Event || Mysterious Fathoms Below

[eternitymods]

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.

Comments

[regisrex]

[ And Regis beams at Clarus, because, well done! And then he crouches down to pick up the gems. ]

If these are dropping, we might as well pick them up - we might need them further down.

[ And he was right in front of the tank already.

He'll make sure the other two are also recovered, before moving in to the next room to read the next riddles. The first one seems pretty easy to him, all the circumstances considered, but the second one makes him squint for a moment, then his eyes flit to Clarus and he steps closer to the older man. (Clarus never broke any. But did Regis hold up his to his Shield?)

His word is soft but clear. ]

Promise.

[ Hes sure others will also figure it out, but... he wants to say it, himself. ]

[hatejakku]

[ Finn was a little exasperated to find another room with more tanks and more riddles. Like... wouldn't it make more sense to just keep a lever behind a locked door? What is with all of this nonsense???

But no, okay, he walks over to the first riddle, trying to ignore the lonely puffer fish that he can't save. He also hears Regis' answer, but doesn't really register it as he stares down at the first tank.

Three lives or phases. Gentle on skin. Light enough to float. Hard enough to- ] Water!

[ Then he glances around at everyone and straightens himself up. ] Um, I mean- I think it's water, right? It sounds like water. [ He apologizes if he ruined any moments. ]

[zanarkandian]

Hey, good one!

[Tidus grinned at Finn encouragingly, flashing him a thumbs up. He then turned his attention to the other riddle. He's not usually a puzzler, but after a few moments' thought, his hand drifts to his chest.]

Well you don't hold a heart...not literally. Doesn't stop it from breaking.

[He says it with his usual smile, but he's quick to shake his head and refocus.]

[failtsuninari]

[Kenichi looks at the gems and the tanks. At both Regis and Finn's answers, he nods.]

Hmmm, water and promise are probably the answers like you guys said.

Still, I wonder if there's a connection to the fish in the tanks, the answers to the riddles and those gems. I'll keep track for us just to be safe. This really has to be the most convoluted security measure, I've ever seen though.

[aethereally]

[Salieri goes over to check out the pufferfish. It's cute!]

Water definitely has to be it, right? I was thinking "heart" for the other one as well, but "promise" is also good. I suppose there's nothing against multiple good answers, is there? Let's hedge our bets!

[eternitymods]

[In the seemingly empty tank, an eel pokes its head out of the rock formation, an expectant look on its face. It bobs its head in a nod, and a panel within the tank's base opens, revealing two Green Gems.

The puffer fish swims first toward Regis, then to Salieri. It sucks in water, puffing itself up. The panel opens, revealing two Yellow Gems. Sometimes, it seems, there really is more than one answer to a riddle.

The next door opens, revealing the final chamber of riddles. Two more tanks.

One tank contains clams nestled at the bottom. The inscription on this tank reads:
I can bring tears to your eyes;
resurrect the dead,
make you smile,
and reverse time.
I form in an instant,
but I last a lifetime.

The second tank houses an octopus, who waves a tentacle at the party as they enter. The final riddle reads:
What is the name of the Eidolon of Water?]

[aethereally]

[Salieri grabs the gems, pleased as punch. He hands the other one to Regis with a smile. They earned... whatever these are.

He's not sure about these next sets of riddles, though. Was that second one even actually a riddle?]

Hmm... I want to say a memory, but that doesn't seem quite right. Eidolons are what are called summoned creatures here, yes?

[zanarkandian]

[Tidus nods along.]

Yeah. On my world, we called them aeons, but we didn't have a water aeon and I don't really know any summoners here well enough to know what it is.

[He reads over the other riddle again, and Rikku's words echo in his head. Memories are nice, but that's all they are. The horror of death. The echo of life that lived in the Farplane]

No, I think you're right. The dead only live on in memories...well, except for some weird special circumstances that aren't really important right now, but. Memories tie us to the people we love. It's over in a flash, but we hold onto it forever.

[hatejakku]

[ Finn heaves a sigh and enters into the next room. Geez. Also, he's trying to keep track of these gems. Regis has the purple and yellow ones. He has the blue ones. Salieri has the green ones. He's pretty sure that's going to be important later.

He waves at the octopus with a smile as they all pile in and nods at Tidus and Salieri. ]

I'd go along with memory, yeah.

