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

OOC QUESTIONS

[moustre]

Steven Universe | OTA

[starseedling]

★THE CAVE

At first, things are calm. They've all been told that this should be a relatively safe trip, and so Steven isn't that worried about it when he enters. He exchanges his flip flops (which earns him some unbelieving looks from those more pragmatic about spelunking) for boots and heads into the cave with Lion at his side.

The similarities strike him immediately. This is that cave! The one from the dreams! He's absolutely thrilled - they've been talking all month about trying to find the place where the fae dream happened, but here they are, stumbling into a perfect copy of the mystery cave only a few weeks after dreaming about it!

"It's the cave from the dream!" Steven will proclaim, loudly and to everyone who will hear it. "Do you guys remember that place? There were the same enchantments and everything!"

★THE WATER

Steven doesn't go into the water personally, mostly because he doesn't think getting wet will help him with spelunking any, as deeply appealing as it appears. He's gazing longingly as other people do it, though - which means he's in the perfect position to notice the grey spots forming on exposed skin, whether or not you do first.

"Wait... there's something on your skin! Is that from the water?" he points out, coming to the edge of the pool. He's concerned, but not yet panicked. It could be something totally innocuous... right?

★THE UPPER TUNNELS (HEAVY SPIDER CONTENT)

After things have settled down in the opening of the cave, Steven will tentatively begin to wander towards the tunnels leading down from the upper chamber. He figures that he understands the cave's tricks now - the water is actually bad. He never really touched it at length in the dream, so maybe that was always true. It's not that shocking, he guesses, and drying off seems to fix it alright.

It had been easy to get down to the lake before, though, so he doesn't imagine it will be a problem here. He starts travelling down the tunnel, activating his light scroll as Lion follows behind him at a leisurely pace. At first, it seems like more of the same stuff he witnessed in the dream, so none of it seems that alarming. Old stuff from people who lived here, probably a long time ago. What he isn't aware of, is the new things that are living here now.

For a giant spider, it sure manages to slip in close. When he first sees it appear out of one of the darkened rooms, it startles him so bad that he stumbles, dropping the light scroll. The spider lunges at him, and he cries out, scrambling back into action and slipping down the tunnel, leaving the scroll behind. He sees the webs ahead of him, but he's pretty sure he's ducking through them - it's the funnel web at the end that catches him off guard.

He slips on the moistened ground and plummets right into it, the webbing sticking to his body and clothes. Behind him, he can hear Lion roar, rattling the stone of the tunnel - and then the sound of fangs snapping. Suddenly, the light from the scroll goes out. Steven is trying to get up, but he can't unstick himself from the webbing - his lack of strength becomes obvious to him all over again.

It's then, making helpless whines of effort, that he heard something getting close in the dark. It's a spider - either the same one from before, or another from deeper in the tunnel, he doesn't know. He lays flat, his heart pounding, thinking over and over: please don't see me, please don't see me.

And, somehow, even as it leans over him, its mandibles shifting - it doesn't.

akira kurusu | persona 5

[scaling]

i. the way there (OPEN)

[ You can't give a former thief something like a enchanted grappling hook and expect that he won't test it out immediately—especially one whose hunger for thrill only seems to be strengthening with each passing week. So after the supplies are passed out and explanations given, Akira can't help stepping away from his teammates to fling the hook up into the boughs of one of the lush trees flanking the mouth of the cave.

So whether you're in the camp preparing or heading into the caverns proper, you might spot one boy with partially formed bunny ears climbing his way up a tree, calling the hook back with a tug (hopefully no one is standing too close!), or being scolded by one of the Witches heading the expedition for irresponsible use of equipment. ]

ii. the lower tunnels (CLOSED TO grakraka & interlucere)

[ It's one part excitement to explore the tunnels ahead and two parts dumb luck that keep them from dipping into the shimmering pools of water on their first foray into the caverns. They're plenty inviting, especially the expansive lake that hides behind the drop, but the openings along the cave wall that lead a steady decline farther underground are their goal.

Taking point is natural for Akira. That's how they've always progressed through missions back home, with his quicky and steady footsteps cutting an infiltration route, so he falls right into the role as they head down the largest tunnel they see.

