Player Plot: The Crystal Temple's Secret

[princeandscholar]

Who: Characters signed up for this quest
When: 12th
Where: The Crystal Temple in Sen Devadatta
What: The Heroes of Light vs. Bahamut's Temple
Warnings/Notes: None


IC | Arrival

After a long flight to the Empire, a visit to Parasraya, and a meetup at the capital, the expedition members are loaded onto vehicles and delivered to their destination: the magnificent Crystal Temple. Alas, there is no time for a leisurely tour as the company gathers outside with caving gear and weaponry.

Once all party members are assembled, Orcelito addresses everyone:
"Thank you for coming. I know it was a long flight and there was a lot of preparation. Your presence here is appreciated, and we will be underway shortly.”

He gestures towards the Crystal Temple. “Two teams will be escorted into the basement of the temple. The rest will travel into the forest to look for a way in through the network of caverns. We have leads on where to start searching, so we can make the most of our time.

“As mentioned in the letter, the ruins have deteriorated over the years. Bahamut’s Temple is ancient, and parts of it are no longer standing. I’ve been told that some areas may be flooded or unstable.”

Orcelito pauses, scanning the group. He lowers his tone as he adds, "If you find evidence to suggest someone has tampered with the ruins recently, let me know. As well, please refrain from disturbing the ruins more than necessary. We are here on the Empire's good grace, after all."

And one more thing. "I understand it will be inconvenient, but the order not to use the Mognet is especially imperative while we're here. If you need to send a message to another team, ask one of the Moogles. They are here to help."

From where she hovers by his shoulder, Marigold waves the free paw that’s not clutching a lantern. Those traveling with their Moogle companions will notice they've been given similar lights.

Finally, he smiles; Orcelito may not know everyone here, but he's committed to leading each of them out safely. “Don’t take unnecessary risks. Look after each other.”

Once the orientation is complete, the parties are split. Orcelito turns to lead the way into the temple where a researcher stands ready to guide them to the basement. The other group will find a vehicle waiting to carry them to the forest nearby.


Team Thread Links
Team A thread: Orcelito, Tidus, Rutile, Naoto, Snow White
Team B thread : Ashelia, Castor, Terra, Klonoa, Frisk, Madhuri
Team C thread: Finn, Regis, Adrien, Sephiroth, Ursula, Papyrus, Kanji
Conclusion

Comments

[regisrex]

"Or close to it, at any rate." Regis's attention is on the map, easily. He will focus on the weapons... eventually, but this is a source of information that probably will be very important.

"'tis information that will need to be shared, for information is likely to be learned at each location." Taking. Pictures. With. His slate. Because even the unknown island's map might cold clues.

"It might be possible that what used to be an island was elevated later to what is now Cloud City. Has anyone spent much time there, this far?"

Bahamut is the only name among these that Regis knows from Eos. But he also knows a little of Alexander from Hope, while the youth was with them, too. The others he only knows from the child poem that was shared a while back.

[hatejakku]

Finn is captivated by the map, trying to memorize it as well as he can. There was no telling how old this thing was.

"I spent some time there when I first arrived," he admits, squinting at the Temple of Zodiark. "There's not much there except a few guilds and the observatory... but I don't know how it floats. And I've never bothered to look under it." Now that was an idea. But maybe this is why it floats, because of an Eidolon.

"We need to check all of these out."

[beariot]

Ursula also started to record the map, not just on her Slate but on an actual piece of parchment she'd brought with her, duplicating the entire image, or as much as her flames could highlight of it.

"Cloud City is where the Astrologian's guild is. I'm still a neophyte, but I could ask around and see if they know anything at all about Zodiark's Temple, or where it might be these days."

[neverbeamemory]

Sephiroth stepped carefully over the rusted sword in the doorway and off to the side; not to obstruct but at the same time so that he can take one of his usual long sweeping looks over the entire room before focusing in on any one detail.

