Venia looks at her Grand Duchess Coat and realizes that it needs a bit of polish, and a bit of updating to keep up with current threats. Not like, straight-to-T7 updating, that's far more severe, just a few tweaks will do.

She figures that the easiest way to do so is, itself, simple. She rubs a Bouquet Dimension onto the Grand Duchess Coat. Somehow the infinite infinities of the Bouquet Dimension unlock brand new possibilities within the coat, causing its stats to alter accordingly.

---

Materials Used: Grand Duchess Coat (old)x1, Bouquet Dimension (x1)

(T6) Grand Duchess Coat, again
+2 HP Regen, +2 STR, +3 INT, +5 SPC, (Kickstart My Heart)
Glitch (20%), Water (50%), Psychic (40%), Slashing (-10%)

Kickstart My Heart: As a bonus action, you may spend 16 HP and gain Ordo for 2 rounds. The first time you use this every battle is free.

Basically a magic resistance got changed, I got HP regen from +MMP, and how Venia can get Ordo is different to make up for the loss of A Champion.

Hat demands a vacation, and promptly takes one, evicting itself from the inventory. Before it does so, however, it eats the Icicle Rose Venia purchased earlier, chews to perfection, then spits it out, somehow improving its rarity and cool-factor.

A few Electrum ingots are also consumed, for good measure. They are entirely unrelated sacrifices. Goodbye, Electrum ingots. Gone, and probably forgotten by the next round.

---

Materials Used: Hat, Icicle Rose, Electrum Ingots (x5).

(T6) Everfrozen Rose
+4 STR, +2 INT, +4 SPC, (Avalanche)
Fire (40%), Ice (40%), Water (40%), Earth (-20%), Poison (-20%)

Avalanche: You may gain SP on the same turn you use your special, but not from your special itself. If a special grants you a status effect, then actions benefiting from it won't grant SP unless they would otherwise. Locked specials still won't gain SP.

Same effect as before, but radically altered stats and resistances.

Item input: a stick, Silkweed, Pretty Flowers, Green Sap Blobs, Blue Sap Blobs, a frigid crystal, 1x Plasteel Ingot
Item output: Cool Colour Palette Paint Set

"Either this will be something for her to use later, or something to remember her non-combat talents..."

Verdana focuses for a few seconds, mentally picturing what shape cans of paint are supposed to have, then takes the plasteel ingot and manually tears it into a few smaller sizes, working both with heat and with physical force to bend them into being small containers. After that, he pauses for a moment, thinking about what to do as he grips the frigid crystal. It promptly shatters in his hand once he gains inspiration.

The dust from the frigid crystal doesn't have time to fall, gravity pulling it together into a coalesced spherical dust pile hovering in the air. Verdana takes some pretty flowers out of the inventory, looking specifically for ones that have nice cool colours - like blue, purple, green, or darker hues. Then, as one kind of has to if they want to get dyes from flowers, he crushes them as well, watching the colourful mulch form. With gravity pressing even tighter, that mulch is further crushed into paste, then into a smooth liquid. Slightly runny, admittedly, but there's not much he can do about that... initially.

Focusing again, he evenly splits the multicoloured liquids into a few different spheres, deciding to create a few mixes of them for good measure, then relaxes. The powdered frigid crystal splits apart, powder flowing into each of the different spheres, cooling them noticeably and making something that'd actually serve well as paint. Due to abstract reasons, it also intensifies the coolness of the various colours. That's all well and good, but what more needs to be done...?

Oh yeah a brush. Verdana pulls a stick out of the inventory and sticks a Silkweed bundle on the end of it. Then promptly smacks the stick + silkweed bundle together until it behaves the way he wanted it to, the silkweed unfurling into a soft arrangement of fibers while the stick remains a stick. It's a bit large, sure, but a brush is a brush. And from there, Verdana sighs, manufacturing some lids for the various paint containers before bullshitting wrapping paper into existence so all this legally counts as a present.

Item input: Disco Dome, Nail Bat, Eternal Flower, Sanctified Alloy, 1x Volcanic Regalia, 3x Shimmering Cluster, Rubies
Item output: Rubidine Gladiator's Triumphus (desired stats immediately below)
(T7) Rubidine Gladiator's Triumphus
Rest easy, brothers and sisters. Death will not have you this day.
(+8 MHP), (+3 INT), (+5 DEF), (I Am Spartacus), (Defiant Spartan)
Physical (20%), Physical (10%), Fire (50%), Light (40%), Dark (-20%)

I Am Spartacus: Twice per battle, as a bonus action, choose an ally in range 1-3. Any instance of non-self-inflicted damage they take this round will target you instead, even if it's from a multi-hit attack that hits both of you.
Defiant Spartan: During the regen phase, if you do not already have Autorevive, gain Autorevive1 for infinity rounds. If an Autorevive triggered on you last round, do not gain one this round.

Now for the craft part.

"If this is what it'll take to keep people safe..."

The disco dome Verdana happens to be wearing flickers into existence on his head, then he takes it off and sets it down on the table. After a moment of rummaging around in the inventory, he also fishes out a Nail Bat and an Eternal Flower, setting those on the table as well. Once he's gotten those out, it's time for some thought...

"Well, the concepts are there. How do I do this again?"

Having no idea what he's doing Verdana resolves to disassemble the Nail Bat and Eternal Flower into component parts. Once they've been broken down, it's time to figure out what gives the Nail Bat its taunting abilities, and what lets the Eternal Flower grant autorevive. With some analysis, Verdana soon has it all figured out. And so it's time to disassemble the Disco Dome too, keeping the frame but awkwardly extracting the conceptual meanings out, so he can slot in the taunt power of the Nail Bat and the autorevive power of the Eternal Flower. He kind of stumbles when implanting the Nail Bat taunt power, mutating it in a way he didn't quite anticipate... but he'll roll with it for now.

"Hey, in some situations, it might even be better than a taunt!"

...But he knows damn well that a bit of mucking about with concepts is NOT going to suffice. Not in the slightest. That calls for a bit more work. So, using the Disco Dome as a model, he promptly discards any intent of using a model and just manually assembles something new. The Volcanic Regalia and Shimmering Clusters fly out into the open air as they end up crushed into a fine powder and mixed together, briefly setting on fire and burning at a brightness that would probably be painful to some guy with eyes. Realizing that he's creating something called a "Triumphus" and having enough knowledge to know that's probably not an actual helmet design, Verdana immediately takes to google to search the name of the item he's crafting, immediately discovering a game called Genshin Impact and browsing the wiki for a while.

