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[closed] to dungeons deep

who: Team Intrepid Explorers: Hiccup Haddock, Christian Fischer, Dave Stutler, Keith, Yuri Plisetsky, Jon Snow, & Freya Vaughn
what: Mission: Cave Crawl
when: Late February
where: A network of caves out in the wilderness.
warnings: Uhh. Spooky cave stuff?

Hiccup originally found the caverns on a solo jaunt into the jungle with Toothless. Well, he found the entrance - they didn't go much deeper inside than a handful of yards, to be safe. Now that they have a full party, complete with some actual fighters, they should be able to go quite a bit deeper.

The group takes a truck as far out into the jungle as possible, loaded with equipment, and between the dragon and the lion, manage to get most of it up into the cave entrance itself. The first 'chamber' they come across is large, oval-shaped, branching off in several directions. It's dimly lit with bioluminescent algae (or clusters of worms, maybe?) and small clusters of softly glowing crystal dotted across the ground and walls, protruding from stalagmites and stalactites. There are a few shallow pools of clear water, filled with blind, pale fish. At points, the scurrying of small creatures in the distance can be heard echoing through the room.

It's set up as a base camp, of sorts. A place to go back to, to keep from getting too lost in the maze of tunnels and caverns. Some pop up tents and some electric lanterns provide light and make it a little more comfortable for rest periods. At one point, some firewood is brought in, and a nice fire started in the middle of camp for heat and light.

It doesn't take more than a day to get out there and get the place set up, and then the real exploration can begin. Team members are encouraged to always go down the branching tunnels in at least pairs, if not more, and to mark the cave walls as they go to keep from getting too lost. The only goals are to discover and to learn, and, of course, to stay safe.

[ooc: Feel free to use this post like a 7 person mingle log! Post top levels, tag around, thread hop to your heart's desire, find cool shit, etc.]

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That sounds like a good plan. Just in case it happens to be cursed.

[He says it flippantly, like a joke, with a wink and a grin over his shoulder, but he does watch as Hiccup collects the lichen, making sure the sample is safely sealed in the jar before turning back around. At least nothing seems to be coming from the strange glowing mass yet.

It's all fun and games until you get sloppy. Then people get eaten. That at least he's learned so far, but it still hasn't deterred him from going on these adventures or trying things he definitely shouldn't be trying. Christian leads the way, hand held up so he can light the path ahead.]

We're okay. We'll go slowly and just take a peek. If it's giving off heat, it must be important.

[He follows the draft of air, looking for crevices in the stone wall until he sees a place where the light doesn't bounce back to them.]

Here. It'll be a tight squeeze. Do you think Toothless can make it through there?

[The opening is a jagged crack in the wall, splitting it open like a lightning strike had broken it. It's larger than a man, but still not a clear passage.]

Cursed? [He cringes, making sure to wipe the knife off pretty good before he tucks it back into the leather sheath. Hopefully he's just kidding about that because uh. Yeah. He'd rather not take a curse into town with them when they go back.

Hiccup swings the lantern around to give them more light as they walk, occasionally looking down at Toothless to gauge the dragon's reaction to a noise or a gust of air.] It's something different, definitely. Whether it's good different or bad different... [Well, that remains to be seen.

Finally they make it to the source, or closer to the source, and it's a single jagged crack in the wall. Toothless' ears flatten as he nudges between the two to sniff at it, but when the dragon tries to go first, he doesn't get far - his wingspan is too big, even with them tucked against his body as tightly as they'll go. Toothless warbles something like concern, backing off.]

Doesn't look like. We shouldn't go too far, just far enough to see what's putting off that heat. You gonna be okay to wait here for us, bud? [He kneels down next to Toothless and throws an arm around his head, pressing his forehead to his Night Fury's, as the dragon warbles again, soft.] I promise, we'll be careful.

[And that's the big question, whether or not Christian is joking about these things. Whether he's ever really telling the truth or if he's making some bad joke. Because the threats of magic are so inconsistent and often obscure that it's hard to tell what might be possible. A lot of the time even he doesn't know what might be lurking in an innocuous object, so the chance that his joke might turn out to be true is unfortunately more likely than not.]

I'm sure it's fine.

[Is it better to lie and be proven wrong by disaster or tell the truth and reveal you saw that disaster coming? He decides that reassurance is better than nothing for now. Maybe it'll be nothing but moss.]

We can be quick. At least we know that nothing is in this room, so everyone else will be safe while we scout ahead. We'll be back before anyone even notices.

[Christian smiles to Toothless.]

Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on your boy.

You ready, dragon man?

[Hiccup is just going to err on the side of caution. He's not always the best at reading cues (he can be kind of oblivious to some things), so until he can tell if Christian is really joking or not, he's going to assume anything he says is a possibility. Including cursed glowing lichen. They'll be happy to get that back at the labs, he's sure.

And while he's eager to see what lies down this particular tunnel, he's also a little apprehensive about it, more than he would be if he had someone with him that he knew better. Nothing against Christian, but boy, what he wouldn't give to have Astrid here right now to back them up.] If we take too long, Toothless will go find the others anyway. [He says, taking some small comfort in that knowledge.

With one last pat to Toothless' scaly head, Hiccup nods, and starts down the passage, dimming the electric lantern.] Yeah, let's go. Keep the lights down in case this is something dangerous, we don't want to draw too much attention.

