters his wings. He'd leave the ground to his mate, and take the higher areas that she couldn't reach. There should be enough for both of them that way!

Pumping his wings furiously, Bounty's pudgy self rises into the branches, breaking off a few smaller twigs as he goes. Alighting on a thicker branch, he proceeds to search the tree, peering into thick clusters of leaves, reaching hooves into deeper pockets to feel around, and poking his head into hollows that looked big enough for him to fit. Of course, doing so results in him eventually getting stuck, and he mutter as he twists and turns his head. Finally, with a loud pop, Bounty's head pulls free, and he looks around, hoping Abundance hadn't seen his undignified situation.

Unknown to him, his mane has become completely messed up, with twigs and leaves sticking out of it, giving him quite a bad hairday.

Re: Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 11:32 am
by Britain
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EXPEDITIONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!

It was with great difficulty that Mystic of the Summer Rapture kept herself from puffing up into a ball of feathers in her undignified excitement. She hadn't even been born for the last expedition! Now there were a bunch of Sams all ready to find STUFF, and Sharians- she'd never seen one before, they were so amazingly tall- and she had BASKETS. To put STUFF in.

"Thank you," she chirped up at the Sharian who had been helping her, beak open in a cheerful grin. With confirmation that her baskets were secure, she pranced off to wait with the others, talons curling into the soft earth as if to keep her grounded. Where would she go? The trees looked promising. The pond...ugh, she didn't like the smell of the pond. Too green, not enough movement of air to keep the water clean. Indeed, her first inclination was to search in the trees, but there were already two others headed that direction! She would have to hurry if she wanted to catch up...

Well, why not try something different?

The young mystic was accustomed to seeing the world from high above, and diving down at anything that caught her attention. The tall grasses offered a different sort of challenge. If she couldn't see anything from just looking out at the meadow, could she see something from below? With a cry of delight, the mare launched her self into the air. Once she was a good distance out over the grasses, she lunged downward, diving into the blades of green until she was pressed absolutely flat against the ground. The world became so much smaller as she crouched low, grass closing overhead until it was just her, the forest of stalks, and the warm earth.

"..Alyright, thiss sshould be inteyressting," she whispered to herself, and began to scoot forward on her belly an inch at a time. Rapture blocked out all other distractions, focusing on seeing the world in two ways- through her normal senses, and her Mystical clairvoyance. Perhaps there were memories in this place, voices calling out to be heard or found.

Re: Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 12:01 pm
by Orasteele
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Elegance of Fluent Clouds listened with a half ear as the Sharians went over the last minute procedures, her mind focused instead on her dam's words regarding her experiences with expeditions and what to look for. Not that she hadn't been raised learning to identify the various foliages that grew near her parent's hotsprings, but it never hurt to review. Her feathered headwings lifted in excitement as the basket straps were tightened around her. Time to go! Large eyes followed the movement of the others already ahead of her. "All I got to do is yremembeyr what mama said to look for..." She whispered to herself as she raised her head up and trotted off in no direction in particular, but rather let her feet take her as they would.

It didn't take long before the filly ended up near the algae-covered pond. Its lush scent of water and earth pleasantly mixed together was a welcome. Now here was a place to begin her search! Violet eyes scanned the rocky shoreline looking for even a trace of shine. Nothing. Maybe the area had already been picked clean? The sound of fish got her attention. Everyone lost things in the water, right?

Flicking her tail, Elegance flattened her head wings and trotted a little ways off from the pool's edge before spinning around and taking off at a canter to leap into the center of the pool. It wasn't the most graceful of entrances, but it did mean that she wouldn't get stuck in the muck at the pool's edge. With a deep breath she swam under the water's surface to see if maybe she uncovered something in her dive.

Re: Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 12:14 pm
by Kendarath
Dance of the Autumn Leaves had never been on an expedition before. Her mother had told her stories about them though, and for the shy samanayr they had sounded like a great way to actually meet others. There had been some chatter while the Sharians were fitting their baskets, but she had been too scared to chime in and had instead only listened to the others.

But now everyone was heading off to search, and Dance gave one last shake to make sure everything was in place before she began her search.

