welcome to the horologium.

[acatamods]

I ▫ main IV ▫ premise       XI ▫ applications XIV ▫ activity II ▫ logs V ▫ rules VII ▫ bestiary   IX ▫ canon updates XII ▫ taken XV ▫ drop/hiatus III ▫ ooc VI ▫ faq VIII ▫ setting   X ▫ mods XIII ▫ reserves XVI ▫ players welcome to the horologium. Some of you know it is coming. The World Jump, the chaotic thrust into a new universe. But some of you are new, and though you know what the mission is, it is a bit . . . troubling, sitting around and waiting for something to happen. But eventually, you get a message on your watch. It shows Astoria . . . dark hair framing her features, her voice light and musical. She sounds like herself, for the first time in some time . . . that spark of determination back in her eyes. A MESSAGE FROM YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD WITCH. "It is time, my beloved Travelers, to go to our new destination . . . and I want you to know that I have the utmost faith in you. Akvos' loss has hurt us all, and I know that many of you doubt our mission. But please believe me when I say that you have done the best job anyone could ask of you. Akvos' destruction was not your fault . . . and to our newest members of our Circle, welcome to our journey. I can only hope that your journey here will work out to the benefit of us all." That being said, you are journeying to the Horologium . . . it is a ship that has sent out a distress beacon. I am not sure when, or where, but I can feel great darkness, emanating from that place. I believe you all can combat what is done there, without interacting with the Void . . . so please, be safe, and I will see you all when you return." And, just like that, there is a pull in your stomach . . . your vision blacks out and you feel the sudden sense of vertigo, a sensation of falling, and then . . . nothingness. You open your eyes, and you are suddenly waking up in the midst of . . . fog? THE AWAKENING. When you wake, you are greeted by metal — there’s an expanse of silver all around you. The cot you’re laying on is somewhat rigid, like a flattened wedge of cotton more than anything, encased in a capsule-like structure. Should you inspect your surroundings, you’ll find that there are three more cots in your room..or more notably, another person in the room in of itself. Depending on where you’ve been roused from your slumber, however, you’ll find that your circumstances differ. ➜ If you’ve woken up in the northeast wing of the ship, there seems to be a pool of saturated pink goo at your feet. It sticks to the bottom of your heel and collects at the very center of the room, oozing from the cracks and crevices within the metal lining of the walls. And even more notably, the goo has a particularly saccharine scent, as though it’s meant to be...consumed. Looks like you had the misfortune of waking up in the wing adjacent to the kitchen. ➜ In the northwest wing, the ship is functioning at an all time low. When you wake, the room is illuminated for a brief moment...before flickering out, only to leave you in pitch darkness. Power returns to the room intermittently and only for a few seconds at most, but it appears as though you and your newfound roommates will have to navigate the darkness if you want to leave. ➜ In the southwest wing, the fire alarm in your room has been activated for some inexplicable reason. It’s an obnoxiously loud siren that slices right through the whirring of the machinery around you — and it goes as far as to trigger the sprinklers hanging from the ceiling. Water sprays from above you, hopefully ensuring that you’ve woken up if nothing else has. It doesn’t seem to be draining either, so it may be for the best that you escape with some haste. ➜ In the southeast wing, your circumstances are for the most part rather unremarkable. An untouched room, mostly intact...until you try to open the door. It won’t budge — unless you have some form of super strength, your muscle power is rendered useless on its own. You might just have to commission someone else to help you... Beyond your room, the word “Horologium.” stretches across the wall. Welcome to your new home. WHISPERS IN THE DARK. In a way, it feels as though you’re suspended in time. The ship is always humming, always whirring as it makes a haphazard attempt to function. The noise comes to a halt every so often, leaving you with nothing but silence and the idle creaking of the floor beneath you. There are remarkably large, bright white doors that divide each and every wing. A circular window is positioned at the center of all 4 of these doors: but nothing can be seen through it. It’s likeness is that of a black hole’s, like someone had gone as far as to paint over it. On every door, the same word is emblazoned in black lettering: EXIT. Except the word itself appears to be scratched out to some degree — as though it were scrubbed out in a fit of desperation but remained no less. When you see the door, you might be overcome with excitement. Or perhaps not. Regardless of what your reaction is like, the lights around you will dim and flicker at an alarming frequency. For a moment, it’s almost as though the gravity around you has slowed, and the hallways are becoming narrower by the second.. Voices and faces from the past emerge in your mind. You see someone you shouldn’t; they’re calling for you. They’re here with you right now, beckoning you to come closer... If you reach the door and attempt to open it, it won’t budge. And the further you walk away from it, the more the effects will subside. But there’s no telling if you’ll sleep well tonight. INVESTIGATIONS The ship is fitted to house approximately 500 people — it’s a bit of a ghost town, however, lived in but abandoned no less. The chairs are in the mess hall aren’t aligned perfectly. The tables are a bit crooked. The lounge is lofty, but not pristine. The rooms may be barren, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that they were somehow someone else’s before they became yours. There’s an array of locked doors, varying in sizes and shapes, all of which withhold something potentially useful to you. You may be inclined to visit the lounge, the mess hall, rifle through the bedrooms . . . the ship is yours to explore. However, how you interact with the ship is….entirely up to you. There is something to be found everywhere. Regardless of what you do, where you investigate and how, you might be tempted to look behind your shoulder. After all, every decision you make matters...right? (Every Player’s investigation prompt has the potential to differ greatly as your investigation will require mod input. We encourage you to ask as many questions as you would like, we are here to help and provide you with the information necessary.) Additionally, please feel free to write up and work with your own prompts! These areas of the world are presented as jumping off points for your characters, not limitations. The idea of this world- as with all the others- is to explore -- you may use as much leeway as you want in order to come up with what your character will do. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask them back on the various threads back in the OOC post from before!