Before long, though, those footsteps aren't so steady—even with the traction of the provided boots, hitting an icy puddle causes him to skid slightly. He catches himself at the other end of it, stabilizing and calling back to Lux and Akechi that he's fine.

When he turns back to the tunnel in front of him, the soft glow of the spell scroll's orb catches on the ground up ahead. It glimmers more that the rock they've been walking on until now, iced over and cloudy. Not that big of a surprise, considering how cold it's becoming the farther they progress. Akira's suddenly grateful for the layer of fur protecting his ears from the chill that's biting at his cheeks and nose. ]

Watch out, it's about to get slippery. [ As if it didn't just for him.

Either way, he's careful heading onto the ice that stretches as far ahead as the spell allows him to see. Who knows how thick it is. ]

iii. wildcard

( feel free to run into akira either in the camp or within the caverns from the first prompt! always open to plotting something specific and writing personal starters, so get at me if you're wanting that. )

Nel Zelpher | OTA

[guillotine]

(two open prompts, and just the one that's closed!)

the lone wanderer | ota

[lonewanderer]

the way there.
I don't trust it.

[ Lex says it outloud, arms crossed over her chest as she examines one of the trees that has been scraped clean. Her dog is sitting next to her, idly keeping watch - but Lex has her eyes trained on the wood, newly clawed fingers tapping against her own arms. ]

This screams trap.

the water.
This also screams trap, [ Lex mutters, carefully moving around the edge of each pool. The runes mean nothing to her, but they're there - glowing and everything. She makes notes in the Pip-Boy on her arm, tapping at the screen and twirling nobs. ]

Cooling and something else, [ she muses, glancing at the pools that glow faintly green. ] I'd almost say radiation, but I don't know...

[ She catches herself staring and wrenches her head away before, very promptly, unceremoniously slapping herself in the face. ]

the upper tunnels. cw: millipedes
[ Giant bugs are familiar. Almost blessedly so, really - except Lex hasn't previously faced millipedes, and certainly not a pair of them. Dogmeat is at her side, barking and snarling as they twine closer, mandibles clacking. Lex feels absolutely no shame when she lifts her shotgun and blasts the first in the face. ]

It's always giant bugs, [ she snarls, reloading as she tries to stay out of the way of their bites. ] What have these things been eating?

the lower tunnels. cw: corpses
[ Ice is new. Ice is almost refreshing, and for a moment, Lex is content to just wander through - to enjoy the drop in temperature.

Then she sees the scratch marks and the corpses, and the faint smile and wonder that had been there vanish. She crouches, looking down at the frozen bodies - stuck there, perhaps forever, reaching out for a freedom they would never know again. ]

This doesn't make sense, [ she murmurs, the tips of her new claws gently tracing over the ice. Dogmeat whines next to her, pressing close. ] How would they have gotten here?

wildcard.

PAPYRUS | Undertale | OTA

[spaghettimonster]

💀 ON THE WAY -
There's plenty to see and talk about on the trip, especially for those on their first outing from the city. It's a forest that's above the ground, which is still novel to Papyrus, with the sky a mix of blues, purples, pinks, and oranges - more colorful than most would be used to, though bluer than the sky above Aefenglom itself.

There's a whole region where the trees go more autumnal, like those in the dream, and then go sick with black sap like nothing he's ever seen. The foreboding silence and feeling sets some to quiet and some to chatter, and then they finally break through to the lush forest again. People examine the trees, notice the signs of tending that have cleaned them up, and Papyrus finally has to ask.

"Who goes to the trouble of neatening up the woods right around their home... but doesn't ask the neighbors to do the same??"

💀 POOL TIME - The Water: physical sickness, risk of magical corruption
Papyrus didn't intend to climb in the water for a brief soak, it just sort of happened. One minute, he'd been examining the pools. The runes were legible, and there were slight differences in color, but he couldn't deny that they were so like the ones from his dream that this really did have to be the same cave...

And then, before he knew it, he'd deposited his boots, pack, and most of his clothes by the side to clamber on in. It was such a relief, a bright spot in this cave journey that made the rest of seem to pale in comparison. Maybe everything from the dream was real, maybe he'll be a strange long hairy monster... but it'll work out, he's completely sure.

Which doesn't help the oddly nauseous feeling he's starting to get now. He's still not worried about it, still feeling pretty relaxed with everything, but it's putting a slight damper on the experience.