Dance felt there was no reason to go running off someplace else to begin her search when there was plenty of space just in the grass around them for something to get lost, tangled or buried. Her search began almost immediately as she began a slow walk through the grass, her nose low to the ground and her eyes wide open as she searched. She hoped she found something interesting; maybe she'd actually get to have a conversation if she did...

Re: Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 3:58 pm
by AranelSaraphim
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Bright of Winter Noon could barely contain her excitement. She was so happy to have been chosen to go on an expedition! Now, if only she could find something for the Sharians- they were so neat looking! Her body trembled slightly from all the anticipation. The Sharian checking her baskets told her she was all set. She smiled at him and took to the air, a bit off balance because of the unaccustomed weight of the baskets. She flew a loop-de-loop and headed out over the meadow.

She heard a commotion below and looking behind her, she noticed the Sharians were gesturing wildly at her. Confused, she landed nearby. One took her aside and explained that she had to stay near the ground or she'd never find anything and that she couldn't fly like that or she'd lose everything in her baskets. She snorted in annoyance. She knew better than that....but she did feel sheepish for not thinking about missing things from the air.

After reassuring the Sharians that she would be more careful, she headed towards the grasses of the large meadow. She'd seen two other Samanayrs go this way, so she hoped that she would still be able to find things. She saw both of them nearby, nose and beak to the ground. The mystic looked like she was concentrating very hard. Very well, if this was the way it should be done, then by golly, she'd do it too! Bright went farther into the field than the other two and thought for a moment. A smile crossed her face and she began to flap her wings, blowing the grass and some soil around- maybe she'd find things this way!

Re: Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 2:40 am
by Yuiven
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The warm summer breeze blows, gently rustling the crest of orange, azure and violet feathers atop Dance of the Winter Winds head. She stood alone, apart from the seven other Samanayrs. She gazed out at the vast ocean of grass whose blades rippled across the meadow like waves, narrowed violet eyes gleaming in contemplation. Expedition. Never in her life had she heard such a strange, yet exhilarating word, let alone participated in one, until now. From her own understanding of it, as explained by the Sharians, Expedition meant a willing Samanayr would be fitted with a pair of small carry-baskets and head out to explore a designated area and see what there is to be found, trinkets or objects of interest.

While waiting for the event to officially begin, fine tremors went through Dance's body, her lips curling ever so slightly in a small smile. She actually felt excited!

Once the signal to start was made the Sharians took their positions while fellow Samanayrs headed off towards their own destinations to search. Dance stayed behind for a minute to double-check her pair of carry-baskets, making absolutely certain that they were strapped snugly to her sides and comfortably positioned beneath her feathered wings. Wasting no more time, she opened her wings with a snap, leapt into the air and flew towards the dying tree.

The flight to the dying tree from the starting point was short and it wasn't long before Dance of the Winter Wind arrived at her destination. Spiralling in, she landed neatly upon one of the large gnarled roots surrounding its base. Dance took a moment to survey the area, observing the activity going on around her. Also investigating the hollows and roots of neighbouring trees was a rather peculiar looking, plumed mare. High above her was a robust, rather unkempt stallion searching throughout the labyrinth of branches. As she continued to look around, she noticed something in the distance. What could that be?

Squinting her eyes, she was able to make out a previously flattened, meandering path that led further into the small copse of trees ahead. Anticipation fought with fear as Dance of the Winter Wind pondered the potential hazards of this latest development in her expedition. Despite her fear of the path, she felt as if something was tugging at her soul, urging her to go on. Something was waiting for her down the path… something hidden… something new.

Wasn't the point of an expedition to try and discover new things?

This sudden realization helped make up her mind and, before fear could change it, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, "Heyre goes nothing…" and the mare set off down the path in search of treasure.

Re: Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 4:09 am
by Jennalyn
Fwee, everyone got a chance to respond! This makes me a most delighted Jenn. Remember that responding to these posts is completely voluntary, and if you don't want to reply again you'll get to keep everything you've found so far. I might stick around if I were you, though. *grin* There's some great stuff to come.

