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

[purpose]

Trouble finds you. [ Like the darkness Luke had sensed, creeping toward him, curling around his heart. This cave of temptations feels no different in its intentions, sickly sweet to cover the danger of drawing further inside of it. Rey pauses, only the rasps of her breath echoing in the silence. ] Or you find it.

[ A mutual draw. Ben Solo is a destructive force pulled toward destruction. A boy that needs saving. He wouldn't take well to it, she thinks, if she reminded him of her promise to rescue him — but she doesn't need to state it verbally for it to be apparent in her actions. The threat, whatever it might be, hasn't left the web it's beginning to weave together, but Rey slinks closer despite it.

She's quick, a fast shadow bouncing off of the walls. The speed dizzies Rey herself, though she chalks it up to the spells of vertigo she's been enduring, if not the Force's latent abilities. Whatever the case, it's only a handful of seconds before her breath is ghosting over the back of his neck. ]

You can't see again, can you? Are there spells for that? [ Not that it matters. If Ben is to be believed — and she has no reason not to take him at his word — then his spells are useless here. He's easy prey. Even if it can't be seen in the dark, she shakes her head as if she's shaking off that line of questioning. ] — Never mind. I can be your eyes again. Hold onto me.

[warfares]

( there was likely more truth to her words than even she realized — what luck he had, he'd inherited from his father, passed down through his blood as sure a heritage as the force had ever been. surer, perhaps, given that it endured even while the force was absent from him.

though han solo wouldn't have bothered with the scrolls the coven had so helpfully provided, but instead would have blundered along, heedless to the dangers that lay in store. that had always been his way. )

I — ( the protest dies quickly, however, as he reaches over to grab at her hand. ) Thank you.

[purpose]

[ The warm slide of his hand in her own is becoming an alarming habit, too, though she doesn't address it aloud — just as she tries to force the thought of how easy it has become to reach for him, how right that tactile contact feels (no matter the clumsiness of it), from her mind.

With a spider's fangs clicking above them in curiosity, saliva and venom dripping in a slow trickle, her focus is easily shifted elsewhere. Quickly, she presses back into the solid, damp cavern wall and yanks him with her, using the momentum to see to it that he joins her.

The squeeze of her fingers is an acknowledgement of his gratitude on its own — mixed with her own adrenaline and fear, palm clammy against his from it, as she raises the other to his lips to quiet him. It's the most subtle, silent shut up before we get eaten he'll get. ]

[warfares]

( she draws him to her side with an insistent tug. he goes, looking for a moment like he might argue — which she pre-empts, pressing clammy fingers to his lips. if kylo ren focuses, he swears he can feel the race of her heartbeat and catch the tang of her fear in the back of his throat.

swallowing, his mouth suddenly dry. kylo ren watches her with dark, shining eyes that do not waver. because even if he is afraid — and, surely, he must be afraid — he knows better than to let it show. this isn't the first sketchy cave he's found himself in, after all. the first time he's been hunted from the shadows. )

[purpose]

[ He doesn't need to speak to his fear. The uptick of his heart speaks for him, now that she has become attuned to its familiar rhythm. Rey's eyes affix to him, catching his stare — distracting himself, maybe, as she distracts herself from the creature above them.

It breaks only when spittle hits her cheek. With a flinch, she controls the sharp inhale that wants to come, chest rising and falling from the shallowness of her breath. She's never witnessed a creature like it, no, but she doesn't need to think beyond Jakku's threatening species to understand — it's hungry, desperate and hunting.

Skittering down the cave wall, it spends an inordinate amount of time puffing breath in their direction before crawling past. Rey doesn't dare to release her breath, though she does open her eyes, finally, to watch its shadow fade. ]

[warfares]

( the moment stretches taut between them. then something lands on rey’s cheek and she flinches, breaking their locked stare.

he doesn't need to look up to know that whatever is there is a nightmare. nothing that can move that swiftly and silently can be anything but a danger. a predator on the prowl.

so, instead he watches rey. waits until he gaze shifts away from whatever hovers above them and she gives him a sign that it's safe to move. )

[purpose]

[ Grounding herself, her fingers grip his more tightly to remind herself he's still there, safe from what would carry them off into the darkness if they were found out. Even as it disappears, the click of its fangs fading into the echoing distance, her hold doesn't relent.