[ But, uh... He did look this up. He remembers that but not the name. The Eidolons still don't seem real, but um... ] They're summons, right? Are we sure we won't summon it by saying it's name? [ Not that they have a choice... ]

[regisrex]

The Eidolon of water is Ultros, and it takes some more effort than merely naming them to actually summon them, promise.

[ All right, there was a look in Clarus's eyes that eased something in Regis, so he's focused on what is going on, again. He took the gem from Salieri, too, smiling with his thanks.

Besides, he knows this - he is a summoner, and he's been doing his homework. ]

[failtsuninari]

Hmm...Memory does seem to be the answer that fits that first riddle.

But still, it's rather interesting. The Eidolons thing, I mean and how they're called different things depending on the world. Magic is a thing in my world too and that includes summoning but it's quite an elaborate process.

[eternitymods]

[When the team decides on 'Memory', a latch opens on the top of the tank, allowing the lid to be removed. Two clams open, revealing two Red Gems where pearls might otherwise rest. They can be claimed if anyone is willing to reach into the tank.

The octopus bends two tentacles as if putting hands on hips as it looks toward Regis, then waves all of its tentacles above its mantle. In spite of these erratic movements, it eventually propels itself out of its tank and drops two Dark Blue Gems on the ground as it swims away.

That answer was right...ish?

The door ahead opens. No more fish tanks now. Instead, there are six statues set around the room, each facing another statue. Tracing their line of sight, they are arranged in interlocking triangles. The colors of the statues match the colors of the gems: Purple, Red, Yellow, Light Blue, Dark Blue, and Green.

Above the sealed door on the opposite side of the chamber, an inscription:]

Their greatest foe reflected in their eyes,
This shall open the way to your prize.

[regisrex]

[ Regis eyes the octopus for a long moment. That was the Eidolon of water listed in the Summoners guild.

But... after a moment, stepping towards the tank, he holds the gems thoughtfully and mouths another name, one he almost blurted out in the first place. Leviathan.

Eidolons are not Astrals, and it seems to him all right to not match perfectly. And yet... with what he has heard of Ultros...

Oh well. The answer was accepted, so he moves on.

Then. Tilts his head. ]

We put the stones as eyes on each statue, matching the statue opposite it?

[ Assuming each of them is facing its foe, of course. ]

[hatejakku]

[ Another room. Ridiculous. Finn left the gems for the others to pick up, packing along his light blue ones, and reading the inscription to himself. Their prize? Rather fancy way of saying lever, assuming that wasn't a puzzle, too. At least they were at the end.

Then he looked around the room and found that Regis was right. The reflection part, of course. ]

That means that each statue must have mismatching eyes to go in the triangle. So...

[ He looked at his gems and back at the statues a few times. After a little deliberation with himself and making triple sure everything lined up, he put the light blue gems in the red statue's left eye and the green statue's right eye respectively. ]

Does that look right?


((ooc: I found this if anyone else needs a reference. :p ))

[aethereally]

"Their greatest foe"... Right, so that would mean they're opposite, yes?

[So sad to give up his only prize so soon, but what can you do? Saleri pops his gem into the purple statue.]

[failtsuninari]

Sounds like your typical dungeon puzzle, alright. There's a good chance they booby-trapped this place if the answer is wrong so be on guard.

[Kenichi goes over to the light blue statue.]

So then one red gem should be in this one's right eye and the left should be a green one. Pass them to me and I'll put it in.

[eternitymods]

[Once the outworlders fit their gems into the eye sockets of the various statues according to their elemental interactions, there is an audible click and each statue's pedestal lowers down into the floor a few centimeters. The statues all turn so they now face the sealed door. The gems are fastened into their sockets.

The sealed door rumbles, then lifts. The path revealed beyond the door leads straight for a long stretch. When the group traverses it, they will finally reach another chamber with a lever. When pulled, the lever will drain the water from the Southwest path. Above the Oubliette, the water level in the city has been lowered!

When the lever is pulled, one more thing happens- a final door opens, to a gigantic open chamber. There are serpentine carvings in the wall and flecks of blue embedded in the stone of the floor. The glowing letter "H" appears in the floor.

The Southwest group has reached the chamber where the events of Phase 2 take place.]