If you choose to go on, you might lose an item or two along the way... but there could be greater rewards waiting. xD

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Bluestarwolf12

The very closest trees contain no hidden treasures, perhaps picked clean by previous explorers or curious animals in search of baubles. Abundance can see something colorful briefly fluttering in one of the trees, something besides her exuberant stallion, but it's far above her head and he'll probably investigate it eventually. As she continues to check the roots, she catches a glimpse of a dull shine half-buried beneath a gnarly one. Further investigation and some careful digging with her hoof reveals three Gleamstones and a lot of bugs.

Will Abundance continue to investigate the earthbound bits of the trees, head to a different area, or return to the Expedition HQ to turn in her items?

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Kagari

The muck clings to Flow's leg-feathers and hooves, smelling of wet and scum and a rather unpleasant hint of rotten eggs. The algae probably has a lot to do with the smell as it pooled around the shore. As she continues carefully and stickily around the pond's edge, she can hear the flapping of fish increase in the pond. One of their brothers has rejoined them! Or something like that. Her search in the reeds along the far side of the water reveals a Sunsnap Flower growing bright and strong in the muck. Is it good fertilizer? Under her hoof at another point, she notices a spot of color and steps back off of a Rainbow Lamanayr Feather. It's half-trampled and a bit slimy, but the Sharians can probably clean it off to the point where it's usable.

Will Flow continue to tromp through the muck, head to a different area, or return to the Expedition HQ to turn in her items?

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LvSoulFriend

Bad hair day aside, Bounty is the only one exploring the untapped curiosities of the trees' branches. His continuous and ever-present curiosity eventually catch the attention of a small brown bird, which goes 'che-che-che' when it sees him. When his wings flutter loudly, it gets spooked and flies away. His attention is drawn to the spot where it was by a sudden flash of color, previously noticed by his mare below. It seems that the bird's nest is hiding treasures for him. A Rainbow Lamanayr Feather and a Brown Lamanayr Feather are tucked amongst the twigs and tufts and other bits used to make the nest comfortable for chicks. This late in the season, though, the nest is empty of both eggs and hatchlings.

Will Bounty continue to hop through the branches, head to a different area, or return to the Expedition HQ to turn in his items?

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Britain

Whether Mystic actually saw something or merely imagined that she did, her dive leads her to a soft bit of earth closer to the pond than the trees. The soil smells more pungent than it does elsewhere and it's soft beneath her claws, yielding easily to the stalking creep. Some vestige of clairvoyance makes her turn her head just before she passes by a hidden treasure, carelessly discarded in the grasses. It would have been exceedingly difficult to spot unless she was as close to the ground as she is. A group of Tandil Berries and a sprig of Rosa Berries are scattered on the ground, one or two eaten by some unfortunate creature. The poison of the cheerfully red berries probably claimed their life unless they were a larger species. There still look to be enough of each to satisfy the Sharians.

Will Mystic continue to commando crawl through the grasses, head to a different area, or return to the Expedition HQ to turn in her items?

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Orasteele

Diving into the depths of the murky pond, Elegance notices an abundance of fish thriving on the algae-rich diet provided by the mostly stagnant water. This would be an excellent place for predators to get a little fillet, an unsettling thought. She strains to see through the muddy water, disturbed by so many swimming bodies, and catches a dull flash at the bottom of the area she's searching. Coming up for air and diving down again, she can get her mouth around a Gleamstone, also getting the nasty-tasting mud on her tongue. That isn't the only gleam, though! Another dive and another mouthful of icky muck nets her a patch of soggy Silver Bark.

Will Elegance continue her swimming lessons, head to a different area, or return to the Expedition HQ to turn in her items?

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Kendarath

Unfortunately for Dance, the only conversations available just then are with some chatty birds. They constantly move ahead of her, making a sharp little 'che-che-che' sound with every agitated hop. She moves after them curiously, distracted by their fluttering unrest, and finds two Brown Lamanayr Feathers lying on the ground right by her. They had been going to take the two prizes back to their nest in the copse, but are thwarted when the mare tucks them away in her carrying sacks.

Will Dance continue to nose through the grasses, head to a different area, or return to the Expedition HQ to turn in her items?

