melodiesofeternity | Event || Mysterious Fathoms Below

Event || Mysterious Fathoms Below

Who: All characters who signed up
When: June 23rd-25th
Where: Ka'Pandol, the underwater city
What: While the outworlders and their guides are touring the new arena at Ka'Pandol, the city begins to flood. It is up to them to activate the ancient drainage system beneath the city before the Blitzball Association is forced to cancel the upcoming tournament.

The Zora guide, Pharce, is leading the group from the Curti Center through the center of town, waxing poetical about the legend of the First Zora, when the sirens begin to wail. At first, the residents of Ka'Pandol wave it off as a drill, but the sirens do not stop, and as they walk, the visitor shoes are beginning to get soaked through with sea water that is slowly rising.

"Come along, quickly, all of you!" the guide calls, leading the group to the Bureau of Tourism near the city center. As they walk, the group will see the aquatic residents quickly deploying bubble helmets around their 'exotic' pets -dogs, cats, parrots, squirrels- heads, just in case City Management takes their time righting whatever issue the dome is having.

"Inside, please. Safety first is our motto, so let's get you outfitted," Pharce says, waiving them inside. Each person is given one of the patented Ka'Pandol Bubble Helm, which will allow them to breath comfortably for several hours. Those that cannot swim are issued an emergency life vest as well.

The water had reached knee-level now. An emergency evacuation message broadcasts from loudspeakers.

"Well, yes, you could...but where's the fun in that?"

Pharce waves at the Hypello gift shop owner, and the two bow their heads in discussion for a moment. When they part, Pharce pats the Hypello (whose nametag declares him 'Shtan') on the back.

"My good friend will lend us some of his wares, if you will join me in saving the city. We wouldn't want this little mishap to delay the big game, after all."

Those that agree to hold off on fleeing the city will be split into groups and given instructions on where to go in order to help the sinking city of Ka'Pandol.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"W-what's off the path?!" Hunk doesn't hesitate with his questioning. All he needs is one look at this group: a few normal-ish teenagers, two Vaikunthan natives, an elf, and a whale? They're gonna have a bad time if something goes wrong. And as a ~~Paladin of Voltron dedicated to protecting others~~ Magitek Knight, with his heavy armor, Lightning Bullets, and chrome floaties, he'd probably have to dive into the thick of things if monsters showed up.

"It's monsters, isn't it?!" There's a panic evident in his voice as his hands, balled up into fists, are brought to his chest. "I bet it's monsters. Y'know, the last time I went and helped an underwater civilization, there was an evil alien sea serpent that mind controlled people." And then he starts frantically looking around. Back and forth and- oh no, they're underwater so he adds in up and down too!

"S-so stay behind me. I guess?" Hunk couldn't be less comfortable in this situation if he tried, so instead he's trying to act confident. It's not working, either.

(( y'all feel free to do normal tags, I just accidentally wrote this in longer format and was too lazy to rewrite it... ))

Edited 2018-06-23 21:29 (UTC)

[ Ena is LAMENTING this whole situation. Sure, she has a bubble help. Sure, she has some floaties. But she would be "helping" with evacuation if she were left to her own devices. There was no backing down now, though. There was a mission to accomplish and by golly she was going to do her best to help even if she couldn't swim. ]

Whatever it is, it isn't worth the danger finding out what it is. Anyone who ventures off the path does so at their own risk. Since we are visitors here, I advise all of us to listen to the locals. [ Her voice is stern as she addresses the rest of the group. There will be absolutely NO casualties on her watch. Not if she could help it. They would all stay in her sight.

She awkwardly takes a waddling step off to the side to allow the others past her. ] I'll watch the back. [ That way, she can keep an eye on the shorter ones. And so that no one would see how awkwardly she flails about when the time comes to swim. ]

[ Futaba's voice is dry... almost bored. ]

Need me to cast a Bole? Or Boon of the Stars, that's probably more reliable anyway.

[ Since Bole would require her actually drawing the right card. ... Honestly she's not so sure this was the best of ideas herself. Her own emergency life vest is proudly indicating her complete inexperience with underwater movement. But she'd had enough of the whole "sitting around not having any clue how things were going on while others were doing vitally-important, life-threatening things" for one lifetime. Plus Ren was going too, even if he'd ended up in a different group somehow.

