Completed Malevolent Mixes

Kiva makes poison for her job.

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The Citadel of the Dead Queen, Black Rock is the island off of the eastern coast of Falyndar. Mythic and mysterious, few know what truly inhabits it. [Lore]

Malevolent Mixes

Postby Kiva on August 31st, 2015, 10:19 pm

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68th of Summer, 515 A.V
Early morning, Black Rock Shore

Summer 515 A.V Job Thread: Kiva gathers some aquatic life/plants, and brings them back to Tokia's tonics to be crafted.

The water was calm today, perfect for what was planned. It would have to be. Long legs stepped off the smooth rocks of Black Rock's beach, dipping beneath cool water. She released a sharp sigh, and moved further in, bare skin prickling with goosebumps as she dipped beneath the waves. "Alright, Laviku," Kiva muttered self consciously. She had never attempted to talk to the god, "I respect you... I do not know what you like, however I hope you will allow me to be successful today." With that, she lowered her head into the water, her dark hair swirling around her head like a shroud of wispy smoke.

She went deeper, opening her eyes under the salty water. The sensation stung only slightly, and she scanned the ocean floor for anything she could use. Mostly sand. Holding her breath, Kiva reached out and ran her hands through the grit. Light sand shifted to reveal a darker, smoother grain.

'Huh, I never noticed that.'


She quickly rose for air, took a few breaths, and re-submerged, going deeper until her feet could no longer touch. There was a small decline away from the cliffs, not a sudden drop off like she had been expecting. The ocean was still so foreign to her, she guessed it to be one big endless hole with strange creatures. and challenges at every turn. It was a pleasant surprise to find out that she could take a nice dip every now and then, not having to fear for her life.

As she swam, the sand began curling with its own flora. Strips of green curled and swayed in the waves, and tiny fish darted as she grew closer. She rose for a breath, and dunked under the water again. This time, she struggled to keep herself low to the bottom, waving her arms to prevent herself from floating. Her hair swished this way and that, and she brushed it from her face. Kiva reached out to feel the consistency of the plant, noting it was slimy but resilient. It's coloration was a dark green and she wanted to see it in the sunlight. Plucking a handful free, she plucked it close to the base and then kicked her feet, propelling herself to the surface.

She inhaled deeply, catching her breath and lifted her prize out of the water. The plant was thin and flaccid, sticking to her arms and draping out of her palm. But was it edible? Smelling the plant, Kiva tentatively brought it to her lips, and nibbled on it. It was salty, but had a strangely earthy taste. Very vegetable like.

Interested, Kiva began heading to the shore where her stuff laid discarded on the shore. Walking along the beach, tiny grains of sand stuck to her feet and legs, an annoyance for the girl more than anything. She pushed free of the water, wading through it and back to land a challenging task. When she was completely free of the ocean's embrace, Kiva sauntered to her stuff and dropped the bundle of seaweed on a smooth rock, drying her hands off on towel she had borrowed from her employer. It was lunch time.

Kiva's eyes scanned up the beach and along the cliffs. A few dried out pieces of driftwood littered the beach, most having been washed ashore and dried from the sun. She ran to collect them, scooping them up in her arm. The wood was worn, an ashen white, or light brown, and rather light for its size. When Kiva could carry no more, she dumped the contents on the sand and grabbed her bag.

Inside was her journal, which she retrieved first, along with another borrowed item - ink and a quill. She would return this all when she went back to Tokia's, but they allowed her temporary use. Work equipment, they called it. She was careful not to allow her hair to drip on the pages, and she flipped to a blank canvas, prepping her quill and began to write:

I am on Black Rock, in the Summer of 515. While swimming (Eastern Bay), I found a plant in ocean (growing from rocks in sand).

Kiva flipped to a past page to check the spelling of a word she had previously copied, and began investigating the plant, noting all the details. Then she continued.

Name: ?
'Characteristics:
- Long, slimy when wet. Sways in water.
- Appears darker in water. Light green in sun.
- Wavy, tapers at end.
- Edible (Myrian)


Her handwriting was naturally messy so she slowed her script, working on making each letter eligible for reading at a later time. There was so little she knew about some plants, so she paid careful attention to each one, writing details that may help her identify it at a later date. Mook was always pleased with her notes, even if they were on the messy side. 'Ah! Field work. Very good, Kiva.' he would praise, but the Myrian suspected it was because he urged her to find hobbies outside of fighting.

