View source for Sparking New Discoveries - RPLOG

=Participants=
* [[Flora]]
* [[Matthews]]
* [[Selena]]
* [[Sveta]]
=Date=
29/4/477
=Log=
<div></div><br> <br>It's a quiet evening - not many beings wouldconsider trudging through the sewers let alone the far more treacherous tunnels, leaving them quiet enough for beings to traverse without many problems - especially with a little assistance from the academics holed up in their safe room.

The group's grown from the three that were once present, now including a handful of freeswords in its own right, Selena present if only to discuss something or another with other beings from the academy. There's a generally spirited atmosphere despite the gloom, a quiet cheer rising from the group as a trio of beings lug in a mostly-intact but powered down servitor.<br> <br>A flick of the tail, a rumble from Flora's muzzle as she shakes the assorted crap out of her fur, inadvertently wetting any poor being that dares stand too close to her with raw sewage.

Her twin tails twitch lightly behind her, and her eyes cast around the area. The servitor is observed for a moment, and it almost looks like Flora is planning to just take it apart then and there to figure out how it works, although she still holds her ground. "Flora did not enjoy the sewers, no... Not a nice place to be," she murmurs, ears folded back faintly.<br> <br>Sveta enters the chamber at Flora's side, the goshawk's huge tower shield strapped to her back but ready to be unslung at a moment's notice. Thankfully, she hasn't had cause to use it yet, and leans on her spear as she surveys the familiar surroundings.

"It's not that bad," she tells the tigress. "The water may smell a little funny, but it's already clean. It's not as if we really discharge raw sewage into the sea..."<br> <br>Some of the beings murmur amongst themselves as Flora and her entourage approach, whether out of respect, derision or surprise is hard to tell, though such is the price of fame.

Selena doesn't seem to notice immediately - perhaps because of the new acquisition or because of the discussion, but it doesn't take too much effort from one a water clan axolotl to bring her out of the conversation and over to the group. "Flora, Sveta. Good to see you both. I haven't been down here in a while, but nothing's changed." She greets with a half smile. "It's an impressive place, if you mind the lost - the servitors tend not to make as much of a problem of themselves."

"Anyway, I should get to the point. Since you're looking for the spark, the best place would probably be here or one of the old rooms the team here found when they were exploring. It's your choice, honestly, and in the worst case it's a backup plan, but... I can't guarantee anything."<br> <br>Flora mumbles and shakes her head again. "Flora doesn't like water... And smelly water is... Worse, yes," she mumbles, her ears folded back, before she looks towards Selena, silently.

"Flora... Thinks further away is better, yes," she mumbles, her head canted lightly... "Flora thinks that if this... Spart would appear here, it already would've, maybe, yes..."<br> <br>Sveta cocks her head at Flora's words, but shrugs in her usual nonchalant manner. "I don't think I have anything to add to that," she says. "The Undertunnels are still full of danger, but it's nothing the three of us couldn't handle. Besides, I don't get self-conscious that easily, but all these folks staring at us is probably going to create quite a bit of 'noise', as you put it. Wouldn't suggest going all the way down into the limestone caverns, but somewhere...I don't know, inspiring would be appropriate, I think."<br> <br>Selena nods back to the cat, making a sympathetic face of her own - it's fairly plain she's not terribly fond of the sewers either. "If we knew of any entrance from the ground that didn't involve them, I'd have told you about it. And I'm only going to say this once - we're NOT going into the caverns." The wolfess replies, biting her lip.

"That said, there's probably a few options. I'm not sure what to look for exactly, but there's a machine room - though I'm told it's fairly hot because of the steam pipes that are under it - an old library that was found in one of the last expeditions I was on here... It might be a stretch, but there's also a piece of walkway in the lower ruins that runs between the upper floor and some more of the broken steam pipes. If there's a place you want to start in particular..."<br> <br>"If this... Spark is the spirit of discovery, the library wouldn't work, no. Libraries hold known knowledge, not new knowledge... Flora doesn't suppose there are labs?" she mumbles for a moment, before raising a brow curiously... "What's in the machine room and walkway? Why... Why is the walkway interesting?" she mumbles, her tails flicking lightly.<br> <br>"Not as has been discovered, I'm afraid. The machine room is...full of parts, but unfortunately no one's figured out how to actually get to them through the barrier. The servitors pass through it just fine, but any beings are repulsed and the wall's too hard to chip away at. Not to mention that doing so would be just short of sacrilegious.

