Born in a Victorian farming town, Verdant studied botany in university and was considered one of the best students in recent years, until he developed Oripathy and was forced to withdraw and leave the nomadic city, becoming a 'plant hunter.' He loves plants and has a particular eye for them. He has also received education in bioengineering and pharmacology. He came to Rhodes Island to seek treatment and later joined as a field operator, while also participating in the Medical department's pharmaceutical development program.
Max HP +25%, RES +15
Mastery 3 · SP cost 0 · Initial SP 0Changes damage type to Arts, ASPD +80, lose 4% HP every time when hitting an enemy
Mastery 3 · SP cost 25 · Initial SP 16 · Duration 25srestores 4% HP per second
Doctor, I'm putting the flowerpots here. The scent from these clears the mind. It'll help you sift through those documents, guaranteed.
I used to have to collect plant samples for my employer whenever he barked the order. Give me a scarcely-traveled rainforest and I'll head in happy. Thing is, once our specimens started growing in people's hydroponic pots, and then protected areas, and then test farms... Well, that's where the trouble began.
I was in the Convalescent Garden, and I saw the plant almanac Perfumer's compiling. Lots of gaps, no way to fill them in as of yet. See, a good plant hunter fills the blanks with their 'prey.' A great plant hunter not only does that, they also get the author to leave them plenty more new blanks.
I've been to Acahualla plenty. The residents there, Tiacauhs, I believe the name is. They're good people. They'll be frank with you, straight with you. It's just, two things I can't stand: one, they force me to go wrestling when they get drunk, and two, they keep judging my tail... is it really that thin, Doctor? My tail?
This handsaw was custom-made for me by my mother while I was still in school. Never thought I'd be using it again after I got infected. Thanks to that employer of mine, hiring plant hunters. He let me continue doing what I loved... even if he's the same bloke who fired me out of paranoia in the end.
Doctor, this is the plant that got me fired. No monetary value, so you can imagine... I told my boss I forsook my assigned target for this bit of shrubbery, and he thinks I'm having him on somehow... But listen. I discovered this 'un. I gave it its name. And nothing could matter more than that.
To make a 'scarecrow,' you need a whole lot more than just straw. You also need a variety of tough, poisonous, and insect-eating plants, Originium Arts, as well as my dad's techniques to sew everything together... Tch, leaked my trade secrets again. Doctor, remember not to tell anyone.
You're right, I am in fact used to keeping a cold, stoic persona in front of strangers. After all, your average plant hunter doesn't usually get into interpersonal conflict with a standing army. It's more often absent-minded guards with fixed salaries. Overpowering your opposition by putting on airs can actually ensure your safety, funny enough.
Doctor, this is my very first time making a 'Scarecrow' for someone else. What d'you think? Uncanny resemblance, right? If danger's ever afoot, this can help—oi, slow down, don't touch those vines, else they'll—Hrm. It'll let go of your arm naturally after a short while. Trust me.
Verdant seemed aloof and unapproachable when he first reported to HR. He paid no heed to the young operator who brought him the forms and water, and only gave the most basic responses to the HR manager's kind words. The one thing that caught his attention was the potted plant on a corner of the office table. The HR operator who welcomed him described the scene as such: Verdant's eyes visibly softened when he saw the plant, and he started muttering about the shapes of the leaves, surface evaporation rate, scent, and toxicity... most of it incomprehensible. Then, he bent forward, gently touched a leaf with his finger, quickly pulled back like he got an electric shock, and finally impassively asked the others where the plant came from. He was obviously suppressing his excitement as he spoke. He rushed through the onboarding paperwork, then headed straight for Lena's greenhouse. If not for him, we wouldn't have known that the tiny little plant we got from her, which we often neglect, was such a special breed. I hope that he'll pass on our sincere gratitude to the evergreen Convalescent Garden. 'Hey, come back! Get him back here! Look at how he filled out the form...' 'Other than the code name, he just scribbled through all the other sections: occupation, place of birth, Infection status, reason for joining...' We asked Verdant to redo his forms properly this time, and had him sign off that everything is accurate and truthful. —HR Supplemental Note 1 That snake signed his name as 'Strawman'! Good thing Lena was there to point it out. This time we took extra special measures to make sure that the signature is his own. —HR Supplemental Note 2
Verdant's 'strawman' is almost indistinguishable from himself, especially to those unfamiliar with him. They both look at you with in that straight-on manner, like they're observing you. According to Verdant, his strawmen are made using a variety of rare plants, which he controls through Arts to distract the enemy while he escapes using his understanding of the environment and his own agility. If necessary, he can also use his spray-equipped saw to get rid of any 'pests' or 'weeds.' I was trapped by the spiky leaves protruding from the strawman while listening to him describe these gadgets. Fortunately, he was right there to cut the leaves away and free me... fresh air has never tasted better. While the strawman may give off a sweet smell of fruit, it is a lethal fragrance that you should stay away from... especially if Verdant isn't around.