After navigating through way too many pages, Verdana realizes he's still in the middle of crafting, and so returns his attention to actually making things. Now that he knows what the hell he's trying to do, he pulls some random bits of Sanctified Alloy out of the inventory to work with. Closing his eyes to remember the image, he carefully applies intense heat to soften the alloy, letting him manually bend it into shape and work the material simply by smacking it with his bare hands. Hardly the most artistic means of craftwork, but it is working. Still, even when worked into the shape Verdana wanted it to take, it still looks a bit... bland. But wait, didn't he have something for this...?

"Oh right the rubies"

Verdana remembers that the rubies exist, quickly adding them in by sort of shoving them against the Sanctified Alloy helmet. There's a few flashes of bright red light, then the rubies have disappeared, but the helmet has taken on a much redder colour shade. Then, once that's done, it's time to add the crystal dust, the combined powder from the Volcanic Regalia and Shimmering Clusters swirling for a moment before impacting the helmet in the same way, flashing brightly. Very brightly, in fact. Because that's kind of what Shimmering Clusters do normally. And then the helmet catches on fire, since it was already hot and just had Volcanic Regalia dust added to it. Both those reactions seem to be intensifying much faster than they'd be fading, seemingly self-sustaining...

So Verdana just slams the helmet into the ice near him to cool it off before it gets out of control. Naturally, this is very bad for the ice, which just dies outright, but good for making the helmet get out of the bonkers state sooner. Now, with the helmet cooled down, Verdana takes a look.

The helmet appears to be made of a red-tinted alloy, yet still noticeably quite white. It's not really "pink", per see, just red-and-white. Which is to say, the metal is red, but when the light catches the helmet surface in certain ways, it reflects white light instead. Overall, the red colour somewhat matches the appearance of Verdana's eyes, and the white colour matches the albino's hair colour. Which means I will probably have to fetch an image reference for what Verdana looks like at some point, doesn't it. Either way...

"That's that created. Now all I have to do is make sure it fits."

And so, Verdana puts the helmet on.

Item input: Psychoid Leaves, Luminous Crystals, Crystal Pens, Soulblossoms, Paper Sheet
Item output: Karmaephemera - Light of the Saint
(T? cosmetic) Karmaephemera - Light of the Saint: An ephemeral aura empowered by one's karma. The higher their karma, the brighter the glow. At minimal karmic empowerment, it just looks like someone's holding a candle up behind the owner's head during a cloudy day. At full karmic empowerment, it is as though heaven itself is commanding the clouds part way for the golden light illuminating the person this Karmaephemera belongs to.

"Aw yeah, jus' 'member'd. Th' experimental department boyos 'ave been up t' somethin'. Lemme see 'f ah can synthesize..."

EN proceeds to crush a Luminous Crystal against her forehead like it was a freshly-emptied can of beer. It promptly turns into dust. She then pours that dust onto some Psychoid leaves, crushes some Soulblossoms and lets the nectar from those flowers drip into the suspicious powder, then she stuffs that powder into a crystal pen despite that not being how it should work. Once that's done, she writes a little note on the paper.

Then she turns it into a paper plane and fucking gigayeets it into the sky.

Moments later, a cocaine-powered madman in a labcoat (probably part of the Experimental Department) descends from the heavens, bounces off Rosie like a rubber ball, and lands right beside EN. He holds up a shoe box, which she takes, then he equips what is blatantly a coca cola bottle onto his back and stuffs a mentos into it, blasting off into the sky and vanishing with a twinkle. After a moment spent disregarding what the hell just happened, EN decides that's good enough and opens the shoe box, taking out... well.

It looks like a miniature version of the very effect it would have when worn, in that it's basically a cloud with golden rays of light beaming down from above. Somehow this counts as one solid object and doesn't just dissipate into thin air the moment it's revealed.

"Looks good t' me."

EN puts it back in the shoe box, puts the lid back on, and that's done.

SPECIAL: Heat Death
SP Required: 180
Fill Conditions: Dealing Damage, Downing Enemies (x10)
Target a tile anywhere on the map. Deal (18-20) [Tazz suggested 20-21 damage but he felt that might be pushing it] Ice Damage with Glacpierce3 and Splash 1. Inflict Frozen for 2 rounds to the center tile, and Slow2 for 2 rounds to all enemies within Range 1 of the center tile. Has Armorpierce and Slip equal to 50% of the damage roll.

-2 SP per SPC, down to 140 SP.
Damage scales with SPC!
+1 Glacpierce Intensity per 5 SPC. (Cap of Glacpierce8.)
Selective Death at 6 SPC and 6 AGI. (Allies and any other designated targets no longer take any damage from this.)
Subzero Focus at 13 SPC (Gain 1 stack of In The Zone for each enemy hit.)

Special thanks to Eris for doing the respec work for me! It's a huge help, and it means that maybe I'll actually finish this update within a timely manner!

Reflector: Respec! Consecrated Plague made with a Noxious Staff, 2 Sanctified Alloy, and 3 Biosamples. Grim Inheritance made with the Reaper's Robes, a Royal Magus Spellbook, a Crystal Pen, and 2 Structured Matter. Fifth Harmonic created with the Pokeball Capacitor and a sheet of Songstress Sheet Music. These are all equipped.
Adria: Respec x2 combo!! And no crafting. Huh. it's a christmas miracle???
Venia: Respec x3 combo!!! Grand Duchess Coat v2 made with a Bouquet Dimension. Everfrozen Rose made with Hat. Hat dies. It's very tragic. The raw emotional energy of Hat's death is enough fuel. "This is canon."
Verdana: Rubidine Gladiator's Triumphus made with the Disco Dome, a Nail Bat, an Eterna Flower, 3 sheets of Sanctified Alloy, a Volcanic Regalia, 3 Shimmering Clusters, and 3 Rubies.
Destiny: +2 MHP. Special and trait edited.
Bauhaus: Respec x4 combo!!!! His Flux State worsens. Marron has been paid 120 Credits to make the Seraphim Charm.

The Reflector:
The Reflector first takes their present from Omorika. It's a pretty tiny box, which looks more like a Minecraft log instead of a present. Still, they open it. Inside is a constantly twirling mass of smoke, suspended in a crystalline orb. There's a note included with it.

OMORIKA: "To sir / madam Reflector, whatever form you may be assuming at this moment."
OMORIKA: "I'd like to thank you for your work with Acacia. Though she may have not survived, I appreciated what you tried to do for her."
OMORIKA: "The smoky mass within this crystal is linked to your life signature. If you are within a certain distance of the entity you have transformed into, this smoke will morph and change, trying to form an image of what they're thinking at the moment."
OMORIKA: "May this help guide your way."

