quest log | following rumors

[moustre]

Who: Those signed up for the the High-Risk Quest "Following Rumors".
When: 06/10 to 06/13
Where: A cave deep within the Wilde.
What: From the quest information itself: "A few of our divination experts have spoken of a cave untouched by the corruption in their scrying, which is right exciting! We'll be sending in our Witches as well, but I'd like to offer this opportunity to those who've come in through The Looking-Glass House, too. It should be safe enough for just about anyone to visit, so find a friend or two and come on! Stuff like this is a rare find, dearests - it might give us a good hint about how to combat our corruption problem, too."
Warnings: In various prompts: spiders and other insects, corpses, risk of injury or death, magical corruption, physical sickness, hallucinogenics, and other imagery that may be disturbing. Each prompt header will be labeled with the appropriate warnings, so make sure you choose what you're comfortable dealing with, either ICly or OOCly! Additionally, sign ups aren't closed - if, after reading through the log, you'd like to sign up, you can still do so and play on here at your leisure.



The Way There

Most journeys into the Wilde don't actually go too far; those that do travel outside of the city end up somewhere in the land between, with its smaller patches of growth that feel as if they should be part of a forest, or at the very edge of the massive forest that seems to be ever expanding. Even now, new sprouts push through the dirt, some even as tall as a man despite being obviously new - they're still green and flexible, without any noticeable bark. The quests the Wilders take - and have put out at the Coven, as far as last month went - go a little deeper, to where the trees become far more autumnal, colored in golds and browns and oranges.

The cave spoken of is deeper still.

As the group marches in pairs, the trees turn from vibrant summer green and lushly decorated in flowers and fruits to the tell-tale colors of fall and winter, their bark gradually becoming more and more marred by an inky blackness that's sticky to the touch - sap, bleeding from the cracks between the bark. What animal life had been at the edge of the forest fades into a hollow quiet, the air becoming more oppressive - not unlike a certain shared dream experienced not too long ago. The silence is unnerving even to those with iron-clad hearts, giving off the feeling that something is about to happen -

and then suddenly, the feeling disappears, even as the quiet remains.

The area around the cave is lush with foliage; the trees look healthier than their counterparts outside of it, their bark free of any leakage and their branches hardly out of control. Closer inspection shows this is due to scraping and trimming, and after some discussion, the Wilders and Witches set up camp outside of the cave and gather together the group. Everyone is given the same basic necessities and instructions on how to use them, in a bag containing:

• A grappling hook enchanted to return to them with a tug
• Around twenty-feet of rope
• Three spell scrolls (a light spell, which will conjure a small ball of light that shows about a radius of twenty feet around the caster and lasts as long as the scroll remains in one piece; a minor healing spell with three charges; and a single-use flare spell that can be used as a distraction or to call for help, should the need arise)
• A tinder kit
• One day of rations
• A ring that glows when danger is nearby; it's enchanted to fit on anyone's finger, regardless of size

For characters unsuited footwear-wise to spelunking, they'll also receive a pair of sturdy boots.

The mission is simple: explore the cave and report back with their findings. It isn't just those who signed up going in; other Witches are suiting up to head in as well, talking in low voices about the probability of something like this even existing, especially with how deep they are in the Wilde. It isn't as if they're anywhere close to the center, but it's still in Wilder territory - they're far enough out that a few of them are nervous about encountering one of the bigger variety of Shades. Despite the reassurances that this cave is clean, and the fresh feeling it gives off, the murmurs continue until the mission officially begins.

Smugha Cave

The cave itself feels refreshing compared to the oppressive air felt on the way here, not unlike an oasis in a desert. Cool in temperature and a little damp, it's mostly dark aside from the sunlight coming in the front and the bio-luminescent cave flora that climb the walls - though those are still too dim to really see by. Heading further in reveals sharp cliffs with stair-like structures carved into them, inviting an easy way down into the depths, and landing at the bottom of these is a wide, dark room, even colder than the last.

It's time to start exploring.

