Into the Dark

[overlord stick]

2 minutes ago, AonEne said:

“No idea,” she said with a shrug. “I haven’t seen him since then either. Think he ran into some trouble, or just decided not to come?” 

He sighed. "I wouldn't be surprised, perhaps It was for the best. I doubt cowards will be very beneficial on this trip. Speaking of which, I wonder what happened to the original scouting party. You manage to find anything out?"

[AonEne he/him]

2 minutes ago, Lord Furret said:

He sighed. "I wouldn't be surprised, perhaps It was for the best. I doubt cowards will be very beneficial on this trip. Speaking of which, I wonder what happened to the original scouting party. You manage to find anything out?"

“No,” she admitted. “Though I suspect they died. What about you?” 

[overlord stick]

1 minute ago, AonEne said:

“No,” she admitted. “Though I suspect they died. What about you?” 

He shook his head. "Those ACE directors are being very tight-lipped about this whole thing. Makes you wonder what they're not telling you, and what's down there. Hopefully, it's not some evil maniac bent on the destruction of the city. It'd be nice of we could go more than a few years without that happening, but I suppose it's to be expected with all the different forms of powerful magic, all converging in one area." 

[AonEne he/him]

Just now, Lord Furret said:

He shook his head. "Those ACE directors are being very tight-lipped about this whole thing. Makes you wonder what they're not telling you, and what's down there. Hopefully, it's not some evil maniac bent on the destruction of the city. It'd be nice of we could go more than a few years without that happening, but I suppose it's to be expected with all the different forms of powerful magic, all converging in one area." 

“I’ve asked around, trying to catch up, but it seems there have been a lot of wars here lately,” Myriad said quietly. “Just how many evil maniacs has this place had?” Shaking her head, she went on, “And there are so many forms of magic, as you said. So many worlds...it almost seems impossible to learn about it all.” 

[overlord stick]

2 minutes ago, AonEne said:

“I’ve asked around, trying to catch up, but it seems there have been a lot of wars here lately,” Myriad said quietly. “Just how many evil maniacs has this place had?” Shaking her head, she went on, “And there are so many forms of magic, as you said. So many worlds...it almost seems impossible to learn about it all.” 

He nodded. "It took me years to learn it all, and even now, there's so much we don't know... " He looked to the cavern entrance. "That's why the Scholar's Guild exists. For people like us, who want to learn and spread knowledge."

[Rushu42 she/her]

1 hour ago, kenod said:

Karin walked down the crater and looked at the group that was already gathering down below. Her standard dress had been swapped out for more useful clothing. Instead she wore thick sleeveless coat, cargo pants and hiking shoes. With her she carried a backpack filled with medical equipment, chemicals and a basic chemistry set, everything carefully wrapped up to prevent it from accidentally getting damaged. Seeing Sarah she walked up to her, raising a hand in greeting. "Hey," she said enthusiastically. "I guess you got some adventuring gear ready as well?"

Sarah turned. "Hi," she responded cheerfully. "Yeah, I like to be prepared. I normally take this stuff everywhere, but I figured that it'd look a little odd at a job interview."

[kenod]

23 minutes ago, Rushu42 said:

Sarah turned. "Hi," she responded cheerfully. "Yeah, I like to be prepared. I normally take this stuff everywhere, but I figured that it'd look a little odd at a job interview."

"Yeah," Karin answered, "I can understand that. I personally decided to get some clothing that's a bit sturdier than my normal stuff."

[xinoehp512 he/him]

There was a cry from the top of the crater as a man slipped off the edge, followed by a series of oofs as he rolled and bounced down the slope, eventually ending in a drawn-out moan as he slid to a stop at the bottom.

[AonEne he/him]

6 hours ago, Lord Furret said:

He nodded. "It took me years to learn it all, and even now, there's so much we don't know... " He looked to the cavern entrance. "That's why the Scholar's Guild exists. For people like us, who want to learn and spread knowledge."

“Exactly,” she said, enthused, then broke off as a man fell into the crater. What is he doing? 

