The Sunken Vault Part 1 - RPLOG
Participants
Date
19/1/482
Log
The air grew increasingly oppressive as the small group of felines followed the directions out of the small ressearch camp and towards the recently discovered Creator ruins. 'Up this way, look for the watery bog with the yellow tree.' the researchers had said to them before retreating back to their observations.
Sure enough, the yellow tree was unmistakable. In a veritable sea of choking vegetation, under a thick canpoy that strangled out the light into mere rivulets of illumination, the fungus-covered tree shone like a beacon with its sickly light. Not far, half sunken into the thick foliage and boggy terrain lay a darkened crevice between overgrown foliage and thick moss. A soft, alien red light glowed from within, indicating this claustrophobic passage was anything but natural.
Lyas arrives at the designated spot in the swamp, stepping carefully through the mud. A thick layer of sludge plastered up his side is evidence that he wasn't so careful at first. The tabby will be spending a good chunk of time tonight cleaning mud out of his long fur, a fact he's not looking forward to. Ah, well - for now, there's the thrill of adventure ahead. He has a new sword at his side, second-hand but good quality armour on his chest - better than both of those, though, is the feeling of being a Freesword again. His mood is slightly dampened by the presence of Zalthar in the group - for now, he's keeping a wary distance from the Shadow, sticking close to Aleera's side.
"Are we gardenin' today?" he asks the siamese lightly, as they approach the yellow tree. "If not, sommun ought to." He prowls around the sick-looking vegetation, not yet approaching the crevice. For now he's content to poke at clumps of mud and moss, using his sword like a stick. Well, he's going to have to clean mud off everything else, why not the blade too?
The vegetation in Sweetwater was different than that of Aleera's homeland, of course, but... for the most part, it wasn't completely foreign. What the siamese is encountering in this bog, however, is nearly brand new to her and just utterly disgusting. For the most part, she tries to avoid the various fungi and other such strange flora that are in the swamp, but judging by the fact that her boots and parts of her leggings are covered in mud, she doesn't seem to mind wading through the muck too much. And unlike her tabby companion, her heavy footsteps mean that she hasn't fallen yet. In addition to her usual bandolier of pistols, she has a musket and a blunderbuss slung over her back.... How many guns does she /own/, exactly?
"Gardenin'?" the feline woman echoes with a laugh, stepping up to the tree but... keeping at least an arm's-length between it and herself. Accurate or not, she's probably heard stories about how dangerous certain kinds of mushrooms and spores can be. "This place needs more 'en a bit a' gardenin'! It'd be better to burn the lot of it down."
Jendayi's approach is marked by the sounds of heavy footfalls in mud, huge sphinx's massive boots splashing mud and water everywhere as she stomps up to the site, apparently quite comfortable with getting her feet wet in swampy territory. It's not her first mission in a bog. She's a dedicated machine priest: she has an entire oiled crusher strapped tightly to her back, her smaller machines tied to her belt or stuffed into pouches. Stepping up in time to hear Aleera's comment, she cheerfully booms, "It is a place of abundant life and growth as much as it is one of decay and darkness. It would be a terrible shame to lose the good just to be rid of the bad." She doesn't stop staring at the tree for a moment, examining every detail with equal parts reverence and fascination.
Not the biggest fan of swimming, Zalthar made use of her exceptionally light frame, and a uniquely designed hook staff she brought to scramble across roots and branches, never actually touching the ground. With the rest of the group noticably hostile (at least from where she was hanging), she seems to keep her distance, staying as a blur, or a smudge of black leather and cloth across the background. Despite not being slowed down by the swampwater, it does take her time to plan her steps and swings to keep up with everyone.
"Decay is a state of life. Without it, nothing new can grow." her voice sounds down from above.
From up close, it becomes obvious that the light in the darkened crevice is lightly pulsing in a steady rythm. A bit brighter, then a bit darker, over and over. As the felines get closer to it, another small detail becomes apparent. The passage is angled downwards, sinking into the boggy water at a gentle angle. Making further progress will mean more than just their boots will get sogged by the this particular mire.
The water shifts nearby with a gentle sloshing. Some swamp creature stalks beneath the water looking for prey, but too fearful of these four creatures entering its home to remain close by.
Lyas continues to prod at things for a few minutes, before shrugging and attempting to sheath his sword. By now, it's acquired its own thick layer of sludge. Grimacing, the Cat finds a thick patch of moss and wipes the blade off as best he can, then goes to sheathe it once more. "Shall we make a move?" he suggests, grabbing Aleera by the arm with a grin. He gives a tug that's meant to pull the other feline off-balance - he has every intention of sending her sliding down the angled passage ahead of the group! "You first, love. Don't mind the mud, it's good for your fur!"
