• Event • [Moderated Thread]Mapping the Ice Caves: Trial 1

Cold caves filled with... well, who knows?

13th of Ashan 717

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Niv
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[Moderated Thread]Mapping the Ice Caves: Trial 1

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Like the others in the Altar, Niv watched the beautiful and surreal display play out before them. The Tunawa was confident that they had done something good, the altar had clearly fallen dormant and needed to be awoken with prayer. Niv came to this conclusion before she had even seen that the light sucking shadows in the hallway were no more. When she did, it reaffirmed her faith and made her smile. As much as Niv wanted to think of things in a scientific manner now that she was a student, it felt good to get in touch with her roots.

Niv nodded to Lakia in agreement when she suggested not talking any samples. Everything in this room belonged, to take something from it might diminish its power and cause more harm then good.



When they got back to camp, the other part of their group had sustained injuries some how. While jackson went to work on giving them medical attention, Niv was eager to be of assistance. She hopped around him until he ether gave her something to do or told her to bugger off. If the latter was true, Niv would frown but leave with little protest.

When deciding what to do next, the rockfall and the honeycomb wall were mentioned. Niv recalled a small opening in the rockfall that she could fit in but to her dismay Arwel pointed out that the same was the case with the dreaded honeycomb wall. Since anything to do with bees made Niv’s vines wilt, she would of course want to go to the rockfall.

“I saw a tiny hole in deh rockfall dat I should be able to get through as well…” She paused to take a gulp of air and hold back what she was about to say. “ I guess I could go to deh honey comb and look inside too…” She paused again looking around at everyone with a face of worry. “There isn’t bee’s inside of it is dere?”

Niv would definitely push for the rockfall, but if everyone wanted to go to the honeycomb, she would reluctantly follow.
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[Moderated Thread]Mapping the Ice Caves: Trial 1

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It was unnerving. Not just the still lingering sensation of what he could only have described as a religious experience, in spite of not being the least bit religious himself. But the way the figure that he'd decided must have represented him, moved just as he'd thought of moving himself. As if it, or something, had read his mind before he'd known it himself, and anticipated his actions.

But then, between the three of them, something they'd done had caused the place to light up and come to life. As if it was an ordinary lit temple or sanctuary. As such things went, he guessed, down below ground in ice caverns that might not have been explored for decades or longer.

Still, he finished taking his notes, making his drawings, but took no samples before they left the place alone, and returned in order to join the others. When they told the others what had happened to them, and were told in turn what had occurred down the other tunnel, Padraig wondered if it might have been better had they stayed together. But then, maybe not. He tended to believe that there was some sort of connection between the two events. It might not be wholly scientific, but as a scholar he couldn't help but believe there was at least some science at work.

He wasn't as much use at others when it came to tending wounds, so he'd take a moment to explore the other tunnel, and take a sample of the shards that had been the wolf, before coming back to rejoin the group. When Amaris mentioned the honeycombed wall though, and the fact that she'd heard the laughter of children, Padraig looked up in some surprise. "I thought I'd imagined it. But I was standing near there myself when I saw a child. A young girl, watching me. But when I blinked she was gone, and there were no footprints in the snow to indicate she'd been there."

He'd definitely like to go back to that area again, and he added, "I saw her again when we were passing through the dark corridor. She took my hand and walked with me, then was gone again." At least he wasn't alone in having experienced something so strange. Chances were, he hadn't gone mad if there were two of them at least.

The rockfall though, also needed a second look. He hadn't collected samples there before, and wanted to. Still, in response to Niv's concerns, Padraig grinned a little and said, "I suspect that it's the shape, the honeycombed wall. Not that it's made of honey or that there are bees inside."

At least he hoped not. He'd already seen some creatures in the area that were many times larger than they ought to be. And would rather not be confronted by a swarm of giant angry bees, were they to disturb their nest. Still, if they were all going together, and he believed they should, his preference was to visit the rockfall, then the honeycombed wall afterwards.
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[Moderated Thread]Mapping the Ice Caves: Trial 1

The Ice Caves of Ishallr
The First Trial
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13th Ashan 717
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Having thoroughly explored the alcove, which had nothing more in it now that shards of ice-wolf, Arwel had taken a few samples, although Amaris had left well enough alone. When the other three came back in, Jackson looked up and motioned to Padraig towards the alcove. "Ice wolf, it exploded, there are bits of it in there. Make sure you get samples for Zach."

