: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
Yeah. I know the feeling. Never found a shrine before, though.
[ well.
not an archaeological one, anyway. okay fuck he’s kind of seen all of those, but no wonder Daylight can’t sleep. ]
What do the messages say?
no subject
I mean it's simple enough! But coupled with a defaced mural and more yet indecipherable words scribbled on the walls? It's definitely going to carry scary movie vibes.
[ daylight can't help him and let out a worried sigh, barely keeping it in check to avoid waking the others up. it's a relief to get this off his chassis but, at the same time, he doesn't want to freak simon or the others out. ]
Also? No mermaids. No clue or hint to where they went at all from our tunnel. I'm hoping the others found them or an exit to a river or something. No one should be stuck down here.
no subject
Not sure I like the sound of that.
[ the message gives him serious pause, so much so that it’s touching that Daylight even mentions that he’s concerned for the mermaids. Simon doesn’t think of himself as a selfish person — no more than most — but if it were him, would their absence worry him beyond it not boding well for their own survival?
Maybe it’s because he assumes they must know how to get out, this is pretty much their basement albeit one they apparently know to steer clear of, but... still.
This is the guy who came back from a near-death experience and freaked out about him. So. ]
Any life down there? If you see any moving lights, don’t go near them.
no subject
It comes back after a few hours, but it's a pain while you're trying to navigate the waters and passages and stuff. [ not to mention it hurts to get bitten by them. like it hurts a lot.
the eels have a mean bite to then and... you know... may or may not have gotten a good few bites out of daylight, given how big he is. well- eels aside- daylight thinks over the journey to the current location so far, trying to remember anything that stood out for him in terms of lights or light sources. ]
To answer your earlier question: No. I don't think we've ever come across moving lights. [ then, daylight suddenly feels a spike of worry. simon is asking this question for a reason. ] Have you? Why? Are the lights dangerous? Are you guys okay? Are you alright?
no subject
well, first things first, because the big guy is freaking out, Simon answers as fast as he can: ] Just past experience. Not here. It’s okay. We’re all really bored, I promise. Don’t worry about us.
Just be careful if you see any.
[ The fact that eels could get a bite out of somebody as thoroughly metal-looking as Daylight is a reminder of the wholly bizarre techno-organic insides Simon got a look at when he opened his... outside parts to fix him in Struxta. Not that Simon is in any position to talk. At least Day’s situation seems... natural? And it actually functions. Still, though. ]
no subject
and he does relax when simon assures him that it’s safe for him and the others, wherever they are. though he has a feeling that it might simply be simon trying to assure him and nothing more, daylight knows when not to look into a ironmount’s intake and take what one can get re: good news. ]
Okay. If you say you’re safe, I'm going to trust you and your word on that.
But!! [ of course there's a 'but' when daylight is concerned for the others. ] Promise you’ll call me or someone if something goes down, okay? This stuff is, like, super creepy. And not the fun holiday sort of creepy.
As in actual ‘we might be cursed now’ creepy. [ the eels taking away his magic is a big hint to that. because he never experienced that before while on his travels. ]
no subject
We better not be. We just got un-cursed. And that took weeks.
[ ... because Daylight isn’t serious, right? So he gets the ‘you’re not serious, right, I mean you can’t be because if you were this would be an inappropriate response’ kind of... response. ]
no subject
(i mean... yeah... he does look like it and he should know it... but... anyways-) ]
At least we can support each other if anything happens! We're all in this together! :D [ of course he'll attempt a sliver lining in it. of course he will.
leave it to daylight to try and find a positive in this situation they're in. and for that positive to be the fact they're not alone in this, that others are getting dragged into this mess and they're all diving in, helm first, into what might be Something Sketchy. ]
no subject
Yeah. Just would be nice if we could, you know, get to you. But at least you're confident... I guess.
[ ...ok but for real. He assumed if that wasn't an offhand comment that Day would have elaborated, but each new message is making him more and more uncertain. I mean... "creepy messages" followed by ":D"???
":D"?????
so there is a pause, then: ]
You weren't being serious about the curse thing, right?