Into the Dark

[kenod]

Karin walked to the entrance, moving to the end of the line. "I don't suppose I could just jump down," she muttered. "Probably faster than the elevator." She shook her head, looking towards the beginning of the line, hoping they'd get started moving soon.

[I think I am here. he/him]

“Thank you,” Wes said, taking the waiver and holding it out in front of him. It looked very official, not dissimilar to the questionnaires he’d written in earlier. He trusted ACE wouldn’t put anything in the waiver to manipulate him with so he folded it neatly and placed it in his pocket.

I suppose I can just keep it in my pocket, then? If there was a place for him to put the waiver, he couldn’t see it. But while there was no place for the waiver, there was a place for him. Right at the end of the descent line, apparently.

As he slotted himself within the orderly line he figured he could sign the waiver now, while he was waiting. Smiling he took out the waiver again, and then checked for a pen. Unfortunately, the overalls were empty (of course) and while his cloak provided a variety of advantages, pockets weren’t one of them.

“Um, excuse me?” He asked quietly to the person in front of him in the line.

“You wouldn’t happen to have a pen, would you? Or, I mean, a pencil works as well. Anything to write with. Except blood.” He hoped he wasn’t being too picky.

@kenod

Edited October 3, 2019 by I think I am here.

[kenod]

1 minute ago, I think I am here. said:

“Thank you,” Wes said, taking the waiver and holding it out in front of him. It looked very official, not dissimilar to the questionnaires he’d written in earlier. He trusted ACE wouldn’t put anything in the waiver to manipulate him with so he folded it neatly and placed it in his pocket.

I suppose I can just keep it in my pocket, then? If there was a place for him to put the waiver, he couldn’t see it. But while there was no place for the waiver, there was a place for him. Right at the end of the descent line, apparently.

As he slotted himself within the orderly line he figured he could sign the waiver now, while he was waiting. Smiling he took out the waiver again, and then checked for a pen. Unfortunately, the overalls were empty (of course) and while his cloak provided a variety of advantages, pockets weren’t one of them.

“Um, excuse me?” He asked quietly to the person in front of him in the line.

“You wouldn’t happen to have a pen, would you? Or, I mean, a pencil works as well. Anything to write with. Except blood.” He hoped he wasn’t being too picky.

@kenod

Karin turned around looking at him. Grabbing her backpack she started rummaging through it, different vials of chemicals and lab equipment briefly visible. "I should have one," she said absentmindedly. Finally finding one she took out the pen, giving it to him. "Here you go," she said. "Blood would have been a lot easier though," she joked.

[I think I am here. he/him]

16 minutes ago, kenod said:

Karin turned around looking at him. Grabbing her backpack she started rummaging through it, different vials of chemicals and lab equipment briefly visible. "I should have one," she said absentmindedly. Finally finding one she took out the pen, giving it to him. "Here you go," she said. "Blood would have been a lot easier though," she joked.

“I’m sure,” Wes said, smiling and signing the waiver with a quick scratching of his signature. He stuffed the sheet of paper back in his overall pockets and offered the pen back to her.

“This city is amazing. I bet there are people here who actually do write in blood.” He looked around.

In the Alleys, he mouthed, then smiled. Those alleys were scary. Deep and dark and scary, but also amazing. He was sure Mike wouldn’t share his views, but sometimes Wes wondered what sorts of long-forgotten technology rested in those alleys. Surely something interesting.

[kenod]

3 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

“I’m sure,” Wes said, smiling and signing the waiver with a quick scratching of his signature. He stuffed the sheet of paper back in his overall pockets and offered the pen back to her.

“This city is amazing. I bet there are people here who actually do write in blood.” He looked around.

In the Alleys, he mouthed, then smiled. Those alleys were scary. Deep and dark and scary, but also amazing. He was sure Mike wouldn’t share his views, but sometimes Wes wondered what sorts of long-forgotten technology rested in those alleys. Surely something interesting.