Sight of Smoke obtained! They then decide to deal with... an egg. An egg that Maxim likely laid. Is this their sudden but inevitable betrayal? They cautiously approach the egg. As they draw near, it bursts open! A small Iti bursts from the egg. It has a puffy, bloated body, which seems to be full of noxious fumes! However, moments after emerging, the very fumes that fuel it cause it to shrivel up and die, its body curling up into a ball.

...Are you sure this was a gift? Maybe it was. Violence Virophage obtained!

Hannah / Adria:
A mirror image of Hannah decides to visit the house. A suitcase? She got a suitcase? That's not suspicious at all! She nabs her present by the handle, and takes it behind the house where nobody can see it. She plops it open. Inside is... a lot of wiring. Wait, is this a bomb? She must know about Hannah's plans to kill Regalus, a totally innocent old guy! It's over, it's all over-

...The bomb, quite predictably, doesn't explode. Nervously, Hannah takes a note that's clearly visible within the bomb / suitcase.

CHLOE: "Hiya! Merry Christmas, Hannah!"
CHLOE: "I know what this looks like, an innocent girl like me giving a child a bomb... but I know about your secret mission!"
CHLOE: "If you press a button on the handle, after a minute, this bomb will detonate into a plume of sleep gas! You could probably modify it to do... something else, b-but please don't incinerate anyone with it, o-okay?"
CHLOE: "Good luck with your mission, Hannah!"

...Seems like there's a slot for an elemental crystal in the bomb. Currently slotted in is a Mental Cluster, but perhaps she could slide something else into it? Suitcase Bomb obtained! Adria, back at the tree, decides to take her present from Taeda! She rips it open eagerly, the helix fossils on the paper rolling successfully to have the seams on the paper not rip through them. Inside is... a processor. Somehow, the universe doubts Taeda's understanding of electronics. Seems that it's been blessed by Lord Helix, though.

TAEDA: "Merry christmas, Adria!"
TAEDA: "I'd like to make a formal request to be your friend, i-if that's fine with you!"
TAEDA: "I tried to get something that you'd find interesting, so... please enjoy!"

Helixian Processor obtained! This can't possibly be safe.

Venia:
Venia doesn't actually unwrap any presents, but plants herself beneath the christmas tree, wrapping herself in ribbons. Marron glares at her with all the intensity and power of a very angry dead fish.

MARRON: ...Venia.
MARRON: Are you mocking me?
MARRON: Not cool.

Despite being tied up in ribbons, Marron is able to conjure a miniature yarn ball into existence. This throws itself with a wide arc towards Venia, bonking her on the head before rolling off. Marron snickers. Though, she's still as tied up as Venia is. Maybe Toast will come around to save her. Or maybe Nia will come around to free Venia first. Who knows? Odds are though, Nia won't arrive until next update.

Destiny and Crya:
Destiny decides to loot her present! It's not hard to spot- the wrapping paper itself glistens as if it was made from many Shimmering Clusters. Which, to be fair, it is. The paper is peeled away (violently), and the wrapping paper thrown into a nearby cardboard box because so briiiiight. Inside, she finds an... equally bright ring. It gleams like a star that's fallen from the heavens above. It's so bright in fact, that she almost doesn't notice the note.

MAPLE: "Dear Destiny! I think you're cool!"
MAPLE: "Is that an adequate reason to give you a gift? Absolutely!"

...Simple enough. Astral Ring obtained! Crya, also in the area, decides to give her present a look! Or uh, presents. There's three. Two small ones, and one larger one with a sweet aroma. Icicle spike in hand, Crya slices open the presents. In the smaller two are two ornate looking teacups- they're made of a white wood, but their craftsmanship is exquisite! Taeda must've put a lot of effort into these!

The centerpiece, within the larger box, is a large wooden teapot! The little knob at the top of the pot is a carefully sculpted wooden Helix Fossil, and the construction is reinforced with a bit of stone. Like the teacups, this pot is made of a wood that's been painted a pristine white. Included in the box are also a few bags of tea. Chairian classics, like Manabloom, Soulblossom, and Halobloom are included in the set. How delightful! Wooden Tea Set obtained!

Bauhaus:
Bauhaus, though his present seems to be some form changing abnormality, decides to take and open up his present. He picks up the... well actually, he refers to it in both forms. The SMALL CUBICAL GIFT-WRAPPED PRESENT RIFLE convulses in front of him, and implodes. When the remnants of the present stop twitching, Bauhaus is able to pull something from the wreckage. There's no note- only a receipt.

"Thank you for your order. Please use responsibly. I

...It's a curious device, this thing is. Moments after being liberated, it begins to orbit around Bauhaus. It seems to be a sort of ring, with a size-changing lattice of glass in the middle of it. It seems to be drawn to light, for whatever reason. Maybe it'll be helpful. Prism Orbitar obtained!

Generic:
Generic takes the completely unassuming present from beneath the tree. Creation keeps the railgun trained on his head as he slowly unwraps the present, and then places the contents on his head. There doesn't seem to be a note associated with it, but oh well. Fatal Focus obtained!

...Somehow, a device has vanished from Creation. Where'd its targeting array go? Perhaps it somehow ended up in Generic's hands. How would Cypress get his hands on that, though? Who knows. Presents aren't really canon, anyway.

The Author:
Auth seems to have a nice little cache of presents beneath the tree. First, he decides to tend to his more conventional present. It's a simple rectangular box, with the dimensions of a book. It even smells like a book. It's also wrapped in book-themed wrapping paper. He carefully feels the paper away, careful to not damage it. Inside, he finds... a book of the Church of Helix's traditions.

OMORIKA: "Sir Author. I believe you were looking for a copy of this?"
OMORIKA: "I found one within the Library. I believe a member of the Carnival purposely moved it into the 'fiction' section to mess with me."
OMORIKA: "Still, I hope this book can tell you the answers you need."

Book of Helixian Tradition obtained! For his second present, Auth seems to have received a pot full of dirt. Truly, Nana is the most generous person on the planet. I mean, it does say to take a look inside the pot for the gift, so ever so carefully, he begins excavating whatever treasure is within. Soon, he finds a root within the pot. Brushing away more dirt, he soon finds what seems to be an emerald gem, surrounded with a cage of roots.

NANA: A-Ah, um...
NANA: D-Do... do you like it?

...There's no note with the present. Rather, it seems Nana has been nervously waiting for Auth to open it this whole time.

