ORIGIN

Do you need something? We can get it. For a price.

The gemstone of a specific Lesser? A rare plant in a hard-to-reach cave? A certain type of armor scrap? Yeah, we can find that for you. It'll take time, but we'll get someone on the job. We're not craftsmen, though. Go find a buildy-type guy for that.

Hey. Psst. You. We have something else you might be interested in...

...This Oilstone we smuggled outta Draco? Or this dust off one of them Fairywing things? You can lick it. Or sniff it. Eat it? I dunno but man, you sure do feel colors after that. How about some deadly black butterfly poison for perfectly reasonable usage?

Oh, and you. You, over there. ...You doin' anything? Feel like joinin' up?

We're lookin' for all sorts. Little, sneaky guys who can steal--err, procure!--stuff without bein' seen. Fast guys who can get in and out for, y'know, deliveries. And big guys. To protect all the other guys. You followin'?

Concept: This one is one I've proposed a couple of times, but given current site activity, I want to launch it FOR REAL this time. It is a bunch of "procurers," on the surface. An organization of characters that can get what other characters want, or need. Don't feel like rolling 20 times for your Lesser with a stone, or your crafting materials? Give that job to us! However, underneath that role, there's a darker current: the procurement, and dissemination, of less... upstanding materials. Activity can include gathering and treating these materials, moving them through the cave, preparing smugglers' dens to hide these things away, and trying to find reliable buyers. Also, possibly, getting people hooked on sniffing spider venom. (We'll see.)

Member Types: Bruisers (for protection/escort), craftsman/alchemists (for poisons etc), pirates!! because PIRATES!! (for swashbuckler style transport, yes please), masterminds, thugs, scoundrels, troublemakers.

Requirements: IC, follow Archimedes (he's not a tyrant, but an organizer; he Gets Things Done, though he'd be likely to ask his bruiser fellow to come down hard on Guys Who Disrespect so anyone who wants to be that violent jerk lmk); "keep your fuckin' mouth shut." OOC, no real requirements! Just have the char fit.

Group Spell: TBA, but likely either a Tactic or Spell that will aid them in their task. AKA allowing them to look more intimidating, sneak more efficientlye, convince enemies/potential customers, etc.!

Interested? Post here!

CONTRABAND:

Some potential toxins and recreational drugs, from the Lesser Gembound Guide:

Frostbite Lurker (Snake) - Its venom induces localized paralysis and weakness in the limbs, like a sensation of frostbite.

Golden Charger (Snake) - Their bite carries venom which inflicts a dangerous condition called "Stonerot," rapidly calcifying the surrounding tissue. Small prey quickly succumb to organ or respiratory failure, and larger prey can be seriously maimed by the bite. The calcification can never be wholly reversed.

Basilisk (Snake) - If provoked, their bite can deliver an agonizing venom: a searing-hot toxin that make the victim feel as though they are burning alive. It likely has some chemical similarities to capsaicin, and is generally completely debilitating to even the largest Gembound for hours. The very careful and very knowledgable can harvest this venom: either as a poison, having similar effects when consumed, or as a watered-down poultice that aids greatly in preventing infection and promoting new growth in wounds.

Slime Belly (Lizard) - The slime is toxic, and if ingested without cleaning it off can induce extreme illness (vomitting, headache, stomach cramps) for a few days, though it isn’t fatal.

Firetongue (Lizard) - They do possess a paralytic venom that can last for twenty to thirty minutes.

Spitting Bug (Spider) - This venom can, after very brief absorption through the skin, paralyze smaller prey (usually Cave Mice) and cause skin rashes or irritation when used against larger threats

Phantom Biter (Spider) - Their fangs are large, and jaws surprisingly strong, for something so tiny; they can pierce most skin or even leathery hide with ease. This bite can cause powerful hallucinations in the victim, so that it’s difficult to tell what is real and what is not. Though often terrifying, some might use this bite recreationally, if they can somehow find a spider; it’s not physiologically dangerous.

Deer Spider (...Spider) - The venom is a paralytic neurotoxin as well as dissolving the tissues of injected victims, making them easier to consume. Even a baby Deer Spider’s bite can become badly-infected and gangrenous.

Sand Spider (also a spider) - They focus on smaller prey, and their venom--though very painful, and even temporarily debilitating (causing stiffness, infection, swelling, and cramping), is rarely fatal to larger Gembound.

Death Crawler (Bug) - Its glowing orange spots provide a warning, however, of its toxicity: if ingested it will cause violent seizures, foaming at the mouth, necrosis of the organs, and eventual death in even the largest Gembound. Even just touching its slick shell is enough to cause numbness.

Dust Moth (Bug) - If inhaled, or if the moth is consumed, vivid hallucinations can occur. These are not dangerous on their own, though they can of course prompt dangerous behavior if the victim loses track of reality and, for example, falls or drowns.

Fairyfly (Bug) - They are large and shimmering, and they may be distantly related to the Dust Moth: their iridescent dust, though far more colorful, is likewise hallucinogenic if inhaled or consumed.

Kiss of Death (Bug) - They are rarely preyed upon, despite their slow, erratic flight, as they are extremely toxic: eating a single Kiss of Death butterfly can be fatal. Their toxin results in seizures, foaming at the mouth, coma, and possibly even death; the neurotoxin can kill even the largest Gembound fairly quickly. Often, a predatory Lesser will die within a minute, with larger Gembound returning to their chrysalis or outright dying within twenty. Their caterpillars are fuzzy black, and almost as toxic as the adults.

Cave Scorpion (Bug) - The venom of the Cave Scorpion, injected by the tail tip, causes first sharp pain, then numbness, leading quickly to paralysis that spreads from the affected site. Gembound of the Scorpion’s size or smaller will be fully paralyzed, though those double or larger its size may only find the afflicted area stunned. If the victim survives, extreme pain, cramping and necrosis at the bite site can follow.