"Maybe... I should have eaten more on the walk," he muses, sitting up enough to check his pack for rations.

💀 SPIDER BITE SALE - The Upper Tunnels: injury, hallucinations
When Papyrus sees the spiderwebs, he brushes them off - both physically, off his shoulder, and mentally, off his attention. They're as common a sight as sentry stations or spike traps back home, after all, lacking only a bake sale sign.

The spiders themselves, though, he notices. "Hello there! I don't suppose you live here...?"

The one in the webs of this chamber is pretty big. More than dog-sized, it's easily up to his chest. And more than that, it's pretty aggressive. Rather than skittering down for a welcome and wrassle, it outright leaps at him, fangs bared.

"Whoa, not even a warning?! That's rude!"

People who didn't accompany Papyrus here, but come by later can find the fight not going in his favor. The spider's large enough to bit into bone, and the hallucinatory venom has him not aware his own magic is working. He's standing tall, proud, and injured, gesturing for magical attacks that never manifest as though he sees them.

💀 REST AND RECUPERATION -
With some regularity, Papyrus returns to the surface to recover from injuries and touch base with the other spelunkers. It's awkward to admit that the cave's so dangerous, when something about this lush region feels so comfortable and safe. But maybe that's a magical feeling, just like the sickening pools.

And more than that, it's boring to sit around in the camp, bones bandaged to help recover from the various nips from giant insects. He misses his magic, and monsters who would make conversation before fighting, and fights where the point was showing off instead of causing injuries.

"Did you... learn anything interesting?" he asks the nearest person, wanting a distraction from his own thoughts.

Zelda | Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time | OTA

[sageprincess]

the water;
Clearly someone had a use for this place...

[Zelda muses aloud as she crouches by one of the pools, scribbling notes about the runes and the state of each pool as she examines them. The light spell scroll is handy, but unnecessary for now; conjuring her own specks of light to illuminate her writing is an easy enough task, even if she has to resummon them on occasion when they flicker out due to her divided attention.

Like they're doing right now, as she continues her train of thought:]

Why would someone need to make hot springs cold...?

[She should probably be warned before she tries to study the greener pools or the lake more in depth.]

lower tunnels;
[When it is time to move on from the first cavern, it only makes sense to start from the bottom and work up from there. The ice covering the tunnels leading down is concerning, but unsurprising at first - perhaps one of the cooling spells had gone awry sometime in this cavern's history? But a sinking feeling settles in her gut as she slowly, carefully continues through the frigid passage, gritting her chattering teeth and suppressing the obvious conclusions to make when she passes the clawing scratch marks dug into the walls on either side, focusing only on getting to the end and when she finally does--

-- It's Zora's Domain.

No, not in actuality. The figures locked within the ice don't have any fins - they're humans and wolves and hares and all sorts of other things - but that is what she sees. She sees all of the Zora people trapped in a state between life and death, dozens of webbed hands desperately reaching for the surface, for escape, for freedom, and she knows-- she knows she can only save one. She can only save one and in saving her she'll damn her to another deathless, eternal fate.]

This can't-- This can't be here...

[He's gone. Ganondorf is gone. She sealed him away herself. So why-- why is his curse here?!

Zelda is very obviously panicking. Which is probably not a good thing to be doing when there are giant, pissed off ice-breathing salamanders in the room. Snap her out of it before she becomes a popsicle herself?]

outside;
I cannot go back in there.

[She explains upon returning to the oddly clean clearing just outside the mouth of the cave. The witches heading the expedition are understanding, offering her water and food as they explain that it'll be an hour or so before the next teleportation back to the city, and Zelda... kind of hates it. She hates her weakness, hates how useless she feels, hates how she knows she would be a liability if she tried again.

She sulks under a nearby tree, waiting for the teleport, and doesn't make eye contact with anybody.]

wildcard;
[Got something else in mind you wanna do with a ptsd-ing princess? PM this account or hmu at jamizoid!]

Waver Velvet | Fate/Zero | Turnskin

[tryhard]

(( individual starters below -- if you would like to plot something, hmu @ gunsandchocolate on plurk or pm this journal! ))

America | OTA

[fifty]

(change reference)

A; The Way There
[America's in a good mood--this is the first time he's been outside of the city, and he really wants to explore everything, not just the cave they're going to. He's got some clothes more fitting to exploration, though they're nothing special, and he's ready to punch things! But right now he hasn't really seen much except creepy trees.]

