godly dungeon - theta caverns

[sageofdawn]

[ zenos had offered them a game. either way, who knew who'd be the viceroy of dalmasca after this? celcus was awoken. celcus was unsafe. all that thancred knew is that he needed to save him from awakening inside garlemald - and y'shtola had come with him.

before the two could set off to rescue celcus, there was a semi-familar clicking. though gaius had begun to live in the shell of the primal alexander, he often used those fully under his will, those in the onemind, to communicate. after all, he couldn't just go out there. he was a monster, bug fused with garlean. he was less willing to be seen then even regula and his tiny sahagin, who could at least pass as au ra (like y'shtola) if he needed to go out there.

but the mechanical gnath let out a few clicks, and began to explain. there were mountains near to garlean territory, with many passages. a few of his men had gone to investigate, to see if he could see the state of the country he died for. a small bit of him wanted to see how he had been remembered. however, a strange machine had greeted them. it looked almost like the dormant omega, but... smaller. and redder. this small omega had destroyed those bugs - squashed them, and absorbed their very aether. if it was eliminated, the path would be a safer one then heading there from the doman side, where men were still fighting and alert. he still was curious about the burn, about areas where aether was drained from the land, but that was not the point of this mission.

they had a loyal soldier to save. primal or not, secret spy or not. though he was loathe to admit it, gaius was on their side now, and was acting as the leader he was. he would lead in that buggy form, hoping that the strange child omega hadn't altered the caverns too much... or that the ascian had not begun to move, playing their games with mortal men.

odder still, lahabrea had wished them luck as they left. it was becoming clear that he was disliked by most of the other ascian, and clearer still that he was slowly adapting to being mortal. adapting to being mateus, and their ally. he had even begun to garden again, though his fingers werent as apt as ascian ones. igeyorhm had also wished them luck, and given them some potions and other drinkable items she'd slipped from a client or two.

it had taken a week for y'shtola, thancred, and gaius to get to the entrance of the cavern. even with y'shtola having a second sense for navigation, and thancred being able to feel the mountains though his very essense, the territory was dangerous. thancred would still be able to sense the caverns, sense how things were - however, there were blind spots, full of queer aether.

(the fact that thancred and y'shtola had sex a few times on the trip also made gaius feel awkward, like he was taking care of teens. their curse still was not cured.) ]

Once you have found and eliminated the puer Omega, there will be nothing preventing us from retrieving and returning your Goe. As long as it patrols these caverns, it may attack when we are carrying the compromised soldier.

[ ah. so thats the rank that gaius thinks celcus is... or deserves? its not clear, as the gnath shakes a little, cutely. ]

Comments

[theblackawoo]

My Vath have heard disturbing rumours. [ click, clink. ] Use of augmentation to control their own men, and desires to simply destroy Eorzea. Not just that, but using fear to keep the populace in order.

[ But as Thancred would touch it, it would... sting. Almost acidic, it seems the thing on the wall is trying to dissolve stuff. It's spread too thin to hurt anything, but still...! ]

[wordsinthesoul]

Augmentation- altering them? That's… despicable. [he hisses.] Well. I'd far rather not have that.

[he makes a startled sound, pulling his hand back.] That- ah. That was a bad idea.

[theblackawoo]

Yes - stealing their minds. [ gaius scratches himself again, until thancred pulls back. y'shtola moves to examine him and it. ]

...This isn't natural. A side-effect of Omega?

[ But as she said that, the group finally arrived at the garden. The room was circular, kept bright by weird glowing orbs in the air. Plants that weren't eaten? More of that odd slime coated the walls, but not the floors. The room itself also seemed slightly foggy, the air heavy. Vines tried to climb the walls, but were killed - at least, over most of the wall. Some of them had grown over and up the walls... at least three bundles of vines.

Footsteps echoed. But the stems of the dead plants seemed familiar as well - at least, would to Thancred. There's a bundle of soft grass that seems to be untouched in the very middle of the room.

But as they entered, the passage they came from seemed to vanish, seemed to not be there anymore. ]

[wordsinthesoul]

How does that make them any better?

[he holds his hand out to her.] Perhaps…. I thought it seemed more mechanical, but perhaps it adapted…?

[He's rather impressed by the setup! It's unusual- although the plants do look familiar, and he ventures forward, kneeling to take a look at them.] These seem… like some of the ones Lahabrea's raised…? [also strange.

…ah. That's not good news, is it.]

[sageofdawn]

[ His thoughts exactly, but it seems they're puzzling along now. So Gaius will click a little, frustrated. ]

From what I have learned of Omega, it adapts. And if this is a smaller one, it may be different further.

[ Y'shtola goes to examine the plants as well, listening to Thancred. ] The ones he planted at your home--

[ Why did she suddenly stop talking? Because the ground is... wet near to that center. Muddy. And unstable. ]

[wordsinthesoul]

Right. It probably still has a way to grow…

Yes. They're… being looked after, I think. But it's odd- did he come here before? Or after?

[ah. He's going to come closer, and crouch down to take a look at that, too.]. That's different. Let me see…

[let him poke at it with a stick or something- this time he won't directly touch it!]

[sageofdawn]

We don't know where he was before Cordis recruited him. Lahabrea might have been here, for all we know.

[ But Y'shtola watches - offering her cane for him to prod with - it's safe and not slightly slimy.

And that's when a strange slimy tentacle tries to grip at the cane, pulling slightly at it. A trap. It's a deep grey, but very strong. At least, the grip is. The pull... isn't. ]

[wordsinthesoul]

No. It would probably have been safe enough, before Omega arrived here.

[It's a very good staff!