Lena and her team grow many different types of plants in Rhodes Island's Convalescent Garden. Lately, an unremarkable herbaceous plant has become the center of attention amongst the botanists and gardeners on the ship. While appearing no different from your average roadside weed, it is apparently a new species unknown to any of the experts on the ship, and it was Verdant, the mysterious plant hunter, who brought it here. Verdant took out a small sample box from his backpack. I smelled fresh earth as he opened it, the lights inside the box still providing warmth for the plant inside. The unremarkable plant would have been removed from the fields just like any weed, fed to burdenbeasts, and eventually returned to the soil, had Verdant not discovered it, identified it as distinct from any known plant species, and saved it from its fate. 'It may not have any special fragrance, or nutritional value, but it's new to me. And that's why it's precious.' Verdant showed unparalleled determination when talking about the plant, and his normally cold complexion visibly softened. [Audio Log] 'You've been here at Rhodes Island for a while now. Maybe you could try letting your guard down, make a few friends... Say, I think Lena was looking for you. I wonder what it's about?' 'Lena? The perfumer? Probably wants me to collect more thin-tailed grass.' 'Oh yes, thin-tailed grass, that new species... interesting name. I wonder who named it.' 'Yeah... who?'
Vermeil4★ · Sniper
Vetochki5★ · Defender
Vigil6★ · Vanguard
Vigna4★ · Vanguard
Vina Victoria6★ · Guard
Virtuosa6★ · Supporter
Viviana6★ · Guard
Viy6★ · Caster
Vulcan5★ · Defender
Vulpisfoglia6★ · Vanguard
W6★ · Sniper
Waai Fu5★ · Specialist
Wang6★ · Specialist
Wanqing5★ · Vanguard
Warfarin5★ · Medic
Warmy5★ · Caster
Weedy6★ · Specialist
Whislash5★ · Guard
Whisperain5★ · Medic
Wild Mane5★ · Vanguard
Wind Chimes5★ · Guard
Windflit5★ · Supporter
Windscoot4★ · Guard
Wiš'adel6★ · Sniper
Wulfenite5★ · Specialist
Xingzhu5★ · Supporter
Yato2★ · Vanguard
Yu6★ · Defender
Zima5★ · Vanguard
Zima the Raging Tide6★ · Guard
Zuo Le6★ · Guard
'Justice Knight'1★ · Sniper
12F2★ · Caster
Aak6★ · Specialist
Absinthe5★ · Caster
Aciddrop4★ · Sniper
Adnachiel3★ · Sniper
Akafuyu5★ · Guard
Akkord4★ · Caster
Alanna5★ · Supporter
Alliance/Supportive Operator4★ · Supporter
Almond5★ · Specialist
Ambriel4★ · Sniper
Amiya5★ · Caster
Andreana5★ · Sniper
Angelina6★ · Supporter
Ansel3★ · Medic
Aosta5★ · Sniper
April5★ · Sniper
Archetto6★ · Sniper
Arene4★ · Guard
Aroma5★ · Caster
Asbestos5★ · Defender
Ascalon6★ · Specialist
Ash6★ · Sniper
Ashlock5★ · Defender
Astesia5★ · Guard
Astgenne5★ · Caster
Astgenne the Lightchaser6★ · Supporter
Aurora5★ · Defender
Ayerscarpe5★ · Guard
Bagpipe6★ · Vanguard
Bassline5★ · Defender
Beagle3★ · Defender
Beanstalk4★ · Vanguard
Beehunter4★ · Guard
Beeswax5★ · Caster
Bellone6★ · Guard
Bena5★ · Specialist
Bibeak5★ · Guard
Bison5★ · Defender
Blacknight5★ · Vanguard
Blaze6★ · Guard
Blaze the Igniting Spark6★ · Caster
Blemishine6★ · Defender
Blitz5★ · Defender
