Shaman POV

"You sure didn't....make this....an easy....task"

Huffing and puffing with exertion, and only about halfway up, I can only stop to wonder just what Curator expected to be scaling such a temple. Even younger folks of the clan would be spent by this point, and it's unlikely Vahlu would fair much better. So many steps, and so high up! A fall down from here would be certain death, but carry on I shall for the sooner this is done, the sooner my people may now some semblance of safety.

'Then stop and rest a moment. Can't have you keeling over on me now! Do you need water? I would offer a snack as well, but sadly, not sure what y'all eat. Before you protest, the task was to get me to the top, never said it'd have to be a near death experience, or that I wouldn't try to make it more manageable!'

I swear, the dungeon knows exactly how one would think, preempting my refusal of aid before it can even rise in my throat. Sighing and shaking my head with a chuckle it's quite easy to respond honestly.

"Some water would be nice. Food at this point wouldn't stay down, and we mostly eat meat but do also eat some plants. Wouldn't want to messy up your steps here with the blood."

"You are faring about as well as I did with my own, similar, trial. I was much smaller then and had to scale that strange snake-like succulent, following it up through the winding manner, staying from crossing the spines as doing so felt...wrong in a way. They even offered that same care, letting me know that, should any assistance be needed I only need ask."

Hearing such directly from the scion's mouth would put a lot of my stresses to ease. If the dungeon cares that much about it's scions, then the care it shows toward me and my people seems more and more genuine. It's strange really, most stories describe dungeons as places that try to murder and destroy any life to enter them. Or that they can drag into their borders, yet Curator seems more like a kindly elder, eager to help as they can. And knowing all the ways to enact a terrible price should you truly cross them.

'Hmmm, something funny?'

The sudden question catches me off guard as strange blue leaf, curled and holding clean water appears before me. Leaning in to suck the water from that cupped frond, the cool, pure, water would be refreshing like nothing I've had before. There is no taste of sand, or silt. Nor tastes of detritus or effluent and similar contaminants. I can't help myself and greedily drink it all down, even licking what drops remain on the leaf.

'Didn't realize you were this thirsty, I can get more if you need. It's really no trouble at all.'

"This is plenty, I have never had such pure water before. Most water we get is filtered out of the occasional plant life, or from stagnating puddles and ponds that we only cautiously drink from if nothing else is an option. I could not ask you to create more of such for me."

'Oh, I didn't create it. This place is the bud of an oasis. There's a spring that's bubbled up to the surface, pure, clean, and cold from deep in the ground. It's one of the numerous reasons your people being here would be good for both of us. The faster the oasis can grow and develop, the faster there are plants and wildlife to work with. Which means more food for you all, and more for me to learn about and experiment with. That said, since you're done drinking, do your people have a way to test if something would be poisonous to you? I know some ways that might work, without magic but not sure if it will for your kind. If you don't we could try my methods as that leaf may be edible to your people if it's anything like the plants it resembles from my own past.'

Their own past, they have a past where knowing what should be edible mattered? Just what kind of dungeon core is Curator?

"Not that I know of. It's usually only after one gets ill or worse. Do you have a way to avoid such?"

'Okay, yeah, I do. This bit of knowledge is completely free, as no one should start or fear death from just eating something. Fist thing you'll want to do is pick up that leaf, at the cut edge you should see it's kinda....gooey, put some of that goo on your lips and we'll wait a bit. If it causes any burning or itching, tell me right away, okay?'

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"Seems simple enough. Is that all it takes to know if it's poison or not?"

'That's just the first step, but if after a bit it doesn't cause any burning or itching, then it's half way to being sure. Now, this is more of a 'general' test. It's not fool proof as some plants have very, very insidious poisons, but generally speaking, this works very well. Like how with meats, usually it's safe if it's fresh but some animals need special preparation to be edible and can't be eaten raw, and as is.'

Once more, that wisdom and experience with food is...surprising from a thing that doesn't need to eat. Following it's instructions, I'd smear some of that goo on my lips and get up to start moving up the stairs again. Carrying the leaf in one hand as Babe rides on my chest to stay out of the sun it feels easier to make progress. After that short rest and the invigoration of fresh, clean water, it feels like there is a newfound energy in these old bones. It's not long until half the remaining distance has been covered, and while breathing heavily still, it doesn't feel as taxing as I would have thought.

'Okay, now then, any burning or itching in your lips at all? Are they numb, do they feel normal?'

"They feel normal as of now Curator, no burning, no itching, and that water earlier has me feeling better than I have in a long time."

