Snake oil (Solo)

[Devandre]

Timestamp 82 Winter 509AV

The sun that morning was an eerie blood red as it broke the thin surface of the horizon. Devandre had just fallen into a social trap. He had never been one to work with a team after what had happened in his past. He was seriously contemplated not returning to the strange castle. Being very wary of the entire setup knowing that supernatural forces were at work. Wizards and Witches always seemed to scare Devandre the idea that someone could use magic to bend physical law didn’t sit well.

All of this however did not stop Devandre from doing what he had set out to the Wildlands to do. He had already gathered flowers he needed to make a very weak tincture that will blind and cause pain to anyone who gets it in their eyes or open wound. After he found a clearing he took the flowers and placed them into a bottle of very strong spirits. Using the staff of an arrow to crush and squeeze the juices from the flowers, helping the spirit to quickly dissolve the chemical hidden in the dead petals. The bottle could only hold approximately ten doses of the liquid.

Devandre was in luck as he finds a plant that a book called a Whinnis. Having removed one of his gauntlets and replacing it with a leather glove he began to dig around and look for the most useful part, the roots. Blue in color they contain the toxins. Having uncovered some of the root he pulled on it to remove the plant from the ground. Shaking and brushing some of the dirt off he puts his collection of root into a pouch, his eyes looked around and found another particularly useful plant. Bump root, the plant under went similar care as he managed to only harvest a third of what he could have been harvested if he had pulled gentler.

Devandre took his collection and found a stream near by using it to rinse the roots clean of the soil. Sitting down he took some of the roots and placed them in a small mortar. Using the pestle to, grind the blue and yellow roots together creating a paste like substance. After several minutes mashing and mixing, he moved the paste out of the mortar and divided it into two vials. Adding to the vials some tincture to help thin the paste into a slightly teal liquid. Corking both vials and placed them away somewhere on his person for ease of retrieval. Devandre crafted this toxic mixture with no intentions of killing anyone or cause serious damage.

The remainder of the roots was put away for future use. The tincture however remained out along with his dagger and arrows. The tincture was dripped onto the arrow tips before being set down to dry in the sun. Once the arrows dried of the poison the process was repeated over again. After three coats a thin film of crystallized poison coat the tips ready to inflict pain, damage, and cause a mess when needed. Devandre suspected however that he would be using his dagger and brain more then the arrows within the walls of the castle if he chooses to show up. Among the arrows were smaller dart looking arrows meant for a new toy, which he had bought himself. A spring blade that had been built into one of his gauntlets, loaded with one of the darts. He had been practicing aiming earlier that week and decided to practice a bit more but adding a bit of blade practice in as well.

[Devandre]

He walked around the Wildlands as if looking for a familiar area. After some time he found a particular tree he had come to many times before. Standing at a distance from the tree, he closes his eyes as he breathes in and takes a defensive position. He stood at a distance from the tree before beginning to talk to himself.

"It hasss been a while old friend, hasssn't it?"
Devandre while speaking was removing his cloak revealing his long off white shirt and brown pants.

“Hey are you just going to stand there until you become stone?”

Devandre’s eyes shifted as he turned toward the tree not expecting to hear let alone see anyone standing near the tree.

“Jamesss! Long time no sssee, I hope you are doing well.” He replied to the figure.

“I am only doing as well as you are, you know that.” James smiled at Devandre, who was returning it as well.

“I supossse your right, it hasss been a while sssince I lasst encountered you.” Devandre crooked a brow as he drew his dagger.

“Indeed, shall we stop chit chatting and begin?”
James drew his dual short swords, wielding them in a skilled manor before taking an offensive stance toward Devandre.

“You still have the matter of going back to that castle to sort out.”
James began to slowly approach Devandre, the two of them often sparred when trying to figure something out.


“I don't know, I don't really like the entire circumstancess of it.” Devandre replied holding his ground waiting for James to strike first. James had slid into striking distance and began to attack Devandre. His arms brought down both of the blades which where blocked by Devandre's gauntlets. Devandre used the teeth to lock the blades to his arms as he uses his entire body to redirect the force of the attack back to James knocking him off balance. Devandre used this bit of time to launch a quick attack on James, the dagger was brought quickly across James's chest and then buried deep into the side of James's chest.

James grunted from the blow then smiled and chuckled, "That is one for you. I don't even know why I try to attack you. You have one of the better defense reflexes around, it was always that way. But you are not really the people person, maybe you should go to the castle and at least try to interact with people instead of hiding away in that cave of a home of yours." James was pressed against a tree, Devandre standing in front of him blocking any exit. Yet James seemed to vanish from being pierced on the blade leaving the dagger buried in the tree.