I. The Water (cw: magical corruption, physical sickness)


For a cave located in the middle of the continent and in the depths of the ever-reaching forest, there certainly is a lot of water. Damp to the point that it might be considered humid if the cave was any warmer, puddles form beneath long stalactites, and shallow pools of water pour into each other from landing to landing; they populate the floor too, making walking a little treacherous. A few of them glow and glimmer with a faint, pale blue light from the magic runes found around them - these ones, at least, can be read. They're not so different from the script used in Aefenglom itself, though the way they've been carved into the stone makes them a little sharper in shape - for those in study at the Coven, or in spells in general, it's evidently a cooling spell. That isn't so hard to figure out though, as the pools of water surrounded by them have a pleasingly cold temperature, while those without them are near scalding. A few of the latter have runes around them, but they're not glowing like the rest - feeding a little magic into them changes this immediately, and steam rises in a sudden blast as the water cools rapidly. The opposite can be done for the colder pools too - taking their magic somehow or ruining the runes will make them bubble and boil as they surge in temperature. It'd be best to mind oneself around these, as unlike in a dream, any injury sustained in the waking world is a little more permanent and painful.

Three pools in particular have to them a translucent green shimmer, made a little more blue-green by the cooling spell carved and activated around them; they're deep enough to wade into, or even just sit by and rest one's feet in - both of which feel like very attractive ideas to anyone who looks at them a moment too long. The water is pleasantly cool, and those who take a quick rest in them will feel more refreshed than they have in years. Their worries will fade, the anxieties they've held in the back of their mind seeming to slide off into the water, but in place of it something new occurs: within fifteen minutes of resting in the pool, they'll begin to feel sick, and grey spots begin to appear on any wet skin. Longer than that, and those residing in the water will find their spots turning black instead, and a lot harder, too. This affects Witches quicker than it does Monsters, curiously enough - for Monsters, it takes almost double the time. Getting out and getting dry will temper the effects back down, though the feeling of being not quite refreshed lingers.

That isn't all the water the cave has to offer - the large cavern has a sudden, massive drop in the form of a sinkhole on about halfway across the room; it leads to a similarly massive underground lake. Traveling around the rim of the sinkhole shows there's multiple waterfalls pouring into it soundlessly, pooled together from the pools of water running into one another. Thankfully, there's another way down other than just diving headfirst into the darkness - twin tunnels on each side of of the sinkhole, not quite natural in nature, lead down to the lake in a gently winding slope.

Starting shallow before getting much deeper in the middle, the lake also has an inviting feeling to it, stronger in its suggestion to simply take a load off, to let anxieties and worries simply soak and sink away in its pleasantly tempered waters - but it also has a stronger reaction in those who enter its depths. Within five minutes, those within it begin to feel sick, the grey spots showing up on their wet skin, and the rate of their blackening and hardening is quicker as well. This, once more, affects Witches quicker - and, just like before, getting dry will make alleviate the sickness and the spotting both, with the discomfort lingering long after.

In both the upper and lower caverns, there are tunnels leading to other parts of the cave - they might just be worth checking out...
II. The Upper Tunnels (cw: risk of injury, spiders and other insects, hallucinogenics)


The tunnels leading from the upper cavern stay relatively horizontal, with small hills and valleys among their turns and a lower ceiling that might have people higher than five-and-a-half-feet ducking a little; they're more like a labyrinth than anything else, with empty metal sconces beginning to appear further within them. Sharp, thick nails have been hammered into the stone as well, with leather pouches rotted and torn hanging from them - whatever were in these hasn't remained, either due to wildlife or decay. Small rooms and caverns shooting off from the tunnels hold much of the same, albeit with a few other items: jackets and other clothing, Coven robes, specially-tailored Monster wear, instruments with snapped strings or clogged holes, candles burnt to the wick. One room in particular holds a few bookshelves, though the wood is also in poor condition due to the dampness of the cave, and the books suffer for this as well. What ones can be made out seem to be standard fare: the type of books one might expect to find in the fiction section, ranging from romance to horror to fantasy, and a few Coven textbooks on spellwork, specifically basic transfiguration. Not all of this is so old, however - some of it seems newer the closer explorers get to the "end" of the tunnels, either landing them in a room or at an ordinary dead-end.

Unfortunately, the tunnels aren't as safe as they seem: giant spiders make their homes among the caverns and tunnels, made obvious by the webbing that appears before their funnel-like traps. They range from the size of large dogs to horses, but all of them have the same venomous bite that causes hallucinations, deliriousness, and fatigue. Among giant mushrooms whose spores paralyze those who breathe them in live similarly large millipedes, incredibly long and vicious; they attack in pairs, but thankfully just have very, very painful bites. Last but not least are bats - regular sized, plentiful as they might be in any cave, and just as annoying, too.
III. The Lower Tunnels (cw: risk of injury or death, imagery that may be disturbing, corpses, physical sickness)