Also wow Ena, Futaba hadn't been planning on disregarding the locals advice - there didn't seem like much point too right now. But now she half-kind of wants to just to be contrary.

Something to keep in mind for later. In the meantime. ]

I'll keep on lookout, Hunk. I can't navigate down here like normal but I can do that much, at least. Sooner we get in, sooner we get out.

[ She's almost sounding like she's done this kind of thing before???? Maybe she's just talking about the Astrologian navigation thing. ]

[Given Hope was new, the only thing he really had was unlimited pocket space. He felt rather ridiculous with the bubble and life vest, but he wasn't a good swimmer so he wasn't going to throw a fit about it.

His hand also snags on the back of Hunk's shirt, mostly to keep some sort stability even as the waters rise. He gives the shirt a tug.]

I'm sure we'll be fine, Hunk. We'll stay on the path. No one is suggesting otherwise. [He gives Ena a small smile but also a look. Then, he looks to Futaba.] Let's see what we got going for us and we can decide a strategy once we have more information.

[After all, he had no idea what to do with the crazy straw.]

Edited 2018-06-24 01:39 (UTC)

[Gi was going to help with evacuation efforts, but there are quite a few of the locals already doing that, and draining the city is also important. The seawater's already ruined some of his things, and he'd like to salvage whatever he can.]

No one's going to get eaten the second they step off the path. [A pause, then:] Probably. Watch out for the Octopodes though, they're grabby.

[Hi, he's a local, you might want to listen to at least half of what he has to say. He's too squishy to lead the group, so he's going to stick to the back with his harpoon gun. A bow it is not; hopefully it doesn't have horrible recoil.]

[ Lean doesn’t think anything else of the warning other than it being a simple instruction - and let’s face it, some of these people might need to learn how to keep their attention focused on a single goal. As cryptic as the Zora was, it doesn’t necessarily mean they would be pushed into putting their lives at risk for no reason. ]

It’s probably going to be difficult to navigate, is all. Don’t let your imagination run wild before we’ve even started.

[ Except he’s a bit hypocritical in his last sentiment, for this whole adventure fills him with excitement. After all, it’s not every day you get to have a chance to see the underwater realm up close - that alone has him move towards the front of the group (but not taking a lead just yet, he’s fine minding his own business). ]

I've done plenty of ocean work without mind-controlling serpents. Once we drop below the water level, I can circle above and help anyone who can't swim very well. Remember, we have more than two dimensions to work with -- even if we stay close to the bottom, there is still above to think about.

[S'reee was calm and professional: this was her element. Sure, she'd have to watch her air if they were down for a long time, as the bubble affixed to her back wasn't really designed to go over a blowhole, but she was at home in the ocean, and was even starting to learn the seas in the area as part of her employment. And she had sonar and the natural sounds of the ocean to give her awareness.]

[The open trapdoor leads down to the Oubliette beneath the city. The path before them leads down and to the southeast, back in the direction of the city's center.

Glowing algea grows sporadically on the walls, giving the party light to see by as they enter the hallway. At the end of this first stretch of hall is a large chamber, empty of any living creatures, from which they can see a more purposeful glow emanating from the far wall.]

If we should listen to the locals, shouldn't they be up front? [ Hunk whines out the end of the question, and it's abundantly clear that he's not used to running vanguard on something like this. But then that whine roughens itself into a groan, and he starts swimming forward despite all the hesitation. He did volunteer, after all. ]

Y'know, if there were monsters down here, they'd tell us... right? [ Here and there, he'll stop to poke the glowing algae on the walls- it's pretty! Plus it gives the slower swimmers time to catch up as he enters the larger chamber. ] I mean, they gotta know what's down here. Pharce knew where to bring all the groups. So it's gotta be safe.

[ Hunk's saying this more for himself than anyone else, but he's pulled out his gunblade to fight the wall of algae if it comes down to it. ] Totally safe. [ And then he looks back towards the rest of the group, forcing an uneasy smile. ]

So far, it's enclosed. That limits what can get in here. And I don't hear anything ahead.

