: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
( he says this with Authority, which... is mostly because hybrid animals are the norm where he's from. he is completely incorrect, but. you know, it's the confidence?? that counts?? )
I don't think they're used to humans. And they definitely eat meat.
( it tugs a little more insistently, which leads to mako trying to. find some place to grab it by that won't result in any injury so he can shake it off. the sharp teeth are kind of a dead giveaway about their proclivities, but he really doesn't want to smack one of them with a fireball unless he has to. )
no subject
As she holds the basin, she chances asking - ] Perhaps it would let go if you made it sneeze?
[ ????? ]
no subject
And how exactly should I do that?
( sprinkle some dust on it??? what??? oh, he's faintly sarcastic when he speaks but mostly just baffled, because. why. lucina why is that your first thought. )
no subject
long
pause... ]
Admittedly, I'm not entirely sure.
[ Look, it? Seemed like a good idea when she thought of it? - Well, actually, it just kind of came out like... like word soup, and there's a reason her main duty is just hitting things with her sword. She may not be dumb but she's not exactly smart either.
Anyway, she isn't really being useful. Better be useful. ]
Do you need assistance getting it off of you?
no subject
Do you have a knife?
( for the cuff, not the creature. he doesn't bother with knives on his person for obvious reasons — a bender isn't exactly used to being helpless, and a firebender has a knife whenever he wants one. earthbending... well, he hasn't quite figured that one out yet. )
no subject
[ She reaches, uh, nowhere - Mako wouldn't be at fault for assuming she tucked her hand under an obscure fold of her cloak - and pulls out a small paring knife. The basin jostles worryingly, more water threatening to slosh over the side, and she readjusts with her other arm to keep it from tipping.
She certainly isn't about to offer use of her sword, but there are advantages to having hammerspace as a power. ]
Here.
[ If he wants to take it, she'll hold it out. ]
no subject
which. is a good thing, probably, because his earthbending chooses that moment to cut out. while he still has one foot embedded down into the rock. what he'd done initially as a stabilization is now a prison, and mako just sort of stares down at it in exasperation. the rock can be broken away, he's sure, but it'll be tedious work. )
Thanks. I, uh. I'm going to be stuck here for a while, so you might as well take the water back to the rest of the group.
no subject
[ Lucina peers down at the rock his foot is embedded in. How did that even happen? She had been only paying half the attention required to witness his bending, or this world's version thereof, but he had been there - and then he was here - and now he is, uh, trapped.
There is still the water, though. She hasn't been quite as careful as she could be with it in all the commotion - for all she recognises the preciousness of finite resources. (They're at the lip of a lake. It's water. It isn't that finite.)
She takes the knife back with her free hand and it disappears under a fluid flick of her wrist, blurring and then vanishing from view. ]
Pray, give me a moment. I'll see if I can find something to free you.
no subject
( look it's fine!! stop being nice and gallant at him, lucina. seriously, is this what princesses feel like?? what a good feeling.
but in other news: he never thought he'd be exasperated about being back to his firebending. earth certainly has its applications. in a lot of ways it's more flexible than fire — you can do so much with the earth, but fire only ever burns. it's an odd dichotomy, and this just highlights how much. the sun is down outside, he can feel the ebb of its strength in his soul. )
It's just annoying more than anything.
no subject
We don't quite know what risks this cavern holds.
[ aside from the, uh, anklebiting kelpie
and the power surges?
and... rocks ]
I can at least stay with you while you endeavour, in case any undisclosed dangers present themselves.
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he's definitely a scullery boy, but as for 'demure'... )
I can handle myself. It's just the earthbending that's gone out, I still have firebending.
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I am not sure what that means, but - [ A brief pause. ]
Please, I mislike walking away when you're in an... unconventional situation.
no subject
Firebending. Here, like this.
( a flick of one hand. oxygen and intent curl together in his palm and result in a small, steady flame that radiates heat and light but doesn't burn him. )