It's strange how things happen, how very simple and taken for granted things can be very important. Take, for example, Amaris' decision to pop back and pick up a first aid kit. Easy, simple, straightforward. A decision which could be made without worry or concern. Jackson was tending to Arwel's wounds at that point and so didn't notice. However, he looked up and noticed her gone and frowned. "Where's Amaris?" he asked. No one seemed to know in that instant and Jackson snarled. "We don't split up, just wander off. This place isn't safe!"

He was not one bit impressed and when Amaris came back, he turned on her and, in that moment he was furious. "I told you, we work as a team. If you wander off again, you stay wandered off." Now, as much as Jackson was angry, the others had seen the worry on his face and the relief which had been there when Amaris came into sight. Amaris, of course, only saw the fury.

However, Jackson's fury might not be the most concerning thing to Amaris, who did not return with a first aid kit. Where one (or even two) walls of darkness had disappeared, it seemed that a new one had appeared. Right across the entrance they had come through, effectively meaning that, since the darkness was solid, the group were stranded in this place. The wall of solid darkness stretched across the first cavern, cutting off a bit of it - where the pond and the now-shattered corpses were, was no longer visible.
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Then, as a group the consensus seemed to be to explore the rockfall and then the honeycomb (which hopefully did not contain any bees, giant or otherwise). So, first things first, they went to the rockfall. Niv was right, she could fit through there quite easily but, Lakia had presumed correctly; the rocks themselves had changed. They were not the type of rocks which sucked in light any more, they were just... rocks. Some big, some small. Relatively easy to clear as a rockfall, too, if they chose to.

And of course, where there had previously been darkness because of those rocks, there was light. So, Niv could go through with relative ease and did so. The others could peer through or clear the rocks, as they chose. Behind the rockfall was a small room, roughly circular in shape. It was unremarkable in and of itself, just a small and simple example of an ice cave. However, it was it's contents which were of interest.

Ice statues. Exquisite, beautiful, realistic statues carved from the very ice around them. It was a scene which was depicted. A woman and a child sitting together around a table all carved from ice. There were candles lit on the table, there were plates with food and everything, literally down to each individual pea, was carved from ice. None of them stuck together, all of them were perfect. There were glasses of ice with water in them, and the water was not frozen. The level of detail was amazing, but what purpose it served? Who knew? A few things which might be of particular interest, though, were the people. The woman was faceless, a blank sheet of ice where her face should be but the child? Padraig had seen her twice already and there she was again, in perfect detail.
Niv's bane, the honeycomb was all that remained that trial, and the tiny Tunawa could easily squeeze her way through. There were no bees to be concerned with, but instead she found that the space she moved through was thin - someone with a small amount of muscle could break down this wall fairly easily, especially if it was littered with the honeycomb holes. She found herself in another small room, this one with a river running through it. The ice was as cold here as anywhere, and yet the river ran. There was nothing else specifically in this room, but there was an exit opposite the honeycomb wall, so it seemed that whatever was here, stretched on further. The water was fast flowing and there was a single, narrow bridge across it, leading into the rest of the caverns from this section.

"Alright," Jackson said, his voice gruff. "We can move that rockfall and take samples from the statues. Make any further notes, maps and so on, but we do it in pairs at least." He gave Amaris a baleful glare then. "I suggest then that we set up camp, get a few breaks of sleep. We set watches through the night." It sounded like he was ticking things off a list, which he was in truth. "I have small bags filled with orange sand from Faldass, so it's warm, things like that. We pick a spot and set up camp there. Then we pick a direction and go there. I suggest that we go east, because at the moment there's a wall in between us and whatever's behind it. If we break it down before we need to, we open ourselves up." He shrugged, there were alternative arguments and he knew that. "But I go with the majority on that. However, considering we've been attacked, new places we go into, no splitting up."

