"Hold," Faustite said, and the words echoed out over a barren canyon. The area, a narrow juncture between two broken cliffs, was silent but for the chatter of gathered officers.
Just behind them and to their right was the cave that housed their camp, with only some Generals and the Mauvians that worked alongside them. The reserve teams lingered there, acting as guards to those actively working, should youma return to the area. For now, even they had fallen silent, and watched on to hear what would come next.
The flaming General, poised just before the yawning pit that was their focus of investigation, turned to face the crowd of voluntary officers. "Tama and I will proceed first. Rest of you will split off into your teams as designated on your tablets. Once you receive the signal, want each team to rappel down to the building, one team at a time. It's about a fifty foot drop, so be sure of your footing as you descend. Mauvians are about finished compiling a map from data they scalped from the structure, and that information will be disseminated to you. Once you land, you'll be directed to your assigned area to investigate. As a reminder, stick to your groups. Don't know what we're facing down there.
"Expect teams to report in with any relevant findings on the hour. If you find yourselves stuck, call me – might be of some help. Won't have much to do, anyway," he added in a lowered tone. "Tama," he urged before he summoned the Mauvian to his shoulder.
After mounting their equipment, the pair turned and vanished. They weren't gone long before the teams' tablets glowed with the sound of the Mauvian's voice:
“It's showtime, folks, and get here quick. We’re burning daylight down here.”
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2022 11:07 am
As agents and senshi filtered into the room, they were greeted by an alarming scene – directly ahead of them, blocking their sole way forward, was a storm so fierce that it had collapsed most of the floor and taken up the remainder of the room with fierce winds. Caught in these winds was detritus from the Rift – giant boulders, broken-off chunks of crystal, and building materials from an era long gone. Even parts of the facility itself had been taken up into these stormy winds, threatening anyone who dared try to cross the chasm between the entrance and the warded door to the next area.
The areas where the floor had been worn or crushed away were dim, but it was clear that falling into this pit would likely end in impalement. They could see the guts of the building beneath: uncounted leads, shattered glass from fallen tubules, twisted shrapnel from machinery that had been chewed up by the raging storm.
While much of the room was collapsed into rubble, a few areas occupied spots where the turbulence had slackened. One was a chunk of floor that stood like a precarious island, sharing a piece of wall that had been left standing. On it was a terminal roughly the size of a hand, as if it was a lesser terminal than the others. All manner of items had fallen from the whipping storms and lay strewn across the floor of that small space. It looked just large enough to hold a handful of officers, if they each stood shoulder-to-shoulder.
Another bastion against the winds stood in the center of the enormous room, slightly larger than the island to their left. This one sported a twenty-foot diameter of floor, with a domed barrier in the center that was visible only by the way flying rubble passed over it. Within it was a skeleton that laid atop some burns on the floor. Something was clutched in its hand. However, this island was too far from the entrance for agents to jump across safely.
Rubble was scattered around the feet of the agents and senshi at the entrance. Among this was a single violet rock with a dull glow, and a terminal on the wall to their right. The terminal did not seem to be working, and on closer inspection, it was missing the delicate tubules that would connect to it and supply it power. Etched into the screen was a symbol that looked like a P; it fostered a dim glow and projected infinitesimal stars like sparks that scattered onto the floor.
Quote:
CHARACTERS MAY ROLL 1D100 AT ANY TIME TO PASS THE STORM. The roll must match the number in this initial post (9cool. Characters may only roll 3 times before they are knocked out for a prompt. There may be a way to change this as investigations ensue.
Welcome to Area Two! This room's name will be updated as characters learn more about it.
Here's some ground rules:
Event posts will be posted every 48 hours. As the event progresses, these rooms may change in ways that open or close opportunities for characters, or advance the plot. You do not need to solve every puzzle to finish the area, so please do not be alarmed if an opportunity fades! There is no post limit between prompts. However, unless otherwise told, characters may only perform an action once after each prompt. Performing an action may mean interacting with the environment, or trying to do something to advance the plot. Update: If you have received a DM response for your character, you may roll again! Please do not reserve posts! There's no penalty for missing prompts!