[She wasn't going to mention exactly how good octopi and squid were at getting through small openings. Not having bones or much of a shell was an advantage there.]

[S'reee sang out a few louder notes, getting a sense from the echoes of their path. Actually, the algae was slightly worrying to her: things in the abyss didn't glow unless they had a reason, and that reason usually was to attract attention. But it was possible that the city bred such plants deliberately, and it had just escaped to live in the tunnels underground.]

[Hope was actually collecting some of the glowing algae into a vile himself. The fact that it glowed was really interesting and he wanted to figure out how it did. Did they breed that way through natural selection? Or were they artificially created like some of the creatures on Cocoon, like the the Gapra Whitewoods.

He was quick, collecting only a couple vials full before pushing off the wall to catch up to the group. He knew how to swim, he just wasn't very good at it but the enclosed space at least lended itself to calmer waters for now.]

Even if there were monsters or other manner of sea creatures, I'm sure we could handle it. I think Pharce knew what he was doing when he split us up.

[They had to trust in something, after all. He just hoped he was right, it was weird, being in an all new group like this rather than with the Pulse fam.]

We got this.

[ Luckily no one went off the path. That's good.

Ena stops when she gets to the hole going down. Eesh. This is why she wanted to get out of the city, full stop. Despite knowing the bubble around her head would let her breathe underwater, she was still uncertain. But she didn't have much of a choice in the matter.

She slowly lowers herself into the oubliette, unwittingly holding her breath as her head goes underwater. She was using her hands to push herself along the wall to keep up with the rest of the group when her finger brushes against something slimy and she immediately recoils - gross. She was glad the algae was lighting the way, but there was still a good chance it could be dangerous. For a moment, she wonders if she should warn the group to stay cautious when she sees one of the children ahead purposefully touching it with his bare hands and putting it in some kind of bottle. Why? Why?? Nevermind. It was too late. Best stay on topic. ]

Indeed. It would take quite a lot to outnumber us.

[Like Hope, Gi is examining the algae, but more out of general fascination than scientific curiosity.]

I'm guessing these are maintenance tunnels of some kind, so they're probably relatively safe.

[He didn't even know they were down here--though it makes sense now that he thinks about it--so mostly just assuming. That said, he's going to go head towards that far wall, to see if it's glowing because of more algae or something else. Back him up?]

You know, in most RPGs, the creepy old sewer that nobody's been in for years is usually infested with montsers.

[ Futaba you're not helping. But hey, it's probably distracting everyone from her own very awkward kicks and flails as she tries to keep up. Maybe? ]

But eh, we'll probably be fine.

Edited 2018-06-27 17:20 (UTC)

[ Lean observes Hope’s efforts with a secretive smile on his lips; he recognises a dedicated Chemist when he sees one. The younger boy’s got the right idea, though as fascinating as the nature is, he forces himself to pay more attention to the surroundings. I’m a way, he does feel like there’s a certain responsibility weighing on his shoulders. ]

Well, one of you is definitely correct, if that’s of any comfort.

[ Though he’s not an excellent swimmer, he feels comfortable enough in the water to navigate freely. It’s now become so much more difficult to investigate what’s lying ahead, however.... ]

What can you see up there?

[The empty chamber has a raised platform in the center, with large square tiles. Some of the tiles have glowing circles set into them. The same square tiles form a pathway from the door to the platform, and on the other side of the platform, a second pathway that leads to a sealed door.

Beside the door, the source of the glow illuminating the room: a grouping of ~~Tetris block~~ shapes, formed out of the luminous algae, carefully cultivated long ago for this puzzle.

When one of the glowing circles on the tiles is touched, it will light up the tiles around it in one of the shapes. Should any party member stray from the path by swimming beyond the boundaries of the tiles, all of the lit-up tiles will go dark, resetting the puzzle.

OOC: for illustration purposes, it's this. IC, characters can explore and use trial and error to proceed.]

Hmm... [ Hunk squints his eyes, though that's not really going to help when it's so dark underwater, even with the algae. ] I don't see any monsters, so...