Botany was something that interested the young woman, and she took it's study to heart. Caiyha had many secrets and each creation was vastly different. To understand the goddess' work, would be to show her loyalty. At the thought, Kiva began drawing the plant, a scratchy sketch that to the average on-looker, would do no justice to the specimen. To her, it was just an aid to spark the memory, so that she would be able to recall her understanding.

With scratchy lines, she worked on an outline, and some scribbles for the rocks. Her drawing skills were lacking, but the feeling of pen on paper was a strangely cathartic experience for her. It was different than hitting a dummy, or working on her stances. In its own way, the sketching calmed her.

When she was finished, Kiva set her work aside, and began rummaging in her satchel for another item in her arsenal. Flint and steel. The soft wind chilled her, and she began to hit the two together in hopes of a fire. More than once a spark flew, but it did not catch. The brown eyed woman frowned, continuing her endeavors. More sparks, no fire.

Kiva's sketch :
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*As a writer, it's so fun for me to imagine my character's skill level. I love to draw OOC, so simplifying my own abilities to represent what Kiva might make is fun. I hope to show her improvements through these types of threads and I think it will be really cool later down the road.
★★★
Last edited by Kiva on February 1st, 2016, 12:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Malevolent Mixes

Postby Kiva on January 25th, 2016, 11:57 pm

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It took a number of tries for Kiva to realize what she was missing - tinder. The sudden realization washed over her like the waves, and she jumped to her feet, abandoning her task. Naked and roaming Black Rock's shores, the Myrian pattered over the the rocks further away from the water, where only sparse grasses grew. It didn't take long for her to find what she was looking for. Her dark eyes spotted some dried gnarled twigs and grass hiding behind a large boulder, the flora looking like it was more than dead and dry. Plant life was rare on the island, this type of stuff being some of the few options available. Hunched over, Kiva started weeding out the prospective tinder, yanking it from it's home and crunching it in her hands. She repeated the process, and returned to her fire.

"There we go," she said, adjusting her firewood into a more suitable position, and placing tucking the tinder within in. Then she tried again. Grabbing her flint and steel, she hit the two together, adjusting the angles and pressure. Some sparks fell on her tinder and died. She tried again, prepping herself. This time when a spark fell on the dried grass, she was careful to blow gently, breathing life into it. Small tendrils of smoke rose into the sky, an ember burning.

Hope jumped in the Myrian's chest, and she wanted to sing to it. "Come on, little one," she cooed, fanning the baby flame. The ember burned brighter, then began fading. Kiva blew soft air on it until the beginning of a fire emerged. The tiniest flame danced to life, eating its way through the leaves. It took it some time to kiss the bark of the drift wood, but the dried wood soon began blackening as the flame moved across its surface and grew in size. More smoke rose skyward, causing her eyes to water, but Kiva did not give up.

It wasn't until she was confident that it no longer needed her help to florished, when she sat back and admired her work. In the dim light of the morning, her flame illuminated the beach, and the cloudy day improved.

Allowing the heat from the fire to warm her bare skin, Kiva basked in the glow and enjoyed the smell. She moved slowly, like a cat stretching out, to pull the seaweed back into her lap and piercing it with her kris. The blade reflected the light, and stabbed through the thin skin of the aquatic flora easily. Kiva weaved it, so that it would not fall off and when she was happy with its secured state, held it over the flame, rotating the blade in her hand.

The fire would have no effect on the metal, as it did not burn hot enough, nor sat directly in it. The Myrian kept slowly rotating the wet substance, curious as to how it would taste roasted.

The process was slow. Kiva had no spices, nor other food to go with it, so the results of her scavenging had been scarce. The flames licked her meal, but did not catch. Periodically, she removed it from the flame and tentatively touched it, feeling how hot it was, and more than once, burning herself. Then she would return it and continue her slow roasting. Many chimes passed, but the heat of the fire kept her in a good mood, until finally, when she check it, she found that the skin was drying and getting a bit of a crisp. The woman also noted the coloration change, how it darkened significantly.

"Now are you ready?" Her stomach growled and she blew on her dish, and then taking a tentative bite. It was hot and crispy, crunching lightly in her mouth before flaking on her tongue. A very unique texture. Kiva examined it some more and took another bite, enjoying the taste. She partially wished for the flavorful meat of a fish, but for a simple dip in the water, this wasn't a bad gig.

She quickly finished her meal and added another note in her journal:

' -Tastes pleasant when roasted over a fire. Needs seasoning.