Halfway to throwing Aleera into the passageway, the Cat comes to an abrupt halt as the water shifts and sloshes. His ear flicks, tracking the movement - then he's releasing his companion and drawing out his gun in one swift move. "Right, new plan. Let's see if we can't get whatever /that/ is to pop it's head out a' the water." He cocks the gun, grinning briefly to Aleera. "Here comes your favourite part, Firework." He's ready to fire as soon as Aleera is.
Zalthar and Jendayi both earn a glance from Aleera, and that's simply followed by a little shrug of her shoulders. "Places like this are dangerous and disgusting. I don't see why we need 'em around." With that said, however, she turns her attention to that... pulsating crevice in the ground. She steps a bit closer, examining the light, noting the angle.... "I don't wanna hafta try to swim in this water," she murmurs, crossing her arms over her chest... and leaving Lyas with the perfect chance to tug her around like that. Unluckily for him, however, she isn't an easy feline to pull around, and she's simply left grinning as the pair are kind of just... tug back and forth, trying to knock each other off-balance. "No, I think you should go first, luv. You're a much better scout 'en I am."
Just like the tabby though, that sound makes the siamese stop. Her ears perk, and once he's released her, she quickly draws the musket that's slung across her back. She raises it up to her shoulder, holding it at the ready, but she doesn't actually start taking aim until Lyas speaks. "Shadows in the water always mean trouble. Whatever that is, we should scare it off before we get in, aye," she says with a grin, lining up her shot. And then... without so much as questioning their party members, she pulls the trigger.
Jendayi holds up one of her massive pawlike hands when the firearms are raised, rumbling "Wait no WHY-" a moment too late and nearly jumping out of her skin at the gunshots. The fur along her neck and tail bristles out and her deific visage is twisted into a comical, open-mouthed expression of dumbfounded surprise. All she can do is watch anxiously as the situation unfolds and pray her head off that it wasn't a person in there or something equally tragic.
Zalthar goes entirely silent, perching herself on top of the crevice's opening. Two eyes peer in, and while the two siamese cats are drawing undue attention to everyone, trying to see if there is anything visible to worry about. Twin tails flick nervously, as she glances to her companions distrustfully, eventually deciding something quietly.
The tiny lynx presses her palms together and closes her eyes, inhaling deeply. As she breathes out through her mouth, first wisps, then smoky tendrils of darkness spill forth, clinging to her form until soon she's encased, her shilouette unrecognizable, and ever shifting.
The musket and pistol fire almost in unison, one prompting the other to fire its deadly payload. The sound rings across the swamp, visibly scattering birds and spooking many other forms of life. Both bullets strike the water near where the movement had been seen, prompting more urgent, squirming movement. The brownish-green swamp water becomes tinged with a dark crimson as the submerged creature bleeds out.
The squirming and flailing quickens, then dies down again. A reptile creature, about as big as a maneback cub, slowly bobs up and down in the filthy water. It never stood a chance.
Lyas looks over his and Aleera's handiwork, keeping his distance for a few moments to be sure that the creature, bobbing in the water, isn't going to move again. The spreading taint of blood in the water convinces him well enough to step into range of the body. He puts his gun away and once more pulls out his blade, using it to spin the carcass in the water. "Well, there's dinner if we need it," he grins, turning back to the others. He tries to avoid looking at Zalthar, in her perch on high. Jendayi gets a smirk. "An' not that we need a /why/ to shoot, but... would you rather it'd been sommat more dangerous, and got the drop on us?" The tabby glances down as a warmth hits his legs, realising that the pool of blood has spread to encompass his shins. He grimaces, stepping away. There'll be a red tide-line on his breeches now.
Wading back to the group, he claps a muddy hand on Aleera's back. "Nice shooting, love. Now, where were we?" With a manic grin, he grabs Aleera by the arm again, resuming their tug-of-war as he tries to push her down the tunnel ahead of them.
As her shot is loosened and strikes true, Aleera lets out a breath... and then grins. She hasn't done much shooting recently, but it's good to see that she's still got it. The siamese lowers her weapon once more, taking up reloading it with a practiced hand, and as Lyas provides some justification, she chimes in, "I've seen hunters at work in the water befer. If you get in there with 'em, there ain't much you can do to fight back. Like he said, it's better not to risk it, eh?" At least there's... /some/ justification for their brash actions.