Comments

[spaceforged]

Wake up call (Southeast)

1.A (CW: ptsd)
[He wakes in fog with a stretch of some kind of glass just beyond him. Shiro stiffens, his breath coming out too quick and closes his eyes for a long moment. His chest feels a bit tight but the natural instinct to breathe in isn't a good idea. Who knows what is in this fog? He lifts his right hand and shoves against the capsule barrier between himself and the rest of the ship. It doesn't budge. He lifts his other hand and bends his legs, putting his feet flat against the cot and shoves a second time.

The capsule pops up either by his effort or natural timer and he rolls free. The room looks unremarkable but it's not a ship he recognizes. A low, encompassing rumble sweeps through the ship and the lights flicker. He pauses in mid-roll onto his hands. He listens as the sound continues until it dies away. He can't tell where it's coming from. Shiro climbs to his feet and glances around. He moves to grab the edge of another capsule to pull it open. He doubts anyone else wants to be stuck in these beds.]

Hang on, push from the inside and I'll pull from the outside.

1.B
[The door won't budge no matter how hard he braces himself to pull. His hand glows a rich blue as he places it against the door and shoves his fingers up against where the door seals into the wall. If he were back home he could cut it with one sweep of his arm.

He glances at anyone else with him and motions for them to move further away.] Hang on. I'll get this.

[His body bursts into purple light and reshapes into his Lion form. He moves to the side and reaches up, digging his claws into the side of the door and puts his strength into forcing the door open.]

Lounge.

[He threads his way through the mess hall without a backward glance. Enough people will investigate it. He proceeds into the lounge and takes note of the yellow emergency lights. The lounge might have answers. Even during an emergency, some things are always left behind. He walks slowly through the main area, glancing from one side to the other.

He trails his fingers over the tops of the chairs closest to him. Twenty chairs per large table. Three large tables. He changes shape and prowls past the power-saving lights. He glances up at the walls and raises himself up onto his back legs.

Shiro drops back onto all fours and walks slowly, glancing at the walls every so often. There's nothing to tell him what he wants to know. If he sees someone his mental voice comes to them as he again raises himself up along one wall and puts a paw on it.]

I can't see anything along the walls to tell us what floor we're on. Have you seen anything? Any kind of map?

Investigations

I 1
[He moves along the hallways with shut doors as his beast form. He feels less on edge as a Lion. The light of his eyes sweeps over doors and he leans against a few doors to test their strength.

