: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
Um... yeah, I'm not a horse, so.
[He seemed to not mean anything by it though, so...]
I'm Konoha.
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Hey. I'm Zack. You're part of the Circle, too then?
[He's still partially impressed she's an actual half-horse girl. Right-- Not a horse.]
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Yeah... a few months, now. You?
no subject
[It's strange how fast that month has gone by but he still feels pretty wet behind the ears about everything.]
Do magic underground lakes like this pop up all the time? I wonder how long these creatures have been down here.
no subject
[It's so strange to say herself and strange just to hear his answer, no matter how many times she asks people that question. Strange to feel like she should apologize to people who join her here, in this place so far from home.]
No- Or, at least, I don't think so. Since I've got here, things have gotten bigger, but... I don't really understand much of anything at all...
[She gives a slightly sheepish, simple smile.
Honestly, she's too dumb for this, help...]
no subject
Hey, don't worry about it. We were all plucked from home and thrown into the Brave New World, right? We're all just trying to untangle our feet.
[Er-- Hooves. For some people.]
In my opinion, it feels like this place is growing a lot. Who knows what's gonna happen.
[He does miss home, though.]
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[Yup, she says it... Anything to lighten the mood, right? She can try and do that at least.]
I'd be alright not knowing, to be honest... but it looks like... the witch won't let us return home until she's done with all the "light and dark" stuff, so...
no subject
The witch, huh? Do you mean Astoria? I still don't know what she even wants from all of us. But I left some friends behind so the faster I can get home the better...
[Even if that means dealing with all this Light and Dark mumbo-jumbo.]
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[Konoha shifts a bit where she sits, tail swishing a bit anxiously beneath the hakama she wears for modesty.]
When I talked with her she said that when she sends us home no time at all will have passed there... I want to believe it, but...
[It's crazy, isn't it? But... is it crazier than everything else?]
no subject
[Zack seems a little downtrodden despite that being good news. He scratches at the back of his head with a hand.]
I was kind of hoping I'd bypass my last few minutes back home. You know, jump ahead at least a little. Guess I'll have to deal with that if it's the truth.
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[And as much as she does want to believe it, she's a bit hesitant. After all, that woman had brought them here in the first place... so as nice as she seemed...]
Are things not so good where you come from?
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Yeah, guess you could say that. [He smiles a bit and runs a hand through his black hair.] I got caught up in some trouble right before I got here. I was trying to save a friend.
[And technically-- He died. But he's not about to throw that at someone he just met.]
no subject
[Trying to think positive, Konoha's brow furrows, gaze drifting up... until she gets something, and raises a finger to signal her idea.]
You have lots of time to figure out how to do it?
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That's right. I hope I can figure something out before it's too late.
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Yeah...
[He didn't say what the situation was, so maybe she shouldn't pry? So... she claps her hands together and then uncurls her fingers to reveal... a dead fish.
Which she kind of... holds out... to him...]
Do you want to feed the horsefish?
no subject
At the dead fish, Zack has to grin. He takes it with no qualms.]
You think if we feed them enough they'll be our pals?
[Can they bring one back?? ... Probably not. But here he goes, holding the fish out to the water and then gently tossing it in. One of the Kelpies immediately swims for it and snatches it like a starving pirana.]
... Wow.
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[Her voice cracks a bit in surprise when the kelpie snaps the fish practically out of the air, her tail swishing anxiously beneath the "skirt" she wears for modesty.]
I just want them not to be hungry in case that's why they're snapping at people... but I don't know how much horsefish eat... probably... as much as a horse... ?
[So... as much as her... which is a lot...]
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... Yeah, that's a good idea. They don't seem like they are that aggressive besides want to eat my hand off.
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[Despite her... apparent affinity...]
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[Coming down here and looking around without being invited in. He would probably be defensive too if he were a kelpie.]
Feeding them seems to be working as long as we're careful.
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[Her brand of thinking is on the simple side, but she knows that much.]
Is we stuff them now maybe they won't bother us later.
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[He's wondering how all of this is going to tie together. What those messages written on the walls mean or how that might affect everyone later on. It's all so eerie.]
And even if we didn't make friends with the horse-fish, glad I ran into you today.
no subject
[So she smiles, because she does want to think that way. Positively.]
Before we get out we'll all be fast friends.
Wrapping this off here if that's okay!
So... Making friends is a good thing.
[He grins at her. They'll need to work together if they want to see home again. So, as strange as this place might be, it was a good bonding exercise.]
yes!! new friend, get!