Luckily for the tabby, this time around, Aleera has just finished loading up her musket once more when he grabs her, and she's left tugging with one arm while the other holds up her firearm. "I'm glad ain't gonna give up so easily, l- ack!" she starts, but that sentence abruptly ends with a yelp as he trips the siamese forward. One arm holds the rifle above the water while she uses the other to catch herself. Thankfully she stops /just/ before her bandolier filled with gunpowder can be ruined by the water, but... her leggings, her duster and one of her sleeves are absolutely covered in gunk now. "...Alright, luv, you got me fair 'n square," she says in a flat tone while she rises to her feet again. But then she glances back to him, grins... and tosses a handful of muck at the tabby.
As Aleera is pushed into the corridor she's bathed in that soft, red pulsing light. It seems to be emitting from deep within the slightly slanted passage, which luckily isn't totally flooded over. The beings will have to tread waist high water and duck their heads under what looks like a door's frame, hidden beneath layers of moss and caked mud.
Jendayi holds her arms out in frustrated bewilderment and glares at the two cats. "I am to put my life into the hands of such reckless people?" She pinches the bridge of her nose and grrrowls, "Please, please do not do that again. You could get someone hurt, or break something precious. Maybe I should take the lead for the purpose of this journey, yes?" She beats her fist against her chest twice. "I am willing to take a hit or two to avoid... Avoid THAT," The sphinx points at the floating corpse.
As she watches the two continue to playfight, she just smacks the palm of her huge paw over her face and shakes her head. "You know what, I will just do that, yes? Yes." She ducks down to squeeze past the smaller cats and slog through the muddy waters down the passage. It is almost painfully cramped for her, and it's more than a slight task to shield her devices from the water- creator steel could easily survive the contact, but it's the principle of the thing, really.
Zalthar shakes her head, and makes a visible grimace before pulling her cloak tight. Giving a disaproving glance to the two firestarters, she dives into the water and starts swimming towards the crevice, dagger in hand, staff sheathed on her back. Her two tails curl about her body protectively, moving every which way as she uses them to map out her immediate surroundings.
"Those two certainly have a trick for subtlety." the lynx comments to nobody in particular, but probably also directed at the large cat following up behind her.
The small lynx is the first to enter the room, followed closely by the sphinx. The air inside is heavy and oppressive. All the walls and any potential features in the room have been caked over with overgrown moss and other plants, and small fishes flit around the beings' feet as they are startled by the movement. This square-shaped room leads to another passageway, similar to the first, but this one is partly blocked by a door of unusual make. The door is being held open by a two-foot long length of metal. Unlike the rest of the room, this one shows signs of recent use given that it's clean and not completely covered in dirt or moss. It gleams with a shape and design that is unmistakable, it is a loose chunk of creator steel.
Lyas sidesteps Aleera's mud-slinging with a smile, watching the glob of muck splat harmlessly into the swamp. "Well, at least you aim's good with a gun!" he goads the fierce siamese, then jumps after the rest into the passageway. He lets the steep slope take him, sliding to a splattering halt against Aleera. His partner gets a tight, sloppy, muddy hug as he whispers something in her ear, grinning.
Jendayi's frustration attracts no more than a grin from the Cat, though there's a coolness beneath the smile. "You go ahead an' take the lead, then," he shrugs. "Just be warned, it's like as not we'll still shoot." However, as they step into the first chamber, the feline changes his mind. He waves to the two ahead, glancing warily at the walls, ceiling, and wamp-shrouded floor. "... Hold up. I want to take a look around first, Creators or no, folk like to leave nasty surprises in places like this..."
"Yeah, yeah," Aleera says dismissively in response to the teasing, but she still has a grin on her muzzle, "Just come closer so I can dump it on yer head instead, eh?" Despite her words, however, after Lyas slides into her like that, she simply wraps her arms around him in return -- although she does take a moment to wipe some mud from her coat onto his tunic. Whatever he whispered to her, it makes the siamese smile a wide, toothy smile and earns him a kiss on the cheek before that embrace ends and they start to... you know. Actually do their job.
Aleera takes up the rear of the party, the feline woman holding both her blunderbuss and her musket above her head for the moment to make sure they stay out of the water. "Aye, what my luv said," she gives with a grin of her own, "We ain't really the cautious types when we're together. 'Sides, I like to be at the back anyway. Guns don't work as well when the enemy is right in front of you." Once she's in that room, however, she kind of just... leaves checking it up to the others. The feline herself simply keeping an eye on the water and grumbling out something about the cramped conditions.
Lyas keeps pace with Aleera as they advance, eyes darting about the room. "Hey - what's that?" he calls out, motioning to Jendayi. He points to a strange shimmer in the water - it looks like light filtering through a grate. The patch is right near her. "Don't... look like any trap I know of, but who can tell with these Creators?"