So, our erstwhile heroes had a lot to discuss. They had two options for ways to go - west from behind the honeycomb wall (which someone would have to break down if they did that) in the first cavern or east at the top of the second cavern.

Of course, one option which was no longer open to them? Out

On that, Jackson sighed. "Don't suppose anyone's got a means of communicating with the outside, do they?"
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In Room 4 you have not fully explored.
In Room 5 you have not fully explored.
I will post again on the 23rd April or sooner if everyone has posted by then.
This thread, and this adventure, is now closed to new players.

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In your next post!

Ok guys - this is the last post in this thread. In your next post, please include everything you want to do before setting out again the next morning. I will be posting the new thread based on your actions in this post. Please remember to let me know what samples of what you're taking. Thanks!

Hope you enjoyed this thread. Review will follow asap!

Samples

Arwel has samples of ice wolf shard
Padraig has samples of ice wolf shard
If I missed anything, drop me a pm. Don't worry about keeping track, I have a document, I just appreciate you checking in case I miss anything. Thanks.
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Amaris
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[Moderated Thread]Mapping the Ice Caves: Trial 1

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The reception upon their return to the group was certainly a surprise. Amaris had not expected the reaction, more lost in their musing. They had been unable to return to the storeroom, met by the presence of more darkness. It was only for a trill, but they debated going through it. Instead, they’d touched it, only to find a solid mass rather than their fingers slipping through air. Even with no one around, it would have felt shameful to have walked into it. Sighing, they returned to the group, where they were met with Jackson’s sharp rebuke. They froze, shocked into stillness. The last time they had been so firmly chastised had been as a child. Wide-eyed, they swallowed as Jackson walked away. They had come to form a fairly neutral opinion of their guide, but that was altered well-enough by his outburst. They’d have their new opinion formed when the shock wore off.

Amaris returned to Arwel, noting absently that his wounds had already been tended to. Their cheeks heated, they averted their gaze to anywhere but at anyone. They caught Arwel giving his name, and despite the humiliation they felt at their public scolding, they returned the gesture. “My name is Amaris. It has been a pleasure exploring with you.” They offered up a smile as best they could before looking away. The feeling of wanting to sink into the ground was not unfamiliar, phantom fingers prodding at them as they looked away again. They mentally cursed their height. If they were someone of Niv’s size, they could easily have slunk into someone’s pocket and remained there rather than being visible to everyone.

Padraig’s own revelation about the honeycomb wall was enough to knock them from their stupor. His--was visitation the right word?--was far more tangible than theirs had been. They found this both astonishing and perplexing. Was there a reason the child had made themselves visible to Padraig in particular? Or was it just chance? The spiritual side of the world was not their forte, but it was as intriguing as anything else.

The decision for their next move was made and they went first to the rockfall. As they cleared enough to see better, Amaris was met with yet another intriguing phenomena. They were no expert by any means on sculpture, but the ice before them had been crafted into something by a master. They attempted to keep a strong mental image as the group turned back to the honeycomb wall. Niv squeezed through easily enough, and they were rewarded with the revelation of another room. It could only be accessed by breaking the wall. Upon further inspection, it was declared that they could do so with minimal amount of force. Which was to say, that Amaris ( assuming that they were the least suited for feats of strength aside from Niv ) would be able to do just that. They, however, did not volunteer to do so.

Amaris was once more chastised, though through gesture this time rather than a verbal remark, and they shrunk back. They had a feeling that their mistake would likely not be left off any time soon. They sentenced themselves to silence and contemplation, and thus refrained from voicing input on which direction they should go in. Once it was chosen, they moved with the others back to the rockfall in still more silence. It was for the best. They were sure to not stray far from the others as they took samples of the water in the ice and a bit of the carved food. The detail continued to inspire awe in them as they moved to stand before the woman. While the sculpture’s face was blank, all other details remained. They marked this observation down quickly before checking to be sure they were still close to the others.

It would seem the idea of remaining “wandered off” had inspired a new need for togetherness in them.
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Niv
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[Moderated Thread]Mapping the Ice Caves: Trial 1

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“You probably shouldn’t wander of..” Niv sighed as she reluctantly agreed with Mr. Eclipse. While it was a mistake Niv would easily make herself if not for the snowdrifts, like the others she had witnessed the genuine concern in their guides face. It made Niv wonder for a moment if maybe this man was nicer than he let on but had no way of expressing his concern without being a boar about it.