Meanwhile, the tunnels leading from the lower cavern have higher ceilings and are mostly flooded (about waist-high) due to the nearby lake; water permeates through the rock in rivulets, darker than the lake above, and give a similar effect to the water in the lake itself. Thankfully, they're also mostly iced over - walking on them takes practice and a careful eye, considering the ice is thin in places. The air becomes more frigid as the tunnel dips down, with smaller caverns sharing the same fate: covered in ice and icicles, their entrances sometimes a little too squished to get through without breaking the ice or being particularly small in stature. Those traveling might notice a trend if they look a little too closely at the clearer parts of the ice as well: scratch marks gouging into it, as if something'd been trying desperately to get out. The longest tunnel opens up into a frozen room, as tall as the lower cavern itself, sconces lit with pale blue fire - magic, and obviously so. The walls glitter beautifully with the light, but looking down into the depths below, past the sheet of ice that allows travel, reveals something horrifying: dozens of thin husks and corpses of animals and adventurers both, held in place by the ice as it stretches down like spikes into the water. Witches, Monsters, Shades, other creatures - not a single one spared, with a mix of infected and non-infected among them.

These tunnels aren't exactly safe either: ice-breathing salamanders the size of elephants can be found resting in some of the caverns - though they might be hard to see, given their pale white and blue scales. While not infected (curious), they're incredibly aggressive and attack those who wake them or get too close. Their bites can inflict frostbite the same as their breath can, so caution is advised in dealing with these. When killed they remain intact, their blood creating an extra layer of ice on whatever it touches due to its chilly temperature, not unlike liquid nitrogen.

Unfortunately, they're not the only things those adventuring in the depths have to worry about. To be precise, Shades of Monsters and Witches also roam some of the tunnels shooting off from the larger, main one; the latter pulses brightly with white veins of magic on their blackened skin. Both types of Shades are sluggish, likely due to the cold and the lack-of pure magic, but are experts on dealing with walking on ice. The Witches in particular are ticking time-bombs, every spell they cast - primarily of snaring-type spells, desiring the magic and flesh of whom they capture - risking an explosion, but when they do supernova... It's fairly localized to somewhere between five to seven feet of the Shade in question. Those within that radius, however, will feel physically sick and find their skin or fur-scale-feathers-so-on turning into sharp, black shards of ice and infection due to the corrupted magic exploding from the Shade.

Either way, once killed the Shades fall apart and turn into thin, brittle corpses of what they used to be; they're old enough that when touched, they simply crumble as if made of ash.
IV. Outside The Cave (cw: nothing)


For those seeking a little relaxation or recovery can make their way back outside - or be helped that way, given their flares. There, Witches can take care of them, food can be shared, and in general, people can take a breather. As the first day closes, and the cave proves itself to be bigger than expected, Witches will also offer to teleport people back to the city should they wish to go - staying would be nice, but they aren't going to force anyone to stay who doesn't want to. They'll also be collecting information from those who've ventured inside, encouraging each person to share with each other their findings as well.

(Note: Essentially, this is more of an open/breather prompt, considering the heavier nature of some of the prompts above; any injuries or infection sustained can be healed here, extra supplies can be gotten, as well as anything that might need specialized storage - such as bottles, cages for small animals, and so on. Characters can be teleported back to Aefenglom in small batches occurring every hour should they choose, but they cannot be teleported back; it's a one-way trip. Otherwise, at the end of the three day stay, the same trek will be made back to the city, and the quest will be considered "completed"... Until further notice. Any questions can be asked here.)

Comments

[scaling]

[ The air inside the cave is a pleasant change from the warmth outside, and his attention drifts from the flora creeping up the walls of the cave over to Elliot when he speaks up. ]

A blond girl with blue eyes. [ A hand motion to indicate about how tall Lux is. ] And a pleasant-looking guy about my height.

[ Reaching the stairs means that they're almost beyond the reach of the sunlight filtering through the mouth of the cave. Akira takes a moment to dig out one of the provided spell scrolls and, taking a moment to recall the instructions from earlier, activates it, wisps of light floating up from the ink on the parchment to coalesce into an orb. ]

[interlucere]

[ The safer option would be to go back the way that they came, but the thrill of sneaking past undetected and exploring the network of tunnels further is pulse rushing. There is life in this cave after all, which means this creature can't be the only one of its kind down here. That curiosity is going to get her in trouble one day, and as Lux sees the beast stirring from its slumber, she can't help but wonder if today might be when it finally catches up with her. She quickens her pace as much as she is comfortably able, shuffling toward the entrance to the tunnel.