This place really can't decide what season it's supposed to be.

B; The Water
[The only thing that actually stops America from getting himself infected nearly as soon as they start this spelunking adventure is that as soon as he dips a hand into the shimmering green pool he finds it to be, rather than pleasant, too cold. He pulls his hand back like the water bit him.]

Why's this one so cold?

[It's not--America just doesn't realize he's fire-aligned now.]

C; Lower Tunnels
[There's way too much ice here, and America doesn't like it even if it's not bothering him as much as frigid temperatures usually do. He does more hopping and wobbly gliding than he does normal walking, trying to avoid the ice and cold water as much as he can. Slipping and falling would be really embarrassing!

So anyway he trips and falls on the ice in the frozen room at the end of the longest tunnel. As he goes sliding across the ground, he can't help but get a pretty good look at all of the corpses not nearly far enough beneath their feet. He stares for quite a while, before laughing a little nervously.]

So, like--this cave really isn't as nice as advertised, huh?

aymeric de borel | final fantasy xiv | witch

[civicbooty]

[ doing it this way because idk/in case I need to write more starters. pm me if you want a thing! he has weak heals and a sword and he's a nice boy ok. ]

Symon | OC | Merrow

[honoraboveall]

Just a header with individual starters below. Let me know if you wanna plan something, and hit me up at at frickincheng on plurk, or feel free to PM this journal!

Lady Maria | OTA | Witch

[whomthebelltolls]

[1: The Cave: Water]

[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.]

wei wuxian, grandmaster of demonic cultivation

[cult]

( this is just a top level for closed posts, if you wanna do something together just hmu though pm or sakasaki on plurk and i'd be down! )

iii. something horrifying! (for dorian & bull)

[veilfires]

Their party has traversed deep into the depths of the caverns – deeper than most have dared, as far as he knows. With fire and magic Solas and Dorian have kept them warded and warm, but the frost and chill still bites at them from all quarters.

Solas pulls his cloak tighter about his neck, half-crouching in the narrow confines of what they've determined is the most sturdy tunnel.

He rounds a corner, and pauses. At first Solas does not recognise what he's seeing, but as the light from his blue flame illuminates it oddly, it becomes distinct. Scarring the ice are the desperate scratches of fingernails.

“These walls of ice formed someone's prison… and tomb,” Solas remarks aloud, holding his blue flame up as he inspects it.

kylo ren - star wars - witch. ota

[warfares]

ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʏ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ.

( the abrupt shift in the surrounding foliage is the first thing that draws kylo ren’s attention; his thoughts turning to the little plague-deer, blind in one eye and half-mad with corruption, stumbling through the clearing toward them.

the clearing had been like this. a contrast of bright summer greens and autumn golds. so, perhaps there is something to his suspicions about how the infection spreads, a gradual festering that unfurled gradually, leeching the life and color from everything it came into contact with until nothing but a husk remained.

Which really cast this whole venture in a new and alarming light when you really think about it. )

Could it be a spell? ( this is said of the cave’s surroundings, the lush greenery at odds with the tar-stained trees and stones they had passed on their way, thick enough that he could swear he tasted the acrid burn of it in the back of his throat. )

ꜱᴍᴜɢʜᴀ ᴄᴀᴠᴇ.

[ a: ] ( something is drawing him toward the pools. it’s not simply him, either, if the quick glance around him is any indication. monsters and witches alike seem called toward them. some bend to dip their hands into the water, lifting it to their mouths to drink. others peel their boots from their feet and settle at the edge of their respective pool, dipping their feet beneath the surface of the water and sighing happily.

some even wade out into the water, ducking beneath the surface and either remain there or finally emerge moments later, gasping.

he observes this with a look of mild interest, but is quick to slap a hand against the chest of anyone that ventures forward. ) Don’t.

