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 Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2014 11:07 am
This Quest is for Uquin who is striving to become a Monk.
 OOC
||. The quest prompt must be answered with a 2000 word reply (can be more).
||. Respond to the prompt given with an adventure of your own creation as long as it meets the requirements of the specific tasks.
||. NPCs may be used as long as they advance the quest in an interesting manner.
||. You cannot include any playable characters other than the quest taker.
||. Your responses will be graded with a Pass or Fail. Those who fail will have to continue with assistance from the staff.
||. Questions about quests can be asked here.
IC
It was perhaps like any other day, the world coming alive as the sun rose in the sky. Though this day was different, for as Uquin awoke, there was a polite knocking at his front door. At first there was a rap rap rap, but after a pause it became more persistent. Upon opening the door Uquin was confronted with a large burly man, a slender woman at his side, and their twin son and daughter who looked as if they were just beggining to get to that youthful stage of exploration.
It seems that the man and his family had come to look after Uquin, after discovering the loss of his eye it seemed that they had taken it upon themselves to make sure that Uquin was properly taken care of and wouldn't take no for an answer.
Quest Tasks
||. This family will try to do everything for Uquin from lifting to cooking to whatever it is that he would try to do himself.
||. Perhaps out of pity or they really think that Uquin can't properly take care of himself they will be rather persistant about helping him out.
||. Uquin will need to convince the family that he can handle himself or they may never leave.
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Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 9:49 am
Post Count: 509
Uquin would be a fool if he told himself the loss of his eye didn't affect him. It did - but it was manageable. A person's eyesight was important for maintaining depth perception and a certain amount of balance; and while the slice through his face did tend to ache quite a bit, Uquin had little trouble getting used to his new set of life conditions with more frustration and teeth-gnashing than any actual sadness. As far as Uquin was concerned, he was coping with it. He was far from being crippled by it, and more than anything it was an inconvenience - a source of annoyance.
It was probably for the best that, after the procedure to remove the injured eye, Uquin remained on the ground at tents that had been assembled on the forest floor, and it was here that he first experienced the issue of depth perception. At times, he would reach out with a hand for a quill to write observations of the day in a journal he was keeping, only to experience a brief moment of panic as his hand bumped the inkwell, and he had to fumble to catch the glass vial before it spilt to the ground. There were other occasions where the leaf earthling would stumble over a particularly gnarled root, or trip as his sandals skimmed too heavily at the toe.
But he was learning, quite efficiently - or so he thought. Upon returning to his treehouse in Yera, with a sleepy Padma strapped with a cloth hammock to his back, Uquin gazed up at the wooden grooved ladder carved into the tree that he normally climbed with ease. In the dusky evenings, and early mornings, Uquin found his remaining eye growing tired more easily - overworking itself to try and discern shapes in the dark... So this night blindness, plus his admitted issue with his depth perception, led to a hard decision. He could stubbornly insist on carrying his small daughter up to their house, running the risk of falling and hurting them both - or he could suck it up and wake her, and only risk himself. So he shook his daughter awake, watching her sleepily clamber up the ladder. Better he was below to capture her if she fell than falling himself and landing on the youngling, right?
The healer had gathered seeds and saplings during his time in Jauhar, as well as basins of soil, and he was spending his days at the edge of camp planting an herb garden, like the one his mentor had showed him so long ago, leaving Padma to play and learn with the other younglings under the watchful eye of those parents who were able to remain in Yera to tend to the village while most parents were away during the day's work.
Perhaps his sweet daughter had recounted the previous experience, or bragged about her father who came home with a war injury (he snorted at the idea).
If only he'd known what sort of trouble THAT would cause.
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Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 9:50 am
Post: 1187
It was… strange, going through the normal morning routine after months at a battle camp. Padma seemed to adapt to it easily enough, but Uquin found it strange to go about the house without Pahana or Ujana there - they had gone west, to Andile, to live with Pahana’s brother. ...Sister? The Alkidike culture was so strange, the terms foreign, but the healer did what he could to remain respectful. Pahana may have insisted on taking Padma - to keep the sisters together, to have her close to family, Uquin didn’t know. Romance between the two leaf earthlings had never quite been present, though after their tryst they’d tried. By the time their daughters were born, however, it had become obvious that Pahana and her carefree, happy nature, would only become tethered and unhappy if Uquin tried to keep her, and so they agreed to let themselves be friends, for the sake of the girls if nothing else.