Karin put the pen back in her pack and nodded to Mike. "I know a number of them," she said. "Of course, most of them have enhanced healing factors, and are generally quite insane." She smiled. "Of course," she continued, "it becomes a lot funnier when the person doing the writing also forgot that they made their blood acidic a month ago. Of course, there was that one time we had an idiot who tried it while they had replaced the oxygen in their blood with fluoride, which meant table the paper laid on spontaneously erupted into flames, and most of us had to evacuate the place to avoid hydrofluoric acid poisoning." She grinned as she remembered the incident. "Well," she continued, "it's funny now at least. Back then we managed to set a new record for evacuation time, and the idiot who caused it got a rather... inventive punishment."

[I think I am here. he/him]

Wes continued smiling, eyes widening a little at the mention of a man with fluoride in his blood. What kind of technology could accomplish that? Or would it just require a very precise soulcaster? And fluoride, fascinating.

“Back at the dorms,” he said. “We would evacuate for much less interesting things. Someone accidentally caused an electrical fire while cooking a pancake right next to the Epic who sweated petroleum. Half that dorm-block burnt down because of a stupid pancake.” He looked down and laughed lightheartedly.

“He got the abominations shift. What did your guy get as punishment?”

@kenod

Edited October 3, 2019 by I think I am here.

[kenod]

44 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

Wes continued smiling, eyes widening a little at the mention of a man with fluoride in his blood. What kind of technology could accomplish that? Or would it just require a very precise soulcaster? And fluoride, fascinating.

“Back at the dorms,” he said. “We would evacuate for much less interesting things. Someone accidentally caused an electrical fire while cooking a pancake right next to the Epic who sweated petroleum. Half that dorm-block burnt down because of a stupid pancake.” He looked down and laughed lightheartedly.

“He got the abominations shift. What did your guy get as punishment?”

@kenod

Karin laughed. "The standard punishment," she said. "Our department head locked him up with these things she created. Basically a giant mass of tentacles pinning him to the ceiling. It doesn't seem to have taught him much though, given that he and his creations still have a habit of randomly exploding. Of course, they can easily heal back and don't seem to care, but it still tends to cause a fair bit of trouble."

[I think I am here. he/him]

5 minutes ago, kenod said:

Karin laughed. "The standard punishment," she said. "Our department head locked him up with these things she created. Basically a giant mass of tentacles pinning him to the ceiling. It doesn't seem to have taught him much though, given that he and his creations still have a habit of randomly exploding. Of course, they can easily heal back and don't seem to care, but it still tends to cause a fair bit of trouble."

“That’s so cool,” Wes said. Immediately he tried reigning in the fanboyism, but sometimes he couldn’t help but think how cool some of the other parts of the Alleyverse were. Parts he would never get to see. Even the Ghostbloods had some seriously cool stuff, but all of that was ‘classfied’ and not allowed for Wes to see. At least the DA allowed everyone to know the cool things.

Makes me wonder what things they do keep secret. The other Wes was right, this secret business sure is interesting.

“Though he seems brave. I don’t know if I’d be able to handle a monster like that.” He blinked and then wrapped his cloak around himself in memory of his own punishment he’d gotten. If a simple scar had almost ruined his mental state and kept him from getting in trouble with superiors ever again, then he was no match for a DA tentacle-beast.

“Though, he seems pretty fun to hang out with,” Wes said, looking up at Karin again, bringing the conversation to more lighthearted waters again.

[kenod]

1 minute ago, I think I am here. said:

“That’s so cool,” Wes said. Immediately he tried reigning in the fanboyism, but sometimes he couldn’t help but think how cool some of the other parts of the Alleyverse were. Parts he would never get to see. Even the Ghostbloods had some seriously cool stuff, but all of that was ‘classfied’ and not allowed for Wes to see. At least the DA allowed everyone to know the cool things.

Makes me wonder what things they do keep secret. The other Wes was right, this secret business sure is interesting.

“Though he seems brave. I don’t know if I’d be able to handle a monster like that.” He blinked and then wrapped his cloak around himself in memory of his own punishment he’d gotten. If a simple scar had almost ruined his mental state and kept him from getting in trouble with superiors ever again, then he was no match for a DA tentacle-beast.

“Though, he seems pretty fun to hang out with,” Wes said, looking up at Karin again, bringing the conversation to more lighthearted waters again.