[Voidus]

Previous day
-----------
Whisper gave Wes a small smile as he gestured at her from across the room, it seemed he'd made it in, and based on his enthusiasm it seemed that he would indeed accompany the rest of the group down into the caverns. She made her own way towards the posting, struggling a little to move through the crowd that was, for the most part, far taller than she was. But a life of slipping through crowds let her eventually pick a path forwards until she was right next to the posting.

She scanned through the document, lips curling up a little as she saw her own name there. It was certainly easier to be picked herself than to have to kill someone else and assume their spot in the expedition. She continued reading, memorising the list of names just to be safe. No other big surprises in who was selected, no familiar names. Dealing with people she wasn't familiar with would be more difficult, but also more exciting.

Still smiling to herself, Whisper began pushing her way back through the crowds, letting a little more Light drift over her form while she was obscured by the press of bodies. When she came back out the other end she was a little taller and better dressed, with straight blonde hair word loose over a shoulder, face a little more angular. She took a quick scan of the room to ensure that no one was watching her before making her way out of the building. She stopped only once to drop a small note into Wes' pocket on her way out.

I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow. Thanks for talking, it helped. - W
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Present day
-------------
Whisper stopped outside one of the rare windows in the city that was actually clean enough to give a reflection, she looked over herself, double checking that the appearance was the same as what she had adopted the previous day. People usually wouldn't notice one or two small inconsistencies, but it never hurt to be careful. Satisfied, she gave a short nod to her reflection before continuing on, walking outside the city and onto the outskirts of the large crater that had been formed there six months ago. There were a few smooth paths that had been constructed to allow passage down, but someone seemed to lose their balance on their way towards it, sliding down the much steeper embankment, tumbling and drawing a not-insignificant amount of attention as he slowly rolled to the base.

Taking advantage of the attention that had been drawn over there, Whisper took a step forward, falling a significant distance down before catching herself with reinforced legs at the path as it made its way underneath her and then stepping off again to reach the base of the crater. Hopefully most attention had been drawn away, but even if anyone had noticed, they'd likely chalk it up to Pewter or Stormlight.

She made her way towards the gathering of people, some split off into small groups, others just milling about aimlessly while waiting. She wound her way through most of the groups, ears straining to catch any interesting conversations.

[I think I am here. he/him]

Wes shuffled, looking at the conglomeration of people that surrounded him here at the base of the crater. Getting down to the bade had been harder than he’d anticipated, and he had a few newly ripped holes and dust patches on his cloak to vouch for it. Still, the cloak was big enough it could still cover him completely, a protective barrier from other people, even if he had surpassed the underling rank.

Idly he wondered how the assassination back in Oasis City was being handled. He’d just abandoned Mike and Seom, and the rest of the crew back there, and he felt spikes of guilt every time he thought back to when he’d ran away. Shaking his head he focused on the large dark hole in the ground, the entrance to the cave system he’d soon be exploring. It seemed to be the best escape from his problems for now, a break from Ghostblood stuff. And hopefully it would keep him too occupied to feel guilty.

Walking over to the cave entrance Wes looked down it, dropped a small pebble to gauge how far down it descended.

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

Deb hovered five feet above the ground, Pushing lightly on a small frame of iron set into the dirt. This was a waste of Steel, but her years in Preservation’s Wings had taught her the power of a visible authority figure. And, it offered her an excellent vantage point of the assembling group. 

Several of the new recruits had arrived, on time no less. Deb marked each one down on her clipboard, pleased to see clerks and assistants setting everyone up with coveralls and equipment. They moved about in groups, greeting the new arrivals and explaining about the tracking nodes. 

It wasn’t quite eight yet, and Deb was content to spend a few more quiet minutes in the sun before descending into the darkness. 

Hold on, Warrick, she thought fiercely. We’re coming for you.

———

Corette skirted the edges of the assembled group, moving slower now that she was storing her breath. Each inhale felt as though she were sucking air through a thin straw, but she forced herself to keep moving, to avoid looking helpless or useless. Every bit of breath she’s could spare, she siphoned into the cadmium torque around her neck. Her reserve was deep now, but Corette knew the dangers of playing fast and loose with one’s reserves. They could be gone far faster than you ever expected, and down below the water, there was no room for error.

