2025-04-28 - Communing with the River Serpent
Aaron and Jacob go to see the River Serpent and see if they can ask it some questions.
IC Date: 2025-04-28
OOC Date: 04/28/2025
Location: Spellbound Island/Shore Of Lake Michigan
Related Scenes:
It takes a little while to locate the Lake Serpent which is surprisingly easy to lose for a creature as big as it is. But the waterways of Spellbound are connected to the lake and it is possible for it to roam wherever it likes. That is why eventually our heroes find the serpent swimming lazily along the northeastern shore of the park when they head down to the edge near the water.
It's a beautiful day out, warm and sunshine-filled, some lazy clouds drifting across the sky, and the park is a little slow on a Monday, but still has a healthy amount of people traversing it, especially after yesterday's strange Governmental encroachment.
"You were there when the serpent first appeared right?" Jacob asks Aaron as he watches the serpent from a safe distance for now. He figures that along with trying to communicate with the creature they will also get pictures of it for the database that all the information they are gathering will be put into
Aaron was looking forward to this ever sense he meet the water serpent and was able to try and communicate with it, for some reason he just seemed to be obssed some may say with the water dragon. He is dressed in swim shorts cause last time they meet the serpant he got wet, he wears a plain white t-shirt with his hair pulled back. Looking to Jacob he nods, "Yeah, it didn't seem dangerous, it acted almost like it wanted to play or something I know it took a bit of a interest in the aquarium."
The serpent continues to lazily drift along the shoreline. It's not hard to keep up with it since it isn't going very fast, though pictures will mostly be of the glimmering scales along its back and snout when it lifts its head slightly from the water every so often, at least for now.
"The aquarium or the smorgasbord that lives inside of it?" Jacob asks Aaron with a modicum of amusement in the tone. "At least it didn't go for the easy meal." Not yet at least. He doubts they could stop it if it tried.
He walks along the shoreline, following the swimming serpent. "How did we want to get it's attention. Splash around in the water? Maybe we should have brought some salmon or something?"
Aaron hmmms as they walk along, "That I am unsure of, but I know it didn't see us as food." he at least got that from the creature, watching the serpent and its colorful scales shimer in the sun light and reflect off the water, "I kind of got a sences of it when I tried last time to talk to it, I was going to try and maybe reach out to it again." he hmms, "What does a seroant like that even eat."
There are a number of possible guesses for what a large water serpent might eat ranging from the diet of large water snakes to other creatures that live in lakes -- fish, lake plants, shellfish, low flying birds, are all fairly common guesses. If that's what magical lake serpents eat is anyone's guess, but thus far humans don't seem to be on the menu, but that also means it doesn't seem particularly interested in those on the shore at the moment.
"Well most water creatures, eat other water creatures, or things that live in its environment. So if it is anything like the water animals here, it would also eat the things in its environment. Assuming it eats." That's the real question. "Does it even eat? The animals that a lot of us are bound too, do not need to eat." he has two skunks that are bound to him, so he knows a bit about that.
"I can communicate with creatures too, so we should both give it a go." Jacob didn't dress as appropriately for this Aaron did, but he isn't concerned about it. He removes his shoes and socks, sticking the latter into the former, "I think I will wade in, see about getting its attention." He quickly rolls up the cuffs of his pants, dividing his attention between that and the serpent.
Aaron nods his head, "I can communicate with animals as well, and you have animals that are bound to you?" he tilts his head to the side as he watches Jacob with a very curious look. Then slips his sneaks off, leaving them at the side of the river, and moves to follow after him; he isn't going to let him go at it alone. "Do you mean you can shift?" he asks him as he follows alone.
Jacob wades out into the water wincing at the cold of the lake as the waves wash over his feet and legs. "Does this water ever get warm?" That would be a no, but thankfully he doesn't have a job that requires going into the lake that often. Next time they maybe should get a boat of some sort.
He moves toward the serpent, splashing at the water with his hands, "I have not developed an ability to become an animal." Jacob lets out a loud and clear whistle, and could easily be mistaken for one of the birds that are in the area.
Aaron follows him out into the water, the cold water doesn't seem to bother Aaron for some reason. He huhs, "Interesting." as they get deeper into the later he moves to dive down then come back up clearing his face of the water, turning to face the serpant, "Hey!" he waves his hands in the air as if saying hello to the serpant and trying to get its attention.
No, no the water does not ever get warm, unfortunately. Immediately around the island it will get warmer than it normally would, just like the rest of the unusually mild weather, but for it to get truly warm, one needs to go swim over by the Siphon. But that's currently a firing offense, so cold it is!
The disturbance on the edge of the water as the two humans enter it and begin splashing in combination with Jacob's loud whistle does indeed garner the attention of the serpent, who makes a slow slithering waterbound U-turn to swing around and look at them both.
