- ＤＥＳＣＲＩＰＴＩＯＮ - A strange pumpkin grows foul and festering The scent of sweet rotting leaves and rich spice nearly obscures the scent of death, Yet the leering smile of the hollow gourd is dark with filthy pestilence. - ＡＬＩＧＮＭＥＮＴ - The Sun (Male)
This journal is for saedusk and their Plague-- please do not post here without their permission!
Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 5:17 pm
I........................Index
II.................Guidelines
III.....................Origins
IV............The Pumpkin
V...............The Farmer
VI............Connections
VII..................Gallery
VIII...............Holdings
IX............Little Leaves
X.....................Growth
XI...................Credits
saedusk
Dedicated Bunny
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saedusk
Dedicated Bunny
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 6:09 pm
Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 6:14 pm
Andie's residence at the time, so very small and isolated, was always slow to receive news. In fact, it was nearly a week after two of the village women had taken to bed with a cough that a sheet of paper stuck on the public bulletin board warned of the Plague spreading through the nearest town, a two day walk, at least. In the beginning, the people thought nothing of it, but when the two women turned to four and three men, chatter began to spread amongst the close-knit community about curses and misfortune.
After three weeks, none of the victims had risen from their beds and at least one had a family who now hadn't been heard from, either. The villagers, once caring, began to spend less and less time together for fear of catching what their neighbor most certainly had. Better safe than sorry in a place where disease could spread even faster than gossip. The tiny market was nearly empty unless one couldn't last another day without a loaf of bread. Even the fields, the lifeblood of the place, were left mostly untended and weary.
However, the little village could never understand the severity of the situation until one day, unannounced, strangers appeared in the area. Their faces were covered and they spoke to no one, hardly acknowledging the curious glances of the people as they finally left their homes in an attempt to discover just what was happening. In their wake, these strangers left seven small shacks marred with unusual symbols. Even the house right next door to Andie's own, full with a friendly family that she had known all too well, was marked and trailed down three dots, two for the couple, and one for their six-year-old son.
Andie swore up and down that some of the villagers had even gone missing after the strangers finally packed up and disappeared, but her parents only called her claims foolhardy. It was nearly impossible to tell regardless, now that the excitement of the strange people had passed, most everyday folk had holed themselves back up again.
With each passing day, the amount of supplies the family had stored began to dwindle to near dangerous levels. Though it couldn't be said they had much to begin with, it was now near impossible to spend what little money they had to save themselves. At this point, the village's economy had been spooked to a standstill. There was no one to sell vegetables to and no one to buy bread from.
It was a hot, balmy day when Andie finally decided enough was enough, that she had to do something to try and find food, or she and her family would surely starve. She was sure to wait for her parents to sleep before slipping unnoticed into the night lit by a half-moon. At first she scoured only their own fields. Everything had withered, unsurprisingly, but a swirl of worry and determination in her gut kept her searching straight out of their own growth and into the fields of their neighbors.
While Andie held a great respect for the family that lived next door, she knew they hadn't been out of their home for some great time now. If there was anything left—she wasn't holding her breath—they likely wouldn't miss it. As she hunted, it became apparent that most of the plants here had gone in the direction of her own family's, poor or dead. Yet, among a patch of wrinkly old pumpkins, something caught her attention.
The smell, at first, was not quite as awful as it was unusual. As she cleared away the crinkled leaves and vines, a black-coated pumpkin came into view. Despite its oozy surface, the plant underneath actually looked unharmed and surprisingly ripe. Hoisting it up, she brought it back home, wondering all the while how it could have survived when nothing else had. The smell had her wobbly as she went, but she made it with with perseverance.
Something welled in her stomach with every step, something that told her this pumpkin was special. It was a feeling she couldn't explain, an illogical one, but rather than bringing it inside to cook, she nestled it into the tall grass at the side of the shack. There she kept it, the pumpkin cursed by the plague, a victim just like the rest of the village. Andie spent an usual amount of time after that observing her find, outside when no one else would leave their homes. It interested her, its ability to live despite the death of nearly everything else. She sought to understand, but her though her basic knowledge of plants was great, it did little to explain just what had caused this.