Flooded caverns, she thought eagerly, skin prickling with excitement at the thought. A slight disturbance broke her daydream, and she looked up in time to catch a young man tumbling down the side of the crater to land in a groaning heap.

Her Bronze picked up something else a little farther away, that odd, stuttering beat she had heard before, and Corette watched a slim girl fall gracefully to land on enhanced legs. She cocked her head, making her way over to the girl, if only to watch her a bit closer. 

[AonEne he/him]

Newly dressed in well-fitting coveralls, Myriad listened to the clerk who was excitedly going on about the tracking node and connected tablet she’d been given alongside the other gear and equipment. She was tempted to continue talking to him about the technology involved, but that probably wasn’t what Aln wanted to hear over spanreed. 

We’ve been given uniforms, lights, harnesses, and tracking devices, she wrote in the notebook instead once the man had gone, then eyed the little node she was supposed to pin onto herself. It made her feel trapped, claustrophobic - she would have to stay in the same body for this to track her, which she hadn’t anticipated and didn’t like. Fixing it reluctantly to the collar of her coveralls, she glared at it. 

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

Quote

Anyone else who wants to join the official expedition should do so now! You do not need to be part of the official expedition to enter the caverns, but the official group will be descending within the day, if everything goes to plan.

@Grey Knight

[TrailRunnin he/him]

Spoiler

Edit- For context, Rig is my new character. He got popped into the alleyverse in the middle of the caves, just in time to meet all you lovely people!

The cellar was gone. For that matter, anything resembling the Elendel basin seemed gone. Rig had spent some time chasing after the elusive voice of the Nomad, but eventually had to give up. He slowed to a walk, treading carefully with his cane out and gun ready, but after what felt like hours without incident, he set the pistol back in its holster and began to feel less afraid and more…confused. What had the Nomad told him? Welcome to the alleys? This was like no alley Rig had ever seen—Not even when chasing down the poorest of the dock workers in their slums. It was simply a cave, and a lousy one at that.

The caves seemed designed to trip you up; the ground was uneven and often ridges punished his unwary toes, while stalactites and stalagmites poked and prodded from odd angles, often spooking Rig back in a terrified scramble. Sounds came from odd angles, echoing about him in a space he didn’t know the size of, caused by a million creatures of his imagination. The most frightening thing was simply the darkness; there was no light whatsoever around him, and he couldn’t help but feel that he wasn’t alone in the caverns. If something was watching him, he’d never know it.

Damnation Tekiels, never knowing when to just leave a man be! If I’d have gone back up, instead of into these damnation caves after that damnation coward, those bastards would have felt the wrath of Lekal’s best! Of course, Rig wasn’t a Lekal any longer. Not since…no, best not to dwell on the mistakes of the past. Other’s mistakes, of course. Had everyone just done what they were supposed to, Rig would be putting on one of his suits right now and heading-

Rig’s train of thought was cut off as he ran into yet another stalactite. The thing was massive and seemed to have been placed just perfectly to smack Rig in the head. Up ahead, Rig noticed a sharp turn in the tunnel, realizing that for the first time in hours he could see. It was faint, but he could make out grey surfaces in the black haze so long as he looked at a corner some light seemed to bounce playfully around.

He rushed around the corner, and found himself in a massive chamber, dimly lit by walls covered in some sort of softly blowing blue material. Finally, some good luck! he thought to himself , stepping into the rocky room. It was large—probably about the size of an area found by a theoretical expedition party soon after departing the surface—and the dominating feature was a single stalactite hanging grandiosely from the ceiling in the center of the chamber. It was covered entirely in the glowing fungus, and beneath it sat a perfectly still pool where strange-looking fish swam idly. Upon closer inspection, they appeared blind, eyes having apparently disappeared long ago in a world without light.

He wondered how many pools like this he had wandered past, but a growl from his stomach told him it didn’t matter. He had light now, and maybe more importantly, he had dinner. He had never been a religious man—he left that to his mother—but today, by Kelsier’s own name, he would survive.

Edited September 30, 2019 by TrailRunnin

[Grey Knight]

Bulveye, stalker of tyrants and slayer of darkness, jumped over the crater's edge with a wild roar.