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AranelSaraphim

The grasses blow back a little with the gusts from Bright's wings and something shines in her peripheral vision through the waving grasses, something more golden than the stalks themselves. A little sprig of Sunsnap Flowers! She places it in her pack with a satisfied grin. Thinking well-rewarded! Suddenly a smell reaches her nose and it twitches. What an amazing smell. A brief examination and a lot of snuffling close to the ground eventually reveals a Sweetscent Flower disturbed by her flapping. One of its petals had been bruised and strengthened the smell to the point where it was completely unavoidable. Now she smelled like perfume.

Will Bright continue to pull stunts in the grass, head to a different area, or return to the Expedition HQ to turn in her items?

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Yuiven

Dance's willingness to take a chance is quickly rewarded as she sets off down the path. After just a few minutes, she notices one of the trees shining oddly in the light. Moving closer to investigate reveals it to be one of the valuable silver trees that yields the Silver Bark so useful to Sharians. She tears a careful strip of loose bark away from the tree and keeps walking. Another few minutes and her pale muzzle twitches, assaulted by a very pleasant smell... and a very not pleasant smell. Curious and still exhilarated from her first find, she moves slightly away from the path to find a Sweetscent Flower. Aha, the source of the good smell! Next to it, however, she notices a large pile of... poo...

A whuff of hot air hits the top of her feathery head and she suddenly comes eye-to-eye with the source of the bad. An adult Oquiesa stares her straight in the face, honey-colored eyes only inches from her own. It would be enough to give any Samanayr a heart attack! As she stares in mute horror at the creature, its head seems to jerk back and it lets out a petulant whining noise. "No! Bad! You get away fyrom heyr."

The voice comes from behind the predator, who the mare now notices is on a... leash? The end of that leash is held in the mouth of a pale Samanayr, who watches her with a condescending expression. "What ayre you looking at?" she mumbles around the end of the leash. "Neveyr seen a lady taking heyr pet foyr a walk befoyre? C'mon, girl. Back." Reluctantly, to the feathery mare's amazement, the Oquiesa steps away from her.

Will Dance continue her interactions with this bizarre pair, head to a different area, or return to the Expedition HQ to turn in her items?

Image

Re: Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 6:42 am
by Bluestarwolf12
Abundance quivered happily as she tossed the Gleamstones into her baskets. She then looked up at her stallion to find that he, too, had found something. There was no doubt in her mind that she wanted to keep searching, but she didn't have a clue whether she should stay here or check a different area. After several minutes of mulling it over, Abundance decides to head a bit deeper into the copse of trees to continue her search. She continues checking the roots and hollows of the trees in hopes of finding something perhaps more valueable than her 3 Gleamstones.

Abundance continues to search for quite a while before realizing that she seems to have lost her way. Looking around frantically, she finds no landmarks, and begins to panic. She thinks that she's gone to far in for anyone to hear her if she called for help, so she doesn't bother. Besides, calling for help might attract unwanted attention...

Re: Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 6:47 am
by LvSoulFriend
((Ooooo! Congrats Yuiven!))

Grinning like a fool, Bounty carefully packs away the feathers in his baskets. After looking the tree over carefully, he determines that there's probably nothing left her to find, and, pumping his wings, makes a short flying hop onto the next tree. Glancing back down at his mare, he's noticed that she's found three gleaming items. "Oh, well done Abundance!" he called down cheerfully.

Bounty then proceeded to start searching this tree. It has many more branches than the previous one, which means that he was constantly coming close to being tangled up. With many more branches, however, means many more hiding spots. Searching so consumes him, that he fails to notice his mate wander deeper into the trees, and eventually from sight.



((Yay for early morning sleepiness XD))

((Edit: Went back in and added more XD))

Re: Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 7:52 am
by Kagari
Flow, having had enough of smelling like old eggs, decides to stick around, but with a different vantage point this time. She heads to a spot where she's sure to be free of the muck for a moment before taking to the air with a few hard waves of her faery wings. Soon enough, they were moving so fast they seemed almost invisible as she navigated through the air above the pond.

Little by little, bits of muck dropped from her feet into the pond below. They made a ploop sound similar to the one made my the leaping fish. The mare whinied in slight amusement as a fish and muck blob chorused the noise simultaneously. It's the small things like this that make the searches worthwhile to her. Flow pauses for a moment to watch the fish leap before she continues.

Ploop, ploop, ploop.