NANA: I call it the "Sapling Catalyst". I-I didn't like how your catalyst s-seemed to hurt you, so...
NANA: It's... like... I g-got miss Omorika to help me with e-enchanting a gem!
NANA: I then grew a tree over it, and its roots ensnared the gem.
NANA: I-It's.. pretty, right?
NANA: I hope you like it, Auth!

Nana gives Auth a hug, which may be a good Christmas present just on its own. Sapling Catalyst obtained!

Crystal:
Crystal looks near the tree for their gift. Where is it, though? However, meta analysis allows them to read this post as its being typed, revealing that it's actually pulled into a nearby wall outlet. They head over, and delete the wrapping paper from around the present. It seems that Cypress has given Crystal a... Santa Hat? I mean, most Santa Hats don't have torpedo ports, though. Or long-distance rangefinders.

And, like Generic's present, there's no associated note. Cypress must not be the type to write. Winter Apocalypse Hat obtained!

Irongutta:
Irongutta has received a cube of bubble wrap, which may or may not have a present inside of it. As he rips and tears the bubble wrap away, he makes a point of popping each last bubble on the paper. Once he's freed the cardboard box inside from the bubble wrap, he places the remainder of the wrap on the ground, and elbow drops it. The resultant popping sound is quite deafening. With that out of the way, he tends to the cardboard box.

This box has more bubble wrap in it, swaddling a tube-shaped device. Given the shape, it looks like its meant to be clipped onto Magnolia. Closer inspection reveals that it's a grenade launcher. R-8733, you've done it again-

R-8733: "I figured that getting Magnolia into the joy of explosives would be worth it."
R-8733: "It's like, a sapling's first grenade launcher! A touching moment for their parent to witness. Have fun!"

Rosebomb obtained!

Still in disguise as "Lilac", the Reflector changes their form into a more standard "civilian" outfit. She enters through the front door. While it's somewhat fortified with the windows boarded up, its unlocked anyway. The interior of the orphanage is deathly dark. Dust cakes the floors and walls, save for a few impressions left by someone's boots.

Up a staircase visible from the entryway, the Reflector can see faint traces of light. Like a moth towards candlelight, they venture up. A few crystal-based lamps are on the walls. Many seem to have been destroyed, the glass broken and the crystals within harvested. Still, these lamps seem to make a trail. Step by step, they make their way through the halls, creaking floorboards announcing their every step. Soon enough, they reach an ajar door. Gently, they open the door.

Inside is an elderly looking Chairian, sitting on a bed. She must be at least be around two hundred years old. Her foliage has long since withered, leaving a tangle of half-wilted branches. She has one hazel eye- the other seems to be an oddly smooth empty slot. She wears a heavy woolen coat, and what seems to be the standard leggings for the Chairian Legion, held together by a mess of patchwork.

Against the wall, by the window the Reflector saw the light coming through, is a custom-built Splinter Rifle. The stock resembles the handle of a walking cane, and possesses an extremely long barrel and the most advanced sight Chairian technology can offer. Facing towards the window, the woman doesn't even turn to meet the Reflector. In fact, she doesn't even seem to hear the Reflector. Soon enough though, she turns around. She hardly seems surprised to see the Reflector.

ACORN: Mmm...
ACORN: Hello, dearie. Welcome to my humble abode.
ACORN: I wish I could offer you something nice to drink, but they cut off the water here not long ago.
ACORN: Still, we have a few bottles in the shelf over there.

ACORN: Now...
ACORN: You're an interesting one.
ACORN: You changed your clothes awfully quickly coming here.
ACORN: You also came here with dearest Randa, too.
ACORN: Did you know that as a wee sapling, he could barely ride a trike? Now he's flying airships. I'm proud of him.
ACORN: And... one more thing. Please stand still. Just a moment.

...The Reflector feels a wash of Woodmancy overcome them. As they're currently in a Chairian form, it feels... well, not nauseating, or discomforting. Just the slightest bit weird. Like they stood up too quickly, maybe.

ACORN: Hmm...
ACORN: Sorry about that, dearie. You struck me as odd, that's all.
ACORN: You seem to be a Chairian. I just wanted to be sure.
ACORN: I've seen a few creatures that resemble Chairians, but are anything but!

ACORN: Now... face towards me while you talk. I'm sure you said something earlier, but...
ACORN: I am an old woman. It can't be helped.

The Reflector repeats their request to ask them questions. That same odd feeling crosses their body, though this time entirely centralized on their lips. She mouths the Reflector's words to herself, slowly and carefully. Soon, she responds.

ACORN: Questions? That's fine by me, dear.
ACORN: Though, what would bring a young woman like yourself out here to bother an old lady?
ACORN: Not that I don't appreciate your company, of course.
ACORN: Ask away.

Acorn intently watches the Reflector. Do they suspect something still? Anyway, ask away! They're not going anywhere.

No map available.

Materials: Silkweed, Spiralfloof Floofballs. 20 crafting credits for Phase Matter.

Asha has no problems deciding on what to give Marron; the seamstress actually gave her an idea earlier today. Now, Asha isn't excellent at sewing, but she's also not a disaster (in no small part due to Marron). Most errors she can identify before they become a problem. Worst case scenario she can use a little magic to fix it. That was her strategy working on Marron's gift.

Since they returned from trick-or-treating, Asha spent some time making a number of squares. Like, quilt squares. Out of silkweed! It ended up requiring more magic than she expected, but what can you do? Upon making these squares, she created a matching layer to place on the other side- that way she can fill the quilt with something comfy. Like... Spiralfloof Floofballs! She stuffs a few in until the quilt is nice and plump, then works onto the most important part of this gift.

Though some of the squares had cute embroided pictures on them, she left the majority of them blank. Clearly this will not do, so she has to fill them with something else! Utilising a combination of aura magic, her magic language, and Phase Matter, she applies an enchantment to the blank squares. To test it, she places a thermos of hot chocolate against one of them. After a few seconds, it melds into the quilt square, looking like an iron-on patch of a thermos. She then gently tears it off, and it becomes a real object again- still warm, too!

Now having confirmed it works, she places various items in the patches, all for the purposes of comf. Things like hot chocolate and snacks, all that Marron and Asha can use while utilising the quilt.

She attempts to wrap it, but its a bit large for that. Instead, she tosses it in the biggest bag she can find and leaves a note that its from her, for Marron.

Materials: 3 Hotpoints, 1 Bottle Bottled Water.