[ b: ] ( ducking to accommodate the low-ceiling, he follows the path of the tunnel until he arrives in one of many small rooms. a thorough examination of the place doesn’t give him much – most of the contents have long since gone to rot – but he does linger over a moldy scrap of robes, feeling the prickle of familiarity.

there's something here. something that they're missing.

eventually, he'll venture back out and either continue to follow the tunnel up – bringing him into contact with a thatch of web, a particularly vicious looking tunnel spider lying in wait for its next meal – or he'll head down, until he's wading through waist-high water and examining the claw marks gouged into the stone. )

ᴡɪʟᴅᴄᴀʀᴅ.

( wanna do something else? feel free to either dump your prompt here or hit me up at resurrectionist for plotting! )

England | Fae | OTA

[keepscalm]

1♔ the way there

[Iron-clad hearts, indeed. Despite the dread that creeps into his chest as they proceed, England is remarkably stonefaced, even a little unimpressed as he watches the scenery change around them.

His gaze falls on a single tree, barren as if from winter's touch. He remarks with some dry amusement.] Were this a piece of literature, I'd say the symbolism was a bit heavy-handed.


2♔ the water

[His relationship with water is complicated at times. On the one hand, there's rain, which is so intrinsically linked to his homeland that falling rain will comfort him in almost any situation. On the same hand are his exploits as a pirate privateer, his glory and naval supremacy. On the same hand is that he's an island, for Christ's sake, he's surrounded by water!

On the other hand are the fact that he can't swim and memories of shipwrecks that a mortal wouldn't have survived.

Needless to say, England is staring down the underground lake like it may rear up in a tidal wave and consume him at any moment. The inviting aura of the water wars with his deep-seated trepidation. It's still early on into the expedition, and there aren't yet many reports of the water's effects to be wary of. So it's only by England's own distrusting instinct that he asks:] So what do you suppose it does? Curses you, or simply drags you under with a sudden current?


3♔ upper tunnels

[England has been very quiet the past few minutes as they traverse the labyrinthine tunnels of the upper cavern. He seems to be concentrating very hard on something, though his expression could be mistaken for irritation at having to duck in the narrow tunnels.

Suddenly, he stops. If his companion is listening as hard as he is, the very soft sound of many, many feet can be heard.

He grabs their wrist and yanks them into a dip in the wall, a nook that's surely not large enough to hide both of them should the spider walk by. But, possessed by a sudden drive of instinct, England waves his arm--and stone appears in front of them. Or it looks like it does. He's camouflaged them as part of the wall.

The footsteps come closer, and closer. Those who can see through illusions will be able to see as the spider, closer to horse-sized than dog-sized, skitters down the tunnel. Those who can't see through illusions will only be able to hear it. Regardless, it comes closer, and closer...and then, with little fanfare, it passes by.

England is alert the whole time, following the creature with his eyes. Only once he can no longer hear its footsteps does his expression change--into...glee? It's a very weird look on England.] I knew it! I knew I was a witch!

[He's careful not to shout, at least.]


4♔ outside

[He's a bit ragged by the time he finds the clearing. With no visible changes, it's obvious he doesn't have the advantages of a monster in exploring the cave. But by the obvious use the Coven-conjured sword at his side has gotten, he doesn't seem to be using much magic, either.

He's just been going at it like a normal human, save for his discovery that he can employ illusions. No wonder he's tired. Though he's doing his best to keep a stiff upper lip and not look as exhausted as he feels.

He can be found sitting in the clearing doing a variety of things: refueling with food, cleaning his sword, or very diligently typing notes on his watch. He sure takes things seriously, doesn't he?]


5♔ wildcard

[Want to do something else? Hit me with a prompt here or contact me at ceesawaseesaw or cee#9435 on Discord and we can figure something out!]

[locked to Caster]

[boneofsword]

[Archer dodges to the side into a roll, barely missing the ice-cold gust of breath coming from the salamander. He can feel the pinpricks of numbness all along his hand and fingers; it's been barely a hair's width from his skin, but the suddenness of the reaction is worrisome. Archer grits his teeth as he reloads the crossbow, noting the slight stiffness in his left hand. Damn it, he's not going to be a liability. Quick aim, then two bolts cut air; one hits the mark going deep into salamander's eye, while the other merely glances its scales.

All of it he sees from the corner of his eye, already on the move. Confound it, his hand is worse than he thought.]

Hurry up! [he barks at Caster, his irritation flaring. So far Archer's been successful in reigning his temper in, blaming the caves and all the dangers around. It's been getting harder to keep it from seeping through the bond.]