"As for the walkway...I'm not sure it's so much of a discovery as it is an inspiring sight, albeit dangerous. You do have to see it for yourself to understand what I'm trying to get at."<br> <br>There's a brief bit of attention directed to Sveta at mention of the mere word 'sacrilegious', though little more than a scowl from a machine priest that's directed to Selena shortly afterward - the wolfess rolling her eyes as slightly. "Anyway.  Sveta's right. The beings here haven't found any laboratories here. It's a bit odd when you consider the scope of the place, too - it seems to be the only thing this place doesn't have."

The wolfess moves through the door an motions for the others to follow, adding, "The machine room could make for a good detour if we're heading to the walkway, though. It might prove interesting to take a look while we're here."

One of the other beings towards the exit - that same axolotl from before - speaks up abruptly; "Lost patrols haven't been coming too far up, so... So you should, er, be safe unless you go to the caverns, miss. A-and you as well, Ladies Longtail, ma'am." The meek being flushes embarrassedly as though speaking out of turn, fidgeting a little and shifting back. "Sorry. Sorry. U-um.. I'll just be... Over here..." And then suddenly they're back again, pushing a map of the area towards Sveta and Flora insistently. "But take this anyway! Ladies Longtail, before you go."<br> <br>A nod, a tailflick, and a smile towards the Axolotl, as if trying to reassure him. Soon enough, she's  taken the map offering another thankful smile towards him. "Flora appreciates the thought, yes. Anything else Flora should keep in mind?"

Soon after, she turns back to Selena, nodding faintly. "Sounds good to Flora, yes yes."<br> <br>"It's your decision, Flora," Sveta replies. "If we have a map, then getting there is much easier now. Although I do wonder just how long it took to map out those tunnels. That labyrinth is a potential deathtrap." She adjusts the weight of her shield. "I'm just here to keep you safe, in addition to your little kitten there." She points at Bastet. "Want to lead, Selena? I'll bring up the rear."<br> <br>The axolotl nods back to Flora after a moment's pause, still fidgeting nervously. "N-no Lady Longtail, Nothing... Uh, not today, a-anyway? Nobody mentioned anything else..."

The wolfess, on the other hand, is already at the exit and then a little. "I don't think the labyrinth is a good idea even with a deathtrap. The golems they have there would be a small nightmare to deal with wihtout more beings, and there's no reason to put Flora in unnecessary amounts of danger." She replies to the Goshawk, looking back through the tunnel as the machine priests begin taking apart their prize with religious care.

"I can lead if you'd like - I have been through the undertunnels more than a few times now. Just keep an eye out. Some of the Lost scouts started poisoning their blowdarts. Even if Donny mentioned they haven't been patrolling, it's better to be on the safe side."<br> <br>Flora smiles towards the axolotl again, her tails flicking. "Flora prefers Flora. Flora is only 'Lady Longtail' in court, yes," she murrs with a friendly smile, before rummaging through the bags she's put over Bastet, to pull out a pair of bladed gauntlets, and... Slot a modified pistol into one of them, against the wrist. "Flora is ready, yes."<br> <br>Sveta says nothing, but the goshawk slips into place behind Flora and her golem with practiced ease, taking up the rearguard. "Lead the way, then."<br> <br>Matthews clears his throat gently as the tomcat makes his way through the workers to approach Flora and her group, the usually dapper dressed cat clad in thick leather armor with a thin bit of chain overlay. Large black cloth sleeves extending over his arms to help conceal a hand crossbow strapped to his right wrist. "Do pardon my tardyness, I hope I've not missed anything too crucial?"<br> <br>Selena coughs politely as the other cat arrives on scene. "I don't think you have, Matthews. I'm glad you managed to make it, though. An extra being is always welcome." She comments, looking down the tunnel to the atrium of the building. "...It's probably not a bad thing to have Flora keep that map while we're down here too. So - we're heading to the machine room, then the walkway?" the wolfess begins moving along the passageway before getting a real reasponse - after all, they are in the same direction.