He hasn't tried to rip any open himself. But he lingers in the area if anyone else is fighting with one. If you need back up, he's here to be the muscle you need. Or convenient cover.]

I 2 (Post investigations)

[Shiro takes the weapons they've found to the mess hall. It's a good space to catch his breath and to look over the weapons. He carefully turns one of the laser guns over in his hands. No means to break it down into parts. He wouldn't if he could for now.

No obvious clip or pack. His fingers linger on the solar panel along the barrel. Well, that might be how they're kept charged. To anyone who approaches, he sets the weapon down on the table and greets them.] Just making sure they're safe. They seem to be...but only testing would tell for sure. Something I can do for you?

Wildcard
[Got another idea? Hit me up in pms or skyheron!]

I2

[lonered]

[Keith has followed along. All that work to open the door, and he's more than curious what it is they've found for their trouble. Weapons, clearly, but Shiro is right. Knowing how they work is key.

No sense accidentally blowing a hole in the hull.]

I don't think we have a safe place to test them right now. If they discharge too much we could do more damage than we mean to. But that'd be useful to know before anyone wound up having to use them.

[He's curious about the sword himself. That might be slightly safer to test. And also,] Slingshots seem kind of low tech for a space ship, right?

[spaceforged]

We don’t know what they were slinging with them. [He picks one of them up and inspects it. After a moment he sets it down. He traces his fingers over the serial numbers on the gun.]

I can’t tell what language this is. It’s nothing we ran into as part of the coalition or anything close to it. And yes, there’s no safe place to test these guns. For now. There was no manifest of the ‘armory’ supplies.

[He glances side long at Keith as he adds,] The sword would be safer to test. We could try it on a door.

[lonered]

Yeah, that's a good point too.

[Slingshots in space. With no obvious ammo. Firearms that are probably some form of blaster or another. But no way to test them to find out exactly hat they can do.]

Maybe we'll find a training deck. Or something.

[Maybe. But Shiro brings up another good point and Keith can't quite keep the spark of interest out of his eyes.] ...we could.

[They should do it. Come on, Shiro. Let's go attack a door.]

[spaceforged]

A training deck or get their database up and running. [People are working on the electricity department but it's a wing and a prayer at best to hope the ship's archives are intact. He will hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

Shiro tucks the guns into the bag he'd brought them in and zips it up.]

Let's find one of the smaller locked doors. If it's strong enough to cut a chunk of time out of breaking them open...it could help us cut time into finding the other main areas of the ship.

[He slings the bag over his shoulder and adds.] And you're one of our resident blade masters. You can gauge its ability better than most of us.

Lounge

[dadandgone]

[After the first two worlds, Maes had gotten wise to planning ahead. He couldn't carry much with him from world to world, but he kept some basic supplies as one of the Circle's usual investigators. Maes is currently standing several feet down the hall from the Lounge area.

He looks over when Shiro approaches and then turns his attention back to his notebook.]

Unfortunately, no. I've been trying to take stock of things, but this place is huge. I get the sense that if there is a map of the layout it might be on the technology we can't get to work...kind of like on Struxta.

[Everything there had been stored digitally. Maes is used to a more analog world. He wonders though, and address these thoughts to Shiro.]

You're from a world more technologically advanced than mine. I know technology is the thing, but do you all do away with paper copies completely. I'm just asking because surely they would plan for a power outage and schematic drawings to fix the ship right?

[spaceforged]

[Shiro glances about the hallway. He locks his metal jaws for a moment. Why isn't there any markings? Had they been removed? Or was this a case of something he'd never seen before? Differences in eyesight?]

There's a number of ways the information could be stored. Datapads. Paper records. Could be with small handheld devices smaller than a datapad. It could be built into their armor or gear. They might have com units like we have our watches.

With the power down it could be all but the basics are unavailable due to their in-ship network being down. Still...most ships have markings to indicate floors or at least directions. The Castle Ship I worked on had lights along the floors and walls.

There's also the question of how these people interacted with their ships. So far it looks fairly standard but...those capsules.

[He looks at Hughes and down at his paws.] I'd like to know more about them.

[dadandgone]

[Maes considers this information, rubbing at his chin.]