Team captains may report to Faustite with their findings at any time during the investigation. They may also contact Faustite for suggestions of what to do next! All teams have one rugose pendant for the duration of the event. This can be used on anyone, but may only be used once during the event, so choose wisely if you decide to use it!
How to investigate:
Before posting for an investigation, roll 1d6 (a six-sided die). Edit the post and fill in for your character. Add any relevant bonuses to your roll (if you're unsure of your bonuses, check this sheet or the quotes on this post!). Characters that have two bonuses get +1, characters with one bonus get +2. Quote me with "[Character] is investigating [noun]! in your quote. Please include your total roll (with bonus if applicable)
Please make sure to include what your character is investigating in your quote – this helps me keep track of everything! The higher your recon roll, the more information may be gleaned from the investigation. The higher your tech roll, the more options may be available from nearby technology. Leadership rolls and combat rolls may be asked for in later prompts!
Have fun, and if you're uncertain of anything, feel free to ask! heart
Meighei rolled 1 6-sided dice:
1Total: 1 (1-6)
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2022 2:21 pm
Tama couldn’t help but think of Faustite the entire time it took for him to rendezvous with his team. He tried to tell himself he wasn’t worried. No. Nothing could be concerning about the Rift. Or Faustite. Or old tech. Except that it was Faustite on fire encased in old tech in the worst section of the Rift. One or two of those things together were enough to rankle the Mauvian’s whiskers. All three were a disaster waiting to happen.
“I’m here. Don’t ask what happened to Faustite. I’ll explain when I have time and we don’t have time.” Tama said to no one in particular. He should be thankful he was on Heliodor’s team. Or maybe the general only put him there to keep an eye on him. He wondered if the two had mended their relationship since the last time they had met. He didn’t have time to be worrying about Faustite’s relationships or just who was attached to all those pretty little rings.
In humanoid form, his violet eyes scanned the scene. He settled quickly on a device that was scattering the image of stars on the floor. His nails brushed again the display.
Best begin where one started, after all.
Strickenized
[Tama] is investigating [a symbol that looked like a P]. (Roll: 1 + 1 = 2)
He felt less prepared than he’d hoped to be. Even after a few lessons with the climbing gear, and lengthy consultations with Kamacite about his experiences in the Rift, Roselite could not help but think himself ill suited to the task at hand.
Maybe he should have stayed behind after all. Maybe Bloodstone was right to be angry with him. Roselite missed him — his sharp voice and his cold glare, and the sense of security Roselite always found in his presence. Bloodstone was not always kind; he attacked children without remorse and certainly had the blood of their enemies on his hands, but he’d always been good to Roselite, in his own brusque way.
In his absence, Roselite was more than nervous. He was terrified. Compulsively, he fiddled with the bracelet around his wrist, the one Bloodstone had given him before their last mission in the Rift, for his protection.
He stayed close to his team, especially Atheneite, who was in charge. He’d hoped to be placed with those he knew — Kamacite, Jet, or Faustite. Even being stuck with Aquamarine would’ve been a little less nerve-wracking. Instead, he was on a team composed entirely of agents and senshi he didn’t know.
The room they came to did nothing to ease his anxieties. Roselite eyed the storm, but made no move to draw closer. He would keep his distance, at least until ordered otherwise. There was rubble at their feet. He would start there.
Roselite knelt and reached for the violet rock. He hesitated just before the tips of his fingers brushed against it, but ultimately took it in hand to examine it.
Strickenized
Roselite is investigating the violet rock.
Aurelius0815
Atheneite mention.
Whimsical Blue rolled 1 6-sided dice:
2Total: 2 (1-6)
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2022 7:31 pm
Super Fafnir Investigating the bit of floor by the wall, with the small terminal
(2 roll + 2 recon bonus = 4)
It had not been, exactly, fun to climb down the rock face into the Scar and the area Faustite wanted them to investigate. Unpleasant, but not as much as this strange room his team found themselves in. Standing among the others, arms crossed over his chest, he frowned at the perpetual storm raging in the small space, tearing up bits of flotsam and throwing it about. What could possibly be causing that? Some bit of left over magic, or… some sort of youma mischief? Even though they hadn’t seen any youma yet, as Faustite had said would be the case. It made him uncomfortable.