Blue Poison5★ · Sniper
Bobbing5★ · Supporter
Botani5★ · Supporter
Breeze5★ · Medic
Brigid5★ · Sniper
Broca5★ · Guard
Bryophyta5★ · Guard
Bubble4★ · Defender
Cairn5★ · Defender
Cantabile5★ · Vanguard
Caper4★ · Sniper
Cardigan3★ · Defender
Carnelian6★ · Caster
Castle-31★ · Guard
Catapult3★ · Sniper
Catherine5★ · Supporter
Cement5★ · Defender
Ceobe6★ · Caster
Ceylon5★ · Medic
Ch'en6★ · Guard
Ch'en the Dawnstreak6★ · Guard
Ch'en the Holungday6★ · Sniper
Chestnut4★ · Medic
Chiave5★ · Vanguard
Chilchuck5★ · Vanguard
Chongyue6★ · Guard
Civilight Eterna6★ · Supporter
Click4★ · Caster
Cliffheart5★ · Specialist
Closure6★ · Vanguard
Coldshot5★ · Sniper
CONFESS-471★ · Vanguard
Contrail4★ · Specialist
Conviction4★ · Guard
Corroserum5★ · Caster
Courier4★ · Vanguard
Crackborne5★ · Defender
Croissant5★ · Defender
Crownslayer6★ · Specialist
Cuora4★ · Defender
Cutter4★ · Guard
Czerny5★ · Defender
Dagda5★ · Guard
Deepcolor4★ · Supporter
Degenbrecher6★ · Guard
Delphine5★ · Caster
Diamante5★ · Caster
Dobermann4★ · Guard
Doc5★ · Guard
Dorothy6★ · Specialist
Dur-nar4★ · Defender
Durin2★ · Caster
Dusk6★ · Caster
Earthspirit4★ · Supporter
Ebenholz6★ · Caster
Ela6★ · Specialist
Elysium5★ · Vanguard
Enforcer5★ · Specialist
Entelechia6★ · Guard
Erato5★ · Sniper
Estelle4★ · Guard
Ethan4★ · Specialist
Eunectes6★ · Defender
Executor5★ · Sniper
Executor the Ex Foedere6★ · Guard
Exusiai6★ · Sniper
Exusiai the New Covenant6★ · Specialist
Eyjafjalla6★ · Caster
Eyjafjalla the Hvít Aska6★ · Medic
Fang3★ · Vanguard
Fang the Fire-Sharpened5★ · Vanguard
Fartooth6★ · Sniper
FEater5★ · Specialist
Fiammetta6★ · Sniper
Figurino5★ · Specialist
Firewatch5★ · Sniper
Firewhistle5★ · Defender
Flamebringer5★ · Guard
Flametail6★ · Vanguard
Flint5★ · Guard
Folinic5★ · Medic
Franka5★ · Guard
Friston-31★ · Defender
Frost5★ · Specialist
Frostleaf4★ · Guard
Fuze5★ · Guard
GALLUS²1★ · Caster
Gavial4★ · Medic
Gavial the Invincible6★ · Guard
Gitano4★ · Caster
Gladiia6★ · Specialist
Glaucus5★ · Supporter
Gnosis6★ · Supporter
Goldenglow6★ · Caster
Gracebearer5★ · Guard
Grain Buds5★ · Supporter
Grani5★ · Vanguard
Gravel4★ · Specialist
GreyThroat5★ · Sniper
Greyy4★ · Caster
Greyy the Lightningbearer5★ · Sniper
Gummy4★ · Defender
Hadiya5★ · Guard
Harmonie5★ · Caster
Harold5★ · Medic
Haruka6★ · Supporter
Haze4★ · Caster
Heavyrain5★ · Defender
Heidi5★ · Supporter
Hellagur6★ · Guard
Hibiscus3★ · Medic
Hibiscus the Purifier5★ · Medic
Highmore5★ · Guard
Ho'olheyak6★ · Caster
Hoederer6★ · Guard
Honeyberry5★ · Medic
Horn6★ · Defender
Hoshiguma6★ · Defender
Hoshiguma the Breacher6★ · Defender
Humus4★ · Guard
Hung5★ · Defender
Iana5★ · Specialist
Ifrit6★ · Caster
Indigo4★ · Caster
Indra5★ · Guard
Ines6★ · Vanguard
Insider5★ · Sniper
Irene6★ · Guard
Iris5★ · Caster
Istina5★ · Supporter
Jackie4★ · Guard
Jaye4★ · Specialist
Jessica4★ · Sniper
Jessica the Liberated6★ · Defender
Jieyun5★ · Sniper
Ju5★ · Sniper
Kafka5★ · Specialist
Kal'tsit6★ · Medic
Kal'tsit Esperanta6★ · Medic
Kazemaru5★ · Specialist
Kestrel5★ · Vanguard
Kichisei5★ · Sniper