Karin looked at Wes, trying to hide her surprise. "Um, yeah, I guess," she said. "You might want to get some form of healing beforehand though. Exploding is bad enough, but fluoride poisoning is..." She shook her head. "Well, it's survivable, even normal humans can survive if you get to them on time and overdose them with calcium, but it still isn't nice." She smiled. "But yeah, once you get used to him he's quite fun. Kind of like those nutty chemistry professors, he's always doing these crazy things, and he loves showing off."

[Grey Knight]

16 hours ago, AonEne said:

Myriad only understood about half the words the giant, armored man - he’d called himself a sea guard wolf thing? - said, but the words Ghost-stalker made her freeze. She had been told by the first yellow-glowing figure she met that they and others like them were called poltergeists, but that most would know them best as ghosts. And Bulveye killed ghosts?

Trying to do it discreetly but knowing the sad extent of her training in these matters, Myriad scanned the man. She could probably Bolt into him if he came at her. She couldn’t see any exposed skin besides his head right now, but moving to a new body didn’t require it. She wasn’t even sure it required touch; she hadn’t done much experimenting along that vein. She resolved to later. 

Quote

...I forgot that Bulveye was talking to a literal ghost. The coincidence was completely unintentional, I swear 

13 hours ago, ZincAboutIt said:

"What do you think of the city?" She asked him. Corette had found that this question typically elicited more information about a person than more direct questions about themselves. Whether they loved it or hated it here, newcomers always had something to say about Alleycity.

"The city?" Bulveye asked with a snort. "Unimpressive. Despite the fact it seems to have been built at the center of the world's battegrounds, there's not even a proper wall. Non-natives enjoy all the wealth and pleasures of the city, while everyone else scrabbles for firewood outside. The infrastructure is a mess, the poor are ignored and mistreated, and the ruling government is tainted by maleficarum."

He spit to the side. The stone sizzled where it splashed. 

"All in all," he said, "it's no different from every other world I've had the pleasure of seeing. Now, hive-worlds, those are real..."

He trailed off, sniffing. Fear-scent was in the air. Lots of it, and from the woman he had been just talking to. He turned towards the hole in the ground, narrowing his eyes.

@AonEne @ZincAboutIt

Edited October 3, 2019 by Grey Knight

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

Quote

The Director and Corette will stay up top till the last person gets into the elevator shaft. I will narrate 2 trips. You can just pop your characters into the elevator on either trip as needed, describe their reactions, etc. Once everyone is down, you're largely free to describe and world-build the caverns as we wend their way through them. Any time we enter an important area, I'll describe it. Other times, I look forward to what you all come up with. Larger plot points or structural questions should be asked in the PM.  

Darat had been up and down this mine shaft at least half a dozen times today, but the well of darkness beneath his feet still caused the hair to prickle on the back of his neck. A tight knot had formed in his stomach, a mixture of excitement and dread that sawed at the edges of his nerves. The pack on his back bulged with infused spheres, but the idea of spending so long locked away from the surface made him nervous. As if responding to his anxiety, a soft green light welled up from the front pocket of his coveralls. Vani peeked up at him, a little collection of vines.

"Are we going down to help?" She asked, her voice clear as crystal, and soft as new leaves.

Darat looked down at the little spren and smiled. "Yes, we are," he told her. "We haven't forgotten about the first expedition, after all."

Vani smiled and made a cheerful sound before snuggling back into his pocket, as though all were right with the world. Bolstered by Vani's own ease, Darat herded the first group of people into the mine shaft elevator before closing the metal grate doors. Then, with a deep breath, Darat pressed the orange button on the control panel.

There was a deep thunk, then a low, monotonous whine sounded. The elevator, which was really little more than a grated steel cage, gave a small jolt and began descending smoothly. Within moments, Darat's view of the crater had disappeared. The elevator was fitted with white lights, though there was little to see but the bare rock surrounding them. Above his head, the shaft's entrance appeared as a steadily-shrinking circle of yellow-white sunlight. Below his feet, through the narrow grating, there was nothing but blackness.

"When we reach the bottom," he said, projecting a confidence into his voice that he didn't quite feel, "please make your way to the main camp. It has already been set up for you, and the majority of the ACE employees are already down there waiting. This first cavern is one of the largest found so far, and you are encouraged to begin assessment of the cavern so long as you remain within sight of the base camp, or go in a group. When we arrive at the bottom, switch on your head lamps and activate your tablets."