It is large. Some 40 feet long, and with a massive head that might be intimidating to most, covered with glass-like scales, it does pose quite the intimidating figure. It moves slowly though, a sinuous back and forth slide closer. There's a feeling of 'recognition' that Aaron can pick up from the beast.
<FS3> Jacob rolls Power: Good Success (8 8 7 4 4 4 3)
He is certainly a bit intimidated by the larger than life lake serpent. As it glides through the water toward the pair, Jacob takes a step or two back before realizing he is doing it and standing his ground, for the moment at least. How does one address such a majestic creature, especially one that is magic in nature and could shallow him up in one bite? He has no idea so keeps it simple. Reaching out with the magic that allows him to speak with animal he makes an attempt to greet it. "Hello." he doesn't know if he needs to speak out loud, but he does anyway. "Are you able to understand us?"
Aaron smiles and moves to put a hand on Jacobs shoulder, "Its okay, they are not going to harm you." he calls the serpent they since he does not know if it is a male or female. He stays where he is watching the serpant slither twards them, "Hello again friend." he calls to the serpent. He looks back to Jacon then back to the water serpant waiting to see if they answer Jacob, his head tilted to the side like a little kid.
The creature itself doesn't speak out loud but it seems to understand the purpose of the greeting and it seems to understand the request as well. It emits a somewhat glass-chiming sound of its own, and the impression that they get is that it is a greeting in return. The serpent lowers its head so that it is looking at them more or less eye-to-eye. It studies them both, and the impression is one of curiosity. It sniffs. Perhaps it is looking for a snack, but it smells no snacks on them.
<FS3> Jacob rolls Mimicry -1: Failure (5 2 2 2 2 1)
Jacob spends a luck point on re-roll.
<FS3> Jacob rolls Mimicry -1: Success (8 6 2 1 1 1)
There is a glance at Aaron and his reassurance, which only reassures him so much, but Jacob really can't back down now. He is more fascinated by the creature than fearful, though still a bit intimidated, which is more to do with that survival instinct than anything.
He furrows his brow at the unusual sound the chromatic creature emits, it sounds familiar in a way, "There is a bird in Australia that sounds a bit like that, only more windchimey...tinky, and not so..." he pauses a moment "clear...crystal...ringing." something like that. Describing bird calls isn't as easy as one would think.
Jacob tries to mimic the sound, his mouth forming a few strange shapes as he tries to find the right shape, breathing to achieve that sound. It takes a couple of attempts, the first probably sounding like the bird he spoke of. The second though is much better but not quite there, but real close. Close enough for him to not make a third attempt. "How can we communicate with you better? Do you have a name?"
<FS3> Aaron rolls Power: Success (6 5 4 3 2 1 1)
Aaron is excited when the creature comes down to look at them eye to eye, "Hello friend." Aaron moves to swim closer, his hand moves out to gently touch the cratures snout? if it lets him, "Thank you for your greetings." he smiles wide he can't contain how happy he is being in front of the water dragon again trying to talk to it. But he falls silent after he greets them and looks back to Jacob waiting to see if he gets a answer to his question.
The immense beast sort of undulates back and forth a few times and then coils on itself beneath the surface of the water, as though settling in for the conversation. To be fair, the potential danger is real. That's a big critter with a lot of teeth and sharp scales. But thus far, it shows no sign of aggression. When Jacob mimics the bird call, the creature tilts its head just a little to one side and attempts to mimic Jacob mimicking the bird call. It sounds similar, but not quite the same. Still, it seems to enjoy the exercise, or at least not be upset by it.
As for whether it has a name or not, its large eyes blink slowly. But there's only a quizzical sort of feeling that they get from it, an uncertainty. If it has a name, it either doesn't know it, or doesn't know how to share it.
The serpent echoing his attempt at at the call has Jacob grinning. It has him relaxing about this whole thing.. "I think it can understand us, but it has no way to make itself understood by us."
He isn't about to try to pet, instead Jacob ponders their situation as Aaron does try. "Yes, no questions, one call for yes, different one for no?" He suggests to Aaron, and maybe the serpent since it seems to understand.
Aaron grins as it mimics Jacob, "Many call you a water dragon my friend, is that what you are? We have seen pictures of serpants like you with great wings, we believe them to be fairy tales or least that is what we are told." he smiles, "Why are you here? Are you looking for something or someone?"
The water serpent gives a dip of its head to Jacob, indicating that there is some sort of understanding there, though it is more likely due to the magical connection than the language itself.
When Aaron speaks to it, large eyes focus on him. It's certainly listening to what he's saying, at any rate. How much of it the creature understands is somewhat unclear.