Watching Tama move to the side panel, Fafnir considered the other areas of the room and what they might be able to find. On the other side, there was a place free of the storm and… possibly another panel or terminal? Seemed like a good place to start. Maybe if he found something, he could have Tama look at it. The cats were better with tech than he was, after all.
“Stay close, or stay here, Taffeite.” He said as he turned to wave a hand at his lieutenant. “I’m going to take a look around.”
The team he’d been informed he would be leading was a good one. A very good one. Heliodor was glad to see that many were go-getters, ready to begin solving the problems at hand right upon arrival of their room. As interested he was himself to dive in he did a quick check of each team members positions. So far, people were being careful. Considering that there was a torrent of a storm swirling in the middle of the room, Helio felt it was almost impossible not to feel the need to be careful.
“Faustite should be alright.” Helio said to Tama. “When we experimented he didn’t show any negative signs from playing power source.” Now, that had been a very short experiment, and Helio wasn’t sure how long the General intended to stay there powering up the place. If this went long term… He worried at his bottom lip at the thought. Still he wasn’t going to voice that. Best to placate fears than grow them right now.
He glanced over to Fafnir who had also put himself right into trying to solve a small piece of their puzzle. Helio wasn’t sure if Faustite had purposely put them together or it had been by chance. Either way, it seemed his brother was going to be able to keep tabs on both Helio and his subordinate easily enough. Helio wasn’t upset about it. In fact, it was somewhat calming to have Fafnir there, especially considering it was Helio’s first big mission in a leading role.
“Let Atheneite or me know about anything you find.” He said loudly enough to be heard over the roaring of the storm. “Even though we are two teams, working together is in our best interests.” He gave the other leader a nod, assuming that the agent also agreed.
The floor that hadn’t collapsed seemed solid enough as he moved on it, daring to get as close to the elephant in the room as he dared. The amount of detritus swirling around was impressive. It’s raw power was humbling.Curious though, how the rubble and detritus scooted over an area. It created a consistent travel path up and away from the island and its’ (was that a skeleton?) contents. It was hard to tell though.
They were going to need to find a way there, because jumping over was not an option he thorough they should try yet considering the amount of danger involved with such an attempt. But the next big question was, would the barrier allow anything in or would it repeal anything outside of it? He picked up a piece of rubble and chucked it at the barrier. There wasn’t a high expectation that anything different would happen.
s1trickenized
Helio is investigating the barrier from afar +1 bonus (I think?) + 4 = 5
After arriving she wasn't surprised to see something hindering them already from advancing too far, though a storm was not what she expected. Keeping close to the general she'd become slow friends with, Valeria took the time to look around before deciding what most interested her, at the moment. She couldn't get to the skeletal remains which really interested her, and what they held, due to the storm but she was hoping to get near to that soon enough. "The body intrests me, waht about you?" Looking to her companion before her attention shifted to something she could investigate.
The terminal with a P on it was interestging, though not more than the body, but it was something she could poke at and look over. Someone else it seemed was also interested in the terminal and she was hoping it might help, in some way, with the storm. The fact someone else was already looking it over didn't stop her from making her wayh over, heels clicking all the while, she had chopped off all her hair earlier before they'd gotten down here. It had been the best idea possible, her hair would have no doubt been in the way.
"Could the storm be a defense system that's gone off?" She questioned, wondering it that could be the case. If so than perhaps a terminal might turn it off? Also, it could make things worse in a million and one different ways. But she was hoping to stop the storm, somehow. Looking over the terminal, and even touching at the screen hesitently, the corrupt senshi was most curious about this technology.
Strickenized
Investigating the terminal with the P on it. 1 = 2 (bonus) = 3
Bellalunae was eager to start this mission in her eyes she was as prepared as she could be. Her claws were sharpened and she had all the gear a guardian cat like herself would need to complete the task at hand. When she saw the tablet glow she was excited. Since that meant it was mission time and she was going to find some answers.
She kept pace with her team as much as she could. She still looked at her surroundings to make sure she remembered everything she could. About where they were and where they were going and landmarks. You never knew when that could come in handy after all. Then they arrived at their designated spot. This meant it was mission time.
