Mai jolted reflexively as Skein started their spiel, skittering back over to Nameless. Big. She thought, feeling much like how the injured mice and prey-lessers present probably felt. "Sorry!" She yelped, reflexively. "I was-" But before she could explain, someone else was. A bird, albeit far different than her caretaker- Sleek, sharp, and dark as danger. Predatory. came to mind, but she felt far less threatened by the hawk than the looming giant in the treetops. "..Thank you." She replied, regardless of if Skein was truly deterred or not. She appreciated it regardless.

The endless influx of information provided by The Divine was frankly overwhelming. She chose to latch onto the one thing she was prepared to treat- the hunger. Her eyes- the two on her head, her tail-eye was still focused on Skein- scanned the clearing, looking for the traits The Divine had listed. Thin and too sharp, visible bones.

Many of the lessers present seemed to be hungry- among many others things. She was aware not all of them would want to eat the mushrooms, but unsure WHO would want to. She would start with one of the more familiarly shaped creatures- One of the huddled Kooru who looked particularly worse-for-wear. She plucked some of the mushrooms that she'd grown and trundled over, placing them carefully near the Kooru before skittering back. She'd watch quietly, hoping that it would help.

What the tree-shaped gembound said made indignation and anger and confusion boil up from her gut. She knew Order was Mother, but what was being said about Mother made no sense. Mother cared about all of her family! The lessers got hurt by Chaos, obviously! Chaos is indiscriminate in what it harms.

Right? Mother usually didn't respond clearly at distances like this, but Eiralys was desperate for confirmation. That this was all lies, that Mother was good. That this was a mistake or a ploy.

The promise for knowledge- and the fact Eira hadn't yet been called out as of yet- kept her perched in that tree. If she payed attention, she could learn to heal her family! She would use the knowledge of this enemy-of-Mother FOR Mother's family. She would listen carefully to The Divine's words, trying to ignore the newfound hate she felt for the gembound.

Eira wouldn't dare leave her perch, but she could still help... maybe. The black hawk pointed out a lesser that was sick, and Eiralys knew what to do about that, right? It was something inherent to her, even more so than Mother's love.

She didn't know if she had helped- she only felt the faintest spark of something in her chest, and the snake's physical condition didn't change. She would watch, and wait and listen- both to her external surronding's and Mother's gentle whispers.

Infinity was a little late to the party. Not as if they could help it. A double-sided cow traversing a treacherous swamp is quite the task.

By the time they arrived- exhausted and covered in muck- The Divine was already most of the way through her explanation of what to look for. Infinity got the gist of it, though, that they were to look for what was wrong with the injured lessers, so that they could fix it.

They lumbered over to a particularly exhausted Jungle Deer, one that barely reacted to the abomination's presence. Infinity would slowly lower themself to the ground, cupping their hands around the deer's face. They grasped at it gently with their magic, staring into it's unfocused eyes and probing the memory of meat and bone and stone. Looking for the cause- if random chance was so kind as to give them a useful memory.

Lumut listened, picking absently at her fur. When at last it was time to 'diagnose,' she struggled to apply everything that she'd just learned--half of which she didn't yet truly understand. But she waddled over, knuckle-walking (and wasn't being on the ground unpleasant? She wished the tree-lady had picked her up!) to the nearest Lesser deer, studying it.

She looked over the wild eyes, the shallow rapid breathing, and--oh. The broken hind leg, twisted and bent.

"Leg," she breathed, and turned toward the Divine, pointing at the deer. Her eyes were wide, alarmed, and concerned, and she jabbed a finger again in the leg's direction, as if this were clearly the most urgent thing to be found here at the moment. "Leg."

Lumut pursed her lips, wishing her abilities with language were more articulate--'leg' was... to the point, perhaps, but not all that descriptive.

CALL THE APOTHECARY!

The Divine's watchful eye slid from Gembound to Gembound, her head tipping as she listened and acknowledged. She offered advice, or information, here and there.

"An infection, yes. That is correct," she murmured to East. Kudzu's diagnosis of spider bite surprised her, and she slid closer to examine the wounds she had uncovered. A nod, clear approval in her expression, and she slid on, stepping gracefully to Mai. "Food and water are always important, especially to the sick... but ensure they are safe to eat, first. Rule out internal wounds," was the advice she offered, and a tilt of her head came with further advice: "and if they are near starvation... warm the food, or cold itself will kill them."