That isn't the end of it. She realizes that inevitability as her gaze finally shifts, catching on the silk strands the creature has woven across stalactites like a trap — or, Rey considers, a nest. A home in its hunting grounds.

Fingers falling away from Ben's mouth, her other hand tugs him forward and away from the wall with her, stepping quickly away from pile of bones laid out beneath its web — some animal, and others human in their shape. ]

Look. [ Try as she might, there's a real quiver of fear in her voice, urgent and clawing up her throat. ] We can't be here when it gets back.

[ Unless they want to be its next warm meal. ]

[warfares]

( the bone pile is a taunting reminder of just how vulnerable they truly are. that there have been others who have stood where they stood, who were caught and devoured — slowly, if kylo ren were to guess.

the tangled mass of webbing suggests some kind of arachnid. disgust pricks his skin, a recollection of wading through similar moist dark places and encountering similar creatures. having to fight them back. his bare hand falls to the weapon at his side, untouched since arrival. would it even work in this place, or would it too fail to answer his call? )

Yes. ( a hushed voice that’s absent of fear, but only because he knows better than to let such a thing show. fear only really serves itself; is rarely a useful tool unless wielded against someone other than yourself.

they should head back. they should, but having already come so far he’s reluctant to turn back now. ) Can you see what lies ahead? ( since her vision is far better than his. )

[purpose]

Books.

[ Rows and rows of them, too far from her vision to discern the smaller details — if their spines have begun to bend, if the ink on the page has run into a puddle of incoherency. Approaching is a gamble, a risk she isn't so convinced is worth the price.

But if there's information to be found, they owe it to themselves to try. Rey's teeth sink into her lip, conflicted — and pricking at her, before she remembers their sharp edges. With a frown, they slip back into her mouth. Drawing blood, however small and inadvertent, wouldn't bode well for their fates if that thing is to scent it. ]

If you're going to take anything, be quick about it.

[warfares]

( approaching might well be a gamble, but so had been the decision to visit the cave to begin with. and while the coven’s brief had been a touch on the spartan side, he doubts that others will be turning back simply because there’s a chance that they might be attacked. )

Tell me if it returns. ( and with that, kylo ren starts forward, throwing out a hand to steady himself. he might loathe this, having his vulnerability witnessed, but there's something to be said for not having to face the uncertainty ahead by himself. )

[purpose]

Ben —

[ There's no point in trying to appeal to him. The aura of his determination speaks to how utterly committed he is to doing this stupid thing — the same blunder of greed that had gotten Plutt's men killed for nothing more than stormtrooper armor.

When talking him out of it is an impossible outcome, the only choice she has is to join him. She doesn't reach for him just yet, but the scrape of her boots on the stone floor of the cave announces her decision. ]

I'm not going to stay there as your lookout. [ Truthfully, she doesn't want to linger there, sitting in the darkness as anxiety stretches on, unable to reach the other in time. They're in this together, or they're not in this at all. ] You don't even know where you're going.

[warfares]

Then guide me. ( it grits, sharp and hard between his teeth.

she’s the one with the advantage here while he’s left to fumble about in the dark and hope for the best. aggravating, but it can’t be helped. when they get back to the city he’s going to have to log a lot more hours in magic class to ensure that he’s never caught in a situation like this again.

determined, he presses on. if there are books then perhaps it's a library of some kind? fitting for a settlement. perhaps even some kind of outpost? he makes a note to search for mentions of other cities, when he returns. people that might have cause to wish the city and its people harm. useful information to have regardless of its immediate relevance.

an exhale. kylo ren forces down the rising frustration that threatens to overtake him with each painfully slow advance. ) What did you see before you came here?