Asha produces a small pouch from her backpack. Inside a handful of small oval shapes- seeds! They have a few different shapes and colours, and an earthy smell. They're for a gift, so she doesn't really have time to wait for them to grow. Instead, she goes through the ruined houses nearby, looking for flower pots. Once she's found a few, she gathers them up and plants the seeds.

She stares at the pots. The pots stare back.
They don't seem to be growing.
Clearly, something must be done about this.

She uncaps a bottle of Bottled Bottled Water. She then uncaps it again, since that's how Bottled Bottled Water works ("Bottled Bottled Water, bottled bottled for your convenience!"). Muttering an incantation, she imbues the water with several properties assisting in the growth of plants- notably time acceleration.

While usually accelerating time like this wouldn't usually work with the thymefield in play, her affinity for her planet's flora is a bit more lenient. After applying the water directly to the pots, she's able to safely say that after staring at the pots, various spices stare back at her. She collects them up and thinks about her next move.

Next, she'll need some spices from Sussui! After all, why not take advantage of the plants here? I bet there are a ton that taste good with burritos. Like, uh.
...
Asha realises she hasn't actually tasted any of the plants. Or at least, any that aren't primarily medicinal. She opts to visit the one person she knows is knowledgeable about plants.

[...]

After a brief(ish) trek, she arrives at the Endless Gardens. Though not actually documented in the thread, she and Marron went trick-or-treating here just a couple of hours ago. It seems a bit unusual for Christmas to be held so close to another holiday, but Asha doesn't question foreign traditions. As she rounds the corner of reception, she waves at Lutea.

ASHA: Hey, sorry to drop in again so soon!

Lutea waves to the sorceress, as she kicks a bucket of candy aside. Where do these things keep coming from, anyway?

LUTEA: Oh! Hello there! How are you?
LUTEA: ...Do you need something?
ASHA: Well... yes.
ASHA: I'm preparing a Christmas gift for Chloe, and I figured I could use your expertise with...

She waves her hands haphazardly at the various greenery around the chairian, indicating her own inexperience with the subject of Sussuian plants.

ASHA: Specifically, I wanted to ask you about spices.
ASHA: I'm not too familiar about what kinds there are on Sussui, but do you have anything that would work with something savory?
LUTEA: Ooh! I know!
LUTEA: If you're looking for something that goes well with just about everything... here!

Lutea heads into her greenhouse. A minute or so later, she returns with a potted plant. It's a healthy green, with leaves that are covered in various black growths.

LUTEA: This is the Grindleaf!
LUTEA: The leaves can be ground down into a delicious spice that can be put on meat, pasta... just about anything!
LUTEA: And, if you're looking for something spicy, you could try mixing these with a Hotpoint!
LUTEA: Though... I'm not great with spicy food, so I can't say how that tastes myself.

Asha successfully beholds the Grindleaf with wonder.

ASHA: Ooh, that sounds perfect!
ASHA: Did you want something in return?
ASHA: If you like, perhaps you could take a few of my seeds as a kind of trade?

Lutea's head bobs up and down, excited at the prospect of this new horizon.

LUTEA: A-Ah? A plant from an outsider? F-From... a-a new world!
LUTEA: I'll gladly take it! Thank you a bunch!

The trade is made, and Lutea immediately begins making plans in her head on how to re-arrange her garden to accommodate the new plant. The two wave goodbye as Asha returns home with her bounty.

She places the spice mixes in two pouches- one black and one red, and superimposes a picture of a burrito on each. In both, she places a plethora of savory spices, adding the Hotpoint to the red pouch for some kick. She adds a card, ties the pouches together with some cord, and tosses it under the tree. Probably chronologically before Marron is there, just for simplicity.

The card reads as follows:
"Hey Chloe! Merry Christmas!
I was thinking about what to get you, so I decided on something no-one else could get you! Spices! They're from Between, my home planet. As a fellow burrito connoisseur, I've had pretty good experiences with them, so hopefully you will to! Among them, I've also included a few spices from Sussui that Lutea thinks would work well for taste. Please try them out sometime!
-Asha"

Input: Heroine's Charm (x1), Abstraction Headdress (x1), Electrum Ingots
Output: Heroine's Headdress

Calibri decides he does not want to spend too long on things, and so quickly does some crafting. He manually uses his hands to pull the Abstraction Headdress into an actual shape resembling a hat, pulling out some Electrum Ingots to weld together around the outside of the headdress so it maintains shape and also has some better structure, and then thinks about what to do.

"..."

He promptly sticks the Heroine's Charm onto the helmet so that it's sort of on the top, with the attached necklace-string-part being used as a sort of chinstrap. Somehow, it sticks tight to the electrum ingots and doesn't just slide off the helmet.

"Boom. I am a certified genius."

Heroine's Headdress (T5? T6? IDK it's a helmet tho) I might have died, but I'm not dead yet!
Stats: (+4 MHP) (+4 AGI) (+4 SKI) (+2 CRT) (Not Down Yet)
Resists: Slashing (10%) Fire (20%) Electric (50%) Air (30%) Piercing (-10%)

Not Down Yet: If you have 25% HP or greater and you take a blow that would down you, survive with 1 HP, then restore (22-24) HP and gain Empowered3 and Focused3 for three rounds. Activates once per battle.

Input: Purple Sap Blob, Pretty Flowers(?), Psychoid Leaves
Output: Critmas Cookie batch

Verdana throws the pretty flowers into a pan oh sweet baby jesus no what are you doing- oh. Somehow, the flowers turned into flour. This is definitely a gross violation of the natural order in some way or other. And also a bit uncharacteristic - since when did he have the means, or inclination, to do something like that?

Anyway, now is not the time to do that, because somehow despite the absolute nonsense that just happened, Verdana is still cooking. There are some surprising limitations to what can be used for stuff, since we apparently don't have things as staple-ingredient as MILK OR BUTTER, but that's not a problem. A... purple sap blob will suffice. Apparently. When chopped into pieces and heated by casting Hidden Flame on it, at least.

After that.... a healthy sprinkling of psychoid leaves, and by all honesty it's a miracle this isn't just turning into an OSHA violation. Or maybe the fact that it's not EN doing this somehow makes it work out? She's in the area but not tending to the stove, so it's possible there's something weird at play here... Someone might wanna conduct some Science™ on that.

Anyway, that slapdash pile of ingredients is unceremoniously yeeted into the oven, which then has a thermobaric warhead detonate inside of it, before spitting out a tray of perfectly-baked fresh cookies that, even when using godawful ingredients and technique, seem kind of legit. A bit plain, but they probably go nice with other stuff...