The Divine paused, slowly looking around, then. Her gaze slid across the branch where Eirlys perched--not yet seeing--but it was a warning: she sensed something off. Sensed, perhaps, the faintest touch of Mother yet present. The ptarmigan would not remain safe, here. That, despite the magic taking hold and cleansing the Lurker. Mother's voice--distant--came merely to assure Eirlys that these were lies. That Eridanus had been closed, its creatures starved, by the forces of Chaos that would rather see them perish than flourish in Order's loving gaze.

The jungle deer balked at being touched--it jerked from Infinity, bleating in alarm. As it twisted away, scrabbling at the dirt, Infinity would see the deer collapse, a massive clot of white mold fuzzed at its feet. It had been carrying leaves in its mouth: these, instead of eating, it dropped atop the pile. The white crept over the foliage a it watched, salivating, hungry... it had starved even while feeding the very fungus. And in what should have been its last moments it lay itself atop the pile, a living offering--and another figure appeared from just behind, massive and shadowed. Whatever this was it wasn't clear--perhaps a friend, or a foe--but the cause of this deer's decline was obvious enough. It was dehydrated, starving--nearly dead from simple, horrific self-neglect.

"Leg, indeed. It is broken," the Divine murmured, passing by Lumut with a nod.

---

"Now that you know what is wrong... I will teach you how to utilize the plant life to aid these creatures. Some are food, and some are medicinal--and some are very toxic." She began to move from plant to plant, around the edges of the clearing, showing each to the Gembounds present. "Taste means little--but do not test a plant by eating it. Break it, put a little on your skin--some are deadly, and will burn or blister, and putting it in your mouth could kill you. Others can ease pain, or provide energy. Others are simply good to eat," and here she began to give examples. She showed which plants here were medicinal--and how they might be identified, with shared (but not always certain) characteristics between them. She showed the warning signs--again, not always present--of toxic plants, and the way to tell when some might be good to eat...

"Try to select something that will work for your individual patient," she suggested. "Once we find the right plant, I will show you next how to mix it. And then, how to truly treat your patients."

---

Gembounds may roll to attempt to locate a plant appropriate for their chosen patient's treatment. They should not yet feed the plant to their chosen lesser. (Players may decide results!) They may use either the following new Tactic after claiming it, or any other roll they deem suitable.

Each round, a new mending-oriented Tactic will be unlocked. These tactics will be available in the shop, and Gembound currently present may post in Update Me to be granted the spell for half cost (the magicka should be available on that account).

Unlocked this round:

Herbalist.
Medium Intensity Detection. Those experienced with plants or fungus may make an educated guess as to the properties of a given plant or fungus. A successful roll may reveal one property accurately, while a failed roll may lead to misidentification of a plant's properties.

@Fulgur @Alek @Cadenza @Nameless @Gaheris @Lumut @Star @Adenium @Casimir @Kass @Eirlys @Mai @Kudzu @East @Skein @Grootslang @Infinity

Kudzu's gaze lingers on the tree-woman for a time, curious, observing.

She's never seen a plant that moves before. She wonders if other plants could move like her, too. She's never seen any in the swamps, but she's never been outside the swamps. Is there somewhere, distant, where there are more like her?

Her eyes drift farther from the mouse at her feet. The sheer mass of Gembound gathered makes unease coil in her stomach, but if she brushes past that, picking out the actual shapes and sizes of the Gembound, she can see another plant-creature. Such a large thing, this one, and in a much different shape than the Divine herself, but the similarities are there, aren't they?

She would like to talk to one of these plant-creatures one day, when there aren't such grave matters at hand. She feels like they'd get along.

With that thought in the back of her mind, she returns to her work, listening intently to the Divine's advice. Plants. She needs plants.

A few steps to the side (the jungle mouse isn't going anywhere, hah), and she begins to comb her hands through the plants in the clearing, fingers picking leaves through the swamp muck and breaking them as instructed against the skin of her palms.

...there, the little sprouts with the long, thin leaves. They don't burn or blister against her skin, which is a good sign, and Kudzu remembers distantly that she has, in fact, eaten these before. She'd taken a few brief forays into eating leaves before deciding that the little berries and other fruits found in the swamp tasted much better.

Also, these ones made her tongue numb. Not good for eating, but for pain relief? To stop the swelling around those pockmarked wounds? That was a good sign, indeed.

"Here," she says, holding up a handful of leaves and accompanying root system. "For the bite."

Lumut listened, one hand idly picking at a nostril in that childlike manner of a kid who's just never been told "hey, don't pick your nose." She sat back, her other hand loosely in her lap, but understood only about half of what The Divine was saying.

