:quality(75)/curiosity-data.s3.amazonaws.com/images/content/thumbnail/standard/e08157f8-0b8b-495b-ba6e-af374c49d84b.png)
the depths below.exploring the caverns.All of you will have the same entrance into the caverns -- it will involve going underwater and traveling about one hundred feet through a tunnel which breaks into into a massive cavern, full of air. The breeze is mysteriously fresh, for being both underground and underwater, and before you are three massive dark tunnels. It's hard to decide which one to go toward, but inevitably, you are drawn toward a specific tunnel.
For your top level comments, include what group you are in your subject line. . You will be in the caverns for roughly one week's time in order to get to the information at hand. That doesn't mean you have to stay below that long, but be prepared to pack whatever you need in order to live down there for that long There will be fish to hunt in the waters and the water itself is fresh, but sleeping on the cold marble-like surface might suck, especially if you're wet. And . . . once you get into the meat of things, what are you going to find? group a.
The tunnel by which group A travels down is narrow, to the point of claustrophobia. And along the way, you will run into several obstacles. You will have to travel through underwater tunnels that, again, are narrow and claustrophobic. Stalagmites and stalacites make navigating through the waters treachorous, and getting stuck is not an impossibility.
Additionally, as you move through the pathways (both water and not), you begin to notice little lights flickering in the water. At first, you think it may be crystals sparkling in the water . . . but upon closer inspection, you begin to realize that they are bioluminescent eels. How cool! However, about halfway into your journey, you begin to notice that theyre getting a bit . . . larger. And, should you allow yourself to be attacked by them, not only do they bite, they seem to suck out your energy. These eels feast on magical energy, and suffering a bite from one of these eels will completely eradicate your Astoria granted powers for five hours. Have fun with that.
Finally, at the end of your journey, you will reach what feels like a dead end . . . in that you come upon a small alcove type area, with no discernable exit. And, upon the far wall, you see what appear to be cave drawings. Intricately carved into the stone, with a language surrounding the pictographs that no one understands, are what appears to be two women. One has longer hair, to her shoulders, holding a white orb in her hand. The other, with cropped hair, appears to be holding a blackened orb in her hand. Their arms are intertwined, connected, but there is a large fracture in the rock, scorched across the woman drawn in white, as if someone (or something) has attempted to blast it to bits.
Eventually, upon some investigating, you come across words that you, somehow, do understand, scrawed in a messy text, carved into the stone. Those words?
group b.
The tunnels that Group B heads down are considerably wide, all things considered. Most of the journey in the tunnels for Group B is above-ground and doesn't involve going underwater . . . which may be a good thing, as the water pathways in this tunnel are deep. The water is still crystal clear, but you somehow still can't see the bottom of it. It looks as if it goes on forever . . . and ever . . . and ever . . .
Eventually, though, you come into a second massive cavern, with a huge underground lake. The lake is full of dark shapes that dart underneath the surface -- horses, with the tails of fish, as they pop up to the surface for a gulp or two of air. But when they notice the strangers on the shores of their territory, they circle ranks and edge themselves closer . . . and if you get too close to the shore, you may feel teeth sink into the edge of your coat and an abrupt tug to be pulled into the water.
To be clear -- the kelpies themselves are not particularly violent. However, they've never seen otherworlders like you before, and are definitely scared. Not fighting against them will ensure their slow trust, and they will generally leave you alone. But if you attack them? They'll fight back, and they will drag you down to the depths below without a second thought in order to protect their own.
Eventually, you come across a third massive cavern, with another underground lake. The water seems to sparkle with energy -- tiny lights dance across the water, skipping across the surface without a care in the world. Touching the water will result in temporary paralysis of whatever you use to touch it -- magic, so powerful that you cannot possibly comprehend it. The energy is too much to handle, and you, too, cannot see the bottom of this lake. However, scattered across the walls, are runes carved into the marble. It's a language you do not understand, but you do come across something that you manage to understand . . . tucked amongst the runic symbols:
 group c.
Group C enters into a beautiful crystalized tunnel, with white crystals jutting out into the tunnel. It looks beautiful, but it makes for treacherous going -- the crystals are razor sharp, and sliding through them requires elegance and grace to avoid being turned into ribbons. Move slowly -- you need to in order to make it through this maze of crystals.
Eventually, you make it to a wider tunnel with various deep pools of water scattered along the floor. The pools seem to be endlessly deep, reaching to impossible depths that you cannot see. However, the pools seem to have an . . . alluring feel to them. You are drawn closer to them, curious, inquisitive . . . you want to get into them . . . and if you dip into the pools, watery arms of the sprites that live within these pools glide around you, and coax you into the depths below . . . but you feel calm, serene. Hopefully someone is looking out for you.
