Fog catcher

It counts as doping

Terry Votler — 13/10/2056

Do you feel powerless outside the Mist? Do you hate it when your precious Gift vanishes right after the passing of a Cloud? When your position as a leader is threatened by some musclehead whose Gift cannot possibly compare to yours just because the weather was dry for a few weeks? If so, rejoice, because our beloved prowlers just made a phenomenal breakthrough!

Note that most of the information in this entry was taken directly from the notebook of Ghislain Stuvard, who first discovered the Fog catcher.

The savior is a plant

Fog catchers seem to belong to the Solomon's Seal genus but don't fall into any know species. Ghislain surmises it is a rapid mutation due to the Mist itself, which Dana Simet, plant expert for the F.I.S.H. judges doubtful and unlikely. I also asked Loona Porter, biologist and Wayne Sorceress, who told me that while the chances are indeed slim, it is not so impossible for the Mist to trigger abnormal mutation in plants considering the alteration of the Children of the Mist.

Whatever its origin, the fog catcher got its name from its ability to capture the Mist inside of its bell-shaped flower. Usually, the Mist outside of a fog formation dissolves and vanishes in a matter of seconds. However, fog catchers are able to withhold the condensed water for several hours. During this time frame, the mist disperses at a much slower rate than it usually does. Eventually, it disappears completely, leaving wet petals and leaves dripping from regular water. However, a simple touch is all it takes for the flower to lose its adhesive ability and for the mist to go.

A powerful bouquet

Ghislain, after observing the plant for several days, took a leap and swallowed a plant. He has a gift of heightened sense, which improves greatly all of his senses, from hearing to touch and sight. And to its relief, his intuition was right! After gobbling up a fog catcher's flower, the mist imbued his body and his senses sharpened.

The sensation was short-lived, less than a second, and left me with a deep feeling of dissatisfaction. However, I am sure of what I felt, even if it was for an instant. It allowed me to notice a Creature creeping onto me, which probably saved my life.

— extract from Ghislain Stuvard's journal

With the menace avoided, he repeated the experiment, this time with more flowers at once. The process was tricky, but he managed to absorb the equivalent of seven flowers and could tell the difference. It lasted longer, for two whole seconds, before vanishing. He then took a sample of the plant, marked the location, and went back to Detroit.

What to do with that information

First and foremost, it will be beneficial for wandering prowlers. The world outside is dangerous, and they can seldom rely on their Gift. If it can give them even the slightest advantage, it is good knowledge. But for us, it might open the way for a better understanding of how to trap the Mist and use it to our advantage, or even comprehend how it works at a fundamental level.

Addendum — 29/10/2056

A second expedition went to the place marked by Ghislain. They found the flowers, but only one out of the three prowlers was able to feel her Gift awakening. We might be missing something there, but that will be for the Wayne Sorcerers to find out. Exciting news all in all!

Addendum — 11/03/2062 — Hank Volter

They did it! Based on the original information brought back by Ghislain Stuvard and the following expedition, a team of Wayne's Sorcerers managed to design the fog pill, a pill to swallow that awakens the Gift inside without the slightest Mist around, and for several minutes! It saddens me you could not see it reach completion Terry, you would have loved it.