The axolotl, still as flustered as ever, nods. "Of course, M-miss Flora. Stephen - I- I'm Stephen..." He replies, cringing back a little into an imaginary corner. "A-ah, Good bye, L- Miss Flora!" the strange being retreats back into the room hurriedly, looking a little more relaxed among his peers than in the presence of nobility.

It's not too long before the group arrives in in the upper lobby of the undertunnels - one sign labelled in the nigh-unintelligible creator's tongue pointing into the toted machine room, steam rolling from the entrance giving it away more than the faint red and blue lights dancing about within it - and several other signs pointing to other passages. "The walkway's down there." Selena explains, gesturing to a path leading towards the collapsed ruins of the complex's atrium, largely ignoring a servitor as it skirrs past the group in one of those seemingly omnipresent service tunnels, another one replacing it soon after before pathing its way through the tunnels to some indeterminable destination. "As Sveta said, it's your choice where we go first."<br> <br>A rumble, a smile, a flick of Flora's tails as she moves along with Selena, gesturing Matthews to the spot besides him, before looking to Stephen over her shoulder. "Remind Flora to do something nice for... Stephen. An engraved pen, maybe?" she mumbles, shrugging lightly as she moves along with the group, her ears flicking lightly and her paws carrying her along. "Flora would suggest taking... Whichever route is more logical, yes..."

A moment of pause, before a thought occurs to the cat. "Can we enter the machine-room, just not take things, or can't we enter at all?"<br> <br>The Tomcat nods gently as he keeps pace next to Flora as he adjusts the thick parrying blade tucked into his belt. A gentle sway of his tails following him as he looks along the path before turning to Flora. "We could always test it if need be... So long as it isn't lethal and all." He gives a soft nod then before tugging up the cloth mask over his nose and mouth as he falls silent.<br> <br>"Lethal? It's just steamy - literally. Nobody's been harmed in there by any of the machines." Selena replies, leading the group into the large room "Just watch your step - the guardrails are still here, but a lot of the floor's missing." She explains - taking a few moments to concentrate before the steam condenses into rain, clearing most of the immediate area a little more for viewing.

Servitors can be seen folded into compact shapes in odd-looking bays, soft blue lights under some of them, others red - and some missing in favor of frequent sparking, though all dimming sporradically as though not enough power were flowing through the complex machine spirits beneath.

A single machine servitor, perhaps the one from just before - clambers into an alcove on the wall before a glassy screen slides up around it, the creature folding itself before one of the woking displays lists down more creator babble - something the priests had no doubt taken exhaustive notes on. The room continues into the distance with strange turbine-like devices where the floor hasn't collapsed, each of them emanating a constant whoosh of hot, steam-laden air into the room and more of the strange bays into the distance where the steam finally overtakes vision.<br> <br>Flora bounds into the room, silently, looking around with large eyes. Her twin tails twitch lightly behind her. Sure, she's got absolutely no clue what any of this means, and it doesn't change her opinions that beings can do this, if they get the chance, but... It's still impressive and years ahead of any being's capabilities. "Flora... Flora doesn't suppose... The Spark is here?" she calls out to no-one in particular, even as she tentatively pads around the room, looking at absolutely everything and picking up one or two pieces of... Well, likely just scrap. Even so, she inspects everything she can find... "Flora can't take anything from here? Not even the tiny gears? The... Blue wall thing would stop Flora?"<br> <br>Matthews smirks slightly behind his mask as he watches Flora bound around the room, the Tomcat crossing his arms as he chuckles. "My dear, I do feel you've found a new favorite location then?" His bath more slow then her own as he begins to examin the servitors, his tail flicking as he works to memorize almost every detail of the most common ones, from how they look to what they seem to be doing.