She watched as some entered the building before her and then joined. That was when she realized their area looked like hell had broke out. Things were thrown out of place and it overall looked crazy. She took a deep breath and just stepped forward into the chaos before her.
As she walked she heard their leader Heliodor speak and nodded in agreement. Teamwork was their best bet at this point and she figured she would lend her paws. That was when she decided to head over towards the dim lit single violet rock. Something about it seemed off to her, didn't know why but it did. She wanted to know why it did and not only that but why was this rock purple and glowing in this chaos.
So one paw after the other she stepped closer to the rock, hoping it could lend her some clues, or something she could go off of. Lucky for her she wasn't the only one who thought it looked interesting, since she noticed as she got closer her teammate Roselite was investigating it as well.
Strickenized
Investigating the single violet rock with the dull glow. 2 (roll) +1 (bonus) = 3
Sunshine Alouette
Mentioned Roselite since were investigating the rock too
Atheneite surveyed the area her group had come to. It was foreboding that was sure. She shielded her face against the wind. Normally she'd like to just start tearing her way through the place, maybe try to brute force her way through the violent storm. However she was a leader on this mission and she needed to act like it. She needed to actually use her head for once so that she and her team succeeded in their mission.
She glanced at her fellow leader as he spoke. "Heliodor is right. This isn't a competition so we all need to work together. If you find anything report it immediately. We're basically working blind here, we don't know what the technology or phenomena here is capable of. If something seems hostile or dangerous get away from it immediately and report to us, we can't afford to have any injuries or deaths here." She advised the two groups.
She wished they had an obvious enemy here, she didn't like the unknown quality of this all and she was much better at a straight up fight than in investigations but this was the mission she was given and she was determined to succeed. After ensuring her team was good she began to investigate on her own. She observed a burned skeleton inside a domed barrier. She wondered what exactly had happened to the poor b*****d. Had it been an officer or a corrupt. She noticed it was holding something, she tried to get a better look at it.
ssbrosb
General Arsenopyrite
sleet tempest snape
Super Sailor Valeria
a-disgruntled-dragon
Captain Mourite
chi honda
Bellalunae
sunshine alouette
Captain Roselite
Kolina
Strickenized
Atheneite is investigating "Something was clutched in its hand"! Total: 5
Rolling for Rosie investigating the rock cause I forgot last night lol I'm so sleep deprived emo
1 + 2 = 3
Strickenized
Sorry I'm a failure!!!!! crying
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2022 11:17 am
meighei
Perhaps it was his frazzle that caused the worried Mauvian to slip, but as Tama was investigating the symbol atop the console, his polished black nails slipped and caught in the gouged symbol, stirring up a power that had laid dormant for an age.
When the symbol was disturbed, a monochromatic haze emerged from it until the entire terminal was enveloped with a few inches to spare. It was then that the borders between the greyscale and the real world became more defined, and the terminal in grey looked absolutely pristine — certainly no speck of dust on it, much less a massive gouge that would render it inert. In the grey world, delicate tubules filled with light had connected to the terminal, but only to the very border.
When Tama's hand slipped, his fingers were still atop the terminal screen. WELCOME, MAUVIAN HOSHI-NO-TAMA was displayed in bright letters across its otherwise blank screen.
sunshine alouette
Roselite's interest in the violet rock was commendable, but the storm at his back was fierce as ever — he'd gotten a glance enough to recognize that the rock didn't belong in a facility like this, and that something was carved into the one of its surfaces, but a chunk of obsidian material had been thrown out by the storm and sent crashing in front of the Captain. This pushed the rock some distance further, nearer to an edge.
whimsical blue
Much of the rubble that Fafnir sifted through was unworthy of comment. It looked like most of it originated from the virulent storm in the part of the room that blocked their passage deeper into the building. Pieces of building paraphernalia was among it — broken tubules, smashed metal frames, what looked like part of a spearhead and part of a sword hilt. Among the mess, however, was a rock that looked quite unlike the rest — it was colorless like glass, yet opaque, and it matched none of the material that was native to this place.