Critmas Cookie Owned: ?
An amalgamation of ingredients that should have produced a disaster, but didn't. Full of festivity and barely-concealed anger issues.
Grants Mending6, Empowered2, and Lucky10 for (x) rounds, where x is the number of cookies eaten. Also restores (3) HP per cookie. You may eat up to 3 cookies at once.

Input: Heroine's Booster Greave, Pyro's Pulsepack, Gravcore Ore, Electrum Ingots, Searing and Shock Crystals
Output: Plus A Jetpack


EN completely dismantles the booster greave and pulsepack to figure out how they work, then re-engineers them through complicated rewiring shenanigans to fit together more neatly and also work in a slightly different way in tandem. She then has no idea if that actually works, and so stuffs in some Gravcore Ore just to be sure that it will actually allow for flying powers. She then ponders whether things are properly organized... As such, she decides to rig some Searing and Shock Crystals into the device, turning an Electrum Ingot into advanced wiring in the process. The Electrum and Shock crystals go to giving this device a power source, while the Searing crystals are invested into giving the flame produced by this jetpack more of a proper kick. After all, flight needs a lot of strong exhaust strength.

After giving it a test run that sees the jetpack fly out of her hands in a single burst of flame, then fall on top of her head (without hurting her because toughness), EN is fairly confident that this jetpack should not be used on its own. As such, she tacks on a bit of metal clamps and stuff to make it look like it's meant to fit together with something...

(T? crafting material) Plus A Jetpack
A jetpack that was definitely always designed to fit together with something yes totally haha.
Combine with a set of Armor to increase the tier of that armor by 1, and also giving it Flying as a passive! Can't do this to armor that already grants flying, or that would take you over the current acceptable tier limit.

Total Input: 20x Skyroot Logs, 3x Ember Core, 1x Royal Magus Spelltome, 20x Wheat, 1x Bucket of Pure Water, 6x Glacier Clusters

Remiel notices the kitchen oven is in use, so they use some logs and ember cores to light a fire before BLJing over to [YTP] The Spherebreakers Get Sent To The Hague to gaffle an authentic dutch oven. They return to the current parallel universe and crush some wheat into flour and mix it with water to make dough. After slapping it over the fire and waiting a bit, mostly-mundane cookies!

But these could be a bit more interesting. Remiel uses a few glacier clusters to make icing. They pull out a Spelltome and use the icing to transcribe runes on to the cookies. And then toss the spelltome into the fire, because it's consumed in the crafting operation.

Output:
[?x] Cookie Rune (Consumable T?)
Smells like cognitohazard. Choose and cast a Modifier spell at double cost, with no scaling. If you choose Toxin Coating, the status effect you get is randomised.

Pionobot / Echoss:
To begin, Pionobot investigates the seriously long present he got. It's almost certainly a piece of fabric, or something. It's just that someone forgot to roll it up before wrapping it up. Think of all the wrapping paper wasted! It seems to go from one end of the house to the other, this package. After taking a moment to gather it all up, he begins to rip into the star-covered paper. Paper galaxies are torn in two, soon revealing... a really long scarf. One end is a dark, scorched-looking black. As it goes along, this black transitions into a beautiful, purple-green flame pattern that resembles the stars at night. Oh, there's also a note at the other end.

MAPLE: "Hello! Merry Christmas!"
MAPLE: "Though I'd get you something cool, y'know? Thanks for being such a swell guy!"
MAPLE: "Behold, the majesty of my Trailing Comet! Streaking from beyond the heavens, the astral depths themselves shall be your guardian!"

Trailing Comet obtained! While Pionobot struggles to put the scarf on, he notices another box beneath the tree. A backpack of sorts? It's certainly backpack shaped, but it smells rather charred. Carefully peeling away the paper (some of which crumbles to ash), he finds... a jetpack? It appears to be from EN-913, though no note is associated with it. Odd. Plus A Jetpack obtained! Seems to be a Unique Crafting Material.

Not far from Pionobot, Echoss finds two boxes addressed to him specifically. First, he decides to grab the one from Chloe. It's small, rectangular, and wrapped in purple. He pulls away the crimson-hued ribbon, and breaks through the paper. Inside is... a large slab of chocolate, with the symbol for the Echo Collective carved into it. Far as he can tell, its homemade.

CHLOE: "Merry Christmas! I can't lie- you're a hard person to buy for when it comes to gifts. What would you like, anyway?"
CHLOE: "So, I decided I'd make you something personal! Marron helped me out a bit with the whole baking thing and getting it to cool quickly, but the rest was all me!"
CHLOE: "I hope you like it!"

Echo Chocolate obtained! Looks like it'll last for quite some time. Finally, Echoss examines the ice-cold box that Crya gave to them. Carefully, he prys off the icicles, some of the wrapping paper going with it. After that, removing the rest of the paper is a synch. Within, he finds a large tub of ice cream! Chocolate flavored, too! Nia vibrates intensely in the background.

"TO ECHOSS: Hello Mr. Echoss, merry Christmas! These days, I still celebrate the holiday with the Pantheon, but I'm not too sure how to introduce it to my subjects due to the relationship with Jesus and all that. Either way, a treat from me to you! It's chocolate ice cream with dark chocolate chips! It's kept permanently totally un-melted, so enjoy any time!
-Crya"

Goddess Ice Cream obtained! I hope Echoss has a sweet tooth!

The Author:
The Author loots a shoebox from beneath the tree. Unusual, but whatever. He pops the lid off of the shoebox, and his face is enveloped in a holy light. Merely basking in the light of this present, since it was meant for him, grants him +10 Karma. As the light dims, going from "blinding" to "less blinding", Auth is able to lift... something out of the present. It seems to be an aura of holy light, of the sort? It's really quite questionable as to how he's holding it. Karmaephemera - Light of the Saint obtained!

...Word, it really is quite bright.

Hannah:
Hannah obtains a really, really quite unassuming present from both Crystal and the Reflector. What could possibly be within? Whatever it is, there's lots of padding both inside and outside. A bit of struggling later, the cushioning is removed from the outside, and the box is opened. There's a letter over the contents...