Uquin had risen early, spreading medicines against the cut on his face, cleaning his prosthetic eye, and rinsing the socket to prevent infection - as it hadn’t the chance to become used to the prosthetic, and the removal of his eye was still recent. His daughter was off getting ready, brushing her hair as best a girl of her age could, grudgingly committing to oil pulling (swishing oil in her mouth to clean her teeth and mouth of toxins, something her healer father insisted on), and dressing for the cooler weather outside…
When the knocking came. In the midst of chopping dried Jauharian fruit and Tale nuts for Padma’s breakfast, Uquin blinked and looked up towards the door, tilting his head. But… well, visitors weren’t strange. He was a healer, after all. His daughter had already pattered over to open the door, but Uq waved her back, gently ruffling her hair before he tugged the door open.
The family outside was not one he recognized by name, but he had seen them around Yera - a shifter couple and their children. The citizens of Yera had done what they could to welcome those who passed through, but after the war - and the cession of land to the fire invaders, many Shifters seemed to be moving east. This particular family had built a nest as best they could in a nearby tree, wanting to keep Shifter culture but finding it… difficult given the difference in Tale trees to their Jauhar ones, and the lack of vines. With the practiced gaze of any healer, Uquin looked the four of them over - and found, to his surprise, nothing wanting. They seemed healthy - the father broad and muscled, wife graceful and willowy, and children in the sorry stage between youngling and adolescence, their limbs tugged awry - tall, the both of them, but with limbs too long for their bodies. Puberty questions, perhaps?
But… no. Before he could ask what the trouble was, the father had stepped forward, clapping a hand to Uquin’s arm, and smiling broadly. “Uquin, right? Raff - this is Janoor, Rook, and Saffy.” With introductions done, the man gave Uquin’s arm a squeeze… then simply walked past him into the house, using his grip on the healer’s arm to guide him back inside. His family followed as if the invasion was nothing of note, the girl - Saffy - closing the door behind her. Uquin was simply too startled to reaction, gaping gracelessly as he was gently shown to where Padma was seated, and guided down to sit on the mat.
“We heard the terrible news - of how you sacrificed SO much to care for our brave wounded.” Janoor said sympathetically, lowering herself with utter grace to sit beside Padma, who had shuffled closer to Saffy and was smiling brightly, murmuring greetings and excited questions under her breath that Uquin didn’t hear. He noted with grumpy realization that it was very possible these people could be one of the couples who would watch the younglings while he worked - which would account for her familiarity with them. By now, recovering from his surprise, Uquin hunched his shoulders and motioned curtly for Padma - pleased that the girl cut her whispered inquiries short, and stood, obediently moving to sit infront of him, as bid. “It’s not sacrifice, it’s my profession.” Uquin said stiffly as he picked up a comb (hand patting the wood beneath it a few times before he finally picked it up, properly) and began to put Padma’s hair up into its usual, low bun.
He wanted her ready, and sent off to play so he could properly dismiss his rude guests without her stuck in the middle. He’d hardly begun picking the few knots from her hair with the comb before Janoor had slapped his hand away, and easily (and gently) pulled the girl into her lap instead. “So modest! You’d be doing your duty staying here, caring for the sick.”
“Right! Nothing made you go to the battle. Nothing MADE you risk yourself, but you did! That’s to be respected.” Raff added, bustling about in the opposite side of the house - Uquin would have turned to watch what he was doing, but in this moment he was more wary of the woman, who held his daughter. The shifter woman’s fingers flew, more used to the motions than Uquin was, for sure, pulling Padma’s dyed bangs back and pinning it, plaiting delicate braids to tie at the back of her head, while the rest of her hair remained down, long.
Inconvenient, Uquin thought, as Padma was the sort to bumble around the wilds, and would surely come home with twigs and leaves in her hair, a fate avoided if he had tied it up as he wanted. Being interrupted left him seething, lips pressed thin, eyes narrowed. “Does this have something to do with you intruding into my privacy? This is MY home, you realize.” He finally snapped, but to his dismay the couple seemed unphased. If anything, the woman gave him a gentle look, like one would a fussing child, and shook her head. “Yes, dear, your home - but a village is a family, and we could never look aside while a brother is suffering.”
Easy for her to say, Uquin thought. She had only just joined this village. If anything, his outburst had finally clued Padma in that something was off - he never was snappy, and now, after preening her new hairstyle, she looked up at him, blinking. He’d rather not raise a fuss with her here. “Padma, why don’t you go visit your grandfather? I’m sure he’d be pleased to see you.” Uquin finally said, and the girl rose instantly, nodding and smiling. Hugging her father, she headed to the door - but now it was Raff that stopped her, handing her a small bowl, with the nuts and dried fruit Uquin had been cutting before - now completed, and mixed with fresh bulbs. The younger girl, Saffy, rose to follow, and the two left, giggling together and munching their shared breakfast, leaving the boy and parents.