Well, there were those tablets in the rooms and I know there's a big screen in the lounge. But, again, I don't see how those would be helpful since they're just as offline as everything else. I guess we could keep an eye out for any kind of suits or maybe a storage facility on board.

[Every other place they'd visited so far had had SOME place that stored information and he couldn't imagine a ship this large not having some kind of filing room.]

Hmm...you're right though. It's strange that nothing seems to be marked...well...except for the Exit signs.

[He'd been avoiding that part of the ship. There was something unpleasant about it and it really just gave him the creeps. He knew he'd have to investigate it eventually, but he really didn't want to go down there a lone.]

Why aren't the capsules considered standard? Or are they just not what you're used to?

[All of this stuff is new to Maes, it was why he was speaking with Shiro in the first place.]

[spaceforged]

The capsule beds suggest that this might be a ship of lesser tech. Ships that take years to reach their destination will put their crew in cryo or stasis. There are a number of reasons they could be there from medication to maintain themselves to...It could also be that their race if they aren't human, requires an encapsulated environment for sleeping. Without knowing their precise function I'd classify them as something to look for more about.

It comes down to we really need to see their records.

[He pauses. He hadn't gone down to the exits. He had heard things about them and he's avoiding it. There's too many ways that could go wrong. It's better for all their sakes that he not. Not without back up.]

...I've heard things about those exit doors. I'm not sure what to make of what I've heard. It all sounds like the doors are some sort of trap.

i-2

[punshots]

[ Well, what do you know. It's like the universe heard their conversation and provided an answer, though Prompto doesn't know what he's about to find when he approaches Shiro in the mess hall. Honestly, he's just here to grab a reluctant snack. He had enough of edible goo food when they were on Struxta, and the Horologium's offerings aren't much better. In fact, they're worse.

But despite his lack of enthusiasm about the tube of food paste sticking out of his mouth, his entire demeanor changes when he spots the weapons that Shiro has laid out. He beelines right over, eyes wide and bright, as he glances eagerly between Shiro and the guns. ]

H-hey, you want any help testing those out?

[ He looks as excited as a kid on Christmas. ]

[spaceforged]

[He glances up in time to see Prompto's face light up. Shiro slides the laser gun across the table towards him. He can't quite hide the smile on his own face so he doesn't.] Just the man I was about to call. I was hoping you could help.

[He turns the gun so the solar panel is facing up. He traces his fingers over what looks like serial numbers.] It looks like they're solar powered. We don't know how strong they are yet. So far, there's nothing we've found that looks like a training area. But I doubt they'd keep hull piercing weaponry behind a lower security door.

What do you think?

[punshots]

[ LASER. GUN. Look, Prompto has held a lot of cool weapons in his time with the Crownsguard, but none of them were laser guns. He lifts it into his hands and gives the gun a once-over, turning it so he can take it in from every angle. Very nice...even if there's not exactly sunlight to give it much power here. Still, a gun is a gun. ]

What do I think? I think they're sweet, man! But...think they've got any juice in 'em?

[ Hey, he'd take even a piddling laser gun over no laser gun. ]

[spaceforged]

...I think so. The laser sword was fully charged or looked like it. We used it to get into a room.

[He and Keith found seeds he needs to turn over to the garden crew that seems to be forming.] It seems to need time to charge after that.

It was one of the smaller doors, so I couldn't give you a guess of how many shots you have until you need to recharge it.

Lounge

[teratias]

[Waver has made his way to the lounge and is using it for it's intended purposes. Walking all over this massive ghost town in space is tiring in a way he never anticipated, and now his feet hurt. Sure, the lights are creepy as hell and the lounge itself is too big and sort of terrifying for it, but there are worse things.

For example, he could have not seen Shiro's lion form, or heard him.]

Nah, no maps that I've seen. Whoever lived here probably just knew everything because this was their home, and you don't need a map for that.

[spaceforged]

[He sweeps the light of his eyes over their surroundings and flicks his tail back and forth. He turns the possibilities over in his head. What else could they use? Com units? ...unfortunately, in space the possibilities are so limitless without knowing who manned this ship.