The chatter of curses and misfortune had become whispers now, but those who bothered to look out their windows began to aim their superstitions at the strange woman who spent far too much time playing host to a rotten pumpkin.
saedusk
Dedicated Bunny
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saedusk
Dedicated Bunny
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 8:18 pm
There is not much to be said just yet. It is a pumpkin, unassuming, one would think, beyond its strange scent, both off-putting and attractive all in one. However, turing it around reveals the most unusual of traits, an eerie grin of black spread like a thick and oozing jelly across its front. It is as if, despite lacking sentience, it happens to know something you don't. Sometimes Andie feels that same nagging question in the back of her mind as she watches it, chin settled against her hand. Despite it having little use, she just can't seem to part with it. One would have to be a fool to attempt eating it and it does nothing more than take up space. Still, now that sitting with it has become a not-so-uncommon occurrence, it is as if that questioning comes not out of thin air, but straight from its ever-sealed mouth. This pumpkin, though nothing more than a pumpkin indeed (surely that is so), is quite the interesting subject.
Name: Poury
Personality: Poury is very much a learner, curious and inquisitive to a near fault, and doesn't seem to know when it's best to stop sticking his nose into business that isn't his. Unfortunately, being told "no" never did much to discourage him from doing essentially whatever came to mind at any given moment, good or bad. However, he doesn't usually go out of his way to be hurtful, just a little naughty every once in a while when it suits his fancy.
Playing pranks is a bit of a beloved pastime for Poury, he enjoys the challenge that comes with getting one over on someone else, and proving that he's got the smarts to back up whatever he damn well pleases. Generally harmless, these pranks have been known to spiral out of control at times, but when someone is genuinely hurt by his mischief, he does tend to regret it. The idea that he can lose control is a very discomforting one to him.
That control is something he covets, along with his independence. The idea that he may not be the ultimate authority in his own life makes him uncomfortable and angry, and while he's quite open to any and all opinions, in the end he believes he is the only one who can shape his own destiny. He'd defend that belief tooth and nail if it came to it, even against his own keeper. He and Andie have come to a head on more than one occasion over who exactly is in charge.
Despite needing some semblance of control, Poury is vastly okay with trying and failing in order to find a better solution. Unlike Andie, he doesn't dwell on the past and gives no second thought to what others think of his mistakes. In fact, he'd be the first to admit that almost nothing he does comes with instant success, in both everyday life and experimentation.
It is in experimenting that he feels most at home, especially within the realm of plant life, growth, and breeding. He enjoys nothing better than tending his own little garden, though it's purpose goes far beyond looking or tasting nice. He's out to discover new things, to make leaps for himself and for others, so they can see the brilliance of his mind and work, as well.
Because of this, he spends a good amount of time holed away tinkering, and isn't the most socially adept character. He understands the workings and feelings of plants much better than people, and is often thrown odd glances for the way he chatters from his throat around plants as if communicating with them. Even when speaking to people, he's prone to short sounds and grunts before switching to words and is, in general, not much of a talker.
Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2014 5:52 pm
Name...Andie Gray
Age...Twenty-One
Gender...Female
Region...Born on the Southern tip of Auvinus, lived some years in West Auvinus, and currently resides in Roserock, Mishkan.
Appearance...Short in stature, but lean and muscled; Naturally olive skin that is tanned more so by a preference for outside versus in; Shoulder length, medium brown hair that is usually tied back in a haphazard ponytail; Grey-green, inquisitive eyes; A bit disheveled most of the time
Personality...Simple at first glance, Andie is the type who can survive with very little. Even if left with next to nothing, she holds a deep determination within her to do well and prosper with what she does have. It was a life of hard work, both at home and on the farm, that instilled these traits in her and she takes pride in her origins. However, not all of her drive comes from will alone. There's a nagging little something in the back of her mind that won't allow her to stop moving forward for fear of letting someone down. The only thing worse than screwing up is having anyone—family, friend, or stranger alike—think less of her ability.