( came looking for him, he wants to ask, but doesn't. ) Anything like this?

[purpose]

No.

[ Terse, it doesn't conceal her mounting frustration that he's chosen to direct his irritation toward her, venting out his irritation with her advantage. Annoyed, she believes, that the situation remains outside of his control. A man like Kylo Ren could never be pleased with being placed in powerless positions.

She has half a mind to tell him to do it himself if he's going to treat her as if she's done this to him, but it's difficult to stand by and observe him as he fumbles in the shadows without lifting a finger to guide him. Moving forward, she's by his side in an instant, giving no warning of her presence before she grasps him by the elbow. ]

I saw rooms, but they were covered in candles and robes. Coven-issued, I think. [ Which raises questions on its own, but he'll have more answers in that regard than she does. Her grasp isn't particularly gentle as she guides him forward, toward one of the leaning, dilapidated shelves. Moss has grown around the rotting, damp wood. ] They're in front of you. Put your hands out.

[warfares]

What could they have been studying out here? ( his palm skims across the surface of the shelf, coming away moist rather than dusty. another quick glance ceilingward reveals nothing that he wasn't already aware of: that if there had ever been any environmental spells in place that they have long since failed.

cautiously, he reaches inside the shelf, fingers closing over the spine of a book. )

The infection seems the obvious answer. ( that's the obvious answer, isn't it? a little too obvious, perhaps. though it does beg the question just what purpose the pools in the upper floors serves, assuming the cwyld hasn't found a way to creep past the cave's defenses. mutating. )

[purpose]

Desert Prince, Defiant Virgin.

[ Delivered flatly, she recites the title with mild wryness. That's the quality of content they were studying, scrawled elegantly against the colorful albeit fading backdrop of the novel Ben has plucked from the shelf. Its spine is crumbling, weathered — much the same as the other rows of novels, from Prisoner of Night to Beginner Transfiguration Spellwork, Volume I.

Books for their own reading pleasure, and books for their professional life. Rey's frown creases her mouth, thoughtful. ]

I don't think they were just studying here, Ben. I think they lived here.

[ At one point — a recent time, if she's to believe the sight of newer tomes, untouched by the damp and dank of the cavern. Her fingers slide over one within her reach, grasping it from the shelf, hefty in her hand. Another spellbook, from the looks of the cover and its intricate bindings. ]

This one looks new.

[warfares]

Oh? ( intrigued, he sets his book back on the shelf and turns his attention toward rey. he’s unable to make out anything but the vague shape of the book in her hand, but there’s only a scattering of reasons to lie to him — and no guarantee that he won’t try to return if she does. )

Take it, then. ( the coven had proved them with packs for a reason, after all, and while he's reluctant to turn over anything they find to them without at least thoroughly inspecting them himself first, this isn't his find. ) It's doing no one any good here.

[purpose]

I can't do any magic.

[ It lilts from her like a lament, soft but mournful. This piece of herself, she's lost in this world, the similarity between herself and Ben taken by a whim. There is no reason to believe, with it gone, he should have any vested interest in tying himself to her.

Nothing that draws them together, places them on even ground.

Rey's fingers grip tight around its edges before they loosen, slipping her hand from his to settle the heavy book in his own, coaxing his fingers to curl around it protectively and insistently. ]

You'll get more use out of it than I would.

[ It's just a paperweight, after all, in the wrong hands. ]

[warfares]

All right.

( it'd be a lie to say that he's not curious just as it would be a lie to say that he misses the sad note that underscores her attempts to be casual. there's a wound, here. something raw and bruised that reminds him too much of the way she had looked at him in that hut, broken open and aching.

he dips his head. ) Thank you.

( for the gift. for the aid. a little of both. )

[purpose]

[ With an imperceptible nod, too shrouded by the dark for it to be seen, Rey takes his gratitude and slips away from him to study the remainder of the alcove. There isn't much to be seen — only a stack of wilting books, weathered by the poor conditions of storage — but she tucks some away into her knapsack, unable to discern which spellbooks are vital and which others are fruitless. ]

Are you ready? [ Maybe not. She's ultimately left him in the relative dark to fumble around for items, but it doesn't erase the possibility that he has stumbled across something. ] We can't waste any more time here.