Thancred yelps when the tentacle reaches up, taking a step backwards. He takes a tight hold on the cane, pulling backwards- it's Y'shtola's, after all, he can't lose it.]

Most of his plants aren't like that- could Omega have had a hand in this?

[sageofdawn]

And it was far from where we'd be...

[ The creature is pulled up - or so it seems. There's a slight snapping sound, and the tentacle... reforms into a small Antlion-esque creature. Not big enough to be a threat to a person. But it's remaining latched onto the cane. Y'shtola moves to try and get the creature off - there's the same shine on bits it's gripped to as the walls. ]

I think this is our answer - whatever this thing is, it's caused this same destruction.

[wordsinthesoul]

So we wouldn't be able to disturb it. Or him.

Ah! [It's…. Actually kind of cute? He pulls one glove to try and protect his hand a little reach, reaching out to try to help.]

I didn't expect it to change like that… It looks like it. It looks like this dug here…. Could it get up onto the walls?

[sageofdawn]

[ The thing begins to drip off, a few flakes of the staff remaining inside it. It's off, but now on the ground. For a moment, before it begins to try and hide in the grass again.

Until Y'shtola uses Fluid Aura to sort of. Pin it. The blob is trying to re-form, trying to keep a solid form, as the flakes vanish into it. ] I could see it as a climber. How many of them are here...?

[ Gaius then speaks up. ] I did not see any of those when I ventured down here. But on these walls - it's what Omega turned my Gnath into.

[wordsinthesoul]

It looks as though it's absorbing what it takes…

In other words- what's left of them…? Did it devour them? …Ought we keep it, to track to track Omega- or tell what's down there?

[sageofdawn]

...I think following it would be the best idea. [ Y'shtola says - after casting a Stoneskin on them. Gaius seems wary... but goes to pop the bubble.

The slime is gonna try and slip back into the grass. ]

[wordsinthesoul]

All right.

[He's concerned about where it might be going, but he steps forward as well- dropping down to examine the grass, digging his fingers in a little to see what's under there.]

[sageofdawn]

[ It seems the grass, however, is... well, it's a thin layer of dirt and the plants. (Which are actually quite inedible, they seem to feel... like metal.) His fingers would part it, and there's rocks made into crude stairs. ]

[wordsinthesoul]

[They don't feel very nice on his fingers, either. He makes a surprised sound.]

There's a way down- a set of stairs. I can go ahead.

[sageofdawn]

...Gaius. [ Y'shtola then says, looking back to the beast. ] Keep an eye up here. I'll be going with Thancred.

[ because the curse. gaius clicks a few times, but he'll listen. But at his name being said, the slime oozing down slowly seems to speed up.

It can listen. But Y'shtola moves to walk behind Thancred, down the dull cavern down there, covered in rocks. But no more slime on the walls. ]

[wordsinthesoul]

[he gives Gaius a quick smile.]

Stay safe.

[He starts down, glancing at the walls, before putting one hand to to it to keep his way. …of course it gets dark further down.] Y'shtola- are you all right?

[actually- was there something Igeyorhm gave him? He fusses through his pockets, looking.]

[sageofdawn]

I'm fine. Before we reunited, I could not see.

[ casually saying it, as she remains behind him - almost gripping to him. Her own navigation skills were still blunted... wait. She stopped for a moment. ] The coating on the walls - it may be what made us unable to use our natural navigation abilities. Dulling our senses.

[ One of the potions has a slight glow to it... enough to light in front of them. There's a half-broken door in front of them, which can be opened easily. ]

[wordsinthesoul]

…ah. Well- I'm always glad of that. I'm just a little more glad now.

[he reaches for her, for a moment, squeezing her hand gently.] Protecting these areas and keeping them out of sight, in other words? Then there must be something interesting here.

[ah, good! He pulls it out, holding it carefully in his off hand as he reaches out to open the door.]

[sageofdawn]

[ there's a soft purr from her, a sort au ra smile. she closes her eyes for a moment - no. can't get lost in the moment, in her desires. focus. ]

If not simply Omega, then... what? It is close to Garlemald territory. We will make sure it's not dangerous.

[ Though the door is a rather nice room, seemingly some form of study, ever so slightly furnished. The strange thing, however, is that the back wall is covered in a giant mirror. The supplies seem to be from people no longer among the living - Garlean uniforms. A bit of wood and glass also lay on the ground, with a slight levin energy to them. ]

[wordsinthesoul]

[He goes to give her hand another little squeeze, smiling. But- after. For now, they've got to stay focused.]

I don't know- but we'll find out, won't we?

[This is definitely not what he expected, and he stops for a moment.]. A study…. Lahabrea's? But those are Garlean uniforms- so why would they be here? [he's going to have a look at those, before he goes to examine the mirror.]

[sageofdawn]

[ The Garlean uniforms are the kind issued for Ala Mhigo - and they're in perfect condition. However, in one of them, there's a handwritten note. ]

tell guest up top trick later?

[ Once Thancred went to the mirror, however, the mirror seems... slightly dull. The reflection matches... mostly. But it almost seems delayed. ]

[wordsinthesoul]

[Hm. They'd be the ones closest, huh…. That makes sense. He frowns at the note.]

A trick?

[Ah. But there's something about the mirror, when he looks…. He raises a hand to wave, seeing how it reacts, before going to the edges, looking around the frame of the mirror.]

[sageofdawn]

[ It seems to take a second for the mirror to reflect his movements - but the edges seem built into the wall. Y'shtola approaches, putting her staff to it... but more to the shattered bits of glass. ]

...I doubt violence is the answer, if these residues belong to whom I think they do. [ because u know. lingering levin like this means yda, right...? ]