: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
no subject
I'm not going to do anything reckless. I'm going to take some samples and treat them with different heat levels, see if that changes its effects or not. The paralysis isn't permanent.
no subject
Paralysis isn't permanent until something changes its effects...
Think there'd be a difference between 1000 joules vs 10000 joules? I don't know anything about electricity, but I'm imagining something will explode.
no subject
It's not just electricity, I can use fire as well. Heat would kill poison, at least, and it would destroy the chemical compounds of an anesthetic.
And nothing's going to explode. My control's better than that.
( he's from the equivalent to the roaring twenties, so his knowledge of these things is limited to 'you should do cocaine about the ghosts in your blood'. okay, maybe a bit more advanced than that. a bit. he's a man of science. )
no subject
I would've gone with you if I knew you could use fire. Think you can warm up the air in the caves? Like central heating... maybe some of it will reach us.
[ Forget your scientific endeavors, Mako, you're needed as a space heater. ]
no subject
( it would be possible in theory, but he'd basically need to work in conjunction with an airbender, and expend a frankly inhuman amount of energy. even if he had a dozen other firebenders helping him, it would be impossible.
but at least minato's a creative problem solver, he'll give him that. )
no subject
I believe in you.
[ Those are magic words that empower people, right? Encouragement goes a long way. ]
no subject
( he almost just leaves it at that. but because he's a bleeding heart for teenagers in need of older-brothering...)
Look, you're in the first tunnel, right? Go find a woman named Korra. She's a little taller than you, dark skin, black hair. She's from my world, she can use firebending too if her powers from home are keyed on. She'll help you.
no subject
The first tunnel from the right?
[ aka the third tunnel... He looks around for a moment and tries to see anybody who fits that description, but it could just be she isn't nearby. ]
I'll keep a lookout. She's the one who's a good swimmer too?
no subject
Ah, no. Sorry, for some reason I thought you were in the leftmost tunnel. I don't think I know anyone in the third.
What else have you run into?
no subject
I know some people in each tunnel, but just chose whatever. We'll all probably be fine, since there's lots of us in each path.
There's nothing really scary here. The path's sort of jagged and really hard to get through, covered in long sharp crystals and stuff. I broke off a piece. I can show you later. Also small bodies of water, but they don't paralyze you when you touch it. There's ghosts that try to drown you in them though.
no subject
Do me a favor and take samples of the water, too. I want to study them later. And anything else weird you find.
Are the ghosts... visible?
no subject
Less visible than the ones in the temple. Sort of like mist or fog... I guess what ghosts are supposed to be made of in the first place. Something similar where you are?
no subject
( look at this boy talking listing animals that aren't hybrids!! ... to... describe an animal that's a hybrid. look, he was perfectly happy calling it a horsefish until someone corrected him. )
Other than that and the paralyzing water, there's not much on this end.
no subject
Thanks for the visual. If the kelpies live in the paralyzing water just fine, you'll probably learn a lot from them. Any luck taming one?
no subject
They mostly seem like they haven't seen humans before. They tried to pull a few of us in, but if we leave them alone they're fairly calm.
no subject
But that's something useful. That they've never seen humans... I thought for sure there'd be people down here before, with all this writing.
Try to tame one?
no subject
... For science, or is this your way of asking for a pet kelpie?
no subject
But I'd also like a pet kelpie.
no subject
Go warm up. I've got things to do, we'll talk later.
no subject
See you later.