One of her biggest challenges is accepting the fact that failure is sometimes inevitable, or perhaps more specifically, that she may fail. She has a complex about her, the insistent belief that she can do anything she puts her mind to, and can do it near-better than anyone else. Accepting help is difficult, even if work would go faster with an extra set of hands or a better idea. Andie often grumps and argues when someone attempts to show her a more efficient way to do a job, which tends to slow the process down even further. She tries, but patience and acceptance aren't quite her strongest suits.
Work-oriented, but not completely stiff and serious, Andie actually has an obvious love for many things childish. Games, puzzles, anything to flex mind or muscle or both are right up her alley. Likewise, she has a soft spot for kids and will go out of her way to make them smile.
An observant type, she takes great offense to being judged with no context, and would in turn reserve her own judgment until she knew someone better. Constantly gathering a mental map of each new face she meets, she does her best to be accurate in her assumptions, but in the end, they are just that, and Andie is not immune to understanding someone incorrectly. Still, she has a keen eye for detail and a great love of learning and analyzing and has gotten pretty good at it over time. Though Stubborn, she is outwardly friendly and willing to help.
History...Andie was born to a lower-middle class family in a port city on the Southern tip of Auvinus. Her father, a crate stacker at the harbor, brought home enough to keep the family in modest comfort, with bread, gravy, and meat, and sometimes a nicer treat on Sundays. While few of the children she played with had much in the way of toys, almost all of them could make up a decent game, and Andie spent many days running and laughing and being scolded away from the edge of the water.
With all the exercise, she grew fit even as a young child. However, it wasn't until the unfortunate drowning of a small city boy half her age that her father took her to the docks one weekend and taught her to swim. It became a pastime she simply couldn't get enough of.
At the age of ten, Andie's mother fell ill with fever and it was around that time that she learned frivolities weren't always an option. Her father, the only provider, had to continue work despite his worry. In his and her mother's stead, Andie cleaned and cooked for the family. When her mother had first taken to her bed, her father had told her there was no time for tears or moping, that mother would never get better unless she worked hard. Those thoughts, and the will to provide for her ailing family, helped motivate the young girl to a life of responsibility. In time, her mother regained her health, but Andie continued to help around the house.
A few years later, when Andie was twelve, a decree shut down port trade with neighboring continents, dealing a blow to the workload of multiple locations, including the one where her father was employed. He was let go, and seeking work elsewhere proved a fruitless endeavor. Without an income, life for the family would become unlivable. Understanding this, her father made plans with other folk, and one day had the family pack as much as they could and set out, bound for what they believed would be a better life in Mishkan.
The trip was a difficult one, littered with barren plains and sometimes without signs of civilization for days. On the second leg of the journey, having finally come across a place to replenish supplies, nearly half of the group chose to stay behind, tired of the perils and insecurity of lonely travel with little money and fewer assurances that they would even reach their final destination. Andie's family was one of them.
While remote and small, the farming village they settled in was one of friendly people and land aplenty, on lease to the villagers from a nobleman whose main landholdings were otherwise many miles away. The travelers from Southern Auvinus worked together with the natives of the area to build houses and prepare the land for farming. With what little currency they had remaining, her family built up a just-quite-steady-enough farm over the years. With the amount of work necessary to keep the farm afloat for a small family of three, Andie's formal childhood education ended there. Knowledge, her father would say, came from learning the ways of the world much faster than a tutor could ever teach.
Those many years later, things once again started to change, and it came as nothing more than an absolute surprise. The Plague found its way to their borders, halting life there to a near- complete standstill and leaving its population so heavily decimated that the economy no longer stood a chance of recovery.
Andie's father was not the most educated of men, but he was no fool. He knew that if they were to survive, they would have to pick up and leave again. When he proposed it to the family, there were looks of worry and unwillingness, but no argument good enough to counter it.
Within the week the family had packed their meager belongings and gathered as many rations and barrels of water as they could hope to carry. The animals meant to pull the cart were obviously already tired before the journey began. They could only pray that the border of Mishkan come soon. It had been their destination years ago after work in Southern Auvinus had dried up and it was their destination once more.
A few weeks after Andie's twenty-first birthday, the family reached Roserock and their new life. Her father was able to find work in manual labor, and she at a small market owned by an elderly couple, but the family's recovery was slow nonetheless.