The group murmured softly, talking amongst themselves. A mixture of excitement and apprehension swirled around them as they descended farther and farther down. Finally, after almost ten minutes of close-quartered blackness, Darat saw the barest hint of light below his feet. The light grew steadily, a soft, blue luminescence that reminded him of Stormlight. The mood around him shifted, apprehension morphing into curiosity. Darat felt himself smile as finally, finally, the mineshaft ended and they entered the first cavern.

"Welcome to Keep Venture," he said, and his smile stretched into a grin at the group's awe. It wasn't hard to see why.

The shaft widened abruptly, walls soaring away into nothing, and the cage continued to descend into open air. Its size was staggering, the ceiling easily a hundred feet high, and covered in stalactites that glittered like jewels. The center of the cavern was dominated by an enormous stalactite that was covered in a softly-glowing luminescent fungus, casting the whole of the cavern into delicate, otherworldly light. It gave off the appearance of a massive, organic chandelier, and the tip dripped glowing water into a wide, shallow pool at its base. The walls of the cavern were lost in darkness, and the air here smelled deep and wet and mineral, but not stale.

Darat stared out into the cavern, allowing the sense of wonder to overtake him completely. No matter how many times he'd seen this place, it still took his breath away. Vani peeked up out of his front pocket and gave another tinkling laugh, and he grinned down at her. 

Perhaps this won't be so bad, he thought. Perhaps it will all be fine. Logic threatened his optimism, but he kept it at bay. For now, at least, Darat was content to hope. 

[AonEne he/him]

1 hour ago, Grey Knight said:

...I forgot that Bulveye was talking to a literal ghost. The coincidence was completely unintentional, I swear 

Quote

I figured, but it only made sense to take advantage of it 

 

[Rushu42 she/her]

1 hour ago, ZincAboutIt said:

Darat had been up and down this mine shaft at least half a dozen times today, but the well of darkness beneath his feet still caused the hair to prickle on the back of his neck. A tight knot had formed in his stomach, a mixture of excitement and dread that sawed at the edges of his nerves. The pack on his back bulged with infused spheres, but the idea of spending so long locked away from the surface made him nervous. As if responding to his anxiety, a soft green light welled up from the front pocket of his coveralls. Vani peeked up at him, a little collection of vines.

"Are we going down to help?" She asked, her voice clear as crystal, and soft as new leaves.

Darat looked down at the little spren and smiled. "Yes, we are," he told her. "We haven't forgotten about the first expedition, after all."

Vani smiled and made a cheerful sound before snuggling back into his pocket, as though all were right with the world. Bolstered by Vani's own ease, Darat herded the first group of people into the mine shaft elevator before closing the metal grate doors. Then, with a deep breath, Darat pressed the orange button on the control panel.

There was a deep thunk, then a low, monotonous whine sounded. The elevator, which was really little more than a grated steel cage, gave a small jolt and began descending smoothly. Within moments, Darat's view of the crater had disappeared. The elevator was fitted with white lights, though there was little to see but the bare rock surrounding them. Above his head, the shaft's entrance appeared as a steadily-shrinking circle of yellow-white sunlight. Below his feet, through the narrow grating, there was nothing but blackness.

"When we reach the bottom," he said, projecting a confidence into his voice that he didn't quite feel, "please make your way to the main camp. It has already been set up for you, and the majority of the ACE employees are already down there waiting. This first cavern is one of the largest found so far, and you are encouraged to begin assessment of the cavern so long as you remain within sight of the base camp, or go in a group. When we arrive at the bottom, switch on your head lamps and activate your tablets."

The group murmured softly, talking amongst themselves. A mixture of excitement and apprehension swirled around them as they descended farther and farther down. Finally, after almost ten minutes of close-quartered blackness, Darat saw the barest hint of light below his feet. The light grew steadily, a soft, blue luminescence that reminded him of Stormlight. The mood around him shifted, apprehension morphing into curiosity. Darat felt himself smile as finally, finally, the mineshaft ended and they entered the first cavern.

