"Is this... liquefied peat?" Rorschach drew a small sample to himself and carefully rubbed it between his fingers. "Go and fetch a few buckets."
Rorschach had the Apprentice find some containers for the samples. After several iron buckets were filled, Rorschach applied a seal and used an Ethereal Membrane to shrink them down to the size of soda cans.
"I need you to deliver these to Andre. Tell him to send one can to the Tower of Forest and another to the Secret Technique Tower. The rest are to be kept for research... No, wait. Don't open them until I get back."
"Understood."
Once the Apprentice and the mining equipment had been mostly evacuated, Rorschach began to investigate what lay beneath.
The first thing to deal with was the oily sludge. The center of the viscous liquid bubbled slowly and constantly. With every bubble that burst, the foul, fishy stench in the air intensified.