Kirara5★ · Specialist
Kirin R Yato6★ · Specialist
Kjera5★ · Caster
Kroos3★ · Sniper
Kroos the Keen Glint5★ · Sniper
La Pluma5★ · Guard
Laios5★ · Guard
Lancet-21★ · Medic
Lappland5★ · Guard
Lappland the Decadenza6★ · Caster
Lava3★ · Caster
Lava the Purgatory5★ · Caster
Lee6★ · Specialist
Leizi5★ · Caster
Leizi the Thunderbringer6★ · Guard
Lemuen6★ · Sniper
Leonhardt5★ · Caster
Lessing6★ · Guard
Leto5★ · Guard
Lin6★ · Caster
Ling6★ · Supporter
Liskarm5★ · Defender
Logos6★ · Caster
Lord/Sharp6★ · Guard
Lucilla5★ · Supporter
Lumen6★ · Medic
Lunacub5★ · Sniper
Luo Xiaohei4★ · Guard
Lutonada4★ · Defender
Magallan6★ · Supporter
Manticore5★ · Specialist
Mantra6★ · Caster
Marcille6★ · Caster
Matoimaru4★ · Guard
Matsukiri5★ · Vanguard
Matterhorn4★ · Defender
May4★ · Sniper
Mayer5★ · Supporter
Mechanist6★ · Defender
Melanite5★ · Sniper
Melantha3★ · Guard
Meteor4★ · Sniper
Meteorite5★ · Sniper
Midnight3★ · Guard
Minimalist5★ · Caster
Mint5★ · Caster
Misery6★ · Specialist
Miss.Christine5★ · Caster
Mitm5★ · Vanguard
Mizuki6★ · Specialist
Młynar6★ · Guard
Mon3tr6★ · Medic
Morgan5★ · Guard
Mostima6★ · Caster
Mountain6★ · Guard
Mousse4★ · Guard
Mr. Nothing5★ · Specialist
Mudrock6★ · Defender
Muelsyse6★ · Vanguard
Mulberry5★ · Medic
Mutsumi Wakaba5★ · Specialist
Myrrh4★ · Medic
Myrtle4★ · Vanguard
Narantuya6★ · Sniper
Nasti6★ · Supporter
Nearl5★ · Defender
Nearl the Radiant Knight6★ · Guard
Necrass6★ · Caster
Nian6★ · Defender
Nightingale6★ · Medic
Nightmare5★ · Caster
Nine-Colored Deer5★ · Supporter
Noir Corne2★ · Defender
Nowell5★ · Medic
Nyamu Yūtenji5★ · Guard
Nymph6★ · Caster
Odda5★ · Guard
Orchid3★ · Supporter
Pallas6★ · Guard
Paprika5★ · Medic
Papyrus5★ · Medic
Passenger6★ · Caster
Penance6★ · Defender
Pepe6★ · Guard
Perfumer4★ · Medic
Perfumer the Distilled5★ · Supporter
Phantom6★ · Specialist
Philae5★ · Defender
PhonoR-01★ · Supporter
Pinecone4★ · Sniper
Pith5★ · Caster
Pith6★ · Caster
Platinum5★ · Sniper
Plume3★ · Vanguard
Podenco4★ · Supporter
Poncirus5★ · Vanguard
Popukar3★ · Guard
Pozëmka6★ · Sniper
Pramanix5★ · Supporter
Pramanix the Prerita6★ · Caster
Projekt Red5★ · Specialist
Provence5★ · Sniper
Proviso5★ · Supporter
Ptilopsis5★ · Medic
Pudding4★ · Caster
Purestream4★ · Medic
Puzzle5★ · Vanguard
Qanipalaat5★ · Caster
Qiubai6★ · Guard
Quartz4★ · Guard
Quercus5★ · Supporter
Raidian6★ · Supporter
Raidian6★ · Supporter
Rangers2★ · Sniper
Rathalos S Noir Corne5★ · Guard
Ray6★ · Sniper
Record Keeper5★ · Medic
Reed5★ · Vanguard
Reed the Flame Shadow6★ · Medic
Reserve Operator - Caster3★ · Caster
Reserve Operator - Caster4★ · Caster
Reserve Operator - Defender3★ · Defender
Reserve Operator - Defender4★ · Defender
Reserve Operator - Guard4★ · Guard
Reserve Operator - Logistics3★ · Medic
Reserve Operator - Medic4★ · Medic
Reserve Operator - Melee3★ · Vanguard
Reserve Operator - Sniper3★ · Sniper
Reserve Operator - Sniper4★ · Sniper
Reserve Operator - Specialist4★ · Specialist
Reserve Operator - Supporter4★ · Supporter
Reserve Operator - Vanguard4★ · Vanguard
Ripresa5★ · Caster
Roberta4★ · Supporter