But... the gist of it was there. Plants, to use to help... with things. Well, a plant wouldn't fix a broken bone--right-? She didn't think so, anyway. But pain... the tree-lady had said some plants helped with pain, right? She'd even described some, little red flowers... The trick would be identifying the right ones.

Lumut pushed up, wiping a booger in the grass and knuckle-walking off for the edges of the clearing, brow raised as she searched the place where swamp met meadow.

Her rich brown eyes sought among the plant life, quickly discerning between these red flowers (too small, flat, with a pale interior) and those red flowers--tall, with a dark middle. She gently twisted off half a dozen stems, lips moving in apology to them, before turning and heading back again.

Then she sat back, ready for more of the lesson, reaching out with her free hand to reassuringly pat the broken-legged deer (which stared at her, nostrils flaring in horror).

Fulgur was a bit swept up in all the chaos - the lessers seemed to shy away from him, and he spent most of the time the others diagnosed their patients trying to find one who would tolerate him near it.

"Come on, little guy," he coos to a Tunnel Runner, trying to approach it. It struggles to get away, collapsing in the grass with a pained bleat.

Oh, right, he was supposed to be listening. The thing looked like it had something wrong with its legs... maybe something to numb the pain? He shifts, shaking, spurring his Flock to flitter off, and come back with something.

Two come back carrying a vine, with pink-purple flowers. Fulgur sniffs at it, and finds it makes him a little numb. Maybe this will do?

Now that the problem had been determined, a surprisingly easy discovery due to its similar representation in other species, next came the part where East was more likely to be entirely out of his depth than not. If the first step accomplished had been a wade through shallow waters, the world of herbs was the point where the ocean floor dipped and the waves might swallow him whole. Here the information was almost all new, and the deluge of it could drown a bird if he didn't follow the lecture attentively as possible. Guess he'd know quite soon if any important details had been retained.

Unaware that the Lurker had a helper in the trees already nudging its health in the right direction, he decided upon the main condition to treat with a snap of talons and a nod: the breathing difficulties which kept the snake's mouth ajar and likely caused a lack of appetite. Clear that up, and he might have genuine reason to remain out of lunging distance.

Set loose upon his task, the next moments were spent gliding over the boundaries of the clearing, a glance spared for some plants and a more intense examination for others. The most promising candidates based off of appearance he then subjected to the tests spoken of. Although he had a few instances of stings which made him wince, eventually the options narrowed down. When he returned at last to hover in the general vicinity of his patient, it was with a clear winner in clutches.

Gathered from the moister areas of the swampland, this plant was characterized by serrated leaves and a cluster of tiny purple flowers at its top. It possessed a sharp scent and a cold taste that seared through nostrils when left upon the tongue. Something that could cut through layers of built-up mucus though perhaps best taken in small doses.

CALL THE APOTHECARY!

"Now..." Her eyes ranged over the various plants. "Your next task is to prepare the herbs in question. For surface damage, a poultice or a wrap--cloth, steeped in a cream or fluid made from your chosen plant--may help. Otherwise, you may mix it with water, or water and honey or anything else that your patient might wish to drink, to make a potion. Alternatively, teas: steep the leaves in very hot water until it takes the color and nature of your plant..."

The Divine went on, and began to demonstrate each method, teaching the Gembound the basics of an apothecary's work. A small fire was formed in the cup of her hand by rubbing sticks above tinder, and this made a little flame in a pit before her; a large, damp acorn was suspended over it with growing vines as a makeshift pot, and filled with water for the Gembounds' use. Cloth strips were formed from plant fiber, and handed out as needed.

---

Gembounds may roll to attempt to create an appropriate delivery method for their chosen plant. They should not yet administer the treatment to their chosen lesser. (Players may decide results!) They may use either the following new Tactic after claiming it, or any other roll they deem suitable.

Each round, a new mending-oriented Tactic will be unlocked. These tactics will be available in the shop, and Gembound currently present may post in Update Me to be granted the spell for half cost (the magicka should be available on that account).

Unlocked this round:

Apothecary.
High Intensity Transformation. Expertise with plants allows the user to create a medicine or poison such as a tea, potion or poultice that can be used to treat or cause two symptoms (ex. fever, pain, or nausea). Creation requires a roll; administration of a treatment does not. This mixture is non-magical and cannot cause or resolve an illness, but can alleviate or cause symptoms.

@Fulgur @Alek @Cadenza @Nameless @Gaheris @Lumut @Star @Adenium @Casimir @Kass @Eirlys @Mai @Kudzu @East @Skein @Grootslang @Infinity

Additional note: Eirlys should GM tag if she chose to remain present, last round, and an additional GM post will be made to encompass The Divine's reaction.