When she had finished her meal, Kiva looked back over the water. The waves still lapped lazily, and in the far distance she could see small ships bobbing along the water. 'Svefra,' Kiva guessed, 'Probably fishing.' Rising to her feet, Kiva headed back towards the water, her skin prickling at the coolness of it. She swam out again, looking for more of her seaweed, bobbing more than once beneath the waves and kicking her feet to go deeper. It took her a few tries, but she located it and collected more, moving further down the shore. The cliffs became rocker, but not too jagged or sharp, and she grew close, inspecting the slime that clung to the surfaces. As she rounded the corner, she saw another type of plant coating the rocks like soggy clothes. It appeared like the seaweed she had, similar in texture, but its shape was far different. It's coloration looked far more light green, and heavy. Intrigued, Kiva plucked a few of these free, pulling herself from the water and balancing on the rocks.

How much life was in Laviku's domain? Was this his working, or Caiyha's? Gathering as much as she could, she resubmerged in the water and began swimming to the best of her ability back to her campfire. Holding her breath began to tire her, but she pressed through the burning in her lungs. To her surprise, the fire still thrived but would need to be tended to soon, and she rose back from the waves, throwing her prize onto the sand.

She dried off again with the towel and the fire, getting dressed and collecting all of her things. It was time to head to work, and present her findings to her employer. Tucking the seaweed into a jar, she slung her things on her back and began jogging up the beach.
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Malevolent Mixes

Postby Kiva on January 26th, 2016, 12:57 am

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[45 Chimes Later]

When Kiva reached the worn shack of a building, she pushed open the faded door and held up her spoils, "Tokia, Mook! I'm here." She carefully stepped over the books scattered in the middle of the floor and made her way to a table that was mostly clear, save for a number of potted plants that were stacked about.

The head of her employer poked out from the back, "Kiva," she greeted, nodding at the jar in her hands, "What have you brought me?"

Wasting no time, the apprentice removed the lid and pulled out the two different types of plants, "This. What is this? It was growing on the rocks and under the water."

Tokia laughed, "Seaweed? You brought me one of the most common plants in all of Mizahar." The woman stepped closer, eyeing the two, "However," she noted, "There are many different kinds. Let's see. Put it on the table."

Doing as she was instructed, Kiva pulled the slimy plants free, untangling them and organizing them by type and into two piles. The older female fingered the spoils, "These are two different kinds. Did you know there are hundreds to be found in the ocean? I can make use of these."

"Is there anything I can do?" Kiva didn't like just being used a dog to fetch items. She liked to be hands on if she could.

Tokia weighed the options, "Very well. Grab the small jar of lard behind the serpent skull, on the top shelf... No, to the right. Yes, there."

Kiva retrieved what she was looking for, flipping over the tiny jar in her hands. Opening it, she was bombarded by the smell of rancid meat and gagged, jerking it away from her.

Tokia smiled, moving to the small cooking fire that sat in the corner of the room, burning. "Take that seaweed and burn it. I want it to ash. Then, when you are finished, sift it. Mix it with the fat. Boil. Then take it from the heat, understand?'

Kiva nodded, pleased Tokia was trusting her with such a task. She immediately searched for a pot to hang over the fire, eager to find her supplies.

"Oh, and Kiva?"

The young woman turned, waiting.

"Don't touch it with your hands. You're making poison."

With that ominous statement, Tokia fished out some gloves that had been hiding between two scrolls on a top shelf and tossed them to her apprentice. It would be interesting to see how she handled this.

Excitement bubbled within Kiva's stomach. Poison crafting was an under appreciated art form that required knowledge on a number of subjects. For one, you had to know what you were dealing with. The second thing was how to craft it. Tokia had given her the instructions and she scrambled to grab her journal and copy down the instructions. Ink splattered on her page, and she worked around the mess,

'Can be crafted into poison:
Name: ?
Ingredients: Various types of "Seaweed"
Instructions: Burn seaweed to ash. Sift. Mix with animal fat,
" Kiva mouthed the directions silently as her hand worked, 'Boil. Reduce heat. Set?
Uses:???

Location of first attempt: Tokia's Tonics, Black Rock
Season: Summer'


After the speed of her quill died on the page, Kiva reread her words, practically bouncing on her toes. A brief image of her father flickered in her mind and determination set her mouth in a thin line.