[warfares]

As I'll ever be. ( which is to say: not very. but he'll survive the knock to his pride; he's weathered worse, might even enjoy the sting a little more than he's ready to admit.

when rey's within reach, he reaches for her again. instinctive. his fingers close awkwardly over her wrist. ) I don't care for this place. It feels — unnatural.

[purpose]

Like it's hiding something.

[ She suggests, a little too quickly. A little too hopefully, at that, in her efforts to find that common ground. To stumble upon the revelation that the Force hasn't abandoned them entirely, no matter the ache that stirs inside of her when she reaches for it — and finds herself denied that access, returning empty-handed for her efforts to attune herself to it.

But if he can feel it, perhaps there's a possibility, after all, it will be returned with enough patience. ]

You sensed it, too.

[ Beneath the clasp of his fingers, her wrist shifts. It takes her other hand to right their position until his hand isn't curled awkwardly around her, sliding it down to her palm until she can interlace their fingers. Sturdier, she tells herself, should they need to flee at the first sign of danger. ]

[warfares]

( his head tilts when she speaks, interested in hearing what she has to say — unsurprisingly, it’s in line with his own impression. )

There are animals — plants that use similar lures, but this is the first time I’ve experienced something like this. ( a place.

something that should lack the usual sentience, but even with his diminished connection he can tell that this place is alive. or something near enough to it, anyway, that he's unable to set aside his paranoia even as his stubborn determination drives him onward. stopping means admitting that he's afraid, that he's every bit as lost as the rest of them, and it's something that he refuses to accept even as he bristles with resentment at his vulnerability. )

It was a mistake for them to bring us here.

[purpose]

They couldn't have known.

[ Could they? The chattering on their expedition, low and whispered rumblings that had questioned the very existence of such a place, hadn't given the impression they were more knowledgeable and hoarding their secrets without consideration for the safety of those they had wrangled into their numbers. Rey hadn't listened to their exchanges for long, striving to tune out the excess noise the changes have brought on her senses, but she feels the rising need to defend them, regardless.

Whatever their intentions, the Coven isn't their enemy; dividing themselves into groups due to suspicion and apprehension will only hinder their explorations and their search for answers. ]

I don't think they even believed a place like this could exist. It's too far from civilization.

[ From the looks of it, Rey doubts it had sustained itself — but the fresh spine of the book she's passed into his possession reeks of a different tale, leaves her with more questions than when she had first stepped foot into the cave's entrance. If there are survivors, it falls to them to find them. ]

[warfares]

Couldn't they? By your own admission, you've seen signs of their presence here.

( but perhaps she's right and perhaps they're genuine in their naïveté. given the state of this place it's difficult to imagine anyone living wandering these tunnels. certainly not for some time.

but that just begs its own questions, doesn't it? questions like just what they could have been trying to accomplish here and how the coven could have simply forgotten their involvement. )

Did you see the pools? The ones in the upper level?

[purpose]

What if they were a separate group? Coven members that went off on their own?

[ Or stolen the gear to set off without a word of warning. That hardly bodes well, either, if they had been so divisive in their beliefs as to distance themselves — but she has to exhaust all justifications before she begins to believe the Coven had deliberately, malicious, hidden this from them. ]

I saw the pools. They had some sort of writing near them. [ Runes she hadn't been able to decipher. That, she thinks, is better left to Ben to translate. He has the greater aptitude for, and greater interest in, academic studies. ] Nothing happened when I went in.

[ Nothing but the ease of tension sliding off of her shoulders and the overwhelming temptation to linger, to remain there, soaked down to the bone. Despite the temptation, she hadn't stayed long, unafflicted by what has harmed Monsters less. In the darkness, her gaze finds his, questioning. Clearly, he must think they're worthy of noting. ]