What had been the function of his room, he wondered, some sort of an armory? He wasn't sure that there was nearly enough in terms of remnants of weapons or equipment for that theory to lend much weight though; that said much of this section that they've walked through had essentially been cleaned out for the most part before it had been sealed shut.

The map on that wall, however...perhaps some sort of command room? The presence of a map in such a way, mounted on a wall, suggested some sort of purpose here at least. Sephiroth strode closer then, lingering behind the group still but positioning himself so he could at least see overheads or between others. Quickly but carefully running his attention from one marked temple to the next. He didn't yet know so much about all the different locations on Vaikuntha, but the features are pretty much exactly matching what one could easily pull up on their Slate. Aside from Asura and Zodiark, he knew these other names well enough.

He offered a curt nod in Ursula's direction.

"I might also be able to ask at the Illusionist Guild. Levitation is one of the primary skills." Sephiroth slowly swept his head to one side, just to shift a few strands of his silver hair that had ended up in his vision once more.

"What about these other locations, for Asura and Alexander? Is anyone familiar?"

In the meantime, it was Sephiroth's turn to also take out his Slate and try to attempt to take a few photos in the lantern light.

[modelcivilian]

Adrien would snap a photo, but he thinks Blanc was doing that... or just not giving him his slate again. Looks like he might be stuck as Spellbinder for a bit...

"Huh? Oh yeah... The Temple of Asura is where the I.B. Magitek Tower is now. And the Temple of Alexander is... right, that should be the Grand McGard Library." Which was interesting because if he remembered right, another Eidolon was actually in the Library. Sounded like some real disconnect between the Eidolons and the Legendary ones... weird.

"... What if Zodiark's Temple isn't in Cloud City at all, but in the water now?" And if it was raised up in Cloud City, why wasn't it mentioned anywhere?

[einspine]

Papyrus, like the others, keeps his attention on the map. He's even pulled out a clipboard to take notes. As he writes, however, he nods at the others' remarks. This is all very valid.

"PERHAPS WE COULD INVESTIGATE BOTH CLOUD CITY AND THE SEA? THOUGH WE'D NEED ADEQUATE EQUIPMENT. A SUBMARINE, PERHAPS?"

Hmm. Something worth checking into, at least.

"THE MAGITEK TOWER, THOUGH... I DO WONDER HOW WE'D SWAY THEM TO LET US ACCESS IT. IT'S SUCH A CRUCIAL LOCATION..."

But surely their cause is worth it, right?

[princeandscholar]

Should the party examine the weapons and pieces of armor, they are nothing particularly special in make or design. Antiques, certainly, but age has rendered the durability so low they would break in a single hit. (Alas, Team B has all the fun.)

The faint grating sounds continue to reverberate through the chambers, no closer and no further. It seems to be originating from deeper in where the party has yet to travel.

[beariot]

Ursula finished up her notes quickly enough, but she couldn't ignore that noise coming from the deeper parts of the temple. What the hell was that? It sounded like a mechanism of some sort...

"Does anyone else hear that noise?"

[regisrex]

"Aye." Putting his tablet away, Regis turned away from the map, peering into the dimness beyond the current chamber. "It seems our journey is not over, yet. Shall we?"

[einspine]

"YES! LET'S CONTINUE FORTH!!! WE CAN ALWAYS SPECULATE ON THESE TEMPLES FURTHER... PERHAPS OVER THE MOGNET?"

But for now, he turns toward the direction of the sound, eager to continue. Of course, he'll wait until the others are ready before proceeding. It's only fair!

[modelcivilian]

"Yeah, we should do that. Inform everyone else that way too..."

Meanwhile, as they began to march, Adrien would softly begin checking the tuning of his instrument... just in case. Though, that sound going on could just be Knock still...