After the outburst about safety, Niv ensured others knew where she was going before slipping through the rock fall alone. The Tunawa had already received permission but she still didn’t want to alarm anyone with a sudden disappearance. On the other side Niv saw the statues, They were so detailed with the exception of the women face which seemed to have melted of. There was definitely a strange narrative present to this place. Niv tried to piece it together using the sculptures and Padraig’s experience, but all she came up with was that a young girl and mother once lived here and tended to the shrine. Niv knew this was only the beginning and that it likely didn’t have a happy ending.

Niv waited as the others did there best to sketch and write notes, she lifted things and answered any questions they had about the area as best she could. Before leaving Niv took the smallest of samples from the statue of the little girl. She used a small knife to do so and was very careful not to ruin the craftsmanship.

Then came time to look at the honeycomb wall, the thing Niv wasn’t looking forward to in the slightest. Niv didn’t trust the place at all no matter how much everyone assured her Bees had nothing to do with it. She slowly crawled through one of the holes, as her eyes darted about in paranoia and she was startled by the tiniest of sounds. Thankfully the wall was thin and Niv was in an out before she even realized.

“Dis wall thin” Niv concluded as looked up at it with a narrow gaze. “if you strong enough you can smash through it I dink”
The Tunawa certainly wouldn’t mind seeing the wall gone, it still made her uneasy just looking at it.

Niv stumbled over to the river, that should by her minor understanding of science be rendered solid. Whether it be by spiritual means or by some kind of chemical addition, Niv took out another test tube and carefully took a sample. Niv knew not to let the water touch her, after seeing what it did to the dead bodies from earlier. However some of the water still got on Niv’s gloves without Niv’s notice.

—————————————————————

With everything they wanted to do for the day done, it was time to set up camp. If any one set up a fire of some kind, Niv would visibly panic showing her intense fear of the natural occurrence. She would relax a bit but would still stay clear of the fire at all costs.

“What makes dis Faldass sand hot?” Niv asked the group wearily. She eyed it suspiciously and would wince if it was held near her. A part of her wanted to know for academic reasons..but it was mostly fear that made her curious.

Niv didn’t bring herself much in the way of bedding but would wrap herself up in the the corner of someones sleeping bag if they let her.

Niv was likely to go where ever the group wished to, she didn’t have the strength to break a wall so she couldn’t really decide.[/spoil]
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Padraig
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[Moderated Thread]Mapping the Ice Caves: Trial 1

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Right. No splitting up. It made good sense in honesty. Splitting into groups had already resulted in one group being attacked without the others to help fight off the threat. But an important piece of knowledge had come from Amaris' brief separation. They couldn't go back the way they'd come in. And as he'd tell their guide when later he'd ask, Padraig at least had no way of communicating with the outside.

Still, the extent of their guide's response to Amaris' actions was curious. It could be he was particularly high strung as a rule. Or he was particularly susceptible to fear and the unknown. Or, he knew something the rest of them didn't. No matter. It made good sense anyway.

As they moved to the rockfall and he watched Niv crawl through a space only she could, for Padraig's part he'd begin clearing a section that he could crawl through himself. And once he spotted what was inside, all the more to go in and look for himself. The scene in honesty unnerved him. Statues exquisitely carved, but is that what they were exactly? And why wasn't the woman's face finished? "That's her," he told the others. "That's the girl I saw earlier, the one who took my hand."

He wasn't an artist and his drawing skills wouldn't give it justice. But in addition to drawing what he saw, he'd take detailed notes. Then he'd take samples. The water which wasn't frozen but should be. A few peas from the plates. A scraping from the woman's hair and so on. And still he remained feeling unsettled about what this really was. And if it was truly only a sculpture, who had done it. And why? There was no doubt in his mind that all the things they'd experienced seemed connected. The pillars, the wolf, the altar, now this...