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 4:40 pm
Post: 1866
Only with Padma gone, Uquin now realized the boy had moved to help his father, where they were looking over Uquin’s food supplies. Exhausted as they were, having only been back in Yera a week at most, Raff shook his head and clicked his tongue as if such meager supplies had been expected. But with Padma gone, Uquin had little reason to hold back his disdain. “What is this about? Unless the head of the village has decided to take this tree back, and give it to you, I believe you have no RIGHT to be here.” He stood, hands clenched into fists, but Janoor stood quickly, hands extended, as if believing that his sudden motion would cause him to tip over. “No no - dear, of course not. But after that injury...” Janoor motioned to her eye, and Uquin finally began to understand what they were thinking, “...and your wife leaving, we couldn’t just stand aside and leave you alone either...”
Uquin spluttered at the mention of Pahana (who had never been his wife), but before he could answer Raff stepped back over, his arms folded. “You have no food - and winter is already on us. If you insist on being prideful, that girl of yours may very well suffer for it. Just stop being stubborn and let us help you!”
“I’m not in NEED of any help, and I haven’t any clue why you believe I do!” Uquin threw his hands up in frustration. “Now get out! I’ll have none of this disrespect under my roof!”
They didn’t move. Rook, at least, had the good grace to look uncertain, looking at his parents and shifting foot to food, but once he saw the expression of silent understanding on his father’s face, he mimicked it - and crossed his arms resolutely over his chest.
Finally, Raff heaved a sigh and ran a hand through his hair, gesturing for them all to sit. Uquin silently refused, and instead crossed his arms, glaring. Raff continued anyway, with only a light scolding look to show he was displeased. “I respect you, Uquin - I really do. And BECAUSE of this respect, we’re not leaving. We spoke with the elders here, and they thought it was great idea to show our respect by making sure your winter goes smoothly.”
And that was, it seemed, all Raff needed. Uquin rose, furious, and attempted to leave - but once outside he found Janoor had followed him, smiling sweetly, and setting a hand on his arm, leading him away from the ladder that dropped from his door, but instead to the bridges that led around towards a pulley system, once which had been installed to aid the older or more sickly leaf earthlings to the forest floor. He shrugged her off, viciously, and descended the ladder instead, going slower than he might have liked - just because missing a rung and falling to the ground would be the exact opposite of what he wanted to show, infront of these nosy neighbors. Janoor watched, disapproving, from above, and made as if to follow, but seemed to think better of it.
It took a few hours of pacing and roughly brushing Ishtu’s fur (only realizing he had done so when the creature bayed at him angrily and bumped the leaf earthling with his rump) before he had calmed enough to return, stopping briefly at Pahana’s father’s home to ask if he could take care of Padma until these hooligans moved on. Then he returned home - to find it rearranged. All his packs, pots, and jars filled with healing herbs, potions, and mixtures had been moved and rearranged- creating a large clear area in the middle of the house. Sleeping pallets had been moved in, and his neighbors greeted him cheerily, offering dried fish (traded most likely), plants, and a nutty pesto mix for lunch. He turned on his heel and left again just at the offense of it.
In the following days his neighbors seemed undeterred. The first night, Uquin spent with Ishtu at his herb garden outside the village - but soon he returned, unwilling to abandon his own house just because of these cretins. Janoor and Raff seemed to think this was a victory on their part. He tried, in vain, to move his supplies back to their places, but Raff insisted they stay at the edge of the room - that it was better if he had a clear amount of space in his home, rather than clutter, in case he fell or had trouble seeing at night.
Around the village, they had gone on and on about Uquin graciously inviting them to stay with him while their house finished construction - giving up a nest and instead trading favors to have a treehouse built. They almost refused to let Uquin go about his own business - they sent Saffy with him whenever he went to his garden, and so it was that the poor girl spent most of her time daydreaming and boredly staring into the forest as he tended the plants, refusing her help.