[neverbeamemory]

Somewhere during Sephiroth's pondering and snapshotting, the faint grinding had faded into a background noise much like the otherwise deafening silence behind the footfalls and dialogue of the party. It's presence noted but not otherwise considered much since it changed neither in pitch nor volume so far; though it did seem odd now that thoughts went in that direction. Everything had been picked clean down here for the most part so why there would be something left running?

True to form, though, Sephiroth will not be the one to lead the way out of the room even if Jennifer did try to indicate for him to by hovering her lantern near to the doorway. At the very least no one might trip up on the rusted sword on the floor.

[princeandscholar]

Out of the map room and down a passage, the team enters a spacious hall that reverberates with echoes. Stone pillars support a high ceiling, yet the flagstones are covered in dirt and rocks. Directing a light towards the heaviest of the damage, it appears the upper half of a wall tumbled down. Near the ceiling, they can just make out a broad, deep breach in the exposed earth and stone. Strange that the air in here isn’t as stale as one might expect… perhaps the tunnel connects to the cavern or another area.

Fortunately, there's very little guessing about how to proceed; two corridors are blocked by rubble and only the third is clear. There's debris on the path, but most of it is cleared against the walls as if something passed before.

The rumbling grows, filling the air to drown out voices and footfalls. It doesn't pause for long before starting again, in shorter bursts now, then a longer stretch. There is no set rhythm, only a steady grinding underlaying a cacophony of rocks being broken and shifted.

Ahead, the din issues from a wide archway leading into a dark chamber at the end of the hall.

[hatejakku]

The sound was ominous and enough to set him on edge, but the destruction around them was starting to make him wary. It's the cleared path that really gets Finn's attention before he listens a little closer to the sound. No rhythm, but-

"I'm not sure we're alone down here," he finally says, resting one hand on the gun at his side. "Something's definitely been in this place since its been wrecked."

[beariot]

Ursula kept the floating lanterns out, but made sure to draw them closer to the group as the moved along. She couldn't help but agree with Finn's assessment.

"There are a few possibilities, but not all of them suggest something living or even active. The sound is arrhythmic, but that doesn't rule out a mechanism of some sort. Either way, everyone should definitely be on guard..."

[einspine]

"AGREED. JUST SAY THE WORD, AND I CAN START MIXING ITEMS- JUST AS PRECAUTION. WE MAY END UP NEEDING THEM..."

Though for now, he'd follow, look, and listen. Could it be the wind? Some other natural phenomena? One could hope, at any rate. But, knowing this world and their track record, a dangerous encounter remained just as likely.

[neverbeamemory]

Somewhere along the route that was available to them, Sephiroth felt on the inside of his trench-coat a bit to make sure the weight of his Slate was still present. There was no reason it shouldn't be, but the louder the rumbling got the clearer it became -just as Finn said- that they might not actually be alone down here. Somehow.

Machinery or monster; it didn't matter. It felt that he was going to need to switch Swordmaster into his active job slot in order to be better prepared. After all in Illusionist, he only had the initial skill in at this point. Sephiroth didn't yet take the Slate out of his pocket though, instead focusing on keeping his perception sharp as they proceeded, and listening to what he could make of others' comments over the growing din.

[princeandscholar]

That din falls suddenly into silence. There's a scuffling, scraping, then grinding like stone being wrenched out of mortar. Beyond the archway, a slab of rock goes hurdling past to shatter across the opposite wall. A thick cloud of dust rises from the debris and escapes out the room to waft over the deliberating group.

Fortunately for any coughing the party is now doing, the ruckus resumed immediately.

[hatejakku]

Finn hides his nose and mouth in his elbow, closes his eyes, and bows away against the cloud of debris. To say he was shocked would be an understatement. It all happened so fast that he didn't even have time to yell out in panic.

He looked back up again, actually missing the Stormtrooper helmet for once, and tried to look through the dust. "Where did that come from!?" It sounded like the noise had something to do with it.

... In retrospect, he thought it was probably dumb to yell right now.