The last thing she wants here is a fight; and if Akechi is going to insist on her going first, she won't hesitate. Hopefully either of them will be able to fend off this behemoth, because focusing on maintaining her spell while trying not to slip is about all she's capable of right now. ]

[fiddlestick]

[he makes a mental note of those descriptions. A little vague, but if they're together it should be easy enough.]

Alright, should't be hard to find a pair like that.

[He sees Akira using the scroll, watching it activate into a ball of light. It's kinda pretty, in its own way. ]

Oh, good thinking. [He could light his, but it was probably better to save it in case that one went out. So instead he'll look around their surroundings. He notices the stairs as they walk down them. It's pretty clear these are real stairs and not just some coincidental descending rock.]

For a cave out in the middle of the Wilde, these steps are very...carved.

outside;

[kaowont]

[ No one should have to deal with this, Kaoru thinks, just a little ways from her sunken figure. The initial advertisement belied her hopes, probably, that something within this cave is safe and worth exploring and wouldn't snap one's confidence right in half. He'd tried to hold her hand to be reassuring on their way back ( for his sake, too ), but well... not everything went as planned.

A lot of this is beyond him, really, beyond a guy who's rarely serious and

The guilt of not knowing, of not being able to warn her before all of this could happen sits heavy in his stomach the longer he watches, but he holds in those clumsy feelings as he approaches her while twirling a stray dandelion between his fingers — a piece of life untouched by ]

I don't blame you. I don't think anyone will, really. [ Like, did you see that place? ] So don't beat yourself up too much over it, okay? Hmm... I know we went out here together and I still don't really know all that much about you yet, but it's not like you have to have it all figured out from the get-go.

[scaling]

[ They don't really have any choice but to take their time. Rushing likely means falling flat on the ice or, worse, causing it to break—both things that would put them at a severe disadvantage in a fight.

And it seems like one might arise. Akira's heartbeat quickens as the creature's sniffing brings its attention towards where they're gathering near the tunnel, and he isn't about to wait for signs of aggression before reaching to withdraw his dagger. A whole lot of good it'll probably do him with the expanse of ice between himself and the giant lizard, but it's better than remaining unarmed.

Lux is nearing the tunnel, and it almost seems like they'll be able to get through before the creature can turn on them—but when it spots the movement, the reaction is immediate. There's a nebulous blue glow near its throat, the only indicator that something is about to happen, then the thing is opening its mouth and spewing out a storm of frost, sweeping over Lux's path towards her. ]

Lux—! [ It's a good thing their cover is already blown.

Even if part of him is fully aware that he can't exactly rush in and that there isn't much he can do if he were to get over to her, that doesn't stop him from taking quick steps forward, sliding a bit. ]

[scaling]

[ The light keeps the area illuminated even as they head down into the darkness of the stairs and beyond, giving them a good view of the stairs below their feet. ]

They do seem man-made... If they went as far as to carve stairs, they must have set up shop here.

[ That would explain the phenomenon of an untouched cave in the middle of the sickness plaguing the Wilde—maybe someone else out there in this world knows (or knew, considering the place is quite possibly abandoned) a thing or two about how to combat it.

That theory seems about right when they reach the bottom of the stairs and find themselves in a vast cavern. Nearby, a pool shimmers, surrounded by glowing runes that are definitely not a product of nature. ]

[fiddlestick]

Yeah...even with magic I can't imagine it being a quick and easy job.

[Someone, whoever it was, had an investment in this place. It'd explain some things, but also raised questions about others. Who would bother to live all the way out here? How long ago were these made?

Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, some more info gets solved. The glowing runes catch his eyes at the same time as the shimmering pond. He approaches, examining it carefully]

Hmm...I'm pretty new at runes, but I think this is...something to do with cold? [It had some of the marks that ice spells did]

[grakraka]

Damn it—

[Looks like strategizing won't be at the forefront of anyone's mind at the moment. But if no one else (Akira) will think, then he will, even if there really is only one thing he can think to do now. Akechi raises his hand to his head—touching a mask that isn't there anymore—and focusing. A screen of red light shines between the blast and themselves, sending it splitting off into two directions, trailing spikes of thick, sharp ice along the paths. Akechi holds the barrier up as the salamander hisses, startled by the 'miss' as it rears back to try again.

What a dumbass. Hopefully it is stupid and stubborn enough to just keep trying, though it means he has to keep his mind on the barrier. It certainly seems pissed enough now. Despite that, Akechi doesn't sound concerned when he speaks.]

Just stay calm and take your time getting down. No need to fight it.