And so she began her craft.
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Malevolent Mixes

Postby Kiva on January 31st, 2016, 9:15 am

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When Tokia vanished to the back to discuss business matters with her partner, Mook, Kiva set to work. First she began clearing off a working surface, snapping her notebook closed and putting it to the side. Tokia would be displeased with the cleaning, but the mess only distracted the younger Myrian so she began to scoop up a number of scattered parchment papers and tuck them into a neat pie. Then she scooted a potted plant to the side and laughed when she found the hilt of a sword poking from the disorganized carnage. Kiva grabbed its hilt and set it aside, blowing it free of any dust. Using her hand, she wiped away bits of beads and crumbs away, revealing a worn wooden clearing. The space was perfect.

Quickly going to retrieve her things, Kiva set the jar with her seaweed with a hard thunk onto the table and began searching for other necessary ingredients. The lard was slid next to it. A pot and bowl she found under a ratty blanket in the corner, a wooden spoon hanging from a shelf. She had to deliberately move a number of things away to locate the sifter. After shifting Tokia's books and sending more than one item clattering to the floor, Kiva couldn't help but give a childish jump in triumph when she found it behind a dozen glass bottles with black concoctions.

Tokia called out to her from the back, just as Kiva began slipping her fingers into the gloves, wiggling them for fit, "You better not break anything! For Myri's sake."

Kiva rolled her eyes, and opened the jar of seaweed. There were two types in here, their exact names were unknown to her, but she dipped a finger in and stirred the plants. "Can poison be extracted from just one of you, or must two different types be involved?" She poured the seaweed into the bowl in front of her, moving the empty jar to the side. The plants were still wet and salt water still dripped from their ends. In order to rectify the problem, the Myrian grabbed a rag tucked to the side and started dabbing the seaweed free of moisture. Then, when it was dried to her satisfaction, Kiva dumped it into the pot and carried the clunky container to the small fireplace where they cooked and hung it above the flame.

She waited impatiently, staring at the seaweed sitting in there... Kiva huffed a sigh. Of course, it was going to take some time. The Myrian's eyes darted around the room, before she called back to her employer, "Tokia! How do you make it burn faster?"

The question was met with a momentary silence and then a string of Taloban curses, "Damnit, Kiva. Give it time." Then the woman continued her work, and Kiva grumbled. She pulled over a chair beside the fire and grabbed her notebook and a quill, running a thumb over the corner's edge thoughtfully. Between her legs she placed the ink vial and dipped the sharp tip of the feather in, wiping the edge free of excess ink.

Her gloved hand hovered over the page and she began to doodle what was in front of her - a fire and cauldron. She began to draw a line, but quickly lost confidence, creating a number of connected and scratchy lines. The pot looked more like an uneven circle and she kept her drawing slow, staring at the curves of the display. For some reason, she couldn't illustrate it correctly, and she sighed, adding a few notes to her seaweed page, 'Seemingly can be cooked, but cannot be burned to ash.'

"Why?" Kiva wondered out loud, thinking to how she roasted the seaweed for breakfast. When the plant burned, did it secrete a substance that required heat to activate? Kiva was intrigued by the possibility, glancing into the pot. It was beginning to sizzle a strong, aromatic scent rose into the air. Something very... plant like. Kiva could not place it, but would now recognize the smell.

She moved her things and stood to grab the wooden spoon from earlier and poked at the browning ingredients. As she poked the cooking plant, the small bell by the shop door rang, signalling a customer had arrived.
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Malevolent Mixes

Postby Kiva on January 31st, 2016, 11:44 am

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"Whatcha cooking, good looking?"

A svefra sauntered confidently into the shop, grinning at her. Kiva looked over her shoulder and stared him down, scoffing at the open display of arrogance. Rolling her eyes, she poked the seaweed, "What do you want, gold hair?"

"Gold hair? I kinda like that," he smiled at her, stepping over the scattered wraith mint on the floor, "But yer a little abrasive, yah? Not very welcoming. Your mixture smells a bit like poppers."

The Myrian had no idea what poppers were and she remained silent. The Svefra didn't seem deterred by her silence, "When you get a fish and it has an air sac, you can burst it open and inhale the fumes. You'll feel real good after that. Might help your mood."

Kiva heaved a sigh as if he were the biggest inconvenience in the world, and dipped her wooden spoon into the open flames. It took only seconds for the flame to catch and she transferred it inside the pot, hoping it would change hosts. The seaweed took longer than she wanted to lite with the amount of water, and when the slightest flame moved, the Myrian blew out the wooden utensil, eyeing the blackened edge.

She spoke again, colder this time, "We're closed."