Shiro huffs and ducks down to look under things as best as he can.] Judging by a ship this size they might have had com units the way we have watches. Without knowing the species manning this ship I can only guess.

[Shiro tips his head slightly to the side and stuffs his head under a table, the light of his eyes splashing against the chairs.]

[teratias]

That would make sense. Why print something out when you can just have a digital copy that updates as required.

[Waver's careful, and he follows the lights from Shiro's eyes as they sweep over and under the unit. Then he notices how low the table's clearance is, and he walks over so he can tip it up off the ground just a little bit more.]

Careful so you don't get stuck. [No one wants a stuck robo-lion.]

There hasn't been any evidence of such communicators so far though, has there?

lounge.

[insubordination]

[ . . . even after all this time, the lion still takes some getting used to. and roy exhales slightly, crossing his arms as he glances toward where shiro is touching the wall, wrinkling his nose in irritation. ]

No, nothing. Not a damn thing. No people, no sign of life, nothing. The only thing I have found is a broken nose.

[ allura fixed it but no one can cure roy mustang's injured pride. not even a magical space lion. ]

[spaceforged]

[His glowing eyes brighten in his lion version of shock. He opens his jaws to ask then realizes he's a lion and shuts it. He tries again, speaking in Roy's head as he strides over to his side.]

How did you break your nose?

[insubordination]

One of your paladins and I got stuck in a dark room together and her solution was to break my nose.

[ ..... okay, it's a LITTLE overdramatic, but roy looks fine, so whoever punched him in the face (allura) seems to have healed it in an olive branch like gesture. ]

Arrival wasn't exactly the smoothest of operations.

I-2

[guiltycharge]

[Ritsu freezes on the spot, pen hovering over the notebook he just took out of his pocket. He'd thought he was hanging back far enough from the table to avoid notice... Then again, should he be so worried about getting noticed? Other than swiping one of the emptier journals from the rec room while no one was looking, he hasn't done anything wrong. Wait, no, that means he actually should be worried - ugh, never mind.]

It's nothing... I was just looking.

[Looking and trying to add to this page that Shiro might be able to see if he squints or comes over. It's nothing more or less than a dry list of things inside the mess hall, though.]

[spaceforged]

You’re free to ask questions. [He checks and makes sure the safety is on each weapon. The sword had had a safety too. Wise decision. Shiro rests his hands on the table and glances at the pen and notebook.]

You might see something in what I’ve found out so far that I missed. And space and traveling by starship is something I can spread knowledge of. It’s what I did for a living.

[guiltycharge]

But not enough knowledge to fix the ship...

[His affect is so flat, that remark almost doesn't sound harsh.]

Me, I don't even know where to begin asking questions. It's all completely new. I was just taking inventory so that at least one person is.

I2

[pidgeypidge]

[She really hadn't missed food goo, so seeing it again here is just disheartening.

For the moment, Pidge has decided she's not hungry enough to warrant dealing with it, and instead has honed in on Shiro with a singular purpose.

Bothering him for a bit will absolutely distract her from how hungry she is, right?

So she makes her way over and plops down across from him. She's quiet for a moment, mostly because she's eyeing the weapons laid out in front of him.]

Nothing that I can think of. Were you going to go test those by yourself?

[spaceforged]

I already tested them. I’m copying down their serial numbers and trying to discern what language this is. [He picks up a torn page from a journal and slides it across the table to her.]

No matter how I look at it, I can’t tell what it says. I know it’s a serial number but that’s it. The bright side is if we find logs or papers with any of those three we likely found their armory inventory, supply list, or some kind of crew data.

[Nothing he wants to absolutely find but better than nothing. He sighs and leans back to add.] At best we can arm those who need weapons in the circle. Knowing us, we’ll need everyone prepared.

[pidgeypidge]

Oh. [Well that's not nearly as exciting, but she is interested in trying to find out more. So she accepts the paper and rights it so she can get a good look at it.]

I don't recognize it either. Darn. Guess that means we'll have to get hunting for those logs, then. [Which is probably easier said than done, but the idea is more appealing than sitting around dwelling on things they don't know. Which is a lot.]

There is that. I have my bayard, but it can only slice things. Slowly~