"Welcome to Keep Venture," he said, and his smile stretched into a grin at the group's awe. It wasn't hard to see why.

The shaft widened abruptly, walls soaring away into nothing, and the cage continued to descend into open air. Its size was staggering, the ceiling easily a hundred feet high, and covered in stalactites that glittered like jewels. The center of the cavern was dominated by an enormous stalactite that was covered in a softly-glowing luminescent fungus, casting the whole of the cavern into delicate, otherworldly light. It gave off the appearance of a massive, organic chandelier, and the tip dripped glowing water into a wide, shallow pool at its base. The walls of the cavern were lost in darkness, and the air here smelled deep and wet and mineral, but not stale.

Darat stared out into the cavern, allowing the sense of wonder to overtake him completely. No matter how many times he'd seen this place, it still took his breath away. Vani peeked up out of his front pocket and gave another tinkling laugh, and he grinned down at her. 

Perhaps this won't be so bad, he thought. Perhaps it will all be fine. Logic threatened his optimism, but he kept it at bay. For now, at least, Darat was content to hope. 

Sarah stepped out of the elevator. After ten minutes of claustrophobic darkness, even the dim light made her eyes water. Flipping on her headlamp only made it worse, but the blurry sight that met her eyes was worth any trouble to get down here. It may even have been worth all the trouble of appearing in the Alleyverse. The gentle light of the luminescent fungus was reflected in the clear pool that occupied the center of the cavern. It seemed to Sarah as if she'd just entered an entirely new world. Again. 

She fumbled with her strange square of metal for a moment, but it remained stubbornly unresponsive. Giving up, she stuffed it into an outer pocket of her bag and walked over to the pool. Standing by the edge, she squinted up at the huge stalactite. I wonder why the glowing moss only grows there, she thought. After a moment or two, she shrugged, and turned back. "Hey," she called to the man who had led them down, "is it okay if I circle the edge of this cavern? I want to start drawing my map."

[kenod]

Karin stepped out of the elevator, staring in awe at the cavern the landed in. The massive stalactite cast a soft light through the cavern, making everything seem as if she had wandered into a fairy tale. She walked towards it, her eyes adjusting themselves to the soft light. Mesmerized by the view she simply stood there, watching the source of the light.

[+ElephantEarwax he/him]

On 10/1/2019 at 11:34 PM, Sorana said:

Althea received her equipment as well, looked it over. Technical devices. Well, as long as they worked she was fine with them - if they stopped working she had no idea how to repair them. She knew how to use these kind of things, everything else wasn't really hers. Without hesitating she looked at the overall, and then hung it over her arm for the moment. She wouldn't change in front of all of them, definitely not.

She looked over at him taking out his sunglasses and lifted a finger to tap against her own. "If we wear long dark coats as well, then we look like we stepped out of a movie." Alas, her coat was grey. A hard black usually didn't look good with her pale complexion.

"I don't really have a plan for down there. I figured I could take a look around, maybe see if I can find something interesting." Pausing she looked at him again. "When things go south and you want to escape - hard to imprison can extend to others as well."

She offered, carefully watching his face to observe his reactions.

"I believe I understand what you mean." Adren said, nodding. "Should we go on the secomd elevator to the caverns? 

"I love elevators. They are so cool. And if they break they are even more fun."

"It's not worth the time to fix them. Stairs are much more effective."

Quote

 

"Were riding the elevator eventually, I'd rather not walk down. And it'd be me walking. Jeth."

[+Sorana she/her]

51 minutes ago, ElephantEarwax said:

"I believe I understand what you mean." Adren said, nodding. "Should we go on the secomd elevator to the caverns? 

She inclined her head in agreement and then started to walk over to the elevator. "Yes, let's head over there. The first ones are already down below."

Karin was already gone. Althea continued to try to keep track of everybody, but realized that here with the other ACE employees around it was hard to keep an eye on everybody. She walked carefully over the uneven ground, tried to make sure that she didn't trip, or hurt her ankle. Nothing she couldn't deal with, but still something she'd prefer to avoid. If only to continue to appear strong. It would be hillarious if she stared this journey with brown mudstreaks in her hair. Now that the time was close when she would actually descend into the caverns she felt the knot of anxiety in her stomach. The last times she had been below the surface had ended with pain and destruction, with someone ripping into her mind and breaking it apart. Given that,it was easy for this journey to end up better. As long as nobody controlled again, it would be a lot better. She looked at the elevator waiting for them and stayed outside, waited for Adren to catch up.