"We certainly are not." Tokia's body appeared at the door frame, and she gave her a dirty look before smiling sweetly to the Svefra, "What can I get you?"

It was at this point Kiva zoned out, going back to her work. She used the same rag from before as protection and removed the pot from flame to watch. The seaweed's fire was insignificant, barely burning. Kiva returned it to the heat, and began jiggling her foot. She hated waiting.

Finally, when the smell soured and smoke began to rise, the young Myrian started grinning. She left it on fire, watching the seaweed gnarl and twist as it shriveled into nothing. The fire consumed it. It consumed everything. Enchanted, the Myrian missed the Svefra leave and Tokia's question.

"Hmm?"

"Do you know what you are making?" Tokia snapped, motioning to the pot, still irritated from Kiva's earlier dismissal of a customer, "Or shall I teach you something?"

Kiva shrugged. Tokia already knew the answer, and thus, the mentor began to lecture, "What you're making is a poison called Phantom's Shell. You use a collection of different seaweed and its components mix and break down to amplify the pain receptors in your body. Technically, you are finished right now. The lard will simply make it a salve that will allow it to sit on the skin longer. Here, Kiva, put that out with this."

Effortlessly, Tokia retrieved a stone slab, and handed it to the dark haired girl. Kiva did as she was told, putting it over the dying flames and after a moment, pulled it away to find the fire in the pot gone. Just ash remained. Kiva swirled the burnt remains, eager sift the contents at her table. The ash itself was more brown than black, and Kiva ran over to scribble her new observations in her notebook.

'Poison called Phantom's Shell and amplifies the victim's pain. Can be cultivated as ash/powder. Mixing lard allows for a salve to build.' She had to ask, "Is it valuable?"

The inquiry made Tokia laugh, "Valuable? Can you put a price on your enemy's pain? If you must know... not terribly. This is a very simple poison with common ingredients. Anyone can craft this, if they knew its properties. Smell it."

Kiva was weary, not daring to get close enough to burn herself or inhale said poison. It resembled the smell of something wet. Something with fur.

"Easy, girl. It only effects the already injured. Get that stuff in someone's wounds, and they'll be in a world of hurt. Good idea if there's some information you need and someone's not willing to give it."

Kiva looked up at Tokia, who was raising an eyebrow mischeviously. Her tone suggested she had used it before, and suddenly the salve made sense. If you were interrogating someone... the longer their pain lasted, the stronger it was, the more likely they were to comply. Tokia was a well traveled woman, but she was still Myrian.

"Then why the gloves?"

"Because," Tokia scoffed, "I didn't trust you not to burn yourself. Last thing I need is you crying because you were reckless and then rubbed poison in your wound. Go on, continue."

Kiva nodded, returning the ash to the fire and retrieving the lard. Giving a hefty spoonful, she held back a gag as the smell increased. Poisons don't often smell like roses, she noted and she stirred it, creating a greasy coating on the bottom.
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Malevolent Mixes

Postby Kiva on February 1st, 2016, 12:00 am

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The fat began to melt like butter, and Kiva began stirring the two together, fascinated as it changed to a cocoa color. The room smelled awful, but she was doing it! She was crafting a poison!

"Kiva," Tokia sounded weary, "Did you forget to sift the ash?"

The younger woman's eyes widened, and she stiffened, "...Yes."

A heavy sigh, "I should make you do it again," Tokia muttered, looking at the the remaining strands of seaweed. it was not enough, "It's fine. The salve will just feel gritty now, Not as smooth as I like. You can make more tomorrow if I don't need you for anything."

Deflated, or perhaps a bit less confident, Kiva stirred the fat continuously so that it wouldn't burn and waited for it to boil. When the bubbles started to rise, she went to clean up her station once more. Resealing the ink vial and quill, and tucking her journal away, Kiva organized it nicely within her backpack.

At the table she wiped it free of any water the seaweed had dripped earlier and folded the damp rag and placed it on the table. Then she retrieved the pot and removed it from the heat. Setting it down, she was handed a glass jar by Tokia, who held it out to her like a prize, "One day, when you leave my shop, you won't have the same commodities. You light up when you craft poisons, and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not, but... Perhaps you could consider investing in a poisoncrafter's toolkit if you ever leave Black Rock."

Tokia smiled, patting Kiva on the shoulder, "Now, let that cool and transfer it. You've done good work today."
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Malevolent Mixes

Postby Izuyanai on August 10th, 2016, 4:11 pm

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