Back in the first chamber with the honeycombed wall, he waited with the others while Niv crawled through it. And what she told them when she returned made him believe they needed to break through that wall and explore further. But their guide was right. They ought to rest first. "I suggest that after we've rested, we explore the other side of that wall. But we shouldn't break through it until then," he said.

As for bedding down for the night, as it happened his bedroll had been packed for him. It was of a size to fit two and it had been packed with small sacks of the sand that would keep both the bedroll and him plenty warm for some time to come. The size meant there was plenty of room, and so he'd offer to let Niv crawl inside and sleep, rather than be exposed out in the open, all on her own.
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[Moderated Thread]Mapping the Ice Caves: Trial 1

Lakia wasn't surprised to see that the rockfall had changed, but she was a little underwhelmed with how it had changed. She had expected more than just...rocks. Still, she helped to clear the rockfall out of the way so that they could explore behind it. She remained silent as they explored the room, only taking a few samples of the peas for the researchers. It was the water, however, that really interested the Naer. Taking out an arrow, she dipped the tip in the water and took samples from it the same way she had taken samples of the water in the pond earlier, then put this new arrow to her bow, curious to see if it had the same effect as the last arrow she had dipped in the water.

When they made camp, she listened to the arguments about where they would go in the morning. "If the walls that easy to break down, odds are good it wouldn't stop anything from coming after us. Better to know for sure and deal with it if it comes to that." she said as she considered the darkness now preventing them from leaving. "That being said, before we break into the wall, I want to take another look at those shadows over the exit. I'm...I'm a Naerikk. In my true form, I am a shadow, so I might be able to go through where other races can't. Worth checking, at least." she said, before she laid down to rest for the night, or whatever it was.
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[Moderated Thread]Mapping the Ice Caves: Trial 1

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[Moderated Thread]Mapping the Ice Caves: Trial 1

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Arwel was a bit confused on what happened, Amaris suddenly disappearing despite mentioning wanting to tend to his wounds, he ended up letting Jackson take care of his wounds instead, wincing at the puncture wounds in particular, but it was nothing that would necessarily keep him from continuing on. It was after he was bandaged up, and did his best to help Jackson tend to his own wounds in thanks for their guide helping him, that Amaris returned, and he turned to glance at her before introducing himself and learning her name in turn. It was interesting to learn that they could not go back the way they came, and he was glad that he brought plenty for himself in terms of supplies since it was likely they'd not be able to return right away. It was definitely a good idea to switch out his items like his bedroll with a thicker one more designed for colder climates.

He noticed the concern that their guide had over Amaris' disappearance, and frankly, he'd been concerned at first as well by her disappearance, especially considering what they'd just seen in the alcove. So he was just as relieved as Jackson to see her return, though he did not follow suit with his outburst and merely looked at Amaris, glad that nothing had attacked along with her discovery of the way being blocked. He thought on it a moment, but he wasn't sure how the others would take to magic, and his fear of being ostracized kept him from mentioning that he might be able to at the least get a message out through a portal made with Ruptering...if there was a place already existing for him to draw from. But he didn't say anything, worried enough that they'd learn he was aukari, he didn't want to make things worse by admitting he knew magic as well. He shook the thoughts from his mind for now as the general consensus was to explore first the rockfall and then the honeycombed wall. After Niv went through, he worked with Padraig and Jackson to remove the stones, placing his as carefully as Jackson did. When he saw the ice sculptures, he didn't dare touch the humanoid ones, something felt off to him, perhaps it was due to the woman being faceless, and instead only took a few peas as a sample off the plate and a spoon, but other than that he didn't touch anything else. The honeycombed wall was an interesting area as well. He reloaded his pistol crossbow with a bolt, and made sure Niv saw him do it, just in case. While he didn't think it likely there were any bees, it was clear that she was scared of the idea so why not add a bit of security?

He turned his attention to Jackson when he spoke, listening intently at what he ticked off for them to do. "I can take first watch, if no one else wishes to." He said softly, thinking about doing some writing of his own during so. "And um...I think going through the honeycombed wall is a good idea too..." his voice trailed off a bit as he looked to the ground, wanting to say more but not having the courage to say much of anything else.
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[Moderated Thread]Mapping the Ice Caves: Trial 1

The Ice Caves of Ishallr
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