The massive sphinx rubs her chin in thought, crossing one arm under her chest while she closely examines the door and the wedge. "The door is uh, err, it's slidey. The wedge is likely the only thing holding it open... and the wedge itself is a somewhat stubborn kind of Creator steel. Light, impossible to work with- at least with our current workshops," she yarns on. The light itself catches her full attention when pointed out, and she squints at it skeptically, crouching down next to it while giving it a respectable berth. "This... This is more ambiguous. I know this will cause something to happen should you let the light, err, 'see' you. If it shines on you, that is," she says, rolling a paw in gesture. "What it will do in this specific instance is anyone's guess at all. As such, I will ask the rest of you if you are willing to risk it being something deadly before triggering it, yes?"
Zalthar wades/swims over nearby and treads water, listening. She looks between each of the others in turn, and, despite herself, doesn't say anything yet. Instead, she climbs up onto a nearby box and draws her staff, wielding it in her right hand with her left one empty, fingers flexing and stretching themselves out as though preparing to act on a moment's notice.
Lyas breaks away from Aleera to wade up to the patch of light, though he takes care not to touch it. Those whiskers, and that flicking tail, do come dangerously close, though! Closer to the door now, the Cat frowns as the water rises up to his waist. Well, he can deal with being wet, so long as they don't have to outright swim... then he might have a problem.
"If you're game, go ahead," he shrugs to Jendayi. He gestures to the patch of light, with a small, mocking bow. Seems he isn't willing to volunteer himself... "Me, I'll be keeping my distance..." To demonstrate his point, the Cat backs up theatrically, hands held open-palmed in front of him. It's one thing to shoot wildly at a shape moving in the water, but jumping on unknown Creator tech? Well, someone else can do that!
Moving backwards as he is, Lyas doesn't immediately register that he's... put himself into range of Zalthar, backing up almost to the box where she has perched. When he notices, he half-turns and gives her a probing look. He almost opens his mouth to say something to the Shadow, but clamps down on whatever it was tersely. That tension vanishes - or more likely, is tucked away - as he turns back to Aleera, grinning once more. "If that light don't open the door, you can go ahead an' squeeze under. You're Water folk, you won't mind a dunk, right?"
Zalthar meets Lyas' gaze, and shifts her staff to her left hand, halfway placing it protectively between the light and Lyas, while her right hand seems to be priming some kind of spell now.
Aleera does glance at Jendayi when she starts to explain the creator steel, showing that she does at least register what the other feline is saying... even if the way she looks away suggests that she isn't very interested in the specifics of it all. "So... we should keep the steel there, 'en? Or can we get the door back open if we move it?" she asks, and when that light is explained... well.... Much like her lover, the siamese takes a step back and nods her head towards it, "Yer more 'en welcome to test it if you want, aye. I don't mind the risk."
For her part, Aleera kind of just... tries to position herself closer to where Lyas is, really. She seems to miss his whole interaction with Zalthar -- in fact, knowing how Lyas feels about her, she doesn't seem to acknowledge the shadow much in the first place -- but by the time the tabby is addressing her, the siamese is by his side again. "If'n yer willing to hold my guns and buy me some expensive soap after, I don't mind, aye," she gives with a grin, although Lyas in particular might notice that smile seems a little... tense. In general her body seems a little tense, really. Not in the 'ready for action' sort of way that Zalthar is tensed, but more in an uncomfortable way.
Jendayi rests one paw on the little metallic ball that is her divine shield and slowly reaches the other down to timidly wave past the light. She speaks in a soft, doting tone, "Hello, shiny little spirit? We are friends, let us pass, yes? We will bring as many of you home, and you will be polished and maintained and..." she rambles on like that until her paw is properly shined on by the sensor.
The shimmer of blue light flickers up and down, rather obviously scanning Jendayi with what might look like to the beings as a gentle touch. A loud groaning sound can be heard, followed by the splash of the chunk of metal as the sliding door creaks open. Long-stagnant luids sluice out from the door's frame as it fully opens, revealing a small chamber on the other side. The red flickering light that had been timidly illuminating the area ceases to flicker, and the beings are shrouded in partial darkness. The path forward lies open into the dark ahead, with the inclination meaning the beings would have to continue going further into the water to progress.
Zalthar gives one more look to Lyas before looking forward, with an audible, throaty mrowl of displeasure. Reluctantly, she hops off of the box and starts wading slowly forward, switching to swimming a bit awkwardly once it gets too deep. Both of her tails are held close to her body, ears flattened against her head, body language usually reserved for when someone has to eat a particularly overcooked bowl of fish.