[That Violin Guy he/him]

Fasi walked out of the elevator cover in a light weaving of a ACE employee, she quickly turned herself invisible again before looking in awe at the cavern around her.

[TrailRunnin he/him]

For the first while, Rig had been content to stay in the massive cavern, close to the light and the food. However, as time went on, the majestic sight of the glowing stalactite and the sheer epicness of the vast cavern began to lose their grandeur. He yearned to see something different, and hopefully, to figure out exactly where in the world he was. 

So Rig had gotten creative. Taking his dueling cane out, he approached the massive stalactite in the center of the cavern. In his head, he had taken to calling it the beacon, and it must have been dozens of times bigger than the largest ones he had seen in the caves around Seran. 

He scraped the cane against the edge of the beacon and, as he had hoped, managed to get some of the bio-luminescent fungus to dislodge from the massive object. He repeated the motion a few more times, catching all that fell on his jacket, and then began smearing it over his cane. After the process was complete, he smiled in spite of himself at the makeshift torch he held. It was far dimmer than a flame would have been, but under the circumstances he thought it would suffice. 

Rig reapproached the small hole he had first entered the cavern from, and braced himself. After taking a deep breath and banishing the thoughts of the encompassing darkness he had experienced from his mind, he re-entered the tunnel. He followed it for hours, noting boot marks of his in the mud and scattered stones from where his confused feet had dislodged them. In the soft blue light of his cane the caverns took on an almost mystical feel, and he became lost in their exploration. Several times he was redeposited in the massive cavern he had started in,  but each time he found another tunnel to explore. 

On his fourth tunnel, he was getting better at approximating directions in the cave system. By his reckoning, he was approaching the main cavern along a tunnel inlaid with sharp-edged crystal formations, and would come out soon. He paused for a moment, admiring the way the gems reflected the light of his torch, and contemplated breaking one off to take back with him. 

As he wound up with the cane, ready to shatter one of the geodes and take back the best pieces, he heard a mechanical whirring from ahead of him. He dashed forwards into the tunnel, soon arriving at the entrance to the massive cave, where he saw dozens of people in disgustingly colourful coveralls unloading supplies. He thought for a moment about hiding, but discarded the thought after a few seconds. People were here; that meant people were elsewhere. Someone would be able to help Rig. So he stood and strolled into the cave, glowing cane on his shoulder and tattered mistcloak suit swaying behind him. He spotted a woman near the beacon who looked to be around his age. 

“Rusts and Ruin, who are you people?” @Rushu42

Edited October 5, 2019 by TrailRunnin

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

Deb waited as the elevator slowly spooled its cable back onto the thick gear at the top of the mine shaft, keeping a firm hold on her nerves. Outwardly, she projected a wall of calm, firm control; inwardly, her stomach clenched, thoughts churning. Her eyes couldn't help but stray downward into that black well.

Warrick is down there, somewhere, she thought. The image of his face flashed before her eyes, his Rioter's grin easy and warm. Never enough decorum, she'd always told him, back when they'd served in Preservation's Wings. Warrick had just laughed. 

The elevator operator, a young Edgedancer named Darat, opened the door to the large metal cage and met Deb's eyes. He nodded once, his expression soft, but sure. Deb took a deep breath, smoothed her hair, and herded the remaining new recruits into the elevator. Darat closed and latched the door, then pressed the large orange button on the control panel. With a deep clunk and a steady hum, the elevator began to descend into the blackness below their feet.

---

Corette stood pressed up against the grating that formed one of the walls of the little elevator, the tip of her nose sticking out between the weave of metal. It was standing room only in here, but Corette didn't care; she barely noticed the others. All her attention was focused on her surroundings. The jagged, dark stone of the tunnel shone with slight moisture, patches of lichen dripping dew. Occasionally, the lights from within the elevator caught a white flash of chalky strata in the stone, but aside from that, there was only darkness around them. 

