un: yuheng; text

[wooden_one]

I was invited to work in the meteorologist institute. It's guarded on the outside but it's clear that no one has been inside for years. In fact, the last entry in the logbook was from around five years ago.

It referenced a drought and the appearance of some sort of "filthy water".

It seems too similar to what happened in Taravast to be mere coincidence.

[And five years again....what happened five years ago? How did such a huge and disastrous change happen over the sea and here at around the same time?]

They also decided to disregard my warning about the weather being poor. For some reason or another, Cain d'Ubiq had already decided to fly out. I cannot fathom why.

[He isn't good at politics. He knows, that Cain d'Ubiq must want something but to risk the dragons and other volunteers...why not wait? Surely, the craft they wanted to find would still be there after a couple of days delay?]

Comments

[wooden_one]

I suppose even this citadel being so high up couldn't keep disaster away.

There was no drought or black water in Taravast nor in Ellethia. This black water didn't appear out of nowhere. For it to appear in this place as well means there must be some link between this place and areas around the volcano.

[blackscales]

There may not have been this specific iteration, dark water, that we saw in Ellethia or Taravast but these locations have all been connected. Something was bound to turn up, eventually, that would connect this to the others.

[wooden_one]

[He resisted the urge to rub at the bridge of his nose. Even if no one can see it he has certain things he wished to avoid doing. Showing frustration is one of them.]

Perhaps I am focusing too much on the similarities of this dark water. From what I have heard the black water her causes disease not mutations.

I wish more had been written in that log.

[But this is what he has and he hates how little it is.]

[blackscales]

Only testing would truly show, but looking for patterns is natural -- and we do have a clear pattern here.

[wooden_one]

Perhaps if we had saved some of the water from before we could compare.

[But that also seemed potentially dangerous.

[blackscales]

I believe I would recognise the signature, but being able to compare the effects would have been useful. Something here might be causing it to behave differently, and without bringing in an outside sample we cannot prove if environmental impact is to blame for the change.

[wooden_one]

There is certainly something odd about this place. Whether the oddness may cause differences in the water or whether it is the other way around...that's something I doubt we can find an answer to.

[Ugh. He misses the days when he could just....dig up all his books and try to find clues.]

I need a drink.

[blackscales]

I would offer you one, but it seems we are split apart. I am in Minaras.

[wooden_one]

[...this is the first time someone has offered to drink with him besides Xue Zhengyong, so it catches him by surprise.

Perhaps the man is just being polite.]

I wasn't making an invitation.

[He deletes that without sending it. Even he can see that that was rude.]

Another time, perhaps.

[There, a way for them to get out of it. After all, no one would actually want to get a drink with him.]

[blackscales]

[ Can a dragon not offer someone a drink without invitation? ]

Likely we should take advantage while we remain somewhere well stocked. No doubt we'll soon be stranded somewhere more inhospitable soon enough.