So... you tried to assassinate Regalus. Good shot. I’m sure that if that one had gone in the knee, though, he would’ve been forced to give up the adventuring life and- you get the reference. I made a promise to Acacia -- well, “Acacia”, but same difference -- and this is one of the ways I’m fulfilling it. Something... well, let me get this out of the way first. This is some existentially dangerous stuff we’re giving you, so wear gloves when handling it and try not to even breathe any fumes from it. And you can tell how serious I’m being by the fact that I didn’t crack a joke there. It’s poison, and about as far beyond a normal poison that just stops the heart as the sun is beyond a candle. I named it the old words for “truth unbinder” for a reason -- it unravels people from branch to root, comprehensively. If Regalus doesn’t go down to this, we’ll need another plot beat, and something even more impactful crafted... and I think we used enough on this already. So... Dip an arrow in it, hit him with it, and either he’ll melt, go insane, drop dead, wink out of existence in a puff of logic, or perform <2, 3, 1, 4> in that order. I’m betting on the fifth. Good luck.

And, a second one.

Um, hi! Sorry if this introduction is awkward. I’m the Scion, and if you’re reading this letter second, you already know what your gift is. If you’re reading this first, then… I screwed this up already, didn’t I. How about I just let someone who knows you take care of this one.
Heya, partner. Thanks for being there in our little infiltration mission out near the border. What a crazy experience that’s been!
Listen, I know it’s tempting to just give up after what you’ve been through with Regalus already, but trust me. These two mad scientists know what they’re doing. If anything can kill this guy, it’s the poison you have in your hands right now. So, see you on the other side, hopefully! Remember, it’s not just Venia counting on you.
Knock ‘em dead. -- LilaAAAAA/////
There is a man here. There is a man you have never seen before in your life.
He offers you a slip of paper. It is a slip of paper you have never seen before in your life.
“Aim true, darling.”
There is not a man here.

...With the letters out of the way, she's able to reach in and obtain a bottle of... well, as Crystal mentioned, it's a poison. Alethelyse obtained. It's a consumable item, it seems. Just be... be careful with that, okay? It could really hurt someone. That probably goes without saying, though.

Calibri:
Calibri takes a quick peek beneath the tree, finding a present from Chloe! Peeling away the crimson ribbon that holds a small jewelry box shut, Calibri obtains his reward. Inside is a little wooden charm, resembling a sword. It's also in the style of the Rebel Scarlet's usual sort of charms, giving it a bit of a rustic, yet futuristic appearance. Of course, she's also gotten some help with enchanting it, so that its actually useful. Chloe, who's in the area, is able to give a message in person.

CHLOE: I hope you like it!
CHLOE: It's good to have you back, y'know?
CHLOE: I... missed you.

She blushes gently. Heroine's Fervor obtained!

Chloe:
Chloe has a verifiable throne of presents in front of her. How did she get so many presents? She can't help but feel bashful, having so many people caring for her. At the same time though, she feels sorta bad that nobody else got as many things as her. But, now is no time to mope about things like that! Now is the time to obtain sweet loot! Chloe lays out the boxes in a line, and decides to tend to them one at a time.

First, Chloe tends to the box from Nia. Okay, it's not a box- it's just sorta blatantly a sword, and its already cutting through. Chloe simply peels the paper off of the sword, the paper being parted by the blade. Chloe twirls and flourishes the blade once its free, pointing it skyward. She then gets a good look at it- it's oddly familiar to her. It was from that game Nia watched her play! The one with the androids and the existential crises! That one!

CHLOE: Whoa!~
CHLOE: Thanks, Nia! Wherever you are!
CHLOE: I wonder if I can actually use this for combat or not?
CHLOE: ...The edge seems a bit dull. And... it's too pretty to hurt in battle.
CHLOE: Maybe I'll hang it on the wall? If my room still has a wall after the explosion...

Virtuous Contract obtained! Though, it seems she really does want to bring it into combat. Maybe someone could make her a combat-ready one? Next up are two presents from Crystal. They're both rather mysterious! What could possibly be within them? First, the smaller present. She opens it up with her newly acquired sword, finding an incredibly small box with a single button. What could this be for? There's a letter with it. According to the letter, it's a device for fixing up her bedroom!

CHLOE: Ah! Thank you so much!
CHLOE: Guess I'm not sleeping on the couch tonight!~

Chloe stores this in her room for later. She'll trigger it when she's done opening gifts, maybe? With the second present, wrapped in paper with flaming gladii uponi it, she carefully slices the paper off. She retrieves a glass bottle from its depths, each filled with a sort of... purple flame? Okay, she retrieves three bottles. She holds then up to her eyes, giving them a little swirl. Like last time, there's a note. These'll boost the power of her special monumentally!

CHLOE: Ooh! I guess I'll find out what it's like to be overpowered, then?
CHLOE: Ehehehehe~
CHLOE: Thanks again, Crys!

She decides to take the really large present from Irongutta next. It's definitely taller than her. What could it possibly be? But... she's already opened a lot of presents today. Perhaps these should wait until a later post?

Marron:
Marron is still tied up beneath the tree, and is generally unhappy as a result. Ette wanders over to Marron, and sits down next to her.

ETTE: Siiiis! What're you doin?
ETTE: Did you tie yourself up as a gift for Toaster?
MARRON: W-What!? N-No!
MARRON: D-Do you think I did this?
ETTE: You didn't?
ETTE: I was thinking that you could've broken out yourself, and you're just keeping yourself here.
ETTE: Maybe you haven't broken out, because you think Asha finding you like this would be cute-
MARRON: Y-YOU COULDN'T BE F-FURTHER OFF THE M-MARK!

MARRON: ...L-Look, while I'm here, can you bring me my presents?
ETTE: You don't want me to untie yo-
MARRON: S-SHUT UP!
MARRON: J-Just... please grab me a present.
MARRON: A-And... sorry for raising my voice.
ETTE: You're forgiven!

Ette scooches a short distance away from Marron, throwing one of her sister's presents on her head before scooching back, depositing the present next to her. Marron conjures a needle to "skin" the box she received from Ette, wrapping paper falling like peels off an orange. Ette takes the liberty of the opening the cardboard box within, before dumping the contents onto Marron.

Bomp. A large plushie sheep falls out of the box, landing on Marron. It looks vaguely like a "Wooloo". Marron is incapable of properly embracing the sheep and getting a proper feel for its cuddliness, but from the looks of things, the sensation of the plush on her face is rather comfy.

MARRON: ...Fluffy.
MARRON: I like it. A lot.
MARRON: Thanks, sis!
ETTE: You're welcome!
ETTE: I know you're not really an animal person, but I think you'd like a sheep.
ETTE: They're peaceful, don't scratch up your stuff, and they give you fluffy wool!
MARRON: ...Maybe sheep are okay.
MARRON: Maybe.

