[The trek up there, Maria had said precious little and interacted with people less. This deep into the Wilde, the other Witches had whispered to each other, it was as dangerous as it would get. A large group like theirs meant there was safety in numbers, but it also meant they were more visible, and likely to attract attention. A particularly brave creature had the potential to make the day rough.
Once they arrive, though, Maria is of the first to trek into the cave. There's an almost eagerness to the way she goes. The magically projected light in one hand, her sword bare and ready in her other, she steps into the depths with a rising excitement that wraps around her spine.
This is like exploring the old Pthumerian catacombs. This is like Hunting. This is where she should be - and even the bad memories of the end of both those times can't deter her. In she goes... and... well, there's a lot of curiosity.
Given Maria is more or less covered from neck to toe in thick leather (and with her hat, even more than that), leather which has been treated so as not to let the Blood soak through it, she's really unaffected and unafraid to dip her hand right into the water.
Hm. That one's cold.
Over to the other one. That one's hot.]
A cooling spell? [She's starting to catch on to the magic of this place, so that has to be what it is. The water was supposed to be hot, but someone enchanted it to be cold. Why? A noise behind her, and she turns, abruptly, to lift her torch. It's probably another cave delver.] ... Be careful of the water. I don't know how deep it is. [She's not going to try to find out, either.]
[2: The Cave: Lower Tunnels]
[There's... so much to parse about what she's just seen. There are definite signs of former residents, and no really good trace of what happened to them (beasts here notwithstanding, unless there was a random, huge influx of spiders for some reason, and that was what disappeared them all), but Maria's done this for long enough to know the real answer is probably in the deepest depths of the caves. The greatest danger is down there, too. The building excitement... oh she can feel it. It's almost like bloodlust, but somehow doesn't feel quite as mind-consuming. She feels alive. It's concerning, but she likes it.
Then, she pauses, because something about the air beyond the small opening feels off. Smells off. Something lives down there - she can smell the waste and the dirt collected on flesh, and the old water, pungent as it is, overwhelming everything, but not that. There's that ozone tang of magic, as well, and she's starting to associate it with Shades.
Her hand grips her sword tighter, and she looks behind her. Others have followed her into these depths, and she commends them for their bravery. (This is curiosity, and it will kill her, it will kill them all, and she doesn't care).] Something lies beyond.
[The gap is definitely too small for someone of her height to walk through comfortably, but with the ice the way it is... it's really not that hard to slip through the gap, slide a bit on her cape, and come out on the opening on the other side.
Of course, that makes noise, which also means whatever was sleeping in the darkness is starting to stir. The pale blue sconces and Maria's own light reveal a shadow that begins to unfurl itself.
Maria's feet slowly slide apart as she tests her footing and braces herself. It's hard not to want to smile, honestly, because this is exhilarating.] It's coming.
[3: Outside]
[Maria emerges from the cave, her arms and front splattered in blood and ichor, frost clinging around the brass buttons and edges of her clothes, her cape sticky on one side with a leftover cobweb from a spider she'd slew. There's cuts through the leather of her clothing, and she makes a stop with the Coven witches for some minor healing and repair of her clothes before she finds a nearby tree and plops down under it, leaning back heavily.
She's exhausted, but there's something so... satisfying about that whole ordeal. She never thought she'd find joy in using her Rakuyo again, but everything in that cave... either it wasn't a person, or was so far gone, it didn't matter. There were no curses here, there were no screams and pleads for mercy, just an old Hunter and a cave full of things to kill. She's getting sleepy, but she elects to wait for a future teleportation spell, to see what everyone else reports as they leave the cave, though she suspects she was one of the last, given just how deep she'd gone.]
... No signs of corruption, and yet plenty of Shades. The logic doesn't quite connect as to what happened. [She's mostly talking to herself but, you know, feel free to eavesdrop.]
Lady Maria | OTA | Witch
[The trek up there, Maria had said precious little and interacted with people less. This deep into the Wilde, the other Witches had whispered to each other, it was as dangerous as it would get. A large group like theirs meant there was safety in numbers, but it also meant they were more visible, and likely to attract attention. A particularly brave creature had the potential to make the day rough.
Once they arrive, though, Maria is of the first to trek into the cave. There's an almost eagerness to the way she goes. The magically projected light in one hand, her sword bare and ready in her other, she steps into the depths with a rising excitement that wraps around her spine.
This is like exploring the old Pthumerian catacombs. This is like Hunting. This is where she should be - and even the bad memories of the end of both those times can't deter her. In she goes... and... well, there's a lot of curiosity.
Given Maria is more or less covered from neck to toe in thick leather (and with her hat, even more than that), leather which has been treated so as not to let the Blood soak through it, she's really unaffected and unafraid to dip her hand right into the water.
Hm. That one's cold.
Over to the other one. That one's hot.]
A cooling spell? [She's starting to catch on to the magic of this place, so that has to be what it is. The water was supposed to be hot, but someone enchanted it to be cold. Why? A noise behind her, and she turns, abruptly, to lift her torch. It's probably another cave delver.] ... Be careful of the water. I don't know how deep it is. [She's not going to try to find out, either.]
[2: The Cave: Lower Tunnels]
[There's... so much to parse about what she's just seen. There are definite signs of former residents, and no really good trace of what happened to them (beasts here notwithstanding, unless there was a random, huge influx of spiders for some reason, and that was what disappeared them all), but Maria's done this for long enough to know the real answer is probably in the deepest depths of the caves. The greatest danger is down there, too. The building excitement... oh she can feel it. It's almost like bloodlust, but somehow doesn't feel quite as mind-consuming. She feels alive. It's concerning, but she likes it.
Then, she pauses, because something about the air beyond the small opening feels off. Smells off. Something lives down there - she can smell the waste and the dirt collected on flesh, and the old water, pungent as it is, overwhelming everything, but not that. There's that ozone tang of magic, as well, and she's starting to associate it with Shades.
Her hand grips her sword tighter, and she looks behind her. Others have followed her into these depths, and she commends them for their bravery. (This is curiosity, and it will kill her, it will kill them all, and she doesn't care).] Something lies beyond.
[The gap is definitely too small for someone of her height to walk through comfortably, but with the ice the way it is... it's really not that hard to slip through the gap, slide a bit on her cape, and come out on the opening on the other side.
Of course, that makes noise, which also means whatever was sleeping in the darkness is starting to stir. The pale blue sconces and Maria's own light reveal a shadow that begins to unfurl itself.
Maria's feet slowly slide apart as she tests her footing and braces herself. It's hard not to want to smile, honestly, because this is exhilarating.] It's coming.
[3: Outside]
[Maria emerges from the cave, her arms and front splattered in blood and ichor, frost clinging around the brass buttons and edges of her clothes, her cape sticky on one side with a leftover cobweb from a spider she'd slew. There's cuts through the leather of her clothing, and she makes a stop with the Coven witches for some minor healing and repair of her clothes before she finds a nearby tree and plops down under it, leaning back heavily.
She's exhausted, but there's something so... satisfying about that whole ordeal. She never thought she'd find joy in using her Rakuyo again, but everything in that cave... either it wasn't a person, or was so far gone, it didn't matter. There were no curses here, there were no screams and pleads for mercy, just an old Hunter and a cave full of things to kill. She's getting sleepy, but she elects to wait for a future teleportation spell, to see what everyone else reports as they leave the cave, though she suspects she was one of the last, given just how deep she'd gone.]
... No signs of corruption, and yet plenty of Shades. The logic doesn't quite connect as to what happened. [She's mostly talking to herself but, you know, feel free to eavesdrop.]