: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
[Konoha tries to think of how to phrase it better, tapping her finger on her lip as she considers.]
I'm not used to... not knowing how everything works. I know everything about my village, and my job, and my world, but here... and the other places...
[She didn't know anything. Doesn't know magic, or tech, or how to fight, or...
Anything.]
I like helping other people more than needing help, but... I guess there's no helping it.
no subject
If I may speak somewhat candidly, I too have been thoroughly out of my depth.
[She leans over, as if telling a secret.]
I come from a world without anything resembling the technology I've seen here, let alone more advanced places. And I am a gentleman's daughter as well - my sort are not prone to trips across the countryside alone, much less diving through tunnels or what have you.
[Her smile grows then and she looks back toward the water, her hands lacing together as waist level.]
Yes, my world is certainly a far cry different from all of these we've been through thus far.
no subject
Seized with an even stronger feeling of camaraderie, she reaches down to clutch Elizabeth's hands in her own. Though they are quite a different pair, her own a warm brown that matches with the bay of her equine coat, calloused and cracked from manual labor, she's so relieved to hear such sentiments.]
Me, too-
[Maybe it's just focusing on something that isn't heading into the flooded tunnel, but-]
I mean, not the gentleman part, my parents are farmers, but... people here say "google" and "phones" and "watches" and act like it's normal even though it's completely insane, and it's just so-
[So?
She shakes her head, shaking Elizabeth's hands as a byproduct as she finally settles on,]
.... Crazy.
no subject
One word strikes Elizabeth a little more than the others. She does know what watches are and has somewhat pieced together phones as far as the devices themselves go.]
... Google?
[How curious.]
Is it a device of some sort as well?
no subject
[The sheer hilarity of how ignorant she is of all the things people talk about from worlds beyond her own hits her and Konoha can't help but laugh helplessly, shaking her head as she sort of... shakes ELizabeth's hands up and down.]
They said it makes you able to find out answers to everything, but there's no way that's true!
[Everything??]
no subject
Certainly not, unless it was quite a large machine! To think of something that new every answer... how massive must it be to know so much!
no subject
[It's brain would have to be gigantic???
Still kind of breathily laughing, Konoha withdraws a hand to wipe at her eyes, (surely she hadn't teared up???), sighing in relief.]
Oh, I'm so glad someone else thinks the same...
no subject
It certainly is a relief, is it not? I have been far out of my depth for quite some time now. Adjusting is imperative but having someone to commiserate with is even more important, if you ask me.
no subject
[Finally sighing the rest of her relief away, Konoha realizes she should probably put Elizabeth's hands down, releasing them with a sheepish smile.]
Sorry- I'm just glad someone else doesn't know what the "google" is. You can always come complain to me if you want. ... After we finish looking at this cave, I guess.
no subject
[She casts a slight uneasy look to the water.]
As well as many more, it would seem.
no subject
[Konoha's smile dampens a bit when they both move their gaze to the water, but she tries to keep it on still.]
Do you swim well... ?
no subject
[She hadn't imagined going through the tunnels would mean this much swimming. Oh she was prepared for little bits of it but not... well, this.]
no subject
[Konoha might have two sets of lungs, but... humans only had one...]