But as you move through the tunnel with the pools, you begin to notice signs of life. Not necessarily plant life, or animal life, but signs that people are here. There are footsteps from one pool to the next, wet markings that seem to be permanently wet no matter how much you wipe them away. There are watermarks along the walls, handprints against the marble. And as you begin to walk, begin to notice messages scrawled along the walls, carved deep into the marble.
Every single word is the same.
group d.
Unlike those below the surface, the lakeside shores of Lake Dona seem to be relatively peaceful. Nessie is lazily swimming around and offering rides to those that need it, and campfires are soon built up around this makeshift camp of those who are sitting around to wait. The network does work with those in the caverns, so keeping in contact is far easier than it was in Struxta!
However, in the last days of the investigation, as Group A, B, and C begin to discover the messages in the caverns, storm clouds begin to roll in. It begins to downpour, a frightening crack of lightning streaking across the side with alarming regularity. And, on the final day of the exploration, a voice seems to float through the deluge. And it isn't Astoria's. But it seems to be . . . odd. And suddenly, a message appears on your watches.
¿ɯǝ ɐǝɹɥ ʎon ɐɔu ˙nʎo ɥǝdl ʇo ǝuǝp ᴉ ˙ʎno ɥǝdl ʇo ɐʍʇu ᴉ ¿ɯǝ ǝɥɐɹ nʎo ɔuɐ
What in the hell could that be?
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acatalepsy_logs2018-10-04 09:55 pm
3
nah
im bad at dying
no subject
so did u get a F- on the dying in which case ur ttly fine or D- where like gross eels bit u in the squishy parts but ur fine or C+ w some medium sized wound. how not dead r we talkinno subject
couple people here in the c range
couple eels getting an a+
u know
hows ur group?
no subject
fat n happy topside where no 1s tryin 2 eat us. my dogs gettin bored of bein outside i think but thats the weirdest thing we got. u really gotta step it up tho those eels will b valedictorian n u will fail creepy cave death class how will u feel thenno subject
so
nah im good
[Let him tell you about the time he faked his own death, fooled the government, and got a full pardon when they found out. Wash is really good at not dying.]
tell me about ur dog
no subject
my dog will eat sushi if he gets the chance so keep that n mind wen ur badmouthing those eels. being sumos dinner is probly an honor or sumthin. wat do u want 2 know? hes probly goin 2 abandon me soon b/c it started to rain again but i could probly ask him a quick question 4 uno subject
ask him whos a good boy
i hear dogs really like that one
no subject
he just looked at me like im a moron. r u tryin 2 play a trick on my dog b/c i think hes too old and wily 2 fall 4 itno subject
ur not asking it right
u gotta ask it like he already knows the answer
no subject
ur not tryin 2 trick sumo ur tryin 2 trick me n2 lookin stupid
jokes on u tho hes doing the head tilt thing its cute as hell
no subject
pictures or it didnt happen
no subject
if ur watch cant handle it n breaks its on u buddy[And here it is, a picture of a big, slightly droopy Saint Bernard face, head tilted, ears kind of perked up. Hank had to babytalk him again to take the picture, but it was worth it.]
thatll show u 2 doubt how cute my dog isno subject
just wanted cute dog pics for when things down here suck
thanks for helping me fail creepy cave death 101
no subject
u tricked me r u sum kind of evil mastermind or wat. creepy cave death 101 will never let u take remedial classes at this rateno subject
now the nonexistent temple guards are going to arrest me
o no
also im dropping out of creepy cave college
campus sucks
no subject
there probly r temple guards dwn there n theyre probly pissed. but u can come up here n b bored w us if ur sick of creepy death cave shitno subject
ill be back up later w/ the rest of the class
gonna finish out the semester first
no subject
gud 4 u. hard 2 find kids w that much dedication these daysno subject
yeah im super dedicated to failing this class
gotta make sure i fail it right the first time so i dont have to fail it again
no subject
metaphors fallin apart there bud no 1 makes u do that. nless its part of the core curriculum i guess wat r u even majoring inno subject
it passed the class
im majoring in underwater fire prevention
no subject
shit u tricked me n2 helping u kill the metaphor 2 u rlly r sneaky. but r u sneaky enuf 2 START an underwater fire then id be impressedno subject
but i know someone who did once
no subject
u cant just say that n not tell me abt it come on. thats story bait