After about ten minutes, Corette felt a familiar chorus of beats echoing through her Seeker's senses. She stared down below her feet, through the grating, and saw the first hints of soft, blue light. Her heartbeat quickened, and she felt a hungry smile tug at the corners of her mouth. This was it, she was here. Corette looked up and briefly met the eyes of the elevator operator, who gave her a knowing smirk. A second later, the walls of the shaft disappeared into nothing, and Corette heard herself gasp. 

The cavern was immense, easily as tall as a large tenement and infinitely wider. Her fellow passengers gave gasps of their own, and the collective intake of breath echoed through the cavern like the sigh of the wind. It was like a grand ballroom, this impression made all the more convincing due to the immense glowing stalactite at its center. It hung there, casting the entire cave into a soft, cool light. Below it, a wide, shallow pool glowed with that same light, and she thought she could see tiny dots of glowing motion darting through the water. Glowing fish.

Corette fairly danced on the spot, hooking her fingers through the grate and wishing she could jump out now - never mind that the fall would kill her. The Director was speaking, something about turning on her tracking tablet and making her way to the base camp. She barely heard the woman, though she did switch on the little tablet and slip it back into her pocket. When the metal cage finally reached the floor, Corette was the first out, nearly dashing into the cavern, boots crunching on stone. She turned in place, trying to sear the image into her brain while simultaneously attempting to look at everything at once.

 Something strange caught her eye as she turned - a somewhat ragged-looking man in a suit with multiple coattails and a glowing cane. Well he certainly wasn't at the ACE meeting, she thought. She'd have definitely remembered a man with a glowing cane. He had approached one of the other volunteers, Corette thought her name was Sarah, and began questioning her. A small spike of fear lanced through her, and Corette quickly pulled the tracking tablet from her pocket, turning it on. A few dozen tiny lights blinked into existence on the screen, showing the position of each person in the expedition. Sure enough, just before her stood Sarah, represented as a tiny red dot. The man who stood before her, on the other hand, did not register on the device. There were only two possibilities: he was either from the first expedition, or he had found another way down here.

She knew she should go alert someone, but curiosity won out over caution. Besides, this cavern was full to bursting with any number of Invested volunteers or ACE employees who could likely tear this man apart like wet confetti. So, rather than alert the Director or one of the ACE guards, Corette walked towards the new man and smiled. As she drew closer, she caught the end of his question.

"-- are you people?"

So, not one of the original expedition, then. Corette narrowed her eyes at the man. Upon closer inspection, it wasn't just his cane that was glowing. His hands, the edges of his coat, and even parts of his face were speckled with tiny pinpricks of glowing light. She cocked her head at the cane, then gave a tiny grin when she realized. A light. He's been using his cane for light. Clever. Corette met the man's eyes, looked to Sarah, and then back to the man. She tapped the patch on her coveralls that said. A.C.E. with one finger.

"We could ask you the same question," she said. "Are you part of the original team?"

Now that she could clearly see his face, Corette was sure that his answer would be "no." She trained her Seeker's senses on him, hoping he wouldn't try anything crazy, though not particularly worried if he did or not. Corette grinned. This place was already full of surprises.

@TrailRunnin @Rushu42

[TrailRunnin he/him]

"We could ask you the same question. Are you part of the original team?"

The words had come from another woman, who approached him confidence and tapped a patch on her coveralls as though they meant something. Focusing on it, he could make out the letters A.C.E, but what that meant he had no idea.

"The original tea--What? No-If you could tell me how to get out of here, that would be great. What house is running this operation?"

The Lekal's might have kicked him out of the house, but a random nobleman running a mining operation--Rig was increasingly certain that had to be what this was--wouldn't know that. Rig began burning steel for the first time in days, checking to see how much the two women were wearing. They both had a fair bit on their persons, which would be convenient if Rig had to make a quick escape.

[Rushu42 she/her]

Sarah stared between them. "You're from Scadrial?" she asked slowly. "When did you get here? And how did you get here?"