Back and forth she goes, keeping one eye open for items on the terrain below and the other on her surroundings up above for oncoming traffic. You know, just in case.

[[OOC: If we're going to continue beyond this, I probably won't get a chance to respond until sometime tomorrow due to a nine hour car ride. Woe.]]

Re: Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 7:58 am
by Jennalyn
((No worries. There's only going to be one more reply from me with more RP and prizes.))

Re: Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 8:28 am
by silvermoondragon
*sneaks through the thread with much love for Passage and her lovely oquiesa*
Congrats Yuiven!

Re: Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:39 am
by Orasteele
((Congrats Yuiven!! I was wondering when we'd see the Oquisas make an appearance!))

Swimming was not Elegance's strong point, but it was worth the small treasures she had found even if they were soggy. Returning to the surface of the water she carefully stashed the items in her waterlogged baskets. It was amazing how much heavier they were wet! She could feel the strain of keeping afloat taking it's toll. "Betteyr to swim out now than be an easy meal foyr someone..." Elegance whispered as she swam to shore. It was an effort to climb out of the pond with the deep muck around it's edges sucking her back in. Maybe her original idea hadn't been quite a good one.

Free from the pond's confines and in the open air a chill ran through her. Shaking from head to toe she worked to dislodge as much water as possible. The feathers of her headwings clung to her face and her hair hung down like a drowned rat of a hair-do giving her an overall bedraggled appearance. What would her parents say if they saw her look so undiginified! At least there weren't many other sams in the area to see. Her ears swiveled back to the pond at the distinctive sound of something dropping into the water. Looks like I got out just in time to avoid being twice as muddy as I am now. she thought to herself as she watched another mare with muddy feet fly over the pond.

With one last flick of her tail at the water, Elegance sighed and walked around the pond's edge for one last examination into the pool of water before turning her attention to the water grasses and cattails near the bank of the pond. Already wet and muddy there was little to keep her from squishing her way through the muck. If she came back with a full haul then maybe it would be alright that she got so dirty in the process!

Re: Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 11:27 am
by Kendarath
Dance tucked the feathers carefully into her baskets, one eye on the birds as she did. She was a little afraid that they wouldn't be so pleased with her taking their feathers, but she needn't have worried because as she was tucking the second feather into her basket the birds took off towards the trees.

Seeing as how following the birds had brought her to the feathers in the first place, Dance trotted after them merrily, hoping they would lead her to more goodies. Unfortunately, following the birds meant that she wasn't looking where she was going and she ended up tripping over something. "Oof," she grunted as she stumbled, looking around to try to figure out what she'd hit.

Re: Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 3:41 pm
by Britain
Ohohohoho! Pleased, the mystic mare examined the berries critically before stuffing them into her baskets. Success, so early on! It made for a satisfying day. She'd imagined failure, and coming home empty-handed...not something designed to impress her new stallion! Pausing for a moment to catch her breath, Rapture considered her options. Pond, trees...more grass. It was tiring to crawl through the grass, but she had already been successful...why tempt fate by changing her routine now?

Decision made, she continued onward, poking her beak into clumps of grass and peering into the shadows. It was tedious work and relatively boring, until one bit of grass moved.

With a startled SQUAWK, she flailed her wings and forelegs and darted sideways, attempting to evade the verdantly-colored snake that she had disturbed. While on some occasions a snake might have been a tasty snack, in this case she was on HIS territory which was not a fun place to be. In her haste, she failed to see the tangle of old roots in front of her- careening into them and getting well and truly snagged. One wing caught in the dry, dirt-covered twigs, she panicked for a moment before falling still, breathing hard. The snake, who had stared at her with his beady little eyes, slithered off and left her alone. With no reason to flee in terror remaining, she found herself ingloriously stuck.

Well...fizzlebiddies.

"Help!" She called out, giving in o the inevitable. Most likely, the Sharians or another of the expedition party would come and find her, hopefully helping her get out before she did herself harm. Sa'grisayrs were NOT meant to crawl on the ground.

"Help, please! I'm stuck!" She called again, and sighed as she looked around. Maybe she would find something in the grass nearby- since it looked like she was going to be there for a little while.