But again, the question is one that it doesn't quite understand. It gives a sort of chiming sound, lower this time, and gives a bit of a shake of its head. It does not appear to be looking for someone, or something.
The familiar dip of head has Jacob wondering if the motion was intentional or acknowledgment. And the shaking head in response to Aaron's question pretty much answers that.
"Well I guess we can assume it does not need help with anything." Otherwise it would answered affirmatively. "Now would be a good time for pictures." Since it's right there. "Are there more of your kind where you are from?"
Aaron hmmms he is thinking for a moment to try and figure out how to communicate with the serpant better, "Are you Male or female?" he asks, "Are you here to be friends with us?" he hmms and trying to figure out how to communicate better when he spoke with the orb it spoke back in images and symbols the serpant does in trills. He slips his phone out of his pocket good thing its water proof right?
The serpent seems more than content to linger where it is for pictures, and when it seems to grasp that they'd like to capture it on film, it slithers a little further toward shore, the shimmering scales of its body catching the light as it loops and coils along the dirt of the shore, letting them take their pictures.
There is a slow shake of its head in answer to Jacob's question, and a faint quiet chime to go along with it.
The serpent looks between them thoughtfully at Aaron's questions. To the first, it simply shakes its head. Perhaps it is unfamiliar with the concept. Perhaps, it is not what THEY are which is why "she"? looked at them then shook "her"? head? Maybe.
The creature chimes again when Aaron asks if it is here to be friends. Again, ascribing a purpose to things seems to confuse it. And it's very hard to give a nuanced response with headshakes and chimes. But one gets the impression that it's friendly, whether that is its purpose or not.
Jacob carefully watches the serpent as questions are asked and answered. He frowns slightly at the answer it gives to his question "It is the only one of its kind. Did that softer sound seem relay sadness to you?" He asks of Aaron.
"It seems to do better with concrete questions. Yes and no ones. It either dores not understand nuanced concepts," much like Jacob doesn't understand contractions, "and certainly cannot relay them if it does. Not yet at least."
Aaron watches the serpant tilting its head, "The last of her kind?" he looks to Jacob okay he is sad now for the poor serpant. Looking to her when the pictures are taken a soft smile as it comes onto land and shows itself. "You are the last of your kind?" Aaron asks, holding his phone out to Jacob if he wants to take more pics.
Jacob does seem to be on to something, as the creature does seem to struggle with concepts that are strictly human ways of thinking. But yes and no to concrete things seem to get a little more clear responses.
When Aaron asks if she is the last of her kind, the serpent shakes her head with a low chime that seems to indicate that she doesn't know. She only seems to know that she is the only one of her kind.
There are so many questions that Jacob would like to ask, but the constraint of them only being yes and no questions makes it much harder to frame them in ways that are easy for the Serpent to answer. "When you appeared before, near the aquarium, was that when you first arrived here?" he looks from the serpent to Aaron. "That was her first appearance? There are no records or rumors of her appearing before that?"
Aaron He looks to Jacob, nodding his head, "That is correct. That was when we first met her, that day." He watches the serpent. She is the only one of her kind, I think." He tilts his head, watching the sun reflect off her scales. "As far as I know, there were no other reports of her before that."
There is a more affirmative chime this time, when Jacob asks if it was the first time that she arrived here. She swirls a little in the water, tail flicking this way and that, stirring up small eddies around her.
The movement of the serpent has Jacob taking a few more steps back, not as comfortable in the large creatures presence as Aaron is. For good reason, he has learned to have a lot of respect for the personal space of creatures that can take you down with one move. "You have been quite a popular topic of conversation around the park." he is assuming that even if she can't answer broad concepts, she may be able to understand them.
"Many people have found you to be beautiful." Such as himself, Aaron watches the serpent as she moves about; something about it makes him smile. "Do you have enough to eat? Is there anything special you eat or need?" he hums, "I wish to give you a name, but only if you are ok with it, so we do not have to keep calling you Serpant or water dragon."
There's a certain sense that she seems pleased that people are talking about her, her chin lifting and a bright chiming sound that almost sounds like laughter coming from her. Aaron's compliment certainly doesn't seem to put a dent in that good mood, either.
There is a nod and a seeming sense of satisfaction when asked if she has enough to eat. The second question gets a slow shake of her head. There doesn't seem to be anything special that she needs.
When Aaron suggests that he wants to give her a name, the water dragon looks at him curiously and dips her head down low and very close to him, eyeing him thoughtfully.
Better Aaron gets a face full of serpent head, then him. He watches as that happens, ready to pull Aaron to safe should it be needed. He of course hopes it isn't. "I cannot tell if that is a good reaction or a bad one." but since Aaron is still whole and not a snack Jacob will go with good "What are you thinking of naming her?"
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