He slammed into the ground with a loud crack as the stone shattered beneath him. He kept pumping his legs, turning a near-fall into a loping gait that sent him barreling down the slope. He grinned, exulting in the rush of the wind and the sense of momentum. Blood of Broddja, but it felt good to run again, even if he was separated from his pack.

 Sparks flew from Bulveye's feet as he ground the stone beneath him, sliding to a halt. He panted, looking at Director Stancel with a grin. 

"Heil ok sæl, Director," he said. "Have I missed the party?"

@ZincAboutIt

 

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

4 minutes ago, Grey Knight said:

"Heil ok sæl, Director," he said. "Have I missed the party?"

Deb blinked at the newcomer and almost stepped backwards out of her Steelpush, momentarily wobbling, before regaining her balance. She checked the clipboard, then her watch. Seven fifty-five. Deb gave a tiny smile, eyes travelling over the man's scarred face, his obvious years of previous battle. Well, that's something I can understand, sure enough.

"Good morning," she said, marking his name. "We are very nearly ready to descend - thank you for arriving on time. It will be good to have another veteran on the team, especially one with your..." Deb peeked at his questionnaire, raising an eyebrow, before letting the page drop again, "experience. Judging by your armor, I think we can forgo the coveralls. One of my clerks will get you outfitted with the rest of your equipment. Do be sure to keep your tracking node on you at all times, so we do not lose one another down in the caverns."

[Grey Knight]

"Hah! The day I get lost in a simple cave," Bulveye said, "is the day I kill myself and join Russ on his Great Hunt!" He grinned at Deb. "Keep your tracker, Director. Save it for those who need it." 

He turned away, sniffing the air. Though his nose wasn't what it used to be, his senses were still far beyond any mortal's. The air around Deb was tinged with excitement, mingled with a little fear. That was recent- probably from his dramatic entrance. There was another hint of fear-scent, slightly older, coming from a woman farther down the slope. 

With a loud grind of servo-gears, Bulveye lumbered over to her. She was fingering a yellow object and frowning at it.

"Heil ok sæl," he said over her shoulder. "How are you, stranger, on this fine day?"

@AonEne 

[overlord stick]

Quote

Wait, I can't find Bulveye's character sheet anywhere. Has he been approved yet, or did I miss something? 

 

[xinoehp512 he/him]

15 hours ago, Voidus said:

Previous day
-----------
Whisper gave Wes a small smile as he gestured at her from across the room, it seemed he'd made it in, and based on his enthusiasm it seemed that he would indeed accompany the rest of the group down into the caverns. She made her own way towards the posting, struggling a little to move through the crowd that was, for the most part, far taller than she was. But a life of slipping through crowds let her eventually pick a path forwards until she was right next to the posting.

She scanned through the document, lips curling up a little as she saw her own name there. It was certainly easier to be picked herself than to have to kill someone else and assume their spot in the expedition. She continued reading, memorising the list of names just to be safe. No other big surprises in who was selected, no familiar names. Dealing with people she wasn't familiar with would be more difficult, but also more exciting.

Still smiling to herself, Whisper began pushing her way back through the crowds, letting a little more Light drift over her form while she was obscured by the press of bodies. When she came back out the other end she was a little taller and better dressed, with straight blonde hair word loose over a shoulder, face a little more angular. She took a quick scan of the room to ensure that no one was watching her before making her way out of the building. She stopped only once to drop a small note into Wes' pocket on her way out.

I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow. Thanks for talking, it helped. - W
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Present day
-------------
Whisper stopped outside one of the rare windows in the city that was actually clean enough to give a reflection, she looked over herself, double checking that the appearance was the same as what she had adopted the previous day. People usually wouldn't notice one or two small inconsistencies, but it never hurt to be careful. Satisfied, she gave a short nod to her reflection before continuing on, walking outside the city and onto the outskirts of the large crater that had been formed there six months ago. There were a few smooth paths that had been constructed to allow passage down, but someone seemed to lose their balance on their way towards it, sliding down the much steeper embankment, tumbling and drawing a not-insignificant amount of attention as he slowly rolled to the base.