[scaling]

[ There are a few other orbs of light in the distance, other individuals and groups checking out the cavern, but Akira's focus shifts to Elliot as he approaches the pool. Trailing behind, he looks over the runes as well—but given that he hasn't really engaged in any of the magic lessons, they might as well be gibberish to him.

There's one way to test the theory, though. He crouches and reaches out to dip his fingertips into the pool of water. ]

... I think you're right. [ The water is cool to the touch, even more so than the air of the room. ]

c

[horkbajir]

[Between Toby's claws, the spikelike blades on her ankles, and her heavy tail she hasn't fallen over. The effort, and having to use her blades to clear ice from small openings, and stopping here and there to listen when she thinks she's heard something, has been slowing her considerably.

She's worked out how to put the light-spell into her blades so that most of them have a warm ambient glow and the forwards-swept ones on her head cast a good cone out before her. This turns to follow America as he swooshes past her on the slick ice, then Toby resumes her steady progress. She hasn't seen anything under clear ice but bubbles and some tortured-looking fish caught in mid twist by the time he says something.]

It really isn't. Did you see anything in specific?

[lonewanderer]

[ She snorts. ] That'd be convenient. [ The idea of going back with America, though... it's tempting. Seeing something like the history of her world - what her world could have been - is undeniably intriguing. ] What do you think I'd do there? Not a lot of giant bugs to exterminate.

[lonewanderer]

Dogmeat is whining softly, wobbling on his paws. Until the pair of them got to this section of tunnel, Lex hadn't even be able to hear him. That in itself is concerning, though understandable with the way Lion is roaring and the echo of the tunnel. What's more concerning is- well. Everything else.

Steven goes to run forward and while Lex understands the impulse, wants to do it herself, she has to reach out to try and grab him.

"Wait- Steven, wait- something's wrong." Lion has never seemed like the kind of cat to just attack a wall for no reason, and she can't risk Lion accidentally hurting Steven. She knows, deep in her bones, that she will stop it by any means necessary - and she knows that Steven might not forgive her if she has to put Lion down.

3

[lonewanderer]

[ Cobwebs still cling to parts of Lex's armor. Blood and insect entrails have been mostly wiped off, but a great deal of it still sticks to one of her arms. Lex has changed, since the last time Maria saw her; there are claws, now, where once there were nails. Her hair seems to have some red streaks in it when the sun hits just right, and the texture of those streaks seems different. The changes do not stop her from approaching, though, Dogmeat dutifully at her side. ]

Screams trap to me.

[ She plops down and pulls out her shotgun, starting to clean it. ]

They cleaned all the trees around the cave, made it look nice, and then the inside is full of giant bugs and Shades? Trap.

[starseedling]

Steven stops when she grabs him, looking on urgently. He catches sight of the small amount of blood on Lion's shoulder - he's never actually seen him bleed before. He's never been injured like that, as long as he knows him.

(Though he now knows Lion has already died once already.)

"He's hurt," Steven says helplessly, wanting to go forward but comprehending Lex's reasoning. Lion looks confused more than vicious - like he's seeing something they aren't. "Lion - it's okay, it's me. Steven."

Lion looks in their direction, stumbling on his feet. His backside flops down, out of sync with the rest of his body, like he's too exhausted to stand properly. He rumbles at them again, but less energetically this time.

[lonewanderer]

Now that Lion has partially flopped over, Lex lets go and nods. "Might be venom from the spider bite." She's been stung and bitten by enough giant insects to know that some of them pack an extra punch, at least, and it makes sense for how Lion and Dogmeat are both acting.

"If the healing spells don't work, let me know." Stimpaks are maybe better left in reserve, but Lex will do a lot of stupid things to help Dogmeat. She thinks Steven's the same with Lion. "Just be careful; he might not know what he's doing until it's out of his system."

With that said, she goes to approach Dogmeat, who whines pathetically again before tilting to the side and then collapsing on the ground. There's a bite along the side of his neck that Lex can just barely see, most of it covered by fur. "I know, boy. Easy."

[interlucere]

[ In any other circumstance, Lux would be the one holding the line. She was the one that inevitably blew their cover, after all. Seeing a flash of blue in the corner of her vision, the small mage throws the ball of light she had been nursing at the beast, freeing up both hands. ]

Cover your eyes!

[ Lux is going to hope they do as she says; as the ball of light begins to grow, Lux breaks into a sprint, using the ice to slide her behind the barrier. It doesn't matter if she falls, as long as she has enough momentum to propel her forward.