Sheep Plushie obtained! Ette decides to take the sheep upstairs, placing it next to her sister's bed. Ette then grabs another present for her sister. This one seems to be from Echoss. Specifically, two books, wrapped in one package. Marron peels this present's wrapping away, same way she did last time. Two books fall out! Nudging the covers closer to herself, Marron takes a look at the titles.

MARRON: "Aunt Meredith's Guide to Interdimensional... Vegetarian Cooking"...? What?
MARRON: And... "Cooking, Chemistry, and Magic: How to Substitute Smarter."
MARRON: I-I'm... not sure why I'd need cookbooks.
ETTE: Well, you're gonna be goin' places with Toaster once the Sphere goes pop, right?
ETTE: I bet they'll be helpful then!
ETTE: Mostly because I read that in this note!

...There's a note from Echoss, which essentially notes just that.

MARRON: ...Huh.
MARRON: I guess these'll be handy, then.
MARRON: Tell him I said thanks, okay?

Ette bobs her head, before stashing the books upstairs for safe keeping. A new package then suddenly materializes in, landing on Marron's head and bouncing off. Still, at least its in reach of her. Marron conjures a needle to erase the paper, and pry the wooden box within open. A wand named the "Needlepiercer" rolls out, along with a note from Crystal. Marron slides the note over to her.

MARRON: Ooh. New murder stick.
MARRON: I like murder sticks.
ETTE: The perfect Christmas gift! Murder sticks!
MARRON: Thanks!

Marron stashes it in the inventory. If she equips that, she might take a further look at her build, so... who knows? Ette then plops down Marron's last present for the day... which is from Asha. Marron is especially excited to see what currently equates to a plastic bag.

MARRON: Ooh, ooh! Free one of my hands!

Ette rips enough of the ribbon to free Marron's hand. This hand eagerly reaches out to the plastic bag, freeing the Quilt of Cozy Items. Wordlessly, she retrieves the quilt, and snuggles up with it. There are little magical patches on it that hold cozy items, but Marron's not that interested in those at the moment. For now, Marron asks Ette for a favor.

MARRON: Ette! Can you just... roll out the quilt, over there?
ETTE: Uh, okay.
MARRON: Then... place me on it. And roll me up.
ETTE: Ooh! Okay!

Ette does as Marron says, transforming Marron into a very comfy burrito in a quilt. Marron beams warmly, in absolute bliss. She says nothing, instead taking this moment to calm down, roll around, and take a quick snooze. comf achieved

Ette:
With her sister moderately out of commission at the moment, Ette decides to tend to her own presents! First, she takes the somewhat flat box she received from her sister. She can't help but think such flatness is fitting. But that's besides the point. With more wild abandon than her sister, she rips into the paper. It seems like she's gotten a really long plushie... snake. With armored scales. Wait, is this a scarf?

Wordlessly, Ette removes her current scarf, and equips the Plushsnake Scarf. She then gives her sister a few quick pats on the head, causing her to blush gently as she naps. Sitting down next to Marron, Ette places her last present on her lap. A plastic container from Echoss! How exciting! It's not as fun to open, but she still savors the opening process.

Inside is a large pastry! Ette instinctually begins to salivate. It looks good! But she must resist the temptation to have a huge bite! Which she fails, immediately ripping out a chunk of what seems to be an apple-flavored segment. It's like a fresh apple pie! She polishes off the segment... which then promptly regenerates, as its a consumable item and should be used in combat.

ETTE: Hurray!~
ETTE: Thank you, Echoss! I'm gonna eat more of this later!
ETTE: Can't spoil my appetite!

Variety Fruit Pastry obtained!

Generic: Respec. Thanks to Eris for handling this!
Crystal: Respec. Again, thanks to Eris for handling this! the wizard Triangle coupon spent.
The Reflector: Outbreak Omnitool equipped! Trait... actually, how do we upgrade that to level 3? PM me? I dunno.
The Author: Sapling Catalyst equipped! Nana happiness +5!
Remiel: NULL purchased, then some general stat rotations done. Spooky.
Irongutta: Rosebomb equipped! Magnolia seems rather happy with this.

Lilac asks about one of the old "tenants" of Acorn Orphanage. A character who they don't exactly know the name of, but is a tech whiz, and is interested in helping Tabletopians and Chairians get along. Did any of this sound familiar to her? Just in case, she gives Acorn a brief physical description, and the timeframe he was at the orphanage at.

Once again, as she speaks, she feels the power of Woodmancy tugging at her body. Acorn silently mouths the words Lilac is speaking.

ACORN: Ah, of course.
ACORN: Little Cypress. Definitely an attendee of Acorn Orphanage, yes!
ACORN: To think he'd become a member of the Highchair! I'm very proud of him.
ACORN: He's my pride and joy.

ACORN: But... Well.

Her smile fades.

ACORN: That's what I'd tell you, were we not in such desperate times, and were I not so old!
ACORN: You must've come a very long way, dearie.
ACORN: Truth is, Cypress himself told me to fabricate this little story about him staying at this orphanage.
ACORN: He offered me... well, this. A memento of my glory days.
ACORN: I couldn't say no. It was a good offer.

Tap, tap. She taps the tip of her modified Splinter Rifle against the ground. Looking at it, it certainly seems to be made by Cypress. The tech levels certainly match up.

ACORN: But, this must be important.
ACORN: For someone to come over to my little orphanage, when the Sphere is out and about...
ACORN: And for someone just like him, to ask...
ACORN: It must be very urgent. And I could tell that it pained him, when he asked me to keep it a secret.
ACORN: Hopefully, I can relieve his pain, though he is not a child of mine.

Granny Acorn looks up towards Lilac, staring them dead in the eyes. She gives her a gentle, earnest smile.

ACORN: When you've talked to many Chairians throughout your life, and must use Woodmancy on their bodies to listen to them speak...
ACORN: ...it becomes rather easy to detect any defects that'd indicate something is off about them.
ACORN: What I'm saying is, you're not a Chairian.

ACORN: You must be a Tabletopian, masquerading as a Chairian. Am I correct?
ACORN: But don't worry, dearie. I won't tell a soul. Just humor an old woman, and tell her if she's right.

ACORN: So, dear old Cypress...
ACORN: He has always struck me as an odd figure.
ACORN: No Chairian child could hope to understand Tabletopian technology, even if they were to grow up surrounded by it. No wonder you're interested in him.
ACORN: I don't know much about him, or his origins, or if Cypress is even his true name... but he never went to this orphanage.
ACORN: Is that what you were looking to hear, sweetie?

...Was it? And, is there anything else she might be able to learn from Granny Acorn? More questions to ask?

No map available.