[beariot]

Ursula let out a panicked yelp when the slab hit the wall, going into a fit of coughing once the dust started to overtake them. In her panic, her torches went out, leaving them in darkness...

[princeandscholar]

Finn and Ursula yell, the flames go out, and the ruckus comes to an abrupt halt.

There's silence from the chamber ahead, with only the lingering rustle of settling debris. The thick dust obscures the area, rendering any rekindled light as a haze around the party.

And now there's a crunch as of something heavy pressing into gravel. A curious noise, like a series of clicks, proceeds it. It does not sound mechanical.

[neverbeamemory]

Sephiroth had also covered his face somewhere in the crook of his elbow as the slab of rock had collided with the wall and erupted all sorts of rock dust into the close air. Slowly he raised his head from it and cast a careful look around in the darkness, the haze from Jennifer's mog-lantern floating like an iridescent misshapen orb of light nearby as she caught up to the group. He waved his hand at her, which followed with that light being extinguished as well. Better to have naturally adjusted low-light vision than the lanterns in the haze they were left in, a pity however that adjustment would take a few moments; given human limitations.

The crunch sound immediately pulled Sephiroth's sharp attention from others, back in the direction of the archway. What he wouldn't give for the superhuman senses that he'd once taken for granted, those clicks certainly don't sound like a machine of any sort...but then that led to trying to guess what manner of creature they were about to encounter.

"...curious sound." He mused lowly, ensuring to keep his voice as low and quiet as possible.

[modelcivilian]

Adrien took off his hat to try gusting away some of the dust around his face, coughing at the bit that still managed to get into his nose and mouth. Not at all pleasant - he didn't even notice Blanc's light go out, but that was probably for the best.

A knock to the head from the large moogle, and Adrien listened closely to the strange sound ahead.

"... Pincers?" he questioned just above a whisper though that wasn't all that could make a clicking noise. He put his hat back on and got ready all the same. Whatever it was, it was probably going to attack them.

Final Summary for Team C

[princeandscholar]

The heavy crunching and intermittent clicking draws closer… and moves further away. Keen eyes may detect the shape of something large moving beyond the archway, easily ten feet long and taller than the party members. Whatever it is, it seems to be examining where the slab of stone it threw broke apart; there is clattering as debris is shoved aside and snuffling as the remains are nosed through. (Fortunately for the party, the mud they accumulated during their spelunking and the cloud of dust are covering their scent. For now.)

-

Whether the party chose to engage the Boss, or the Boss chose to engage them, they finally get a good look at each other.

Covered in scales the color of dried blood and ridged along the back and tail with spines, the beast is easily ten feet from snout to tail tip, standing higher than the party members on muscular hind legs. Raptor? Wyvern? It's a little of both, but definitely suited to the earth. The sinuous body with a wide, powerful chest and shoulders support thick arms and claws suited for digging. After so long in the darkness, its pale amber eyes squint shut at the party's offending lantern lights, and the beast repeats the curious clicking noise from its throat.

While the claws may be blunt, its teeth are definitely not, and the party gets a good look at them as the creature snarls. (It’s not a wholly unhappy snarl… I mean, who turns down free food?)

As expected, the beast puts up a furious fight, and it takes some doing to finally defeat it.

Once they're no longer fighting for their lives, the party can examine the beast's work in the room. Set within one wall of the spacious chamber is a great fireplace… which has been aggressively hollowed out. Seems your scaly opponent was illegally excavating a historic site ripping the stones out of the mortar to get to the area behind it!

With effort, the party will be able to finish breaking through the remaining wall into a new room! It's dirty in here, as wet and cold as everything else has been, and the doorway needs to be cleared. But once they're out and shining a light into the main passage – hey, are those footprints passing through here? They are! And following them leads to familiar voices and warm lantern lights.

Congratulations, Team C, you've entered the main part of Bahamut's Temple! Teams A and B have reconvened and are ready to tackle the final area together, so why don't you join them?