Sliding behind the barrier, Lux throws an arm over her face as the ball of light swells before explodes with light. No heat, no shockwave (she hasn't figured out how to do either yet), but enough luminescence to briefly bathe the cavern with light—the salamander getting the brunt of it. Hopefully that will be enough to temporarily blind the beast.

Or make it angry. That possibility exists. They should probably move on quickly. ]

[moustre]

If they ask, they shall receive. The Witches on hand can conjure one - it's a pretty basic one, but feels light and easy to use. Exceptionally sharp, however.

As for the second, good thinking. They'll start to show a few signs of it - think surface-level traits, either physical or mental. Definite growth in some way, however.

[moustre]

Yes, though characters will find the communication a little muddy, as if it's being interfered with - sort of like a bad signal. White noise and all.

[moustre]

He would! There be gold in these parts - jewelry and the like, with runes on them. However ... the runes seem to be slashed through, rendering whatever enchantments were on them unreadable and unusable - if the rust and grime would've permitted their use anyway.

For his gills, as long as he could eject the water out, he should be okay - it's a concentrated effort to spit water from them, but possible.

As for his pendant: ...Actually, yes, and further exploration will show the lake is much, much deeper than thought; there's a point where he'll still get sick and should tarry up again, but the lake seems to still go further down. If he pushes his luck, his pendant will begin to crack bit by bit, however.

[fiddlestick]

[He watches Akira do so, putting his own hand in to prove it. Yep, it's nice and cool]

Huh...how about that. It feels nice.

I guess it'd be like having your own pool...just you know, if your pool was in a creepy dark cave.

[moustre]

Unfortunately, I understand this completely, because I also have a character I play off and on that's exactly this morbid. No one in this group should ever meet them. ...Also, I know an unfortunate amount about frozen corpses, and I don't want to explain why!!!

It'll be able to be cut into pieces, but as it begins to thaw, the corpse will start to deteriorate. If they want to keep their pieces intact, they'll have to find some way to keep it cool.

Which comes to the other definitely unrelated question: they're likely to be suspicious if they smell or see anything different. Do it well enough and hide them well enough, and you might just get away with graverobbing.

[moustre]

There is! One Yvette Tressa; she's a bubbly, excitable young woman with long black hair and violet streaks. Overwhelmingly friendly and optimistic, that sort of type.

As for the course of action, once she and the rest hear it's not exactly as picturesque as thought, they'll convene for a bit and set up the teleportation spells as mentioned for anyone who wants to go home, while cautioning those who stay to be exceptionally careful. They'll have extra awareness for people who may have been infected, and will insist on checking every last person before they return to Aefenglom to make certain they aren't carrying any infection back home.

[moustre]

1a. They're easier to crack with melee, but careful aiming can make longer range weapons king. And yes, it's primarily the cracking on skin/surface - though enough abuse to a certain part will start to form cracks in their shell, and getting to the head or heart through that will work well in killing them.

1b. Neither will work - they'll simply disappear as if they dry up upon contact with a Shade. It's unfortunate, but this far gone, they can't be saved or stopped, and they're hungry enough it simply evaporates when used on them.

1c. Normally, extremely hard. This time, still hard, but the lack-of magic consumed (as it's easier to get from living things rather than from anything else) does make them a little more brittle than normal. One really good, strong hit, or a bunch of smaller, consecutive hits, would work.

[scaling]

[ Akira shakes the droplets of water off his hand. ]

Well, it's free real estate. [ Completely deadpan.

But in the brief silence between speech, he can pick up the soft sounds of bubbling, like a pot of water left on the stove. A quick glance reveals the source: another small pool of water nearby, steam rising from its surface, the symbols etched around it barely visible without the glow. ]

... I guess that's why they enchanted these.

[scaling]

[ The sight of the barrier going up fills Akira with a mixture of relief and frustration. He skids to a stop, managing to remain upright, and hears the shouted warning—if Lux is telling him to cover his eyes, he's going to trust her on that, similarly raising an arm to shield his sight from the sudden flash of light that fills the cavern. It's blinding enough that he closes his eyes against it instinctually for a moment.

That's much, much brighter than the little orb she showed him less than a month ago. Clearly someone's been practicing.

But now is the time to move, while the salamander is dazed by the light and blocked off by the barrier. As Lux approaches, Akira reaches out a hand to help her make a hasty escape into the tunnel without slipping down the slope, shooting a glance towards Akechi to see how he's holding up while maintaining the spell. ]