It looked like something was gouged in its face. A four?
kolina
While Heliodor remained at a safe distance, it became apparent to him that something must be generating the barrier, but that something was too far away to glean. It may have been something beneath the bones; he would have to get closer to find out.
sleet tempest snape
The smaller terminal that Valeria investigated had retained its power, unlike the one nearer to the group. As she touched the screen, it brightened with a short message: TRANSMISSION INTERRUPTED. It seems something else would be needed to make this terminal viable again.
chi honda
Bellalunae was right to suspect the rock was something strange. Much like the one Fafnir found, this rock did not match any part of the compound that they had yet seen. It, too, had a symbol gouged into its surface, though it could not be said what the rock had come from or why it had ended up in the middle of a building in the Rift. It smelled of ozone, however. It was warm, and hummed in one's hands — or paws.
As the Mauvian was investigating, a piece of metal shrapnel had dislodged from the captive storm and flew in her direction. It clattered to the ground next to her, and the rock in her paws leapt with a violent discharge of lightning that struck the piece of twisted metal and sent it skittering into the fissure in the floor. The rock, too, now sat dangerously close to falling in after it.
aurelius0815
As Atheneite crouched over the skeleton near the barrier that Heliodor observed, she would find that the bones were clutched tight over this object. After prying away the fingers from their prize, the Captain would find an old, tarnished signet ring with a stylized 4 engraved on its emerald inlay. There was once writing on the inside of the ring, but it has long since worn away by time.
Something glowed beneath the skeleton, but it was difficult to discern what it was without disturbing the body.
Strickenized
Garbage Cat
Offline
Meighei rolled 1 6-sided dice:
1Total: 1 (1-6)
Meighei
Bishoujo-senshi Mahou-shoujo
Offline
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2022 12:32 pm
WELCOME, MAUVIAN HOSHI-NO-TAMA
Oh, well, well, well…
The Mauvian’s eyes practically glimmered in light through the grey haze, his fingernails caressing the tablet. It was as if nothing else was in the room with him now. Those bright letters across a black screen were all he needed. It was sure the brothers (and the rest of the team) would be just fine on their own…
… for how could he not respond to the machine that knew his name?
“Why, ‘hello’ there yourself.” He purred, working his long fingers across the strange and pristine device. “What secrets do you hold, I wonder?”
Strickenized
[Tama] is investigating [a symbol that looked like a P]. (Roll: 1 + 1 = 2)
Captain Roselite Not giving up on the violet rock just yet. 6 + 2 = 8
Roselite yelped and pushed himself away from the debris that crashed near him, momentarily forgetting about the violet stone. He looked toward the storm, which proved itself violent and dangerous. What was it doing here in the first place? Was it something to do with the Rift, or was some other magic at play?
His heart pounded behind his ribs. He swallowed and took a deep breath, and told himself to grow a spine. None of it lessened the anxiety coursing through him. He became angry with himself when tears sprung into his eyes, blinking them away before anyone could notice.
This was not the time to embarrass himself. None of these people should have to deal with his weaknesses.
One of the Mauvians (Bellalunae) had also paused to examine a rock, but seemed to have no better luck. Roselite offered her a tremulous smile, then picked himself up to search for where their quarry had gone.
The rock had seemed out of place. There’d been something carved onto it, but Roselite hadn’t had the opportunity to get a close look. He spotted the rock near an edge and considered abandoning his pursuit. What if it was nothing and he was wasting his time, risking himself for a piece of useless debris? Alternatively, what if it wasn’t nothing, and he missed something important by abandoning it?
Roselite bit his lip. He looked toward the storm again, scared of its power, but he knew he couldn’t stand idly by. Carefully, he approached the edge, heart practically in his throat, reaching for the rock again.
Strickenized
Roselite is still trying to get a better look at the rock.
Captain Mourite Doing the 'not smart thing' and trying to move through the storm.
That was. Why the ******** was there a storm here?! How was a storm here? How had it not destroyed the rest of the space or... moved? Clearly it had to be anchored here somewhere - it was very much like those plot points in video games that are not really accessible and you gotta trigger like seven locks to unlock it.
He glanced around the group. He knew exactly no one here - Danalite never answered the call - and really didn't feel beholded to well... anyone.
So Mourite decided to do the stupid thing and walk into the storm to see if there was something at it's eye.