[Caution is the best thing to have when dealing with the man that runs with demons. While Christian is joking and the lichen probably is just naturally phosphorescent, the Subtle Realm has a strange and unpredictable nature. There's no way to be one hundred percent sure that danger doesn't lurk in the shadows.

For the time being, though, the two have something else to deal with. Christian seems to take to the danger like a seal to water, slipping further and further in, sure-footed despite his usual awkwardness. With demons and magic the act changes. Humans look for weaknesses, demons toward strength.]

We won't take too long.

[He offers the reassurance like he knows it's true. He has no way of knowing. But they continue down the winding crevice, Christian climbing over rocks and using his hand for light. Even if Hiccup hadn't told him to keep it dim, the range it offers is weak.]

What's the best thing you've ever found in a cave?

[It's an actual serious question out of nowhere.]

[Hiccup, for his caution, is just as curious. He's certainly not holding up this little expedition, scrambling along after Christian with his lantern turned low. He keeps up admirably, despite his general lack of athleticism, taking in the curving of the path and the patterns of the stone walls. As they progress, veins of crystal and something metallic can be spotted in the stone, glinting softly to reflect the dim lights. It's interesting, and he makes a mental note to write this down, try to map out the cave's tunnels so that he can try to extract some of that metal from the walls.]

Best thing? I don't know, it's hard to say. [A lot of things happen in caves, back home. New dragon discoveries, good and bad, ambushes by enemies, all those things.] Worst thing was probably the Red Death. Close second: Screaming Death. Think wildly spinning, angry saw blades coming right at you. [Best thing, though... Hm.] You know, I really haven't had a whole lot of good experiences in caves.

What about you? Have you ever found anything good?

Edited 2018-03-30 18:05 (UTC)

[While neither of them might be star athletes, they both seem to navigate the rocky path pretty well and Christian, driven by curiosity and the excitement of potentially finding something new and interesting, is happy to lead the way through the narrow tunnel. The strange ores and crystal clusters running along the walls catch the light and pull his eyes to them, fascinating him as they reflect various colors and flashes in the lantern light and magical glow.]

Red Death and Screaming Death. I have to say, your naming preferences certainly give off the right sense of dread for cave exploring. So everything that comes from caves where you're from is a type of death?

[He shouldn't be amused by that, but of course he is.]

I don't really go into a lot of caves. Caves are creepy. You can get lost in them and they are generally homes to all kind of creatures. You just never know... The best thing? I guess water. And fish.

Not all. You know, there- there are fireworms, and cavern crashers, and night terrors. Which, admittedly, don't sound fun either, but we vikings love our fear-based naming schemes. [The last part is added a little dryly as he scrabbles onto a large boulder half sunk into the ground to get a better look at some of the veins of metal running through the walls. It has a silvery quality like he's never quite seen before, and he's fascinated.] Here, hold up a second, I want to... I want a sample of this. [He digs around in the shoulder bag he carries with him, searching for chisel and hammer (always be prepared) to try and chip off some pieces of the stone where the metallic substance runs through it. He tries to be quiet, and cautious about it, but the tap-tapping noise is definitely a vulnerability.]

'Creepy' definitely depends on the cave. There are caverns underneath and going through Berk but we've turned them into really nice dragon stables. Not creepy at all. This place, though, little bit creepy.

Yeah? Your people have a tradition for using creepy names? Why such a fascination with danger?

[Asks the man leading the way into certain danger. He's intrigued, though, because names aren't an accidental thing. As innocent as many seem, they all serve a purpose, which means they tell a lot about the people who give them. He wants to ask Hiccup more, but then the dragon rider interrupts him, apparently finding an interesting prize of his own in the rocks. The echoes of tapping as Hiccup cuts into stone vibrate down the passage. Christian watches quietly, eyes narrowing as he feels a shift in the air.]

Hang on. It's dying down... The current is stopping.

Because we're vikings. Danger is an occupational hazard. [More like they killed dragons for three hundred years, and everything was 'death' this and 'death' that. But that's a long story and probably not the best thing to get into at this point, when they're trying to work and take samples of the things they find along the way.

He manages to tap out a couple of chips of the metallic substance, and tucks them into his shoulder bag; he's raising his chisel to the wall again when he stops, looking out into the tunnel, stilling.]

Yeah, it is... Is that good, or bad, do you think?

Way to embrace the lifestyle, I guess.

[Okay, he's teasing him, but he has to. That's how Christian makes friends. It's a level of fondness with him, getting to know a person and commenting on the details of his life. If he didn't, Hiccup would just be another name among a world of names that meant very little. And speaking of names-]

By the way, I've been meaning to ask: Where did "Hiccup" come from anyway?

[Because he has to ask. Of course he does. Christian looks down the tunnel and is silent a moment as he focuses.]

Well, nothing is coming our way. You want to check it out?

You know, being a dragon-riding viking has its perks. [Like having a dragon. That's a big one. Fighting evil dragons and bad men has fewer perks and more risks to life and limb, but still. Hiccup rolls his eyes slightly at the name question, but it's good-natured enough.] I knew that was coming eventually. Vikings believe that- you know, a hideous name will scare off gnomes and trolls. And "a hiccup" is usually what you call the runt. I- I was uh, born early. [It's not a fantastic name. Thanks mom and dad. But it's his, and he's made something of it - changed the perception of 'hiccups' around Berk.

Hiccup follows his gaze and nods after a moment, leading the way down the tunnel, hand on the hilt of his retracted sword.] Yeah, let's go check it out. Hopefully it's nothing dangerous.

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[closed] to dungeons deep

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