Robin5★ · Specialist
Rockrock5★ · Caster
Rope4★ · Specialist
Rosa6★ · Sniper
Rose Salt5★ · Medic
Rosmontis6★ · Sniper
Saga6★ · Vanguard
Saileach6★ · Vanguard
Sakiko Togawa6★ · Guard
Sand Reckoner5★ · Supporter
Sankta Miksaparato6★ · Defender
Santalla5★ · Caster
Saria6★ · Defender
Savage5★ · Guard
Scavenger4★ · Vanguard
Scene5★ · Supporter
Schwarz6★ · Sniper
Senshi5★ · Defender
Sesa5★ · Sniper
Shalem5★ · Defender
Shalem5★ · Defender
Shamare5★ · Supporter
Sharp5★ · Guard
Sharp6★ · Guard
Shaw4★ · Specialist
Shining6★ · Medic
Shirayuki4★ · Sniper
Shu6★ · Defender
Sideroca5★ · Guard
Siege6★ · Vanguard
Silence5★ · Medic
Silence the Paradigmatic6★ · Supporter
SilverAsh6★ · Guard
SilverAsh the Reignfrost6★ · Vanguard
Skadi6★ · Guard
Skadi the Corrupting Heart6★ · Supporter
Skybox5★ · Sniper
Skyfire5★ · Caster
Snegurochka4★ · Vanguard
Snow Hunter5★ · Sniper
Snowsant5★ · Specialist
Sora5★ · Supporter
Specter5★ · Guard
Specter the Unchained6★ · Specialist
Spot3★ · Defender
Spuria5★ · Specialist
Stainless6★ · Supporter
Steward3★ · Caster
Stormeye5★ · Sniper
Stormeye6★ · Sniper
Surfer5★ · Vanguard
Surtr6★ · Guard
Sussurro4★ · Medic
Suzuran6★ · Supporter
Swire5★ · Guard
Swire the Elegant Wit6★ · Specialist
Tachanka5★ · Guard
Taraxacum5★ · Medic
Tecno5★ · Caster
Tequila5★ · Guard
Terra Research Commission1★ · Sniper
Texas5★ · Vanguard
Texas the Omertosa6★ · Specialist
Thorns6★ · Guard
Thorns the Lodestar6★ · Specialist
THRM-EX1★ · Specialist
Tin Man5★ · Specialist
Tippi5★ · Specialist
Titi6★ · Medic
Toddifons5★ · Sniper
Tomimi5★ · Caster
Totter4★ · Sniper
Touch5★ · Medic
Touch6★ · Medic
Tragodia6★ · Supporter
Tsukinogi5★ · Supporter
Tulip5★ · Vanguard
Tulip6★ · Vanguard
Tuye5★ · Medic
Typhon6★ · Sniper
U-Official1★ · Supporter
Uika Misumi5★ · Supporter
Ukusik5★ · Medic
Ulpianus6★ · Guard
Umiri Yahata5★ · Specialist
Underflow5★ · Defender
Utage4★ · Guard
Valarqvin5★ · Supporter
Vanilla3★ · Vanguard
Varkáris5★ · Guard
Vendela5★ · MedicYou were just trying to chat with me and I wasn't responding? Ooh, um, see, I was DEFINITELY, NOT using a 'Scarecrow', tooooo skive off work. Honest.
I need a job, and being a pharmaceutical company, surely Rhodes Island won't turn down an experienced plant hunter. And the plant hunter in question is none other than... Y'what? I just need to sign here, that's it? No fibs?
Hang on! I think I saw a very rare shrub. Might even be a new species! Where was this video taken?
There's a beautiful medal... but the design's a bit dull. You considered adding some plant motifs to it?
Never mind contending with people. I prefer exploring the wilderness, delving into the rainforest, living among the plants... Want to come along with me next time, Doctor?
Can we settle disputes some other way that's not direct conflict?
All I can assure you is everyone returns safe. I cannot guarantee victory like the others can. Are you SURE you want me as squad leader?
If this conflict truly is necessary, I suppose there's no way around it.
Good bit of bravery in you to stand as my enemy.