Upon returning home, he would nearly have to shake the girl off as he climbed to his house, as she insisted on helping him up, or trying to tug him to the pulley. Rook and Raff spent their evenings and mornings preparing food for the day, which Uquin refused, and instead ate what food he’d already had before they descended on his home. It was nearly a week before his first patient came. Offering a deep basket of bulbs, nuts, and even dried jerky as payment, an older woman was shakily helped into his treehouse by her son - an older woman, wrinkled and bent, her thin, wispy hair tied back with a wooden ornament. She shook from cold, rubbing her gnarled hands, seeming unconcerned as her son fussed over her. “She’s constantly shaking and coughing - a horrible cough - with winter colder than normal, we’re… we fear that…” Uquin listened only long enough to hear her ailment, then moved, on his knees, to the woman’s side, resting a hand against her back as she breathed. There was some slight bubbling in her chest, but her nostrils were congested - her temperature was safe.
For a while he had forgotten about the presence of his invaders, until Uquin moved to look for his jars containing certain herbs. It took him a long while to wade through the moved jars and containers, ignoring the disapproving stare of the son as he had trouble finding his work. Janoor misread the situation - with a sympathetic sigh she came to ‘help’ him. “What are we looking for, dear?” She asked, smiling. She seemed to think he was simply unable to find his things, what with his eye. “The basin of salt - the grey salt. The jar of orange berries - and the cleansed water? There should also be a kettle…”
As he spoke, Janoor’s smile fell and she looked to Raff, who was blinking. “The grey salt? Over here.” He murmured, picking up the basin. “And the berries?”
At this Raff opened his mouth, then coughed and looked away. “We had those for lunch a few days ago - we didn’t realize… Wait, are those poisonous?”
Janoor snapped her gaze towards her husband, aghast, but Uquin tossed back his head, laughing - a laugh which turned their attention back to him. “And I suppose you used my pot for tea?” He asked, rudely - to which Janoor flushed and shuffled her feet. It was so ridiculous he couldn’t help but laugh again. Soon the two were ordered about like children, cleaning the pot under steamed water, Janoor and her children sent to his garden to pick more of the berries. They were from Jauhar, so berries were assumed to be a normal sustenance. They weren’t poisonous, thankfully, but they were rather exquisite. Once gathered, Uquin took an earthen cup and a needle, ignoring Janoor as she cried out in objection, trying to take the needle from his hand. Uquin shook her off, and she watched, intrigued but uncertain as he pricked the skin of the berries, and drained the viscous juice within into the bowl. It took many berries before the cup was even partially filled, but he only needed twenty or so to get as much as he needed. The berries were akin to the bulbs of Jauhar, only when popped they released a small amount of nectar, sweet like honey - and stirred in tea it helped to reduce chest congestion.
The pot, meanwhile, Uquin instructed his patient to add cleansed water and the grey, mineral-filled salt, with a blanket over the woman’s head. She was to inhale the steam through her nostrils until her breathed clear, multiple times a day. He showed them how to do it - this time without any interjection, and once his customers left Uquin finally turned to the sullen looking group.
When he pointed at them, they flinched. “I don’t need your pity. Or your help. I’m not an invalid, as you’ve had every opportunity to see.” Uquin began heatedly, insulted by their behavior. But his voice quieted. “The next time your interference hinders my treatment of a customer will be the last. You can stay until your home is finished, but then I want you out.”
And for once, they listened.
Showing he was capable didn’t fix everything. Janoor still stayed underfoot, but she stopped insisting he take the pulley system down to the forest floor. Uquin finally came to get Padma and bring her home, and if anything that helped keep Saffy happy - the two girls helped him in the garden, and having the company was actually pleasing. He even allowed Rook to take care of Ishtu, cleaning his cloven hooves and horn - which the boy actually seemed to enjoy. As more patients came to see him, trading gathered food and warm clothes, Raff and Janoor finally seemed to realize that his lack of food was hardly an issue.
The day finally came when the basic treehome had been finished, with some Shifter touches Raff added as he aided construction. Coming home from tending the garden and making rounds to his patients, many stricken ill by the increased cold of winter, Uquin found his house guests packed up, smiling ruefully. Janoor stepped forward and hugged him tightly. “You’re welcome in OUR house whenever you want to come by.” She joked with a smile, while Raff clasped him at the arm, smiling broadly. “Well - it’s been interesting, huh neighbor?” He huffed, grinning.
They were leaving. Uquin was relieved, but he had to admit he would miss the aid in the garden. Huffing quietly, the man turned his gaze away, thinking. “Your daughter seems to enjoy the garden. If she has a mind for it, she can come back, I suppose.” The girl perked up, smiling broadly, and Uquin had to fight to resist his lip quirking up as well. Once done, he turned from the door and ushered them out. At least they were gone, he thought as he shut the door.
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 4:42 pm
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Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2015 1:42 pm
Class Quest Result
Pass!
Uquin has passed and received a rank of Monk!
Congratulations Uquin!
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