[ He looks to the left and right, and then up and down again. Nothing hiding! It should be safe. So he swims ahead, taking particular notice of those tiles with the glowing circles. It doesn't seem dangerous, so maybe it isn't.

And so he pokes the tile, eyes going wide as it lights up. ] H-hey! This is pretty cool! [ And he has no idea how it works. Absolutely winging it. He is, however, looking over at the glowing algae with a look of clear hunger. Better keep his attention on the puzzle. ] I think it's safe!

[Hope struggles a bit, but he manages his way over to Hunk shortly, touching a set of tiles next to the ones already lit up. He looks around, however, and doesn't quite follow what they are supposed to do.]

It looks like a puzzle but I'm not entirely sure what it is we're supposed to accomplish with these. Anyone else have an idea?

[Were they supposed to create a path?]

[S'reee darted to the ceiling and got a sense of the whole thing]

I wonder what the purpose of this is. We're supposed to stay on the path, but this whole thing is part of the path.

[Hunk and Hope have lit up a couple of the tiles, so Gi goes to examine one of the other sets, touching the circle to light that one up as well.]

Maybe we're supposed to light all of these up at the same time?

[He also has no idea what to do, but it doesn't hurt to start throwing out suggestions.]

[ Though it was quite a gamble his companions have just undertaken, it did help establish that at the very least they aren’t dealing with a nasty trap. That speeds up things a little.

Swimming over to join Gi in his investigation, Lean gives another circle a light tap, watching the algae light up beautifully in front of his eyes. This... seems kind of fun. ]

Let’s try that first... but these shapes don’t seem coincidental. We’re probably dealing with a pattern.

[ And to test his theory, he touches the same circle once more, to check if the same motion will cause the lights to disappear. ]

[ While everyone's focused on the floor, Futaba is interested in the display glowing on the other side of the room. Since it was right next to the door, it would make sense if those were instructions of some kind. Plus algae didn't grow in that kind of pattern normally.

So she swims forward and- actually no. No she doesn't. She flails and kicks a bit ineffectually before pointing, redfaced, at her destination. ]

Hey. Someone give me a push or something so I can take a look at that.

[ Now in the open chamber, without any walls to crawl forward on, Ena finds herself in a very similar situation to Futaba's. She could let go and try to flail forward but that would be embarrassing and unbecoming, especially in front of all these strangers. What a terrible situation this was.

So luckily, she's not too far from where Futaba is, one of her hands still touching the path wall for stability. She flails a little bit to draw her feet towards the wall. ]

Apologies if I hurt you.

[ She gives a brief disclaimer before kicking herself off the wall with as much force as she can muster. Her feet swing around to her front and land squarely on Futaba's back, (hopefully) giving the young human girl enough momentum to send her forward.

And not letting go of the wall. She needs that. She'll just observe from here. Because monsters might attack from behind. Or the glowing puzzle might summon monsters if they make a mistake. No thanks. ]

[As the party members ~~fail to~~ swim toward the glowing algae on the far wall, if they cross the boundary created by the platform or the narrow walkway connecting the platform to the entrance and exit, the puzzle will go dark.

The group can light up all of the available tile shapes if they wish, but the door will not open until only the shapes corresponding to the glowing shapes on the wall are lit. A shape can be turned off by touching the glowing circle a second time.

...should anyone attempt to lick the glowing algae, they will risk getting water into their bubble helmet. If they're really committed to doing it, the algae has a bitter, slimy taste/mouth feel, and leaves the tongue feeling slightly tingly. It's probably not poisonous, just not great to eat.]

[ okay yeah that kinda hurt a bit. But it gets her moving and once moving, it’s actually easier to keep doing so. Her aim isn’t as great though. And she ends up missing the narrow pathway to the exit. Sorry guys.

That being said, once she’s on the correct side of the room, she’s able to grab the wall there and haul herself over to the exit, and the panel next to it. And back on the path, because y’know, important.

Now that she’s able to get a closer look at the panel and yeah, those are definitely not natural algae formations. More importantly, they look like... ]

Hey, I think these match some of those light-up tiles on the floor!

[ So maybe they need to match them up? ]

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