@TrailRunnin @ZincAboutIt

[I think I am here. he/him]

,After his pleasant conversation with the DS lady Wes entered the cage-like elevator, which surprisingly didn’t break as it carried Wes to the innards of the earth, to the beginning cave where their expedition would be beginning. That was good, if the elevator collapsed when Wes was riding it he couldn’t imagine how it would handle against some of the others, such as the man who was almost entirely dressed in armour.i

When he was in the cave he looked around at awe at the smooth cavern walls, before some chatter distracted him and he turned to some people talking about a man who wasn’t supposed to be here. And who thought this was still Scadrial, evidently.

“You can get out through that elevator,” Wes said, pointing behind him.

“But this isn’t organised by any house. We’re not in Scadrial.”

[TrailRunnin he/him]

"What do you mean we're not in Scadrial?" 

Rig was becoming increasingly confused. Of course he was from Scadrial--where else could he be from? Now there were three of them around him, and he was beginning to feel more trapped by the second. One glance at the rickety elevator the man had gestured at told him he would never ride a contraption like that. That meant for now he was stuck in the caves with these abrasively dressed folks. 

Well, Rig had been in worse situations. He would find a way to make this work for him. He softened his voice a bit, ensuring that he presented himself as nonthreatening. He let a small smile play on his lips to set the trio at ease, and began doing his second favorite thing: talking.

"Alright, there seems to be some confusion. I'm Rigex Lekal. I've got no idea where I am or who you people are, so if you could kindly fill me in I would be most obliged."

Of course, depending on their answers, he might have to swap to his favourite thing: being the best rusting coinshot around. 

EDIT:  @I think I am here.  @ZincAboutIt @Rushu42

Edited October 6, 2019 by TrailRunnin

[Rushu42 she/her]

30 minutes ago, TrailRunnin said:

"What do you mean we're not in Scadrial?" 

Rig was becoming increasingly confused. Of course he was from Scadrial--where else could he be from? Now there were three of them around him, and he was beginning to feel more trapped by the second. One glance at the rickety elevator the man had gestured at told him he would never ride a contraption like that. That meant for now he was stuck in the caves with these abrasively dressed folks. 

Well, Rig had been in worse situations. He would find a way to make this work for him. He softened his voice a bit, ensuring that he presented himself as nonthreatening. He let a small smile play on his lips to set the trio at ease, and began doing his second favorite thing: talking.

"Alright, there seems to be some confusion. I'm Rigex Lekal. I've got no idea where I am or who you people are, so if you could kindly fill me in I would be most obliged."

Of course, depending on their answers, he might have to swap to his favourite thing: being the best rusting coinshot around. 

EDIT:  @I think I am here.  @ZincAboutIt @Rushu42

Sarah glanced at the other two. "Um, I'm Sarah. I'm afraid this isn't Scadrial. It's a place called the Alleyverse. Specifically, the caves underneath the Alleycity. I don't know how you got down here, but..." She trailed off.

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

Corette had noticed the second the man began burning Steel, giving off a strong, familiar bum-bum-bum. So he was a Coinshot. Useful, and potentially dangerous, though for the moment this fellow didn't seem keen on fighting. When he asked about which noble house was funding the expedition, Corette began to truly understand. Somehow, he'd accidentally stumbled through to the Alleyverse - down here. She thought for a moment, then stepped forward.

"Sarah's right, this isn't Scadrial," she said, keeping her voice calm and her Bronze on. If he got agitated, he'd likely flare his Steel, and Corette would know. "Let me guess, you found yourself in a tight spot, possibly with someone you didn't know very well. Maybe in an alleyway, or close quarters. Possibly underground?"

That could happen sometimes, a person worldhopping without knowing it, ending up in the rough equivalent of wherever they started in their home world. If this Rigex had been underground back on Scadrial, it made some sense that he ended up underground here.

"Things got strange," Corette went on, reciting the relatively similar experience of falling through a crack in reality that she'd heard from many newcomers. "Stepped into total darkness, yes? Like someone peeled back a curtain into nothing. Then, you were here. Do I about have the gist of it?"

She watched Rigex, careful, but curious. He seemed pretty level-headed for someone who'd just fallen through a small perpendicularity. Could be an excellent addition, she thought, but stopped herself. Now wasn't the time for that. 

@TrailRunnin