Lyas picks up on Aleera's discomfort, remembering a recent incident which involved enclosed spaces. He nudges the siamese with his elbow. "You alright?" He murmurs, peering at her tense expression. "Entrance is right there, love, if you need." Throwing glances back at Aleera even as he moves, the Cat proceeds to the now wide-open door, looking down into the dark opening curiously. His ears go back, just a little - a nocturnal creature by habit, he isn't bothered by the dark... but the slope leading to deeper waters *does* make him anxious. He chuckles. "Seems we're all goin' to be gettin' wet," he says, holding up his hands helplessly. He draws his gun from its holster at his waist, lifting it clear of the water. Wouldn't do to get it wet.
The four felines advance slowly into the further passage, the environment getting ever more claustrophobic and dark. Lights flicker in the murky darkness that surrounds the group, and with a groan and a clank the door behind them closes.
There's a brief moment of uneasy silence, the four cats trapped in the tight, nearly fully flooded space.. and then the loud noises begin again, a deep groaning sound that reveberates all around.
Slowly, the water level begins to descend, the water being pumped out of the airlock by the ancient creator tech. Long-clogged pipes struggle to keep up with the flow, but slowly and surely the water recedes leaving the drenched cats no longer nearly submerged. Another loud groaning and croaking, and the next door slides open, easier than the first. This room remains cloaked in darkness, but the one ahead lights up with soft, bright light.
The corridors forward look grimy, but fairly intact. A Creator ruin, likely well preserved by the airlock system.
In the middle of the room is a being's body. The academy researcher, an otter being, had become entangled in wires while trying to manually manipulate this tech. He's long dead.
Zalthar shakes herself off as she's given the chance to, drawing her hook staff and priming herself for anything. To those attentive, it seems as though she swapped out one of her soul gems for another, slightly darker one. Crouching low, she scurries across the room around its edges, looking through any doorways she finds, into any spaces and containers she comes across. She seems unphased by the body of the otter, giving it no more consideration than one would a "Keep Out" sign posted on a door.
As Jendayi starts to mess with that light, Aleera's grip on her guns tightens up a little bit... but she simply ends grinning when the door opens. Or, well. She's grinning right up until the point that the flickering light goes out all of the way, anyways. That gets a... much more flat expression to form on her muzzle. Still, she offers Lyas a half-hearted smile when he nudges her. "I'll be fine, luv. Just... stay close to me, eh?"
And... well... it's a good thing that she asked the tabby to do that, really. She doesn't like getting her clothes dirty, sure, but ultimately she doesn't mind the mud and the water too, too much. What she does mind, however, is the fact that not only is the corridor tighter here, but the door closes behind them. The siamese gasps, and Lyas can... almost immediately feel her arms wrapping around him. The feline holding him against her chest like he may very well vanish if she lets him go. She doesn't say anything, and her eyes are squeezed shut.... He's probably going to need to lead her into the brighter, more open room.
Jendayi curses under her breath at the sight of the corpse. "Admirable fool," she whispers, shaking her head and mouthing a quick prayer. There's no time for anything else in a ruin like this. She makes a mental note to pick up the body later. "I believe they may have succeeded in what they were attempting at a great cost, or their failure should serve as a warning that this room is even deadlier than it already seems. One or the other. Take heed either way."
A faint growl rises in the tabby's throat as the door closes behind them. He feels Aleera clamp her arms around him and quells that noise, half-turning to put an arm around her in response. "We're okay," he murmurs, though he isn't sure of that himself. Then, the water begins to drain from the room - and he immediately begins to feel more at ease. Good - they won't have to swim to proceed further.
Pipes groaning on the other side of the room make his ears swivel to follow the noise. He would have spun to see what was causing this new disturbance - but he has Aleera to worry about right now. He turns properly into her arm, holding her tightly and stroking her hair. "It's fine. Breathe..." He sneaks a glance behind himself, noting that a new way forward has opened. "... There's a door right there. An' light, too. Come on with me." Coaxing and cajoling, he begins to step backwards, pulling the claustrophobic feline with him. As he steps past Jendayi, he can't resist a jibe. Jerking his head to the body on the floor, he mouths, "We didn't shoot that one, I swear!" Then his focus is back on Aleera, and her clear distress at being trapped in the ruin.
The room ahead is far more welcoming than the damp and smelly airlock, natrally drawing the four felines towards it. Clean, crisp air filters through, a stark contrast to what the beings have been subjected to so far. One can only wonder what the otter being was so afraid of, if it would ever be anything worth his life.
Their first hint is a faint scraping noise, almost like a screech, metal grinding against metal in the distance...
