Dreadlords Of Plants and Pyres

[Trix]

"Let's see," Trix carefully took out one of the rats that had been locked in the cage. Mostly they were there for the plants to eat, but occasionally they were also helpful for experiments such as this one. She felt the creature in place and pushed a syringe into its mouth giving it a small measure to begin with then put it back in the cage. For the rat next door she dripped some on its coat and the third she dripped into an air filter which was pumping into a solid glass cage.

"This allows us to see if it does work, how it's best applied," she explained as she locked the last rat inside. The first rodent to show signs of distress was the second who began to gnaw and itch at its side as though plagued by fleas. For a good few minutes though aggressive scratching was all it did. The one which had been forced to swallow the concoction was next to show any symptoms, beginning to heave up the contents of its stomach.

But it was the third one that interested Trix the most. Five minutes ticked by and the rat had gone about the cage as though nothing were wrong. Suddenly it began to tear at the contents of its cage, destroying its bowl and water bottle. Foam began to froth at its mouth and then it turned towards the two dreadlords and hurled itself against the glass. Over and over.

 

[Thraah]

"WOW!" Thraah jumped back from the cage.
She had never seen anything go aggro like that before.
"What happened? Is it like, psycho now?"
She watched the poor beast almost destroy itself with its effort and suddenly she wasn't as excited about this anymore.
"That's messed up."
Backing away from the table she tried to look at anything other than the poor creature killing itself with frenzy.

Trix

 

[Trix]

Trix merely picked out her notebook and began taking crisp, concise recordings of the three experiments underneath what she had written the previous day about the odd rot.

"The plant you found the rot on is called Inquiétant d'esprit - the Mind Meddler. They're fairly harmless in comparison to most of the things in here, but when they're used in things like perfume people who smell it can be more agreeable to things you suggest. Kind of like how an empath can alter your feelings. It seems that the rot you discovered has a bit of a more violent twist on its abilities."

She glanced over her shoulder to where the kid had retreated.

"I didn't think you were squeamish."

 

[Thraah]

"I'm not, it's just. The rat startled me is all."
Thraah made quick attempts to bring herself out of her fright, mostly to avoid being thought of as squeamish.
Which consisted of blinking twice and making the fakest laugh anyone has ever heard then relaxing her body to an almost humorous degree.
"It's whatever. I guess I just figured it wouldn't go berserk."
She inched closer to the cages again and watched the poor creature continue to beat itself against the glass.
Determined to not lose her cool again in front of the raddest person she had ever seen she cocked her arm up on the counter as casually as she could and asked.
"So... if this was used on like an army it would make them, like this?"
She pointed at the glass cage now stained with blood from the rats attempts to get at them.

Trix

 

[Trix]

Trix's only reply to Thraah's claims was a quiet snort; perhaps she was growing as a person. A year ago she would have continued to mock the girl.

"Theoretically, yes," Trix nodded. The other two rats still lived though were clearly extremely ill. The third had lasted five minutes before collapsing, its little body rigid in death. With care Trix pushed a lever that would safely fumigate the cage. "If you had a forcefield user you could encase a city then let in this gas, turn the whole population into rabid animals. I suspect they would just kill each other," she blew on the ink to dry it before closing the notebook.

"We'll probably test it on some larger animals then work up to a small population of elves, see if it works."

 

[Thraah]

A whole new reaction flared in Thraah's chest.
"Why elf's?"
Animals were one thing but Thraah had grown up in the poorest areas, next and even among elf slums. She was not one who approved of the elitist thinking of most Anirians.
She felt a wave of heat kick out from her torso. A warning heat, heavier than it would have been outside the greenhouse.
But she waited. She held back because she didn't want to believe that Trix, someone so cool and even associated with Maseno would be like that.
Then again... Trix was likely from money and in Thraah's experience, the wealthy were all too happy to believe in elf and other non-human inferiority or that they were expendable.
And though she would never admit it, it pained her heart to think that Maseno might share those beliefs.

Trix

 

[Trix]

Trix didn't turn to the girl as she lifted open the cage of the living rats and set down little bowls of food. She wondered if the cure that worked on humans to resist the plants effects would aid them in their recovery. It was always important to find the cure as well as the poison, after all. She was so focused on her work that she didn't even notice her words had upset the girl.

"Because, no matter what they tell you kid, they still see elves as less than humans. There's no way they would let me test this on good Anirian men and women. No, if they want to test something like this they'll try it on a group they don't like," there was a grim set to her tone and a tightness to her expression but she dallied there on the edge of traitorhood, didn't quite jump off the edge and condemn the new world.

 

[Thraah]

"But that's horse turds."
Another wave of heat emanated from her. She felt encouraged now, able to let loose a bit.
One of the advantages of being a loud mouthed troublemaker was that whenever she blasphemed or spoke seditious intent it was treated like she was trying to get a rise out of people. Few if any thought she meant it but often she did.
She looked at Trix who didn't seem happy with what she was saying but Thraah knew some Dreadlords lied and cheated to make people believe things.
While not usually one for suspicious thinking Thraah couldn't help but keep wondering if Trix was paying lip service or wether she really disapproved of how elf's were treated.