'Not a surprise there on the water front. Odds are your people are all dehydrated to an extent, and borderline starving or malnourished, we'll need to be careful no one eats or drinks too much, too fast else they will grow very, very ill, and potentially die. That said, the next step, heh, of testing if it's poisonous is to take a small bite, chew it, and hold it in your mouth for a while. Now, this next bit is crucial, you must not swallow it until enough time has passed. If it EVER tastes bitter or soapy you spit it out, right away and let me know so I can pull up more water to rinse your mouth out with. If it tastes sweet, or salty, or spicy, that's fine, but still don't swallow until the time is up, okay?'

"Chew a small mouthful, let it sit in my mouth. If it tastes bitter or soapy spit it out, but other flavors are okay. I take it, if it's bitter or a flavor that I don't recognize, that means to spit? Soapy is a word without meaning for me."

'Ah, yes, if that's the case then, if it's bitter or a taste you've never had before, then spit it out. You are familiar with sweet, spicy, salty, and savory then, yes? Savory is that special flavor meat has, if that makes sense, that just...meatiness that most plants never have.'

"I was...unfamiliar with that savory one until just now, but now that you've explained what it is, that makes...alot of sense. Tell me though, you know much of food, yet, you are a dungeon core and have no need to eat or drink, how, and why, would you know such things?"

After asking my question I'd take that small bite chew a few times and stop, trembling. It takes everything I have to not just eat that small bite right now and start ripping into the leaf. It's so wet, cool, and most of all sweet. So very very sweet! Sweet things are rare enough for us that we cherish them, but to call those small, shriveled berries sweet compared to this is....it's to compare the light of stars to the light of the sun!

'I can explain that bit in time, after you've made it to the top and placed me in my pedestal. For now though, lets focus on the tasks at hand, yes?'

Nodding in response while holding my tail tip under the crook of my right arm, my ascent would resume. Step after trudging step, we would go. Each additional lift of my legs causing a burning ache to set into them. An ache of exertion I've not felt in so long it was almost a forgotten memory of a younger time. Still on I would push, now further tempted by the sweet cloying taste covering my tongue and painting the inside of my mouth with the song of a temptress. That song would raise a chorus quite readily from my stomach as it would grumble in protest at knowing something so tasty is so close at hand, but patience. As Curator has said, it is better to be safe with this than risk the alternative.

Finally cresting the top as the sun starts to get closer to setting than that of mid day, it'd be clear to see where Curator is supposed to go. A pedestal almost shaped like the forked tongue of a serpent rests in the middle of the open area capping this temple. Padding over it, and carefully pull Curator's core off my tail, it's clear with the shape of this how they are to be placed as it's grooved on the inside. Placing them in that cradle carefully, it's an almost awe inspiring sight, seeing that dark blue gem framed and filled with the light of the sun, almost like an eye watching the east and west.

'Ah, that's better, home sweet, rocky, home. Ah, and before I forget, if it's not tasted bitter or off by this point, it should be safe. Now, I'd still recommend only swallowing what's in your mouth and giving that some time as well, just to be even more safe, but, you should be good. When eating it though, be sure to chew thoroughly before swallowing each bite, this is to make sure you don't over eat or the like, as I could hear how hungry you are. Go ahead and take a quick break to have that well earned snack. When you are ready there are some questions I need ask you, and that you will need to answer truthfully, for both our sakes.'

That isn't ominous at all, but a rest and snack seems quite nice. Heeding Curators advise, in part, only a few small additional bites would be taken of that leaf. Sitting down to bask in the almost blissful sweetness that composes this leaf, it's small wonder why they are so cautious and give such warnings. This leaf would be enough to easily feed me a few days, and that's if I were being wasteful, but that tempting sweetness makes me want to eat as fast as I can.

Curator POV

Ah, that's better. Nice and secure and safe. Here I can freely change things to further secure myself as needed and not have to worry about things popping up under me. Shaman did well, and the not-a-gave I accidentally made seems to be edible, and quite tasty, to him which is a boon as well. Lets give him some time to rest. While we're waiting, lets take some precautions, to be safe.

With that, crisscrossing bars of sandstone would sprout to cover the open spaces to the north, west, and south, leaving the stairs to my chamber open for now. The diagonal growths and shifting of the stone as it makes that secure lattice seems to further awe my guest as they rest. Doing a bit more and extending some sandstone from my cradle, I'd loosely bind myself to it, so as to ensure I don't fall out of it randomly, but, still have some room to safely grow.

"Such power to mold and move stone as though it were sand."

'Yet, power without a foundational knowledge is power wasted. That is the main reason I asked you to be the one to come here specifically. I need to know the basics of how mana works. How do things that aren't like me store and hold it, and, how would my mana affect things it is put into?'