: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
[ Zero lazily puts up her palms in surrender, ever-so-sightly amused by how fiesty Konoha seems to get about this. ]
Never said that. I'm just saying, if you've still got a reason to find a way home then you should be careful about how you throw that big ol' butt of yours around.
[ There are probably politer ways of wording that but oh well. ]
Don't bite off more than you can chew– you get into a shitty situation, you ask for help. Got it?
no subject
[She says that with a lot of confidence for someone who doesn't know everyone in the Circle, who has heard Nier tell her he doesn't even exist in his world anymore.
But she doesn't want to believe that. Doesn't want to believe that there could be people who coldn't find a reason.
... She couldn't argue that her butt was big, though.]
And we should all do that.
[Not bite off more than they could chew. Ask for help if they needed it. Not risk their lives needlessly.]
no subject
[ She says, flatly– before nudging Konoha with her elbow and nodding towards the cave. She starts walking, and assumes she'll follow. ]
Anyway, lucky for you all the assholes who don't have anywhere to go back to will probably get in-between you and anything that tries to kill you.
[ She nudges her again. ]
So alls well that ends well, right?
no subject
But Konoha still refuses to believe it. Even if they don't have a reason now... they can find one. Make one. Rediscover one. So she can't smile or laugh or take that as anything like lucky....
Though she does end up following the other woman into the cave.]
That's not "well".
no subject
Hey–
[ another nudge. ]
Why the hell do you look like I just kicked your puppy or something? It was a joke.
no subject
Also what is with all the nudging??? At first Konoha just... takes it, she doesn't flinch away but she's a solid, unresponsive mass, trying to articulate why she feels that's not funny to joke about.]
Some people really do feel like they can't go home, that's awful. You shouldn't joke like that...
[Another nudge???
Assuming this is just... how Zero communicates, Konoha shifts her weight away the next time one comes... then whips it back to hip check the other woman. With her equine shoulders.
... which would have been a nudge if Zero was a jinba and not a more petite human lady. Probably too much force, oops.]
1/2
no subject
.. what's your ass made of?!
no subject
[Konoha panics the minute she makes contact, belatedly realizing she'd used force more appropriate for Mikuni, the other jinba of their group, not a human, and before Zero even lands Konoha is rushing after her, bending down and just...
Sticking her hands under Zero's arms and picking her up as easily as if she was a rag doll. ... Forgets to put her back down on her feet properly just yet, too, worriedly looking her over for injuries as she holds her aloft.]
I'm so sorry, are you alright?
no subject
And then, finally: ]
Knew a guy who stood behind a horse once.
[ a beat ]
He died.
[ Is that relevant? Maybe? Maybe not, but anyway. ]
So, I mean– compared to him I'm doing pretty fucking great.
no subject
I mean... You shouldn't stand behind a horse...
[Was that not common sense? Gosh, some people didn't even know how to grow crops and stuff they might not know horses, but.]
But does that mean you're not injured?
[She's... genuinely so light by Konoha's standards, well muscled human half anchored in draft strong equine body, that she still hasn't quite noticed she's... letting the poor woman dangle, but...]