Re: Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 5:39 pm
by AranelSaraphim
Bright gleefully scooped up the shining berries and the wonderful smelling flower, delighting in how it perfumed her fur. Wouldn't Glitter enjoy that? She couldn't believe how lucky she had gotten already. She placed the items in her baseket and smiled broadly. Okay...now what? she thought to herself, Maybe I'll try that trick again, just farther away... She scanned the horizon, looking for a likely area, spotting a few likely-looking clumps of grass and bushes.

She started toward a group of bushes and suddenly heard a loud "SQUAWK" from a large clump of very tall grass, followed soon by a "Help!" Her ears pricked forward as she swiftly made her way towards the voice.
She noticed that the area was covered with trecherous roots and some holes as well. She needed to watch her steps, so she kept her eyes glued to the ground. As she proceded she heard the same voice again.
She carefully stepped around the large roots and she circled the grass, finding a Sa'grisayr thoroughly entangled.

"Oh! You poor thing!" She exclaimed and began the careful job of untangling her fur and feathers from the roots soil and grass. "Whayte hayppened?" She asked. "Oh, Aye'm Briyte of Wiynter Moon. Aye do hope you didn't hurt yourself!"

Re: Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 4:05 am
by Yuiven
((Gah, The quality of this post is awful! >_< I am so, so sorry, but I just wanted to throw something up. I promise to come back and polish my last entry later.

ETA: All polished up and ready to read! ^_^b))

Golden yellow shafts of sunlight pierced through the dense, emerald green canopy, casting broken shade over her pale coat. The blood in her veins had curdled in horror, allowing temporary rigor mortis to lock every part of her body, as she watched the figures of the haughty mare and her predatory pet walk away. A few minutes passed in silence. Finally, when the strange pair was out of sight, the breath left Dance's lungs in a great whoosh, and she found herself collapsing onto her butt, her face taking on a confused expression. The feathery mare didn't understand, not one bit. How did she do it?

There was only one Samanayr who knew the answer and that was Passage of the Bold Storm. Dance slowly got to her clawed feet, still feeling a little shaky in the legs. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it and licked her lips. She had a feeling she was going to regret this; she knew better but... she just had to know. Before Dance could stop herself, she let out a yell. "WAIT!" She flapped her wings and with a bounding leap she rose into the air. "Please wait!"

Feathered wings frantically beating, she struggled to catch up. Upon reaching her quarry, Dance paused, hovering in mid-air, waiting until the beast had been brought to heel. Then, like an eagle, she swooped down to the ground and landed at a safe distance, her chest heaving.

Dance closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, she gazed at the other mare, her cheeks still touched with a blush. Lowering her feathered crest, nearly resting flat against her neck, she bowed her head. "I apologize for my gyrievous offence eayrlieyr. My name is Dance of the Winteyr Wind," she said by way of introduction. "A fosteyred Samanayr who is just passing thyrough the ayrea while out on an expedition." To prove she was telling the truth, the wintry Samanayr lifted her wings to reveal the pair of carry-baskets strapped to both sides and shook them gently. Muffled sounds emitted from them as the previous two finds were jostled.

"I must say, it's one thing to find an Oquiesa amongst the tyreasuyre, but quite anotheyr when ouyr kind's moyrtal enemy is someone's pet. While that does not excuse my behaviouyr," she sighed. "It does explain it."

Dance glanced at the Oquiesa before turning away to look back at the other Samanayr, a weak smile on her muzzle. "I would like to know how you managed to tame youyr pet-- that is, if you don't mind telling me."

((I had considered calling the Oquiesa, "Tyra," unless you had thought of a better name for Passage's beautiful, yet terrifying pet, Jenn. <3))

Re: Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 5:50 am
by Jennalyn
I'm thrilled that everyone got back in for the second round within twenty-four hours! I definitely didn't want to short you guys any fun prizes. <3 Here is information on the dragonets, straight from Sushi!

These two are actually smaller than usual.. maybe they were the runts of their clutches, or they have some kind of mini trait.

Kreenasa Dragonets are the most intelligent dragonet type and were developed by the Sharians. For the most part, their minds are similar to those of young human children, and they can learn simple concepts and follow instructions.