Trix

 

[Trix]

"Wake up kid, that's life. At least here it is," she sighed and finally turned around in her chair, scowling at the use of magic in an environment where fire was certainly not welcome. Some of the plants were beginning to grow agitated and writhed like snakes about to strike. "Knock it off or I'll dump you outside."

One of the plants with sharp looking teeth hissed in agreement.

"Look, there are some of us who don't like how these things work and we try to change them, but change takes time. The Revolution only really changed the face of it all, now we have to do the real work. But that takes time."

 

[Thraah]

"Yeah well, some of them don't have time."
She said, snuffing out her arms and hands to punctuate her statement.
To the hissing plants she hissed back, in no mood to be cowed.
"And I know what the revolution promised but it didn't happen. And elf's still pay for it, despite all the help they gave."
Folk didn't like to bring it up but Elf slaves did a lot for the effort. Thraah's Momni told her all about it.
How they were taking messages, told the rebellion where to go. Overheard strategies and used that to help thwart them.

Trix

 

[Trix]

"No some of them don't. Some of us didn't get the time either," a darkness fell over Trix's gaze as her jaw clenched, thinking back to a year ago when instead of feeling the buzz from a dance full of pretty lights and idle flirting, most of her class had been dead or in the infirmary. She shook her head to clear the memories of screaming and mutilated bodies. It wasn't meant to have happened. It shouldn't have happened. Yet..

She looked back at the new found weapon before them and the notes in her journal.

"Look kid, I'm not a philosophy Proctor. I don't particularly enjoy the thought of people dying in a rando experiment, but if they can guarantee this works then it might save an army one day. My friends lives one day. Yours. Maybe even the elves in those slums. So we do what we do, and we change stuff when we can."

 

[Thraah]

The explanation gave little peace to Thraah's mind.
It was still messed up and wrong but Trix did express that she'd like things to get better.
Maybe that could be enough for now.
It gave her an idea though.
"Does anyone have to know about it? Like, have you told anyone?"
Her eyes flickered to the various containers of the poison.
If she was fast enough...

Trix

 

[Trix]

Trix's eyes narrowed.

"Proctor Narcissus. Destroying this won't save them, Thraah. If it's not this it'll be something else," she ran a hand down her face. Of course, the one time she would show some interest in an initiate and they had to be a fanatic. If the girl only knew what bit of Aniria she served, she might realise by Trix was not keen to be having this conversation. She glanced at the plants as if debating if they would rat on her.

"Look. This whole thing might be a bust anyway, it might only work on animals. If it gets to the stage they're doing experiments on people - elf, human, orc, whatever - I'll send you a message. Just... take Mas with you if you plan to do something stupid, okay?"

 

[Thraah]

Thraah smiled.
Ruining things was fun, ruining a bad thing was better but conspiracy to ruin something big was the best.
Yet there it was. Instruction, which she hated. Control over people was something assholes did.
Then again... Maseno was...
*Badump!*
Thraah felt herself begin to get pleasantly warm, that sunny morning sun kind of warm chasing away nights chill.
"Ah, he's eh... I mean, if I eh..."
She looked directly at Trix and spoke in an unusually clear cadence.
"Do you think he'd agree? To come with me if I asked him?"

Trix

 

[Trix]

"Mas the doer of good?" Trix rolled her eyes. As much as she loved her cousin the pair could not have been more dissimilar as of late. If an old woman had fallen down in the street, Mas would have stopped to help her home and then probably been coerced into staying for tea and to meet the womans granddaughter. Trix would have been the one to trip her.

"Yeah, he'd go with you. Probably keep you from burning down half the city though."

 

[Thraah]

Thraah would happily burn down every rotten building in every Vel if it meant she could get rid of Anirian pig headed, hateful, spiteful... twice, she'd do it twice. Second time just for fun.
"You say that like it's a bad thing. Maseno is an, a..."
The word was there in her brain she just couldn't see it.
"He just wants shit to be better. What's wrong with that?"
Thraah felt a bit of a pang of guilt saying that. She had done some nasty things to people. Usually put of spite or just cause she was mad at something but she didn't hurt anyone, not seriously.

Trix

 

[Trix]

Because it means he is going to find this world hard. Especially with those gifts...

"It's a family thing," Trix said instead and then glanced beyond her to the crowds once more filling the courtyard. Kress was she glad she no longer had to do that. "Anyway, you should get going. When I heard something about... this, I'll send a message."

Probably not in the way she would expect, but spies had to be careful.

"Pass my love on to my cousin when you see him next," and with that she turned back to her work.

 

[Thraah]

"You'd better."
Thraah said moving to leave. It wasn't a real threat more a reinforcing of her position on the topic.
She wasn't satisfied that somehow someone would try to use this on Elf's or anyone else. It could be stopped now but later might have to do.
Good thing there were people she could call on to go with her.
Cause some trouble.
Maseno yes but not just him.
Thraah smiled and thought of rich people's homes burning.