: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
[ The last time he went spelunking, the place was full of poor wretched souls cursed to take the form of various fiends and specters. It was not the best time in the world, so this place may be creepy but at least nothing actively wants them dead (so far). Probably best not to come right out with that story right now, though.
He chuckles when she offers up any number of shoulders for leaning, and he scoots around her, nestling himself against her withers. Her human shoulders are just a bit too far off the ground for leaning against. ]
How’s this?
no subject
She thinks he might be heavy for a human, but it doesn't feel that way to her, it's a comforting weight, and she can't help but curl up a little around him, fussily starting to arrange her blanket around them both. The caves got a bit cold.]
That's perfect. Thanks, Arenvald...
[Was it weird to thank him? Maybe? She waits until he's settled to ask, though, why he says "one day".]
Are your adventures really dangerous? More than this?
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You don’t have to thank me. I’m just glad to help.
[ Even if that help is just leaning! ]
They can be. Do you have magic in your world?
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[She's really grateful. She's always felt safe around Arenvald, a combination of how gentle his nature seemed and how strong he looked, able to protect... and that's what she needed tonight, unable to sleep for fear of the echoes in the dark caverns and the shadows on the walls.
So she leans back against the rock, fingers twining together in front of her, letting her eyes close just briefly. He's warm.]
Not really... I mean, not like we do here... or in your world. I heard lots of stories and legends, but... I never knew if they were real or not.
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It's very real in my world, and usually it's involved when I'm sent out to deal with something.
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[When she cracks an eye open and looks down at him, there's a half second of blurriness before he comes into focus that he kind of looks like Gonta. Warm, honey colored skin, palomino mane... but it's Arenvald, and that's rude of her, and she realizes just in time that she'd almost reached down to run her fingers through his hair and manages to curl them back at the last minute.]
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Sort of. There’s still a lot I’ve yet to learn, but before I became a Scion I was an adventurer. Exploring strange places comes part and parcel with the job.
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What... does an adventurer actually do?
[Exploring? As consequence of her own world, she doesn't quite understand how such a thing is monetized, turned into food and clothing... it sounds a bit like folktales, really.]
Fighting oni and marrying princesses?
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Ha, I’d think only the Warrior of Light has a chance at marrying a princess. The rest of us are not quite so glamorous.
But... an adventurer does whatever needs doing, basically, whether it’s guard duty or fighting ferocious beasts or exploring some unknown territory. And yes, sometimes that does include fighting oni… or things close to oni, anyhow.
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Wow... you must have seen so many things...
[With that explanation it's easier for her to imagine now, what it is he does. She's seen people who do one of those jobs, like the men who hire out at the highway checkpoints to protect people on the road, accomplished hunters who would be dispatched after maneater bears or other dangerous animals, the sort of men with papers and tools who stopped in town before heading into the wild...
And he was all three of them.
But a thought occurs to her, and she smiles a bit sleepily, giving in to her tendency towards touch to poke his hand, the last thing on him she'd seen glowing earlier.]
Are you sure you're not the warrior of light, though?
[He glows, after all.]
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But then, Konoha doesn’t know the Warrior of Light. She knows Arenvald as a warrior that happens to give off light. It’s actually pretty funny once it clicks, and he laughs. ]
I suppose if we’re being completely literal, I am.
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[The tension in her body eases a little bit more when he laughs and she smiles a bit broader, pleased that her half-joke half-compliment had landed. His world was so foreign to her- well, most everyone's was, so even things like clothing, jobs, humor... she feels like she doesn't know anything. To start with, anyway, she's working on it.]
So you're a "Scion"- is that what this means?
[Innocently, she taps her forehead to mean the white "x" mark on his face, thinking it might be some sort of identifying sign. Like how the metal numbered people all wore the black uniform and had white hair... right?]
no subject
This time, Arenvald catches on instantly, knowing that she’s referring to his warpaint. He hesitates for what is probably a beat or two too long as he works out just how much he wants to share here - warpaint is extremely common where he’s from, both as something meaningful and as something meaningless. No one questions it there, but here? ]
Ah…
[ Actually, he trusts Konoha. They’ve been through a lot together, and she has always been so steadfast and so eager to help. He can trust her with this, surely. ]
That’s not what the warpaint means, no. Some of the Scions have a mark of a different sort, though not all of them do. I actually… I wear this to… cover up some scarring on my face.
no subject
But then he actually answers, and she pauses, her finger falling away from what was likely going to be another tap on her own forehead. She can't help but look closer, reflexively, but the cave light is poor and she probably shouldn't anyway... and for a moment she remembers Gonta again. Remembers the brief look she'd caught of the scar beneath his eyepatch when he'd been wiping sweat from his face, the half-melted red flesh and ruined eye he'd quickly hidden again beneath fabric.
... was it like that? Her hand falls, but absently it finds his shoulder without her even quite being aware of it.]
Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize...
[She should apologize first, for potentially bringing up something painful. After all... he said "to cover". Which meant he wanted it hidden... and after getting to know him, she doubts it's for cosmetic vanity.]
... is it very painful?
[Even now.]
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[ Sometimes he dreams of the moment they were scored across his skin, but the marks themselves don’t cause him any pain. ]
Don’t feel bad about asking. Warpaint is fairly common where I come from, so people tend not to question it, but I know that here that’s not really the case. I didn’t have to tell you the full truth but… you’re my friend, and I trust you.
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So though her expression softens a bit further in sympathy, a touch of concern... Konoha doesn't ask, and just accepts it as is. Because... he was right. They were friends. She trusts him. More than most of the people here.]
It's called warpaint, then? Looks like I learned another new word.
[Though she can't help but curl a bit tighter around him with a slight scrape of hoof on stone, probably would have hugged him if they'd both been standing but settled for reaching down to squeeze his hand instead of his shoulder, trying not to blush.]
Thank you. For trusting me.
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[ She curls closer, almost protectively, and when Konoha reaches down to take his hand, he allows her to take it. He doesn’t interpret her actions as pity – far from it. Konoha is kindness incarnate and he knows her actions stem from that. ]
You make it terribly easy to do. One day I’ll tell you about it, if you care to know, but this is hardly the time nor place for a sad story.
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So she can try in turn to do the same for him.]
Another time, then.
[She smiles, thumb rubbing absently against the side of his hand.]
How about a different story instead?
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I could tell you about my early days as an adventurer. I’d never been away from home before, so I spent an embarrassing amount of time lost in the woods.
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So she squeezes his hand back, this comfort in the dark too important to her to risk ruining with silly mare things, nodding encouragingly.]
I'd never even heard of an adventurer until just now, so... I'd love to hear that sort of story.
[Lost in the woods, lost in some caves...
Hopefully not lost.]