Dragonets can't speak out loud, but they are able to speak mind-to-mind with their handler and anyone who happens to be nearby (not the most subtle form of communication if your dragonet is conveying something personal). They also vocalize with each other with various chirps, shrieks, and calls.


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Bluestarwolf12

The roots and hollows produce no more hidden treasures like the Gleamstones, despite Abundance's most diligent searching. Because she was a participant in the expedition, there's a good chance that the Sharians will eventually come looking for her if she doesn't turn up by the next morning. That's still a long time to spend alone in an unfamiliar forest. As she tries to figure out what to do, she catches sight of a little fluttering flash of color on the ground about a dozen yards away. Curious, she moves closer. Is that a rainbow Lamanayr feather?

Are... are all of those rainbow Lamanayr feathers?! There must be two dozen of them scattered across the ground! What an incredible find! She begins to pick them up eagerly, only to be stopped by a dry and somewhat testy voice behind her. "I didn't molt just so that you could collect my featheyrs. And I don't know why you'd want them, anyway. Theyre's nothing special about them."

Turning around, she sees a mare peering around from behind a tree and glaring at her collection. The mare's head looks odd somehow. Bare? There's skin showing near the top. Balding, then? Or... oh. Molting. Feathers. Yes. They would match the colors of her stripes. And she isn't a Lamanayr, so they probably don't count. Oh well! At least she can probably get the mare out of the forest safely.

Image
She has the Feather Mane, Cheek Feathers, and Feathered Tail traits!

Abundance collected the following:

- 3 Gleamstones
- Calamity of the Broken Rainbow

Your items will be added to your inventory within the next few days!

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LvSoulFriend

Bounty's search of the gnarled old tree proves fruitful. Get it? Bounty? Fruit? Ehehe... never mind. The stallion ends up with a piece of Silver Bark, most certainly not from this tree but squirreled away in one of its alcoves nonetheless. Maybe some enterprising critter collected it and hid it away? He also finds another Brown Lamanayr Feather caught on one of the branches and fluttering in the breeze. Maybe there really were Sams inhabiting the area after all?

Bounty collected the following:

- Rainbow Lamanayr Feather
- 2 Brown Lamanayr Feathers
- Silver Bark

Your items will be added to your inventory within the next few days!

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Kagari

Each successive 'ploop' masks the faint and almost inaudible sound of wings above Flow. She remains unaware of the tiny wing beats and dives down when she notices a patch of Rosa Berries, snapping one of the sprigs off before quickly beating her wings and regaining altitude. The search continues until suddenly she gets a chill down her spine and becomes aware of something almost on top of her head. Giving a cry, she swoops lower and twists her neck around to see... now what was that? Whatever it was, it followed after her. It liked her!

Image

Flow collected the following:

- Sunsnap Flower
- Rainbow Lamanayr Feather
- Rosa Berries
- Kreenasa Dragonet

Your items will be added to your inventory within the next few days!

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Orasteele

Wet and muddy and smelly as she was, Elegance retained some vestige of poise as she began searching the reedy growth surrounding the pond. Her hooves sucked and squelched through the muck with absolutely horrible noises, but she was rewarded for her troubles by a small treasure trove of three Sunsnap Flowers! There were actually quite a few more, but some had been half-eaten and others were already losing their petals, making them far less useful to the Sharians. With a full pack, she could return from the expedition with her head held high.

Elegance collected the following:

- Gleamstone
- Silver Bark
- 3 Sunsnap Flowers

Your items will be added to your inventory within the next few days!

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Kendarath

Her unfortunate fall left Dance's leg aching just above the hoof. That would certainly bruise beneath the fur, even with the tuft protecting it. What could have...? Oh. An exceptionally large Gleamstone! That was definitely on the list of items that the Sharians wanted. It made the pain of the fall a little more bearable, anyway. Following the birds just a little bit longer led her to a small bush with brilliantly red berries. Something about them looked delicious and the birds were sitting on them most invitingly, but no... those were poisonous Tandil Berries! Eating those would give her more than just indigestion. Taking an intact sprig of berries, she gave the birds a funny look. Had they really wanted her to eat those?

Dance collected the following:

- 2 Brown Lamanayr Feathers
- Gleamstone
- Tandil Berries

Your items will be added to your inventory within the next few days!