Chop-chop with the orders. I'll make 'em regret showing their faces.
Chop-chop with the orders? I can see them coming...
Dead branches and rotten leaves! I'll sweep up in no time, just you watch.
Bunch of ten-a-penny weeds. Nothing I'm interested in.
The harder on the outside, the softer on the inside.
Plant looks risky, who can tell. Plant looks safe, you're in for hell.
Never assume the simple days will last.
...Uh-oh. Time I dropped a 'Scarecrow'!
I never thought I'd be getting the best of that vicious an enemy... At this rate, you think we could be off somewhere more dangerous for sample-collecting?
There we go, enemies dealt with, now we can show ourselves the door and leave.
A few of 'em got away... They're not coming back, are they?
Stay alive, Doctor. You won't have a future to count on otherwise.
If I want to help improve Rhodes Island's plant diversity, where do I apply?
If you can't tell the difference between me and a 'Scarecrow,' I think the vines might've poisoned you.
Hmm... Where should I go to collect samples next time?
Arknights.
As you can see, I'm giving a Scarecrow a new change of clothes. Back in my quiet little hometown, families would all give their scarecrows a fresh bit of kit at the start of each year... Not sure what the cultural significance of that was, but the most important thing is, don't let the fowlbeasts get too used to seeing the same getup. Fowls, they're smart little buggers.
Good morning, Doctor. I watered the flowers in your office for you.
Happy birthday, Doctor. I've been thinking for a long time about what to give you, and finally decided I'd let you choose yourself. Here, take a seed from my palm, any seed. Plant it, and see what kind of flowers you get blooming eventually.
When I observe plants in the wild, sometimes I'll think, what if the ones that live for hundreds or thousands of years sense the passage of time too? How long would their experience of one year be...? Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not like mine. It always feels like each year passes by in a flash.
While still a patient at Rhodes Island, Verdant often visited the library late at night, huddling up with books and periodicals about botany in a corner behind the shelves, and jotting down notes in his notebook. When there was anyone else in the library, he would put up a stoic face, pretend to have gotten the wrong door, and turn around to leave, only for his sigh to be plainly audible from the stairway. It was later revealed that he had thought the library was only open to operators. But unable to suppress his curiosity, he snuck in at night to read anyway. 'Going at night is the best way to get things done, whether it be retrieving half-eaten fruit from a beast den, taking flowers from a noble's garden, or browsing through the Royal Library's archives.' Upon learning the reason for Verdant's actions, he was issued a library card and invited to help organize the archives. It was during this process that he, who is usually reticent about his past, revealed a few fragments of his days studying botany in university. Through his talent and love for plants, he had quickly become the professors' favorite student, but he never finished his education. We can only hypothesize that Oripathy was the reason he dropped out of school. 'It was the worst of times, but looking back on it, it was the best of times. 'I made this strawman's clothes myself, after my school uniform. I wonder how my professor's project is going, and how the investigation on the growth cycle and distribution of those crops is progressing.' 'It's good enough for me that I get to continue to study plants... but I wonder when I'll be able to go back to school.'
'I had to withdraw after getting Infected, leaving the nomadic city and returning to my hometown.' 'The back-country fields may look endless, but any rumor about the Infected is like the wind in the fields, sweeping from house to house.' He was repairing his strawman while speaking about this part of his past. He tried to teach us how to make these strawmen, but no one managed to pick it up. He told us that his father was a craftsman of some repute, from which he picked up these skills, while his knowledge of plants came from his farmer mother. Harboring an Infected made life difficult for the family, as farmers and procurers alike began to distance themselves. Even if his parents did not consider it a burden, they lacked the means to make any long-term plans for him. As such, Verdant decided to leave behind the warmth and comfort of home. In his travels, he met someone who needed a botanist, and began working as a 'plant hunter,' operating in the gray zone between government, the nobles, and corporations, sometimes resorting to less than scrupulous means and getting into trouble for it. Because of his Infection, he is reserved and cautious when dealing with others, acting cold and aloof in front of strangers in order to keep them at arm's length. We believe that these experiences are the reason he avoids personal interaction. Having spent a considerable amount of time in treatment at Rhodes Island, we have observed his interactions with other operators and realized that there is a lot of warmth in his heart. He regularly helps Lena clean up fallen leaves in the Convalescent Garden, writes letters of appreciation to Flamebringer for helping care for the plants he is studying, and brings back flower samples for Podenco and Lisa after 'hunting' trips. We are happy that he is beginning to open up to us, and that he feels at home at Rhodes Island.