Devandre put a lot of effort to get his blade unstuck from the tree struggling a little.
"What's wrong Arthur having trouble pulling your sword from the tree?" James teased as he stood behind Devandre.

"Tsk, how long have you been waiting to throw that line back at me?" Devandre had manage to get his blade dislodged from the tree. His body turned around swiftly as he began to run toward James, his wrist moving up to aim the dart launching device for James's sternum. The device fires with a load ping as the dart hurls toward James and pierces James's chest.

"What the devil was that..." James began to ask but was cut off as Devandre was quickly upon him dagger going for his chest again. James though was quick and blocked the blade before it got to his flesh. Devandre persisted though pressing against the blades.

If someone where to walk by Devandre at this moment you would see a short man pressing his dagger into a tree as if trying to shove the blade directly through the wood trunk.

"Jusst a new toy you like it?"

James moved away as Devandre jumped away as well, the attack ending in a draw.
"Yes it is bloody deceiving I barely even notice something left your wrist."

"That is the point..." Devandre cleaned his blade as James began to approach Devandre again. James's blade began to come down toward Devandre, he blocked it again but was soon having to focus his attention to the other blade coming from a second angle. This being blocked by his blade, James had brought the first blade away and began to mount a second swinging blow to Devandre who blocked it again.

The tree that he was imaging blocking against made hard thumping noises as the gauntlet covered forearms was push with some force against the trunk blocking imaginary blades.

"But I feel you are right Jamess, maybe I do need to be a little more social. I mean one assassin isn't what I would call a healthy social life." He continued to block as James replied.

"Yeah you should, it could be healthy for you. In addition it could lead to some fun of another kind if you know what I mean." James said as his attacks became less fluent but quicker. Both blades and gauntlets contacted several more times as Devandre spoke.

"Hmm if that isn't incentive enough...I will go." Devandre sees an opportunity to strike James and he takes it. His weight is rapidly pressed from back legs forward as he shoves his shoulder into James's chest tackling him. His body is stopped quickly as he is jerked into reality rather painfully. His shoulder blade making contact with the tree in front of him hard.

"Oh my godsss!" Devandre was knocked back as his energy put into the tackle was shoved back into his body, pushing him backward and landing on his back. He laid there as a painful throb emanated through his arm.

"Nice talking to you again Jamesss, just wish every time we meet I don't go away hurting." Devandre now got no response as his shoulder swelled a little. "Hmm nothing seems to be broken." He tested his shoulder by rolling it as he remained on the ground.

"Well I guess I should make my way back to the castle." He began to stand, his right arm no help in getting his body up as it was completely numb from the hit. He managed to get his robe and gear back on, he stopped at the tree he was originally looking for. His hand moving to retrieve something from his pack, a bottle of drinking spirits.
"Thiss was your favorite drink," he walks around the tree revealing an arrow which was decorated with what looked like a small serpent charm. Below the arrow embedded in the tree was the name "James" Devandre placed the bottle at the foot of the tree as he said, "My blessing friend."

[Devandre]

The short man was making his way back to castle while thinking to himself, Devandre's brain never seemed to rest always sharp and always questioning. His knife he decided to keep hidden under his cloak. Even though he was about to throw himself into a nest of strangers, he strangely felt safe. Perhaps it was the idea that everyone participating in the game was under the same rules as he, in other words each of them have equal restraints. Through the forest he traveled, playing with his bow's draw string. The string wrapped around his shoulder and not attached to his body so he could easily slip it off in preparation to draw and fire the weapon when needed.

"Maybe I should shoot a few arrows before going back? Now now Devan now you are jussst trying to waisst time and you know time doesssn't litter the foresst floor." The castle's protecting walls soon faded into sight again as he observed a small group of people gathered at the edge of the moat. He could make out horses but that didn't tell him much about the people. They could be just riders or Drykas, either way he already disliked them. Even though the game had not begun officially for everyone, the game had started for him.

The Game

[Gossamer]

Devandre Experience: +1 Poison, +1 Dagger Additional Notes: I have to say while the writing was well constructed the post structures seemed really disjointed. I would have liked to see you spend more time thinking about the poisons and creating them. James truthfully came out of nowhere and it seemed like you just had no idea what to write for the thread to complete it. That being said, if they were two separate threads broken into more posts with more content, they have the potential to be amazing. And truthfully, II do see your writing improving daily.

[Devandre]

Thanks for the tips and the kind words Gossamer.