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Britain

Before the unexpected arrival of the other mare abandoning her own hunt to assist, Mystic looks around and spies a tiny head peeking through two patches of grass, watching her with brilliantly red eyes and slowly tilting its head. In its mouth is a Sweetscent Flower. What was that doing there? Food? Decoration? Just because it smelled good? Slowly the little creature moved closer, dropping the flower on the ground and beginning to nip at the roots. Was it helping to free her? Apparently it was! How sweet.

Image

Mystic collected the following:

- Tandil Berries
- Rosa Berries
- Sweetscent Flower
- Kreenasa Dragonet

Your items will be added to your inventory within the next few days!

----------

AranelSaraphim

As the mare moves to assist a fellow explorer, Bright notices her efforts being duplicated in miniature from the other side. Huh, apparently the Sa'grisayr is already receiving a spot of help! She finishes what she started with the roots and then notices a lovely smell wafting towards her. It isn't coming from her bags, though it's certainly the same sort of smell. More flowers! The little creature notices her interest and picks up its own flower quickly, looking at her with uncertain red eyes as it scoots behind the Mystic. She can see where it got the flower from a little ways away, though, and goes to pick three Sweetscent Flowers to add to the one already in her pack.

Bright collected the following:

- Sunsnap Flower
- 4 Sweetscent Flowers

Your items will be added to your inventory within the next few days!

----------

Yuiven

The 'lady' and her pet hear Dance's yell and pause, both turning to regard her with an odd look. Isn't she busy? Does she have nothing better to do? Or, oh... she's actually just being polite. Huh. That's kind of novel in these parts. They listen to her speak, the pale mare's expression changing from condescending to much more interested. "Oh, well, an expedition! I've heayrd of those, ceyrtainly. I tend to stay away, though. Tyra heyre doesn't seem to like the Shayrians veyry much, fyrom what I can tell. An odd quiyrk. You may call me Passage of the Bold Stoyrm, and she is... well, I alyready said it. She's Tyra."

Hearing her name twice, the canine's expression is firmly on her owner until Dance speaks again. Then she looks over and her nostrils twitch. She slowly and painstakingly inches her neck forward, shifting her feet as she moves closer. Bold doesn't notice at first. "Yes, she's quite the tame little thing foyr the most payrt. It doesn't woyrk so well if you don't get them as puppies, you know. And that's not an easy thing to do, getting an Oquiesa puppy. The motheyrs ayre veeeyry protective." She doesn't elaborate on how she initially found the pup, only that she's raised her from almost a newborn and cared for her until the girl became an exceptionally loyal and protective companion.

Sensing her chance, Tyra snaps forward and the mare lets out a surprised squeal. She isn't going for flesh, though. She's going for one of the packs! It rips off in the Oquiesa's mouth and the flower falls out, which she quickly devours. And then spits out. Not only is it lost, but it was wasted! What does the meateater think she's doing? That's about what her owner is trying to figure out, yanking back on the leash and scolding her firmly with a mouthful of leather. At least she'd learned something, though...?

Dance collected the following:

- Silver Bark
- Passage of the Bold Storm & Tyra

Your items will be added to your inventory within the next few days!

Note: Passage raised the Oquiesa herself from a puppy (though who knows how she got the puppy in the first place), and the Oquiesa is loyal only to her. She needs to be kept on leash and collar when around other Samanayrs just in case.

Re: Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 6:18 am
by Orasteele
((Yay!! Thank you so much for running a wonderful expedition!))

Re: Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 6:21 am
by Bluestarwolf12
((*sqees and clings to Calamity* Thank you for running this, Jenn! I got my second Sam! XD And those Dragonets are simply adorable!))

Re: Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 6:59 am
by silvermoondragon
Those dragonets are adorable, and Calamity is just as gorgeous as on the Ustream, even more so because she's all crisp and clear. Congrats guys!

Re: Expedition #4 - RP

Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:47 am
by LvSoulFriend
Congrats to everyone! *watches Bounty bustle off with his prizes* Thanks so much Jenn!


*ponders returning her second breeding modiem, and the possibility of a custom instead* Nah, too much work XD