Taking advantage of the attention that had been drawn over there, Whisper took a step forward, falling a significant distance down before catching herself with reinforced legs at the path as it made its way underneath her and then stepping off again to reach the base of the crater. Hopefully most attention had been drawn away, but even if anyone had noticed, they'd likely chalk it up to Pewter or Stormlight.

She made her way towards the gathering of people, some split off into small groups, others just milling about aimlessly while waiting. She wound her way through most of the groups, ears straining to catch any interesting conversations.

Nekorb got up with a groan, shooting a glare towards the girl - what was her name again? He could never remember. Of course she would be able to float down the crater walls.

[Grey Knight]

56 minutes ago, Lord Furret said:

Wait, I can't find Bulveye's character sheet anywhere. Has he been approved yet, or did I miss something? 

Quote

I submitted him two days ago, but the mods haven't done anything yet. So I decided to use him for now, and apply any necessary modifications when he was approved.

 

[Rushu42 she/her]

Sarah happily donned the coveralls that had been handed to her, stepping away from Karin to change. She clipped the tracker on without issue and picked up her stick again. Calling to the other woman, she said, "I'm gonna go look at the tunnels. You wanna come?" Without waiting for a response, she walked over to the edge of the hole, ropes protruding from it, and peered into the darkness. A shiver of excitement crept down her spine. It felt like the first expedition she had gone on, back in the Elendel Basin. A whole new world to explore.

Except, this time, people could die. They might have already. Her expression grew more somber, and the darkness below seemed to take on a more ominous appearance. Sarah turned away.

@kenod

Edited September 30, 2019 by Rushu42

[kenod]

25 minutes ago, Rushu42 said:

Sarah happily donned the coveralls that had been handed to her, stepping away from Karin to change. She clipped the tracker on without issue and picked up her stick again. Calling to the other woman, she said, "I'm gonna go look at the tunnels. You wanna come?" Without waiting for a response, she walked over to the edge of the hole, ropes protruding from it, and peered into the darkness. A shiver of excitement crept down her spine. It felt like the first expedition she had gone on, back in the Elendel Basin. A whole new world to explore.

Except, this time, people could die. They might have already. Her expression grew more somber, and the darkness below seemed to take on a more ominous appearance. Sarah turned away.

@kenod

Karin took the equipment handed to her, though she refused the coveralls. Her current clothing was more than sufficient, and the coveralls would just interfere with her abilities. She pressed the tracker onto her neck, small tendrils extending from her skin to embed the tracker into it. The tablet she put into her backpack. Putting on the harness and the helmet she followed Sarah, looking down into the tunnels. A slightly sad smile appeared on her face. The cave entrance reminded her of vacations with her family when she was younger, going on tours through caverns.

"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here," Karin quipped, trying to shake the thoughts, staring into the darkness of the tunnels. She looked at Sarah for a reaction but then figured references like those probably wouldn't work with people from different planets and shrugged, instead looking into the darkness some more.

Edited September 30, 2019 by kenod

[Rushu42 she/her]

2 minutes ago, kenod said:

Karin took the equipment handed to her, though she refused the coveralls. Her current clothing was more than sufficient, and the coveralls would just interfere with her abilities. She pressed the tracker onto her neck, small tendrils extending from her skin to embed the tracker into it. The tablet she put into her backpack. Putting on the harness and the helmet she followed Sarah, looking down into the tunnels. A slightly sad smile appeared on her face. The cave entrance reminded her of vacations with her family when she was younger, going on tours through caverns.

"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here," Karin quipped, trying to shake the thoughts, staring into the darkness of the tunnels. She looked at Sarah for a reaction but then figured references like those probably wouldn't work with people from different planets and shrugged, instead looking into the darkness some more.

Sarah looked up at Karin's remark. "Sorry?" She asked.

[kenod]

1 minute ago, Rushu42 said:

Sarah looked up at Karin's remark. "Sorry?" She asked.

"Ah, nothing," Karin replied to Sarah, shaking her head. "It's a quote from some old book from my world, one that became well known enough that even people like me who never read it know it. It's not even that appropriate if you consider the actual context from where it appears in the book. It just seemed somewhat fitting, that's all."