The past two requests Kerii had done were favors for the same old woman: Granny Betty. Don't get her wrong. The old woman was very sweet, but the mage was honestly looking to help out some other client for a change. It was unlikely that the elderly lady would request help yet again, but it was possible. Even so, if it didn't relate to her apartment, Kerii did not feel like helping her out specifically. If she did end up posting a request in relation to doing something with her apartment, the elf supposed that she might as well would help out. After all, that would mean she had unfinished business with the granny, and she would feel guilty if she wasn't the one who finally settled things. Upon reaching the request board, however, Kerii was relieved that none of that seemed to be the case. Not one request up there was sent out by Granny Betty. There was a flyer put up by someone Kerii had met on a quest though. This man was known as Inspector Nilan. Based on the specifications and detailed information on the flyer, it was safe to assume that he dealt with magical mishaps, if you would. Plus, this incident sounded like they needed a specialist. Evidently, a shockingly large plant had grown in the middle of town. Due to the foggy weather that day, Kerii must not have seen it. Now that the request mentioned it, bits and pieces of conversations the elf had picked up on that day seemed to make sense now. Anyway, this definitely warranted an investigation, ideally with the aid of a mage like herself. Maybe due to her connection with nature, she could be even more of a help to Inspector Nilan.

Kerii took the piece of paper off the board and started to head towards the centre of town where the request dictated the mysterious plant's location. As the elf grew nearer and the fog thinned, the monstrous size of the plant could easily be seen. The closer Kerii got, the more people she saw beginning to gather. It was practically acting as a beacon for both tourists and natives alike. Orchidia was known for its greenery, but not in winter, and certainly not in this fashion. Something was off, and Kerii was determined to figure out what.

The elf pushed through the crowds until she came cross Inspector Nilan, who seemed rather stressed. The elf proceeded to introduce herself. "Hi, I'm Kerii, a mage of Lamia Scale. You look pretty busy right now, but I'm here about, well, that," she said, gesturing to whatever that stalk was. "Yes, this anomaly seemingly sprung up overnight. As you can see, it is quite the tourist attraction already, and word of it hasn't spread to any neighboring towns... but there's a problem." Kerii raised an eyebrow. "A problem? Do you mean something aside from the fact that it's even here in the first place?" Shifting in place, Inspector Nilan nodded his head in confirmation.

WC: 505/1000

"At first glance, it doesn't seem harmless. The bark had already been given a preliminary test. There are no glaring issues with in regards to poison. It is not sharp, so it can't really physically harm people. As in draw blood, for that matter, but there were some people who got excited and touched the stalk with their bare skin. A few of them ended up getting sick. Not all of them, and nothing too serious at all, but since it regards magic, we can't take anything too lightly," Inspector Nilan explained. Kerii completely agreed. Even a simple spell could have disastrous consequences if improperly used. Honestly, if a mage powerful enough accidentally miscast a nature-based spell, Kerii could totally see something like this happening. Obviously though, they hadn't caught the culprit, or else Inspector Nilan wouldn't be needing the help of a mage.

"So, what do you want me to do?" Kerii asked, wondering what on Earthland she could possibly do with this behemoth of a tree. "You could cut it down," Inspector Nilan replied. "I'm not sure if I heard you right. Did you just suggest that I cut it down? That giant tree?" He looked at her like she had four heads. "Well, of course! How else are we supposed to get the samples we need. I don't suppose you could climb that thing. Besides, look. We've already got a lot of it started," he reasoned, gesturing to the hack marks in the trunk of the tree, or stalk, or whatever the heck it was. "Okay," she sighed. There wasn't any arguing with this man. "Just make sure everyone's out of the way."

The trunk wasn't that thick. It was actually quite slender for a plant so tall. She was surprised that it didn't simply bend over due to its height, but then again, it was imbued with magic in some way. After Inspector Nilan and his men ushered the citizens well out of the plant's vicinity, Kerii got to work cutting it down. It took a while, and made her arms ache. It would be a lot faster if she had a magic that could adequately perform offensive spells, but that simply was not the nature of it. Eventually, the tree was cut down. The mage took a vial and filled it with the sap that began to ooze out of the fallen vines. If it was anything that was making the people of Orchidia sick, Kerii was willing to bet that it was this.

With the sample in hand, she went back to Inspector Nilan. She gave it to him, and in exchange, he gave her the promised reward. "Depending on the results from the analysis, I may ask for someone's help again, so be on the lookout," he advised. It was almost needless to say. Kerii already anticipated that this bit of mayhem was far from over. Although something like this could plausibly be accidental, something so intricate was almost guaranteed to be purposefully done. But the real question... was why.

WC: 507+505=1012/1000